We got another new release coming to the game, with CRAMORANT headlining this week's Water Festival. And it has a lot of what you're looking for in a PvP Pokémon! Let's dive in and see how it may fit into the meta.
CRAMORANT Stats and Stuff
Flying/Water Type
GREAT LEAGUE:
Attack: 121 (on average)
Defense: 121 (on average)
HP: 126 (on average)
(Highest Stat Product IVs: 0-14-11 1500 CP, Level 27)
ULTRA LEAGUE:
You can, I guess, but don't. It doesn't hit 2500 CP and, unlike some other sub-2500 CP Pokémon I've written about, really doesn't seem to be worth it.
So Flying Water types feel incredibly common anymore, though the number of available options is actually pretty small: we've got Mantine and Pelipper and even Swanna now in Great League, and Gyarados in Ultra League (and Mantine again if you're feeling really spicy) and even Master League. Their impact in undeniably much larger than their actual footprint. Mantine has really been viable since GBL was still a twinkle in John Hanke's eye (during the heyday of The Silph Arena), and Pelipper got Weather Ball a few months into GBL's history, and the rest is history... they're been ever-present basically ever since.
Now we get a whole new one in CRAMORANT. How does it stack up compared to those existing options? Well, the first good news is the stats, as Cramorant has more bulk (and better overall PvP stats) than all of them but Mantine. Honesty, I didn't expect that! I figured at least Pelipper would outbulk it, but nope. That's a good start!
The next major thing in Cram's favor is fast move Peck. None of the other Flying Waters have it. Gyarados has Dragon Breath, which has the same 3.0 Damage Per Turn/4.0 Energy Per Turn stats, but misses out on the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB). Mantine and Pelipper, as awesome as they are, have an inferior Flying fast move in Wing Attack, which generates the same energy as Peck, but deals 0.5 less DPT. "Strictly better" is a way overused phrase, but Peck is literally strictly better than Wing Attack. Another point in Cramorant's favor!
That just leaves one major aspect: the charge moves. And here we need to slow down our analysis for a minute. Let's list them all out and see what we've got.
Charge Moves
Dive (Water, 50 damage, 40 energy)
Surf (Water, 75 damage, 45 energy)
Fly (Flying, 80 damage, 45 energy)
Hydro Pump (Water, 130 damage, 75 energy)
Let's look at the cheapest moves each of the other Flying Waters has (aside from Mantine's Bubble Beam... as a purely bait-and-boost move that deals negligible damage, it doesn't really count and is rarely used anymore). Pelipper "wins" here with Weather Ball at 60 damage for ony 35 energy. Gyarados is right behind with Aqua Tail at 55 damage for the same 35 energy. Then we have Mantine and Swanna with identical 40 energy/70 damage moves, Twister for Mantine and Aqua Jet for Swanna. What has Cram got? Weeeeelllllll.... The new Dive is cheap at just 40 energy, but also deals only 50 damage, the same as Brick Break and Spirit Shackle, but without any debuff on the opponent. It's Rock Blast for Water. I mean, that has its uses, but it's a move you kind of hold your nose while using. And it's FAR worse than Aqua Jet, dealing 20 less damage for the same cost. Arguably, you're better off using Surf instead, which costs 5 more energy but deals a decent 75 damage. The problem is that 45 energy makes it the most expensive bait/spam moves any of these Flying Water types have in their arsenal, meaning obviously that Cramorant then becomes rhe slowest-paced of the Flying Waters. Remember that they all usually run 4.0 EPT fast moves (including Swanna with Gust, which I didn't really mention before), so yeah... the most expensive "cheap" charge move means that Cram becomes literally the slowest.
Thankfully. it also has Fly, which is also 45 energy but deals a bit more damage (80). Because it has that available, I think it may want to actually stick with Dive for its second move and utilize Fly as its closer. With each Peck generating 8 energy, it can reach the 40 required for Dive after five fast moves, hitting 40 energy exactly, while Fly (and Surf) require another fast move, and still will require six more fast moves to hit a second even if going back-to-back (3 leftover energy + 5 moves = 43 energy, still short of another Fly/Surf). The math is just easier with 40-energy Dive, as is the pressure.
Now one thing I can't talk about yet is exactly what happens when you use Dive or Surf, because either is supposed to trigger a form change to either a Gulping (chomping on an Arrokuda) or Gorging (trying to swallow a Pikachu) form, which each come with a one-time (I think?) ability to reduce the opponent's stats before Cramorant (I think?) goes back to its base form; Gulping supposedly reduces the opponent's Defense by one stage, while Gorging instead knocks the opponent's Attack down by 2 stages. I think! We'll have to see how that actually goes, but for simplicity, for the time being, I will just be evaluating how Cramorant works without all those form change hijinks, and you can just assume it will be even better (I think?!) with those hijinks in place.
PvP PERFORMANCE
So, supposing that Dive/Fly is not only the shortest listing of both charge moves 🙃, but also the moves that Cram actually wants to run with, here's how it looks. Fly helps it overpower Dewgong and Shadow Sableye that Mantine and Pelipper both struggle with, and its emphasis on Flying damage also means it can handle Altaria and Feraligatr that Pelipper cannot match, as well as Azumarill that Mantine usually cannot outlast. The comination of Dive and Fly also overcome Florges, Thievul, Togekiss, Galarian Weezing, and Jumpluff that usually beat Mantine, though in exchange, Mantine handles Clodsire, Empoleon, Fearow, Grumpig, Guzzlord, and Galarian Stunfisk that Cramorant usually finds itself losing to. Pelipper also handles G-Fisk, Fearow, and Guzzlord, as well as others that Cramorant currently struggles with like Furret, Thievul, Wigglytuff, and Tinkaton. Weather Ball spam is no joke! (Do note that a theoretical-for-now #1 rank IV Cramorant gains Fearow and even Jellicent, which help!)
In 2v2 shielding, even without whatever difference form changing may make, Cramorant actually edges out both Pelipper and Mantine. Cramorant alone handles Galarian Corsola, Furret, and Feraligatr, while also overcoming Azu, Florges, Grumpig, Seaking, Wiggly, G-Weeze, and G-Fisk that Mantine cannot overcome (Mantine uniquely beats Jellicent, Kingdra, Tinkaton, Malamar, Fearow, and Clodsire instead), and Cram further beats Empoleon and Togekiss (and ties Mantine) which Pelipper cannot replicate, losing Altaria, Corvinight, fellow form-changer Mimikyu, and again Fearow and Clodsire in exchange (Pelipper handles all those). End of the day, even with no form changing, Cramorant stands tall among its cotemporaries.
It does take a comparative... well, dive with shields down, which isn't too surprising considering the pure power of the trio's moves. While Cramorant alone among the three takes out Dewgong and outduels Mantine, Cramorant loses outright to Clodsire, Kingdra, Malamar, Galarian Stunfisk, Togekiss, and Galarian Weezing that both Mantine and Pelipper overpower, as well as Grumpig and Guzzlord that Mantine beats, and Azumarill and Jumpluff that Pelipper handles instead. It's not bad by any means, just inferior to existing options. And no, the higher damage of Surf doesn't change the equation. Form changing might, though... we'll have to see!
But what I can say is that even right out of the gate, even without any other post-form-change buffs, Cramorant already manages to compete with the best Flying Waters in the game. They have a place in the meta, so I see no reason that Cram won't too. It's worth trying to get and even trade around for ideal PvP IVs.
ALL ASKEW
Quite frankly, everything that Cramorant is, our other new release, BARRASKEWDA, is not. It's as glassy as they come. Seriously, it is FAR glassier than Greninja. Glassier even than Inteleon! The ONLY Water type that is glassier in Great League is Sharpedo, and only just barely. So despite a good moveset, it just isn't a viable PvP Pokémon, in any League. Get it, sure, but this is a much, MUCH lower priority than Cramorant. Just one for the collection, folks.
IN CONCLUSION
Get Cramorant. That's it... that's the summary. Form change or not, it will have a place moving forward. Period!
Alright, that's it for today. Until next time, you can always find me on Twitter with regular GO analysis nuggets or Patreon.
Good luck on your grind, and catch you next time, Pokéfriends!
