Basculin
Water
Best attacking moveset: Tackle and Aqua Tail, worth 8.8 damage per second against a neutral target.
Best moveset
Basculin can learn 6 combinations. Tackle with Aqua Tail does the most damage per second of them, at level 40 with a perfect attack stat. Same-type moves get the 1.2× bonus, and the cycle assumes the charged attack fires the moment it has the energy.
Stats and moves come straight from the game's own data files. Every number on this page is a raid and gym number, not a PvP one.
Type matchups
| Fast attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tackle | Normal | 5 | 0.5s | +5 |
| Water Gun | Water | 5 | 0.5s | +5 |
| Charged attack | Type | Power | Duration | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Jet | Water | 45 | 2.5s | -33 |
| Aqua Tail | Water | 50 | 2.0s | -33 |
| Muddy Water | Water | 45 | 2.0s | -33 |
Shiny
Yes. Shiny Basculin has been released. Players have found it from: wild, research, photobomb.
Numbers
| Max CP | 2,363 at level 50, 2,090 at level 40 |
|---|---|
| Raid catch | 1,194 CP at level 20, or 1,493 if weather boosted (perfect IVs) |
| Lowest possible raid catch | 1,129 CP. Raid encounters can't roll below 10/10/10 |
| Base stats | 189 attack · 129 defense · 172 stamina |
What it costs
| Candy to evolve | 25 Candy |
|---|---|
| Second charged move | 10,000 Stardust and 25 Candy |
| Buddy distance | 1 km per Candy |
| Size | 1 m and 18 kg |
Best moveset against each type
Basculin does not have one best moveset, it has 2. Which one wins depends on what you are attacking, because a move only gets its bonus against something weak to it. Best against Ground, Rock, Fire.
| Against | Best moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|
| Ground | Water Gun + Aqua Tail | 14.3 |
| Rock | Water Gun + Aqua Tail | 14.3 |
| Fire | Water Gun + Aqua Tail | 14.3 |
| Normal | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Fighting | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 | |
| Poison | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Bug | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Ghost | Water Gun + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Steel | Water Gun + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Electric | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Psychic | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Ice | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Dark | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Fairy | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 8.8 |
| Water | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 6.9 |
| Grass | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 6.9 |
| Dragon | Tackle + Aqua Tail | 6.9 |
Same maths as the headline number, run once per defending type: level 40, perfect attack IV, and the target's own type taken into account. Sorted by damage, so the top of this table is what Basculin is actually for.
Counters: what beats Basculin
| Attacker | Type | Moveset | DPS |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regieleki | Electric | Lock On + Thunder Cage Legacy | 47.9 |
 Zeraora | Electric | Volt Switch + Plasma Fists | 41.1 |
 Kartana | GrassSteel | Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade | 41.0 |
 Zekrom | DragonElectric | Charge Beam + Fusion Bolt Legacy | 40.2 |
 Xurkitree | Electric | Thunder Shock + Discharge | 39.7 |
 Roserade | GrassPoison | Magical Leaf + Leaf Storm | 34.9 |
 Eternatus | PoisonDragon | Poison Jab + Dynamax Cannon Legacy | 34.8 |
 Deoxys | Psychic | Charge Beam + Thunderbolt | 34.6 |
 Electivire | Electric | Thunder Shock + Wild Charge | 34.4 |
 Zarude | DarkGrass | Vine Whip + Power Whip | 34.3 |
Ranked by damage per second against Basculin's own defense, at level 40 with a 15 attack IV, one per evolution family.