Cranidos (SM) | Hohou's Home | Competitive Movesets

Competitive Pokemon Sun/Moon Movesets and Strategies for Cranidos

Base Stats for Cranidos

Rock

Abilities:
,

Evolutions / Family:
Cranidos
Rampardos

Weakness Chart for Rock-type:

Bug

Dark

Dragon

Electric

Fairy

Fighting

Fire

Flying

Ghost

2x

0.5x

Grass

Ground

Ice

Normal

Poison

Psychic

Rock

Steel

Water

2x

0.5x

2x

¼x

½x

2x

4x

Movesets for Singles

What is a good competitive moveset for Cranidos? These builds have been optimized for Pokemon competing in Sun/Moon Single Battles. The movesets and EVs have been specifically calibrated to deal the most amount of damage to the largest group of potentially common opponents and typing threats for the Sun/Moon generation metagame.

Cranidos is a spectacular Rock-typed Pokemon. Cranidos is not a Pokemon anyone usually expects sees on the battlefield. Cranidos is weak to Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water-typed attacks.

Species: Cranidos
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

Physical Sweeper Cranidos (Sheer Force)

Cranidos is an astounding Physical Sweeper. It's goal is 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.

♦ 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).
♦ 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).

Movesets for Doubles

What is a good doubles moveset for Cranidos? These builds have been optimized for Sun/Moon Double Battles. They have movesets and EVs specifically calibrated to generally work best versus multiple Pokemon at once as well as helping to support other team members and allys in the Sun/Moon generation metagame.

Species: Cranidos
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

Doubles Physical Sweeper Cranidos (Sheer Force)

Cranidos is a spectacular Physical Sweeper. This moveset is 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 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).
♦ 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).

Movepool

Wondering what moves can Cranidos learn? Here is the list of moves this Pokemon can learn in this selected generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by move type, category, accuracy, and power. Bolded moves will gain the same-type attack bonus (STAB) if this Pokemon uses them.

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: Rain dance + Thunder
Moves: Endure + Endeavor
Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
Moves: Thunderbolt + Ice beam
Ability: Sheer Force + Item: Life Orb
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: Blizzard
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Fire Blast
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Flamethrower
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Ice Beam
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Fire Punch
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Headbutt
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Ancient Power
Ability: Sheer Force + Additional Effect Move: Earth Power
Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect

Optimize Cranidos's EVs for Sun/Moon

Competitive Information for Cranidos [Sun/Moon]