Physical
Balanced
318Low
31Very Slow
DTier

Mid-stage Pokemon like Turtwig rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Torterra, which is where the real potential kicks in. 5 type weaknesses to keep in mind. Known as the Tiny Leaf Pokemon.

Turtwig's spread isn't flashy. Attack leads, Speed trails, 0 stats clear the bar. Tough to catch and worth 1 Attack EV, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.

Base Stats
318Avg
HP55
D
Attack68
C
Defense64
C
Sp. Atk45
D
Sp. Def55
D
Speed31
F
Total318
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Turtwig yields +1 Atk
HPAtk+1DefSpASpDSpe
Details
Catch45ChallengingMedium Slow1.06M XP0.4m / 1'04"10.2kg / 22.5 lbs64Base XP
Pokedex Entries

This Pokémon becomes more energetic the more sunlight there is. The part resembling a shell is similar to silt and is slightly damp and warm to the touch.

Legends Arceus

Turtwig Weakness

Fragile

Turtwig's Grass typing leaves it vulnerable to Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, and Bug moves. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage.

4xCriticali
None
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
5Weak
4Resist
0Immune
Scorei-6
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
OvergrowStrengthens grass moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Shell ArmorHAProtects against critical hits.

Turtwig is the start of a three-stage chain. It evolves into Grotle first, then eventually reaches Torterra. For breeding, average hatch time with a decent partner pool via two egg groups. The evolved forms gain up to 207 total stats over Turtwig.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Turtwig
Grass
Grotle
Grass
Torterra
GrassGround
HP
55
75+20
95+20
ATK
68
89+21
109+20
DEF
64
85+21
105+20
SP.ATK
45
55+10
75+20
SP.DEF
55
65+10
85+20
SPE
31
36+5
56+20
BST
318D-Tier
405D-Tier+87
525B-Tier+120
ROLE
Balanced
Trick Room
Tank
TYPE
Physical
Physical
Physical
Breeding
Easy

Breed Turtwig easily with 16 breeding partners from the Plant and Monster egg groups.

Egg Groups
PlantMonster
Gender
87.5%12.5%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
torterraroseraderhyperioravaluggabomasnowrhydoncherrimparasectroseliagrotlerhyhornsnover

Best Build

Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.

Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.

Turtwig's options are limited here. You've got Leaf Blade and Energy Ball for STAB damage, but there isn't much beyond Grass hitting power. TMs help fill gaps, though the kit stays tight.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Tackle
4010035Normal
Lv 6
Leafage
4010040Grass
Lv 11
Bite
6010025Dark
Lv 18
Bulldoze
6010020Ground
Lv 25
Sleep Powder
7515Grass
Lv 34
Leaf Blade
9010015Grass
Lv 43
Double-Edge
12010015Normal

TM Moves

Turtwig can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Turtwig doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Bulldoze
6010020Ground
Tutor
Earth Power
9010010Ground
Tutor
Energy Ball
9010010Grass
Tutor
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
Tutor
Rest
10Psychic
Tutor
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
Tutor
Stealth Rock
20Rock

1 encounter spots for Turtwig at decent spawn rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.

Best Locations

Droning Meadow
GrassUncommon
EASY
  • Turtwig isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Grotle to unlock its full potential. At 318 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.

  • Watch for Infernape (Fire), Lapras (Ice), and Nidoking (Poison) when using Turtwig. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Flying and Bug-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 31 Speed, Turtwig won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.

  • Turtwig evolves into Grotle at level 18. Turtwig is the base form in a 3-stage evolutionary line.

  • Overgrow strengthens grass moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less — that's the one you want on Turtwig. Shell Armor is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.

  • Turtwig fills the balanced role. It's a physical attacker with base 68 Attack. Base 31 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.

  • Turtwig appears in 12 games, including Platinum, HeartGold & SoulSilver, and Diamond & Pearl.

Turtwig first appeared in Diamond & Pearl and has been available in 12 games across 6 generations. Obtainable through catching or hatching as a base form in most titles where it appears.