Is Cacturne any good in Pokemon GO?

When Pokemon from the Hoenn region were added to Pokemon GO, some interesting type combinations were finally introduced to the game which completely turned the metagame on its head. The interesting type combination of Grass and Dark had not just one, but two representatives from the Hoenn region, namely Shiftry and Cacturne.

Many veterans may remember finding Cacturne's pre-evolved form, Cacnea, in the desert area of Route 111. Cacturne also made an appearance on Sidney of the Hoenn Elite Four's team.

Many players who encounter a Cacnea or Cacturne while playing Pokemon GO may wonder if the Pokemon has any uses in Pokemon GO's various tiers of the Battle League.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion.

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Cacturne in Pokemon GO: An Analysis

Cacnea and Cacturne as they appear in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

Many players may be disappointed to learn that Cacturne simply cannot compete in any tier of Pokemon GO's Battle League. While Cacturne wields a powerful attack stat of 221, that is where its list of benefits ends. Cacturne's above average stamina stat of 172 may appear enticing, but with a frail defense stat of 115, Cacturne will fold upon taking any super effective hit.

Cacturne's only strength in Pokemon GO is its highly diverse moveset that can give it some interesting coverage. With access to Poison Jab and Dynamic Punch, Cacturne is not completely defenseless against Fairy and Ice types, however, those are just two of the six weaknesses Cacturne has. Cacturne is also weak to Fire, Poison, Flying, and Bug type attacks.

Another big weakness of Cacturne's that contributes heavily to its lack of utility is simply the fact that Shiftry exists. Shiftry can do everything Cacturne can do but better considering its access to faster attacks and overall better stat spread. The only benefits Cacturne has over Shiftry is coverage for Fairy types and 21 extra points in its attack stat.

While in theory, Cacturne requires less candy to obtain as it only requires 50 Cacnea candy, Seedot, Shiftry's first pre-evolved form, is a lot easier to find. This is due to the fact that Cliff, one of the Team GO Rocket leaders, will always give the player the opportunity to catch a shadow Seedot after defeating him in battle. This means that not only is it easier to obtain a Shiftry than a Cacturne, players can also receive a shadow Shiftry which would be much more powerful in battle than a regular one.

In summary, Cacturne is not worth using in Pokemon GO due to its lack of defenses followed by it being outclassed by Shiftry in every way. Cacnea and Cacturne are also way harder to find than Seedot, Nuzleaf, and Shiftry thus making the effort to get a Cacturne worthless unless the player is seeking one out to fill their Pokedex.