*temporary sprite bc mobile*
Kartana @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Leaf Blade
- Smart Strike
- Sacred Sword
- Defog/Aerial Ace
(Mega Heracross isn't as popular as it once was and so I feel
like Defog > Aerial Ace is better in the last spot, and a last second hazard removal can be clutch too)
I definitely think this team is too offensive oriented to run some defensive mon.
Looking at the team, it's more BO oriented with AV Magearna to help bring in mons such as Bulu and Ash-Greninja to hit hard right off the bat. As Gary stated, this team severely lacks speed control apart from Greninja's priority, so I definitely think a late game cleaner fits best. I kinda don't like Latios here - although its Defog is appreciated, it's a bit too momentum draining & can easily be used as Pursuit bait and/or setup fodder for opposing Shift Gear Magearnas, which proceed to destroy the team with some chip damage on Magearna. It also doesn't help with revenge killing Scarf Lele either.
As Latios and Greninja aren't options for scarf anymore, I figured Kartana fits nicely here. It's an underrated cleaner that seems to synergize extremely well with the rest of the team:
1) Gravity helps get rid of fatter steels like Skarmory and Celesteela, who would usually hold back Kartana from spamming its stabs.
2) Common mons usually used to check Kartana have to be played with more carefully, as they get pressured by the rest of the team. Some examples include:
-Tangrowth, which is usually switching in vs Ash-Gren.
-Mew, who has adapted its set to cripple mons such as Bulu, and also wants to burn Tar and Lando.
-Toxapex, who also switches in vs Ash-Gren and Tar.
-Zapdos, which is easily handled by Tar and also fears Bulu.
And so on.
3) Lastly, Bulu's grassy terrain helps out Kartana immensely by powering up Leaf Blade and enabling it to do things like 2hko Mew.
You obviously lose out on the ability to switch in vs things like Zard-Y, but it finds little opportunities to freely switch in vs the team in the first place. I feel like Kartana is just a better offensive fit + cleaner overall and a nice way to round out the team.