Needle Arm (move)

Needle Arm ニードルアーム Needle Arm

Battles Type  Grass Category  Physical PP  15 (max. 24) Power  60 Accuracy  100% Priority  0 Makes contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Affected by Mirror Move Not affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Normal: May affect anyone adjacent to the user

Availability Introduced  Generation III Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  1 ♥ Jam  4 ♥♥♥♥ Badly startles the Pokémon in front.

Super Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  3 ♥♥♥ A basic performance using a move known by the Pokémon.

Contest Spectaculars Condition  Clever Appeal  4 ♥♥♥♥ Jamming  0   Quite an appealing move.

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX

Needle Arm (Japanese: ニードルアーム Needle Arm) is a damage-dealing Grass-type move introduced in Generation III. Prior to Generation V, it was the signature move of Cacnea and Cacturne.

Effect

Generation III to VII

Needle Arm inflicts damage and has a 30% chance of causing the target to flinch. In Generation III only, Needle Arm will deal double the damage if its target had previously used Minimize.

Generation VIII onwards

Needle Arm cannot be selected in a battle.

Description

Games Description RSEColoXD Attacks with thorny arms. May cause flinching. FRLG An attack using thorny arms. It may make the foe flinch. DPPtHGSSPBR BWB2W2 The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. It may also make the target flinch. XYORAS SMUSUMPE The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms. This may also make the target flinch. SwShBDSPLA SV This move can't be used. It's recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can't be remembered.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Types	Egg Groups		Level
						III	IV	V	VI	VII
										SMUSUM
0331		Cacnea		Grass	Human-Like	37	45	45	45XY 16ORAS	16
0332		Cacturne		Grass	Human-Like	41	53	53	53XY 16ORAS	16
0556		Maractus		Grass		Grass			22	22	22
0651		Quilladin		Field		Field				26	1, Evo.
0652		Chesnaught		Field		Field				26	1
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Needle Arm deals damage and may cause the enemy to flinch.

Game Base Power Max Power Base PP Max PP Base Accuracy Max Accuracy Range Target Cuts corners MDRB 12 - 11 - 88% - Front Enemy No MDTD 12 - 11 - 88% - Front Enemy No MDS 36 - 11 - 88% - Front Enemy No BSL 36 - 11 - 88% - Front Enemy No SMD 8 99 20 40 95% 98% Front Enemy No With some exceptions, Pokémon learnsets match those from the core series games: MD Rescue Team = Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. MD Time and Darkness = Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. MD Sky = Pokémon Platinum. MD Adventure Squad = ??. Super Mystery Dungeon = Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. MD Rescue Team DX = Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

Pokémon Rumble Rush

Needle Arm

★★★
Attack power	33.04546
Charge time	0.54 seconds
Range type	Melee (straight)
Number of hits	1
Number of projectiles	1
Critical hit rate	1.5%
Additional effect	May flinch the foe

Pokémon Masters EX

Name	Category	State	Base power	Max power	Target	Effect tag	Description	Playable sync pair
Sync move
Thorny Needle Arm	Physical	Default 6★ EX	250	300	An opponent	—	No additional effect. The sync buff is doubled the first time a sync move is used.	Shauna & Chesnaught

Description

Games Description MDRB Inflicts damage on the target. It may also cause the target to cringe, making it incapable of action. MDTDS Inflicts damage on the target. It may also afflict the targeted enemy with a Cringe status condition, which makes its actions fail. BSL てきポケモンに ダメージをあたえる しかも いっていのかくりつで ひるみじょうたいにして わざや こうげきを だせなくする MDGtI UNUSED SMD It damages an enemy. It could also cause the enemy to flinch.

In animation

Pokémon animated series

Cacnea Cacturne Mime Jr. Quilladin
The user attacks by wildly swinging its thorny arms.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	One of Cacnea's arms glows white. It then swings its arm and hits the opponent with it.
James's Cacnea	A Mudkip Mission		Debut
	The dark green patches on Cacturne's arms and legs glow white and grow into huge needles.
Harley's Cacturne	A Hurdle for Squirtle		None
	The ball on top of Mime Jr's head glows white, and both of its arms glow white as well. It then hits the opponent with one of its arms.
James's Mime Jr.	Dawn's Early Night!		Used via Mimic
	A light green orb of energy with four spikes on it forms around both of Quilladin's arms. It then hits the opponent with its arms.
A wild Quilladin	Love Strikes! Eevee, Yikes!		None

In the manga

Let's Play the Pokémon Card Game XY!

Chesnaught
The user stabs the opponent with its needle-like fingers.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Chesnaught stabs the opponent with its needle-like fingers.
Hiroshi's Chesnaught	CXY01		Debut

Pokémon Adventures

Cacturne
The user releases long needles from its arm at the opponent.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Cacturne reaches out one of its arms and releases multiple long needles from its hand, stabbing the opponent with them.
Wally's Cacturne	Talk About Timing, Treecko		Debut

In other generations

Core series games

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Side series games

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Spin-off series games

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• In Generations III-V, Secret Power has the animation of Needle Arm if used in tall grass.
• Needle Arm is the only Grass-type move capable of making the target flinch.
• Despite Needle Arm depicting an animation with a fist, it is not boosted by Iron Fist.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 尖刺臂 Jīmchi Bei * 針葉暗器 Jāmyihp Amhei * Mandarin 尖刺臂 Jiāncì Bì * 針葉暗器 / 针叶暗器 Zhēnyè Ànqì * Dutch Naaldarm Finnish Piikki-isku (S06; S08) Neulamäjäys (S07) French Poing Dard German Nietenranke Greek Βελονογροθιά Hindi सुइओं की बाहें Suion Ki Baahein Italian Pugnospine Korean 바늘 팔 Baneul Pal Polish Igłoramię Portuguese Brazil Braço de Agulha (Pokémon the Series: XY-present, TCG, manga) Braço Agulha Portugal Braço Agulha Serbian Bodljikava ruka Spanish Latin America Brazo Aguja Spain Brazo Pincho Vietnamese Cánh Tay Kim Châm

Variations of the move Needle Arm
Needle Arm • Force Palm

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.