[OVERVIEW]
Tapu Koko is one of the most prominent new threat of generation seven. Boasting a blistering Speed stat and an ability that makes it deceptively powerful, Tapu Koko is a potent offensive threat that every team needs to prepare for. However, Tapu Koko relies on Electric Terrain to hit hard, and its rather frail, making it hard to switch-in.
Below are some sample sets. These sets are likely to be standard, but they will be expanded upon and updated as the metagame progresses.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power ice
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground / Grass Knot
move 4: Volt Switch / U-turn
item: Life Orb / Electrium Z / Focus Sash
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Thunderbolt is the best STAB option for Tapu Koko, while Dazzling Gleam 2HKOs Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and OHKOs Hydreigon. Hidden Power Ice can be used to 2HKO Landorus-T if that's more important.
* Hidden Power Fire deals serious damage to Ferrothorn and Excadrill, Grass Knot slams Mamoswine and Hippowdon, and Hidden Power Ground deals a lot of damage to Magnezone and Alolan Marowak.
* Tapu Koko will want a scouting move. Volt Switch hits pretty hard and is great for wearing down teams, but it can easily be stopped by the likes of Alolan Marowak and Garchomp. U-turn doesn't hit nearly as hard, but always works regardless of the switch-in.
* If you wish, you can replace Volt Switch or U-turn with extra coverage to give Tapu Koko more superior match-ups at the cost of scouting. Taunt can also work to stop Stealth Rock from coming up and shutting down recovery from the likes of Porygon2.
* Life Orb gives Tapu Koko the most reasonable amount of power.
* Electrium Z gives Tapu Koko a very powerful attack with Z-Thunderbolt, good for picking off weakened walls like Porygon2.
* Focus Sash allows Tapu Koko to defeat certain Pokemon one-on-one such as Garchomp.
* Timid works best for the extra Speed.
* Tapu Koko works out very well early game due to U-turn and Volt Switch letting it scout the opponent's Pokemon choices.
* Carrying a Ground-type resistance is essential, since Tapu Koko's biggest problems are offensive Ground-types.
* Consider using another Tapu to reset the Terrain, so Tapu Koko doesn't have to worry about Electric Terrain running out nearly as much.
[SET]
name: Choice Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: U-turn / Volt Switch
move 3: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Grass Knot / Brave Bird
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* A Choice Scarf may seem like overkill, but it outspeeds some very important threats, such as +1 Mega Gyarados, Choice Scarf Garchomp, and Pheromosa.
* A Choice Specs makes Tapu Koko a frightening end-game cleaner.
* Thunderbolt is the best option for a STAB, while Volt Switch and U-turn are good scouting moves to consider, with Volt Switch being the more powerful option, and U-turn hitting Ground-types.
* Dazzling Gleam 2HKOs Garchomp and Mega Salamence, and OHKOs Hydreigon. However, Hidden Power Ice hits Landorus-T harder, and hits Garchomp and Mega Salamence just as hard as Dazzling Gleam.
* Hidden Power Fire deals solid damage to Ferrothorn, while Grass Knot hits Mamoswine and Hippowdon. Hidden Power Ground can also be used if Alolan Marowak and Magnezone are especially big problems.
* Brave Bird with a Naive nature is an option on Choice Scarf sets to deal much more damage to Volcarona and Tapu Bulu.
* Don't throw out Electric-type attacks early game, since most players will switch into an immunity. Consider double-switching or using U-turn instead.
* Ground-types need to be addressed, since they will prevent Tapu Koko from sweeping, so make sure to pack in good checks to them.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: U-turn / Volt Switch / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Tapu Koko can used a mixed set to take advantage of its common switch-ins, with Brave Bird 2HKOing Mega Venusuar and Tapu Bulu, letting Tapu Koko potentially sweep with Thunderbolt.
* Dazzling Gleam 2HKOs Garchomp and Mega Salamence and OHKOs Hydreigon, while Hidden Power Ice 2HKOs Landorus-T.
* U-turn is an excellent scouting move that hits incoming Ground-types, though Volt Switch has more power.
* Hidden Power Fire is useful against Ferrothorn, making Tapu Koko even more difficult to wall than usual.
* Life Orb fits this set the best, since Tapu Koko needs all the power it can get to be a successful lure.
* Naive lets Tapu Koko take priority attacks a bit more comfortably, but Hasty ensures that Porygon2 won't get a Special Attack boost, but it does ruin the surprise of Tapu Koko being mixed.
* Focus on surprising your opponents with Brave Bird or Hidden Power fire to open sweeps for your teammates.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Roost / Substitute
item: Electrium Z / Leftovers
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Calm Mind helps patch up Tapu Koko's mediocre Special Defense while making it a deceptively powerful special sweeper.
* Thunderbolt is the reliable STAB Tapu Koko needs to become a powerful special sweeper.
* Dazzling Gleam might be weak, but after a Calm Mind boost, it actually OHKOes Garchomp and Mega Salamence. Hidden Power Ice is a good alternative to hit Landorus-T harder.
* Roost has good synergy with Calm Mind, letting Tapu Koko set up effectively against more defensive Pokemon. Substitute protects Tapu Koko from status moves, which is helpful against Cresselia and Porygon2.
* Extra coverage is a reasonable option. Grass Knot crushes Hippowdon and defeats Mamoswine after it loses its Focus Sash. Hidden Power Fire deals a ton of damage to Ferrothorn, while Hidden Power Ground can be used to hit Alolan Marowak and Magnezone hard.
* Electrium Z lets Tapu Koko obliterate Pokemon after a Calm Mind boost. For example, under Electric Terrain, Tapu Koko have a 93.8% chance of OHKOing Porygon2 with +1 Gigavolt Havoc.
* Leftovers lets Tapu Koko stick around longer, and is especially useful with Roost.
* For more defensive alternatives, one can run an Electric Seed to boost defense. With maximum HP, this can survive Garchomp's Earthquake. Shuca Berry is useful for similar reasons.
* With Life Orb, Tapu Koko has a good shot of OHKOing fast Alolan Marowak with boosted Hidden Power Ground. Against bulky Alolan Marowak, Tapu Koko can beat them when they are at around 80% of their health with a boosted Hidden Power Ground.
* Focus Sash migh seem strange on a Calm Mind user, but it does allow Tapu Koko to be used as an emergency check against sweepers such as Mega Gyarados, and use its Calm Mind powers against different teams.
* This Tapu Koko works best late game, where it can unexpectedly set up and sweep. When using it early game, consider keeping Calm Mind concealed to surprise your foes.
* Having another Tapu on your team is highly reccomended, since this Tapu Koko relies on Electric Terrain to sweep effectively without many boosts, so reseting the terrain can be a life saver.
* Choice Scarf Garchomp, Excadrill, and Landorus-T are big problems since they can just OHKO Tapu Koko before it can severely damage them. Make sure to prepare for them.
[SET]
name: Physical Based Attacker
move 1: Wild Charge
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice / Mirror Move
item: Electrium Z / Flyingium Z / Life Orb
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Naive / Hasty / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Wild Charge might seem like a downgrade from Thunderbolt on the specially based set due to all the recoil, but Tapu Koko's higher Attack stat means that it makes Tapu Koko less vulnerable to Terrain changes. Most notably, it gives Life Orb Tapu Koko a good shot at OHKOing offensive Tapu Fini in Misty Terrain.
* Brave Bird is Tapu Koko's best move against Tapu Bulu and fast Alolan Marowak, 2HKOing them both. Brave Bird also 2HKOs bulky Alolan Marowak with some chip damage.
* U-turn is the preferable scouting move so Tapu Koko can switch out against Ground-types and Alolan Marowak.
* Dazzling Gleam is fairly weak, but it still 2HKOs Garchomp and Mega Salamence, and OHKOes Hydreigon. Hidden Power Ice is an alternate option for dealing much more damage to Landorus-T.
* Mirror Move paired with Flyingium Z lets Tapu Koko not only get +2 Attack, but also potentially use Z version of the last moved used, which can be a devastating surprise.
* Maximum Attack and Speed are needed so Wild Charge will deal good damage.
* Naive is slightly preferred for its ability to take priority attacks better, but Hasty does avoid a Download boost from Porygon2.
* Life Orb makes Tapu Koko go down fast, but it lets Tapu Koko get important KOs, such as the 2HKO on fast Alolan Marowak, a OHKO on Mimikyu and bulky Mega Gengar, and the OHKO on Tapu Lele with Wild Charge.
* Magnet means Tapu Koko loses out on the 2HKO on Alolan Marowak, but it does let Tapu Koko still OHKO Tapu Lele under Electric Terrain without the extra recoil.
* Electrium Z makes Tapu Koko weaker overall, but Gigavolt Havoc is extremely powerful and has no recoil. As an example of its power, it has a shot at OHKOing Aegislash and Mega Salamence.
* Naive lets Tapu Koko take priority attacks better, but Hasty is notable for avoiding a Download boost from Porygon2.
* This Tapu Koko works best late game, since Wild Charge and Brave Bird recoil wear it down fast. This also takes advantage of the surprise value of using physical attacks.
* In addition to the usual problematic Ground-types, Ferrothorn is a much bigger problem than usual since Tapu Koko will often get hit by Iron Barb's recoil. Make sure to prepare for Ferrothorn in particular.
Tapu Koko is one of the most prominent new threat of generation seven. Boasting a blistering Speed stat and an ability that makes it deceptively powerful, Tapu Koko is a potent offensive threat that every team needs to prepare for. However, Tapu Koko relies on Electric Terrain to hit hard, and its rather frail, making it hard to switch-in.
Below are some sample sets. These sets are likely to be standard, but they will be expanded upon and updated as the metagame progresses.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power ice
move 3: Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ground / Grass Knot
move 4: Volt Switch / U-turn
item: Life Orb / Electrium Z / Focus Sash
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Thunderbolt is the best STAB option for Tapu Koko, while Dazzling Gleam 2HKOs Garchomp, Mega Salamence, and OHKOs Hydreigon. Hidden Power Ice can be used to 2HKO Landorus-T if that's more important.
* Hidden Power Fire deals serious damage to Ferrothorn and Excadrill, Grass Knot slams Mamoswine and Hippowdon, and Hidden Power Ground deals a lot of damage to Magnezone and Alolan Marowak.
* Tapu Koko will want a scouting move. Volt Switch hits pretty hard and is great for wearing down teams, but it can easily be stopped by the likes of Alolan Marowak and Garchomp. U-turn doesn't hit nearly as hard, but always works regardless of the switch-in.
* If you wish, you can replace Volt Switch or U-turn with extra coverage to give Tapu Koko more superior match-ups at the cost of scouting. Taunt can also work to stop Stealth Rock from coming up and shutting down recovery from the likes of Porygon2.
* Life Orb gives Tapu Koko the most reasonable amount of power.
* Electrium Z gives Tapu Koko a very powerful attack with Z-Thunderbolt, good for picking off weakened walls like Porygon2.
* Focus Sash allows Tapu Koko to defeat certain Pokemon one-on-one such as Garchomp.
* Timid works best for the extra Speed.
* Tapu Koko works out very well early game due to U-turn and Volt Switch letting it scout the opponent's Pokemon choices.
* Carrying a Ground-type resistance is essential, since Tapu Koko's biggest problems are offensive Ground-types.
* Consider using another Tapu to reset the Terrain, so Tapu Koko doesn't have to worry about Electric Terrain running out nearly as much.
[SET]
name: Choice Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: U-turn / Volt Switch
move 3: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Hidden Power Fire / Grass Knot / Brave Bird
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Specs
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* A Choice Scarf may seem like overkill, but it outspeeds some very important threats, such as +1 Mega Gyarados, Choice Scarf Garchomp, and Pheromosa.
* A Choice Specs makes Tapu Koko a frightening end-game cleaner.
* Thunderbolt is the best option for a STAB, while Volt Switch and U-turn are good scouting moves to consider, with Volt Switch being the more powerful option, and U-turn hitting Ground-types.
* Dazzling Gleam 2HKOs Garchomp and Mega Salamence, and OHKOs Hydreigon. However, Hidden Power Ice hits Landorus-T harder, and hits Garchomp and Mega Salamence just as hard as Dazzling Gleam.
* Hidden Power Fire deals solid damage to Ferrothorn, while Grass Knot hits Mamoswine and Hippowdon. Hidden Power Ground can also be used if Alolan Marowak and Magnezone are especially big problems.
* Brave Bird with a Naive nature is an option on Choice Scarf sets to deal much more damage to Volcarona and Tapu Bulu.
* Don't throw out Electric-type attacks early game, since most players will switch into an immunity. Consider double-switching or using U-turn instead.
* Ground-types need to be addressed, since they will prevent Tapu Koko from sweeping, so make sure to pack in good checks to them.
[SET]
name: Mixed Attacker
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: U-turn / Volt Switch / Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Naive / Hasty
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Tapu Koko can used a mixed set to take advantage of its common switch-ins, with Brave Bird 2HKOing Mega Venusuar and Tapu Bulu, letting Tapu Koko potentially sweep with Thunderbolt.
* Dazzling Gleam 2HKOs Garchomp and Mega Salamence and OHKOs Hydreigon, while Hidden Power Ice 2HKOs Landorus-T.
* U-turn is an excellent scouting move that hits incoming Ground-types, though Volt Switch has more power.
* Hidden Power Fire is useful against Ferrothorn, making Tapu Koko even more difficult to wall than usual.
* Life Orb fits this set the best, since Tapu Koko needs all the power it can get to be a successful lure.
* Naive lets Tapu Koko take priority attacks a bit more comfortably, but Hasty ensures that Porygon2 won't get a Special Attack boost, but it does ruin the surprise of Tapu Koko being mixed.
* Focus on surprising your opponents with Brave Bird or Hidden Power fire to open sweeps for your teammates.
[SET]
name: Calm Mind
move 1: Calm Mind
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice
move 4: Roost / Substitute
item: Electrium Z / Leftovers
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Calm Mind helps patch up Tapu Koko's mediocre Special Defense while making it a deceptively powerful special sweeper.
* Thunderbolt is the reliable STAB Tapu Koko needs to become a powerful special sweeper.
* Dazzling Gleam might be weak, but after a Calm Mind boost, it actually OHKOes Garchomp and Mega Salamence. Hidden Power Ice is a good alternative to hit Landorus-T harder.
* Roost has good synergy with Calm Mind, letting Tapu Koko set up effectively against more defensive Pokemon. Substitute protects Tapu Koko from status moves, which is helpful against Cresselia and Porygon2.
* Extra coverage is a reasonable option. Grass Knot crushes Hippowdon and defeats Mamoswine after it loses its Focus Sash. Hidden Power Fire deals a ton of damage to Ferrothorn, while Hidden Power Ground can be used to hit Alolan Marowak and Magnezone hard.
* Electrium Z lets Tapu Koko obliterate Pokemon after a Calm Mind boost. For example, under Electric Terrain, Tapu Koko have a 93.8% chance of OHKOing Porygon2 with +1 Gigavolt Havoc.
* Leftovers lets Tapu Koko stick around longer, and is especially useful with Roost.
* For more defensive alternatives, one can run an Electric Seed to boost defense. With maximum HP, this can survive Garchomp's Earthquake. Shuca Berry is useful for similar reasons.
* With Life Orb, Tapu Koko has a good shot of OHKOing fast Alolan Marowak with boosted Hidden Power Ground. Against bulky Alolan Marowak, Tapu Koko can beat them when they are at around 80% of their health with a boosted Hidden Power Ground.
* Focus Sash migh seem strange on a Calm Mind user, but it does allow Tapu Koko to be used as an emergency check against sweepers such as Mega Gyarados, and use its Calm Mind powers against different teams.
* This Tapu Koko works best late game, where it can unexpectedly set up and sweep. When using it early game, consider keeping Calm Mind concealed to surprise your foes.
* Having another Tapu on your team is highly reccomended, since this Tapu Koko relies on Electric Terrain to sweep effectively without many boosts, so reseting the terrain can be a life saver.
* Choice Scarf Garchomp, Excadrill, and Landorus-T are big problems since they can just OHKO Tapu Koko before it can severely damage them. Make sure to prepare for them.
[SET]
name: Physical Based Attacker
move 1: Wild Charge
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Dazzling Gleam / Hidden Power Ice / Mirror Move
item: Electrium Z / Flyingium Z / Life Orb
ability: Electric Surge
nature: Naive / Hasty / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
* Wild Charge might seem like a downgrade from Thunderbolt on the specially based set due to all the recoil, but Tapu Koko's higher Attack stat means that it makes Tapu Koko less vulnerable to Terrain changes. Most notably, it gives Life Orb Tapu Koko a good shot at OHKOing offensive Tapu Fini in Misty Terrain.
* Brave Bird is Tapu Koko's best move against Tapu Bulu and fast Alolan Marowak, 2HKOing them both. Brave Bird also 2HKOs bulky Alolan Marowak with some chip damage.
* U-turn is the preferable scouting move so Tapu Koko can switch out against Ground-types and Alolan Marowak.
* Dazzling Gleam is fairly weak, but it still 2HKOs Garchomp and Mega Salamence, and OHKOes Hydreigon. Hidden Power Ice is an alternate option for dealing much more damage to Landorus-T.
* Mirror Move paired with Flyingium Z lets Tapu Koko not only get +2 Attack, but also potentially use Z version of the last moved used, which can be a devastating surprise.
* Maximum Attack and Speed are needed so Wild Charge will deal good damage.
* Naive is slightly preferred for its ability to take priority attacks better, but Hasty does avoid a Download boost from Porygon2.
* Life Orb makes Tapu Koko go down fast, but it lets Tapu Koko get important KOs, such as the 2HKO on fast Alolan Marowak, a OHKO on Mimikyu and bulky Mega Gengar, and the OHKO on Tapu Lele with Wild Charge.
* Magnet means Tapu Koko loses out on the 2HKO on Alolan Marowak, but it does let Tapu Koko still OHKO Tapu Lele under Electric Terrain without the extra recoil.
* Electrium Z makes Tapu Koko weaker overall, but Gigavolt Havoc is extremely powerful and has no recoil. As an example of its power, it has a shot at OHKOing Aegislash and Mega Salamence.
* Naive lets Tapu Koko take priority attacks better, but Hasty is notable for avoiding a Download boost from Porygon2.
* This Tapu Koko works best late game, since Wild Charge and Brave Bird recoil wear it down fast. This also takes advantage of the surprise value of using physical attacks.
* In addition to the usual problematic Ground-types, Ferrothorn is a much bigger problem than usual since Tapu Koko will often get hit by Iron Barb's recoil. Make sure to prepare for Ferrothorn in particular.
Last edited:
