Croconaw Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Dragon Dance boosts both Attack and Speed making Croconaw a massive threat for offensive teams Waterfall is Sheer Force-boosted STAB that OHKOs a lot of Pokemon in Middle Cup after a boost Crunch is also boosted by Sheer Force, and demolishes Ghost- and Psychic-type opponents Ice Punch, another attack boosted by Sheer Force, gives Croconaw a way to bypass Togetic and Grass-type switch-ins Because Croconaw is still rather slow after a single Dragon Dance, Aqua Jet can be used to pick off faster, frail, and possibly weakened threats that may prevent a sweep Set Details Jolly nature is a must, as Adamant Croconaw is still outsped by Electabuzz after a Dragon Dance boost EV spread maximizes Attack and Speed Life Orb capitalizes on Sheer Force, as the recoil is negated and helps strengthen Croconaw's attacks Usage Tips Bring Croconaw in on passive Pokemon that don't threaten it or on Choice-locked Water- or Fire-type attacks to snag a boost and being sweeping Croconaw needs two boosts to outspeed all relevant Choice Scarf threats, so be prepared to have to click Dragon Dance twice in order to sweep Even with Ice Punch, +1 Croconaw will only 2HKO max Defense Togetic so make sure its worn down before beginning a sweep Team Options Entry hazard support from Whirlipede or Rhydon is recommended, helping break walls that try to stymie a Croconaw sweep U-turn and Volt Switch provide Croconaw ample opportunities to set up Thunder Wave support or other forms of speed control are recommended, as Choice Scarf users are a huge pain for Croconaw

Moves Swords Dance boosts Croconaw's Attack to very scary levels; most switch-ins are OHKOed after Stealth Rock damage Waterfall is Sheer Force-boosted STAB that provides solid coverage in Middle Cup Crunch is also boosted by Sheer Force and when in tandem with Waterfall has near perfect neutral coverage, only missing out on Zweilous Aqua Jet allows Croconaw to pick off faster threats and does a lot after a Swords Dance boost Set Details Jolly nature isn't as mandatory on this set as it is for the Dragon Dance set, so Adamant can be used to shred the opposition. Being able to outspeed Timid Gothorita is nice though, since it OHKOs back with Thunderbolt and Aqua Jet is a 2HKO EVs are standard for maximizing Attack and Speed. A bulkier spread could be employed with Substitute, but Croconaw prefers being able to snipe faster opposition with Aqua Jet Usage Tips Excels in late-game scenarios when faster or bulkier threats have been removed or critically weakened Sets up on a fair bit of opposing walls since only a single boost is needed Do not use Swords Dance Croconaw during the early stages of a game unless it is fully capable of cleaning out the opposition. Croconaw absolutely needs faster threats capable of surviving a +2 Aqua Jet removed Team Options Thunder Wave support makes Swords Dance Croconaw all the more dangerous, as fast opposition can no longer offensively check it. Porygon2 is excellent in such a role, as it switches in on a lot of fast threats for free Entry hazard support makes switching in on Croconaw nearly impossible. After Stealth Rock, via Rhydon, or Spikes via Whirlipede, a lot of its 2HKOs turn into OHKOs Pivots capable of bringing Croconaw in on Fire- or Ground-types are excellent partners, giving Croconaw a free turn to use Swords Dance

Croconaw sets itself apart from other Water-types thanks to its access to Torrent. This in conjunction with Salac Berry allows Croconaw to become an incredibly frightening late-game sweeper. STAB-boosted Hydro Pump can prove difficult to switch into, and while Torrent is active, Pokemon that would otherwise comfortably switch in such as Chinchou, Seaking, and Castform get 2HKOed. Ice Beam provides Croconaw with excellent coverage against Grass-types such as Bayleef and Lileep. Hidden Power Grass allows Croconaw to hit opposing Water-types such as Seaking, Chinchou, and Staryu without relying on Hydro Pump's accuracy. Because of Croconaw's mediocre Special Attack, a Modest nature is used to ensure Croconaw 2HKOes specially defensive Pokemon such as Delcatty and Grimer while Torrent is active. Croconaw works best on offensive and balance teams in need of a dedicated cleaner or win condition. Croconaw appreciates status support, so Pokemon with access to Thunder Wave such as Nosepass, Chinchou, and Magnemite all make great partners. Physical wallbreakers such as Aipom, Pidgeotto, and Cubone can threaten specially defensive Pokemon such as Delcatty, Dustox, and Grimer. Rhyhorn makes for a fantastic partner, as it resists Delcatty's Body Slam and Grimer's Sludge Bomb. Mixed attackers such as Castform and Seaking make for excellent partners, as they can weaken Dustox and Delcatty, which can otherwise shut down Croconaw's ability to clean. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Sunflora and Castform act as excellent checks to Chinchou and Elekid, which otherwise threaten Croconaw's ability to clean if its Salac Berry has not been activated. Croconaw appreciates Spikes support from Snorunt, as the chip allows it to always 2HKO Dustox with Hydro Pump while Torrent is active.

Croconaw's access to Swords Dance, respectable bulk, and excellent base 80 Attack set it apart from other physical wallbreakers. These traits allow Croconaw to find opportunities to set up on Pokemon such as Rhyhorn and Seaking despite its general lack of Speed. Unboosted Double-Edge is able to net a considerable amount of damage on foes that don't resist Normal. Croconaw can use Return to avoid recoil damage, but it tends to appreciate the extra damage that a +2 Double-Edge offers against Pokemon that have reliable recovery such as Dustox and Bayleef. Brick Break is able to threaten Rock- and Steel-types that resist Double-Edge such as Lileep and Magnemite. Croconaw's STAB-boosted Surf, although not boosted by Swords Dance, can reliably remove Rhyhorn and threaten Koffing, and it provides Croconaw with a way to hit Shuppet. Croconaw works best on balance and offense teams that rely on status users to help make progress. Butterfree makes an excellent partner, as Sleep Powder and Stun Spore offer Croconaw plenty of opportunities to set up Swords Dance. Paralysis users such as Magnemite, Chinchou, and Nosepass can help remedy Croconaw's poor base Speed as an offensive Pokemon. Nosepass is also worth mentioning for being a great answer to Aipom as well as providing support via Explosion to weaken or remove bulkier foes. Toxic users such as Magnemite, Shuppet, and Dustox can help weaken bulkier Pokemon, most notably Lileep and Bayleef. Special attackers such as Elekid, Growlithe, and the previously mentioned Chinchou all appreciate Croconaw's ability to threaten specially defensive Pokemon such as Delcatty, Dustox, and Grimer. In return, these special attackers threaten physically defensive Pokemon such as Koffing and Lileep for Croconaw. Mixed Seaking makes for an excellent partner, as it can threaten Lileep with Megahorn and other physically defensive Pokemon with STAB-boosted Hydro Pump. Castform and Sunflora shut down both Chinchou and Elekid, which otherwise prevent Croconaw from sweeping. Croconaw appreciates Spikes support from Snorunt, as the residual damage helps solidify a Double-Edge 2HKO at +2 against Bayleef.