Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokémon. Cryogonal appear during cold seasons. It is said that people and Pokémon who die on snowy mountains are reborn into these Pokémon. Cryogonal uses its chains of ice to constrict its opponents and then flash-freezes them where they stand.

Overview

One of the more obscure Pokémon from the5th generation, Cryogonal has many fascinating facets. Base 105 Speed is a good start giving Cryogonal a jump up against a large majority of the competition it faces. Cryogonal puts that Speed to good use as well, having both Rapid Spin and Haze as excellent support tools to counteract an opponent’s setup as well. Rapid Spin is quite the boon considering Cryogonal’s access to Levitate, enabling it to clear Hazards without requiring Heavy Duty Boots, given that it can dodge most of them. Cryogonal’s phenomenal Special Defense is another boon, and with Recover, Cryogonal can repeatedly soak Special Attacks as it performs its duties.

That is all that is explicitly good about Cryogonal however, given its myriad of flaws holding it back. Ice Typing is horrid defensively, giving Cryogonal a near non-existent defensive profile and making it that much harder to tank attacks. Ice is especially unfortunate as it means Cryogonal is forced to run Heavy Duty Boots to avoid being ripped apart by Stealth Rocks. Further exasperating matters is Cryogonal’s horrid Defense, making any physical attack a risky propositional for Cryogonal. Cryogonal even fails as a speedy Ice type, its Base 95 Special Attack is only usable thanks to the broad offensive coverage Ice boasts, with no coverage to compliment it, leaving it outclassed by other Ice types like Froslass and Frosmoth as well as having stiff competition with Articuno who boasts actual Defense and Secondary STAB but at the cost of a worse typing. Cryogonal’s strengths make it a beauty to behold, but its myriad of flaws makes it as fragile as a snowflake in hand.
Positives
Base 105 Speed is good, getting the jump on many offensive Pokémon, enabling Cryogonal act with less risk of being disrupted.
Levitate is a phenomenal ability, giving Cryogonal invaluable immunities to most hazards and Ground moves and pairs well with Rapid Spin.
Base 135 Special Defense is Ludicrous, and coupled with Recover, Cryogonal can endure a lot of Special Attacks.

Negatives
Ice typing is horrid, giving Cryogonal numerous weaknesses for almost nothing in return.
Base 50 Defense is crippling, preventing Cryogonal from tanking physical attacks.
Below Average Base 95 Special Attack and lack of coverage leaves Cryogonal lacking offensively save for Ice STAB.

Movesets

Frozen Fractal

-Rapid Spin
-Haze
-Freeze Dry
-Recover
Ability: Levitate
Item: Heavy Duty Boots
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Cryogonal’s tried and true support set revolves around resetting the field into Cryogonal’s team’s favor, clearing opposing hazards and stat boosts with Rapid Spin and Haze respectively, stopping a sweep before it can begin. Freeze Dry is fantastic STAB given the obscenely wide coverage base Ice plus Water provides, checking Arboliva, Appletun, Swanna, and many more. Recover is incredible, the repeated recovery enabling Cryogonal to perform its role; repeatedly tank Special Attacks and wipe hazards often as part of a team’s defensive backbone.

Tera Types:
As a defensive Ice type, Cryogonal loves Terastalizing as any type is better than its own base typing. Steel is a fantastic typing especially coupled with Cryogonal’s Levitate, leading to a type/ability combination many Pokémon struggle with, though the shared Fire and Fighting weaknesses are awkward. Water and Fairy are other excellent defensive Terastalization options. Tera Electric is tantalizing due to the lack of weaknesses Cryogonal has post Tera and access to STAB Ice-Electric coverage but the lack of resistances can be troublesome.

EVs and Items:
Max HP and Speed are recommended for the best balance of bulk and Speed. Cryogonal’s role relies on its hit taking ability so as much bulk as possible is recommended. Speed investment is important as well, as Cryogonal outspeeding an opponent to wipe their boosts, clear hazards, or Recover before they can KO Cryogonal can be game determinative. One can sacrifice speed investment for Defense to enable Cryogonal tank more attacks, 24 Defense enables Cryogonal to survive Floatzel’s Wave Crash out of Rain, 36 Defense for Braviary’s Brave Bird, and 40 for physical Honchkrow’s. Heavy Duty Boots is mandatory for the item. While Cryogonal is immune to most hazards, Stealth Rock ripping a fourth of Cryogonal’s health each time makes Heavy Duty Boots as mandatory for it as it is for the various Flying type Defoggers.

Partners:
Given Cryogonal’s physical frailty, physical walls that compliment Cryogonal’s special are greatly appreciated. Weezing is a standout choice, resisting Fighting attacks that threaten Cryogonal, able to cripple physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp and melt opposing Steel types with Flamethrower. Carbink and Naclstack also excel, both enjoying Cryogonal’s hazard spinning not removing their own Stealth Rock as well as Cryogonal’s direct threatening of Grass and Water types, though their shared Fighting and Steel weaknesses can be aggravating.

Other Options:
Reflect and Light Screen are other options in Cryogonal’s supporting bag of tricks, synergize well with Cryogonal’s high speed and can act as a patch for Cryogonal’s low Defense.

Cold Embrace

-Bind
-Acid Armor
-Recover
-Freeze Dry
Ability: Levitate
Item: Binding Band
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature

A trapping Cryogonal set, aiming to KO opponents that can’t damage Cryogonal well with Bind. Bind is the main source of damage, while placing your opponent in an inescapable situation, doing a hefty 1/6 of the target’s HP each turn with Binding Band. Acid Armor is the answer to Cyogonal’s rather atrocious Defense, buffing it to respectable levels quickly and flipping the script on physical attackers that Cryogonal normally draws in. Recover is necessary on this set enabling Cryogonal to stay long enough for Bind to do its work. Freeze Dry is again the preferred STAB, for the wide coverage it provides. STAB moves are valued for their ability to hit Ghost types immune to Bind as well as run down the clock on Bind much faster.

Tera Types:
As a defensive Ice type, Cryogonal loves Terastalizing as any type is better than its own base typing. Steel is a fantastic typing especially coupled with Cryogonal’s Levitate, leading to a type/ability combination many Pokémon struggle with, though the shared Fire and Fighting weaknesses are awkward. Water and Fairy are other excellent defensive Terastalization options. Tera Ghost is valuable for giving immunities both Normal and Fighting as well as the few exploitable weaknesses it provides, while Tera Electric gives Cryogonal to weaknesses to exploit.

EVs and Items:
Max HP and Defense are the order of the day here. Cryogonal’s Defense is so bad it needs all the help it can get to survive physical attacks and makes Acid Armor more impactful. Since Bind relies on stalling out, you want to maximize Cryogonal’s hit taking ability. Binding Band is recommended, placing trapped on a shorter timer, though Leftover’s passive recovery is worth considering to enable Cryogonal survive long enough to take opponents out.

Partners:
Toxic Spikes setters are a must, placing opponents on a very fast timer with Bind, ripping up 25-29% of a target’s HP in a single turn. Skuntank is a notable setter thanks to its Dark sub typing easily handling the Ghost types that Bind fails to trap, while Cryogonal makes a good pivot into the Ground attacks Skuntank fears. Weezing is another good setter, being a physical wall to Cryogonal’s special and crippling attackers with Will-o-Wisp to make it easier to setup Acid Armors.

Countering Cryogonal

Cryogonal’s achilles heel is plain to see; while attacking Cryogonal specially may be a fools errand for all but dedicated wallbreakers, Cryogonal shatters under physical attackers. Preventing Cryogonal from doing its job is far more difficult given its fantastic speed tier. Hisuian Sneasel stands out, being able to reliably outspeed and OHKO with Close Combat, while normal Sneasel 2HKOs while resisting Freeze Dry and can OHKO if it Terastalizing to Fighting.

Ghost types are also troublesome for Cryogonal given that they block both Rapid Spin and Bind. Froslass is annoying given that it can setup Spikes in Cryogonal’s face and Taunt to seal off Haze and Recover, but both Pokémon otherwise struggle to damage each other. Defensive Houndstone easily threatens a 2HKO with Body Press while only being 4-5KOd by Freeze Dry. Specs Haunter threatens a Solid 2HKO with Focus Blast but is easily 2HKO’d by Freeze Dry in turn.

Akin to Blissey, Lures are also effective for dealing with Cryogonal and given that it is often the team’s answer to Special Attackers can enable your own to go wild once removed. Eelektross bluffing a Special set while having Drain Punch is one example.

Anime Appearences

Cryogonal has made a few anime appearances. Most notably, Brycen used one in his Gym Battle against Ash # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics 740 Caution: Icy Battle Conditions! Icirrus Gym Battle! Ice Battlefield!! Pics M15 Kyurem VS The Sword of Justice Kyurem VS The Sacred Swordsman Keldeo Pics 763 Team Eevee and the Pokemon Rescue Squad! Team Eevee, Depart! The Pokémon Rescue Squad!! Pics