1-Star raid Shiny available Rock

Cranidos Raid Guide

Q: What are the best counters for Cranidos?

The top counter is Mega Blaziken with Counter and Aura Sphere at 99.3 DPS against Cranidos. Mega Lucario (98) and Primal Kyogre (92) follow.

Q: Can I beat Cranidos without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Kartana at 78.8 DPS, 79% of what the top counter deals. Landorus (Therian) and Pheromosa are the next ones down.

Weak to Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, Water — every counter below is ranked by DPS against Cranidos.

Boosted in Partly Cloudy 20 counters ranked

Catch CP

1,066

Lv 20 · 100% IV

Weather CP

1,326

Lv 25 · 100% IV

Trainers

Min 1 at Lv 40+

Top DPS

99.3

Mega Blaziken

Best counters

Ranked by DPS against Cranidos. Tap a row for full stats.

Mega Blaziken CounterAura Sphere 99.3DPS 1,530TDO 2

Mega Lucario Force PalmAura Sphere 98.0DPS 1,417TDO 3

Primal Kyogre WaterfallOrigin Pulse 92.0DPS 2,595TDO 4

Primal Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 91.3DPS 2,575TDO 5

Shadow Blaziken CounterAura Sphere 87.0DPS 938TDO 6

Mega Sceptile Bullet SeedFrenzy Plant 85.7DPS 1,317TDO 7

Shadow Metagross Bullet PunchMeteor Mash 83.7DPS 1,460TDO 8

Shadow Kyogre WaterfallOrigin Pulse 83.7DPS 1,576TDO 9

Shadow Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 83.2DPS 1,567TDO 10

Mega Heracross CounterClose Combat 81.6DPS 1,670TDO 11

Mega Metagross Bullet PunchMeteor Mash 81.5DPS 2,161TDO 12

Mega Garchomp Mud ShotEarthquake 80.4DPS 2,054TDO 13

Shadow Excadrill Metal ClawEarthquake 80.0DPS 1,005TDO 14

Mega Alakazam CounterFocus Blast 79.2DPS 1,154TDO 15

Kartana Razor LeafLeaf Blade 78.8DPS 956TDO 16

Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 78.1DPS 1,386TDO 17

Mega Swampert Water GunHydro Cannon 77.9DPS 1,838TDO 18

Pheromosa Low KickFocus Blast 77.0DPS 548TDO 19

Shadow Dialga Metal ClawIron Head 76.9DPS 1,339TDO 20

Shadow Mamoswine Mud SlapHigh Horsepower 76.8DPS 1,092TDO

Budget counters

No Shadow, Mega or Primal forms needed.

Kartana Razor LeafLeaf Blade 78.8DPS 956TDO 16

Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 78.1DPS 1,386TDO 18

Pheromosa Low KickFocus Blast 77.0DPS 548TDO

Ranks are kept from the main list, so you can see how far behind the premium options they sit.

How counters are ranked

Every released Pokemon is simulated at level 40 against Cranidos using the in-game damage formula and the current Game Master move data. Each fast + charged combination is tested; only the best moveset per Pokemon is listed.

DPS is damage per second over a full attack cycle. TDO is the total damage dealt before fainting, so it rewards bulk. Shadow forms are ranked with their 20% Attack boost and 17% Defense penalty; Mega and Primal forms use their boosted base stats.

Stats & weaknesses

Raid tier: 1-Star
Weather boost: Partly Cloudy
Shiny available: Yes
Base Attack: 218
Base Defense: 71
Base Stamina: 167

Weak to — use these types

Fighting1.6× Grass1.6× Ground1.6× Steel1.6× Water1.6×

Resists — avoid these types

Fire0.625× Flying0.625× Normal0.625× Poison0.625×

Catch CP after the raid

The CP you will see on the encounter screen.

IVs	Lv 20 CP	Lv 25 CP (weather)
10 / 10 / 10 floor	998	1,242
15 / 15 / 15 100%	1,066	1,326

Raid catches have an IV floor of 10/10/10, so the two rows are the real minimum and maximum. If you see 1,066 CP it is a perfect Cranidos — throw a Golden Razz Berry.

Raid guide

How the fight goes and what to bring.

Trainer difficulty Soloable with six level-40 top counters. Worked out from the boss HP, the raid timer and the counter DPS above.

Cranidos resists Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison — leave those attackers out even if they are your highest CP.

FAQ

What are the best counters for Cranidos?

The top counter is Mega Blaziken with Counter and Aura Sphere at 99.3 DPS against Cranidos. Mega Lucario (98) and Primal Kyogre (92) follow.

What is Cranidos weak to?

Cranidos takes super effective damage from Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, Water-type moves.

How many trainers do I need to beat Cranidos?

Cranidos can be soloed. The six best counters average 92.2 DPS against it at level 40, which clears the boss inside the timer with room to spare.

Can I beat Cranidos without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Kartana at 78.8 DPS, 79% of what the top counter deals. Landorus (Therian) and Pheromosa are the next ones down.

Can Cranidos be shiny?

Yes — the encounter after this raid can be shiny.

What weather boosts Cranidos?

Partly Cloudy. Boss moves of the boosted types hit 20% harder (so do yours), and the catch is level 25 instead of 20: 1,242–1,326 CP instead of 998–1,066. The 10/10/10 IV floor is the same either way.

Is Cranidos worth raiding?

Cranidos has no raid-attacker or GO Battle League ranking on this site, so the reasons to raid it are the dex entry, the candy and the shiny rather than your battle teams.

What is the best moveset for Cranidos?

The counter list on this page is for beating Cranidos. For the moves Cranidos should use as your attacker, open its full stats page.

Explore more

All raid bosses Every boss in the current rotation Best Fighting attackers Top Fighting-type Pokemon ranked by DPS Cranidos Pokedex Base stats, moves and evolutions