Quick facts
Type: Water
Weaknesses: Electric, Grass
Recommended lobby: 15–20 trainers
Gigantamax Kingler turns this Water-type crustacean into a giant clawed menace in Pokémon GO raids. Its massive claws can smash through defenses, making it a formidable opponent even for prepared trainers. Knowing its weaknesses and optimal counters is key to victory.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Best Gigantamax Counters Dynamax & Support Picks Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQsOverview
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. |
Pro tip: Use Electric or Grass Pokémon to exploit Kingler’s shell weakness. Avoid Water-types; they’ll barely scratch it.
Best Pokemon
Gigantamax-type Counters
- Rillaboom (Scratch / G-Max Drum Solo)
- Venusaur (Vine Whip / G-Max Vine Lash)
- Toxtricity (Spark / G-Max Stun Shock)
- Flapple (Dragon Breath / G-Max Tartness)
Dynamax-type Counters
- Zapdos (Thunder Shock / Max Lightning)
- Rillaboom (Razor Leaf / Max Overgrowth)
- Raikou (Volt Switch / Max Lightning)
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 Rillaboom | Razor Leaf, Scratch | G-Max Drum Solo | Grass Knot, Energy Ball, Earth Power | - | Razor Leaf(13) and G-Max Drum Solo(350) |
| Gigantamax Toxtricity | Spark, Poison Jab, Acid | G-Max Stun Shock | Discharge, Wild Charge, Acid Spray, Power Up Punch | - | Poison Jab(13) and G-Max Stun Shock(350) |
| Gigantamax Flapple | Dragon Breath, Bullet Seed | G-Max Tartness | Seed Bomb, Dragon Pulse, Outrage, Fly | - | Bullet Seed(7) and G-Max Tartness(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 Appletun | Astonish, Bullet Seed | G-Max Sweetness | Seed Bomb, Dragon Pulse, Energy Ball, Outrage | Yawn | Astonish / Bullet Seed(7) and G-Max Sweetness(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 Duraludon | Metal Claw, Dragon Tail | G-Max Depletion | Hyper Beam, Flash Cannon, Dragon Claw | - | Dragon Tail(14) and G-Max Depletion(350) |
| Gigantamax Hatterene | Psycho Cut, Confusion, Charm | G-Max Smite | Psyshock, Dazzling Gleam, Psychic, Power Whip | - | Charm(20) and G-Max Smite(350) |
| Gigantamax Machamp | Bullet Punch, Counter | G-Max Chi Strike | Cross Chop, Rock Slide, Close Combat, Dynamic Punch, Heavy Slam | Karate Chop, Stone Edge, Submission, Payback | Counter(13) and G-Max Chi Strike(350) |
| Gigantamax Grimmsnarl | Bite, Sucker Punch, Low Kick | G-Max Snooze | Dark Pulse, Play Rough, Foul Play, Power Up Punch | - | Bite(6) and G-Max Snooze(350) |
| Gigantamax Alcremie | Tackle, Charm | G-Max Finale | Psyshock, Dazzling Gleam, Energy Ball | - | Charm(20) and G-Max Finale(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 Zapdos | Max Lightning | Charge Beam | Zap Cannon, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Ancient Power, Drill Peck | Thunder Shock |
| Dynamax Raikou | Max Lightning | Thunder Shock, Volt Switch | Shadow Ball, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Wild Charge, Aura Sphere | - |
| Dynamax Jolteon | Max Lightning | Thunder Shock, Volt Switch | Discharge, Thunderbolt, Thunder | Last Resort, Zap Cannon |
| Dynamax Rillaboom | Max Overgrowth, Max Strike | Scratch, Razor Leaf | Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Earth Power | - |
| Dynamax Toxtricity | Max Lightning, Max Ooze | Acid, Spark, Poison Jab | Acid Spray, Discharge, Wild Charge, Power-Up Punch | - |
| Eternatus | Dynamax Cannon | Dragon Tail, Poison Jab | Sludge Bomb, Dragon Pulse, Flamethrower | - |
| Dynamax Leafeon | Max Overgrowth | Quick Attack, Razor Leaf | Solar Beam, Leaf Blade, Energy Ball | Bullet Seed, Last Resort |
| Dynamax Venusaur | Max Overgrowth | Razor Leaf, Vine Whip | Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam, Sludge | Frenzy Plant |
| Dynamax Thwackey | Max Strike, Max Overgrowth | Scratch, Razor Leaf | Energy Ball, Grass Knot | - |
| Dynamax Latios | Max Wyrmwind, Max Mindstorm | Dragon Breath, Zen Headbutt | Psychic, Solar Beam, Dragon Claw, Aura Sphere | Luster Purge |
| Dynamax Espeon | Max Mindstorm | Confusion, Zen Headbutt | Psybeam, Psychic, Future Sight, Psychic Fangs | Last Resort, Shadow Ball |
| 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 Metagross | Max Mindstorm, Max Flutterby, Max Steelspike | Zen Headbutt, Bullet Punch, Fury Cutter | Flash Cannon, Psychic, Earthquake | Meteor Mash |
| Dynamax Excadrill | Max Quake, Max Steelspike | Metal Claw, Mud Slap, Mud Shot | Rock Slide, Earthquake, Drill Run, Iron Head, Scorching Sands | - |
| Dynamax Urshifu | Max Geyser, Max Knuckle | Rock Smash, Counter, Waterfall | Brick Break, Dynamic Punch, Close Combat, Aqua Jet | - |
| Dynamax Moltres | Max Flare, Max Airstream | Fire Spin, Wing Attack | Fire Blast, Overheat, Heat Wave, Ancient Power | Sky Attack |
| Dynamax Ivysaur | Max Overgrowth | Razor Leaf, Vine Whip | Power Whip, Sludge Bomb, Solar Beam | - |
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.
Threats: Crabhammer – devastating STAB Water move.
Tip: Prioritize dodging Crabhammer to keep your counters alive longe.
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
- Lead with Electric-types for max DPS.
- Grass-types exploit Water typing.
- Avoid using Water- or Ice-types—they resist Kingler’s moves.
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 Rillaboom, Gigantamax Flapple, Dynamax Zapdos, Dynamax Raikou.
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.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Gigantamax Flapple Raid Guide, Gigantamax Rillaboom Raid Guide, Gigantamax Toxtricity Raid Guide
Summary
- Lead with Electric or Grass Pokémon
- Dodge Crabhammer
- Exploit Water typing weaknesses
- Use weather boosts to maximize damage