[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Behemoth Blade / Play Rough
move 3: Wild Charge
move 4: Close Combat / Tera Blast
item: Rusted Sword
ability: Intrepid Sword
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
tera type: Fighting / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
* Zacian-C is one of the most dangerous physical threats in National Dex Ubers and a source of immense offensive role compression as it is able to serve as a cleaner, Speed control, and a sweeper. Zacian-C’s natural power is sufficient to easily clean up weakened teams or frailer hyper offense structures. However, after a Swords Dance boost, Zacian-C can break through some of its sturdier defensive checks such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh after minor chip. Zacian-C’s defensive typing providing a resistance against Yveltal’s Sucker Punch and Arceus’s Extreme Speed is also greatly appreciated by the hyper offensive structures on which it is a staple. Zacian-C does have a place on balance and bulky offense structures, but its flaws such as a poor stall matchup and the lack of power after switching out render it merely ‘good’ as opposed to a near auto include.
* Behemoth Blade is Zacian-C’s preferred STAB option due to its higher damage while maintaining solid neutral coverage. Play Rough is a solid option that fits on teams weak to specific Pokemon such as Marshadow and Yveltal. Although Fairy is a stronger offensive type than Steel, Zacian-C’s most common switchins in Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon resist both. Additionally, Behemoth Blade benefits from Tera Fairy being common on Pokémon such as support Arceus formes, Eternatus, and Coil Zygarde.
* Wild Charge is used as it is Zacian-C’s best coverage for Ho-Oh. +1 Wild Charge also comes with the benefit of OHKOing wallbreaker Primal Kyogre and specially offensive Yveltal after one round of Life Orb chip.
* Close Combat is the more common option as the last moveslot due to providing Zacian-C with solid coverage to hit Pokémon such as Exteme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark super effectively. Tera Blast Ground is also an option to plow through defensive Primal Groudon and Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM, but is far more committal in both the teambuilder and in-game.
* Zacian-C’s tera type depends on its coverage option in its last moveslot. Tera Fighting Close Combat is Zacian-C’s strongest move and gives Zacian-C the slight damage boost it needs to OHKO Extreme Killer Arceus. After a Swords Dance boost Zacian-C is even able to OHKO defensive Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Tera Blast Ground enables Zacian-C the means to take on Primal Groudon without a boost and a super effective move on Tera Poison Arceus formes. Consequently, Tera Blast Ground pairs well with Play Rough. Tera Ground Zacian-C has a higher ceiling than Tera Fighting, but is less consistent.
*Due to the Intrepid Sword nerf Zacian-C rarely has an early-game presence as it is often reliant on the initial boost to properly wallbreak or clean. Consequently, Zacian-C must make its initial entry point count. Fortunately, most teams have one or two Pokémon that afford this to Zacian-C. For example, against hyper offense structures Zacian-C revenges Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Kyogre while Calm Mind Arceus-Dark and -Fairy provide safe entry against balance and bulky offense structures.
* Zacian-C’s efficacy progressively decreases as teams get bulkier as even bulky offense structures usually have the means to check it defensively with Primal Groudon and a Ground-immune check such as Ho-Oh or Giratina-O. Accordingly, Zacian-C is often limited to a wallbreaking or cleaning role. Close Combat can potentially do both while Tera Blast Ground sets tend to lean more into a wallbreaking role. Zacian-C’s worst matchup is against stall despite Giratina and Eternatus being unable to damage it as Dondozo walls it and Zacian-C is reliant on a teammate to pressure it to Tera Fairy.
*Zacian-C is a staple if not near-mandatory on every hyper offensive archetype due to the role compression that it provides offensively and defensively. Zacian-C is often the primary roadblock on Extreme Killer Arceus’s path to victory while resisting Yveltal’s STABs, but must be cautious of Tera Fire Heat Wave.
* On Sticky Web structures Chi-Yu is an excellent teammate as it helps maintain Sticky Web with a speedy Taunt, OHKOes Ho-Oh with +2 Black Hole Eclipse, and is a potent stallbreaker. In return, Zacian-C alleviates Chi-Yu’s issues with offense, notably its susceptibility to Extreme Killer Arceus.
*Ultra Necrozma fills a similar role to Chi-Yu on Hazard Stack structures and synergizes nearly perfectly with Zacian-C as it both demolishes and uses Ultra Necrozma’s most common defensive counterplay in Arceus-Dark and defensive Yveltal as an entry point. Furthermore, Pokémon such as Ho-Oh, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus sometimes opt for Tera Dark to check Ultra Necrozma, but doing so presents a lose-lose situation. Additionally, Zacian-C revenges Ultra Necrozma’s most common offensive counterplay in Extreme Killer Arceus, Marshadow, and specially offensive Yveltal. In return Ultra Necrozma effortlessly plows through Pokémon after a boost – notably Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Coil Zygarde for Zacian-C. However, both Pokémon struggle with the stall matchup so some additional help is appreciated.
*Zacian-C is still a solid Pokémon outside of hyper offense structures, but its flaws become more apparent both in the teambuilder and in battle. For example, despite a great defensive typing, Zacian-C often struggles to find safe switch-in opportunities outside of Calm Mind Arceus formes and specially offensive Yveltal. Moreover, Zacian-C struggles heavily into Sticky Web structures despite a positive matchup on paper. This is because Zacian-C cannot help remove Sticky Web and is often useless until they are removed. This is a tough task and thudding into stall doesn't help matters either. Zacian-C is an excellent Pokemon, but compensating for these flaws often results in these structures using alternative options. However, if these gaps can be filler Zacian-C is an excellent addition to many structures for the reasons listed above and its ability to offensively check wallbreakers such as Tera Dragon Meteor Beam Eternatus and Chien-Pao.
* Offensive Ho-Oh is an excellent partner as its defensive profile enables Zacian-C to more precisely pick and choose its entry points. Ho-Oh's longevity and offensive pressure is appreciated against stall and bulkier structures that easily check Zacian-C. In return, Zacian-C checks offensive Pokemon capable of brute forcing past Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, offensive Eternatus, and wallbreaker Primal Kyogre. Furthermore, Primal Groudon is a common switch-in to Ho-Oh and taking any attack will leave it in range for Zacian-C.
*Defensive Primal Kyogre is also an excellent teammate due its stellar matchup into stall while maintaining a solid matchup into bulkier structures that defensively check Zacian-C consistently. Additionally, Primal Kyogre is capable of trading with specially offensive Yveltal which makes it easier to remove Sticky Web while handling Pokémon which annoy Zacian-C such as Coil Zygarde, defensive Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, or a boosted Mega Salamence.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bumboclaat.523420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Behemoth Blade / Play Rough
move 3: Wild Charge
move 4: Close Combat / Tera Blast
item: Rusted Sword
ability: Intrepid Sword
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
tera type: Fighting / Ground
[SET COMMENTS]
* Zacian-C is one of the most dangerous physical threats in National Dex Ubers and a source of immense offensive role compression as it is able to serve as a cleaner, Speed control, and a sweeper. Zacian-C’s natural power is sufficient to easily clean up weakened teams or frailer hyper offense structures. However, after a Swords Dance boost, Zacian-C can break through some of its sturdier defensive checks such as Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh after minor chip. Zacian-C’s defensive typing providing a resistance against Yveltal’s Sucker Punch and Arceus’s Extreme Speed is also greatly appreciated by the hyper offensive structures on which it is a staple. Zacian-C does have a place on balance and bulky offense structures, but its flaws such as a poor stall matchup and the lack of power after switching out render it merely ‘good’ as opposed to a near auto include.
* Behemoth Blade is Zacian-C’s preferred STAB option due to its higher damage while maintaining solid neutral coverage. Play Rough is a solid option that fits on teams weak to specific Pokemon such as Marshadow and Yveltal. Although Fairy is a stronger offensive type than Steel, Zacian-C’s most common switchins in Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon resist both. Additionally, Behemoth Blade benefits from Tera Fairy being common on Pokémon such as support Arceus formes, Eternatus, and Coil Zygarde.
* Wild Charge is used as it is Zacian-C’s best coverage for Ho-Oh. +1 Wild Charge also comes with the benefit of OHKOing wallbreaker Primal Kyogre and specially offensive Yveltal after one round of Life Orb chip.
* Close Combat is the more common option as the last moveslot due to providing Zacian-C with solid coverage to hit Pokémon such as Exteme Killer Arceus and Arceus-Dark super effectively. Tera Blast Ground is also an option to plow through defensive Primal Groudon and Dragon Dance Necrozma-DM, but is far more committal in both the teambuilder and in-game.
* Zacian-C’s tera type depends on its coverage option in its last moveslot. Tera Fighting Close Combat is Zacian-C’s strongest move and gives Zacian-C the slight damage boost it needs to OHKO Extreme Killer Arceus. After a Swords Dance boost Zacian-C is even able to OHKO defensive Primal Groudon after Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes. Tera Blast Ground enables Zacian-C the means to take on Primal Groudon without a boost and a super effective move on Tera Poison Arceus formes. Consequently, Tera Blast Ground pairs well with Play Rough. Tera Ground Zacian-C has a higher ceiling than Tera Fighting, but is less consistent.
*Due to the Intrepid Sword nerf Zacian-C rarely has an early-game presence as it is often reliant on the initial boost to properly wallbreak or clean. Consequently, Zacian-C must make its initial entry point count. Fortunately, most teams have one or two Pokémon that afford this to Zacian-C. For example, against hyper offense structures Zacian-C revenges Extreme Killer Arceus and Primal Kyogre while Calm Mind Arceus-Dark and -Fairy provide safe entry against balance and bulky offense structures.
* Zacian-C’s efficacy progressively decreases as teams get bulkier as even bulky offense structures usually have the means to check it defensively with Primal Groudon and a Ground-immune check such as Ho-Oh or Giratina-O. Accordingly, Zacian-C is often limited to a wallbreaking or cleaning role. Close Combat can potentially do both while Tera Blast Ground sets tend to lean more into a wallbreaking role. Zacian-C’s worst matchup is against stall despite Giratina and Eternatus being unable to damage it as Dondozo walls it and Zacian-C is reliant on a teammate to pressure it to Tera Fairy.
*Zacian-C is a staple if not near-mandatory on every hyper offensive archetype due to the role compression that it provides offensively and defensively. Zacian-C is often the primary roadblock on Extreme Killer Arceus’s path to victory while resisting Yveltal’s STABs, but must be cautious of Tera Fire Heat Wave.
* On Sticky Web structures Chi-Yu is an excellent teammate as it helps maintain Sticky Web with a speedy Taunt, OHKOes Ho-Oh with +2 Black Hole Eclipse, and is a potent stallbreaker. In return, Zacian-C alleviates Chi-Yu’s issues with offense, notably its susceptibility to Extreme Killer Arceus.
*Ultra Necrozma fills a similar role to Chi-Yu on Hazard Stack structures and synergizes nearly perfectly with Zacian-C as it both demolishes and uses Ultra Necrozma’s most common defensive counterplay in Arceus-Dark and defensive Yveltal as an entry point. Furthermore, Pokémon such as Ho-Oh, Arceus-Fairy, and Eternatus sometimes opt for Tera Dark to check Ultra Necrozma, but doing so presents a lose-lose situation. Additionally, Zacian-C revenges Ultra Necrozma’s most common offensive counterplay in Extreme Killer Arceus, Marshadow, and specially offensive Yveltal. In return Ultra Necrozma effortlessly plows through Pokémon after a boost – notably Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Coil Zygarde for Zacian-C. However, both Pokémon struggle with the stall matchup so some additional help is appreciated.
*Zacian-C is still a solid Pokémon outside of hyper offense structures, but its flaws become more apparent both in the teambuilder and in battle. For example, despite a great defensive typing, Zacian-C often struggles to find safe switch-in opportunities outside of Calm Mind Arceus formes and specially offensive Yveltal. Moreover, Zacian-C struggles heavily into Sticky Web structures despite a positive matchup on paper. This is because Zacian-C cannot help remove Sticky Web and is often useless until they are removed. This is a tough task and thudding into stall doesn't help matters either. Zacian-C is an excellent Pokemon, but compensating for these flaws often results in these structures using alternative options. However, if these gaps can be filler Zacian-C is an excellent addition to many structures for the reasons listed above and its ability to offensively check wallbreakers such as Tera Dragon Meteor Beam Eternatus and Chien-Pao.
* Offensive Ho-Oh is an excellent partner as its defensive profile enables Zacian-C to more precisely pick and choose its entry points. Ho-Oh's longevity and offensive pressure is appreciated against stall and bulkier structures that easily check Zacian-C. In return, Zacian-C checks offensive Pokemon capable of brute forcing past Ho-Oh such as Extreme Killer Arceus, offensive Eternatus, and wallbreaker Primal Kyogre. Furthermore, Primal Groudon is a common switch-in to Ho-Oh and taking any attack will leave it in range for Zacian-C.
*Defensive Primal Kyogre is also an excellent teammate due its stellar matchup into stall while maintaining a solid matchup into bulkier structures that defensively check Zacian-C consistently. Additionally, Primal Kyogre is capable of trading with specially offensive Yveltal which makes it easier to remove Sticky Web while handling Pokémon which annoy Zacian-C such as Coil Zygarde, defensive Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, or a boosted Mega Salamence.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/bumboclaat.523420/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.102/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.104/
Last edited: