Is Golduck Good in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Playthrough?
Competent Water-type that handles Roark, Flint, and Byron. AbilityCloud Nine can shut down weather, which occasionally matters. Outpaced by the Sinnoh Water-types with better abilities and stats, but never dead weight.
Psyduck resists most of Roark's coverage and hits back hard.
Psyduck trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Psyduck has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Crasher Wake's typing presses Psyduck's defenses.
Golduck has the type edge here and should clean up Fantina's team.
Golduck has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Golduck has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Golduck trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Golduck has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Golduck has the type edge here and should clean up Bertha's team.
Golduck has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Golduck trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Golduck trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catch Golduck on Twinleaf Town (Surf, Lv 20-40, uncommon).
Catch Psyduck on Twinleaf Town (Surf, Lv 20-40, common).
How to Get Golduck in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
Easy grab on Golduck with high spawn rates across 46 locations in mid-game water routes. Two different catch methods are in play here. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Where To Catch Golduck in BDSP
Psyduck is your first catch on the way to Golduck. You'll find surfing and walking encounters from Lv. 5-55 across 122 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch PsyduckOreburgh Gate - B1FLv.8-10GrassRate 30%Ravaged PathLv.5GrassRate 2%Celestic TownLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Eterna CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Lake AcuityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Lake ValorLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Lake VerityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 203Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 204 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 204 - SouthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 205 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 208Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 209Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 210 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 212 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 214Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Twinleaf TownLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 90%Route 208Lv.16-18GrassRate 30%Oreburgh Gate - B1FLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Ravaged PathLv.20-30Surfing on waterRate 30%Route 210 - NorthLv.25GrassRate 20%Fountainspring CaveLv.16-20CaveRiverbank CaveLv.16-20CaveSpacious CaveLv.16-20CaveStill-Water CavernLv.16-20CaveGreat Marsh - Area 6Lv.20-22FloorRate 8%Great Marsh - Area 3Lv.22-24FloorRate 8%Great Marsh - Area 4Lv.22-24FloorRate 8%Great Marsh - Area 1Lv.24-26FloorRate 8%Great Marsh - Area 2Lv.24-26FloorRate 8%Great Marsh - Area 1Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Great Marsh - Area 2Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Great Marsh - Area 3Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Great Marsh - Area 4Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Great Marsh - Area 6Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Lake AcuityLv.34-36GrassRate 30%Morning/dayLake AcuityLv.34-35GrassRate 20%NightLake ValorLv.35-36GrassRate 20%
Step 2Golduck ✓Celestic TownLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Eterna CityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Lake AcuityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Lake ValorLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Lake VerityLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 203Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 204 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 204 - SouthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 205 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 208Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 209Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 210 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 212 - NorthLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Route 214Lv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Twinleaf TownLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 10%Oreburgh Gate - B1FLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Ravaged PathLv.20-40Surfing on waterRate 5%Resort AreaLv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 100%Sendoff SpringLv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 100%Route 225Lv.40-55Surfing on waterRate 70%Sendoff SpringLv.53-54GrassRate 20%Route 226Lv.51-53GrassRate 10%Route 230Lv.52GrassRate 10%or evolve from Psyduck (Step 1)
Golduck Weakness
Golduck's Water typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric and Grass. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. With 80 HP and balanced defenses, Golduck can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
What is Golduck Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Golduck
 Roserade GrassPoison | B | |
 Vileplume GrassPoison | C | |
 Victreebel GrassPoison | C | |
 Abomasnow GrassIce | C | |
 Cacturne GrassDark | C | |
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Rillaboom's U-turn hits Golduck for 50-59%. Regieleki threatens a KO with Thunderbolt (147-172%).
 Rillaboom Grass | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityGrassy Surge ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Golduck View Rillaboom builds →Knock Off47-55% U Turn50-59% | ||
 Regieleki Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTransistor ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Golduck View Regieleki builds →Volt Switch 2x114-135%KO Thunderbolt 2x147-172%KO Rapid Spin13-16% | ||
Golduck Evolutions
Evolved from Psyduck. Golduck is the final form in this two-stage line. A massive partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. HP grew the most through evolution (+30 over Psyduck), and Golduck peaks at 500 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Golduck to get Psyduck eggs easily using 131 partners from the Ground and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Clear Smog, Confuse Ray, Cross Chop and 6 more.
BDSP Golduck Best Moveset
80/82/78/95/80/85 is one of the most balanced stat spreads in the game, and hidden AbilitySwift Swim doubling Speed in rain finally gives Golduck a role the original Gen 4 version never had. The moveset runs Water TermStab from 95 Sp. Atk at doubled rain Speed. E-tier because without rain, nothing stands out.
Best Build
Golduck best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Rain Dance
- Clear Smog
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Golduck won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 10 types means it always has an effective option. Hydro Pump and Aqua Tail anchor the STAB core.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
This Pokémon lives in lakes. It swims faster than any world-class swimmer.
The flippers of its well-developed limbs give it shocking speed. It is the best swimmer among Pokémon.
Golduck Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Guide
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Swift Swim changes the entire equation for Golduck. The 500 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier. Ice Beam with Focus Sash is the standard set.
Swift Swim is what you want on Golduck. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Damp, Cloud Nine) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Golduck worth using.
Base 85 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Golduck is a special attacker with base 95 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two.
In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, run Ice Beam, Surf, Raindance, and Clearsmog on Golduck. Ice Beam is the most common pick at 0% usage. Surf provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
One of the original 151, Golduck has appeared in 21 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves