OU Zapdos

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell


[OVERVIEW]

Wonderful typing, reliable recovery, and a solid base stat total keep Zapdos aloft as a persistent defensive OU threat. Zapdos's niche is how hard it is deal with for many offensive teams; staples to this archetype such as Supersonic Skystrike Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Pinsir, Mega Scizor, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela struggle to get past it, and with Zapdos's coverage, it's quite difficult to switch into for these teams. Its weakness to Stealth Rock does limit it, though, forcing it to use Roost excessively or simply rendering it unable to counter what it ought to for the duration of the match. Zapdos is also a good user of Defog. While Zapdos's ability to Defog can be compromised by its weakness to Stealth Rock, Zapdos has a good matchup against a few common users of the move, such as Excadrill or Ferrothorn, mitigating this weakness.


[SET]
name: Three Attacks
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

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

Discharge is the STAB move of choice, as its utility suits Zapdos's playstyle better than Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Ice gets excellent super effective coverage; it allows Zapdos to act as a great answer to Landorus-T, Zygarde, Salamence, Dragonite, and Garchomp. Heat Wave also has very nice super effective coverage, battering Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Mawile, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and more. Roost holds the set together, allowing Zapdos to stay healthy throughout the match and do its job.

Set Details
========

Zapdos acts as a more defensive Pokemon, but its excellent Speed can be capitalized on to actually increase its ability to function in this role by letting it move first to either KO or heal against the foe. Thus, a spread of 248 HP / 252 Spe with a Timid nature makes Zapdos very effective. Being able to outpace the likes of Landorus-T, Zygarde, Tapu Bulu, Excadrill, and other threats is invaluable. While the extra Speed is great for beating all the way up to and tying with base 100s, taking some of Zapdos's Speed and putting it into Defense is not a bad idea. 184 Speed EVs will let it outpace Jolly Landorus-T and is about as slow as this Zapdos should be going. Both Pressure and Static have their uses. Both can be used to exploit Zapdos's ability to annoyingly use Roost over and over. Pressure is superior at PP stalling out moves with low PP or ones that make no contact like Stone Edge, while Static is better at punishing moves with high PP that Zapdos can switch into, such as Tapu Bulu's Horn Leech or Tornadus-T's U-turn. Leftovers is the item of choice for a defensive Pokemon like Zapdos.

Usage Tips
========

Zapdos should be used as a switch-in the Pokemon it can effectively deal with. These include, with some limitations, Landorus-T, Celesteela, Tangrowth, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Zygarde, Mega Scizor, Jirachi, Salamence, Garchomp, and Tapu Bulu. Because Zapdos doesn't hit all that hard, it's generally better to stay healthy throughout the match and use Roost constantly. This will capitalize on Zapdos's ability to prevent a large swath of threats from seriously harming your team. When the opportunity to attack presents itself, consider just using Discharge instead of the super effective attack on the threat Zapdos is currently handling. Because Zapdos relies on super effective damage, and has a fairly predictable moveset, often opponents will switch comfortably into a Pokemon that Zapdos cannot hit super effectively, like Heatran, Mega Sableye, or Nihilego. Discharge's paralysis chance is Zapdos's best chance at punishing these switch-ins.

Team Options
========

Mega Scizor is one of Zapdos's better partners for its ability to take care of big threats to Zapdos—Stealth Rock, Nihilego, Mamoswine, Weavile, and Kyurem-B. Ferrothorn performs similarly to Scizor against these threats, but instead of removing Stealth Rock it sets it up, which can punish Pokemon like Alolan Marowak and Mega Charizard X that can pretty easily take advantage of Zapdos. Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Suicune are some of SM OU's premier bulky Water-types, and they relieve Zapdos of its weaknesses to Fire-, Rock-, and Ice-types. Tapu Fini in particular helps with its Defog support. Keldeo is another Water-type that similarly takes on Ice-, Fire-, and Rock-types, for the more offensively minded teams. Because Zapdos is so good at handling its counters, Choice Band Zygarde is a good partner to Zapdos.


[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe

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

Discharge is a great defensive STAB attack, punishing switch-ins and would-be boosters with a high paralysis chance, such as Mega Charizard X and Volcarona. Roost keeps Zapdos healthy, necessary for a defensive Pokemon. Heat Wave can be used to sting various Steel- and Grass-types that Zapdos can deal with to good effect like Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu. Hidden Power Ice pairs well with Heat Wave. It lets Zapdos beat Landorus-T and Garchomp and prevents Zygarde from walking all over Zapdos. Defog is also a good option; Zapdos does a have a good matchup against a few Stealth Rock users like Excadrill and Ferrothorn which allows it to support not only teammates but itself as well. Toxic is another option in the final slot. While it won't deal with Hidden Power Ice's primary targets in short order, it does put a timer on them, as well as covering some Pokemon that Zapdos otherwise cannot touch, such as Alolan Marowak, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine.

Set Details
========

The choice between Static and Pressure is something to think about. Zapdos's ability to PP stall attacks like Landorus-T's Stone Edge is made easier with Pressure, but Static's ability to punish U-turn spam, or just help win against attackers Zapdos might be facing, is valuable as well. Keep in mind that Defog is illegal with Static. 248 HP EVs, a Bold nature, and 240 Defense EVs give Zapdos the physical bulk it needs to take on attackers like Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, and Garchomp successfully. 20 Speed EVs let it outpace Adamant Bisharp and Breloom, as well as Timid Magnezone—a nice bonus for such a small price. More Speed investment is an option. With 108 Speed EVs, Zapdos can now outpace a host of threats including neutral-natured Gyarados, Dragonite, Tapu Bulu, and positive-natured Bisharp, Breloom, and Volcanion. While this is a nice profile of threats, it quite significantly cuts into Zapdos's defensive investment, which it really does need. Leftovers provides obligatory defensive bolstering.

Usage Tips
========

Using Zapdos is fairly simple. Switch into Pokemon it can counter, especially ones that it can Defog against if you carry the move, Roost until healthy, and then attack. Supersonic Skystrike Landorus-T, Garchomp, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Scizor, Skarmory, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela are among the most common Pokemon Zapdos can effectively switch into. Focus on staying healthy; Zapdos doesn't hit very hard and is much better off Roosting to continue to wall what it can throughout the match. Because of Discharge's nice paralysis chance, it's often a good idea to spam the move; Pokemon that can otherwise pretty easily absorb Zapdos's attacks and threaten it out like Mega Charizard X, Clefable, Latios, Tapu Lele, and Nihilego don't appreciate the paralysis. Remember to take advantage of Pressure when possible. Zapdos's ability to just use Roost over and over in the face of attacks and drain them of PP before succumbing to critical hits is quite powerful.

Team Options
========

Defensive Zapdos fits well on both balanced and stall teams alike, coveted for its fairly useful set of targets that it can shut down. Mega Sableye, Chansey, Skarmory, Dugtrio, and Clefable are a classic stall core, which Zapdos can round off nicely, providing another solid answer to many threats. For more balanced teams, Mega Scizor's ability to remove Stealth Rock, and deal with dangerous Ice-types like Mamoswine, Weavile, and Kyurem-B, make it quite good alongside Zapdos. Ferrothorn is a good defensive partner, as it's a solid answer to the likes of Kyurem-B, Nihilego, Mamoswine, and Tyranitar. Its Stealth Rock support helps deter Mega Charizard X and Marowak from running over this core effortlessly. On more balanced teams, Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Suicune are good bulky Water-types that can deal with pressure put on Zapdos by Rock-, Fire-, and Ice-types like Weavile, Terrakion, Heatran, and Mamoswine. Tapu Fini's Defogging benefits Zapdos quite a lot. Choice Scarf Keldeo is a more offensive Water-type that can also assist with the likes of Ice-, Fire-, and Rock-type attacks coming from Greninja, Weavile, Heatran, and more. Defensive Landorus-T's ability to deal with Pokemon that give Zapdos a hard time such as Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard X, and Continental Crush Landorus-T makes it a good defensive partner as well.


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

Offensive three attacks Zapdos is an option. It runs a similar moveset to the three attacks set of Thunderbolt / Heat Wave / Hidden Power Ice / Roost with offensive investment of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe and a Timid nature. Zapdos can still leverage its defensive typing successfully and use the surprise of its power to OHKO threats like Landorus-T. A Substitute, Roost, and Toxic set can be quite dangerous. It deals with a similar profile of targets as the three attacks defensive set and can better wear down some of the more defensive Pokemon that can be a problem for Zapdos, such as Mega Charizard X, Mamoswine, and Alolan Marowak. This being said, it's often preferable to have the instant damage to simply KO targets with super effective moves. An Agility set with Electrium Z is potentially quite a dangerous cleaner, but it offers very little defensive utility, making it a fairly less convincing choice compared to the likes of Landorus-T in such a role. Volt Switch is an option to compress a switch advantage and a STAB attack into one move, but it can be clumsy, forcing Zapdos out when it might want to stay in.

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

**Mega Charizard X**: Mega Charizard X is capable of using Zapdos as setup bait outside of a Discharge paralysis.

**Alolan Marowak**: Thanks to its typing and ability combination, Alolan Marowak easily walls Zapdos, and it can use these free turns to inflict serious damage or set up Stealth Rock.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar's Sand Stream, Rock typing, and good defensive stats make it a serious threat to Zapdos, though it is worth mentioning that Zapdos can use Roost and Pressure to drain Tyranitar of Stone Edge PP in very short order.

**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B is another strong attacker with a super effective STAB move and little weakness to any of Zapdos's moves. It can usually switch into Zapdos once or twice in a match and threaten it out.

**Nihilego**: Nihilego's nice natural Special Defense and super effective special STAB attack make it a competent counter to Zapdos, being able to switch directly in and beat it.

**Chansey**: Zapdos has no chance against Chansey; it will simply be walled and lose to Toxic damage.

**Ground-types**: As Zapdos is an Electric-type, unsurprisingly a lot of Ground-types pose a serious threat to it. It can do little to the likes of Quagsire, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine, which hit back with super effective attacks or a deadly Toxic.
 
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Martin

A monoid in the category of endofunctors
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Put Sub+Toxic+Roost in OO imo; rlly cool set which is able to easily PP stall things like Stone Edge whilst also being nice for cheesing through bulkier Pokemon like Tangrowth and other stuff (there are better examples than Tang but I'm lazy) that can normally live two hits without sacrificing the ability to deal w/ stuff like Lando-T that HP Ice allows it to deal with consistently
 

Ash Borer

I've heard they're short of room in hell
Why would you use Zapdos instead of Thundurus-T in an offensive role?
bulkier, less predictable, and heat wave

Put Sub+Toxic+Roost in OO imo; rlly cool set which is able to easily PP stall things like Stone Edge whilst also being nice for cheesing through bulkier Pokemon like Tangrowth and other stuff (there are better examples than Tang but I'm lazy) that can normally live two hits without sacrificing the ability to deal w/ stuff like Lando-T that HP Ice allows it to deal with consistently
that might be worth a set.. I'll continue to test
 
Could Thunder maybe see a slash on the Agility set? The Z-move negates the drop in accuracy, and after Gigavolt Havoc is used, the extra power could potentially be appreciated given the lack of boosting item. I understand if the consistency of Thunderbolt is more desirable.
 
Overview
- Talk about how good it tends to fare against the meta. Most offensive teams struggle to deal with it due it's bulk and coverage.
- In the second bullet point of the overview, you said:
"It patches up Zapdos' weakness to the move quite well, as it has a good match up against various Stealth Rock users like Garchomp, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. "
Explain what you mean by patches up it's weakness to the move. What move?

Fill this out a bit more, its pretty lacking right now.

Defensive set
- You have Defog slashed with Pressure.
- "Hidden Power is a good pair with Heat Wave." You left out "Ice"
- A lot of this is fine but it's kind of bland in terms of how its phrased. It's really basic stuff, I'd like to see things expanded on a bit more.

Give a mention to the more offensive set. It's the Roost 3 Attacks still with Max SpA Max Speed Timid. This allows you so outspeed LandoT and just kill it with HP Ice which the 0 SpA set can do.

Implement this and I'll stamp it.
 

Gary

Can be abrasive at times (no joke)
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[OVERVIEW]

  • Wonderful typing, reliable recovery, and a solid overall bulk base stat total have kept Zapdos aloft as a persistent defensive OU threat since its inception.
  • Zapdos' niche is how hard it is deal with for many offensive teams. Many offensive Pokemon such as Z-fly Landorus-T, Garchomp, Pinsir, Scizor, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela struggle to get past it, and with Zapdos' coverage, it's quite difficult to switch into for these teams.
  • Defog is a great move and few do it better than Zapdos. It patches up Zapdos' weakness to Stealth Rock quite well, as it has a good match up against various Stealth Rock users like Excadrill, Ferrothorn, and Skarmory. (Zapdos' biggest niche comes from its 3 attacks set, as its Defog set is honestly quite subpar at best. While it's fine to mention its ability to remove hazards, try not to over exaggerate it too much)
  • Despite its effectiveness, its fairly low defensive stats for a dedicated wall can let it down. (I don't really think this should included as a con considering its main selling point is its bulk lol. It's definitely bulky enough.)
  • Talk about how its opportunities to switch-in are heavily limited by its SR weakness, and that also makes it decently unreliable at removing them

[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure / Static
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
  • Discharge is a great defensive STAB attack, punishing switch-ins and would be boosters with a high paralysis chance. (mention some examples)
  • Roost keeps Zapdos healthy, necessary for a defensive Pokemon
  • Heat Wave can be used to sting various Steel- and Grass-types that Zapdos can deal with to good effect like Scizor, Ferrothorn, Tapu Bulu, and even some (some?) Metagross.
  • Hidden Power Ice is a good pair with Heat Wave. It still lets Zapdos beat Landorus-T, and Garchomp, and prevents Zygarde from walking all over it.
  • Defog is also a good option, Zapdos does a have a good match up against a few Stealth Rock users, which not only allows it to support teammates, but itself as well.

Set Details
========
  • The choice between Static and Pressure is something to think about. Zapdos' ability to PP-stall attacks like Landorus-T's Stone Edge is made easier with Pressure, however Static's ability to punish U-turn spam, or just help win against attackers Zapdos might be facing is valuable as well (don't forget to mention that Defog is illegal with Static)
  • 248 HP, a Bold nature, and 244 Defense EVs give Zapdos the physical bulk it needs to take on attackers like Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, and Garchomp successfully.
  • 16 Speed EVs outpace neutral natured Bisharp and Breloom, a nice bonus for such a small price.
  • Leftovers are obligatory defensive bolstering.

Usage Tips
========

  • Using Zapdos is fairly simple. Switch into Pokemon it can counter, especially ones that it can Defog against if you carry the move, Roost until healthy, and then attack.
  • Z-fly Landorus-T, Garchomp, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Scizor, Skarmory, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela are among the most common Pokemon Zapdos can effectively switch into. It's also quite good against Metagross that have forgone Ice Punch and Zen Headbutt for other options like Hidden Power Fire and Bullet Punch. (honestly Ice Punch Metagross is standard, BP is a lot rarer, and HP Fire meta is pretty niche, so I would only mention a very healthy Zapdos as a Metagross check)
  • Focus on staying healthy, Zapdos doesn't hit very hard and is much better off roosting to continue to wall what it can throughout the match.
  • Mention how spamming Discharge on predicted switch-ins can be beneficial for the potential paralysis chance, and mention some

Team Options
========

  • Defensive Zapdos fits well on both balanced and stall teams alike, coveted for its fairly useful set of targets that it can shut down.
  • Mega Sableye, Chansey, Toxapex, Dugtrio, and Clefable are a classic stall core, which Zapdos can round off nicely, providing a Ground-type immunity, a good answer to various wallbreakers like Tapu Bulu and Pinsir, and either Defog or a good counter to both Flyinium Z Landorus-T and Garchomp.
  • Ferrothorn is a good defensive partner, it's a solid answer to the likes of Kyurem-B, Nihilego, Mamoswine, and Tyranitar. Its Stealth Rock support helps deter Mega Charizard X and Marowak from running over this core effortlessly. (Mamo, Kyurem-B, and Tyranitar can chunk Ferro quite a bit honestly. I would mention Tapu Koko because it really bothers Zapdos and Ferro usually walls, also helps cushion you vs Ash Gren)
  • Tapu Fini, Toxapex, (you already mentioned this) and Slowbro (kinda niche and not good Weavile answer lol) are good defensive Water-types that can deal with pressure put on Zapdos by Rock-, Fire- and Ice-types like Weavile, Terrakion, and Mega Charizard X. Tapu Fini's defogging benefits Zapdos quite a lot.
  • Mention Defog Mega Scizor as a good partner because it can remove hazards for the non Defog sets, checks stuff like Weavile and Mamo, and Ice Punch Mega Metagross which can give it trouble. I'd honestly move this up because it's a really good teammate in general.
  • Scarf Keldeo is a nice partner because it checks Protean Gren as well Heatran
  • Lando-T helps vs stuff that can give Zappy issues too like Marowak, CC Lando-T, etc

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

**Mega Charizard X**: Mega Charizard X is capable of using Zapdos as set up bait outside of a Discharge paralysis. Considering how dangerous this Pokemon is it's probably Zapdos' best counter. (eh kinda subjectective. No need to really include it)

**Alolan Marowak**: Thanks to its typing and ability combination Alolan Marowak easily walls Zapdos and uses these free turns to inflict serious damage, or set up Stealth Rock

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar's Sand Stream, Rock-typing and good defensive stats and no weakness to any of Zapdos' typing make it a serious threat to Zapdos. Though it is worth mentioning that Zapdos can use Roost and Pressure to drain Tyranitar of Stone Edge PP in very short order.

**Mamoswine**: Mamoswine's powerful Ice-type attacks, Ground typing, and Thick Fat act in a similar fashion to Marowak, easily absorbing any of Zapdos' attacks and retaliating effectively.

**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B is another strong attacker with a super effective STAB and little weakness to any of Zapdos' moves. It can usually switch into Zapdos once or twice in a match and threaten it out.

**Nihilego**: Nihilego's nice natural special defense and super effective special STAB makes it a competent counter to Zapdos, being able to switch directly in and beat it.

**Chansey**: Zapdos has no chance in this match up, it will simply be walled and lose to Toxic damage.

Ground-types: Add a ground section, because fat grounds like Hippo, Quag, and Gastro both give this set one hell of a time, especially if either carry Toxic. You can still mention Mamoswine in here too.


Zapdos, SM OU's vanguard, like a phalanx or an tank battalion, is at the tip of any offensive team's spear.

QC 1/3
 

Finchinator

-OUTL
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OU Leader
Mention the prospect of running more speed on the defensive variant, mention the offensive variant with 3a Roost Max SAtk Max Speed at the start of the OO, mention Toxic in the set comments of the defensive set, mention sub/agility pass in the OO, add a bullet about how good pressure can be in some situations in the set comments, and you're good to go.

2/3
 

p2

Banned deucer.
this should have fast 3 atk roost as the first set btw and by that i mean zapdos should have 2 sets.

name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

along with set details mentioning reducing speed for jolly lando-t if you have any questions on this set ask tdk because hes got an unhealthy fetish for this set
 
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p2

Banned deucer.
yea can you actually let us know when youve implemented stuff because this is has been sitting for like what 2 weeks now and is super important

unslash static on both sets keep that to set details only

3/3
 

Gary

Can be abrasive at times (no joke)
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
Yo I'm being dead ass serious if you continue to fail to notify us that you're done implementing something and letting it fall all the way to the bottom of the page, we're going to remove the ability for you to write anymore high priority analysis. Colonel M and I have both reminded you of this multiple times so I don't know where this keeps getting lost in translation. It takes you 5 seconds to make a post saying "implemented". This is especially frustrating when we are trying to finish these analysis quickly because they are high priority, but we just assume you're still working on them because you never say anything anywhere. Last warning.
 
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Colonel M

I COULD BE BORED!
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Not necessarily a call out specifically to Ash Borer, but even dropping a message on Discord is sufficient enough for me. I say this because I know False. will do this. Not saying this is why multiple analyses have sat around with no checks, but even asking politely will help.
 

P Squared

a great unrecorded history
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GP 1/2
[OVERVIEW]

Wonderful typing, reliable recovery, and a solid base stat total keep Zapdos aloft as a persistent defensive OU threat. Zapdos's niche is how hard it is deal with for many offensive teams; staples to this archetype such as Supersonic Skystrike Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Pinsir, Mega Scizor, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela struggle to get past it, and with Zapdos's coverage, it's quite difficult to switch into for these teams. Its weakness to Stealth Rock does limit it, though, forcing it to use Roost excessively, or simply rendering it unable to counter what it ought to for the duration of the match. While it's generally better off with the coverage three attacks provides, Zapdos is also a good user of Defog. While Zapdos's ability to Defog can be compromised by its weakness to Stealth Rock, when it has a good matchup against the opponent's user of the move, such as Excadrill, (RC) or Ferrothorn, Zapdos can totally mitigate this weakness.


[SET]
name: Three Attacks
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe / 8 Def

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

Discharge is the STAB move of choice, as its utility suits Zapdos's playstyle better. Hidden Power Ice gets excellent super effective coverage; it allows Zapdos to act as a great answer to Landorus-T, Zygarde, Salamence, Dragonite, and Garchomp. Heat Wave also has very nice super effective coverage, battering Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Mawile, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and more. Roost holds the set together, allowing Zapdos to stay healthy throughout the match and do its job.

Set Details
========

Zapdos acts as a more defensive Pokemon, but however its excellent Speed can be capitalized on to actually increase its ability to function in this role, (RC) by letting it move first to either KO or heal against the foe. Thus, a spread of 248 HP / 252 Spe 248 HP EVs, 252 Speed EVs, and with a Timid nature is very effective in this role. Being able to outpace the likes of Landorus-T, Zygarde, Tapu Bulu, Excadrill, and other threats is invaluable. While the extra Speed is great for beating all the way up to and tying with base 100s, taking some of Zapdos's Speed and putting it into Defense is not a bad idea. 184 Speed EVs will let it outpace Jolly Landorus-T and is about as slow as this Zapdos should be going. Both Pressure and Static have their uses. Both can be used to exploit Zapdos's ability to annoyingly use Roost over and over and have their own unique attributes. Pressure is superior at PP stalling out moves with low PP or ones that make no contact like Stone Edge, while Static is better at punishing moves with high PP that Zapdos can switch into. Leftovers is the item of choice for a defensive Pokemon like Zapdos.


Usage Tips
========

Zapdos should be used as a switch-in, (RC) or check to the Pokemon it can effectively deal with. These include, with some limitations, Landorus-T, Celesteela, Tangrowth, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Zygarde, Mega Scizor, Jirachi, Salamence, Garchomp, and Tapu Bulu. Because Zapdos doesn't hit all that hard, (add comma) it's generally better to stay healthy throughout the match and use Roost constantly. This will capitalize on Zapdos's ability to prevent a large swath of threats from seriously harming your team. When the opportunity to attack presents itself, consider just using Discharge instead of the super effective attack on the threat Zapdos is currently handling. Because Zapdos relies on super effective damage, (RC) and has a fairly predictable moveset, (add comma) often opponents will switch comfortably into a Pokemon that Zapdos cannot hit super effectively, like Heatran, Mega Sableye, or Nihilego. Discharge's paralysis chance is Zapdos's best chance at punishing these switch-ins.

Team Options
========

Mega Scizor is one of Zapdos's better partners for its ability to take care of big threats to Zapdos—Stealth Rock, Nihilego, Mamoswine, Weavile, and Kyurem-B. Ferrothorn performs similarly to Scizor against these threats, but instead of removing Stealth Rock it sets it up lays it down, which can punish Pokemon like Alolan Marowak and Mega Charizard X that who can pretty easily take advantage of Zapdos. Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Suicune are some of SM OU's premier bulky Water-types, and they relieve Zapdos of its weaknesses to Fire-, Rock-, and Ice-types. Tapu Fini in particular helps with its Defog support. Keldeo is another Water-type that similarly takes on Ice-, Fire-, (add comma) and Rock-types, for the more offensively minded teams. Because Zapdos is so good at handling its counters, Choice Band Zygarde is a good partner to Zapdos.


[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe

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

Discharge is a great defensive STAB attack, punishing switch-ins and would-be boosters with a high paralysis chance, such as Mega Charizard X and Volcarona. Roost keeps Zapdos healthy, necessary for a defensive Pokemon. (add period) Heat Wave can be used to sting various Steel- and Grass-types that Zapdos can deal with to good effect like Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu. Hidden Power Ice is a good pair with Heat Wave. It still lets Zapdos beat Landorus-T, (RC) and Garchomp, (RC) and prevents Zygarde from walking all over it. Defog is also a good option; (add semicolon) Zapdos does a have a good matchup against a few Stealth Rock users, which not only allows it to support not only teammates, (RC) but itself as well. Toxic is another option in the final slot. While it won't deal with with Hidden Power Ice's primary targets in short order, it does put a timer on them, as well as while covering some Pokemon that Zapdos otherwise cannot touch, such as Alolan Marowak, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine.

Set Details
========

The choice between Static and Pressure is something to think about. Zapdos's ability to PP stall attacks like Landorus-T's Stone Edge is made easier with Pressure, but however Static's ability to punish U-turn spam, or just help win against attackers Zapdos might be facing, is valuable as well. Keep in mind that Defog is illegal with Static, if you were intending to run this combination. 248 HP EVs, a Bold nature, and 240 Defense EVs give Zapdos the physical bulk it needs to take on attackers like Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, and Garchomp successfully. 20 Speed EVs let it outpace Adamant Bisharp and Breloom, as well as Timid Magnezone—a nice bonus for such a small price. More Speed investment is an option. With 108 Speed EVs, Zapdos can now outpace a host of threats including neutral-natured Gyarados, Dragonite, Tapu Bulu, and positive-natured Bisharp, Breloom, and Volcanion. While this is a nice profile of threats, it quite significantly cuts into Zapdos's defensive investment, which it really does need. Leftovers provides are obligatory defensive bolstering.

Usage Tips
========

Using Zapdos is fairly simple. Switch into Pokemon it can counter, especially ones that it can Defog against if you carry the move, Roost until healthy, and then attack. Supersonic Skystrike Z-fly Landorus-T, Garchomp, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Scizor, Skarmory, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela are among the most common Pokemon Zapdos can effectively switch into. Focus on staying healthy; (add semicolon) Zapdos doesn't hit very hard and is much better off Roosting to continue to wall what it can throughout the match. Because of Discharge's nice paralysis chance, it's often a good idea to spam the move; (add semicolon) Pokemon that can otherwise pretty easily absorb Zapdos's attacks and threaten it out like Mega Charizard X, Clefable, Latios, Tapu Lele, and Nihilego don't appreciate the paralysis. Remember to take advantage of abuse Pressure when possible. Zapdos's ability to just use Roost over and over in the face of attacks and draint drain them of PP before succumbing to critical hits is quite powerful.

Team Options
========

Defensive Zapdos fits well on both balanced and stall teams alike, coveted for its fairly useful set of targets that it can shut down. Mega Sableye, Chansey, Skarmory, Dugtrio, and Clefable are a classic stall core, which Zapdos can round off nicely, providing another solid answer to many threats. Mega Scizor's ability to remove Stealth Rock, (RC) and deal with dangerous Ice-types like Mamoswine, Weavile, and Kyurem-B, makes make it quite good alongside Zapdos. Ferrothorn is a good defensive partner, as it's a solid answer to the likes of Kyurem-B, Nihilego, Mamoswine, and Tyranitar. Its Stealth Rock support helps deter Mega Charizard X and Marowak from running over this core effortlessly. On more balanced teams, Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Suicune are good bulky Water-types that can deal with pressure put on Zapdos by Rock-, Fire-, (add comma) and Ice-types like Weavile, Terrakion, Heatran, and Mamoswine. Tapu Fini's Defogging benefits Zapdos quite a lot. Choice Scarf Keldeo is a more offensive Water-type that can also assist with the likes of Ice-, Fire-, and. and Rock-type attacks coming from Greninja, Weavile, Heatran, and more. Defensive Landorus-T's ability to deal with Pokemon that give Zapdos a hard time such as Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard X, and Continental Crush Landorus-T makes it a good defensive partner as well.


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

Offensive three attacks Zapdos is an option. It runs a similar moveset to the three attacks set of Thunderbolt / Heat Wave / Hidden Power Ice / Roost with offensive investment of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP EVs and a Timid nature. Zapdos can still leverage its defensive typing successfully, (RC) and use the surprise of its power to OHKO threats like Landorus-T. A Substitute, Roost, and Toxic set can be quite dangerous together. It deals with a similar profile of targets as the three attacks defensive set, (RC) and can better wear down some of the more defensive Pokemon that can be a problem for Zapdos, such as Mega Charizard X, Mamoswine, and Alolan Marowak. This being said, it's often preferable to have the instant damage to simply KO targets with super effective moves. An Agility set with Electrium Z is potentially quite a dangerous cleaner, but it offers very little defensive utility, making it a fairly less convincing choice compared to the likes of Landorus-T in such a role. Volt Switch is an option to compress a switch advantage and a STAB attack gaining attack and STAB into one move, but it can be clumsy, forcing Zapdos out when it might want to stay in. Zapdos does have access to Baton Pass, and can utilize to pass Substitutes and Agility boosts. (banned)

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

**Mega Charizard X**: Mega Charizard X is capable of using Zapdos as setup bait outside of a Discharge paralysis.

**Alolan Marowak**: Thanks to its typing and ability combination, (add comma) Alolan Marowak easily walls Zapdos, and it can uses these free turns to inflict serious damage, (RC) or set up Stealth Rock. (add period)

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar's Sand Stream, Rock typing, and good defensive stats and no weakness to any of Zapdos' typing make it a serious threat to Zapdos, though it is worth mentioning that Zapdos can use Roost and Pressure to drain Tyranitar of Stone Edge PP in very short order.

**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B is another strong attacker with a super effective STAB move and little weakness to any of Zapdos's moves. It can usually switch into Zapdos once or twice in a match and threaten it out.

**Nihilego**: Nihilego's nice natural Special Defense and super effective special STAB attack makes it a competent counter to Zapdos, being able to switch directly in and beat it.

**Chansey**: Zapdos has no chance in this matchup; it will simply be walled and lose to Toxic damage.

**Ground-types**: As Zapdos is an Electric-type, unsurprisingly a lot of Ground-types pose a serious threat to it Zapdos. It can do little to the likes of Quagsire, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine, which who hit back with super effective attacks, (RC) or a deadly Toxic.
 
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GatoDelFuego

The Antimonymph of the Internet
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Ash Borer

REMOVE CHANGE COMMENTS

[OVERVIEW]

Wonderful typing, reliable recovery, and a solid base stat total keep Zapdos aloft as a persistent defensive OU threat. Zapdos's niche is how hard it is deal with for many offensive teams; staples to this archetype such as Supersonic Skystrike Landorus-T, Garchomp, Mega Pinsir, Mega Scizor, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela struggle to get past it, and with Zapdos's coverage, it's quite difficult to switch into for these teams. Its weakness to Stealth Rock does limit it, though, forcing it to use Roost excessively, (RC) or simply rendering it unable to counter what it ought to for the duration of the match. While it's generally better off with the coverage three attacks provides, Zapdos is also a good user of Defog. While Zapdos's ability to Defog can be compromised by its weakness to Stealth Rock, when it Zapdos has a good matchup against the opponent's common opposing users user of the move, such as Excadrill or Ferrothorn, Zapdos can totally mitigate totally mitigating this weakness. I changed this because "zapdos has a weakness, but when it compensates for that weakness it is not a weakness" doesn't say anything. I believe it's more like "zapdos might not seem like a good defog but it can beat these common stealth rock users". Am I right on that?


[SET]
name: Three Attacks
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Roost
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 8 Def / 252 Spe

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

Discharge is the STAB move of choice, as its utility suits Zapdos's playstyle better than Thunderbolt. Hidden Power Ice gets excellent super effective coverage; it allows Zapdos to act as a great answer to Landorus-T, Zygarde, Salamence, Dragonite, and Garchomp. Heat Wave also has very nice super effective coverage, battering Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, Mawile, Magnezone, Ferrothorn, and more. Roost holds the set together, allowing Zapdos to stay healthy throughout the match and do its job.

Set Details
========

Zapdos acts as a more defensive Pokemon, but its excellent Speed can be capitalized on to actually increase its ability to function in this role by letting it move first to either KO or heal against the foe. Thus, a spread of 248 HP / 252 Spe with a Timid nature is makes Zapdos very effective in this role. Being able to outpace the likes of Landorus-T, Zygarde, Tapu Bulu, Excadrill, and other threats is invaluable. While the extra Speed is great for beating all the way up to and tying with base 100s, taking some of Zapdos's Speed and putting it into Defense is not a bad idea. 184 Speed EVs will let it outpace Jolly Landorus-T and is about as slow as this Zapdos should be going. Both Pressure and Static have their uses. Both can be used to exploit Zapdos's ability to annoyingly use Roost over and over. Pressure is superior at PP stalling out moves with low PP or ones that make no contact like Stone Edge, while Static is better at punishing moves with high PP that Zapdos can switch into. such as? Leftovers is the item of choice for a defensive Pokemon like Zapdos.
space
Usage Tips
========

Zapdos should be used as a switch-in, (RC) or check to the Pokemon it can effectively deal with. These include, with some limitations, Landorus-T, Celesteela, Tangrowth, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Zygarde, Mega Scizor, Jirachi, Salamence, Garchomp, and Tapu Bulu. Because Zapdos doesn't hit all that hard, (add comma) just remove the text, keep comma it's generally better to stay healthy throughout the match and use Roost constantly. This will capitalize on Zapdos's ability to prevent a large swath of threats from seriously harming your team. When the opportunity to attack presents itself, consider just using Discharge instead of the super effective attack on the threat Zapdos is currently handling. Because Zapdos relies on super effective damage, and has a fairly predictable moveset, often opponents will switch comfortably into a Pokemon that Zapdos cannot hit super effectively, like Heatran, Mega Sableye, or Nihilego. Discharge's paralysis chance is Zapdos's best chance at punishing these switch-ins.
space
Team Options
========

Mega Scizor is one of Zapdos's better partners for its ability to take care of big threats to Zapdos—Stealth Rock, Nihilego, Mamoswine, Weavile, and Kyurem-B. Ferrothorn performs similarly to Scizor against these threats, but instead of removing Stealth Rock it sets it up, which can punish Pokemon like Alolan Marowak and Mega Charizard X that can pretty easily take advantage of Zapdos. Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Suicune are some of SM OU's premier bulky Water-types, and they relieve Zapdos of its weaknesses to Fire-, Rock-, and Ice-types. Tapu Fini in particular helps with its Defog support. Keldeo is another Water-type that similarly takes on Ice-, Fire-, and Rock-types, for the more offensively minded teams. Because Zapdos is so good at handling its counters, Choice Band Zygarde is a good partner to Zapdos.


[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Heat Wave
move 4: Hidden Power Ice / Defog
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Bold
evs: 248 HP / 240 Def / 20 Spe

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

Discharge is a great defensive STAB attack, punishing switch-ins and would-be boosters with a high paralysis chance, such as Mega Charizard X and Volcarona. Roost keeps Zapdos healthy, necessary for a defensive Pokemon. Heat Wave can be used to sting various Steel- and Grass-types that Zapdos can deal with to good effect like Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Tapu Bulu. Hidden Power Ice is a good pair pairs well with Heat Wave. It lets Zapdos beat Landorus-T and Garchomp and prevents Zygarde from walking all over it Zapdos. Defog is also a good option; Zapdos does a have a good matchup against a few Stealth Rock users, which ones? which allows it to support not only teammates but itself as well. Toxic is another option in the final slot. While it won't deal with Hidden Power Ice's primary targets in short order, it does put a timer on them, as well as covering some Pokemon that Zapdos otherwise cannot touch, such as Alolan Marowak, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine.

Set Details
========

The choice between Static and Pressure is something to think about. Zapdos's ability to PP stall attacks like Landorus-T's Stone Edge is made easier with Pressure, but Static's ability to punish U-turn spam, or just help win against attackers Zapdos might be facing, is valuable as well. Keep in mind that Defog is illegal with Static, if you were intending to run this combination. 248 HP EVs, a Bold nature, and 240 Defense EVs give Zapdos the physical bulk it needs to take on attackers like Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, and Garchomp successfully. 20 Speed EVs let it outpace Adamant Bisharp and Breloom, as well as Timid Magnezone—a nice bonus for such a small price. More Speed investment is an option. With 108 Speed EVs, Zapdos can now outpace a host of threats including neutral-natured Gyarados, Dragonite, Tapu Bulu, and positive-natured Bisharp, Breloom, and Volcanion. are all 3 neutral nature? are all latter 3 positive nature? if so, keep this current format While this is a nice profile of threats, it quite significantly cuts into Zapdos's defensive investment, which it really does need. Leftovers provides obligatory defensive bolstering.

Usage Tips
========

Using Zapdos is fairly simple. Switch into Pokemon it can counter, especially ones that it can Defog against if you carry the move, Roost until healthy, and then attack. Supersonic Skystrike Landorus-T, Garchomp, Ferrothorn, Pinsir, Scizor, Skarmory, Tapu Bulu, and Celesteela are among the most common Pokemon Zapdos can effectively switch into. Focus on staying healthy; Zapdos doesn't hit very hard and is much better off Roosting to continue to wall what it can throughout the match. Because of Discharge's nice paralysis chance, it's often a good idea to spam the move; Pokemon that can otherwise pretty easily absorb Zapdos's attacks and threaten it out like Mega Charizard X, Clefable, Latios, Tapu Lele, and Nihilego don't appreciate the paralysis. Remember to take advantage of Pressure when possible. Zapdos's ability to just use Roost over and over in the face of attacks and drain them of PP before succumbing to critical hits is quite powerful.

Team Options
========

Defensive Zapdos fits well on both balanced and stall teams alike, coveted for its fairly useful set of targets that it can shut down. Mega Sableye, Chansey, Skarmory, Dugtrio, and Clefable are a classic stall core, which Zapdos can round off nicely, providing another solid answer to many threats. Mega Scizor's ability to remove Stealth Rock, and deal with dangerous Ice-types like Mamoswine, Weavile, and Kyurem-B, make it quite good alongside Zapdos. Ferrothorn is a good defensive partner, as it's a solid answer to the likes of Kyurem-B, Nihilego, Mamoswine, and Tyranitar. Its Stealth Rock support helps deter Mega Charizard X and Marowak from running over this core effortlessly. that's 7 pokemon in this "core" with zapdos and ferro added On more balanced teams, Tapu Fini, Toxapex, and Suicune are good bulky Water-types that can deal with pressure put on Zapdos by Rock-, Fire-, (add comma) just remove text and Ice-types like Weavile, Terrakion, Heatran, and Mamoswine. Tapu Fini's Defogging benefits Zapdos quite a lot. Choice Scarf Keldeo is a more offensive Water-type that can also assist with the likes of Ice-, Fire-, and Rock-type attacks coming from Greninja, Weavile, Heatran, and more. Defensive Landorus-T's ability to deal with Pokemon that give Zapdos a hard time such as Alolan Marowak, Mega Charizard X, and Continental Crush Landorus-T makes it a good defensive partner as well.


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

Offensive three attacks Zapdos is an option. It runs a similar moveset to the three attacks set of Thunderbolt / Heat Wave / Hidden Power Ice / Roost with offensive investment of 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe and a Timid nature. Zapdos can still leverage its defensive typing successfullyand use the surprise of its power to OHKO threats like Landorus-T. A Substitute, Roost, and Toxic set can be quite dangerous. It deals with a similar profile of targets as the three attacks defensive set and can better wear down some of the more defensive Pokemon that can be a problem for Zapdos, such as Mega Charizard X, Mamoswine, and Alolan Marowak. This being said, it's often preferable to have the instant damage to simply KO targets with super effective moves. An Agility set with Electrium Z is potentially quite a dangerous cleaner, but it offers very little defensive utility, making it a fairly less convincing choice compared to the likes of Landorus-T in such a role. Volt Switch is an option to compress a switch advantage and a STAB attack into one move, but it can be clumsy, forcing Zapdos out when it might want to stay in.

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

**Mega Charizard X**: Mega Charizard X is capable of using Zapdos as setup bait outside of a Discharge paralysis.

**Alolan Marowak**: Thanks to its typing and ability combination, Alolan Marowak easily walls Zapdos, and it can use these free turns to inflict serious damage or set up Stealth Rock.

**Tyranitar**: Tyranitar's Sand Stream, Rock typing, and good defensive stats make it a serious threat to Zapdos, though it is worth mentioning that Zapdos can use Roost and Pressure to drain Tyranitar of Stone Edge PP in very short order.

**Kyurem-B**: Kyurem-B is another strong attacker with a super effective STAB move and little weakness to any of Zapdos's moves. It can usually switch into Zapdos once or twice in a match and threaten it out.

**Nihilego**: Nihilego's nice natural Special Defense and super effective special STAB attack make it a competent counter to Zapdos, being able to switch directly in and beat it.

**Chansey**: Zapdos has no chance in this matchup against Chansey; it will simply be walled and lose to Toxic damage.

**Ground-types**: As Zapdos is an Electric-type, unsurprisingly a lot of Ground-types pose a serious threat to it. It can do little to the likes of Quagsire, Hippowdon, and Mamoswine, which hit back with super effective attacks or a deadly Toxic.

2/2
 
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