OU Porygon-Z

[Ash Borer]

[OVERVIEW]

* Good Special Attack, passable Speed tier, Adaptability, a good offensive movepool, and Z-conversion combine to make Porygon-Z a formidable sweeper needing just one turn of setup.
* While its Speed is not abysmal, it leaves it short of most Choice Scarf users after setup.
* Porygon-Z is quite predictable outside of its ability to cover a few potential counters with certain moves. The opponent will know from the Team Preview that it is Z-conversion and will play around this.
* In general, it needs a lot of team support due to how easy it is to revenge kill or wall.
* With smart teambuilding and strategical play, Porygon-Z will clean up, but without these, it will be dead weight.


[SET]
name: Z-Conversion: Ghost
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Signal Beam / Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Nasty Plot
move 4: Conversion
item: Normalium Z
ability: Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Shadow Ball is used to convert Porygon-Z to a Ghost-type. Excellent neutral coverage in one move, immunity to Extreme Speed, and protection against Pheromosa make it an ideal typing.
* Signal Beam gets past certain Dark-types. While may seem inferior to Hidden Power Fighting at first glance on account of Tyranitar, both attacks merely 2HKO it. Though Hidden Power Fighting does more, and thus requires Tyranitar to be worn down less before an OHKO can be achieved, the two moves have rough parity in this regard, and Signal Beam OHKOes Hoopa-U, something Porygon-Z otherwise can not do.
* Hidden Power Fighting has a chance to OHKO Tyranitar after Stealth Rock damage, and it also OHKOes Bisharp, which is useful should you be able to outplay Sucker Punch.
* Nasty Plot is good filler that can be useful for breaking defensive teams whose Chansey has been removed, and it is useful in the case of Haze or Protect spam.
* Conversion is of course necessary to boost and change type.

Set Details
========

* 240 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Jolly Excadrill.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize power, as Porygon-Z is a sweeper and needs to do as much as possible.
* Normalium Z allows Porygon-Z to use Z-Conversion.
* Adaptability's consistency makes it superior to Download. It also has the benefit of not being nullified by Unaware.

Usage Tips
========

* Scouting for Choice Scarf users is quite useful; this will make it easier to know when it's a good time to set up.
* Porygon-Z is the kind of Pokemon that requires a lot of team support to sweep. As the match begins, think about how you're going to control entry hazards, how you're going to KO opposing Choice Scarf users, and what Porygon-Z is capable of setting up on. Without these in mind, Porygon-Z will not be effective.
* The general formula for effective Porygon-Z usage is early-game hazard control and creating momentum for your team's heavy hitters to wear down the opposing team. Then you should focus on luring in something that Porygon-Z can set up against and gaining switch advantage on it. As long as it can handle the damage from the remaining Choice Scarf and priority users, Porygon-Z can then end the game.

Team Options
========

* Choice Scarf users are by far Porygon-Z's greatest enemy. Being able to remove them is the best team support one can provide. Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross are probably the best at this, being able to trap and weaken or outright KO Tapu Lele, Latios, and, in Mega Scizor's case Gengar.
* Sticky Web is a decent attempt at solving Porygon's Choice Scarf woes. Shuckle can perform admirably in this role.
* Entry gazard control is the second best team support you can give to Porygon-Z. Due to its extreme late-game nature, Porygon-Z benefits heavily from stacking entry hazards, and removing hazards from your side of the field preserves its HP, paramount for surviving revenge kill attempts.
* Greninja, Garchomp, Terrakion, Heatran, and Landorus-T are among the most consistent and effective entry hazard users that fit well with Porygon-Z's offensive nature.
* Tapu Fini, Excadrill, Starmie, Pheromosa, and Latios can remove hazards for Porygon-Z.
* Bisharp and Thundurus run strong Defiant-based sets that punish Defog usage and thus control hazards nicely.
* Good wallbreakers like Tapu Lele, Alolan Marowak, and Hoopa-U can overwhelm opposing defensive cores, letting Porygon-Z sweep later in the match.
* Dugtrio's ability to trap and eliminate problems for Porygon-Z such as Chansey, Tyranitar, and some weakened Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele makes it a strong partner.
* Choice Band Tyranitar is a strong Pursuit user that can potentially remove Chansey, as well as some Choice Scarf users. Sand Stream is also effective at stopping rain, which some opponents may rely on to revenge kill Porygon-Z with.

[SET]
name: Z-Conversion: Electric
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Conversion
item: Normalium Z
ability: Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Thunderbolt's good neutral coverage, its synergy with Ice Beam, and the Electric-type's immunity to paralysis make it a strong choice to convert to.
* Ice Beam clocks most of the Ground-, Dragon-, and Grass-types that would otherwise stop an Electric-type Porygon Z.
* Hidden Power Ground deals with Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard X, Magnezone, and Excadrill quite well.
* Hidden Power Fighting does similar things to Hidden Power Ground, but trades hitting Alolan Marowak and Mega Charizard X for Tyranitar, Mamoswine, and Ferrothorn.
* Conversion is necessary to boost and change type.
* Nasty Plot can be run in place of Hidden Power. While it does give up super effective hits on a fair number of Pokemon resistant to the BoltBeam combination, if +3 is achieved, most can be bypassed. Both Magnezone and Ferrothorn avoid an OHKO, but thanks to Porygon-Z's Electric typing, they can't do all that much back and are thus beaten.

Set Details
========

* 240 Speed EVs and a Timid nature give enough to outspeed Jolly Excadrill.
* 252 Special Attack EVs are used because Porygon-Z needs to hit as hard as possible
* Normalium Z allows Porygon-Z to use Z-Conversion.
* Adaptability is used on account of Download's poor consistency. With it, Porygon-Z can deal a lot more damage to Unaware users too.

Usage Tips
========

* Make sure to scout for opposing Choice Scarf users and target them. They are Porygon-Z's best checks.
* Porygon-Z is the kind of Pokemon that requires a lot of team support to sweep. As the match begins, think about how you're going to control entry hazards, how you're going to KO opposing Choice Scarf users, and what Porygon-Z is capable of setting up on. Without these in mind, Porygon-Z will not be effective.
* The general formula for effective Porygon-Z usage is early-game entry hazard control and creating momentum for your team's heavy hitters to wear down the opposing team. Then you should focus on luring in something that Porygon-Z can set up on and gaining switch advantage on it. From there Porygon-Z can end the game as long as it can survive revenge kill attempts.

Team Options
========

* Pokemon that can trap Choice Scarf users probide very valuable team support to Porygon-Z. Mega Metagross's ability to pick off Tapu Lele and Latios is very appreciated. Choice Band Tyranitar can achieve similar things under the right conditions, as well it can remove Alolan Marowak and Chansey with careful timing.
* Sticky Web can patch up Porygon's weakness to some Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele and Garchomp. Shuckle is perhaps the best user of the move.
* While Pursuit trapping Choice Scarf Landorus-T may be unconventional, Weavile is perhaps the only Pokemon capable of doing this, and considering that Choice Scarf Landorus-T is both common and a very hard counter to Electric-type Porygon-Z, it can be quite valuable support.
* Entry hazard control is the second best team support you can give to Porygon-Z. Porygon-Z's extreme late-game nature means it benefits heavily from stacking entry hazards, and on account of its fragility, removing hazards from your side of the field lets it set up and sweep more consistently.
* Consistent offensive entry hazard users like Terrakion, Heatran, Greninja, and Garchomp are very helpful to Porygon-Z.
* Tapu Fini, Excadrill, Pheromosa, and Latios are among the tier's best entry hazard removers, which is useful for preserving Porygon-Z's precious HP. Tapu Fini also has a nice match up against most Choice Scarf users.
* Bisharp and Thundurus run strong Defiant-based sets that punish Defog usage, and thus they control hazards nicely.
* Good wallbreakers like Tapu Lele and Hoopa-U can blow holes in opponent's defensive cores for Porygon-Z to exploit.
* Dugtrio's ability to trap and eliminate problems for Porygon-Z such as Chansey and some weakened Choice Scarf users makes it a good partner.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Psychic Conversion seems like an interesting prospect, as it lets Porygon-Z use Psyshock to blow past Chansey and also take advantage of Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain. However, the ability to get past Chansey is made worthless by the fact that Tapu Lele simply beats stall all by itself, and taking advantage of friendly psychic terrain is not practical, considering that Porygon-Z has to use a turn to boost.
* Charge Beam's snowball effect is appealing, but it's much more consistent to simply wear down the opponent's team and sweep with Thunderbolt, instead of attempting to sweep against a healthy team\ and relying on a chance at boosting.
* Recover seems cool, but Porygon-Z benefits from coverage or Nasty Plot more against more offensive and balanced teams. Stall will simply defeat Recover Porygon-Z with Toxic, and thus Recover does not do much.
* A classic Agility set has some interesting properties. Adaptability, a Modest Nature, and a Life Orb give it quite a punch, and Agility allows it outspeed just about everything, making it a decent cleaner in its own right. However, the intrigue lies in that fact that almost all opponents will assume that Porygon-Z is holding your team's Z-crystal and will thus have their guard down against the rest of the team. This allows Z-crystal lures like Supersonic Skystrike Gyarados and Continental Crush Landorus-T to be that much more effective. Despite these nice properties, it is still a fairly mediocre set and needs a lot of team support.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Choice Scarf Users**: Due to Porygon-Z's less-than-impressive Speed tier, most Choice Scarf users can outspeed it and deal serious damage or outright KO it. Tapu Lele, Pheromosa, Landorus-T, Garchomp, and Nihilego are among the most threatening.

**Priority Users**: While few priority move users can deal huge amounts of damage to Porygon-Z, and are thus not true revenge killers, because of how predictable Porygon-Z is and how incapable it is of forcing anything to switch, it will almost always be attacked when using Conversion. Thus, any amount of priority can simply be overwhelming. Bisharp and Mimikyu are both are particularly problematic with their super effective priority attacks and, in Mimikyu's case, Disguise.

**Chansey**: Porygon-Z has no practical way to get past Chansey. Though it can run Psychic-type conversion and Psyshock, this set fails to be effective, as nearly every Chansey has a Sableye on its team, and thus it merely changes what counters you against the same team.

**Set-specific Counters**: While Porygon-Z is capable of picking and choosing its counters for the most part, it can not cover them all. Ghost Porygon can struggle with Tyranitar, Hoopa-U, Mandibuzz, Bisharp, and Mega Gyarados depending on the coverage moves it runs. Electric Porygon is fairly impotent against Choice Band Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, Alolan Marowak, Mega Venusaur, Mega Charizard X, and Mamoswine depending on what coverage it decides to use too.

 

[Ash Borer]

3 questions, ive yet to get enough testing done

1) Is Psychic conversion really not worth a set? Its synergy with Lele and its ability to get past Chansey seems very tasty.
2) What the hell was Nasty Plot doing on the Ghost conversion set, in LL's analysis? I can't really find anything it beats. For the record, +3 HP fightan does like 30% to Chansey. Also +3 Shadow Ball does NOT OHKO Celesteela.
3) Im wondering if SIgnal Beam is better than HP fighting on the Ghost set? Here's the scoop. It OHKOs Hoopa-U, and 2HKOs Tyranitar. The important bit is that +1 HP Fighting doesn't OHKO (4/0) Tyranitar without Stealth Rock anyways. It has a mere 43% chance to with SR up. So both Signal Beam and HP fighting 2HKO T-tar. The only advantage HP fighting has is that it beats a Tyranitar that has less wear, though not too much because at 50% Signal Beam does the job. Of course HP fighting beats Bisharp, but Sucker Punch OHKO's PZ anyways, so you have to outplay that, which is a lot to ask. Not to mention Thunderbolt does like 80% to a Pokemon that is almost always carrying a Life Orb. So yeah there's a few situations where HP fighting does anything, whereas the situation that Signal Beam is meaningful is against Hoopa-U, of whom is quite relevant.

 

[TURBODERP]

3 questions, ive yet to get enough testing done

1) Is Psychic conversion really not worth a set? Its synergy with Lele and its ability to get past Chansey seems very tasty.
2) What the hell was Nasty Plot doing on the Ghost conversion set, in LL's analysis? I can't really find anything it beats. For the record, +3 HP fightan does like 30% to Chansey. Also +3 Shadow Ball does NOT OHKO Celesteela.
3) Im wondering if SIgnal Beam is better than HP fighting on the Ghost set? Here's the scoop. It OHKOs Hoopa-U, and 2HKOs Tyranitar. The important bit is that +1 HP Fighting doesn't OHKO (4/0) Tyranitar without Stealth Rock anyways. It has a mere 43% chance to with SR up. So both Signal Beam and HP fighting 2HKO T-tar. The only advantage HP fighting has is that it beats a Tyranitar that has less wear, though not too much because at 50% Signal Beam does the job. Of course HP fighting beats Bisharp, but Sucker Punch OHKO's PZ anyways, so you have to outplay that, which is a lot to ask. Not to mention Thunderbolt does like 80% to a Pokemon that is almost always carrying a Life Orb. So yeah there's a few situations where HP fighting does anything, whereas the situation that Signal Beam is meaningful is against Hoopa-U, of whom is quite relevant.

I think Nasty Plot is so that you can snag a boost against something you can tank a hit against at +1/+1 defenses and then proceed to sweep (+3 Shadow Ball has a good shot to OHKO Ferro, and max SpDef Celesteela has a 50% chance to be OHKO'd after Rocks).

As for HP Fighting, the OHKOing Tyranitar is the important bit, since otherwise Band/ScarfTar just obliterate you. Sure, Signal Beam kills at 50%, but +1 Shadow Ball into +1 Signal Beam *doesn't* KO Scarf Tar from full, which is a pretty big deal. Meanwhile, +1 Shadow Ball does 70% min to Hoopa-U.

 

[Ash Borer]

Tyranitar should be hard switching into porygon z almost always, anyways. HP Fighting just seems like crap. It doesnt do what its supposed to (consistently beat ttar and bisharp). It mostly splitting hairs though, as we can agree signal beam doesnt do all that much either.

 

[TURBODERP]

Tyranitar should be hard switching into porygon z almost always, anyways. HP Fighting just seems like crap. It doesnt do what its supposed to (consistently beat ttar and bisharp). It mostly splitting hairs though, as we can agree signal beam doesnt do all that much either.

Would T-bolt be straight better? I guess you could run Recover as well.

 

[Heavyweapons Mann]

Ash Borer I feel like Psychic Conversion should be its own set, as it can get around Chansey and Amoonguss (assuming that's a thing in OU) with Psyshock potentially being boosted from a Psychic Terrain from Tapu Lele, along with being immune to priority from said Psychic Terrain. Tapu Lele is a good teammate to remove Bisharp, which I think is the only relevant OU Pokemon to have Sucker PunchAlso, I think it should be mentioned that although it's obvious that Porygon-Z has Z-Conversion, it's not obvious which type it changes into until it uses Z-Conversion and changes type, so it's like oh, Pheromosa can get past Electric? Good luck trying to stop it when it changes to Ghost instead, or Oh, you think Chansey/Amoonguss can wall it? Have fun trying that when it's actually a Psychic variant. And one minor thing for GP. I think all Marowak-A/Marowak-Alolan mentions have to be changed to Alolan Marowak.

As for Psychic Conversion, I feel like this set could be the way to go here:
[SET]
name: Z-Conversion: Psychic
move 1: Psyshock
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Conversion
item: Normalium Z
ability: Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe

For this, Shadow Ball hits other Psychic-types, and HP Fighting is used over other Hidden Power types or Signal Beam to get past both Dark- and Steel-types. If there are better moves that could be slashed or replace the moves I currently have, let me know, and I will edit them into this set.

 

[Ash Borer]

We tested it, its not good. Read the oo section. Fairly solid articulation though.

 

[Colonel M]

Discussed the few things in General but requested the following:

- Team Options cleanup for second set so it isn't quite copy paste.
- Testing Nasty Plot on Electric. To be fair there are checks to BoltBeam, but sometimes Nasty Plot can help push some of those around too (i.e. Magnezone realistically isn't doing a whole lot back to you in spite of resisting your arsenal unless it has Mirror Coat).

I can also test Nasty Plot sometime this week though my schedule is a little busy. Everything else seems okay from a glance.

1/3

 

[PK Gaming]

Maybe specifically point out that Tapu Fini is a good partner for dealing with common Choice Scarf users? Otherwise,

2/3

This analysis is super solid.

 

[Finchinator]

I'd add mention to Pheromosa in the point you mention Fini, Lati, Starmie, etc. due to it viably running rapid spin (seen more as a spinner than Starmie, so both should be included I guess) to give p-z hazard control. Otherwise, this is great - 3/3

 

[Lumari]

remove add / fix (comments); (AC=add comma; RC=remove comma; SC=semicolon)
GP 1/1

check

[OVERVIEW]

* Good Special Attack, a passable Speed tier, Adaptability, a good offensive movepool, (AC) and Z-conversion (AH) combine to make Porygon-Z a formidable sweeper needing just one turn of set up setup.
* While its Speed is not abysmal, it leaves it short of most Choice Scarf users (after setup?). (AP)
* Porygon-Z is quite predictable outside of its ability to cover a few potential counters with certain moves. The opponent will know from the Team Preview that it is Z-conversion and will play around this.
* In general, (AC) it needs a lot of team support due to how easy it is to revenge kill or wall.
* With smart team building teambuilding and strategical play, Porygon-Z will clean up, but without these, it will be dead weight.


[SET]
name: Z-Conversion: Ghost
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Signal Beam / Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Nasty Plot
move 4: Conversion
item: Normalium Z
ability: Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Shadow Ball is used to convert Porygon-Z to a Ghost-typing Ghost-type. Excellent neutral coverage in one move, immunity to Extremespeed Extreme Speed, (AC) and protection against Pheromosa make it an ideal typing.
* Signal Beam gets past certain Dark-types. While may seem inferior to Hidden Power Fighting at first glance on account of Tyranitar, both attacks merely 2HKO it. Though HP Hidden Power Fighting does more, and thus requires Tyranitar to be worn down less before an OHKO can be achieved, the two moves have rough parity in this regard, and Signal Beam OHKOs OHKOes Hoopa-U, something Porygon-Z otherwise can not do.
* Hidden Power Fighting has a chance to OHKO Tyranitar after Stealth Rock damage, and it also OHKOs OHKOes Bisharp, which is useful should you be able to outplay Sucker Punch.
* Nasty Plot is good filler that can be useful for breaking defensive teams whose Chansey has been removed, and it is useful in the case of Haze or Protect spam.
* Conversion is of course necessary to boost and change type.

Set Details
========

* 240 Speed EVs are used to outspeed Jolly Excadrill.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize power, (AC) as Porygon-Z is a sweeper and needs to do as much as possible.
* Normalium Z allows Porygon-Z to use Z-Conversion.
* Adaptability's consistency makes it superior to Download. It also has the benefit of not being nullified by Unaware.

Usage Tips
========

* Scouting for Choice Scarf users is quite useful; (SC) this will make it easier to know when it's a good time to set up.
* Porygon-Z is the kind of Pokemon that requires a lot of team support to sweep. As the match begins, think about how you're going to control entry hazards, how you're going to KO opposing Choice Scarf users, and what Porygon-Z is capable of setting up on. Without these in mind, Porygon-Z will not be effective.
* The general formula for effective Porygon-Z usage is early-game (AH) hazard control (RC) and creating momentum for your team's heavy hitters to wear down the opposing team. Then you should focus on luring in something that Porygon-Z can set up against and gaining switch advantage on it. As long as it can handle the damage from the remaining Choice Scarf and priority users, Porygon-Z can then end the game.

Team Options
========

* Choice Scarf users are by far Porygon-Z's greatest enemy. Being able to remove them is the best team support one can provide. Mega Scizor and Mega Metagross are probably the best at this, being able to trap and weaken or outright KO Tapu Lele, Latios, and, (AC) in Mega Scizor's case, (AC) Gengar.
* Sticky Web is a decent attempt at solving Porygon's Choice Scarf woes. Shuckle can perform admirably in this role.
* Entry hazard control is the second best team support you can give to Porygon-Z. Porygon-Z's Due to its extreme late-game nature, (AC) Porygon-Z benefits heavily from stacking entry hazards, and removing hazards from your side of the field preserves its HP, iwhich is paramount for surviving revenge kill attempts.
* Greninja, Garchomp, Terrakion, Heatran, (AC) and Landorus-T are among the most consistent and effective entry hazard users that fit well with Porygon-Z's offensive nature.
* Tapu Fini, Excadrill, Starmie, Pheromosa, (AC) and Latios can remove hazards for Porygon-Z.
* Bisharp and Thundurus run strong Defiant-based (AH) sets that punish Defog usage (RC) and thus control hazards nicely.
* Good wallbreakers like Tapu Lele, Marowak-A Alolan Marowak, and Hoopa-U can overwhelm opposing defensive cores, letting Porygon-Z sweep later in the match.
* Dugtrio's ability to trap and eliminate problems for Porygon-Z such as Chansey, Tyranitar, (AC) and some weakened Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele make makes it a strong partner.
* Choice Band Tyranitar is a strong Pursuit user that can potentially remove Chansey (RC) and as well as some Choice Scarf users. Sand Stream is also effective at stopping rain, which some opponents may rely on to revenge kill Porygon-Z with.

[SET]
name: Z-Conversion: Electric
move 1: Thunderbolt
move 2: Ice Beam
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Hidden Power Fighting
move 4: Conversion
item: Normalium Z
ability: Adaptability
nature: Timid
evs: 16 HP / 252 SpA / 240 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* Thunderbolt's good neutral coverage, its synergy with Ice Beam, and the Electric-type's immunity to paralysis make it a strong choice to convert to.
* Ice Beam clocks most of the Ground-, Dragon-, and Grass-types that would otherwise stop an Electric-type Porygon Z. (AP)
* Hidden Power Ground deals with Marowak-A, Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard X, Magnezone, (AC) and Excadrill quite well.
* Hidden Power Fighting does similar things to Hidden Power Ground, but it trades Marowak-A hitting Alolan Marowak and Mega Charizard X for Tyranitar, Mamoswine, and Ferrothorn.
* Conversion is of course necessary to boost and change type.
* Nasty Plot can be run in place of Hidden Power. While it does give up super effective hits on a fair number of Pokemon resistant to the BoltBeam combo combination, if +3 is achieved, most can be bypassed. Both Magnezone and Ferrothorn avoid an OHKO, but thanks to Porygon-z's Porygon-Z's Electric typing, they can't do all that much back and are thus beaten.

Set Details
========

* 240 Speed EVs and a Timid nature give enough to outspeed Jolly Excadrill.
* 252 Special Attack EVs are used as because Porygon-Z needs to hit as hard as possible
* Normalium Z allows Porygon-Z to use Z-Conversion.
* Adaptability is used on account of Download's poor consistency. With it, (AC) it Porygon-Z can deal a lot more damage to Unaware users too.

Usage Tips
========

* Make sure to scout for opposing Choice Scarf users and targeting them. They are Porygon-Z's best checks.
* Porygon-Z is the kind of Pokemon that requires a lot of team support to sweep. As the match begins, think about how you're going to control entry hazards, how you're going to KO opposing Choice Scarf users, and what Porygon-Z is capable of setting up on. Without these in mind, Porygon-Z will not be effective.
* The general formula for effective Porygon-Z usage is early-game (AH) hazard control (RC) and creating momentum for your team's heavy hitters to wear down the opposing team. Then you should focus on luring in something that Porygon-Z can set up on and gaining switch advantage on it. From there, (AC) Porygon-Z can end the game as long as it can survive revenge kill attempts.

Team Options
========

* Being able to Pokemon that can trap opposing Choice Scarf users is providde very valuable team support to Porygon-Z. Mega Metagross's ability to pick up (off?) Tapu Lele and Latios is very appreciated. Choice Band Tyranitar can achieve similar things under the right conditions, as well it can remove Alolan Marowak and Chansey with careful timing.
* Sticky Web can patch up Porygon's weakness to some Choice Scarf users like Tapu Lele and Garchomp. Shuckle is perhaps the best user of the move.
* While Pursuit trapping Choice Scarf Landorus-T may be unconventional, Weavile is perhaps the only Pokemon capable of doing this, (AC) and considering that Choice Scarf Landorus-T is both common and a very hard counter to Electric-type Porygon-Z, it can be quite valuable support.
* Entry hazard control is the second best team support you can give to Porygon-Z. Porygon-Z's extreme late-game nature means it benefits heavily from stacking entry hazards, and on account of its fragility, removing hazards from your side of the field lets it set up and sweep more consistently.
* Consistent offensive entry hazard users like Terrakion, Heatran, Greninja, (AC) and Garchomp are very helpful to Porygon-Z.
* Tapu Fini, Excadrill, Pheromosa, and Latios are among the tier's best entry hazard removers, which is useful for preserving Porygon-Z's precious HP. Tapu Fini also has a nice match up against most Choice Scarf users.
* Bisharp and Thundurus run strong Defiant based sets that punish Defog usage, and thus they control hazards nicely.
* Good wallbreakers like Tapu Lele (RC) and Hoopa-U can blow holes in opponent's defensive cores for Porygon-Z to exploit.
* Dugtrio's ability to trap and eliminate problems for Porygon-Z such as Chansey and some weakened Choice Scarf users make makes it a good partner.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* Psychic Conversion seems like an interesting prospect, as it can lets Porygon-Z use Psyshock to blow past Chansey (RC) and also take advantage of Tapu Lele's Psychic Terrain. However, the ability to get past Chansey is made worthless by the fact that Tapu Lele simply beats stall all by itself, and taking advantage of friendly psychic terrain is not practical, considering that Porygon-Z has to use a turn to boost.
* Charge Beam's snowball effect is appealing, but it's much more consistent to simply wear down the opponent's team (RC) and sweep with Thunderbolt, instead of attempting to sweep against a healthy team (RC) and relying on a chance at boosting.
* Recover seems cool, but Porygon-Z benefits from coverage or Nasty Plot more against more offensive and balanced teams. Stall will simply defeat Recover Porygon-Z with Toxic, and thus Recover does not do much.
* A classic Agility set has some interesting properties. Adaptability, a Modest Nature, (AC) and a Life Orb gives give it quite a punch, and Agility allows it outspeed just about everything, making it a decent cleaner in its own right. However, the intrigue lies in that fact that almost all opponents will assume that Porygon-Z (AH) is holding your team's Z-crystal (AH, AC) and will thus have their guard down against the rest of the team. This allows Z-crystal (AH) lures like Supersonic Skystrike Gyarados and Continental Crush Landorus-T to be that much more effective. Despite these nice properties, it is still a fairly mediocre set (RC) and needs a lot of team support.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Choice Scarf Users**: Due to Porygon-Z's less-than-impressive (AH) Speed tier, most Choice Scarf users can outspeed it (RC) and deal serious damage or outright KO it. Tapu Lele, Pheromosa, Landorus-T, Garchomp, (AC) and Nihilego are among the most threatening.

**Priority Users**: While few priority moves can deal huge amounts of damage to Porygon-Z, and they are thus not true revenge killers a true means of revenge killing it, (or just change priority moves to priority move users if you're cool with that) because of how predictable Porygon-Z is (RC) and how incapable it is of forcing anything to switch, it will almost always be attacked when using Conversion. Thus, (AC) any amount of priority can simply be overwhelming. Bisharp and Mimikyu are both are particularly problematic with their super effective priority attacks (RC) and, (AC) in Mimikyu's case, (AC) Disguise.

**Chansey**: Porygon-Z has no practical way to get past Chansey. Though it can run Psychic-type conversion and Psyshock, this set fails to be effective, (AC) as nearly every Chansey has a Sableye on its team, and thus it merely changes what counters you against the same team.

**Set-specific (AH) Counters**: While Porygon-Z is capable of picking and choosing its counters for the most part, it can not cover them all. Ghost Porygon can struggle with Tyranitar, Hoopa-U, Mandibuzz, Bisharp, and Mega Gyarados depending on the coverage moves it elects runs. Electric Porygon is fairly impotent against Choice Band Tyranitar, Ferrothorn, Alolan Marowak-Alola, Mega Venusaur, Mega Charizard X, and Mamoswine depending on what coverage it decides to use too.

 

[Ash Borer]

Done. Thanks all.

 

[Hootie]

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