Kartana - Moveset & Best Build for Ranked Battle

This is a strategy guide for using Kartana 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 Kartana, as well as its strengths and weak points.

Kartana - Related Guides
Evolution and Learnset	Build for Ranked Battle

Basic Information for Kartana

Types and Abilities

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Kartana
Abilities
Beast Boost	The Pokemon boosts its most proficient stat each time it knocks out a Pokemon.

Kartana 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 Kartana

Singles Movesets for Kartana

Lead Dynamax Sweeper Moveset & Best Build

Access to Max Airstream when it uses Dynamax makes Kartana a powerful lead sweeper, with its Ability making it stronger the more Pokemon it KOs.

About Kartana's Moves

Leaf Blade is Kartana's main STAB move, hitting the many Water and Ground-types in the Metagame for super effective damage. Smart Strike is its secondary STAB move and always has perfect accuracy, allowing it to threaten Pokemon that rely on evasion such as Sand Veil Garchomp in Sand.

Sacred Sword is its main coverage move, and becomes Max Knuckle during Dynamax - boosting Kartana and its party's Attack by one stage. It's last move is Aerial Ace, which becomes Max Airstream during Dynamax, raising it and the party's speed by one stage.

About Kartana's EV Spread

We're using a simple physical attacking EV Spread with full investment in Attack and Speed. The remaining 4 EVs are placed in Special Defense to round off Kartana's defenses.

About Kartana's Ability

Beast Boost is Kartana's only ability, raising its highest stat by one stage when it knocks out a Pokemon.

Even with a Jolly Nature, Kartana's Attack Stat is still its highest, which means it gets a +1 Attack Boost every time it knocks out an enemy.

About Kartana's Held Item

We're giving Kartana Focus Sash to ensure it can Dynamax and use Max Knuckle or Max Airstream before it gets knocked out by a check or revenge killer.

Other Viable Moves

Swords Dance Sweeper Moveset & Best Build

Kartana can further boost its already high attack to dangerous levels, allowing it to KO more Pokemon with its STAB and coverage moves.

About Kartana's Moves

Swords Dance boosts Kartana's Attack by 2 Stages, boosting the power of its two STAB Leaf Blade and Smart Strike even further.

Sacred Sword is its main coverage move, hitting opposing Steel-types as well as Dark-types for super effective damage.

About Kartana's EV Spread

We're using a simple physical attacking EV Spread with full investment in Attack and Speed. The remaining 4 EVs are placed in Special Defense to round off Kartana's defenses.

About Kartana's Ability

Beast Boost is Kartana's only ability, raising its highest stat by one stage when it knocks out a Pokemon.

Even with a Jolly Nature, Kartana's Attack Stat is still its highest, which means it gets a +1 Attack Boost every time it knocks out an enemy.

About Kartana's Held Item

We're giving Kartana Focus Sash to ensure it can Dynamax and use Max Knuckle or Max Airstream before it gets knocked out by a check or revenge killer.

Other Viable Moves

How to Use Kartana Effectively

A Powerful Setup Sweeper in Singles and Doubles

Kartana faces some competition as a lead Dynamax user, but few can match its offensive presence as a setup sweeper. With the right support and one Swords Dance boost, few can safely switch into Drawn Sword Pokemon and risk giving it an additional attack boost thanks to its Ability.

How to Build a Team with Kartana

Kartana is a good choice for setup sweeper in Hyper Offense Teams. Although it needs some team support to safely set up, all it needs is one Swords Dance for it to threaten opposing teams.

Hyper Offense Lead

Its ability to steamroll opposing teams with Beast Boost makes Kartana a great choice for Dynamax Lead for offensive teams.

Example Offensive Team

Lead Dynamax	Offensive Pivot	Special Sweeper
Kartana	Tapu Lele	Volcarona

Kartana's main goal is to Dynamax as soon as possible and fire off Max Airstreams using Aerial Ace. It can then further boost its stats with Max Knuckle and Max Steelspike, potentially getting a KO and a Beast Boost.

Tapu Lele is a great teammate for Kartana. As the Ultra Beast is susceptible to priority moves and status, switching in Tapu Lele to set up Psychic Terrain will help it from getting outsped by its checks.

Volcarona rounds off this team by providing great coverage with its Fire and Bug-type moves. It also benefits from Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain, letting it set up with Quiver Dance without fear of priority moves.

How to Build an Offensive Team

Counters for Kartana

Weakness

Overpower it with a Special Attacker

Kartana's low Special Defense means that even non super effective special attacks can severely damage or outright KO Kartana.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Zapdos	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resist both of Kartana's STAB moves ・Easily KOs Kartana with Max Lightning Moveset & Best Build for Zapdos
Naganadel	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists Kartana's Grass-type and Fighting-type Moves ・Faster than Kartana and can KO with Max Flare, potentially getting a Beast Boost in the process Moveset & Best Build for Naganadel
Dragapult	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Faster than Kartana and easily KOs with Max Phantasm ・Immune to Fighting-type moves and resists Grass-type Moves Moveset & Best Build for Dragapult
Charizard	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Resists both of Kartana's STAB Moves ・Easily KOs Kartana with Max Flare or G-Max Wildfire Moveset & Best Build for Charizard
Heat Rotom	Ranking: ★★★★ ・Resists both of Kartana's STAB Moves ・Easily KOs Kartana with Overheat but will need to switch out afterwards Moveset & Best Build for Heat Rotom

Cripple it With Status

Few Pokemon can safely switch into Kartana, even before its used Swords Dance. The best way to check it and force it to switch out is by threatening it with a Status move.

Best Pokemon to Use

Pokemon	Description
Volcarona	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Takes little damage from all of Kartana's attacks ・Even non-defensive variants can survive Kartana's attacks and cripple it with a burn from Flame Body Moveset & Best Build for Volcarona
Zapdos	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Defensive variants take little damage from all of Kartana;s atacks ・Can cripple Kartana with paralysis from Discharge Moveset & Best Build for Zapdos

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

Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon

Movesets & Best Builds for The Crown Tundra Pokemon
Galarian Articuno	Galarian Zapdos	Galarian Moltres
Raikou	Entei	Suicune
Articuno	Zapdos	Moltres
Tornadus	Thundurus	Landorus
Tapu Koko	Tapu Lele	Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini	Regieleki	Regidrago
Latios	Latias	Heatran
Cresselia	Glastrier	Spectrier
Nidoking	Swampert	Dragonite
Salamence	Garchomp	Metagross
Galarian Slowking	Nihilego	Naganadel
Pheromosa	Buzzwole	Celesteela
Kartana	Stakataka	Blaziken
Kyogre	Yveltal	Xerneas
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Calyrex (Shadow Rider)	Mewtwo
Calyrex (Ice Rider)	Dialga	Lugia
Black Kyurem	Zekrom	Ho-Oh
Rayquaza	Zygarde	Reshiram
White Kyurem	Groudon	Regirock
Palkia	Regigigas	Registeel
Regice	Giratina	Solgaleo
Lunala	Kyurem	Necrozma
Uxie	Mesprit	Azelf
Calyrex