Indigo Plateau
UU Leader
[OVERVIEW]
Crawdaunt is a niche pick on offensive teams thanks to its extremely powerful Choice Band- and Adaptability-boosted Water- and Dark-type STAB attacks, which hit virtually the entire tier for neutral damage. Useful utility in Knock Off allows Crawdaunt to offer fantastic support to offensive teams by removing items such as Tangrowth's Assault Vest, Tapu Bulu's Leftovers, and Tapu Fini's Leftovers to give teammates an easier chance at sweeping late-game. Unlike Weavile and Tyranitar, Crawdaunt can easily 2HKO Reuniclus after an Acid Armor boost thanks to Adaptability and prevent it from overwhelming offensive teams. Moreover, Aqua Jet is a helpful priority move that allows Crawdaunt to patch up its poor Speed and revenge kill Pokemon like Volcarona and Mega Diancie, which can be hard to switch into for offensive teams. Despite its strong attacks and priority, Crawdaunt's poor Speed stat means that it struggles to excel in a metagame filled with faster offensive threats that can easily revenge kill it like Mega Medicham, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu. Crawdaunt's lacklusterdefensive typing and mediocre defensive stats also leave it vulnerable to the plethora of strong moves that flood the OU tier.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Adaptability
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off is an extremely strong and useful STAB attack, removing items from any Pokemon that attempts to switch into it such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu. Crabhammer is used over Waterfall due to its higher Base Power, allowing Crawdaunt to wallbreak more effectively and 2HKO Pokemon like Hydreigon and Mega Scizor, which Waterfall fails to do. Aqua Jet is useful priority for revenge killing weakened Pokemon that Crawdaunt can't outspeed, such as Heatran, Volcarona, Mega Diancie, and Landorus-T. Crunch is useful in very specific instances when Crawdaunt wants to hit certain Pokemon without an item harder than it otherwise would with Knock Off and doesn't want to risk missing with Crabhammer; some examples include Mega Scizor, Mega Charizard X, and Tangrowth.
Set Details
========
When paired with Adaptability, a Choice Band transforms Crawdaunt into a scary wallbreaker that is very hard to switch into thanks to its great Water- and Dark-type STAB coverage. A Jolly nature could be used to outspeed uninvested Landorus-T, but Landorus-T often runs significant Speed investment, so an Adamant nature is preferred to maximize Crawdaunt's wallbreaking potential.
Usage Tips
========
Try to bring in Crawdaunt through VoltTurn support or predicted doubles, as even resisted hits like Heatran's Magma Storm and Ash-Greninja's Dark Pulse will deal a respectable amount of damage. One of Crawdaunt's selling points is being able to remove items with its Adaptability-boosted Knock Off, so don't hesitate to use it if the opponent depends on Pokemon like Tapu Bulu or Tangrowth as their Water-type answer. If the opponent has a bulky Fairy-type that doesn't mind tanking a Knock Off and can recover easily, such as Clefable or Pain Split Magearna, try to catch these Pokemon on the switch with Crabhammer. Tapu Bulu resists both of Crawdaunt's STAB attacks and can recover HP via Grassy Terrain and Synthesis, so try to cripple it with Knock Off to potentially remove its Leftovers and then switch out to a Pokemon that can threaten it out. Aqua Jet's low Base Power means that it's rather easy to switch into, and as such, it should generally only be used for chip damage when Crawdaunt is at low HP and up against a foe that can KO Crawdaunt or against faster foes that Crawdaunt can revenge kill, such as Volcarona, weakened Mega Alakazam, and Mega Diancie.
Team Options
========
Crawdaunt feels right at home on offensive teams with VoltTurn support because it finds few opportunities to come in freely due to its mediocre bulk. Teammates that can usually bring in Crawdaunt safely include Assault Vest Magearna, Landorus-T, and Tornadus-T. Assault Vest Magearna in particular is a wonderful teammate thanks to its ability to switch into Tapu Lele and bring in Crawdaunt with a slow Volt Switch. Tornadus-T is also a fantastic teammate for its ability to switch into Grass-types that can beat Crawdaunt, such as Tapu Bulu, Tangrowth, and Kartana, and bring Crawdaunt into play with U-turn on forced switches. It's useful to have fast offensive Pokemon on the team to patch up Crawdaunt's poor Speed for a wallbreaker. Mega Lopunny is one of the fastest Pokemon in the tier and possesses excellent offensive synergy with Crawdaunt, while Tapu Koko appreciates Crawdaunt's Knock Off support, can threaten bulky Water-types for Crawdaunt, and can bring it in via U-turn against the Ground-types that Tapu Koko draws in. Certain late-game sweepers that appreciate Crawdaunt's ability to remove items from bulky Pokemon make for very good offensive partners. For example, Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja have an easier time sweeping once Landorus-T's Choice Scarf or Tangrowth's Assault Vest is removed. Rocky Helmet Garchomp can cripple Grass-types like Kartana and Tapu Bulu, and Heatran can use Toxic or Magma Storm to wear down Pokemon like Greninja and Tapu Fini.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Superpower can be used in the final slot over Crunch but is vastly inferior, seeing as this set's primary purpose is to remove items with Knock Off, and most Superpower targets like Ferrothorn, Ash-Greninja, and Hydreigon are crippled by Knock Off or forced to Roost. A Swords Dance set can be used but is generally inferior because Crawdaunt is too slow to find an opportunity to boost its Attack without taking a significant amount of damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Serperior, and Kartana can beat Crawdaunt with their Grass-type STAB attacks and resist its Water-type STAB attacks but don't appreciate their items being removed. Tapu Bulu deserves a special mention because it also resists Crawdaunt's Dark-type STAB attacks and has several potential methods of recovering its HP. Although uncommon, Mega Venusaur is the one of the best defensive checks to Crawdaunt, as it only fears Crunch and can OHKO Crawdaunt with Giga Drain to heal any damage taken.
**Mega Evolutions**: Certain Mega Evolutions like Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and Mega Gyarados don't take much damage from Knock Off. The first two can proceed to OHKO Crawdaunt with their super effective STAB attacks but can't switch into Crabhammer, while Mega Gyarados resists both of Crawdaunt's STAB attacks.
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Mega Lopunny, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele all outspeed Crawdaunt and easily OHKO it with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot directly switch into it. Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain protects it from Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, making it one of the best offensive checks to Crawdaunt one-on-one.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [Lyd, 303291], [GMars, 273636]]
- Grammar checked by: [[fireflame479, 231476], [GMars, 273636]]
Crawdaunt is a niche pick on offensive teams thanks to its extremely powerful Choice Band- and Adaptability-boosted Water- and Dark-type STAB attacks, which hit virtually the entire tier for neutral damage. Useful utility in Knock Off allows Crawdaunt to offer fantastic support to offensive teams by removing items such as Tangrowth's Assault Vest, Tapu Bulu's Leftovers, and Tapu Fini's Leftovers to give teammates an easier chance at sweeping late-game. Unlike Weavile and Tyranitar, Crawdaunt can easily 2HKO Reuniclus after an Acid Armor boost thanks to Adaptability and prevent it from overwhelming offensive teams. Moreover, Aqua Jet is a helpful priority move that allows Crawdaunt to patch up its poor Speed and revenge kill Pokemon like Volcarona and Mega Diancie, which can be hard to switch into for offensive teams. Despite its strong attacks and priority, Crawdaunt's poor Speed stat means that it struggles to excel in a metagame filled with faster offensive threats that can easily revenge kill it like Mega Medicham, Kartana, and Tapu Bulu. Crawdaunt's lacklusterdefensive typing and mediocre defensive stats also leave it vulnerable to the plethora of strong moves that flood the OU tier.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Knock Off
move 2: Crabhammer
move 3: Aqua Jet
move 4: Crunch
item: Choice Band
ability: Adaptability
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Knock Off is an extremely strong and useful STAB attack, removing items from any Pokemon that attempts to switch into it such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu. Crabhammer is used over Waterfall due to its higher Base Power, allowing Crawdaunt to wallbreak more effectively and 2HKO Pokemon like Hydreigon and Mega Scizor, which Waterfall fails to do. Aqua Jet is useful priority for revenge killing weakened Pokemon that Crawdaunt can't outspeed, such as Heatran, Volcarona, Mega Diancie, and Landorus-T. Crunch is useful in very specific instances when Crawdaunt wants to hit certain Pokemon without an item harder than it otherwise would with Knock Off and doesn't want to risk missing with Crabhammer; some examples include Mega Scizor, Mega Charizard X, and Tangrowth.
Set Details
========
When paired with Adaptability, a Choice Band transforms Crawdaunt into a scary wallbreaker that is very hard to switch into thanks to its great Water- and Dark-type STAB coverage. A Jolly nature could be used to outspeed uninvested Landorus-T, but Landorus-T often runs significant Speed investment, so an Adamant nature is preferred to maximize Crawdaunt's wallbreaking potential.
Usage Tips
========
Try to bring in Crawdaunt through VoltTurn support or predicted doubles, as even resisted hits like Heatran's Magma Storm and Ash-Greninja's Dark Pulse will deal a respectable amount of damage. One of Crawdaunt's selling points is being able to remove items with its Adaptability-boosted Knock Off, so don't hesitate to use it if the opponent depends on Pokemon like Tapu Bulu or Tangrowth as their Water-type answer. If the opponent has a bulky Fairy-type that doesn't mind tanking a Knock Off and can recover easily, such as Clefable or Pain Split Magearna, try to catch these Pokemon on the switch with Crabhammer. Tapu Bulu resists both of Crawdaunt's STAB attacks and can recover HP via Grassy Terrain and Synthesis, so try to cripple it with Knock Off to potentially remove its Leftovers and then switch out to a Pokemon that can threaten it out. Aqua Jet's low Base Power means that it's rather easy to switch into, and as such, it should generally only be used for chip damage when Crawdaunt is at low HP and up against a foe that can KO Crawdaunt or against faster foes that Crawdaunt can revenge kill, such as Volcarona, weakened Mega Alakazam, and Mega Diancie.
Team Options
========
Crawdaunt feels right at home on offensive teams with VoltTurn support because it finds few opportunities to come in freely due to its mediocre bulk. Teammates that can usually bring in Crawdaunt safely include Assault Vest Magearna, Landorus-T, and Tornadus-T. Assault Vest Magearna in particular is a wonderful teammate thanks to its ability to switch into Tapu Lele and bring in Crawdaunt with a slow Volt Switch. Tornadus-T is also a fantastic teammate for its ability to switch into Grass-types that can beat Crawdaunt, such as Tapu Bulu, Tangrowth, and Kartana, and bring Crawdaunt into play with U-turn on forced switches. It's useful to have fast offensive Pokemon on the team to patch up Crawdaunt's poor Speed for a wallbreaker. Mega Lopunny is one of the fastest Pokemon in the tier and possesses excellent offensive synergy with Crawdaunt, while Tapu Koko appreciates Crawdaunt's Knock Off support, can threaten bulky Water-types for Crawdaunt, and can bring it in via U-turn against the Ground-types that Tapu Koko draws in. Certain late-game sweepers that appreciate Crawdaunt's ability to remove items from bulky Pokemon make for very good offensive partners. For example, Mega Alakazam and Ash-Greninja have an easier time sweeping once Landorus-T's Choice Scarf or Tangrowth's Assault Vest is removed. Rocky Helmet Garchomp can cripple Grass-types like Kartana and Tapu Bulu, and Heatran can use Toxic or Magma Storm to wear down Pokemon like Greninja and Tapu Fini.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Superpower can be used in the final slot over Crunch but is vastly inferior, seeing as this set's primary purpose is to remove items with Knock Off, and most Superpower targets like Ferrothorn, Ash-Greninja, and Hydreigon are crippled by Knock Off or forced to Roost. A Swords Dance set can be used but is generally inferior because Crawdaunt is too slow to find an opportunity to boost its Attack without taking a significant amount of damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Grass-types**: Grass-types like Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Serperior, and Kartana can beat Crawdaunt with their Grass-type STAB attacks and resist its Water-type STAB attacks but don't appreciate their items being removed. Tapu Bulu deserves a special mention because it also resists Crawdaunt's Dark-type STAB attacks and has several potential methods of recovering its HP. Although uncommon, Mega Venusaur is the one of the best defensive checks to Crawdaunt, as it only fears Crunch and can OHKO Crawdaunt with Giga Drain to heal any damage taken.
**Mega Evolutions**: Certain Mega Evolutions like Mega Mawile, Mega Scizor, and Mega Gyarados don't take much damage from Knock Off. The first two can proceed to OHKO Crawdaunt with their super effective STAB attacks but can't switch into Crabhammer, while Mega Gyarados resists both of Crawdaunt's STAB attacks.
**Faster Offensive Pokemon**: Mega Lopunny, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele all outspeed Crawdaunt and easily OHKO it with their super effective STAB attacks but cannot directly switch into it. Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain protects it from Crawdaunt's Aqua Jet, making it one of the best offensive checks to Crawdaunt one-on-one.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Indigo Plateau, 216712]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jordy, 395754], [Lyd, 303291], [GMars, 273636]]
- Grammar checked by: [[fireflame479, 231476], [GMars, 273636]]
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