Stats & Training
The stat budget goes to damage. Speed and Attack carry the offense, Sp. Def doesn't even come close. A Hostile Pokemon on a medium-fast 1M XP curve, worth 2 Speed EVs per KO.
Even Basculin, which devours everything it can with its huge jaws, is nothing more than food to organisms stronger than itself.
Some people call it “the thug of the lake.” Whether the differences in color are meaningful is not yet known.
Basculin Weakness
Type-wise, Basculin takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Basculin leans offensive (base 92 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
 Sceptile Grass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Sceptile builds →Leaf Storm 2x170-201%KO Leaf Blade 2x88-103%KO Mega Drain 2x54-64% Absorb 2x28-33% | ||
 Decidueye GrassGhost | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Rowlet (Route 1 Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Decidueye builds →Leaf Storm 2x163-192%KO Leaf Blade 2x107-126%KO Razor Leaf 2x66-79% Leafage 2x49-58% | ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Venusaur builds →Petal Dance 2x151-178%KO Solar Beam 2x151-178%KO Petal Blizzard 2x86-101%KO Razor Leaf 2x54-64% | ||
 Leafeon Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Paniola Ranch Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Leafeon builds →Leaf Blade 2x109-128%KO Giga Drain 2x65-77% Magical Leaf 2x52-62% Razor Leaf 2x68-81% | ||
 Lurantis Grass | C | |
Obtain MethodHeahea Beach Gift Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Lurantis builds →Solar Blade 2x144-170%KO Petal Blizzard 2x106-124%KO Leaf Blade 2x106-124%KO Razor Leaf 2x65-77% | ||
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Zapdos can KO Basculin with Thunderbolt (151-177%). Kartana's Knock Off hits Basculin for 46-54%. Amoonguss deals 81-96% with Giga Drain.
 Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave26-31% Thunderbolt 2x151-177%KO | ||
 Kartana GrassSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Kartana builds →Knock Off46-54% | ||
 Amoonguss GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemBlack Sludge NatureSassy Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Amoonguss builds →Giga Drain 2x81-96% | ||
 Rotom ElectricGhost | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemColbur Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Basculin View Rotom builds →Volt Switch 2x84-99% Hex39-46% | ||
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Evolution
Basculin doesn't evolve by leveling. You'll need a unique condition to push it forward to Basculegion. Evolving adds up to 70 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Basculin with 25 breeding partners from the Water2 egg group. Pass egg moves like Agility, Brine, Bubble Beam and 7 more to offspring.
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Basculin Best Moveset
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
Breeding's the move. Agility and Brine give Basculin options it can't learn any other way, and coverage across 8 types already covers a decent range on top of Aqua Tail and Surf. The egg moves push it further.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Basculin Locations
Easy grab on Basculin with decent spawn rates across 16 locations in early-game fishing spots. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.
Best Locations to Catch Basculin in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Catching Basculin here means fishing. All 16 encounters require Super Rod at Lv. 10-51, and there aren't any overworld spawns in this game.
Basculin Guide
Basculin is meant to evolve into Basculegion. At 460 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Adaptability is what you want on Basculin. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Reckless, Mold Breaker) work on paper but Adaptability is what makes Basculin worth using.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Mold Breaker is the hidden ability. It bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent a move. Worth hunting for if you want Basculin to compete at a higher level.
Base 98 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Basculin is a mixed attacker with base 92 Attack and 80 Sp. Atk.
Game Availability
Basculin joined the series in Black & White and has been available in 9 titles so far. With 6 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BWDebut
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves