VGC Beast Boost Snowball Attacker

Kartana
VGC Guide

Kartana has the highest base Attack of any non-restricted Pokémon in Regulation I at 181. Beast Boost grants +1 Attack per KO — once it starts snowballing, it becomes nearly unstoppable. Leaf Blade's high critical hit ratio and Sacred Sword's stat-ignoring effect make every attack a significant threat.

181
Base Attack
237
Adamant Lv50
109
Base Speed
Grass/Steel
Typing

Beast Boost: The KO-Triggered Snowball

Ability Mechanics

Beast Boost raises Kartana's highest base stat by one stage upon landing a KO. Since 181 Attack is Kartana's highest stat, every KO triggers +1 Attack. From 237 (Adamant base), +1 reaches approximately 355, and +2 reaches approximately 474.

In VGC doubles, +2 Attack Leaf Blade OHKOs most neutral targets. Fire-type moves are the primary counterplay — which is why Kartana is commonly paired with rain support (Kyogre) that neutralizes Sun and Fire threats while boosting Kartana's endgame window.

Best Moveset

Beast Boost Snowball (Standard)
Leaf Blade(Grass)
90BP Grass STAB with high critical hit ratio (+1 stage); covers Water/Ground types
Sacred Sword(Fighting)
90BP Fighting; ignores Defense boosts and defensive ability effects like Fur Coat
Smart Strike(Steel)
70BP Steel STAB, never misses; 2× vs Fairy types without accuracy risk
Protect(Normal)
Essential doubles move; shields while accumulating Beast Boost stages
ItemLife Orb / Choice Band
AbilityBeast Boost
NatureJolly (+Spe / -SpAtk)
EVs252 Atk / 4 HP / 252 Spe

Compare Kartana Speed Tiers