The point of leading with Zoroark would be to mess with your opponent's head. It's certainly not the best at setting up team support then getting out fast, but it can trip your opponent up by making them think their lead is inadequate. Zoroark's mind-gaming capability alone should make him a fair candidate for OU. That is, if the "it shows the opponent your team" thing only applies to random online matches...
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Zoroark
- Thread starter jumpluff
- Start date
It sort of depresses me to see people demand priority moves on a Special Attacker who's entire use revolves around disguises and surprise, and messing with the opponent.
I know the metagame is hyper-offensive but that doesn't mean a pokemon must conform to that or be disguarded as BL or UU, come on now - for this pokemon, the stats don't properly matter, and the movepool's effectiveness doesn't rely on coverage or power, or it relies on how they fit into a useful disguise.
I know the metagame is hyper-offensive but that doesn't mean a pokemon must conform to that or be disguarded as BL or UU, come on now - for this pokemon, the stats don't properly matter, and the movepool's effectiveness doesn't rely on coverage or power, or it relies on how they fit into a useful disguise.
Well, he isn't the fastest.So a priority attack would make him a way better lead.If most people want to use him as lead, then it's kind of sad that he doesn't get a priority...He looks like he can at least use quick attack.
He does get sucker punch to get the jump priority users
I think one guy mentioned it, but Zoroark would work well with Heracross. Heracross resists both fighting and bug, Zoroark's two weaknesses. Disguised as Heracross, Zoroark doesn't face its weakness immediatly. Plus, most would switch into a more defensive Pokemon to deal with Heracross but Zoroark would total them with its special attack. I personally can't wait to play with him and see what he's capable of.
Hes supposed to confuse and confound the opponent though. You don't use speed, you use Illusion! Make it look like a SRer (like make it disguise as an Aerodacyle or something). They'll taunt you and then you can just own them after they realize they taunted a special attacker.
If they have a focus sash? Use ankle sweep first to lower their speed and kill the sash. Then when they try to explode or whatever you'll be faster and can kill them. YES there are pokemon this wont work on BUT there are pokemon this will work very well on like Azelf.
Two sets I thought of (one is posted already in some form I'm sure)
Zoroark @ Life Orb
Modest 4 HP / 252 Sp Atk / 252 Speed
Ability: Illusion
-Dark Pulse
-Agility
-Flamethrower
-Focus Blast / Grass Knot
I'm betting most pokemon will expect Zoroark to NP, if they even predict him in the first place! With an agility Zoroark out speeds everything not named Ninjask or Deoxy, even if they have a scarf. Modest + Life Orb gives this set great power. FB and GK are for coverage, I'm a bit iffy about using FB due to accuracy but it hits every thing resisting DP and FT. Grass Knot is an alternative but only if you have Swampert trouble (Or if you rage about FB's 70% hit rate) Illusion isn't even necessary for the set to be useful, which is what I decided on while making this set. Though it will occasionally allow Zoroark a free turn of set up or even a free hit. Good Teammates include Ghosts, a good Ttar/Heatran counter, something to kill Blissey, and perhaps Dual screens and an alternate agility user (doesn't need agility just the capacity to use it) Priority is also a threat to deal with. An alternate move is memento, since you outspeed everything you can use it when you are near death to help another sweeper set up and finish things off.
LEAD
Timid / Jolly 252 (Sp) atk / 252 speed
Focus Sash
Dark Pulse / Trickery / Night Slash
Counter
Sucker Punch
Memento / U-turn
This lead is all about messing with the opponent, Dark Pulse or Trickery to hurt suicide leads, then finish them with sucker punch, hopefully they used the turn setting up SR and you'll get off without breaking your sash, allowing you the ability to counter, memento, or straight up attack the switch in. u-turn can be used if you either have a rapid spinner, also if you send in Zoro under the guise of a spinner you can massacre the ghost they send in. If you use DP then max out Sp atk other wise max out attack to get more damage off of Sucker Punch.
Feel free to add suggestions, especially to the lead because I think it has potential to defeat a lot of common leads if you choose the correct attacks.
Zoroark @ Life Orb
Modest 4 HP / 252 Sp Atk / 252 Speed
Ability: Illusion
-Dark Pulse
-Agility
-Flamethrower
-Focus Blast / Grass Knot
I'm betting most pokemon will expect Zoroark to NP, if they even predict him in the first place! With an agility Zoroark out speeds everything not named Ninjask or Deoxy, even if they have a scarf. Modest + Life Orb gives this set great power. FB and GK are for coverage, I'm a bit iffy about using FB due to accuracy but it hits every thing resisting DP and FT. Grass Knot is an alternative but only if you have Swampert trouble (Or if you rage about FB's 70% hit rate) Illusion isn't even necessary for the set to be useful, which is what I decided on while making this set. Though it will occasionally allow Zoroark a free turn of set up or even a free hit. Good Teammates include Ghosts, a good Ttar/Heatran counter, something to kill Blissey, and perhaps Dual screens and an alternate agility user (doesn't need agility just the capacity to use it) Priority is also a threat to deal with. An alternate move is memento, since you outspeed everything you can use it when you are near death to help another sweeper set up and finish things off.
LEAD
Timid / Jolly 252 (Sp) atk / 252 speed
Focus Sash
Dark Pulse / Trickery / Night Slash
Counter
Sucker Punch
Memento / U-turn
This lead is all about messing with the opponent, Dark Pulse or Trickery to hurt suicide leads, then finish them with sucker punch, hopefully they used the turn setting up SR and you'll get off without breaking your sash, allowing you the ability to counter, memento, or straight up attack the switch in. u-turn can be used if you either have a rapid spinner, also if you send in Zoro under the guise of a spinner you can massacre the ghost they send in. If you use DP then max out Sp atk other wise max out attack to get more damage off of Sucker Punch.
Feel free to add suggestions, especially to the lead because I think it has potential to defeat a lot of common leads if you choose the correct attacks.
I get what you are saying.I was just wondering why it didn't get a priority..A guy above said it gets Sucker Punch?I'll check it out.If it does, that's good.
I finh a potential anti-lead set of Dark pulse/night burst, grass knot, flamethrower, and focus blast a viable albeit risky option
I can see the LO set working somewhat, but I would imagine it hard to set up agility. I also reccomend a timid nature to out speed base 95-100's with max speed.
On the lead set I suggest flamethrower and/or grass knot.
flamethrower shows an effective way to deal with metagross, skarmory, bronzong, jirachi and mamoswine. Grass knot deals with swampert, hippowdown, donphan, and T-tar. Good sets otherwise!
@Granstafer for the agility sweeper, I figured its going to be like Lucario where everyone uses swords dance, so agility allows it to beat its main counters. I used Modest because Zoroark needs all the power it can get and after an agility it outspeeds ever thing aside from the two pokemon mentioned, even if they have a scarf, as well as most Swift swimmers and chlorophyl users.
Flamethrower and grass knot are good ideas that could replace Memento or U-turn, it all depends on what you want covered as I think Zoroark could cover almost all leads with the right moves and its all about choosing the four that give you the best coverage.
Flamethrower and grass knot are good ideas that could replace Memento or U-turn, it all depends on what you want covered as I think Zoroark could cover almost all leads with the right moves and its all about choosing the four that give you the best coverage.
Zoroark @ Choice Specs/Expert Belt
252 SpA / 252 Spe / 6 HP
Timid (+Spe/-Atk)
~Dark Pulse
~Focus Blast
~Flame Thrower
~Grass Knot
Would this work?
252 SpA / 252 Spe / 6 HP
Timid (+Spe/-Atk)
~Dark Pulse
~Focus Blast
~Flame Thrower
~Grass Knot
Would this work?
Your set looks fine, I personally would rather use a set up move over a choice set but that should be fine. I'd also suggest you consider Life Orb, though it will make it harder to fool an opponent.
Ya i think it's something like after 1/2 HP is taken it changes back to Zoroark
A set like this might work.
Zoroark @ Leftovers?
Disguise- Tentacruel
Adamant 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 6 Def
-Substitute
-Swords Dance
-Sucker Punch
-Ankle Sweep
Basically you switch in "Tentacruel" to rapid spin away a set up or you send him in to wall some common sweepers like nape/heatran. A counter to tenta would be brought in and you can safely substitute and swords dance the following turn. You can then sucker punch or set up another substitute if they broke it. The leftovers may allow you to get an extra sub in if you last for 5 turns. Ankle sweep is for coverage against the steels that Sucker punch cannot hit.
Zoroark @ Leftovers?
Disguise- Tentacruel
Adamant 252 Atk / 252 Spe / 6 Def
-Substitute
-Swords Dance
-Sucker Punch
-Ankle Sweep
Basically you switch in "Tentacruel" to rapid spin away a set up or you send him in to wall some common sweepers like nape/heatran. A counter to tenta would be brought in and you can safely substitute and swords dance the following turn. You can then sucker punch or set up another substitute if they broke it. The leftovers may allow you to get an extra sub in if you last for 5 turns. Ankle sweep is for coverage against the steels that Sucker punch cannot hit.
It seems like a viable set. Although, personally, I would try to take advantage of Zoroark's high Special Attack. Flamethrower will do very well on Steels and it makes good use of Zoroark's high special attack.
I am taking this back, at first when I caught one on my game I thought it did that, but it ended up it just had the identical HP as the pokemon it was "cloning"
OK i don't really understand. Does zoro have it's own hp or the cloned pokes?
hey it is confirmed that he definitely takes the form before hitting the field right? it would suck if it was like
Go Zoroark! Zoroark changed to Gengar with illusion
just wanted to know if anyone tested it because i haven't seen any vids of him actually coming out if the pokeball
thanks
Go Zoroark! Zoroark changed to Gengar with illusion
just wanted to know if anyone tested it because i haven't seen any vids of him actually coming out if the pokeball
thanks
Illusion copies the name, gender, ball, and sprite. There's been at least one video of it somewhere... uhm...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUSHOSN_ge4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUSHOSN_ge4
thank you i could not find a video anywhere this makes me quite happy i think im going to be using alot of this guy
Is Zoroark's illusion broken if it gets its Substitute broken?
I agree, while it's very similar to Weavile, Zoroark has the potential to be a high OU for sure.