Pokemon of the Week DP: Cradily
Sets
SS Tank
- Item Held
- Leftovers
- Nature
- Careful (+Special Defense, -Special Attack)
- Effort Points
- 252 HP - 160 Defense - 98 Special Defense
- Recover
- Toxic
- Barrier / Earthquake / Stone Edge
- Barrier / Earthquake / Stone Edge
Without Sandstorm, Cradily isn't a so good Pokémon. Put it in a Sandstorm team though and this thing won't let anything KO it. With the sugested EPs, it has a stat of 451 in Special Defense in Sandstorm and a Defense of 270. Which means that after a Barrier, it reaches 540. Pretty sturdy. Toxic will slowly eat their HP as you Recover off their damage. Earthquake is here for those Steel and Poison-types that won't get poisoned, but without Stone Edge, Cradily can't do anything to Skarmory. If you feel you don't need the Defense boost, you can just try them both.
Surprise Sweeper
- Item Held
- Leftovers
- Nature
- Adamant (+Attack, -Special Attack)
- Effort Points
- 252 Attack - 140 Speed - 118 HP
- Swords Dance
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Recover
With that awesome ability named Suction Cups, Cradily won't fear any stupid Skarmory coming in to Whirlwind it away. Swords Dance up to three times, Recover any damage you receive and start sweeping. Rock Slide over Stone Edge only for more PP. The EPs suggested set you just above Impish Swampert but you can arrange the EPs in any way you like as long as you keep those 252 in Attack.
Other Possible Options
Mirror Coat can be used when Sandstorm is not active. Stockpile for raising its Defenses, sometimes it can even be better than Barrier. Rest, Sleep Talk, Energy Ball and Grass Knot are Cradily's only other useful moves. Cradily cannot really boast for its huge movepool.
Counters
Steel-types are its best counters being immune to Toxic and resisting its STABed attacks. Lucario does pretty well but fears Earthquake. Metagross can beat it if it lacks Barrier. Skarmory sets its Stealth Rock and Spikes really easily but the sweeping set can take it down. Jirachi will Calm Mind up on it and KO. Finally, Heracross and other Guts users like being poisoned and can KO back with their Fighting-type moves.
Opinion & Notes
The seemingly mediocre wall in Advance took a fantastic boost in D/P making it able to compete in OU environment. With Sandstorm being abused in the current metagame, Cradily may see some more use than it saw in the 3rd generation. Being a great counter to one of the most used Special Sweepers, SpecsMence, that adds to its positive points. Let's hope this weird, flower-like thingy beats the mighty Dragon!
Note that Recover and Barrier are egg moves.
←Pokemon of the Week DP: Milotic - Pokemon of the Week DP: Groudon→
Pikachu @ 21/12/2007, 01:05:48 am
I hate cradily!>:(
Shiny Numel @ 21/12/2007, 03:05:32 am
Why not Solarbem from Tm?
Good POTW Only :< @ 21/12/2007, 04:59:55 am
How bout making a guide that isn't useless?
Fenix @ 21/12/2007, 09:53:38 am
It's not useless.
Instead of moaning/complaining, why don't you post a better moveset, if this is useless?
Blue @ 21/12/2007, 10:28:51 am
@Good POTW Only:
If by saying good Pokemon of the Week only, you mean the most OU Pokemon, then your idea about good is different from mine…You would be good if you could make a less used Pokemon able to fight well against the others.For example, yesterday, I finished training my BUTERFREE wich is one of my favorites…
@Shiny Numel:
Cradily doesn't have good Special Attack to use Solar Beam effectively.
KingDedede @ 21/12/2007, 08:34:18 pm
Hmm… yeah, i suppose its good? I was considering getting a cradily… anyway, please explain to me why it is better to have a load of ev on hp, rather than evening it out, so theres some on hp, some on defence and sp. def.
germaine @ 22/12/2007, 08:36:05 am
you shuld not put cradily as the pokemon of the week i do not think it is very strng you should put the pokemon of the week as a stronger pokemon well perhaps like deliga or palkia, deoxys,groudon, kyogry, kingdra, or other lengedary not cradily.
thanks
Brody @ 22/12/2007, 05:57:19 pm
i am 8 and i love pokemon. I have never herd of you but you look sweet!I like your swirly long neck.By the way i have 61 pokemon cards.byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Darii @ 24/12/2007, 01:56:53 am
You could consider making a set to abuse BP'd stats (because of suction cups) and then recommend a Pokémon to set it up.
@ Dedede- The way the damage calculations work out, you get more mileage to put lot of points in HP than to split them evenly among the defenses.
@ germaine- Legends are sorted in a different tier (Called Ubers) and are rarely used. And since when was Kingra a legend? >.>;;
Kwizard @ 25/12/2007, 07:10:30 pm
So………..Cradily's the pokemon of the week. Even less popular pokemon has to shine sooner or later, right? :)
Ampharos1 @ 27/12/2007, 05:04:11 am
Grass Knot/Energy Ball/Solarbeam
Stone Edge
Earthquake
Toxic
???? @ 27/12/2007, 11:00:46 pm
cradily would be so good with stockpile,sword dance,recover,rock slide. In a sandstorm team to get a 1.5 boost in sp.defence with 3 stockpiles and 3 sword dance it would be so effective
Fenix @ 28/12/2007, 10:45:55 pm
Ampharos1- Cradily is too slow to use such a moveset. And what's the use of the grass moves, may I ask?
????- That's a good moveset, I personally prefer stockpile over barrier. But tbh, that set is only good in theory, it will almost always fail in competitive matches.
First, by the time that you manage to get 3 sword dances and 3 stockpiles, your opponent would have surely KOed cradily(or set up on him). Second, with RS being it's only attacking move, can you tell me what's cradily going to do to opponents like Lucario and Steelix?
KingDedede @ 01/01/2008, 10:35:59 pm
For all those people complaining, once I had my whole team beaten by a cradily (in the battle factory on Emerald) so they're not that bad. That cradily knew Double team and recover, but that was all it needed and it was able to KO my Pokemon (after about half an hour of using Rock Slide and Giga Drain) so they are definatly effective in the right circumstances. Just make sure you shift it in on a Pokemon that wont KO it in two goes.
Luna @ 05/01/2008, 07:57:39 pm
First, I don't think the Pokemon of the Week should always have to be great Pokemon like Garchomp or Metagross… Cradily is good for something like this. That being said, I have my own moveset to suggest, that I love to use for anyone not afraid to tick anyone off.
Cradily
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Calm (+Sp. Defense, -Attack)
EV's: 4HP/252 Defense/252 Special Defense
Recover
Barrier
Amnesia
Toxic
Sure, it gets stopped by steels and poisons but everything else gets stalled to death.
dragon master red @ 06/01/2008, 08:53:56 pm
to me cradily is freaky!!! but its defensive power is something to behold. i mean the barrier with the careful stat makes cradily look unstoppable! for me : cradily
careful nature
moves: barrier
toxic
protect
recover
so as you can see, i use cradily very defensively
ExplorerAce @ 15/08/2008, 04:55:43 pm
Well, you could try this moveset and drive your opponents nuts:
- Recover
- Stockpile
- Spit Up
-
ExplorerAce @ 15/08/2008, 05:21:41 pm
Sorry about that… I accidentally pushed the button before I was finished:
Well, you could try this moveset and drive your opponents nuts:
- Recover
- Stockpile
- Spit Up
- Hidden Power [Fire]
Item: Leftovers
Nature: Bold
EVs: 252 HP / 208 SAtk / 48 Def
Recover is there to keep Cradily healthy, Stockpile is there to mainly boost defenses, Spit Up is a powerful move, even after 1 Stockpile. I believe the Base Power after 1 is 100, 2 is 200, and 3 is 300. Twice as strong as Hyperbeam, has no cost the next turn, and its defenses are increased. Cradily's movepoll is quite limited, so a Hidden Power is a must. HP Fire can hit those Steel types that try to wall this set. With high Defenses, and average attack stats, and a Recovery Moves, Cradily could Probably wall whole teams after 3-6 Stockpiles.
whitehouse88 @ 30/09/2008, 09:11:21 am
personally, i think skarm, bliss,bronz,& cresselia make better walls…
Cradily @ 09/10/2008, 06:24:53 pm
Universal Urchin Tank
Cradily@Leftovers
Impish nature
200Def 152SpDef 152Attk
Recover
Mirror Coat
Rockslide/Stone Edge/EQ
Toxic/Sandstorm
Easily switches from killing sp sweepers to phys sweepers.
Mirror coat is devastating to most Sp (Milotic's Ice Beam, Infernape's Flamethrower)
Offensive move of your choice (I reccommend EQ for Metagross, especially if running SS)
Toxic for annoyance, or SS for massive defense and annoyance, but watch out for steel at that point.
Very effective, even in OU gameplay.
???????? @ 09/01/2009, 11:29:30 am
Gastro Acid Cradily
SS Cradily, forget Toxic and put in Gastro Acid
???????? @ 17/02/2009, 11:17:32 am
Try not to arm a Pokemon EXCLUSIVELY with status moves (Recover, Toxic, Will-O-Wisp, Hypnosis ETC.) At least pack one attack move. Otherwise your'e totally open to Taunting Weavile.
regal @ 25/05/2009, 05:26:53 pm
listen guys, a good pokemon is not simply a powerhouse like a legendary. cradily may not be the best pokemon out there, but its defenses have good potential. regardless, don't diss the site because they see it fit to give some less used pokemon recognition. i personally think cradily is great. later.
Dragon Trainer Red @ 20/06/2009, 05:06:21 am
who knew that cradily would end up as a potw?
Ninjomewtwo @ 20/12/2007, 11:46:15 pm
Sorry, this guide is really small but I couldn't think of any other useful sets for Cradily… If you have anything useful, please post it here.