[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 12-13 points
**Overview**: Krookodile makes for a solid addition to most drafts, thanks to the role compression it provides. It has access to two coveted types in Ground and Dark, a great offensive profile, and utility options in Stealth Rock and Taunt. Thanks to Intimidate, Krookodile can also serve as a physically defensive check to some Pokemon. It also has a decent enough Speed stat to equip a Choice Scarf, threatening sweeps with Moxie. Despite all these great traits, Krookodile is let down by its plethora of weaknesses, especially to common types in Fairy, Water and Fighting. It also has mediocre defensive stats and a middling Speed tier, leaving it vulnerable to stronger, faster attackers. Krookodile faces strong competition from other solid Ground-types, and as such, should be drafted to support its team with the role compression it provides.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Krookodile provides valuable utility to a team, as it is able to set Stealth Rock, prevent Defog with Taunt, and get rid of items with Knock Off. With Intimidate, it also can serve as a defensive response to neutral and resisted physical attacks.
**Revenge Killer**: When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Krookodile can utilize its decent Speed tier, powerful STAB moves, and solid arsenal of coverage moves to revenge kill opposing threats. In certain scenarios, it may even threaten a sweep, thanks to Moxie.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Earthquake, Knock Off, High Horsepower, Crunch, Foul Play, Throat Chop
**Setup Moves**: Bulk Up, Scale Shot
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Taunt, Roar, Dragon Tail
**Coverage**: Gunk Shot, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Aqua Tail, Close Combat, Low Kick, Outrage, Fire Fang, Skitter Smack, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure allows for niche strategies such as using Salac Berry and Custap Berry to be effective. It can also be used to get an extra round of Rocky Helmet damage in some situations.
**Endeavor**: This is used on sacrificial lead sets to severely chip down an opposing Pokemon.
**Bulldoze / Low Sweep / Rock Tomb**: In scenarios where Krookodile wants to try to hinder a faster foe, moves like Bulldoze, Low Sweep, and Rock Tomb may be used. Incoming teammates can take advantage of the foe's lowered Speed.
**Hone Claws**: Several of Krookodile's coverage options like Gunk Shot and Stone Edge are inaccurate. Thus, Hone Claws can be run over Bulk Up in niche situations where Krookodile needs to run more than one inaccurate move.
**Power Trip**: Power Trip can be used along with Bulk Up to turn Krookodile into a scary setup sweeper. Krookodile can attempt to run Weakness Policy to boost up Power Trip further.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Krookodile to revenge kill faster Pokemon and slower ones at +1 Speed.
**Sitrus Berry**: The recovery from a Sitrus Berry can be more impactful than that of Leftovers, as Krookodile has mediocre defensive stats and a tendency to not be on the field long enough to fully benefit from the latter.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers gives Krookodile passive recovery, which is useful for defensive sets.
**Rocky Helmet**: Thanks to Intimidate and useful resistances to Dark and Poison, Krookodile can equip a Rocky Helmet and pivot in on moves like Knock Off and Poison Jab to get chip damage on the opposing Pokemon.
**Resistance Berries**: Krookodile has several common weaknesses, so it often uses a resistance Berry to survive an attack that targets it for super effective damage, using the opportunity to deal damage or revenge kill opposing Pokemon.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Krookodile can use items like Life Orb, Soft Sand, and Black Glasses to boost the damage from its attacks. It can also hold Choice Band to maximize its damage output in certain matchups.
Niche Items
========
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is used on the sacrificial lead set to allow Krookodile to survive any hit as it sets up Stealth Rock.
**Assault Vest**: A boost to Special Defense helps to mitigate Krookodile's special frailty, enabling it to be a more consistent check to special Psychic-types like Latios.
**Loaded Dice**: Loaded Dice is an option if Krookodile runs Scale Shot to ensure it is consistently powerful.
Tera
========
Krookodile should not be drafted with the intention of making it a Tera Captain, as there is a wide array of more effective higher-tiered Tera Captains. It already has an excellent and important type combination, and it is normally drafted for the role compression it provides. However, if chosen to be a Tera Captain, Krookodile can utilize Tera Ground or Tera Dark to further boost the damage from its STAB moves. It can also utilize Tera Poison and Tera Fairy in both defensive and offensive capabilities or Tera Fire and Tera Electric for coverage against Grass- and Water-types.
Draft Strategy
========
As Krookodile faces strong competition from other Ground-types, it is highly recommended to draft it to support higher-tier picks that would benefit from the role compression and utility it provides.
**Entry Hazard Support**: While Krookodile is excellent at setting Stealth Rock, it appreciates other forms of entry hazard support from Pokemon like Glimmora and Diancie. It can then further support its teammates by providing a strong, reliable Knock Off to get rid of Heavy-Duty Boots on opposing Pokemon. As Krookodile does not have access to reliable recovery and is vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, it also appreciates entry hazard removal support from the likes of Corviknight and Quaquaval.
**Stronger, Faster Pokemon**: Krookodile can support offensive behemoths like Enamorus, Iron Moth, and Ogerpon-W with utility options like Stealth Rock and Knock Off to weaken the opposing team. In return, it appreciates their ability to wallbreak or sweep opposing teams.
**Dark-weak Teams**: Krookodile can pivot into most Dark-type attackers and thus help its teammates by sponging Knock Off and threatening Knock Off or Stealth Rock pressure of its own.
Checks and Counters
========
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Rotom-W and Swampert can take a hit from Krookodile and threaten to OHKO it with their STAB moves.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon like Ting-Lu and Skarmory are able to switch into Krookodile pretty comfortably. They are vulnerable to Taunt, however.
**Stronger, Faster Pokemon**: Krookodile has mediocre bulk, a middling Speed tier, and weaknesses to several common types, leaving it vulnerable to stronger, faster offensive Pokemon like Iron Valiant, Greninja, and Ogerpon formes.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 12-13 points
**Overview**: Krookodile makes for a solid addition to most drafts, thanks to the role compression it provides. It has access to two coveted types in Ground and Dark, a great offensive profile, and utility options in Stealth Rock and Taunt. Thanks to Intimidate, Krookodile can also serve as a physically defensive check to some Pokemon. It also has a decent enough Speed stat to equip a Choice Scarf, threatening sweeps with Moxie. Despite all these great traits, Krookodile is let down by its plethora of weaknesses, especially to common types in Fairy, Water and Fighting. It also has mediocre defensive stats and a middling Speed tier, leaving it vulnerable to stronger, faster attackers. Krookodile faces strong competition from other solid Ground-types, and as such, should be drafted to support its team with the role compression it provides.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Utility**: Krookodile provides valuable utility to a team, as it is able to set Stealth Rock, prevent Defog with Taunt, and get rid of items with Knock Off. With Intimidate, it also can serve as a defensive response to neutral and resisted physical attacks.
**Revenge Killer**: When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Krookodile can utilize its decent Speed tier, powerful STAB moves, and solid arsenal of coverage moves to revenge kill opposing threats. In certain scenarios, it may even threaten a sweep, thanks to Moxie.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Earthquake, Knock Off, High Horsepower, Crunch, Foul Play, Throat Chop
**Setup Moves**: Bulk Up, Scale Shot
**Utility Moves**: Stealth Rock, Taunt, Roar, Dragon Tail
**Coverage**: Gunk Shot, Stone Edge, Rock Slide, Aqua Tail, Close Combat, Low Kick, Outrage, Fire Fang, Skitter Smack, Aerial Ace
Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure allows for niche strategies such as using Salac Berry and Custap Berry to be effective. It can also be used to get an extra round of Rocky Helmet damage in some situations.
**Endeavor**: This is used on sacrificial lead sets to severely chip down an opposing Pokemon.
**Bulldoze / Low Sweep / Rock Tomb**: In scenarios where Krookodile wants to try to hinder a faster foe, moves like Bulldoze, Low Sweep, and Rock Tomb may be used. Incoming teammates can take advantage of the foe's lowered Speed.
**Hone Claws**: Several of Krookodile's coverage options like Gunk Shot and Stone Edge are inaccurate. Thus, Hone Claws can be run over Bulk Up in niche situations where Krookodile needs to run more than one inaccurate move.
**Power Trip**: Power Trip can be used along with Bulk Up to turn Krookodile into a scary setup sweeper. Krookodile can attempt to run Weakness Policy to boost up Power Trip further.
Common Items
========
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Krookodile to revenge kill faster Pokemon and slower ones at +1 Speed.
**Sitrus Berry**: The recovery from a Sitrus Berry can be more impactful than that of Leftovers, as Krookodile has mediocre defensive stats and a tendency to not be on the field long enough to fully benefit from the latter.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers gives Krookodile passive recovery, which is useful for defensive sets.
**Rocky Helmet**: Thanks to Intimidate and useful resistances to Dark and Poison, Krookodile can equip a Rocky Helmet and pivot in on moves like Knock Off and Poison Jab to get chip damage on the opposing Pokemon.
**Resistance Berries**: Krookodile has several common weaknesses, so it often uses a resistance Berry to survive an attack that targets it for super effective damage, using the opportunity to deal damage or revenge kill opposing Pokemon.
**Damage-boosting Items**: Krookodile can use items like Life Orb, Soft Sand, and Black Glasses to boost the damage from its attacks. It can also hold Choice Band to maximize its damage output in certain matchups.
Niche Items
========
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is used on the sacrificial lead set to allow Krookodile to survive any hit as it sets up Stealth Rock.
**Assault Vest**: A boost to Special Defense helps to mitigate Krookodile's special frailty, enabling it to be a more consistent check to special Psychic-types like Latios.
**Loaded Dice**: Loaded Dice is an option if Krookodile runs Scale Shot to ensure it is consistently powerful.
Tera
========
Krookodile should not be drafted with the intention of making it a Tera Captain, as there is a wide array of more effective higher-tiered Tera Captains. It already has an excellent and important type combination, and it is normally drafted for the role compression it provides. However, if chosen to be a Tera Captain, Krookodile can utilize Tera Ground or Tera Dark to further boost the damage from its STAB moves. It can also utilize Tera Poison and Tera Fairy in both defensive and offensive capabilities or Tera Fire and Tera Electric for coverage against Grass- and Water-types.
Draft Strategy
========
As Krookodile faces strong competition from other Ground-types, it is highly recommended to draft it to support higher-tier picks that would benefit from the role compression and utility it provides.
**Entry Hazard Support**: While Krookodile is excellent at setting Stealth Rock, it appreciates other forms of entry hazard support from Pokemon like Glimmora and Diancie. It can then further support its teammates by providing a strong, reliable Knock Off to get rid of Heavy-Duty Boots on opposing Pokemon. As Krookodile does not have access to reliable recovery and is vulnerable to Spikes and Toxic Spikes, it also appreciates entry hazard removal support from the likes of Corviknight and Quaquaval.
**Stronger, Faster Pokemon**: Krookodile can support offensive behemoths like Enamorus, Iron Moth, and Ogerpon-W with utility options like Stealth Rock and Knock Off to weaken the opposing team. In return, it appreciates their ability to wallbreak or sweep opposing teams.
**Dark-weak Teams**: Krookodile can pivot into most Dark-type attackers and thus help its teammates by sponging Knock Off and threatening Knock Off or Stealth Rock pressure of its own.
Checks and Counters
========
**Bulky Water-types**: Bulky Water-types like Rotom-W and Swampert can take a hit from Krookodile and threaten to OHKO it with their STAB moves.
**Physically Bulky Pokemon**: Physically bulky Pokemon like Ting-Lu and Skarmory are able to switch into Krookodile pretty comfortably. They are vulnerable to Taunt, however.
**Stronger, Faster Pokemon**: Krookodile has mediocre bulk, a middling Speed tier, and weaknesses to several common types, leaving it vulnerable to stronger, faster offensive Pokemon like Iron Valiant, Greninja, and Ogerpon formes.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/professor-shuckle.530941/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/vmnunes.613460/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scionicle.599989/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
