Kartana, The Drawn Sword Pokémon. This Ultra Beast came from the Ultra Wormhole. It seems not to attack enemies on its own, but its sharp body is a dangerous weapon in itself. One of the Ultra Beast life-forms, it was observed cutting down a gigantic steel tower with one stroke of its blade. This Ultra Beast’s body, which is as thin as paper, is like a sharpened sword. lthough it’s alien to this world and a danger here, it’s apparently a common organism in the world where it normally lives.

Overview

Kartana remains the epitome of a one hit, one kill after its return in the Crown Tundra. Its ludicrous attack and myriad of boosting options ensuring that when Kartana hits the field, it will annihilate many targets like Rillaboom, Clefable, and Hippowdon. The Grass Steel type is excellent defensively and Kartana has enough Defense to make good use of it, especially thanks to Rillaboom’s popularity ensuring Grassy Terrain is very common. A high base 109 Speed further stresses answers as many possible answers like Urshifu and Heatran are outsped and cut down before they have a chance to act.

However, the popularity of Steel types and Rillaboom proves to be a double edged blade, as many checks and answers that work on them will work on Kartana as well. And while Kartana’s Attack may be insane, the base power of its moves is not, enabling many more targets to survive and strike back, which, with Kartana’s poor HP and horrid Special Defense means that even resisted hits will maim if not OHKO Kartana. The introduction of even faster threats like Spectrier, Regieleki and Dragapult further stress Kartana and can stop it from snowballing fore it can start. In the end, Kartana remains a keen threat, which both trainers must respect in order to maximize/minimize Kartana’s damage.
Positives
Kartana has the highest base Attack in the game before abilities and items and can boost it up with either Swords Dance or Beast Boost for even more devastation. Base 109 Speed outstrips the crowded base 100 Speed tier and complicating counterplay after Kartana picks up a Beast Boost.

Grass Steel is an excellent defensive typing with few weaknesses. In conjunction with its high Base 131 Defense, Kartana has many opportunities to switch in and out.
Negatives
Poor HP and utterly horrid Special Defense causes Kartana to fold when hit by even resisted Special Attacks
Grass Steel is mediocre offensively with many resists and many of Kartana’s moves have low base power, which despite its insane attack prevents it from reaching many of the OHKO’s it needs.

Movesets

Single Stroke Battle

-Leaf Blade
-Sacred Sword
-Knock Off
-Aerial Ace
Item Attached: Choice Band/Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Kartana leverages its insane power and speed as a potent revenge killer and wallbreaker depending on whether it is running Choice Band or Choice Scarf. Leaf Blade is STAB of choice, thanks to its high Crit Chance and hitting many high defense Rock, Water and Ground types hard that could otherwise stomach an attack. Sacred Sword and Knock Off provide valuable Fight Dark coverage which has a wide Neutral and Super Effective range along with having their own benefits. Sacred Sword ignores Defense boosts, making it the move of choice for Bulk Up/Iron Defense users like Corviknight and Kommo-o, while Knock Off provides valuable Item Control, especially in that it removes the Heavy Duty Boots that the many Flying types that switch into it use. Aerial Ace is on here mainly for its Dynamax Utility, but also hits Buzzwole, who otherwise walls Kartana very hard.

DYNAMAX:
Kartana is an excellent abuser of Dynamax, possessing the dreaded Max Airstream + Beast Boost combo that essentially allows Kartana to Dragon Dance as its picks up KOs, turning it into a late game Win Condition. Sacred Sword Max Knuckle is essentially an attacking Swords Dance if it can pick up a KO as well. The bulk increase synergizes well with Max Overgrowth, giving Kartana the badly needed bulk and recovery it needs to stomach a hit. Max Darkness is effectively extra coverage, but is stronger than Base Knock Off versus itemless opponents.

EVs and Items:
Max Attack and Speed to make Kartana as threatening as possible. Choice Band or Choice Scarf defines how you want Kartana – Choice Band as a wallbreaker and Choice Scarf as a revenge Killer. Jolly is necessary to outspeed opposing Positive Speed natured Pokémon like Urshifu, Garchomp, and Salamence. Jolly Max Speed with Scarf does outspeed Neutral Natured Max Speed Regieleki.

Other Option:
Smart Strike -another STAB option, and hits the many Fairies all the while providing an excellent Defense Boost while Dynamaxed, but has poor coverage and utility otherwise.

Partners:
Slowking stands out as an excellent Partner to Kartana, with incredible Special Bulk that offsets Kartana's nonexistent Special Bulk, a typing that soaks up all of Kartana's weaknesses, a reliable Slow Pivot option in Teleport, Speed Control with Thunder Wave, and Future Sight which punishes would be Physical Walls trying to stop Kartana. Galarian Slowking and Kantonian Slowbro possess some of the same qualities, but not the full package that Slowking does. Zapdos and Tapu Koko are excellent answers to the Bulky Flying types that Kartana tends to draw in, can stomach super effective Fighting attacks, provide pivot options in Volt Switch, remove Hazards and Screens with Defog, and suppress any non-Ground Wall trying to stop Kartana. Tapu Fini also possesses and incredible complimentary typing, great all around bulk and Misty Terrain protection against Burns and Thunder Wave that otherwise may stop Kartana before it starts.

The Dual Bladed Duelist

-Swords Dance
-Leaf Blade
-Knock Off
-Sacred Sword
Item Attached: Life Orb/Protective Pads
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Swords Dance Kartana may lack the immediate explosive power of Choice Band or Choice Scarf, but enables Kartana to muscle past walls that would otherwise stymie it without a Beast Boost as well as giving Kartana more flexibility by enabling it to change its moves without Dynamaxing. Kartana can grab opportunities to Swords Dance by forcing several opponents out thanks to its great Defense and typing alongside its great natural power. Leaf Blade is STAB of Choice, having better coverage while Knock Off and Sacred Sword provide great coverage and their side effects have great utility.

DYNAMAX:
This set is not as effective as the Choiced sets in Dynamaxing thanks to the lack of Max Airstream to ramp up to devastating levels, but Beast Boost acting as a Moxie equivalent still allows Kartana to ramp up without solely relying on Sacred Sword Max Knuckle to grab KOs. .

EVs and Items:
Max Attack and Speed to maximize sweeping Potential. Life Orb is generally preferred for the extra power, though Protective Pads is worth a mention, as it prevents Kartana from being Burned by a Flame Body Volcarona and Moltres as well as avoid the chip damage from Rocky Helmet Ferrothorn and Garchomp that severely cut into its survivability. Alternatively, one could run a Timid Nature with 0 ATK IVs and EVs to get Beast Boost to increase Speed instead, but that is a massive loss in power and would necessitate Swords Dance before attempting to Sweep.

Other Option:
Aerial Ace -Hits Buzzwole and enables Max Airstream Shenanigans, but offers poorer coverage and utility in comparison to Knock Off and Sacred Sword.
Smart Strike -Strong Alternative STAB that hits Fairies and Steel types hard.

Partners:
Rillaboom is a great partner for Swords Dance Kartana, setting up Grassy Terrain for much needed recovery and additional damage and having access to priority Grassy Terrain to pick off any targets that Kartana fails to OHKO.
Hazard Setters like Landorus-Therian, Swampert, etc. make for exceptional partners, chipping opponents into OHKO range, while enjoying Kartana's ability to lure in the Flying type Defoggers and remove their Heavy Duty Boots with Knock Off, making it easier to keep Hazards up throughout the match. Their advantageous match ups against Fighting and Fire moves respectively alongside their ability to pivot Kartana easily enables Kartana the opportunity it needs to setup Swords Dance.

VGC & Double Battle Options

Kartana’s extreme power is an attractive prospect even in the realm of doubles. Possessing a favorable match up against Kyogre, Urshifu-Rapid, Rillaboom, and Regieleki, while immune to Spore and Rage Powder are all excellent traits to have. However, Kartana’s frailty is even more problematic in doubles where one, if not both opponents could be packing Special Attacks and Intimidate’s prevalence eating into Kartana’s extreme attack. Lacking spread moves hurts as well, since all Kartana has to differentiate itself from extremely stiff competition in Rillaboom and Tsareena is sheer power which can fall short in the face of Rillaboom's and Tsareena's defensive utility.

Two Sword Style

-Leaf Blade
-Smart Strike
-Sacred Sword
-Knock Off
Item Attached: Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs and Nature:
252 Atk / 4 SDef / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature

Assault Vest enables Kartana to take several hits that it otherwise would not be able to, including being able to take Special Regieleki, non Water Spout attacks from Scarf Kyogre, unboosted Moonblasts from Xerneas, etc. while striking back with its signature power. Leaf Blade and Smart Strike are vital STABs, hitting many popular Water, Fairy and Calyrex Ice Rider targets. Sacred Sword and Knock Off again round out coverage, hitting Urshifu-Single, Incineroar, Cresselia, and Indeedee hard.

Other Options & Team Ideas:
Scope Lens and Night Slash in conjunction with Leaf Blade give Kartana a pseudo crit set with the two moves having a 50% crit rate that ignores drops from Intimidate and Parting Shot and does not lock Kartana out of moves like Protect and Detect. Kartana finds its home on Hyper Offense teams, pairing well with Regieleki who takes care of non Landorus Flying types while providing valuable Speed Control with Electroweb that prevents most Scarf and naturally faster Pokémon from getting the jump on Kartana.

Countering Kartana

Kartana’s obscene physical power provides an interesting challenge in answering it. Against Scarf sets, physical Walls like Corviknight, Moltres, Skarmory, Tangrowth, Buzzwole and Celesteela can all reliably wall and dispatch Kartana with their coverage/STAB moves. However, if Kartana has Future Sight support, the special hit will often do the necessary damage for Kartana to pick up the KO. Banded and Swords Dance sets can often directly muscle past these sets and none of these Pokémon like having their Item knocked off, which can compromise them for the rest of the match.

Swords Dance and Choice Banded sets are mercifully easier to outspeed and revenge kill. Zeraora, the Lati Twins, and Specs Regieleki all easily outspeed and OHKO non Scarf Kartana. Dragapult, Specterier and Gengar can do the same or Cripple Kartana with a Burn, neutering its power for the remainder of the match.

Finally, as all of Kartana’s common moves are contact moves, it finds itself vulnerable to being worn down quickly in between entry hazards, possible Life Orb Recoil, and contact damage from the likes of Garchomp and Ferrothorn as well as being ruined by Moltres’ and Volcarona’s Flame Body.

Anime Appearences

Kartana has made an appearance in the anime. In it, one arrived and started cutting things such as statues, causing mischief in Alola before saving it from a meteorite. # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics 1067 Living on the Cutting Edge! Perfect Sharpness! Kartana has Arrived! Pics 1135 Getting More Than You Battled For! Battling & Getting! Mewtwo Comes Back Pics