Pokemon Sword and Shield

Tapu Koko - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

Pokemon - Tapu Koko Movesets and Counters.png
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
Pokemon SWSH - Tapu Koko Evolution and LearnsetEvolution and Learnset Pokemon SWSH - Tapu Koko Best BuildBuild for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Tapu Koko

Types and Abilities

Pokemon Type 1 Type 2
Pokemon Sword and Shield - Electric Type Pokemon Sword and Shield - Fairy Type
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
Pokemon Poison Image Pokemon Ground Image
Takes 0.5x damage
Pokemon Electric Image Pokemon Fighting Image Pokemon Flying Image Pokemon Bug Image Pokemon Dark Image
Takes 1/4x damage
-
Takes 0x damage
Pokemon Dragon Image

What is Type Effectiveness?

Base Stats

HP Attack Defense Sp. Atk Sp. Def Speed
70 115 85 95 75 130

Best Nature for Tapu Koko

Best Natures
Jolly
(+Spd, -Sp.Atk)
Timid
(+Spd, -Atk)

Singles Movesets for Tapu Koko

Special Offensive Pivot Moveset & Best Build

Nature Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread Sp.Atk 252 / Sp.Def 4 / Spd 252
Final Stat Values HP 145 / Def 105 / Sp.Atk 147 / Sp.Def 96 / Spd 200
Ability Electric Surge
Held Item Focus Sash
Life Orb
Choice Specs
Choice Scarf
Moveset Thunderbolt
Dazzling Gleam
Volt Switch
Grass Knot

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

Nature's Madness Halves the opposing Pokemon's HP. A good choice to use against Special Walls.
U-Turn An alternative to Volt Switch that doesn't get blocked by Ground-types.
Brave Bird Can be used in mixed attacking sets, but is more useful when used during Dynamax as it becomes Max Airstream.

Dual Screens Moveset & Best Build

Nature Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread HP 172 / Sp.Def 84 / Spd 252
Final Stat Values HP 167 / Def 105 / Sp.Atk 105 / Sp.Def 106 / Spd 200
Ability Electric Surge
Held Item Light Clay
Moveset Thunderbolt
Light Screen
Reflect
Taunt

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

Nature's Madness Halves the opposing Pokemon's HP. A good choice to use against Special Walls.

Doubles Movesets for Tapu Koko

Electroweb Support Moveset & Best Build

Nature Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
EV Spread Sp.Atk 252 / Sp.Def 4 / Spd 252
Final Stat Values HP 145 / Def 105 / Sp.Atk 147 / Sp.Def 96 / Spd 200
Ability Electric Surge
Held Item Focus Sash
Life Orb
Moveset Electroweb
Thunderbolt
Dazzling Gleam
Taunt

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

Thunder Wave A good alternative to Taunt that allows Tapu Koko to go all out on Speed Control, and is especially effective against hyper offense teams that focus on Speed.
Volt Switch This move can replace Thunderbolt and allows Tapu Koko to pivot from the battle at the cost of lower Base Power.

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 Pokemon SWSH - Tapu Koko ImageTapu Koko Pokemon SWSH - Hawlucha ImageHawlucha
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

Tapu Koko
Weakness Pokemon Poison Image Pokemon Ground Image

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
Pokemon SWSH - Amoonguss ImageAmoonguss 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
Pokemon SWSH - Venusaur ImageVenusaur 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
Pokemon SWSH - Landorus (Therian Forme) ImageLandorus (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'
Pokemon SWSH - Nidoking ImageNidoking 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

Pokemon Sword and Shield - Best Builds for Ranked Battle

All Competitive Builds for Ranked Battle

Competitive Guides for Pokemon Sword and Shield

Competitive Pokemon Battle Guides
Pokemon SWSH - Tier ListTier List Pokemon SWSH - Best BuildsBest Builds Pokemon Sword and Shield - Ranked Battle Series 10 Contenders.pngSeries 10 List of Contenders
Pokemon SWSH - Doubles Tier ListDoubles Tier List Pokemon SWSH - Competitive Team BuildingTeam Building Pokemon SWSH - Rental TeamsRental Teams

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