Tirtouga's all-in on Defense at the expense of Speed. The physical lean is obvious from the bars. Yields 1 Defense EV and follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
This Pokémon inhabited ancient seas. Although it can only crawl, it still comes up onto land in search of prey.
Tirtouga is considered to be the ancestor of many turtle Pokémon. It was restored to life from a fossil.
Tirtouga is weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground. Watch out for Grass attacks, those deal 4x damage. It resists 5 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Solid Rock reduces SE moves damage, further improving the defensive spread. Tirtouga's physical bulk (base 103 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Grass |
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Ice, Poison, Flying |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Fire |
Sinistcha's Shadow Ball hits Tirtouga for 77-90%. Hippowdon threatens a KO with Earthquake (94-111%). Magnezone's Thunderbolt also KOs at 364-429%.
 Sinistcha GrassGhost | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityHospitality ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Sinistcha builds →Shadow Ball77-90% | ||
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x94-111%KO | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityAnalytic ItemChoice Specs NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Magnezone builds →Flash Cannon162-191%KO Volt Switch 2x284-334%KO Thunderbolt 2x364-429%KO | ||
 Gallade PsychicFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySharpness ItemLum Berry NatureJolly Moves View Gallade builds →
| ||
 Venusaur GrassPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityOvergrow ItemLeftovers NatureBold Moves
Damage vs Tirtouga View Venusaur builds →Sludge Bomb37-43% Giga Drain 4x246-289%KO Knock Off14-17% | ||
Tirtouga evolves into Carracosta. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. A massive partner pool for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 140 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed Tirtouga with 114 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 7.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 6.
Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.
Moves
TMs define Tirtouga's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Meteor Beam and Hydro Pump, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Dark and Ice coverage and more. That's where the options open up.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Tirtouga gets Bide and Body Slam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Hydro Pump and Stone Edge.
Egg moves make a real difference. Tirtouga gets Bide and Body Slam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Normal and Dark coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Hydro Pump and Stone Edge.
Egg moves make a real difference. Tirtouga gets Bide and Body Slam exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Hydro Pump and Stone Edge.
Tirtouga starts showing up in endgame water routes at moderate rates across 28 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.
Best Locations to Catch Tirtouga in Sword & Shield
Which version you're playing matters for Tirtouga. 28 surfing and walking spots at Lv. 60-65 spread across Shield and Sword, and some routes only appear in one cartridge. Check the version badges below.
No searching required for Tirtouga. You receive it at Route 8 from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.
Best Locations to Catch Tirtouga in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
No searching required for Tirtouga. You receive it at Route 8 from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.
Best Locations to Catch Tirtouga in Sun & Moon
No searching required for Tirtouga. You receive it at Rustboro City from an NPC. No wild encounters exist in this game, so just head to the right spot when you're ready and it's yours.
Best Locations to Catch Tirtouga in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Tirtouga isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Carracosta to unlock its full potential. At 355 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.
Tirtouga's biggest threats include Venusaur (Grass), Jolteon (Electric), and Machamp (Fighting), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Venusaur is the most dangerous since Grass moves deal 4x damage. Ground-type attackers are also a problem. At base 22 Speed, Tirtouga won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Run Swift Swim on Tirtouga. It's the ability that defines how you build around it and the main reason it holds a competitive niche. Tirtouga also gets Solid Rock and Sturdy, but they don't compare.
Swift Swim is the hidden ability. It doubles Speed during rain. Worth hunting for if you want Tirtouga to compete at a higher level.
Tirtouga fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 78 Attack. Base 22 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Introduced in Black & White, Tirtouga has appeared in 7 games across 6 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BWDebut
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