[OVERVIEW]
Porygon-Z's enormous Special Attack, decent Speed, and strong setup moves, which let it choose whether it wants to break through bulkier teams or outspeed and KO more offensive ones, let it cement its role in NU as a strong wallbreaker and dangerous setup sweeper. Adaptability also adds on to its already insane power, letting it 2HKO common special walls like Incineroar and, after Stealth Rock, Alolan Muk as well. Download can turn common physical walls like Galarian Slowbro, Scream Tail, and Vaporeon into switch-in opportunities, though. On top of that, Porygon-Z only requires Shadow Ball the majority of the time as a coverage option to complement its STAB move, freeing up its other moveslots. Since Porygon-Z has access to Trick, it isn't completely stonewalled by special walls like Registeel, Bronzong, and Diancie that well either; it can capitalize on them being locked into a status move with one of either Nasty Plot, Agility, or Recover, and because they now lack their only form of recovery in Leftovers, chipping them over time will be quite easy. Porygon-Z's frailty is quite apparent in battle, though, forcing it to rely on pivots to switch in safely. Common fast Pokemon like Munkidori, Flygon, Kilowattrel, and Inteleon can take advantage of its somewhat middling Speed tier as well, threatening to KO or force it out.
[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Tri Attack / Tera Blast
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Trick
move 4: Nasty Plot / Agility / Recover
item: Choice Specs
ability: Adaptability / Download
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Tri Attack gives Porygon-Z a reliable STAB move that it can use even after Terastallizing, but Tera Blast can be used instead, alongside Tera Ground, to have a way to hit common switch-ins super effectively, like Registeel, Klefki, and Diancie. Shadow Ball allows Porygon-Z to hit Ghost-types like Brambleghast, Hisuian Typhlosion, and Chandelure that are immune to its Tri Attack, and it hits Bronzong, a common switch-in. Trick allows Porygon-Z to cripple defensive switch-ins like Bronzong, Diancie, and Alolan Muk. Since Porygon-Z has all the coverage it needs from its first two attacks, it runs more situational moves for its last moveslot to choose how to take advantage of Trick and free turns. Nasty Plot allows it to still break through walls like Incineroar, Alolan Muk, and Bronzong; Agility lets it become a late-game sweeper after it has already worn down opposing walls; and Recover lets it wallbreak repeatedly, letting it not worry as much about both chip and entry hazard damage. Tera Ghost turns Porygon-Z's weakness to Fighting into an immunity, meaning it can get free turns to attack against Body Press Bronzong and Paldean Tauros formes, while boosting Shadow Ball. Adaptability is Porygon-Z's preferred ability, as it allows Porygon-Z to reliably break through even special walls like Alolan Muk, Incineroar, and Diancie. On the other hand, Download can be used to take advantage of common physical walls like Milotic, Sylveon, and Galarian Slowbro better.
Since Porygon-Z easily draws in and chips Rock- and Steel-types, partners that can take advantage of this like Kilowattrel, Munkidori, Nasty Plot Uxie, and Trick Room Diancie synergize well. Especially if Porygon-Z is using Download, it appreciates pivots like Flygon, Flamigo, and Gligar, since they bring it in on physical walls like Amoonguss, Galarian Slowbro, and Swampert, which it can threaten out. The former two pivots, along with Basculegion-M, are also great partners for creating a wallbreaking core with Porygon-Z, handling the Steel- and Rock-types like Registeel and Diancie that can check it. Porygon-Z can achieve many 2HKOs, but the majority of them require some chip damage beforehand; because of this, entry hazard setters like Klefki, Bronzong, and Swampert make for good partners. Additionally, Porygon-Z is forced out by Fighting-types like Flamigo, Breloom, and the Paldean Tauros formes, so switch-ins such as Sylveon, Amoonguss, Galarian Slowbro, and Dragalge make for good teammates. If Porygon-Z locks into Tri Attack and a Ghost-type comes in, it appreciates a check to bring in like Incineroar, Overqwil, and Alolan Muk.
[SET]
name: Setup Sweeper
move 1: Agility / Nasty Plot
move 2: Tri Attack / Tera Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Thunderbolt / Nasty Plot / Recover
item: Life Orb / Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Download / Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Ghost / Ground / Electric
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Details
====
Agility allows Porygon-Z to capitalize on its supreme Special Attack, boosting its Speed and letting it clean teams, especially more offensive ones, with Life Orb-boosted attacks. Tri Attack offers Porygon-Z a reliable STAB attack that it can use even after Terastallizing, but Tera Blast can be used instead, alongside Tera Ground, to have a way to hit common switch-ins super effectively like Registeel, Copperajah, and Diancie while having an equally powerful STAB move beforehand. Shadow Ball allows Porygon-Z to hit Ghost-types like Decidueye, Basculegion-M, and Chandelure that are immune to its Tri Attack. Thunderbolt hits Rock- and Steel-types that Porygon-Z struggles with, is a strong neutral move against most of the tier, and can clear Water-types like Milotic and Vaporeon easily. Nasty Plot can be used over Agility if Porygon-Z aims to solely break through bulkier teams; however, using it over Thunderbolt allows Porygon-Z to decide which setup move is more rewarding depending on the situation. If Porygon-Z is running Nasty Plot over Agility, Recover can be used instead of Thunderbolt to improve its matchup against balance and bulkier builds. Life Orb provides more wallbreaking power at the cost of constant chip damage, letting it achieve OHKOs on Sylveon and Dragalge with Tri Attack after Stealth Rock at +2, and it gives Porygon-Z a high chance of OHKOing Bronzong with Shadow Ball and Incineroar as well as Alolan Muk with Tri Attack. However, Leftovers provides passive recovery for Porygon-Z, letting it both attack and set up more. Heavy-Duty Boots could also be used, since it lets Porygon-Z ignore crippling entry hazards like Sticky Web and Spikes. Download is preferred, as it can boost Porygon-Z's Special Attack, providing it with a damage boost that it can take advantage of with Agility. Additionally, for Double Dance sets, it means Porygon-Z isn't always forced to use Nasty Plot. On the other hand, Adaptability could be used to increase its reliability at weakening specially defensive Steel- and Rock-types like Copperajah, Registeel, and Diancie. Tera Ghost boosts Shadow Ball while turning Porygon-Z's Fighting weakness into an immunity, which gives it a free turn to setup against or attack Paldean Tauros formes and Body Press Bronzong. On the other hand, Tera Electric lets Porygon-Z hit Steel-types with a powerful neutral STAB Thunderbolt, gives it an immunity to Porygon2's as well as Klefki's Thunder Wave, and allows Porygon-Z to turn Kilowattrel into setup fodder.
Porygon-Z has issues with KOing Steel- and Rock-types like Copperajah, Registeel, and Diancie one-on-one, so leads that set entry hazards like Froslass and Brambleghast or other Pokemon that do the same like Klefki, Gligar, and Swampert make for great teammates. Pokemon like Munkidori, Trick Room Diancie, Booster Energy Calm Mind Scream Tail, and Life Orb Kilowattrel have great synergy, as they can help overwhelm these shared checks. On sets lacking Agility, Porygon-Z enjoys Sticky Web support from Galvantula. Setup sweepers like Paldean Tauros-W, Flygon, and Breloom force in physical walls like Sylveon, Orthworm, and Vileplume, and if these partners get KOed, Porygon-Z can get a Special Attack boost from Download when coming in on these walls. Similarly, these partners enjoy how Porygon-Z forces in special walls for them to take advantage of.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
====
Porygon-Z can run Choice Scarf to become a revenge killer and cleaner, but most common Choice Scarf users like Flygon, Munkidori, and Infernape outspeed and threaten it with a KO. Porygon-Z can opt for Silk Scarf on Nasty Plot sets for extra damage on Tri Attack and its pre-Terastallization Tera Blast, boosting its ability to wallbreak. Porygon-Z can take advantage of Sitrus Berry really well with Nasty Plot and especially Double Dance sets, and it can even forego a fully offensive EV spread in favor of a more defensive one so that it can pull off both an Agility and a Nasty Plot easily. Thunderbolt and Ice Beam can be run on Choice Specs sets. However, the utility of its last two moveslots is more useful overall. Choice Specs sets can also use Hyper Beam as a sort of nuke button that's able to chip away at Steel- and Rock-types heavily, but this leaves it wide open the next turn.
Checks and Counters
====
**Steel-types**: Pokemon like Copperajah, Klefki, Registeel, and Bronzong can all switch in on Porygon-Z quite freely, and they can all take advantage of it by setting up entry hazards. On top of that, the latter two can use it as a setup opportunity, and Klefki and Registeel can cripple it with Thunder Wave. However, the former three must watch out for Tera Blast Ground, and Bronzong must be cautious about switching into a Shadow Ball.
**Ghost-types**: Hisuian Typhlosion and both Choice Scarf Chandelure and Basculegion-M outspeed Porygon-Z and can capitalize on its use of Tri Attack, as they are immune and can retaliate with high-Base Power attacks, which are further bolstered by their high offenses. Brambleghast can also do the same, but it risks losing a Speed tie, and all Ghost-types need to be cautious about possibly switching into a Shadow Ball.
**Revenge Killers**: Porygon-Z's middling Speed and frailty can be taken advantage of by quite a few Pokemon faster than it like Flygon, Paldean Tauros-W, Kilowattrel, and Munkidori. Notably, Choice Scarf Flamigo outspeeds non-Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, and since Flamigo runs Scrappy, it doesn't fear using Close Combat against a possible Tera Ghost Porygon-Z either. On top of that, priority moves can easily KO it, if not after a bit of chip damage beforehand, so it must be cautious with Breloom's Mach Punch, Basculegion-M's Aqua Jet, and Toxicroak's Sucker Punch.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/powerofmemes.583607/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hammer798.641404/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/lucario.189361/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
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