Cacnea
Grass-type, Generation 3. Evolves into Cacturne for 50 Candy — no raid or PvP ranking of its own.
Best moveset
- Highest damage
- Sucker Punch Payback
Payback costs 100 energy for 95 power.
Type effectiveness
Damage Cacnea takes from each attacking type
Base stats
- Stat total
- 367
- Buddy distance
- 3.0 km per candy
- Second charged move
- 50,000 Dust + 50 Candy
- 100% IV at Lv 20
- 709 CP
Cacnea moves
3 fast · 5 charged
Fast moves
| Move | Type | PWR | EN | DUR | DPS | EPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poison Sting | Poison | 4 | 6 | 0.5s | 8 | 12 |
| Sand Attack | Ground | 4 | 7 | 0.5s | 8 | 14 |
| Sucker Punch Best | Dark | 5 | 6 | 0.5s | 10 | 12 |
Charged moves
| Move | Type | PWR | EN | DUR | DPS | DPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brick Break | Fighting | 40 | 33 | 1.5s | 26.7 | 1.21 |
| Grass Knot STAB | Grass | 90 | 50 | 2.5s | 36 | 1.80 |
| Payback Best | Dark | 95 | 100 | 2.0s | 47.5 | 0.95 |
| Seed Bomb STAB | Grass | 55 | 33 | 2.0s | 27.5 | 1.67 |
| Trailblaze STAB | Grass | 65 | 50 | 2.0s | 32.5 | 1.30 |
Fast moves
| Move | Type | PWR | EN | Turns | DPT | EPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poison Sting | Poison | 4 | 9 | 1 | 4.00 | 9.00 |
| Sand Attack | Ground | 2 | 4 | — | — | — |
| Sucker Punch | Dark | 8 | 7 | 1 | 8.00 | 7.00 |
Charged moves
| Move | Type | PWR | EN | DPE | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brick Break | Fighting | 50 | 40 | 1.25 | Buff / debuff |
| Grass Knot | Grass | 90 | 50 | 1.80 | — |
| Payback | Dark | 110 | 60 | 1.83 | — |
| Seed Bomb | Grass | 55 | 40 | 1.38 | — |
| Trailblaze | Grass | 65 | 45 | 1.44 | Buff / debuff |
Moveset analysis
The highest-damage fast move is Sucker Punch (10 DPS); Sand Attack builds energy fastest (14 EPS).
Evolution
Raids
- Raid tier
- 1-Star
- Shiny
- Can be shiny after the raid
- Raid guide
- Full Cacnea raid guide
Best counters against Cacnea
How to get Cacnea
- Wild
- Spawns in the wild — rarity depends on biome and active events
- Raids
- 1-Star raid boss
- Team GO Rocket
- Shadow Cacnea knows Frustration — swap it with a Charged TM
- Purification
- 3,000 Dust + 3 Candy → Return
- Trading
- Can be traded between trainers
Catch CP
| Source | Level | Min CP | Max CP (100% IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Catch | Lv 1–30 | 28 | 1,073 |
| Wild (Weather Boost) | Lv 1–35 | 28 | 1,162 |
| Raid Catch | Lv 20 | 674 | 727 |
| Raid (Weather Boost) | Lv 25 | 839 | 905 |
| Egg Hatch | Lv 20 | 674 | 727 |
| Research Encounter | Lv 15 | 510 | 550 |
| GO Battle League | Lv 20 | 674 | 727 |
Is Cacnea good in Pokemon GO?
| Power up | Stardust | Candy | XL Candy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lv 20 → 40 | 135,000 | 15 | — |
Cacnea has no raid or PvP ranking right now. Keep a high-IV one for the Pokedex and for future move updates or limited-format cups, and spend your Stardust elsewhere.
- Attack is its highest stat (156), so it hits harder than it survives — a glass-cannon raid slot rather than a gym defender.
- A second charged move costs 50,000 Dust and 50 Candy, and with 5 charged moves to pick from it is the single biggest PvP upgrade you can buy.
- Shadow Cacnea deals 20% more damage and takes 20% more: better for raids, riskier in PvP.
- Its moves get a damage boost in Sunny weather — worth timing raids around.
CP by level
Maximum CP with perfect 15/15/15 IVs at every level
| Level | Max CP |
|---|---|
| Lv 1 | 17 |
| Lv 2 | 55 |
| Lv 3 | 92 |
| Lv 4 | 130 |
| Lv 5 | 167 |
| Lv 6 | 205 |
| Lv 7 | 242 |
| Lv 8 | 280 |
| Lv 9 | 317 |
| Lv 10 | 355 |
| Lv 11 | 390 |
| Lv 12 | 425 |
| Lv 13 | 461 |
| Level | Max CP |
|---|---|
| Lv 14 | 496 |
| Lv 15 | 532 |
| Lv 16 | 567 |
| Lv 17 | 603 |
| Lv 18 | 638 |
| Lv 19 | 674 |
| Lv 20 | 709 |
| Lv 21 | 745 |
| Lv 22 | 780 |
| Lv 23 | 816 |
| Lv 24 | 851 |
| Lv 25 | 887 |
| Lv 26 | 922 |
| Level | Max CP |
|---|---|
| Lv 27 | 958 |
| Lv 28 | 993 |
| Lv 29 | 1,029 |
| Lv 30 | 1,064 |
| Lv 31 | 1,082 |
| Lv 32 | 1,100 |
| Lv 33 | 1,118 |
| Lv 34 | 1,135 |
| Lv 35 | 1,153 |
| Lv 36 | 1,171 |
| Lv 37 | 1,188 |
| Lv 38 | 1,206 |
| Lv 39 | 1,224 |
| Level | Max CP |
|---|---|
| Lv 40 | 1,242 |
| Lv 41 | 1,257 |
| Lv 42 | 1,273 |
| Lv 43 | 1,289 |
| Lv 44 | 1,305 |
| Lv 45 | 1,322 |
| Lv 46 | 1,338 |
| Lv 47 | 1,354 |
| Lv 48 | 1,371 |
| Lv 49 | 1,387 |
| Lv 50 | 1,404 |
Pokedex info
- Pokedex number
- #0331
- Height
- 0.41 m
- Weight
- 51.30 kg
- Buddy size
- Big
- Family forms
- 4 released forms
- Game ID
- V0331_POKEMON_CACNEA
FAQ
What is the best moveset for Cacnea in Pokemon GO?
Cacnea's best moveset is Sucker Punch (fast) with Payback (charged). Use a Fast TM or Charged TM to reroll onto it.
What are Cacnea's weaknesses in Pokemon GO?
Cacnea takes super effective damage from Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, Poison-type moves. It resists Electric, Grass, Ground, Water, so avoid those types against it.
What is Cacnea's max CP in Pokemon GO?
Cacnea reaches 1,404 CP at level 50 with XL Candy, or 1,242 CP at level 40. Level 50 needs XL Candy, which only unlocks at Trainer Level 31 and comes from catching, hatching, transferring and walking.
What CP is a 100% IV Cacnea?
A perfect 15/15/15 Cacnea shows 709 CP at level 20 (raid and egg catches) and 887 CP at level 25 (weather boosted). Seeing that exact number on the catch screen means it is a hundo — favourite it before you transfer anything.
Is Shadow Cacnea better than regular Cacnea?
Shadow Cacnea deals 20% more damage and takes 20% more. For raids the trade is worth it; for PvP the lost bulk often is not. It arrives knowing Frustration, which should be replaced with a Charged TM during a Team GO Rocket event before you power it up.
How do you get Cacnea in Pokemon GO?
Cacnea spawns in the wild, though how often depends on your biome and the active event. It is currently a 1-Star Raids raid boss. It can be traded between trainers.
Can Cacnea be shiny in Pokemon GO?
Shiny Cacnea depends on whether Niantic has released the form. Check the events page for Community Days and event weekends, which is when shiny rates are boosted.