Empoleon
WaterSteel
Best attacking moveset: Metal Claw and Hydro Cannon, worth 13.4 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Empoleon can learn 20 combinations. Metal Claw with Hydro Cannon does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
That set is legacy. Hydro Cannon is only obtainable with an Elite TM or from the event that gave it out, so the Empoleon you catch today cannot learn it. The best set it can learn now is Steel Wing and Hydro Pump, worth 12.1 damage per second.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Claw | Steel | 6 | 0.5s | +5 |
| Metal Sound | Steel | 4 | 0.5s | +6 |
| Steel Wing | Steel | 14 | 1.0s | +8 |
| Waterfall | Water | 13 | 1.0s | +7 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blizzard | Ice | 130 | 3.0s | -100 |
| Drill Peck | 70 | 2.5s | -33 | |
| Flash Cannon | Steel | 100 | 2.5s | -100 |
| Hydro Pump | Water | 135 | 3.5s | -100 |
| Hydro Cannon Legacy | Water | 90 | 2.0s | -50 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Empoleon has been released. Players have found it from: wild, raid, research, evolution, photobomb.
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 3,279 at level 50, 2,900 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,657 CP at level 20, or 2,072 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,581 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 210 attack · 186 defense · 197 stamina |
What it costs
| Candy to evolve | 25 Candy |
|---|---|
| Second charged move | 10,000 Stardust and 25 Candy |
| Buddy distance | 3 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy |
| Size | 1.7 m and 84.5 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Empoleon does not have one best moveset, it has 6. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Rock, Ground, Fire.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Rock | Steel Wing + Hydro Cannon | 21.0 |
| Ground | Waterfall + Hydro Cannon | 19.6 |
| Fire | Waterfall + Hydro Cannon | 19.6 |
| Ice | Steel Wing + Flash Cannon | 18.0 |
| Fairy | Steel Wing + Flash Cannon | 18.0 |
| Fighting | Metal Claw + Drill Peck | 14.2 |
| Bug | Metal Claw + Drill Peck | 14.2 |
| Grass | Metal Claw + Drill Peck | 14.2 |
| Metal Claw + Blizzard | 14.1 | |
| Dragon | Metal Claw + Blizzard | 14.1 |
| Normal | Metal Claw + Hydro Cannon | 13.4 |
| Poison | Metal Claw + Hydro Cannon | 13.4 |
| Ghost | Metal Claw + Hydro Cannon | 13.4 |
| Psychic | Metal Claw + Hydro Cannon | 13.4 |
| Dark | Metal Claw + Hydro Cannon | 13.4 |
| Steel | Waterfall + Hydro Cannon | 12.2 |
| Electric | Waterfall + Hydro Cannon | 12.2 |
| Water | Metal Claw + Drill Peck | 9.4 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Empoleon is actually for.
Counters: what beats Empoleon
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock On + Thunder Cage Legacy | 33.7 |
 Lucario | FightingSteel | Force Palm + Aura Sphere Legacy | 30.7 |
 Zeraora | Electric | Volt Switch + Plasma Fists | 29.5 |
 Zekrom | DragonElectric | Charge Beam + Fusion Bolt Legacy | 28.8 |
 Xurkitree | Electric | Thunder Shock + Discharge | 28.4 |
 Pheromosa | BugFighting | Low Kick + Focus Blast | 28.1 |
 Terrakion | RockFighting | Double Kick + Sacred Sword Legacy | 28.0 |
 Blaziken | FireFighting | Counter + Aura Sphere | 27.8 |
 Groudon | Ground | Mud Shot + Precipice Blades Legacy | 25.8 |
 Conkeldurr | Fighting | Force Palm + Focus Blast | 25.6 |
Ranked by damage per second against Empoleon's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.