OU Zygarde

[Hootie]

Minor thing, but don't bother listing a Pokemon's ability when it is the only option.

 

[Colonel M]

Actually before you add ChestoRest I would like to know QC's input on Dragon Dance sets for Zygarde because they face serious competition from Zard X and even Haxorus. Mostly lacking a Dragon physicak move sucks and its Attack is mediocre - I guess at least it has STAB Earthquake.

 

[Fuzznip]

Actually, Dragonite probably pulls off Dragon Dance sets just as well if not better. I like Zygarde's Coil sets the most because it has good bulk to work with it and no other Dragon in OU does that. Perhaps the analysis should just showcase that as its only sweeping set? More input would be nice.

 

[Punchshroom]

STAB Earthquake, as well as Ground typing in general, is the biggest advantage Zygarde has over the other Dragons. Unlike Haxorus and Dragonite, it is not forced to go for Outrage to net kills on healthier (non-floating) Pokemon since it has more reliable alternate STAB, and unlike Nite and XZard it is not reliant on anti-hazard support. It's not like Zygarde is completely outclassed at DDing, nor is it even half bad at it in its own right, but yeah that's why they are listed after its Coil set, which is its main niche.

 

[Crazy Horse]

Frankly I can't see any sort of desirable scenario Camouflage Zygarde can generate for itself that DD + 3 attacks Zygarde doesn't already handle in some way, even the aforementioned Manaphy scenario (Yache Berry Zygarde). I don't get how switching from Ground / Dragon-type to pure Normal-type can grant any more lasting power, and is definitely not worth wasting a turn that could've been spent boosting or outright attacking. Also, Dragon Dance Zygarde without recovery is not meant to be laid back at all, it is meant to use its bulk to get a Dragon Dance and sweep with its powerful dual STABs, the latter of which your set completely forgoes (one STAB at a time). This 'laid-back' Zygarde seems more fitting for a DDRest Zygarde, which me and Ash Borer are currently discussing. I've seen you post your gimmicks in the analysis forums numerous times, and while the effort is admirable, you really have to consider what your gimmicks offer over existing sets that is unique or notable. Camouflage is fairly unique to Zygarde, but there is no good way to make use of it without underperforming compared to a simple 3 attacks set.

oh I can respect that. My goal with camouflage was more of one with the intention of lasting power and reliably setting up. Yache D-dance does that effectively too while having that awesome speed boost. Well gg and happy april fools.

 

[AccidentalGreed]

2/4

Sorry for the wait

 

[Jaroda]

At the very least you should slash Stone Edge with Dragon Tail on the SubCoil set. I personally favor Stone Edge more because of the power and lack of immunity, and it's just such good coverage. It deserves more than just OO it's slash worthy if you ask me. I have found Dragon Tail better on Substitute + Glare sets in general.

 

[Ash Borer]

Dragon Tail's function is mostly to prevent roar/whirlwind from the likes of Hippowdon, and Mandibuzz, or whatever, idk Vaporeon. Its also useful for hitting stuff like Quagsire or Skarm on switch in, which normally counter you, and forces the opponent to waver one way or another.

I dont feel like it is slash worthy.

 

[Colonel M]

Stamp.

QC Approved 3/3

 

[Punchshroom]

Thanks for the stamp, though I'm still waiting for certain event moves to be released before I get this going :3

 

[AccidentalGreed]

Punchshroom How's progress on this? I had to change the tag and title because this is beyond ready for Copyediting :V

 

[Punchshroom]

Punchshroom How's progress on this? I had to change the tag and title because this is beyond ready for Copyediting :V

Tbh I was waiting to see if Zygarde gets any new moves in the near future (Thousand) but since that doesn't seem to be coming anytime soon, I guess I can start writing this up.

 

[Punchshroom]

Finally written this up.

 

[skies]

amcheck
add - remove

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Overview
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Zygarde is often ridiculed due to its low stats for a supposed titular legendary, and is dismissed as an 'inferior Garchomp'. However, Zygarde has very well-placed stats, boasting great bulk, decent power, and a usable sSpeed stat. Dragon- and Ground-type STAB is a powerful STAB combination, able to hit nearly the entire tier for at least neutral damage. It has great boosting options as well, namely Dragon Dance and Coil, the latter of which is unique to Zygarde in the OU environment. While its offensive movepool is shallow, it is solid enough to threaten a majority of opponents, while also possessing Extreme Speed. That said, Zygarde lacks immediate power compared to its fellow Dragons-type Pokemon and has an unfortunately useless ability. It also does not have a reliable Dragon-type attack, which can limit its sweeping ability. It takes a tad longer for Zygarde to become a threat opposed to other Dragons, but that does not make it any less of one.

SubCoil
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name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Moves
========

Substitute blocks status and various weaker attacks, as well as safeguarding Zygarde against faster Pokemon. Coil is an enhanced Bulk Up, boosting Zygarde's Attack, Defense, and also accuracy, which ensures a perfectly accurate Dragon Tail. This allows Zygarde to become exceptionally tanky. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and offers good power. Dragon Tail prevents slower phazers from forcing out Zygarde's Substitute, while also hitsting airborne Pokemon, and forcesing out unfavorable matchups or opposing stat boosters.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP proviinvestment allows for Zygarde to set up 105 HP Substitutes, which canallows Zygarde to tank 2 Seismic Tosses before breaking. Maximum Special Defense prevents weaker special attacks such as Mega- Venusaur's Giga Drain and Vaporeon's Scald from breaking theits Substitute, while Coil makes up for its Defense. 0 Attack EVs ensures STAB Foul Play will not break the Substitute, so the remaining EVs go into Defense instead. Leftovers is the essential item, allowing Zygarde to recover health lost from Substitute.

Usage Tips
========

SubCoil Zygarde has an great advantage against defensive teams, setting up with impunity on Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, bulky Mega Scizor, and Heatran. It basicallyn sets up a Substitute against the many foes unable to break it, then boost away. Should any problematic Pokemon trouble Zygarde, the latter can Dragon Tail them away behind the safety of the Substitute, and may even drag out the opponent's setup fodder again; repeated attempts in this fashion will easily wear down Zygarde's checks.

Team Options
========

Specially based Fairy-types, especially Unaware Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss, can pose a problem due to their immunity to Dragon Tail, so Pokemon that can threaten them make good partners: Aegislash, Scizor, Charizard-Y, and Mega- Venusaur are such options. Draco Meteor and Ice Beam are two special attacks Zygarde fears greatly, so Pokemon that resist one or preferably both of these moves make great partners; Azumarill, Sylveon, Aegislash and Scizor come to mind. Hazards users make helpful teammates since they can maximise the effectiveness of Zygarde's Dragon Tail, Pokemon such as Heatran and Skarmory can even cover Zygarde's weaknesses; however it is notable that the hazards do not stay long as Zygarde does not do a good job of preventing Rapid Spin or Defog, so they are not essential. If you do choose a hazard user, make sure to have a responses against anti-hazards on your team, such as spinblockers or Defiant Pokemon; Aegislash and Bisharp make great teammates since they can deal with Fairy-types as well.

Ground-Pokemon immune Pokemonto Ground-type moves such as bulky Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitatorse can pose some issues for Zygarde, as they can force Zygarde to use its negative priority Dragon Tail, allowing them to respond accordingly by either healing or breaking Zygarde's Substitute. Thundurus-I and Greninja can threaten a good majority of available Flying-types as well as Levitators; alternatively, lures such as Hidden Power Grass Greninja, Hidden Power Ice Terrakion or Landorus-T, and Swords Dance Head Smash Aegislash can take out Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory, respectively. Teammates should pick up the slack against offensive teams which do not provide Zygarde an opportunity to set up. VoltTurn users such as Talonflame and Thundurus-I can easily harass offensive teams, but slower users such as Scizor and Rotom-W can instead try to bring Zygarde in safely. Pokemon that can spread paralysis can slow down offensive Pokemon so they too fall victim to Zygarde, sothus making Klefki and Thundurus-I make good partners; Klefki even provides Spikes for Zygarde's Dragon Tail.

Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Stone Edge / Extreme Speed
ability: Aura Break
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, readying it to sweep its opponent. Earthquake provides solid damage with no drawbacks, making it Zygarde's most reliable attack and premier sweeping move. Outrage hits hard after a single boost, but locks Zygarde in and confuses it afterward; however it is effective at cleaning up opponents late-game. Stone Edge hits Togekiss, and picks off Flying-types such as Thundurus and Tornadus without resorting to Outrage. Extreme Speed can be used to outpace opposing priority users, most notably Talonflame and Mamoswine, though their inability to OHKO Zygarde anyway means Extreme Speed isn't too necessary.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack powerinvestment with an Adamant provides Zygarde with greater sweeping potential after a single Dragon Dance, and maximum Speed ties with neutral natured Kyurem-B, and also outspeeds neutral natured Mega Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Jolly Gyarados. Alternatively, Jolly with 164 Speed EVs outruns Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl at +1, though the lack of an Attack-boosting nature substantially drops Zygarde's power, not to mention the relative rarity of these threats. The remaining EVs can be placed in any other stat. Lum Berry allows Zygarde to set up on status users, such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, or snap Zygarde out of Outrage confusion. Life Orb can be used to give Zygarde a significant power boost, since its base Attack is not as good as other Dragons, but it cuts into Zygarde's bulk, an advantage it does have over itsother Dragon brethren-types. Yache Berry allows Zygarde to survive unSTAB'ed Ice-type moves, allowing Zygarde to either set up on them or prevent itself from being revenge killed by them.

Usage Tips
========

Dragon Dance Zygarde's greatest advantage over Dragonite is its resistance to Stealth Rock as opposed to Dragonite's weakness to them, lessening the need for hazard removal from teammates. Theis set is very staraightforward: boost once (twice if possible) and start attacking. Between the boosted sSpeed, high bulk, and powerful STAB combination, Dragon Dance Zygarde can pose a serious threat to offensive teams. Zygarde should optimally be set to sweep after one Dragon Dance, cleaning up with a speedy and powerful Earthquakes or Outrages. Ground resistant/ or immune Pokemon, or physically bulky Pokemon such as Hippowdon, should be removed before going for the sweep, so as to avoid being forced into using Outrage early. Hard-hitting offensive Pokemon such as Aegislash, Greninja, Thundurus, and Azumarill do a great job at wreaking havoc and softening up opposing teams, which can pave the way for Zygarde to clean things up. IfWhen using Extreme Speed, it letallows Zygarde perform the occasional revenge kill on weakened Pokemon such as Talonflame. Zygarde uses its good bulk orand resistances to tank a hit and set up, or threatens foes with STAB Earthquake to gain free turns. If Life Orb is used, take care not to let Zygarde's health drop too low before setting up.

Team Options
========

Rotom-W is a great partner regardless of the coverage option; it takes on Togekiss for Zygardes that lack Stone Edge, and can handle Talonflame and Mamoswine for Zygardes without Extreme Speed. Gothitelle makes an amazing teammate as it traps Skarmory, Clefable, and Quagsire, all of which willould otherwise be a royal pain for Zygarde to overcome on its own. While Stealth Rock benefits any offensive Pokemon, it is especially helpful for Zygarde, asince it weakens a good majority of Ground-type resistsant Pokemon, which may allows Zygarde to pick them off with its weaker move as opposed to using Outrage to KO them. Since Flying-type Pokemon orand Levitators can get in the way of a clean sweep, Pokemon that can handle these Pokemon are recommended. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying type measures, while luring and/or hurting a good majority of Levitators as well. Zygarde finds it easier to set up on opponents weak to Ground-type moves; Talonflame lures in Rock-types or Steel-types such as Heatran and Tyranitar and U-turns away from them, even a Sylveon's dry Baton Pass can be used for the same effect for various Steel-types. Dual Screens aren't necessary, but eases Zygarde's job of setting up, while its natural bulk makes it even more challenging to take down behind Screens; Klefki and Deoxys-D or Deoxys-S are such candidates.

DDRest
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name: DDRest
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rest
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Outrage / Stone Edge
ability: Aura Break
item: Chesto Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts the userZygarde's Attack and Speed, which getallows Zygarde ready to sweep its foe when set up. Rest completely heals Zygarde of any damage and status, and is best used when Zygarde has taken a beating from attacks and statusing moves while boosting with Dragon Dance, undoing your opponent's efforts and threaten them with a fresh, boosted Zygarde. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and main sweeping move. The last move of choice complements Earthquake well: Outrage. Outrage hits reallvery hard after a boost or two, but locks Zygarde ingto the user inmove and confuses it afterward, while Stone Edge hits Togekiss, and picks off other Flying-types such as Thundurus and Mega Pinsir without needing to confuse itself, but lacks STAB and can fall short on KOing most other Ground-type resists.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack power with Adamant maximizes Zygarde's sweeping potential. 136 Speed Evs barelyVs allows Zygarde to outspeeds Choice Scarf Terrakion after +2 Speed, likely the fastest Choice Scarfer Pokemon one will see, blazes pastit also allows you to outspeed Noivern and Greninja after +1 Speed, and conveniently outspeeds unboosted Adamant Dragonite. The remaining EVs go into HP, which gives Zygarde enough bulk to survive 2 Fire Blasts from Mega Charizard Y. The combination of Chesto Berry +and Rest acts as a Full Restore, allowing Zygarde to set up freely on status users such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, then healing itself completely when the time is right so that Zygarde can sweep its foes unhindered by health or status concerns.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to use Dragon Dance a couple of times while taking damage and / or status, then uses Rest to refresh Zygarde and sweep with a good amount of health and boosts. With its great bulk, it can set up on the numerous Pokemon that have trouble 2HKOing it, so long as they do not have Ice-type moves; this includes such Pokemon as Excadrill, Mega Scizor, Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, Chansey, Gliscor, and Terrakion. Alternatively, Zygarde can start getting boosts on Pokemon it can threaten out, such as the aforementioned Excadrill, Aegislash, Heatran, Tyranitar, and weakened Mega Mawile, though the latter options would be risky. It can also take advantage of weaker Choice-locked attacks, such as Terrakion's Stone Edge, Keldeo's Secret Sword, and Garchomp's Earthquake. Dragon Dance Rest Zygarde works best against balanced teams, where it exploits their weak link(s) to set up and uses its combination of bulk, sSpeed, and strong dual STABs to overwhelm its foes, who are often unprepared to deal with the threat. Zygarde should only face an opponent that it can handle for certain, as Resting too early without getting enough boosts may cut its sweep short, and Zygarde likely won't get a chance to do it again.

Team Options
========

Zygarde's main spamming move is Earthquake, making Flying-types and Levitators, once again, notable annoyances. Stealth Rock can clip the wings of the former, with Deoxys-S, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Heatran being good users of the move, especially since they do not clash weaknesses with Zygarde, unlike most Ground-type Stealth Rockers such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon; Deoxys-S and Tyranitar can take on most Flying-types, while Ferrothorn and Heatran offer decent defensive synergy while offering Leech Seed and burn support, respectively. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying type measures, while luring and/or hurting a good majority of Levitators as well. Fairy-types can be a huge obstacle in Zygarde's path, most notably physically defensive variants of Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss; Steel-types such as Scizor, Excadrill, Magnezone, and Heatran can work to take out these aforemenacestioned Pokemon. Additionally, Scizor can U-turn to bring Zygarde in safely or Pursuit trap Latios and Latias, Excadrill can weaken or take out the opponent's Ground-type checks, Magnezone traps Skarmory and has a slow Volt Switch which also fritakes care of Flying-types, while Heatran can spread burns to ease Zygarde's setup, Gothitelle also makes a great teammate due to its ability to pick off Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire, greatly relieving Zygarde's burden.

Since this Zygarde aims to rack up multiple boosts and has the means to heal off any damage and status incurred, Dual Screens would heavily boost this set's effectiveness, with Klefki, Deoxys-D, and Rotom-W making great users. Klefki has Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down threats and has decent defensive synergy with Zygarde, Deoxys-D can stack multiple hazards or Taunt Defoggers, while Rotom-W can use a slow Volt Switch to bring Zygarde in safely.

Parashuffler
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name: Parashuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Substitute
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Moves
========

Glare is essentially a superior Thunder Wave, since it is just as accurate but can also paralyze Ground-types. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB move, and targets grounded Electric-types such as Raikou and Mega Manectric, which cannot be paralyzed. Dragon Tail phazes out foes, bringing out new opponents for Zygarde to paralyze. Substitute is used to take advantage of the free turns its paralyzed foes give, especially those that repeatedly switch in with the intent of shielding their teammates from the same fate, while also guarding against status such as burn and poison.
Set Details
========

Since Zygarde cannot boost its Defense with Coil anymore, Defense is maxed out to tank physical foes. Its impressive physical bulk lets it serve as an emergency check to a huge variety of physical attackers, such as Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Mega Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Terrakion, as well as unboosted foes such as Garchomp, Gyarados, and even Mega Charizard X, which Zygarde can paralyze or phaze. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense.
Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde's goal i set aims to spread paralysis on everything. From there, it can Earthquake grounded Electric-types, use Substitute against status users so they do not impede Zygarde's job and shorten its staying power, and Dragon Tail to phase out paralyzed opponents so you can drag in new foes to Glare. If the opponent persists in repeatedly sending out their already paralyzed Pokemon, Zygarde may take advantage by using Dragon Tail or Substitute on the switch, or nab a free Substitute by spamming the move until the opponent is fully paralyzed.
Team Options
========

Attackers that have trouble outspeeding opponents, such as Mega- Heracross and Bisharp, greatly appreciate Zygarde's paralysis support, especially since paralysis affects Flying-types and cannot be Defogged away, unlike Sticky Web. This set's performance is greatly enhanced by entry hazards, as it forces a lot of switches; Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can lay down Spikes, while covering Zygarde's weaknesses, while Heatran and Tyranitar can provide Stealth Rock support, with more offensive variants even taking advantage of paralyzed foes. Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Gliscor are immune to both paralysis and Earthquake, making them big obstacles; Mega Venusaur, Sylveon, Clefable, and Kyurem-B can take on all three for the most part, although Kyurem-B does stack weaknesses, which is more prominent since this Zygarde is a defensive variant.

Other Options
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Camouflage may be used to remove most of Zygarde's weaknesses and give it STAB Extreme Speed, but Dragon Dance and Coil gives Extreme Speed the same boost and powers up Zygarde's other moves, instead of weakening them like Camouflage does since it removes their STAB. Land's Wrath is completely inferior to Earthquake, so don't let the title of 'signature move' tempt you. Haze lets Zygarde phazse, but Zygarde lacks the tools or offensive presence to deter most foes from setting up again, plus, it has Dragon Tail anyway. Toxic can cripple some of Zygarde's bulkier checks, but none of its sets really have the moveslot for it. RestTalk + Dragon Tail can improve Zygarde's longevity, but Hippowdon would makes a better bulky phaser due to its better recovery, while having moveslots to spare.

Checks & Counters
########

**Anti-setup**: Zygarde thrives on setting up, so disrupting it from doing so is a good way to keep it under control. Unaware Clefable and Quagsire stop Zygarde cold, the latter of which threatens with STAB Moonblast. A quick Taunt can prevent Zygarde from doing much more, limiting its offensive presence. Tricking a Choice item onto Zygarde can utterly ruin it for the most part. Phasing may be an option, though most users are outsped by Zygarde's Dragon Tail, making it less effective.

**Status**: Zygarde really doesn't like being hit by status at all. Even the Rest sets could do without being pressured to sleep early. Burns heavily cripple Zygarde, though Substitute coupled with Zygarde's speed can make statusing it difficult; Talonflame and fast Rotom-W are among the few status users that can outpace Zygarde. Gliscor can also Toxic Zygarde before the latter sets up a Substitute.

**Ground-type immune Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-types and Levitators such as Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, Togekiss, Skarmory, and Rotom-W are immune to Zygarde's most reliable attack, forcing it to use less desirable attacks such as Outrage, Dragon Tail, and Stone Edge. That said, forcing Zygarde to use those attacks may not actually stop it on the spot, but it can potentially interrupt its sweep. This is especially problematic for Dragon Tail variants, since bulky Flying-types with recovery can typically outlast Zygarde's Dragon Tail PP while deterring it from using Earthquake to give them free switches. Zapdos might be at risk when Roosting due to it being potentially faster than Zygarde, but Pressure can punish mispredictions on Zygarde's part, while Skarmory and Mandibuzz do not mind repeatedly switching in and being phased by Dragon Tails due to their high Defense, Roost, and in Skarmory's case, resistance.

**Bypassing Substitute**: Sylveon's and Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice, Icicle Spear, and Infiltrator Noivern are all capable of busting through Zygarde's Substitute, rendering the SubCoil set's attempts to set up completely futile.

**Faster Pokemon**: In a similar vein, Pokemon that can still act before Dragon Dance Zygarde can potentially make it useless. Choice Scarf Garchomp, Deoxys-S, and Ice Shard Mamoswine are such examples, since they can outspeed +1 Zygarde and KO it with super effective attacks, though Extreme Speed Zygarde will land a hit on them first, and the former two cannot stop a Zygarde that has attained more than one boost.

Copy and Paste

Overview
########

Zygarde is often ridiculed due to its low stats for a supposed titular legendary, and is dismissed as an 'inferior Garchomp'. However, Zygarde has very well-placed stats, boasting great bulk, decent power, and a usable Speed stat. Dragon- and Ground-type STAB is a powerful combination, able to hit nearly the entire tier for at least neutral damage. It has great boosting options as well, namely Dragon Dance and Coil, the latter of which is unique to Zygarde in the OU environment. While its offensive movepool is shallow, it is solid enough to threaten a majority of opponents, while also possessing Extreme Speed. That said, Zygarde lacks immediate power compared to its fellow Dragon-type Pokemon and has an unfortunately useless ability. It also does not have a reliable Dragon-type attack, which can limit its sweeping ability. It takes a tad longer for Zygarde to become a threat opposed to other Dragons, but that does not make it any less of one.

SubCoil
########
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Moves
========

Substitute blocks status and various weaker attacks, as well as guarding Zygarde against faster Pokemon. Coil is an enhanced Bulk Up, boosting Zygarde's Attack, Defense, and also accuracy, which ensures a perfectly accurate Dragon Tail. This allows Zygarde to become exceptionally tanky. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and offers good power. Dragon Tail prevents slower phazers from forcing out Zygarde's Substitute, while also hitting airborne Pokemon, and forcing out unfavorable matchups or opposing stat boosters.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP investment allows for Zygarde to set up 105 HP Substitutes, which allows Zygarde to tank 2 Seismic Tosses before breaking. Maximum Special Defense prevents weaker special attacks such as Mega Venusaur's Giga Drain and Vaporeon's Scald from breaking its Substitute, while Coil makes up for its Defense. 0 Attack EVs ensures STAB Foul Play will not break the Substitute, so the remaining EVs go into Defense instead. Leftovers is the essential item, allowing Zygarde to recover health lost from Substitute.

Usage Tips
========

SubCoil Zygarde has an great advantage against defensive teams, setting up with impunity on Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, bulky Mega Scizor, and Heatran. It can set up a Substitute against the many foes unable to break it, then boost away. Should any problematic Pokemon trouble Zygarde, the latter can Dragon Tail them away behind the safety of the Substitute, and may even drag out the opponent's setup fodder again; repeated attempts in this fashion will easily wear down Zygarde's checks.

Team Options
========

Specially based Fairy-types, especially Unaware Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss, can pose a problem due to their immunity to Dragon Tail, so Pokemon that can threaten them make good partners: Aegislash, Scizor, Charizard-Y, and Mega Venusaur are such options. Draco Meteor and Ice Beam are two special attacks Zygarde fears greatly, so Pokemon that resist one or preferably both of these moves make great partners; Azumarill, Sylveon, Aegislash and Scizor come to mind. Hazards users make helpful teammates since they can maximise the effectiveness of Zygarde's Dragon Tail, Pokemon such as Heatran and Skarmory can even cover Zygarde's weaknesses; however it is notable that the hazards do not stay long as Zygarde does not do a good job of preventing Rapid Spin or Defog, so they are not essential. If you do choose a hazard user, make sure to have a responses against anti-hazards on your team, such as spinblockers or Defiant Pokemon; Aegislash and Bisharp make great teammates since they can deal with Fairy-types as well.

Pokemon immune to Ground-type moves such as bulky Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate can pose some issues for Zygarde, as they can force Zygarde to use its negative priority Dragon Tail, allowing them to respond accordingly by either healing or breaking Zygarde's Substitute. Thundurus-I and Greninja can threaten a good majority of available Flying-types as well as Levitators; alternatively, lures such as Hidden Power Grass Greninja, Hidden Power Ice Terrakion or Landorus-T, and Swords Dance Head Smash Aegislash can take out Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory, respectively. Teammates should pick up the slack against offensive teams which do not provide Zygarde an opportunity to set up. VoltTurn users such as Talonflame and Thundurus-I can easily harass offensive teams, but slower users such as Scizor and Rotom-W can instead try to bring Zygarde in safely. Pokemon that can spread paralysis can slow down offensive Pokemon so they too fall victim to Zygarde, thus making Klefki and Thundurus-I good partners; Klefki even provides Spikes for Zygarde's Dragon Tail.

Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Stone Edge / Extreme Speed
ability: Aura Break
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, readying it to sweep its opponent. Earthquake provides solid damage with no drawbacks, making it Zygarde's most reliable attack and premier sweeping move. Outrage hits hard after a single boost, but locks Zygarde in and confuses it afterward; however it is effective at cleaning up opponents late-game. Stone Edge hits Togekiss, and picks off Flying-types such as Thundurus and Tornadus without resorting to Outrage. Extreme Speed can be used to outpace opposing priority users, most notably Talonflame and Mamoswine, though their inability to OHKO Zygarde anyway means Extreme Speed isn't too necessary.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant provides Zygarde with greater sweeping potential after a single Dragon Dance, and maximum Speed ties with neutral natured Kyurem-B, and also outspeeds neutral natured Mega Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Jolly Gyarados. Alternatively, Jolly with 164 Speed EVs outruns Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl at +1, though the lack of an Attack-boosting nature substantially drops Zygarde's power, not to mention the relative rarity of these threats. The remaining EVs can be placed in any other stat. Lum Berry allows Zygarde to set up on status users, such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, or snap Zygarde out of Outrage confusion. Life Orb can be used to give Zygarde a significant power boost, since its base Attack is not as good as other Dragons, but it cuts into Zygarde's bulk, an advantage it does have over other Dragon-types. Yache Berry allows Zygarde to survive unSTAB'ed Ice-type moves, allowing Zygarde to either set up on them or prevent itself from being revenge killed by them.

Usage Tips
========

Dragon Dance Zygarde's greatest advantage over Dragonite is its resistance to Stealth Rock as opposed to Dragonite's weakness to them, lessening the need for hazard removal from teammates. This set is very straightforward: boost once (twice if possible) and start attacking. Between the boosted Speed, high bulk, and powerful STAB combination, Dragon Dance Zygarde can pose a serious threat to offensive teams. Zygarde should optimally be set to sweep after one Dragon Dance, cleaning up with a speedy and powerful Earthquake or Outrage. Ground resistant or immune Pokemon, or physically bulky Pokemon such as Hippowdon, should be removed before going for the sweep, so as to avoid being forced into using Outrage early. Hard-hitting offensive Pokemon such as Aegislash, Greninja, Thundurus, and Azumarill do a great job at wreaking havoc and softening up opposing teams, which can pave the way for Zygarde to clean things up. When using Extreme Speed, it allows Zygarde perform the occasional revenge kill on weakened Pokemon such as Talonflame. Zygarde uses its good bulk and resistances to tank a hit and set up, or threatens foes with STAB Earthquake to gain free turns. If Life Orb is used, take care not to let Zygarde's health drop too low before setting up.

Team Options
========

Rotom-W is a great partner regardless of the coverage option; it takes on Togekiss for Zygardes that lack Stone Edge, and can handle Talonflame and Mamoswine for Zygarde without Extreme Speed. Gothitelle makes an amazing teammate as it traps Skarmory, Clefable, and Quagsire, all of which would otherwise be a royal pain for Zygarde to overcome on its own. While Stealth Rock benefits any offensive Pokemon, it is especially helpful for Zygarde, as it weakens a good majority of Ground-type resistant Pokemon, which allows Zygarde to pick them off with its weaker move as opposed to using Outrage to KO them. Since Flying-type Pokemon and Levitators can get in the way of a clean sweep, Pokemon that can handle these Pokemon are recommended. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitators as well. Zygarde finds it easier to set up on opponents weak to Ground-type moves; Talonflame lures in Rock-types or Steel-types such as Heatran and Tyranitar and U-turns away from them, even a Sylveon's dry Baton Pass can be used for the same effect for various Steel-types. Dual Screens aren't necessary, but eases Zygarde's job of setting up, while its natural bulk makes it even more challenging to take down behind Screens; Klefki and Deoxys-D or Deoxys-S are such candidates.

DDRest
########
name: DDRest
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rest
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Outrage / Stone Edge
ability: Aura Break
item: Chesto Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, which allows Zygarde to sweep its foe when set up. Rest completely heals Zygarde of any damage and status, and is best used when Zygarde has taken a beating from attacks and status moves while boosting with Dragon Dance, undoing your opponent's efforts and threaten them with a fresh, boosted Zygarde. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and main sweeping move. The last move of choice complements Earthquake well: Outrage. Outrage hits very hard after a boost or two, but locks Zygarde into the move and confuses it afterward, while Stone Edge hits Togekiss, and picks off other Flying-types such as Thundurus and Mega Pinsir without needing to confuse itself, but lacks STAB and can fall short on KOing most other Ground-type resists.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack power with Adamant maximizes Zygarde's sweeping potential. 136 Speed EVs allows Zygarde to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion at +2 Speed, likely the fastest Choice Scarf Pokemon one will see, it also allows you to outspeed Noivern and Greninja at +1 Speed, and conveniently outspeeds unboosted Adamant Dragonite. The remaining EVs go into HP, which gives Zygarde enough bulk to survive 2 Fire Blasts from Mega Charizard Y. The combination of Chesto Berry and Rest acts as a Full Restore, allowing Zygarde to set up freely on status users such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, then healing itself completely when the time is right so that Zygarde can sweep its foes unhindered by health or status concerns.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to use Dragon Dance a couple of times while taking damage and / or status, then uses Rest to refresh Zygarde and sweep with a good amount of health and boosts. With its great bulk, it can set up on numerous Pokemon that have trouble 2HKOing it, so long as they do not have Ice-type moves; this includes such Pokemon as Excadrill, Mega Scizor, Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, Chansey, Gliscor, and Terrakion. Alternatively, Zygarde can start getting boosts on Pokemon it can threaten out, such as the aforementioned Excadrill, Aegislash, Heatran, Tyranitar, and weakened Mega Mawile, though the latter options would be risky. It can also take advantage of weaker Choice-locked attacks, such as Terrakion's Stone Edge, Keldeo's Secret Sword, and Garchomp's Earthquake. Dragon Dance Rest Zygarde works best against balanced teams, where it exploits their weak links to set up and uses its combination of bulk, Speed, and strong dual STABs to overwhelm its foes, who are often unprepared to deal with the threat. Zygarde should only face an opponent that it can handle for certain, as Resting too early without getting enough boosts may cut its sweep short, and Zygarde likely won't get a chance to do it again.

Team Options
========

Zygarde's main spamming move is Earthquake, making Flying-types and Levitators, once again, notable annoyances. Stealth Rock can clip the wings of the former, with Deoxys-S, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Heatran being good users of the move, especially since they do not clash weaknesses with Zygarde, unlike most Ground-type Stealth Rockers such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon; Deoxys-S and Tyranitar can take on most Flying-types, while Ferrothorn and Heatran offer decent defensive synergy while offering Leech Seed and burn support, respectively. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitators as well. Fairy-types can be a huge obstacle in Zygarde's path, most notably physically defensive variants of Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss; Steel-types such as Scizor, Excadrill, Magnezone, and Heatran can work to take out these aforementioned Pokemon. Additionally, Scizor can U-turn to bring Zygarde in safely or Pursuit trap Latios and Latias, Excadrill can weaken or take out the opponent's Ground-type checks, Magnezone traps Skarmory and has a slow Volt Switch which also takes care of Flying-types, while Heatran can spread burns to ease Zygarde's setup, Gothitelle also makes a great teammate due to its ability to pick off Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire, greatly relieving Zygarde's burden.

Since this Zygarde aims to rack up multiple boosts and has the means to heal off any damage and status incurred, Dual Screens would heavily boost this set's effectiveness, with Klefki, Deoxys-D, and Rotom-W making great users. Klefki has Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down threats and has decent defensive synergy with Zygarde, Deoxys-D can stack multiple hazards or Taunt Defoggers, while Rotom-W can use a slow Volt Switch to bring Zygarde in safely.

Parashuffler
########
name: Parashuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Substitute
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Moves
========

Glare is essentially a superior Thunder Wave, since it is just as accurate but can also paralyze Ground-types. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB move, and targets grounded Electric-types such as Raikou and Mega Manectric, which cannot be paralyzed. Dragon Tail phazes out foes, bringing out new opponents for Zygarde to paralyze. Substitute is used to take advantage of the free turns its paralyzed foes give, especially those that repeatedly switch in with the intent of shielding their teammates from the same fate, while also guarding against status such as burn and poison.

Set Details
========

Since Zygarde cannot boost its Defense with Coil anymore, Defense is maxed out to tank physical foes. Its impressive physical bulk lets it serve as an emergency check to a huge variety of physical attackers, such as Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Mega Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Terrakion, as well as unboosted foes such as Garchomp, Gyarados, and even Mega Charizard X, which Zygarde can paralyze or phaze. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to spread paralysis on everything. From there, it can Earthquake grounded Electric-types, use Substitute against status users so they do not impede Zygarde's job and shorten its staying power, and Dragon Tail to phase out paralyzed opponents so you can drag in new foes to Glare. If the opponent persists in repeatedly sending out their already paralyzed Pokemon, Zygarde may take advantage by using Dragon Tail or Substitute on the switch, or nab a free Substitute by spamming the move until the opponent is fully paralyzed.

Team Options
========

Attackers that have trouble outspeeding opponents, such as Mega Heracross and Bisharp, greatly appreciate Zygarde's paralysis support, especially since paralysis affects Flying-types and cannot be Defogged away, unlike Sticky Web. This set's performance is greatly enhanced by entry hazards, as it forces a lot of switches; Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can lay down Spikes, while covering Zygarde's weaknesses, while Heatran and Tyranitar can provide Stealth Rock support, with more offensive variants even taking advantage of paralyzed foes. Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Gliscor are immune to both paralysis and Earthquake, making them big obstacles; Mega Venusaur, Sylveon, Clefable, and Kyurem-B can take on all three for the most part, although Kyurem-B does stack weaknesses, which is more prominent since this Zygarde is a defensive variant.

Other Options
########

Camouflage may be used to remove most of Zygarde's weaknesses and give it STAB Extreme Speed, but Dragon Dance and Coil gives Extreme Speed the same boost and powers up Zygarde's other moves, instead of weakening them like Camouflage does since it removes their STAB. Land's Wrath is completely inferior to Earthquake, so don't let the title of 'signature move' tempt you. Haze lets Zygarde phase, but Zygarde lacks the tools or offensive presence to deter most foes from setting up again, plus, it has Dragon Tail anyway. Toxic can cripple some of Zygarde's bulkier checks, but none of its sets really have the moveslot for it. RestTalk + Dragon Tail can improve Zygarde's longevity, but Hippowdon makes a better bulky phaser due to its better recovery, while having moveslots to spare.

Checks & Counters
########

**Anti-setup**: Zygarde thrives on setting up, so disrupting it from doing so is a good way to keep it under control. Unaware Clefable and Quagsire stop Zygarde cold, the latter of which threatens with STAB Moonblast. A quick Taunt can prevent Zygarde from doing much more, limiting its offensive presence. Tricking a Choice item onto Zygarde can utterly ruin it for the most part. Phasing may be an option, though most users are outsped by Zygarde's Dragon Tail, making it less effective.

**Status**: Zygarde really doesn't like being hit by status at all. Even the Rest sets could do without being pressured to sleep early. Burns heavily cripple Zygarde, though Substitute coupled with Zygarde's speed can make statusing it difficult; Talonflame and fast Rotom-W are among the few status users that can outpace Zygarde. Gliscor can also Toxic Zygarde before the latter sets up a Substitute.

**Ground-type immune Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-types and Levitators such as Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, Togekiss, Skarmory, and Rotom-W are immune to Zygarde's most reliable attack, forcing it to use less desirable attacks such as Outrage, Dragon Tail, and Stone Edge. That said, forcing Zygarde to use those attacks may not actually stop it on the spot, but it can potentially interrupt its sweep. This is especially problematic for Dragon Tail variants, since bulky Flying-types with recovery can typically outlast Zygarde's Dragon Tail PP while deterring it from using Earthquake to give them free switches. Zapdos might be at risk when Roosting due to it being potentially faster than Zygarde, but Pressure can punish mispredictions on Zygarde's part, while Skarmory and Mandibuzz do not mind repeatedly switching in and being phased by Dragon Tails due to their high Defense, Roost, and in Skarmory's case, resistance.

**Bypassing Substitute**: Sylveon's and Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice, Icicle Spear, and Infiltrator Noivern are all capable of busting through Zygarde's Substitute, rendering the SubCoil set's attempts to set up completely futile.

**Faster Pokemon**: In a similar vein, Pokemon that can still act before Dragon Dance Zygarde can potentially make it useless. Choice Scarf Garchomp, Deoxys-S, and Ice Shard Mamoswine are such examples, since they can outspeed +1 Zygarde and KO it with super effective attacks, though Extreme Speed Zygarde will land a hit on them first, and the former two cannot stop a Zygarde that has attained more than one boost.

 

[Srn]

Can I just say thousand arrows is gonna be amazing on this guy? I mean sure thousand waves improves set up opportunities and such, that's cool, but thousand arrows will be better for sub coil sets.
This is mostly because it removes the ground immunity, which improves his coverage VASTLY.
Most notably, skarmory could just come in repeatedly on dragon tail when facing stall and slowly wear you down with rocky helmet and sap your dragon tail PP, sneaking in roosts at the right times. The only way to beat skarm, and thus PLOW through stall from there, was to catch it with an eq when it was roosting.
Now, ofc, thousand arrows just removes ground type immunity and makes its coverage so much better. Just because you hit flying/levitating mons i'm pretty tempted to say that this move will see more usage in Coil/DD sets than thousand waves, despite the trapping effect.

Ofc quag is a bitch on stall and you gotta get rid of that first, but if it makes you feel any better, you can pp stall quagsire out of recovers and stuff easily. Basically if a stall team lacks a super solid taunter (mandibuzz) or sylveon, they will lose.

So yeah zygarde the stall destroyer is here.

 

[Punchshroom]

Made Unfixable's changes.

 

[GatoDelFuego]

Punchshroom

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

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Overview
########

Zygarde is often ridiculed due to its low stats for a supposed titular legendary, and is dismissed as an "inferior Garchomp." However, Zygarde has very well-placed stats, boasting great bulk, decent power, and a usable Speed stat. Dragon- and Ground-type STAB is a powerful combination, able to hit nearly the entire tier for at least neutral damage. It Zygarde has great boosting options as well, namely Dragon Dance and Coil, the latter of which is unique to Zygarde in the OU environment. While its offensive movepool is shallow, it is solid enough to threaten a majority of opponents, while also possessing Extreme Speed. That said, Zygarde lacks immediate power compared to its fellow Dragon-type Pokemon and has an unfortunately useless ability. It also does not have a reliable Dragon-type attack, which can limit its sweeping ability. It takes a tad longer for Zygarde to become a threat opposed to other Dragons, but that does not make it any less of one.

SubCoil
########
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Moves
========

Substitute blocks status and various weaker attacks, as well as guarding Zygarde against faster Pokemon. Coil is an enhanced Bulk Up, boosting Zygarde's Attack, Defense, and also accuracy, which ensures a perfectly accurate Dragon Tail. This allows Zygarde to become exceptionally tanky. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and offers good power. Dragon Tail prevents slower phazers from forcing out Zygarde's Substitute, while also hitting airborne Pokemon, (RC) and forcing out unfavorable matchups or opposing stat boosters.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP investment allows for Zygarde to set up 105 HP Substitutes, which allows Zygarde to tank 2 Seismic Tosses before breaking. Maximum Special Defense prevents weaker special attacks such as Mega Venusaur's Giga Drain and Vaporeon's Scald from breaking its Zygarde's Substitute, while Coil makes up for its Defense. 0 Attack EVs ensures STAB Foul Play will not break the Substitute, so the remaining EVs go into Defense instead. Leftovers is the essential item, allowing Zygarde to recover health lost from Substitute.

Usage Tips
========

SubCoil Zygarde has an great advantage against defensive teams, setting up easily with impunity on Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, bulky Mega Scizor, and Heatran. It Zygarde can set up a Substitute against the many foes unable to break it, then boost away. Should any problematic Pokemon trouble Zygarde, the latter can Dragon Tail them away behind the safety of the Substitute, and may might even drag out the opponent's setup fodder again; repeated attempts in this fashion will easily wear down Zygarde's checks.

Team Options
========

Specially based Fairy-types, especially Unaware Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss, can pose a problem due to their immunity to Dragon Tail, so Pokemon that can threaten them make good partners; (SC) Aegislash, Scizor, Charizard-Y, and Mega Venusaur are such options. Draco Meteor and Ice Beam are two special attacks Zygarde fears greatly, so Pokemon that resist one or preferably both of these moves make great partners; Azumarill, Sylveon, Aegislash and Scizor come to mind. Entry hazards users make helpful teammates since as they can maximize the effectiveness of Zygarde's Dragon Tail, and Pokemon such as Heatran and Skarmory can even cover Zygarde's weaknesses; however it is notable that the hazards do not stay long as Zygarde does not do a good job of preventing Rapid Spin or Defog, so they are not essential. If you do choose a hazard user, make sure to have a responses against anti-hazards on your team, such as spinblockers or Defiant Pokemon; Aegislash and Bisharp make great teammates since as they can deal with Fairy-types as well.

Pokemon immune to Ground-type moves such as bulky Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate can pose some issues for Zygarde, as they can force Zygarde to use its negative priority Dragon Tail, allowing them to respond accordingly by either healing or breaking Zygarde's Substitute. Thundurus-I and Greninja can threaten a good majority of available Flying-types as well as Levitate users; alternatively, lures such as Hidden Power Grass Greninja, Hidden Power Ice Terrakion or Landorus-T, and Swords Dance Head Smash Aegislash can take out Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory, respectively. Teammates should pick up the slack against offensive teams which do not provide Zygarde an opportunity to set up. VoltTurn users such as Talonflame and Thundurus-I can easily harass offensive teams, but slower users such as Scizor and Rotom-W can instead try to bring Zygarde in safely. Pokemon that can spread paralysis can slow down offensive Pokemon so they too fall victim to Zygarde, thus making Klefki and Thundurus-I good partners; Klefki even provides Spikes for Zygarde's Dragon Tail.

Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Stone Edge / Extreme Speed
ability: Aura Break
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, readying it Zygarde to sweep its opponent. Earthquake provides solid damage with no drawbacks, making it Zygarde's most reliable attack and premier sweeping move. Outrage hits hard after a single boost, but locks Zygarde in and confuses it afterward; however it is effective at cleaning up opponents late-game. Stone Edge hits Togekiss, (RC) and picks off Flying-types such as Thundurus and Tornadus without resorting to Outrage. Extreme Speed can be used to outpace opposing priority users, most notably Talonflame and Mamoswine, though their inability to OHKO Zygarde anyway means Extreme Speed isn't too necessary.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature provides Zygarde with greater sweeping potential after a single Dragon Dance, and maximum Speed investment ensures Zygarde Speed ties with neutral-natured Kyurem-B, and also outspeeds neutral-natured Mega Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Jolly Gyarados. Alternatively, Jolly with 164 Speed EVs outruns Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl at +1, though the lack of an Attack-boosting nature substantially drops Zygarde's power, not to mention the relative rarity of these threats. The remaining EVs can be placed in any other stat. Lum Berry allows Zygarde to set up on status users, such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, or snap Zygarde out of Outrage confusion. Life Orb can be used to give Zygarde a significant power boost, since considering its base Attack is not as good as other Dragons, but it cuts into Zygarde's bulk, an advantage it does have over other Dragon-types. Yache Berry allows Zygarde to survive unSTABed Ice-type moves, allowing Zygarde to either set up on them or prevent itself from being revenge killed by them.

Usage Tips
========

Dragon Dance Zygarde's greatest advantage over Dragonite is its resistance to Stealth Rock as opposed to Dragonite's weakness to it them, lessening the need for entry hazard removal from teammates. This set is very straightforward: boost once (twice if possible) and start attacking. Between the boosted Speed, high bulk, and a powerful STAB combination, Dragon Dance Zygarde can pose a serious threat to offensive teams. Zygarde should optimally be set to sweep after one Dragon Dance, cleaning up with a speedy and powerful Earthquake or Outrage. Ground-resistant or immune Pokemon, or physically bulky Pokemon such as Hippowdon, should be removed before going for the sweep, so as to avoid being forced into using Outrage early. Hard-hitting offensive Pokemon such as Aegislash, Greninja, Thundurus, and Azumarill do a great job at wreaking havoc and softening up opposing teams, which can pave the way for Zygarde to clean things up. When using Extreme Speed, it allows Zygarde perform the occasional revenge kill on weakened Pokemon such as Talonflame. Zygarde uses its good bulk and resistances to tank a hit and set up, or threatens foes with STAB Earthquake to gain free turns. If Life Orb is used, take care not to let Zygarde's health drop too low before setting up.

Team Options
========

Rotom-W is a great partner regardless of the coverage option; it takes on Togekiss for Zygardes that lack Stone Edge, (RC) and can handle Talonflame and Mamoswine for Zygarde without Extreme Speed. Gothitelle makes an amazing teammate as it traps Skarmory, Clefable, and Quagsire, all of which would otherwise be a royal pain for Zygarde to overcome on its own. While Stealth Rock benefits any offensive Pokemon, it is especially helpful for Zygarde, as it weakens a good majority of Ground-type resistant Pokemon, which allows Zygarde to pick them off with its weaker move as opposed to using Outrage to KO them. Since Because Flying-type Pokemon and Levitate users can get in the way of a clean sweep, Pokemon that can handle these Pokemon are recommended. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying-type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitate users as well. Zygarde finds it easier to set up on opponents weak to Ground-type moves; Talonflame lures in Rock-types or Steel-types such as Heatran and Tyranitar and U-turns away from them; (SC) even a Sylveon's dry Baton Pass can be used for the same effect for various Steel-types. Dual screens aren't necessary, but eases Zygarde's job of setting up, while its natural bulk makes it even more challenging to take down behind Screens; Klefki and Deoxys-D or Deoxys-S are such candidates.

DDRest
########
name: DDRest
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rest
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Outrage / Stone Edge
ability: Aura Break
item: Chesto Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, which allows Zygarde to sweep its foe when set up. Rest completely heals Zygarde of any damage and status, and is best used when Zygarde has taken a beating from attacks and status moves while boosting with Dragon Dance, undoing your opponent's efforts and threaten them with a fresh, boosted Zygarde. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and main sweeping move. The last move of choice complements Earthquake well: Outrage. Outrage hits very hard after a boost or two, but locks Zygarde into the move and confuses it afterward, while Stone Edge hits Togekiss, (RC) and picks off other Flying-types such as Thundurus and Mega Pinsir without needing to confuse Zygarde itself, but lacks STAB and can fall short on KOing most other Pokemon that resist Ground-type resists.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment power with an Adamant nature maximizes Zygarde's sweeping potential. 136 Speed EVs allows Zygarde to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion at +2 Speed, likely the fastest Choice Scarf Pokemon one will see, it and also allows you Zygarde to outspeed Noivern and Greninja at +1 Speed, and conveniently outspeeds unboosted Adamant Dragonite. The remaining EVs go into HP, which gives Zygarde enough bulk to survive 2 two Fire Blasts from Mega Charizard Y. The combination of Chesto Berry and Rest acts as a Full Restore, allowing Zygarde to set up freely on status users such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, then healing itself completely when the time is right so that Zygarde can sweep its foes unhindered by health or status concerns.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to use Dragon Dance a couple of times while taking damage and/or status, then uses Rest to refresh itself Zygarde and sweep with a good amount of health and boosts. With its great bulk, it this set can set up on numerous Pokemon that have trouble 2HKOing it, so long as they do not have Ice-type moves; this includes such Pokemon such as Excadrill, Mega Scizor, Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, Chansey, Gliscor, and Terrakion. Alternatively, Zygarde can start getting boosts on Pokemon it can threaten out, such as the aforementioned Excadrill, Aegislash, Heatran, Tyranitar, and weakened Mega Mawile, though the latter options would be risky. It Zygarde can also take advantage of weaker Choice-locked attacks, such as Terrakion's Stone Edge, Keldeo's Secret Sword, and Garchomp's Earthquake. Dragon Dance Rest Zygarde works best against balanced teams, where it exploits their weak links to set up and uses its combination of bulk, Speed, and strong dual STAB moves to overwhelm its foes, who which are often unprepared to deal with the threat. Zygarde should only face an opponent that it can handle for certain, as Resting too early without getting enough boosts may cut its sweep short, and Zygarde likely won't get a chance to do it again.

Team Options
========

Zygarde's main spamming move is Earthquake, making Flying-types and Levitate users, once again, notable annoyances. Stealth Rock can clip the wings of the former, with Deoxys-S, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Heatran being good users of the move, especially since as they do not clash weaknesses with Zygarde, unlike most Ground-type Stealth Rock users such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon; Deoxys-S and Tyranitar can take on most Flying-types, while Ferrothorn and Heatran offer decent defensive synergy while offering Leech Seed and burn support, respectively. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying-type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitate users as well. Fairy-types can be a huge obstacle in Zygarde's path, most notably physically defensive variants of Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss; Steel-types such as Scizor, Excadrill, Magnezone, and Heatran can work to take out these aforementioned Pokemon. Additionally, Scizor can use U-turn to bring Zygarde in safely or Pursuit trap Latios and Latias, Excadrill can weaken or take out the opponent's Ground-type checks, Magnezone can traps Skarmory and has a slow Volt Switch which also takes care of Flying-types, while and Heatran can spread burns to ease Zygarde's setup. (period) Gothitelle also makes a great teammate due to its ability to pick off Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire, greatly relieving Zygarde's burden.

Since Because this Zygarde aims to rack up multiple boosts and has the means to heal off any damage and status incurred, dual screens would heavily boost this set's effectiveness, with Klefki, Deoxys-D, and Rotom-W making great users. Klefki has Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down threats and has decent defensive synergy with Zygarde, Deoxys-D can stack multiple entry hazards or Taunt Defoggers, while and Rotom-W can use a slow Volt Switch to bring Zygarde in safely.

Parashuffler
########
name: Parashuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Substitute
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Moves
========

Glare is essentially a superior Thunder Wave, since as it is just as accurate but can also paralyze Ground-types. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB move, and targets grounded Electric-types such as Raikou and Mega Manectric, which cannot be paralyzed. Dragon Tail phazes out foes, bringing out new opponents for Zygarde to paralyze. Substitute is used to take advantage of the free turns its paralyzed foes give, especially those that repeatedly switch in with the intent of shielding their teammates from the same fate, while also guarding against status such as burn and poison.

Set Details
========

Since Because Zygarde cannot boost its Defense with Coil anymore, Defense is maxed out to tank physical attacks foes. Its Zygarde's impressive physical bulk lets it serve as an emergency check to a huge variety of physical attackers, such as Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Mega Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Terrakion, as well as unboosted foes such as Garchomp, Gyarados, and even Mega Charizard X, which Zygarde can paralyze or phaze. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to spread paralysis on everything. From there, it can Earthquake grounded Electric-types, use Substitute against status users so they do not impede Zygarde's job and shorten its staying power, and use Dragon Tail to phaze out paralyzed opponents so you can drag in Zygarde has new foes to Glare. If the opponent persists in repeatedly sending out their already paralyzed Pokemon, Zygarde may take advantage by using Dragon Tail or Substitute on the switch, or nab a free Substitute by spamming the move until the opponent is fully paralyzed.

Team Options
========

Attackers that have trouble outspeeding opponents, such as Mega Heracross and Bisharp, greatly appreciate Zygarde's paralysis support, especially since because paralysis affects Flying-types and cannot be Defogged away, unlike Sticky Web. This set's performance is greatly enhanced by entry hazards, as it forces a lot of switches; Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can lay down Spikes, (RC) while covering Zygarde's weaknesses, while Heatran and Tyranitar can provide Stealth Rock support, with more offensive variants even taking advantage of paralyzed foes. Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Gliscor are immune to both paralysis and Earthquake, making them big obstacles; Mega Venusaur, Sylveon, Clefable, and Kyurem-B can take on all three for the most part, although Kyurem-B does stack weaknesses, which is more prominent since as this Zygarde is a defensive variant.

Other Options
########

Camouflage may be used to remove most of Zygarde's weaknesses and give it STAB Extreme Speed, but Dragon Dance and Coil gives Extreme Speed the same boost and powers up Zygarde's other moves, instead of weakening them like Camouflage does since as it removes their STAB. Land's Wrath is completely inferior to Earthquake, so don't let the title of "signature move" tempt you. Haze lets Zygarde stop setup sweepers phase, phaze means pseudo-haze...so haze doesn't let it phaze, it lets it haze! but Zygarde lacks the tools or offensive presence to deter most foes from setting up again, plus, (RC) it has Dragon Tail anyway. Toxic can cripple some of Zygarde's bulkier checks, but none of its sets really have the moveslot for it. RestTalk + Dragon Tail can improve Zygarde's longevity, but Hippowdon makes a better bulky phaser due to its better recovery, while having moveslots to spare.

Checks & Counters
########

**Anti-Setup**: Zygarde thrives on setting up, so disrupting it from doing so is a good way to keep it under control. Unaware Clefable and Quagsire stop Zygarde cold, the latter of which threatens with STAB Moonblast. A quick Taunt can prevent Zygarde from doing much more, limiting its offensive presence. Tricking a Choice item onto Zygarde can utterly ruin it for the most part. Phazing may can be an option, though most users are outsped by Zygarde's Dragon Tail, making it less effective.

**Status**: Zygarde really doesn't like being hit by status at all. Even the Rest sets could do without being pressured to sleep early. Burns heavily cripple Zygarde, though Substitute coupled with Zygarde's Speed can make statusing it difficult; Talonflame and fast Rotom-W are among the few status users that can outpace Zygarde. Gliscor can also Toxic Zygarde before the latter sets up a Substitute.

**Ground-type Immune Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-types and Levitate users such as Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, Togekiss, Skarmory, and Rotom-W are immune to Zygarde's most reliable attack, forcing it to use less desirable attacks such as Outrage, Dragon Tail, and Stone Edge. That said, forcing Zygarde to use those attacks may might not actually stop it on the spot, but it can potentially interrupt its sweep. This is especially problematic for Dragon Tail variants, since as bulky Flying-types with recovery can typically outlast Zygarde's Dragon Tail PP while deterring it from using Earthquake to give them free switches. Zapdos might be at risk when Roosting due to it being potentially faster than Zygarde, but Pressure can punish mispredictions on Zygarde's part, while and Skarmory and Mandibuzz do not mind repeatedly switching in and being phased by Dragon Tails due to their high Defense, Roost, and in Skarmory's case, resistance.

**Bypassing Substitute**: Sylveon's and Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice, Icicle Spear, and Infiltrator Noivern are all capable of busting through Zygarde's Substitute, rendering the SubCoil set's attempts to set up completely futile.

**Faster Pokemon**: In a similar vein, Pokemon that can still act before Dragon Dance Zygarde can potentially make it useless. Choice Scarf Garchomp, Deoxys-S, and Ice Shard Mamoswine are such examples, since as they can outspeed +1 Zygarde and KO it with super effective attacks, though Extreme Speed Zygarde will land a hit on them first, and the former two cannot stop a Zygarde that has attained more than one boost.

1/2

Wow fuck my LIFE I was on the LAST SENTENCE when I hit the back button shortcut, erasing all my work ;_;

 

[Kangaaroo]

Punchshroom

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Overview
########

Zygarde is often ridiculed due to its low stats for a supposed titular legendary, and is dismissed as an "inferior Garchomp." However, Zygarde has very well-placed stats, boasting great bulk, decent power, and a usable Speed stat. Dragon- and Ground-type STAB is a powerful combination, able to hit nearly the entire tier for at least neutral damage. It Zygarde has great boosting options as well, namely Dragon Dance and Coil, the latter of which is unique to Zygarde in the OU environment. While its offensive movepool is shallow, it is solid enough to threaten a majority of opponents, while also possessing Extreme Speed. That said, Zygarde lacks immediate power compared to its fellow Dragon-type Pokemon and has an unfortunately useless ability. It also does not have a reliable Dragon-type attack, which can limit its sweeping ability. It takes a tad longer for Zygarde to become a threat opposed to other Dragons, but that does not make it any less of one.

SubCoil
########
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Moves
========

Substitute blocks status and various weaker attacks, as well as guarding Zygarde against faster Pokemon. Coil is an enhanced Bulk Up, boosting Zygarde's Attack, Defense, and also accuracy, which ensures a perfectly accurate Dragon Tail. This allows Zygarde to become exceptionally tanky. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and offers good power. Dragon Tail prevents slower phazers from forcing out Zygarde's Substitute, while also hitting airborne Pokemon, (RC) and forcing out unfavorable matchups or opposing stat boosters.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP investment allows for Zygarde to set up 105 HP Substitutes, which allows Zygarde to tank 2 Seismic Tosses before breaking. Maximum Special Defense prevents weaker special attacks such as Mega Venusaur's Giga Drain and Vaporeon's Scald from breaking its Zygarde's Substitute, while Coil makes up for its Defense. 0 Attack EVs ensures STAB Foul Play will not break the Substitute, so the remaining EVs go into Defense instead. Leftovers is the essential item, allowing Zygarde to recover health lost from Substitute.

Usage Tips
========

SubCoil Zygarde has an great advantage against defensive teams, setting up easily with impunity on Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, bulky Mega Scizor, and Heatran. It Zygarde can set up a Substitute against the many foes unable to break it, then boost away. Should any problematic Pokemon trouble Zygarde, the latter can Dragon Tail them away behind the safety of the Substitute, and may might even drag out the opponent's setup fodder again; repeated attempts in this fashion will easily wear down Zygarde's checks.

Team Options
========

Specially based Fairy-types, especially Unaware Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss, can pose a problem due to their immunity to Dragon Tail, so Pokemon that can threaten them make good partners; (SC) Aegislash, Scizor, Charizard-Y, and Mega Venusaur are such options. Draco Meteor and Ice Beam are two special attacks Zygarde fears greatly, so Pokemon that resist one or preferably both of these moves make great partners; Azumarill, Sylveon, Aegislash and Scizor come to mind. Entry hazards users make helpful teammates since as they can maximize the effectiveness of Zygarde's Dragon Tail, and Pokemon such as Heatran and Skarmory can even cover Zygarde's weaknesses; however it is notable that the hazards do not stay long as Zygarde does not do a good job of preventing Rapid Spin or Defog, so they are not essential. If you do choose a hazard user, make sure to have a responses against anti-hazards on your team, such as spinblockers or Defiant Pokemon; Aegislash and Bisharp make great teammates since as they can deal with Fairy-types as well.

Pokemon immune to Ground-type moves such as bulky Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate can pose some issues for Zygarde, as they can force Zygarde to use its negative priority Dragon Tail, allowing them to respond accordingly by either healing or breaking Zygarde's Substitute. Thundurus-I and Greninja can threaten a good majority of available Flying-types as well as Levitate users; alternatively, lures such as Hidden Power Grass Greninja, Hidden Power Ice Terrakion or Landorus-T, and Swords Dance Head Smash Aegislash can take out Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory, respectively. Teammates should pick up the slack against offensive teams which do not provide Zygarde an opportunity to set up. VoltTurn users such as Talonflame and Thundurus-I can easily harass offensive teams, but slower users such as Scizor and Rotom-W can instead try to bring Zygarde in safely. Pokemon that can spread paralysis can slow down offensive Pokemon so they too fall victim to Zygarde, thus making Klefki and Thundurus-I good partners; Klefki even provides Spikes for Zygarde's Dragon Tail.

Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Stone Edge / Extreme Speed
ability: Aura Break
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, readying it Zygarde to sweep its opponent. Earthquake provides solid damage with no drawbacks, making it Zygarde's most reliable attack and premier sweeping move. Outrage hits hard after a single boost, but locks Zygarde in and confuses it afterward; however it is effective at cleaning up opponents late-game. Stone Edge hits Togekiss, (RC) and picks off Flying-types such as Thundurus and Tornadus without resorting to Outrage. Extreme Speed can be used to outpace opposing priority users, most notably Talonflame and Mamoswine, though their inability to OHKO Zygarde anyway means Extreme Speed isn't too necessary.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature provides Zygarde with greater sweeping potential after a single Dragon Dance, and maximum Speed investment ensures Zygarde Speed ties with neutral-natured Kyurem-B, and also outspeeds neutral-natured Mega Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Jolly Gyarados. Alternatively, Jolly with 164 Speed EVs outruns Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl at +1, though the lack of an Attack-boosting nature substantially drops Zygarde's power, not to mention the relative rarity of these threats. The remaining EVs can be placed in any other stat. Lum Berry allows Zygarde to set up on status users, such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, or snap Zygarde out of Outrage confusion. Life Orb can be used to give Zygarde a significant power boost, since considering its base Attack is not as good as other Dragons, but it cuts into Zygarde's bulk, an advantage it does have over other Dragon-types. Yache Berry allows Zygarde to survive unSTABed Ice-type moves, allowing Zygarde to either set up on them or prevent itself from being revenge killed by them.

Usage Tips
========

Dragon Dance Zygarde's greatest advantage over Dragonite is its resistance to Stealth Rock as opposed to Dragonite's weakness to it them, lessening the need for entry hazard removal from teammates. This set is very straightforward: boost once (twice if possible) and start attacking. Between the boosted Speed, high bulk, and a powerful STAB combination, Dragon Dance Zygarde can pose a serious threat to offensive teams. Zygarde should optimally be set to sweep after one Dragon Dance, cleaning up with a speedy and powerful Earthquake or Outrage. Ground-resistant or immune Pokemon, or physically bulky Pokemon such as Hippowdon, should be removed before going for the sweep, so as to avoid being forced into using Outrage early. Hard-hitting offensive Pokemon such as Aegislash, Greninja, Thundurus, and Azumarill do a great job at wreaking havoc and softening up opposing teams, which can pave the way for Zygarde to clean things up. When using Extreme Speed, it allows Zygarde perform the occasional revenge kill on weakened Pokemon such as Talonflame. Zygarde uses its good bulk and resistances to tank a hit and set up, or threatens foes with STAB Earthquake to gain free turns. If Life Orb is used, take care not to let Zygarde's health drop too low before setting up.

Team Options
========

Rotom-W is a great partner regardless of the coverage option; it takes on Togekiss for Zygardes that lack Stone Edge, (RC) and can handle Talonflame and Mamoswine for Zygarde without Extreme Speed. Gothitelle makes an amazing teammate as it traps Skarmory, Clefable, and Quagsire, all of which would otherwise be a royal pain for Zygarde to overcome on its own. While Stealth Rock benefits any offensive Pokemon, it is especially helpful for Zygarde, as it weakens a good majority of Ground-type resistant Pokemon, which allows Zygarde to pick them off with its weaker move as opposed to using Outrage to KO them. Since Because Flying-type Pokemon and Levitate users can get in the way of a clean sweep, Pokemon that can handle these Pokemon are recommended. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying-type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitate users as well. Zygarde finds it easier to set up on opponents weak to Ground-type moves; Talonflame lures in Rock-types or Steel-types such as Heatran and Tyranitar and U-turns away from them; (SC) even a Sylveon's dry Baton Pass can be used for the same effect for various Steel-types. Dual screens aren't necessary, but eases Zygarde's job of setting up, while its natural bulk makes it even more challenging to take down behind Screens; Klefki and Deoxys-D or Deoxys-S are such candidates.

DDRest
########
name: DDRest
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rest
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Outrage / Stone Edge
ability: Aura Break
item: Chesto Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, which allows Zygarde to sweep its foe when set up. Rest completely heals Zygarde of any damage and status, and is best used when Zygarde has taken a beating from attacks and status moves while boosting with Dragon Dance, undoing your opponent's efforts and threaten them with a fresh, boosted Zygarde. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and main sweeping move. The last move of choice complements Earthquake well: Outrage. Outrage hits very hard after a boost or two, but locks Zygarde into the move and confuses it afterward, while Stone Edge hits Togekiss, (RC) and picks off other Flying-types such as Thundurus and Mega Pinsir without needing to confuse Zygarde itself, but lacks STAB and can fall short on KOing most other Pokemon that resist Ground-type resists.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment power with an Adamant nature maximizes Zygarde's sweeping potential. 136 Speed EVs allows Zygarde to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion at +2 Speed, likely the fastest Choice Scarf Pokemon one will see, it and also allows you Zygarde to outspeed Noivern and Greninja at +1 Speed, and conveniently outspeeds unboosted Adamant Dragonite. The remaining EVs go into HP, which gives Zygarde enough bulk to survive 2 two Fire Blasts from Mega Charizard Y. The combination of Chesto Berry and Rest acts as a Full Restore, allowing Zygarde to set up freely on status users such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, then healing itself completely when the time is right so that Zygarde can sweep its foes unhindered by health or status concerns.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to use Dragon Dance a couple of times while taking damage and/or status, then uses Rest to refresh itself Zygarde and sweep with a good amount of health and boosts. With its great bulk, it this set can set up on numerous Pokemon that have trouble 2HKOing it, so long as they do not have Ice-type moves; this includes such Pokemon such as Excadrill, Mega Scizor, Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, Chansey, Gliscor, and Terrakion. Alternatively, Zygarde can start getting boosts on Pokemon it can threaten out, such as the aforementioned Excadrill, Aegislash, Heatran, Tyranitar, and weakened Mega Mawile, though the latter options would be risky. It Zygarde can also take advantage of weaker Choice-locked attacks, such as Terrakion's Stone Edge, Keldeo's Secret Sword, and Garchomp's Earthquake. Dragon Dance Rest Zygarde works best against balanced teams, where it exploits their weak links to set up and uses its combination of bulk, Speed, and strong dual STAB moves to overwhelm its foes, who which are often unprepared to deal with the threat. Zygarde should only face an opponent that it can handle for certain, as Resting too early without getting enough boosts may cut its sweep short, and Zygarde likely won't get a chance to do it again.

Team Options
========

Zygarde's main spamming move is Earthquake, making Flying-types and Levitate users, once again, notable annoyances. Stealth Rock can clip the wings of the former, with Deoxys-S, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Heatran being good users of the move, especially since as they do not clash weaknesses with Zygarde, unlike most Ground-type Stealth Rock users such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon; Deoxys-S and Tyranitar can take on most Flying-types, while Ferrothorn and Heatran offer decent defensive synergy while offering Leech Seed and burn support, respectively. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying-type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitate users as well. Fairy-types can be a huge obstacle in Zygarde's path, most notably physically defensive variants of Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss; Steel-types such as Scizor, Excadrill, Magnezone, and Heatran can work to take out these aforementioned Pokemon. Additionally, Scizor can use U-turn to bring Zygarde in safely or Pursuit trap Latios and Latias, Excadrill can weaken or take out the opponent's Ground-type checks, Magnezone can traps Skarmory and has a slow Volt Switch which also takes care of Flying-types, while and Heatran can spread burns to ease Zygarde's setup. (period) Gothitelle also makes a great teammate due to its ability to pick off Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire, greatly relieving Zygarde's burden.

Since Because this Zygarde aims to rack up multiple boosts and has the means to heal off any damage and status incurred, dual screens would heavily boost this set's effectiveness, with Klefki, Deoxys-D, and Rotom-W making great users. Klefki has Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down threats and has decent defensive synergy with Zygarde, Deoxys-D can stack multiple entry hazards or Taunt Defoggers, while and Rotom-W can use a slow Volt Switch to bring Zygarde in safely.

Parashuffler
########
name: Parashuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Substitute
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Moves
========

Glare is essentially a superior Thunder Wave, since as it is just as accurate but can also paralyze Ground-types. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB move, and targets grounded Electric-types such as Raikou and Mega Manectric, which cannot be paralyzed. Dragon Tail phazes out foes, bringing out new opponents for Zygarde to paralyze. Substitute is used to take advantage of the free turns its paralyzed foes give, especially those that repeatedly switch in with the intent of shielding their teammates from the same fate, while also guarding against status such as burn and poison.

Set Details
========

Since Because Zygarde cannot boost its Defense with Coil anymore, Defense is maxed out to tank physical attacks foes. Its Zygarde's impressive physical bulk lets it serve as an emergency check to a huge variety of physical attackers, such as Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Mega Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Terrakion, as well as unboosted foes such as Garchomp, Gyarados, and even Mega Charizard X, which Zygarde can paralyze or phaze. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to spread paralysis on everything. From there, it can Earthquake grounded Electric-types, use Substitute against status users so they do not impede Zygarde's job and shorten its staying power, and use Dragon Tail to phaze out paralyzed opponents so you can drag in Zygarde has new foes to Glare. If the opponent persists in repeatedly sending out their already paralyzed Pokemon, Zygarde may take advantage by using Dragon Tail or Substitute on the switch, or nab a free Substitute by spamming the move until the opponent is fully paralyzed.

Team Options
========

Attackers that have trouble outspeeding opponents, such as Mega Heracross and Bisharp, greatly appreciate Zygarde's paralysis support, especially since because paralysis affects Flying-types and cannot be Defogged away, unlike Sticky Web. This set's performance is greatly enhanced by entry hazards, as it forces a lot of switches; Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can lay down Spikes, (RC) while covering Zygarde's weaknesses, while Heatran and Tyranitar can provide Stealth Rock support, with more offensive variants even taking advantage of paralyzed foes. Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Gliscor are immune to both paralysis and Earthquake, making them big obstacles; Mega Venusaur, Sylveon, Clefable, and Kyurem-B can take on all three for the most part, although Kyurem-B does stack weaknesses, which is more prominent since as this Zygarde is a defensive variant.

Other Options
########

Camouflage may be used to remove most of Zygarde's weaknesses and give it STAB Extreme Speed, but Dragon Dance and Coil gives Extreme Speed the same boost and powers up Zygarde's other moves, instead of weakening them like Camouflage does since as it removes their STAB. Land's Wrath is completely inferior to Earthquake, so don't let the title of "signature move" tempt you. Haze lets Zygarde stop setup sweepers phase, phaze means pseudo-haze...so haze doesn't let it phaze, it lets it haze! but Zygarde lacks the tools or offensive presence to deter most foes from setting up again, plus, (RC) it has Dragon Tail anyway. Toxic can cripple some of Zygarde's bulkier checks, but none of its sets really have the moveslot for it. RestTalk + Dragon Tail can improve Zygarde's longevity, but Hippowdon makes a better bulky phaser due to its better recovery, while having moveslots to spare.

Checks & Counters
########

**Anti-Setup**: Zygarde thrives on setting up, so disrupting it from doing so is a good way to keep it under control. Unaware Clefable and Quagsire stop Zygarde cold, the latter of which threatens with STAB Moonblast. A quick Taunt can prevent Zygarde from doing much more, limiting its offensive presence. Tricking a Choice item onto Zygarde can utterly ruin it for the most part. Phazing may can be an option, though most users are outsped by Zygarde's Dragon Tail, making it less effective.

**Status**: Zygarde really doesn't like being hit by status at all. Even the Rest sets could do without being pressured to sleep early. Burns heavily cripple Zygarde, though Substitute coupled with Zygarde's Speed can make statusing it difficult; Talonflame and fast Rotom-W are among the few status users that can outpace Zygarde. Gliscor can also Toxic Zygarde before the latter sets up a Substitute.

**Ground-type Immune Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-types and Levitate users such as Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, Togekiss, Skarmory, and Rotom-W are immune to Zygarde's most reliable attack, forcing it to use less desirable attacks such as Outrage, Dragon Tail, and Stone Edge. That said, forcing Zygarde to use those attacks may might not actually stop it on the spot, but it can potentially interrupt its sweep. This is especially problematic for Dragon Tail variants, since as bulky Flying-types with recovery can typically outlast Zygarde's Dragon Tail PP while deterring it from using Earthquake to give them free switches. Zapdos might be at risk when Roosting due to it being potentially faster than Zygarde, but Pressure can punish mispredictions on Zygarde's part, while and Skarmory and Mandibuzz do not mind repeatedly switching in and being phased by Dragon Tails due to their high Defense, Roost, and in Skarmory's case, resistance.

**Bypassing Substitute**: Sylveon's and Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice, Icicle Spear, and Infiltrator Noivern are all capable of busting through Zygarde's Substitute, rendering the SubCoil set's attempts to set up completely futile.

**Faster Pokemon**: In a similar vein, Pokemon that can still act before Dragon Dance Zygarde can potentially make it useless. Choice Scarf Garchomp, Deoxys-S, and Ice Shard Mamoswine are such examples, since as they can outspeed +1 Zygarde and KO it with super effective attacks, though Extreme Speed Zygarde will land a hit on them first, and the former two cannot stop a Zygarde that has attained more than one boost.

1/2

Wow fuck my LIFE I was on the LAST SENTENCE when I hit the back button shortcut, erasing all my work ;_;

It doesn't erase my work when I hit the back button o.O

 

[GatoDelFuego]

I hit scrollwheel down + shift ;_;_;_;_;_;

 

[Punchshroom]

Made changes.

 

[Ender]

GP 2/2

Consider easing up on the semicolons a bit in future analyses.

Additions and changes [punctuation]
Deletions [punctuation]
[Comments]

Hide

Overview
########

Zygarde is often ridiculed due to its low stats for a supposed titular legendary [removed ,] and is subsequently dismissed as an "inferior Garchomp". However, Zygarde has very well-placed stats, boasting great bulk, decent power, and usable Speed. Dragon- and Ground-type STAB is a powerful combination, able to hit nearly the entire tier for at least neutral damage. Zygarde has great boosting options as well, namely Dragon Dance and Coil, the latter of which is unique to Zygarde in the OU environment. While its offensive movepool is shallow, it is solid enough to threaten a majority of opponents, and also possesses while also possessing Extreme Speed. That said, Zygarde lacks immediate power compared to its fellow Dragon-type Pokemon and has an unfortunately useless ability. It also does not have a reliable Dragon-type attack, which can limit its sweeping ability. It takes a tad longer for Zygarde to become a threat compared opposed to other Dragons, but that does not make it any less of one.

SubCoil
########
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD

Moves
========

Substitute blocks status and various weaker attacks, and also guards as well as guarding Zygarde against faster Pokemon. Coil is an enhanced Bulk Up, boosting Zygarde's Attack, Defense, and also accuracy, which ensures a perfectly accurate Dragon Tail. This allows Zygarde to become exceptionally tanky. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and offers good power. Dragon Tail prevents slower phazers from forcing out Zygarde's Substitute, while also hitting airborne Pokemon and forcing out unfavorable matchups or opposing stat boosters.

Set Details
========

Maximum HP investment allows for Zygarde to set up 105 HP Substitutes, which allows Zygarde to tank 2 Seismic Tosses before breaking. Maximum Special Defense prevents weaker special attacks such as Mega Venusaur's Giga Drain and Vaporeon's Scald from breaking Zygarde's Substitute, while Coil makes up for its Defense. Zero Attack EVs ensure STAB Foul Play will not break the Substitute, so the remaining EVs go into Defense instead. Leftovers is the essential item, allowing Zygarde to recover health lost from Substitute.

Usage Tips
========

SubCoil Zygarde has an great advantage against defensive teams, setting up easily on Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur, Mandibuzz, Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, bulky Mega Scizor, and Heatran. Zygarde can set up a Substitute against the many foes unable to break it, then boost away. Should any problematic Pokemon trouble Zygarde, it the latter can Dragon Tail them away behind the safety of the Substitute, and it might even drag out the opponent's setup fodder again; continually repeating this repeated attempts in this fashion will easily wear down Zygarde's checks.

Team Options
========

Specially based Fairy-types, especially Unaware Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss, can pose a problem due to their immunity to Dragon Tail, so Pokemon that can threaten them make good partners; Aegislash, Scizor, Charizard-Y, and Mega Venusaur are such good options. Draco Meteor and Ice Beam are two special attacks Zygarde fears greatly, so Pokemon that resist one or preferably both of these moves make great partners; Azumarill, Sylveon, Aegislash, [comma] and Scizor come to mind. Entry hazard users make helpful teammates, [comma] as they can maximize the effectiveness of Zygarde's Dragon Tail, and Pokemon such as Heatran and Skarmory can even cover Zygarde's weaknesses; however, [comma] it is worth mentioning notable that the hazards do not stay long, [comma] as Zygarde does not do a good job of preventing Rapid Spin or Defog, so they are not essential. If you do choose a hazard user, make sure to have a responses response against anti-hazards on your team, such as spinblockers or Defiant Pokemon; Aegislash and Bisharp make great teammates, [comma] as they can deal with Fairy-types as well.

Pokemon immune to Ground-type moves such as bulky Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate can pose some issues for Zygarde, as they can force Zygarde to use its negative priority Dragon Tail, allowing them to respond accordingly by either healing or breaking Zygarde's Substitute. Thundurus and Greninja can threaten a good majority of available Flying-types as well as Levitate users. [changed ; to .] Alternatively, lures such as Hidden Power Grass Greninja, Hidden Power Ice Terrakion or Landorus-T, and Swords Dance Head Smash Aegislash can take out Pokemon such as Rotom-W, Gliscor, Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, and Skarmory [removed ,] respectively. Teammates should pick up the slack against offensive teams that which do not provide Zygarde an opportunity to set up. VoltTurn users such as Talonflame and Thundurus-I can easily harass offensive teams, but slower users such as Scizor and Rotom-W can instead try to bring Zygarde in safely. Pokemon that can spread paralysis can slow down offensive Pokemon so they too fall victim to Zygarde, thus making Klefki and Thundurus-I good partners - [changed ; to -] Klefki even provides Spikes for Zygarde's Dragon Tail.

Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Stone Edge / Extreme Speed
ability: Aura Break
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, readying Zygarde to sweep its opponent. Earthquake provides solid damage with no drawbacks, making it Zygarde's most reliable attack and premier sweeping move. Outrage hits hard after a single boost, but locks Zygarde in and confuses it afterward; however, [comma] it is effective at cleaning up opponents late-game. Stone Edge hits Togekiss and picks off Flying-types such as Thundurus and Tornadus without resorting to Outrage. Extreme Speed can be used to outpace opposing priority users, most notably Talonflame and Mamoswine, though their inability to OHKO Zygarde anyway means Extreme Speed isn't too necessary.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature provides Zygarde with greater sweeping potential after a single Dragon Dance, and maximum Speed investment ensures Zygarde Speed ties with neutral neutral-natured Kyurem-B [removed ,] and also outspeeds neutral neutral-natured Mega Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Jolly Gyarados. Alternatively, Jolly with 164 Speed EVs outruns Mega Alakazam and Mega Aerodactyl at +1, though the lack of an Attack-boosting nature substantially drops Zygarde's power, not to mention the relative rarity of these threats. The remaining EVs can be placed in any other stat. Lum Berry allows Zygarde to set up on status users, such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, or snap Zygarde out of Outrage confusion. Life Orb can be used to give Zygarde a significant power boost, considering its base Attack is not as good as other Dragons, but it cuts into Zygarde's bulk, an advantage it does have over other Dragon-types. Yache Berry allows Zygarde to survive unSTABed Ice-type moves, allowing Zygarde to either set up on them or prevent itself from being revenge killed by them.

Usage Tips
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Dragon Dance Zygarde's greatest advantage over Dragonite is its resistance to Stealth Rock as opposed to Dragonite's weakness to it, lessening the need for entry hazard removal from teammates. This set is very straightforward: boost once (twice if possible) and start attacking. Between the boosted Speed, high bulk, and a powerful STAB combination, Dragon Dance Zygarde can pose a serious threat to offensive teams. Zygarde should optimally be set to sweep after one Dragon Dance, cleaning up with a speedy and powerful Earthquake or Outrage. Ground resistant or immune Pokemon, or physically bulky Pokemon such as Hippowdon, should be removed before going for the sweep, so as to avoid being forced into using Outrage early. Hard-hitting offensive Pokemon such as Aegislash, Greninja, Thundurus, and Azumarill do a great job at wreaking havoc and softening up opposing teams, which can pave the way for Zygarde to clean things up. When using running Extreme Speed, it allows Zygarde perform the occasional revenge kill on weakened Pokemon such as Talonflame. Zygarde uses its good bulk and resistances to tank a hit and set up, or threatens foes with STAB Earthquake to gain free turns. If Life Orb is used, take care not to let Zygarde's health drop too low before setting up.

Team Options
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Rotom-W is a great partner regardless of the coverage option; it takes on Togekiss for Zygardes that lack Stone Edge and can handle Talonflame and Mamoswine for Zygarde without Extreme Speed. Gothitelle makes an amazing teammate, [comma] as it traps Skarmory, Clefable, and Quagsire, all of which would otherwise be a royal pain for Zygarde to overcome on its own. While Stealth Rock benefits any offensive Pokemon, it is especially helpful for Zygarde, as it weakens a good majority of Ground-resistant Pokemon, which allows Zygarde to pick them off with its weaker move as opposed to using Outrage to KO them. Because Flying-type Pokemon and Levitate users can get in the way of a clean sweep, Pokemon teammates that can handle these Pokemon are recommended. Kyurem-B, Thundurus-I, and Raikou are great anti-Flying-type measures, while luring and hurting a good majority of Levitate users as well. Zygarde finds it easier to set up on opponents weak to Ground-type moves; Talonflame lures in Rock-types or Steel-types such as Heatran and Tyranitar and U-turns away from them; even a Sylveon's dry Baton Pass can be used for to the same effect on for various Steel-types. Dual screens aren't necessary, but they ease eases Zygarde's job of setting up, while its natural bulk makes it even more challenging to take down behind them Screens; Klefki, Deoxys-D, [comma] or Deoxys-S can provide this support option are such candidates.

DDRest
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name: DDRest
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Rest
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Outrage / Stone Edge
ability: Aura Break
item: Chesto Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 120 HP / 252 Atk / 136 Spe

Moves
========

Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, which allows Zygarde to sweep its foe when set up. Rest completely heals Zygarde of any damage and status [removed ,] and is best used when Zygarde has taken a beating from attacks and status moves while boosting with Dragon Dance, undoing your opponent's efforts and threatening them with a fresh, boosted Zygarde. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable attack and main sweeping move. The last move of choice complements Earthquake well: Outrage. Outrage hits very hard after a boost or two, but locks Zygarde into the move and confuses it afterward. [changed , to .] while Stone Edge hits Togekiss and picks off other Flying-types such as Thundurus and Mega Pinsir without needing to confuse Zygarde, but it lacks STAB and can fall short on KOing most other Pokemon that resist Ground.

Set Details
========

Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature maximizes Zygarde's sweeping potential. 136 Speed EVs allow Zygarde to outspeed Choice Scarf Terrakion at +2 Speed, likely the fastest Choice Scarf Pokemon one will see. [changed , to .] and This also allows Zygarde to outspeed Noivern and Greninja at +1 Speed [removed ,] and conveniently outspeeds unboosted Adamant Dragonite. The remaining EVs go into HP, which gives Zygarde enough bulk to survive 2 Fire Blasts from Mega Charizard Y. The combination of Chesto Berry and Rest acts as a Full Restore, allowing Zygarde to set up freely on status users such as Rotom-W, Chansey, and Gliscor, then healing itself completely when the time is right so that Zygarde can sweep its foes unhindered by health or status concerns.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to use Dragon Dance a couple of times while taking damage and/or status, then uses Rest to refresh itself and sweep with a good amount of health and boosts. With its great bulk, it can set up on numerous Pokemon that have trouble 2HKOing it, so long as they do not have Ice-type moves; this includes such Pokemon as Excadrill, Mega Scizor, Rotom-W, Mega Venusaur, Ferrothorn, Gengar, Mega Charizard Y, Chansey, Gliscor, and Terrakion. Alternatively, Zygarde can start getting boosts on Pokemon it can threaten out, such as the aforementioned Excadrill, Aegislash, Heatran, Tyranitar, and weakened Mega Mawile, though the latter options [Pokemon A] and [Pokemon B] would be risky [be explicit about which would be risky]. Zygarde can also take advantage of weaker Choice-locked attacks, such as Terrakion's Stone Edge, Keldeo's Secret Sword, and Garchomp's Earthquake. Dragon Dance Rest Zygarde works best against balanced teams, where it exploits their weak links to set up and uses its combination of bulk, Speed, and strong dual STAB moves to overwhelm its foes, which are often unprepared to deal with the threat. Zygarde should only face an opponent that it can handle for certain, as Resting too early without getting enough boosts may cut its sweep short, and Zygarde likely won't get a chance to do it again.

Team Options
========

Zygarde's main spamming move is Earthquake, making Flying-types and Levitate users notable annoyances. Stealth Rock can clip the wings of the former, with Deoxys-S, Ferrothorn, Tyranitar, and Heatran being good users of the move. [changed , to .] These Pokemeon especially as they do not clash weaknesses with Zygarde, unlike most Ground-type Stealth Rock users such as Landorus-T and Hippowdon. [changed ; to .] Deoxys-S and Tyranitar can take on most Flying-types, while Ferrothorn and Heatran offer decent defensive synergy while offering alongside Leech Seed and burn support, respectively. Kyurem-B, Thundurus, and Raikou are great anti-Flying-type measures, luring and hurting a good majority of Levitate users as well. Fairy-types can be a huge obstacle in Zygarde's path, most notably physically defensive variants of Clefable, Sylveon, and Togekiss; Steel-types such as Scizor, Excadrill, Magnezone, and Heatran can work to take out these aforementioned Pokemon. Additionally, Scizor can use U-turn to bring Zygarde in safely or Pursuit trap Latios and Latias, Excadrill can weaken or take out the opponent's Ground-type checks, Magnezone can trap Skarmory and has a slow Volt Switch which also takes care of Flying-types, while and Heatran can spread burns to ease Zygarde's setup. Gothitelle also makes a great teammate due to its ability to pick off Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire, greatly relieving Zygarde's burden.

Because this Zygarde aims to rack up multiple boosts and has the means to heal off any damage and status incurred, dual screens would heavily boost this set's effectiveness, with Klefki, Deoxys-D, and Rotom-W making great users. Klefki has Prankster Thunder Wave to slow down threats and has decent defensive synergy with Zygarde, Deoxys-D can stack multiple entry hazards or Taunt Defoggers, and Rotom-W can use a slow Volt Switch to bring Zygarde in safely.

Parashuffler
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name: Parashuffler
move 1: Glare
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Dragon Tail
move 4: Substitute
ability: Aura Break
item: Leftovers
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD

Moves
========

Glare is essentially a superior Thunder Wave, as it is just as accurate and but can also paralyze Ground-types. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB move [removed ,] and targets grounded Electric-types such as Raikou and Mega Manectric, which cannot be paralyzed. Dragon Tail phazes out foes, bringing out new opponents for Zygarde to paralyze. Substitute is used to take advantage of the free turns its paralyzed foes give, especially those that repeatedly switch in with the intent of shielding their teammates from the same fate, while and it also guards guarding against status such as burn and poison.

Set Details
========

Because Zygarde cannot boost its Defense with Coil anymore, Defense is maxed out to tank physical attacks. Zygarde's impressive physical bulk lets it serve as an emergency check to a huge variety of physical attackers, such as Mega Pinsir, Talonflame, Mega Tyranitar, Landorus-T, and Terrakion, as well as unboosted foes such as Garchomp, Gyarados, and even Mega Charizard X, which Zygarde can paralyze or phaze. The remaining EVs are placed into Special Defense.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set aims to spread paralysis on to everything. From there, it can Earthquake grounded Electric-types, use Substitute against status users so they do not impede Zygarde's job and shorten its staying power, and use Dragon Tail to phaze out paralyzed opponents so Zygarde has new foes to Glare. If the opponent persists in repeatedly sending out their already paralyzed Pokemon, Zygarde may take advantage by using Dragon Tail or Substitute on the switch, or nab a free Substitute by spamming [questionable, but I'll leave it to your discretion] the move until the opponent is fully paralyzed.

Team Options
========

Attackers that have trouble outspeeding opponents, such as Mega Heracross and Bisharp, greatly appreciate Zygarde's paralysis support, especially because paralysis affects Flying-types and cannot be Defogged away, unlike Sticky Web. This set's performance is greatly enhanced by entry hazards, as it forces a lot of switches; Klefki, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory can lay down Spikes while covering Zygarde's weaknesses, while Heatran and Tyranitar can provide Stealth Rock support, with more offensive variants even taking advantage of paralyzed foes. Rotom-W, Thundurus, and Gliscor are immune to both paralysis and Earthquake, making them big obstacles; Mega Venusaur, Sylveon, Clefable, and Kyurem-B can take on all three for the most part, although Kyurem-B does stack weaknesses, which is more prominent, [comma] as this Zygarde is a defensive variant.

Other Options
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Camouflage may be used to remove most of Zygarde's weaknesses and give it STAB Extreme Speed, but Dragon Dance and Coil gives Extreme Speed the same boost and powers up Zygarde's other moves [removed ,] instead of weakening them like Camouflage does by removing as it removes their STAB. Land's Wrath is completely inferior to Earthquake, so don't let the its title of "signature move" tempt you. Haze lets Zygarde stop setup sweepers, but Zygarde lacks the tools or offensive presence to deter most foes from setting up again, plus it has Dragon Tail anyway. Toxic can cripple some of Zygarde's bulkier checks, but none of its sets really have the moveslot for it. RestTalk + Dragon Tail can improve Zygarde's longevity, but Hippowdon makes a better bulky phaser due to its better recovery and spare moveslots. , while having moveslots to spare.

Checks & Counters
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**Anti-Setup**: Zygarde thrives on setting up, so disrupting it from doing so is a good way to keep it under control. Unaware Clefable and Quagsire stop Zygarde cold, the latter of which threatens with STAB Moonblast. A quick Taunt can prevent Zygarde from doing much more, limiting its offensive presence. Tricking a Choice item onto Zygarde can utterly ruin it for the most part. Phazing can be an option, though most users are outsped by Zygarde's Dragon Tail, making it less effective.

**Status**: Zygarde really doesn't like being hit by status at all. Even the Rest sets could do without being pressured to sleep early. Burns heavily cripple Zygarde, though Substitute coupled with Zygarde's Speed can make it difficult to cause a status affliction statusing it difficult; Talonflame and fast Rotom-W are among the few status users that can outpace Zygarde. Gliscor can also Toxic Zygarde before the latter sets up a Substitute.

**Ground- Immune Pokemon**: Bulky Flying-types and Levitate users such as Landorus-T, Mandibuzz, Togekiss, Skarmory, and Rotom-W are immune to Zygarde's most reliable attack, forcing it to use less desirable attacks such as Outrage, Dragon Tail, and Stone Edge. That said, forcing Zygarde to use those attacks might not actually stop it on the spot, but it can potentially interrupt its sweep. This is especially problematic for Dragon Tail variants, as bulky Flying-types with recovery can typically outlast Zygarde's Dragon Tail PP while deterring it from using Earthquake to give them free switches. Zapdos might be at risk when Roosting due to it being potentially faster than Zygarde, but Pressure can punish mispredictions on Zygarde's part, and Skarmory and Mandibuzz do not mind repeatedly switching in and being phased by Dragon Tails due to their high Defense, Roost, and in Skarmory's case, resistance.

**Bypassing Substitute**: Sylveon's and Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice [removed ,] and Icicle Spear [removed ,] and Infiltrator Noivern are all capable of busting through Zygarde's Substitute, rendering the SubCoil set's attempts to set up completely futile.

**Faster Pokemon**: In a similar vein, Pokemon that can still act before Dragon Dance Zygarde can potentially make it useless. Choice Scarf Garchomp, Deoxys-S, and Ice Shard Mamoswine are such examples, as they can outspeed +1 Zygarde and KO it with super effective attacks, though Extreme Speed Zygarde will land a hit on them first, and the former two cannot stop a Zygarde that has attained more than one boost.

 

[Punchshroom]

Done.

 

[Jukain]

alright uploading this