Quick facts
Overview
Gigantamax Kingler turns the classic crustacean into a towering pincered titan — G-Max Crustacean slams create huge water shockwaves and often add hazard-style effects (piercing armor or knockback) in Sword & Shield Max Raids. In Pokémon GO, expect massive HP and repeated heavy Water/STAB moves; Kingler can also carry surprising coverage like Rock Slide, X-Scissor or even Earthquake in special event variants.
Pro tip: Kingler's sheer physical strength makes counters that both exploit its Water typing and survive its heavy physical hits the best choices — think Electric and Grass attackers, but avoid pure Water attackers unless neutralizing coverage.
Weakness & Typing
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Weak to |
 Electric •
 Grass
|
| Resists |
 Fire •
 Water •
 Ice •
 Steel
|
| Notes | Kingler’s G-Max move (G-Max Foam Burst) and high HP make sustained DPS and survivability important. Rainy weather boosts its Water moves—expect faster Max Meter gain in rain. |
Best Pokemon
Gigantamax-type Counters
- Charizard
- Lapras
- Toxtricity
Dynamax-type Counters
- Zapdos
- Rillaboom
- Toxtricity
- Venusaur
- Cryogonal
- Excadrill
Best Gigantamax Counters
Gigantamax Pokémon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Gigantamax counters with short notes on why they excel vs G-Max Kingler.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Gigantamax Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gigantamax Charizard | Air Slash, Fire Spin | G-Max Wildfire | Overheat, Fire Blast, Dragon Claw | Dragon Breath, Ember, Wing Attack, Flamethrower, Blast Burn | Fire Spin(13) and G-Max Wildfire(350) |
| Gigantamax Blastoise | Bite, Water Gun, Rollout | G-Max Cannonade | Flash Cannon, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Skull Bash | Hydro Cannon | Rollout(15) and G-Max Cannonade(350) |
| Gigantamax Lapras | Frost Breath, Water Gun, Psywave | G-Max Resonance | Blizzard, Hydro Pump, Surf, Skull Bash, Sparkling Aria | Ice Shard, Ice Beam, Dragon Pulse | Frost Breath(11) and G-Max Resonance(350) |
| Gigantamax Snorlax | Lick, Zen Headbutt | G-Max Replenish | Heavy Slam, Earthquake, Hyper Beam, Outrage, Skull Bash, Body Slam, Superpower | Yawn | Zen Headbutt(11) and G-Max Replenish(350) |
| Gigantamax Gengar | Sucker Punch, Shadow Claw, Hex | G-Max Terror | Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Focus Blast, Drain Punch | Lick, Dark Pulse, Shadow Punch, Sludge Wave, Psychic | Hex(8) and G-Max Terror(350) |
| Gigantamax Venusaur | Vine Whip, Razor Leaf | G-Max Vine Lash | Sludge, Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam | Frenzy Plant | Razor Leaf(13) and G-Max Vine Lash(350) |
| Gigantamax Toxtricity | Spark, Poison Jab, Acid | G-Max Stun Shock | Acid Spray, Wild Charge, Discharge, Power-Up Punch | - | Poison Jab(13) and G-Max Stun Shock(350) |
Dynamax & Support Picks
Not every raid group will have multiple Gigantamax picks. Dynamax Pokémon make excellent support, either by adding burst damage or soaking time during G-Max residual windows.
| Pokémon | Dynamax Moves | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamax Machamp | Max Knuckle, Max Steelspike | Bullet Punch, Counter | Heavy Slam, Dynamic Punch, Close Combat, Rock Slide, Cross Chop | Karate Chop, Stone Edge, Submission, Payback |
| Dynamax Metagross | Max Mindstorm, Max Flutterby, Max Steelspike | Zen Headbutt, Bullet Punch, Fury Cutter | Flash Cannon, Psychic, Earthquake | Meteor Mash |
| Dynamax Falinks | Max Knuckle | Rock Smash, Counter | Superpower, Brick Break, Megahorn | - |
| Dynamax Moltres | Max Flare, Max Airstream | Fire Spin, Wing Attack | Fire Blast, Overheat, Heat Wave, Ancient Power | Sky Attack |
| Dynamax Excadrill | Max Quake, Max Steelspike | Metal Claw, Mud Slap, Mud Shot | Rock Slide, Earthquake, Drill Run, Iron head, Scorching Sands | - |
| Dynamax Gengar | Max Darkness, Max Phantasm | Sucker Punch, Hex, Shadow Claw | Focus Blast, Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb, Drain Punch, Shadow Punch | Lick, Psychic, Dark Pulse, Sludge Wave |
| Dynamax Inteleon | Max Geyser, Max Strike | Pound, Water Gun | Water Pulse, Surf, Shadow Ball | - |
| Dynamax Zapdos | Max Lightning | Charge Beam | Zap Cannon, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Ancient Power, Drill Peck | Thunder Shock |
| Dynamax Rillaboom | Max Overgrowth, Max Strike | Scratch, Razor Leaf | Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Earth Power | - |
| Dynamax Bulbasaur | Max Overgrowth, Max Strike | Tackle, Vine Whip | Power Whip, Seed Bomb, Sludge Bomb | - |
| Dynamax Kingler | Max Geyser, Max Quake, Max Steelspike | Metal Claw, Bubble | Vise Grip, Water Pulse, X-Scissor, Crabhammer, Razor Shell | Mud Shot |
| Dynamax Unfezant | Max Airstream, Max Steelspike | Air Slash, Steel Wing | Heat Wave, Hyper Beam, Sky Attack | - |
| Dynamax Greedent | Max Strike, Max Darkness, Max Overgrowth, Max Quake | Tackle, Bite, Bullet Seed, Mud Shot | Body Slam, Crunch, Tailblaze | - |
| Dynamax Ivysaur | Max Overgrowth | Razor Leaf, Vine Whip | Power Whip, Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam | - |
| Dynamax Blissey | Max Strike, Max Mindstorm | Pound, Zen Headbutt | Dazzling Gleam, Hyper Beam, Psychic | Wild Charge |
| Dynamax Toxtricity | Max Lightning, Max Ooze | Acid, Spark, Poison Jab | Acid Spray, Discharge, Wild Charge, Power-Up Punch | - |
| Dynamax Thwackey | Max Strike, Max Overgrowth | Scratch, Razor Leaf | Energy Ball, Grass Knot | - |
| Dynamax Dubwool | Max Strike, Max Knuckle | Tackle, Take Down, Double Kick | Wild Charge, Payback, Body Slam | - |
| Dynamax Venusaur | Max Overgrowth | Razor Leaf, Vine Whip | Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam, Sludge | Frenzy Plant |
| Dynamax Cryogonal | Max Hailstorm | Ice Shard, Frost Breath | Aurora Beam, Night Slash, Solar Beam, Water Pulse, Triple Axel | - |
Moves & Threats
Kingler common fast moves are Metal Claw or Bubble. Charged moves include Vise Grip or X-Scissor or Water Pulse or Crabhammer and Razor Shell. Elite moves include Mud Shot. G-Max Foam Burst not only delivers heavy damage but also leaves a damaging area for a short time — timing your swaps and using at least one bulky support reduces wipe risk.
Weather Effects & Battle Flow
Rainy wether : boosts Water damage. Sunny weather : boosts Grass attackers.
Gigantamax Kingler's Crabhammer hits very hard — keep at least one high-survivability Electric or Grass attacker to finish the raid if your main DPS faint.
Battle Tips
- Use Electric or Grass teams (depending on availability) and stack DPS early — front-loading shortens the timer pressure.
- Keep a Blissey/Lapras or other high-TDO slot to soak Max Moves in large lobbies.
- Avoid using many Water/Fire/Steel attackers — they’re resisted and lower effective DPS.
- Star/favorite teams to reduce relobby time and coordinate Mega leads if your group agrees to use them.
Size
Recommended: 15–20 trainers for comfortable clears with mixed player levels. With many Gigantamax / Dynamax counters, 10–14 can work. Under 8 trainers should be attempted only if all participants are high-level and coordinated with ideal counters and Dynamax/G-Max boosts.
Rewards
Reasons include Pokédex entry, strong Water attacker, shiny chance, and XL Candy farming.
When To Avoid
Avoid using Water or Ground attackers — they deal little damage and faint quickly to Kingler’s charged moves.
Raid Strategy & Catch Tips
If you lack top attackers, budget Electric Pokémon also perform well. If Kingler uses Crabhammer or Hydro Pump, conserve shields for your highest-DPS Electric attackers. After winning, use Golden Razz for your best chance to catch a high-IV Gigantamax Kingler. Silver Pinap is useful when farming Candy.
FAQ
What is Gigantamax Kingler type and weakness?
Kingler is a Water type. It is weak to Electric, Grass type moves.
What are good counters for G-Max Foam Burst?
Strong electric and grass attackers such as Gigantamax Toxtricity, Gigantamax Venusaur, Gigantamax Gengar, Gigantamax Snorlax, Dynamax Inteleon, Dynamax Toxtricity.
Can Gigantamax Kingler be shiny?
Yes, but in certain events.
Is Gigantamax Kingler catchable after the raid?
Yes — standard raid catch mechanics apply.
Does weather change move sets?
Rain weather boosts Water attackers, Sunny weather boosts Grass attackers.
Conclusion
Gigantamax Kingler is a mechanically interesting raid boss: its Water type is predictable, but the G-Max residual damage forces teams to plan for survivability, not just pure DPS. Prioritize Electric and Grass Gigantamax picks, add Dynamax support for sustained windows, and include at least one high-TDO tank if your lobby is smaller. With the counters and tactics above, you’ll clear Kingler efficiently and maximize your rewards.