Ludicolo Best Moveset
Water/Grass at 90 Sp. Atk with AbilitySwift Swim doubling 70 Speed under rain. Held ItemLife Orb with NatureModest pushes dual TermStab that covers Ground, Rock, Fire, and Water types. Only Bug, Poison, and Flying hit super-effectively. The moveset thrives in rain but struggles without it. 80/70/100 bulk gives decent special durability between attacks.
Swift Swim in rain made Ludicolo dangerous in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). Water/Grass covered threats other rain sweepers missed, and Rain-boosted Surf hit hard.
Best Moves
Best Build
Ludicolo best EVs are Sp. Atk and HP
Special Attacker Moveset
- Rain Dance
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Leech Seed
Recommended Teammates
Same rain sweeper role in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Water/Grass let it hit other Water-types that walled most rain team attackers.
Special Attacker Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Rain Dance
- Surf
- Grass Knot
Recommended Teammates
Drizzle plus Swift Swim ban hit hard in Gen V (Black & White). Without permanent rain from Politoed, Ludicolo needed manual Rain Dance and lost a turn.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Giga Drain
- Leech Seed
- Scald
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Five-turn weather wasn't enough in Gen VI (X & Y). Ludicolo needed rain to function, and rain wasn't lasting long enough to justify the support.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Scald
- Hydro Pump
Recommended Teammates
Other rain sweepers with better stats displaced it in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Ludicolo fell further as the rain sweeper pool grew.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Rain Dance
- Hydro Pump
- Energy Ball
- Focus Blast
Recommended Teammates
Irrelevant in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Swift Swim was the only plan, and the plan had stopped working two gens ago.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Giga Drain
- Ice Beam
- Energy Ball
- Scald
Recommended Teammates
Same in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Rain-dependent with no backup strategy and stats that couldn't carry it without weather support.
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Giga Drain
- Surf
- Weather Ball
Recommended Teammates
Ludicolo Weakness
Ludicolo is weak to Poison, Flying, and Bug. Ludicolo's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Poison, Flying, Bug |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Ground, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Water |
What is Ludicolo Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Ludicolo
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityQuarkdrive ItemBooster Energy NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Ludicolo View Iron Treads builds →Rapid Spin22-26% Earthquake22-26% Knock Off29-34% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Ludicolo View Alomomola builds →Flip Turn4-4% Scald2-3% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Dondozo builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves View Rotom-Wash builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves View Landorus-Therian builds →
| ||
Evolution
Ludicolo evolved from Lotad's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Lotad eggs (quick to hatch). The evolution from Lotad pushed Ludicolo to 480 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
How to Get Ludicolo
Can't catch Ludicolo directly. Start with Lotad at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Lotad to Ludicolo is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Ludicolo in SV
Lotad is your first catch on the way to Ludicolo. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 7-60 across 30 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch LotadApple HillsLv.7-60OverworldInfernal PassLv.7-60OverworldKitakami WildsLv.7-60OverworldOni MountainLv.7-60OverworldParadise BarrensLv.7-60OverworldRevelers RoadLv.7-60OverworldTimeless WoodsLv.7-60OverworldWistful FieldsLv.7-60Overworld
Step 2Catch or Evolve LombreApple HillsLv.14-60OverworldKitakami WildsLv.14-60OverworldMossfell ConfluenceLv.14-60OverworldOni MountainLv.14-60OverworldParadise BarrensLv.14-60OverworldTimeless WoodsLv.14-60OverworldWistful FieldsLv.14-60Overworldor evolve from Lotad (Step 1)
Step 3Ludicolo ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Ludicolo egg.
Ludicolo doesn't appear wild. Catch Lotad instead, it shows up at moderate rates. Evolve it through a special method to get Ludicolo. The 3-stage chain is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Ludicolo in BDSP
To get Ludicolo, start by catching Lotad through walking encounters at Lv. 58-63. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch LotadFountainspring CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-game
Step 2Catch or Evolve LombreFountainspring CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CaveShining PearlPost-gameor evolve from Lotad (Step 1)
Step 3Ludicolo ✓
Can't catch Ludicolo directly. Start with Lotad at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Lotad to Ludicolo is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Ludicolo in SwSh
The path to Ludicolo starts with Lotad at Lv. 4-40 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch LotadWest Lake AxewellLv.8-14OverworldShieldRate 60%OvercastRolling FieldsLv.7-10GrassShieldRate 40%RainingDappled GroveLv.11-15GrassShieldRate 40%Normal WeatherDappled GroveLv.11-15GrassShieldRate 35%Heavy FogRoute 2Lv.4-6GrassShieldRate 20%All WeatherDappled GroveLv.11-15GrassShieldRate 20%RainingDappled GroveLv.11-15GrassShieldRate 20%OvercastDappled GroveLv.11-15GrassShieldRate 20%ThunderstormRoute 2 - High LevelLv.37-40GrassShieldRate 20%All Weather
Step 2Catch or Evolve LombreDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 10%OvercastDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 10%Intense SunDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowstormDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Heavy FogDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SnowingDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%SandstormDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%ThunderstormDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Normal WeatherDappled GroveLv.13-15OverworldShieldRate 5%RainingSouth Lake MilochLv.14-15OverworldShieldRate 5%Normal WeatherSouth Lake MilochLv.14-16OverworldShieldRate 5%OvercastGiant's CapLv.27-29GrassShieldRate 40%Normal WeatherRoute 5Lv.16-18GrassShieldRate 20%All WeatherGiant's SeatLv.30-35GrassShieldRate 15%RainingGiant's SeatLv.33-38OverworldShieldRate 60%RainingGiant's SeatLv.33-38OverworldShieldRate 25%Normal Weatheror evolve from Lotad (Step 1)
Step 3Ludicolo ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Ludicolo egg.
No wild encounters for Ludicolo. The 3-stage chain runs through Lotad, which you can catch in the wild from the locations below. Evolve through a special method once you've got the levels.
Base Stats
Nothing fancy in Ludicolo's spread. It leans mixed with Sp. Def out front. And you'll get 3 Sp. Def EVs per KO for it. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
If it hears festive music, all its muscles fill with energy. It can’t help breaking out into a dance.
Ludicolo Guide
Ludicolo looks average on paper at 480 BST. But Swift Swim is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier on our tier list.
Ludicolo gets Swift Swim, Rain Dish, and Own Tempo. But Swift Swim is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Ludicolo is a special attacker with base 90 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 70 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many.
The core moveset is Ice Beam, Giga Drain, Surf, and Weatherball. Ice Beam leads at 0% usage. Surf provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Since Ruby & Sapphire, Ludicolo has been in 15 games. Requiring an item-based evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
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