Free switch-ins on Electric moves make Claydol useful in any team that needs that coverage. Levitate gives it a Ground immunity. Known as the Clay Doll Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
Claydol's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Balanced defenses with Sp. Def doing the heavy lifting. And the medium-fast 1M XP curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 Sp. Def EVs.
It is said that it originates from clay dolls made by an ancient civilization.
Claydol Weakness
VulnerableClaydol is weak to Water, Grass, Ice, Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric-type moves entirely. The Ground/Psychic typing picks up 4 resistances to work with. Levitate grants an additional Ground immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Claydol's overall bulk (60/105/120) lets it take a hit or two from most weaknesses before going down.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Claydol is what Baltoy becomes. Breed it for Baltoy eggs (average hatch time). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Baltoy pushed Claydol to 500 total stats. Defense saw the largest single gain at +50.
How to Evolve
Breed with Claydol to get Baltoy eggs (with patience) using 29 partners from the Mineral egg group.
Ditto only
Claydol's job is getting Stealth Rock up and staying on the field. Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn, Levitate helps it stick around, and flexible EVs EVs prioritize longevity.
Best Build
Best Claydol Moveset
- Rapid Spin
- Explosion
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
Recommended Teammates
Most of Claydol's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Dream Eater and Earthquake, but Normal and Rock and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Claydol doesn't appear wild. Catch Baltoy instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it at level 36 to get Claydol. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Claydol in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Step 1Catch BaltoyEFFORTLESSRoute 3GrassLv.5CommonEarlyRouteSwarm active- Step 2Claydol ✓
Claydol looks average on paper at 500 BST. But Levitate is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Baltoy evolves into Claydol at level 36. Claydol is the fully evolved form. At 500 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Claydol gets Levitate. But Levitate is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Claydol is leaning toward the physical side (base 70 Attack). Tanky enough to absorb a few hits, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 75 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many.
Claydol appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Claydol appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A