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Pokemon Legends: Z-A Combat/PVP Discussion Thread

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has brought many special things to the table, but one of the most mystifying is the actual implementation of a new battle system with actual PVP in it. This thread is for those who still wish to delve into these new untamed waters of the combat system, discuss tactics, share experiences on ranked, and whatnot. There's a lot of things we still do not know, moves function in different ways, and ranked can be extremely fun but also chaotic. For those who took a peek online, how do you find the gameplay? Or even offline, what moves do you find effective? Let's discuss this strange new battle style together and try to get those Greninjites before the season ends, eh?
 
One thing I do enjoy is that so many moves now feel usable without focusing too much on the viability of them. Solarbeam, Fly, Phantom Force, Work Up, Dig, Dragon Rush etc are all fun and usable because the worry about accuracy or two-turn charging is done with.

Solarbeam fires off immediately with + and Fly/Dig/Phantom can now be used to avoid damage properly and don't feel like switch-fodder.
 
I absolutely hate Dig, Dragon Rush, and Bounce lmao

Got to max rank and as I got closer to it the more prevalent these moves were, to being the meta of rank A from what I could tell. Gyarados and Garchomp are so annoying to deal with because of these moves.
 
It took me 1h30~2h to go from rank Z to A in PvP. Less than 30 minutes for the rank K.



My team was (all three were 252+ in the offensive stat, 252 HP, 6 speed, baron, mega stone held):

- Heracross with Pin Missile, Bullet Seed, Rock Blast, Earthquake

Multi-hits have some of the best damages/cool down ratio of the game. In theory, it sounded great. In practice, I lead with it, lured all Gardevoir in then switched to Metagross and forgot about Heracross for the whole match. Outside of some nice snipes, this was the weakest link by far. Do not recommend.


- Metagross with Heavy Slam, Bullet Punch, Earthquake, Ice Punch

The MVP. By far the best Pokémon. I absolutely love it. Heavy Slam is absolutely brutal when your opponent weights less than 235 kg. Ice Punch is mandatory given how common Dragonite and Garchomp are. Earthquake is great against opposing Metagross and Excadrill. Bullet Punch was occasionally good to finish off a Pokémon, but Thunder Punch was missed when facing Gyarados and Skarmory. I'm not sure wether I'd change it or not.


- Dragonite with Hurricane, Blizzard, Thunder, Surf

I wanted a ranged attacker who resists Fire and who could switch in most moves aimed at Metagross. Dragonite does that, but overall, I'm not that much convinced. Maybe the chosen moves were bad. Hurricane is kinda bad in this metagame, Thunder is strong but slow, Blizzard is excellent and Surf is disappointing. Worth it for the multiple-KO Blizzard could get especially if two Dragons were already brawling.



The metagame is based around Dragon+Steel. Garchomp, Dragonite or the occasional Salamence/Dragalge (I guess to avoid the double weakness, as well as beating fairies), alongside Metagross, Excadrill, Skarmory or the occasional Lucario, alongside Gardevoir, Gyarados, Ampharos, Feraligatr or Charizard.

Honorable mentions I fought against were Umbreon (setting screens then switching out) and Hippowdon (beating Dragons and Steel not named Skarmory).

I'm not sure what I'm going to change next season, I'll definitely remove Heracross and probably remove Dragonite. I guess Metagross will stay, but I'll try to better cover his weakness (something to punish water and Fire Pokémon without getting murdered by Ice Beam, why not Dragalge or Goodra). If you don't know what to play yourself, go Metagross, you cannot go wrong.



As a final note, as long as you are playing, you almost cannot derank. The point system is extremely generous: being last is -30 points, but you get 10 per KO, 10 points if you had the first hit, 10 points for the last one, 10 points for this, 10 points for that... The less points I did during that time frame was +70, factoring the -10 from being 3rd. So as long as you play, you'll climb ranks.
 
I’ll copy paste the set I posted in the General thread:

:Feraligatr:
Feraligatr @ Feraligite
Ability: No Ability
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Outrage
- Liquidation
- Aqua Jet

This was one of the mons I used to get to rank K. SD MGatr is a nuclear warhead. Aqua Jet is what makes this set so great, letting you kill-steal quite easily. Liquidation is a great overall STAB, and Outrage has a wide AoE to take down multiple mons.

I’ll definitely give Metagross a shot, though. Sounds disgusting.
 
I've been using my in game team, and I've been managing quite well despite how unoptimized everything is. That said, it seems like a lot of people are doing that too. I don't think I've ran into a team that didn't have at least one starter on it. I've also been running into a lot of steels. I wonder why...

Of course I'm part of the problem there with a Meganium and Gardevoir. Those were basically the only ones I used all the way to K rank, and Meganium was adamant mixed attacking with Work Up, Leaf Blade, Dazzling Gleam, and Giga Drain. It does surprising work for what I think is a relatively stupid set, but sometimes Leaf Blade does what it needs to. It would probably better if I went fully special, but eh, it works for now.

All in all, the mode is definitely fun, it's really easy to rise the ranks, and even as it gets a bit sweatier as I get up the ranks, it still feels like I can do something. Worth them locking mega stones behind this mode because I think many people would just overlook it otherwise, and that's a shame.
 
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metagross.gif
metagross-mega.gif

Metagross @ Metagrossite
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Adamant Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Earthquake
- Thunder Punch
- Ice Punch

Yeah, I'm gonna mirror Vinc's sentiment; Metagross is unfair lmao. Whether it's in mega form or not, it deals disgusting damage with coverage for days, can take most super effective hits at least once if you're max HP, and has great matchups into a lot of the popular mons right now. I've been running BoltBeam punches, Heavy Slam, and Earthquake. Thunder Punch I'd say is non-negotiable. It's crucial against the many Gyarados and Greninja that you'll find on the ladder. Ice Punch for the Dragons, Heavy Slam for the stupid STAB move that can let you dodge incoming hits, and Earthquake for the massive AoE and the super effective hit on opposing Steels, especially Excadrill. Mega Metagross is particularly stupid. Gets a massive increase in overall bulk, hence why I opted for max HP instead of Speed. Speaking of Speed, its Speed stat shoots up, too, allowing moves to recharge faster. I've had quite a few games where I'd use Metagross over 80% of the match lol, it's that dumb.

Also similar to Vinc's post, I've been trying Dragonite to shield Metagross from Fire and Ground moves, too, but a physical Mega-less variant instead:

dragonite.gif

Dragonite @ Life Orb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Rush
- Fire Punch
- Earthquake
- Extreme Speed

This Dragonite is my lead, doing big damage across the board and gaining Mega energy for Metagross and Gardevoir (my third team member in my DSF core). Fire Punch and Earthquake give me two super effective attacks vs Steel-types, Dragon Rush for the main STAB, and Extreme Speed to pick off weakened foes. It's actually pretty nice, although I don't know what item I want to use with this. Thinking either Leftovers or going max HP and using Assault Vest. It does appreciate the Speed investment letting its Fire Punch and Extreme Speed recharge faster, though. I'll keep looking into this set, but it's pretty cool, ngl.

Edit: after some testing and finally making it to A rank, I'm going with Life Orb for the lead DNite set. If the plan is to deal as much damage as possible, may as well go all in.
 
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I'm just getting the hang of it so I'm commenting to follow it. Playing the GC showed me I'm getting quite bored at the turn based competitive Pokémon, but this is almost anime style battling, I want to get better.
 
I get a feeling Protect's gonna become really common here. If people are only running one move that's supereffective against a specific target, the target could always protect against that move and counterattack during its cooldown, after all. Costs a moveslot, but it may be worth the longevity in a metagame that's built around not getting KO'ed.

I wanna see about using my Mega Mawile from the story mode even though base mawile is kinda garbage... she has a tiny hitbox and a really good defensive typing at least?
I'm thinking perhaps a set like this:
1761162813332.gif

Mawile @ Mawilite
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Play Rough
- Thunder/Fire Punch
- Protect

It's a bit of a weird set, but I think it might work! The strategy would revolve around using Swords Dance from a distance (before Mega Evolving if possible), then approaching/being approached.
At this point, opponents will probably go "Oh crap! Boosted Mega Mawile! I gotta hit them with *insert ground/fire attack* quick!" Mawile Protects against it, then counterattacks. Since she's basically waiting for their move at this point (Protect comes out quick, so she can 100% get away with that), she can wait out the opponent's Protect if they use that instead.
That of course leaves only two attack slots, which might be problematic, but boosted Mega Mawile's level of sheer force should let her get away with it. Play Rough is her best STAB (especially with all the dragons around) so it's a given, and Thunder/Fire Punch is basically a question of what I want to hit super-effectively with coverage.
If an ally could set up screens for her, she could probably forego Protect, tank the hits and get a moveslot back. Mawile's movepool is really really good, so there's room for experimentation and adaptation to keep up with the meta or do whatever it is you want her to do. It's probably mandatory anyway to keep her in the back and send her out after you've gathered up some Mega Energy, which is the main drawback (besides her speed, maybe).

Oh and fun fact: In the core series, +2 base Mawile with 252+ Atk OHKO's MegaChomp even with max HP investment, so there's always that. I think ZA stat boosts are double now, unlike PLA where they were a 50% boost, but idk for sure yet. Gotta test that. (Maybe one of you know?)
 
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I haven’t gone back on since (just finished main story) but went on and made it to Rank K in only 8 battles. Nice that it was so easy to grab the Greninjite. Expect it to be harder once a meta semi develops. Still luck can be a big factor but even if you come last you can still gain points easily.
 
I just reached Rank A today, I can share my team and a few tips below :

garchomp.gif

Garchomp @ Soft Sand
EVs : 252 HP / 252 Attack / 4 Defense
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Rush
- Earthquake
- Dig
- Swords Dance

Garchomp was my lead. The main idea here is to scout around to see the other players' Pokemon. If you feel like you have a shot, pop a Swords Dance, then Dig. Once you get out of Dig, you should be right next to your target, able to throw a big Earthquake (or Dragon Rush) and get an easy kill.

ampharos.gif

Ampharos @ Focus Band
EVs : 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Speed / 4 Defense
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam
- Light Screen
- Reflect

Ampharos is quite a nice "Anti-Gyarados" and "Anti-Mega Feraligatr". It's a bit fragile though, hence the Focus Band. Apart from killing Water-types, I mainly used it to pop down the Screens before switching out to another Pokemon.

skarmory.gif

Skarmory @ Skarmorite
EVs: 252 Attack / 252 Speed / 4 Defense
Jolly Nature
- Fly
- Steel Wing
- Drill Run
- Swords Dance

Mega-Skarmory is OP. You may assume that Skarmoy is a Defensive Pokemon, but Mega Skarmory has like a base Attack of 140. Plus, a ton of resists like regular Skarmory. When protected by Ampharos' Screens, that thing is almost unkillable. Just pop a Swords Dance and Fly. Steel Wing can oneshot most Fairy-types, which is quite nice (technically, "Iron Head" does more damage... but the range is terrible. Steel Wing is a bit more reliable, imo).

Good luck if you're grinding for rank A ! Hope that helped
 
How are people feeling on speed investments?
I been mostly doing HP+attacking stat so far because it just doesnt seem necessary for the way the game works, as not getting killed by someone attacking from behind feels more important than getting a move a few seconds sooner, individual battles dont last that much and sometimes there is another mon trying to attack that opponent so you end using whatever coverage move you got to finish it off and your first move is back before the guy revives either way.
 
How are people feeling on speed investments?
I been mostly doing HP+attacking stat so far because it just doesnt seem necessary for the way the game works, as not getting killed by someone attacking from behind feels more important than getting a move a few seconds sooner, individual battles dont last that much and sometimes there is another mon trying to attack that opponent so you end using whatever coverage move you got to finish it off and your first move is back before the guy revives either way.
Good question tbh. Speed investment hasn't made nearly as much difference as I expected, personally; at some point I tested out Agility on Talonflame by using a move, waiting for the cooldown to end, then boosting speed with Agility and using that same move again. I saved a recording of it, and the cooldown only decreased from 7 seconds to 6 from using Agility.
I was planning to invest speed into slower mons to patch them up, so just yesterday I dumped carbos onto my newbie Mawile to max her speed, and I think it helped but idk if it's objectively the thing to do over patching her base 50 HP. Probably not, especialy for a 4-player battle royale.
 
This mode is legitimately so fun. Pokemon has needed a more casual four player smackdown mode like power stone or smash bros for so long. They made knocking out three people out at once with moves like mega evolved surf feel amazing to connect. I can’t wait to try doing local play irl with this.

Gotta experiment more with the moves we’d think of in normal pokemon as bad here. Firing off a solarbeam into a distracted mob felt great sometimes. Need to try and see if Hyper Beam feels as nice.
 
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Glaceon @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Freeze-Dry
- Shadow Ball
- Calm Mind

Glaceon @ Assault Vest
Ability: Snow Cloak
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Freeze-Dry
- Shadow Ball
- Icy Wind


Glaceon absolutely eviscerates the popular dragons like Salamence, Dragonite and Garchomp, whilst providing extremely good damage when getting close with Freeze-Dry on mons like Greninja and Feraligatr. Only problem is I'm not sure what set to run with it :eeveehide:



Gyarados @ Gyaradosite
Ability: Intimidate
Tera Type: Water
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Waterfall
- Iron Head
- Crunch
- Bounce

Nothing to say about Gyarados, everyone knows its top 3 of the format



Steelix @ Steelixite
Ability: Rock Head
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 SpD
Adamant Nature
- Iron Head
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Heavy Slam

Steelix is just incredibly bulky especially against the more common physical attackers, though he could probably be replaced by Excadrill with no major downsides, I haven't tested it yet.

Damage isn't too great, I'll experiment with Excadrill for a bit.
 
I just reached Rank A today, I can share my team and a few tips below :

garchomp.gif

Garchomp @ Soft Sand
EVs : 252 HP / 252 Attack / 4 Defense
Adamant Nature
- Dragon Rush
- Earthquake
- Dig
- Swords Dance

Garchomp was my lead. The main idea here is to scout around to see the other players' Pokemon. If you feel like you have a shot, pop a Swords Dance, then Dig. Once you get out of Dig, you should be right next to your target, able to throw a big Earthquake (or Dragon Rush) and get an easy kill.

ampharos.gif

Ampharos @ Focus Band
EVs : 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Speed / 4 Defense
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam
- Light Screen
- Reflect

Ampharos is quite a nice "Anti-Gyarados" and "Anti-Mega Feraligatr". It's a bit fragile though, hence the Focus Band. Apart from killing Water-types, I mainly used it to pop down the Screens before switching out to another Pokemon.

skarmory.gif

Skarmory @ Skarmorite
EVs: 252 Attack / 252 Speed / 4 Defense
Jolly Nature
- Fly
- Steel Wing
- Drill Run
- Swords Dance

Mega-Skarmory is OP. You may assume that Skarmoy is a Defensive Pokemon, but Mega Skarmory has like a base Attack of 140. Plus, a ton of resists like regular Skarmory. When protected by Ampharos' Screens, that thing is almost unkillable. Just pop a Swords Dance and Fly. Steel Wing can oneshot most Fairy-types, which is quite nice (technically, "Iron Head" does more damage... but the range is terrible. Steel Wing is a bit more reliable, imo).

Good luck if you're grinding for rank A ! Hope that helped

Probably as people have noted, more worth it to invest in HP rather than speed.
 


Glaceon @ Life Orb
Ability: Snow Cloak
Tera Type: Ice
EVs: 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Ice Beam
- Freeze-Dry
- Shadow Ball
- Calm Mind
Will echo this Glaceon set here; it’s been talked about for days on the Discord, and it was by far my MVP in climbing to Rank A. It is incredibly good into the top meta, and snipes kills like no tomorrow due to its beautiful coverage.

That said, I would like to make an argument for Protect over CM. While I think the first 3 moves are undroppable, Protect allows Glaceon to snipe cheeky mons that want to kill it by getting up-close and personal, like Excadrill or Metagross. The amount of times I dodged Heavy Slams and Drill Runs just to KO back is far too high, and the pay-off of good Protect usage is worth it in spades. That said, CM is safer and pushes some genuine KOs e.g. guaranteed Freeze-Dry KOs on invested Starmie and Feraligatr, which are otherwise rolls, plus it makes Shadow Ball be able to take down Gardevoir and Metagross with far less chip.

Will also shout-out Vanilluxe in a similar vein, who trades Shadow Ball for Flash Cannon (still hits Gardevoir, and beats Glaceon / Vanilluxe in an opposing mirror), and the ability to run physical moves like Ice Fang or Self-Destruct to get kills. That said, Metagross is far too good to not be able to kill with Shadow Ball, and its lack of CM + lower power than Glaceon means it is gonna rely on picking off opponents. Still very good of course, and these otherwise shit Ice-types are threats people NEED to respect in this format.
 
On the topic of Freeze Dry, crazy how Glalie has it but poor new Mega Froslass doesn't Froslass is still good but freeze dry off of 140 Sp.A would have felt amazing. I wonder if Mega Glalie is unironically being ran as the only mega capable Freeze Dry user?
 
I ran Glalie with Glaceon to pull a double Ice core. I think it’s pretty underwhelming; its Freeze-Dry radius is massive, but it’s not quite strong enough, still dies to a light breeze, and any time not spent in Mega means you’re using Glalie lol. I would just run Vanilluxe instead.
 
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