[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: Knock Off
move 3: Power Whip
move 4: Jungle Healing
item: Leftovers / Heavy-Duty Boots
ability: Leaf Guard
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
tera type: Poison
[SET COMMENTS]
Zarude's typing, movepool, and stat spread provide it with a unique combination of traits that allow it to function as a potent bulky physical sweeper that can handle threats such as Slowking, Rhyperior, and Rotom-W with ease. Knock Off allows Zarude to remove items from checks like Hydrapple, Tornadus-T, and Okidogi, making it easier to wear them down. Jungle Healing not only provides Zarude with a reliable form of recovery, but it sets it apart from other physical set up sweepers such as Bulk Up Okidogi and Swords Dance Scizor by allowing it to heal off status effects, allowing it to swap into status moves like Rotom-W's Will-O-Wisp and Serperior's Glare without fear. Leftovers can be used to provide Zarude with further passive recovery, which can make it extremely hard to take down. Alternatively, Heavy-Duty Boots can be used to prevent Zarude from taking too much hazard damage over the course of a game. Tera Poison allows Zarude to resist both of Okidogi's STABs and prevent it from being affected by Toxic Chain and turns Zapdos's Hurricane into a 2HKO, while also flipping matchups against Pokemon such as Cobalion, Enamorous-T, and Lokix.
Zarude fits best on bulky offense and balance teams that appreciate its ability to break through threats like Slowking that other physical sweepers struggle with. Zarude struggles greatly with Lokix, which can easily revenge kill it with a 4x super effective First Impression, so Pokemon like Cobalion and Zapdos make valuable partners. These two Pokemon also act as pivots to help bring Zarude in safely. Zarude also heavily struggles against Steel-types, particularly Cobalion, Scizor, and Tinkaton, which all resist at least one of Zarude's STABs and scare it out with super effective STAB moves of their own. Skeledirge, Okidogi, and Excadrill make great partners to help deal with these threats. Excadrill in particular makes a great partner, as it can both set hazards to wear down foes for Zarude to break and remove hazards to prevent Zarude from getting too worn down itself. Other entry hazard setters, such as Rhyperior, Tinkaton, and Sandy Shocks, also partner well with Zarude for this reason.
[CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/starfalcon555.540058/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/twilight.344575/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.103/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user5.104/
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