Tirtouga is technically a pre-evolution of Carracosta, but it holds its own in formats where Eviolite is allowed. Swift Swim doubles its Speed in rain, adding extra value. Known as the Prototurtle Pokemon. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets.
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 Weakness
VulnerableTirtouga is weak to Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground-type moves. 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.
Tirtouga evolves into Carracosta. It's a two-stage chain with the method shown below. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Evolving adds up to 140 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Breed Tirtouga with 74 breeding partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Pass egg moves like Block, Knock Off, Rock Throw and 3 more to offspring.
Best Build
No build content available for this Pokemon in Gen 8.
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Egg moves make a real difference. Tirtouga gets Block and Knock Off exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Dark and Ice coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Meteor Beam and Hydro Pump.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
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
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.
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.
Tirtouga evolves into Carracosta at level 37. Tirtouga is the base form of this evolutionary line.
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.
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.
Tirtouga appears in 7 games, including Black & White, Black 2 & White 2, and X & Y.
Introduced in Black & White, Tirtouga has appeared in 7 games across 5 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
- 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