Poliwag
Water
Best attacking moveset: Bubble and Bubble Beam, worth 5.3 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Poliwag can learn 6 combinations. Bubble with Bubble Beam 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubble | Water | 10 | 1.0s | +12 |
| Mud Shot | Ground | 4 | 0.5s | +6 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Slam | Normal | 50 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Bubble Beam | Water | 45 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Mud Bomb | Ground | 60 | 2.5s | -33 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Poliwag has been released. Players have found it from: wild, research, photobomb.
Evolution family
Numbers
| Max CP | 937 at level 50, 829 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 473 CP at level 20, or 592 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 433 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 101 attack · 82 defense · 120 stamina |
What it costs
| Candy to evolve | 25 Candy |
|---|---|
| Second charged move | 50,000 Stardust and 50 Candy |
| Buddy distance | 3 km per Candy |
| Purify a Shadow one | 3,000 Stardust and 3 Candy |
| Size | 0.6 m and 12.4 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Poliwag does not have one best moveset, it has 4. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Ground, Rock, Fire.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 7.7 |
| Rock | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 7.7 |
| Fire | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 7.7 |
| Poison | Bubble + Mud Bomb | 6.9 |
| Steel | Bubble + Mud Bomb | 6.9 |
| Electric | Bubble + Mud Bomb | 6.9 |
| Normal | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Fighting | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 | |
| Bug | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Ghost | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Psychic | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Ice | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Dark | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Fairy | Bubble + Bubble Beam | 5.3 |
| Water | Mud Shot + Mud Bomb | 5.1 |
| Dragon | Mud Shot + Mud Bomb | 5.1 |
| Grass | Bubble + Body Slam | 3.9 |
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 Poliwag is actually for.
Counters: what beats Poliwag
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock On + Thunder Cage Legacy | 71.1 |
 Zeraora | Electric | Volt Switch + Plasma Fists | 61.0 |
 Kartana | GrassSteel | Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade | 60.9 |
 Zekrom | DragonElectric | Charge Beam + Fusion Bolt Legacy | 59.6 |
 Xurkitree | Electric | Thunder Shock + Discharge | 59.0 |
 Roserade | GrassPoison | Magical Leaf + Leaf Storm | 51.9 |
 Eternatus | PoisonDragon | Poison Jab + Dynamax Cannon Legacy | 51.7 |
 Deoxys | Psychic | Charge Beam + Thunderbolt | 51.4 |
 Electivire | Electric | Thunder Shock + Wild Charge | 51.0 |
 Zarude | DarkGrass | Vine Whip + Power Whip | 50.9 |
Ranked by damage per second against Poliwag's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.