Without Water Absorb, Cacturne wouldn't see any competitive play. With it? It heals when hit by Water moves, turning modest base stats into a real offensive threat. Grass/Dark is solid coverage on top of that. It relies on priority moves or Scarf to keep up.
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 becomes active at night, seeking prey that is exhausted from the day’s desert heat.
Packs of them follow travelers through the desert until the travelers can no longer move.
Cacturne Weakness
FragileCacturne is weak to Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying, and Fairy-type moves. 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.
Cacturne is what Cacnea becomes. Breed it for Cacnea eggs (average hatch time). No compatible 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.
How to Evolve
Breed with Cacturne to get Cacnea eggs easily from the Plant and Humanshape egg groups. Notable egg moves include Acid, Belch, Block and 14 more.
For a hazard lead, Cacturne wants max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs and Life Orb. The Timid nature tilts toward fast special duty, and Waterabsorb contributes without taking a move slot.
Best Build
Best Cacturne Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Spikes
- Spiky Shield
- Dark Pulse
Recommended Teammates
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
Cacturne isn't available in the wild in X & Y. Start by transferring Cacnea from Ruby, Emerald, or Scarlet. The evolution path from Cacnea to Cacturne is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Cacturne in X & Y
Step 1Obtain CacneaCatch in the wild in:
Then trade to X & Y to continue the evolution chain.
Also found in:
Step 2Cacturne ✓
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.
Cacnea evolves into Cacturne at level 32. Cacturne is the fully evolved form. It sits at 475 BST in its evolved form.
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). But the speed tells the real story — at base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the cannon role.
Cacturne appears in 14 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Cacturne appears in 14 games across 7 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A