[SET]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Plasma Fists / Play Rough
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Zeraora's excellent Speed and good Attack along with access to strong STAB moves and solid utility moves make it an interesting stallbreaker in the metagame. Plasma Fists gives Zeraora a great Electric STAB move with no drawbacks, plus the added bonus of electrifying Normal-type moves like Facade and Boomburst to heal with Volt Absorb. Close Combat is Zeraora's strongest attack and allows it to hit foes that resist Electric like Draco Meteor Latios and Ground-types like Garchomp, Hydreigon, and Salamence. Play Rough is another option for the first moveslot that gives Zeraora nice STAB types and useful immunity or resistance to moves like Draco Meteor, U-turn, and Knock Off. Zeraora runs Knock Off to hit Ghost-types like Salamence and Excadrill that wall its STAB moves, and Knock Off also provides team support. Taunt shuts down defensive threats like Clefable, Latias, and Mew, preventing them from healing, setting or clearing entry hazards, and using status moves that could cripple Zeraora. Life Orb increases Zeraora's damage output, making it more immediately threatening. A Jolly nature is needed to ensure Zeraora outspeeds offensive threats like Dragapult, Spectrier, and Tapu Koko.
Zeraora is kept in check by bulky Ground-type Pokemon like Buzzwole and Salamence, so Poison / Water Latias makes a great partner that can threaten them with its nice Special Attack, immunity to their Ground-type STAB moves, and potential to set up with Calm Mind. Since Zeraora can punish walls with Knock Off and Taunt, it appreciates a good hazard setter like Mew to pressure opposing teams after Heavy-Duty Boots have been removed. While Zeraora's great Speed makes it one of the fastest Pokemon in the metagame, it is vulnerable to revenge killing from Extreme Speed and Choice Scarf users. Therefore, even faster teammates like Choice Scarf Landorus-T are great, which can weaken Extreme Speed users with Intimidate and pivot out, as are Extreme Speed users like Arcanine, which can also utilitze Intimidate.
[SET]
name: Flying-type Bulk Up
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Plasma Fists / Iron Tail
move 3: Bulk Up
move 4: Substitute
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Acrobatics alongside Plasma Fists or Iron Tail gives Zeraora an excellent Flying / Electric or Flying / Steel defensive typing, both of which benefit from Volt Absorb to leave Zeraora with only a few weaknesses: Ice and the uncommon Rock for Electric-type sets and Fire for Steel-type sets. Few weaknesses, added power and bulk from Bulk Up, and security from Substitute can make Zeraora very difficult to stop once it sets up. Zeraora's high Speed allows it to use Substitute easily, and after two uses it consumes its Sitrus Berry to double Acrobatics's Base Power. A Jolly nature is needed to ensure Zeraora outspeeds offensive threats like Dragapult, Spectrier, and Tapu Koko.
Depending which typing Zeraora is using, defensive Pokemon like Ground / Flying or Steel / Flying Buzzwole and Salamence can keep it in check thanks to their nice bulk, and Intimidate for Salamence. Poison / Water Latias makes a good partner for this version of Zeraora as well, as it can capitalize on these physically defensive checks with its special attacks, punish them with Toxic, and set up with Calm Mind. Flying / Electric Zeraora is weak to Stealth Rock, which can limit its opportunities to set up, so an entry hazard clearer like Defog Tornadus-T can help it stay healthy. Zeraora is also worn down by Substitute, so a Wish passing teammate like Chansey, Clefable, or Salamence can heal it as well as check special threats that try to break past Zeraora's physical setup.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volt Switch is an option on the Stallbreaker set to let Zeraora serve as a pivot, but it's generally weak from an uninvested Special Attack and means losing utility in Taunt. Outrage can be run instead of Close Combat for another high Base Power move that targets foes like Electric / Poison Latias, but it's generally harder to use due to the move locking Zeraora in, causing confusion, and being unable to touch Fairy-types. Zeraora can opt for Heavy-Duty Boots instead of Life Orb to easily switch in on entry hazards and avoid Sticky Web, but it loses some offensive presence. Expert Belt is another option that can boost Zeraora's damage without chipping its health, but its damage output is less consistent.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Ground-types**: Physically bulky Ground-types like Landorus-T and Salamence are immune to Zeraora's Electric-type STAB moves, lower its Attack with Intimidate, and hit it super effectively with Earthquake. They also commonly run Bug or Steel alongside their Ground typing to resist Close Combat or Play Rough and Acrobatics.
**Physically Defensive Electric-types**: Physically defensive Electric-types like Magic Guard Clefable, Cresselia, and Mew each can wall Zeraora with dual typings like Electric / Fairy and Electric / Flying and threaten to KO it with their STAB options.
**Extreme Speed**: Although Steel-type Zeraora resists Extreme Speed, all other versions take neutral damage from it and are 2HKOed by unboosted hits. +1 or Choice Band-boosted Extreme Speed from Adamant Entei or Lucario can't OHKO Zeraora, but still severely damages it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[a loser, 410702]]
- Quality checked by: [[In The Hills, 324242], [Euphonos, 50586]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
name: Stallbreaker
move 1: Plasma Fists / Play Rough
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Taunt
item: Life Orb
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Zeraora's excellent Speed and good Attack along with access to strong STAB moves and solid utility moves make it an interesting stallbreaker in the metagame. Plasma Fists gives Zeraora a great Electric STAB move with no drawbacks, plus the added bonus of electrifying Normal-type moves like Facade and Boomburst to heal with Volt Absorb. Close Combat is Zeraora's strongest attack and allows it to hit foes that resist Electric like Draco Meteor Latios and Ground-types like Garchomp, Hydreigon, and Salamence. Play Rough is another option for the first moveslot that gives Zeraora nice STAB types and useful immunity or resistance to moves like Draco Meteor, U-turn, and Knock Off. Zeraora runs Knock Off to hit Ghost-types like Salamence and Excadrill that wall its STAB moves, and Knock Off also provides team support. Taunt shuts down defensive threats like Clefable, Latias, and Mew, preventing them from healing, setting or clearing entry hazards, and using status moves that could cripple Zeraora. Life Orb increases Zeraora's damage output, making it more immediately threatening. A Jolly nature is needed to ensure Zeraora outspeeds offensive threats like Dragapult, Spectrier, and Tapu Koko.
Zeraora is kept in check by bulky Ground-type Pokemon like Buzzwole and Salamence, so Poison / Water Latias makes a great partner that can threaten them with its nice Special Attack, immunity to their Ground-type STAB moves, and potential to set up with Calm Mind. Since Zeraora can punish walls with Knock Off and Taunt, it appreciates a good hazard setter like Mew to pressure opposing teams after Heavy-Duty Boots have been removed. While Zeraora's great Speed makes it one of the fastest Pokemon in the metagame, it is vulnerable to revenge killing from Extreme Speed and Choice Scarf users. Therefore, even faster teammates like Choice Scarf Landorus-T are great, which can weaken Extreme Speed users with Intimidate and pivot out, as are Extreme Speed users like Arcanine, which can also utilitze Intimidate.
[SET]
name: Flying-type Bulk Up
move 1: Acrobatics
move 2: Plasma Fists / Iron Tail
move 3: Bulk Up
move 4: Substitute
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Acrobatics alongside Plasma Fists or Iron Tail gives Zeraora an excellent Flying / Electric or Flying / Steel defensive typing, both of which benefit from Volt Absorb to leave Zeraora with only a few weaknesses: Ice and the uncommon Rock for Electric-type sets and Fire for Steel-type sets. Few weaknesses, added power and bulk from Bulk Up, and security from Substitute can make Zeraora very difficult to stop once it sets up. Zeraora's high Speed allows it to use Substitute easily, and after two uses it consumes its Sitrus Berry to double Acrobatics's Base Power. A Jolly nature is needed to ensure Zeraora outspeeds offensive threats like Dragapult, Spectrier, and Tapu Koko.
Depending which typing Zeraora is using, defensive Pokemon like Ground / Flying or Steel / Flying Buzzwole and Salamence can keep it in check thanks to their nice bulk, and Intimidate for Salamence. Poison / Water Latias makes a good partner for this version of Zeraora as well, as it can capitalize on these physically defensive checks with its special attacks, punish them with Toxic, and set up with Calm Mind. Flying / Electric Zeraora is weak to Stealth Rock, which can limit its opportunities to set up, so an entry hazard clearer like Defog Tornadus-T can help it stay healthy. Zeraora is also worn down by Substitute, so a Wish passing teammate like Chansey, Clefable, or Salamence can heal it as well as check special threats that try to break past Zeraora's physical setup.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Volt Switch is an option on the Stallbreaker set to let Zeraora serve as a pivot, but it's generally weak from an uninvested Special Attack and means losing utility in Taunt. Outrage can be run instead of Close Combat for another high Base Power move that targets foes like Electric / Poison Latias, but it's generally harder to use due to the move locking Zeraora in, causing confusion, and being unable to touch Fairy-types. Zeraora can opt for Heavy-Duty Boots instead of Life Orb to easily switch in on entry hazards and avoid Sticky Web, but it loses some offensive presence. Expert Belt is another option that can boost Zeraora's damage without chipping its health, but its damage output is less consistent.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Physically Defensive Ground-types**: Physically bulky Ground-types like Landorus-T and Salamence are immune to Zeraora's Electric-type STAB moves, lower its Attack with Intimidate, and hit it super effectively with Earthquake. They also commonly run Bug or Steel alongside their Ground typing to resist Close Combat or Play Rough and Acrobatics.
**Physically Defensive Electric-types**: Physically defensive Electric-types like Magic Guard Clefable, Cresselia, and Mew each can wall Zeraora with dual typings like Electric / Fairy and Electric / Flying and threaten to KO it with their STAB options.
**Extreme Speed**: Although Steel-type Zeraora resists Extreme Speed, all other versions take neutral damage from it and are 2HKOed by unboosted hits. +1 or Choice Band-boosted Extreme Speed from Adamant Entei or Lucario can't OHKO Zeraora, but still severely damages it.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[a loser, 410702]]
- Quality checked by: [[In The Hills, 324242], [Euphonos, 50586]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Finland, 517429]]
Last edited:
