
Is Luxray Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Electric at level 30 with AbilityRivalry. Strong Attack for an Electric-type. The physical/special split gives Luxray proper physical Electric options. Safari Zone timing is the main drawback against the native Ampharos.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Falkner's team.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Bugsy's team.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Morty's team.
Chuck's typing presses Shinx's defenses.
Jasmine's typing presses Shinx's defenses.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Pryce's team.
Clair's typing presses Shinx's defenses.
Luxray trades roughly evenly with Brock's team.
Luxray has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Luxray trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Luxray trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Luxray has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Luxray has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Luxray trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Luxray trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Will's team.
Koga's typing presses Shinx's defenses.
Bruno's team hits Shinx's weaknesses hard.
Karen's typing presses Shinx's defenses.
Shinx trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Catch Shinx
Catch Shinx on Route 29 (walking, Lv 2-3, common). Sinnoh Sound.
Recommended Moves
- LV 13ElectricSparkPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- LV 29ElectricThunder FangPower 98Accuracy 95%PP 15
- LV 33DarkCrunchPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Jasmine
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Prize for defeating Jasmine
- LV 41ElectricDischargePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
Evolve Shinx to Luxray
Luxio evolves into Luxray at Level 30. Your Shinx should hit Level 30 before you reach Brock, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 30)
- LV 30ElectricSparkPower 98Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- LV 35ElectricThunder FangPower 98Accuracy 95%PP 15
- LV 42DarkCrunchPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 56ElectricDischargePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
How to Get Luxray in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Can't catch Luxray directly. Start with Shinx at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 30. The 3-stage chain from Shinx to Luxray is where the leveling time goes.
Catch Shinx or Luxio at any of these 22 spots to eventually evolve into Luxray.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
How to Obtain Luxray in HGSS
Shinx is your first catch on the way to Luxray. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 2-46 across 46 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch ShinxRoute 29Lv.2-3GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 46Lv.2-3GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 1Lv.2-3GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 2 - NorthLv.3-5GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 2 - SouthLv.3-5GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 3Lv.5-8GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 33Lv.6-7GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundNational ParkLv.10-12FloorRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 36Lv.12-13GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 37Lv.13-15GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 5Lv.13-14GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 11Lv.14-15GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 8Lv.15-19GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 38Lv.16GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 39Lv.16-17GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 7Lv.17-18GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 48Lv.20-24GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 14Lv.23-25GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 15Lv.23-25GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 16Lv.26-28GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 18Lv.26-28GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh SoundRoute 17Lv.27-29GrassRate 40%Radio: Sinnoh Sound
Step 2Catch or Evolve Luxioor evolve from Shinx (Step 1)
Step 3Luxray ✓
How to Get Shiny Luxray in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Luxray tops the Shinx line, so breed that base form Masuda-style at 1 in 1,638 and raise it all the way up. Compare Shiny Luxray odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Luxray Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
For time estimates and charm math, open the HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny odds calculator with Luxray already selected.
Luxray Weakness
Ground moves hit Luxray for super-effective damage. Its Electric typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. With 80 HP and balanced defenses, Luxray 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)
What is Luxray Weak Against
GoodLuxray Evolutions
Luxray is the final form in a three-stage chain from Shinx through Luxio. Breeding this form produces Shinx eggs (average hatch time). Evolving from Shinx gave Luxray the biggest boost in Attack (+55), bringing the total to 523 stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Luxray to get Shinx eggs easily using 131 partners from the Field egg group. Notable egg moves include Fire Fang, Howl, Ice Fang and 4 more.
HGSS Luxray Best Moveset
Physical Electric attacker at 120 Attack held back by 70 Speed and MoveThunder Fang maxing at 65 base power for physical Electric damage. AbilityIntimidate adds defensive utility on the switch. The moveset has the Attack stat but not the Speed or moves to use it fully.
Best Build
Luxray best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Revenge Killer Moveset
- Crunch
- Ice Fang
- Thunder Fang
- Fire Fang
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without breeding, Luxray misses out on Fire Fang and Howl. That's 7 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Thunder and Thunderbolt, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
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
All 22 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
LUXRAY’s ability to see through objects comes in handy when it’s scouting for danger.
Luxray HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
Yes. Luxray is a post-game Pokemon. You need to defeat the Elite Four and enter the Hall of Fame first. Luxray becomes available after the main story is complete in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Luxray as a wallbreaker. Splits damage between physical and special. Speed is middling,
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, run Adamant on Luxray. +Attack is what matters, and the -Sp. Atk cut doesn't hurt this set. Fits the wallbreaker role.
Game Availability
Luxray first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 13 games across 6 generations. Obtainable through wild encounters in most titles where it appears.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB

Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS

Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS

Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG

FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DPDebut

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 7Let's Go

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
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