Carracosta was practically built for Trick Room teams. Swift Swim doubles its Speed in rain, and 133 base Defense gives it real offensive presence. Introduced in Gen 5. Watch the Grass matchup though — quadruple damage means one hit can end it.
Defense leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Carracosta's stat line in a nutshell. 3 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 2 Defense EVs.
They can live both in the ocean and on land. A slap from one of them is enough to open a hole in the bottom of a tanker.
Incredible jaw strength enables them to chew up steel beams and rocks along with their prey.
Carracosta Weakness
VulnerableGrass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground-type moves hit Carracosta for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Solid Rock reduces SE moves damage, further improving the defensive spread. Carracosta's physical bulk (base 133 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Evolved from Tirtouga. Carracosta is the final form in this two-stage line. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Attack grew the most through evolution (+30 over Tirtouga), and Carracosta peaks at 495 total stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Carracosta to get Tirtouga eggs using 78 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bide, Body Slam, Flail and 6 more.
Start with max Attack and Speed EVs. Adamant nature gives Carracosta the right physical lean, Salacberry adds extra utility, and Sturdy works in the background. Waterfall is the main damage option.
Best Build
Best Carracosta Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
Recommended Teammates
Without breeding, Carracosta misses out on Bide and Body Slam. That's 9 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Stone Edge, with Normal and Dark coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
You're catching Tirtouga first, not Carracosta. Tirtouga appears but it's a rare spawn in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Carracosta in Black & White
Step 1Catch TirtougaMODERATENacrene City - Nacrene MuseumWhiteGift from NPCLv.25LimitedMidCityAnyRevive Cover FossilMODERATENacrene City - Nacrene MuseumBlackGift from NPCLv.25LimitedMidCityAnyRevive Cover Fossil
Step 2Carracosta ✓
Swift Swim changes the entire equation for Carracosta. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a trick room.
Watch for Exeggutor (Grass), Raikou (Electric), and Hitmonlee (Fighting) when using Carracosta. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Exeggutor is the most dangerous since Grass moves deal 4x damage. Ground-type attackers are also a problem. At base 32 Speed, Carracosta won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Tirtouga evolves into Carracosta at level 37. Carracosta is the fully evolved form. At 495 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.
Swift Swim is what you want on Carracosta. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Solid Rock, Sturdy) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Carracosta worth using.
Base 32 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Carracosta is a physical attacker with base 108 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a trick room.
Carracosta appears in 7 games, including Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, and X & Y.
Carracosta joined the series in Black & White and has been available in 7 titles so far. With 5 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBWDebut
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