Gen 2 Zapdos [QC 2/2] [GP 2/2]

[wyc2333]

[OVERVIEW]
Zapdos is a dominant and defining Pokemon in GSC OU. It has tremendous base 125 Special Attack and near perfect coverage between STAB Electric-type moves and Hidden Power Ice, making it an offensive force to be reckoned with. It is particularly deadly when used with Spikes support, as no Pokemon immune to Spikes can stomach hits from it for long, and even grounded foes that can withstand a beating from it, such as Raikou and Snorlax, become crippled if Zapdos's Thunder inflicts paralysis on them. Zapdos also has defensive traits that its main competition, Raikou, can only look to the sky in envy at. Its Flying typing grants it immunity to Earthquake from the tier's many Ground-types as well as useful resistances to Fighting and Bug—all without the usual accompanying weakness to Electric-type attacks. Its phenomenal typing and formidable defensive stats make it one of the best candidates for using RestTalk, which gives Zapdos excellent longevity and makes it one of the best Pokemon at taking Toxic from foes such as Skarmory, Cloyster, Suicune, and Blissey, although it should be more wary of taking paralysis when it doesn't need to. Thanks to its spectacular damage output, even the few Pokemon that can 2HKO it, such as Jynx, Tyranitar, and Marowak, can struggle to find an opportunity to advantageously trade hits with it, especially since Zapdos often finds chances to recover lost health with Rest. This excellent balance between offense and defense makes Zapdos an easy fit on many teams. However, Zapdos will often find itself having to trade hits with Snorlax, which is one of the very few Pokemon that can do so favorably. Furthermore, while it generally has the upper hand in most matchups, many common offensive Pokemon such as Cloyster, Exeggutor, and Steelix will often try to trade themselves for Zapdos with Explosion, which almost always OHKOes it.

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Great Special Attack, combined with the ability to continuously get rid of status and restore health with virtually no drawbacks, turns Zapdos into a powerful tank. The choice between Thunder and Thunderbolt depends on what your team needs more: power or consistency. Offensive teams will typically favor Thunder's higher Base Power, which allows Zapdos to possibly 4HKO Snorlax and 2HKO Miltank. The damage roll on Snorlax is particularly notable against non-Sleep Talk Snorlax, as Zapdos without Thunder will require multiple critical hits within a few turns to KO Snorlax, whereas Thunder Zapdos can potentially KO it if Thunder lands a critical hit within three attacks. Thunder's high chance of inflicting paralysis also makes Electric-types such as Raikou shakier at checking Zapdos, as they depend on their Speed to reliably deal with other foes such as Vaporeon and Cloyster. This high chance of paralysis on such a powerful move is an important reason why Zapdos can be so difficult to deal with—aside from Raikou, Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Tyranitar, Porygon2, and Gengar lose considerable effectiveness when they become paralyzed, and they will all need to risk this occasionally. Still, some teams may prefer the high PP and accuracy of Thunderbolt, which gives Zapdos more consistency against foes such as Vaporeon, Cloyster, Starmie, and Tentacruel. Zapdos's coverage attack is primarily used to threaten Ground-types such as Nidoking and Marowak. Hidden Power Ice has the benefits of hitting Grass-types such as Exeggutor super effectively and crucially increasing Zapdos's odds at beating opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Sleep Talk rolls. Hidden Power Water is an alternative option to hit Golem, Steelix, and Rhydon harder, but the resulting HP DV drop and neutral damage to opposing Zapdos make Zapdos substantially less likely to come out on top against RestTalk Zapdos with Hidden Power Ice. With Rest and Sleep Talk, Zapdos makes a great status absorber and a more consistent check to Vaporeon, Exeggutor, and Nidoking. Its defensive stats and typing pair together so well that, with the right Sleep Talk rolls, it can sometimes beat almost an entire weakened team by itself, especially if the team lacks Explosion or attacks that 2HKO it.

Team Options
========
Zapdos possesses several qualities that make it fantastic at taking advantage of Spikes: its attacking moves hit all Spikes-immune Pokemon extremely hard, its immunity to Spikes makes it excellent at double switching to rack up Spikes damage, and very few of the Pokemon that can withstand its powerful attacks pose an immediate KO threat in return. Cloyster not only provides these Spikes, but it also switches into many of the Pokemon that can switch into Zapdos, with the notable exception of Raikou. Offensive partners such as Gengar and Exeggutor lure in the three major walls that trouble Zapdos—Raikou, Blissey, and Snorlax—and can use a strong Explosion to KO or severely weaken them. Gengar also acts as an effective lure to Quagsire, which, while uncommon, walls Zapdos effectively. Exeggutor, on the other hand, can check Quagsire with ease. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax, which can take on problematic foes such as Raikou, Blissey, and Jolteon, while a Raikou of your own will take on opposing Electric-types. If Snorlax has Self-Destruct, it can also bait and KO opposing Snorlax to give room for Zapdos to wreak havoc. Slower offensive Pokemon such as Vaporeon and Machamp appreciate paralysis support from Thunder, and teams that have Raikou will almost certainly switch it into Zapdos, giving Zapdos plenty of chances to inflict this paralysis for its teammates. Zapdos enjoys support from Snorlax checks such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Machamp on offensive teams and Skarmory, Misdreavus, Umbreon, and Miltank on defensive teams; Tyranitar and Golem are also commonly found on both kinds of team. Skarmory can also take Explosion from Steelix and deal with Quagsire. Machamp, Vaporeon, and Ground-types such as Nidoking help Zapdos against Tyranitar. Ground-types also help against Electric-types, especially Raikou.

[SET]
name: Offensive Phazer
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Zapdos can take its already respectable offensive presence to another level by using Whirlwind in tandem with Spikes support. This set works due to Zapdos's huge threat level against a vast majority of the metagame. Few Pokemon can afford to stay in to trade hits with Zapdos—notably, fewer than can take Roar Raikou on—with many risking being OHKOed if they stay in. Most teams rely on Snorlax and Raikou or a Ground-type to combat Zapdos's onslaught, but repeatedly taking Spikes damage on entry and then immediately being phazed, forcing another entry, can bring even the sturdiest checks into KO range of its attacks. There is no reliable answer to such a strategy other than to anticipate Whirlwind and attack Zapdos or hope that Whirlwind drags in a healthy Pokemon that has a favorable matchup. Whirlwind also lets Zapdos punish Snorlax for setting up Curse against it by preventing it from burning through any of its sleep turns if used when Snorlax is forced to use Rest. Thunder Wave can cripple most healthy Pokemon, making the target easier for Zapdos and its team to deal with. It is particularly useful when dealing with RestTalk Zapdos, which is one of the only Pokemon that can give this Zapdos significant trouble due to its immunity to Spikes and ability to avoid being 2HKOed. Thunder Wave is not the only option for this moveslot; rather, it is the clear best option for a majority of teams. One alternative is Protect, which can block Explosion from the likes of Exeggutor, Steelix, and Gengar and allow Zapdos to recover health with Leftovers to help compensate for lacking Rest, potentially turning 3HKOs into 4HKOs against foes such as Nidoking and Gengar. While this Zapdos is typically considered an offensive variant, Whirlwind also allows it to play defensive roles, such as phazing Mean Look variants of Misdreavus and Umbreon, Curse and Belly Drum Snorlax that have used Rest, and other foes with boosting moves. On more defensive lineups, it may elect to use Rest over Thunder Wave and pair up with a Heal Bell user such as Blissey.

In terms of attacks, this variant of Zapdos is much more dependent on Spikes support and therefore prefers to have the most powerful and accurate moves against Rapid Spin users. Thunderbolt is slightly preferred over Thunder, as it consistently eliminates Starmie and Cloyster and deals reliable heavy damage to Forretress, and Hidden Power Water is preferred over Hidden Power Ice so that Zapdos can nail Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, which is useful to deter use of Rapid Spin from Golem, Rock Slide from Rhydon, and Body Slam or Roar from Steelix. In addition, Whirlwind somewhat compensates for Hidden Power Water's worsened Exeggutor matchup, as Zapdos can phaze it as it switches in. However, Exeggutor is a much bigger threat to this Zapdos and can be especially problematic if the team cannot maintain Spikes support. Hidden Power Ice can therefore still be useful, and it also helps against opposing Zapdos when using the less reliable Thunder.

Team Options
========
Cloyster is the preferred teammate for Spikes support, as it provides a significant offensive threat alongside its Spikes and can blow a hole in the opponent's defenses against Zapdos. It also provides a decent temporary answer to Curse Snorlax thanks to its high Defense, tendency to run Toxic in its standard moveset—which can force Snorlax to use Rest, and ability to threaten Snorlax with Explosion. Cloyster also provides a temporary answer to Ground- and Rock-type foes that Zapdos may not always want to trade hits with, such as Rhydon and Marowak. Forretress is a valid alternative, although its offensive capabilities are lacking. It is great at taking advantage of foes such as mono-attacking Snorlax and capitalizes well when opponents are stacking their teams with anti-Cloyster measures, such as Thunder Snorlax and Toxic Skarmory, which are less effective against Forretress and can grant it easy opportunities to set Spikes. Gengar is another useful teammate for its ability to spinblock, as losing Spikes can significantly impair Zapdos's offensive capabilities against defensive teams. Without RestTalk, Zapdos is far more susceptible to status. RestTalk Snorlax is therefore a great choice of teammate, especially on teams that lack other good candidates for a RestTalk user, as it can absorb status from most foes safely. Zapdos generally appreciates having offensive teammates that punish foes for trying to recover. Some of these include Nidoking, Gengar, Exeggutor, and Jynx. In particular, it is important that Zapdos's teammates do not allow paralyzed opposing Zapdos opportunities to switch in and use Rest without threatening a 3HKO in return or a trade with Explosion.

However, if Zapdos is instead found on a defensive lineup, pressing a favorable position is much less important and its teammates can instead be focused on gaining and maintaining a Spikes advantage while walling the enemy team. Skarmory is a commonly chosen teammate that can take on Curse + Earthquake Snorlax reliably and check Marowak and Machamp, which are two Pokemon that Zapdos does not want to be the lone check against. Blissey is a great choice for checking special attackers and offering Heal Bell support to Zapdos. When paired with other formidable mixed tanks such as Snorlax, Zapdos can also help against foes such as Nidoking, Machamp, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel, despite lacking RestTalk.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Drill Peck with an Electric-type move and Hidden Power Water will give Zapdos a better matchup against threats such as Heracross, Machamp, and Exeggutor, and its high PP and solid damage output can put pressure on Blissey's Soft-Boiled PP, but Zapdos will still have problems with Raikou, Snorlax, and Quagsire. When used alongside Whirlwind, Reflect is helpful when dealing with Tyranitar, Machamp, and Snorlax; Light Screen is similarly useful when fighting Nidoking, Jynx, and opposing Zapdos. Light Screen also tends to be valuable in helping setup sweepers find opportunities to boost without losing too much health in the process. Toxic is a possibility to force Snorlax and Raikou into a predictable Rest, which can grant momentum. In addition, if Snorlax is unable to safely absorb Toxic, this can put Blissey in a difficult position due to its limited Heal Bell PP. Zapdos can consider running Hidden Power Grass to deal a lot of damage to Quagsire, but this will severely impact Zapdos's HP stat and lose crucial super effective coverage against Nidoking, so it is therefore almost never recommended. With Magnet, Zapdos can possibly 3HKO Snorlax with Thunder after Spikes, though losing Leftovers reduces Zapdos's longevity by such a huge amount that Zapdos loses much of its usual defensive effectiveness. Zapdos's high Speed means that it can use Substitute + Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support. This can give it a better chance of getting through some of its bulkier checks, such as Snorlax and Quagsire. However, this strategy can easily fall apart against RestTalk Zapdos and Raikou if they are able to use Rest, and the set suffers from the inability to fit Thunder Wave.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Raikou is the best counter to Zapdos, as it can take any of Zapdos's moves while phazing or hammering Zapdos with a powerful STAB Thunder of its own. Jolteon can use Zapdos without Whirlwind as setup bait. After it uses Agility or Growth, it can use Baton Pass to send a deadly boost to a teammate to sweep Zapdos's team. Jolteon can also easily dispose of Zapdos itself after using Growth. Other less common Electric-types such as Ampharos also have a good matchup against Zapdos. However, none of them appreciate being paralyzed by Zapdos's Thunder or Thunder Wave, and none of them can immediately threaten a 2HKO on Zapdos, which can give Zapdos a chance to fish for paralysis against them.

**Special Walls**: Blissey walls Zapdos all day long; however, it is largely unable to do anything significant to Zapdos other than use Light Screen to support its team or fish for a freeze with Ice Beam while Zapdos is awake. With RestTalk or Heal Bell support, Snorlax will easily take on even Thunder Zapdos. Even without such support, Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon at tanking Zapdos's moves and threatens it back significantly with its STAB attacks. However, Zapdos's Thunder is capable of 4HKOing Snorlax, so pairing Snorlax with a Ground-type Pokemon to bait Hidden Power can be useful in limiting the damage it takes switching in. Rapid Spin support also helps immensely in this regard, as Spikes damage counteracts Leftovers recovery and causes Thunder damage to accumulate far more quickly.

**Ground-types**: Steelix works as an effective pivot for teams looking to bring in a check to Zapdos against a relatively weak Hidden Power Ice. Steelix can also use Explosion to trade itself for Zapdos, phaze, or paralyze Zapdos with Body Slam or Dragon Breath. Piloswine and Quagsire can also check Hidden Power Ice Zapdos reliably and potentially threaten it in return with Ice Beam or Hidden Power Rock. Quagsire also has the advantage of taking neutral damage from Hidden Power Water, unlike the other Ground-types that also take neutral damage from Hidden Power Ice. Marowak can 2HKO Zapdos with Rock Slide and almost always avoids a 2HKO from Hidden Power. Nidoking usually 3HKOes with Ice Beam and has the threat of Counter up its sleeve—Counter always succeeds against Hidden Power in GSC, although Nidoking should weaken Zapdos before attempting to pull this off. Rhydon 2HKOes Zapdos with Rock Slide and narrowly evades being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice almost all of the time. However, the slim margins in this matchup, as well as the potential Hidden Power Water OHKO, make fighting Zapdos with Rhydon head on a risky proposition. Rhydon and Marowak both also have access to Counter; Rhydon will OHKO if targeted by Hidden Power Ice about 85% of the time and can guarantee an OHKO if it has slightly lower Special DVs than maximum, whereas to KO with Marowak, Zapdos must be weakened or Marowak's Special DVs and Special Stat Experience must be significantly lower than maximum, which may not be worth the serious loss of special bulk.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has STAB Rock Slide, which achieves the rare feat of 2HKOing Zapdos. Furthermore, it has Pursuit to chip away at Zapdos as it switches out. However, Tyranitar cannot afford to switch in on Zapdos's Thunder, which 3HKOes it.

**Jynx**: Jynx cannot afford to switch into a an Electric-type move from Zapdos, but usually avoids a Thunder 2HKO and threatens a 2HKO in return with Ice Beam, making it a good option to switch in as Zapdos uses Rest.

**Explosion**: Zapdos makes a great target for Explosion users such as Exeggutor, Cloyster, Golem, Steelix, and Gengar. With the exception of Gengar, which can use Ice Punch to bring it into KO range beforehand, most Explosion users in OU can always OHKO Zapdos, and this is often an excellent trade to make. Removing Zapdos from the picture often paves the way for attackers such as Vaporeon, Nidoking, and Machamp to wreak havoc.

**Sunny Day**: Pokemon with Sunny Day can turn a winning matchup into a potential losing one for Zapdos variants relying on Thunder. Entei, Typhlosion, and Houndoom can also 2HKO Zapdos with Fire Blast in sun, and Moltres often survives one hit from Thunder to land a 2HKO. However, if Zapdos manages to land Thunder, it has good odds to 2HKO Typhlosion and Houndoom.

**Substitute**: Zapdos's tendency to use the inaccurate Thunder can be exploited by fast Pokemon with Substitute, such as Alakazam, Espeon, Tentacruel, and Starmie. As Zapdos fails to break Substitute with Hidden Power most of the time, Thunder misses can generate free turns to set up, fire off attacks, or spin away Spikes.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830], [Earthworm, 15210], [Lockeness, 39891]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jorgen, 53302], [FriendOfMrGolem120, 424525]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [CryoGyro, 331519]]

 

[wyc2333]

...

 

[Iguana]

Hey, nice start on the Zapdos analysis! This is just an am QC check, but I wanted to share some thoughts to help you out.

I would give Toxic a bit more consideration in your analysis. While it is not the most common option on Zapdos, it does serve a variety of functions, ranging from significantly limiting the longevity of a Ground-type like Rhydon or Golem without Rest, to crippling Blissey, to compelling all sorts of Pokémon to Rest. I disagree about Thunder and Thunder Wave nullifying the impact of Toxic. Diligent players will often run Thunderbolt with Toxic to reduce the chance of dual status inflicting (and also due to better accuracy and pp, but I digress).

Probably consult with the QC team on this before removing it, but I have never seen Hidden Power Grass Zapdos used in GSC OU. There are upsides of using it, but it's extremely niche at best, and I'm not sure it's worth mentioning for that reason.

I would strongly recommend at least slashing Protect alongside Thunder Wave in the T-Bolt, HP Water, Whirlwind Zapdos set. Protect is much more common currently in the metagame, and it's a very viable set. Thunder Wave Zapdos is worth mentioning in the analysis, but on that set, Protect is much better right now. As a brief side-note, you mentioned a couple of benefits of Protect under the Other Options section, but I'd also include its ability to prevent Zapdos from taking Explosion damage. That's among the more important roles of Protect, like if Zapdos can't quite KO a Steelix or Exeggutor and thus could be taken out by either of their Explosions.

You've done a nice job of conveying the role Zapdos plays in Para-driven teams, but I think it would be wise to explain how the Thunderbolt, HP Water, Whirlwind Zapdos set lends itself most to offensive teams. You did allude to this with the comment about being careful wielding that Zapdos set since it is Rest-less, but you can go a step further and discuss how HP Water slams Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, Pokémon that can otherwise get away with tanking a hit or two from Zapdos, and also how Thunderbolt's accuracy enables Zapdos to cause the most damage without sacrificing pp or accuracy.

Maybe most importantly, be sure to really drive home some of the main functions of Zapdos: it is perhaps the best Sleep-absorber in the metagame with a strong Rest/Sleep Talk set; it tanks hits with ease hits from Pokémon like Machamp and Nidoking and threatens in return with a very powerful Special Attack stat; with access to Whirlwind, it can be a very offensive phazer when paired with Spikes support; it's immune to Spikes damage, the only hazard in GSC; and it's devastatingly powerful while still having fantastic defensive stats. Some of these points you've already hit, but make sure to highlight what makes Zapdos one of the best Pokémon in the metagame.

Let me know if you have any questions, and nice job so far!

 

[wyc2333]

Protect is much more common currently in the metagame, and it's a very viable set.

could u tell me how tect is much more common currently in the metagame? at least i disagree. for example:
in PPL 2020 GSC OU Moves + Teammates
| 9 | Protect | 1 | 1.23% |
in 2020-12-H2/moveset/gen2ou-1760

| Moves                                  |

| Hidden Power Ice 87.260%               |

| Thunder 77.865%                        |

| Rest 73.148%                           |

| Sleep Talk 73.007%                     |

| Thunderbolt 26.143%                    |

| Whirlwind 20.641%                      |

| Thunder Wave 13.518%                   |

| Hidden Power Water 11.391%             |

| Other 17.027%                          |

it is perhaps the best Sleep-absorber in the metagame with a strong Rest/Sleep Talk set

it may not absorb LK from lax and jynx, but resttalk lax can absorb LK from jynx. ig it's the reason why lax ranks first when it comes to RestTalkers in GSC Teambuilding Compendium

 

[Earthworm]

I have taken over this analysis and it is ready to be QCed.

 

[Jorgen]

Looks good! A couple of tweaks:

Gengar also acts as an effective lure to Quagsire, which, while uncommon, walls Zapdos effectively. Exeggutor, on the other hand, can check it with ease.

Mention of Quagsire should probably be qualified.

If Snorlax has Self-Destruct, it can also bait and kill opposing Snorlax to give room for Zapdos to wreak havoc.

Probably overthinking this, but I'm trying to nudge this away from implying "if you use Zapdos you should make an effort to use Self-Destruct Snorlax" and instead implying "if you want to use Self-Destruct Snorlax anyway, it actually has good synergy with Zapdos".

Whirlwind on Zapdos also bestows the advantage of being able to punish prevents Snorlax from setting up Curse against it. Moreover, Whirlwind can force Snorlax out as it uses Rest, preventing Snorlax from burning through any of its sleep turns and leaving Snorlax a sitting duck unless it has Sleep Talk. RestTalk Curse Snorlax.

Nice tech to be aware of, but the scenario seemed too specific. I tried to generalize it a bit.

In addition, Whirlwind somewhat compensates for the worsened Exeggutor matchup, and there are no Sleep Talk rolls to worry about against opposing Zapdos that would warrant use of Hidden Power Ice.

This is a strange line of thinking, because Exeggutor is very threatening to non-Sleep Talk Zapdos. STAB Psychics become much more difficult to shrug off and becoming statused is now a very serious problem. Perhaps the line of thinking is more: if you aren't using Sleep Talk, you probably aren't keen on staying in to fight Exeggutor or Zapdos in any case, so the opportunity cost of Hidden Power Water is lower than it would be for a Sleep Talk set.

Also, since HP Ice is still a slash, it's worth mentioning what the merits of keeping it are: namely, it keeps Egg from shooing you away so easily (especially important if your 4th isn't Twave or something like Drill Peck).

It also provides a decent temporary answer to Curse Snorlax thanks to its high Defense, tendency to use Toxic in its standard moveset which can force Snorlax to Rest, and ability to threaten Snorlax with Explosion.

"Ability to use" is a strange way to put it, since every viable Pokemon learns Toxic. Explosion is also a significant part of what makes Cloyster's matchup against Snorlax, if not favorable, complicated enough to make the Lax think twice.

Forretress is also a valid alternative, although its offensive capabilities are lacking. It is most effective when opponents are stacking their teams with anti-Cloyster measures such as Thunder Snorlax and Toxic Skarmory, which are less effective against Forretress and can grant it easy opportunities to set Spikes.

I'm pushing back against the notion that Forretress is only a valuable Zapdos teammate as some sort of anti-anti-metagame counterpick. While that's certainly part of it, Forretress also has its Toxic immunity which gives it value on defensively-oriented teams, and earlier you admit the possibility of using this set with Rest on a defensively-oriented team.

In addition to this, I tend to think of Cloyster as a nice bit of defensive role compression against "heavy" Grounds - Rhydon, Marowak, Steelix, and Golem. Zapdos only soft-checks them, after all.

RestTalk Snorlax is therefore a good teammate, especially on more offensive teams that lack other good candidates for RestTalk user.

"Crucial" implied "mandatory" to me. While Lax is probably the best and most common Sleep Talker to use here, Raikou, Vap, Suicune, and Heracross also work. Also, I'm not so sure there's an offense/defense divide on whether a team is likely to have good candidates for RestTalk user: Raikou, Vap, and Heracross all find good homes on "offensive" teams.

In particular, if Zapdos is using Thunder Wave, it is important that Zapdos's teammates do not allow paralyzed opposing Zapdos opportunities to switch in and use Rest without threatening a 3HKO in return or a trade with Explosion.

This is specific to the Twave variant, no?

Zapdos can also consider running Hidden Power Grass to deal a lot of damage to Quagsire, but this will severely impact Zapdos's HP stat due to DV requirements and is therefore almost never recommended.

Also, you lose Nidoking coverage.

If we're listing niche Hidden Powers that are theoretically useful but frankly bad, might I suggest Hidden Power Fire? It covers Egg, Steelix, and Piloswine all at once! As a bonus it makes the Curse Heracross and Forretress matchups less complicated (better talks against the former, a likely OHKO against the latter).

With Magnet, Zapdos can possibly 3HKO Snorlax with Thunder after Spikes damage

Self-explanatory.

Zapdos's high Speed and access to Substitute mean that it can use Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support.

I admire your chutzpah, and agree this might be viable, but have you tested this or seen matches where this set was used? SubSwagger is especially unconventional, so I wouldn't feel comfortable mentioning it (even in OO) without some games.

With RestTalk or Heal Bell support, Snorlax will easily take on even Zapdos that pack Thunder. Even without such support, Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon in the game at tanking Zapdos' moves. However, Zapdos' Thunder is capable of 4HKOing Snorlax, so pairing Snorlax with a Ground-type Pokemon to lure Hidden Power can be useful in limiting the damage Snorlax takes switching in. Rapid Spin support to remove Spikes also helps immensely in this regard, as Spikes damage counteracts Leftovers recovery and allows Thunder damage to accumulate far more quickly.

I feel like this undersold Snorlax as a Zapdos check. Yeah, Zapdos is good because it can (and often will) KO Snorlax in the course of a match, and relying on Snorlax alone to tank Zapdos is folly. But Snorlax is still one of its best checks, which is why Zapdos gets to KO Snorlax. Also, I'd mention Rapid Spin support as a way to keep Snorlax strong & healthy.

Marowak with intentionally reduced Special Defense can also threaten an OHKO with Counter if Zapdos hits it with Hidden Power.

To guarantee an OHKO with Counter, you need to reduce both your DVs and Stat Experience ("IVs" and "EVs"). If you're going to mention this strategy, that should probably be made explicit.

In any case, this seems incredibly ill-advised. You lose a coverage moveslot and you allow Surfs to OHKO you which means you can't try and tank one to get a kill that way. Maybe a cool tech to play around with, but not one to recommend in Checks & Counters.

Rhydon

also gets Counter, and is not a bad user of it, so for consistency it should also be mentioned here.

**Sunny Day**

Substitute works similarly, so perhaps make this section about "Sunny Day and Substitute"?


Happy to give QC 1/2 once these are addressed.

 

[Earthworm]

Thank you for the check!

Looks good! A couple of tweaks:



Mention of Quagsire should probably be qualified.

Adopted this change verbatim

Probably overthinking this, but I'm trying to nudge this away from implying "if you use Zapdos you should make an effort to use Self-Destruct Snorlax" and instead implying "if you want to use Self-Destruct Snorlax anyway, it actually has good synergy with Zapdos".

I think I adopted this verbatim as well.

Nice tech to be aware of, but the scenario seemed too specific. I tried to generalize it a bit.

I didn't like the exact wording you gave but I modified the sentences.

This is a strange line of thinking, because Exeggutor is very threatening to non-Sleep Talk Zapdos. STAB Psychics become much more difficult to shrug off and becoming statused is now a very serious problem. Perhaps the line of thinking is more: if you aren't using Sleep Talk, you probably aren't keen on staying in to fight Exeggutor or Zapdos in any case, so the opportunity cost of Hidden Power Water is lower than it would be for a Sleep Talk set.

Tried to clarify what I meant and also acknowledged Exeggutor as a threat.

Also, since HP Ice is still a slash, it's worth mentioning what the merits of keeping it are: namely, it keeps Egg from shooing you away so easily (especially important if your 4th isn't Twave or something like Drill Peck).

Tried to fit this in when editing the above bit.

"Ability to use" is a strange way to put it, since every viable Pokemon learns Toxic.

FWIW I think it makes sense in the full context of "Ability to fit Toxic in its standard set" since many Pokemon will struggle to fit Toxic into their standard set despite theoretically being able to use it. But tendency also conveys the meaning so I will just adopt the change.

Explosion is also a significant part of what makes Cloyster's matchup against Snorlax, if not favorable, complicated enough to make the Lax think twice.

Added.

I'm pushing back against the notion that Forretress is only a valuable Zapdos teammate as some sort of anti-anti-metagame counterpick. While that's certainly part of it, Forretress also has its Toxic immunity which gives it value on defensively-oriented teams, and earlier you admit the possibility of using this set with Rest on a defensively-oriented team.

Done a bit of rewording to make it sound less like this.

In addition to this, I tend to think of Cloyster as a nice bit of defensive role compression against "heavy" Grounds - Rhydon, Marowak, Steelix, and Golem. Zapdos only soft-checks them, after all.

Added.

"Crucial" implied "mandatory" to me. While Lax is probably the best and most common Sleep Talker to use here, Raikou, Vap, Suicune, and Heracross also work. Also, I'm not so sure there's an offense/defense divide on whether a team is likely to have good candidates for RestTalk user: Raikou, Vap, and Heracross all find good homes on "offensive" teams.

Modified.

This is specific to the Twave variant, no?

Made some changes to the moveset so probably don't need this change anymore.

Also, you lose Nidoking coverage.

Added.

If we're listing niche Hidden Powers that are theoretically useful but frankly bad, might I suggest Hidden Power Fire? It covers Egg, Steelix, and Piloswine all at once! As a bonus it makes the Curse Heracross and Forretress matchups less complicated (better talks against the former, a likely OHKO against the latter).

I don't think this would be a good idea to list in the current Golem-centric metagame.

Self-explanatory.

Done

I admire your chutzpah, and agree this might be viable, but have you tested this or seen matches where this set was used? SubSwagger is especially unconventional, so I wouldn't feel comfortable mentioning it (even in OO) without some games.

Yes, I have seen it used and used it myself. It's very inconsistent and has moveset issues (as mentioned), but it does work sometimes.

I feel like this undersold Snorlax as a Zapdos check. Yeah, Zapdos is good because it can (and often will) KO Snorlax in the course of a match, and relying on Snorlax alone to tank Zapdos is folly. But Snorlax is still one of its best checks, which is why Zapdos gets to KO Snorlax. Also, I'd mention Rapid Spin support as a way to keep Snorlax strong & healthy.

I used most of this and also added a bit; I agree it was insufficient.

To guarantee an OHKO with Counter, you need to reduce both your DVs and Stat Experience ("IVs" and "EVs"). If you're going to mention this strategy, that should probably be made explicit.

In any case, this seems incredibly ill-advised. You lose a coverage moveslot and you allow Surfs to OHKO you which means you can't try and tank one to get a kill that way. Maybe a cool tech to play around with, but not one to recommend in Checks & Counters.




also gets Counter, and is not a bad user of it, so for consistency it should also be mentioned here.

Added some more detail about these.

Substitute works similarly, so perhaps make this section about "Sunny Day and Substitute"?

Added a Substitute section.

Let me know if this is sufficient for 1/2.

 

[Jorgen]

Looks perfectly sufficient to me.

QC 1/2

 

[FriendOfMrGolem120]

and even grounded foes that can withstand a beating from it, such as Raikou and Snorlax, are at risk of being taken down if Zapdos's Thunder inflicts paralysis on them

Maybe this could be rephrased so it doesn't sound as if Zapdos taking out Raikou happens every other game.

[on the offensive set] Hidden Power Water is preferred over Hidden Power Ice so that Zapdos can nail Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, which are more likely to stay in and fight against a phazing Zapdos that lacks RestTalk

Also just nitpicking but due to the HpWater being very common on that set, many players won't risk taking a 4 times super effective hit. I would instead say i.e. "to deter them from staying in" or "to heavily punish them should they decide to stay in" and adding "which is very beneficial as Zapdos lacking Rest can't remove a potential paralysis from Steelix' Body Slam; and a Golem using Rapid Spin would prevent Zapdos from continuing racking up Spikes damage on the opposing team with Whirlwind".

In the team options for the offensive Zap, I would mention that Gengar is especially useful for blocking (or threaten to block) Rapid Spin, as Spikes are very crucial for making use of WW.

Running Drill Peck with an Electric-type move and Hidden Power Water will give Zapdos a better matchup against threats such as Heracross, Machamp, and Exeggutor, and its high PP and solid damage output can put pressure on Blissey's Soft-Boiled PP, but it will still have problems with Raikou, Snorlax, and Quagsire and is therefore not recommended.

I don't like Drill Peck Zapdos myself but Gorgie for example has used it against me this SPL. Before stating that it "is therefore not recommended", I would gather opinions on it in case you haven't already or choose a slightly less potentially controversial wording like "is therefore often not worth using".

Do you think it is worth mentioning Fly as OO, as it can't be called with Sleep Talk and thus ensuring better rolls against e.g. Vaporeon and Gengar as well as the possibility to dodge Explosions with it? Of course it should be emphasized that this 1. gives you a worse matchup against a lot of things and 2. hasn't really been used (to my knowledge) for good reason

Marowak can 2HKO Zapdos with Rock Slide and survives two super effective Hidden Powers from Zapdos from full HP. Nidoking usually 3HKOes with Ice Beam and also has the threat of Counter up its sleeve, although it must weaken Zapdos before attempting to pull this off. Rhydon 2HKOes Zapdos with Rock Slide and narrowly evades being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice, however the slim margins in this matchup, as well as the potential Hidden Power Water OHKO, make fighting Zapdos head on a risky proposition.

Theoretically both Rhydon and Thick Club Marowak can be 2HKO'ed by Zapdos without critical hits, although it is extremely unlikely.

 

[Earthworm]

Thank you for the check!

Maybe this could be rephrased so it doesn't sound as if Zapdos taking out Raikou happens every other game.

Changed the wording.

Also just nitpicking but due to the HpWater being very common on that set, many players won't risk taking a 4 times super effective hit. I would instead say i.e. "to deter them from staying in" or "to heavily punish them should they decide to stay in" and adding "which is very beneficial as Zapdos lacking Rest can't remove a potential paralysis from Steelix' Body Slam; and a Golem using Rapid Spin would prevent Zapdos from continuing racking up Spikes damage on the opposing team with Whirlwind".

Went into a bit more detail here, let me know if you think further changes would be better.

In the team options for the offensive Zap, I would mention that Gengar is especially useful for blocking (or threaten to block) Rapid Spin, as Spikes are very crucial for making use of WW.

Added.

I don't like Drill Peck Zapdos myself but Gorgie for example has used it against me this SPL. Before stating that it "is therefore not recommended", I would gather opinions on it in case you haven't already or choose a slightly less potentially controversial wording like "is therefore often not worth using".

I agree that it's a move that has some mixed opinions so I have removed the opinionated bit you pointed out.

Do you think it is worth mentioning Fly as OO, as it can't be called with Sleep Talk and thus ensuring better rolls against e.g. Vaporeon and Gengar as well as the possibility to dodge Explosions with it? Of course it should be emphasized that this 1. gives you a worse matchup against a lot of things and 2. hasn't really been used (to my knowledge) for good reason

I personally don't think it's worth mentioning, mainly because to get the sleep talk benefit you need to drop your coverage move for Ground-types and it otherwise seems inferior to Protect. If the opp doesn't explode, you are also 100% dead to an Explosion the next turn.

Theoretically both Rhydon and Thick Club Marowak can be 2HKO'ed by Zapdos without critical hits, although it is extremely unlikely.

I have fixed this.

 

[FriendOfMrGolem120]

QC 2/2

 

[Plague von Karma]

Amchecking for the GSC Overlord

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thunderbirds!

[OVERVIEW]
Zapdos is one of the most dominant and defining Pokemon in GSC OU. It has a tremendous base 125 Special Attack with STAB on Electric moves, which grants it near-perfect coverage alongside Hidden Power Ice and makes it a force to be reckoned with. It is particularly deadly when used with Spikes support, as no Pokemon immune to Spikes can stomach hits from Zapdos for long, and even grounded foes that can withstand a beating from it, such as Raikou and Snorlax, can become crippled if Zapdos's Thunder inflicts paralysis on them. Not only is Zapdos a monster offensively, but it also has defensive traits that its main competition, Raikou, can only look to the sky enviously at. (Very odd word order, but I don't really have any objective change. "enviously look to the sky at" would work, but "at" still makes this clunky. Maybe "gaze at longingly" could work?) Its Flying typing grants it immunity to Earthquake from the tier's many Ground-types, (AC) as well as useful resistances to Fighting and Bug—and all of this without the usual accompanying weakness to Electric-type attacks. Its phenomenal typing and formidable defensive stats make it one of the best candidates for a RestTalk user, which gives Zapdos excellent longevity and makes it one of the best Pokemon at taking Toxic from foes such as Skarmory, Cloyster, Suicune, and Blissey, although it should be more wary warier of taking paralysis when it doesn't need to. Thanks to its spectacular damage output, even the few Pokemon that can hit it hard enough to 2HKO 2HKO it (lots of words for a simple point), such as Jynx, Tyranitar, and Marowak, can struggle to find an opportunity that results in an advantageous trade of hits, especially since Zapdos can often find opportunities to recover lost health with Rest. This excellent balance between offense and defense makes Zapdos an easy fit on many teams. However, Zapdos will often find itself having to trade hits with Snorlax, which is one of the very few Pokemon that can trade hits favorably with it. Furthermore, while it generally has the upper hand in most matchups, many common offensive Pokemon such as Cloyster, Exeggutor, and Steelix will often try to trade for Zapdos with Explosion, which almost always OHKOes Zapdos.

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Great Special Attack, (AC) combined with the ability to continuously get rid of status and restore health with virtually no drawbacks, (AC) turns Zapdos into a powerful tank. The choice between Thunder and Thunderbolt depends on what your team needs more: power or consistency. Offensive teams will typically favor Thunder's higher Base Power, which will allow Zapdos to possibly 4HKO Snorlax and 2HKO Miltank. The damage roll on Snorlax is particularly notable for situations where a non-Sleep Talk Snorlax is facing off against Zapdos, as Zapdos without Thunder will require multiple critical hits within a few turns to KO Snorlax, (AC) whereas Thunder Zapdos can potentially KO it if a single Thunder lands a critical hit within three attacks. Thunder's 30% (discussed this with GP and apparently this could just be "high", but it's subjective, I'll leave it to you) chance of inflicting paralysis also makes Electric-types such as Raikou shakier at checking Zapdos, as they depend on their Speed to reliably deal with other foes, such as Vaporeon and Cloyster. This high chance of paralysis on such a powerful move is an important contributing factor to how difficult Zapdos can be to deal with—aside from Raikou, Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Tyranitar, Porygon2, and Gengar all lose considerable effectiveness when they become paralyzed by Thunder, and they will all need to risk this occasionally. Despite Thunder's power and high chance to cripple foes, some teams may prefer the high PP and accuracy of Thunderbolt, which gives it more consistency against foes such as Vaporeon, Cloyster, Starmie, and Tentacruel. Zapdos's coverage attack is primarily used to threaten opposing Ground-types, such as Nidoking and Marowak. Hidden Power Ice has the benefit of hitting Grass-types such as Exeggutor super effectively, as well as crucially increasing Zapdos's odds at beating an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Sleep Talk rolls. Hidden Power Water is an alternative option to hit Ground-types such as Golem, Steelix, and Rhydon harder, but the resulting HP DV drop using it requires Zapdos to sacrifice some of its HP due to DV requirements and it makes Zapdos it substantially less likely that it will to come out on top against an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Hidden Power Ice. (this ran on a lot, much easier to read this way) The last two slots are devoted to Rest and Sleep Talk. With these two moves, Zapdos makes a great status absorber, (AC) as well as a more consistent check to Vaporeon, Exeggutor, and Nidoking. Its defensive stats and typing pair together so well that with the right Sleep Talk rolls, it can at times beat almost an entire weakened team by itself, especially if the team lacks Explosion or attacks that 2HKO it.

Team Options
========
Zapdos possesses several qualities that make it fantastic at taking advantage of Spikes: its attacking moves hit all Spikes-immune Pokemon extremely hard, its immunity to Spikes makes it excellent when double switching to rack up Spikes damage, and very few of the Pokemon that can withstand its powerful attacks pose an immediate KO threat in return. Cloyster not only provides these Spikes, but it also switches into many of the Pokemon that can switch into Zapdos, with the notable exception of Raikou. Offensive partners such as Gengar and Exeggutor are a great help to Zapdos as well, because they lure in the three major walls that trouble Zapdos—Raikou, Blissey, and Snorlax—and can use a strong Explosion to KO or severely weaken them. Gengar also acts as an effective lure to Quagsire, which, while uncommon, walls Zapdos effectively. Exeggutor, on the other hand, can check it with ease. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax, which can take on problematic foes such as Raikou, Blissey, and Jolteon, while Raikou of your own will take on opposing Electric-types. If Snorlax has Self-Destruct, it can also bait and kill opposing Snorlax to give room for Zapdos to wreak havoc. Pokemon such as Vaporeon appreciate paralysis support from Thunder, and teams that have Raikou will almost certainly switch them into Zapdos, giving it plenty of chances to inflict this paralysis. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax checks such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Machamp on offensive teams and Skarmory, Misdreavus, Umbreon, and Miltank on defensive teams; Tyranitar and Golem can also be commonly found on either kind of team. Skarmory can also block resist an (You're not blocking it per se, you're tanking it. Steelix is still dying, and it's not like Skarmory has Damp.) Explosion from Steelix and deal with Quagsire, (RP, AC) Machamp, and Vaporeon. (AP), and Ground-types such as Nidoking can help Zapdos against Tyranitar, (AC) which . Ground-types also help against Electric-types, especially Raikou, which Zapdos appreciates. (It's a bit subjective, but it didn't really make sense to include Nidoking in a sentence about what Skarmory can do. It ends up coming off as a run-on sentence. Merging it with the Ground-type sentence seems better context-wise?)

[SET]
name: Offensive Phazer
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While Zapdos has highly respectable offensive power with merely a STAB move and a coverage move, it can take its offensive presence to another level by using Whirlwind in tandem with Spikes support. This set works due to Zapdos's huge threat level against a vast majority of the metagame. Few Pokemon can afford to stay in to trade hits with Zapdos, with many risking being OHKOed if they stay in. Most teams rely on Snorlax and Raikou or a Ground-type to combat Zapdos's onslaught, but taking Spikes damage and being phazed out by Whirlwind repeatedly can bring even the sturdiest checks into the KO range of its attacks. There is no reliable answer to such a strategy other than to anticipate the Whirlwind and attack Zapdos or hope that Whirlwind drags in a healthy Pokemon that has a favorable matchup. Whirlwind on Zapdos also gives it the means to punish Snorlax for setting up Curse against it, (AC) by (this sentence runs on a good bit, having a comma here makes it much easier to read) preventing it from burning through any of its sleep turns if used when Snorlax is forced to use Rest. Thunder Wave can cripple most healthy Pokemon, making the target easier for Zapdos and its team to deal with. It is particularly useful when dealing with opposing RestTalk Zapdos, which is one of the only Pokemon that can give this Zapdos significant trouble due to its immunity to Spikes and ability to avoid being 2HKOed by Zapdos. Despite being the only move listed, Thunder Wave is not the only option for this slot; rather, it is the clear best option for a majority of teams. One alternative is Protect, which can block Explosion from the likes of Exeggutor, Steelix, and Gengar and allow Zapdos to recover health with Leftovers despite lacking Rest, potentially turning 3HKOs into 4HKOs against foes such as Nidoking and Gengar. Finally, while this Zapdos is typically considered an offensive variant, Whirlwind also allows it to play defensive roles, (AC) such as phazing Mean Look variants of Misdreavus and Umbreon, Curse or Belly Drum Snorlax that have used Rest, and other foes with boosting moves. On more defensive lineups, it may elect to use Rest over Thunder Wave and be used alongside a Heal Bell user such as Blissey.

In terms of attacks, this variant of Zapdos is much more dependent on Spikes support and therefore prefers to have the most powerful and accurate moves against Rapid Spin users. Thunderbolt is slightly preferred over Thunder, as it allows Zapdos to consistently eliminate Starmie and Cloyster and deal reliable heavy damage to Forretress, and Hidden Power Water is preferred over Hidden Power Ice so that Zapdos can nail Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, which is useful to deter use of Rapid Spin from Golem, Rock Slide from Rhydon, and Body Slam or Roar from Steelix. In addition, Whirlwind somewhat compensates for the worsened Exeggutor matchup, as Zapdos can phaze it as it switches in. However, Exeggutor is a much bigger threat to this Zapdos and can be especially problematic to deal with if Spikes support cannot be maintained. Additionally, although there are no Sleep Talk rolls to worry about against opposing Zapdos that would warrant the use of Hidden Power Ice, if Thunder is used over Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Ice is useful as a strong, accurate option in the mirror matchup, (AC) as well as against the aforementioned Exeggutor.

Team Options
========
Cloyster is the preferred teammate for Spikes support, as it provides a significant offensive threat alongside its Spikes that can allow it to blow a hole in the opponent's defenses against Zapdos. It also provides a decent temporary answer to Curse Snorlax thanks to its high Defense, tendency to use Toxic in its standard moveset which can force Snorlax to Rest, and ability to threaten Snorlax with Explosion. Cloyster also provides a temporary answer to Ground- and Rock-type foes that Zapdos may not always want to trade hits with, such as Rhydon and Marowak. Forretress is also a valid alternative, although its offensive capabilities are lacking. It is great at taking advantage of foes such as mono-attacking Snorlax and capitalizes well when opponents are stacking their teams with anti-Cloyster measures, (AC) such as Thunder Snorlax and Toxic Skarmory, which are less effective against Forretress and can grant it easy opportunities to set Spikes. Gengar is another useful teammate for its ability to spinblock, as the loss of Spikes can significantly impair Zapdos's offensive capabilities against defensive teams. Without RestTalk, Zapdos and its team would be in a dire situation against status moves. RestTalk Snorlax is therefore a great choice of teammate, especially on teams that lack other good candidates for RestTalk user. Zapdos generally appreciates having offensive teammates that will not allow the opposing team opportunities to recover. Some of these include Nidoking, Gengar, Exeggutor, and Jynx. In particular, it is important that Zapdos's teammates do not allow paralyzed opposing Zapdos opportunities to switch in and use Rest without threatening a 3HKO in return or a (I believe the article is unnecessary here) trade with Explosion.

However, if Zapdos is instead found on a defensive lineup, this is much less important and its teammates can instead be focused on gaining and maintaining a Spikes advantage while walling the enemy team. Skarmory is a commonly chosen teammate that can take on Curse Earthquake Snorlax reliably, as well as checking Marowak and Machamp, which are two Pokemon that Zapdos does not want to be the lone check against. Blissey is a great choice for checking opposing special attackers and offering Heal Bell support to Zapdos. When paired with other formidable mixed tanks such as Snorlax, Zapdos can also help against foes such as Nidoking, Machamp, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel, despite lacking RestTalk.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Drill Peck with an Electric-type move and Hidden Power Water will give Zapdos a better matchup against threats such as Heracross, Machamp, and Exeggutor, and its high PP and solid damage output can put pressure on Blissey's Soft-Boiled PP, but it will still have problems with Raikou, Snorlax, and Quagsire. When used alongside a phazing move, Reflect is helpful when dealing with opposing Tyranitar, Machamp, and Snorlax, and it makes it more difficult for them to bring an end to Zapdos's shenanigans; Light Screen is similarly useful when fighting Nidoking, Jynx, and opposing Zapdos. Light Screen in particular also tends to be valuable in helping setup sweepers find opportunities to boost without losing too much health in the process. Toxic is a possibility to force opposing Snorlax and Raikou into a predictable Rest, which can grant momentum. In addition, if Snorlax is unable to safely absorb Toxic, it can put Blissey in a difficult position due to its insufficient Heal Bell PP. Zapdos can also consider running Hidden Power Grass to deal a lot of damage to Quagsire, but this will severely impact Zapdos's HP stat due to DV requirements and lose crucial super effective coverage against Nidoking, so it is therefore almost never recommended. With Magnet, Zapdos can possibly 3HKO Snorlax with Thunder after Spikes, though the loss of passive recovery from Leftovers reduces Zapdos's longevity by such a huge amount that Zapdos loses much of its usual defensive effectiveness. Zapdos's high Speed and access to Substitute mean that it can use Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support. This can give it a better chance at of (vague preposition) getting through some of its bulkier checks, such as Snorlax and Quagsire. However, this strategy can easily fall apart against opposing RestTalk Zapdos and Raikou if they are able to use Rest, and the set suffers from the inability to fit Thunder Wave.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Raikou is the best counter to Zapdos, as it can take any of Zapdos's moves, while either phazing or hammering Zapdos with a powerful STAB Thunder of its own. Jolteon can use Zapdos as setup bait unless Zapdos has Whirlwind. After it grabs an Agility or Growth, it can Baton Pass a deadly Speed or offensive boost to a teammate to sweep Zapdos's team. Jolteon can also easily dispose of Zapdos itself after it boosts to +1 Special Attack with Growth. Other less common Electric-types such as Ampharos also have a good matchup against Zapdos. However, none of them appreciates being paralyzed by Zapdos's Thunder or Thunder Wave, and none of them can immediately threaten a 2HKO on Zapdos, which can give Zapdos a chance to fish for paralysis against them.

**Special Walls**: Blissey will wall Zapdos all day long; however, it is largely unable to do anything significant to Zapdos other than use Light Screen to support its team or fish for a freeze with Ice Beam while Zapdos is awake. With RestTalk or Heal Bell support, Snorlax will easily take on even Zapdos that pack Thunder. Even without such support, Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon in the game at tanking Zapdos's moves and threatens it back significantly with its STAB attacks. However, Zapdos's Thunder is capable of 4HKOing Snorlax, so pairing it with a Ground-type Pokemon to lure Hidden Power can be useful in limiting the damage it takes switching in. Rapid Spin support to remove Spikes also helps immensely in this regard, as Spikes damage counteracts Leftovers recovery and allows Thunder damage to accumulate far more quickly.

**Ground-types**: Steelix works as an effective pivot for teams looking to bring in a check to Zapdos against a relatively weak Hidden Power Ice. Steelix can also use Explosion to trade itself for Zapdos, phaze, or paralyze Zapdos with Body Slam or Dragon Breath. Piloswine and Quagsire can also check Hidden Power Ice Zapdos reliably and potentially threaten it in return with Ice Beam or Hidden Power Rock. Quagsire also has the advantage of taking neutral damage from Hidden Power Water, unlike the other Ground-types that take neutral damage from Hidden Power Ice. Marowak can 2HKO Zapdos with Rock Slide and almost always survives two super effective Hidden Powers from Zapdos from full HP. Nidoking usually 3HKOes with Ice Beam and also has the threat of Counter up its sleeve, although it must weaken Zapdos before attempting to pull this off. Rhydon 2HKOes Zapdos with Rock Slide and narrowly evades being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice almost all of the time, however, (AC) the slim margins in this matchup, as well as the potential Hidden Power Water OHKO, make fighting Zapdos head on a risky proposition. Rhydon and Marowak both also have access to Counter; Rhydon will OHKO if targeted by Hidden Power Ice about 85% of the time and can guarantee an OHKO if it has slightly lower Special DVs than the maximum possible, whereas Marowak either requires Zapdos to be weakened or, to OHKO, needs significantly reduced Special DVs and Special Stat Experience, which may not be worth the serious loss of special bulk.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has access to STAB Rock Slide, which achieves the rare feat of 2HKOing Zapdos. Furthermore, it has Pursuit to chip away at Zapdos as it switches out. However, Tyranitar cannot afford to switch in on Zapdos's Thunder, which 3HKOes it.

**Jynx**: Jynx cannot afford to switch into a STAB Electric-type move from Zapdos, but usually survives two hits from Thunder from full health and threatens a 2HKO in return with Ice Beam, making it a good option to switch in as Zapdos uses Rest.

**Explosion**: Zapdos makes a great target for Explosion users such as Exeggutor, Cloyster, Golem, Steelix, and Gengar. With the exception of Gengar, which can use Ice Punch to bring it into range beforehand, most Explosion users in OU can OHKO a full health Zapdos, and this is often an excellent trade to make. Once Zapdos is removed from the picture, the way is often paved for attackers such as Vaporeon, Nidoking, and Machamp to wreak havoc.

**Sunny Day**: Pokemon with Sunny Day can turn a winning matchup for Zapdos into a potential losing one due to many Zapdos variants relying on Thunder. Entei, Typhlosion, and Houndoom can also 2HKO Zapdos with STAB Fire Blast after Sunny Day has been used, and Moltres often survives one hit from Thunder to land a 2HKO. However, if Zapdos manages to land Thunder, it has good odds to 2HKO Typhlosion and Houndoom from full health.

**Substitute**: Zapdos's tendency to use the inaccurate Thunder can be taken advantage of by fast Pokemon with Substitute, such as Alakazam, Espeon, Tentacruel, and Starmie. As Zapdos fails to break Substitute with Hidden Power most of the time, this can potentially generate free turns to set up boosts, fire off attacks, or spin away Spikes.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830], [Lockeness, 39891], [Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jorgen, 53302], [FriendOfMrGolem120, 424525]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

 

[Earthworm]

Amchecking for the GSC Overlord

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thunderbirds!

View attachment 323843
[OVERVIEW]
Zapdos is one of the most dominant and defining Pokemon in GSC OU. It has a tremendous base 125 Special Attack with STAB on Electric moves, which grants it near-perfect coverage alongside Hidden Power Ice and makes it a force to be reckoned with. It is particularly deadly when used with Spikes support, as no Pokemon immune to Spikes can stomach hits from Zapdos for long, and even grounded foes that can withstand a beating from it, such as Raikou and Snorlax, can become crippled if Zapdos's Thunder inflicts paralysis on them. Not only is Zapdos a monster offensively, but it also has defensive traits that its main competition, Raikou, can only look to the sky enviously at. (Very odd word order, but I don't really have any objective change. "enviously look to the sky at" would work, but "at" still makes this clunky. Maybe "gaze at longingly" could work?) Its Flying typing grants it immunity to Earthquake from the tier's many Ground-types, (AC) as well as useful resistances to Fighting and Bug—and all of this without the usual accompanying weakness to Electric-type attacks. Its phenomenal typing and formidable defensive stats make it one of the best candidates for a RestTalk user, which gives Zapdos excellent longevity and makes it one of the best Pokemon at taking Toxic from foes such as Skarmory, Cloyster, Suicune, and Blissey, although it should be more wary warier of taking paralysis when it doesn't need to. Thanks to its spectacular damage output, even the few Pokemon that can hit it hard enough to 2HKO 2HKO it (lots of words for a simple point), such as Jynx, Tyranitar, and Marowak, can struggle to find an opportunity that results in an advantageous trade of hits, especially since Zapdos can often find opportunities to recover lost health with Rest. This excellent balance between offense and defense makes Zapdos an easy fit on many teams. However, Zapdos will often find itself having to trade hits with Snorlax, which is one of the very few Pokemon that can trade hits favorably with it. Furthermore, while it generally has the upper hand in most matchups, many common offensive Pokemon such as Cloyster, Exeggutor, and Steelix will often try to trade for Zapdos with Explosion, which almost always OHKOes Zapdos.

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Great Special Attack, (AC) combined with the ability to continuously get rid of status and restore health with virtually no drawbacks, (AC) turns Zapdos into a powerful tank. The choice between Thunder and Thunderbolt depends on what your team needs more: power or consistency. Offensive teams will typically favor Thunder's higher Base Power, which will allow Zapdos to possibly 4HKO Snorlax and 2HKO Miltank. The damage roll on Snorlax is particularly notable for situations where a non-Sleep Talk Snorlax is facing off against Zapdos, as Zapdos without Thunder will require multiple critical hits within a few turns to KO Snorlax, (AC) whereas Thunder Zapdos can potentially KO it if a single Thunder lands a critical hit within three attacks. Thunder's 30% (discussed this with GP and apparently this could just be "high", but it's subjective, I'll leave it to you) chance of inflicting paralysis also makes Electric-types such as Raikou shakier at checking Zapdos, as they depend on their Speed to reliably deal with other foes, such as Vaporeon and Cloyster. This high chance of paralysis on such a powerful move is an important contributing factor to how difficult Zapdos can be to deal with—aside from Raikou, Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Tyranitar, Porygon2, and Gengar all lose considerable effectiveness when they become paralyzed by Thunder, and they will all need to risk this occasionally. Despite Thunder's power and high chance to cripple foes, some teams may prefer the high PP and accuracy of Thunderbolt, which gives it more consistency against foes such as Vaporeon, Cloyster, Starmie, and Tentacruel. Zapdos's coverage attack is primarily used to threaten opposing Ground-types, such as Nidoking and Marowak. Hidden Power Ice has the benefit of hitting Grass-types such as Exeggutor super effectively, as well as crucially increasing Zapdos's odds at beating an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Sleep Talk rolls. Hidden Power Water is an alternative option to hit Ground-types such as Golem, Steelix, and Rhydon harder, but the resulting HP DV drop using it requires Zapdos to sacrifice some of its HP due to DV requirements and it makes Zapdos it substantially less likely that it will to come out on top against an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Hidden Power Ice. (this ran on a lot, much easier to read this way) The last two slots are devoted to Rest and Sleep Talk. With these two moves, Zapdos makes a great status absorber, (AC) as well as a more consistent check to Vaporeon, Exeggutor, and Nidoking. Its defensive stats and typing pair together so well that with the right Sleep Talk rolls, it can at times beat almost an entire weakened team by itself, especially if the team lacks Explosion or attacks that 2HKO it.

Team Options
========
Zapdos possesses several qualities that make it fantastic at taking advantage of Spikes: its attacking moves hit all Spikes-immune Pokemon extremely hard, its immunity to Spikes makes it excellent when double switching to rack up Spikes damage, and very few of the Pokemon that can withstand its powerful attacks pose an immediate KO threat in return. Cloyster not only provides these Spikes, but it also switches into many of the Pokemon that can switch into Zapdos, with the notable exception of Raikou. Offensive partners such as Gengar and Exeggutor are a great help to Zapdos as well, because they lure in the three major walls that trouble Zapdos—Raikou, Blissey, and Snorlax—and can use a strong Explosion to KO or severely weaken them. Gengar also acts as an effective lure to Quagsire, which, while uncommon, walls Zapdos effectively. Exeggutor, on the other hand, can check it with ease. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax, which can take on problematic foes such as Raikou, Blissey, and Jolteon, while Raikou of your own will take on opposing Electric-types. If Snorlax has Self-Destruct, it can also bait and kill opposing Snorlax to give room for Zapdos to wreak havoc. Pokemon such as Vaporeon appreciate paralysis support from Thunder, and teams that have Raikou will almost certainly switch them into Zapdos, giving it plenty of chances to inflict this paralysis. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax checks such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Machamp on offensive teams and Skarmory, Misdreavus, Umbreon, and Miltank on defensive teams; Tyranitar and Golem can also be commonly found on either kind of team. Skarmory can also block resist an (You're not blocking it per se, you're tanking it. Steelix is still dying, and it's not like Skarmory has Damp.) Explosion from Steelix and deal with Quagsire, (RP, AC) Machamp, and Vaporeon. (AP), and Ground-types such as Nidoking can help Zapdos against Tyranitar, (AC) which . Ground-types also help against Electric-types, especially Raikou, which Zapdos appreciates. (It's a bit subjective, but it didn't really make sense to include Nidoking in a sentence about what Skarmory can do. It ends up coming off as a run-on sentence. Merging it with the Ground-type sentence seems better context-wise?)

[SET]
name: Offensive Phazer
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While Zapdos has highly respectable offensive power with merely a STAB move and a coverage move, it can take its offensive presence to another level by using Whirlwind in tandem with Spikes support. This set works due to Zapdos's huge threat level against a vast majority of the metagame. Few Pokemon can afford to stay in to trade hits with Zapdos, with many risking being OHKOed if they stay in. Most teams rely on Snorlax and Raikou or a Ground-type to combat Zapdos's onslaught, but taking Spikes damage and being phazed out by Whirlwind repeatedly can bring even the sturdiest checks into the KO range of its attacks. There is no reliable answer to such a strategy other than to anticipate the Whirlwind and attack Zapdos or hope that Whirlwind drags in a healthy Pokemon that has a favorable matchup. Whirlwind on Zapdos also gives it the means to punish Snorlax for setting up Curse against it, (AC) by (this sentence runs on a good bit, having a comma here makes it much easier to read) preventing it from burning through any of its sleep turns if used when Snorlax is forced to use Rest. Thunder Wave can cripple most healthy Pokemon, making the target easier for Zapdos and its team to deal with. It is particularly useful when dealing with opposing RestTalk Zapdos, which is one of the only Pokemon that can give this Zapdos significant trouble due to its immunity to Spikes and ability to avoid being 2HKOed by Zapdos. Despite being the only move listed, Thunder Wave is not the only option for this slot; rather, it is the clear best option for a majority of teams. One alternative is Protect, which can block Explosion from the likes of Exeggutor, Steelix, and Gengar and allow Zapdos to recover health with Leftovers despite lacking Rest, potentially turning 3HKOs into 4HKOs against foes such as Nidoking and Gengar. Finally, while this Zapdos is typically considered an offensive variant, Whirlwind also allows it to play defensive roles, (AC) such as phazing Mean Look variants of Misdreavus and Umbreon, Curse or Belly Drum Snorlax that have used Rest, and other foes with boosting moves. On more defensive lineups, it may elect to use Rest over Thunder Wave and be used alongside a Heal Bell user such as Blissey.

In terms of attacks, this variant of Zapdos is much more dependent on Spikes support and therefore prefers to have the most powerful and accurate moves against Rapid Spin users. Thunderbolt is slightly preferred over Thunder, as it allows Zapdos to consistently eliminate Starmie and Cloyster and deal reliable heavy damage to Forretress, and Hidden Power Water is preferred over Hidden Power Ice so that Zapdos can nail Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, which is useful to deter use of Rapid Spin from Golem, Rock Slide from Rhydon, and Body Slam or Roar from Steelix. In addition, Whirlwind somewhat compensates for the worsened Exeggutor matchup, as Zapdos can phaze it as it switches in. However, Exeggutor is a much bigger threat to this Zapdos and can be especially problematic to deal with if Spikes support cannot be maintained. Additionally, although there are no Sleep Talk rolls to worry about against opposing Zapdos that would warrant the use of Hidden Power Ice, if Thunder is used over Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Ice is useful as a strong, accurate option in the mirror matchup, (AC) as well as against the aforementioned Exeggutor.

Team Options
========
Cloyster is the preferred teammate for Spikes support, as it provides a significant offensive threat alongside its Spikes that can allow it to blow a hole in the opponent's defenses against Zapdos. It also provides a decent temporary answer to Curse Snorlax thanks to its high Defense, tendency to use Toxic in its standard moveset which can force Snorlax to Rest, and ability to threaten Snorlax with Explosion. Cloyster also provides a temporary answer to Ground- and Rock-type foes that Zapdos may not always want to trade hits with, such as Rhydon and Marowak. Forretress is also a valid alternative, although its offensive capabilities are lacking. It is great at taking advantage of foes such as mono-attacking Snorlax and capitalizes well when opponents are stacking their teams with anti-Cloyster measures, (AC) such as Thunder Snorlax and Toxic Skarmory, which are less effective against Forretress and can grant it easy opportunities to set Spikes. Gengar is another useful teammate for its ability to spinblock, as the loss of Spikes can significantly impair Zapdos's offensive capabilities against defensive teams. Without RestTalk, Zapdos and its team would be in a dire situation against status moves. RestTalk Snorlax is therefore a great choice of teammate, especially on teams that lack other good candidates for RestTalk user. Zapdos generally appreciates having offensive teammates that will not allow the opposing team opportunities to recover. Some of these include Nidoking, Gengar, Exeggutor, and Jynx. In particular, it is important that Zapdos's teammates do not allow paralyzed opposing Zapdos opportunities to switch in and use Rest without threatening a 3HKO in return or a (I believe the article is unnecessary here) trade with Explosion.

However, if Zapdos is instead found on a defensive lineup, this is much less important and its teammates can instead be focused on gaining and maintaining a Spikes advantage while walling the enemy team. Skarmory is a commonly chosen teammate that can take on Curse Earthquake Snorlax reliably, as well as checking Marowak and Machamp, which are two Pokemon that Zapdos does not want to be the lone check against. Blissey is a great choice for checking opposing special attackers and offering Heal Bell support to Zapdos. When paired with other formidable mixed tanks such as Snorlax, Zapdos can also help against foes such as Nidoking, Machamp, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel, despite lacking RestTalk.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Drill Peck with an Electric-type move and Hidden Power Water will give Zapdos a better matchup against threats such as Heracross, Machamp, and Exeggutor, and its high PP and solid damage output can put pressure on Blissey's Soft-Boiled PP, but it will still have problems with Raikou, Snorlax, and Quagsire. When used alongside a phazing move, Reflect is helpful when dealing with opposing Tyranitar, Machamp, and Snorlax, and it makes it more difficult for them to bring an end to Zapdos's shenanigans; Light Screen is similarly useful when fighting Nidoking, Jynx, and opposing Zapdos. Light Screen in particular also tends to be valuable in helping setup sweepers find opportunities to boost without losing too much health in the process. Toxic is a possibility to force opposing Snorlax and Raikou into a predictable Rest, which can grant momentum. In addition, if Snorlax is unable to safely absorb Toxic, it can put Blissey in a difficult position due to its insufficient Heal Bell PP. Zapdos can also consider running Hidden Power Grass to deal a lot of damage to Quagsire, but this will severely impact Zapdos's HP stat due to DV requirements and lose crucial super effective coverage against Nidoking, so it is therefore almost never recommended. With Magnet, Zapdos can possibly 3HKO Snorlax with Thunder after Spikes, though the loss of passive recovery from Leftovers reduces Zapdos's longevity by such a huge amount that Zapdos loses much of its usual defensive effectiveness. Zapdos's high Speed and access to Substitute mean that it can use Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support. This can give it a better chance at of (vague preposition) getting through some of its bulkier checks, such as Snorlax and Quagsire. However, this strategy can easily fall apart against opposing RestTalk Zapdos and Raikou if they are able to use Rest, and the set suffers from the inability to fit Thunder Wave.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Raikou is the best counter to Zapdos, as it can take any of Zapdos's moves, while either phazing or hammering Zapdos with a powerful STAB Thunder of its own. Jolteon can use Zapdos as setup bait unless Zapdos has Whirlwind. After it grabs an Agility or Growth, it can Baton Pass a deadly Speed or offensive boost to a teammate to sweep Zapdos's team. Jolteon can also easily dispose of Zapdos itself after it boosts to +1 Special Attack with Growth. Other less common Electric-types such as Ampharos also have a good matchup against Zapdos. However, none of them appreciates being paralyzed by Zapdos's Thunder or Thunder Wave, and none of them can immediately threaten a 2HKO on Zapdos, which can give Zapdos a chance to fish for paralysis against them.

**Special Walls**: Blissey will wall Zapdos all day long; however, it is largely unable to do anything significant to Zapdos other than use Light Screen to support its team or fish for a freeze with Ice Beam while Zapdos is awake. With RestTalk or Heal Bell support, Snorlax will easily take on even Zapdos that pack Thunder. Even without such support, Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon in the game at tanking Zapdos's moves and threatens it back significantly with its STAB attacks. However, Zapdos's Thunder is capable of 4HKOing Snorlax, so pairing it with a Ground-type Pokemon to lure Hidden Power can be useful in limiting the damage it takes switching in. Rapid Spin support to remove Spikes also helps immensely in this regard, as Spikes damage counteracts Leftovers recovery and allows Thunder damage to accumulate far more quickly.

**Ground-types**: Steelix works as an effective pivot for teams looking to bring in a check to Zapdos against a relatively weak Hidden Power Ice. Steelix can also use Explosion to trade itself for Zapdos, phaze, or paralyze Zapdos with Body Slam or Dragon Breath. Piloswine and Quagsire can also check Hidden Power Ice Zapdos reliably and potentially threaten it in return with Ice Beam or Hidden Power Rock. Quagsire also has the advantage of taking neutral damage from Hidden Power Water, unlike the other Ground-types that take neutral damage from Hidden Power Ice. Marowak can 2HKO Zapdos with Rock Slide and almost always survives two super effective Hidden Powers from Zapdos from full HP. Nidoking usually 3HKOes with Ice Beam and also has the threat of Counter up its sleeve, although it must weaken Zapdos before attempting to pull this off. Rhydon 2HKOes Zapdos with Rock Slide and narrowly evades being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice almost all of the time, however, (AC) the slim margins in this matchup, as well as the potential Hidden Power Water OHKO, make fighting Zapdos head on a risky proposition. Rhydon and Marowak both also have access to Counter; Rhydon will OHKO if targeted by Hidden Power Ice about 85% of the time and can guarantee an OHKO if it has slightly lower Special DVs than the maximum possible, whereas Marowak either requires Zapdos to be weakened or, to OHKO, needs significantly reduced Special DVs and Special Stat Experience, which may not be worth the serious loss of special bulk.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has access to STAB Rock Slide, which achieves the rare feat of 2HKOing Zapdos. Furthermore, it has Pursuit to chip away at Zapdos as it switches out. However, Tyranitar cannot afford to switch in on Zapdos's Thunder, which 3HKOes it.

**Jynx**: Jynx cannot afford to switch into a STAB Electric-type move from Zapdos, but usually survives two hits from Thunder from full health and threatens a 2HKO in return with Ice Beam, making it a good option to switch in as Zapdos uses Rest.

**Explosion**: Zapdos makes a great target for Explosion users such as Exeggutor, Cloyster, Golem, Steelix, and Gengar. With the exception of Gengar, which can use Ice Punch to bring it into range beforehand, most Explosion users in OU can OHKO a full health Zapdos, and this is often an excellent trade to make. Once Zapdos is removed from the picture, the way is often paved for attackers such as Vaporeon, Nidoking, and Machamp to wreak havoc.

**Sunny Day**: Pokemon with Sunny Day can turn a winning matchup for Zapdos into a potential losing one due to many Zapdos variants relying on Thunder. Entei, Typhlosion, and Houndoom can also 2HKO Zapdos with STAB Fire Blast after Sunny Day has been used, and Moltres often survives one hit from Thunder to land a 2HKO. However, if Zapdos manages to land Thunder, it has good odds to 2HKO Typhlosion and Houndoom from full health.

**Substitute**: Zapdos's tendency to use the inaccurate Thunder can be taken advantage of by fast Pokemon with Substitute, such as Alakazam, Espeon, Tentacruel, and Starmie. As Zapdos fails to break Substitute with Hidden Power most of the time, this can potentially generate free turns to set up boosts, fire off attacks, or spin away Spikes.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830], [Lockeness, 39891], [Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jorgen, 53302], [FriendOfMrGolem120, 424525]]
- Grammar checked by: [[, ], [, ]]

Thank you, I have implemented most of the changes.

 

[Adeleine]

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[OVERVIEW]
Zapdos is one of the most dominant and defining Pokemon in GSC OU. It has a tremendous base 125 Special Attack with STAB on Electric-type moves, which grants it near perfect coverage alongside Hidden Power Ice and makes it an offensive force to be reckoned with. It is particularly deadly when used with Spikes support, as no Pokemon immune to Spikes can stomach hits from Zapdos for long, and even grounded foes that can withstand a beating from it, such as Raikou and Snorlax, can become crippled if Zapdos's Thunder inflicts paralysis on them. Not only is Zapdos a monster offensively, but it also has defensive traits that its main competition, Raikou, can only look to the sky enviously in envy at. Its Flying typing grants it immunity to Earthquake from the tier's many Ground-types, as well as useful resistances to Fighting and Bug—and all of this without the usual accompanying weakness to Electric-type attacks. Its phenomenal typing and formidable defensive stats make it one of the best candidates for a RestTalk user, which gives Zapdos excellent longevity and makes it one of the best Pokemon at taking Toxic from foes such as Skarmory, Cloyster, Suicune, and Blissey, although it should be more wary of taking paralysis when it doesn't need to. Thanks to its spectacular damage output, even the few Pokemon that can 2HKO it, such as Jynx, Tyranitar, and Marowak, can struggle to find an opportunity that results in an advantageous trade of hits to advantageously trade hits with it, especially since Zapdos can often find finds many (subjective, think this communicates your idea slightly more directly) opportunities to recover lost health with Rest. This excellent balance between offense and defense makes Zapdos an easy fit on many teams. However, Zapdos will often find itself having to trade hits with Snorlax, which is one of the very few Pokemon that can trade hits favorably with it. Furthermore, while it generally has the upper hand in most matchups, many common offensive Pokemon such as Cloyster, Exeggutor, and Steelix will often try to trade for Zapdos with Explosion, which almost always OHKOes Zapdos it.

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Great Special Attack, combined with the ability to continuously get rid of status and restore health with virtually no drawbacks, turns Zapdos into a powerful tank. The choice between Thunder and Thunderbolt depends on what your team needs more: power or consistency. Offensive teams will typically favor Thunder's higher Base Power, which will allow Zapdos to possibly 4HKO Snorlax and 2HKO Miltank. The damage roll on Snorlax is particularly notable for situations where when a non-Sleep Talk Snorlax is facing off against Zapdos, as Zapdos without Thunder will require multiple critical hits within a few turns to KO Snorlax, whereas Thunder Zapdos can potentially KO it if a single Thunder lands a critical hit within three attacks. Thunder's high chance of inflicting paralysis also makes Electric-types such as Raikou shakier at checking Zapdos, as they depend on their Speed to reliably deal with other foes, such as Vaporeon and Cloyster. This high chance of paralysis on such a powerful move is an important contributing factor to how difficult Zapdos can be reason why Zapdos can be so to deal with—aside from Raikou, Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Tyranitar, Porygon2, and Gengar all lose considerable effectiveness when they become paralyzed by Thunder, and they will all need to risk this occasionally. Despite Thunder's power and high chance to cripple foes Still, some teams may prefer the high PP and accuracy of Thunderbolt, which gives it more consistency against foes such as Vaporeon, Cloyster, Starmie, and Tentacruel. Zapdos's coverage attack is primarily used to threaten opposing Ground-types, such as Nidoking and Marowak. Hidden Power Ice has the benefit of hitting Grass-types such as Exeggutor super effectively, as well as crucially increasing Zapdos's odds at beating an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Sleep Talk rolls. Hidden Power Water is an alternative option to hit Ground-types such as Golem, Steelix, and Rhydon harder, but the resulting HP DV drop and neutral damage makes (if this is relevant?) Zapdos substantially less likely to come out on top against an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Hidden Power Ice. The last two slots are devoted to Rest and Sleep Talk. With these two moves, With Rest and Sleep Talk, Zapdos makes a great status absorber, as well as a more consistent check to Vaporeon, Exeggutor, and Nidoking. Its defensive stats and typing pair together so well that, (AC) with the right Sleep Talk rolls, it can at times beat almost an entire weakened team by itself, especially if the team lacks Explosion or attacks that 2HKO it.

Team Options
========
Zapdos possesses several qualities that make it fantastic at taking advantage of Spikes: its attacking moves hit all Spikes-immune Pokemon extremely hard, its immunity to Spikes makes it excellent when double switching to rack up Spikes damage, and very few of the Pokemon that can withstand its powerful attacks pose an immediate KO threat in return. Cloyster not only provides these Spikes, but it also switches into many of the Pokemon that can switch into Zapdos, with the notable exception of Raikou. Offensive partners such as Gengar and Exeggutor are a great help to Zapdos as well, because since they lure in the three major walls that trouble Zapdos—Raikou, Blissey, and Snorlax—and can use a strong Explosion to KO or severely weaken them. Gengar also acts as an effective lure to Quagsire, which, while uncommon, walls Zapdos effectively. Exeggutor, on the other hand, can check it Quagsire with ease. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax, which can take on problematic foes such as Raikou, Blissey, and Jolteon, while a Raikou of your own will take on opposing Electric-types. If Snorlax has Self-Destruct, it can also bait and kill KO opposing Snorlax to give room for Zapdos to wreak havoc. Pokemon such as Vaporeon appreciate paralysis support from Thunder, and teams that have Raikou will almost certainly switch them it into Zapdos, giving it Zapdos plenty of chances to inflict this paralysis. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax checks such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Machamp on offensive teams and Skarmory, Misdreavus, Umbreon, and Miltank on defensive teams; Tyranitar and Golem can also be are also commonly found on either kind of team. Skarmory can also take Explosion from Steelix and deal with Quagsire. Machamp, and Vaporeon, and Ground-types such as Nidoking can help Zapdos against Tyranitar. Ground-types also help against Electric-types, especially Raikou, which Zapdos appreciates.

[SET]
name: Offensive Phazer
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While Zapdos has highly respectable offensive power with merely a STAB move and a coverage move, it can take its offensive presence to another level by using Whirlwind in tandem with Spikes support. This set works due to Zapdos's huge threat level against a vast majority of the metagame. Few Pokemon can afford to stay in to trade hits with Zapdos, with many risking being OHKOed if they stay in. Most teams rely on Snorlax and Raikou or a Ground-type to combat Zapdos's onslaught, but taking Spikes damage and being phazed out by Whirlwind and taking Spikes damage (I imagine this makes sense?) repeatedly can bring even the sturdiest checks into KO range of its attacks. There is no reliable answer to such a strategy other than to anticipate the Whirlwind and attack Zapdos or hope that Whirlwind drags in a healthy Pokemon that has a favorable matchup. Whirlwind on Zapdos also gives it the means to also lets Zapdos punish Snorlax for setting up Curse against it by preventing it from burning through any of its sleep turns if used when Snorlax is forced to use Rest. Thunder Wave can cripple most healthy Pokemon, making the target easier for Zapdos and its team to deal with. It is particularly useful when dealing with opposing RestTalk Zapdos, which is one of the only Pokemon that can give this Zapdos significant trouble due to its immunity to Spikes and ability to avoid being 2HKOed by Zapdos. Despite being the only move listed for its moveslot, Thunder Wave is not the only option for this slot; rather, it is the clear best option among many (another "subjective, i know what youre going for and this makes it a pinch more clear") for a majority of teams. One alternative is Protect, which can block Explosion from the likes of Exeggutor, Steelix, and Gengar and allow Zapdos to recover health with Leftovers despite to help compensate for lacking Rest, potentially turning 3HKOs into 4HKOs against foes such as Nidoking and Gengar. Finally, while this Zapdos is typically considered an offensive variant, Whirlwind also allows it to play defensive roles, such as phazing Mean Look variants of Misdreavus and Umbreon, Curse or and Belly Drum Snorlax that have used Rest, and other foes with boosting moves. On more defensive lineups, it may elect to use Rest over Thunder Wave and be used alongside pair up with a Heal Bell user such as Blissey.

In terms of attacks, this variant of Zapdos is much more dependent on Spikes support and therefore prefers to have the most powerful and accurate moves against Rapid Spin users. Thunderbolt is slightly preferred over Thunder, as it allows Zapdos to consistently eliminate Starmie and Cloyster and deal reliable heavy damage to Forretress, and Hidden Power Water is preferred over Hidden Power Ice so that Zapdos can nail Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, which is useful to deter use of Rapid Spin from Golem, Rock Slide from Rhydon, and Body Slam or Roar from Steelix. In addition, Whirlwind somewhat compensates for the worsened Exeggutor matchup, as Zapdos can phaze it as it switches in. However, Exeggutor is a much bigger threat to this Zapdos and can be especially problematic to deal with if Spikes support cannot be maintained the team cannot maintain Spikes support. Additionally, although there are no Sleep Talk rolls to worry about against opposing Zapdos that would warrant the use of Hidden Power Ice, if Thunder is used over Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Ice is useful as a strong, accurate option in the mirror matchup, as well as against the aforementioned Exeggutor.

Team Options
========
Cloyster is the preferred teammate for Spikes support, as it provides a significant offensive threat alongside its Spikes that can allow it to and can blow a hole in the opponent's defenses against Zapdos. It also provides a decent temporary answer to Curse Snorlax thanks to its high Defense, tendency to use run Toxic in its standard moveset—which can force Snorlax to use Rest, and ability to threaten Snorlax with Explosion. Cloyster also provides a temporary answer to Ground- and Rock-type foes that Zapdos may not always want to trade hits with, such as Rhydon and Marowak. Forretress is also a valid alternative, although its offensive capabilities are lacking. It is great at taking advantage of foes such as mono-attacking Snorlax and capitalizes well when opponents are stacking their teams with anti-Cloyster measures, such as Thunder Snorlax and Toxic Skarmory, which are less effective against Forretress and can grant it easy opportunities to set Spikes. Gengar is another useful teammate for its ability to spinblock, as the loss of Spikes can significantly impair Zapdos's offensive capabilities against defensive teams. Without RestTalk, Zapdos and its team would be in need help to avoid a dire situation against status moves. RestTalk Snorlax is therefore a great choice of teammate, especially on teams that lack other good candidates for a RestTalk user. Zapdos generally appreciates having offensive teammates that will not allow the opposing team opportunities to recover the momentum it creates. (or something else that explains what they're "recovering" from) Some of these include Nidoking, Gengar, Exeggutor, and Jynx. In particular, it is important that Zapdos's teammates do not allow paralyzed opposing Zapdos opportunities to switch in and use Rest without threatening a 3HKO in return or a trade with Explosion.

However, if Zapdos is instead found on a defensive lineup, this pressing a favorable position (or something else that explains what is less important) is much less important and its teammates can instead be focused on gaining and maintaining a Spikes advantage while walling the enemy team. Skarmory is a commonly chosen teammate that can take on Curse + Earthquake Snorlax reliably, as well as checking Marowak and Machamp, which are two Pokemon that Zapdos does not want to be the lone check against. Blissey is a great choice for checking opposing special attackers and offering Heal Bell support to Zapdos. When paired with other formidable mixed tanks such as Snorlax, Zapdos can also help against foes such as Nidoking, Machamp, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel, despite lacking RestTalk.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Drill Peck with an Electric-type move and Hidden Power Water will give Zapdos a better matchup against threats such as Heracross, Machamp, and Exeggutor, and its high PP and solid damage output can put pressure on Blissey's Soft-Boiled PP, but it Zapdos will still have problems with Raikou, Snorlax, and Quagsire. When used alongside a phazing move Whirlwind, Reflect is helpful when dealing with opposing Tyranitar, Machamp, and Snorlax, and it makes it more difficult for them to bring an end to Zapdos's shenanigans; Light Screen is similarly useful when fighting Nidoking, Jynx, and opposing Zapdos. Light Screen in particular also tends to be valuable in helping setup sweepers find opportunities to boost without losing too much health in the process. Toxic is a possibility to force opposing Snorlax and Raikou into a predictable Rest, which can grant momentum. In addition, if Snorlax is unable to safely absorb Toxic, it this can put Blissey in a difficult position due to its insufficient very limited (or "...position if it has insufficient...") Heal Bell PP. Zapdos can also consider running Hidden Power Grass to deal a lot of damage to Quagsire, but this will severely impact Zapdos's HP stat due to DV requirements and lose crucial super effective coverage against Nidoking, so it is therefore almost never recommended. With Magnet, Zapdos can possibly 3HKO Snorlax with Thunder after Spikes, though the loss of passive recovery from Leftovers reduces Zapdos's longevity by such a huge amount that Zapdos loses much of its usual defensive effectiveness. Zapdos's high Speed and access to Substitute mean that it can use Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support. This can give it a better chance of getting through some of its bulkier checks, such as Snorlax and Quagsire. However, this strategy can easily fall apart against opposing RestTalk Zapdos and Raikou if they are able to use Rest, and the set suffers from the inability to fit Thunder Wave.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Raikou is the best counter to Zapdos, as it can take any of Zapdos's moves (RC) while either phazing or hammering Zapdos with a powerful STAB Thunder of its own. Jolteon can use Zapdos as setup bait unless Zapdos has Whirlwind. After it grabs an Agility or Growth, it can use Baton Pass a deadly Speed or offensive to send a deadly boost to a teammate to sweep Zapdos's team. Jolteon can also easily dispose of Zapdos itself after it boosts to +1 Special Attack with a use of Growth. Other less common Electric-types such as Ampharos also have a good matchup against Zapdos. However, none of them appreciate being paralyzed by Zapdos's Thunder or Thunder Wave, and none of them can immediately threaten a 2HKO on Zapdos, which can give Zapdos a chance to fish for paralysis against them.

**Special Walls**: Blissey will wall Zapdos all day long; however, it is largely unable to do anything significant to Zapdos other than use Light Screen to support its team or fish for a freeze with Ice Beam while Zapdos is awake. With RestTalk or Heal Bell support, Snorlax will easily take on even Zapdos that pack Thunder. Even without such support, Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon in the game at tanking Zapdos's moves and threatens it back significantly with its STAB attacks. However, Zapdos's Thunder is capable of 4HKOing Snorlax, so pairing it Snorlax with a Ground-type Pokemon to lure bait Hidden Power can be useful in limiting the damage it takes switching in. Rapid Spin support to remove Spikes also helps Snorlax immensely in this regard, as Spikes damage counteracts Leftovers recovery and allows Thunder damage to accumulate far more quickly.

**Ground-types**: Steelix works as an effective pivot for teams looking to bring in a check to Zapdos against a relatively weak Hidden Power Ice. Steelix can also use Explosion to trade itself for Zapdos, phaze, or paralyze Zapdos with Body Slam or Dragon Breath. Piloswine and Quagsire can also check Hidden Power Ice Zapdos reliably and potentially threaten it in return with Ice Beam or Hidden Power Rock. Quagsire also has the advantage of taking neutral damage from Hidden Power Water, unlike the other Ground-types that also take neutral damage from Hidden Power Ice. Marowak can 2HKO Zapdos with Rock Slide and almost always survives two super effective Hidden Powers from Zapdos from full HP. Nidoking usually 3HKOes with Ice Beam and also has the threat of Counter up its sleeve—which always succeeds against Hidden Power in GSC, although it must weaken Zapdos before attempting to pull this off. Rhydon 2HKOes Zapdos with Rock Slide and narrowly evades being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice almost all of the time. However, the slim margins in this matchup, as well as the potential Hidden Power Water OHKO, make fighting Zapdos head on a risky proposition. Rhydon and Marowak both also have access to Counter; Rhydon will OHKO if targeted by Hidden Power Ice about 85% of the time and can guarantee an OHKO if it has slightly lower Special DVs than the maximum possible, whereas Marowak either requires Zapdos to be weakened to KO or, to OHKO, needs significantly reduced Special DVs and Special Stat Experience, which may not be worth the serious loss of special bulk.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has access to STAB Rock Slide, which achieves the rare feat of 2HKOing Zapdos. Furthermore, it has Pursuit to chip away at Zapdos as it switches out. However, Tyranitar cannot afford to switch in on Zapdos's Thunder, which 3HKOes it.

**Jynx**: Jynx cannot afford to switch into a STAB Electric-type move from Zapdos, but usually survives two hits from Thunders from full health and threatens a 2HKO in return with Ice Beam, making it a good option to switch in as Zapdos uses Rest.

**Explosion**: Zapdos makes a great target for Explosion users such as Exeggutor, Cloyster, Golem, Steelix, and Gengar. With the exception of Gengar, which can use Ice Punch to bring it into range beforehand, most Explosion users in OU can OHKO a full health Zapdos, and this is often an excellent trade to make. Once Zapdos is removed from the picture, the way is often paved Removing Zapdos from the picture often paves the way for attackers such as Vaporeon, Nidoking, and Machamp to wreak havoc.

**Sunny Day**: Pokemon with Sunny Day can turn a winning matchup for Zapdos into a potential losing one due to many Zapdos variants relying on Thunder. Entei, Typhlosion, and Houndoom can also 2HKO Zapdos with STAB Fire Blast after Sunny Day has been used in sun, and Moltres often survives one hit from Thunder to land a 2HKO. However, if Zapdos manages to land Thunder, it has good odds to 2HKO Typhlosion and Houndoom from full health.

**Substitute**: Zapdos's tendency to use the inaccurate Thunder can be taken advantage of by fast Pokemon with Substitute, such as Alakazam, Espeon, Tentacruel, and Starmie. As Zapdos fails to break Substitute with Hidden Power most of the time, this can potentially Thunder misses can generate free turns to set up boosts, fire off attacks, or spin away Spikes.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830], [Lockeness, 39891], [Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jorgen, 53302], [FriendOfMrGolem120, 424525]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

1/2. as always, lmk if any qs and the like

 

[Earthworm]

Add/Fix Remove Comment
(AC)/(RC): Add/Remove Comma
View attachment 3316501/2. as always, lmk if any qs and the like

Thank you for the very detailed and high quality check and for being receptive to my incessant questions!

Ready for GP check #2.

 

[CryoGyro]

GP 2/2

Hide

[OVERVIEW]
Zapdos is one of the most dominant and defining Pokemon in GSC OU. It has a tremendous base 125 Special Attack with STAB on Electric-type moves, which grants it near perfect coverage alongside Hidden Power Ice and makes and perfect coverage between STAB Electric-type moves and Hidden Power Ice, making it an offensive force to be reckoned with. It is particularly deadly when used with Spikes support, as no Pokemon immune to Spikes can stomach hits from Zapdos it for long, and even grounded foes that can withstand a beating from it, such as Raikou and Snorlax, can become crippled if Zapdos's Thunder inflicts paralysis on them. Not only is Zapdos a monster offensively, but it also has defensive traits that its main competition, Raikou, can only look to the sky in envy at. Its Flying typing grants it immunity to Earthquake from the tier's many Ground-types, (comma) as well as useful resistances to Fighting and Bug—and all of this without the usual accompanying weakness to Electric-type attacks. Its phenomenal typing and formidable defensive stats make it one of the best candidates for a using RestTalk user, which gives Zapdos excellent longevity and makes it one of the best Pokemon at taking Toxic from foes such as Skarmory, Cloyster, Suicune, and Blissey, although it should be more wary of taking paralysis when it doesn't need to. Thanks to its spectacular damage output, even the few Pokemon that can 2HKO it, such as Jynx, Tyranitar, and Marowak, can struggle to find an opportunity to advantageously trade hits with it, especially since Zapdos often finds opportunities chances to recover lost health with Rest. This excellent balance between offense and defense makes Zapdos an easy fit on many teams. However, Zapdos will often find itself having to trade hits with Snorlax, which is one of the very few Pokemon that can trade hits favorably with it do so favorably. Furthermore, while it generally has the upper hand in most matchups, many common offensive Pokemon such as Cloyster, Exeggutor, and Steelix will often try to trade themselves for Zapdos with Explosion, which almost always OHKOes it.

[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Thunder / Thunderbolt
move 2: Hidden Power Ice / Hidden Power Water
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
Great Special Attack, combined with the ability to continuously get rid of status and restore health with virtually no drawbacks, turns Zapdos into a powerful tank. The choice between Thunder and Thunderbolt depends on what your team needs more: power or consistency. Offensive teams will typically favor Thunder's higher Base Power, which will allows Zapdos to possibly 4HKO Snorlax and 2HKO Miltank. The damage roll on Snorlax is particularly notable when a against non-Sleep Talk Snorlax is facing off against Zapdos, as Zapdos without Thunder will require multiple critical hits within a few turns to KO Snorlax, whereas Thunder Zapdos can potentially KO it if a single Thunder lands a critical hit within three attacks. Thunder's high chance of inflicting paralysis also makes Electric-types such as Raikou shakier at checking Zapdos, as they depend on their Speed to reliably deal with other foes, (comma) such as Vaporeon and Cloyster. This high chance of paralysis on such a powerful move is an important reason why Zapdos can be so difficult to deal with—aside from Raikou, Pokemon such as Exeggutor, Tyranitar, Porygon2, and Gengar all lose considerable effectiveness when they become paralyzed by Thunder, and they will all need to risk this occasionally. Still, some teams may prefer the high PP and accuracy of Thunderbolt, which gives it Zapdos more consistency against foes such as Vaporeon, Cloyster, Starmie, and Tentacruel. Zapdos's coverage attack is primarily used to threaten opposing Ground-types, (comma) such as Nidoking and Marowak. Hidden Power Ice has the benefits of hitting Grass-types such as Exeggutor super effectively, (comma) as well as and crucially increasing Zapdos's odds at beating an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Sleep Talk rolls. Hidden Power Water is an alternative option to hit Ground-types such as Golem, Steelix, and Rhydon harder, but the resulting HP DV drop and neutral damage to opposing Zapdos make Zapdos substantially less likely to come out on top against an opposing RestTalk Zapdos with Hidden Power Ice. With Rest and Sleep Talk, Zapdos makes a great status absorber, (comma) as well as and a more consistent check to Vaporeon, Exeggutor, and Nidoking. Its defensive stats and typing pair together so well that, with the right Sleep Talk rolls, it can at times sometimes beat almost an entire weakened team by itself, especially if the team lacks Explosion or attacks that 2HKO it.

Team Options
========
Zapdos possesses several qualities that make it fantastic at taking advantage of Spikes: its attacking moves hit all Spikes-immune Pokemon extremely hard, its immunity to Spikes makes it excellent when at double switching to rack up Spikes damage, and very few of the Pokemon that can withstand its powerful attacks pose an immediate KO threat in return. Cloyster not only provides these Spikes, but it also switches into many of the Pokemon that can switch into Zapdos, with the notable exception of Raikou. Offensive partners such as Gengar and Exeggutor are a great help to Zapdos as well, since they lure in the three major walls that trouble Zapdos—Raikou, Blissey, and Snorlax—and can use a strong Explosion to KO or severely weaken them. Gengar also acts as an effective lure to Quagsire, which, while uncommon, walls Zapdos effectively. Exeggutor, on the other hand, can check Quagsire with ease. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax, which can take on problematic foes such as Raikou, Blissey, and Jolteon, while a Raikou of your own will take on opposing Electric-types. If Snorlax has Self-Destruct, it can also bait and KO opposing Snorlax to give room for Zapdos to wreak havoc. Pokemon such as Vaporeon (vague, what makes vape special) appreciate paralysis support from Thunder, and teams that have Raikou will almost certainly switch it into Zapdos, giving Zapdos plenty of chances to inflict this paralysis. Zapdos also enjoys support from Snorlax checks such as Steelix, Rhydon, and Machamp on offensive teams and Skarmory, Misdreavus, Umbreon, and Miltank on defensive teams; Tyranitar and Golem are also commonly found on either kind both kinds of team. Skarmory can also take Explosion from Steelix and deal with Quagsire. Machamp, Vaporeon, and Ground-types such as Nidoking can help Zapdos against Tyranitar. Ground-types also help against Electric-types, especially Raikou, which Zapdos appreciates.

[SET]
name: Offensive Phazer
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While Zapdos has highly respectable offensive power with merely a STAB move and a coverage move, it Zapdos can take its already respectable offensive presence to another level by using Whirlwind in tandem with Spikes support. This set works due to Zapdos's huge threat level against a vast majority of the metagame. Few Pokemon can afford to stay in to trade hits with Zapdos—notably, fewer than can take Roar Raikou on—with many risking being OHKOed if they stay in. Most teams rely on Snorlax and Raikou or a Ground-type to combat Zapdos's onslaught, but repeatedly taking Spikes damage on entry and then immediately being phazed, forcing another entry, can bring even the sturdiest checks into KO range of its attacks. There is no reliable answer to such a strategy other than to anticipate the Whirlwind and attack Zapdos or hope that Whirlwind drags in a healthy Pokemon that has a favorable matchup. Whirlwind also lets Zapdos punish Snorlax for setting up Curse against it by preventing it from burning through any of its sleep turns if used when Snorlax is forced to use Rest. Thunder Wave can cripple most healthy Pokemon, making the target easier for Zapdos and its team to deal with. It is particularly useful when dealing with opposing RestTalk Zapdos, which is one of the only Pokemon that can give this Zapdos significant trouble due to its immunity to Spikes and ability to avoid being 2HKOed by Zapdos. Despite being the only move listed for its moveslot, Thunder Wave is not the only option for this moveslot; rather, it is the clear best option among many for a majority of teams. One alternative is Protect, which can block Explosion from the likes of Exeggutor, Steelix, and Gengar and allow Zapdos to recover health with Leftovers to help compensate for lacking Rest, potentially turning 3HKOs into 4HKOs against foes such as Nidoking and Gengar. Finally, While this Zapdos is typically considered an offensive variant, Whirlwind also allows it to play defensive roles, such as phazing Mean Look variants of Misdreavus and Umbreon, Curse and Belly Drum Snorlax that have used Rest, and other foes with boosting moves. On more defensive lineups, it may elect to use Rest over Thunder Wave and pair up with a Heal Bell user such as Blissey.

In terms of attacks, this variant of Zapdos is much more dependent on Spikes support and therefore prefers to have the most powerful and accurate moves against Rapid Spin users. Thunderbolt is slightly preferred over Thunder, as it allows Zapdos to consistently eliminates Starmie and Cloyster and deals reliable heavy damage to Forretress, and Hidden Power Water is preferred over Hidden Power Ice so that Zapdos can nail Golem, Rhydon, and Steelix, which is useful to deter use of Rapid Spin from Golem, Rock Slide from Rhydon, and Body Slam or Roar from Steelix. In addition, Whirlwind somewhat compensates for the Hidden Power Water's worsened Exeggutor matchup, as Zapdos can phaze it as it switches in. However, Exeggutor is a much bigger threat to this Zapdos and can be especially problematic to deal with if the team cannot maintain Spikes support. Additionally, although there are no Sleep Talk rolls to worry about against opposing Zapdos that would warrant the use of Hidden Power Ice, if Thunder is used over Thunderbolt, Hidden Power Ice is useful as a strong, accurate option in the mirror matchup, as well as against the aforementioned Exeggutor Hidden Power Ice can therefore still be useful, and it also helps against other Whirlwind Zapdos when using the less reliable Thunder; the RestTalk Zapdos matchup is negligible either way without Sleep Talk rolls to worry about. (i'm sure there's a cleaner way to phrase this stuff than what you've put, but it's a bit tricky to understand all this mirror matchup business, so my version might be off)

Team Options
========
Cloyster is the preferred teammate for Spikes support, as it provides a significant offensive threat alongside its Spikes and can blow a hole in the opponent's defenses against Zapdos answers. It also provides a decent temporary answer to Curse Snorlax thanks to its high Defense, tendency to run Toxic in its standard moveset—which can force Snorlax to use Rest, and ability to threaten Snorlax with Explosion. Cloyster also provides a temporary answer to Ground- and Rock-type foes that Zapdos may not always want to trade hits with, such as Rhydon and Marowak. Forretress is also a valid alternative, although its offensive capabilities are lacking. It is great at taking advantage of foes such as mono-attacking Snorlax and capitalizes well when opponents are stacking their teams with anti-Cloyster measures, such as Thunder Snorlax and Toxic Skarmory, which are less effective against Forretress and can grant it easy opportunities to set Spikes. Gengar is another useful teammate for its ability to spinblock, as the loss of losing Spikes can significantly impair Zapdos's offensive capabilities against defensive teams. Without RestTalk, Zapdos is far more susceptible to status than usual. RestTalk Snorlax is therefore a great choice of teammate, especially on teams that lack other good candidates for a RestTalk user, as it can absorb status from most foes safely. Zapdos generally appreciates having offensive teammates that will not allow the opposing team opportunities to recover their health without being punished for doing so punish foes for trying to recover. Some of these include Nidoking, Gengar, Exeggutor, and Jynx. In particular, it is important that Zapdos's teammates do not allow paralyzed opposing Zapdos opportunities to switch in and use Rest without threatening a 3HKO in return or a trade with Explosion.

However, if Zapdos is instead found on a defensive lineup, pressing a favorable position is much less important and its teammates can instead be focused on gaining and maintaining a Spikes advantage while walling the enemy team. Skarmory is a commonly chosen teammate that can take on Curse + Earthquake Snorlax reliably, (comma) as well as checking and check Marowak and Machamp, which are two Pokemon that Zapdos does not want to be the lone check against. Blissey is a great choice for checking opposing special attackers and offering Heal Bell support to Zapdos. When paired with other formidable mixed tanks such as Snorlax, Zapdos can also help against foes such as Nidoking, Machamp, Vaporeon, and Tentacruel, despite lacking RestTalk.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Running Drill Peck with an Electric-type move and Hidden Power Water will give Zapdos a better matchup against threats such as Heracross, Machamp, and Exeggutor, and its high PP and solid damage output can put pressure on Blissey's Soft-Boiled PP, but Zapdos will still have problems with Raikou, Snorlax, and Quagsire. When used alongside Whirlwind, Reflect is helpful when dealing with opposing Tyranitar, Machamp, and Snorlax, and it makes it more difficult for them to bring an end to Zapdos's shenanigans; Light Screen is similarly useful when fighting Nidoking, Jynx, and opposing Zapdos. Light Screen in particular also tends to be valuable in helping setup sweepers find opportunities to boost without losing too much health in the process. Toxic is a possibility to force opposing Snorlax and Raikou into a predictable Rest, which can grant momentum. In addition, if Snorlax is unable to safely absorb Toxic, this can put Blissey in a difficult position due to its limited Heal Bell PP. Zapdos can also consider running Hidden Power Grass to deal a lot of damage to Quagsire, but this will severely impact Zapdos's HP stat due to DV requirements and lose crucial super effective coverage against Nidoking, so it is therefore almost never recommended. With Magnet, Zapdos can possibly 3HKO Snorlax with Thunder after Spikes, though the loss of passive recovery from losing Leftovers reduces Zapdos's longevity by such a huge amount that Zapdos loses much of its usual defensive effectiveness. Zapdos's high Speed and access to Substitute means (everything gets sub) that it can use Substitute + Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support. This can give it a better chance of getting through some of its bulkier checks, such as Snorlax and Quagsire. However, this strategy can easily fall apart against opposing RestTalk Zapdos and Raikou if they are able to use Rest, and the set suffers from the inability to fit Thunder Wave.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Raikou is the best counter to Zapdos, as it can take any of Zapdos's moves while either phazing or hammering Zapdos with a powerful STAB Thunder of its own. Jolteon can use Zapdos without Whirlwind as setup bait unless Zapdos has Whirlwind. After it grabs an Agility or Growth, it can use Baton Pass to send a deadly boost to a teammate to sweep Zapdos's team. Jolteon can also easily dispose of Zapdos itself after using Growth. Other less common Electric-types such as Ampharos also have a good matchup against Zapdos. However, none of them appreciate being paralyzed by Zapdos's Thunder or Thunder Wave, and none of them can immediately threaten a 2HKO on Zapdos, which can give Zapdos a chance to fish for paralysis against them.

**Special Walls**: Blissey will walls Zapdos all day long; however, it is largely unable to do anything significant to Zapdos other than use Light Screen to support its team or fish for a freeze with Ice Beam while Zapdos is awake. With RestTalk or Heal Bell support, Snorlax will easily take on even Thunder Zapdos that pack Thunder. Even without such support, Snorlax is one of the best Pokemon in the game at tanking Zapdos's moves and threatens it back significantly with its STAB attacks. However, Zapdos's Thunder is capable of 4HKOing Snorlax, so pairing Snorlax with a Ground-type Pokemon to bait Hidden Power can be useful in limiting the damage it takes switching in. Rapid Spin support also helps immensely in this regard, as Spikes damage counteracts Leftovers recovery and allows causes Thunder damage to accumulate far more quickly.

**Ground-types**: Steelix works as an effective pivot for teams looking to bring in a check to Zapdos against a relatively weak Hidden Power Ice. Steelix can also then use Explosion to trade itself for Zapdos, phaze, or paralyze Zapdos with Body Slam or Dragon Breath. Piloswine and Quagsire can also check Hidden Power Ice Zapdos reliably and potentially threaten it in return with Ice Beam or Hidden Power Rock. Quagsire also has the advantage of taking neutral damage from Hidden Power Water, unlike the other Ground-types that also take neutral damage from Hidden Power Ice. Marowak can 2HKO Zapdos with Rock Slide and almost always survives two super effective Hidden Powers from Zapdos from full HP avoids a 2HKO from Hidden Power. Nidoking usually 3HKOes with Ice Beam and also has the threat of Counter up its sleeve—which Counter always succeeds against Hidden Power in GSC, although it Nidoking must weaken Zapdos before attempting to pull this off. Rhydon 2HKOes Zapdos with Rock Slide and narrowly evades being 2HKOed by Hidden Power Ice almost all of the time. However, the slim margins in this matchup, as well as the potential Hidden Power Water OHKO, make fighting Zapdos with Rhydon head on a risky proposition. Rhydon and Marowak both also have access to Counter; Rhydon will OHKO if targeted by Hidden Power Ice about 85% of the time and can guarantee an OHKO if it has slightly lower Special DVs than the maximum possible, whereas Marowak either requires Zapdos to be weakened to KO or, to OHKO, needs significantly reduced Special DVs and Special Stat Experience, which may not be worth the serious loss of special bulk.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar has access to STAB Rock Slide, which achieves the rare feat of 2HKOing Zapdos. Furthermore, it has Pursuit to chip away at Zapdos as it switches out. However, Tyranitar cannot afford to switch in on Zapdos's Thunder, which 3HKOes it.

**Jynx**: Jynx cannot afford to switch into an STAB Electric-type move from Zapdos, but usually survives two Thunders from full health avoids a Thunder 2HKO and threatens a 2HKO in return with Ice Beam, making it a good option to switch in as Zapdos uses Rest.

**Explosion**: Zapdos makes a great target for Explosion users such as Exeggutor, Cloyster, Golem, Steelix, and Gengar. With the exception of Gengar, which can use Ice Punch to bring it into KO range beforehand, most Explosion users in OU can always OHKO a full health Zapdos, and this is often an excellent trade to make. Removing Zapdos from the picture often paves the way for attackers such as Vaporeon, Nidoking, and Machamp to wreak havoc.

**Sunny Day**: Pokemon with Sunny Day can turn a winning matchup for Zapdos into a potential losing one due to many for Zapdos variants relying on Thunder. Entei, Typhlosion, and Houndoom can also 2HKO Zapdos with STAB Fire Blast in sun, and Moltres often survives one hit from Thunder to land a 2HKO. However, if Zapdos manages to land Thunder, it has good odds to 2HKO Typhlosion and Houndoom from full health.

**Substitute**: Zapdos's tendency to use the inaccurate Thunder can be taken advantage of exploited by fast Pokemon with Substitute, such as Alakazam, Espeon, Tentacruel, and Starmie. As Zapdos fails to break Substitute with Hidden Power most of the time, Thunder misses can generate free turns to set up, fire off attacks, or spin away Spikes.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[wyc2333, 336830], [Lockeness, 39891], [Earthworm, 15210]]
- Quality checked by: [[Jorgen, 53302], [FriendOfMrGolem120, 424525]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429], [, ]]

 

[Earthworm]

Thank you very much for the check, a lot of unnecessary words have been removed! There are a few changes I am hesitant to make, which I have listed below. Let me know what you think.

[SET]
name: Offensive Phazer
move 1: Thunderbolt / Thunder
move 2: Hidden Power Water / Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Whirlwind
move 4: Thunder Wave
item: Leftovers

[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
While Zapdos has highly respectable offensive power with merely a STAB move and a coverage move, it Zapdos can take its already respectable offensive presence to another level by using Whirlwind in tandem with Spikes support.

I made this change, but I am slightly concerned about losing the mention of the combination of a STAB and coverage move which allows it to be respectable. In the end, I decided that it is commonplace enough that it doesn't require mentioning. Was this a similar line of thinking to the one you were taking?

Team Options
========
Cloyster is the preferred teammate for Spikes support, as it provides a significant offensive threat alongside its Spikes and can blow a hole in the opponent's defenses against Zapdos answers.

I have a strong preference for the original words here because I think it sounds better, so I would like to fully understand the reasoning for the change. If my wording is too vague or misleading, I will accept the change (possibly also changing the verb).

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
...
Zapdos's high Speed and access to Substitute means (everything gets sub) that it can use Substitute + Swagger somewhat effectively with prior paralysis spreading and Spikes support.

Actually, a lot of Pokemon in gen2 don't get Substitute. I made the change anyway because my words were unnecessary (Substitute is not a move that has rare distribution), but I thought I would just mention this for your benefit.

However, this strategy can easily fall apart against opposing RestTalk Zapdos and Raikou if they are able to use Rest, and the set suffers from the inability to fit Thunder Wave.

This sounds weird to me without "the", and Google results seem to support this idea:

I would prefer to keep "the", let me know what you think.

Checks and Counters
===================
**Ground-types**: ...Rhydon and Marowak both also have access to Counter; Rhydon will OHKO if targeted by Hidden Power Ice about 85% of the time and can guarantee an OHKO if it has slightly lower Special DVs than the maximum possible, whereas Marowak either requires Zapdos to be weakened to KO or, to OHKO, needs significantly reduced Special DVs and Special Stat Experience, which may not be worth the serious loss of special bulk.

I am concerned that if "to OHKO" is removed, it won't be clear exactly what the purpose of the reduction is. I think the positioning of "to KO" in the sentence is what is troubling me. Any suggestions?

 

[CryoGyro]

I made this change, but I am slightly concerned about losing the mention of the combination of a STAB and coverage move which allows it to be respectable. In the end, I decided that it is commonplace enough that it doesn't require mentioning. Was this a similar line of thinking to the one you were taking?

The overview mentions it in its second sentence, so it doesn't need to be gone over again in detail.

I have a strong preference for the original words here because I think it sounds better, so I would like to fully understand the reasoning for the change. If my wording is too vague or misleading, I will accept the change (possibly also changing the verb).

It's ultimately a matter of one word vs two, with the one word being a more conventional term. If you feel strongly about it, I won't stop you from keeping it.

I would prefer to keep "the", let me know what you think.

Inability is a noun, so it works the same way "suffering from illness" works, and "the" was used just four words ago there. Just trimming words where possible, not a big deal to me.

I am concerned that if "to OHKO" is removed, it won't be clear exactly what the purpose of the reduction is. I think the positioning of "to KO" in the sentence is what is troubling me. Any suggestions?

I was getting weary and forgot to address that. Something like "whereas to OHKO with Marowak, it needs Zapdos significantly weakened or to heavily reduce its Special DVs and Special Stat Experience"

 

[Earthworm]

Thank you!

Uploaded.