[overview]
**Draft order**: Late round 2 onwards
**Price range**: 15-16 points
**Overview**: Zapdos is a versatile Pokemon that plays many roles. Its Electric and Flying typing is great defensively, and its ability, Static, makes it an annoying switch-in for opposing physical attackers. Its base 125 Special Attack and 100 Speed also make it great at wallbreaking while still being able to run lots of bulk if necessary. However, Zapdos lacks setup options, making it unable to break many defensive Pokemon, and it can be taken advantage of by many Ground-, Rock-, and Ice-types.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky pivot**: Typically, this set would include Roost, STAB attacks and potentially Heat Wave as coverage, and either U-turn or Volt Switch. Pivoting is great for maintaining momentum on Zapdos's checks and counters. Choosing to use U-turn over Volt Switch is a good option when Zapdos's counters are immune to Electric, such as Ting-Lu. Thunder Wave is also a great option for slowing down wallbreakers or potential switch-ins.
**Offensive pivot**: This is similar to the bulky pivot set, but it runs more offensive EVs in order to deal more damage. This set can be good when opposing teams struggle against Zapdos's coverage or if Zapdos is not needed defensively. Agility can also be run on offensive sets to outspeed faster threats such as Meowscarada or Greninja.
**All-out attacker**: With Zapdos's strong base 125 Special Attack, it can deal massive amounts of damage with EV investment or damage-boosting items. The focus of this set is dealing large amounts of damage rather than providing utility or pivoting. Choice Specs or Life Orb allows Zapdos to deal even more damage, especially against resistances and specially defensive walls.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Discharge, Thunderbolt, Hurricane, Volt Switch, Thunder
**Setup moves**: Agility
**Utility moves**: Thunder Wave, Roost, U-turn, Substitute
**Coverage**: Heat Wave, Weather Ball, Ancient Power, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Metal Sound**: Metal Sound can be used on opposing switch-ins to half their Special Defense, allowing Zapdos to deal massive damage or force another switch. Combining it with Throat Spray to immediately gain a 1.5x Special Attack boost makes Zapdos even more threatening.
**Rain Dance**: Rain Dance is good for removing opposing weather and making Zapdos a much scarier offensive threat with Weather Ball as well as Hurricane and Thunder.
**Charge**: Charge makes Zapdos's Electric-type moves immediately more threatening while also boosting its Special Defense.
**Eerie Impulse**: Eerie Impulse makes it difficult for specially offensive Pokemon to break through Zapdos.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: By far the most common item on Zapdos, Heavy-Duty Boots allows Zapdos to easily pivot and make switch in multiple times throughout the game without getting quickly worn down by Stealth Rock.
**Choice Specs / Life Orb**: Choice Specs on top of Zapdos's base 125 Special Attack allows Zapdos to become a terrifying wallbreaker.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet paired with Static makes Zapdos a very annoying switch-in against physical attackers, and it can easily punish U-turn and Flip Turn.
**Resistance Berry**: Charti Berry and Yache Berry are both solid options against offensive Rock- and Ice-types, respectively, such as Iron Boulder and Iron Bundle.
Niche Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is good for extra longevity, especially when paired with great entry hazard removal or if the opposing team has no Stealth Rock users. It is also useful on Substitute sets to regain health without needing to use Roost.
**Eject Button**: Eject Button allows Zapdos to quickly take a hit and switch out into a wincon or wallbreaker for better positioning.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Zapdos to outspeed fast wallbreakers and become a fast offensive pivot on its own.
**Covert Cloak**: Covert Cloak is useful against annoying secondary effects, mainly from Dire Claw.
**Throat Spray**: Throat Spray can be combined with Metal Sound to gain a Special Attack boost.
Tera
========
Zapdos generally struggles as a Tera Captain due to its lack of setup options and its already solid typing. If used as a Tera Captain, it would benefit from stronger STAB attacks, additional coverage from Tera Ground, Fighting, or Grass, or defensive Tera types such as Fairy or Steel.
Draft Strategy
========
Zapdos does not win games on its own, but it provides excellent support to the team as a strong defensive or offensive pivot with many different options. It also checks many of the format's biggest threats, such as Great Tusk, well.
**Physical wallbreaker**: Zapdos's high Special Attack forces its checks to run special bulk, which allows it to pivot into a strong physical wallbreaker, such as Iron Valiant or Meowscarada, to be immediately threatening.
**Entry hazard removal**: Drafting a high-price Flying-type without Defog is a major downside of Zapdos, especially with its weakness to Stealth Rock. Be sure to have a good hazard removal option on the team. Good examples include Great Tusk and Iron Treads.
**Wincons**: Zapdos is great at enabling offensive threats, such as Greninja or Iron Valiant, as it can pivot to them with U-turn or Volt Switch, weaken checks with its strong base Special Attack, or slow down faster cleaners with Thunder Wave or Static. Since Zapdos isn't reliant on Tera, a solid Tera Captain like Latios or Ogerpon-W would be a great option.
Checks and Counters
========
**Defensive Ground-types**: Ground-types are immune to Zapdos's Volt Switch, forcing it to run U-turn to pivot, and it forces Zapdos to rely on Hurricane to hit them. Examples include Landorus-T, Ting-Lu, and Clodsire.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types resist both of Zapdos's STAB attacks, and some can block Volt Switch via abilities, such as Thundurus-T and Jolteon. Bulky Electric-types that check Zapdos include Raging Bolt and Bellibolt.
**Stealth Rock**: Zapdos lacks entry hazard removal, making Stealth Rock very annoying for it to handle, especially if its Heavy-Duty Boots get removed via Knock Off.
**Specially defensive Pokemon**: Zapdos cannot increase its Special Attack, so it struggles a lot with breaking through specially defensive walls, especially ones with recovery. Some good options are Clefable, Galarian Slowking, and Deoxys-D.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
**Draft order**: Late round 2 onwards
**Price range**: 15-16 points
**Overview**: Zapdos is a versatile Pokemon that plays many roles. Its Electric and Flying typing is great defensively, and its ability, Static, makes it an annoying switch-in for opposing physical attackers. Its base 125 Special Attack and 100 Speed also make it great at wallbreaking while still being able to run lots of bulk if necessary. However, Zapdos lacks setup options, making it unable to break many defensive Pokemon, and it can be taken advantage of by many Ground-, Rock-, and Ice-types.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Bulky pivot**: Typically, this set would include Roost, STAB attacks and potentially Heat Wave as coverage, and either U-turn or Volt Switch. Pivoting is great for maintaining momentum on Zapdos's checks and counters. Choosing to use U-turn over Volt Switch is a good option when Zapdos's counters are immune to Electric, such as Ting-Lu. Thunder Wave is also a great option for slowing down wallbreakers or potential switch-ins.
**Offensive pivot**: This is similar to the bulky pivot set, but it runs more offensive EVs in order to deal more damage. This set can be good when opposing teams struggle against Zapdos's coverage or if Zapdos is not needed defensively. Agility can also be run on offensive sets to outspeed faster threats such as Meowscarada or Greninja.
**All-out attacker**: With Zapdos's strong base 125 Special Attack, it can deal massive amounts of damage with EV investment or damage-boosting items. The focus of this set is dealing large amounts of damage rather than providing utility or pivoting. Choice Specs or Life Orb allows Zapdos to deal even more damage, especially against resistances and specially defensive walls.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Discharge, Thunderbolt, Hurricane, Volt Switch, Thunder
**Setup moves**: Agility
**Utility moves**: Thunder Wave, Roost, U-turn, Substitute
**Coverage**: Heat Wave, Weather Ball, Ancient Power, Tera Blast
Niche Moves
========
**Metal Sound**: Metal Sound can be used on opposing switch-ins to half their Special Defense, allowing Zapdos to deal massive damage or force another switch. Combining it with Throat Spray to immediately gain a 1.5x Special Attack boost makes Zapdos even more threatening.
**Rain Dance**: Rain Dance is good for removing opposing weather and making Zapdos a much scarier offensive threat with Weather Ball as well as Hurricane and Thunder.
**Charge**: Charge makes Zapdos's Electric-type moves immediately more threatening while also boosting its Special Defense.
**Eerie Impulse**: Eerie Impulse makes it difficult for specially offensive Pokemon to break through Zapdos.
Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: By far the most common item on Zapdos, Heavy-Duty Boots allows Zapdos to easily pivot and make switch in multiple times throughout the game without getting quickly worn down by Stealth Rock.
**Choice Specs / Life Orb**: Choice Specs on top of Zapdos's base 125 Special Attack allows Zapdos to become a terrifying wallbreaker.
**Rocky Helmet**: Rocky Helmet paired with Static makes Zapdos a very annoying switch-in against physical attackers, and it can easily punish U-turn and Flip Turn.
**Resistance Berry**: Charti Berry and Yache Berry are both solid options against offensive Rock- and Ice-types, respectively, such as Iron Boulder and Iron Bundle.
Niche Items
========
**Leftovers**: Leftovers is good for extra longevity, especially when paired with great entry hazard removal or if the opposing team has no Stealth Rock users. It is also useful on Substitute sets to regain health without needing to use Roost.
**Eject Button**: Eject Button allows Zapdos to quickly take a hit and switch out into a wincon or wallbreaker for better positioning.
**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf allows Zapdos to outspeed fast wallbreakers and become a fast offensive pivot on its own.
**Covert Cloak**: Covert Cloak is useful against annoying secondary effects, mainly from Dire Claw.
**Throat Spray**: Throat Spray can be combined with Metal Sound to gain a Special Attack boost.
Tera
========
Zapdos generally struggles as a Tera Captain due to its lack of setup options and its already solid typing. If used as a Tera Captain, it would benefit from stronger STAB attacks, additional coverage from Tera Ground, Fighting, or Grass, or defensive Tera types such as Fairy or Steel.
Draft Strategy
========
Zapdos does not win games on its own, but it provides excellent support to the team as a strong defensive or offensive pivot with many different options. It also checks many of the format's biggest threats, such as Great Tusk, well.
**Physical wallbreaker**: Zapdos's high Special Attack forces its checks to run special bulk, which allows it to pivot into a strong physical wallbreaker, such as Iron Valiant or Meowscarada, to be immediately threatening.
**Entry hazard removal**: Drafting a high-price Flying-type without Defog is a major downside of Zapdos, especially with its weakness to Stealth Rock. Be sure to have a good hazard removal option on the team. Good examples include Great Tusk and Iron Treads.
**Wincons**: Zapdos is great at enabling offensive threats, such as Greninja or Iron Valiant, as it can pivot to them with U-turn or Volt Switch, weaken checks with its strong base Special Attack, or slow down faster cleaners with Thunder Wave or Static. Since Zapdos isn't reliant on Tera, a solid Tera Captain like Latios or Ogerpon-W would be a great option.
Checks and Counters
========
**Defensive Ground-types**: Ground-types are immune to Zapdos's Volt Switch, forcing it to run U-turn to pivot, and it forces Zapdos to rely on Hurricane to hit them. Examples include Landorus-T, Ting-Lu, and Clodsire.
**Electric-types**: Electric-types resist both of Zapdos's STAB attacks, and some can block Volt Switch via abilities, such as Thundurus-T and Jolteon. Bulky Electric-types that check Zapdos include Raging Bolt and Bellibolt.
**Stealth Rock**: Zapdos lacks entry hazard removal, making Stealth Rock very annoying for it to handle, especially if its Heavy-Duty Boots get removed via Knock Off.
**Specially defensive Pokemon**: Zapdos cannot increase its Special Attack, so it struggles a lot with breaking through specially defensive walls, especially ones with recovery. Some good options are Clefable, Galarian Slowking, and Deoxys-D.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited: