[OVERVIEW]
Electric
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Zeraora is the most viable physical attacker for Electric teams thanks to its good Attack stat, amazing coverage options, and stellar Speed tier, allowing it to break through troublesome specially defensive walls like Blissey and Galarian Slowking. Its Speed tier lets it handle threats to Electric teams like non-Choice Scarf Dragapult, Spectrier, and Choice Band Weavile. Its access to Outrage is particularly useful for the Dragon matchup, which is very threatening to Electric teams. It is able to either act as an immediately powerful wallbreaker with Choice Band or a threatening setup sweeper with Bulk Up. However, despite Zeraora's great Speed tier, it is outsped and revenge killed by Choice Scarf users like Blacephalon, Galarian Darmanitan, and Excadrill. Its poor bulk also makes it vulnerable to priority users like Dragonite, Bisharp, and Crawdaunt after chip damage and limits its ability to switch in safely. Its sole Electric typing leaves much to be desired, relying on Plasma Fists to deal heavy damage.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Plasma Fists
move 2: Close Combat
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Knock Off
item: Choice Band
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Plasma Fists deals serious damage to foes like Skarmory, Celesteela, and Toxapex, especially with Choice Band. Close Combat breaks through troublesome Dark-, Steel-, and Normal-types such as Zarude, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Porygon2. Outrage is helpful for the Dragon matchup, hitting threatening foes such as Garchomp and Dragalge super effectively. Knock Off provides useful coverage against Psychic- and Ghost-types like Jirachi, Galarian Corsola, and Dragapult. Additionally, it removes items such as Choice Scarf and Leftovers from threats like Landorus-T and Seismitoad, respectively. Because of Zeraora's generally poor bulk, it should usually come in through predicted switches or from pivoting teammates like Tapu Koko, Rotom-W, and Zapdos.
All Electric teams appreciate Zeraora dealing with troublesome specially defensive walls like Blissey and Galarian Slowking. Because of Zeraora's poor bulk, it appreciates pivoting support from teammates like Tapu Koko, Zapdos, and Rotom-W to bring it in safely. Tapu Koko can set up Electric Terrain to make Zeraora's Plasma Fists stronger, deal with Ground-types like Swampert and Hippowdon thanks to Grass Knot, and pressure threatening Dragon-types like Latias and Choice Scarf Hydreigon with Dazzling Gleam. Choice Specs Zapdos is a great wallbreaker, as it deals with Grass- and Ground-types that Zeraora fails to take on like Amoonguss, Rillaboom, Celebi, and Gastrodon thanks to its powerful Hurricane. Alolan Raichu can outspeed almost the entire metagame in Tapu Koko's Electric Terrain, revenge killing threats to Zeraora such as Choice Scarf Galarian Darmanitan, Excadrill in sand, and Kingdra in rain. Additionally, it is able to take on Poison-types such as Amoonguss and Choice Scarf Nihilego thanks to its Psychic typing. Rotom-W can remove entry hazards for Zeraora with Defog while dealing with Water- and Fire-types like Barraskewda, Urshifu-R, and Blacephalon that may break through Zeraora and the rest of Electric teams. Magnezone can specifically trap and deal with Excadrill thanks to Magnet Pull, which is otherwise a huge threat to Zeraora. Additionally, it can take on other Ground-types like Mamoswine and Seismitoad with Air Balloon.
[SET]
name: Bulk Up
move 1: Bulk Up
move 2: Plasma Fists
move 3: Close Combat
move 4: Knock Off
item: Leftovers
ability: Volt Absorb
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Plasma Fists is Zeraora's most powerful move, targets Water- and Flying-types like Slowking, Mantine, and Corviknight, and hits especially hard after a Bulk Up boost. Close Combat beats Dark-, Normal-, and Steel-types such as Hydreigon, Diggersby, Ferrothorn, and Heatran. Knock Off removes items like Eviolite from threats like Galarian Corsola and Porygon2 and provides useful coverage against other Ghost- and Psychic-type foes like Dragapult, Aegislash, and Jirachi. Due to Zeraora's low physical bulk, it should get opportunities to set up on walls that it forces out like Ferrothorn, Blissey, and Celesteela.
Wallbreakers such as Tapu Koko, Choice Specs Zapdos, and Alolan Raichu appreciate Zeraora taking on troublesome specially defensive walls like Blissey and Galarian Slowking while being a good setup sweeper against Dark, Steel, and Normal. Tapu Koko is a good teammate, as it deals with Dragon-types that Zeraora heavily struggles with like Garchomp and Choice Scarf Latias thanks to Dazzling Gleam. Additionally, it beats Ground-types like Hippowdon, Swampert, and Gastrodon with Grass Knot and sets Electric Terrain. Choice Specs Zapdos defeats Grass-, Dragon-, and Ground-types that Zeraora fails to take on such as Rillaboom, Garchomp, Hippowdon, and Gastrodon thanks to its powerful Hurricane, making it an excellent wallbreaker. Alolan Raichu can outspeed and revenge kill dangerous foes to Zeraora such as Choice Scarf Nihilego, Choice Scarf Excadrill, and Choice Scarf Hydreigon. Additionally, it is also able to beat Ground-types like Swampert and Gastrodon thanks to its access to Grass Knot as well as troublesome Poison-types for Zeraora such as Amoonguss, Dragalge, Nidoking, and Galarian Weezing. Rotom-W provides Defog support and checks Water- and Fire-types like Kingdra, Barraskewda, and Cinderace. Lastly, Magnezone is a useful teammate to deal with Steel-types that Bulk Up Zeraora has trouble breaking through like Excadrill, Ground-types like Mamoswine and Seismitoad with Air Balloon, and Fairy-types like Tapu Bulu and Galarian Weezing.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Electric
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Expert Belt can be used over Leftovers on the Bulk Up set, making Zeraora a more potent wallbreaker in matchups such as Dark, Steel, and Normal. Drain Punch can be used over Close Combat on the Bulk Up set to provide Zeraora with longevity while still hitting foes like Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Zarude hard. However, its weaker damage output makes it unable to threaten foes like Ferrothorn and Porygon2 as effectively. Iron Tail can be used over Outrage on Zeraora's Choice Band set to target Fairy-types like Tapu Bulu, Hatterene, and Galarian Weezing. However, dropping Outrage makes Zeraora far less effective in the Dragon matchup.
Checks and Counters
===================
Electric
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**Physically Defensive Walls**: Physically defensive walls such as Hippowdon, Swampert, and Amoonguss can easily tank Zeraora's attacks due to their good bulk and useful typing against it. Hippowdon and Seismitoad deal heavy damage to it with Earthquake, while Amoonguss can put it to sleep with Spore and wear it down using Foul Play, Sludge Bomb, or Giga Drain.
**Revenge Killers**: Revenge killers such as Choice Scarf Dragapult, Choice Scarf Tapu Lele, and Excadrill in sand can revenge kill and OHKO Zeraora with their powerful STAB attacks. Priority moves from foes like Rillaboom, Mimikyu, and Bisharp are also very threatening to Zeraora, as they can KO it after chip damage.
**Status**: Burn heavily cripples Zeraora by significantly reducing its damage output, making it unable to properly perform its role as a wallbreaker. Toxic puts Zeraora on a timer, making it worn down easily in conjunction with its poor bulk.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Rotten, 491896]]
- Electric analysis by: [[Rotten, 491896]]
- Quality checked by: [[roxiee, 481576], [Harpp, 320110]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Estronic, 240732]]
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