Project OU Next Best Thing: Cycle 87 - Not hosted anymore

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Utility Zapdos with Eerie Impulse

Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Static/Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 204 Def / 56 Spe
Timid Nature
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Eerie Impulse


General idea

This is a variation of the standard utility set on many ways.
Discharge + Heat Wave is here to keep some offensive presence while having a nice secondary effect. Discharge is particularly useful because it is paired with the ability Static that allows Zapdos to have some passive speed control.
Heat Wave replaces Hurricane due to the better accuracy.
Roost is here for longevity.
Eerie Impulse is the key of the set. This underrated move cuts in half the SpA of the opponent's special threat and, alongside Roost, it allows Zapdos to hard check/counter some powerful special attackers or weakens some special coverage moves.
  • Eerie Impulse is the reason that makes Pressure a viable option here.

EVs (spread) and item
56 Spe+ are enough to reach 275 Spe points, in order to outspeed 252 Spe+ Tapu Bulu.
248 HP EVs are enough to have odd hp points in order to switch into SR one more time if HDB are removes. The remaining EVs are used to cover the physical side of the spectrum.
H-DBoots is perfect here because it lowers the need of hazards removal, but be wary of Knock Off coming out of nowhere.

Some defensive calcs:
-2 252+ SpA Choice Specs Analytic Magnezone Thunderbolt vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 172-204 (44.9 - 53.2%) -- 30.5% chance to 2HKO
-2 252 SpA Zapdos Thunder vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 96-114 (25 - 29.7%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
-2 252+ SpA Life Orb Sheer Force Nidoking Sludge Wave vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 118-140 (30.8 - 36.5%) -- 61.5% chance to 3HKO
-2 148+ SpA Life Orb Punk Rock Toxtricity Boomburst vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 130-154 (33.9 - 40.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
I'm voting for Eerie Impulse. Also, I think that running Volt Switch over Discharge is worth a mention, since it capitalizes on the easier switching potential Eerie Impulse affords.
 

Gomi

yep
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:ss/zapdos:
voting has concluded but no set got an extra vote so I'll just uhhh
unknown[1].png
and the winner is Agility+WP by earthflax! Your submission will be added to the hall of fame soon.

Week 55 - Kartana
:ss/kartana:

Kartana is an incredibly powerful wallbreaker with a great defensive typing that has made a name for itself as one of the hardest to answer breakers around. With an above average speed tier, great coverage in Fighting+Dark, and a great defensive typing in Grass+Steel, Kart is a force to be reckoned with.
Banned Sets
:choice scarf: :choice band: :life orb:

You have until Monday, good luck!​
 
SD Endure+Salac


Kartana @ Salac Berry

Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance

- Endure
- Leaf Blade

- Knock Off

Kartana is either a threatening wallbreaker with choice band / sd life orb or a fantastic form of speed control and cleaner with scarf. each set has its flaws, as wallbreaker sets are revenge killed a lot more easily while scarf sets needs lack immediate power.

With SD and endure, Kartana creates an interesting mix of speed, boosting capabilities and - most of all - surprise factor. Its damage output unboosted is the same as scarf kart so you can play to your advantage by positioning it in front of dragapult for example and conditioning the pult user to assume you're using scarf kart. then, when the time is right, you can setup on a predicted switch. Endure + salac is still quite obscure though, so people will then try to revenge kill you and this is when you pull the trigger with endure, which allows you to live any one hit at any health percentage, activate salac berry and be faster than pretty much everything. it can also be used to rkill boosted chomp in a pinch after some chip.

This set needs a ton of support, but it can definitely work and the mons that provide the necessary support are all pretty good atm in the meta.
magnezone is very useful to remove pesky steel types. tapu lele blocks priorities for a couple turns, while bulu/rilla power up leaf blade and fini protects kart from status. finally, the team kart is used on needs to have pretty good hail mu because endure + salac isn't as easily spammable when there's ice falling down from above.

jolly for outspeeding base 100 scarfers at +1 (notably Victini in sun and the rare g-zap).
sacred sword is ofc an option but knock gives a clean hit on pult and torn-t, two of the main potential victims of this set.
 
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Katy

Banned deucer.
adrenaline orb

:ss/kartana:
Kartana @ Adrenaline Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance

- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword

abuse landorus-ts intimidation. this set capitalizes from adrenaline orbs fact that it can boost kartanas speed under the circumstance that when landorus-t intimidates it, it can outspeed most of the metagame, as it can abuse a lot of pokemon for a setup and with landorus-t so overly common on teams it can benefit even further from it. this allows kartana to practically lategame clean and tear through teams rather easily with outspeeding tornadus-t, weavile, dragapult, zeraora, and scarf tapu lele which is a big plus here.
 
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SD White Herb Kartana

Kartana @ White Herb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword
- Swords Dance


White Herb is the key item of this set because it allows to lure in an Intimidate user (neutering its -1 Atk drop) to get the first +2 Atk from SD and...to use it again or start attacking.
  • Don't understimate the utility of White Herb even in the case of a Sticky Web on our side of the field.
One good fact is that a +2 Atk-boosted attack outdamages a +1 Atk-boosted attack with a Life Orb.
Not to mention the possibility to pull another SD in front of Landorus-T...
 
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TailGlowVM

Now 100% more demonic
:ss/kartana:
Kartana @ Miracle Seed
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 140 HP / 116 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Defog
- Synthesis

A similar set to this was seen in SM OU, providing a surprisingly bulky utility set that checked Pokemon like Tyranitar, Garchomp and Gliscor while still having good offensive pressure and being able to remove entry hazards against several common Stealth Rock setters. The EVs are to OHKO Dragapult with Knock Off, and with Miracle Seed OHKO most Tapu Fini after Stealth Rock. The bulk is enough to survive Melmetal's Superpower, two Earthquakes from defensive Landorus-T and two Moonblasts from Clefable. Synthesis is needed for recovery, and Knock Off is the best option both in coverage and utility available.
 
1632415628487.png


Kartana @ Life Orb / Protective Pads
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Swords Dance
- Tailwind

This is double dance. Vs. offense you get the added flexibility of raising speed to pick off a weakened Torn and start sweeping. Really rips fast teams apart with beast boost snowballs. At the worst, you die and offer some team support. Orb for power, pads for trolling and longevity.
 
Protective Pads

:ss/Kartana:

Kartana @ Protective Pads
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off​

This is the standard SD set but with Pads over Life Orb. Pads help Kartana a lot because many of its checks use Rocky Helmet, Static/Flame Body, etc. Kartana can now freely use Knock Off against Zapdos, Volcarona, and Garchomp. In general, it becomes very hard to wear down. The damage output and lack of Life Orb recoil can allow Kartana to bluff a choice scarf as well.
 
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Kartana @ Power Herb/ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Sacred Sword/ Leaf Blade/ Smart Strike
- Solar Blade
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off​

On a sun team, Kartana can run Life Orb or any other item and fire off Solar Blades freely. Even without the sun, Power Herb will allow Kartana to obliterate traditional checks like Toxapex, which can even tank a Psycho Cut.

+2 252 Atk Kartana Solar Blade vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Toxapex: 280-330 (92.1 - 108.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
+1 252 Atk Kartana Solar Blade vs. 252 HP / 164+ Def Landorus-Therian: 330-388 (86.3 - 101.5%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
+2 252 Atk Kartana Solar Blade vs. 252 HP / 136 Def Garchomp: 475-561 (113 - 133.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO

also agility wp was my set
 
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Reserving calm mind kartana

:ss/kartana:

CALM MIND KARTANA

Kartana @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Steel Beam
- Giga Drain
- Vacuum Wave

set is simple, u need steel beam to fucking murder tornt on the switchin and also murder other shit like clef, lando, etc. giga drain is stab + u get some recovery also (dont mind lo lmfao) vaccum wave is some priority for them fucking weaviles and 10 hp heatrans.

cm kartana hits super hard like look at this shit
+1 252+ SpA Life Orb Kartana Steel Beam vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Tornadus-Therian: 324-382 (89.5 - 105.5%) -- 37.5% chance to OHKO
+1 252+ SpA Life Orb Kartana Steel Beam vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Landorus-Therian: 246-290 (64.3 - 75.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery


i swept kids with this set and im so sorry for sweeping you with it :D

btw u still get a attack boost :psysad:
 
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Windingsss

shine like jewelry
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Taking Bulky Laser Focus Kartana By some reason this thing gets Laser Focus so yeah

"Until the end of the next turn, user's moves crit."

:ss/kartana:

Kartana @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 168 HP / 124 Atk / 84 SpD / 132 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Laser Focus
- Giga Impact
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off

Do YOU wanna make Tornadus-T cry? Do YOU feel like making some child playing in ladder sad? Do YOU want to make your opponent salty with crits? Here's your set.

Basically you just Laser Focus on something you force out, and then crit your opponent with Knock / Sacred Sword. Giga Impact nukes Tornadus-T, and you have enough bulk to tank a Hurricane, even after rocks. Enough speed to get the jump on Modest Lele and Kyurem.

*drops mic*
 
Have you ever faced this?

Your Tapu Lele check is gone and now the only thing that can stand in it and complete antihalation is Kartana? You smile for the briefest instant, remembering how Kartana has a 181 base attack and 109 speed tier, which can take out Specs Lele in one hit, before all of it comes crashing down like a Snorlax's Body Slam, as you remember how much a resisted special attack does to Kartana.

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 276-326 (106.5 - 125.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana: 932-1098 (359.8 - 423.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Kartana in Psychic Terrain: 341-402 (131.6 - 155.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO

You click the forfeit button, saddened by how the so called "offense killer" can't take out Offense Incarnate. As you close the monitor, you hear Tapu Lele's gleleful laughter at your defeat and misery, laughter that cuts through you like paper blade with 181 base attack.

Do you give up? No, you try harder. Make sure every Tapu Lele has their wings clipped.

Presenting.....

SpDef Kartana
Kartana @ Assault Vest
Level: 100
Jolly Nature
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
- Smart Strike
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword​

Heavy Special Defense Investment? Assault Vest?

All shall be explained.

Grass/Steel has a bunch of great specially oriented resists, from Fairy and Psychic to Electric and Water. Kartana also needs a lot of careful pivoting to get it in safely, usually after a double switch or Teleport. However, with this set, you can forgo pivoting support for Kartana and instead switch it into attacks. It's so strong and it can allow you to beat a lot of mons easily.

For example, Tapu Lele goes from OHKO'ing you with a resisted move to barely 2HKO'ing you

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Psychic vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana in Psychic Terrain: 140-165 (54 - 63.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

252 SpA Choice Specs Tapu Lele Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 114-135 (44 - 52.1%) -- 14.1% chance to 2HKO

Basically, you can switch in, tank a hit and dispatch a brutal blow with your blade.


4 Atk Kartana Smart Strike vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Lele: 324-384 (115.3 - 136.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

That's not all.

Is your ground type gone? That means that Tapu Koko is free to spam their attacks. However

252 SpA Tapu Koko Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana in Electric Terrain: 75-89 (28.9 - 34.3%) -- 3.5% chance to 3HKO

252 SpA Tapu Koko Dazzling Gleam vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 51-61 (19.6 - 23.5%) -- possible 5HKO

4 Atk Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 187-222 (66.5 - 79%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

4 Atk Kartana Smart Strike vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Tapu Koko: 145-172 (51.6 - 61.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

That's still not all! You can come into many random attacks quite consistently, and since Kartana has 2 weaknesses, not many people would predict the Kartana switch so they wouldn't risk clicking the Fire or Fighting move.



252 SpA Choice Specs Dragapult Draco Meteor vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 129-153 (49.8 - 59%) -- 99.6% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Hydreigon Earth Power vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 94-111 (36.2 - 42.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO

252 SpA Hydreigon Dark Pulse vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 126-148 (48.6 - 57.1%) -- 94.1% chance to 2HKO

252 SpA Hydreigon Flash Cannon vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 42-49 (16.2 - 18.9%) -- possible 6HKO

252 SpA Tapu Fini Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 71-84 (27.4 - 32.4%) -- guaranteed 4HKO

252 SpA Tapu Fini Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 61-72 (23.5 - 27.7%) -- 88.6% chance to 4HKO

0 SpA Slowking Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 63-75 (24.3 - 28.9%) -- 99.5% chance to 4HKO

80 SpA Slowking-Galar Future Sight vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 74-87 (28.5 - 33.5%) -- 0.2% chance to 3HKO

80 SpA Slowking-Galar Scald vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 33-39 (12.7 - 15%) -- possible 7HKO

252+ SpA Choice Specs Magnezone Thunderbolt vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 118-140 (45.5 - 54%) -- 46.5% chance to 2HKO

252 Def Magnezone Body Press vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Kartana: 128-152 (49.4 - 58.6%) -- 98.8% chance to 2HKO

0 SpA Life Orb Clefable Thunder vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 48-57 (18.5 - 22%) -- possible 5HKO

0 SpA Life Orb Clefable Moonblast vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 62-74 (23.9 - 28.5%) -- 94.6% chance to 4HKO

0 SpA Rotom-Wash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 252 SpD Assault Vest Kartana: 60-72 (23.1 - 27.7%) -- 77.5% chance to 4HKO

Against Dragons, you don't have a strong move to OHKO them, so you definitely want them to switch into you or be pivoted in, so that way, your speical bulk is conserved until they attack you, which means stuff like Specs Dragapult and Kyurem, which are strong enough to KO you even with all of this bulk aren't good matchups unless you switch in safely.

Some other things to note:
  • If you run careful, you have better special bulk and can barely switch into Kyurem without hazards but then you can't outspeed Lele or Kyurem, which is absolutely horrible. I did initally calc with Careful, but the loss in speed is so much I wouldn't run and there's no major change with the calcs.
  • You could run 333 speed, by using this spread 56 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpD / 196 Spe which allows you to outrun 102 speed and gives you very slightly more special bulk, I'm talking a roughly 0.8% less off special attacks, but I ran into a lot of Garchomp and ended up tying with it, so I used 4/252/252. Still, avoiding the 2HKO from Moonblast at 100% is semi-useful
  • The point of this set is not to be a special wall, but rather, using Kartana's great typing augmented with special defense to switch into stuff that would otherwise threaten you out. This fits wonderfully on teams that operate at a fast pace, since you switch Kartana in on a special attacker it would force out, giving it a free turn to click Knock Off or grab a KO or even act as a pivot on offensive teams, similar to Chansey in gen 6
  • Don't forget, Kartana has a lot of things that it can switch into on the physical side, which means this set excels at switching into as much of the meta as possible

Some good teammates are
  • Heatran, since it invites Hydreigon in a lot
  • Magnezone, since you can't really do much to the Metal Birds without a power boost
  • Weavile, allows you to threaten the dragons

Hope you enjoy using this set!
 
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Don't use that

:Kartana: @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword

Use this!

:ss/Kartana: @ Life Orb
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 19 Atk
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Sacred Sword
- Knock Off

Timid Kartana allows itself to to get a choice scarf boost after it ohko's a target and makes it much harder to revenge kill, with Life orb retaining the attack lost. This set is very good against offensive teams that instead of using defensive pokemon to wall it out, it instead threatens revenge killers with LO knock and leaf blade. Even without attack EV's it is still stronger than a max EV 100 base stat attacker.

+2 0- Atk Life Orb Kartana Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Tornadus-Therian: 320-377 (106.6 - 125.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+1 0- Atk Life Orb Kartana Leaf Blade vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 302-356 (79 - 93.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
 
Bulky SD + Chople Berry
:ss/kartana:
Kartana @ Chople Berry
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 140 HP / 116 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Swords Dance
- Leaf Blade
- Knock Off
- Sacred Sword

A Chople Berry allows Kartana to survive an extra hit from most physical Fighting-type attacks. This potentially gives it an extra turn to set up against Pokemon that could otherwise force it out, such as Skarmory or Body Press Corviknight.

The given EV spread allows Kartana to survive a Choice Band Urshifu-Rapid-Strike's Close Combat from full after Stealth Rock if it still has a Chople Berry, then OHKO it with Leaf Blade.
 
:ss/kartana:

Kartana @ Muscle Band
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Aerial Ace
- Screech
- Brick Break
- Leaf Blade

a very fun set ,same as sd kartana , but screech here , which lowers opponents defense by two , helpful against body press (body press takes into account user's defense stat) users like corviknight , ferrothorn, magnezone. Corv is 2hkoed with rocks at -2 def by brick break , aerial ace for buzzwole. Brick break because unfortunately Sacred sword ignore defense drops too which is a drawback. This kartana can be a fit in teams which focuses on hazard stack (skarm spieks or tspikes pex) as it invites corv to defog. Partners who can use knock off too is preferred to remove Leftovers and Buzzwole's Heavy duty boot (if it runs). Lastly muscle band because it suits Kartana which is a natural hard hitter with base 181 physical attack.
 
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Gomi

yep
is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
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