Tapu Koko - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Tapu Koko in competitive play for the games Pokemon Sword and Shield. Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, and Held Items to use with Tapu Koko, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Tapu Koko - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Tapu Koko

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Tapu Koko
Abilities
Electric Surge	The Pokemon creates an Electric Terrain when it enters a battle.
Telepathy (Hidden)	Anticipates an ally's attack and dodges it.

Tapu Koko Weaknesses and Resistances

	Type
Takes 4x damage	-
Takes 2x damage
Takes 0.5x damage
Takes 1/4x damage	-
Takes 0x damage

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

Best Nature for Tapu Koko

Singles Movesets for Tapu Koko

Special Offensive Pivot Moveset & Best Build

Tapu Koko's respectable special attack stat and wide special movepool allow it to effectively run a special attacking set, despite its higher attack!

About Tapu Koko's Moves

Thunderbolt is Tapu Koko's main STAB. Dazzling Gleam is its secondary STAB that also hits both opposing Pokemon in Doubles.

Volt Switch is Tapu Koko's main pivoting move, and is a secondary Electric-type STAB that deals good damage. It's last move is Grass Knot, allowing Tapu Koko to potentially KO heavy defensive Ground-types.

About Tapu Koko's EV Spread

We're using a straightforward special attacking EV spread with full investment in Special Attack and Speed. The remaining EVs are placed in Special Defense to round off its bulk.

About Tapu Koko's Ability

Electric Surge is Tapu Koko's best ability, instantly setting up Electric Terrain as soon as it switches in. It also boosts the power of Tapu Koko's electric moves and prevents all grounded Pokemon from falling asleep.

About Tapu Koko's Held Item

Tapu Koko has a lot of options for held item.

Focus Sash lets it survive a super effective hit, while Life Orb boosts its damage by 30% at the cost of residual damage.

Choice Specs lets it hit harder, boosting its special attacks by 50% but restricts it to using only the initial move it used for the turn. Finally, Choice Scarf lets it outspeed its usual checks and counters.

Other Viable Moves

Dual Screens Moveset & Best Build

Tapu Koko can forgo an attacking set and fill the role of a support Pokemon, with its naturally high speed letting it set dual screens for its teammates.

About Tapu Koko's Moves

Light Screen and Reflect doubles the party's Special Defense and Defense stat respectively for five turns, boosting the team's overall bulkiness - especially if Tapu Koko manages to set up both.

Thunderbolt is its main attacking move while Taunt allows Tapu Koko to cripple opposing support Pokemon.

About Tapu Koko's EV Spread

We're using a modified EV spread to emphasize Tapu Koko's supportive role. 252 EVs in Speed make it as fast as possible while 172 HP EVs and 84 Special Defense EVs boost its special bulk.

About Tapu Koko's Ability

Electric Surge is Tapu Koko's best ability, instantly setting up Electric Terrain as soon as it switches in. It also boosts the power of Tapu Koko's electric moves and prevents all grounded Pokemon from falling asleep.

About Tapu Koko's Held Item

We're giving Tapu Koko Light Clay, which extends the duration of Reflect and Light Screen to 8 turns instead of 5.

Other Viable Moves

Doubles Movesets for Tapu Koko

Electroweb Support Moveset & Best Build

Tapu Koko provides valuable Electric Terrain support in Doubles, with its Ability instantly setting the terrain up the moment it switches in. While it lacks the offensive presence of other Doubles leads, it does provide respectable team support with its moves.

About Tapu Koko's Moves

Electroweb is its main support move, and is a multi-target attack that lowers the opposing Pokemon's Speed by 1 stage. Dazzling Gleam is its secondary STAB move and provides great chip damage as it hits both opposing Pokemon.

Thunderbolt is its secondary Electric-type move and provides strong consistent damage that's further boosted by Electric Terrain. It's last move is Taunt, which allows Tapu Koko to shut down opposing setup sweeprs and defensive Pokemon and preventing them from using Status moves.

About Tapu Koko's EV Spread

We're using a straightforward special attacking EV spread with full investment in Special Attack and Speed. The remaining EVs are placed in Special Defense to round off its bulk.

About Tapu Koko's Ability

Electric Surge is Tapu Koko's best ability, instantly setting up Electric Terrain as soon as it switches in. It also boosts the power of Tapu Koko's electric moves and prevents all grounded Pokemon from falling asleep.

About Tapu Koko's Held Item

Focus Sash lets it survive a super effective hit, while Life Orb boosts its damage by 30% at the cost of residual damage.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Tapu Koko Effectively

A Fast and Powerful Offensive Pivot

Whether it's running a physical or special set, Tapu Koko is best used as an offensive pivot instead of an outright sweeper. It's high speed and pivoting moves gives its teammates great offensive momentum, making it a popular choice as a member of an offensive core in Hyper Offense teams.

How to Build a Team with Tapu Koko

Tapu Koko is easy to fit into most teams and isn't restricted to pure offensive teams. Although it's a great pivot in Singles, it's best used in Doubles.

Doubles Lead

Both physical and special variants of Tapu Koko excel as a lead terrain setter in Doubles, and is always partnered with Pokemon that can take advantage of the instant Electric Terrain it sets up.

Team Options for Tapu Koko

Doubles Lead
Pokemon	Tapu Koko	Hawlucha
Ability	Electric Surge	Unburden
Held Item	Choice Specs	Electric Seed
Nature	Timid	Jolly
EV Spread	252 Sp.Atk / 4 Sp.Def / 252 Spe	4 Def / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset	・Thunderbolt ・Dazzling Gleam ・Volt Switch ・Grass Knot	・Brave Bird ・High Jump Kick ・Rock Slide ・Roost

Hawlucha makes a great partner for Tapu Koko in Doubles. As soon as both switch in and Electric Terrain is set, Hawlucha consumes its Electric Seed. This boosts its defense while also activating Unburden, which doubles its speed and allowing it to outrun virtually anything in the metagame.

Hawlucha can then unleash its powerful STAB moves or attempt to flinc the opposing team with Rock Slide while Tapu Koko uses its main STAB to deal chip damage to the opposing team.

Check out our full article below to learn more about the basics of doubles team building.
How to Build a Doubles Team

Counters for Tapu Koko

Weakness

Wall it with a Poison-type Pokemon!

Both variants of Tapu Koko have a hard time overcoming bulky Poison-types. While some of these counters can't outright KO the Electric Tapu, they can put a stop to its offensive pivoting and distrupt overall team momentum.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Amoonguss	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Tapu Koko's Electric and Fairy-STAB and takes little damage from its other moves ・Can put Tapu Koko to sleep with Spore or poison it with Toxic Moveset & Best Build for Amoonguss
Venusaur	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Tapu Koko's Electric and Fairy-STAB and takes little damage from its other moves ・Special attacking variants can threaten or even KO Tapu Koko with Sludge Bomb Moveset & Best Build for Venusaur

Check it with a Ground-type

Tapu Koko's shallow movepool makes it easy pickings for Ground-types, with some even using it as setup fodder! Thanks to their Electric-type immunity, these Ground-types can even stop Tapu Koko from pivoting with Volt Switch!

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Landorus (Therian Forme)	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Immune to Tapu Koko's Electric-type moves and takes little damage from Dazzling Gleam ・Swords Dance variants can use Tapu Koko as setup fodder or KO it immediately with STAB Earthquake Moveset & Best Build for 'Counter'
Nidoking	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Immune to Tapu Koko's Electric-type moves and resists its Fairy-type STAB ・Easily KO's Tapu Koko with Sheer Force and Life Orb boosted Sludge Wave or Earth Power Moveset & Best Build for 'Counter'

Related Links

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Tier List		Best Builds		Series 10 List of Contenders
Doubles Tier List		Team Building		Rental Teams

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