Name: Krookodile
Type: Ground / Dark
Ability:
Intimidate: Upon entering battle, the opponent’s Attack lowers one stage.
Moxie: Attack is raised by one stage when the Pokémon knocks out another Pokémon
Base Stats: 95 / 117 / 80 / 65 / 70 / 92
Notable Moves:
Knock Off
Earthquake
Pursuit
Stone Edge
Dragon Tail
Taunt
Stealth Rock
Toxic
Strengths:
- Dark and Ghost resists are difficult to come by with the steel nerf.
- STAB Knock Off, possibly one of the most useful utility attacks to have.
- Intimidate and usable 95 / 70 physical defenses make him surprisingly bulky.
- Wide utility movepool to improve his role as a team player.
- Moxie allows Krookodile to function as a late-game cleaner.
- Unfortunate defensive typing gives weaknesses to Fight, Fairy, Ice, Water, and Grass, all very common attacking types.
- Lack of reliable recovery other than leftovers or rest-talk.
- 92 speed is better than most defensive mons but is outpaced by many offensive ones.
- Mediocre special bulk.
- Encourages criminal behavior.
Krookodile is a forgotten relic from Generation V that has begun to prove itself in the sixth generation
through a combination of several factors that contribute to its improved viability. The nerf of the steel defensive type makes having a dark and ghost resist quite useful, even moreso on a defensive pokemon that can take a hit and remain reasonably healthy. The buff of Knock Off to 97 base power when removing an item, coupled with usable attack, great physical defense with intimidate and STAB make Krookodile an excellent user of the move. This point is also bolstered by his ability to cause switches after the intimidate attack drop takes place. Simply switch in on a mon you force out and remove the item of their next teammate.Krookodile is also blessed with a plethora of support options other than Knock Off, including Taunt,
which is quite useful for defeating other defensive pokemon, letting him function as a potent stallbreaker. He can deprive defensive pokemon of both leftovers and their support moves with this deadly combination. Due to all of the switches that Krookodile will force, he can find ample time to set up Stealth Rock for his team, and also make use of Toxic to put potential switch-ins on a timer to wear them down and also Dragon Tail for shuffling enemy pokemon around, possibly racking up hazard or sandstorm damage or just phazing a dangerous threat out.On the offensive side, Krookodile can instead opt for the Moxie ability to potentially clean
a team of ailing pokemon in the late-game. Useful dual-STABs in Dark and Ground, coupled with 117 attack is more than enough to make him succeed in this role, and his effectiveness can be further improved by careful play: simply pursuit-trapping a very weak or dark-weak pokemon to get the Moxie rolling. 92 speed is certainly workable but Krookodile appreciates faster threatening pokemon being removed or crippled with a status before being brought out to do his janitorial duties.It is worth mentioning however, that Krookodile suffers from a number of problems which offset his
usefulness and must be considered when placing him onto a team. If used with synergistic teammates and played to his strengths, he will certainly be a useful addition, but he is not a general-purpose pokemon by any stretch of the imagination.--------------Sets--------------
Defensive
Krookodile @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Knock Off
- Taunt
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock / Toxic / Dragon Tail
This is probably Krookodile's most useful set in OU, allowing him potent effectiveness against defensive
pokemon and the ability to strip enemies of their items. The EVs give maximum physical bulk coupled with Intimidate to allow more switch-in opportunities. Krookodile's Earthquake is a reliable STAB option that does hurt coming off of 117 attack, allowing him a secondary form of offense. The final slot should contain whichever support move your team will make the most use of.Cleaner
Krookodile @ Dread Plate, Expert Belt, Life Orb
Ability: Moxie
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spd
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Pursuit
- Stone Edge
- Earthquake
This set aims to fulfill a more offensive role, picking off weakened and pursuit-weak pokemon and
gathering up Moxie boosts along the way. The EV spread is to give Krookodile as much effectiveness as a late-game cleaner as possible, bolstering his 92 speed and maximizing his offensive power. The choice of item here depends on how you want to improve his attacking power. Crunch could be useful instead of Knock Off or Pursuit if you prefer more reliable power.Rest Talk
Krookodile @ Leftovers
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 Atk
Impish Nature
- Rest
- Sleep Talk
- Knock Off
- Dragon Tail
Krookodile is capable of utilizing a Rest-Talk set with his impressive bulk and ability
All in-all, Krookodile is a fairly useful pokemon who, similar to Mandibuzz, received
a massive improvement in usability with the metagame shifting in his favor. What do you guys think of him, perhaps you have tried a set of your own? Discuss teammates that are suitable for Krookodile and ways that he can be played to optimal effectiveness.
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