Stats & Training
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.
Packs of them follow travelers through the desert until the travelers can no longer move.
It lives in deserts. It becomes active at night when it hunts for prey exhausted from the desert’s heat.
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 |
 Ribombee BugFairy | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Ribombee builds →Pollen Puff 4x203-240%KO Bug Buzz 4x203-240%KO Dazzling Gleam 2x91-108%KO Leech Life 4x123-145%KO | ||
 Scyther Bug | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Scyther builds →X-Scissor 4x207-244%KO Air Slash 2x56-66% Brick Break 2x64-76% U-turn 4x183-215%KO | ||
 Leavanny BugGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Leavanny builds →X-Scissor 4x197-232%KO Poison Jab 2x66-77% Bug Bite 4x148-174%KO Aerial Ace 2x49-58% | ||
 Vikavolt BugElectric | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Vikavolt builds →Bug Buzz 4x292-343%KO Poison Jab 2x48-57% X-Scissor 4x144-170%KO Air Slash 2x82-97% | ||
 Scolipede BugPoison | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Scolipede builds →Megahorn 4x285-335%KO Sludge Bomb 2x68-81% Poison Jab 2x94-112%KO X-Scissor 4x190-223%KO | ||
In Sun & Moon, Cobalion can KO Cacturne with Close Combat (165-194%). Volcanion threatens a KO with Fire Blast (273-321%). Tapu Koko's Dazzling Gleam also KOs at 160-189%.
 Cobalion SteelFighting | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityJustified ItemFightiniumz NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Cobalion builds →Close Combat 2x165-194%KO Stone Edge46-54% | ||
 Volcanion FireWater | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Volcanion builds →Sludge Bomb 2x149-176%KO Fire Blast 2x273-321%KO | ||
 Tapu Koko ElectricFairy | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityElectric Surge ItemChoice Specs NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Tapu Koko builds →Thunderbolt45-53% Volt Switch35-41% Dazzling Gleam 2x160-189%KO | ||
 Mamoswine IceGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityThickfat ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Mamoswine builds →Earthquake63-74% Ice Shard 2x101-119%KO Knock Off27-32% | ||
 Toxapex PoisonWater | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRegenerator ItemBlack Sludge NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Toxapex builds →Scald13-16% | ||
Sun & Moon 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 67 partners from the Plant and Humanshape egg groups. Notable egg moves include Acid, Belch, Block and 14 more.
Sun & Moon Cacturne Best Moveset
For a hazard lead, Cacturne wants max Attack without Speed EVs and Life Orb. The Brave nature tilts toward slow physical duty, and Waterabsorb contributes without taking a move slot.
Best Build
Cacturne best EVs are Attack and Sp. Atk
Mixed Attacker Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Spikes
- Dark Pulse
- Giga Drain
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Mixed Attacker Moveset
- Destiny Bond
- Dark Pulse
- Energy Ball
- Thunder Punch
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Cacturne gets Acid and Belch exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Poison and Fighting coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Solar Beam and Energy Ball.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Cacturne in Sun & Moon
No wild encounters for Cacturne in Sun & Moon. Bring Cacnea over from Ruby, Emerald, or Scarlet, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
How to Obtain Cacturne in Sun & Moon
Step 1Obtain CacneaAlso found in:
Step 2Cacturne ✓
Cacturne Guide
In Sun & Moon, 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. Sucker Punch with Life Orb is the standard set.
In Sun & Moon, 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 leaning toward the physical side (base 115 Attack). Speed tells the real story. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the cannon role.
For Sun & Moon, the core moveset is Sucker Punch, Spikes, Dark Pulse, and Giga Drain. Sucker Punch leads at 22% usage. This set covers the cannon role with a mix of damage and utility.
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 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
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