Author Update 10/16/2018: This will be changing rapidly, with the advent of moves being available now in the Game Master, as well as the CP re-balance being announced and implemented.
Pokemon GO Empoleon is a Water and Steel type Pokémon, that evolves from Prinplup and is the final evolution of the Generation 4 Water starter Piplup. Stats show it will have a max CP of 2900, an Attack of 210, a Defense of 186, and a Stamina of 197.
Empoleon’s typing is amazing! As a Water & Steel type, it has weaknesses to
- Fighting, Ground, and Electric
while boasting resistances to several types, including:
- Normal, , Rock, Bug, Steel (51%), Water, Psychic, Ice (51%), Dragon, and Fairy.
Finally, it has an immunity tier resistance to Poison types. Take that typical water starter! Take that peasant Blastioise! All hail the penguin king!
Empoleon will be a interestingly typed addition to the meta, and certainly a worthy Water starter, being about on par with Feraligatr and slightly worse than Swampert. Of course it will not be enough to compete with the likes of the Sea Basin Pokémon Kyogre, nor the current king of non-Legendary Water Pokémon, Gyarados, however the eventual expected addition of Hydro Cannon and its Steel typing eliminating Grass weakness is something to consider.
It takes 100 candy to evolve Prinplup into Empoleon.
Empoleon Comparisons
Here, we will have our charts to compare this prideful emperor to other [Steel] and [Water] types both current and future:
Steel Types:
Pokemon | Type | Max CP | Attack | Defense | Stamina | Original Generation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Water Steel | 2900 | 210 | 186 | 197 | IV |
|
Ground Steel | 3134 | 255 | 132 | 220 | V |
|
Bug Steel | 2801 | 236 | 191 | 140 | II |
|
Steel Ground | 2439 | 148 | 333 | 150 | II |
|
Grass Steel | 4362 | 355 | 253 | 118 | VII (UB) |
|
Psychic Steel | 4791 | 280 | 219 | 274 | VII |
|
Steel Psychic | 3637 | 257 | 247 | 160 | III |
|
Steel | 2261 | 143 | 285 | 160 | III |
|
Electric Steel | 2996 | 238 | 217 | 140 | IV |
|
Steel Dragon | 4654 | 302 | 242 | 200 | IV |
|
Fire Steel | 3521 | 251 | 213 | 182 | IV |
|
Steel Fighting | 3009 | 192 | 260 | 182 | V |
|
Bug Steel | 3056 | 252 | 199 | 142 | V |
Water Types:
Pokemon | Type | Max CP | Attack | Defense | Stamina | Original Generation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Water Steel | 2741 | 210 | 193 | 168 | IV |
|
Water | 4074 | 270 | 251 | 182 | III |
|
Water Dragon | 4559 | 308 | 247 | 180 | IV |
|
Water Fighting | 3468 | 260 | 192 | 182 | V |
|
Fire Water | 3460 | 252 | 231 | 160 | VI |
|
Water Dark | 1986 | 243 | 83 | 140 | III |
|
Water | 3281 | 237 | 197 | 190 | I |
|
Water | 3157 | 205 | 177 | 260 | I |
|
Water | 3090 | 210 | 210 | 200 | IV |
|
Water Fairy | 3095 | 232 | 215 | 160 | VII |
|
Water Ice | 2475 | 186 | 323 | 100 | II |
|
Water | 2258 | 175 | 87 | 340 | III |
Empoleon Potential Moves
These are the moves that Empoleon can possibly have, basing it on what moves it learns in the main series. Bold will indicate STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus).
As of 10/16/2018, Empoleon is live and has access to the following moves: Waterfall and Metal Claw for Fast Moves, and Hydro Pump, Blizzard, and Flash Cannon for Charge Moves.
Fast Moves | Charged Moves |
---|---|
Waterfall Water | Hydro Pump Water |
Bubble Beam Water | |
Metal Claw Steel | Surf Water |
Flash Cannon Steel | |
Steel Wing Steel | Grass Knot Grass |
Drill Peck | |
Shadow Claw Ghost | Rock Slide Rock |
Hyper Beam Normal | |
Bubble Water | Bulldoze Ground |
Scald Water | |
Peck | Brine Water |
Tackle Normal | Aerial Ace |
Brick Break Fighting | |
Yawn Normal (We are fairly certain this will not occur, however it can learn it as a egg move.) | Hydro Cannon Water (Community Day move most likely) |
Mud-Slap Ground | Icy Wind Ice |
Blizzard Ice | |
Hidden Power | Water Pulse Water |
Signal Beam Bug | |
Pound Normal | Ice Beam Ice |
Earthquake Ground |
Empoleon in the Meta
As these comparison charts show, the unfortunate part is that everything that Empoleon can do, will be done better by what is either currently available, or will eventually become available in its own generation.
As a Water type, Empoleon will already have to compete with Kyogre and Gyarados, which it simply cannot do. The only benefit it can receive is that it would hopefully get a Community Day and get Hydro Cannon, a fantastic water charge move that can only be learned by Water starters. Not to mention it, unlike Swampert, is at least thankful it has access to the best Water moveset of Waterall and Hydro Pump, making it the premiere water starter as of right now. Hydro Cannon might not have had a significant effect on Blastoise, but seeing as how Empoleon has the highest attack stat of Water type starters up to Generation 4, it might make a significant impact. Although there is one thing to consider, that Kyogre is and for the forseeable future will be the greatest Water type to grace the game. Even Palkia, a Generation 4 Legendary that would surpass Kyogre easily, as of now cannot compete as it, as predicted, was not given a Water fast move as it has no access to any water fast moves currently available.
As for its Steel typing, despite having access to a potential bevy of good Steel type moves, the likes of which the current king of Steel types Metagross can only dream of such as a combo of Steel Wing and Flash Cannon, it simply does not have the stats to back up the good moves. This on top of the fact that Metagross is getting Meteor Mash, which is slated to be a monster of a move that will propel Metagross to being a great generalist and Steel type. Simply put though for the time of Generation IV’s release, A 210 attack stat with better moves does not surpass a 257 attack stat, not to mention the current king is much better in defense, and is only -8 in Stamina. This goes together with two indisputable facts: that Steel typing does not have that much usage in the meta, and that Dialga in Generation 4 will put both Empoleon and Metagross to shame. Empoleon will not be a bad Steel type at all, and since it was given the right moves, it will see some decent usage once Fairy types make their way into raids like Kirlia has. However, there will be better options, especially once Dialga hits the scene.
Weather Influences
Weather | Pro-Empoleon | Pro-Attacker |
---|---|---|
Sunny | – | Boosts Super Effective Ground attacks |
Partly Cloudy | – | – |
Cloudy | – | Boosts Super Effective Fighting attacks |
Rainy | Boosts Water moves Waterfall and Hydro Pump | Boosts Super Effective Electric attacks |
Fog | – | – |
Snow | Boosts STAB Steel moves Metal Claw and Flash Cannon, as well as Blizzard | – |
Windy | – | – |
Shiny Empoleon
While regular Empoleon has a mostly navy blue body, with a lighter blue to accent on its fins and yellow horns and claws, a shiny empoleon, as seen below, takes on a odd teal for its main body. It then has a icy light blue for its fins and tie, while taking a almost slight green tint to the yellow horns.
Regular Empoleon | Shiny Empoleon |
---|---|
Empoleon Pokédex and Fun Facts
- There is currently no other Pokémon that has a typing like Empoleon: Water Steel.
- Diamond entry: “The three horns that extend from its beak attest to its power. The leader has the biggest horns.”
- Heartgold and Soulsilver Entry: “It avoids unnecessary disputes, but it will decimate anything that threatens its pride.”
- It can swim as fast as a jet boat, and its fins can slice through ice, making it slightly scary when you threaten its pride and it decides to fight.