In-battle formes
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| HP: | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Attack: | 181 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 131 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 109 |
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Overview
Kartana has a huge Attack stat, a good Speed stat, and decent physical bulk, allowing it to outspeed common Pokemon in the 1v1 metagame like Mega Gyarados, Mega Tyranitar, and Tapu Lele and hit them hard. It has access to setup moves like Iron Defense and Swords Dance, which work with its high Speed to take out Pokemon like Mega Metagross and Zygarde-C. Despite this, Kartana is weak to Fire and Fighting, meaning frequently used Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Mega Lopunny can easily counter it. It has horrific special bulk and is easily OHKOed by even resisted attacks from some of the most common special attackers in the metagame, such as Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Kommo-o, Magnezone, and Meloetta. It also finds itself outclassed by bulkier Steel-types like Magearna and Mega Metagross.
Choice Band
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Moves
Leaf Blade allows Kartana to hit Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, Mega Slowbro, Mega Tyranitar, and Mega Swampert super effectively while heavily damaging Pokemon like Hoopa-U. Smart Strike hits Ice-, Rock-, and Fairy-type Pokemon like Alolan Ninetales, Nihilego, and Tapu Lele. Sacred Sword can be used against bulky Normal-types and some Steel-types like Chansey, Heatran, and Excadrill. However, this is not the most effective way to deal with Chansey and Heatran, since Chansey can tank a Sacred Sword and return with Counter, while Heatran sometimes has enough bulk to survive a Sacred Sword and KO Kartana with a Fire-type STAB move. Giga Impact is the hardest-hitting neutrally damaging move, giving Kartana a good chance to KO many defensively uninvested Mega Charizard, Garchomp, and Mega Pinsir.
Set Details
48 HP EVs allow Kartana to survive two Sucker Punches from maximum Attack Mega Mawile. 252 Speed EVs along with a Jolly nature help it to outspeed maximum Speed non-Choice Scarf Terrakion and Keldeo. The remaining Attack EVs and Choice Band maximize Kartana's damage output.
A spread with 128 HP and 252 Special Defense EVs along with a Careful nature allows Kartana to tank Adaptability Choice Scarf Porygon-Z's Hyper Beam and Choice Specs Protean Greninja's Ice Beam. However, such a spread causes Kartana to lose out on other matchups like Landorus-T, and both Greninja and Choice Scarf Porygon-Z usually run Hidden Power Fire.
Usage Tips
If it's a choice between Leaf Blade and Giga Impact, use Giga Impact unless you are sure that Leaf Blade will KO, since Giga Impact does more damage than STAB-boosted Leaf Blade, but it can miss. Avoid sending in Kartana on faster special attackers like Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Necrozma, Magnezone, and Naganadel. Also, don’t use Kartana against Sturdy Pokemon like Donphan, Aggron, and Magnezone, since they can use Counter, Metal Burst, or a Z-Move to finish it off.
Team Options
Since Fire-types and special attackers like Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Greninja, Porygon-Z, Magearna, and Magnezone beat Kartana, a specially defensive Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, Primarina, Tapu Fini, or Chansey can be used as a teammate. In return, Kartana can help defeat common Mega Charizard X counters like Mega Gyarados, Primarina and Tapu Fini counters like Nihilego, and common Taunt users that usually give Chansey trouble like Mega Gyarados and Tapu Lele. Choice Specs Necrozma is also a good option, since it beats Donphan, Golem, some Fire-type Pokemon like Mega Charizard X, and Fighting-type Pokemon like Mega Blaziken and Mega Lopunny, while Kartana can help Necrozma with Mega Gyarados, Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Lele, and Mega Gardevoir. Pokemon like Dragonite have trouble against physical threats that Kartana deals with.
Bulky Grassium Z
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Moves
Iron Defense is used to boost Kartana’s already-high Defense stat, which makes it easier for it to tank strong physical attacks like Landorus-T's Tectonic Rage. Synthesis helps in recovering the damage incurred while setting up Iron Defense and can be used to set up on Mega Metagross, Zygarde-C, and Landorus-T. Leaf Blade lets Kartana KO Water-, Ground-, and Rock-types like Mega Gyarados, Primarina, Tapu Fini, and Mega Tyranitar, and its high critical hit ratio helps in checking physical setup Pokemon like Coil Zygarde. Swords Dance lets Kartana set up on Zygarde and Mega Metagross after setting up Iron Defense. Substitute prevents Donphan and Golem from using Counter.
Set Details
The 176 HP EVs along with 24 Defense EVs ensure that Kartana can always use Synthesis after Iron Defense against Mega Metagross without having to worry about Hammer Arm and Bullet Punch, as Kartana will outspeed Adamant sets and tank Jolly variants' attacks. Kartana runs maximum Speed in order to outspeed and OHKO threats such as Terrakion, Keldeo, and non-Choice Scarf Blacephalon. The remaining EVs are given to Attack to increase Kartana's overall offensive presence. Grassium Z turns Leaf Blade into a powerful STAB-boosted Bloom Doom, which can even KO neutral physically bulky Pokemon like Mega Sableye and Landorus-T when boosted.
Usage Tips
Against most physical attackers like Mega Metagross, Zygarde-C, and Landorus-T, start off by using Iron Defense and healing the damage taken with Synthesis. After fully setting up with Iron Defense, start using either Swords Dance or Substitute. Finish off by using Bloom Doom followed by Leaf Blade if the foe is still standing. Avoid sending in Kartana on faster special attackers like Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Naganadel, and Blacephalon.
Team Options
Offensive Rock-type Pokemon like Mega Tyranitar and Choice Band Archeops are the best partners for Kartana, taking care of Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, Dragonite, and Heatran, and luring Mega Gyarados, Landorus-T, Zygarde-C, and Mega Metagross for Kartana to finish. Fighting-type Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Sawk, Mega Heracross, and Mega Blaziken counter Kartana; Pokemon like Tapu Fini and Primarina with appropriate Defense investment have an advantage over these Pokemon and hence make for good partners. Since Kartana has poor Special Defense, some specially bulky Pokemon like Chansey and Nihilego can be used as teammates. Both of these Pokemon appreciate Kartana's physical bulk.
Other Options
An Adamant Choice Scarf set can be used to take out Greninja, Mega Lopunny, and Naganadel but loses out on the firepower provided by other sets. Kartana can also run an all-out attacker set with Leaf Blade, Sacred Sword, Smart Strike, and Swords Dance or Substitute in the last moveslot, along with a spread of 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe, a Jolly nature, and Grassium Z. In addition to having more coverage, such a set has more firepower to KO Pokemon like bulky Normalium Z Porygon-Z. Kartana can also make use of a Swords Dance / Substitute / Smart Strike / Laser Focus set with a spread of 112 Atk / 148 SpD / 248 Spe along with a Jolly nature and Steelium Z to counter Iron Defense Magearna and non-Hidden Power Fire Mega Venusaur. However, this misses out on the higher damage output of Kartana's other sets, and fails to beat common Water-type Pokemon like Mega Gyarados, Primarina, and Tapu Fini.
Checks and Counters
Fire: Pokemon with a Fire typing or Fire-type attacks like bulky Mega Charizard X, bulky Mega Charizard Y, Mega Camerupt, Necrozma, Genesect, and Kommo-o can easily take out Kartana if they survive its attacks.
Special Attackers: Unless a lot of special bulk is invested into Kartana, prominent special attackers like Porygon-Z, Magearna, Magnezone, Greninja, Naganadel, and Dragonite and even weaker ones like Togekiss and Shell Smash Carracosta can KO it.
Fighting-type Pokemon: Prominent Fighting-type Pokemon like Mega Lopunny, Mega Blaziken, Mega Heracross, and Sawk have the upper hand against Kartana due to their ability to super effectively hit it while either tanking its attacks or outspeeding it.
Sturdy Pokemon: Unless Kartana has Substitute, Pokemon with the Sturdy ability like Donphan, Golem, Magnezone, Crustle, and Sawk easily KO it with Counter, a super effective move, or a strong Z-Move. However, Substitute Kartana can circumvent Donphan's and Golem's Counter.
Credits
- Written by edudittA
- Quality checked by Ginger Princess and charizard8888
- Grammar checked by fleurdyleurse and CryoGyro
