Cradily's stats are solid on their own, but Storm Drain is what pushes it over the line. It redirects Water moves and boosts its Sp. Atk. Only weak to Ice, Fighting, Bug, and Steel. Introduced in Gen 3.
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.
Cradily Weakness
FragileType-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.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Evolved from Lileep. Cradily is the final form in this two-stage line. No compatible partners 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.
How to Evolve
Breed with Cradily to get Lileep eggs from the Water3 egg group. Notable egg moves include Barrier, Curse, Endure and 6 more.
This build takes hits and hits back. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn, Stormdrain supports the gameplan, and max HP and Sp. Atk EVs mean Cradily doesn't crumble to chip damage. Plus utility options backing it up.
Best Build
Best Cradily Moveset
- Recover
- Giga Drain
- Ancient Power
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
The egg pool carries weight here. Barrier 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
Transfer Moves
You're catching Lileep first, not Cradily. Lileep appears but it's a rare spawn in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Cradily in Black 2 & White 2
Step 1Catch LileepMODERATENacrene City - Nacrene MuseumWhite 2Gift from NPCLv.25LimitedMidCityAnyRevive Root FossilMODERATENacrene City - Nacrene MuseumBlack 2Gift from NPCLv.25LimitedMidCityAnyRevive Root Fossil
Step 2Cradily ✓
Storm Drain changes the entire equation for Cradily. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier.
Lileep evolves into Cradily at level 40. Cradily is the fully evolved form. At 495 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
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 a mixed attacker — base 81 Attack and 81 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
Cradily appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Cradily spans 7 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A