What is a good moveset for Cacturne?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Cacturne, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Cacturne Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

What move is better? Feint Attack or Payback. Please let me know.

Answer 1

With a worthless base speed stat of 55 he's not gonna be outspeeding anything, even with a scarf.
So here's a Cacturne that's meant to have Trick Room support.

Cacturne @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature
- Giga Drain
- Dark Pulse
- Destiny Bond
- Focus Blast

Giga Drain Reliable STAB move with the added bonus of some healing.
Dark Pulse another reliable STAB move.
Destiny Bond can be used when you realise you're screwed.
Focus Blast is for the steel types.

If you bring Sashturne, a spinner should be used to be able to use the sash but Life Orb is the preffered Item anyway.

Answer 2

Gen 7 ZU

Cacturne @ Choice Specs
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD
Quiet Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Energy Ball
- Dark Pulse
- Focus Blast
- Switcheroo

Explanation: So, this Cacturne set utilitizes Choice Specs. The problem is, low speed. So, the solution? Use it on a Trick Room team. Energy Ball is STAB. Dark Pulse is also STAB. Focus Blast is for coverage. Switcheroo if you don't want Choice Specs, and can throw off Pokemon using status moves like Swords Dance. Water Absorb is so Cacturne can switch into a Water-type move.

Answer 3

Role: NU Spikes Support

Cacturne @ Focus Sash
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Counter / Destiny Bond
- Spikes
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb

Explanation

Cacturne pretty much is the only viable Spiker in NU. Water Absorb allows it to switch into a Scald or another Water-type move. The EVs and the nature gives it good offenses and Speed. Counter is mainly used to deal with Physical attackers, such as Sawk and Archeops. Destiny Bond, on the other hand, is a last attempt to land a kill (although it is an inferior option to Counter due to Cacturne's low speed). Spikes is mandatory on any Cacturne lead sets. Sucker Punch finishes off the opponent and gets a nice dual STAB with Seed Bomb.

Answer 4

Gen 9 NU Offensive Spikes

Cacturne @ Life Orb
Ability: Water Absorb
Tera Type: Dark / Fairy
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Spikes
- Sucker Punch
- Leaf Storm
- Low Kick

Cacturne Grass/Dark typing and Water immunity thanks to Water Absorb allow it to have a niche as a niche check to Bruxish and non-Ice Beam Vaporeon. Spikes is used to chip grounded Pokemon switching in. Sucker Punch allows Cacturn to deal damage to faster Pokemon and is useful for revenge killing fast Pokemon. Leaf Storm is used for a powerful Grass STAB that can 2HKO Physically Defensive Pokemon. Low Kick allows Cacturne to OHKO Copperajah since the metal elephant is quite heavy. Life Orb is used to boost the power of your attacks.

Other Options: Seed Bomb can be used for a physical Grass STAB. Tera Blast is used to give a useful STAB move. Tera Blast with Dark as your Tera Type gives Cacturne another Dark STAB alongside Sucker Punch since Cacturne suffers from Gen 9 Weavile Syndrome- it doesn't really have a good/reliable Dark STAB outside of Tera Blast. Tera Blast with Fairy as your Tera Type is allows Cacturne to OHKO opposing Pokemon such as Goodra and Passimian. Toxic Spikes can be used to spead poison against grounded Pokemon. Swords Dance is an option that allows Cacturne to boost its Attack stat so it can attempt to wallbreak.

Answer 5

Gen V

Cacturne (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 128 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Def / 64 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Seed Bomb
- Drain Punch
- Swords Dance

Swords Dance set that allows Cacturne to become a physical wallbreaker. Drain Punch lets Cacturne hit Steel-types and allow it to recover HP.

Answer 6

Role: Auto Kill

Cacturne (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Cotton Spore
- Destiny Bond
- Seed Bomb
- Sucker Punch

I call him Auto Killer, because when you throw him out, he has the potential to take down nearly any opponent.

Basic strategy Anticipated your opponent not switching.

Okay, Your opponents got something on the field that keeps sweeping down your team,

After a Pokemon of yours faints, You send in Cacturne, Use Cotton Spore, Now they have half of the speed they had before.

Now here is if you can know, Either they'll switch, Or they'll stay in , If they stay in....

Use Destiny Bond, because of your fragile defenses, They probably took your down to your sash mark on the first turn, Now with you knowing they'll finish you off, Destiny bond. Moving first because of Cotton Spore, You'll take dangerous sweepers down in a heart beat.

If your opponent is switching, You can just use Cotton Spore again, and they switch right into it, Or Try to hit hard with Seed bomb, and finish up with Sucker Punch.

Answer 7

Cacturne @ Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
~ Substitute
~ Sucker Punch
~ Drain Punch
~ Seed Bomb

This set is used mainly for the lower tiers. Substitute+Drain Punch allows for easy recovery gain with the power buff given from Life Orb. Sucker Punch gives off a nice priority that finishes off weakened Pokemon and destroys Psychics and Ghosts easily. Seed Bomb is an obligatory STAB that makes you use Cacturne for what it should do, beat out Tanky Water Types.

Comments

Focus Sash Substitute? What?

Answer 8

Now that Custap Berry is a thing in ORAS, here's a suicide lead set.

Cacturne @ Custap Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Endure
- Spikes
- Seed Bomb / Cotton Spore
- Destiny Bond

Endure on an attack that would kill you. Grab the Custap boost. Take that one turn of glorious super-speed to Spikes, Cotton Spore, or Destiny Bond. Rather simple.

Comments

Take that one turn of glorious super-speed to... Lower the opponent's speed.

Answer 9

Cacturne @ Focus Sash
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Brave Nature
- Spiky Shield
- Destiny Bond
- Spikes
- Sucker Punch
:
Spiky Shield - Weakens attackers for sucker punch or take a break between destiny bonds against slower opponent
Destiny Bond - Since it works until your next move, you either get a takedown next turn or deploy spikes
Spikes - Damages opponent when switching
Sucker Punch - Allows to defeat Pokemon with low defense or physical attackers after one or more spiky shields

Focus Sash allows slow cacturne to use Destiny Bond, it otherwise may not be able to use

Answer 10

Cacturne @ Smooth Rock
Ability: Sand Veil
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Seed Bomb
- Payback
- Spiky Shield
- Sandstorm

Seed Bomb - STAB
Payback - STAB
Spiky Shield - Defence move
Sandstorm - Setup

Answer 11

Gen 7 ZU

Cacturne @ Choice Band
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Seed Bomb
- Sucker Punch
- Superpower
- Switcheroo/Spikes

Seed Bomb is grass STAB. Sucker Punch is dark STAB. Superpower is coverage for steel types. Switcheroo to get rid of the Choice Band, or Spikes to lay down hazards.

Answer 12

Cacturne @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Nasty Plot
- Giga Drain
- Dark Pulse
- Destiny Bond

I'm surprised nobody's made a Nasty Plot set yet. The moves are pretty straightforward- Giga Drain for healing STAB, and Dark Pulse for strong STAB. I recommend Giga Drain, but Energy Ball is also an option. Destiny Bond is self explanatory.

Comments

Wouldn't Life Orb be better because Giga Drain heals the LO recoil? Also since this Pokemon has literally 0 defenses it's rare to see it live a hit to get the Leftovers recovery

Answer 13

Cacturne @ Leftovers
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 252 HP / 128 Def / 128 SpD
Relaxed Nature / Sassy Nature
- Leech Seed
- Spiky Shield
- Giga Drain
- Drain Punch

Leech Seed and Leftovers give you gradual healing. Spiky Shield allows Leech Seed and Leftovers to work for a turn, and can hurt Pokémon that use contact. Giga Drain is STAB and heals, and drain punch is coverage and heals.

Answer 14

Gen 8 BDSP Monotype (Dark)

Cacturne @ Yache Berry
Ability: Water Absorb
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 SpD or 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Spikes
- Swords Dance
- Seed Bomb
- Sucker Punch

Thanks to its Ability Water Absorb, Cacturne is used on dark type teams to help with the matchup of water type teams. Cacturne can even check Tail Glow Manaphy. Spikes is used for a hazard that chips most grounded Pokemon switching in. Swords Dance is used to boost your attack. Seed Bomb is used for grass STAB which is useful for water types. Sucker Punch is for dark STAB used for priority which is useful since Cacturne has a base speed of 55.

Yache Berry allows you to check Tail Glow Manaphy, which can be a problem for dark type teams. For the EV spread you can use, you can use 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 SpD, or 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD. Both EV spreads work, as they both allow you to live an Ice Beam from Manaphy after a Tail Glow boost, with the help of the Yache Berry.

+3 252 SpA Manaphy Ice Beam vs. 192 HP / 64 SpD Yache Berry Cacturne: 280-330 (85.1 - 100.3%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (280, 283, 287, 290, 293, 297, 300, 303, 306, 310, 313, 316, 320, 323, 326, 330)

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+3 252 SpA Manaphy Ice Beam vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Yache Berry Cacturne: 306-361 (88.9 - 104.9%) -- 31.3% chance to OHKO
Possible damage amounts: (306, 310, 314, 317, 321, 324, 328, 332, 335, 339, 342, 346, 350, 353, 357, 361)

192 HP EVs is the mininum amount of HP EVs to live a +3 Ice Beam from Manaphy, with the help of your Yache Berry. Have fun using this Cacturne set as a Manaphy check!