Overview
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Blessed with access to great boosting moves and solid stats, Zygarde is one of the premier threats in the UU metagame. With access to Dragon Dance and Coil, the legendary snake has two fantastic sets that can both wreak havoc on the opposing team, and Zygarde's respectable typing and natural bulk aid it in doing so. Although its attacking movepool is rather bland, Zygarde gets all the coverage it needs with its STAB attacks and Stone Edge, and it even has a good form of priority in Extreme Speed. Zygarde's relatively low base Attack and unfortunate reliance on Outrage as a Dragon-type move somewhat hinder it, but nonetheless, it is a threat that every UU player should prepare for.
SubCoil
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name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail / Extreme Speed
item: Leftovers
evs: 188 HP / 132 SpD / 188 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
When behind a Substitute, Zygarde cannot be statused by moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Scald. Coil boosts Zygarde's Defense to make its Substitutes more difficult to break with physical moves, Attack to let it take down bulkier Pokemon, and Dragon Tail's accuracy to 100%. Earthquake is Zygarde's best STAB move and most reliable attack. Dragon Tail provides very good coverage alongside Earthquake and lets Zygarde phaze foes and rack up entry hazard damage. Dragon Tail is especially useful for phazing other setup sweepers, such as CurseLax, CroCune, and Calm Mind Reuniclus, before they can attain too many boosts, making SubCoil Zygarde an excellent win condition. Another possible move in the fourth slot is Extreme Speed, which is a relatively weak option but lets Zygarde pick off faster foes like Crobat before taking damage or getting statused; it is also a good way to hit Whimsicott, which could otherwise Encore Zygarde into an unfavorable move.
Set Details
========
The given Speed EVs allow Zygarde to outspeed everything up to Adamant Entei, including Pokemon that can threaten its sweep, such as Nidoking, Roserade, and Chandelure. Blissey must use two Seismic Tosses to break Zygarde's Substitute with the given HP EVs. The rest of the EVs are placed into Special Defense to let the Substitute remain unbroken by most defensive users of Scald, with only Vaporeon having a very low chance to break it in one hit. More EVs can be placed into bulk at the cost of Speed, if desired, to let Zygarde set up more effectively and be harder to knock out. Leftovers gives Zygarde passive recovery as it's boosting and phazing, making it extremely difficult to revenge kill.
Usage Tips
========
The combined damage of entry hazards and Zygarde's boosted Dragon Tail is very effective at wearing balanced teams down and forcing defensive Pokemon to recover frequently, giving Zygarde more opportunities to boost. In particular, Toxic Spikes are great at draining away at the health of opposing Pokemon, especially Fairy-types. However, Toxic Spikes must be off Zygarde's side of the field before it tries to set up. Zygarde should use Dragon Tail often when it first comes in to have a chance of a Pokemon that it can set up on being brought in. Using Coil on a forced switch usually gives Zygarde more flexibility so that the following Substitute is harder to break, although Substitute should always be used first against Blissey and defensive Water-types. It is important to keep in mind that Zygarde is the fastest phazer in the tier, so it can't be phazed by Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Swampert, and Suicune if it uses Dragon Tail on them.
Team Options
========
Reliable users of entry hazards, especially Toxic Spikes, make Zygarde much harder to deal with. Stealth Rock Jirachi has very good synergy with Zygarde, and Roserade is an excellent offensive user of Toxic Spikes that can deal with Fairy-types and also remove Toxic Spikes from its own side of the field. With Healing Wish support, Zygarde can wear down its checks early- to mid-game and be healed back later for an easier sweep. Alternatively, a cleric and Wish passer can be used on more defensively oriented teams to restore Zygarde's health if it gets worn down.
Dragon Dance
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name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage / Stone Edge
move 4: Extreme Speed / Stone Edge
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Dragon Dance is the other great boosting move that Zygarde has access to, trading Coil's boosts to bulk and longevity for a more immediate offensive presence. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB attack, while Outrage provides excellent coverage alongside it and is a more powerful option. Extreme Speed can be used before a boost to pick off weakened or frail foes such as Mega Alakazam and Mega Beedrill; it can also KO worn-down Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon and Mienshao that threaten Zygarde even after one Dragon Dance. Stone Edge is a coverage move that can be useful for hitting Pokemon such as Crobat and Rotom-H without locking Zygarde into Outrage.
Set Details
========
The set's EVs allow Zygarde to simply hit as hard and as fast as possible since it shouldn't need to survive many hits to set up. An Adamant nature can be used for noticeably more power, while a Jolly nature lets unboosted Zygarde outspeed foes such as Nidoking, Roserade, and Entei. Lum Berry can be used to let Zygarde set up against defensive Pokemon such as Arcanine and various Scald users without fear of being burned or poisoned. A Life Orb can be used instead to greatly increase Zygarde's ability to break through other defensive Pokemon, most notably allowing it to OHKO standard Florges after Stealth Rock damage with +1 Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
A full sweep can be difficult to achieve with Zygarde, especially with a Life Orb variant, so Dragon Dance Zygarde is better used to punch holes mid-game and provide openings for other Pokemon. Zygarde can use its great bulk to set up against weaker attackers, such as Crobat, or Choice-locked resisted hits. Removing Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon, or weakening them to the point where Extreme Speed can KO them, will allow Zygarde a better chance at sweeping after only one Dragon Dance. Outrage should be used sparingly, especially with a Life Orb, as opponents can use the fact that Zygarde is locked into a Dragon-type move and will possibly become confused to their advantage.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that appreciate Fairies, bulky Water-types, and other physically defensive Pokemon being weakened or removed, such as Mega Absol and Mienshao, can make full use of Dragon Dance Zygarde's support. Healing Wish support is fantastic with this set, giving an already incredibly threatening Pokemon two chances at sweeping.
Other Options
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Pain Split is available to Zygarde as a form of recovery, but there is generally no room on any set for it. Glare is another option to provide Zygarde's team with paralysis support, but many of Zygarde's switch-ins aren't crippled too badly by paralysis. A ChestoRest set can be used with Dragon Dance to remove damage and status after setting up on defensive Pokemon. This set is over-reliant on Outrage, however, and must be extremely cautious of Knock Off.
Checks & Counters
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**Fairies**: Physically defensive variants of Florges, Aromatisse, and Granbull can take attacks from both of Zygarde's sets and threaten to KO back. Whimsicott in particular is a great counter to both sets, Encoring the Coil set and living Extreme Speeds from the Dragon Dance set to KO in return.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong hard counters Dragon Dance variants of Zygarde and can stop the SubCoil set as well with Hidden Power Ice. Without Hidden Power Ice, however, Bronzong is setup fodder for SubCoil Zygarde.
**Defensive Water-types with Ice Beam**: While the SubCoil set doesn't have to worry too much about Scald, bulky Water-types can stomach hits from Zygarde and threaten to KO it with Ice Beam. They do a fairly good job of stopping both sets, though some, such as Vaporeon, don't appreciate taking +1 Life Orb Outrages.
**Infiltrator**: Infiltrator Pokemon such as Toxic Crobat, Choice Specs Noivern, and Choice Specs Whimsicott can outspeed and knock out SubCoil variants through a Substitute.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Hydreigon, Jirachi, and Mienshao can check the Dragon Dance set fairly well if they're healthy enough to live Extreme Speed.
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Blessed with access to great boosting moves and solid stats, Zygarde is one of the premier threats in the UU metagame. With access to Dragon Dance and Coil, the legendary snake has two fantastic sets that can both wreak havoc on the opposing team, and Zygarde's respectable typing and natural bulk aid it in doing so. Although its attacking movepool is rather bland, Zygarde gets all the coverage it needs with its STAB attacks and Stone Edge, and it even has a good form of priority in Extreme Speed. Zygarde's relatively low base Attack and unfortunate reliance on Outrage as a Dragon-type move somewhat hinder it, but nonetheless, it is a threat that every UU player should prepare for.
SubCoil
########
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Dragon Tail / Extreme Speed
item: Leftovers
evs: 188 HP / 132 SpD / 188 Spe
nature: Jolly
Moves
========
When behind a Substitute, Zygarde cannot be statused by moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Scald. Coil boosts Zygarde's Defense to make its Substitutes more difficult to break with physical moves, Attack to let it take down bulkier Pokemon, and Dragon Tail's accuracy to 100%. Earthquake is Zygarde's best STAB move and most reliable attack. Dragon Tail provides very good coverage alongside Earthquake and lets Zygarde phaze foes and rack up entry hazard damage. Dragon Tail is especially useful for phazing other setup sweepers, such as CurseLax, CroCune, and Calm Mind Reuniclus, before they can attain too many boosts, making SubCoil Zygarde an excellent win condition. Another possible move in the fourth slot is Extreme Speed, which is a relatively weak option but lets Zygarde pick off faster foes like Crobat before taking damage or getting statused; it is also a good way to hit Whimsicott, which could otherwise Encore Zygarde into an unfavorable move.
Set Details
========
The given Speed EVs allow Zygarde to outspeed everything up to Adamant Entei, including Pokemon that can threaten its sweep, such as Nidoking, Roserade, and Chandelure. Blissey must use two Seismic Tosses to break Zygarde's Substitute with the given HP EVs. The rest of the EVs are placed into Special Defense to let the Substitute remain unbroken by most defensive users of Scald, with only Vaporeon having a very low chance to break it in one hit. More EVs can be placed into bulk at the cost of Speed, if desired, to let Zygarde set up more effectively and be harder to knock out. Leftovers gives Zygarde passive recovery as it's boosting and phazing, making it extremely difficult to revenge kill.
Usage Tips
========
The combined damage of entry hazards and Zygarde's boosted Dragon Tail is very effective at wearing balanced teams down and forcing defensive Pokemon to recover frequently, giving Zygarde more opportunities to boost. In particular, Toxic Spikes are great at draining away at the health of opposing Pokemon, especially Fairy-types. However, Toxic Spikes must be off Zygarde's side of the field before it tries to set up. Zygarde should use Dragon Tail often when it first comes in to have a chance of a Pokemon that it can set up on being brought in. Using Coil on a forced switch usually gives Zygarde more flexibility so that the following Substitute is harder to break, although Substitute should always be used first against Blissey and defensive Water-types. It is important to keep in mind that Zygarde is the fastest phazer in the tier, so it can't be phazed by Pokemon such as Hippowdon, Swampert, and Suicune if it uses Dragon Tail on them.
Team Options
========
Reliable users of entry hazards, especially Toxic Spikes, make Zygarde much harder to deal with. Stealth Rock Jirachi has very good synergy with Zygarde, and Roserade is an excellent offensive user of Toxic Spikes that can deal with Fairy-types and also remove Toxic Spikes from its own side of the field. With Healing Wish support, Zygarde can wear down its checks early- to mid-game and be healed back later for an easier sweep. Alternatively, a cleric and Wish passer can be used on more defensively oriented teams to restore Zygarde's health if it gets worn down.
Dragon Dance
########
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Earthquake
move 3: Outrage / Stone Edge
move 4: Extreme Speed / Stone Edge
item: Lum Berry / Life Orb
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
nature: Adamant / Jolly
Moves
========
Dragon Dance is the other great boosting move that Zygarde has access to, trading Coil's boosts to bulk and longevity for a more immediate offensive presence. Earthquake is Zygarde's most reliable STAB attack, while Outrage provides excellent coverage alongside it and is a more powerful option. Extreme Speed can be used before a boost to pick off weakened or frail foes such as Mega Alakazam and Mega Beedrill; it can also KO worn-down Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon and Mienshao that threaten Zygarde even after one Dragon Dance. Stone Edge is a coverage move that can be useful for hitting Pokemon such as Crobat and Rotom-H without locking Zygarde into Outrage.
Set Details
========
The set's EVs allow Zygarde to simply hit as hard and as fast as possible since it shouldn't need to survive many hits to set up. An Adamant nature can be used for noticeably more power, while a Jolly nature lets unboosted Zygarde outspeed foes such as Nidoking, Roserade, and Entei. Lum Berry can be used to let Zygarde set up against defensive Pokemon such as Arcanine and various Scald users without fear of being burned or poisoned. A Life Orb can be used instead to greatly increase Zygarde's ability to break through other defensive Pokemon, most notably allowing it to OHKO standard Florges after Stealth Rock damage with +1 Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
A full sweep can be difficult to achieve with Zygarde, especially with a Life Orb variant, so Dragon Dance Zygarde is better used to punch holes mid-game and provide openings for other Pokemon. Zygarde can use its great bulk to set up against weaker attackers, such as Crobat, or Choice-locked resisted hits. Removing Choice Scarf users such as Hydreigon, or weakening them to the point where Extreme Speed can KO them, will allow Zygarde a better chance at sweeping after only one Dragon Dance. Outrage should be used sparingly, especially with a Life Orb, as opponents can use the fact that Zygarde is locked into a Dragon-type move and will possibly become confused to their advantage.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that appreciate Fairies, bulky Water-types, and other physically defensive Pokemon being weakened or removed, such as Mega Absol and Mienshao, can make full use of Dragon Dance Zygarde's support. Healing Wish support is fantastic with this set, giving an already incredibly threatening Pokemon two chances at sweeping.
Other Options
########
Pain Split is available to Zygarde as a form of recovery, but there is generally no room on any set for it. Glare is another option to provide Zygarde's team with paralysis support, but many of Zygarde's switch-ins aren't crippled too badly by paralysis. A ChestoRest set can be used with Dragon Dance to remove damage and status after setting up on defensive Pokemon. This set is over-reliant on Outrage, however, and must be extremely cautious of Knock Off.
Checks & Counters
########
**Fairies**: Physically defensive variants of Florges, Aromatisse, and Granbull can take attacks from both of Zygarde's sets and threaten to KO back. Whimsicott in particular is a great counter to both sets, Encoring the Coil set and living Extreme Speeds from the Dragon Dance set to KO in return.
**Bronzong**: Bronzong hard counters Dragon Dance variants of Zygarde and can stop the SubCoil set as well with Hidden Power Ice. Without Hidden Power Ice, however, Bronzong is setup fodder for SubCoil Zygarde.
**Defensive Water-types with Ice Beam**: While the SubCoil set doesn't have to worry too much about Scald, bulky Water-types can stomach hits from Zygarde and threaten to KO it with Ice Beam. They do a fairly good job of stopping both sets, though some, such as Vaporeon, don't appreciate taking +1 Life Orb Outrages.
**Infiltrator**: Infiltrator Pokemon such as Toxic Crobat, Choice Specs Noivern, and Choice Specs Whimsicott can outspeed and knock out SubCoil variants through a Substitute.
**Choice Scarf Users**: Hydreigon, Jirachi, and Mienshao can check the Dragon Dance set fairly well if they're healthy enough to live Extreme Speed.
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