Pokémon Rate My Team
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So I wanted to build a team around one of my favourite Pokemon to play - Kartana. Specifically, Protective Pads Kartana.

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

Most teams, once they have had their speed control removed, really struggle to deal with this beast after one swords dance, or even just because of Beast Boost's snowballing capacity. The Pads are there because otherwise it can too easily be worn down by Ferro, RH Corv, or Garchomp, which it can break through with little loss with this set. The investment is pretty self-explanatory. The best thing to do with this is, once the opponent's speed control has been removed, put it in to something which can't really threaten it, and which it can force out, such as Swampert, Ttar, or pretty much anything bulky on low health, use Swords Dance on the opponent's switch, and sweep from there. It can also be used against more passive Pokemon such as Corv or non-TWave Ferro. Knock Off is useful item removal, which helps the Melmetal or Toxapex matchup, and hits Dragapult hard on the switch. It also does for Volcarona, which would otherwise cause problems. Leaf Blade is STAB, dealing hefty damage even to resists after a Swords Dance, and helps the Landorus matchup. Sacred Sword deals with weakened Heatran and Melm.
The best thing, though, about Kart, or any Ultra Beast, is that it forces the opponent to make sub-par plays. Because of Beast Boost, the opponent cannot sacrifice a Pokemon to it to gain a more favourable position, forcing them into making sub-optimal plays.

Blacephalon @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 56 SpD / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Flamethrower
- Fire Blast
- Trick
Like Kartana, Blace can prove a real handful through Beast Boost. The speed investment allows it to outspeed scarved Galarian Zapdos, and of course it outspeeds Pult and Zeraora. The SpA is maximised as much as possible, taking into account the speed. Fire Blast makes up for the set's initial lack of power. Trick helps to deal with counters such as Pex and Ttar. It complements Kart really well, smashing through Pult and scarved Lele, which kill Kart with ease, as well as opposing Kart. It also tears the ever-dangerous Melm and Weavile to pieces, and breaks physical walls like Buzzwole or Tangrowth, which Kart struggles with, and Kart breaks Blissey, which walls Blace, as well as helping with Pex, Fini, and Ttar. Normally, I use either it or Kart to break holes, and the other as a late game cleaner. It covers Kart's Fire and Fighting weaknesses, and, with the SpD investment, goes somewhere to covering Kart's special frailty, while Kart covers Blace's Rock and Water weaknesses, and helps with Blace's physical frailty.
The same matter of the sub-par plays applies to it as to Kart.

Dragonite @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Multiscale
EVs: 44 HP / 212 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Dragon Dance
- Earthquake
- Dual Wingbeat
- Roost
With the frailty of Blace and Kart, I needed something to soak up some damage. Its 91/95/100 defensive profile, along with Multiscale, kept up with Boots and Roost, lends it tankiness. The speed investment is necessary for it to outspeed Pult after one DDance, and the rest is spread for the necessary bulk, but as much power as possible. Dual Wingbeat is STAB, and is needed for Buzzwole, Urshifu and Rillaboom, with EQ for Heatran and Volcanion, which would otherwise cause my Ultra Beast core problems. Kart, Blace, and Volcarona deal with its ice-type weakness, and its ground immunity helps, especially due to Koko being in the team.
Also, it provides something of an answer to rain teams, comfortably living any of Barraskewda's moves and OHKOing with Dual Wingmiss after DDance.

Volcarona @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Flame Body
EVs: 32 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpD / 216 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Quiver Dance
- Fiery Dance
- Bug Buzz
Volcarona provides some more bulk, and is just a really fun Pokemon to play. The Speed investment means it outspeed Lele, but the rest is geared for bulk and hitting power. After one Quiver Dance, it becomes a potent sweeper. Psychic is for Urshifu and Toxapex, and also so that it has some way of threatening Pult, which would wall A Giga Drain set. When combined with Fiery Dance and Bug Buzz, it gives perfect coverage. Boots is necessary because of that annoying quad weakness to Rock.

Tapu Koko @ Light Clay
Ability: Electric Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 4 Def / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Reflect
- Light Screen
- Taunt
- U-turn
I just like this set too much. The investment is so that it can get Screens up with the most ease. My team really appreciates the Screens, which allow Kartana to live a CC from Barraskewda, and allows Volcarona to 1v1 Pult. This tends to be my lead, and Taunt deals with set-up sweepers, defoggers, and rockers. U-turn is there over Volt Switch so that Landorus doesn't block it from switching out and bringing in my heavy hitters.

Corviknight @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 HP / 168 Def / 88 SpD
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- U-turn
- Defog
- Roost
I brought this in because I needed something solidly defensive to deal with Weavile, Barraskewda, Garchomp, and Pult. I mean this is just the Smogon set, with investment in SpD to live the 2HKO from Lele Psychic and Specs Pult Shadow Ball. I run Brave Bird over Body Press so that I have some way of threatening Pult. This is important for the DDance Pult matchup, with Pult 3HKOing Corv with Phantom Force, and a combination of Roost and Brave Bird 2HKOing Pult. The slow U-Turn brings in my heavy hitters, stopping it from being a momentum sink. Blace really appreciates Defog to remove Rocks.

Overall, the team struggles a bit with DDance Pult, so keeping Kart and Corv alive is important for this matchup. The all-round typing weakness to rock makes Ttar threatening, but Kart and Volcarona are more than capable of dealing with it.

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Good to see proper descriptions. You don't have any ground types which means that Volt Switch is impossible to block and you can't switch into Zeraora at all. You also struggle vs Specs Dragapult this way. I STRONGLY reccomend putting a Landorus-Therian somewhere in here.

1 Answer

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Best answer

Issues
1. No electric immunity means that Zeraora is really dangerous to the team. Bulk Up variants are especially dangerous. It can come in on Corviknight, setup, and 0hko Kartana, Blacephalon and Volcarona at +1. Your Koko's electric terrain makes this worse.
2. Corviknight is too passive for a Hyper Offense team like this one. It wastes precious screens turn and allows sweepers like BU Zeraora to come in.
3. Specs Dragapult is kind of scary, it can 2hko Corv after a small amount of chip like SR and always 2hko if it has Flamethrower.
4. Regieleki more or less 6-0es, but this a minor issue as Regieleki usage is very low.
I also removed the SpDef on Blacephalon, it doesn't hit any major benchmarks and outspeeding +1 Nihilego(Beast Boost) is more likely to be useful.
Changes
Volcarona-> SD LO Garchomp
Garchomp provides a better check to Zeraora and counters Regieleki. It also provides a way for your team to pressure Buzzwole, which can help Kartana to sweep. LO allows you to make progress vs Unaware Clefable.
Corviknight-> AV Melmetal
AV Melm provides a decent switchin to Specs Dragapult and Scarf Lele. Unlike Corv, it is a massive offensive threat and doesn't allow BU Zeraora to set up. It also provides a solid check to DD Pult.
New Team: https://pokepast.es/5c3a10baaf728162
I hope you like the changes, I haven't rated an SS team in a while.

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Many thanks
Thanks, select BA if you like it!