Competitive Information for Cubone [X/Y]
Ground
Abilities:
This Pokemon cannot be struck by a critical hit.
This Pokemon draws Electric moves to itself to raise Sp. Atk by 1; Electric immunity.
This Pokemon does not take recoil damage besides Struggle/Life Orb/crash damage.

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Note: Pokemon with the Lightning Rod ability are immune to Electric attacks.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Cubone? These builds are optimized for X/Y Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the X/Y metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Say hello to Cubone, a phenomenal Pokémon that excels with Ground typing! Cubone 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 Grass, Ice, and Water-typed attacks. Curious about Cubone's movesets? Check our suggestions listed below!
Item: Thick Club / Expert Belt
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 Atk / 100 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Bonemerang
- Thunder Punch / Brick Break
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
In single battles, Cubone is known as a magnificent Physical Sweeper. This configuration strives to take down the opponent's team with destructive physical attacks. Expert Belt boosts the damage of Cubone's super effective moves by 20%. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity. Thunder Punch or Brick Break are added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Thick Club equipped to it, if held by a cubone or a marowak, its attack is doubled.
◆ Bonemerang is a physical STAB-boosted 50-base power Ground-type move (hits 2 times in one turn).
◆ Thunder Punch is a physical 75-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
◆ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
◆ Iron Head is a physical 80-base power Steel-type move (30% chance to make the target flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/iaa68
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 SpA / 100 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Earth Power / Mud-Slap
- Flamethrower / Incinerate
- Ice Beam / Icy Wind
- Ancient Power
Prepare for single battles with Cubone as a stunning Special Sweeper. It's goal is to crush rivals using potent special moves. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Cubone's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Cubone's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity.
◆ Mud-Slap is a special STAB-boosted 20-base power Ground-type move (100% chance to lower the target's accuracy by 1 stage).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Incinerate is a special 60-base power Fire-type move (destroys the foes berry/gem).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 90-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Ancient Power is a special 60-base power Rock-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/iba68
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Cubone? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive X/Y 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 X/Y metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Thick Club / Expert Belt
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 Atk / 100 SpD
Moveset:
- Earthquake / Bulldoze
- Rock Slide
- Iron Head / Thunder Punch
- Knock Off
For those intense double battles, Cubone is a noteworthy Physical Sweeper. This moveset was constructed to take down the opponent's team with overwhelming physical attacks. Expert Belt boosts the damage of Cubone's super effective moves by 20%. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity. Iron Head or Thunder Punch are added to provide additional threat coverage. With a Thick Club equipped to it, if held by a cubone or a marowak, its attack is doubled.
◆ Bulldoze is a physical STAB-boosted 60-base power Ground-type move (100% chance lower adjacent Pokemon speed by 1 stage).
◆ Rock Slide is a physical 75-base power Rock-type move (30% chance to make the foes flinch).
◆ Iron Head is a physical 80-base power Steel-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).
◆ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/jaa68
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 156 Hp / 252 SpA / 100 SpD
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Earth Power / Mud-Slap
- Incinerate / Flamethrower
- Icy Wind / Ice Beam
- Ancient Power
Ready for double battles? Cubone is a pretty decent Special Sweeper. This moveset design focuses to take down the opponent's team with powerful special power. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Cubone's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Cubone's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Lightning Rod, Cubone draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. Atk by 1; electric immunity.
◆ Mud-Slap is a special STAB-boosted 20-base power Ground-type move (100% chance to lower the target's accuracy by 1 stage).
◆ Incinerate is a special 60-base power Fire-type move (destroys the foes berry/gem).
◆ Flamethrower is a special 90-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the target).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
◆ Ice Beam is a special 90-base power Ice-type move (10% chance to freeze the target).
◆ Ancient Power is a special 60-base power Rock-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/jba68
Movepool
Want to know what moves Cubone can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon X/Y 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 Cubone.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Cubone can perform in X/Y. 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 XY Move and Ability Combos for Cubone
- Moves: Swagger + Screech
- Moves: Belly drum + Rest
- Moves: Endure + Endeavor
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Perish song + Protect
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Move: Endeavor + Item: Focus Sash
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
- Moves with Priority: Detect, Endure, Protect
- Moves that Break Screens: Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Toxic
Moves that boost Cubone's stats
- Ancient Power
- Belly Drum
- Iron Defense
- Power-Up Punch
- Rage
- Skull Bash
- Swords Dance
Most notable and possible best moves for Cubone
- Earthquake
- Ice Beam
- Knock Off
- Protect
- Rest
- Stealth Rock
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Cubone in X and Y
- Adamant Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Jolly Nature ( 0/252/0/0/0/252 )
- Timid Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252 )
- Bold Nature ( 252/0/252/0/0/4 )
- Calm Nature ( 252/0/0/0/252/4 )
- Relaxed Nature ( 252/0/88/0/168/0 )
- Sassy Nature ( 252/0/4/0/252/0 )
- Optimize Cubone's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon X and Y
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 Cubone. Top rated Cubone X/Y movesets. You can find Cubone builds X/Y. Cubone movesets X/Y are listed here. VGC Cubone Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Cubone in X/Y along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for Marowak evolution