Stats & Training
Bulk defines Cradily's stat line. Sp. Def and Defense anchor the defensive side, but Speed can't keep up offensively. Tough to catch and worth 2 Sp. Def EVs.
It lives in the shallows of warm seas. When the tide goes out, it digs up prey from beaches.
It lives in the shallows of warm seas. When the tide goes out, it digs up prey from beaches.
Cradily Weakness
Type-wise, Cradily takes extra damage from Ice, Fighting, Bug, and Steel. Storm Drain grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Cradily's overall bulk (86/97/107) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ice, Fighting, Bug, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Electric |
Heatran FireSteel | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
Scizor BugSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Cradily View Scizor builds →Bullet Punch 2x24-29% Knock Off13-15% | ||
Weavile DarkIce | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cradily View Weavile builds →Knock Off20-23% Ice Shard 2x25-30% | ||
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Evolution
Evolved from Lileep. Cradily is the final form in this two-stage line. A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are slow to hatch. Attack grew the most through evolution (+40 over Lileep), and Cradily peaks at 495 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Cradily to get Lileep eggs using 21 partners from the Water3 egg group. Notable egg moves include Bind, Curse, Mega Drain and 3 more.
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Cradily Best Moveset
Nothing fancy here. Cradily builds around Leftovers for passive recovery each turn, Bold nature for the right stat lean, and max HP and Defense EVs. Stormdrain does its job quietly.
Best Build
Cradily best EVs are HP and Defense
Doubles Wall Moveset
- Giga Drain
- Ancient Power
- Leech Seed
- Earth Power
Recommended Teammates
Wall Moveset
- Leech Seed
- Recover
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The egg pool carries weight here. Bind and Curse aren't available any other way for Cradily, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Solar Beam and Stone Edge for solid options.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Cradily in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Cradily isn't available in the wild in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Start by transferring Lileep from Ruby, Emerald, or Sword. The evolution path from Lileep to Cradily is covered in the steps below.
Cradily Guide
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Storm Drain changes the entire equation for Cradily. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a support. Giga Drain with Leftovers is the standard set.
Storm Drain is what you want on Cradily. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Suction Cups) work on paper but Storm Drain is what makes Cradily worth using.
Base 43 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Cradily is leaning toward the physical side (base 81 Attack). Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a support.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Storm Drain is the hidden ability. It redirects single-target water moves to this Pokémon where possible. Worth hunting for if you want Cradily to compete at a higher level.
Game Availability
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Cradily spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB

Red & Blue - Gen 2GS

Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut

Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG

FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS

HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP

Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW

Black & White - Gen 5B2W2

Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY

X & Y - Gen 6ORAS

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM

Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM

Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE

Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh

Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV

Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW

Winds & Waves
