Cacturne Best Moveset
115/115 mixed offenses on Grass/Dark with AbilityWater Absorb granting Water immunity and healing. Held ItemFocus Sash with NatureAdamant guarantees surviving one hit to fire physical dual TermStab. 55 Speed means going second against most threats. The moveset hits hard from either offensive side. Tera Dark amplifies the physical Dark damage.
Dual 115 offenses from Grass/Dark in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). 55 Speed undercut everything. Hit hard from both sides but always moved second.
Best Moves
Best Build
Cacturne best EVs are Sp. Def and Speed
Hazard Setter Moveset
- Spikes
- Giga Drain
- Hidden Power Dark
- Leech Seed
Recommended Teammates
Sand Veil gave evasion in sandstorm in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Sucker Punch provided priority from 115 Attack. Two gens at the same tier despite solid tools.
Support Moveset
- Energy Ball
- Spikes
- Dark Pulse
- Synthesis
Recommended Teammates
Water Absorb healed from Water moves in Gen V (Black & White). Removed one weakness from the Grass/Dark typing. Three gens steady, then the decline started.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Fairy-type resisted Dark STAB in Gen VI (X & Y) and threatened back. Cacturne's five weaknesses grew harder to manage every generation.
Special Attacker Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Spikes
- Spiky Shield
- Dark Pulse
Recommended Teammates
Fell in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). 55 Speed plus five weaknesses on 60/60 defenses. Dual 115 offenses couldn't outrun the matchup problems.
Mixed Attacker Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Spikes
- Dark Pulse
- Giga Drain
Recommended Teammates
Same floor in Gen IX (Scarlet & Violet). Six gens of power without the Speed to use it. Cacturne hit hard from both sides and died to everything.
Physical Tank Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Trailblaze
Recommended Teammates
Cacturne Weakness
Cacturne is weak to Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying, and Fairy. Watch out for Bug attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Psychic-type moves entirely. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Bug |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying, Fairy |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
What is Cacturne Weak Against
FragileBest Pokemon Against Cacturne
Dragapult can KO Cacturne with U-turn (94-111%).
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityInfiltrator ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Dragapult builds →U Turn 4x94-111%KO Draco Meteor77-91% Shadow Ball24-28% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityProtosynthesis ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Great Tusk builds →Rapid Spin24-29% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureRelaxed Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Alomomola builds →Flip Turn8-9% Scald6-7% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityMultiscale ItemHeavy-Duty Boots NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Dragonite builds →Extreme Speed43-51% Earthquake27-32% | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemWellspringmask NatureJolly Moves View Ogerpon-Wellspring builds →
| ||
Evolution
Cacturne is what Cacnea becomes. Breed it for Cacnea eggs (average hatch time). Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Cacnea pushed Cacturne to 475 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +30. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Cacturne to get Cacnea eggs easily using 89 partners from the Plant and Humanshape egg groups.
How to Get Cacturne
2 encounter spots for Cacturne at moderate rates starting from late-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Where To Catch Cacturne in SV
To get Cacturne, start by catching Cacnea through walking encounters at Lv. 18-51. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch CacneaAsado Desert - DesertLv.18-36OverworldRate 54%
Step 2Cacturne ✓Asado Desert - DesertLv.32-51OverworldRate 8%or evolve from Cacnea (Step 1)
16 encounter spots for Cacturne at high spawn rates starting from endgame routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.
Where To Catch Cacturne in BDSP
To get Cacturne, start by catching Cacnea through walking encounters at Lv. 23-63. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch CacneaRoute 228Lv.23-25GrassRate 5%Big Bluff CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameBogsunk CavernLv.58-63GrassPost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameRocky CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameSwampy CaveLv.58-63GrassPost-game
Step 2Cacturne ✓Route 228Lv.52-53GrassRate 40%NightRoute 228Lv.53GrassRate 20%Morning/dayBig Bluff CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameBogsunk CavernLv.58-63GrassPost-gameGrassland CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameRocky CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameSwampy CaveLv.58-63GrassPost-gameor evolve from Cacnea (Step 1)
Cacturne isn't available in the wild in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Start by transferring Cacnea from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Scarlet & Violet. The evolution path from Cacnea to Cacturne is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Cacturne in USUM
Step 1Obtain CacneaLATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Route 111. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Route 111. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Walking · Route 228. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Walking · Route 228. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire via Walking · Route 111. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl via Walking · Route 228. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.- Step 2Cacturne ✓
No wild encounters for Cacturne in Sun & Moon. Bring Cacnea over from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Scarlet & Violet, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
How to Obtain Cacturne in SM
- Step 1Obtain CacneaBREEDINGAvailableLeave Cacturne with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Cacnea egg.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Route 111. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Route 111. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Walking · Route 228. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Walking · Route 228. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire via Walking · Route 111. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl via Walking · Route 228. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
- Step 2Cacturne ✓
Base Stats
Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Cacturne's Attack does the work, Speed pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Attack and Sp. Atk EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It lives in deserts. It becomes active at night when it hunts for prey exhausted from the desert’s heat.
Cacturne Guide
Cacturne looks average on paper at 475 BST. But Water Absorb is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier cannon on our tier list.
Cacturne's biggest threats include Scyther (Bug), Blaziken (Fire), and Lapras (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Scyther is the most dangerous since Bug moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Poison, Flying, and Fairy-type attackers are also a problem. With 7 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Cacturne gets Water Absorb and Sand Veil. But Water Absorb is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Cacturne is a mixed attacker with base 115 Attack and 115 Sp. Atk. Speed tells the real story. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the cannon role.
The core moveset is Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Knock Off, and Trailblaze. Sucker Punch leads at 0% usage. Trailblaze provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Cacturne appears in 14 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
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 6XY
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