I. Introduction:
Hello everyone, I’m Ultraman (my current alt is CrimsonCloth25), and this is my fourth RMT of my Showdown career. Over the past month (December 2025), I’ve been working on a pretty cool wallbreaker in Galarian Zapdos , which was inspired by one of my friends in a small Facebook group, and it has been performing extremely well. I tested and refined this team step by step through extensive ladder play, making adjustments along the way as different matchups came up. Overall, I’m very satisfied with how the team turned out and how consistently it performs in practice.
With that said, let’s dive into the team members.
Team paste: https://pokepast.es/c8f913b325abf8a8
II. Team Members
1. Galarian Zapdos (G-Zapdos / Gapdos):
This is the main star of the team. It boasts a fantastic offensive STAB combination in Flying / Fighting, which is only resisted by a small number of Pokémon such as bulky Zapdos variants and Gholdengo, the latter of which does not want to switch into Knock Off anyway. Its “Superman-like” defensive typing allows it to ignore common issues like hazards and Sticky Webs, while Defiant synergizes perfectly with a hazard stack structure. With a usable base 100 Speed, Gapdos can tear through bulky offense and balance cores relying on Pokémon like Landorus-T, Ting-Lu, Hatterene, and Great Tusk. Tera Flying is chosen to elevate Brave Bird into an absurdly powerful nuke, though Steel or Electric are viable alternatives for a more defensive route.
Fun calc:
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Gholdengo: 149-176 (47.3 - 55.8%) -- 79.3% chance to 2HKO
+1 252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 4 Def Landorus-Therian: 466-549 (121.9 - 143.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Corviknight: 399-469 (100 - 117.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO
+2 252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Close Combat vs. 244 HP / 252+ Def Gliscor: 176-207 (50 - 58.8%) -- 19.1% chance to 2HKO after Poison Heal
252 Atk Choice Band Zapdos-Galar Brave Bird vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowking-Galar: 237-280 (60.1 - 71%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
2. Blissey:
This pink blob has long been one of my favorite balance staples. While its passivity and the lack of Teleport in the current generation leave it vulnerable in certain scenarios, Blissey remains the pinnacle of special walling. It consistently absorbs special attacks that would otherwise overwhelm the team and provides essential long-term stability. The moveset is fairly self-explanatory, with Tera Water specifically chosen to improve matchups against Walking Wake and Volcanion when needed.
3. Darkrai:
I was not initially fond of this mythical Pokémon, but it has steadily grown on me over time. Thanks to its excellent Speed tier, wide coverage, and strong utility options, Boots Darkrai feels like a necessary evil that greatly improves matchups against offense and stall. It applies constant pressure without being worn down by hazards and helps keep faster threats in check. Tera Poison provides key resistances to Fairy, Fighting, and Bug, while also improving damage rolls against Assault Vest Hatterene and bulky Ogerpon-Wellspring, which can be worn down or burned regardless.
4. Gliscor:
The nigh-immortal saint of bulky hazard stack teams returns stronger than ever. Tera Normal is an incredible upgrade, easing otherwise painful matchups against threats like Substitute Kyurem and Hex Dragapult. This typing also supercharges Facade, allowing Gliscor to punish even the most resilient defensive cores. Its longevity, consistency, and ability to pressure stall make it a cornerstone of the team’s structure.
5. Skarmory:
The OG physical wall and the perfect defensive counterpart to Blissey. Skarmory reliably sets Spikes and uses Whirlwind to disrupt opposing teams, especially against common Rapid Spin users. Its ability to repeatedly switch into physical attackers helps maintain hazard pressure throughout the game. Tera Dragon allows Skarmory to check Ogerpon-Wellspring, though the matchup can still be shaky in certain situations.
6. Pecharunt:
When life gets tough, call Mr. Pech. It is easily the most consistent spinblocker I have used, while also checking threats such as non–Covert Cloak Dragonite and non–Tera Steel Zamazenta. Pecharunt excels at positioning and tempo control, carefully maneuvering itself to create openings so that Gapdos and Darkrai can apply pressure more aggressively. Air Balloon grants a temporary Ground immunity, allowing it to pivot more safely into Earthquake users early-game, and even after the Balloon is broken, Pecharunt remains a reliable switch-in to Ceruledge’s otherwise monstrous Poltergeist.
III. Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519114159-db51fm37b1myibk76s8r78hy2sb8f3npw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519453475-e2boe2imf2osjxq3qp3osy1pnfya7ptpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519461510-vc1tsgj87ge4lsx8xp84euk4ls87pcfpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519485766-xxm2e7mfluqtcrwxvl28xun36t68oltpw?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519466013-2sq6hsl35s57r959b42e72pxj47m9ippw?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519499732-el9e14nx9agrusrcn8myy126jee3s3bpw?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9ou-2519754806-my6nsl1ewtldwu1f7j7nb5f3tmwsrq7pw?p2
IV. Peak Screenshot (17/1/2026) + Threatlist + Conclusion:
Due to the team’s somewhat concerning passivity from certain members, some matchups can be genuinely painful to play. A healthy late-game Kingambit with unknown Tera is especially threatening if you do not keep Skarm and Darkrai healthy enough. Ghost-type Pokémon with Substitute and setup options, such as Nasty Plot Gholdengo with Salac Berry (yes, I actually ran into this), can also be extremely difficult to handle.
Additionally, hyper offense teams that stack overwhelming raw power, such as those centered around Swords Dance Iron Hands–type breakers, can cause the team to collapse if positioning is misplayed. That said, this is my first serious attempt at learning and piloting a somewhat balance-style team, so I’m always open to criticism and suggestions to improve it further.
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