[SET]
name: Swords Dance (Special Defense)
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Sacred Sword / Smart Strike
item: Life Orb
ability: Beat Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Kartana's monstrous 181 base Attack stat, boosted even further via Life Orb and Swords Dance, makes it a fantastic wallbreaker. Inheriting Special Defense makes it much less susceptible to chip damage from resisted attacks like Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt. Kartana's Speed tier also allows it to outspeed many common Pokemon including Yveltal, all Kyurem formes, and Volcarona. Swords Dance helps it beat would-be checks such as Landorus-T inheriting Defense. Leaf Blade is its main form of damage, hitting Water-types like Slowbro and Rotom-W super effectively and dealing large amounts of damage to neutral targets. Knock Off is used to damage Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon such as Corviknight, Ho-oh, and Volcarona, removing their items like Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots, respectively, allowing Kartana to wear them down more easily. Sacred Sword hits Steel-type Pokemon like Ferrothorn super effectively, while also Flying-type Pokemon who are neutral to Fighting such as Skarmory.
Swords Dance Kartana fits best on offensive teams, as it is excellent at wearing down opposing walls like Landorus-T and Corviknight so another teammate can sweep. Kartana is able to work with most gods, but is most commonly paired with more offensive gods such as Yveltal and Rayquaza, comma as they can also take advantage of the pressure Kartana puts on opposing teams and provide Kartana with a solid Special Defense donation. However, it is important to understand that Kartana does not work with every god, such as Kyogre and Ho-oh, as Kartana does not have much longevity. Offensive entry hazard setters such as Cloyster make great partners, as entry hazards help wear down Kartana’s checks. Kartana also compliments entry hazard setters well by removing Heavy-Duty Boots from walls, especially Ho-oh. Teammates such as Zygarde-10% who share common checks with Kartana are useful, as together they can slowly wear down their shared checks until one of them has an opportunity to sweep or pick up multiple KOs. Kartana also pairs well with powerful cleaners such as Bisharp inheriting Speed and Weavile inheriting Attack, as they excel at capitalizing off of Kartana's wallbreaking power. While Kartana has a good Speed tier, it is still outsped by common offensive Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Pheromosa, making other fast Pokemon such as Mewtwo or Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele good teammates.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Special Defense)
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Sacred Sword
move 4: Smart Strike / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With a Choice Scarf, Kartana becomes a deadly late-game cleaner and revenge killer. Thanks to its high Attack and good Speed tier, it is able to outspeed and threaten to KO the majority of the tier's offensive threats like Weavile and Zeraora. With its Special Defense patched up, it also is able to stomach weak hits in the process, such as Rotom-W's Volt Switch and Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt. Leaf Blade OHKOes common Pokemon like Zygarde-10%., while Smart Strike threatens Fairy-types such as Tapu Lele and Clefable. Knock Off hits Flying-type switch-ins like Corviknight and Ho-Oh, who resist Kartana's STAB moves, and Sacred Sword hits Steel- and Flying-type Pokemon neutral to Fighting such as Heatran and Yveltal. Defog is an option to allow Kartana to serve as an emergency entry hazard remover.
Choice Scarf Kartana fits well on bulky offense and balance teams which appreciate its ability to outspeed and revenge kill common threats. It is often paired with offensive gods such as Yveltal and Rayquaza, but can work with many different gods. The exception to this is that some gods with very high Special Defense stats such as Ho-oh and Zamazenta-C would much rather donate their Special Defense to a defensive Pokemon. Magnezone is a great partner, as it is able to trap and remove Steel-types that Kartana has trouble breaking. Powerful wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Weavile are also good partners, as they are able to help weaken Kartana's checks like Corviknight, making it easier to sweep late-game. Special attackers like Kyurem-W and Nidoking are also great partners for Kartana, as they can pressure physical walls such as physically defensive Tangrowth. Teammates who can use Future Sight such as Slowking and Slowbro also pair well with Kartana, taking advantage of the fact that many of Kartana's checks, such as Landorus-T and Skarmory, have lower Special Defense.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Kartana can run Synthesis as its fourth move on Life Orb sets, helping it avoid being worn down over the course of a game, but sacrificing coverage. Aerial Ace is also an option to hit Buzzwole and Tangrowth super effectively. Protective Pads can also be used over Life Orb, trading damage output for avoiding damage from Rough Skin, Iron Barbs, and Rocky Helmet. A Timid Nature and 19 Attack IVs can also be used to have Beast Boost increase Kartana's Speed, turning it into a better sweeper at the cost of less initial damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Flying-types**: Corviknight, Skarmory, and Ho-oh all resist both of Kartana's STAB moves, and can threaten it with either Body Press or Sacred Fire.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon:** Kartana has difficulty breaking through Amoongus, Tangrowth, and Buzzwole, which have enough Defense to check all of its sets.
**Contact Effects**: Contact effects such as Static, Flame Body, Iron Barbs, and Rocky Helmet make it difficult for Kartana to make progress.
**Revenge Killers:** Swords Dance sets can be revenge killed by faster threats such as Choice Scarf Victini and Zeraora. Choice Scarf sets can also be easily checked offensively, as opponents are able to take advantage of Kartana being locked into the same move.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ducky, 525446]]
- Quality checked by: [[UT, 523866], [beauts, 484270]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
name: Swords Dance (Special Defense)
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Sacred Sword / Smart Strike
item: Life Orb
ability: Beat Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Kartana's monstrous 181 base Attack stat, boosted even further via Life Orb and Swords Dance, makes it a fantastic wallbreaker. Inheriting Special Defense makes it much less susceptible to chip damage from resisted attacks like Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt. Kartana's Speed tier also allows it to outspeed many common Pokemon including Yveltal, all Kyurem formes, and Volcarona. Swords Dance helps it beat would-be checks such as Landorus-T inheriting Defense. Leaf Blade is its main form of damage, hitting Water-types like Slowbro and Rotom-W super effectively and dealing large amounts of damage to neutral targets. Knock Off is used to damage Flying- and Fire-type Pokemon such as Corviknight, Ho-oh, and Volcarona, removing their items like Leftovers or Heavy-Duty Boots, respectively, allowing Kartana to wear them down more easily. Sacred Sword hits Steel-type Pokemon like Ferrothorn super effectively, while also Flying-type Pokemon who are neutral to Fighting such as Skarmory.
Swords Dance Kartana fits best on offensive teams, as it is excellent at wearing down opposing walls like Landorus-T and Corviknight so another teammate can sweep. Kartana is able to work with most gods, but is most commonly paired with more offensive gods such as Yveltal and Rayquaza, comma as they can also take advantage of the pressure Kartana puts on opposing teams and provide Kartana with a solid Special Defense donation. However, it is important to understand that Kartana does not work with every god, such as Kyogre and Ho-oh, as Kartana does not have much longevity. Offensive entry hazard setters such as Cloyster make great partners, as entry hazards help wear down Kartana’s checks. Kartana also compliments entry hazard setters well by removing Heavy-Duty Boots from walls, especially Ho-oh. Teammates such as Zygarde-10% who share common checks with Kartana are useful, as together they can slowly wear down their shared checks until one of them has an opportunity to sweep or pick up multiple KOs. Kartana also pairs well with powerful cleaners such as Bisharp inheriting Speed and Weavile inheriting Attack, as they excel at capitalizing off of Kartana's wallbreaking power. While Kartana has a good Speed tier, it is still outsped by common offensive Pokemon such as Tapu Koko and Pheromosa, making other fast Pokemon such as Mewtwo or Choice Scarf users such as Tapu Lele good teammates.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Special Defense)
move 1: Leaf Blade
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Sacred Sword
move 4: Smart Strike / Defog
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Beast Boost
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
With a Choice Scarf, Kartana becomes a deadly late-game cleaner and revenge killer. Thanks to its high Attack and good Speed tier, it is able to outspeed and threaten to KO the majority of the tier's offensive threats like Weavile and Zeraora. With its Special Defense patched up, it also is able to stomach weak hits in the process, such as Rotom-W's Volt Switch and Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt. Leaf Blade OHKOes common Pokemon like Zygarde-10%., while Smart Strike threatens Fairy-types such as Tapu Lele and Clefable. Knock Off hits Flying-type switch-ins like Corviknight and Ho-Oh, who resist Kartana's STAB moves, and Sacred Sword hits Steel- and Flying-type Pokemon neutral to Fighting such as Heatran and Yveltal. Defog is an option to allow Kartana to serve as an emergency entry hazard remover.
Choice Scarf Kartana fits well on bulky offense and balance teams which appreciate its ability to outspeed and revenge kill common threats. It is often paired with offensive gods such as Yveltal and Rayquaza, but can work with many different gods. The exception to this is that some gods with very high Special Defense stats such as Ho-oh and Zamazenta-C would much rather donate their Special Defense to a defensive Pokemon. Magnezone is a great partner, as it is able to trap and remove Steel-types that Kartana has trouble breaking. Powerful wallbreakers such as Swords Dance Weavile are also good partners, as they are able to help weaken Kartana's checks like Corviknight, making it easier to sweep late-game. Special attackers like Kyurem-W and Nidoking are also great partners for Kartana, as they can pressure physical walls such as physically defensive Tangrowth. Teammates who can use Future Sight such as Slowking and Slowbro also pair well with Kartana, taking advantage of the fact that many of Kartana's checks, such as Landorus-T and Skarmory, have lower Special Defense.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Kartana can run Synthesis as its fourth move on Life Orb sets, helping it avoid being worn down over the course of a game, but sacrificing coverage. Aerial Ace is also an option to hit Buzzwole and Tangrowth super effectively. Protective Pads can also be used over Life Orb, trading damage output for avoiding damage from Rough Skin, Iron Barbs, and Rocky Helmet. A Timid Nature and 19 Attack IVs can also be used to have Beast Boost increase Kartana's Speed, turning it into a better sweeper at the cost of less initial damage.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Flying-types**: Corviknight, Skarmory, and Ho-oh all resist both of Kartana's STAB moves, and can threaten it with either Body Press or Sacred Fire.
**Physically Defensive Pokemon:** Kartana has difficulty breaking through Amoongus, Tangrowth, and Buzzwole, which have enough Defense to check all of its sets.
**Contact Effects**: Contact effects such as Static, Flame Body, Iron Barbs, and Rocky Helmet make it difficult for Kartana to make progress.
**Revenge Killers:** Swords Dance sets can be revenge killed by faster threats such as Choice Scarf Victini and Zeraora. Choice Scarf sets can also be easily checked offensively, as opponents are able to take advantage of Kartana being locked into the same move.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Ducky, 525446]]
- Quality checked by: [[UT, 523866], [beauts, 484270]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523866]]
Last edited:
