Croconaw

Croconaw makes a potent physical sweeper after a Dragon Dance, and has a good physical movepool to make use of it, including Return, Body Slam, Dragon Claw, Rock Slide, Brick Break, Shadow Claw and Aerial Ace. The listed moves give you the best coverage in OU NFE, however. Ice Punch takes down Grass-types, as well as Gligar and Shelgon. Superpower is your best option to manage Bidoof before it sets up, as well as Sneasel, while Waterfall provides a reliable STAB attack.

220 Speed EVs allow you to outspeed max Speed Electabuzz and Kadabra after a Dragon Dance, allowing you to hit them with the appropriate attack for a KO, while outspeeding max Speed Pupitar for a OHKO with Waterfall. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP to aid in Life Orb recoil and Dragon Dance set-up time, although you should ensure that Croconaw has an odd-numbered HP stat to give it 11 hits with Life Orb.

This is a more risky set because of Croconaw's average Speed and defenses, but offers more immediate attacking power, and after Swords Dance, Aqua Jet makes up for Croconaw's Speed. Ice Punch provides coverage against Bayleef, Shelgon and Skiploom who resist Aqua Jet, and outspeed Croconaw, while still putting a dent in Gligar and Murkrow, who also outspeed Croconaw.

240 Speed EVs allows you to outspeed anything slower than a neutral-natured, 252 Speed Chinchou. A drop to 232 Speed is optional to give more defensive investment, and means you cannot outspeed a max Speed, 252 Spd Nidorina, who otherwise can attack with Thunderbolt, although it is recommended to not go lower, as you will not outspeed a neutral-natured, 252 Speed Electrike or Roselia, who can attack Croconaw with STAB Electric or Grass attacks, respectively.

Packing a priority move, Focus Punch and passable defenses, Croconaw works well in taking down the majority of OU NFE leads. Foes who try to status Croconaw with sleep, such as Golbat, Roselia, Skiploom and Haunter will be disappointed when Croconaw shrugs the move off with Lum Berry, and then proceeds to use Substitute, preventing them from using it again. Ice Punch hits all the aforementioned Pokemon for hard damage, and is a 2HKO on Haunter, who usually carries a Focus Sash, making a KO rather useless. For Pokemon weakened by Ice Punch or Focus Punch, Aqua Jet can finish them off. While Aqua Jet's STAB and x4 effectiveness against the latter 2 Rock-type Pokemon seems like the best option, it should be noted that Aqua Jet only gets a 3HKO on a 212 HP / 0 Defense Rhydon, while Focus Punch results in a 2HKO. a lead Murkrow also loses the fight in the combination of Ice Punch and Aqua Jet, while it won't be scathed by Thunder Wave, and will only suffer a 3HKO from Sucker Punch if it elects to use that to harm Croconaw before it is KOed back with Aqua Jet. In addition, Kadabra has no chance in taking Croconaw down before taking down by a finishing Aqua Jet, as Energy Ball is never a OHKO, bar a critical hit.

Croconaw as a lead Pokemon has little choices in which outspeeding anything would prove a make-or-break situation. A Jolly nature with 252 Atk / 200 Spd / 56 Sp Def is an alternative option to allow Croconaw to outspeed a max Speed Pupitar for a 2HKO with Ice Punch, as well as outspeeding a max speed Metang and Mantyke, although Mantyke and Pupitar aren't common for lead Pokemon. However, the more defensive spread listed above means Croconaw isn't 2HKOed by a lead Kadabra's Energy Ball, Magmar's Hidden Power Grass, Haunter's Thunderbolt, and even a max Attack Rhydon's Earthquake, all things that make Croconaw's role as an anti-lead much easier to accomplish.