Doubles Zapdos

shaian

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dos

[OVERVIEW]

Thanks to a fantastic stat spread and a wonderful defensive typing, Zapdos finds itself as one of the premier offensive support Pokemon in the Doubles OU metagame. Zapdos's Electric / Flying typing provides it with both excellent defensive utility in a metagame dominated by the likes of Mega Salamence and Landorus-T and decent offensive utility, allowing it to be amongst the most consistent checks to the ever-present Tapu Fini. In a highly offensive metagame, Zapdos exists as the most consistent Tailwind user, facing competition only from the likes of Mega Salamence. Zapdos's defensive typing and access to consistent recovery in the form of Roost allows it to set Tailwind over and over, almost always giving its teammates the speed advantage. Zapdos's primary hindrance is that it typically invests very little into its own speed and offense, leaving it outrun by a large portion of the metagame, though the latter is mitigated due to its naturally high Special Attack. Overall, Zapdos is a very notable Pokemon that works well on almost every team composition, with a good matchup against some of the most threatening and prevalent Pokemon in the metagame.

[SET]
name: Tailwind Roost
move 1: Tailwind
move 2: Roost
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
ability: Static
nature: Bold
evs: 244 HP / 136 Def / 80 SpD / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Tailwind provides Zapdos and its allies with consistent speed control, doubling their Speed for three turns. Timed well, Tailwind can provide a significant momentum shift in a battle, allowing bulkier, middling-Speed Pokemon to outrun frailer, faster foes. Roost is utilized in order to increase the longevity of Zapdos, allowing it to set Tailwind repeatedly throughout the course of a battle. However, Roost does remove Zapdos's Flying type temporarily, which allows it to be hit by now-super effective Ground-type moves. Thunderbolt does a decent amount of damage on most common Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Tapu Fini. For the most part Zapdos will be using Thunderbolt to soften opposing Pokemon to be within KO range of Zapdos's partner. Hidden Power Ice is the most common fourth move, working to check the ever-common Zygarde, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Zapdos to survive a Psychic Terrain-boosted Psycho Boost from a Modest Deoxys-A if Zapdos has already consumed its Misty Seed to get to +1 Special Defense. The Speed investment allows Zapdos to outrun all common Choice Scarf users in the metagame in Tailwind as well as +1 analysis Mega Salamence. The remaining EVs are dumped into Defense to increase overall bulkiness and, with a Bold nature, hit a jump point to gain an additional defense point. The standard ability on Zapdos is Static, as it can be used to get the occasional paralysis on foes using contact moves on Zapdos. Pressure is another option with niche uses, such as gauging Speed tiers and PP stalling late-game.

An alternative spread of 252 HP / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 52 SpD / 48 Spe with a Modest nature ensures that a spread Rock Slide from an Adamant Life Orb Tyranitar is a 3HKO, and that a Rock Slide and one turn of sand damage does less than 50% to Zapdos, allowing Zapdos to Roost off the damage. It also allows Zapdos to survive an initial, non-super effective Thousand Arrows and the following super effective Thousand Arrows from standard Zygarde. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Zapdos to survive a Psychic Terrain-boosted Shattered Psyche from a Modest Tapu Lele if Zapdos has already consumed its Misty Seed to get to +1 Special Defense. The Speed investment allows Zapdos to outrun a +1 analysis Mega Salamence, given that Tailwind is active. This investment also ensures that Zapdos outruns all common Choice Scarf users in the metagame in Tailwind. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to increase overall damage, in particular, increasing the odds of Hidden Power Ice securing the OHKO on Landorus-T.

The ideal item is Misty Seed, which provides Zapdos with a Special Defense boost in Misty Terrain; however, due to the nature of Terrains, Zapdos can also make use of Psychic Seed if the team is using Tapu Lele to utilize the same effect. Zapdos can also utilize a Grassy Seed or Electric Seed to bolster its Defense if it finds itself on the same team as a Tapu Bulu or Tapu Koko, though it is rarely on the same team as those two. Another key element of Zapdos is that its EVs generally should be tailored to the team it is being utilized in; the Speed investment in particular should be adjusted to ensure proper speed tuning.

Usage Tips
========

Zapdos's primary responsibility is to set Tailwind as quickly as possible in order to ensure its team the speed advantage and proceed to soften up the opposing team as needed. That being said, Tailwind should not be used blindly, such as against opposing Trick Room teams, against obvious Taunt users, or in instances where a KO needs to be secured as soon as possible. Roost can be used liberally, though remaining cognizant of potential risks is a must, as the move can fall in to similar traps as Tailwind. If Zapdos can secure a key KO at the cost of fainting to the target's partner's move, as opposed to Roosting and surviving the turn, then you should weigh the costs of attacking versus Roosting. In late-game situations, Roost can also be a powerful tool to "stall" out the opposing Pokemon. Though Zapdos is less passive than conventional support Pokemon, if Zapdos is in a position where it is proving to be offensive dead weight, such as against an opposing Amoonguss, it should be switched out to a more appropriate Pokemon. As Static provides a chance of paralysis on contact, Zapdos can be an interesting switch-in on Pokemon that frequently use contact moves, such as on a Landorus-T using U-turn or a Mega Salamence using Double-Edge.

Team Options
========

Zapdos is a Pokemon that is usable on nearly every common team archetype, being least viable, to the point of being non-viable, on Trick Room compositions; though certain hybrid builds may find Zapdos to be a worthwhile addition, it is not a recommended choice. The only true constant is that Zapdos requires an island guardian to make full use of its abilities. The first and most common choice is Tapu Fini, with the two having reasonable type synergy, as Tapu Fini is a reliable check to Ground- and Rock-type Pokemon and has Misty Terrain to activate Zapdos's Misty Seed. In this core, Zapdos is used to provide Tapu Fini with a means to outrun opposing Pokemon more consistently, and the two are utilized in a more defensive manner than a conventional offensive pairing. The next most common is Tapu Lele, which works in a more aggressive fashion than Tapu Fini. With Tailwind up, Tapu Lele can begin to deal out significant amounts of damage to large portions of the metagame, securing OHKOs on Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Mega Salamence, both of which are capable of OHKOing Tapu Lele should they outrun it. In this pairing, Zapdos is once again used primarily as the means to gain the speed advantage, but afterwards it is relegated to bringing foes to Tapu Lele's KO range and picking off the odd threat.

Other Pokemon that have particularly good synergy with Zapdos include Zygarde and Mega Salamence. Zapdos can provide them room to operate, due to being a reliable way of checking Tapu Fini, and speed control. Mega Gengar is also a decent partner due to its unique trapping abilities, letting it pick and choose opposing Pokemon to trap and KO. With Zapdos providing speed control, Mega Gengar can pick its targets from an even larger group of Pokemon, as Tailwind removes the issue of faster Choice Scarf users and the odd Speed tie. Steel-type Pokemon such as Heatran, Aegislash, and Ferrothorn have interesting defensive synergy with Zapdos, and all check key threats to Zapdos. Heatran is a reliable method of beating Grass-type Pokemon, notably Amoonguss, which can redirect Zapdos's moves with relative ease; Aegislash is amongst the best Rock-type switch-ins in the game; and Ferrothorn also reliably beats Rock-types. Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Landorus-T also make useful partners. Both can make excellent use of Tailwind to start using their spread moves, and both appreciating a reliable method of beating Water-type Pokemon.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Zapdos can make good use of pinch Berries such as a Mago Berry as an alternative to Terrain Seeds. Though Terrain Seeds are optimal in most cases, pinch Berries do offer a few upsides, such as not having their effect undone if Zapdos switches out, and they are not specific to a particular Terrain being active. Zapdos is amongst the few Pokemon in the Doubles OU metagame that typically do not utilize Protect, as it typically cannot afford to drop one of its core moves. That being said, if it finds itself not needing to use Hidden Power Ice, then Protect is a fully viable alternative that affords it more defensive utility. Toxic and Roar can be used to hinder opposing setup Pokemon, most notably Snorlax, which can reliably set up on Zapdos otherwise. Heat Wave is a niche choice that allows Zapdos to be less dead weight against opposing Ferrothorn and Amoonguss, though it has minimal use outside of those two matchups. Volt Switch is a useful pivoting option, and as Zapdos is typically slower than the opposing foes when not in Tailwind, it can be used to safely pivot to a more immediately threatening teammate. Thunder Wave is a possible option on teams that do not feature Tapu Fini, though the frequency of Tapu Fini in the metagame does not make it a particularly attractive option.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types*: Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Tapu Bulu all take minimal damage from Zapdos's main STAB move and can proceed to force it out in one way or another. Ferrothorn can use Zapdos as a means to begin a Leech Seed stall, Amoonguss can use Rage Powder to redirect Zapdos's attacks with ease, and Tapu Bulu, which frequently carries Stone Edge, can 2HKO it.

**Ice-types**: Though Ice-type Pokemon are typically rare, they do still pose significant threat to Zapdos. Pokemon such as Mega Abomasnow have little to fear from Zapdos and can easily 2HKO it back. The frequency of Ice-type moves as coverage can pose a threat to Zapdos as well.

**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon such as Diancie, Tyranitar, and the uncommon Terrakion can all safely 2HKO Zapdos with their spread STAB moves. Tyranitar and Terrakion can also OHKO Zapdos if they opt to utilize Stone Edge or Rockium Z. Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tapu Bulu and Landorus-T also frequently carry Rock-type moves and can do significant damage to Zapdos, though Landorus-T has to be wary of Hidden Power Ice.

**Taunt**: As Zapdos relies heavily on two non-attacking moves, Roost and Tailwind, Taunt can greatly diminish its impact on the field. Faster Taunt users such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele can Taunt Zapdos to prevent it from using Tailwind or Roost and threaten it out.

**Trick Room**: Trick Room is able to circumvent the speed advantage of Tailwind, and Zapdos typically has to rely on its teammates to deal with Trick Room. Additionally, common Trick Room setters, such as Hoopa-U, Victini, and Diancie, all have little to fear from Zapdos's moves and can do significant damage to it in return.

**Zygarde**: Though Zygarde does have to fear Hidden Power Ice, it remains the only Ground-type Pokemon that can consistently attack Zapdos with a Ground-type move. Though Thousand Arrows does not do super effective damage on the initial attack, every subsequent one will do super effective damage.
 
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shaian

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discussed this lightly with DaWoblefet and i believe he made a better spread: 248 hp / 68 / 92 / 52 / 48

[7:27 PM] DaWoblefet: my thought was Band Ttar Rock Slide + Sand
[7:27 PM] DaWoblefet: while also making sure Roost + sand did under half
[7:27 PM] DaWoblefet: tbf though, if it's Band, it has Stone Edge
[7:28 PM] DaWoblefet: and Life Orb RS isn't strong enough if you're looking for physDef Zapdos
[7:28 PM] DaWoblefet: imo a second spread living LO Rock Slide + sand with the rest dumped in offense has value
[7:28 PM] DaWoblefet: let me draw one up
[7:32 PM] DaWoblefet: 248 HP / 76 Def / 84 Sp. Atk / 52 Sp. Def / 48 Speed, Modest
[7:33 PM] DaWoblefet: 252+ Atk Life Orb Tyranitar Rock Slide vs. 248 HP / 76 Def Zapdos: 140-165 (36.5 - 43%)
[7:35 PM] DaWoblefet: oh jk make that 68 Def / 92 Sp. Atk
[7:35 PM] DaWoblefet: 252+ Atk Life Orb Tyranitar Rock Slide vs. 248 HP / 68 Def Zapdos: 142-168 (37 - 43.8%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after sandstorm damage
[7:35 PM] DaWoblefet: after Roost, does under 50% with Sand
[7:35 PM] DaWoblefet: 252+ Atk Landorus-T Rock Slide vs. 248 HP / 68 Def Zapdos: 154-182 (40.2 - 47.5%)
[7:36 PM] DaWoblefet: Zygarde's Tarrows + super-effective Tarrows fails to KO
[7:37 PM] DaWoblefet: 252+ Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 248 HP / 68 Def Zapdos: 108-127 (28.1 - 33.1%)
[7:37 PM] DaWoblefet: 252+ Atk Zygarde Thousand Arrows vs. 248 HP / 68 Def Zapdos: 216-254 (56.3 - 66.3%)
[7:40 PM] DaWoblefet: extra offense significantly increases likelihood of OHKOing Lando-T, and provides more general pressure versus Zygarde, Fini, Mence, Celesteela etc.
[7:45 PM] DaWoblefet: btw, I would add that Pressure has niche use as endgame Roost PP stall
[7:45 PM] DaWoblefet: (Static's definitely better)

i think the extra offense for a light def tradeoff at the very least however merits qc discussion so i wont update until that point

edit: also offensive spread for details
[8:14 PM] DaWoblefet: anyway
[8:14 PM] DaWoblefet: a spread of 248 HP / 32 Def / 176 Sp. Atk / 4 Sp. Def / 48 Speed, Modest, does those things
[8:14 PM] DaWoblefet: outside of Modest Heatran ofc
[8:14 PM] DaWoblefet: 176+ SpA Zapdos Hidden Power Ice vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-T: 320-380 (100 - 118.7%)
[8:15 PM] DaWoblefet: 252+ Atk Landorus-T Rock Slide vs. 248 HP / 32 Def Zapdos: 160-190 (41.7 - 49.6%)
 
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  • [OVERVIEW] Expand this shit.
  • [OVERVIEW] Don't give Static its own bullet point lol.
  • [OVERVIEW] Make sure to mention that this thing never dies lol.
  • [SET] Use DaWoblefet's bulky spread for the main one, I like it a lot. If a someone makes a better spread we can edit it in, but for now this one's good.
  • [SET] You put "nature: 252 HP / 132 Def / 24 SpA / 52 SpD / 48 Spe" and "evs: Bold Nature", fix that lol
  • [SET DETAILS] Make the appropriate edits here to reflect the change in EV spread.
  • [SET DETAILS] Mention DaWoblefet's offensive spread here too.
  • [USAGE TIPS] Expand this shit.
  • [TEAM OPTIONS] Expand this shit.
  • [CHECKS AND COUNTERS] The **Opposing Speed Control** tag should prolly only be **Trick Room** cause Zapdos isn't particularly weak to any other form of speed control.
QC 1/2 assuming you elaborate on the rest of the analysis in your write up.
 
i've seen someone use roar zapdos. i thought it was bad at first, but it turns out is a pretty good way to cover for zapdos pasivity against trick room setters, set up pokemon like snorlax, trick room. could fit in the other options part. raindance/sunny day or sky drop maybe?
 

GenOne

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Overall this looks really solid! Of course you've been doing this for longer than I have, so that's no surprise. QC 2/2 once the below are implemented:
  • [SET] As per our chat in Discord, Psychic Seed should be slashed after Misty Seed. Tapu Fini is objectively the best Tapu to accompany Zapdos on a team, but Zapdos itself functions equally well with either seed and corresponding Tapu.
  • [Other Options] Mago Berry (or any pinch berry that doesn't clash with Zap's nature) is an alternative to the terrain seeds as a means of maintaining Zapdos's longevity on the battlefield. While the seeds are most ideal, there are a few upsides to running a pinch berry. It's an item that doesn't discourage Zapdos from switching out, and it's an item that doesn't rely on a specific partner being on the battlefield.
  • [Checks and Counters] A tag should be added for **Taunt** since Zapdos's utility is very dependent on being able to set Tailwind and recover through Roost. Faster Taunt users like offensive Tapu Lele and Tapu Koko put a halt to both of these, and force Zapdos out which ultimately cancels out its Misty/Psychic Seed boosts
  • [Checks and Counters] You already have a **Rock-types** tag, but this should also be inclusive of non-Rock-type Pokemon that carry strong Rock-type coverage moves. Landorus-T almost always packs Stone Edge (which threatens a KO) or Rock Slide (which does decent damage and can flinch). AV Tapu Bulu also has a high enough base Attack to do serious damage with Stone Edge while absorbing manageable damage from Zapdos's HP ice.
  • [Checks and Counters] A **Grass-types** tag should be added here, since most of the relevant Grass-types either wall or overpower Zapdos. HP Ice does pretty minimal damage to Amoonguss, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu. Meanwhile, Amoonguss can Spore or Rage Powder Zapdos, Ferrothorn can Leech Seed stall it, and Tapu Bulu (which commonly runs AV) can hit back hard with Stone Edge. Running Heat Wave can help a bit, namely against Ferro, but tbh Amoonguss and Bulu both don't mind taking a Heat Wave from standard Zapdos and do more back in return.
 
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Pocket

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I know you put a lot of thought into your spread. However, I am pretty sure everybody is using the spread that MajorBowman is using, which can be seen on his RMT. I would modify the spread a bit to 244 HP / 136+ Def / 80 SpD / 48 Spe as his speed benchmark is not relevant (max Spe Adamant Tapu Bulu). Zapdos's main appeal comes from its amazing bulk to set up repeated Tailwinds, and I think MajorBowman's spread accomplishes more than the Modest spread we have now.

However, if you decide to keep your spread move 4 EVs from HP into SpA to hit a jump point 317 -> 319 iirc. You still meet all the defensive benchpoints even with 1 less hit point.
 
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P Squared

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GP 1/2

[OVERVIEW]

Thanks to a fantastic stat spread and a wonderful defensive typing, Zapdos finds itself as one of the premier offensive support Pokemon in the Doubles OU metagame. Zapdos's Electric / Flying typing Electric- / Flying-typing provides it with both excellent defensive utility in a metagame dominated by the likes of Mega Salamence, (RC) and Landorus-T, (RC) and decent offensive utility, allowing it to be amongst the most consistent checks to the ever-present Tapu Fini. In a highly offensive metagame, Zapdos exists as the most consistent Tailwind user, facing competition only from the likes of Mega Salamence. Zapdos's defensive typing and access to consistent recovery in the form of Roost allows Zapdos to set Tailwind over and over, almost always giving its teammates the speed advantage. Zapdos's primary hindrance is that it typically invests very little into its own speed and offense, leaving it outrun by a large portion of the metagame, though the latter is mitigated due to its naturally high Special Attack. Overall, Zapdos is a very notable Pokemon that works well on almost every team composition, with a good matchup against some of the most threatening and prevalent Pokemon in the metagame. It is very rarely deadweight (something missing here?)

[SET]
name: Tailwind Roost
move 1: Thunderbolt Tailwind
move 2: Tailwind Roost
move 3: Hidden Power Ice Thunderbolt
move 4: Roost Hidden Power Ice (order of moves has to match the order they're talked about in the set comments)
item: Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
ability: Static
nature: Modest
evs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 52 SpD / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Tailwind provides is the key aspect of this set, providing Zapdos and its allies with consistent speed control, doubling their Speed for three turns. Timed well, Tailwind can provide for a significant momentum shift in a battle, allowing bulkier, middling Speed Pokemon to outrun frailer, faster foes. Roost is utilized in order to increase the longevity of Zapdos, allowing it to set Tailwind repeatedly throughout the course of a battle. However, Roost does remove Zapdos's Flying type temporarily, which allows it to be hit by now super effective Ground-type moves. Thunderbolt is the primary STAB move, doing does a decent amount of damage on most common Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Tapu Fini. For the most part Zapdos will be using Thunderbolt to soften opposing Pokemon to be within KO range of Zapdos's partner. Hidden Power Ice is the most common fourth 4th move, working to check the ever-common Zygarde, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T's in the metagame.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread ensures that a spread Rock Slide from an Adamant Life Orb Tyranitar is a 3HKO, and that a Rock Slide and one turn of sand damage does less than 50% to Zapdos, allowing Zapdos to Roost off the damage. It also allows Zapdos to survive an initial, non-super effective Thousand Arrows and the following super effective Thousand Arrows from standard Zygarde. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Zapdos to survive a Psychic Terrain-boosted Shattered Psyche from a Modest Tapu Lele if Zapdos has already consumed its Misty Seed to get to +1 Special Defense. The Speed investment allows Zapdos to outrun a +1 96 Spe EV Jolly Mega Salamence, given that Tailwind is active. This investment also ensures that Zapdos outruns all common Choice Scarf users in the metagame in Tailwind. The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to increase overall damage, in particular, increasing the odds of Hidden Power Ice securing the OHKO on Landorus-T. The standard ability on Zapdos is Static, as it can be used to get the occasional paralysis on foes opponents using contact moves on Zapdos. Pressure is another option with niche uses, such as gauging Speed tiers and PP stalling late-game.

The ideal item is Misty Seed, which provides Zapdos with a Special Defense boost in Misty Terrain; (change comma to semicolon) however, due to the nature of Terrains, Zapdos can also make use of Psychic Seed if the team is using Tapu Lele to utilize the same effect. Zapdos can also utilize a Grassy Seed or Electric Seed to bolster its Defense if it finds itself on the same team as a Tapu Bulu or Tapu Koko, though it is rarely on the same team as those two. Another key element of Zapdos is that its the EVs on Zapdos are more conducive to being custom tailored to the team it is being utilized in; (comma to semicolon) the Speed investment in particular should be adjusted to ensure proper speed tuning.

Usage Tips
========

Zapdos's primary responsibility is to set Tailwind as quickly as possible in order to ensure its team the speed advantage, (RC) and then proceed to soften up the opposing team as needed. That being said, Tailwind should not be used blindly, such as against opposing Trick Room teams, against obvious Taunt users, or in instances where a KO needs to be secured as soon as possible. Roost can be used liberally, though remaining cognizant of potential risks is a must, as the move can fall in to similar traps as Tailwind. If Zapdos can secure a key KO at the cost of fainting to the target's opponents partner's move, as opposed to Roosting and surviving the turn, then you should weigh than the costs of attacking versus Roosting should be weighed. In late-game situations, Roost can also be a powerful tool to "stall" out the opposing Pokemon. Though Zapdos is less passive than conventional support Pokemon, if Zapdos is in a position where it is proving to be offensive dead weight, such as against an opposing Amoonguss, it should be switched out to a more appropriate Pokemon. As Static provides a chance of paralysis on contact, Zapdos can be an interesting switch-in on Pokemon that frequently use contact moves, such as on a Landorus-T using U-turn, (RC) or a Mega Salamence using Double-Edge.

Team Options
========

Zapdos is a Pokemon that is usable on nearly every common team archetype, being least viable, to the point of being non-viable, on Trick Room compositions; (comma to semicolon) though certain hybrid builds may find Zapdos to be a worthwhile addition, it is not a recommended choice. The only true consistency is that Zapdos requires a Tapu to make full use of its abilities. The first and most common choice is Tapu Fini, with the two having reasonable type synergy, as with Tapu Fini is being a reliable check to Ground- and Rock-type Pokemon, as well as Misty Terrain being used to active and has Misty Terrain to activate Zapdos's Misty Seed. In this core, Zapdos is used to provide Tapu Fini with a means to outrun opposing Pokemon more consistently, and the two are utilized in a more defensive manner than a conventional offensive pairing. The next most common is Tapu Lele, which works in a more aggressive fashion than Tapu Fini. With Tailwind up, Tapu Lele can begin to deal out significant amounts of damage to large portions of the metagame, securing OHKOs on Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Mega Salamence, both of which are capable of OHKOing should they outrun Tapu Lele. In this pairing, Zapdos is once again used primarily as the means to gain the speed advantage, but afterwards it is relegated to damaging things to Tapu Lele's KO range of Lele, and picking off the odd threat.

Other Pokemon that have particularly good synergy with Zapdos are Pokemon such as Zygarde and Mega Salamence. Zapdos can provide them room to operate, due to being a reliable way of checking Tapu Fini, and speed control. Mega Gengar is also a decent partner due to its unique trapping abilities, letting it pick and choose opposing Pokemon to trap and KO. With Zapdos providing speed control, this lets Mega Gengar can pick its targets from an even larger group of Pokemon, as Tailwind it removes the issue of faster Choice Scarf users, (RC) and the odd Speed tie. Steel-type Pokemon such as Heatran, Aegislash, and Ferrothorn have interesting defensive synergy with Zapdos, and all check key threats to Zapdos. Heatran is a reliable method of beating Grass-type Pokemon, notably Amoonguss, which can redirect Zapdos's moves with relative ease; Aegislash is amongst the best Rock-type switch-ins in the game; and Ferrothorn also reliably beats Rock-types. Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Landorus-T also make useful partners. Both can make excellent use of Tailwind to start using their spread moves, and both appreciating a reliable method of beating Water-type Pokemon.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Zapdos can make good use of pinch Berries such as a Mago Berry as an alternative to Terrain seeds. Though Terrain seeds are the most optimal in most cases, pinch Berries do offer a few upsides, such as not having their effect undone if Zapdos switches out, and they are not specific to a particular Terrain being active. Zapdos is amongst the few Pokemon in the Doubles OU metagame that typically do not utilize Protect, as it typically cannot afford to drop one of its core moves. That being said, if it finds itself not needing to use Hidden Power Ice, then than Protect is a fully viable alternative that affords it more defensive utility. Toxic and Roar can be used to hinder opposing setup Pokemon, most notably Snorlax, which can reliably set up on Zapdos otherwise. Heat Wave is a niche choice that allows Zapdos to be less dead weight against opposing Ferrothorn and Amoonguss, though it has minimal use outside of those two matchups. Volt Switch is a useful pivoting option, and as Zapdos is typically (is it not always?) slower when not in Tailwind, it can be used to safely pivot to a more immediately threatening teammate. Thunder Wave is a possible option on teams that do not feature Tapu Fini, though the frequency of Tapu Fini in the metagame does not make it a particularly attractive option.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types*: Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Tapu Bulu all take minimal damage from Zapdos's main STAB move, (RC) and can proceed to force it out in one way or another. Ferrothorn can use Zapdos as a means to begin a Leech Seed stall, Amoonguss can use Rage Powder to redirect Zapdos's attacks with ease, and Tapu Bulu, which frequently carries Stone Edge, can 2HKO it.

**Ice-types**: Though Ice-type Pokemon are typically rare, they do still pose significant threat to Zapdos. Pokemon such as Mega Abomasnow have little to fear from Zapdos, (RC) and can easily 2HKO it back. As well, the The frequency of Ice-type moves as coverage can pose a threat to Zapdos as well.

**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon such as Diancie, Tyranitar, and the uncommon Terrakion can all safely 2HKO Zapdos with their spread STAB moves. Tyranitar and Terrakion can also OHKO Zapdos if they opt to utilize Stone Edge or Rockium Z. Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tapu Bulu and Landorus-T also frequently carry Rock-type moves and can do significant damage to Zapdos, though Landorus-T has to be wary of Hidden Power Ice.

**Taunt**: As Zapdos relies heavily on two non-attacking moves, Roost and Tailwind, Taunt can greatly diminish its impact on the field. Faster Taunt users such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele can Taunt Zapdos to prevent it from using Tailwind or Roost, (RC) and threaten it out.

**Trick Room**: Trick Room is able to circumvent the speed advantage of Tailwind, and Zapdos typically has to rely on its teammates to deal with Trick Room. Additionally, As well, common Trick Room setters, such as Hoopa-U, Victini, and Diancie, all have little to fear from Zapdos's moves, (RC) and can do significant damage to it in return.

**Zygarde**: Though Zygarde does have to fear Hidden Power Ice, it remains the only Ground-type Pokemon that can consistently attack Zapdos with a Ground-type move. Though Thousand Arrows does not do super effective damage on the initial attack, every subsequent one will do super effective damage.
 
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Lumari

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remove
add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 2/2
dos

[OVERVIEW]

Thanks to a fantastic stat spread and a wonderful defensive typing, Zapdos finds itself as one of the premier offensive support Pokemon in the Doubles OU metagame. Zapdos's Electric / Flying typing provides it with both excellent defensive utility in a metagame dominated by the likes of Mega Salamence and Landorus-T and decent offensive utility, allowing it to be amongst the most consistent checks to the ever-present Tapu Fini. In a highly offensive metagame, Zapdos exists as the most consistent Tailwind user, facing competition only from the likes of Mega Salamence. Zapdos's defensive typing and access to consistent recovery in the form of Roost allows Zapdos it to set Tailwind over and over, almost always giving its teammates the speed advantage. Zapdos's primary hindrance is that it typically invests very little into its own speed and offense, leaving it outrun by a large portion of the metagame, though the latter is mitigated due to its naturally high Special Attack. Overall, Zapdos is a very notable Pokemon that works well on almost every team composition, with a good matchup against some of the most threatening and prevalent Pokemon in the metagame.

[SET]
name: Tailwind + Roost
move 1: Tailwind
move 2: Roost
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Ice
item: Misty Seed / Psychic Seed
ability: Static
nature: Bold
evs: 244 HP / 136 Def / 80 SpD / 48 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

Tailwind provides Zapdos and its allies with consistent speed control, doubling their Speed for three turns. Timed well, Tailwind can provide for a significant momentum shift in a battle, allowing bulkier, middling-Speed (AH) Pokemon to outrun frailer, faster foes. Roost is utilized in order to increase the longevity of Zapdos, allowing it to set Tailwind repeatedly throughout the course of a battle. However, Roost does remove Zapdos's Flying type temporarily, which allows it to be hit by now-super (AH) effective Ground-type moves. Thunderbolt does a decent amount of damage on most common Pokemon, notably 2HKOing most Tapu Fini. For the most part Zapdos will be using Thunderbolt to soften opposing Pokemon to be within KO range of Zapdos's partner. Hidden Power Ice is the most common fourth move, working to check the ever-common Zygarde, Mega Salamence, and Landorus-T in the metagame.

Set Details
========

The given EV spread allows Zapdos to survive a Psychic Terrain-boosted Psycho Boost from a Modest Deoxys-A if Zapdos has already consumed its Misty Seed to get to +1 Special Defense. The Speed investment allows Zapdos to outrun a +1 96 Spe EV Jolly Mega Salamence, given that Tailwind is active. This investment also ensures that Zapdos outruns all common Choice Scarf users in the metagame in Tailwind as well as +1 standard Mega Salamence. (double check content thoroughly, but no creeping; this way the wording at least does not imply creep, pls do verify benchmarks) The remaining EVs are dumped into Defense to increase overall bulkiness (RC) and, (AC) with a Bold nature, hit a jump point to gain an additional defense point. The standard ability on Zapdos is Static, as it can be used to get the occasional paralysis on foes using contact moves on Zapdos. Pressure is another option with niche uses, such as gauging Speed tiers and PP stalling late-game.

An alternative spread of 252 HP / 68 Def / 92 SpA / 52 SpD / 48 Spe with a Modest nature ensures that a spread Rock Slide from an Adamant Life Orb Tyranitar is a 3HKO, and that a Rock Slide and one turn of sand damage does less than 50% to Zapdos, allowing Zapdos to Roost off the damage. It also allows Zapdos to survive an initial, non-super effective Thousand Arrows and the following super effective Thousand Arrows from standard Zygarde. The HP and Special Defense investment allows Zapdos to survive a Psychic Terrain-boosted Shattered Psyche from a Modest Tapu Lele if Zapdos has already consumed its Misty Seed to get to +1 Special Defense. The Speed investment allows Zapdos to outrun a +1 96 Spe EV Jolly Mega Salamence, given that Tailwind is active. This investment also ensures that Zapdos outruns all common Choice Scarf users in the metagame in Tailwind. (same here) The remaining EVs are dumped into Special Attack to increase overall damage, in particular, increasing the odds of Hidden Power Ice securing the OHKO on Landorus-T.

The ideal item is Misty Seed, which provides Zapdos with a Special Defense boost in Misty Terrain; however, due to the nature of Terrains, Zapdos can also make use of Psychic Seed if the team is using Tapu Lele to utilize the same effect. Zapdos can also utilize a Grassy Seed or Electric Seed to bolster its Defense if it finds itself on the same team as a Tapu Bulu or Tapu Koko, though it is rarely on the same team as those two. Another key element of Zapdos is that its EVs are more conducive to being custom generally should be (conducive is not the word you're looking for) tailored to the team it is being utilized in; the Speed investment in particular should be adjusted to ensure proper speed tuning.

Usage Tips
========

Zapdos's primary responsibility is to set Tailwind as quickly as possible in order to ensure its team the speed advantage and then proceed to soften up the opposing team as needed. That being said, Tailwind should not be used blindly, such as against opposing Trick Room teams, against obvious Taunt users, or in instances where a KO needs to be secured as soon as possible. Roost can be used liberally, though remaining cognizant of potential risks is a must, as the move can fall in to similar traps as Tailwind. If Zapdos can secure a key KO at the cost of fainting to the target's partner's move, as opposed to Roosting and surviving the turn, then you should weigh the costs of attacking versus Roosting. In late-game situations, Roost can also be a powerful tool to "stall" out the opposing Pokemon. Though Zapdos is less passive than conventional support Pokemon, if Zapdos is in a position where it is proving to be offensive dead weight, such as against an opposing Amoonguss, it should be switched out to a more appropriate Pokemon. As Static provides a chance of paralysis on contact, Zapdos can be an interesting switch-in on Pokemon that frequently use contact moves, such as on a Landorus-T using U-turn or a Mega Salamence using Double-Edge.

Team Options
========

Zapdos is a Pokemon that is usable on nearly every common team archetype, being least viable, to the point of being non-viable, on Trick Room compositions; though certain hybrid builds may find Zapdos to be a worthwhile addition, it is not a recommended choice. The only true consistency constant is that Zapdos requires a Tapu an island guardian to make full use of its abilities. The first and most common choice is Tapu Fini, with the two having reasonable type synergy, as Tapu Fini is being a reliable check to Ground- and Rock-type Pokemon (RC) and has Misty Terrain to activate Zapdos's Misty Seed. In this core, Zapdos is used to provide Tapu Fini with a means to outrun opposing Pokemon more consistently, and the two are utilized in a more defensive manner than a conventional offensive pairing. The next most common is Tapu Lele, which works in a more aggressive fashion than Tapu Fini. With Tailwind up, Tapu Lele can begin to deal out significant amounts of damage to large portions of the metagame, securing OHKOs on Pokemon such as Mega Gengar and Mega Salamence, both of which are capable of OHKOing Tapu Lele should they outrun Tapu Lele it. In this pairing, Zapdos is once again used primarily as the means to gain the speed advantage, but afterwards it is relegated to damaging things bringing foes to Tapu Lele's KO range (RC) and picking off the odd threat.

Other Pokemon that have particularly good synergy with Zapdos are Pokemon such as include Zygarde and Mega Salamence. Zapdos can provide them room to operate, due to being a reliable way of checking Tapu Fini, and speed control. Mega Gengar is also a decent partner due to its unique trapping abilities, letting it pick and choose opposing Pokemon to trap and KO. With Zapdos providing speed control, Mega Gengar can pick its targets from an even larger group of Pokemon, as Tailwind removes the issue of faster Choice Scarf users and the odd Speed tie. Steel-type Pokemon such as Heatran, Aegislash, and Ferrothorn have interesting defensive synergy with Zapdos, and all check key threats to Zapdos. Heatran is a reliable method of beating Grass-type Pokemon, notably Amoonguss, which can redirect Zapdos's moves with relative ease; Aegislash is amongst the best Rock-type switch-ins in the game; and Ferrothorn also reliably beats Rock-types. Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Landorus-T also make useful partners. Both can make excellent use of Tailwind to start using their spread moves, and both appreciating a reliable method of beating Water-type Pokemon.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

Zapdos can make good use of pinch Berries such as a Mago Berry as an alternative to Terrain Seeds. Though Terrain seeds Seeds are optimal in most cases, pinch Berries do offer a few upsides, such as not having their effect undone if Zapdos switches out, and they are not specific to a particular Terrain being active. Zapdos is amongst the few Pokemon in the Doubles OU metagame that typically do not utilize Protect, as it typically cannot afford to drop one of its core moves. That being said, if it finds itself not needing to use Hidden Power Ice, then Protect is a fully viable alternative that affords it more defensive utility. Toxic and Roar can be used to hinder opposing setup Pokemon, most notably Snorlax, which can reliably set up on Zapdos otherwise. Heat Wave is a niche choice that allows Zapdos to be less dead weight against opposing Ferrothorn and Amoonguss, though it has minimal use outside of those two matchups. Volt Switch is a useful pivoting option, and as Zapdos is typically slower than the opposing foes when not in Tailwind, it can be used to safely pivot to a more immediately threatening teammate. Thunder Wave is a possible option on teams that do not feature Tapu Fini, though the frequency of Tapu Fini in the metagame does not make it a particularly attractive option.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Grass-types*: Grass-type Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Amoonguss, and Tapu Bulu all take minimal damage from Zapdos's main STAB move and can proceed to force it out in one way or another. Ferrothorn can use Zapdos as a means to begin a Leech Seed stall, Amoonguss can use Rage Powder to redirect Zapdos's attacks with ease, and Tapu Bulu, which frequently carries Stone Edge, can 2HKO it.

**Ice-types**: Though Ice-type Pokemon are typically rare, they do still pose significant threat to Zapdos. Pokemon such as Mega Abomasnow have little to fear from Zapdos and can easily 2HKO it back. The frequency of Ice-type moves as coverage can pose a threat to Zapdos as well.

**Rock-types**: Rock-type Pokemon such as Diancie, Tyranitar, and the uncommon Terrakion can all safely 2HKO Zapdos with their spread STAB moves. Tyranitar and Terrakion can also OHKO Zapdos if they opt to utilize Stone Edge or Rockium Z. Pokemon such as Assault Vest Tapu Bulu and Landorus-T also frequently carry Rock-type moves and can do significant damage to Zapdos, though Landorus-T has to be wary of Hidden Power Ice.

**Taunt**: As Zapdos relies heavily on two non-attacking moves, Roost and Tailwind, Taunt can greatly diminish its impact on the field. Faster Taunt users such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele can Taunt Zapdos to prevent it from using Tailwind or Roost and threaten it out.

**Trick Room**: Trick Room is able to circumvent the speed advantage of Tailwind, and Zapdos typically has to rely on its teammates to deal with Trick Room. Additionally, common Trick Room setters, such as Hoopa-U, Victini, and Diancie, all have little to fear from Zapdos's moves and can do significant damage to it in return.

**Zygarde**: Though Zygarde does have to fear Hidden Power Ice, it remains the only Ground-type Pokemon that can consistently attack Zapdos with a Ground-type move. Though Thousand Arrows does not do super effective damage on the initial attack, every subsequent one will do super effective damage.
 
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