In this article
Nidoking is a Poison/Ground-type Pokémon, numbered 0034 in the National Pokédex. It is the final evolution of the male Nidoran line: Nidoran♂ evolves into Nidorino at level 16, then a Moon Stone triggers the final transformation. Its main weaknesses are Water, Ice, Ground and Psychic attacks.
For players, the important details go beyond its powerful appearance. Its two types provide an Electric immunity, while its Hidden Ability, Sheer Force, strengthens certain attacks. However, evolution methods, available moves and battle recommendations need to be read in the context of the game being played.
Meet the Drill Pokémon
The official Pokémon profile classifies this species as the Drill Pokémon and lists its height as 1.4 metres and weight as 62 kilograms. It is male, and its evolution line begins with Nidoran♂.
Its Pokédex description emphasises the destructive strength of its thick tail, describing it as powerful enough to topple a metal transmission tower. That is part of the character’s fictional description, rather than a measurement of an attack’s damage in battle.
The Ground typing is particularly important to its identity. Nidoran♂ and Nidorino are pure Poison types; the final evolution adds Ground. Consequently, evolving changes which attacks it resists and which attacks threaten it, as well as improving its base stats.
How to evolve Nidoking
In the main-series evolution chain, there are two separate requirements:
- Raise Nidoran♂ to level 16 to evolve it into Nidorino.
- Use a Moon Stone on Nidorino to reach the final stage.
The second transformation is stone-based. Simply continuing to raise Nidorino’s level does not replace the Moon Stone requirement. The item applies to the middle evolution, so it does not skip directly from the first stage to the last.
The male and female lines also remain distinct. Nidoran♀ evolves into Nidorina, which uses a Moon Stone to become Nidoqueen. These are separate evolution paths, rather than a choice between two final forms for the same Nidorino.
There is a substantial statistical change between the middle and final stages. Nidorino has a base-stat total of 365, compared with 505 for its final evolution in games such as Sword and Shield. Every individual base stat increases.
The added Ground type brings trade-offs, too. Nidorino resists Grass attacks and takes neutral damage from Water and Ice. After evolution, Grass damage becomes neutral, while Water and Ice become weaknesses. Evolution therefore changes the matchups a player needs to watch, rather than simply making every defensive situation safer.
Weaknesses, resistances and immunity
Under the standard type matchups used in Sword and Shield, the defensive picture is:
| Incoming attack type | Damage multiplier |
|---|---|
| Water, Ice, Ground, Psychic | 2× |
| Fighting, Bug, Rock, Fairy | ½× |
| Poison | ¼× |
| Electric | 0× |
| Normal, Fire, Grass, Flying, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel | 1× |
There is no standard four-times weakness in this combination. Each of the four weaknesses deals twice the normal damage before other battle modifiers apply.
Grass is an easy matchup to misread. Ground is weak to Grass, but Poison resists it. Those two interactions cancel out, producing neutral damage.
Electric immunity is useful, but it applies to Electric-type attacks rather than everything an Electric-type opponent might use. Likewise, resisting one of an opponent’s moves does not mean resisting its entire moveset.
For a straightforward answer to “what beats it?”, start with Water, Ice, Ground or Psychic attacks. The opposing Pokémon’s other moves and the battle circumstances still matter; the type chart identifies favourable damage matchups, not a guaranteed result.
Base stats and the comparison with Nidoqueen
The base-stat and evolution data show the following values, applicable to Sword and Shield:
| Stat | Base value |
|---|---|
| HP | 81 |
| Attack | 102 |
| Defense | 77 |
| Special Attack | 85 |
| Special Defense | 75 |
| Speed | 85 |
| Total | 505 |
These are base values, not the exact numbers every individual will display. Level, nature, individual values and training affect the final stats.
Attack is the highest base stat, but that alone does not determine the most useful moveset. Abilities and the available attacks also influence how a Pokémon deals damage.
Historical guides can legitimately show different numbers. In Generations I–V, the base Attack value was 92. Generation I also used a single Special stat, which was 75, rather than separate Special Attack and Special Defense values.
Nidoqueen shares the same Poison/Ground typing and a 505 base-stat total in Sword and Shield, but distributes those points differently. It has higher HP, Defense and Special Defense, while its male counterpart has higher Attack, Special Attack and Speed. The comparison is therefore about different statistical strengths, rather than one having a larger overall total.
Abilities: why Sheer Force matters
In Sword and Shield, Nidoking can have Poison Point, Rivalry or the Hidden Ability Sheer Force.
Poison Point gives an attacker a 30% chance of becoming poisoned when it makes contact. Contact is the relevant condition; the ability does not activate simply because damage was dealt.
Rivalry increases attack damage against a target of the same gender and reduces it against a target of the opposite gender. That makes its benefit dependent on the opponent.
Sheer Force increases the power of qualifying moves by 30%, while removing their beneficial secondary effects. These are additional effects such as a chance to poison, freeze or lower an opponent’s stat.
For example, Earth Power normally has a chance to lower the target’s Special Defense. With Sheer Force, it receives the power boost but loses that chance. The ability is not a blanket increase to every attack.
It also has an important interaction with Life Orb. When an attack activates Sheer Force, the user receives both boosts without suffering Life Orb’s usual HP loss for that attack. A move that does not activate the ability does not receive that same exemption.
Moves and availability depend on the game
The Sword and Shield move and location tables include Earth Power, Sludge Wave, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt and Flamethrower among its available special attacks. Physical options include Poison Jab and Megahorn.
This range helps explain why a Pokémon with higher base Attack can still use special attacks effectively. Several of those special moves have secondary effects that qualify for Sheer Force.
Competitive guidance also needs a format label. Smogon’s Sword and Shield Monotype analysis identifies faster threats and weaknesses to common attacking types as limitations. Access to a broad selection of moves does not remove those vulnerabilities.
Obtaining the Pokémon is similarly game-specific. In Sword and Shield’s Crown Tundra, documented locations include Giant’s Bed, with additional availability through Dynamax Adventures and certain Max Raid Battles. For Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the listed method is evolving Nidorino.
Before following a build, match its game and ability to your own Pokémon. A move list describes what is available under particular game rules; it should not be treated as a universal set of options across every title.
Also read
Shiny Pumpkaboo: How to Find, Catch and Evolve It
Mega Froslass: Evolution, Stats, Abilities and How to Get It
