[OVERVIEW]
Poison
========
Nidoking is one of the best wallbreakers that Poison has to offer thanks to its powerful combination of Life Orb and Sheer Force. Its role as a wallbreaker is very important in the Steel matchup, as Earth Power + Flamethrower demolishes Steel teams after Heatran's Air Balloon has been popped. Nidoking also offers Poison an Electric immunity to prevent Volt Switch spam from Electric-types like Regieleki and Tapu Koko. Its access to BoltBeam coverage allows Nidoking to apply more pressure on Flying teams, which is nice, since Stealth Rock cannot pressure Flying much because of how often it uses Heavy-Duty Boots. Nidoking is, however, slower than many faster threats like Excadrill, Cinderace, and Keldeo and weak to Water-, Ice-, and Ground-type moves like Scald, Ice Beam, and Earthquake. These flaws mean, Nidoking can only come in on certain passive walls or slower Pokemon like Galarian Weezing, Skarmory, and Toxapex.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker (Poison)
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt / Stealth Rock
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
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 Dracovish 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. It also helps with Urshifu-S, which can spam Wicked Blow if Galarian Weezing isn't on the team. 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.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sludge Wave can be used to notably hit Clefable, because, otherwise, Nidoking may be at risk of losing its item from Knock Off.
Checks and Counters
===================
Poison
--------
**Knock Off**: Nidoking does not appreciate its item being removed and it being weakened by Knock Off users like Clefable and Tornadus-T.
**Priority Moves**: Priority moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard from Pokemon like Crawdaunt, Azumarill, and Mamoswine can KO Nidoking if their users are running a damage-boosting item like Choice Band or Life Orb, or after some prior chip damage.
**Super Effective Attacks**: Fast Ground-type Pokemon like Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Garchomp threaten Nidoking out with Earthquake. They also fear switching into Nidoking, though, since they are at risk of being hit by Ice Beam. Water-types like Keldeo, Urshifu-R, and Barraskewda can KO Nidoking with their Water-type STAB moves but do not always appreciate switching in risking a Thunderbolt. Ice-types like Kyurem, Weavile, and Mamoswine can KO Nidoking with Ice-type moves bar Ice Shard, which requires prior chip damage. However, yet again, they fear switching in, this time due to Earth Power or Flamethrower.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon like Piloswine, Blissey, and Snorlax can sponge all of Nidoking's attacks. Piloswine can KO Nidoking with Earthquake and set Stealth Rock for chip damage, while Blissey and Snorlax can recover from and switch into its moves whenever due to their high bulk. Blissey can set up Stealth Rock and generate momentum with Teleport, while Snorlax can set up Curse and recover off damage with Rest. Slowking can also generate momentum with Teleport or deal chip damage with Scald, while Mandibuzz can remove Nidoking's Life Orb with Knock Off and recover with Roost.
**Revenge Killers**: Naturally faster threats like both Urshifu formes, Tapu Lele, and Excadrill, and Choice Scarf users like Dracovish and Heracross have no problem KOing Nidoking.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Roxiee, 481576]]
- <Poison> analysis by: [[Roxiee, 481576]]
- Quality checked by: [[<Havens>, <391540>], [<Decem>, <362454>], [<maroon>, <305839>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<Finland>, <517429>], [<Bandkrook>, <301217>]]
Poison
========
Nidoking is one of the best wallbreakers that Poison has to offer thanks to its powerful combination of Life Orb and Sheer Force. Its role as a wallbreaker is very important in the Steel matchup, as Earth Power + Flamethrower demolishes Steel teams after Heatran's Air Balloon has been popped. Nidoking also offers Poison an Electric immunity to prevent Volt Switch spam from Electric-types like Regieleki and Tapu Koko. Its access to BoltBeam coverage allows Nidoking to apply more pressure on Flying teams, which is nice, since Stealth Rock cannot pressure Flying much because of how often it uses Heavy-Duty Boots. Nidoking is, however, slower than many faster threats like Excadrill, Cinderace, and Keldeo and weak to Water-, Ice-, and Ground-type moves like Scald, Ice Beam, and Earthquake. These flaws mean, Nidoking can only come in on certain passive walls or slower Pokemon like Galarian Weezing, Skarmory, and Toxapex.
[SET]
name: Wallbreaker (Poison)
move 1: Earth Power
move 2: Flamethrower / Fire Blast
move 3: Thunderbolt / Stealth Rock
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Life Orb
ability: Sheer Force
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
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 Dracovish 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. It also helps with Urshifu-S, which can spam Wicked Blow if Galarian Weezing isn't on the team. 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.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Sludge Wave can be used to notably hit Clefable, because, otherwise, Nidoking may be at risk of losing its item from Knock Off.
Checks and Counters
===================
Poison
--------
**Knock Off**: Nidoking does not appreciate its item being removed and it being weakened by Knock Off users like Clefable and Tornadus-T.
**Priority Moves**: Priority moves like Aqua Jet and Ice Shard from Pokemon like Crawdaunt, Azumarill, and Mamoswine can KO Nidoking if their users are running a damage-boosting item like Choice Band or Life Orb, or after some prior chip damage.
**Super Effective Attacks**: Fast Ground-type Pokemon like Landorus-T, Excadrill, and Garchomp threaten Nidoking out with Earthquake. They also fear switching into Nidoking, though, since they are at risk of being hit by Ice Beam. Water-types like Keldeo, Urshifu-R, and Barraskewda can KO Nidoking with their Water-type STAB moves but do not always appreciate switching in risking a Thunderbolt. Ice-types like Kyurem, Weavile, and Mamoswine can KO Nidoking with Ice-type moves bar Ice Shard, which requires prior chip damage. However, yet again, they fear switching in, this time due to Earth Power or Flamethrower.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon like Piloswine, Blissey, and Snorlax can sponge all of Nidoking's attacks. Piloswine can KO Nidoking with Earthquake and set Stealth Rock for chip damage, while Blissey and Snorlax can recover from and switch into its moves whenever due to their high bulk. Blissey can set up Stealth Rock and generate momentum with Teleport, while Snorlax can set up Curse and recover off damage with Rest. Slowking can also generate momentum with Teleport or deal chip damage with Scald, while Mandibuzz can remove Nidoking's Life Orb with Knock Off and recover with Roost.
**Revenge Killers**: Naturally faster threats like both Urshifu formes, Tapu Lele, and Excadrill, and Choice Scarf users like Dracovish and Heracross have no problem KOing Nidoking.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Roxiee, 481576]]
- <Poison> analysis by: [[Roxiee, 481576]]
- Quality checked by: [[<Havens>, <391540>], [<Decem>, <362454>], [<maroon>, <305839>]]
- Grammar checked by: [[<Finland>, <517429>], [<Bandkrook>, <301217>]]
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