Nidoking

Nidoking manages to find a niche in the Stadium OU metagame as a mixed sweeper thanks to Focus Energy. The move boosts its critical hit rate to a fearsome 62%, which, alongside its perfect coverage and decent attacking stats to back them up, allows it to deal huge damage. In addition, Nidoking has a solid Speed tier that enables it to outpace everything up to Articuno. Its typing isn't entirely without merit, either, as it walls Jolteon and grants it an important immunity to Thunder Wave, a trait that is unique among viable Focus Energy users.

Nidoking has its drawbacks, though. Its horrid defensive typing burdens it with weaknesses to Psychic, Ice, and Ground and leaves it without a resistance to Flying, making it a shakier Zapdos check than Rhydon and Golem. To make matters worse, it's outsped by metagame staples such as Alakazam, Starmie, and Tauros, all of which 2HKO Nidoking. This fragility makes paralysis support a necessity to get the most out of Nidoking. On that note, while Nidoking itself is immune to Thunder Wave, it still hates paralysis and can be crippled by Body Slam or Stun Spore. Additionally, Nidoking is unreliable, as it requires setup and, even after setting up, scoring a critical hit is inconsistent. Nevertheless, with the proper support, it can be an effective addition to a team.