Cranidos Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Rock Slide is a reliable STAB attack boosted by Sheer Force. Zen Headbutt hits Fighting-types for super effective damage and is also boosted by Sheer Force. Fire Punch is boosted by Sheer Force and hits the Steel-types that resist Cranidos's STAB move, OHKOing Magnemite and Ferroseed. Superpower has even more power, although the stat penalties often force Cranidos out. It also hits opposing Rock-types hard, OHKOing Onix after Sturdy has been broken. Crunch hits Ghost- and Psychic-types harder than anything else, 2HKOing Slowpoke and Pumpkaboo-XL. If the coverage is not needed, Substitute can be run to give Cranidos a shield from status and to let it dodge Sucker Punch. Cranidos's frailty makes it hard to set up, though. Set Details The given EVs maximize Cranidos's Speed and Attack while boosting its Defense by one point. A Jolly nature is best, as it lets Cranidos outrun as much as possible. If Sticky Web support can be provided, an Adamant nature can be used for extra power, but 22 Attack with Sheer Force and Life Orb will usually get the job done. A Life Orb lets Cranidos hit incredibly hard. Sheer Force powers up Rock Slide, Zen Headbutt, Fire Punch, and Crunch, and removes Life Orb's recoil when using those moves. Usage Tips This set should not be switched into attacks if possible. Bring it in via a slow U-turn or Volt Switch or after a KO. On standard teams, this set has the role of a wallbreaker, smashing holes in the opponent's team so that something else can clear up later on. On Sticky Web teams, this set can also be used to clean up late-game. Generally, opening with Cranidos's coverage moves is the best idea. The opponent will often switch in their bulky Fighting-type thinking they can force out Cranidos, and Zen Headbutt will usually KO it. If your opponent has no Pokemon left that resist Rock-type moves, spamming Rock Slide will usually get the job done. If you're running Substitute, use it on forced switches and against predicted Sucker Punches. Team Options While not vital, Sticky Web support is certainly appreciated to remedy Cranidos's average Speed. Surskit and Sewaddle have the best synergy with Cranidos, as they resist Fighting-, Ground-, and Water-type moves, while Cranidos resists Flying-type moves. As Fighting-types threaten Cranidos, bulky Fighting-resistant Pokemon are a must. Bulky Fairy-types like Snubbull and Spritzee are good teammates, as they can counter Timburr and Mienfoo that lack Poison Jab. They can both also cure Cranidos of status with Heal Bell. Poison-types are also good teammates for the former reason. Croagunk can check opposing Fighting-types and is also immune to Water-type moves thanks to Dry Skin. Wynaut can trap and remove Fighting-types and grant Cranidos free switches with Encore. As this set is walled by Mudbray and Hippopotas, Grass- and Water-types to check them make good teammates. Staryu can hit them both with its Water-type STAB moves and remove entry hazards; Foongus can put something out of commission with Spore as well as wall most Fighting-types; Pumpkaboo-XL can beat both of them with Giga Drain and spread burns with Will-O-Wisp. If Cranidos is on a Sticky Web team, bulky Ghost-types are recommended to both block Rapid Spin and act as Fighting-type switch-ins. Pumpkaboo-XL resists Water- and Ground-type moves and is immune to Fighting, while Cranidos resists Fire- and Flying-type moves. Entry hazard setters like Dwebble and Ferroseed are also appreciated, as the Stealth Rock and Spikes they can set up help Cranidos get additional KOs. Ferroseed resists the Water-type moves Cranidos is weak to, while Cranidos resists the Fire-type moves Ferroseed is weak to. Other Options A Rock Polish set using Life Orb or Berry Juice can be a deadly late-game sweeper, but Cranidos's low bulk and susceptibility to priority make it hard to set up and easily revenge killed. Head Smash has incredible power, but its high recoil drastically cuts into Cranidos's already limited durability. Ice Beam lets Cranidos 2HKO Mudray and Hippopotas with Sheer Force and Life Orb, but doesn't accomplish much else that its usual moves don't. A suicide lead set consisting of Stealth Rock, Endeavor, Head Smash, and Superpower can be used, but Onix is usually a superior lead because it has better Speed, better bulk, Taunt, and Explosion. Cranidos does have Mold Breaker, however, so it can OHKO Dwebble and Onix through Sturdy. Lastly, Cranidos can use an Eviolite, but even then it's still not especially bulky and the Speed of a Choice Scarf or the power of a Life Orb is more beneficial. Checks and Counters Ground-types Mudbray and Hippopotas can take anything Cranidos has and OHKO with Earthquake. Onix and Diglett using Focus Sash can avoid an OHKO if they have full health, outrun, and OHKO with Earthquake, although Onix is OHKOed by Superpower if Cranidos is running Mold Breaker. While Drilbur can't switch in, it can still outrun and OHKO Cranidos with Earthquake. Fighting-types Mienfoo outruns Cranidos and OHKOes with High Jump Kick, but a Sheer Force-boosted Zen Headbutt will OHKO if Cranidos is running Life Orb. Timburr can survive the Choice Scarf set's Zen Headbutt and OHKO with Drain Punch, and if Cranidos has taken some prior damage, it can take it down with Mach Punch. Physically Bulky Pokemon Slowpoke can avoid a 2HKO from a Life Orb-boosted Rock Slide if no entry hazards are up and OHKO Cranidos most of the time with Scald. A Sheer Force-boosted Crunch will always 2HKO, however. Bronzor and Pumpkaboo-XL can beat the Choice Scarf set, but the Life Orb set can 2HKO both with Crunch. Mold Breaker Earthquake can also OHKO Bronzor after Stealth Rock. Priority Due to Cranidos's frailty, most priority moves can take it down with some prior damage. Timburr, Croagunk, Corphish, and Carvanha all have STAB priority moves that Cranidos is weak to in Mach Punch, Vacuum Wave, and Aqua Jet, respectively. Faster Pokemon Choice Scarf Mienfoo, Chinchou, and Pawniard outrun Cranidos even in Sticky Web and OHKO with their respective super effective STAB moves, although none of them can switch in. If Cranidos is not running a Choice Scarf, practically any Pokemon with above 16 Speed that can hit Cranidos super effectively can force it out. Mienfoo, Drilbur, Staryu, Chinchou, and Onix are notable examples.

Moves Rock Slide gets STAB and is boosted by Sheer Force. If you choose to run Mold Breaker, use the more powerful Stone Edge instead. Zen Headbutt hits the Fighting-types that resist Cranidos's STAB move and is boosted by Sheer Force. It cleanly 2HKOes both Mienfoo and Timburr if running Sheer Force. Superpower hits Steel-, Dark-, and Normal-types super effectively, OHKOing Magnemite, Scraggy, Pawniard, and Munchlax. Earthquake hits the same Rock- and Steel-types that Superpower does without incurring stat penalties and can OHKO Chinchou. If running Mold Breaker, it can also OHKO Magnemite through Sturdy and 2HKO Bronzor through Levitate. Thunder Punch can be used to hit Water-types like Staryu and Slowpoke and is also boosted by Sheer Force. If running Sheer Force, it 2HKOes both of them. Pursuit can be used to catch fleeing Ghost- and Psychic-types like Abra and Gastly while also damaging Flying-types that attempt to switch out. While it still won't KO Doduo and Rufflet, it will significantly weaken them, preventing them from spamming Brave Bird. Set Details The EVs maximize Speed and Attack. Due to Cranidos's inherent frailty, investing many EVs into bulk is not recommended. A Jolly nature is usually best to outrun +1 15 Speed Pokemon like Timid Magnemite and Jolly Scraggy. Adamant can be used for some extra power, but the extra Speed is more advantageous most of the time. A Choice Scarf lets Cranidos outrun the entire unboosted metagame. Either of Cranidos's abilities can be used on this set. Sheer Force powers up Rock Slide, Zen Headbutt, and Thunder Punch, while Mold Breaker lets it bypass abilities like Tirtouga's Solid Rock and Magnemite's Sturdy. Usage Tips Don't switch Cranidos into attacks if at all possible. Bring it in via a slow Volt Switch or U-turn or after a teammate has fainted. This set can play multiple roles; it can be a revenge killer, late-game cleaner, or wallbreaker. Be wary of Knock Off, as Cranidos will function significantly worse without its Choice Scarf. Switch out of Pokemon that use priority attacks like Timburr, Croagunk, and Corphish, as they can easily revenge kill Cranidos. Team Options Since Fighting-types threaten Cranidos, bulky Fighting-resistant Pokemon are a must. Bulky Fairy-types like Snubbull and Spritzee are good teammates, as they can counter Timburr and Mienfoo that lack Poison Jab. They can both also cure Cranidos of status with Heal Bell. Poison-types are also good teammates for the former reason. Croagunk can check opposing Fighting-types and is also immune to Water-type moves thanks to Dry Skin. Wynaut can trap and remove said Fighting-types and give Cranidos free switches with Encore. As this set is walled by Mudbray and Hippopotas, Grass- and Water-types to check them make for good teammates. Staryu can hit them both with its Water-type STAB moves and remove entry hazards; Foongus can put something out of commission with Spore as well as wall most Fighting-types; Pumpkaboo-XL is immune to Fighting-type moves and resists Ground- and Water-type moves. Pancham can use slow Parting Shots to bring Cranidos in safely. It can also check Steel-types and use Z-Parting Shot to heal Cranidos. Entry hazard setters like Dwebble and Ferroseed can set up Stealth Rock and Spikes to help Cranidos get additional KOs. Ferroseed resists the Water-type moves Cranidos is weak to, while Cranidos resists the Fire-type moves Ferroseed is weak to.

While Choice Scarf Cranidos is meant to use a hit-and-run strategy, the Rock Polish set is meant to set up and sweep outright with its combination of high power STAB and coverage moves as well as its ever-useful base 125 Attack. Rock Polish is a given on this set, boosting Cranidos to 30 Speed, enough to outpace all of the unboosted metagame and most boosted Pokemon as well. Stone Edge is used on this set instead of Head Smash, as Cranidos can't afford to take more recoil than it already does from Life Orb, and it is still very powerful. Earthquake is a great coverage move, getting wonderful neutral coverage when combined with Stone Edge. Thanks to Mold Breaker, it also hits Pokemon with Levitate, which is a huge plus. Zen Headbutt allows Cranidos to hit Fighting-type Pokemon very hard on the switch, while Crunch allows Cranidos to hit Ghost-types incredibly hard. Life Orb is the preferred item, allowing Cranidos to switch attacks and giving it a nice power boost. However, Oran Berry is an option to allow Cranidos to stay on the field longer. The EVs for Rock Polish Cranidos are the same as before; maximize Attack for as much firepower as possible, with 212 Speed EVs to hit 15 Speed unboosted and 30 Speed after one Rock Polish. The rest is put into HP to increase Cranidos's overall bulk. This Cranidos greatly appreciates dual screens support to help it set up. Bulky users such as Bronzor are good for this type of business. Bronzor can also set up Stealth Rock, aiding Cranidos in its sweep. Rock Polish Cranidos, like Choice Scarf Cranidos, appreciates Pokemon taking out its counters before it has to come out on the field. Bulky Ground-types can easily be taken out by powerful Water-types such as Mantyke, which also readily takes on Fighting-type attacks and priority for Cranidos. Walls that can stop faster Pokemon from getting the jump on Cranidos are also a help.

With Choice Scarf to alleviate its average Speed, Cranidos can work as a great cleaner thanks to its combination of massive Attack, STAB Head Smash, and great coverage moves. Cranidos hits 22 Speed with an Adamant nature and Choice Scarf, allowing it to get the jump on all unboosted Pokemon in Little Cup as well as many Choice Scarf users that sit at 21 Speed. Head Smash hits extremely hard, scoring 2HKOs on most Pokemon in the metagame. However, when Head Smash's recoil starts to get Cranidos's health down to dangerously low levels, it's advised that you use Stone Edge, which doesn't hit quite as hard but lacks recoil, making it a great choice. Earthquake provides great coverage alongside Rock-type moves, and has the added bonus of hitting Pokemon with Levitate thanks to Mold Breaker. Lastly, Zen Headbutt hits common Fighting-types very hard on the switch, while Fire Punch knocks out Ferroseed, which otherwise walls Cranidos nicely. With maximum investment in Cranidos's Attack and an Adamant nature, our dinosaur hits a monstrous 24 Attack. 212 Speed EVs is just enough to hit 22 Speed with a Choice Scarf, outspeeding most unboosted Pokemon and a plethora of Choice Scarf users sitting at 21 Speed. The remaining EVs are put into HP not just to increase Cranidos's overall bulk, but to help it soak up recoil from Head Smash. There are also some other moves you can use on this set. Crunch is a decent option to hit Psychic-types and Ghost-types, but even then it is usually weaker than Head Smash and only slightly more powerful than Stone Edge. Pursuit is a decent move for putting Pokemon in a checkmate position, though Cranidos is strapped for moveslots as it is. Teammates that can take out bulky Ground-types such as Hippopotas are a huge help to Cranidos, as they are its top counters, taking minimal damage from Head Smash. Staryu fits this bill nicely, sporting nice bulk as well as amazing Speed and Special Attack to blow its opponents out of the water. However, Staryu itself and other fast Water-types are nice checks to Cranidos, so Chinchou or Croagunk can be used to take these out easily. Mantyke is also a nice teammate not just because of its Water typing, but because it can easily soak up most of the priority moves being thrown at Cranidos. It also easily takes the Fighting-type moves which can destroy Cranidos. Other teammates must remove the faster Choice Scarf users that can outspeed and eliminate Cranidos; walls such as Ferroseed and Munchlax fit this role to a tee.

While Choice Scarf is good for hit-and-run attacking and revenge killing, Rock Polish Cranidos is great late-game when Pokemon like Croagunk and Carvanha have been removed from play. With 15 Speed, Cranidos outspeeds every Choice Scarf user except for three - Elekid, Diglett, and Voltorb - all of whom Cranidos ties with after a Rock Polish. Rock Polish boosts Cranidos's Speed to the point where he can be can be an effective sweeper. Stone Edge is Cranidos's main STAB move, which does a large chunk of damage factoring in Cranidos's 24 Attack stat. Earthquake provides good coverage with Cranidos's Rock-type STAB moves, and with Mold Breaker, it can be used to OHKO Gastly, Koffing, and Bronzor. The last option is a toss-up. Zen Headbutt is great for hitting Machop super effectively. Ice Beam can be used for more reliable damage on Gligar, especially in sandstorm, where Sand Veil and unreliable accuracy make Stone Edge a poor choice. Crunch is used to hit Duskull for an OHKO, although a weakened Duskull can be KOed easily by Stone Edge. If you are running Ice Beam, a Naughty nature should be used so you don't lower Special Attack. Otherwise, Adamant is the nature of choice for Cranidos. Life Orb grants Cranidos even more power; however, Oran Berry is also a great option, allowing Cranidos to potentially take an extra neutral hit, which is valuable since it needs time to set up Rock Polish. Much like the Choice Scarf set, Rock Polish Cranidos should have Kabuto, Carvanha, Croagunk, and other Pokemon with priority moves eliminated before it attempts to sweep. Croagunk can sponge up Kabuto's and Carvanha's Aqua Jet and hit back with Vacuum Wave. He is also effective at taking out Buizel and Totodile. Gligar can help take down Machop and Croagunk with Earthquake or Aerial Ace. Mantyke makes a great teammate since he can switch in on Phanpy's Earthquake and OHKO with Hydro Pump. He also resists Vacuum Wave, Bullet Punch, and Aqua Jet, and with Hidden Power Flying, he can take down Croagunk as well. Ground-types are trouble for Rock Polish Cranidos, so a strong Water-type like the previously mentioned Mantyke and Buizel are great teammates. Rock Polish Cranidos appreciates dual screens and Stealth Rock even more than the Choice Scarf set since he needs to set up. Bronzor and Turtwig make good teammates because of this, since Cranidos can switch in on Fire-type moves often used to KO them.

Choice Scarf Cranidos is one of the most powerful revenge killers and hit-and-run attackers in the metagame thanks to his excellent ability, Mold Breaker. Head Smash is one of the most powerful physical attacks in Little Cup, capable of OHKOing defensive juggernauts such as maximum HP Gligar 74% of the time when Stealth Rock is in play. Head Smash's sheer power makes it your main STAB move, at least for a while--Cranidos will be racking up a lot of recoil damage from Head Smash. Stone Edge does not suffer from recoil and is generally the safer move to use for Cranidos when his health starts to drop. Earthquake provides great coverage alongside Cranidos's Rock-type STAB, and due to Mold Breaker, common Levitate users such as Bronzor and Gastly will find themselves unable to take advantage of Cranidos being locked into it. This allows Cranidos to abuse Earthquake near endlessly, only fearing a Flying-type switch-in, which is an unlikely situation given the threat of switching into Cranidos's STAB Rock-type attacks. Zen Headbutt rounds off the set, hitting Fighting-types such as Machop harder than the other moves. Another advantage of Cranidos is that he reaches 22 Speed with an Adamant nature, allowing him to outspeed a large number of Choice Scarf users who reach only 21 Speed. This further increases Cranidos's efficiency as a late-game sweeper, as common 21 Speed Choice Scarf users will be unable to end Cranidos's rampage, allowing him to turn into a formidable sweeper. A Choice Scarf Cranidos sweep can only be stopped by three things: priority, faster Choice Scarf users, and bulky Ground-types such as Phanpy. Common priority users such as Kabuto, Carvanha, and Croagunk should be removed before Cranidos sets foot in the arena. Kabuto and Carvanha can be eliminated with a Croagunk of your own, who can sponge the Water-type attacks threatening to end Cranidos's rampage, while Gligar can swiftly deal with opposing Croagunk. Gligar should watch out for a stray Ice Punch from Croagunk, however. Gligar is also a great teammate defensively, being immune to and resisting the Ground- and Fighting-type attacks, respectively, that Cranidos is weak to, although the shared Water-type weakness is not appreciated. Gligar can also set up Stealth Rock, which nullifies Focus Sash, aiding in Cranidos's sweep. Alternately, one may use Bronzor in order to set up Stealth Rock and dual screens, while walling Phanpy, who is the best Cranidos counter in the game. Some of the faster Choice Scarf users are Gligar, Mankey, Houndour, and Gastly, who can all OHKO Cranidos. Gligar and Mankey are again walled by Bronzor, whereas Houndour and Gastly can be removed by Munchlax. Mantyke is a good teammate in general with Cranidos since he resists Vacuum Wave, Aqua Jet, and Bullet Punch.

Cranidos isn't exactly "slow", but he reaches a low enough Speed to function well in Trick Room. Priority moves still go first in Trick Room, so Cranidos still has to worry about moves like Vacuum Wave and Bullet Punch. Stone Edge is your main STAB move. While it may not be as strong as Head Smash, Life Orb and Head Smash recoil add up very quickly, which makes it an inferior option. Earthquake gets the famous EdgeQuake coverage, and is the perfect choice for Cranidos's second moveslot. Zen Headbutt scores an OHKO on Machop, who can threaten Cranidos with Bullet Punch and Dynamic Punch. Many options can be used in the last moveslot. Ice Beam can be used to OHKO Gligar with Stealth Rock up. Head Smash can also OHKO defensive Gligar, and is a great move to use when Trick Room is ending so Cranidos can go kamikaze and KO himself and the opponent; with a double KO, you can switch to your next Pokemon to set up Trick Room without switching into an attack. Swords Dance is kind of a gamble, but the payoff is huge; every Pokemon in Little Cup is OHKOed by one of Cranidos's moves after a boost. However, Trick Room means you only have about 3 turns to attack with that boost before it wears off. Crunch OHKOes Duskull, who could otherwise threaten Cranidos with Will-O-Wisp. The EVs give Cranidos max HP and max Attack, with an additional point in Special Defense. With zero IVs and a Brave nature, Cranidos reaches a low Speed of 9. Life Orb is recommended over Oran Berry unless Cranidos is using Head Smash or Swords Dance. Oran Berry will help sponge up Head Smash recoil and hopefully provide Cranidos with some healing after it uses Swords Dance. Setting up Trick Room is the first order of business required for this set to work. Levitate Bronzor is the best option, since it can set up both Trick Room and Stealth Rock, both of which aid in Cranidos's sweep. Baltoy can also set up both Trick Room and Stealth Rock, but Cranidos and Baltoy share quite a few weaknesses, so that could be a problem. Shuppet and Smoochum are great leads to set up Trick Room for Cranidos. Slowpoke is a great Trick Room sweeper to use alongside Cranidos for a number of reasons. Slowpoke can set up Trick Room itself, but he can also use his bulk and typing to switch into Vacuum Wave, Mach Punch, Bullet Punch, and Aqua Jet, all of which threaten Cranidos's sweep greatly. Trapinch can trap Pokemon like Magby and Croagunk and hit them with a STAB Earthquake, so they can't threaten Cranidos with their priority moves. This makes Trapinch a good Pokemon to use alongside Cranidos inside a Trick Room.