[SET]
name: Magic Guard Life Orb
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Thunderous Kick
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Taunt / Close Combat
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its great Attack and powerful STAB moves, Galarian Zapdos is a powerful wallbreaker in AAA. Magic Guard avoids every form of chip damage, including Stealth Rock, Rocky Helmet, Toxic, Life Orb, and Brave Bird recoil, allowing it to fire off powerful attacks with low risk. Brave Bird is a strong Flying-type STAB move that has good neutral coverage and 2HKOes common defensive staples such as Tapu Fini, Swampert, and Mandibuzz, while hitting Kommo-o super effectively. Thunderous Kick works particularly well in conjunction with Brave Bird, hitting Steel-types such as Heatran and Corviknight that resist Brave Bird; it also drops the foe's Defense, easing predictions, and lets Galarian Zapdos KO physically defensive Tapu Fini after Stealth Rock by following up Thunderous Kick with Brave Bird. Thunderous Kick is also good at wearing down Dauntless Shield users that can't reliably threaten Galarian Zapdos such as Hippodown and Skarmory lacking Brave Bird. U-turn allows Galarian Zapdos to keep momentum even against its checks such as Zapdos and Dauntless Shield Mew, while chipping them a bit. It also severely damages Mew after a Defense drop, forcing it to recover health. Taunt is a neat option to shut down Pokemon such as Corviknight and Mew that would try to heal or burn Galarian Zapdos with Will-O-Wisp, allowing it to wear them down through the course of a game; however, Taunt is risky because the opponent might use Brave Bird or Ice Beam instead. Close Combat is another option to pass through Flash Fire Corviknight easily, as well as OHKOing some threats such as Ferrothorn or physically defensive Heatran that Thunderous Kick doesn't KO. A Jolly nature is usually preferred to at worst tie with opposing Zapdos, allowing Galarian Zapdos to Taunt it or kill it if it's weakened, but an Adamant nature can be used to maximize damage while still outspeeding defensive Zapdos.
Galarian Zapdos fits best on balance teams that can bring it in several times in order to wallbreak efficiently. It likes partners like Barraskewda, Zygarde-10%, and Lucario that share checks with it in order to overwhelm them, especially in conjunction with Taunt. Entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Heatran is greatly appreciated in order to wear down Galarian Zapdos's checks. Pokemon that can take advantage of Zapdos and Mew such as Desolate Land Heatran, Inteleon, and Tapu Lele are also good teammates. Galarian Zapdos appreciates strong answers to Pokemon that threaten it out such as Tapu Lele, Talonflame, and Azelf, so partners like Jirachi and Flash Fire Corviknight are good teammates. It also requires a check to Zapdos, which is its most consistent check, so specially defensive Pokemon like Blissey or RegenVest Swampert are mandatory. Lastly, fast revenge killers such as Tapu Koko and Azelf are appreciated to alleviate Galarian Zapdos's middle Speed.
[SET]
name: Scarf Regenerator
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Stomping Tantrum / Counter
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Regenerator
nature: Impish
evs: 72 HP / 36 Atk / 252 Def / 148 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its good defensive typing and physical bulk, Galarian Zapdos is a good check to common physical attackers and solid revenge killer. With Choice Scarf equipped, it can switch intp threats like Choice Band Zygarde-10%, Zarude, and Terrakion, threaten them with its STAB moves, while and remain healthy thanks to Regenerator. It can also revenge kill special attackers such as Inteleon and Latios, but it is not able to switch into them. U-turn allows Galarian Zapdos to pivot out on foes it forces out and activate Regenerator. Brave Bird and Close Combat are its main STAB movesand threaten foes like Zarude, Terrakion, and Heatran. In the last moveslot, Stomping Tantrum is an option to revenge kill Tapu Koko if its weakened, while Counter can be used to punish physical attackers, particularly Barraskewda's Flip Turn. 148 Speed EVs, along with the Choice Scarf, allows Galarian Zapdos to outspeed Barraskewda, while the EVs in HP and Defense, in conjunction with the Impish nature, guarantee that it is never OHKOed by Terrakion's Stone Edge after Stealth Rock. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack in order to maximize its damage, in particular against Barraskewda.
Scarf Regenerator Galarian Zapdos fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate having a revenge killer that is also an offensive check to Terrakion and Zarude. Partners that are forced out by Zarude and Terrakion such as Tapu Koko, Ferrothorn, and Heatran, appreciate Galarian Zapdos checking them. Due to Galarian Zapdos's relatively low offensive power, many bulky Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Corviknight can freely switch into it; as such, partners that can take advantage of them such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele are appreciated. Strong answers to Zapdos, Azelf, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele, are mandatory as they can threaten Galarian Zapdos with their powerful STAB moves, so teammates like Jirachi, Bulletproof Ferrothorn, and Blissey are recommended. Galarian Zapdos can't reliably check several physical attackers such as Talonflame, opposing Galarian Zapdos, and offensive Kommo-o, so secondary checks to those, such as Toxapex and Dauntless Shield Mew, are appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Tinted Lens, Tough Claws, and Adaptability are all decent options, but they are usually outclassed by Terrakion, and Galarian Zapdos can be quickly worn down by Brave Bird's recoil. Bulk Up can be used to overwhelm defensive cores, but it lacks general utility since it cannot afford to run U-turn.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Zapdos**: Ironically, Galarian Zapdos's cousin in Kanto is one its best answers, resisting both STAB moves and U-turn and threatening it with Hurricane and Thunder.
**Tapu Koko**: Tapu Koko resists both Galarian Zapdos's STAB moves, outspeeds it, and can threaten it with its own STAB moves or steal momentum with U-turn, while healing any damage with Roost.
**Triage Fairy-types**: Triage Tapu Lele and Togekiss can use their powerful Draining Kiss to KO Galarian Zapdos before it can attack.
**Dauntless Shield Mew**: Despite fearing Taunt, Dauntless Shield Mew can comfortably tank Galarian Zapdos's attack and threaten it back with Ice Beam.
**Wandering Spirit**: While rare, Wandering Spirit users such as Corviknight and Landorus-T are annoying for Galarian Zapdos, as they force it to take recoil or steal Regenerator and prevent it from healing.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Osake, 524664]]
- Quality checked by: [[UT, 523886], [Isaiah, 375662]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523886]]
name: Magic Guard Life Orb
move 1: Brave Bird
move 2: Thunderous Kick
move 3: U-turn
move 4: Taunt / Close Combat
item: Life Orb
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Jolly / Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its great Attack and powerful STAB moves, Galarian Zapdos is a powerful wallbreaker in AAA. Magic Guard avoids every form of chip damage, including Stealth Rock, Rocky Helmet, Toxic, Life Orb, and Brave Bird recoil, allowing it to fire off powerful attacks with low risk. Brave Bird is a strong Flying-type STAB move that has good neutral coverage and 2HKOes common defensive staples such as Tapu Fini, Swampert, and Mandibuzz, while hitting Kommo-o super effectively. Thunderous Kick works particularly well in conjunction with Brave Bird, hitting Steel-types such as Heatran and Corviknight that resist Brave Bird; it also drops the foe's Defense, easing predictions, and lets Galarian Zapdos KO physically defensive Tapu Fini after Stealth Rock by following up Thunderous Kick with Brave Bird. Thunderous Kick is also good at wearing down Dauntless Shield users that can't reliably threaten Galarian Zapdos such as Hippodown and Skarmory lacking Brave Bird. U-turn allows Galarian Zapdos to keep momentum even against its checks such as Zapdos and Dauntless Shield Mew, while chipping them a bit. It also severely damages Mew after a Defense drop, forcing it to recover health. Taunt is a neat option to shut down Pokemon such as Corviknight and Mew that would try to heal or burn Galarian Zapdos with Will-O-Wisp, allowing it to wear them down through the course of a game; however, Taunt is risky because the opponent might use Brave Bird or Ice Beam instead. Close Combat is another option to pass through Flash Fire Corviknight easily, as well as OHKOing some threats such as Ferrothorn or physically defensive Heatran that Thunderous Kick doesn't KO. A Jolly nature is usually preferred to at worst tie with opposing Zapdos, allowing Galarian Zapdos to Taunt it or kill it if it's weakened, but an Adamant nature can be used to maximize damage while still outspeeding defensive Zapdos.
Galarian Zapdos fits best on balance teams that can bring it in several times in order to wallbreak efficiently. It likes partners like Barraskewda, Zygarde-10%, and Lucario that share checks with it in order to overwhelm them, especially in conjunction with Taunt. Entry hazard support from Pokemon like Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Heatran is greatly appreciated in order to wear down Galarian Zapdos's checks. Pokemon that can take advantage of Zapdos and Mew such as Desolate Land Heatran, Inteleon, and Tapu Lele are also good teammates. Galarian Zapdos appreciates strong answers to Pokemon that threaten it out such as Tapu Lele, Talonflame, and Azelf, so partners like Jirachi and Flash Fire Corviknight are good teammates. It also requires a check to Zapdos, which is its most consistent check, so specially defensive Pokemon like Blissey or RegenVest Swampert are mandatory. Lastly, fast revenge killers such as Tapu Koko and Azelf are appreciated to alleviate Galarian Zapdos's middle Speed.
[SET]
name: Scarf Regenerator
move 1: U-turn
move 2: Brave Bird
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Stomping Tantrum / Counter
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Regenerator
nature: Impish
evs: 72 HP / 36 Atk / 252 Def / 148 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Thanks to its good defensive typing and physical bulk, Galarian Zapdos is a good check to common physical attackers and solid revenge killer. With Choice Scarf equipped, it can switch intp threats like Choice Band Zygarde-10%, Zarude, and Terrakion, threaten them with its STAB moves, while and remain healthy thanks to Regenerator. It can also revenge kill special attackers such as Inteleon and Latios, but it is not able to switch into them. U-turn allows Galarian Zapdos to pivot out on foes it forces out and activate Regenerator. Brave Bird and Close Combat are its main STAB movesand threaten foes like Zarude, Terrakion, and Heatran. In the last moveslot, Stomping Tantrum is an option to revenge kill Tapu Koko if its weakened, while Counter can be used to punish physical attackers, particularly Barraskewda's Flip Turn. 148 Speed EVs, along with the Choice Scarf, allows Galarian Zapdos to outspeed Barraskewda, while the EVs in HP and Defense, in conjunction with the Impish nature, guarantee that it is never OHKOed by Terrakion's Stone Edge after Stealth Rock. The remaining EVs are invested in Attack in order to maximize its damage, in particular against Barraskewda.
Scarf Regenerator Galarian Zapdos fits best on bulky offense teams that appreciate having a revenge killer that is also an offensive check to Terrakion and Zarude. Partners that are forced out by Zarude and Terrakion such as Tapu Koko, Ferrothorn, and Heatran, appreciate Galarian Zapdos checking them. Due to Galarian Zapdos's relatively low offensive power, many bulky Pokemon such as Tapu Fini and Corviknight can freely switch into it; as such, partners that can take advantage of them such as Tapu Koko and Tapu Lele are appreciated. Strong answers to Zapdos, Azelf, Tapu Koko, and Tapu Lele, are mandatory as they can threaten Galarian Zapdos with their powerful STAB moves, so teammates like Jirachi, Bulletproof Ferrothorn, and Blissey are recommended. Galarian Zapdos can't reliably check several physical attackers such as Talonflame, opposing Galarian Zapdos, and offensive Kommo-o, so secondary checks to those, such as Toxapex and Dauntless Shield Mew, are appreciated.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Tinted Lens, Tough Claws, and Adaptability are all decent options, but they are usually outclassed by Terrakion, and Galarian Zapdos can be quickly worn down by Brave Bird's recoil. Bulk Up can be used to overwhelm defensive cores, but it lacks general utility since it cannot afford to run U-turn.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Zapdos**: Ironically, Galarian Zapdos's cousin in Kanto is one its best answers, resisting both STAB moves and U-turn and threatening it with Hurricane and Thunder.
**Tapu Koko**: Tapu Koko resists both Galarian Zapdos's STAB moves, outspeeds it, and can threaten it with its own STAB moves or steal momentum with U-turn, while healing any damage with Roost.
**Triage Fairy-types**: Triage Tapu Lele and Togekiss can use their powerful Draining Kiss to KO Galarian Zapdos before it can attack.
**Dauntless Shield Mew**: Despite fearing Taunt, Dauntless Shield Mew can comfortably tank Galarian Zapdos's attack and threaten it back with Ice Beam.
**Wandering Spirit**: While rare, Wandering Spirit users such as Corviknight and Landorus-T are annoying for Galarian Zapdos, as they force it to take recoil or steal Regenerator and prevent it from healing.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Osake, 524664]]
- Quality checked by: [[UT, 523886], [Isaiah, 375662]]
- Grammar checked by: [[UT, 523886]]
Last edited:
