Stats & Training
Cranidos's all-in on Attack at the expense of Sp. Atk. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 1 Attack EV and follows a standard growth curve.
An incredibly rare sight. They duel each other by ramming their heads together, and the resulting sound echoes throughout the area like the pealing of a bell.
Cranidos Weakness
Cranidos is weak to Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, and Steel. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. That's a lot of weak spots to cover so team support is important.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Fire, Poison, Flying |
 Greninja WaterDark | S | |
Water is super effective against CranidosView Greninja → | ||
 Rillaboom Grass | S | |
Grass is super effective against CranidosView Rillaboom → | ||
 Gholdengo SteelGhost | S | |
Steel is super effective against CranidosView Gholdengo → | ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | S | |
Ground is super effective against CranidosView Excadrill → | ||
 Mienfoo Fighting | A | |
Fighting is super effective against CranidosView Mienfoo → | ||
In Scarlet & Violet, Greninja can KO Cranidos with Surf (266-313%). Gholdengo threatens a KO with Shadow Ball (136-160%). Vullaby deals 45-53% with Knock Off.
Greninja WaterDark | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityBattlebond ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cranidos View Greninja builds →Dark Pulse119-140%KO Ice Beam89-104%KO Surf 2x266-313%KO U Turn41-49% | ||
Gholdengo SteelGhost | S | |
Recommended Build AbilityGoodasgold ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cranidos View Gholdengo builds →Shadow Ball136-160%KO | ||
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityWeakarmor ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cranidos View Vullaby builds →Knock Off45-53% Heat Wave13-16% | ||
 FoongusRecovers HP on switch via Regenerator, puts to sleep with Spore, wears down with Toxic GrassPoison | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemEviolite NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Cranidos View Foongus builds →Sludge Bomb25-29% Giga Drain 2x82-97% | ||
Mienfoo Fighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cranidos View Mienfoo builds →Knock Off30-36% U Turn33-39% High Jump Kick 2x181-213%KO | ||
Scarlet & Violet Evolution
Cranidos evolves into Rampardos. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 145 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Cranidos with 57 breeding partners from the Monster egg group. Pass egg moves like Hammer Arm, Stomp, Thrash and 1 more to offspring.
Scarlet & Violet Cranidos Best Moveset
Rock Slide is the safe click most turns. Choice Scarf locks Cranidos into it but rewards with speed patching through item lock. Adamant nature and spread EVs maximize that first hit. Sheerforce helps on the margins.
Best Build
Cranidos best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Rock Slide
- Fire Punch
- Zen Headbutt
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Moves
The TM pool is where it gets interesting. Coverage across 11 types means almost nothing walls Cranidos cleanly, with Head Smash and Stone Edge anchoring the STAB side. Matchup flexibility isn't a problem.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Cranidos in Scarlet & Violet
Cranidos Guide
In Scarlet & Violet, Cranidos isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Rampardos to unlock its full potential. At 350 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
In Scarlet & Violet, Run Sheer Force on Cranidos. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Cranidos also gets Mold Breaker, but they don't compare.
In Scarlet & Violet, Sheer Force is the hidden ability. It strengthens moves with extra effects to 1.3× their power, but prevents their extra effects. Worth hunting for if you want Cranidos to compete at a higher level.
In Scarlet & Violet, Cranidos fills the cannon role. It's a physical attacker with base 125 Attack. At base 58 Speed, it won't be moving first often. And it's fragile, can't afford to take many hits.
Game Availability
Cranidos first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 12 games across 7 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DPDebut
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