Project OU Next Best Thing - Cycle Last: Mega Latias (Voting)

SD Double edge is the only serious set here so i'm voting for it. Also i would've probably submited something like every week (likely pursuit in this week's case) but things got in the way, just saying this because i'm also mildly dissapointed at the lack of nominations.
 
My vote goes to toxic. I like double edge since it can catch stuff like Zapdos off guard, but in that scenario, you risk discharge paralysis or heat wave. I'd prefer to click toxic instead of sd on the switch, and get the hell out of there the next turn lol
 
:sm/scizor-mega:

In order to break the tie between SD Double-Edge and Struggle Bug, I'm voting for the former. And this concludes the voting; the winner of the Cycle 17 is Veez . Congratulations! Your submission will be added to the Hall of Fame soon. Now, let's start the next Cycle!

Cycle Eighteen - Zapdos
:sm/zapdos:

Ok enough Steel-types. The subject of this Cycle is Zapdos! It's a cool defensive Pokemon which can deal with popular stuff like Tornadus-T and non-Normalium Z Kartana thanks to nice all-around stats and reliable recovery in Roost; Zapdos's coverage also makes it pretty difficult to take advantage of. Static is also annoying to deal with. Ok guys, I want you to submit here some fire sets of this fuckbird!

Banned Sets
:leftovers: | :rocky helmet:

The deadline is Saturday 21st of September. Good luck!​
 
:sm/zapdos:
Zapdos @ Electrium Z
Ability: Static
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunder
- Volt Switch
- Heat Wave / Roost
- Hidden Power Ice / Roost

Similarly to Rotom-Wash, Zapdos can pull off an offensive Electrium Z set quite effectively, mostly thanks to its surprise factor. Thunder is Zapdos's strongest Electric-type attack and when paired with Electrium Z can nuke unsuspecting targets like Toxapex, Clefable, Rotom-Wash and other Zapdos:
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (185 BP) vs. 252 HP / 252+ SpD Toxapex: 330-390 (108.5 - 128.2%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (185 BP) vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Rotom-Wash: 277-327 (91.1 - 107.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (185 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos: 322-379 (84 - 98.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (185 BP) vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Clefable: 319-376 (80.9 - 95.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Volt Switch maintains offensive momentum, while Heat Wave and Hidden Power Ice provide excellent coverage for Grass- and Ground-types respectively. Roost provides longevity and gives you an easier time checking the likes of scarf Kartana (which Rotom-Wash and Tapu Koko do not and whose Knock Off is weak because of the Z-Crystal) and Hawlucha.
 
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:zapdos:
Zapdos @ Electrium Z
Ability: Static
EVs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Agility
- Heat Wave
- Roost/Hidden Power Ice

agilitydos has been a set since forever and while it's not necessarily it's best set, it gets some incredible matchups where the opponent has little to no counterplay. Depending on your team you might need or not need hp ice, roost being the option for longevity. It works especially well against rotom/lando offenses, that feature steel types like kartana and mawile that rely on beating electrics offensively. Doesn't work if you're just faster than and oneshot them.
 
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Life Orb Zapdos
:sm/zapdos:
Zapdos @ Life Orb
Ability: Static
EVs: 184 HP / 156 SpA / 172 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power Ice
- Roost

Acts as a decently strong wallbreaker, 2HKOing mons like Z-Heatran and Magearna, giving it a distinct advantage over the standard three attacks set. Thunderbolt also 3HKOs Megatar after rocks. EVs are to outspeed Heatran and eat a banded Knock Off from Kartana after Stealth Rock. Pairs very well with Tyranitar as it can Pursuit the Latis, two of the biggest walls to this set.
 
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:gs/zapdos:
Zapdos @ Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice / Flying]
- Heat Wave
- Volt Switch / Roost

Shut up, Specs Koko people. Zapdos is slower, but has a better defensive typing with a Ground immunity, as well as better coverage. Specs HP Flying hits Grounds all-around decently hard. You can either Volt for momentum or Roost to maintain your longevity. If need be, the EVs can be adjusted. I’d say get to Ada Lando and invest in bulk.
 
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tox + protect zapdos

:sm/Zapdos:
Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 236 HP / 252 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave / Roost
- Protect
- Toxic

This Zapdos set aims to stall out the opposing pkmn via its Ability in pressure and also the move-combination in Toxic + Protect out of Roosts and is meant to be very harmful
to the longevity of the opposing pkmn when its Roosts are successfully out-stalled or the opposing pkmn is very crippled.
Roost can be opt over Heat Wave on zapdos if you want more longevity yourself, Heat Wave can be used if you have no other options against Ferrothorn, Mega-Scizor and Mega-Mawile.
Thunderbolt is used over Discharge to have a bit more power on this moveset overall.​
 
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Mono Screener Zapdos

Zapdos @ Light Clay
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe
Bold Nature
- Volt Switch
- Heat Wave
- Roost
- Reflect/Light Screen


General idea
Zapdos has good all-around stats with a good 125 base SpA, but this trait is wasted by a predictable movepool. This means that Zapdos has to rely on supereffective hits to be effective as a cleaner and it has to give up a lot of EVs to increase its natural bulk.
The combination of Reflect/Light Screen + Light Clay covers well the chosen side of the spectrum and it somehow makes up for the loss of Leftovers, which are good but they don't make miracles. I think that Reflect is more useful to Zapdos as a standalone attacker, but you can pick the screen your team needs the most.
Volt Switch is the STAB chosen due to the fact it compresses both the Electric STAB and the utility of a switching move to keep the momentum in one single moveslot.
Roost makes the difference in terms of longevity when combined with a screen.


EVs (spread) and item
248 HP EVs + a Bold nature + 240 Defense EVs give Zapdos the physical bulk it needs to take on attackers like Kartana, Hawlucha, Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu successfully. 20 Speed EVs let it outpace Timid Magnezone and Adamant Bisharp (stolen from the dex).
Calcs:
252 Atk Choice Band Mamoswine Icicle Crash vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos through Reflect: 169-199 (44.1 - 51.9%) -- 14.1% chance to 2HKO
252+ Atk Tyranitar-Mega Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos through Reflect: 172-204 (44.9 - 53.2%) -- 86.7% chance to 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252 Atk Tyranitar-Mega Stone Edge vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos through Reflect: 157-186 (40.9 - 48.5%) -- 9.4% chance to 2HKO after sandstorm damage
252 Atk Swampert-Mega Waterfall vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos in Rain through Reflect: 88-104 (22.9 - 27.1%) -- 50.8% chance to 4HKO
252 Atk Tough Claws Charizard-Mega-X Flare Blitz/Outrage vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos through Reflect: 103-122 (26.8 - 31.8%) -- guaranteed 4HKO
4 Atk Life Orb Teravolt Kyurem-Black Fusion Bolt vs. 248 HP / 240+ Def Zapdos through Reflect: 60-71 (15.6 - 18.5%) -- possible 6HKO


252+ SpA Heatran Magma Storm vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Zapdos through Light Screen: 98-116 (25.5 - 30.2%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after trapping damage
Team(mates) support
Something to deal properly with Ground types is mandatory in order to use its Electric STAB properly and SR removers are mandatory in order to preserve Zapdos' HP as much as possible.
 
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Electrium Charge

Zapdos @ Electrium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 188 Def / 72 Spe
Timid Nature
- Charge
- Roost
- U-turn
- Discharge

this is not as jank as it looks. Standard timid Zapdos spread to beat fast heatran. You check the normal stuff that Zapdos check -- Flying stuff, kartana, Scizor, etc. With this set you get the juicy power of charge. Charge raises SpD by +1 and next electric move does 2x damage. So you get a big beefy nuke with charged gigavolt havoc. You can wall special attackers with charge or even zcharge for +2 spdef if needed. You don't really care if heatran comes in as long as it's not toxic+protect. You have to run uturn if you don't want to get blocked by grounds. Slow turn grounds, which is pretty cool for an electric type.
 
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:sm/Zapdos:
Zapdos @ Electrium Z
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 180 Def / 8 SpA / 72 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost

This is a pretty simple change to the standard set that I like a lot. This deviation maintains most of Zapdos' great defensive utility, but also gives it the ability to KO unsuspecting Pokemon such as Mega Alakazam and offensive Heatran after some prior chip damage. On top of that, it also neuters Knock Off.
 
Scarf Zapdos

Zapdos @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Pressure / Static
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Volt Switch / U-turn / Defog

Garchomp and Kartana, two mons Zapdos would usually be a good answer for, often run SD + Z move to blow past Zapdos. Scarf turns the tables, allowing Zapdos to revenge kill with ease (Garchomp needs a little bit of chip). Other mons that are outsped and KO'd are Greninja (except for scarf), Landorus (except for Rock Polish + Stone Edge), Tornadus (probably won't stay in to U-turn if you're Static), and Gyarados (mega is a 2HKO and OHKOs with Crunch after rocks).

The ability is a toss up. Pressure's activation message can potentially reveal your speed, while Static makes Tornadus more likely to hard switch as previously mentioned.
 
Bulky Boosting Zapdos

1568874748787.gif


Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
-Roost
-Curse
-Charge Beam
-Hidden Power Ice

Zapdos’ movepool is shallow as hell so here’s a potentially usable meme. It gets Curse and Roost so it can set up on anything that can’t hit it super-effectively and doesn’t have Toxic. Charge Beam boosts its power over time and HP Ice is for coverage.

Pressure lets it handle Unaware and general fat teams. The EVs are basically the standard defensive ones but opting to invest in SpD since Def will get boosted by Curse, and no speed since Curse defeats the point of that. Not that it really matters.

Man I wish this thing got Calm Mind. Actually I take it back that would be cancer.

edit: ReadTheMango's set is cool with me, hopefully it's allowed
 
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Cursed Set-Up Sweeper

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Static
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Roost
- Substitute
- Drill Peck

Very similar to the above, but focused on the physical side. As JTD mentioned, having Curse + Roost makes this thing a reliable setup sweeper, a surprisingly bulky one. I have elected to use Substitute in order to deal with Toxic mons, which give this thing issues otherwise. Drill Peck is solid STAB which outside of bulky steels (everybody's favourite), hits most of the metagame neutrally. For this reason, I would recommend running Magnezone on top of Zapdos for this set.

Pressure is cool, especially for fat teams trying to stall you out as you swear (curse) at them. However, Static has a cool niche with this set, in that (according to showdown lobby anyway) Static applies even with sub up. Allowing you more chances to get a paralysis off.

Overall I feel this set achieves pretty different things from JTDs, so I would ask that both are allowed to participate.


EDIT: Pressure is illegal, static is king
 
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ReadTheMango said:
Cursed Set-Up Sweeper

Zapdos @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure / Static
EVs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Curse
- Roost
- Substitute
- Drill Peck

Very similar to the above, but focused on the physical side. As JTD mentioned, having Curse + Roost makes this thing a reliable setup sweeper, a surprisingly bulky one. I have elected to use Substitute in order to deal with Toxic mons, which give this thing issues otherwise. Drill Peck is solid STAB which outside of bulky steels (everybody's favourite), hits most of the metagame neutrally. For this reason, I would recommend running Magnezone on top of Zapdos for this set.

Pressure is cool, especially for fat teams trying to stall you out as you swear (curse) at them. However, Static has a cool niche with this set, in that (according to showdown lobby anyway) Static applies even with sub up. Allowing you more chances to get a paralysis off.

Overall I feel this set achieves pretty different things from JTDs, so I would ask that both are allowed to participate.
Click to expand...

I really like this set, but I just wanna note that Curse+Pressure is an illegal combo because of VC transfer issues.
 
My vote goes to Physical Curse for sure. It's one of the few even remotely offensive Zapdos sets that doesn't feel outclassed by Thundurus-T in any sense and after a bit of testing it's absolutely incredible when paired with Electrium Magnezone.
 
Its either Choice Specs or Bulky Electrium Z for me: my final vote goes to Choice Specs.
Great submissions everyone!
 
Obviously going with bulky Electrium here. I don’t really think any set can keep a decent offensive presence while maintaining Zap’s utility, which is imo the main reason you use it over Thundy.
 
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