[Overview]
<p>Porygon-Z was vastly over-hyped in the early stages of the 4th generation, boasting to be the only Pokemon
who 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 newly discovered sets, it is once
more a potent threat. Boasting the highest non-
Uber Special Attack in the game and a 160
Base Power Tri Attack
after Adaptability, Porygon-Z is a potent addition to any team that can be tailored to its needs. It can 2HKO every Pokemon in
the game after one Nasty Plot
boost, making it a Pokemon to watch out for.</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 / Trick
item: Choice Specs
nature: Modest / Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With Choice Specs equipped, Porygon-Z's Special Attack stat goes through the roof, reaching a whopping 607. Coupled with a 160
Base Power Tri Attack, it can mow down almost
anyone not named Blissey. Dark Pulse tears into any Ghost-type Pokemon, OHKOing all of them except Dusknoir and Spiritomb.
Choice Specs-boosted Hidden Power
Ground 2HKOes 4/0 Tyranitar with Stealth Rock on the
field, and hits all the Steel- and Rock-type Pokemon
who resist Tri Attack hard. If you plan on running a Timid nature, Hidden Power Fighting may be used
instead, as it has 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
Lucario and Dragonite, to set up and
proceed to OHKO you and
possibly sweep your team—and that's only if they don't just
KO 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>
[Additional Comments]
<p>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 really the only true counter to this set,
but she can be dealt with by strong physically-oriented Pokemon
who don't mind being statused, such as Metagross. Since Choice
Scarf 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 makes for a good partner with this set, as it can trap and kill all the Steel-types
who resist Porygon-Z's Tri Attack. Once those Steel-types are gone,
nobody (except
Blissey, of course) can really stand in Choice Specs Porygon-Z's way.</p>
[SET]
name: Agility
move 1: Agility
move 2: Tri Attack
move 3: Ice Beam
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fire
ability: Download
item: Life Orb
nature: Modest
evs: 132 HP / 252 SpA / 124 Spe
<p>Agility trades the power of Nasty Plot for much needed Speed. Offensive teams may struggle to keep
up with this variant of Porygon-Z, as at +2 Speed, even Choice Scarf Flygon is outsped and taken out by Ice Beam. Hidden Power Ground deals a hefty 65% minimum to Choice Scarf Tyranitar, so
it is taken care
of with residual damage, such as Spikes and Stealth Rock. If you get the boost from Download, minimum HP Tyranitar will be OHKOed with Stealth Rock. The main
reason to use Hidden Power
Ground, however,
is Heatan and Magnezone. Hidden Power Fire is a lesser alternative, and gives you the power to OHKO Scizor as well as Skarmory, while 2HKOing Bronzong. If you know a Scizor is going to switch in, you can use it before Porygon-Z boosts with Agility to avoid Bullet Punch.</p>
<p>The EVs guarantee Porygon-Z is faster than base 100s holding a Choice Scarf. Special Attack is maxed and the rest of the EVs are put into
HP. Scizor's Bullet Punch will do 74% maximum to Porygon-Z with the given EVs, but will still KO after Stealth Rock and two turns of Life Orb damage. To avoid being
KOed by Life Orb damage, you may opt for
Porygon-Z to hold a Lum Berry or even Leftovers.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>With Hidden Power Ground as your
move of choice,
Scizor and Bronzong will prove very problematic. Gyro Ball's power will be boosted
to the max after an Agility, making sure you don't survive more than two hits. Magnezone combats both of these Pokemon, but needs Magnet Rise to effectively handle Bronzong. Heatran also counters these Pokemon well if you can avoid switching in on a Superpower or Earthquake. Tyranitar with Flamethrower will often lure both of these
Pokemon, OHKOing Scizor and
3HKOing Bronzong. Stealth Rock is extremely important when using this Porygon-Z, as without it it'll miss possible KOs on Tyranitar, Skarmory, etc. Swampert is one of the most reliable users of Stealth Rock and also counters Tyranitar.</p>
<p>Download is the chosen ability because if you should get the boost, Tri Attack will become more powerful than if you had Adaptability. It also boosts the power of your other moves, putting the likes of Tyranitar, Rotom-A, and
Skarmory into KO range. The majority of the metagame will give you the boost, making it the superior ability on this particular set.</p>
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Tri Attack
move 3: Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting
ability: Adaptability
item: Life Orb
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 a lot less useful due to Scizor and the ubiquity of Choice Scarf
Pokemon; however, 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 Ghost-types, and Hidden Power Fighting hits Rock- and Steel-types for super effective damage. The biggest letdown is Porygon-Z's middling
Speed, as base 90 is outrun by
many Pokemon in OU. This makes it difficult to sweep
some faster teams, but it is by no means a useless set.</p>
[Additional Comments]
<p>Since this Porygon-Z is meant to sweep, dual screens can help it out a lot. Gengar's Focus Blast only 2HKOes after Light Screen is up, and Choice
Band 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 screens users, 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, as it can set up
dual screens, trap Steel-types, and use Explosion on Blissey with only one set.</p>
<p>It is important to know your opponent's team before attempting to sweep with Porygon-Z. If the foe has a Scizor or Choice Scarf Tyranitar, they should be eliminated before you set up Nasty Plot. Furthermore, you can hit Tyranitar on the switch with Hidden Power Fighting to severely weaken it before switching out. As for the choice of nature, Timid allows you to outspeed Adamant Lucario and max Speed Rotom-A, while Modest gives you more power.</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, as it 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
who 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, and most 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.
As such, 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
been KOed, preferably on
someone who you know will switch out, such as a Gengar locked into Shadow Ball.</p>
<p>Since Porygon-Z's main counters
are Pokemon who carry priority moves, Pokemon
who outspeed it, and Blissey, it's relatively simple to find teammates for it. RestTalk Gyarados beats out most of Porygon-Z's counters and doesn't mind status or switching in to take a hit. Magnezone, especially the
Choice Scarf variations, helps deal with Scizor and Lucario, as well as many of the Pokemon
who naturally outspeed Porygon-Z, and it can Explode on Blissey. Although not as useful as it used to be, Dugtrio can guarantee a
KO 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 ridiculously 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
Combat or other Fighting-type moves at all. They also provide Porygon-Z
with dual screens and paralysis support, aiding it in its attempt to sweep. However, they must watch out for Scizor, as a Choice
Band U-turn will make heads roll.</p>
<p>Dragonite and Heatran
are commonly paired with Scizor, Blissey, and Lucario
on many teams, so it's important to be able to handle these threats as well. Vaporeon can handle most of the above
Pokemon 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
Dragonite, and is overall a very bulky Pokemon
who 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
Choice Scarf 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
set-up 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>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Porygon-Z has a fairly large
special 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 Ghost-, Rock-, and Steel-types; Tri Attack will deal with
everyone 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 boost 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
KOing 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 an interesting support movepool as well, thanks to its more defensive pre-evolution, Porygon2. It includes 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
more productive to spend your time
KOing your targets instead of attempting to cripple them with status or playing mind
games with them.</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>
<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>
[Counters]
<p>Porygon-Z can 2HKO
anyone in the game after a Nasty Plot, even Blissey. This makes it very difficult to counter
directly, although it is easily revenge killed. 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>Blissey is your best bet to countering most sets. Scizor with Bullet Punch
can come in on a resisted attack and chase it away quite
easily, while Lucario can use Vacuum Wave or ExtremeSpeed. Gengar can outrun Porygon-Z and use Focus Blast for a quick
KO.
Choice Scarf Heatran is a suitable revenge killer as well, with resistances to Tri Attack, Ice Beam, and Dark Pulse. Choice Scarf Tyranitar is in a similar boat as Heatran, but can Pursuit Porygon-Z as well.
Basically, take advantage of
Porygon-Z's 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 formes can all switch in and attack it, but it's important to first find out if Porygon-Z is running Dark Pulse. Nearly
anyone faster than Porygon-Z
who 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 no way it's going to sweep.</b>
<p>Obviously, Blissey is Porygon-Z's best counter, although
she must watch out for the Sharpen set. However, Blissey must play it just right to survive the SubSalac set, as Porygon-Z's Nasty
Plot-boosted Tri Attack 2HKOes Blissey.</p>
