Stats & Training
Nothing fancy in Empoleon's spread. It leans special with Sp. Atk out front. And you'll get 3 Sp. Atk EVs per KO for it. Follows a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
If anyone were to hurt its pride, it would slash them with wings that can cleave through an ice floe.
If anyone were to hurt its pride, it would slash them with wings that can cleave through an ice floe.
Empoleon Weakness
Empoleon's Water/Steel typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Fighting, and Ground. It shrugs off Poison-type attacks completely. It resists 11 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. With 84 HP and balanced defenses, Empoleon can afford to eat a neutral hit or two.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Water, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Ghost, Dragon, Dark |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Ice, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Poison |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Black & White, Excadrill can KO Empoleon with Earthquake (122-144%). Conkeldurr threatens a KO with Drain Punch (103-121%). Magnezone's Thunderbolt also KOs at 104-122%.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilitySandforce ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x122-144%KO Rapid Spin10-12% Rock Slide15-18% | ||
 Conkeldurr Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityGuts ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Conkeldurr builds →Drain Punch 2x103-121%KO Mach Punch 2x55-65% | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemAir Balloon NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Empoleon View Magnezone builds →Thunderbolt 2x104-122%KO Flash Cannon11-14% Volt Switch 2x81-95% | ||
Black & White Evolution
The three-stage chain from Piplup through Prinplup ends here at Empoleon. Want more? Breed for Piplup eggs. A massive partner pool available via two egg groups. The evolution from Piplup pushed Empoleon to 530 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +50. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Empoleon to get Piplup eggs easily using 181 partners from the Ground and Water1 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Agility, Aqua Ring, Bide and 10 more.
Black & White Empoleon Best Moveset
Surf is the main STAB option after a Agility boost. Leftovers gives Empoleon passive recovery each turn to survive the setup turn, and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs make the boosted hits count. The remaining moves catches resists.
Best Build
Empoleon best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Ice Beam
- Surf
- Agility
- Grass Knot
Recommended Teammates
Moves
STAB runs through Hydro Cannon and Hydro Pump for the basics, but Empoleon's real strength is the 10-type coverage spread. Normal and Flying hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Empoleon in Black & White
Empoleon isn't available in the wild in Black & White. Start by transferring Piplup from Diamond, Platinum, or Legends: Arceus. The evolution path from Piplup to Empoleon is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Empoleon in Black & White
Empoleon Guide
In Black & White, Empoleon works as a setup sweeper with 530 BST behind it. C-Tier on our list: a niche pick in Black & White's meta. Ice Beam with Leftovers is the standard set.
Torrent strengthens water moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less. That's the one you want on Empoleon. Competitive is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
Empoleon is a special attacker with base 111 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the setup sweeper role.
For Black & White, Empoleon has answers, but so do you. Faster attackers outpace it. Anything with a super-effective STAB move and decent speed can revenge kill.
Game Availability
Debuting in Diamond & Pearl, Empoleon appears in 12 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DPDebut
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves