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.
It could knock out a foe with a slap from one of its developed front appendages and chew it up, shell or bones and all.
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 |
In X & Y, Serperior can KO Carracosta with Leaf Storm (276-325%). Garchomp threatens a KO with Earthquake (89-104%). Zapdos's Thunderbolt also KOs at 116-137%.
Serperior Grass | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityContrary ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Serperior builds →Leaf Storm 4x276-325%KO | ||
Garchomp DragonGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x89-104%KO | ||
Zapdos Electric | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave10-12% Thunderbolt 2x116-137%KO | ||
Hitmontop Fighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemEjectbutton NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Hitmontop builds →Close Combat 2x94-111%KO Feint4-5% | ||
Breloom GrassFighting | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemMiracleseed NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Carracosta View Breloom builds →Bullet Seed 4x46-54% Mach Punch 2x36-42% | ||
X & Y 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 87 partners from the Water1 and Water3 egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bide, Body Slam, Flail and 7 more.
X & Y Carracosta Best Moveset
Carracosta doesn't rely on pure speed. Leftovers gives it passive recovery each turn to stay healthy, and Jolly nature still pushes offense. Waterfall and Ground coverage keep the pressure on while max Attack and Speed EVs balance power and survivability.
Best Build
Carracosta best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Shell Smash
- Earthquake
- Waterfall
- Ice Beam
Recommended Teammates
Doubles Physical Attacker Moveset
- Protect
- Rock Slide
- Aqua Jet
- Knock Off
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without breeding, Carracosta misses out on Bide and Body Slam. That's 10 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 X & Y
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 X & Y
Step 1Catch TirtougaAmbrette Town - Fossil LabYGift from NPC Lv.20 CityLimitedMidRevive Cover FossilAmbrette Town - Fossil LabXGift from NPC Lv.20 CityLimitedMidRevive Cover Fossil
Step 2Carracosta ✓
Carracosta Guide
In X & Y, 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 Leftovers is the standard set.
In X & Y, 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 X & Y, run Shellsmash, Earthquake, Waterfall, and Ice Beam on Carracosta. Shellsmash is the most common pick at 25% usage. Waterfall provides reliable STAB damage.
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
