[OVERVIEW]
Zangoose is used in NU for one thing only—it's one of the most destructive wallbreakers in the tier, chiefly due to the insane power behind its Facade when poisoned, as it gets boosts from Toxic Boost, STAB, and Facade's secondary effect. Moreover, Close Combat, for Rock- and Steel-types, and Knock Off, for Ghost-types, provide it with perfect coverage and make it practically impossible to wall. In particular, Close Combat can 2HKO even Rhydon, Regirock, and Solid Rock Carracosta, something that separates it from the less powerful Tauros and Kangaskhan, which struggle against these Pokemon.
However, while Zangoose is highly destructive, it doesn't last very long on the battlefield. Base 90 Speed is not particularly good, and Zangoose is so frail that it tends to get revenge killed by anything above its Speed tier. Moreover, the same Toxic Orb that gives it such immense power also puts it on a constant timer, as well as needing support to be activated safely. As a result, Zangoose works best on offensive teams that can make the most use of the little time it gets on the battlefield.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Facade
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Toxic Boost
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Facade is an incredibly potent STAB move that can OHKO even some defensive Pokemon, for example guaranteeing an OHKO on standard Lanturn after Stealth Rock damage, and takes a chunk out of even bulky foes that resist Normal. Close Combat provides excellent coverage on Rock- and Steel-types, 2HKOing Rhydon and Regirock and OHKOing Klinklang. Knock Off, meanwhile, OHKOes every Ghost-type in the tier bar Gourgeist-XL and Dusknoir and rounds out Zangoose's coverage; it also has the general utility of removing items, therefore wearing down defensive switch-ins. Quick Attack is useful for Zangoose to revenge kill weakened faster Pokemon; in particular, it reliably OHKOes Jynx after Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Zangoose's EVs maximize Attack and Speed, as Zangoose is too frail for it to be worth investing in bulk and Zangoose needs to hit as hard and fast as possible. An Adamant nature is preferred to do extra damage, as Zangoose is primarily a wallbreaker; for example, it guarantees an OHKO on standard Lanturn after Stealth Rock and has a 75% chance to OHKO without it. However, a Jolly Nature can be used to outspeed Timid Mesprit and Hidden Power Fire Lilligant if these are troubling threats for your team. The Toxic Orb is necessary to activate Zangoose's ability Toxic Boost, as well as double the power of Facade, which is what makes it such a destructive force.
Usage Tips
========
If Zangoose is being used as a wallbreaker, it is wise to bring it in using a slow pivoting move in order to activate the Toxic Orb and start firing away. The Toxic Orb can also be activated on a double switch, but this is a far riskier play, as Zangoose is OHKOed by many attacks. Once Zangoose is safely in, you should be prepared for the possibility that your opponent will try to stall for time with smart switching and predict accordingly. In particular, Knock Off can be spammed early-game as a risk-free move, particularly if the opponent is running Rotom, Mismagius, or Haunter, all of which get a free switch into all of Zangoose's other moves and subsequently force it out. It also helps wear down the few counters Zangoose has, particularly Mawile, and removing the foe's item is rarely a bad thing. However, if you have preserved Zangoose until later in the game, it is less necessary to use a pivoting move or double switch to bring Zangoose in, as it can often get a KO on a weakened target before its Toxic Orb has taken effect.
Team Options
=======
Zangoose fits on offensive and balanced teams, and it can combine the roles of a wallbreaker and a late-game sweeper. However, due to its frailty and middling Speed tier, it needs plenty of support to be used to its fullest potential. Most importantly, a slow Volt Switch, U-turn, or Baton Pass from the likes of Lanturn, Probopass, Pelipper, and Musharna can allow Zangoose to switch in for free while activating its Toxic Orb. Mawile is also notable in that it can combine a slow Baton Pass with Swords Dance to give Zangoose incomparable power. Choice Scarf users such as Rotom, Jynx, and Mesprit can revenge kill the Pokemon that outspeed Zangoose. Spikes support from Crustle, Cacturne, and Garbodor can turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. For example, Zangoose gets a guaranteed OHKO on Vileplume after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. Healing Wish support from Mesprit and Lilligant gives Zangoose more time to KO foes, and although Zangoose will have to spend a turn without its Toxic Orb activated, it enables it to break walls early in the game and sweep later, whereas normally it would struggle to do both. Finally, Pursuit support from Skuntank or Liepard can remove the fast Ghost-types that prevent Zangoose from cleaning up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
======
Zangoose is for the most part bereft of other options. Swords Dance is usable, though Zangoose hits plenty hard enough without it and it would miss either the coverage or the priority that its other moves give it; in addition, its miserable bulk makes it very difficult to set up. Pursuit can be used to trap targets such as Golurk and Exeggutor, as well as Ghost-types Choice-locked into Shadow Ball, but Zangoose can just destroy whatever switches in with the appropriate coverage move. Protect can enable Zangoose to reliably activate its Toxic Orb but comes at the cost of a more useful move, and pivot support can do this reliably anyway.
Checks & Counters
======
**Faster Pokemon**: As Zangoose is so frail, nearly everything faster than it can revenge kill it, especially Pokemon that resist Normal such as Archeops, Rotom, and Haunter, as they take little or no damage from Quick Attack. Others, such as Tauros, can take a Quick Attack if they have to and hit back with their STAB moves. None of these Pokemon can switch in safely though.
**Mawile**: Mawile is one of the few Pokemon that can avoid a 2HKO from Zangoose, by virtue of resisting Facade, being neutral to Close Combat, and having Intimidate. The most Zangoose can do to it is Knock Off its Leftovers. Note, however, that offensive variants are 2HKOed because they run Sheer Force over Intimidate.
**Priority**: Priority users such as Hitmonchan, Gurdurr, and Pawniard can deal heavy damage to Zangoose with Mach Punch or Sucker Punch and revenge kill it after a little prior damage.
**Bulky Pokemon**: While they are still 2HKOed, bulky Pokemon such as Rhydon, Musharna, and Weezing can survive a single hit from Zangoose if necessary and hit back in a pinch.
**Residual damage**: Moves such as Protect from Combusken or Wish Audino and Fake Out from Kangaskhan or Hariyama can burn turns while Zangoose succumbs to poison; Rocky Helmet + Aftermath Garbodor and Iron Barbs Ferroseed also drain its health quickly; and Audino and defensive Tangela can take a Facade and recover most of the damage with Regenerator, wasting more time (though the latter fears Knock Off).
Zangoose is used in NU for one thing only—it's one of the most destructive wallbreakers in the tier, chiefly due to the insane power behind its Facade when poisoned, as it gets boosts from Toxic Boost, STAB, and Facade's secondary effect. Moreover, Close Combat, for Rock- and Steel-types, and Knock Off, for Ghost-types, provide it with perfect coverage and make it practically impossible to wall. In particular, Close Combat can 2HKO even Rhydon, Regirock, and Solid Rock Carracosta, something that separates it from the less powerful Tauros and Kangaskhan, which struggle against these Pokemon.
However, while Zangoose is highly destructive, it doesn't last very long on the battlefield. Base 90 Speed is not particularly good, and Zangoose is so frail that it tends to get revenge killed by anything above its Speed tier. Moreover, the same Toxic Orb that gives it such immense power also puts it on a constant timer, as well as needing support to be activated safely. As a result, Zangoose works best on offensive teams that can make the most use of the little time it gets on the battlefield.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker
move 1: Facade
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Quick Attack
item: Toxic Orb
ability: Toxic Boost
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Facade is an incredibly potent STAB move that can OHKO even some defensive Pokemon, for example guaranteeing an OHKO on standard Lanturn after Stealth Rock damage, and takes a chunk out of even bulky foes that resist Normal. Close Combat provides excellent coverage on Rock- and Steel-types, 2HKOing Rhydon and Regirock and OHKOing Klinklang. Knock Off, meanwhile, OHKOes every Ghost-type in the tier bar Gourgeist-XL and Dusknoir and rounds out Zangoose's coverage; it also has the general utility of removing items, therefore wearing down defensive switch-ins. Quick Attack is useful for Zangoose to revenge kill weakened faster Pokemon; in particular, it reliably OHKOes Jynx after Stealth Rock.
Set Details
========
Zangoose's EVs maximize Attack and Speed, as Zangoose is too frail for it to be worth investing in bulk and Zangoose needs to hit as hard and fast as possible. An Adamant nature is preferred to do extra damage, as Zangoose is primarily a wallbreaker; for example, it guarantees an OHKO on standard Lanturn after Stealth Rock and has a 75% chance to OHKO without it. However, a Jolly Nature can be used to outspeed Timid Mesprit and Hidden Power Fire Lilligant if these are troubling threats for your team. The Toxic Orb is necessary to activate Zangoose's ability Toxic Boost, as well as double the power of Facade, which is what makes it such a destructive force.
Usage Tips
========
If Zangoose is being used as a wallbreaker, it is wise to bring it in using a slow pivoting move in order to activate the Toxic Orb and start firing away. The Toxic Orb can also be activated on a double switch, but this is a far riskier play, as Zangoose is OHKOed by many attacks. Once Zangoose is safely in, you should be prepared for the possibility that your opponent will try to stall for time with smart switching and predict accordingly. In particular, Knock Off can be spammed early-game as a risk-free move, particularly if the opponent is running Rotom, Mismagius, or Haunter, all of which get a free switch into all of Zangoose's other moves and subsequently force it out. It also helps wear down the few counters Zangoose has, particularly Mawile, and removing the foe's item is rarely a bad thing. However, if you have preserved Zangoose until later in the game, it is less necessary to use a pivoting move or double switch to bring Zangoose in, as it can often get a KO on a weakened target before its Toxic Orb has taken effect.
Team Options
=======
Zangoose fits on offensive and balanced teams, and it can combine the roles of a wallbreaker and a late-game sweeper. However, due to its frailty and middling Speed tier, it needs plenty of support to be used to its fullest potential. Most importantly, a slow Volt Switch, U-turn, or Baton Pass from the likes of Lanturn, Probopass, Pelipper, and Musharna can allow Zangoose to switch in for free while activating its Toxic Orb. Mawile is also notable in that it can combine a slow Baton Pass with Swords Dance to give Zangoose incomparable power. Choice Scarf users such as Rotom, Jynx, and Mesprit can revenge kill the Pokemon that outspeed Zangoose. Spikes support from Crustle, Cacturne, and Garbodor can turn 2HKOs into OHKOs. For example, Zangoose gets a guaranteed OHKO on Vileplume after Stealth Rock and one layer of Spikes. Healing Wish support from Mesprit and Lilligant gives Zangoose more time to KO foes, and although Zangoose will have to spend a turn without its Toxic Orb activated, it enables it to break walls early in the game and sweep later, whereas normally it would struggle to do both. Finally, Pursuit support from Skuntank or Liepard can remove the fast Ghost-types that prevent Zangoose from cleaning up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
======
Zangoose is for the most part bereft of other options. Swords Dance is usable, though Zangoose hits plenty hard enough without it and it would miss either the coverage or the priority that its other moves give it; in addition, its miserable bulk makes it very difficult to set up. Pursuit can be used to trap targets such as Golurk and Exeggutor, as well as Ghost-types Choice-locked into Shadow Ball, but Zangoose can just destroy whatever switches in with the appropriate coverage move. Protect can enable Zangoose to reliably activate its Toxic Orb but comes at the cost of a more useful move, and pivot support can do this reliably anyway.
Checks & Counters
======
**Faster Pokemon**: As Zangoose is so frail, nearly everything faster than it can revenge kill it, especially Pokemon that resist Normal such as Archeops, Rotom, and Haunter, as they take little or no damage from Quick Attack. Others, such as Tauros, can take a Quick Attack if they have to and hit back with their STAB moves. None of these Pokemon can switch in safely though.
**Mawile**: Mawile is one of the few Pokemon that can avoid a 2HKO from Zangoose, by virtue of resisting Facade, being neutral to Close Combat, and having Intimidate. The most Zangoose can do to it is Knock Off its Leftovers. Note, however, that offensive variants are 2HKOed because they run Sheer Force over Intimidate.
**Priority**: Priority users such as Hitmonchan, Gurdurr, and Pawniard can deal heavy damage to Zangoose with Mach Punch or Sucker Punch and revenge kill it after a little prior damage.
**Bulky Pokemon**: While they are still 2HKOed, bulky Pokemon such as Rhydon, Musharna, and Weezing can survive a single hit from Zangoose if necessary and hit back in a pinch.
**Residual damage**: Moves such as Protect from Combusken or Wish Audino and Fake Out from Kangaskhan or Hariyama can burn turns while Zangoose succumbs to poison; Rocky Helmet + Aftermath Garbodor and Iron Barbs Ferroseed also drain its health quickly; and Audino and defensive Tangela can take a Facade and recover most of the damage with Regenerator, wasting more time (though the latter fears Knock Off).
Last edited by a moderator:
