[OVERVIEW]
Kartana defines the role of a glass cannon; it hits incredibly hard at the cost of having no special bulk. Possessing a very strong Attack stat and a helpful ability, Kartana is very difficult to switch into or stop from sweeping through teams of slower Pokemon. Access to utility options in Tailwind and Knock Off helps Kartana support a team beyond its immediate offensive threat. It also possesses a good overall defensive typing that gives it good matchups versus many common Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Tapu Fini, Metagross, and Amoonguss. Despite its good typing, a terrible Special Defense stat makes it very difficult to manoeuvre Kartana during a game, only being able to pivot in on physical attackers. Grass and Steel STAB moves also leave Kartana walled by many Pokemon such as Mega Salamence and Zapdos while relying on non-STAB options such as Knock Off to break through Metagross and Aegislash.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Smart Strike / Sacred Sword
move 3: Tailwind / Sacred Sword / Knock Off
move 4: Protect
item: Flyinium Z / Steelium Z
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Adamant
evs: 36 HP / 248 Atk / 112 SpD / 112 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
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Leaf Blade is the primary STAB move, doing tons of damage to neutral and super effective targets. Smart Strike is a secondary STAB move that hits Grass-resistant foes like Salamence and Amoonguss as well as Fairy-types like Tapu Lele and Tapu Bulu. Sacred Sword lets Kartana get past Heatran and Ferrothorn. Tailwind gives more utility to Kartana, letting it help its team even in bad offensive matchups. Knock Off is generally a great move in a metagame dominated by Berries and also gives Kartana a better move to hit Metagross. Protect keeps Kartana safe while its partners deal with any possible threats.
Set Details
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The given EVs allow Kartana to survive some special attacks such as Kyurem-B's Ice Beam, Tapu Lele's Psychic, and Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt while still outspeeding neutral-natured Landorus-T and having enough Attack to pick up the OHKO on Lonely Stakataka. An Adamant nature is used to boost Kartana's already high Attack to absurd levels. Flyinium Z is the primary item of choice paired with Tailwind to boost Kartana's critical hit rate, guaranteeing a critical hit with the already powerful Leaf Blade. Steelium Z is a solid alternative, as it allows Kartana to OHKO targets such as Kyurem-B. An alternative EV spread including a Jolly nature and 144 EVs in Speed allows Kartana to outspeed maximum Speed Kyurem-B and Tapu Lele, which may be more useful on some teams than the OHKO on Stakataka.
Usage Tips
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Kartana has abysmal Special Defense, so it's important to only bring Kartana in on free switches or on Pokemon that it walls like Ferrothorn. Despite its terrible Special Defense, Kartana actually has quite good Defense, which allows it to switch in on some resisted attacks from foes like Metagross, Zygarde, Snorlax, and Tapu Bulu. While Kartana does check these Pokemon, it must watch out for coverage options such as Hammer Arm, Superpower, and Fire Punch. Kartana thrives late-game when it can take out weakened targets and rack up Beast Boosts. Using its own Tailwind or a teammate's makes Kartana very difficult to revenge kill. Do not let Kartana take special hits in order to trade damage; it's important to keep Kartana's HP high so that it can take down bulkier targets late-game. When using Z-Tailwind, Kartana does not have to worry about Intimidate when using Leaf Blade because of the guaranteed critical hit, allowing Kartana to manoeuvre a bit more freely around Intimidate.
Team Options
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Some important teammates for Kartana to have are Pokemon that remove Fire-types such as Landorus-T, Volcanion, and Tapu Fini. Pokemon that can remove Flying-types such as Kyurem-B and Tyranitar are also very important to enable Kartana to sweep late-game. Tailwind support from Salamence or Zapdos is very helpful for Kartana sets that lack Tailwind of their own. Stealth Rock support from Landorus-T or Heatran helps chip targets into range of its Smart Strike or Z-Move as well as generally weakening Kartana’s Fire-type checks. Tapu Bulu's Grassy Surge powers up Kartana's Leaf Blade to very high levels, but Tapu Bulu does stack many weaknesses with Kartana. Kartana's Tailwind also provides good support to teammates with middling Speed stats such as Volcanion and Kyurem-B.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Life Orb powers Kartana up while also not taking up the team's Z-Move; Kartana does not really require a ton of HP due to its terrible bulk. Swords Dance makes Kartana even harder to switch into and aids it in breaking through bulkier teams, but it is very difficult for Kartana to find a situation to use Swords Dance in battle. Substitute lets Kartana fire off attacks without risking being KOed by faster attackers and also blocks Intimidate. Focus Sash guarantees that Kartana can survive at least one hit, which it may otherwise struggle with. Choice Scarf makes Kartana one of the fastest Pokemon in the format, outpacing boosted Mega Tyranitar and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele. Grassium Z is generally inferior to Steelium Z in terms of neutral coverage, but it ensures KOs on bulky Water-types such as Tapu Fini, Milotic, and Rotom-W, guarantees an OHKO on Landorus-T, which Steelium Z falls short of, and is also very potent when paired with Soak support.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Flying-types**: Pokemon such as Zapdos and Salamence, both of which often carry Fire-type coverage moves, resist all of Kartana's options and threaten it back with strong special attacks.
**Fire-types**: Volcanion, Heatran, and Mega Charizard Y all can handle Kartana's attacks and threaten to OHKO it in return with their Fire-type moves.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Mega Gengar and Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele all threaten to KO Kartana, and Mega Gengar can also trap it. These Pokemon not only threaten Kartana with their Speed but also by taking advantage of Kartana's low Special Defense stat.
**Strong Special Attackers**: Kartana has a hard time taking on even resisted attacks from opposing special attackers, especially from the likes of Deoxys-A, Tapu Koko, and various Z-Move users.
**Opposing Speed Control**: Tailwind, Trick Room, Icy Wind, and Electroweb all can stop Kartana from pressuring an opposing team, as it's much more threatening when hitting first.
**Intimidate**: Kartana is a physical attacker, so it will be hindered by Intimidate. However, Pokemon such as Landorus-T and Scrafty have to be careful switching in, as both still take a lot of damage from Leaf Blade and Sacred Sword, respectively, while also being outsped. Intimidate can be mitigated with the help of Z-Tailwind, but it still stops Kartana from boosting further.
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