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.
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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Platinum, Infernape can KO Cradily with Close Combat (92-109%).
 Infernape FireFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemExpert Belt NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cradily View Infernape builds →Close Combat 2x92-109%KO U Turn 2x36-43% Fire Blast20-24% | ||
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureBrave Moves
Damage vs Cradily View Bronzong builds →Explosion31-37% Earthquake26-30% | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTorrent ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Cradily View Swampert builds →Earthquake32-38% Ice Beam 2x21-25% Waterfall26-30% | ||
 Forretress BugSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Cradily View Forretress builds →Rapid Spin5-5% Explosion23-27% Payback9-11% | ||
Platinum 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 Barrier, Mirror Coat, Recover and 3 more.
Platinum Cradily Best Moveset
This is a pure walling set. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn so Cradily sticks around, and the Careful nature reinforces special wall. Recover handles sustain while Suctioncups does work passively.
Best Build
Cradily best EVs are Sp. Def and HP
Wall Moveset
- Recover
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Seed Bomb
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The egg pool carries weight here. Barrier and Mirror Coat 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
How to Get Cradily in Platinum
No wild encounters for Cradily. The 2-stage line runs through Lileep, which you can catch but it's a rare spawn from the locations below. Evolve at level 40 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Cradily in Platinum
Step 1Catch LileepOreburgh City - Mining MuseumGift from NPC Lv.20 CityLimitedMidRevive Root Fossil
Step 2Cradily ✓
Cradily Guide
In Platinum, Storm Drain changes the entire equation for Cradily. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier. Recover 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 a physical attacker with base 81 Attack. Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits.
In Platinum, 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