Stats & Training
Defense leads and Speed gets almost nothing. That's Carracosta's stat line in a nutshell. 3 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 2 Defense EVs.
They can live both in the ocean and on land. A slap from one of them is enough to open a hole in the bottom of a tanker.
Incredible jaw strength enables them to chew up steel beams and rocks along with their prey.
Carracosta Weakness
Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Ground moves hit Carracosta for super-effective damage. Grass hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. 5 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Solid Rock reduces SE moves damage, further improving the defensive spread. Carracosta's physical bulk (base 133 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 |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
In Black & White, Excadrill can KO Carracosta with Earthquake (92-108%). Conkeldurr's Drain Punch hits Carracosta for 78-91%. Magnezone's Thunderbolt also KOs at 159-187%.
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilitySandforce ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x92-108%KO Rapid Spin8-9% Rock Slide23-27% | ||
 Conkeldurr Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityGuts ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Conkeldurr builds →Drain Punch 2x78-91% Mach Punch 2x42-50% | ||
 Magnezone ElectricSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityMagnetpull ItemAir Balloon NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Magnezone builds →Thunderbolt 2x159-187%KO Flash Cannon71-83% Volt Switch 2x124-145%KO | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Breloom builds →Mach Punch 2x52-61% Bullet Seed 4x66-78% | ||
 Raikou Electric | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Raikou builds →Thunderbolt 2x172-202%KO Aura Sphere 2x102-120%KO | ||
Black & White Evolution
Evolved from Tirtouga. Carracosta is the final form in this two-stage line. Plenty of partners for breeding via two egg groups. Eggs are slow to hatch. Attack grew the most through evolution (+30 over Tirtouga), and Carracosta peaks at 495 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Carracosta to get Tirtouga eggs using 78 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bide, Body Slam, Flail and 6 more.
Black & White Carracosta Best Moveset
Start with max Attack and Speed EVs. Adamant nature gives Carracosta the right physical lean, Salacberry adds extra utility, and Sturdy works in the background. Waterfall is the main damage option.
Best Build
Carracosta best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Waterfall
- Stone Edge
- Aqua Jet
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Carracosta misses out on Bide and Body Slam. That's 9 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Hydro Pump and Stone Edge, with Normal and Dark coverage and more rounding things out.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
How to Get Carracosta in Black & White
You're catching Tirtouga first, not Carracosta. Tirtouga appears but it's a rare spawn in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Carracosta in Black & White
Step 1Catch TirtougaNacrene City - Nacrene MuseumWhiteGift from NPC Lv.25 CityLimitedMidAnyRevive Cover FossilNacrene City - Nacrene MuseumBlackGift from NPC Lv.25 CityLimitedMidAnyRevive Cover Fossil
Step 2Carracosta ✓
Carracosta Guide
In Black & White, Swift Swim changes the entire equation for Carracosta. The 495 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a trick room. Shellsmash with Salacberry is the standard set.
In Black & White, watch for Exeggutor (Grass), Raikou (Electric), and Hitmonlee (Fighting) when using Carracosta. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Exeggutor is the most dangerous since Grass moves deal 4x damage. Ground-type attackers are also a problem. At base 32 Speed, Carracosta won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Swift Swim is what you want on Carracosta. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Solid Rock, Sturdy) work on paper but Swift Swim is what makes Carracosta worth using.
Base 32 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Carracosta is a physical attacker with base 108 Attack. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two. Best used as a trick room.
In Black & White, Carracosta's hidden ability is Swift Swim. Doubles Speed during rain. Better than the standard options for competitive play.
Game Availability
Carracosta joined the series in Black & White and has been available in 7 titles so far. With 6 generations of appearances, it's established itself despite the later start.
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