Use strong Fire-type attackers against Kartana; Fighting-type attacks are also effective. Kartana is a Grass- and Steel-type Ultra Beast, so build your raid team around super-effective attacks, then dodge and rejoin as needed to keep attacking.
What are the best counters for Kartana in Pokémon GO?
Fire is the priority type for this matchup. The Pokémon Company’s raid guide also lists Fighting as effective, making Fighting attackers useful when your Fire roster is weaker. Focus on Pokémon with strong, suitable Fast and Charged Attacks rather than filling the team with underpowered choices.
Examples in The Pokémon Company’s 2022 guide include Mega Charizard Y, Moltres, Reshiram, Machamp, Hariyama and Lucario. Its recommendations are dated, so check that a named move is still available before building around it. The guide says matching an attack’s type to the Pokémon using it gives a 20% same-type attack bonus; confirm current mechanics if relying on that published figure. The Pokémon Company’s Kartana raid tips
Leading options in a September 2026 counter guide
Pokémon GO Hub’s September 23, 2026 guide ranks Shadow Reshiram, Blacephalon, Shadow Heatran and Shadow Moltres among its leading counters. Its suggested move pairings are:
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- The Kartana Pokémon Sitting Cuties Plush is weighted with microbeads, so it sits up when you put it on a flat surface. This palm-sized plush is a fun, charming way to show off a favorite Grass- and Steel-type Ultra Beast originally discovered in Alola!
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- Shadow Reshiram: Fire Fang and Fusion Flare
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These are guide-specific simulation rankings, not guarantees of performance for every player. Your Pokémon’s moves, level, survival and ability to dodge affect how useful a counter is in your own raid. Pokémon GO Hub’s Kartana Raid Guide
How many trainers do you need?
Pokémon GO Hub recommends one to five high-level trainers with strong counters, while advising more players when trainers have lower-level or less-optimized rosters. Treat that as a conditional guide estimate, not a universal minimum: the official Niantic raid help recommends teaming up for harder bosses but does not give a guaranteed team size.
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Niantic’s core advice is to choose attacks that are super effective against the boss’s type. As its Help Center puts it, “To maximize your damage output, choose Pokémon with attacks that are super effective against the Raid Boss’ type(s).” Niantic Help Center: I’m unable to defeat a Raid Boss
How to handle the raid and catch Kartana
- Set your team: Lead with your best available Fire attackers and use suitable Fighting attackers to fill remaining slots.
- Dodge when useful: Niantic says dodging a Charged Attack can reduce damage. Whether to dodge depends on the situation and whether preserving an attacker helps you keep dealing damage.
- Rejoin promptly if your team faints: Niantic says you can rejoin the same raid without using another pass while the raid timer is still active. Return before that timer expires.
- Use catch items to suit your goal: The Pokémon Company’s guide recommends a Nanab Berry to make Kartana’s movement less erratic, or a Silver Pinap Berry if you want extra Candy. It also notes that a Great Buddy or higher may use Catch Assist.
The Pokémon Company says the number of Premier Balls you receive depends in part on how quickly the raid is won. Its published reference encounter ranges are 2,010–2,101 CP at level 20 without a weather boost and 2,512–2,626 CP at level 25 with a weather boost. Sunny or Snow weather boosts Kartana. These figures come from its September 2022 guide. The Pokémon Company’s Kartana raid tips
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Is Kartana currently in Pokémon GO raids?
The official announcements available here document past appearances, not a current October 2026 raid rotation. Niantic listed Kartana in five-star raids in the Northern Hemisphere on July 6, 2026, during the Road of Legends event, which ran July 6–10 local time. A July 17 update later scheduled Kartana in Northern Hemisphere raids during the Verdant Anomaly window, from 1–4 p.m. on July 26, 2026, as part of the global GO Fest Sunday make-up event. Neither announcement establishes that Kartana is currently available; check the live in-game raid list or a current official event announcement. Road of Legends announcement · GO Fest 2026 Sunday Raid Battles update
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