Electric moves don't affect Nidoking at all — that's the advantage of Poison/Ground typing. Sheer Force drops secondary effects for a straight power boost. Known as the Drill Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
Attack and Sp. Atk carry most of Nidoking's stat budget. Sp. Def's the obvious dump stat. Tough to catch and yields 3 Attack EVs. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It swings its big tail around during battle. If its foe flinches, it will charge with its sturdy body.
Its tail is thick and powerful. If it binds an enemy, it can render the victim helpless quite easily.
Nidoking Weakness
AvgType-wise, Nidoking takes extra damage from Water, Ice, Ground, and Psychic. Electric moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Getting Nidoking requires an evolution item, not just grinding levels. The chain starts at Nidoran♂ (male). Breed this form to get Nidoran♂ (male) eggs (average hatch time). Attack grew the most through evolution (+45 over Nidoran M), and Nidoking peaks at 505 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Nidoking to get Nidoran M eggs using 131 partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Beat Up, Confusion and 6 more.
Nothing fancy here. Nidoking builds around Life Orb for extra damage on every hit for a health trade, Timid nature for the right stat lean, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs. Poison Point does its job quietly.
Best Build
Best Nidoking Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Hard to wall, honestly. Nidoking threatens 14 types beyond its own STAB, with Fighting and Flying standing out. Pair that with Earthquake and Earth Power and switchins need to think twice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
No wild encounters for Nidoking. The 3-stage chain runs through Nidoran♂ (male), which you can catch at solid rates from the locations below. Evolve through a special method once you've got the levels.
How to Obtain Nidoking in HeartGold & SoulSilver
The path to Nidoking starts with Nidoran♂ (male) at Lv. 12-23 via walking encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch Nidoran♂ (male)EFFORTLESSRoute 35HeartGoldGrassLv.12CommonEarlyRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 35SoulSilverGrassLv.12CommonEarlyRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 36HeartGoldGrassLv.12CommonEarlyRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 36SoulSilverGrassLv.12-13CommonEarlyRouteMorning/dayEFFORTLESSRoute 36SoulSilverGrassLv.12CommonEarlyRoute
Step 2Catch or Evolve NidorinoEFFORTLESSRoute 13HeartGoldGrassLv.23CommonMidRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 13SoulSilverGrassLv.23CommonMidRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 14HeartGoldGrassLv.23CommonMidRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 14SoulSilverGrassLv.23CommonMidRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 15SoulSilverGrassLv.23CommonMidRouteEFFORTLESSRoute 15HeartGoldGrassLv.23CommonMidRouteor evolve from Nidoran♂ (male) (Step 1)- Step 3Nidoking ✓
Sheer Force changes the entire equation for Nidoking. The 505 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as an attacker.
Sheer Force is what you want on Nidoking. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Poison Point, Rivalry) work on paper but Sheer Force is what makes Nidoking worth using.
Base 85 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Nidoking is a mixed attacker — base 102 Attack and 85 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as an attacker.
Nidoking appears in 19 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.
One of the original 151, Nidoking has appeared in 19 games — most mainline games. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
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