[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Behemoth Blade / Play Rough
move 3: Wild Charge
move 4: Close Combat / Tera Blast
item: Rusted Sword
ability: Intrepid Sword
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
tera type: Fighting / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
* Zacian-C is one of the most dangerous physical threats and a source of immense offensive role compression, as it is able to serve as a cleaner, speed control, and a sweeper. Zacian-C's natural power is sufficient to easily clean up weakened teams or frailer hyper offense structures. Additionally, after a Swords Dance boost, it can break through some of its sturdier defensive checks such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh after minor chip damage.
* Zacian-C's defensive typing provides it with a resistance to priority from Chien-Pao, Yveltal, and Extreme Killer Arceus, which is also greatly appreciated by the hyper offensive structures on which it is a staple. Zacian-C does have a place on balance and bulky offense structures, but its flaws such as a poor stall matchup, Tera reliance, and the lack of power after switching out render it merely good as opposed to a near auto include.
* Behemoth Blade is Zacian-C's preferred STAB option due to its higher damage, solid neutral coverage, and ability to improve its matchup agaisnt opposing Zacian-C, albeit at the cost of struggling against Ditto. It also benefits from Tera Fairy being common on Pokémon such as support Arceus formes, Eternatus, and Coil Zygarde.
* Play Rough is solid option that fits on teams weak to specific Pokemon such as Marshadow and Yveltal. enabling Zacian-C to cleave through Dragon-types such as Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Zygarde, but it does suffer from accuracy issues. It synergizes best with Tera Blast Ground, as Zacian-C will otherwise be walled by Tera Poison Arceus formes, and the combination of moves hits nearly the entire metagame neutrally.
* Wild Charge is Zacian-C's best coverage for Ho-Oh. +1 Wild Charge also comes with the benefit of OHKOing wallbreaker Primal Kyogre and specially offensive Yveltal after one round of Life Orb chip damage.
* Close Combat provides Zacian-C with solid neutral coverage against Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, hits Exteme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark super effectively, and is a solid option on any playstyle. Tera Blast Ground is also an option on hyper offense structures to plow through defensive Primal Groudon and Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM but is far more committal in both the teambuilder and in-game.
* Zacian-C's Tera type depends on its coverage option in its last moveslot. Tera Fighting Close Combat is Zacian-C’s strongest move and gives it the slight damage boost it needs to OHKO Extreme Killer Arceus without a Swords Dance boost as well as defensive Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes.
* Alternatively, Tera Blast Ground enables Zacian-C the means to safely take on Primal Groudon and hit Tera Poison Arceus formes super effectively. Tera Blast Ground Zacian-C is capable of ending games on the spot against some structures but is less consistent.
* Zacian-C rarely has an early-game presence, as it is often reliant on the initial boost from Intrepid Sword to properly wallbreak or clean. Consequently, Zacian-C must make its initial entry point count; for example, against hyper offense structures, Zacian-C finds entry points to revenge kill Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Kyogre, while Calm Mind Arceus-Dark and Arceus-Fairy provide safe entry against balance and bulky offense structures. It can also be used aggressively with Tera to set up Swords Dance against attacks that would otherwise OHKO it such as Primal Groudons Overheat or Zygarde's Thousand Arrows.
* Zacian-C's efficacy progressively decreases against bulkier teams; even bulky offense structures usually have the means to check it defensively with Primal Groudon and a Ground-immune check such as Ho-Oh or Giratina-O. Accordingly, Zacian-C is readily forced out, sacrificing its Attack boost. Zacian-C’s worst matchup is against stall; despite Giratina and Eternatus being unable to damage it, Dondozo walls it, and Zacian-C is reliant on a teammate to pressure it to use Tera Fairy so it can make progress with Behemoth Blade.
* Zacian-C is a staple, if not near mandatory on every hyper offensive archetype due to its high Speed to allow it to clean and the role compression that it provides offensively and defensively. It can prevent Extreme Killer Arceus from sweeping and resists Yveltal's STAB moves; however, it must be cautious of the niche Tera Fire Heat Wave. Due to limited defensive counterplay, Zacian-C draws in Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh to wear them down for teammates such as Meteor Beam Eternatus and wallbreaker Primal Kyogre to continue the onslaught or vice versa.
* On Sticky Web structures, Chi-Yu is an excellent teammate because it helps maintain Sticky Web with a speedy Taunt, breaks past Zacian-C's checks such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh with Black Hole Eclipse, and is a potent stallbreaker. In return, Zacian-C alleviates Chi-Yu's issues with offense, notably its susceptibility to Extreme Killer Arceus.
* Ultra Necrozma fills a similar role to Chi-Yu on entry hazard stack structures. It appreciates Zacian-C breaking through Arceus-Dark and Yveltal, which would otherwise check it with ease, as well as revenge killing Extreme Killer Arceus, Marshadow, and specially offensive Yveltal. Furthermore, Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus sometimes opt for Tera Dark to check Ultra Necrozma, but in doing so, they become particularly vulnerable to Zacian-C. In return, boosted Ultra Necrozma notably plows through Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Coil Zygarde for Zacian-C. However, both Pokemon struggle with the stall matchup, so some additional help is appreciated such as wallbreaker Primal Kyogre and Meteor Beam Eternatus.
* Zacian-C is still a solid Pokemon outside of hyper offense structures, but its flaws become more apparent both in the teambuilder and in battle. For example, despite a great defensive typing, Zacian-C often struggles to find safe switch-in opportunities outside of Calm Mind Arceus formes and specially offensive Yveltal. Moreover, Zacian-C's efficacy as an offensive check to common Pokemon on Sticky Web structures such as as Extreme Killer Arceus, Chi-Yu, and Primal Kyogre is nullified until it is removed.
* Offensive Ho-Oh is an excellent partner on bulky offense structures, as its defensive profile enables Zacian-C to more precisely pick and choose its entry points. Ho-Oh's longevity and offensive pressure is appreciated against stall and bulkier structures that easily check Zacian-C. In return, Zacian-C checks offensive Pokemon capable of brute forcing past Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Meteor Beam Eternatus, and wallbreaker Primal Kyogre. Furthermore, Primal Groudon is a common switch-in to Ho-Oh, so if it takes any attack or Toxic, it struggles to reliably check Zacian-C. Defensive Primal Kyogre is also an excellent teammate due its stellar matchup against stall and pressuring Zacian-C's defensive checks such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Coil Zygarde.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bumboclaat.523420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sami.604820/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/[/COPYEDIT]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Behemoth Blade / Play Rough
move 3: Wild Charge
move 4: Close Combat / Tera Blast
item: Rusted Sword
ability: Intrepid Sword
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
tera type: Fighting / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
* Zacian-C is one of the most dangerous physical threats and a source of immense offensive role compression, as it is able to serve as a cleaner, speed control, and a sweeper. Zacian-C's natural power is sufficient to easily clean up weakened teams or frailer hyper offense structures. Additionally, after a Swords Dance boost, it can break through some of its sturdier defensive checks such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh after minor chip damage.
* Zacian-C's defensive typing provides it with a resistance to priority from Chien-Pao, Yveltal, and Extreme Killer Arceus, which is also greatly appreciated by the hyper offensive structures on which it is a staple. Zacian-C does have a place on balance and bulky offense structures, but its flaws such as a poor stall matchup, Tera reliance, and the lack of power after switching out render it merely good as opposed to a near auto include.
* Behemoth Blade is Zacian-C's preferred STAB option due to its higher damage, solid neutral coverage, and ability to improve its matchup agaisnt opposing Zacian-C, albeit at the cost of struggling against Ditto. It also benefits from Tera Fairy being common on Pokémon such as support Arceus formes, Eternatus, and Coil Zygarde.
* Play Rough is solid option that fits on teams weak to specific Pokemon such as Marshadow and Yveltal. enabling Zacian-C to cleave through Dragon-types such as Rayquaza, Mega Salamence, and Zygarde, but it does suffer from accuracy issues. It synergizes best with Tera Blast Ground, as Zacian-C will otherwise be walled by Tera Poison Arceus formes, and the combination of moves hits nearly the entire metagame neutrally.
* Wild Charge is Zacian-C's best coverage for Ho-Oh. +1 Wild Charge also comes with the benefit of OHKOing wallbreaker Primal Kyogre and specially offensive Yveltal after one round of Life Orb chip damage.
* Close Combat provides Zacian-C with solid neutral coverage against Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, hits Exteme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark super effectively, and is a solid option on any playstyle. Tera Blast Ground is also an option on hyper offense structures to plow through defensive Primal Groudon and Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM but is far more committal in both the teambuilder and in-game.
* Zacian-C's Tera type depends on its coverage option in its last moveslot. Tera Fighting Close Combat is Zacian-C’s strongest move and gives it the slight damage boost it needs to OHKO Extreme Killer Arceus without a Swords Dance boost as well as defensive Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes.
* Alternatively, Tera Blast Ground enables Zacian-C the means to safely take on Primal Groudon and hit Tera Poison Arceus formes super effectively. Tera Blast Ground Zacian-C is capable of ending games on the spot against some structures but is less consistent.
* Zacian-C rarely has an early-game presence, as it is often reliant on the initial boost from Intrepid Sword to properly wallbreak or clean. Consequently, Zacian-C must make its initial entry point count; for example, against hyper offense structures, Zacian-C finds entry points to revenge kill Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Kyogre, while Calm Mind Arceus-Dark and Arceus-Fairy provide safe entry against balance and bulky offense structures. It can also be used aggressively with Tera to set up Swords Dance against attacks that would otherwise OHKO it such as Primal Groudons Overheat or Zygarde's Thousand Arrows.
* Zacian-C's efficacy progressively decreases against bulkier teams; even bulky offense structures usually have the means to check it defensively with Primal Groudon and a Ground-immune check such as Ho-Oh or Giratina-O. Accordingly, Zacian-C is readily forced out, sacrificing its Attack boost. Zacian-C’s worst matchup is against stall; despite Giratina and Eternatus being unable to damage it, Dondozo walls it, and Zacian-C is reliant on a teammate to pressure it to use Tera Fairy so it can make progress with Behemoth Blade.
* Zacian-C is a staple, if not near mandatory on every hyper offensive archetype due to its high Speed to allow it to clean and the role compression that it provides offensively and defensively. It can prevent Extreme Killer Arceus from sweeping and resists Yveltal's STAB moves; however, it must be cautious of the niche Tera Fire Heat Wave. Due to limited defensive counterplay, Zacian-C draws in Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh to wear them down for teammates such as Meteor Beam Eternatus and wallbreaker Primal Kyogre to continue the onslaught or vice versa.
* On Sticky Web structures, Chi-Yu is an excellent teammate because it helps maintain Sticky Web with a speedy Taunt, breaks past Zacian-C's checks such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh with Black Hole Eclipse, and is a potent stallbreaker. In return, Zacian-C alleviates Chi-Yu's issues with offense, notably its susceptibility to Extreme Killer Arceus.
* Ultra Necrozma fills a similar role to Chi-Yu on entry hazard stack structures. It appreciates Zacian-C breaking through Arceus-Dark and Yveltal, which would otherwise check it with ease, as well as revenge killing Extreme Killer Arceus, Marshadow, and specially offensive Yveltal. Furthermore, Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus sometimes opt for Tera Dark to check Ultra Necrozma, but in doing so, they become particularly vulnerable to Zacian-C. In return, boosted Ultra Necrozma notably plows through Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Coil Zygarde for Zacian-C. However, both Pokemon struggle with the stall matchup, so some additional help is appreciated such as wallbreaker Primal Kyogre and Meteor Beam Eternatus.
* Zacian-C is still a solid Pokemon outside of hyper offense structures, but its flaws become more apparent both in the teambuilder and in battle. For example, despite a great defensive typing, Zacian-C often struggles to find safe switch-in opportunities outside of Calm Mind Arceus formes and specially offensive Yveltal. Moreover, Zacian-C's efficacy as an offensive check to common Pokemon on Sticky Web structures such as as Extreme Killer Arceus, Chi-Yu, and Primal Kyogre is nullified until it is removed.
* Offensive Ho-Oh is an excellent partner on bulky offense structures, as its defensive profile enables Zacian-C to more precisely pick and choose its entry points. Ho-Oh's longevity and offensive pressure is appreciated against stall and bulkier structures that easily check Zacian-C. In return, Zacian-C checks offensive Pokemon capable of brute forcing past Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, Meteor Beam Eternatus, and wallbreaker Primal Kyogre. Furthermore, Primal Groudon is a common switch-in to Ho-Oh, so if it takes any attack or Toxic, it struggles to reliably check Zacian-C. Defensive Primal Kyogre is also an excellent teammate due its stellar matchup against stall and pressuring Zacian-C's defensive checks such as Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Coil Zygarde.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bumboclaat.523420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/sami.604820/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bobsican.434487/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/autumn.384270/[/COPYEDIT]
Last edited:
