Kartana is a Grass- and Steel-type Ultra Beast originating from another world. Its paper-thin body is like a sharpened sword. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Kartana, how to catch Kartana after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Ultra Beast after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Kartana Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Grass- and Steel-type Ultra Beast, Kartana is vulnerable to Fire- and Fighting-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Kartana Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Fire- or Fighting-type Pokémon, but a Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Fire- and Fighting-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Fire-type attacks deal the greatest damage, and Pokémon with Fire-type Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks should be prioritized. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Kartana as quickly as you can.

• Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Air Slash (Flying), Ember (Fire), Fire Spin (Fire), Wing Attack (Flying)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire), Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Arcanine / Shadow Arcanine (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire)

• Moltres / Shadow Moltres (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Heat Wave (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Typhlosion / Shadow Typhlosion (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Ember (Fire), Incinerate (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire), Fire Blast (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Houndoom / Mega Houndoom (Dark/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire)

• Entei / Shadow Entei (Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire), Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Flame Charge (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire), Fire Blast (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Ho-Oh / Shadow Ho-Oh (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Incinerate (Fire), Steel Wing (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Sacred Fire (Fire)

• Reshiram (Dragon/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Overheat (Fire)

• Machamp / Shadow Machamp (Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Counter (Fighting), Karate Chop (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Close Combat (Fighting), Cross Chop (Fighting), Dynamic Punch (Fighting), Submission (Fighting)

• Hariyama / Shadow Hariyama (Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Counter (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Close Combat (Fighting), Dynamic Punch (Fighting), Superpower (Fighting)

• Mega Lopunny (Normal/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Low Kick (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Focus Blast (Fighting)

• Lucario (Fighting/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Counter (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Aura Sphere (Fighting), Close Combat (Fighting), Power-Up Punch (Fighting)

• Gallade (Psychic/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Low Kick (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Close Combat (Fighting)

• Conkeldurr (Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Counter (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Dynamic Punch (Fighting), Focus Blast (Fighting)

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a successful Kartana raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Kartana, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Kartana more quickly.

In an encounter with Kartana, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Curveball Throws can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Kartana isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch the Ultra Beast to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Kartana. A Razz Berry will make it easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Kartana, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Kartana Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Kartana easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—even an Ultra Beast—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Ultra Beasts, Kartana is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What to Do with Kartana Once You’ve Caught It

As a Grass- and Steel-type Pokémon, Kartana is resistant to Normal-, Water-, Grass-, Electric-, Poison-, Psychic-, Rock-, Dragon-, Steel-, and Fairy-type attacks. This lengthy list of resistances and unique dual typing should make Kartana a powerful Pokémon to include in your next raid or GO Battle League lineup. More specifically, pairing Kartana’s available Grass-type attacks—Razor Leaf and Leaf Blade—makes it an enormous threat against Water-, Ground-, and Rock-type Pokémon. Its stats, CP, and available moves make Kartana one of the most powerful Grass-type attackers in Pokémon GO raids.

Kartana would be an incredibly powerful Pokémon to include in raids against Mega Blastoise, Mega Gyarados, Kyogre, and Groudon. For this reason, it’s worth powering up Kartana to use as a powerful Grass-type attacker. Powering up Kartana will allow it to last longer in raids without fainting, giving it time to deal more damage against your opponent.

Unfortunately, Kartana is not poised to make a powerful impact in the GO Battle League. Its CP is too high for the Great League, it would struggle against the incredibly high CP of Pokémon found in the Master League, and it can’t compete with the other Pokémon that already fill the niche where it would be most likely to shine. While it’s an excellent counter to Water-type Pokémon and the GO Battle League’s many Charm-wielding Pokémon, that might not be enough to give the Drawn Sword Pokémon one of only three spots on your GO Battle League lineup. That said, Kartana’s incredible utility in raids certainly make it a Pokémon worth investing in.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.