Competitive Information for Cacturne [Diamond/Pearl]
Grass / Dark
Abilities:
If Sandstorm is active, this Pokemon's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to Sandstorm.

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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Cacturne? These builds are optimized for Diamond/Pearl Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Diamond/Pearl metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Get hyped for Cacturne, a renowned Pokémon with Grass and Dark typing! It's a sight to see Cacturne out in the 4th generation battlefield. It's an underrated pick that could surprise many in the meta. It is weak to Bug, Fighting, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison-typed attacks. Explore the movesets below to see how Cacturne performs in battles.
Item: Focus Sash / Tanga Berry
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Sucker Punch / Payback
- Superpower / Brick Break
- Seed Bomb / Needle Arm
- Thunder Punch / Double-Edge
For single battles, Cacturne is a sensational Physical Sweeper. The purpose of this moveset is to take down the opponent's team with intense physical attacks. Focus Sash helps protect Cacturne from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Sand Veil, if sandstorm is active Cacturne's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to sandstorm. Thunder Punch was added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Tanga Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective bug-type attack then the Tanga Berry gets consumed.
◆ Payback is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Dark-type move (power doubles if your Cacturne moves after the target).
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Cacturne's attack and defense by 1 stage).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, even if the target is immune).
◆ Seed Bomb is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Grass-type move that deals a decent amount of damage.
◆ Needle Arm is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Grass-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Thunder Punch is a physical 75-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 1/3 recoil).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/eaa14c
Item: Focus Sash / Tanga Berry
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Dark Pulse
- Energy Ball / Grass Knot
- Hyper Beam / Snore
- Acid
Cacturne excels as a terrific Special Sweeper during single battles. This moveset was constructed to crush rivals using devastating special power. Focus Sash helps protect Cacturne from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Sand Veil, if sandstorm is active Cacturne's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to sandstorm. With a Tanga Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective bug-type attack then the Tanga Berry gets consumed.
◆ Energy Ball is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Grass-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Grass Knot is a special STAB-boosted 0-base power Grass-type move (more power the heavier the target).
◆ Hyper Beam is a special 150-base power Normal-type move (Cacturne cannot move next turn).
◆ Snore is a special 40-base power Normal-type move (Cacturne must be asleep. 30% chance to flinch target).
◆ Acid is a special 40-base power Poison-type move (10% chance to lower the foes special defense by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/eba14c
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Cacturne? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Diamond/Pearl Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Diamond/Pearl metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Focus Sash / Tanga Berry
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Sucker Punch / Payback
- Superpower / Brick Break
- Seed Bomb / Needle Arm
- Thunder Punch / Double-Edge
In double battles, Cacturne is known as an incredible Physical Sweeper. This strategy is built to crush rivals using overwhelming physical moves. Focus Sash helps protect Cacturne from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Sand Veil, if sandstorm is active Cacturne's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to sandstorm. Thunder Punch was added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Tanga Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective bug-type attack then the Tanga Berry gets consumed.
◆ Payback is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Dark-type move (power doubles if your Cacturne moves after the target).
◆ Superpower is a physical 120-base power Fighting-type move (lowers your Cacturne's attack and defense by 1 stage).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, even if the target is immune).
◆ Seed Bomb is a physical STAB-boosted 80-base power Grass-type move that deals a large amount of damage.
◆ Needle Arm is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Grass-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Thunder Punch is a physical 75-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 1/3 recoil).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/faa14c
Item: Focus Sash / Tanga Berry
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Dark Pulse
- Energy Ball / Grass Knot
- Acid
- Hyper Beam / Snore
When it comes to double battles, Cacturne shines as a fabulous Special Sweeper. The purpose of this moveset is to crush rivals using powerful special attacks. Focus Sash helps protect Cacturne from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Sand Veil, if sandstorm is active Cacturne's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to sandstorm. With a Tanga Berry equipped to it, halves damage taken from a supereffective bug-type attack then the Tanga Berry gets consumed.
◆ Energy Ball is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Grass-type move (10% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Grass Knot is a special STAB-boosted 0-base power Grass-type move (more power the heavier the target).
◆ Acid is a special 40-base power Poison-type move (10% chance to lower the foes special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Hyper Beam is a special 150-base power Normal-type move (Cacturne cannot move next turn).
◆ Snore is a special 40-base power Normal-type move (Cacturne must be asleep. 30% chance to flinch target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/fba14c
Movepool
Want to know what moves Cacturne can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Diamond/Pearl generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Cacturne.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Cacturne can perform in Diamond/Pearl. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive DP Move and Ability Combos for Cacturne
- Moves: Sunny day + Solar beam
- Moves: Sunny day + Growth
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Substitute + Drain punch
- Moves: Substitute + Leech seed
- Moves: Ingrain + Leech seed
- Moves: Toxic + Leech seed
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Sucker Punch
- Moves that Break Screens: Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Cacturne's stats
- Growth
- Nasty Plot
- Swords Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Cacturne
- Destiny Bond
- Protect
- Rest
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Cacturne in Diamond and Pearl
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.

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Here are the best movesets for Cacturne. Top rated Cacturne Diamond/Pearl movesets. You can find Cacturne builds Diamond/Pearl. Cacturne movesets Diamond/Pearl are listed here. VGC Cacturne Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Cacturne in Diamond/Pearl along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution