What Pokemon Beats Nidoking? A Comprehensive Guide

Nidoking, the powerful Poison/Ground type Pokemon, is a formidable opponent known for its high Attack and diverse movepool. However, it’s not invincible. The Pokemon that consistently beats Nidoking are those with strong Psychic, Water, Ice, or Ground-type moves, especially those that are faster and have higher Special Defense. Specifically, Pokemon like Alakazam, Tapu Koko, Starmie, Mewtwo, and Landorus-Therian are great choices, given the right move sets.

Understanding Nidoking’s Weaknesses

To truly understand how to defeat Nidoking, we need to analyze its weaknesses. Its dual typing of Poison and Ground creates a weakness to Water, Ice, Psychic, and Ground-type attacks. This is where the advantage lies for many Pokemon. Keep in mind that coverage moves are Nidoking’s strength, so building a balanced team is vital, even when knowing its weaknesses.

The Achilles Heel: Special Defense

While Nidoking boasts high Attack and Special Attack, its Special Defense is relatively low. This makes it susceptible to powerful Special Attacks of the types mentioned above. Targeting this weakness is crucial for a successful strategy. This does not mean that Physical attacks cannot work; however, Special attacks have more of an opportunity to inflict heavy damage.

Top Pokemon Choices to Counter Nidoking

Here’s a more detailed look at some of the best Pokemon to use against Nidoking:

• Alakazam: Alakazam’s phenomenal Special Attack and Speed make it a potent threat. A powerful Psychic is almost guaranteed to knock out Nidoking.
• Tapu Koko: This Electric/Fairy type can use powerful Water-type moves like Scald or Hydro Pump to exploit Nidoking’s weakness. Also, it has a high Speed that can take out Nidoking.
• Starmie: With its high Special Attack and Speed, Starmie can unleash powerful Water or Ice-type moves to quickly dispatch Nidoking. Starmie also has access to Recover, adding to its survivability.
• Mewtwo: With its extremely high Special Attack and Speed, Mewtwo is a strong opponent. It can use Psychic to obliterate Nidoking. Mewtwo is also a great Pokemon for its coverage moves.
• Landorus-Therian: This Pokemon has high Attack and Speed, which allows it to deliver a powerful Ground-type attack, taking out Nidoking.

Move Sets Matter

It’s important to note that simply having a Pokemon with the right type isn’t enough. The move sets are just as critical. For example:

• An Alakazam without Psychic or Psyshock wouldn’t be very effective.
• A Starmie without Hydro Pump or Ice Beam would struggle.

Ensure your Pokemon have the appropriate STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) moves to maximize their damage output.

Strategies for Battling Nidoking

Beyond just choosing the right Pokemon, a sound strategy is crucial.

Predicting Nidoking’s Moves

Nidoking is known for its wide movepool. It can carry moves like Earth Power, Sludge Wave, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Megahorn. Predicting which move it might use is key to minimizing damage and setting up your counter. Try to predict Nidoking’s next attack to better prepare.

Utilizing Status Conditions

While not always reliable, inflicting status conditions like Paralysis can significantly hinder Nidoking’s speed, making it easier to outspeed and attack. However, be aware of abilities like Sheer Force, which can negate secondary effects but increase the power of affected moves.

Taking Advantage of Switching

If you predict Nidoking will use a move that’s super effective against your current Pokemon, switch to a Pokemon that resists or is immune to that move. This buys you time to set up a counter-attack.

FAQs: More About Nidoking and its Counters

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify how to beat Nidoking:

1. Is Nidoking a Physical or Special Attacker?

Nidoking can be either, depending on its move set. Its Attack and Special Attack stats are relatively balanced, so it can effectively utilize both Physical and Special attacks. However, most competitive sets favor Special Attack due to its greater coverage options.

2. Why is Psychic so effective against Nidoking?

Psychic is super effective against Nidoking due to its Poison typing. Poison-types are weak to Psychic-type attacks, making it a primary weakness to exploit.

3. Can Ground-type moves hurt Nidoking?

Yes, Ground-type moves are super effective against Nidoking due to its Poison typing. Ground typing also makes it weak to Ground-type attacks.

4. Is Nidoking weak to Fairy types?

No, Nidoking is not weak to Fairy-type attacks. In fact, Nidoking is a great counter against Fairy-type attackers.

5. Can Nidoking’s Sheer Force ability affect all moves?

No, Sheer Force only affects moves that have secondary effects. If a move doesn’t have a secondary effect, Sheer Force won’t activate.

6. What’s the best Nature for Nidoking?

The best Nature for Nidoking depends on its role. A Timid Nature (+Speed, -Attack) is common for Special Attack sets, while a Modest Nature (+Special Attack, -Attack) maximizes damage output at the cost of Speed.

7. What are some common held items for Nidoking?

Common held items include Life Orb (for increased damage), Choice Scarf (for increased Speed), and Black Sludge (for Poison-type recovery).

8. Can a strong Physical attacker defeat Nidoking?

Yes, a very strong Physical attacker with a super effective move can defeat Nidoking, but it’s generally riskier due to Nidoking’s decent Physical Defense and potential coverage moves.

9. Is Nidoking a good Pokemon to use in competitive battles?

Yes, Nidoking can be a strong choice in competitive battles due to its wide movepool and ability to threaten many different Pokemon. However, its weaknesses must be carefully considered when teambuilding.

10. What tier is Nidoking in competitive battling?

Nidoking’s tier placement varies depending on the format, but it’s often found in lower tiers like RU (Rarely Used) or NU (Never Used).

11. How can I deal with Nidoking’s coverage moves?

By predicting Nidoking’s moves and switching to Pokemon that resist those moves. For example, if you predict a Thunderbolt, switch to a Ground-type Pokemon.

12. Is Nidoking faster than most of its counters?

No, many of Nidoking’s counters, such as Alakazam, Tapu Koko, and Starmie, are generally faster. However, Nidoking can use a Choice Scarf to boost its Speed.

13. What role does Nidoking typically play on a team?

Nidoking typically acts as a Special Attacker or a wallbreaker, using its wide movepool to threaten opponents and create opportunities for other Pokemon to sweep.

14. How does Nidoking compare to Nidoqueen?

Nidoking has higher Attack and Special Attack, making it more offensive, while Nidoqueen has higher HP and Defense stats, making it bulkier.

15. Are there any abilities that can negate Nidoking’s Sheer Force?

No, there aren’t any abilities that directly negate Sheer Force. However, abilities like Magic Bounce can reflect status moves that Nidoking might try to use.

By understanding Nidoking’s weaknesses, strengths, and common strategies, you can effectively counter it in battle. Remember to choose Pokemon with appropriate move sets and develop a sound strategy to maximize your chances of victory!