QC: Hollywood / Montsegur / Soulgazer
GP: Frenzyplant / Fleurdyluerse
Overview
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Sporting high Speed and Special Attack stats, Cryogonal is an effective Rapid Spin user. Cryogonal differentiates itself from other Rapid Spin users with Levitate, which gives it an immunity to Spikes, Sticky Web, and Toxic Spikes. Cryogonal also threatens most Ghost-types with its STAB Ice-type attacks. Freeze-Dry allows Cryogonal to deal heavy damage to bulky Water-types, which can easily shrug off an Ice Beam. Cryogonal also has great Special Defense and access to reliable recovery, allowing it to do its job multiple times, as well as Haze to stop setup sweepers. Unfortunately, Cryogonal has an extremely low Defense stat, which is compounded by its horrible defensive typing which gives it numerous weaknesses.
Offensive Rapid Spin
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name: Offensive Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Ice Beam / Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Recover
ability: Levitate
item: Never-Melt Ice / Leftovers
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Rapid Spin clears entry hazards from your side of the field, which is important to support Cryogonal's team. Freeze-Dry is a fairly strong STAB move that has great coverage in hitting bulky Water-types as well as common Grass- and Flying-types, super effectively. Ice Beam is a stronger STAB move that is helpful when the utility of Freeze-Dry is not needed. Alternatively, Hidden Power Ground can be used to hit Steel- and Fire-types such as Probopass, Pawniard, Klinklang, Typhlosion, Flareon, and Magmortar. While most Fire-types can take Hidden Power Ground fairly well, it pressures them when they try to switch into a resisted Ice-type move. Recover allows Cryogonal to reliably gain back HP lost from Stealth Rock damage and various attacks. Hidden Power Fire can be used over Hidden Power Ground to hit Ferroseed for super effective damage while retaining coverage on all Steel-types bar Probopass. Frost Breath allows Cryogonal to check Calm Mind Xatu, ignoring its Special Defense boosts due its guaranteed critical hit chance.
Set Details
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The EV spread allows Cryogonal to hit as hard and outspeed as many Pokemon as possible, particularly base 100 Speed Pokemon. Never-Melt Ice boosts Cryogonal's STAB moves, but Leftovers can be used for passive recovery. Life Orb is an option to boost the Hidden Power of choice, but the recoil damage is detrimental.
Usage Tips
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Cryogonal should be used to pivot into special attackers such as Samurott, Mesprit, and Vileplume due to its high Special Defense stat. However, Cryogonal should be wary of Swords Dance or mixed Samurott sets as well as Psyshock from Mesprit. Cryogonal should use the free turns it gets from threatening Water- and Grass-types to clear entry hazards with Rapid Spin. However, in some situations, it may be more useful to fire off an Ice Beam. It is important to Rapid Spin away entry hazards if Cryogonal is paired with a teammate that is crippled by entry hazards, such as Ninetales or Seismitoad. If the opponent has a Ghost-type, it is best to use Ice Beam to chip away at their health rather than waste a turn with Rapid Spin. Also, if the opponent has a Steel- or Fire-type that you anticipate to switch in, Cryogonal should hit it with the chosen Hidden Power.
Team Options
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Pokemon such as Ninetales, Seismitoad, and Scyther are great teammates, as they appreciate entry hazard removal. Feraligatr is another notable teammate, because it greatly benefits from the pressure that Cryogonal puts on Grass- and Water-types, such as Vileplume, Lilligant, Tangela, and Seismitoad. Cryogonal can also lure in and eliminate Ferroseed with Hidden Power Fire. Klinklang is another boosting sweeper that appreciates Cryogonal luring in and heavily damaging Steel-types with Hidden Power Ground or Fire. Pokemon with high Defense, such as Seismitoad, Vileplume, Garbodor, and Musharna, make for great partners to switch into physical attackers that threaten Cryogonal. Seismitoad is a great teammate because it handles Rock- and Fire-type attacks, while in return, Cryogonal threatens Grass-types. Garbodor is useful to punish priority users such as Kangaskhan and Gurdurr with Rocky Helmet damage. Strong physical attackers or lures such as Superpower Samurott are helpful to put pressure on special walls such as Audino.
Bulky Rapid Spin
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name: Bulky Rapid Spin
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Freeze-Dry
move 3: Recover
move 4: Haze / Toxic
ability: Levitate
item: Leftovers
evs: 240 HP / 172 Def / 56 SpD / 40 Spe
nature: Calm
Moves
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Rapid Spin clears all entry hazards from your side of the field to support the team. Freeze-Dry provides great coverage by hitting bulky Water-types such as Seismitoad; its utility is valued over Ice Beam's greater power for this set. Recover is necessary to heal any damage Cryogonal may have taken. Haze is extremely useful to remove the boosts from setup sweepers such as Xatu, Mesprit, Slurpuff, and Uxie. Alternatively, Toxic can be used to cripple switch-ins such as Uxie, Hariyama, and Audino, and helps Cryogonal stall out the foe effectively with Recover. Reflect is an option in the last moveslot to compensate for Cryogonal's low Defense and soften physical attacks for its teammates.
Set Details
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Leftovers is essential to recover HP every turn. 40 Speed EVs allow Cryogonal to outspeed Adamant Feraligatr, letting it check it with Freeze-Dry if necessary. 240 HP EVs capitalize on Cryogonal's high Special Defense and hit a Leftovers number. 56 Special Defense EVs and a Calm nature further enhance Cryogonal's Special Defense, hitting a jump point and letting Cryogonal avoid the 2HKO from Modest Samurott's Hydro Pump. The rest of the EVs patch up Cryogonal's mediocre Defense, allowing it to take some priority hits if needed.
Usage Tips
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This set should be used as a pivot into special attackers, such as Samurott and Mesprit, especially those lacking a move to hit Cryogonal super effectively. While Cryogonal can easily take a Psychic from Pokemon such as Mesprit and Jynx, it must be wary of Psyshock from these Pokemon. Freeze-Dry is generally the safest attack to go for, as it has good neutral coverage on most Pokemon, most notably Ghost-types attempting to block a Rapid Spin. If the foe has a Ghost-type such as Rotom, Mismagius, or Gourgeist, it is best to fire off an attack or hit them with Toxic on the switch in. When Cryogonal forces out a foe such as Seismitoad with Freeze-Dry, it should use the free turn granted to Rapid Spin away hazards if necessary or use Recover. If the foe starts to set up on Cryogonal, it is important to remove the boosts with Haze or put a timer on it with Toxic. Cryogonal often lures in physical attackers that can take an Ice-type move, and Reflect can be helpful to support its team by softening up physical hits. Reflect can also help Cryogonal Rapid Spin against certain targets to avoid a 2HKO in order to clear entry hazards or Recover off damage.
Team Options
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This set is best used on defensive or stall teams, so common Pokemon on these teams, such as Audino and Xatu, make for good teammates. Audino appreciates entry hazard removal, as it is quickly worn down by Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes. Seismitoad handles Rock- and Fire-types that trouble Cryogonal, and in return, Cryogonal threatens Grass-types. Pokemon with high Defense, such as Granbull and Garbodor, make for good partners to handle physical attackers such as Gurdurr and Kangaskhan. Granbull is helpful to soften physical hits with Intimidate and also resists Fighting-type attacks. Garbodor punishes priority users such as Kangaskhan with Rocky Helmet damage.
Other Options
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Magic Coat bounces back entry hazards and status moves but isnt very useful outside of this. Icy Wind lowers the foe's Speed, but it is very weak. Knock Off provides somewhat helpful utility in removing opposing Pokemon's items, but it will not deal significant damage coming off of Cryogonal's pitiful Attack stat. Explosion allows Cryogonal to block Rapid Spin or Defog by sacrificing itself.
Checks & Counters
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**Physical Attackers**: Many physical attackers, such as Kangaskhan, Gurdurr, Sawk, and Feraligatr, can take advantage of Cryogonal's pitiful Defense and threaten to OHKO or 2HKO it. However, most of these Pokemon take a lot of damage from a Never-Melt Ice-boosted Ice Beam or Freeze-Dry.
**Priority**: Kangaskhan, Gurdurr, and Feraligatr, as well as other priority users, can take advantage of Cryogonal's poor Defense and deal heavy damage with Fake Out, Mach Punch, and Aqua Jet, respectively. Kangaskhan and Gurdurr also have the bulk to take repeated hits from Cyogonal, but Feraligatr cannot switch into a Freeze-Dry.
**Psyshock Users**: Psyshock users, such as Mesprit, Xatu, Uxie, Jynx, and Musharna, are troublesome for Cryogonal, as Psyshock hits its weaker Defense.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types, such as Klinklang, Steelix, Probopass, Pawniard, and Ferroseed, resist Cryogonal's STAB moves and only fear the weak Hidden Power Ground or Fire. Klinklang and Pawniard can render Cryogonal setup fodder if it lacks a super effective Hidden Power, and Pawniard threatens Cryogonal with a priority Sucker Punch.
**Non-Water-type Pokemon that resist Ice**: Pokemon such as Thick Fat Hariyama, Thick Fat Grumpig, Flareon, and Torkoal take little damage from Cryogonal's STAB and coverage moves, and most threaten to deal heavy damage back with a super effective STAB move.
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