Is Nidoking Good in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Playthrough?
Nidoking hits harder than Nidoqueen and covers more angles with its wide special movepool. Handles Wattson, Flannery, parts of the E4, and several of Steven's team. Strong import if you commit early.
Roxanne's typing presses Nidoran♂ (male)'s defenses.
Nidoran♂ (male) has the type edge here and should clean up Brawly's team.
Wattson's typing presses Nidoran♂ (male)'s defenses.
Nidoran♂ (male) trades roughly evenly with Flannery's team.
Norman's typing presses Nidoran♂ (male)'s defenses.
Nidoran♂ (male) trades roughly evenly with Winona's team.
Tate & Liza's team hits Nidoran♂ (male)'s weaknesses hard.
Wallace's team hits Nidoran♂ (male)'s weaknesses hard.
Nidoran♂ (male) trades roughly evenly with Sidney's team.
Phoebe's team hits Nidoran♂ (male)'s weaknesses hard.
Glacia's typing presses Nidoran♂ (male)'s defenses.
Drake's team hits Nidoran♂ (male)'s weaknesses hard.
Steven's team hits Nidoran♂ (male)'s weaknesses hard.
Nidoking cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four.
How to Get Nidoking in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Nidoking can't be caught in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire. Transfer Nidoran♂ (male) from Red & Blue, Yellow, or Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee and evolve through the 3-stage chain to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Nidoking in ORAS
Step 1Obtain Nidoran♂ (male)CARTRIDGE TRADEfrom X & YAvailableCatch in X & Y via Walking · Route 11 · Horde battle, then trade to the current game via link cable.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Red & BlueNot TradeableAppears in Red & Blue via Walking · Route 22. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom YellowNot TradeableAppears in Yellow via Walking · Route 9. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Gold & SilverNot TradeableAppears in Gold & Silver via Walking · Route 35. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom CrystalNot TradeableAppears in Crystal via Walking · National Park. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom FireRed & LeafGreenNot TradeableAppears in FireRed & LeafGreen via Walking · Safari Zone. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Pokeradar · Route 201. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Evolve into Nidorino
Step 3Nidoking ✓
Nidoking Weakness
Type-wise, Nidoking takes extra damage from Water, Ice, Ground, and Psychic. Electric moves do nothing thanks to a full immunity. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ice, Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fighting, Bug, Rock, Fairy |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
What is Nidoking Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Nidoking
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
 Oshawott Water | D | |
Obtain MethodRoute 101 Gift | ||
 Shellos Water | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Shellos builds →Surf 2x63-75% Mud Bomb 2x30-36% | ||
 Piplup Water | D | |
Obtain MethodRoute 101 Gift | ||
 Tympole Water | D | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Tympole builds →Surf 2x54-64% Mud Shot 2x23-29% | ||
Vaporeon Water | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x89-105%KO Aurora Beam 2x44-53% | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
 Prinplup Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Piplup (Route 101 Gift) | ||
 Croconaw Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Croconaw builds →Surf 2x56-68% Ice Fang 2x34-40% | ||
 Dewott Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Oshawott (Route 101 Gift) | ||
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
Vaporeon Water | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x89-105%KO Aurora Beam 2x43-51% Dig 2x36-43% | ||
 Lunatone RockPsychic | C | |
Obtain MethodMeteor Falls Surfing Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Lunatone builds →Psychic 2x81-96% Bulldoze 2x24-30% | ||
Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Dewott Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Oshawott (Route 101 Gift) | ||
 Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
 Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Feraligatr builds →Surf 2x71-84% Dig 2x51-60% Ice Fang 2x42-50% | ||
Vaporeon Water | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x89-105%KO Aurora Beam 2x44-52% Dig 2x35-42% | ||
 Clamperl Water | C | |
 Latios DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latios builds →Psychic 2x106-125%KO Surf 2x70-83% Bulldoze 2x35-42% | ||
 Latias DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latias builds →Psychic 2x91-108%KO Surf 2x60-72% Bulldoze 2x32-38% | ||
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (Route 101 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Feraligatr builds →Surf 2x72-85% Dig 2x51-60% Ice Fang 2x42-49% | ||
Latios DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latios builds →Psychic 2x104-123%KO Surf 2x70-82% Bulldoze 2x35-41% | ||
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Bronzong builds →Future Sight 2x94-111%KO Bulldoze 2x35-41% | ||
Latias DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latias builds →Psychic 2x90-106%KO Surf 2x60-71% Bulldoze 2x31-37% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x135-160%KO | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x130-153%KO | ||
Latios DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latios builds →Psychic 2x102-121%KO Surf 2x68-81% Earthquake 2x55-65% | ||
Bronzong SteelPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Bronzong builds →Future Sight 2x90-106%KO Earthquake 2x54-64% | ||
Latias DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latias builds →Psychic 2x90-106%KO Surf 2x60-71% Earthquake 2x49-58% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x133-156%KO | ||
Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x127-150%KO | ||
 Deoxys Psychic | A | |
Obtain MethodSky Pillar Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Deoxys builds →Psycho Boost 2x181-213%KO Ice Beam 2x78-92% | ||
Latios DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latios builds →Dream Eater 2x115-135%KO Surf 2x69-81% Ice Beam 2x69-81% Earthquake 2x54-64% | ||
Bronzong SteelPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Bronzong builds →Future Sight 2x91-107%KO Earthquake 2x54-64% | ||
Latias DragonPsychic | B | |
Obtain MethodSouthern Island Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Latias builds →Dream Eater 2x99-117%KO Surf 2x60-70% Ice Beam 2x60-70% Earthquake 2x49-58% | ||
Gardevoir PsychicFairy | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x132-156%KO | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMagic Guard ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Clefable builds →Moonblast14-16% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave35-41% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPoisonheal ItemToxic Orb NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x56-67% Knock Off18-22% | ||
Nidoking Evolutions
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Nidoking to get Nidoran M eggs using 200 partners from the Ground and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Beat Up, Chip Away and 11 more.
ORAS Nidoking Best Moveset
85 Speed fires Poison/Ground TermStab boosted by AbilitySheer Force, which also removes Held ItemLife Orb recoil on moves with secondary effects. 102 Attack and 85 Sp. Atk go mixed. Poison hits Fairy types super-effectively. The moveset earns its slot through coverage that reaches nearly every type at boosted power.
Best Build
Nidoking best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam
- Sludge Wave
- Flamethrower
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Hard to wall, honestly. Nidoking threatens 14 types beyond its own STAB, with Fighting and Bug standing out. Pair that with Earthquake and Sludge Wave and switchins need to think twice.
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
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Nidoking’s thick tail packs enormously destructive power. With one swing, it can topple a metal transmission tower. Once this Pokémon goes on a rampage, there is no stopping it.
Nidoking Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Guide
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Sheer Force changes the entire equation for Nidoking. The 505 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as an attacker. Earthpower with Life Orb is the standard set.
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 special attacker with base 85 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as an attacker.
For Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the core moveset is Earthpower, Ice Beam, Sludgewave, and Flamethrower. Earthpower leads at 0% usage. This set covers the attacker role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
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.
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