Barbaracle Best Moveset
Mega Barbaracle shifts from Rock/Water to Rock/Fighting at 140 Attack with 130 Defense. The type change drops Water TermStab but adds Fighting coverage, and the physical stats dominate on both sides. 88 Speed keeps cooldowns competitive. The moveset reclassifies when the Mega meter fills.
Tough Claws boosted contact moves by 33% in Gen VI (X & Y). Shell Smash plus Tough Claws Stone Edge and Cross Chop swept after one boost. Between tiers on debut.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Razor Shell
- Hone Claws
- Rock Tomb
Recommended Teammates
Same Shell Smash formula in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). Between tiers for two gens. One boost was devastating, but Barbaracle was too frail to set up against prepared teams.
Best Moves
Best Build
Barbaracle best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Liquidation
- Stone Edge
- Razor Shell
Recommended Teammates
Three gens between tiers in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). Shell Smash was always one tier too strong for below and one tier too inconsistent for above.
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Cross Chop
- Rock Slide
- Liquidation
Recommended Teammates
Barbaracle Weakness
Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground moves hit Barbaracle for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. The Rock/Water typing picks up 5 resistances to work with. Barbaracle's physical bulk (base 115 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
What is Barbaracle Weak Against
VulnerableBest Pokemon Against Barbaracle
Breloom deals 54-63% with Bullet Seed.
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Alomomola builds →Flip Turn11-13% Scald12-14% | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureRelaxed Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemLoaded Dice NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Breloom builds →Mach Punch 2x42-49% Bullet Seed 4x54-63% | ||
 Raikou Electric | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityInnerfocus ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Barbaracle View Raikou builds →Scald48-56% Thunderbolt 2x161-189%KO Volt Switch 2x125-147%KO | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves View Landorus-Therian builds →
| ||
Evolution
Barbaracle is what Binacle becomes. Breed it for Binacle eggs (average hatch time). A decent partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Binacle pushed Barbaracle to 500 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +53. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Barbaracle to get Binacle eggs easily using 37 partners from the Water3 egg group.
How to Get Barbaracle
Barbaracle appears at moderate rates across 2 spots in late-game routes. Sort by Best below if you want the highest rate, or Earliest if you want the quickest access point in your playthrough.
Where To Catch Barbaracle in LZA
Binacle is your first catch on the way to Barbaracle. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 5-65 across 7 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch BinacleWild Zone 2Lv.5-7OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 2Lv.6-8OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 5Lv.13-14OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 6Lv.19-20OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 6Lv.32-34OverworldLegends: Z-A- Step 2Barbaracle ✓Wild Zone 16Lv.41-43OverworldLegends: Z-AWild Zone 20Lv.64-65OverworldLegends: Z-Aor evolve from Binacle (Step 1)
A handful of locations for Barbaracle with high spawn rates across late-game routes. The sort toggle below swaps between best odds and earliest access, so you can approach it based on where you are in the game.
Where To Catch Barbaracle in SwSh
To get Barbaracle, start by catching Binacle through walking encounters at Lv. 20-52. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch BinacleBridge FieldLv.26-28GrassRate 30%RainingMotostoke RiverbankLv.26-28GrassRate 30%RainingBridge FieldLv.26-28GrassRate 25%ThunderstormGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24OverworldRate 15%All WeatherGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%OvercastGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%SandstormGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%ThunderstormGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%SnowstormGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%RainingGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%Intense SunGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveSwordRate 10%All WeatherGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%Heavy FogGalar Mine No. 2Lv.20-24CaveShieldRate 10%Snowing
Step 2Barbaracle ✓Dusty BowlLv.40-45GrassRate 30%RainingRoute 9 - in Circhester BayLv.39-43OverworldShieldRate 20%All WeatherRoute 9 - in Circhester BayLv.39-43OverworldSwordRate 10%All WeatherLake of OutrageLv.50-52GrassRate 2%Rainingor evolve from Binacle (Step 1)
Barbaracle waits at a fixed spot in this game. Head to Ultra Space Wilds for a one-time encounter. No random spawns or encounter rates involved — it's a set battle at a known location.
How to Obtain Barbaracle in USUM
- Step 1Obtain Binacle
- Step 2Barbaracle ✓Ultra Space Wilds - WaterfallLv.60Interact with Pokemonor evolve from Binacle (Step 1)
No wild encounters for Barbaracle in Sun & Moon. Bring Binacle over from X & Y, Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, or Legends: Z-A, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
How to Obtain Barbaracle in SM
- Step 1Obtain BinacleBREEDINGAvailableLeave Barbaracle with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Binacle egg.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Rock smash · Ambrette Town. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire via Rock smash · Mirage Spots. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Sword & ShieldNot TradeableAppears in Sword & Shield via Walking · Bridge Field · Raining. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Legends: Z-ANot TradeableAppears in Legends: Z-A via Overworld · Wild Zone 5. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
- Step 2Barbaracle ✓
Base Stats
Barbaracle's built to absorb hits, not race for knockouts. Physical bulk with Defense doing the heavy lifting. And the medium-fast 1M XP curve means it won't take forever to bring up, worth 2 Attack EVs.
Seven Binacle come together to form one Barbaracle. The Binacle that serves as the head gives orders to those serving as the limbs.
Barbaracle Guide
Barbaracle looks average on paper at 500 BST. But Tough Claws is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier attacker on our tier list.
Barbaracle gets Tough Claws, Sniper, and Pickpocket. But Tough Claws is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Barbaracle is a physical attacker with base 105 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. At base 68 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the attacker role.
Run Shellsmash, Liquidation, Stone Edge, and Poisonjab on Barbaracle. Shellsmash is the most common pick at 0% usage. Liquidation provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Since X & Y, Barbaracle has been obtainable in 6 games. A Generation 6 debut means a shorter history, but Barbaracle has appeared steadily across every generation since.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XYDebut
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves