3-Star raid Shiny available Poison Ground

Nidoking Raid Guide

Q: What are the best counters for Nidoking?

The top counter is Shadow Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike at 45.1 DPS against Nidoking. Shadow Landorus (Therian) (43.1) and Mega Alakazam (43) follow.

Q: Can I beat Nidoking without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Mewtwo at 37.6 DPS, 84% of what the top counter deals. Hoopa (Unbound) and Landorus (Therian) are the next ones down.

Weak to Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water — every counter below is ranked by DPS against Nidoking.

Boosted in Cloudy, Sunny 20 counters ranked

Catch CP

1,503

Lv 20 · 100% IV

Weather CP

1,870

Lv 25 · 100% IV

Trainers

Min 1 at Lv 40+

Top DPS

45.1

Shadow Mewtwo

Best counters

Ranked by DPS against Nidoking. Tap a row for full stats.

Shadow Mewtwo ConfusionPsystrike 45.1DPS 755TDO 2

Shadow Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 43.1DPS 681TDO 3

Mega Alakazam ConfusionPsychic 43.0DPS 669TDO 4

Primal Kyogre WaterfallOrigin Pulse 42.2DPS 1,271TDO 5

Primal Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 41.4DPS 1,248TDO 6

Shadow Alakazam ConfusionPsychic 38.6DPS 403TDO 7

Mega Gardevoir ConfusionPsychic 38.6DPS 768TDO 8

Mega Gallade ConfusionPsychic 38.6DPS 771TDO 9

Shadow Kyogre WaterfallOrigin Pulse 38.2DPS 768TDO 10

Mewtwo ConfusionPsystrike 37.6DPS 757TDO 11

Shadow Groudon Mud ShotPrecipice Blades 37.6DPS 757TDO 12

Mega Garchomp Mud ShotEarthquake 37.2DPS 1,014TDO 13

Mega Latios Zen HeadbuttPsychic 37.1DPS 877TDO 14

Shadow Regigigas Zen HeadbuttCrush Grip 37.1DPS 738TDO 15

Hoopa (Unbound) ConfusionPsychic 36.7DPS 623TDO 16

Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 36.6DPS 695TDO 17

Shadow Latios Zen HeadbuttPsychic 35.7DPS 618TDO 18

Shadow Excadrill Mud SlapEarthquake 35.6DPS 478TDO 19

Deoxys (Attack) Zen HeadbuttPsycho Boost 35.3DPS 115TDO 20

Mega Swampert Water GunHydro Cannon 35.3DPS 890TDO

Budget counters

No Shadow, Mega or Primal forms needed.

Mewtwo ConfusionPsystrike 37.6DPS 757TDO 15

Hoopa (Unbound) ConfusionPsychic 36.7DPS 623TDO 16

Landorus (Therian) Mud ShotSandsear Storm 36.6DPS 695TDO 19

Deoxys (Attack) Zen HeadbuttPsycho Boost 35.3DPS 115TDO

Ranks are kept from the main list, so you can see how far behind the premium options they sit.

How counters are ranked

Every released Pokemon is simulated at level 40 against Nidoking using the in-game damage formula and the current Game Master move data. Each fast + charged combination is tested; only the best moveset per Pokemon is listed.

DPS is damage per second over a full attack cycle. TDO is the total damage dealt before fainting, so it rewards bulk. Shadow forms are ranked with their 20% Attack boost and 17% Defense penalty; Mega and Primal forms use their boosted base stats.

Stats & weaknesses

Raid tier: 3-Star
Weather boost: Cloudy, Sunny
Shiny available: Yes
Base Attack: 204
Base Defense: 156
Base Stamina: 191

Weak to — use these types

Ground1.6× Ice1.6× Psychic1.6× Water1.6×

Resists — avoid these types

Electric0.390625× Poison0.390625× Bug0.625× Fairy0.625× Fighting0.625× Rock0.625×

Catch CP after the raid

The CP you will see on the encounter screen.

IVs	Lv 20 CP	Lv 25 CP (weather)
10 / 10 / 10 floor	1,429	1,778
15 / 15 / 15 100%	1,503	1,870

Raid catches have an IV floor of 10/10/10, so the two rows are the real minimum and maximum. If you see 1,503 CP it is a perfect Nidoking — throw a Golden Razz Berry.

Raid guide

How the fight goes and what to bring.

Trainer difficulty Soloable with six level-40 top counters; bring a second trainer if your team is not powered up. Worked out from the boss HP, the raid timer and the counter DPS above.

Nidoking resists Electric, Poison, Bug, Fairy, Fighting, Rock — leave those attackers out even if they are your highest CP.

FAQ

What are the best counters for Nidoking?

The top counter is Shadow Mewtwo with Confusion and Psystrike at 45.1 DPS against Nidoking. Shadow Landorus (Therian) (43.1) and Mega Alakazam (43) follow.

What is Nidoking weak to?

Nidoking takes super effective damage from Ground, Ice, Psychic, Water-type moves.

How many trainers do I need to beat Nidoking?

Nidoking can be soloed. The six best counters average 42.2 DPS against it at level 40, which clears the boss inside the timer with room to spare; bring a second trainer if your team is not powered up.

Can I beat Nidoking without Shadow or Mega Pokemon?

Yes. The best non-Shadow, non-Mega option is Mewtwo at 37.6 DPS, 84% of what the top counter deals. Hoopa (Unbound) and Landorus (Therian) are the next ones down.

Can Nidoking be shiny?

Yes — the encounter after this raid can be shiny.

What weather boosts Nidoking?

Cloudy, Sunny. Boss moves of the boosted types hit 20% harder (so do yours), and the catch is level 25 instead of 20: 1,778–1,870 CP instead of 1,429–1,503. The 10/10/10 IV floor is the same either way.

Is Nidoking worth raiding?

Nidoking has no raid-attacker or GO Battle League ranking on this site, so the reasons to raid it are the dex entry, the candy and the shiny rather than your battle teams.

What is the best moveset for Nidoking?

The counter list on this page is for beating Nidoking. For the moves Nidoking should use as your attacker, open its full stats page.

Explore more

All raid bosses Every boss in the current rotation Best Ground attackers Top Ground-type Pokemon ranked by DPS Nidoking Pokedex Base stats, moves and evolutions