Is Nidoking Good in Platinum Playthrough?
Nidorino into Nidoking at Moon Stone gives instant evolution. Mixed offense with Ground and special coverage hits most of the E4. Flint's all-Fire team makes that Ground coverage extremely valuable. Top Battle Frontier pick.
Nidoran♂ (male) trades roughly evenly with Roark's team.
Nidorino has the type edge here and should clean up Gardenia's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Volkner's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Bertha's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Jupiter's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Nidoking has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Nidoking trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catch Nidoran♂ (male)
Catch Nidoran M on Route 201 (Poké Radar, Lv 2-3, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Fantina
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Lake Acuity
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Lake Valor
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 216
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Veilstone Game Corner
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10Maniac Tunnel
- LV 37PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Crasher Wake
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Iron Island
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Item ball on B2F of the Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Nidoran♂ (male) to Nidorino
Nidoran♂ (male) evolves into Nidorino at Level 16. Your Nidoran♂ (male) should hit Level 16 before you reach Gardenia, at typical leveling pace.
Recommended Moves
- After Fantina
- TM14IceBlizzardPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Lake Acuity
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 10Lake Valor
- TM13IceIce BeamPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 10Route 216
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 95Accuracy 100%PP 15Veilstone Game Corner
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10Maniac Tunnel
- After Maylene
- TUTORDarkSucker PunchPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 5Route 212
- LV 43PoisonPoison JabPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Item ball on B2F of the Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
Evolve Nidorino to Nidoking
Nidorino evolves into Nidoking with a Moon Stone. You can find the Moon Stone hidden in Eterna City. 1 other location is also available.
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10Wayward Cave (secret entrance under bike path)
- After Fantina
- TM28GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Maniac Tunnel
- TM68NormalGiga ImpactPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Game Corner
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Veilstone Department Store
- After Byron
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Oreburgh Gate
- LV 43GroundEarth PowerPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10
- After Candice
- TM36PoisonSludge BombPower 135Accuracy 100%PP 10Item ball on B2F of the Team Galactic HQ in Veilstone City
- Post-Game
- TUTORDragonOutragePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Survival Area
- TUTORFightingSuperpowerPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 5Survival Area
- TUTORWaterAqua TailPower 90Accuracy 90%PP 10Survival Area
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Nidoking in Platinum
Apply a Moon Stone to Nidorino and you get Nidoking, with no wild shortcut available. Like its female counterpart, the real work is Poke Radar chaining for the Nidoran-M base.
Catch Nidoran♂ (male) or Nidorino at any of these 3 spots to eventually evolve into Nidoking.
- 1Catch Nidoran♂ (male)
- 2
- 3Evolve NidokingUse Moon Stone
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4
Badge 5
Badge 6How to Obtain Nidoking in Pt
Nidoran♂ (male) is your first catch on the way to Nidoking. You'll find special encounters from Lv. 2-31 across 3 total spots in the chain.
- Step 2Catch or Evolve Nidorinoor evolve from Nidoran♂ (male) (Step 1)
- Step 3Nidoking ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Nidoran♂ (male) egg.
How to Get Shiny Nidoking in Platinum
Nidoking comes by Moon Stone, so chain Nidoran♂ on Route 201 to 40 for a shiny and evolve the line up. Compare Shiny Nidoking odds across every game
Platinum Shiny Nidoking Calculator
3 MethodsThe best route is PokeRadar Chain at full boosts, about 1 in 200 on each try. Tune it below.
PokeRadar Chain: Chain shaking-grass patches without breaking the combo. The rate peaks at a chain of 40.
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 | 22-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 58-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 139-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 460-- | -- |
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.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in Platinum with Nidoking preloaded.
Nidoking Weakness
Type-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.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Ice, Ground, Psychic |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fighting, Bug, Rock |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Poison |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Nidoking Weak Against
AvgBest Pokemon Against Nidoking
 Bronzong SteelPsychic | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Bronzong builds →Future Sight 2x91-107%KO Earthquake 2x54-64% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x74-88% Ice Beam 2x34-40% | ||
 Palkia WaterDragon | S | |
Obtain MethodSpear Pillar Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Palkia builds →Surf 2x123-145%KO Ice Beam 2x82-97% Earth Power 2x78-92% | ||
 Azelf Psychic | A | |
Obtain MethodLake Valor Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Azelf builds →Future Sight 2x133-156%KO Water Pulse 2x45-53% | ||
 Gardevoir Psychic | B | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Gardevoir builds →Future Sight 2x133-156%KO | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | S | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x113-133%KO Surf 2x49-58% | ||
 Kadabra Psychic | A | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Kadabra builds →Future Sight 2x128-151%KO | ||
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Rhydon builds →Earthquake 2x113-133%KO Avalanche 2x45-53% Surf 2x32-37% | ||
 Exeggutor GrassPsychic | C | |
 Jynx IcePsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Jynx builds →Dream Eater 2x103-121%KO Ice Beam 2x98-116%KO Water Pulse 2x42-49% | ||
 Mesprit Psychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Mesprit builds →Future Sight 2x115-135%KO Ice Beam 2x60-72% Water Pulse 2x39-46% | ||
 Empoleon WaterSteel | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Piplup (Route 201 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Empoleon builds →Hydro Pump 2x121-142%KO Ice Beam 2x64-75% Earthquake 2x53-62% | ||
 Kingler Water | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Nidoking View Kingler builds →Crabhammer 2x113-133%KO Dig 2x60-71% Ice Beam 2x34-40% | ||
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
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). Sp.Atk grew the most through evolution (+45 over Nidoran M), and Nidoking peaks at 495 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Nidoking to get Nidoran M eggs using 131 partners from the Field and Monster egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Beat Up, Confusion and 5 more.
Pt Nidoking Best Moveset
Hard to switch into safely because the moveset hits physical with MoveEarthquake off 102 Attack and special with MoveSludge Bomb off 85 Sp. Atk. Poison/Ground coverage reaches almost everything without being resisted, and AbilityPoison Point occasionally poisons on contact.
Best Build
Nidoking best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Thunderbolt
- Earthquake
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
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.
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
53 of 55 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
One swing of its mighty tail can snap a telephone pole as if it were a matchstick.
Nidoking Platinum Guide
In Platinum, Nidoking plays as a balanced. Speed is middling, so pick your spots carefully. Earthquake is the primary attack.
In Platinum, Nidoking pairs best with Gengar. Gengar has Decent synergy and covers what Nidoking can't handle on its own.
In Platinum, Timid is the go-to nature for Nidoking. That's +Speed / -Attack. Pair it with 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe EVs. Fits the balanced role.
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 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
Explore
Where to go next after Nidoking.
Keep playing · PlatinumPlatinum Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Platinum Tier List