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 has short legs and can’t walk very fast, but its neck and tentacles can extend to over three times their usual length to nab distant prey.
Once Cradily catches prey in its tentacles, it digests them whole and absorbs their nutrients.
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.
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.
How to Evolve
Breed with Cradily to get Lileep eggs using 32 partners from the Water3 egg group.
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
Best Cradily Moveset
- Giga Drain
- Ancient Power
- Leech Seed
- Earth Power
Recommended Teammates
TMs carry this one. Cradily learns Power Whip and Solar Beam naturally for STAB, but the offensive range comes almost entirely from technical machines. Poison and Ghost and beyond give it real matchup play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
No wild encounters for Cradily. The 2-stage line runs through Lileep, which you can catch at moderate rates from the locations below. Evolve at level 40 once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Cradily in Sword & Shield
To get Cradily, start by catching Lileep through fishing encounters at Lv. 60-65. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch LileepCHALLENGINGGiant's BedShieldSuper RodLv.60-6510%PostCHALLENGINGGiant's BedSwordSuper RodLv.60-6510%PostCHALLENGINGGiant's FootShieldSuper RodLv.60-6510%PostCHALLENGINGGiant's FootSwordSuper RodLv.60-6510%Post
Step 2Cradily ✓
Storm Drain changes the entire equation for Cradily. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a support.
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 leaning toward the physical side (base 81 Attack). Defensively? Tanky enough to absorb a few hits. Best used as a support.
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