Level 16To Prinplup

Level 36To Empoleon

EmpoleonLast stage shown

#0395 · GENERATION 4

Empoleon Build Guide

WaterSteel

Bulky special attacker and recovery

Build a Empoleon team ↓

Hover or tap the cards.
Custom Pokédex collection.

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMLeftovers

ABILITYCompetitive

NATURECalm

Surf

Flash Cannon

Ice Beam

Roost

How to play

Use its resistances to find a favorable entry and Roost to recover. Competitive raises Special Attack by two stages when an opponent lowers one of Empoleon’s stats.

Watch out for

Key risk. Competitive does not activate from every stat change and is not an unconditional boost. Ground, Fighting and Electric attacks are super effective; low Speed leaves it exposed to repeated strong hits.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

Use its resistances to find a favorable entry and Roost to recover. Competitive raises Special Attack by two stages when an opponent lowers one of Empoleon’s stats.

You want a free switch-in

Empoleon resists most of the chart and Poison cannot touch it at all, but Electric, Fighting and Ground moves each deal 2×. Check what the incoming attacker actually carries before committing the switch.

An opponent lowers one of Empoleon’s stats

That is Competitive’s trigger, and the +2 applies whether the drop was meant as the attack or as support. A hazard-laying or screen-setting move lowers nothing, so it triggers neither half of this plan.

You have a healthy Empoleon and no switch read

Use Roost. Empoleon is not a Flying type, so unlike Skarmory it loses no typing for the turn — it just takes the healing.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Empoleon in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Competitive raises Special Attack by two stages when a stat is lowered, so the boost is a reward for a specific opponent action, not a turn you can take by yourself. Roost is the only HP Empoleon recovers while it stays in; Leftovers only pays after a switch.

Watch the tradeoff. Competitive does not activate from every stat change and is not an unconditional boost. Ground, Fighting and Electric attacks are super effective; low Speed leaves it exposed to repeated strong hits.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Empoleon or Primarina?

Primarina provides Fairy typing and a different special attacking profile instead of Steel resistances.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Empoleon	Primarina
HP	84	80
Attack	86	74
Defense	88	74
Sp. Attack	111	126
Sp. Defense	101	116
Speed	60	60

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Flying partner covers Ground and can resist Fighting. A Ground teammate supplies Electric immunity.

Corviknight

Provides Ground immunity and a defensive pivot; Fighting damage is neutral.

Read Corviknight guide →Compare teammates →

Garchomp

Electric immunity and faster physical damage complement this set.

Read Garchomp guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Primarina

Primarina provides Fairy typing and a different special attacking profile instead of Steel resistances.

Read Primarina guide →

Try Primarina →

Type matchups

Weak to

Electric2×Fighting2×Ground2×

Resistances and immunities

Normal0.5×Water0.5×Ice0.25×Poison0×Flying0.5×Psychic0.5×Bug0.5×Rock0.5×Dragon0.5×Steel0.25×Fairy0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP84

Attack86

Defense88

Sp. Attack111

Sp. Defense101

Speed60

Evolution chain

Piplup#393
Level 16
Prinplup#394
Level 36
Empoleon#395

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Empoleon team

Start with Empoleon. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#395

Empoleon

WaterSteel

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense85

Defense77

Coverage28

Synergy17

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Electric attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Fighting attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 5 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Empoleon	Weak	Resist
Normal	½×	0	1
Fire	1×	0	0
Water	½×	0	1
Electric	2×	1	0
Grass	1×	0	0
Ice	¼×	0	1
Fighting	2×	1	0
Poison	0×	0	1
Ground	2×	1	0
Flying	½×	0	1
Psychic	½×	0	1
Bug	½×	0	1
Rock	½×	0	1
Ghost	1×	0	0
Dragon	½×	0	1
Dark	1×	0	0
Steel	¼×	0	1
Fairy	½×	0	1

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalNeutral

Fire✓ Super effective

WaterResisted

ElectricNeutral

GrassNeutral

Ice✓ Super effective

FightingNeutral

PoisonNeutral

Ground✓ Super effective

FlyingNeutral

PsychicNeutral

BugNeutral

Rock✓ Super effective

GhostNeutral

DragonNeutral

DarkNeutral

SteelNeutral

Fairy✓ Super effective

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.