Yeah, so Jimbo set me up to do this and here it is. I merged the Nasty Plot and Agility sets as they were very similar, got rid of the sub set because
<Jimbo> it sucks
<BuD> I agree
and I added all the updates and such. I also dabbled around with the counters section, some of the sets (aside from the new team support stuff, just like what the moves do, why to use certain abilities, changed HP Fighting to HP Water on the specs set, etc.)
Original analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/porygon-z
List of changes:
5/31/09 - Posted whole updated analysis
6/1/09 - edited in Jimbo's first set of changes
7/04/09 - edited in all other changes: finished?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Tri Attack
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Download / Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Porygon-Z's defenses aren't exactly amazing, and due to its lack of resistances, it is best suited to coming in after one of your Pokemon has fainted. The Choice Scarf allows it to be an effective revenge killer, outrunning even Jolly Gyarados and Adamant Salamence (Tyranitar is slow anyways, so it's not the best example of something's uber-special speed) after they have Dragon Danced, and of course, everything without a Choice Scarf. (it's not "nearly everything without a choice scarf, it literally is everything)</p>
<p>Thunderbolt and Ice Beam allow you to deal with Gyarados and dragons respectively, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Tyranitar and Heatran hard. Tri Attack is Porygon-Z's most reliable STAB move, OHKOing many frailer Pokemon such as Weavile and Azelf after they've taken Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Either Download or Adaptability may be used on this set - it depends entirely on the user's preference. In the early game, Download is not as useful because as soon as the opponent knows what move Porygon-Z has locked itself into, they will bring in something to force it out and render the boost useless. However, Porygon-Z with +1 Special Attack and Speed can tear weakened teams apart late-game, even if it's not using Tri Attack. On the other hand, Adaptability gifts you with an even more powerful STAB attack, netting Porygon-Z some key OHKOs in combination with Stealth Rock that it doesn't get if Download fails to raise Special Attack, namely Azelf, Weavile, and Infernape. </p>
<p>Because priority moves such as Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed bypass Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Scizor and Lucario are the bane of this set's existence, as both can finish off a weakened Porygon-Z. ResTalk Gyarados makes an excellent complement to Scarf-Z in this regard; it not only walls both Scizor and Lucario and resists Porygon-Z's only weakness, but also sets up on Blissey, Porygon-Z's biggest counter.</p><p>Pokemon that are bulky on the special side, such as Metagross or Tyranitar, will have little trouble switching into Porygon-Z with some prediction. Fortunately, Swampert and Hippowdon make excellent counters to most of these bulky Pokemon, hitting then with STAB Earthquakes or Roaring them out. They can also both set up Stealth Rock, which is a necessity if you plan on OHKOing certain Pokemon with Tri Attack, such as Weavile or Azelf.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Tri Attack
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Choice Specs
ability: Adaptability
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although the Choice Scarf set focuses on type-coverage, the Specs set focuses purely on raw power. With Choice Specs equipped, Porygon-Z's Special Attack stat goes through the roof, reaching a whopping 607. Coupled with a 160 BP Tri Attack, it can mow down almost anything not named Blissey. Dark Pulse tears into any Ghost Pokemon, OHKOing all of them except Dusknoir and Spiritomb. Hidden Power Ground, boosted by Choice Specs, 2HKOs 4/0 Tyranitar with Stealth Rock on the field and hits all the Steel-and-Rock-type Pokemon that resist Tri Attack hard. If you plan on running a Timid nature or don't care about tying with Heatran if you're Modest, Hidden Power Fighting may be used instead, with the added bonus of OHKOing 4/0 Tyranitar.</p>
<p>Though it may be tempting to run Hyper Beam on this set just for the power it provides, it's nearly always a bad choice. In today's metagame, it only takes one turn for many of the top sweepers, such as Salamence or Lucario, to set up and then OHKO you and possibly the rest of your team - and that's only if they don't just kill you outright while you're recharging! Tri Attack provides a much more reliable STAB move and is many times more forgiving if you fail to predict accurately.</p>
<p>Although the same priority moves that stop Scarf-Z stop Specs-Z, these Pokemon have a much harder time switching in. Choice Specs Tri Attack 2HKOes both Lucario and 252 HP / 0 SpD Scizor with Stealth Rock, and can even 2HKO 252 HP / 0 SpD Metagross. Blissey is the only true counter to this set, and she is easily dealt with by strong physically-oriented Pokemon that don't mind being statused, such as Metagross. Since Choice Scarfed Pokemon are easily able to revenge-kill Porygon-Z, Metagross is also able to help out by beating them down with a priority Bullet Punch, and can take their often-weak hits without much trouble.</p>
<p>Magnezone, Choice Scarfed or not, makes for a good partner with this set, as it can trap and kill all the Steel-types that resist Porygon-Z's Tri Attack. Once those Steels are gone, nothing (except Blissey of course) can really stand in Choice Specs Porygon-Z's way.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Salac
move 1: Subsitute
move 2: Nasty Plot
move 3: Tri Attack
move 4: Hidden Power Water / Dark Pulse
item: Salac Berry
ability: Adaptability
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 128 SpA / 124 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS] <p>The more offensive metagame has forced Porygon-Z to adapt its strategy a bit. Using Nasty Plot, it packs fearsome power, but is open to revenge kills from Gengar, Scizor, and Scarfed Heatran. This set attempts to remedy the issue by using Substitute to block revenge killing attempts, and a Salac Berry to ensure you outrun most enemy Pokemon.</p>
<p>Porygon-Z is a fearsome special attacker, and as such, encourages switches to dedicated special walls. Using this free turn, you have two options. If your opponent has a Blissey, you should Nasty Plot first. This will lead your opponent to believe it is the standard Nasty Plot set, and they will likely attempt to Thunder Wave you. This will allow you to set up a Substitute on them. You can Nasty Plot a second time as they break your Substitute. After two Nasty Plots, you should be able to 2HKO all Blissey. Most opponents will not Thunder Wave again, in anticipation of a second Substitute. If you play intelligently, you may walk away with a Substitute or even a Salac boost depending on their reaction to your first Tri Attack. Flamethrower/Toxic Blissey has no chance. With the given Special Defense EVs it will take two hits to break one of Porygon-Z's Substitutes with Blissey's special attack of choice (Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, or Ice Beam). Take advantage of this, and you could very easily sweep the opposing team.</p>
<p>Against a more offensive opponent, you should Substitute first. When they send in a faster Pokemon, you can Substitute as they break your previous Substitute. Repeat once more, and you will be at a quarter of your HP and have a Salac boost. You will more than likely outrun them, so you can either Nasty Plot, or kill them off, leaving you with +1 Speed and +2 Special Attack, or +1 Speed and a Substitute. Since priority moves are very popular, you should strongly consider keeping your Substitute instead of going for the Nasty Plot. Scizor's Bullet Punch, for example, will force you to switch or die if Porygon-Z is caught exposed.</p>
<p>It is difficult to get good type coverage with only two moves. This problem is compounded when your STAB is a Normal-type move. The three most common Normal resists in the game, Tyranitar, Heatran, and Gengar, are all hit by Hidden Power Water fairly hard. It will 2HKO Tyranitar, and OHKO Heatran and Gengar if they take some passive damage first. Dark Pulse is an option if you worry about bulkier Ghosts stopping your sweep. The given IVs allow a full power Hidden Power Water, while retaining maximum Speed.</p>
<p>Porygon-Z's three types of counters have already been covered: Pokemon that have priority moves, Pokemon that outspeed it, and Blissey. This particular set is no different; if anything, Magnezone makes an even better partner for it than the Specs set, because this Porygon is intended to sweep entire teams, rather than just spam Tri Attack. Once Scizor, Lucario, and any random Scarfers are out of the way, you should be able to at least take down a couple Pokemon before being knocked out yourself.</p>
[SET]
name: +2
move 1: Nasty Plot / Agility
move 2: Tri Attack
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Adaptability / Download
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Once the flagship Porygon-Z set, the Nasty Plot sweeper has become slightly less useful thanks to Scizor, Swords Dance Lucario, and sturdier Blissey variants. It still wields fearsome power, and can sweep an unprepared team. It's very simple to use and can 2HKO any Pokemon in the entire game after just one boost. Like on every other set, Tri Attack is Porygon-Z's most reliable STAB attack, while Dark Pulse hits Ghosts, and Hidden Power Fighting hits Rocks and Steels for super effective damage. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam can also be used alongside Tri Attack for the BoltBeam combo, but you'll have problems with Tyranitar and the Rotom formes. Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Steels like Scizor, but leaves you walled by Tyranitar. Hidden Power Ground does more damage to Pokemon like Heatran and Metagross than Fighting does.</p>
<p>The biggest letdown is Porygon-Z's middling Speed. Base 90 is outrun by a lot in OU. This makes it difficult to sweep some of the faster teams, but it is by no means a useless set. This problem can be fixed to a degree by swapping Nasty Plot with Agility, trading some of Porygon-Z's power for the ability to outspeed literally everything.</p>
<p>132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe with a Modest nature allows you to beat out all positive nature +1 base 100speed Pokemon after using Agility, such as ScarfJirachi or Flygon. Although you lack the raw power that Nasty Plot provides, Porygon-Z appreciates the extra speed - think of it as a Scarf-Z with the ability to change moves.</p>
<p>If you use Nasty Plot, Adaptability should be used as it boosts your main means of offense: Tri Attack. However, Download may be used on the Agility set, because if you're lucky and get a Special Attack boost, you'll essentially have a Specs-Z with double the speed and the freedom to switch attacks.</p>
<p>Since this Porygon-Z is meant to sweep but doesn't have Substitute to avoid damage, dual screens can help it out a lot. Gengar's Focus Blast only 2HKOs after Light Screen is up, and Banded Scizor's Bullet Punch or any weaker attacks only 3HKO with Reflect set up. In fact, since most of Porygon-Z's counters are 2HKOed or OHKOed themselves, the extra survivability granted by the screens often allows you to survive a hit and KO them in return. Uxie and Cresselia are both reliable dual-screeners, and Azelf has the ability to Explode on Blissey or whatever special tank they have after setting up the screens. Magnezone can also fulfill this role, asit can set up both screens, trap Steels, and Explode on Blissey with only one set!</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Sweeper
move 1: Sharpen
move 2: Return
move 3: Ice Beam / Dark Pulse / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Adaptability
nature: Mild
evs: 252 Atk / 36 SpA / 220 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Porygon-Z's forgettable base 80 Attack is not so shabby when complemented with Sharpen, Adaptability, and one of the most reliable, drawback-free attacks in the game, Return. After one Sharpen boost, Porygon-Z has over 400 Attack. This allows it to guarantee an OHKO on Blissey with Return, as long as it has taken Stealth Rock damage. After you have done this, attempt to sweep your opponent, using your ridiculously powerful Return on Special Defense oriented Pokemon, and using your Special Attacks to destroy physical walls. To put it into perspective, Porygon-Z's Sharpen-Boosted Return hits harder than Scizor's Swords Danced Life Orb Bullet Punch, dealing damage not unlike Adamant Choice Band Heracross' Close Combat. This allows you to 2HKO all but the toughest walls. Even Suicune, Celebi, and Hippowdon are 2HKOed.</p>
<p>Ice Beam smashes sturdy Ground- and Grass-types. Dark Pulse can be used to beat on bulky Ghosts; Thunderbolt helps deal with Skarmory. Hidden Power Fighting helps you deal with Steel- or Rock-type pokemon, most importantly Tyranitar. Everything else you should just hit hard with your STAB Return.</p>
<p>The only thing stopping Porygon-Z is something faster, and unfortunately, at 270 Speed, this includes quite a few Pokemon. There are two ways to fix this. The first is to lower your Attack EVs to 192. This still guarantees the OHKO on Blissey while maximizing Porygon-Z's speed, but makes Return a significantly weaker sweeping move. Agility can also be used over Sharpen, as you can 2HKO Blissey without the Attack boost, but when your strongest special attack is an unSTABed Ice Beam, sweeping will be difficult, regardless of how fast you are.</p>
<p>This set appreciates paralysis support more than the others, since it needs as many EVs as possible allocated to Attack. Bulky Psychics, such as Uxie or Cresselia, can help spread the paralysis around, as well as set up dual screens.</p>
<p>As this set is designed to take out Blissey, it's main counters are priority moves and anything faster than it. For this reason, using the aforementioned Magnezone is a good idea, as it can destroy Scizor and Lucario, and thenremove whatever is stopping Porygon-Z's sweep with Explosion.</p>
[Adaptability or Download?]
<p>Both of Porygon-Z's abilities are very potent and make it a dangerous special sweeper. Adaptability boosts the power of Tri Attack from 120 to 160, giving it a considerable punch even when resisted. Download is recommended on the Choice sets, however. This is because Download boosts the power of all your Special Attacks by 1.5x if your target has lower Special Defense than Defense. Since you can only use one move, and it might not be Tri Attack, it is better to have that boost on your other moves as well. It is also interesting to note that a Download boosted Tri Attack is more powerful than an Adaptability boosted Tri Attack by 12%. This advantage is moot after a Nasty Plot, however. On Nasty Plot sets, Adaptability is far superior, because after one or two boosts, Tri Attack will destroy even pokemon that resist it. On sets where you have no other means of boosting your Special Attack, use Download.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Stealth Rock, although never necessary, gives a huge boost to Porygon-Z's sweeping ability. Spikes are a plus, as are Toxic Spikes, but the latter won't make too big of a difference due to Porygon-Z's frailty - it usually won't live long enough to take advantage of them, andmost of its counters don't mind Toxic Spikes, either. Because of its typing - a double-edged sword to Porygon-Z - it is hurt by all forms of passive damage, including weather conditions, status, and entry hazards. Thus, it is of utmost importance to be able to set up and deal as much damage as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to switch in after one of your Pokemon has died, preferably on something you know will switch out, such as a Gengar locked into Shadow Ball.</p>
<p>Since Porygon-Z's main counters consist of priority moves, Pokemon that outspeed it, and Blissey, it's relatively simple to find teammates for it. ResTalk Gyarados beats out most of Porygon-Z's counters and doesn't mind status or switching in to take a hit. Magnezone, especially the scarfed variations, help deal with Scizor and Lucario, as well as many of the Pokemon that naturally outspeed Porygon-Z, and it can Explode on Blissey. Although not as useful as it used to be, Dugtrio can guarantee a kill on all Blissey and Metagross - that is, as long as it survives the likely Bullet Punch.</p>
<p>While Porygon-Z's Normal typing provides a rediculously powerful STAB move in Tri Attack, it's not that great defensively. Even though Porygon-Z only has one weakness, it has somewhat fragile defenses, so you will definitely not want to be switching Porygon-Z in to take hits. Defensive Psychics like Uxie don't mind switching in on Close Combats or other Fighting-type moves at all. They also provide Porygon-Z with the dual screens and paralysis support, aiding it in its attempt to sweet. However, they must watch out for Scizor, as a Choice Banded U-turn will make heads roll.</p>
<p>Salamence and Heatran are commonly paired with Scizor, Blissey, and Lucario in many teams, so it's important to be able to handle these threats as well. Choice Scarf Salamence can often get an unexpected kill on both all of these Pokemon, and Intimidate softens up any attacks, especially those it doesn't resist, as it switches in. Vaporeon can handle most of the above Pokemon as well, as it has good enough defenses to sponge hits, and can offer team support through phazing or Wish support. Swampert with Earthquake and Avalanche also fares well against Heatran and Salamence, and is overall a very bulky Pokemon that doesn't mind taking hits for the team. In addition, it's also a great user of Stealth Rock, which Porygon-Z needs to get certain OHKOs, and Roar.</p>
<p>Because Porygon-Z is so frail, it's important to scout out your opponent's team before taking a chance at a sweep. Using versatile U-turners, such as Scizor or Scarfed Flygon, allows you to get an idea of your opponent's team and battling style. Bulky phazers, such as Swampert or Skarmory, can shuffle around the enemy Pokemon, and the extra damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes that these Pokemon usually lay out is an added bonus. When using Porygon-Z, you have to remember that it's a glass cannon - it can hit extremely hard, but you must play it extremely carefully. One wrong move can cost you the sweep, and possibly the game.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Porygon-Z has a fairly large special attacking movepool, however, Tri Attack is so powerful that you should only consider moves that complement its type coverage. For the most part, you should be trying to hit Ghosts, Rocks, and Steels; Tri Attack will deal with everything else. Because of this, ignore moves such as Psychic, Signal Beam, SolarBeam, and Zap Cannon. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam have good coverage together, but are only useful on the Choice sets.</p>
<p>Hyper Beam is a deadly suicide move, one that can even OHKO the occasional Blissey if a Modest Porygon-Z has a Nasty Plot and a Life Orb. However, it is difficult to find a moveslot for this attack. Removing Dark Pulse or Hidden Power Fighting would mean you forfeit coverage on Ghosts or Tyranitar. Removing Tri Attack for Hyper Beam hinders your ability to sweep, as you no longer have a reliable STAB attack to fall back on. It's very risky, but destroying Blissey is well worth the payoff. Just make sure you have a backup plan when your opponent uses that recharge turn to set up a sweep.</p>
<p>Porygon-Z has a interesting support movepool as well, thanks to its more defensive pre-evolution, Porygon2. These include Trick Room, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Recycle and more. They are better left to other Pokemon, as Porygon-Z packs so much power that it's better to spend your time destroying your targets instead of attempting to cripple them with status or playing mind games.</p>
<p>Conversion can be used with Dark Pulse and Nasty Plot (and a fourth move like Substitute, Recover, or another attack). Adaptability will make Dark Pulse as powerful as Tri Attack would once Porygon-Z is a Dark-type. The strategy takes two turns to set up though, one to Conversion, making Porygon-Z a Dark-type (with STAB Adaptability Dark Pulse) and another to Nasty Plot, so you can do some damage. Using just Normal- and Dark-type moves will guarantee Conversion's turning you into a Dark-type. However, you can take a gamble and use a second attacking move, as well.</p>
[EVs]
<p>The EVs vary depending on the set. Usually you should just stick with what's listed. The only real decision you should be making is Timid or Modest. While Modest provides a huge boost in power, forgoing a Timid nature means Porygon-Z will be outrun by positive-natured base 80s and neutral-natured base 100s. Weigh the consequences of each nature before making your choice.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Porygon-Z was vastly overhyped in the early stages of the 4th generation, boasting to be the only Pokemon that could OHKO Blissey with a special attack after just one turn of set-up. However, it soon fell into obscurity, because of its average Speed and lack of resistances. With a couple of new move tutor attacks, and some new standard sets, it is once more worth consideration. Boasting the highest non-uber Special Attack in the game, and a 160 power Tri Attack, Porygon-Z is a potent addition to any team that can be tailored to its needs. Its biggest hitch is its low Speed, but if you can get past this, you'll be very impressed. It can 2HKO every Pokemon in the entire game after one Nasty Plot boost.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Porygon-Z can 2HKO anything in the game after a Nasty Plot, even Blissey. This makes it very difficult to counter. Its lack of resistances as a Normal-type and its average Speed makes it easier to handle, however. Being weak to both Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch helps, too.</p>
<p>Countering the Specs set is nearly impossible without Blissey; all you can hope to do is revenge kill it, as it will usually hit your incoming counter hard with a boosted Tri Attack and then switch out to something to take your hit. Scizor with Bullet Punch can chase it away quite easily, and Lucario can use Vacuum Wave or Extremespeed. Gengar can outrun Porygon-Z and use Focus Blast for a quick kill. Scarfed Heatran is a suitable revenge killer as well, with resistances to Tri Attack, Ice Beam, and Dark Pulse. Basically take advantage of its average Speed and hit it with whatever you can.</p>
<p>The other sets are much easier to handle. Bulky Pokemon like Scizor, Metagross, and Tyranitar can switch in and scare them away, though Tyranitar must watch out for Hidden Power Ground,Fighting or Water. Spiritomb, Dusknoir, and the Rotom forms can all switch in and attack it, but it's important to first find out if Porygon-Z is running Dark Pulse. Nearly anything faster than Porygon-Z that has powerful offense, such as Azelf, can usually OHKO it or send it running. Paralysis is nearly as crippling to Porygon-Z as being hit by Scizor's Bullet Punch; once its speed is quartered, there's really no way it's going to sweep.</b>
<p>Obviously, Blissey is Porygon-Z's best counter, although it must watch out for the Sharpen set. However, Blissey must play it just right to survive the SubSalac set, as Porygon-Z's Nasty Plotted Tri Attack 2HKOs Blissey.</p>
<Jimbo> it sucks
<BuD> I agree
and I added all the updates and such. I also dabbled around with the counters section, some of the sets (aside from the new team support stuff, just like what the moves do, why to use certain abilities, changed HP Fighting to HP Water on the specs set, etc.)
Original analysis: http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/porygon-z
List of changes:
5/31/09 - Posted whole updated analysis
6/1/09 - edited in Jimbo's first set of changes
7/04/09 - edited in all other changes: finished?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Tri Attack
move 2: Thunderbolt
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Download / Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Porygon-Z's defenses aren't exactly amazing, and due to its lack of resistances, it is best suited to coming in after one of your Pokemon has fainted. The Choice Scarf allows it to be an effective revenge killer, outrunning even Jolly Gyarados and Adamant Salamence (Tyranitar is slow anyways, so it's not the best example of something's uber-special speed) after they have Dragon Danced, and of course, everything without a Choice Scarf. (it's not "nearly everything without a choice scarf, it literally is everything)</p>
<p>Thunderbolt and Ice Beam allow you to deal with Gyarados and dragons respectively, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Tyranitar and Heatran hard. Tri Attack is Porygon-Z's most reliable STAB move, OHKOing many frailer Pokemon such as Weavile and Azelf after they've taken Stealth Rock damage.</p>
<p>Either Download or Adaptability may be used on this set - it depends entirely on the user's preference. In the early game, Download is not as useful because as soon as the opponent knows what move Porygon-Z has locked itself into, they will bring in something to force it out and render the boost useless. However, Porygon-Z with +1 Special Attack and Speed can tear weakened teams apart late-game, even if it's not using Tri Attack. On the other hand, Adaptability gifts you with an even more powerful STAB attack, netting Porygon-Z some key OHKOs in combination with Stealth Rock that it doesn't get if Download fails to raise Special Attack, namely Azelf, Weavile, and Infernape. </p>
<p>Because priority moves such as Bullet Punch and ExtremeSpeed bypass Choice Scarf's Speed boost, Scizor and Lucario are the bane of this set's existence, as both can finish off a weakened Porygon-Z. ResTalk Gyarados makes an excellent complement to Scarf-Z in this regard; it not only walls both Scizor and Lucario and resists Porygon-Z's only weakness, but also sets up on Blissey, Porygon-Z's biggest counter.</p><p>Pokemon that are bulky on the special side, such as Metagross or Tyranitar, will have little trouble switching into Porygon-Z with some prediction. Fortunately, Swampert and Hippowdon make excellent counters to most of these bulky Pokemon, hitting then with STAB Earthquakes or Roaring them out. They can also both set up Stealth Rock, which is a necessity if you plan on OHKOing certain Pokemon with Tri Attack, such as Weavile or Azelf.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Tri Attack
move 2: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Ice Beam
item: Choice Specs
ability: Adaptability
nature: Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Although the Choice Scarf set focuses on type-coverage, the Specs set focuses purely on raw power. With Choice Specs equipped, Porygon-Z's Special Attack stat goes through the roof, reaching a whopping 607. Coupled with a 160 BP Tri Attack, it can mow down almost anything not named Blissey. Dark Pulse tears into any Ghost Pokemon, OHKOing all of them except Dusknoir and Spiritomb. Hidden Power Ground, boosted by Choice Specs, 2HKOs 4/0 Tyranitar with Stealth Rock on the field and hits all the Steel-and-Rock-type Pokemon that resist Tri Attack hard. If you plan on running a Timid nature or don't care about tying with Heatran if you're Modest, Hidden Power Fighting may be used instead, with the added bonus of OHKOing 4/0 Tyranitar.</p>
<p>Though it may be tempting to run Hyper Beam on this set just for the power it provides, it's nearly always a bad choice. In today's metagame, it only takes one turn for many of the top sweepers, such as Salamence or Lucario, to set up and then OHKO you and possibly the rest of your team - and that's only if they don't just kill you outright while you're recharging! Tri Attack provides a much more reliable STAB move and is many times more forgiving if you fail to predict accurately.</p>
<p>Although the same priority moves that stop Scarf-Z stop Specs-Z, these Pokemon have a much harder time switching in. Choice Specs Tri Attack 2HKOes both Lucario and 252 HP / 0 SpD Scizor with Stealth Rock, and can even 2HKO 252 HP / 0 SpD Metagross. Blissey is the only true counter to this set, and she is easily dealt with by strong physically-oriented Pokemon that don't mind being statused, such as Metagross. Since Choice Scarfed Pokemon are easily able to revenge-kill Porygon-Z, Metagross is also able to help out by beating them down with a priority Bullet Punch, and can take their often-weak hits without much trouble.</p>
<p>Magnezone, Choice Scarfed or not, makes for a good partner with this set, as it can trap and kill all the Steel-types that resist Porygon-Z's Tri Attack. Once those Steels are gone, nothing (except Blissey of course) can really stand in Choice Specs Porygon-Z's way.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Salac
move 1: Subsitute
move 2: Nasty Plot
move 3: Tri Attack
move 4: Hidden Power Water / Dark Pulse
item: Salac Berry
ability: Adaptability
nature: Modest
evs: 4 HP / 128 SpA / 124 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 30 Atk / 30 Def / 30 SpA
[SET COMMENTS] <p>The more offensive metagame has forced Porygon-Z to adapt its strategy a bit. Using Nasty Plot, it packs fearsome power, but is open to revenge kills from Gengar, Scizor, and Scarfed Heatran. This set attempts to remedy the issue by using Substitute to block revenge killing attempts, and a Salac Berry to ensure you outrun most enemy Pokemon.</p>
<p>Porygon-Z is a fearsome special attacker, and as such, encourages switches to dedicated special walls. Using this free turn, you have two options. If your opponent has a Blissey, you should Nasty Plot first. This will lead your opponent to believe it is the standard Nasty Plot set, and they will likely attempt to Thunder Wave you. This will allow you to set up a Substitute on them. You can Nasty Plot a second time as they break your Substitute. After two Nasty Plots, you should be able to 2HKO all Blissey. Most opponents will not Thunder Wave again, in anticipation of a second Substitute. If you play intelligently, you may walk away with a Substitute or even a Salac boost depending on their reaction to your first Tri Attack. Flamethrower/Toxic Blissey has no chance. With the given Special Defense EVs it will take two hits to break one of Porygon-Z's Substitutes with Blissey's special attack of choice (Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, or Ice Beam). Take advantage of this, and you could very easily sweep the opposing team.</p>
<p>Against a more offensive opponent, you should Substitute first. When they send in a faster Pokemon, you can Substitute as they break your previous Substitute. Repeat once more, and you will be at a quarter of your HP and have a Salac boost. You will more than likely outrun them, so you can either Nasty Plot, or kill them off, leaving you with +1 Speed and +2 Special Attack, or +1 Speed and a Substitute. Since priority moves are very popular, you should strongly consider keeping your Substitute instead of going for the Nasty Plot. Scizor's Bullet Punch, for example, will force you to switch or die if Porygon-Z is caught exposed.</p>
<p>It is difficult to get good type coverage with only two moves. This problem is compounded when your STAB is a Normal-type move. The three most common Normal resists in the game, Tyranitar, Heatran, and Gengar, are all hit by Hidden Power Water fairly hard. It will 2HKO Tyranitar, and OHKO Heatran and Gengar if they take some passive damage first. Dark Pulse is an option if you worry about bulkier Ghosts stopping your sweep. The given IVs allow a full power Hidden Power Water, while retaining maximum Speed.</p>
<p>Porygon-Z's three types of counters have already been covered: Pokemon that have priority moves, Pokemon that outspeed it, and Blissey. This particular set is no different; if anything, Magnezone makes an even better partner for it than the Specs set, because this Porygon is intended to sweep entire teams, rather than just spam Tri Attack. Once Scizor, Lucario, and any random Scarfers are out of the way, you should be able to at least take down a couple Pokemon before being knocked out yourself.</p>
[SET]
name: +2
move 1: Nasty Plot / Agility
move 2: Tri Attack
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Adaptability / Download
nature: Timid / Modest
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Once the flagship Porygon-Z set, the Nasty Plot sweeper has become slightly less useful thanks to Scizor, Swords Dance Lucario, and sturdier Blissey variants. It still wields fearsome power, and can sweep an unprepared team. It's very simple to use and can 2HKO any Pokemon in the entire game after just one boost. Like on every other set, Tri Attack is Porygon-Z's most reliable STAB attack, while Dark Pulse hits Ghosts, and Hidden Power Fighting hits Rocks and Steels for super effective damage. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam can also be used alongside Tri Attack for the BoltBeam combo, but you'll have problems with Tyranitar and the Rotom formes. Hidden Power Fire can be used to hit Steels like Scizor, but leaves you walled by Tyranitar. Hidden Power Ground does more damage to Pokemon like Heatran and Metagross than Fighting does.</p>
<p>The biggest letdown is Porygon-Z's middling Speed. Base 90 is outrun by a lot in OU. This makes it difficult to sweep some of the faster teams, but it is by no means a useless set. This problem can be fixed to a degree by swapping Nasty Plot with Agility, trading some of Porygon-Z's power for the ability to outspeed literally everything.</p>
<p>132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe with a Modest nature allows you to beat out all positive nature +1 base 100speed Pokemon after using Agility, such as ScarfJirachi or Flygon. Although you lack the raw power that Nasty Plot provides, Porygon-Z appreciates the extra speed - think of it as a Scarf-Z with the ability to change moves.</p>
<p>If you use Nasty Plot, Adaptability should be used as it boosts your main means of offense: Tri Attack. However, Download may be used on the Agility set, because if you're lucky and get a Special Attack boost, you'll essentially have a Specs-Z with double the speed and the freedom to switch attacks.</p>
<p>Since this Porygon-Z is meant to sweep but doesn't have Substitute to avoid damage, dual screens can help it out a lot. Gengar's Focus Blast only 2HKOs after Light Screen is up, and Banded Scizor's Bullet Punch or any weaker attacks only 3HKO with Reflect set up. In fact, since most of Porygon-Z's counters are 2HKOed or OHKOed themselves, the extra survivability granted by the screens often allows you to survive a hit and KO them in return. Uxie and Cresselia are both reliable dual-screeners, and Azelf has the ability to Explode on Blissey or whatever special tank they have after setting up the screens. Magnezone can also fulfill this role, asit can set up both screens, trap Steels, and Explode on Blissey with only one set!</p>
[SET]
name: Mixed Sweeper
move 1: Sharpen
move 2: Return
move 3: Ice Beam / Dark Pulse / Thunderbolt
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
item: Life Orb
ability: Adaptability
nature: Mild
evs: 252 Atk / 36 SpA / 220 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Porygon-Z's forgettable base 80 Attack is not so shabby when complemented with Sharpen, Adaptability, and one of the most reliable, drawback-free attacks in the game, Return. After one Sharpen boost, Porygon-Z has over 400 Attack. This allows it to guarantee an OHKO on Blissey with Return, as long as it has taken Stealth Rock damage. After you have done this, attempt to sweep your opponent, using your ridiculously powerful Return on Special Defense oriented Pokemon, and using your Special Attacks to destroy physical walls. To put it into perspective, Porygon-Z's Sharpen-Boosted Return hits harder than Scizor's Swords Danced Life Orb Bullet Punch, dealing damage not unlike Adamant Choice Band Heracross' Close Combat. This allows you to 2HKO all but the toughest walls. Even Suicune, Celebi, and Hippowdon are 2HKOed.</p>
<p>Ice Beam smashes sturdy Ground- and Grass-types. Dark Pulse can be used to beat on bulky Ghosts; Thunderbolt helps deal with Skarmory. Hidden Power Fighting helps you deal with Steel- or Rock-type pokemon, most importantly Tyranitar. Everything else you should just hit hard with your STAB Return.</p>
<p>The only thing stopping Porygon-Z is something faster, and unfortunately, at 270 Speed, this includes quite a few Pokemon. There are two ways to fix this. The first is to lower your Attack EVs to 192. This still guarantees the OHKO on Blissey while maximizing Porygon-Z's speed, but makes Return a significantly weaker sweeping move. Agility can also be used over Sharpen, as you can 2HKO Blissey without the Attack boost, but when your strongest special attack is an unSTABed Ice Beam, sweeping will be difficult, regardless of how fast you are.</p>
<p>This set appreciates paralysis support more than the others, since it needs as many EVs as possible allocated to Attack. Bulky Psychics, such as Uxie or Cresselia, can help spread the paralysis around, as well as set up dual screens.</p>
<p>As this set is designed to take out Blissey, it's main counters are priority moves and anything faster than it. For this reason, using the aforementioned Magnezone is a good idea, as it can destroy Scizor and Lucario, and thenremove whatever is stopping Porygon-Z's sweep with Explosion.</p>
[Adaptability or Download?]
<p>Both of Porygon-Z's abilities are very potent and make it a dangerous special sweeper. Adaptability boosts the power of Tri Attack from 120 to 160, giving it a considerable punch even when resisted. Download is recommended on the Choice sets, however. This is because Download boosts the power of all your Special Attacks by 1.5x if your target has lower Special Defense than Defense. Since you can only use one move, and it might not be Tri Attack, it is better to have that boost on your other moves as well. It is also interesting to note that a Download boosted Tri Attack is more powerful than an Adaptability boosted Tri Attack by 12%. This advantage is moot after a Nasty Plot, however. On Nasty Plot sets, Adaptability is far superior, because after one or two boosts, Tri Attack will destroy even pokemon that resist it. On sets where you have no other means of boosting your Special Attack, use Download.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>Stealth Rock, although never necessary, gives a huge boost to Porygon-Z's sweeping ability. Spikes are a plus, as are Toxic Spikes, but the latter won't make too big of a difference due to Porygon-Z's frailty - it usually won't live long enough to take advantage of them, andmost of its counters don't mind Toxic Spikes, either. Because of its typing - a double-edged sword to Porygon-Z - it is hurt by all forms of passive damage, including weather conditions, status, and entry hazards. Thus, it is of utmost importance to be able to set up and deal as much damage as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to switch in after one of your Pokemon has died, preferably on something you know will switch out, such as a Gengar locked into Shadow Ball.</p>
<p>Since Porygon-Z's main counters consist of priority moves, Pokemon that outspeed it, and Blissey, it's relatively simple to find teammates for it. ResTalk Gyarados beats out most of Porygon-Z's counters and doesn't mind status or switching in to take a hit. Magnezone, especially the scarfed variations, help deal with Scizor and Lucario, as well as many of the Pokemon that naturally outspeed Porygon-Z, and it can Explode on Blissey. Although not as useful as it used to be, Dugtrio can guarantee a kill on all Blissey and Metagross - that is, as long as it survives the likely Bullet Punch.</p>
<p>While Porygon-Z's Normal typing provides a rediculously powerful STAB move in Tri Attack, it's not that great defensively. Even though Porygon-Z only has one weakness, it has somewhat fragile defenses, so you will definitely not want to be switching Porygon-Z in to take hits. Defensive Psychics like Uxie don't mind switching in on Close Combats or other Fighting-type moves at all. They also provide Porygon-Z with the dual screens and paralysis support, aiding it in its attempt to sweet. However, they must watch out for Scizor, as a Choice Banded U-turn will make heads roll.</p>
<p>Salamence and Heatran are commonly paired with Scizor, Blissey, and Lucario in many teams, so it's important to be able to handle these threats as well. Choice Scarf Salamence can often get an unexpected kill on both all of these Pokemon, and Intimidate softens up any attacks, especially those it doesn't resist, as it switches in. Vaporeon can handle most of the above Pokemon as well, as it has good enough defenses to sponge hits, and can offer team support through phazing or Wish support. Swampert with Earthquake and Avalanche also fares well against Heatran and Salamence, and is overall a very bulky Pokemon that doesn't mind taking hits for the team. In addition, it's also a great user of Stealth Rock, which Porygon-Z needs to get certain OHKOs, and Roar.</p>
<p>Because Porygon-Z is so frail, it's important to scout out your opponent's team before taking a chance at a sweep. Using versatile U-turners, such as Scizor or Scarfed Flygon, allows you to get an idea of your opponent's team and battling style. Bulky phazers, such as Swampert or Skarmory, can shuffle around the enemy Pokemon, and the extra damage from Stealth Rock and Spikes that these Pokemon usually lay out is an added bonus. When using Porygon-Z, you have to remember that it's a glass cannon - it can hit extremely hard, but you must play it extremely carefully. One wrong move can cost you the sweep, and possibly the game.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Porygon-Z has a fairly large special attacking movepool, however, Tri Attack is so powerful that you should only consider moves that complement its type coverage. For the most part, you should be trying to hit Ghosts, Rocks, and Steels; Tri Attack will deal with everything else. Because of this, ignore moves such as Psychic, Signal Beam, SolarBeam, and Zap Cannon. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam have good coverage together, but are only useful on the Choice sets.</p>
<p>Hyper Beam is a deadly suicide move, one that can even OHKO the occasional Blissey if a Modest Porygon-Z has a Nasty Plot and a Life Orb. However, it is difficult to find a moveslot for this attack. Removing Dark Pulse or Hidden Power Fighting would mean you forfeit coverage on Ghosts or Tyranitar. Removing Tri Attack for Hyper Beam hinders your ability to sweep, as you no longer have a reliable STAB attack to fall back on. It's very risky, but destroying Blissey is well worth the payoff. Just make sure you have a backup plan when your opponent uses that recharge turn to set up a sweep.</p>
<p>Porygon-Z has a interesting support movepool as well, thanks to its more defensive pre-evolution, Porygon2. These include Trick Room, Thunder Wave, Magnet Rise, Recycle and more. They are better left to other Pokemon, as Porygon-Z packs so much power that it's better to spend your time destroying your targets instead of attempting to cripple them with status or playing mind games.</p>
<p>Conversion can be used with Dark Pulse and Nasty Plot (and a fourth move like Substitute, Recover, or another attack). Adaptability will make Dark Pulse as powerful as Tri Attack would once Porygon-Z is a Dark-type. The strategy takes two turns to set up though, one to Conversion, making Porygon-Z a Dark-type (with STAB Adaptability Dark Pulse) and another to Nasty Plot, so you can do some damage. Using just Normal- and Dark-type moves will guarantee Conversion's turning you into a Dark-type. However, you can take a gamble and use a second attacking move, as well.</p>
[EVs]
<p>The EVs vary depending on the set. Usually you should just stick with what's listed. The only real decision you should be making is Timid or Modest. While Modest provides a huge boost in power, forgoing a Timid nature means Porygon-Z will be outrun by positive-natured base 80s and neutral-natured base 100s. Weigh the consequences of each nature before making your choice.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Porygon-Z was vastly overhyped in the early stages of the 4th generation, boasting to be the only Pokemon that could OHKO Blissey with a special attack after just one turn of set-up. However, it soon fell into obscurity, because of its average Speed and lack of resistances. With a couple of new move tutor attacks, and some new standard sets, it is once more worth consideration. Boasting the highest non-uber Special Attack in the game, and a 160 power Tri Attack, Porygon-Z is a potent addition to any team that can be tailored to its needs. Its biggest hitch is its low Speed, but if you can get past this, you'll be very impressed. It can 2HKO every Pokemon in the entire game after one Nasty Plot boost.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Porygon-Z can 2HKO anything in the game after a Nasty Plot, even Blissey. This makes it very difficult to counter. Its lack of resistances as a Normal-type and its average Speed makes it easier to handle, however. Being weak to both Vacuum Wave and Mach Punch helps, too.</p>
<p>Countering the Specs set is nearly impossible without Blissey; all you can hope to do is revenge kill it, as it will usually hit your incoming counter hard with a boosted Tri Attack and then switch out to something to take your hit. Scizor with Bullet Punch can chase it away quite easily, and Lucario can use Vacuum Wave or Extremespeed. Gengar can outrun Porygon-Z and use Focus Blast for a quick kill. Scarfed Heatran is a suitable revenge killer as well, with resistances to Tri Attack, Ice Beam, and Dark Pulse. Basically take advantage of its average Speed and hit it with whatever you can.</p>
<p>The other sets are much easier to handle. Bulky Pokemon like Scizor, Metagross, and Tyranitar can switch in and scare them away, though Tyranitar must watch out for Hidden Power Ground,Fighting or Water. Spiritomb, Dusknoir, and the Rotom forms can all switch in and attack it, but it's important to first find out if Porygon-Z is running Dark Pulse. Nearly anything faster than Porygon-Z that has powerful offense, such as Azelf, can usually OHKO it or send it running. Paralysis is nearly as crippling to Porygon-Z as being hit by Scizor's Bullet Punch; once its speed is quartered, there's really no way it's going to sweep.</b>
<p>Obviously, Blissey is Porygon-Z's best counter, although it must watch out for the Sharpen set. However, Blissey must play it just right to survive the SubSalac set, as Porygon-Z's Nasty Plotted Tri Attack 2HKOs Blissey.</p>
