Stats & Training
Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Cacturne's Attack does the work, Speed pays the price. But you're still getting 2 Attack and Sp. Atk EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
It becomes active at night, seeking prey that is exhausted from the day’s desert heat.
It becomes active at night, seeking prey that is exhausted from the day’s desert heat.
Cacturne Weakness
Cacturne is weak to Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, and Flying. Watch out for Bug attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Psychic-type moves entirely. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Water Absorb grants an additional Water immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Bug |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Black 2 & White 2, Dragonite can KO Cacturne with Outrage (118-139%). Volcarona threatens a KO with Fire Blast (200-235%).
 Dragonite Dragon | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMultiscale ItemLum Berry NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Dragonite builds →Extreme Speed52-62% Outrage118-139%KO | ||
 Volcarona BugFire | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlame Body ItemLum Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Volcarona builds →Giga Drain23-27% Fire Blast 2x200-235%KO | ||
 Heatran FireSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityFlashfire ItemLeftovers NatureCalm Moves View Heatran builds →
| ||
 Conkeldurr Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityGuts ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Conkeldurr builds →Drain Punch 2x152-179%KO Mach Punch 2x83-97% | ||
 Tentacruel WaterPoison | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityRaindish ItemBlack Sludge NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Cacturne View Tentacruel builds →Rapid Spin13-16% Scald19-23% | ||
Black 2 & White 2 Evolution
Cacturne is what Cacnea becomes. Breed it for Cacnea eggs (average hatch time). Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are average hatch time. The evolution from Cacnea pushed Cacturne to 475 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +30. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Cacturne to get Cacnea eggs easily using 57 partners from the Plant and Humanshape egg groups. Notable egg moves include Acid, Block, Counter and 11 more.
Black 2 & White 2 Cacturne Best Moveset
Sucker Punch is the main STAB option after a Swords Dance boost. Life Orb gives Cacturne extra damage on every hit for a health trade to survive the setup turn, and max Attack and Speed EVs make the boosted hits count. Utility options catches resists.
Best Build
Cacturne best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Sucker Punch
- Drain Punch
- Substitute
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Egg moves make a real difference. Cacturne gets Acid and Block exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Poison and Fighting coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Solar Beam and Foul Play.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Cacturne in Black 2 & White 2
Cacturne can't be caught in Black 2 & White 2. Transfer Cacnea from Ruby, Emerald, or Scarlet and evolve through the 2-stage line to get it. The step cards below map the full chain.
How to Obtain Cacturne in Black 2 & White 2
Step 1Obtain CacneaAlso found in:
Step 2Cacturne ✓
Cacturne Guide
In Black 2 & White 2, Cacturne looks average on paper at 475 BST. But Water Absorb is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier cannon on our tier list. Sucker Punch with Life Orb is the standard set.
In Black 2 & White 2, Cacturne's biggest threats include Scyther (Bug), Blaziken (Fire), and Lapras (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Scyther is the most dangerous since Bug moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Poison, and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Cacturne gets Water Absorb and Sand Veil. But Water Absorb is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Cacturne is leaning toward the physical side (base 115 Attack). Speed tells the real story. At base 55 Speed, it won't be moving first often. Fits the cannon role.
For Black 2 & White 2, the core moveset is Sucker Punch, Drain Punch, Substitute, and Swords Dance. Sucker Punch leads at 21% usage. This set covers the cannon role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Cacturne appears in 14 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in a solid number of games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
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