Pokémon Nidoqueen

[MegaFlareon]

Nidoqueen

Type:

Base Stats: 90 HP / 92 Atk / 87 Def / 75 SpA / 85 SpD / 76 Spe
Abilities: Poison Point / Rivalry / Sheer Force (HA)

Moveset:

Full Moveset

Level Up Moves
1 Superpower
1 Fury Swipes
1 Toxic Spikes
1 Double Kick
1 Bite
1 Helping Hand
1 Toxic
1 Flatter
1 Crunch
1 Earth Power
1 Growl
1 Poison Sting
1 Scratch
1 Tail Whip
Evo. Superpower

TMs / TRs
TM00 Mega Punch
TM01 Mega Kick
TM02 Pay Day
TM03 Fire Punch
TM04 Ice Punch
TM05 Thunder Punch
TM08 Hyper Beam
TM09 Giga Impact
TM15 Dig
TM21 Rest
TM22 Rock Slide
TM23 Thief
TM24 Snore
TM25 Protect
TM27 Icy Wind
TM29 Charm
TM31 Attract
TM32 Sandstorm
TM33 Rain Dance
TM34 Sunny Day
TM36 Whirlpool
TM37 Beat Up
TM39 Facade
TM41 Helping Hand
TM43 Brick Break
TM48 Rock Tomb
TM49 Sand Tomb
TM53 Mud Shot
TM54 Rock Blast
TM59 Fling
TM64 Avalanche
TM65 Shadow Claw
TM74 Venoshock
TM76 Round
TM77 Hex
TM81 Bulldoze
TM98 Stomping Tantrum
TR01 Body Slam
TR02 Flamethrower
TR04 Surf
TR05 Ice Beam
TR06 Blizzard
TR08 Thunderbolt
TR09 Thunder
TR10 Earthquake
TR13 Focus Energy
TR15 Fire Blast
TR20 Substitute
TR22 Sludge Bomb
TR24 Outrage
TR26 Endure
TR27 Sleep Talk
TR31 Iron Tail
TR32 Crunch
TR33 Shadow Ball
TR35 Uproar
TR37 Taunt
TR39 Superpower
TR54 Toxic Spikes
TR57 Poison Jab
TR62 Dragon Pulse
TR64 Focus Blast
TR67 Earth Power
TR75 Stone Edge
TR76 Stealth Rock
TR78 Sludge Wave
TR87 Drill Run
TR91 Venom Drench
TR94 High Horsepower
TR95 Throat Chop
TR99 Body Press

Egg Moves
Counter
Disable
Poison Fang
Poison Tail
Skull Bash
Supersonic
Take Down

Move Tutor:
Scorching Sands

Transfer Exclusive Moves:
Roar
Smack Down
Double Team
Aerial Ace
Torment
Echoed Voice
Quash
Dragon Tail
Swagger
Confide
Headbutt
Reflect
Seismic Toss
Super Fang
Aqua Tail
Focus Punch
Shock Wave
Water Pulse
Hone Claws
Incinerate
Rock Smash
Power-up Punch
Cut
Strength
Fury Cutter
Mud Slap
Double-Edge
Mimic
Dynamic Punch
Defense Curl
Tackle
Curse
Rollout
Detect
Horn Drill
Bubble Beam
Water Gun
Submission
Fissure

Newly Obtainable Moves:
Scorching Sands
Body Press
Rock Blast
Sand Tomb
High Horsepower
Hex
Mud Shot

Notable Moves:
Toxic Spikes
Stealth Rock
Earth Power
Sludge Wave
Ice Beam
Flamethrower
Fire Blast
Thunderbolt
Toxic
Body Press
Taunt
Dragon Tail
Roar
Super Fang

General Overview
Pros:
+ The combination of its bulk and typing allows Nidoqueen to check a multitude of threats in the OU tier such as Clefable, Tapu Koko, Regieleki, and Buzzwole.
+ The said typing gives it the ability to absorb Toxic Spikes as well as a resistance to Steath Rock.
+ Its hidden ability Sheer Force takes advantage of its excellent offensive movepool, allowing it to plow through a wide range of threats in the OU tier depending on the coverage moves it runs.
+ Nidoqueen learns a good amount of support moves such as Toxic Spikes and Stealth Rock to support its team, freeing up moveslots from other offensive teammates.

Cons:
- Nidoqueen lacks a reliable recovery move to take repeated hits. This means that it can be overwhelmed if it tries to check multiple threats in a battle.
- It is walled by Blissey and Chansey while Celesteela is immune to both of its STABs.
- It faces competition with defensive Pokemon with superior defensive stats and reliable recovery as well as with its counterpart Nidoking due to Nidoking's higher Speed stat.

Potential Sets:

Bulky Wallbreaker
Nidoqueen (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes / Stealth Rock
- Sludge Wave
- Earth Power
- Ice Beam

Nidoqueen can use its typing to force switches from Fairy-, Electric-, and Fighting-type Pokemon, giving it opportunities to set up hazards or chunking out the incoming Pokemon. Toxic Spikes pressures the opposing team by wearing down grounded Pokemon that are not immune to the status. Stealth Rock can instead be used if the team cannot fit in a Stealth Rock setter. Sludge Wave is its strongest STAB move, allowing it to dent Fairy- and Grass-types such as Clefable and Tangrowth. Earth Power nails opposing Poison-, Steel-, and Electric-types such as Toxapex, Aegislash, and Regieleki. Ice Beam is a crucial coverage move to hit Ground- and Flying-types such as Hippowdon, Mandibuzz, and Zapdos. The move also allows Nidoqueen to OHKO Landorus-T on the switch. Though hard to fit, Fire Blast can be used to OHKO Ferrothorn and Buzzwole while also getting a 2HKO on Celesteela and specially defensive Corviknight after Stealth Rock. The EV spread allows Nidoqueen to comfortably take hits from the Pokemon it checks while having good firepower. Life Orb and a Modest nature allows Nidoqueen to achieve feats such as an OHKO on Toxapex after Stealth Rock as well as a 2HKO on Mandibuzz and +1 Calm Mind Clefable. 12 Speed EVs can be run to outspeed uninvested Heatran and OHKO it with Earth Power, though Heatran usually runs Speed investment. A spread of 252 HP / 100 Def / 152 SpA allows Nidoqueen to avoid the 2HKO from Choice Band Urshifu's Close Combat at the cost of missing the OHKO on Toxapex after Stealth Rock.

Nidoqueen fits well on balanced and bulky offensive teams that appreciate its hazard setting support. Due to its lack of recovery, it appreciates Wish support from Clefable and Blissey, especially if it wants to lay hazards and check multiple Pokemon at the same time. Nidoqueen cannot break through Blissey, so it likes to be paired with powerful physical attackers such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Urshifu. Landorus-T and Garchomp in particular can run Stealth Rock to leave Nidoqueen room to run Toxic Spikes. Without Fire Blast, Nidoqueen is walled by Corviknight and Celesteela so Fire- and Electric-types such as Rotom-H and Zapdos can make good teammates. The aforementioned Pokemon also cover Nidoqueen's Ground-type weakness. Bulky Water-types such as Toxapex and Suicune can cover Nidoqueen's Water- and Ice-type weaknesses. A Rapid Spin user such as Excadrill can be run over a Defog user so Nidoqueen won't have to set up Toxic Spikes multiple times.

Defensive (credits to Martin)
Nidoqueen (F) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 108 SpD / 12 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock / Toxic Spikes
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Ice Beam

EVs outrun uninvested Tran and take +2 Rotom-H Overheat, +2 HDB Torn Hurricane, two +0 0 SpA LO Clef Ice Beams, two Scalds from Lefties/HDB/AV Raikou, two Magma Storms from timid Heatran, and probably other stuff too. 252 HP hits a Black Sludge number (multiple of 16). More special defense is an option to take on other special attackers including Heatran better, though there will always be a chance for timid Heatran to 2HKO with Magma Storm—>Earth Power even with max/max investment, and this comes at the cost of physical bulk on a mon that kinda likes having some semblance of mixed bulk.


Other Possible Sets?
- A fully defensive set with Scorching Sands and Poison Point?
- Different EV optimization suggestions are welcome.

 

[Eeveeto]

Even when using Nidoqueen instead of Nidoking, I would still use Max Speed on offensive Sets (unless in TR, where its viable actually), in order to outspeed things like defensive Lando, Mandibuzz, Adamant Bisharp and defensive Zapdos among others.

 

[nameless90]

I think that Nidoqueen is good on metagames lower than OU due to the lower Spe than its male counterpart.
Nidoqueen can't even be used as a defensive monster because it doesn't have reliable recovery.

Nidoqueen can shive in VGC thanks to the middling Spe, which is more suited on a TR team and (in that metagame) the extra bulk is always nice.

 

[Martin]

Nidoqueen (F)
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 HP / 136 Def / 108 SpD / 12 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Earth Power
- Sludge Wave
- Ice Beam

EVs outrun uninvested Tran and take +2 Rotom-H Overheat, +2 HDB Torn Hurricane, two +0 0 SpA LO Clef Ice Beams, two Scalds from Lefties/HDB/AV Raikou, two Magma Storms from timid Heatran, and probably other stuff too. 252 HP hits a Black Sludge number (multiple of 16). More special defense is an option to take on other special attackers including Heatran better, though there will always be a chance for timid Heatran to 2HKO with Magma Storm—>Earth Power even with max/max investment, and this comes at the cost of physical bulk on a mon that kinda likes having some semblance of mixed bulk.

 

[Random Teams Yep]

Other Possible Sets?
- A fully defensive set with Scorching Sands and Poison Point?

Always go for Sheer Force. Otherwise Nidoqueen hits like a wet towel, which makes Nidoqueen a perfect (for enemies) set up fodder.

- Different EV optimization suggestions are welcome.

Another option may be 252 HP / 160 Def / 12 Spe / 84 SpD

This EVs spread works if you want to use Nidoqueen as a Landorus-T bait, as people love to switch that Pokemon into Nidoqueen. It allows to survive Neutral Max Attack Earthquake coming from it with Stealth Rock up.

252 Atk Landorus-Therian Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 160+ Def Nidoqueen: 306-360 (79.6 - 93.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

I think Martin's spread is superior, but I personally like when my Nidoqueen is more physically bulky. It's a personal preference really.