Competitive Information for Cacnea [Sun/Moon]
Grass
Abilities:
If Sandstorm is active, this Pokemon's evasiveness is 1.25x; immunity to Sandstorm.
This Pokemon heals 1/4 of its max HP when hit by Water moves; Water immunity.
Disclaimer: All videos and opinions are owned by their respective creators and may not reflect our views.
Note: Pokemon with the Water Absorb ability are immune to Water attacks.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Cacnea? These builds are optimized for Sun/Moon Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Sun/Moon metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Cacnea, an outstanding Pokémon boasting Grass attributes. Cacnea is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. In the LC tier (Little Cup), it's a fierce competitor. It is weak to Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison-typed attacks. Uncover the best movesets for Cacnea below and optimize your gameplay!
Item: Grassium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 120 Hp / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 68 SpD
Moveset:
- Seed Bomb / Needle Arm
- Thunder Punch / Double-Edge
- Poison Jab
- Drain Punch / Brick Break
Dominating single battles, Cacnea is a terrific Physical Sweeper. It tries to overwhelm foes with heavy-hitting physical moves. Life Orb boosts the power of Cacnea's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Water Absorb, Cacnea heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. Thunder Punch was added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Grassium Z equipped to it, if Cacnea has a grass move, this item allows it to use a grass z-move.
◆ 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 33% recoil).
◆ Poison Jab is a physical 80-base power Poison-type move (30% chance to poison the target).
◆ Drain Punch is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (Cacnea recovers 50% of the damage dealt).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/kaa14b
Item: Grassium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 120 Hp / 68 Def / 252 SpA / 68 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Energy Ball / Giga Drain
- Dark Pulse
- Venoshock / Acid
- Hidden Power / Round
For those intense single battles, Cacnea is an exceptional Special Sweeper. The intention of this moveset is to crush rivals using forceful special attacks. Life Orb boosts the power of Cacnea's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Water Absorb, Cacnea heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Grassium Z equipped to it, if Cacnea has a grass move, this item allows it to use a grass z-move.
◆ Giga Drain is a special STAB-boosted 75-base power Grass-type move (Cacnea recovers 50% of the damage dealt).
◆ Dark Pulse is a special 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Venoshock is a special 65-base power Poison-type move (power doubles if the target is poisoned).
◆ Acid is a special 40-base power Poison-type move (10% chance to lower the foes special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Hidden Power is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (varies in type based on your Cacnea's ivs).
◆ Round is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if others used round this turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/kba14b
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Cacnea? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Sun/Moon 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 Sun/Moon metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Grassium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 120 Hp / 252 Atk / 68 Def / 68 SpD
Moveset:
- Seed Bomb / Needle Arm
- Thunder Punch / Double-Edge
- Poison Jab
- Drain Punch / Brick Break
Cacnea thrives as a marvelous Physical Sweeper perfect for double battles. The purpose of this moveset is to overwhelm foes with overwhelming physical power. Life Orb boosts the power of Cacnea's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Water Absorb, Cacnea heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. Thunder Punch was added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Grassium Z equipped to it, if Cacnea has a grass move, this item allows it to use a grass z-move.
◆ 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 33% recoil).
◆ Poison Jab is a physical 80-base power Poison-type move (30% chance to poison the target).
◆ Drain Punch is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (Cacnea recovers 50% of the damage dealt).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/laa14b
Item: Grassium Z / Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 120 Hp / 68 Def / 252 SpA / 68 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Energy Ball / Giga Drain
- Acid / Venoshock
- Dark Pulse
- Hidden Power / Round
Cacnea is a magnificent Special Sweeper to use for double battles. This approach seeks to crush rivals using heavy-hitting special power. Life Orb boosts the power of Cacnea's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Water Absorb, Cacnea heals 1/4 of its max hp when hit by water moves; water immunity. With a Grassium Z equipped to it, if Cacnea has a grass move, this item allows it to use a grass z-move.
◆ Giga Drain is a special STAB-boosted 75-base power Grass-type move (Cacnea recovers 50% of the damage dealt).
◆ Acid is a special 40-base power Poison-type move (10% chance to lower the foes special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Venoshock is a special 65-base power Poison-type move (power doubles if the target is poisoned).
◆ Dark Pulse is a special 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Hidden Power is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (varies in type based on your Cacnea's ivs).
◆ Round is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if others used round this turn).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/lba14b
Movepool
Want to know what moves Cacnea can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Sun/Moon 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 Cacnea.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Cacnea can perform in Sun/Moon. 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 SM Move and Ability Combos for Cacnea
- 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 Cacnea's stats
- Fell Stinger
- Growth
- Nasty Plot
- Power-Up Punch
- Swords Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Cacnea
- Destiny Bond
- Hidden Power
- Protect
- Rest
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Cacnea in Sun and Moon
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.
THIS SECTION IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Some builds on this page have been hidden, click here to display them
Here are the best movesets for Cacnea. Top rated Cacnea Sun/Moon movesets. You can find Cacnea builds Sun/Moon. Cacnea movesets Sun/Moon are listed here. VGC Cacnea Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Cacnea in Sun/Moon along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for Cacturne evolution