What separates Huntail from the pack is Swift Swim — it doubles its Speed in rain. Combine that with Water typing and it relies on priority moves or Scarf to keep up. Only weak to Electric and Grass.
Defense and Attack carry most of Huntail's stat budget. Speed's the obvious dump stat. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Attack and Defense EVs. Follows a standard growth curve.
It lives deep in the sea. With a tail shaped like a small fish, it attracts unsuspecting prey.
Huntail Weakness
GoodHuntail's Water typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric and Grass moves. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Huntail's physical bulk (base 105 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)
Out of 2 evolutions from Clamperl, Huntail comes from the trade route. The method you use determines which form you end up with. Breed through Clamperl to get eggs. Both Huntail and Gorebyss hit 485 total stats from Clamperl. The difference is how those stats are split.
How to Evolve
Breed with Huntail to get Clamperl eggs easily using 78 partners from the Water1 egg group. Notable egg moves include Aqua Ring, Barrier, Body Slam and 8 more.
One guaranteed turn is all Huntail needs. Focus Sash buys it, max Attack and Speed EVs make it count, and Swiftswim adds something extra. The goal: deal early damage and deal damage with Waterfall. Dark coverage gives it play beyond just the lead turn.
Best Build
Best Huntail Moveset
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Ice Fang
- Shell Smash
Recommended Teammates
The natural movepool does the job, but Aqua Ring and Barrier from the egg pool give Huntail something extra.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
The chain to Huntail requires a trade evolution through a trade. Catch Clamperl at solid rates and level through the stages, but line up the trade first. The rest of the chain runs on levels alone.
Where To Catch Huntail in Black & White
To get Huntail, start by catching Clamperl through fishing encounters at Lv. 35-70. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 1Catch ClamperlEASYRoute 4WhiteSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateRouteAnyEASYRoute 4BlackSuper RodLv.35-55CommonLateRouteAny
Step 2Huntail ✓EXTREMERoute 4Super RodLv.45-70RareLateRouteAnyShaking spotor evolve from Clamperl (Step 1)
Swift Swim changes the entire equation for Huntail. The 485 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as an attacker.
Swift Swim is what you want on Huntail. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Water Veil) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Huntail worth using.
At base 52 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Huntail is a physical attacker with base 104 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as an attacker.
Huntail appears in 13 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Obtainable through a trade evolution, Huntail appears in 13 titles across 7 generations since Ruby & Sapphire. The evolution method adds a barrier that wild-catchable Pokemon don't have.
- 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