Poliwag → Poliwhirl → Poliwrath
2-cost fighter · Water / Fighting · melee · #3 of 16 2-cost Pokémon in our tier list.
Synergies
Water Water types gain +6/24/30 extra Energy per attack. Active at 2 / 4 / 6. Other Water Pokémon: Squirtle, Magikarp, Psyduck, Slowpoke, Seel, Vaporeon, Lapras, Staryu, Shellder.
Fighting Fighting types deal +80/160% damage with their attacks and have Drain: they heal 20% of the damage they deal. Active at 2 / 4. Other Fighting Pokémon: Machop, Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan.
Abilities
In Kanto Tactics each star level has its own ability. It casts on its own when Energy is full (+10 Energy per attack, more when hit).
★ Poliwag: Bubble
Hits its target: 226.
Water · Mixed (40% Attack, 60% Sp. Atk) · 50 Energy (starts with 10)
★★ Poliwhirl: HypnosisSleeps the carry
Hypnotizes the enemy that has dealt the most damage and puts it to sleep for 3s. Power 281.
Psychic · Mixed (30% Attack, 70% Sp. Atk) · 65 Energy
★★★ Poliwrath: SubmissionDrags 2
A tackle that drags its target 2 hexes without letting go. If it collides, it is knocked airborne. Power 1433.
Fighting · Physical · 80 Energy
Stats
| Star | HP | Attack | Sp. Atk | Defense | Sp. Def | Atk speed | Crit | Range | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ Poliwag | 1,506 | 78 | 50 | 60 | 55 | 0.88 | 6% | 1 | 50 |
| ★★ Poliwhirl | 2,453 | 117 | 76 | 84 | 64 | 1.01 | 6% | 1 | 65 |
| ★★★ Poliwrath | 4,547 | 248 | 161 | 115 | 102 | 0.93 | 6% | 1 | 80 |
Without items or synergies. A shiny copy (1 in 200 in the shop) has +10% HP, defenses and damage.
Best items
Poliwag as the carry of a full board, every 3-item combination of its class tested against the same field.
| Items | Win rate |
|---|---|
 Quick Claw  Focus Sash Focus Sash | 14% |
 Shell Bell Shell Bell Focus Sash | 14% |
 Choice Specs Quick Claw Focus Sash | 13% |
| Choice Specs Focus Sash Focus Sash | 13% |
| Choice Specs Quick Claw Quick Claw | 12% |
Where you fight it in the campaign
These Campaign trainers can field it: Cerulean Gym · Misty, S.S. Anne · Sailor, Route 12 · Fisherman, Route 19 · Swimmer, Route 21 · Fisherman, Elite Four · Bruno.