Nidoking Movesets & Competitive Sets

Sludge Wave is Nidoking's strongest STAB move, hitting Pokemon like Hatterene, Tangrowth, and Primarina super effectively, as well as discouraging Rotom-W and Rotom-H from switching in freely. Earth Power slams Steel- and Poison-types such as Jirachi, Cobalion, and Nihilego. Fire Blast roasts Celesteela, Skarmory, and Scizor. It also OHKOes Amoonguss after Stealth Rock. Thunderbolt allows Nidoking to nail Water- and Flying-types like Slowking, Gyarados, and Mandibuzz. Alternatively, Substitute makes Nidoking much less prediction reliant, giving it free turns against foes that it forces out like Nihilego and Tangrowth. Ice Beam heavily pressures Hippowdon and OHKOes Salamence and Noivern, but these Pokemon get pressured by Nidoking's STAB attacks anyway. A Modest nature should be run to increase Nidoking's damage output against threats like Slowking and Mandibuzz, since it doesn't miss out on any notable Speed benchmarks. Life Orb and Sheer Force pair together to negate the health loss of Life Orb while giving an effective 70% power boost, which is a big factor behind Nidoking's power. Nidoking fits best on offensive teams that are able to bring it in many times to wallbreak and tear through defensive Pokemon like Amoonguss and Skarmory. As a result, pivots such as Rotom-W, Zarude, and Moltres make for good partners. Zarude forces out Swampert and Hippowdon while Rotom-W lures in Tangrowth for Nidoking and OHKOes Krookodile. Chansey is also a great partner for Nidoking, providing pivot support while beating its common checks like Rotom-W and Hydreigon. Switch-ins to Psychic-, Ground-, and Water-type attacks like Jirachi, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss can be paired with Nidoking on bulkier teams. Jirachi also provides entry hazard support, allowing Nidoking to reliably KO Celesteela, and Healing Wish support to let it wallbreak even more. Tangrowth and Amoonguss are also able to handle Electric-types in the tier much better than Nidoking and can pivot into the likes of Zygarde-10% and Keldeo excellently. Late-game cleaners like Scizor and Cobalion are great teammates to break through Chansey, which Nidoking struggles against. Sticky Web support from Ribombee offsets Nidoking's average Speed tier, allowing it to outspeed and OHKO threats like Tentacruel, Excadrill, and Lycanroc-D.

Ice Beam mainly hits Gliscor and Garchomp, but it is generally a good middle ground-option to hit Dragon- and Ground-types in general, such as Dragonite, Donphan, and Latias. Flamethrower is used to OHKO Scizor and Skarmory, as well as ease prediction against Steel-types. A Timid nature allows Nidoking to outspeed Timid Heatran, Jolly Feraligatr and Adamant Lucario, but the power boost Modest provides can be appealing to some teams. Nidoking mainly fits on balance and bulky offense, as it is a useful tool for dismantling bulkier teams. Due to its poor defensive profile, Nidoking can struggle to get onto the field; therefore, it appreciates pivoting support from teammates such as Rotom-W and Scizor. The former can even switch into Water types that might give Nidoking trouble, while the latter can do the same for Psychic types. It also pairs well with more offensive pivots, like Choice Band Infernape, who can pressure Blissey, the best answer to Nidoking. Entry Hazards can amplify Nidoking's wallbreaking potential, and as such, setters like Heatran and Skarmory are great partners. Dragon-types like Dragonite and Latias enjoy the pressure Nidoking puts on Clefable and Steel-types. Other Options Nidoking can run Focus Punch over Flamethrower to lure in and heavily damage Blissey, leaving it unable to answer it anymore. However, the lack of any use beyond this specific matchup makes the reliability of Flamethrower more valuable for most teams. Toxic Spikes can help wear down some of its checks like the afromentioned Blissey, as well as Slowking, while supporting its teammates. However, this can limit Nidoking's wallbreaking capabilities. A Focus Sash set with Stealth Rock is another option, as Nidoking beats Gliscor, one of the best Defoggers in the tier, and can get something done even in unfavorable matchups. However, dropping Life Orb leaves Nidoking unable to net some important KOs, such as against Scizor and Rotom-W. Nidoking can also run Thunderbolt as another useful coverage option to hit bulky Water types that might otherwise give it trouble, like Milotic and Slowking, but those targets aren't common enough to warrant the move's usage most of the time. Checks and Counters Revenge Killers: Due to its average speed and middling bulk, a lot of fast Pokémon can easily revenge kill Nidoking, such as Latias, Garchomp, Weavile, and Starmie. Crawdaunt and Azumarill can OHKO it with Aqua Jet. Blissey: Blissey is by far the best answer to Nidoking, easily tanking all its moves aside from the rare Focus Punch while sporting reliable recovery in Soft-Boiled. While it can be overwhelmed through team support, it is often a hard stop to anything Nidoking does. Water-types: Some Water-types, like Slowking or Milotic, can switch into most of Nidoking's attacks and threaten it back with their Water STAB moves. Choice Scarf Rotom-W can switch into anything but Sludge Wave, outspeed it and threaten it with Hydro Pump.

Earth Power is the preferred STAB move, as it covers walls such as Heatran, physically defensive Gastrodon, and Tyranitar. Flamethrower provides great coverage against Steel- and Grass-types such as Skarmory, Amoonguss, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu, hitting them for massive damage. Ice Beam nails Flying- and Dragon-types such as Zapdos, Dragonite, and Garchomp, as well as potential switch-ins like Landorus-T, Latias, and Hydreigon. It also deals with Cradily better than Earth Power. Thunderbolt hits additional Flying-types that are neutral to Ice Beam such as Mantine, Pelipper, and Celesteela super effectively. Toxic Spikes can be used over Earth Power to support the team and quickly wear down grounded foes such as Porygon2. However, Nidoking's poor bulk gives it limited opportunities to set Toxic Spikes, and Earth Power is needed to break through Heatran. Sheer Force works well in tandem with Life Orb, preventing Nidoking from being worn down by Life Orb recoil and stacking damage boosts. A Timid nature allows Nidoking to outspeed the likes of Tapu Bulu and Heatran. Teammates such as Mamoswine, Landorus-T, and Excadrill appreciate Nidoking's ability to deal with threats like Skarmory and Celesteela. Hippowdon is a good partner, as its Sand Stream and Stealth Rock support wears down foes quickly for Nidoking. Additionally, its good bulk lets it come in on physical attackers such as Choice Scarf Excadrill, Garchomp, and Galarian Zapdos. Excadrill breaks through troublesome specially defensive walls such as Blissey and Slowking for Nidoking, beats Psychic- and Ice-types that it struggles against such as Tapu Lele, Alolan Ninetales, and Kyurem, and provides Rapid Spin support. Under Hippowdon's sand, Excadrill can also outspeed a handful of other offensive threats for Nidoking such as Choice Scarf Blacephalon, Dragapult, and Spectrier. Gastrodon and Seismitoad both provide a Water immunity for Nidoking; Gastrodon's Recover makes it more reliable against threats like Barraskewda, Keldeo, and Tapu Fini, and Seismitoad can check the highly dangerous Azumarill. Mamoswine is a powerful wallbreaker that can revenge kill some faster threats that give Nidoking trouble such as Latias, Dragapult, and Thundurus-T with Ice Shard. Choice Scarf Landorus-T is able to revenge kill additional fast foes such as Spectrier, Tapu Lele, and Volcarona while providing entry hazard removal with Defog. Its Ground immunity is also useful to handle threats such as Excadrill and Garchomp. Bulk Up + Gravity Landorus-T is another option to make Nidoking's Earth Power more spammable while helping in matchups like Poison. Choice Scarf Krookodile can act as a dangerous revenge killer against Ghost- and Psychic-types like Spectrier, Victini, and Latios. Krookodile also provides an immunity against Psychic-type attacks directed at Nidoking.

Nidoking's powerful Earth Power damages Steel-, Electric-, Rock-, and Poison-types like Heatran, Tapu Koko, Rhyperior, and Toxapex. It appreciates Flamethrower for consistency to help with Steel-, Bug-, and Grass-types like Skarmory, Ferrothorn, Buzzwole, and Tapu Bulu, whereas Fire Blast is nice for picking up more KOs against bulkier Steel-types like Celesteela and Corviknight. Both Earth Power and Flamethrower are needed to deal with Steel's defensive cores members: Aegislash, Heatran, and Celesteela, but, Thunderbolt or Ice Beam is needed to pop Heatran's Air Balloon. Thunderbolt is useful for hitting Water- and Flying-types like Mantine and Slowbro, whereas Ice Beam helps with Ground-, Grass-, and Flying-types like Hippowdon, Appletun, and defensive Zapdos. Stealth Rock allows Nidoking to compress the role of entry hazard setter, but the presence of Heavy-Duty Boots reduces the need for hazards. Maximized Speed EVs allow Nidoking to Speed tie an opposing Nidoking and outpace Diggersby and Togekiss. Nidoking offers the entire team its Electric immunity, but Toxapex appreciates it more than other teammates due to its weakness to Electric. Toxapex's bulk and Scald allow it to switch into physical attackers that threaten Nidoking like Barraskewda and Cinderace while also shutting down setup sweepers like Weavile and Cloyster with Haze. Galarian Weezing provides a Dragon immunity, which is important to switch into a Draco Meteor or Dragon Darts that could KO Nidoking, while also having utilities like Defog to get rid of entry hazards, Will-O-Wisp and Toxic Spikes to spread status, and Pain Split for longevity. Nidoking is weak to Psychic, so adding a Psychic-immune teammate like Skuntank or Drapion helps with Pokemon like Latias, Alakazam, and Tapu Lele. The former has Defog and Sucker Punch to revenge kill Psychic- and Ghost-types like Blacephalon and Alolan Raichu, while the latter has useful utilities like Knock Off, which removes Heavy-Duty Boots and makes Stealth Rock more effective and Whirlwind to phaze setup sweepers like Jirachi and Spectrier. Amoonguss is the best check to Ground-type Pokemon, notably Mold Breaker Excadrill, which threatens Nidoking and most of its teammates with Earthquake. Amoonguss also helps break Steel teams, as it has Spore to give Nidoking opportunities to come in while also forming a Regenerator core with Toxapex; together, they help Nidoking deal with Ground-, Rock-, and Water-type Pokemon like Excadrill, Rhyperior, Terrakion, and Urshifu-R. Nihilego runs Choice Scarf to revenge kill Pokemon like Dragonite, Landorus-T, and Victini and appreciates Nidoking's ability to threaten Steel-types it cannot properly deal with, like Ferrothorn and Aegislash. It has nice coverage moves like Thunderbolt, Dazzling Gleam, Power Gem, and Grass Knot, which improve quite a few matchups like Flying, Dragon, Fire, and Ground. Gengar is an option over Nihilego and supports Drapion or Skuntank in dealing with Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon like Galarian Corsola and Slowbro with Shadow Ball, and it also deals with bulky Pokemon like Toxapex and Aegislash. Galarian Slowking's ability to sponge Psychic-type attacks that KO Nidoking from Pokemon like Alolan Raichu and Latias is appreciated, and it forms a triple Regenerator core with Toxapex and Amoonguss, making Poison teams harder to break.

Nidoking uses its incredible coverage and Sheer Force to be a terrifying special wallbreaker. Earth Power is an excellent go-to move that forces out slower, Ground-weak Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran and 2HKOes common walls like Seismitoad and Ferrothorn. Gunk Shot can be used to outright 2HKO Blissey and deal massive damage to other special walls like Slowking, which improves the stall matchup, while Shell Side Arm is good for chunking Blissey and dealing consistent damage to Pokemon like Rotom-W. Gunk Shot's only drawback is the lower accuracy, making it slightly inconsistent in important situations. Ice Beam deals with Hippowdon and Tornadus-T, and Flamethrower deals with Steel- and Flying-types, rounding out Nidoking's perfect coverage on every Pokemon. Alternatively, Thunderbolt hits Slowking, Tornadus-T, and various Steel- and Flying types, but Ice Beam and Flamethrower are more effective. Nidoking typically uses a Rash nature to amplify its power as much as possible, but a Naive nature can be used to outspeed Pokemon like Adamant Excadrill, Jolly Buzzwole, and Timid Heatran. It should be noted that Nidoking's Poison typing can allow it to switch in on predicted Toxic from foes like Heatran and defensive Buzzwole. Nidoking can also switch in against Electric-types like Zeraora and Rotom-H. That being said, Nidoking doesn't like being chipped, so pivots like Corviknight, Cinderace, Rotom-W, and Tornadus-T allow it to get in more easily to wallbreak more often. Fast cleaners and wallbreakers are also appreciated as teammates to make up for Nidoking's lackluster speed, so Weavile, Cinderace, and Aerodactyl are all great partners.

Flamethrower, in tandem with Earth Power, pressures Steel-type Pokemon; it notably wrecks Ferrothorn, a Pokemon that Poison generally struggles to break through. Furthermore, Ice Beam and Thunderbolt make for excellent coverage across the metagame; Ice Beam alleviates matchup pressure against Ground- and Flying-type teams, which contain hard-to-break Pokemon such as Hippowdon and defensive Gliscor. Thunderbolt helps combat Water and Flying teams, notably hitting foes like Tapu Fini and Mantine, allowing Nidoking to make progress. Stealth Rock can be used as an option over Thunderbolt to further increase pressure on the opposing team with entry hazards, as not many Poison-types can learn the move. Amoonguss and Mega-Venusaur assist Nidoking by switching into revenge killers such as Excadrill and Landorus-Therian, status them with sleep and poison, and switch into the Water-type attacks aimed at Nidoking. Alolan Muk is able to combat Pokemon that easily pivot into Nidoking such as Slowking and Blissey while also providing an important Psychic immunity. Muk also appreciates Nidoking's presence, as Nidoking pressured Pokemon that Alolan Muk fails to beat such as Hippowdon and Celesteela. If Stealth Rock is used over Thunderbolt, Gengar and Nihilego are good teammates, as they can both utilize Electric- and Grass-type coverage to make up for Nidoking loses upon dropping Thunderbolt. Crobat, Toxapex, and Galarian Slowking make for exceptional teammates that all appreciate NIdoking's Electric immunity. Crobat is immune to Ground-type attacks and can revenge kill foes such as Mega Gallade, Keldeo and Greninja. Toxapex can pivot into the Water- and Ice-type attacks that force Nidoking out while providing Toxic Spikes support. Finally, Galarian Slowking provides Future Sight support, which makes Nidoking's offensive pressure even harder to handle. Future Sight allows Nidoking to even break Pokemon such as opposing Mega-Venusaur. Galarian Slowking can also switch into Nidoking revenge killers such as Keldeo or Tapu Lele.

Moves Sludge Wave is Nidoking's strongest STAB move, which is able to hit Fairy-types like Mega Altaria and Primarina super effectively. Earth Power is a slightly less powerful STAB move that hits Steel-types such as non-Magnet Rise Klefki and Empoleon as well as Pokemon like Tentacruel. Ice Beam allows Nidoking to hit Pokemon like Latias and Mega Aerodactyl that would otherwise wall it super effectively. Substitute eases prediction, letting Nidoking take advantage of Pokemon like Klefki and providing it with a free turn to get a hit off. Nidoking also has a fairly easy time setting it up thanks to its ability to force out so many threats. Taunt can also be used, which pressures bulky Pokemon like Blissey and Alomomola by preventing them from recovering. Flamethrower is also an option that hits Pokemon like Bronzong and Magnet Rise Klefki and OHKOes bulky variants of Scizor. Additionally, if the team is lacking a Stealth Rock user, it can be incorporated into the set, allowing Nidoking to support its team by weakening foes. However, Nidoking is forced to forgo one of its other more useful moves. Set Details The given EVs and nature maximize Nidoking's offensive capabilities, ensuring that it hits as hard as possible and is the fastest it can be. Additionally, a Timid nature allows Nidoking to outspeed Pokemon like Togekiss and Magneton. Sheer Force is the only ability Nidoking should run, boosting every move with a secondary effect and negating said effect. Life Orb is used to further increase Nidoking's offensive capabilities, and thanks to Sheer Force, the recoil damage is also negated. Usage Tips In order to utilize Nidoking at its full potential, it's advised to make predictions and utilize the correct coverage moves accordingly, as certain Pokemon can switch into some of its attacks and take advantage of it. Making a bad prediction might cause a loss of momentum, so be very cautious while using Nidoking. Ice Beam should be used on a predicted switch to Latias or Mega Aerodactyl, while Flamethrower should be used against Pokemon like Bronzong. Furthermore, Nidoking is very frail, and it has a hard time switching in. Thus, making double switches or using pivots and U-turn and Volt Switch users to bring it in safely is advised. Take advantage of Nidoking's ability to force out many Pokemon by setting up a Substitute or Stealth Rock whenever there's a chance to. Use Taunt against bulky Pokemon such as Blissey and Mantine to pressure them by disabling their recovery options. Team Options Nidoking mostly fits on offensive teams that can take advantage of its offensive capabilities. Since it's very frail and has a hard time switching in, pivots and U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Mega Manectric and Scizor pair well with Nidoking. Cleaners such as Scizor and Mega Sharpedo are good teammates, as they appreciate Nidoking's ability to weaken the opposing team. Furthermore, special attackers such as Primarina and Hydreigon also take advantage of Nidoking's ability to pressure special walls with Taunt. Entry hazards setters such as Cobalion and Klefki are good partners too, as Nidoking can force a lot of switches. Hazards may also ensure an OHKO or a 2HKO on certain Pokemon, such as Hydreigon and Suicune. Psychic-types such as Latias and Starmie are able to threaten Nidoking with their STAB moves, so Pokemon that can check them such as Empoleon, Doublade, and Mega Aggron pair well with it. Pokemon that can sponge Ground-type attacks, such as Togekiss and Hydreigon, make for good partners, as Nidoking is easily forced out. Physical wallbreakers like Mamoswine and Heracross also make good teammates, as they can break through the special walls that Nidoking struggles with.

Set Description Earthquake is a spammable STAB option, hitting almost any grounded target hard and punishing Zapdos's Roost attempts. Ice Punch does great damage to Flying- and Grass-types, such as Zapdos, Dragonite, and Alolan Exeggutor, that can handle Earthquake. Toxic is a good midground option when you are unsure of the opponent's switch-in and a reliable means of threatening Mew, which can easily shrug off Earthquake. Alternatively, Megahorn can be used to catch certain switch-ins, KOing a weakened Mew, usually OHKOing Starmie, and 2HKOing Mega Gyarados. Stealth Rock provides invaluable support for any team not packing another setter and aids Nidoking in breaking targets such as Zapdos and Melmetal, while Toxic or Thunderbolt can be opted for instead if they are not already being run. Thunderbolt with a Naughty nature takes advantage of Gyarados that are hesitant to Mega Evolve and become vulnerable to Earthquake and Megahorn, usually OHKOing it after Stealth Rock, and can also OHKO Cloyster, which otherwise uses Nidoking as setup fodder. Adamant is the preferred nature for Nidoking when not running Thunderbolt, notably giving it extremely favorable odds to 2HKO Melmetal on the switch with Earthquake. Usage Tips Nidoking is best used as a wallbreaker that can be adapted to any strategy and soften defensive backbones for its teammates. Its true strength comes from its unpredictable coverage, often in the form of moves not listed on its main set that are specifically tailored for luring in and taking out Pokemon your team struggles with. As a result, it's generally best to not reveal information about your set until it is necessary. Nidoking outspeeds many Pokemon that would try to come in to scare it out or set Stealth Rock. In those cases, predicting is unnecessary, as Nidoking can simply hit them the next turn. If running Stealth Rock, Nidoking should be played more conservatively until it successfully sets up the entry hazard; if not, it can be used more recklessly, but it should still be preserved if needed to answer Zapdos. Setting Stealth Rock against Zapdos is ideal, as it is unable to significantly punish Nidoking for doing so. Nidoking can be brought in fairly safely versus Pokemon such as Zapdos, Alolan Muk, and Electrode, as they rarely carry moves that can significantly threaten it. While it can be tempting to sacrifice a heavily weakened Nidoking, its decent Speed tier, resistance to Stealth Rock, and powerful Earthquake mean that it can still be valuable for revenge killing tanks like Rhydon and Melmetal. Team Options Mega Beedrill and Zapdos are amazing partners for Nidoking, luring in and pivoting on Pokemon such as Melmetal, Rhydon, and Nidoqueen that Nidoking can then heavily threaten with Earthquake. Mew appreciates Nidoking as a partner that can absorb Toxic for it, making its defensive roles easier to perform, while Nidoking appreciates U-turn granting it safe entry against Mew's switch-ins such as Alolan Muk and Zapdos. Mew can also soft check threats like Starmie and Alolan Dugtrio. Pokemon such as Starmie and Poliwrath greatly benefit from Nidoking freely switching into every move from Zapdos bar Drill Peck and dishing out strong attacks. Starmie also has synergy with Nidoking, switching into Alolan Dugtrio and opposing Poliwrath, while Poliwrath can provide a valuable switch-in for Mega Gyarados if Nidoking needs to be preserved. Melmetal makes for a great teammate, as it can handle Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Alakazam. In return, Nidoking can be switched into Zapdos that attempt to check Melmetal. Mega Aerodactyl and Mega Alakazam also appreciate Nidoking's support in weakening foes into range of their attacks and crippling Mew with Toxic.

Moves Sludge Wave is Nidoking's strongest STAB move and lets it hit Grass- and Fairy-types like Tapu Bulu and Mega Altaria. Earth Power is a secondary STAB move that lets Nidoking hit Steel-, Electric-, and Rock-types like Heatran, Xurkitree, and Tyranitar. Ice Beam lets Nidoking hit Ground-, Dragon-, and Flying-types, like Gliscor, Garchomp, Zapdos, and Dragonite, as well as Cradily. Flamethrower completes Nidoking's coverage by allowing it to hit Pokemon like Celesteela, Ferrothorn, and Scizor. Fire Blast is an alternate option that allows Nidoking to 2HKO Celesteela at the cost of lower accuracy and PP. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature is used in order to let Nidoking hit as hard and as fast as possible, notably being able to outspeed and KO Tapu Bulu and Xurkitree. Sheer Force coupled with Life Orb boosts the damage of Nidoking's attacks considerably without it having to take recoil damage from Life Orb. Usage Tips Bring Nidoking in as often as possible early-game in order to wallbreak. Due to its bad bulk, bring it in safely through a U-turn or after a fallen teammate. However, Nidoking can switch into weaker Pokemon like Clefable and Toxic-using Pokemon like Zapdos thanks to its Poison typing. Keep it healthy in Grass and Fairy matchups to check Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and Tapu Bulu. Especially in Steel matchups, make sure to keep Nidoking healthy to avoid letting it get picked off by priority from the likes of Mega Scizor. Against bulkier teams, Nidoking should generally play safer by choosing moves without overt prediction. As it's easily revenge killed by faster Pokemon, Nidoking should try to choose the appropriate coverage move to hit Pokemon that can switch into its other moves, such as Landorus-T and Latios, against more offensive teams. Team Options Nidoking's ability to check Grass-types and wallbreak is appreciated by all of its teammates. Nidoking pairs fantastically with Landorus-T; Nidoking can wallbreak and remove or weaken checks to Double Dance Landorus-T like Skarmory and Hippowdon, both of which can phaze Landorus-T, while in return, Landorus-T can set up Swords Dance and break through checks to Nidoking like Rotom-W and Chansey. Choice Scarf Landorus-T can bring Nidoking in safely through U-turn. Hippowdon can sponge many attacks from Pokemon that threaten Nidoking such as Excadrill and Victini. Hippowdon also allows Nidoking to safely switch in thanks to Eject Button, and it can set Stealth Rock to wear the opposing team down and make it easier for Nidoking to wallbreak. Water-immune Pokemon like Gastrodon and Seismitoad can switch into Water-type moves. They can additionally switch into Ice-type attacks thanks to their Water typing. Seismitoad, in particular, can check Belly Drum Azumarill. In return, Nidoking can check Grass-types like Mega Venusaur and Cradily. Gliscor is a great stallbreaker that can beat walls that Nidoking cannot such as Chansey and Porygon2. Physical wallbreakers like Garchomp, Mamoswine, and Excadrill can weaken Nidoking's checks such as Chansey and Mantine. Conversely, Nidoking can deal with physically defensive walls like Skarmory. Dugtrio can trap and remove checks to Nidoking like Kyurem-B, Mega Gardevoir, and Chansey. Nidoking can beat Flying-types like Skarmory and Zapdos that aren't trapped by Arena Trap in return. Choice Scarf Krookodile is an option on more offensive teams to Pursuit trap checks to Nidoking like Latios and Mega Alakazam. While most Ground teams generally don't have the space to run two special wallbreakers, Landorus and Nidoking can make good partners, as both of them can weaken their shared checks.

Moves Stealth Rock allows Nidoking to support the rest of its team with entry hazard damage when it is in a matchup where it cannot deal much immediate damage but is also not threatened in return. Earth Power provides a Ground-type STAB move to the team, which is invaluable in Poison's Electric and Steel matchups and pairs well with Ice Beam and Flamethrower against those two types. Ice Beam is the strongest Ice-type coverage move that Poison has access to, as the only other option for coverage on other Pokemon is Hidden Power Ice. This is a vital move because it offers Poison a strong option for hitting Flying- and Dragon-types like Dragonite, for which the type has few solid answers. Flamethrower rounds out the set to OHKO threats like Scizor and walls such as Ferrothorn and Forretress if hazards have broken Sturdy. The combination of Flamethrower and Earth Power allows Nidoking to dominate Steel-type teams. Thunderbolt is an option to break Flying-types, particularly Mantine and Gyarados, if another Pokemon is using Stealth Rock. Set Details Sheer Force is an incredible ability that increases Nidoking's damage output and removes Life Orb's recoil on all of its common moves. Base 85 Speed is relatively low for the metagame, so a Timid nature and maximum Speed investment are preferred to make Nidoking as fast a Stealth Rock setter as possible and ensure that it outspeeds Heatran. Maximum Special Attack investment is to get as much damage output as possible, as Nidoking is frail regardless of defensive investment. Usage Tips As a lead, Nidoking should set up Stealth Rock against a slower, more passive lead like Shuckle or look to damage the other team's lead if Nidoking can take a hit; if it cannot, you should likely switch to a partner, as Nidoking is a vital wallbreaker that Poison needs to win. It needs to be healthy enough to take a hit from something in order to 2HKO back. Avoid switching in Nidoking when it is not safe, as it has rather average defenses and provides invaluable coverage that helps against Steel, Electric, Flying, and Bug. Nidoking's different combinations of coverage allow it to easily tear through defensive cores on different teams depending on what coverage you run. A prime example is how BoltBeam easily dismantles Flying. Stealth Rock should be used against a slower offensive foe that Nidoking easily threatens out or against a wall that poses no threat, such as Skarmory or Chansey. Whenever a Thunder Wave or Electric-type attack is obvious, for example from Klefki, switch in Nidoking to prevent anything on your team from losing Speed due to paralysis or from taking damage. Team Options Alolan Muk is immune to Psychic-type attacks and can switch in on them and trap the foe with Pursuit or retaliate with Knock Off. One particular threat Alolan Muk can trap is Alolan Raichu, which threatens to OHKO Nidoking even without the Speed boost from Electric Terrain. Crobat has a Ground immunity and has the added benefit of being able to offensively pressure threats like Keldeo due to its high Speed and Flying-type STAB moves. It is also able to garner momentum for its team with U-turn, allowing you to either pivot to a wall on an anticipated super effective attack or bring in a threat on the switch. Gengar is another wallbreaker that beats bulkier Psychic-types like Mew with STAB Shadow Ball and is able to outspeed and KO faster Psychic-types that Nidoking cannot outspeed. Mega Venusaur is a great partner for Nidoking, as it has no problem handling Water-types like Azumarill and Keldeo that make quick work of Nidoking, can wear down bulkier walls on opposing teams with Leech Seed, and can handle Ground-types that threaten Nidoking with STAB Giga Drain. Nihilego's Rock-type STAB moves are able to decimate Ice- and Flying-types such as Kyurem-B and Mega Charizard Y that could revenge kill Nidoking. Nihilego can also take on Stealth Rock setting, which allows Nidoking to run a fourth coverage move. Scolipede is a sweeper capable of handling faster threats such as Mega Charizard Y that outspeed Nidoking. It is also great in the Psychic matchup due to its combination of STAB Megahorn and its ability Speed Boost, allowing it to outpace common Choice Scarf users after it gains a boost once. Toxapex switches into Water- and Ice-type attacks with ease and can set up Toxic Spikes to wear down some of Nidoking's checks such as Mew. Nidoking in turn brings an Electric immunity that Toxapex appreciates. Nidoqueen is run as a Stealth Rock setter on Poison teams and can be partnered with Nidoking to free up a moveslot.

Set Info Acts as either a great lead or late game win condition due to the combination of Focus Sash and its fantastic type coverage, which usually enables Nidoking to get at least one KO Life Orb increases Nidoking's damage output significantly, however you then lose the ability to beat a lot of threats one-on-one. Sucker Punch can be used for beating faster Focus Sash users like Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Blaziken, as well as other Focus Sash users with their own priority like Breloom, Primarina, and Mamoswine. Thunderbolt can be used to hit things like (Mega) Gyarados, Tapu Fini, and Celesteela and usually replaces Sludge Wave. Stealth Rock is a decent option, however giving up a coverage move makes Nidoking much less potent.

Moves Sludge Wave is Nidoking's go-to STAB move, 2HKOing Florges and providing the most base damage out of all of Nidoking's moves. Earth Power is Nidoking's secondary STAB move and is useful against Steel-types and Pokemon that resist Poison. Ice Beam is for Flying-types, such as Crobat and Mega Aerodactyl, that either resist or are immune to Nidoking's other moves. Superpower hits Umbreon and Blissey for super effective damage, which is useful as a late-game surprise tactic, while Stealth Rock allows Nidoking to surprise the opponent by opting to apply passive pressure instead of offensive pressure. Stealth Rock also helps Nidoking in cleaning up late-game. Set Details 252 Special Attack EVs are used to help Nidoking wallbreak as easily as possible. 252 Speed EVs allow Nidoking to Speed tie with many prominent offensive Pokemon, such as Heracross, and outspeed slower Pokemon such as Nidoqueen. A Modest nature can be used to hit harder than Nidoqueen, gaining more guaranteed 2HKOs on bulky Water-type switch-ins such as Suicune. Life Orb works perfectly with Sheer Force and Nidoking's moveset, negating any recoil for a 69% power boost to Nidoking's special moves. Usage Tips Nidoking is best used as a special wallbreaker or lure for special walls, as Blissey loves to tackle Nidoking head-on. Prediction will often be the biggest problem when facing balance cores that can work around Nidoking's attacks. As a result, it is often best to rely on teammates to play around the opponent's team; Nidoking should be wallbreaking, not psyching out the opponent. Team Options U-turn and Volt Switch users such as Rotom-H, Forretress, and Gligar can absorb physical hits and get Nidoking in safely against many physical wallbreakers. Entry hazard users work well with Nidoking's special wallbreaking potential. Nidoking is prone to being revenge killed, so bulky team support is a must. Some setup sweepers such as Cresselia appreciate Nidoking's ability to take care of phazers such as Empoleon and attackers or Taunters such as Crobat. Lastly, physical wallbreakers such as Mienshao, Heracross, and Entei really appreciate Nidoking's ability to lure special walls.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

At Level 50, Modest Nidoking has a Special Attack stat of 150. With Sheer Force, STAB, and Life Orb boosting most of his moves, Nidoking is a force to be reckoned with. Earth Power, Nidoking's main STAB move, is put into the first moveslot. Earth Power hits almost everything that isn't up in the air for great damage. Ice Beam is needed so Nidoking can eliminate Dragon-type threats, such as Latios and Garchomp, who easily OHKO him. However, Ice Beam only helps KO these threats when you have either Tailwind or Trick Room up, as otherwise, Latios and Garchomp will outspeed Nidoking. The third slot is reserved for a secondary STAB move, Sludge Bomb; it hits a number of opponents very hard, but lacks coverage due to Nidoking's poor offensive typing. Sludge Bomb can OHKO Ludicolo, another Pokemon that Nidoking doesn't like to be around, as Ludicolo can easily tear through Nidoking using Scald or Ice Beam. Flamethrower is also a worthy move for the set, as it hits Pokemon such as Scizor, Abomasnow, and Escavalier for incredible damage. However, its coverage overlaps with Earth Power, which often renders it useless. Protect is just a general staple for nearly every VGC Pokemon: it can help stall, prevent Nidoking from taking damage from Fake Out, or simply allow Nidoking to live for another turn. To abuse Sheer Force to its full potential, Life Orb is the item of choice. A Modest nature is recommended for Nidoking, as he misses out on some key KOs otherwise. Sheer Force is obviously the best ability for Nidoking, as it provides his moves with much-needed boosts, and negates Life Orb recoil damage. The EV spread is a simple special sweeper build; it ensures that Nidoking is as fast and strong as possible. In terms of moves, Shadow Ball is an option for coverage against Psychic-type threats, but it struggles to find itself a moveslot among Nidoking's other excellent coverage moves. Thunder Wave and Helping Hand support is greatly appreciated; the former allows Nidoking to outspeed naturally faster opponents, while the latter gives him even more power. Cresselia is an excellent teammate, as it can provide this support and set up Trick Room for Nidoking. Steel-type partners are nice, as they are able to sponge most attacks that Nidoking is weak to. Bronzong stands out, as it can also use Hypnosis to cripple an opponent in addition to providing key resistances. Latios and Garchomp are major problems for Nidoking, as they can outspeed and OHKO with Psychic and Earthquake, respectively. Nidoking also doesn't like rain very much, as rain teams tend to include Pokemon that pose threats to him, such as Ludicolo, Politoed, and Kingdra. Some great Pokemon that can help beat rain for Nidoking are Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Ludicolo; as an added bonus, most of them have excellent synergy with Nidoking. Out of these, Scizor is most likely the best choice, as it can beat Latios that don't carry Hidden Power Fire. Latias can be very helpful to Nidoking, as she is able to set up dual screens as well as use Helping Hand; she can also help rid Nidoking of Latios.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

The best UU set for Nidoking. One of the greatest threats to Nidoking is Gligar, and Ice Beam takes care of him. Shadow Ball takes care of Misdreavus, Megahorn beats Grass and Psychic Pokemon, and Earthquake gets STAB. The absence of Thunderbolt allows for a better EV distribution; Water Pokemon for the most part will take more damage from STAB Earthquake than non-STAB Thunderbolt. Give this one max Speed--it's essential for taking on Gligar that want to switch in on your Earthquake.

Choice Banded Nidoking is one of the most dangerous Pokemon in the UU environment. As with a lot of Choice Banders, depending on your and your opponent's prediction skills you could be totally messing something up or doing nothing to them at all. Earthquake should take care of Quagsire and other Water friends in 2 or 3 hits, Megahorn kills Solrock and Lunatone and puts quite a big hurting into Meganium, and Rock Slide is for Fliers like Fearow and Scyther. Sludge Bomb may seem handy for STAB, and Ice Beam catches Gligar.

Focus Energy significantly boosts Nidoking's critical hit rate, making it very difficult to switch into. Earthquake is Nidoking's most powerful attack; it needs just one critical hit to OHKO Alakazam and 2HKO Starmie and Chansey. Nidoking 2HKOes Tauros and Snorlax as well if it scores two critical hits, but it only has a 38.4% chance to do so. Blizzard is necessary in the third moveslot, as it gives Nidoking the best shot at muscling through Rest Exeggutor before it can retaliate. It has other uses besides this; a critical hit is guaranteed to OHKO Rhydon and Golem and will usually let Nidoking 2HKO Zapdos, and it has a small freeze chance, letting it KO Pokemon it normally would not be able to as a last resort. Finally, with a single critical hit, Thunderbolt 2HKOes Slowbro and OHKOes the rare Cloyster after a little chip damage. For Nidoking to fulfill its role effectively, it should be kept away from damage and status whenever possible, and faster Pokemon such as Alakazam and Starmie should be paralyzed before it attempts to set up for a sweep. This is easier said than done due to Team Preview, meaning your opponent will know that you have Nidoking on your team and will try to keep these Pokemon as healthy as is feasible so they can keep it in check. Getting Nidoking on the field is not a simple task either due to its horrific defensive typing allowing it to be hit for super effective damage by most metagame staples, but it still has some decent opportunities to switch in and set up with Focus Energy. The most obvious would be the aforementioned Jolteon, which is unable to do anything meaningful to it. Once again, though, your opponent will be aware of Nidoking and will be able to prepare for it by switching out. Another good chance to switch in is on a predicted Rest from Pokemon like Exeggutor. There is also an element of risk here, as most Rest users can predict the switch and deal major damage with their coverage moves, preventing Nidoking from setting up. Slowbro and Starmie are good partners for Nidoking, as they resist Ice, Psychic, and Water and provide paralysis support for it. Slowbro in particular is adept at drawing in enemy Starmie to paralyze it. In return, Nidoking can protect them from Electric-type moves. Exeggutor is another Pokemon that can spread paralysis, but it differentiates itself from Slowbro and Starmie with a handy resistance to Ground that can make the Rhydon matchup easier. Thanks to its immense movepool, Nidoking has plenty of room for customization. Substitute can be used in order to protect it from status and critical hits, but it can be difficult to set up alongside Focus Energy, and it puts Nidoking in OHKO range of Rhydon, Alakazam, and Exeggutor. Ice Beam is a more accurate alternative to Blizzard, but it requires an additional critical hit to 2HKO Exeggutor and almost never OHKOes Rhydon and Golem even with a critical hit. Thunder has poor accuracy, but it can be used instead of Thunderbolt; the greater power allows a critical hit to OHKO Cloyster and KO Starmie and Slowbro after minimal chip damage. Body Slam can paralyze switch-ins like Starmie. Rock Slide OHKOes the rare Articuno and Moltres with a critical hit, but Nidoking is OHKOed and 2HKOed by their Blizzard and Fire Blast and requires paralysis support to reliably outspeed them. Surf reliably KOes Rhydon and Golem without needing a critical hit if they are not at full health and has perfect accuracy, but it is inferior to Blizzard otherwise.