Competitive Information for Cranidos [Sun/Moon]
Rock
Abilities:
This Pokemon's moves and their effects ignore the Abilities of other Pokemon.
This Pokemon's attacks with secondary effects have 1.3x power; nullifies the effects.
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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Cranidos? These builds are optimized for Sun/Moon Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Sun/Moon metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Cranidos, a terrific Pokémon boasting Rock attributes. Cranidos is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. The LC tier (Little Cup) is where it shines. It is weak to Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-typed attacks. Want to master Cranidos's movesets? Dive into our detailed strategies below!
Item: Normalium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Double-Edge / Return
- Superpower / Hammer Arm
- Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
- Earthquake
Cranidos is a stupendous Physical Sweeper. It tries to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Life Orb boosts the power of Cranidos's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. However, Sheer Force negates the recoil damage from Life Orb while still increasing the damage from both it's ability and the orb making it an amazing item for Cranidos. With Sheer Force, Cranidos's attacks with secondary effects have 1.3x power; nullifies the effects.
♦ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
♦ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Cranidos's attack and defense by 1 stage).
♦ Hammer Arm is a physical 100-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Cranidos's speed by 1 stage).
♦ Rock Slide is a physical STAB-boosted 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to flinch the foes).
♦ Rock Tomb is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Rock-type move (100% chance to lower the target's speed by 1 stage).
♦ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
Link (click to copy):
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Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Cranidos? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Sun/Moon Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Sun/Moon metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Rockium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Rock Slide / Rock Tomb
- Earthquake / Bulldoze
- Double-Edge / Return
- Superpower / Hammer Arm
Cranidos is a decent Physical Sweeper. It's designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Life Orb boosts the power of Cranidos's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. However, Sheer Force negates the recoil damage from Life Orb while still increasing the damage from both it's ability and the orb making it an amazing item for Cranidos. With Sheer Force, Cranidos's attacks with secondary effects have 1.3x power; nullifies the effects.
♦ Rock Tomb is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Rock-type move (100% chance to lower the target's speed by 1 stage).
♦ Earthquake is a physical 100-base power Ground-type move (hits adjacent pokemon).
♦ Bulldoze is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent pkmn speed by 1 stage).
♦ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
♦ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
♦ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Cranidos's attack and defense by 1 stage).
♦ Hammer Arm is a physical 100-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Cranidos's speed by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/laa198
Movepool
Want to know what moves Cranidos can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Sun/Moon generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Cranidos.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Cranidos can perform in Sun/Moon. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive SM Move and Ability Combos for Cranidos
- Moves: Swagger + Screech
- Moves: Rain dance + Thunder
- Moves: Endure + Endeavor
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Thunderbolt + Ice beam
- Ability: Sheer force + Item: Life orb
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Assurance + Item: Rocky Helmet
- Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Move: Endeavor + Item: Focus Sash
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Ancient Power
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Bulldoze
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Crunch
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Earth Power
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Fire Punch
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Flamethrower
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Fling
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Headbutt
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Ice Beam
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Iron Head
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Mud-Slap
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Power-Up Punch
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Rock Smash
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Secret Power
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Snore
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Stomp
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Thunder Punch
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Thunderbolt
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Rock Tomb
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Blizzard
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Thunder
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Iron Tail
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Fire Blast
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Rock Slide
- Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Zen Headbutt
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Cranidos's stats
- Ancient Power
- Curse
- Power-Up Punch
- Rock Polish
- Swords Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Cranidos
- Earthquake
- Head Smash
- Hidden Power
- Ice Beam
- Protect
- Rest
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Cranidos in Sun and Moon
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
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