#034 · Generation 1
Nidoking
- Max CP (L40 / L50)
- 2,567 / 2,902
- Raid catch CP (L20 / L25)
- 1,466 / 1,833
- Research CP (L15)
- 1,100
- Buddy distance
- 3 km
- 2nd charged move
- 50,000 dust · 50 candy
- Shiny
- Shadow
- Tradable
- Mega
- Dynamax
Verdict: Situational
Nidoking has a niche: C-tier Great League, C-tier Ultra League. Keep one with the right IVs and transfer the rest.
Battle roles
- CGreat League#372 of 1154 · score 78.2
It is ranked #372 in Great League on PvPoke with Poison Sting / Avalanche / Earth Power.
- CUltra League#172 of 851 · score 82.8
It is ranked #172 in Ultra League on PvPoke with Poison Sting / Avalanche / Earth Power.
Collection value
- 1 costume/event variant: costumed copies cannot be re-obtained outside their event.
- Shadow version exists: Shadows hit 20% harder and are worth a raid slot even with low IVs.
Tiers: S = meta-defining, A = strong, B = playable, C = niche. PvP from PvPoke overall rankings; raids from computed DPS/TDO within each attacking type; Max Battles from GO Hub tier lists.
Base stats
Base stats. Bars are scaled to the strongest Pokemon in the game.
Evolution line
Check your Pokemon's IVs
Ranks all 4,096 spreads for each leagueLoading IV checker…
PvP rankings (GO Battle League)
| League | Tier | Rank | Score | Recommended moves | Typical build |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great League | C | #372 / 1154 | 78.2 | Poison Sting · Avalanche · Earth Power | L21.5 · 5/14/15 |
| Great LeagueShadow | C | #400 / 1154 | 77.5 | Poison Sting · Avalanche · Earth Power | L21.5 · 5/14/15 |
| Ultra League | C | #172 / 851 | 82.8 | Poison Sting · Avalanche · Earth Power | L42 · 4/15/14 |
| Ultra LeagueShadow | C | #231 / 851 | 81.2 | Poison Sting · Avalanche · Earth Power | L42 · 4/15/14 |
| Ultra Premier | – | #493 / 689 | 69.7 | Fury Cutter · Sand Tomb · Earth Power | |
| Ultra PremierShadow | – | #506 / 689 | 69.1 | Fury Cutter · Sand Tomb · Earth Power |
Source: PvPoke overall rankings. Score is relative to the league meta (100 = best). Typical build is the IV spread PvPoke assumes.
Raid attacker rankings
| Attacking type | Tier | Rank | DPS | TDO | Best moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iceShadow | – | #44 / 231 | 12.7 | 173 | Poison Jab · Avalanche |
| poisonShadow | – | #44 / 197 | 11.7 | 160 | Poison Jab · Sludge Wave |
| bugShadow | – | #47 / 164 | 11.8 | 161 | Poison Jab · Megahorn |
| groundShadow | – | #50 / 302 | 13.5 | 184 | Poison Jab · Earth Power |
| poison | – | #61 / 197 | 10.1 | 165 | Poison Jab · Sludge Wave |
| bug | – | #62 / 164 | 10.2 | 166 | Poison Jab · Megahorn |
| ice | – | #74 / 231 | 10.8 | 177 | Poison Jab · Avalanche |
| ground | – | #80 / 302 | 11.5 | 188 | Poison Jab · Earth Power |
Level 40, 15/15/15, neutral target. DPS = damage per second, TDO = total damage output before fainting. Rank is among every Pokemon using that attacking type.
Moves
| Fast move | Type | Raid power | Energy | Duration | DPS | PvP power | PvP energy | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poison JabSTAB | poison | 13 | +9 | 1.0s | 13.0 | 7 | +7 | 2 turns |
Iron Tail | steel | 14 | +6 | 1.0s | 14.0 | 10 | +7 | 3 turns |
Double Kick | fighting | 10 | +13 | 1.0s | 10.0 | 8 | +12 | 3 turns |
Poison StingSTAB | poison | 4 | +6 | 0.5s | 8.0 | 4 | +9 | 2 turns |
Fury CutterElite TM | bug | 4 | +8 | 0.5s | 8.0 | 3 | +4 | 1 turn |
| Charged move | Type | Raid power | Energy | Duration | Dmg/energy | PvP power | PvP energy | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EarthquakeSTAB | ground | 140 | -100 | 3.5s | 1.40 | 120 | -65 | |
Sludge WaveSTAB | poison | 105 | -100 | 3.0s | 1.05 | 110 | -65 | |
Megahorn | bug | 105 | -100 | 2.0s | 1.05 | 110 | -55 | |
Earth PowerSTAB | ground | 100 | -50 | 3.5s | 2.00 | 90 | -50 | 10% chance: -1 foe Def |
Sand TombSTAB | ground | 60 | -33 | 4.0s | 1.82 | 55 | -45 | 100% chance: -1 foe Def |
Avalanche | ice | 85 | -50 | 2.5s | 1.70 | 90 | -45 |
Questions people ask
- Is Nidoking good in Pokemon GO?
- Yes. Nidoking is C-tier for Great League and has 1 other ranked role.
- Should I keep or transfer Nidoking?
- Nidoking has a niche: C-tier Great League, C-tier Ultra League. Keep one with the right IVs and transfer the rest.
- What are the best Nidoking IVs for Great League?
- The rank-1 Great League spread is 5/14/15 (Attack/Defense/HP), which reaches the 1500 CP cap at level 21.5. Low Attack with high Defense and HP wins in capped leagues. Use the IV checker on this page to rank your own copy among all 4,096 spreads.
- What are the best Nidoking IVs for Ultra League?
- The rank-1 Ultra League spread is 4/15/14 (Attack/Defense/HP), which reaches the 2500 CP cap at level 42. Low Attack with high Defense and HP wins in capped leagues. Use the IV checker on this page to rank your own copy among all 4,096 spreads.
- Is Nidoking a good raid attacker?
- Nidoking ranks #80 of 302 ground attackers with 11.5 DPS. That is outside the top 15, so it is not a raid priority.
- Can Nidoking be shiny in Pokemon GO?
- Yes. Shiny Nidoking is available from evolution, photobomb, raid, research, wild. A shiny is worth keeping for the collection no matter its IVs.
- Is Shadow Nidoking worth keeping?
- Shadow Nidoking hits 20% harder and takes 20% more damage. It has no ranked role of its own, so treat it like a normal copy.
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Donate on Ko-fiCostumes & event variants (1)
CrownEvent costume