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[OVERVIEW]
Cacturne finds its niche in the PU metagame as a strong offensive Spikes setter. High base offensive stats allow Cacturne to wallbreak, and Water Absorb and Cacturne's ability to use Spikes are the main features that set it apart from Shiftry, which would mostly outclass it otherwise. Water Absorb notably allows Cacturne to come in on passive Water-type Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Lanturn without fearing Scald burns. Also, Cacturne's offensive typing allows it to threaten a lot of opposing Stealth Rock setters such as Regirock, Palossand, and Bronzor. However, its subpar defensive stats make Cacturne very vulnerable to any type of super effective hit or any strong attack in general. Cacturne also has an awful base 55 Speed tier, meaning it is outsped by a lot of offensive Pokemon like Magmortar and Abomasnow; this also means it is very reliant on Sucker Punch to hit faster threats. Its inability to hit Skuntank for a lot of damage can also hinder its ability to effectively wallbreak and set up Spikes.
[SET]
name: Offensive Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Energy Ball / Giga Drain
item: Life Orb
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Mild
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spikes allows Cacturne to pressure the opposing team with passive damage and helps Cacturne and its teammates break down defensive cores more easily. Dark Pulse provides a reliable STAB move with good neutral coverage that is able to hit opposing Grass-resistant Pokemon neutrally, especially Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Assault Vest Magmortar, which are able to take Energy Ball really well. Sucker Punch gives Cacturne some form of priority against frailer attackers that outspeed it, as Cacturne's really low Speed leaves it easily outsped by Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar. Energy Ball is Cacturne's secondary STAB move, which hits slightly harder than Dark Pulse and pressures Dark-resistant Pokemon such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr. Although weaker, Giga Drain can be used to let Cacturne recover some of the health that it loses to Life Orb recoil.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs are used so that Cacturne can hit as hard and fast as possible to effectively wallbreak. A Mild nature is used to increase Cacturne's Special Attack and ensure that its Sucker Punch isn't weakened. Mild is also chosen over Rash, since it allows Cacturne to switch into special attackers such as Gastrodon and Palossand more easily. A Life Orb is used to further increase the power of Cacturne's attacks; the recoil damage isn't too detrimental for it, since Cacturne doesn't like taking hits anyway. Water Absorb allows Cacturne to switch in on predicted Water-type attacks from Pokemon such as Lanturn and defensive Carracosta, heal up by 25%, and proceed to attack the foe or set up Spikes.
Usage Tips
========
Cacturne should be used for firing off powerful attacks against teams without reliable switch-ins or to break down opposing specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Hitmonchan and Assault Vest Magmortar. Cacturne should set up Spikes against teams that have reliable switch-ins to it such as Throh and Type: Null because the Spikes can pressure them the next time they switch in. Spikes are also useful for putting faster threats like Lilligant and Pyroar into KO range of Sucker Punch. Bringing Cacturne in on predicted Water-type moves from defensive Water-types like Carracosta and Gastrodon gives Cacturne a free switch due to its ability, Water Absorb. Double switching can also allow Cacturne to come in for free so it can avoid taking unnecessary damage. Use Dark Pulse if the opponent has good Grass-type switch-ins such as Drampa and Assault Vest Magmortar. On the other hand, use Energy Ball in situations where the opponent has good Dark-resistant Pokemon like Assault Vest Hitmonchan and Gurdurr.
Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Weezing and Palossand are good partners, as they can switch in on Fighting-type attacks as well as U-turn from Primeape. Togedemaru is a notable partner, as it can switch in on Flying-type attacks, and it can also pivot with U-turn on Electric-immune Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Lanturn, and Palossand to give Cacturne good wallbreaking opportunities. Slow Volt Switch and U-turn support from Pokemon such as Eelektross and Volbeat can also allow Cacturne to switch in for free. Pokemon that can switch into Skuntank well like Gurdurr and Golem are good partners because Skuntank resists both of Cacturne's STAB moves and can Defog away Spikes. Late-game cleaners such as Choice Scarf Pyroar appreciate Cacturne's Spikes support and its ability to break down specially defensive tanks. Fire-, Ground-, and Rock-type Pokemon such as Magmortar, Golem, and Lycanroc pair well with Cacturne, as Cacturne can switch into bulky Water-types like Gastrodon. Assault Vest Hitmonchan is able to take on Fire- and Ice-types such as Pyroar and Abomasnow, which threaten Cacturne, whilst also offering good utility in Rapid Spin to keep Cacturne healthy. Other Fire-type checks, most notably Lanturn, make for good partners, as Lanturn also provide a slow Volt Switch to give Cacturne wallbreaking opportunities without the need to take damage. Defensive Mesprit offers a good switch-in to Fighting-type Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Hitmonchan; Mesprit can also provide a slow U-turn for momentum or heal Cacturne back up to full health with Healing Wish.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Swords Dance set with Seed Bomb, Sucker Punch, and Superpower can be used, but Shiftry is better at this due to its higher base Speed and better STAB move in Knock Off. A Hasty nature can be used to always outspeed Pokemon such as Adamant Golurk as well as most Lanturn, Poliwrath, and Assault Vest Hitmonchan, but this comes at the cost of a significant drop in power that affects Cacturne's wallbreaking capabilities. Spiky Shield is an option if your team already has a Spikes or Toxic Spikes setter such as Ferroseed or Weezing, as in combination with other entry hazards, the chip damage from Spiky Shield can rack up pretty quickly and put foes in KO range of Sucker Punch. This also lets Cacturne scout for moves such as U-turn from Choice-locked Pokemon like Primeape and Oricorio-G. A full wallbreaking set with Focus Blast over Spikes can be used to hit Skuntank as well as Normal- and Steel-types for decent neutral or super effective damage, but Shiftry can also pull this off with a better base Speed and better STAB attacks such as Leaf Storm and Knock Off. Nasty Plot is an option to break through specially defensive walls like Clefairy, but this means that Cacturne would have no room to use Spikes. A physically based set with Stomping Tantrum can be used to allow Cacturne to hit Skuntank for super effective damage, but it doesn't offer much else outside of that.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Hitmonchan, Gurdurr, and Throh are all examples of Fighting-type Pokemon that are able to take a hit from Cacturne and revenge kill it with their respective STAB moves. Other Fighting-type Pokemon such as Primeape and Passimian are able to outspeed Cacturne and KO it with Close Combat or U-turn, as they don't take a lot of damage from Sucker Punch.
**Fairy-types**: Specially bulky Fairy-types such as Togetic and Clefairy are able to switch in on any of Cacturne's attacks and beat it one-on-one with Seismic Toss or just heal off any damage with Roost and Soft-Boiled.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Pokemon that heavily invest in Special Defense such as Type: Null, Altaria, and Cradily can switch into any of Cacturne's attacks well enough and heal off the damage, while also being able to threaten Cacturne back due to Cacturne's poor defensive stats.
**Skuntank**: Skuntank resists both of Cacturne's STAB moves and threatens Cacturne back with super effective attacks like Poison Jab and Fire Blast. Skuntank is also able to Defog away Spikes that Cacturne may have got up, as it doesn't have to worry about being hit for too much damage.
**Faster Attackers**: Due to Cacturne's low base Speed stat and subpar defensive stats, it can easily get revenge killed by faster Pokemon that don't take enough damage from Sucker Punch, such as Abomasnow, Absol, and Kangaskhan.
[OVERVIEW]
Cacturne finds its niche in the PU metagame as a strong offensive Spikes setter. High base offensive stats allow Cacturne to wallbreak, and Water Absorb and Cacturne's ability to use Spikes are the main features that set it apart from Shiftry, which would mostly outclass it otherwise. Water Absorb notably allows Cacturne to come in on passive Water-type Pokemon such as Gastrodon and Lanturn without fearing Scald burns. Also, Cacturne's offensive typing allows it to threaten a lot of opposing Stealth Rock setters such as Regirock, Palossand, and Bronzor. However, its subpar defensive stats make Cacturne very vulnerable to any type of super effective hit or any strong attack in general. Cacturne also has an awful base 55 Speed tier, meaning it is outsped by a lot of offensive Pokemon like Magmortar and Abomasnow; this also means it is very reliant on Sucker Punch to hit faster threats. Its inability to hit Skuntank for a lot of damage can also hinder its ability to effectively wallbreak and set up Spikes.
[SET]
name: Offensive Spikes
move 1: Spikes
move 2: Dark Pulse
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Energy Ball / Giga Drain
item: Life Orb
ability: Water Absorb
nature: Mild
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Spikes allows Cacturne to pressure the opposing team with passive damage and helps Cacturne and its teammates break down defensive cores more easily. Dark Pulse provides a reliable STAB move with good neutral coverage that is able to hit opposing Grass-resistant Pokemon neutrally, especially Pokemon such as Ferroseed and Assault Vest Magmortar, which are able to take Energy Ball really well. Sucker Punch gives Cacturne some form of priority against frailer attackers that outspeed it, as Cacturne's really low Speed leaves it easily outsped by Pokemon like Jynx and Pyroar. Energy Ball is Cacturne's secondary STAB move, which hits slightly harder than Dark Pulse and pressures Dark-resistant Pokemon such as Hitmonchan and Gurdurr. Although weaker, Giga Drain can be used to let Cacturne recover some of the health that it loses to Life Orb recoil.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs are used so that Cacturne can hit as hard and fast as possible to effectively wallbreak. A Mild nature is used to increase Cacturne's Special Attack and ensure that its Sucker Punch isn't weakened. Mild is also chosen over Rash, since it allows Cacturne to switch into special attackers such as Gastrodon and Palossand more easily. A Life Orb is used to further increase the power of Cacturne's attacks; the recoil damage isn't too detrimental for it, since Cacturne doesn't like taking hits anyway. Water Absorb allows Cacturne to switch in on predicted Water-type attacks from Pokemon such as Lanturn and defensive Carracosta, heal up by 25%, and proceed to attack the foe or set up Spikes.
Usage Tips
========
Cacturne should be used for firing off powerful attacks against teams without reliable switch-ins or to break down opposing specially defensive Pokemon such as Assault Vest Hitmonchan and Assault Vest Magmortar. Cacturne should set up Spikes against teams that have reliable switch-ins to it such as Throh and Type: Null because the Spikes can pressure them the next time they switch in. Spikes are also useful for putting faster threats like Lilligant and Pyroar into KO range of Sucker Punch. Bringing Cacturne in on predicted Water-type moves from defensive Water-types like Carracosta and Gastrodon gives Cacturne a free switch due to its ability, Water Absorb. Double switching can also allow Cacturne to come in for free so it can avoid taking unnecessary damage. Use Dark Pulse if the opponent has good Grass-type switch-ins such as Drampa and Assault Vest Magmortar. On the other hand, use Energy Ball in situations where the opponent has good Dark-resistant Pokemon like Assault Vest Hitmonchan and Gurdurr.
Team Options
========
Pokemon such as Weezing and Palossand are good partners, as they can switch in on Fighting-type attacks as well as U-turn from Primeape. Togedemaru is a notable partner, as it can switch in on Flying-type attacks, and it can also pivot with U-turn on Electric-immune Pokemon such as Gastrodon, Lanturn, and Palossand to give Cacturne good wallbreaking opportunities. Slow Volt Switch and U-turn support from Pokemon such as Eelektross and Volbeat can also allow Cacturne to switch in for free. Pokemon that can switch into Skuntank well like Gurdurr and Golem are good partners because Skuntank resists both of Cacturne's STAB moves and can Defog away Spikes. Late-game cleaners such as Choice Scarf Pyroar appreciate Cacturne's Spikes support and its ability to break down specially defensive tanks. Fire-, Ground-, and Rock-type Pokemon such as Magmortar, Golem, and Lycanroc pair well with Cacturne, as Cacturne can switch into bulky Water-types like Gastrodon. Assault Vest Hitmonchan is able to take on Fire- and Ice-types such as Pyroar and Abomasnow, which threaten Cacturne, whilst also offering good utility in Rapid Spin to keep Cacturne healthy. Other Fire-type checks, most notably Lanturn, make for good partners, as Lanturn also provide a slow Volt Switch to give Cacturne wallbreaking opportunities without the need to take damage. Defensive Mesprit offers a good switch-in to Fighting-type Pokemon such as Gurdurr and Hitmonchan; Mesprit can also provide a slow U-turn for momentum or heal Cacturne back up to full health with Healing Wish.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Swords Dance set with Seed Bomb, Sucker Punch, and Superpower can be used, but Shiftry is better at this due to its higher base Speed and better STAB move in Knock Off. A Hasty nature can be used to always outspeed Pokemon such as Adamant Golurk as well as most Lanturn, Poliwrath, and Assault Vest Hitmonchan, but this comes at the cost of a significant drop in power that affects Cacturne's wallbreaking capabilities. Spiky Shield is an option if your team already has a Spikes or Toxic Spikes setter such as Ferroseed or Weezing, as in combination with other entry hazards, the chip damage from Spiky Shield can rack up pretty quickly and put foes in KO range of Sucker Punch. This also lets Cacturne scout for moves such as U-turn from Choice-locked Pokemon like Primeape and Oricorio-G. A full wallbreaking set with Focus Blast over Spikes can be used to hit Skuntank as well as Normal- and Steel-types for decent neutral or super effective damage, but Shiftry can also pull this off with a better base Speed and better STAB attacks such as Leaf Storm and Knock Off. Nasty Plot is an option to break through specially defensive walls like Clefairy, but this means that Cacturne would have no room to use Spikes. A physically based set with Stomping Tantrum can be used to allow Cacturne to hit Skuntank for super effective damage, but it doesn't offer much else outside of that.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fighting-types**: Hitmonchan, Gurdurr, and Throh are all examples of Fighting-type Pokemon that are able to take a hit from Cacturne and revenge kill it with their respective STAB moves. Other Fighting-type Pokemon such as Primeape and Passimian are able to outspeed Cacturne and KO it with Close Combat or U-turn, as they don't take a lot of damage from Sucker Punch.
**Fairy-types**: Specially bulky Fairy-types such as Togetic and Clefairy are able to switch in on any of Cacturne's attacks and beat it one-on-one with Seismic Toss or just heal off any damage with Roost and Soft-Boiled.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Pokemon that heavily invest in Special Defense such as Type: Null, Altaria, and Cradily can switch into any of Cacturne's attacks well enough and heal off the damage, while also being able to threaten Cacturne back due to Cacturne's poor defensive stats.
**Skuntank**: Skuntank resists both of Cacturne's STAB moves and threatens Cacturne back with super effective attacks like Poison Jab and Fire Blast. Skuntank is also able to Defog away Spikes that Cacturne may have got up, as it doesn't have to worry about being hit for too much damage.
**Faster Attackers**: Due to Cacturne's low base Speed stat and subpar defensive stats, it can easily get revenge killed by faster Pokemon that don't take enough damage from Sucker Punch, such as Abomasnow, Absol, and Kangaskhan.
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