Stats & Training
Sp. Atk and HP carry most of Ampharos's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 3 Sp. Atk EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
The tail’s tip shines brightly and can be seen from far away. It acts as a beacon for lost people.
The bright light on its tail can be seen far away. It has been treasured since ancient times as a beacon.
Ampharos Weakness
Ground moves hit Ampharos for super-effective damage. Few weaknesses and 3 resistances make the typing clean. With 90 HP and balanced defenses, Ampharos can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Electric, Flying, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Flygon can KO Ampharos with Earthquake (91-107%).
 Flygon GroundDragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ampharos View Flygon builds →Earthquake 2x91-107%KO Outrage54-64% U Turn21-25% | ||
HeartGold & SoulSilver Evolution
End of the line. Ampharos caps a three-stage chain that started at Mareep. Breeding produces the base form, and eggs are average hatch time. Sp.Atk grew the most through evolution (+50 over Mareep), and Ampharos peaks at 500 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Ampharos to get Mareep eggs easily using 131 partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Body Slam, Charge, Flatter and 6 more.
HeartGold & SoulSilver Ampharos Best Moveset
This build takes hits and hits back. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn, Static supports the gameplan, and max HP and Sp. Atk EVs mean Ampharos doesn't crumble to chip damage. Plus the remaining moves backing it up.
Best Build
Ampharos best EVs are HP and Sp. Atk
Special Tank Moveset
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
- Focus Blast
- Signal Beam
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Ampharos misses out on Body Slam and Charge. That's 9 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Thunder and Thunderbolt, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Ampharos in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Can't catch Ampharos directly. Start with Mareep at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 30. The 3-stage chain from Mareep to Ampharos is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Ampharos in HeartGold & SoulSilver
The path to Ampharos starts with Mareep at Lv. 6-17 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch MareepRoute 42HeartGoldGrass Lv.13 RouteCommonEarlyRoute 42SoulSilverGrass Lv.13-15 RouteCommonEarlyRoute 32HeartGoldGrass Lv.6 RouteUncommonEarlyRoute 32SoulSilverGrass Lv.6 RouteUncommonEarlyRoute 43SoulSilverGrass Lv.15 RouteUncommonEarlyMorning/dayRoute 43HeartGoldGrass Lv.15 RouteUncommonEarlyMorning/dayRoute 43SoulSilverGrass Lv.16 RouteRareMidNightRoute 43HeartGoldGrass Lv.16 RouteRareMidNight
Step 2Catch or Evolve FlaaffyRoute 43HeartGoldGrass Lv.15-17 RouteCommonEarlyDayRoute 43SoulSilverGrass Lv.15 RouteCommonEarlyMorning/nightRoute 43SoulSilverGrass Lv.15-17 RouteCommonEarlyDayRoute 43HeartGoldGrass Lv.15 RouteCommonEarlyMorning/nightRoute 42HeartGoldGrass Lv.15-17 RouteUncommonEarlyRoute 42SoulSilverGrass Lv.15-17 RouteUncommonEarlyor evolve from Mareep (Step 1)
Step 3Ampharos ✓
Ampharos Guide
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, we rate Ampharos C-Tier: a niche pick in HeartGold & SoulSilver's meta. At 500 BST, it fits the wallbreaker role. Thunderbolt with Leftovers is the standard set.
Mega Evolution isn't available in HeartGold & SoulSilver, but Ampharos does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Ampharos hits 600 BST.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, watch for Rhydon (Ground) when using Ampharos. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Static has a 30% chance of paralyzing attacking Pokémon on contact. That's the one you want on Ampharos. Plus is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Ampharos is a special attacker with base 115 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a wallbreaker.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Gold & Silver, Ampharos has appeared in 17 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 7, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
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