[SET]
name: Choice Item Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Defiant
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Flying / Dark / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Galarian Zapdos is a unique Fighting-type in the metagame because of its excellent offensive utility and good Speed tier. Knock Off is a staple for offensive Fighting-types to punish switches to Ghost- and Psychic-types like Armarouge, Gengar, Jirachi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus while doubling as item removal to rack up residual damage with entry hazard support. U-turn is an excellent pivot move, as it hits Psychic-types for super effective damage while giving teammates the opportunity to position onto the field safely into favorable matchups. Choice Scarf provides excellent Speed control, notably allowing Galarian Zapdos to outspeed other Choice Scarf users like Basculegion-F, Gardevoir, Krookodile, and Okidogi. Choice Band gives Galarian Zapdos the breaking power to 2HKO would-be defensive checks like Galarian Weezing and Slowbro, which isn't possible using Choice Scarf without supplementing the damage output with Terastallization. Defiant is excellent for taking advantage of Defog attempts from Galarian Weezing and Noivern and Intimidate from Krookodile and Salamence. Tera Flying turns STAB Brave Bird into a practically unwallable attack and has the added benefit of removing weaknesses to Fairy- and Psychic-type attacks from the likes of Fezandipiti, Gardevoir, and Slowbro. Tera Dark provides similar defensive utility to Tera Flying, turning Electric- and Flying-type attacks from super effective to neutral, which is helpful against Thundurus and opposing Galarian Zapdos, while giving an immunity to Psychic and providing a STAB boost to Knock Off, allowing for an OHKO on Armarouge and a 2HKO on Reuniclus. It also provides a key immunity to Prankster, making Thundurus unable to hinder a late-game sweep with Thunder Wave. Tera Steel flips the weaknesses to Fairy-, Flying-, and Psychic-type attacks into resistances, giving defensive utility into Choice Scarf Gardevoir and opposing Galarian Zapdos, and gives an immunity to Poison that helps against Fezandipiti and Gengar. Using Tera Steel allows Choice Band Galarian Zapdos to pick up valuable damage or KOs into Choice Scarf users like Gardevoir and Gengar.
Choice Item Galarian Zapdos can function on balance and offense teams as either a fast attacker and pivot with Choice Scarf or a strong breaker with Choice Band. Defensive teammates that can pivot and give Galarian Zapdos safe entry points like Cyclizar, Empoleon, and Jirachi are crucial to maximizing the immediate damage output and offensive pressure that it puts on opponents. Pairing Choice Band Galarian Zapdos's potent breaking power with Pokemon that excel at late-game cleaning, like Bisharp, Maushold, and Mimikyu, can be advantageous. Empoleon and Jirachi are notable teammates for their ability to absorb Fairy- and Psychic-type attacks from Fezandipiti, Gardevoir, and Slowbro and establish entry hazards. Offensive teammates like Basculegion-F and Hisuian Zoroark can threaten physical walls like Hippowdon, Jirachi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus and can form an offensive core that keeps momentum against otherwise strong defensive cores. Other teammates that can form a VoltTurn core with Galarian Zapdos like Barraskewda, Slither Wing, and Thundurus can put immense pressure on teams by forcing considerable chip damage with their strong pivot attacks. Capitalizing on this VoltTurn structure, Galarian Zapdos fits well on hazard stack archetypes, partnering with Chesnaught, Empoleon, Gligar, and Jirachi comfortably, as they provide defensive support and use its offensive pressure to wear down opponents. Galarian Zapdos lacks recovery and often takes a lot of recoil damage using Brave Bird, so Healing Wish and Wish support from teammates like Gardevoir, Jirachi, and Umbreon can improve its longevity and give it the staying power to consistently break through teams.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/machjacob.555741/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rarelyme.513635/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
name: Choice Item Attacker
move 1: Close Combat
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: U-turn
item: Choice Scarf / Choice Band
ability: Defiant
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Flying / Dark / Steel
[SET COMMENTS]
Galarian Zapdos is a unique Fighting-type in the metagame because of its excellent offensive utility and good Speed tier. Knock Off is a staple for offensive Fighting-types to punish switches to Ghost- and Psychic-types like Armarouge, Gengar, Jirachi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus while doubling as item removal to rack up residual damage with entry hazard support. U-turn is an excellent pivot move, as it hits Psychic-types for super effective damage while giving teammates the opportunity to position onto the field safely into favorable matchups. Choice Scarf provides excellent Speed control, notably allowing Galarian Zapdos to outspeed other Choice Scarf users like Basculegion-F, Gardevoir, Krookodile, and Okidogi. Choice Band gives Galarian Zapdos the breaking power to 2HKO would-be defensive checks like Galarian Weezing and Slowbro, which isn't possible using Choice Scarf without supplementing the damage output with Terastallization. Defiant is excellent for taking advantage of Defog attempts from Galarian Weezing and Noivern and Intimidate from Krookodile and Salamence. Tera Flying turns STAB Brave Bird into a practically unwallable attack and has the added benefit of removing weaknesses to Fairy- and Psychic-type attacks from the likes of Fezandipiti, Gardevoir, and Slowbro. Tera Dark provides similar defensive utility to Tera Flying, turning Electric- and Flying-type attacks from super effective to neutral, which is helpful against Thundurus and opposing Galarian Zapdos, while giving an immunity to Psychic and providing a STAB boost to Knock Off, allowing for an OHKO on Armarouge and a 2HKO on Reuniclus. It also provides a key immunity to Prankster, making Thundurus unable to hinder a late-game sweep with Thunder Wave. Tera Steel flips the weaknesses to Fairy-, Flying-, and Psychic-type attacks into resistances, giving defensive utility into Choice Scarf Gardevoir and opposing Galarian Zapdos, and gives an immunity to Poison that helps against Fezandipiti and Gengar. Using Tera Steel allows Choice Band Galarian Zapdos to pick up valuable damage or KOs into Choice Scarf users like Gardevoir and Gengar.
Choice Item Galarian Zapdos can function on balance and offense teams as either a fast attacker and pivot with Choice Scarf or a strong breaker with Choice Band. Defensive teammates that can pivot and give Galarian Zapdos safe entry points like Cyclizar, Empoleon, and Jirachi are crucial to maximizing the immediate damage output and offensive pressure that it puts on opponents. Pairing Choice Band Galarian Zapdos's potent breaking power with Pokemon that excel at late-game cleaning, like Bisharp, Maushold, and Mimikyu, can be advantageous. Empoleon and Jirachi are notable teammates for their ability to absorb Fairy- and Psychic-type attacks from Fezandipiti, Gardevoir, and Slowbro and establish entry hazards. Offensive teammates like Basculegion-F and Hisuian Zoroark can threaten physical walls like Hippowdon, Jirachi, Slowbro, and Reuniclus and can form an offensive core that keeps momentum against otherwise strong defensive cores. Other teammates that can form a VoltTurn core with Galarian Zapdos like Barraskewda, Slither Wing, and Thundurus can put immense pressure on teams by forcing considerable chip damage with their strong pivot attacks. Capitalizing on this VoltTurn structure, Galarian Zapdos fits well on hazard stack archetypes, partnering with Chesnaught, Empoleon, Gligar, and Jirachi comfortably, as they provide defensive support and use its offensive pressure to wear down opponents. Galarian Zapdos lacks recovery and often takes a lot of recoil damage using Brave Bird, so Healing Wish and Wish support from teammates like Gardevoir, Jirachi, and Umbreon can improve its longevity and give it the staying power to consistently break through teams.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/flampoke.654091/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/machjacob.555741/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/rarelyme.513635/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/tbolt.555379/
Last edited: