Don't forget that Crawdaunt is much more than just a wallbreaker (like, say, Exploud is). It has always been most helpful to me as a late game cleaner. Such a powerful Aqua Jet takes out a good number of sweepers and it's wallbreaking power handles lots of walls. This means that on the average OU team there will probably only be one or two Pokemon that aren't royally smashed by it. Get rid of its counters and it will be taking down a lot more than one Pokemon on the revenge kill. It always has for me. And that includes bulky mons and walls which other late game cleaners would struggle with (Slowbro for example).
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Pokémon Crawdaunt
- Thread starter escarlata
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Can someone explain to me the new fuss about Craw? I liked him in 5th gen thought he was a great DDancer but idont think all that much has changed unless i missed increased att stat. Is KnockOffs boosted effect of doing more when actually knocking off an item something new? I know its base got boosted so i guess between those two things its better than Crunch though you cant continuously use it on one foe for the same dmg. Also it got AquaJet now? I guess thats good for none DD sets or if you absolutely want the priority but i figure Waterfall will still be just as common
Basically all of Crawdaunt's dreams came true. Crabhammer got boosted to 100 BP, Knock Off got boosted to 97.5 BP (on the first hit), Steel no longer resists Dark so he can spam his STAB moves all day, and he gained access to Aqua Jet for very powerful priority.
Dragon Dance Crawdaunt was never very good really except in the lower tiers, he's much too slow.
Aaah now I see what its all about lol. Yeah DD was good in Lower tiers nothing higher....now however he has more potential. Now whether to use AwuaJet or Crabhmer. I guess if you run SD use AquaJet, if you run DD use Crabhammer. No point in having both when you can use nice X-scissor for coverage
There's no point in using X Scissor. Adaptability Crunch/Knock Off is all it needs for coverage besides Crabhammer/Aqua Jet.
What does X-Scissor do for you? Venusaur and Roserade are hit neutrally by both X-Scissor and Knock Off/Crunch, Celebi is hit harder by Knock Off... What is the benefit of X-Scissor?
Edit: Ninja'd. Really, though, for Adaptability Pokémon, the only coverage options that are necessary cover immunities to a primary STAB (which Crawdaunt doesn't have with neutral coverage of Knock Off to all Water Absorb/Storm Drain Pokémon) or important 4x modified damage to key Pokémon (which X-Scissor nor Superpower provide in conjuction with Crawdaunt's STABs). If it learned Gunk Shot or Ice Punch, those would be viable to KO key threats. But it doesn't. It has no business running anything but STABs.
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Adaptability seems like a misnomer. Instead of needing to adapt and use different moves a pokemon with adaptability has the power to use the same moves for everyone.
Anyways, this guy is a killing machine in rain. I've had very mixed results with any rain team but the standouts I've found are cb crawdaunt cause he's still a killer out of rain and hydration goodra since it can reliably set it's own rain and live. Has anyone else been trying to pair him with rain? It's nerfed, and predictable but I've had games where my opponent just can't handle the power of cb aqua jet in the rain whether or not they see it coming.
Anyways, this guy is a killing machine in rain. I've had very mixed results with any rain team but the standouts I've found are cb crawdaunt cause he's still a killer out of rain and hydration goodra since it can reliably set it's own rain and live. Has anyone else been trying to pair him with rain? It's nerfed, and predictable but I've had games where my opponent just can't handle the power of cb aqua jet in the rain whether or not they see it coming.
X-Scissor doesn't give much coverage, I think Superpower is best to get a solid hit on Ferrothorn among other things. Though really it's very situational, water and dark is all you need really.
The thing you have to consider is that, thanks to STAB and Adaptability, all his water and dark moves are already 'super effective' if you see what I mean so you have to find coverage moves either to hit pokemon 4x weak to that type (also not already x2 weak to dark/water) or 2x weak to that type but resisting one or both of the dark/water combination. Neutral coverage is no good since the Dark/Water moves will hit harder even if resisted.
You might even want to look at using something like Sludge Wave for Azumarill or Aerial Ace for Breloom or some utility move like Rock Tomb/Icy Wind/Toxic/Sleep Talk/Taunt because Crawdaunt really won't be using that last slot very often.
True enough i guess. Xscissor could cover Grass and Dark types, AerialAce Grass, Fighting, and Bug (optimal choice), or BrickBreak,RockSlide, etc
Id say new best set is this (move depending on preference)
Adaptability w/Lumberry
Adamant 252att 252peed 4hp
-Crabhammer
-Knockoff/Crunch
-DragonDance/SwordsDance
-AerialAce/AquaJet
As already said the additional 50% boost to STAB moves make it hit like a missile. AerialAce will cover your weakness and works well with DD to outspeed (minus MachPunch and VacuumWave). Id say run SD and AquaJet since having the priority means you'd obviously worry less about speed. KnockOff did get the boost this gen but its "big" hit only works when if actually is knockingoff an item, thus using it continuously won't help on the same foe. This, if you are running the SD set id think Crunch is better. Just my opinion que no vale
Why Aerial Ace? Nobody cares about Chesnaught and Technician Breloom is smashed hard by Crabhammer already (although it will force Crawdaunt out on the second turn with quicker priority). Breloom is losing popularity anyways, so it's not a big deal.
Run Crabhammer, Knock Off, Aqua Jet, and Swords Dance/Crunch/Switcheroo (depending on if you're a Life Orb or Choice Band variant). Even Superpower has few merits. Everything it hits is already hit hard by Crabhammer or Knock Off, and Crunch has the benefit of not only hitting Mega Pokémon harder but being a better move than a second Knock Off.
I did calculations, and Sludge Wave is useless against its main target, Azumarill. It's hit hard by an Adamant Crabhammer and Knock Off. You actually have to use a Naughty nature for Sludge Wave to do more damage than Crawdaunt's STABs. You're better off stripping it of its item with Knock Off and letting a team mate handle it.
I plan on running an all-out attacker set with Life Orb, Aqua Jet, Knock Off, Crabhammer, and Crunch with support from Scoliopede for mid- to late-game sweeps. As I was running calculations, I realized that a combination of Knock Off/Crabhammer + Aqua Jet KOs a lot of key threats with a Life Orb, and I'd be happy to sacrifice 20% of my health to do so. Basically, with good prediction, few switch-ins are safe, and the ones who are aren't exited about taking huge damage AND losing their item from Knock Off. Mega Venusaur is the main exception, and if it's still regular Venusaur on the switch-in, neutral nature 252 HP / 0 DEF variants lose to Crunch + Aqua Jet with Stealth Rocks.
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I'm pretty sure jack shit relevant viable mons resist BOTH Water and Dark. You only need to and only should be running Crabhammer/Aqua Jet/Knock off/Set-up if you are trying to do what he is outclassed at (sweeping) or Crunch if you are doing Banded Wallbreaker.
cool other pokes sweep better than he does. who really cares? I never said id run him against an Ubers team this is just a set idea...as hit Crawduant would make it as high as low-UU anyways
He is simply outclassed as a sweeper by a ton of things that aren't even OU (as of B2W2 tiers) I never said he would actually go anywhere near ubers, and Crawdauntis probably going to be at least mid to high UU with an OU niche in Adaptibility Wallbreaking IMO.
I can honestly say that Crawdaunt is incredible in OU. I think you're underestimating how much utility it can provide for a team as a late-game sweeper. With paralysis or Sticky Web support, it can run through a weakened team with a combination of Knock Off and Aqua Jet alone. Occasionally, Crabhammer can be useful to end your opponent's career. I use Crawdaunt on my PoliDrizzle team along side Sticky Web Leavanny and it has never let me down. Don't knock it until you try it!
The only thing that gives Crawdaunt competition is Azumarill. The point of Crawdaunt is that ALMOST NOTHING switches into it safely. Azumarill just barely isn't strong enough to boast that quality. The only thing holding Crawdaunt back is its low (not abysmal) bulk. However, with proper team support (Sticky Web, Baton Pass, Dual Screens, paralysis, Memento, or slow U-Turn/Volt Switch), it applies a LOT more pressure, as it can 2HKO almost the entire metagame with Life Orb Crabhammer/Knock Off + Aqua Jet. Priority on Aqua Jet turns a huge majority of those 2HKOs into circumstances where Crawdaunt can come out unscathed (outside of Life Orb recoil).
Also, it's not a sweeper. It's a wall breaker. It can only sweep with some support.
Also, it's not a sweeper. It's a wall breaker. It can only sweep with some support.
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Crawdaunt and Azumarill, while seeming similar, are two very different beasts. Azumarill has tons of defensive synergy with popular pokemon right now and can either smack you upside the head with band or set up with belly jet. Crawdaunt doesn't have that defensive synergy. It's way more of a glass cannon than Azumarill and as such needs more support.
I'd say switcheroo is crawdaunt's best option in the last slot. Crippling walls in a non damaging way is something azumarill could only dream of and can occasionally be very useful for Craw. The key is occasionally as you almost always just want to be smashing things, which crawdaunt doesn't need any coverage moves to do. Don't run aerial ace, x-scissor or superpower. Those are far from necessary. Superpower could be nice, except it's for one pokemon, ferrothorn, and knock off is already a sweet option for it and doesn't lock you into a fighting move which is an even worse thing to do to yourself this gen than last.
Flygoner818: If you don't mind me asking, what other members are you pairing with crawdaunt offensively? I'm very much interested in craw's potential in the rain
I'd say switcheroo is crawdaunt's best option in the last slot. Crippling walls in a non damaging way is something azumarill could only dream of and can occasionally be very useful for Craw. The key is occasionally as you almost always just want to be smashing things, which crawdaunt doesn't need any coverage moves to do. Don't run aerial ace, x-scissor or superpower. Those are far from necessary. Superpower could be nice, except it's for one pokemon, ferrothorn, and knock off is already a sweet option for it and doesn't lock you into a fighting move which is an even worse thing to do to yourself this gen than last.
Flygoner818: If you don't mind me asking, what other members are you pairing with crawdaunt offensively? I'm very much interested in craw's potential in the rain
Well it's not a perfect team, but alongside the aforementioned Leavanny and Politoed, I use a LO Mamoswine to set rocks (not necessary with Crawdaunt, but always helpful) and revenge kill Dragons, which Crawdaunt can't reliably do with Aqua Jet alone. I also use an Assault Vest Tornadus-T, who complements Crawdaunt well with resistances to Bug and Fighting, plenty of Special bulk, and U-Turn for some chip damage. Also playing with the idea of Physically Defensive Rotom-H, who provides Volt Switch support handsome key resistances to Grass and Electric, two types any Drizzle team will struggle with.
Rotom-H is a very interesting idea.
252 SpA Rotom-H Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 316-376 (89.7 - 106.8%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
I like that stat. I always used to love bulky specs Rotom Wash. Maybe it's time to give Rotom Heat a chance. That kill in the rain is great as Ferrothorn is one thing most rain teams hate to see. Scarf Rotom-H seems to the way to go these days, but without kanga around and a need for that fast wow, maybe a bulky specs set could be good.
Sorry this is the Crawdaunt thread. However, they do seem to make good partners.
Does Crawdaunt get anything for coverage against Azumarill. That seems like the only pokemon I'd want to look into coverage for. most anything else hates getting smacked by water/dark and isn't as immediately threatening as azu is.
252 SpA Rotom-H Overheat vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Ferrothorn in Rain: 316-376 (89.7 - 106.8%) -- 43.8% chance to OHKO
I like that stat. I always used to love bulky specs Rotom Wash. Maybe it's time to give Rotom Heat a chance. That kill in the rain is great as Ferrothorn is one thing most rain teams hate to see. Scarf Rotom-H seems to the way to go these days, but without kanga around and a need for that fast wow, maybe a bulky specs set could be good.
Sorry this is the Crawdaunt thread. However, they do seem to make good partners.
Does Crawdaunt get anything for coverage against Azumarill. That seems like the only pokemon I'd want to look into coverage for. most anything else hates getting smacked by water/dark and isn't as immediately threatening as azu is.
It gets Sludge Bomb/Wave as coverage but they're special and therefore extremely weak so you're better off just battering it with Crabhammer/Knock Off.
Furthermore, Azumarill doesn't exactly like losing his item either, so you can still hurt it quite a bit, even without an insane amount of damage.
It's a fair comparison. They play entirely differently but they're both used primarily for the strongest two Aqua Jets in the game. I don't see anything wrong with the comparison because they're commonly used for that specific niche. But yes, they are completely different Pokémon outside of just Aqua Jet, and highlighting those differences is vital to choosing between the two for teams looking for powerful priority. Please see my last post for more info on Crawdaunt's play style (specifically the Life Orb variant).
I would recommend Rotom-H with dual status support (Will-o-Wisp + Thunder Wave). Choice Scarf sets also work well, but the downside to Rotom-H is that it adds to your team's weakness to Azumarill (although Crawdaunt actually has a chance to 2HKO Azumarill with Knock Off and Crabhammer and Stealth Rocks, and it's actually faster). I'm running Venusaur for that, as it also provides a handy FWG core (although Crawdaunt won't be used defensively in that core).
Also, Crawdaunt NEEDS Stealth Rocks on the opposing side of the field. The earlier in the game, the better, because it's crucial to defeating many Pokémon with Crabhammer/Knock Off + Aqua Jet. By getting Crawdaunt in earlier in the game, its Knock Off support tends to help break down the opposing team on its own to clear its way to a sweep mid- to late-game on a weakened team.
I see Crawdaunt as a better revenge killer, personally, because of the amount of pressure it puts on the opponent if they switch, or stay in and get killed by Aqua Jet.
(Plus Crawdaunt has the niche of being fucking cool, while Azumarill is fucking cute.)
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Can't believe nobody mentioned a Specs set yet. Well actually I can, people just aren't creative anymore these days >.>
Crawdaunt @ Choice Specs
Trait: Adaptability
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Bomb
I used this set in BW NU, and I expect it to work just as well in XY NU (when tiers get inplemented, probably will take a while still). Just remember to click your STAB moves unless you are certain that you'll hit something harder with the last two moves. A neutral Adaptability Surf does more than SE Ice Beam/Sludge Bomb for example, so keep that in mind. This set doesn't hit quite as hard purely damage-wise compared to the CB set, but the things you will hit will take significantly more damage. We all know that we love to switch in our Tangela against Crawdaunt. Well, Dark Pulse OHKO's after SR, to give you an idea.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Tangela: 304-358 (91 - 107.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
It's all about the surprise factor.
Crawdaunt @ Choice Specs
Trait: Adaptability
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SAtk, -Atk)
- Surf
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Bomb
I used this set in BW NU, and I expect it to work just as well in XY NU (when tiers get inplemented, probably will take a while still). Just remember to click your STAB moves unless you are certain that you'll hit something harder with the last two moves. A neutral Adaptability Surf does more than SE Ice Beam/Sludge Bomb for example, so keep that in mind. This set doesn't hit quite as hard purely damage-wise compared to the CB set, but the things you will hit will take significantly more damage. We all know that we love to switch in our Tangela against Crawdaunt. Well, Dark Pulse OHKO's after SR, to give you an idea.
252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Crawdaunt Dark Pulse vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Eviolite Tangela: 304-358 (91 - 107.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
It's all about the surprise factor.
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