Zygarde (QC 0/2)

[Shadowmonstr7]

[OVERVIEW]

With its Dragon/Ground typing, Thousand Arrows, and powerful legendary bst, Zygarde has a unique offensive role in the doubles metagame. Zygarde's typing offers it a variety of resistances and good matchups few other Pokemon bring to the table. Its signature move Thousand Arrows is a strong spread move with no immunities since it can damage flying types and Pokemon with levitate. Choice Band allows Zygarde to maximize its damage dealing potential and instantly apply a great deal of pressure. This set can benefit greatly from a Tailwind setter like Zapdos or Kartana to make up for Zygarde’s middling speed. Another set worth considering is a set-up set with Dragon Dance which makes Zygarde a threatening sweeper. Such a set works well in conjunction with redirection Pokemon like Blastoise and Amoongus or Fakeout from Rillaboom or Zeraora. Zygarde’s most notable struggles are Kyurem-Black, Genesect, and Dragapult who are all capable of taking down Zygarde with a super effective ice or dragon move. Zygarde can also be checked defensively with Landorus’ Intimidate, and Rillaboom and Tapu Fini can live hits from Thousand Arrows and hit back hard.

[SET]
name: Choice Band Attacker
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Thousand Waves / Toxic
move 3: Superpower
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Choice Band
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Thousand Arrows is Zygarde’s most spammable move since it has no immunities and few resists. As a spread move that is a 90 base power STAB, it packs a punch.

* Thousand Waves is an alternative to Thousand Arrows which has the ability to prevent the opponent's Pokemon from switching out for as long as Zygarde is in play but can only damage grounded Pokemon

* Toxic can be useful for wearing down opposing Pokemon with very high defense such as Kommo-o or Cresselia.

* Superpower allows Zygarde to deal massive super effective damage against Kyurem-Black and Porygon 2.

* Extreme Speed gives Zygarde an option to use to snipe faster pokemon once they are low on hp.

* This EV spread allows Zygarde to maximize its offensive power while having enough speed to deal with many of the slower pokemon in the tier and outspeed even the fastest pokemon when in tailwind including Choice Scarf users such as Genesect.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Dragon Dance
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Protect
item: Leftovers
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

* Thousand Arrows is the only attacking move Zygarde needs due to its lack of immunities, and after a couple Dragon Dances it becomes extremely threatening.

* Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to boost its Atk and Spe each by one stage, setting it up to be a dangerous sweeper.

* Substitute pairs extremely well with Dragon Dance as opponents will often try to slow Zygarde's momentum with Fakeout and Intimidate, both of which are stopped by Substitute. Substitute is a great option if you expect your opponent to protect, attack Zygarde with a status move such as spore, or if there are no opposing pokemon on the field who can currently threaten Zygarde.

* Protect is a classic staple in doubles for its ability to block foes' attacks. It is useful for preventing Zygarde from getting hit by threatening attacks like Kyurem-Black’s Ice Beam.

* This EV spread with high Atk and Spe allows Zygarde to maximize what it can get off of Dragon Dance.

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

Dragon Dance Zygarde can opt for a slightly more offensive set with Soft Sand to further boost Thousand Arrows power at the cost of losing leftovers and making Substitute less viable. This definitely harms Zygarde's longevity, but some teams may find the extra damage to be worth the cost. Other item options include Yache Berry and Sitrus Berry to increase situational longevity.

[CREDITS]
- Written by: [Shadowmonstr7, 441302 ]]
- Quality checked by: [[username1, userid1], [username2, userid2]]
- Grammar checked by: [[username1, userid1]]

 

[Shadowmonstr7]

Ready for Quality Control!

 

[Crunchman]

I'll just post my thoughts here after reading this. None of them need to be implemented, but if you think they make sense I hope it helps you out.

Since you already talk about typing in the second sentence i would consider scratching it from the first
Its signature moves thousand arrows and thousand waves (which) are both ground type attacks that which deal spread damage without damaging allies like earthquake does. seems unnecessary, but if you keep it i think grassy terrain is a bigger issue for earthquake

Thousand arrows also wields the distinct advantage of being a ground type move which damages flying types and pokemon with levitate, allowing Zygarde to strike down pokemon such as Zapdos or Pelipper which would stop other ground types dead in their tracks. - super fluff, i would probably just say that it has no immunities (but you also cover that later on so i would consider just removing)

Include some weaknesses, such as quad weakness to ice and difficulty hitting grass types

These factors make thousand arrows extremely clickable and make choice band an extremely good set. - second part seems really awkward, extremely clickable doesnt vibe

Choice band allows Zygarde to maximize its damage dealing potential and instantly apply a great deal of pressure. This set can benefit greatly from a tailwind setter like Zapdos or Kartana. - damage dealing potential can just be damage, and i would just say instantly apply pressure.

Another set worth considering is a set-up set with dragon dance which makes Zygarde a threatening sweeper. Such a set works well in conjunction with redirection pokemon like Blastoise and Amoongus or coaching from Mew or Zeraora. -id call it a strategy; set-up set sounds super unwieldy.
"Another strategy worth considering is using Zygarde as a setup sweeper."

* Thousand Waves is an alternative to Thousand Arrows which has the ability to prevent the opponent's pokemon from switching out for as long as Zygarde is in play. If your opponent has no ground-immune pokemon you should always be choosing this over Thousand Arrows. - here i would probably just say something like it restricting your opponents mobility or just that it prevents them to switch - the effects of the move, rather than a description of it. also, saying it is an alternative to thousand arrows may give off the impression that it can hit flying types.

Substitute pairs extremely well with Dragon Dance as opponents will often try to slow Zygarde's momentum with fakeout and intimidate, both of which are stopped by substitute. Substitute is a great option if you expect your opponent to protect or if there are no opposing pokemon on the field who can currently threaten Zygarde. - id just say substitute protects zygarde from fake out and intimidate. idk how to describe how sub is a cushion but the current phrasing is a bit wordy.

* Protect is a classic staple in doubles for its ability to block foes' attacks. There is simply no better move that fits in Zygarde's fourth move slot. - protect is very important for setup sweepers, because it allows you to pivot the proper support to take care of threats to your sweep. i would mention this instead


* This EV spread maximizes Zygarde's Atk while 224 Spe investment allows Zygarde to reach 423 speed, enough to beat Dragapult's 421. Extra Def can be helpful if Zygarde is used in combination with coaching, but in general, sweeper Zygarde's best EVs will vary from team to team. - i would give it one more speed to beat zeraora. might be useful, and since the def doesnt seem to really do anything it seems like a good investment

sitrus berry is another option, toxic is another option

 

[Yoda2798]

Overview

• I wouldn't say Zygarde has a "rare" typing, that doesn't really matter, the fact it's a good typing does. I'd state it's Dragon/Ground here, then omit mentioning it on the next line.
• You should capitalise stuff like Thousand Arrows or Choice Band (Pokemon, moves, items, etc.).
• You talk a lot about Arrows/Waves which could be condensed/cut down. I'd reduce it to one sentence saying Arrows is a strong spread move with no immunities due to hit Flying/Levitate; there's no need to mention EQ/other Grounds.
• There's also no need for two sentences about CB, you can just make it one. Also "clickable" isn't really the right word for an analysis, 'spammable' would be better.
• When mentioning TW, say that it makes up for Zyg's middling speed.
• Coaching is too niche to talk about, I'd mention Fake Out users instead.
• You need to mention Zygarde's checks, Kyub destroys, Gene and Pult check it offensively, Lando intims, Rilla eats Arrows, Fini is fat enough to beat it. You can also mention offensive partners to help with them, like Kart/Ursh/Tran.

Choice Band

• Slash Toxic behind Waves, and mention it below.
• The spread should be in order i.e. 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe.
• Again, "clickable" isn't really the right word to use in this setting, spammable is better, also don't say "you" either. You should also mention Arrows being spread here, and I'd focus on it having no immunities/few resists rather than being able to hit Flying-types per se.
• I wouldn't say "surprise" about Superpower, it's a standard move that should be expected. It's Kyurem-Black, not Black Kyurem. Saying "catching switches" also isn't right, you don't use it to predict switches. I'm also struggling to see a scenario where you would Superpower Rilla, the reason to use it is really P2/Kyub, I'd delete that sentence.
• When mentioning the spread, I'd mention "including Choice Scarf users such as Genesect" for what it outspeeds in TW.

Dragon Dance

• Remove Soft Sand, that's in OO.
• The spread should be 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe again, there's no reason to lose out on potential ties for an insignificant change to bulk.
• "extremely good viability" is vague. Again you should emphasise that it has no immunities/few resists, meaning it can get by with a single attack.
• For Sub, mention stopping Spore/Toxic as well.
• "There is simply no better move that fits in Zygarde's fourth move slot." - I don't really like this sentence, I'd remove. I'd also give an example of what Protect blocks, e.g. Kyurem-B Ice Beam.
• Change the spread point to talk about the one mentioned above. Don't mention Coaching, even with that I wouldn't run Defence. I wouldn't say the spread varies either, max max is the pretty clear standard.

Other Options

• You should call it Dragon Dance, not "sweeper" Zygarde.
• Mention Sitrus, Yache, and Weakness Policy as other alternative item choices for DD.

Tag me once implemented.

 

[Shadowmonstr7]

Overview

• I wouldn't say Zygarde has a "rare" typing, that doesn't really matter, the fact it's a good typing does. I'd state it's Dragon/Ground here, then omit mentioning it on the next line.
• You should capitalise stuff like Thousand Arrows or Choice Band (Pokemon, moves, items, etc.).
• You talk a lot about Arrows/Waves which could be condensed/cut down. I'd reduce it to one sentence saying Arrows is a strong spread move with no immunities due to hit Flying/Levitate; there's no need to mention EQ/other Grounds.
• There's also no need for two sentences about CB, you can just make it one. Also "clickable" isn't really the right word for an analysis, 'spammable' would be better.
• When mentioning TW, say that it makes up for Zyg's middling speed.
• Coaching is too niche to talk about, I'd mention Fake Out users instead.
• You need to mention Zygarde's checks, Kyub destroys, Gene and Pult check it offensively, Lando intims, Rilla eats Arrows, Fini is fat enough to beat it. You can also mention offensive partners to help with them, like Kart/Ursh/Tran.

Choice Band

• Slash Toxic behind Waves, and mention it below.
• The spread should be in order i.e. 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe.
• Again, "clickable" isn't really the right word to use in this setting, spammable is better, also don't say "you" either. You should also mention Arrows being spread here, and I'd focus on it having no immunities/few resists rather than being able to hit Flying-types per se.
• I wouldn't say "surprise" about Superpower, it's a standard move that should be expected. It's Kyurem-Black, not Black Kyurem. Saying "catching switches" also isn't right, you don't use it to predict switches. I'm also struggling to see a scenario where you would Superpower Rilla, the reason to use it is really P2/Kyub, I'd delete that sentence.
• When mentioning the spread, I'd mention "including Choice Scarf users such as Genesect" for what it outspeeds in TW.

Dragon Dance

• Remove Soft Sand, that's in OO.
• The spread should be 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe again, there's no reason to lose out on potential ties for an insignificant change to bulk.
• "extremely good viability" is vague. Again you should emphasise that it has no immunities/few resists, meaning it can get by with a single attack.
• For Sub, mention stopping Spore/Toxic as well.
• "There is simply no better move that fits in Zygarde's fourth move slot." - I don't really like this sentence, I'd remove. I'd also give an example of what Protect blocks, e.g. Kyurem-B Ice Beam.
• Change the spread point to talk about the one mentioned above. Don't mention Coaching, even with that I wouldn't run Defence. I wouldn't say the spread varies either, max max is the pretty clear standard.

Other Options

• You should call it Dragon Dance, not "sweeper" Zygarde.
• Mention Sitrus, Yache, and Weakness Policy as other alternative item choices for DD.

Tag me once implemented.

Implemented, sorry for the delay.

 

[Darkmalice]

My thoughts on the CB move order, which reflects the offensive, highly grounded metagame. :

name: Choice Band Attacker
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Thousand Waves
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Superpower / Scale Shot / Toxic
item: Choice Band
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

Most teams don't seem to run any Ground-immune Pokemon, and against those teams, Waves is better than Arrows for pseudo-trapping. I find myself clicking Arrows and Waves considerably more than the other moves.

Superpower I find to be the most expendable moveslot. Partially because of its overlapping coverage with Ground-type, partially because a lot of its common teammates also run Fighting-type coverage (Kartana, Urshifu, Rillaboom). Scale Shot is great in the Zygarde mirror, gaining a clear speed advantage against CB sets, and breaks Zygarde's Sub in two hits (likely to damage it through Sub) whilst matching any DD boosts. It also helps against Kommo-O, still covers the primary Superpower target of Kyurem-B, and for mitigating potential Speed issues (hit a slower opponent so you outspeed it the next turn for a 2HKO without tanking two hits). Toxic I find is less useful since the metagame is highly offensive, Zygarde's common teammates threaten the big Toxic target in Porygon2 (the aforementioned Fighting-type coverage mons, Taunt Zeraora, Eruption Heatran), and its risky to Poison Porygon2 since it threatens Ice Beam anyways.

I'll tag Yoda2798 since this goes against his advice of slashing Toxic with TW.

 

[Yoda2798]

• Remove the Kartana mention from the Overview, I'd replace it with Mew.
• For Protect, mention gaining Leftovers recovery.
• For the DD spread, say that it allows Zygarde to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame at +1, including Zeraora and Dragapult.
• In Other Options, add Weakness Policy (which I said to do before), and Scale Shot.

Do these for QC 1/2.

 

[Crunchman]

Some quick changes I would suggest:

Fakeout from Rillaboom or Zeraora - Fakeout should become Fake Out

Zygarde’s most notable struggles are Kyurem-Black, Genesect, and Dragapult who are all capable -> Zygarde most notably struggles against Kyurem-B, Genesect, and Dragapult, which are all capable

ice or dragon move - i think this should be caps

can only damage grounded Pokemon -> can only damage grounded Pokemon.

Toxic can be useful for wearing down opposing Pokemon with very high defense such as Kommo-o or Cresselia. -> Toxic can be useful for wearing down opposing Pokemon with very high defense, such as Kommo-o or Cresselia.

Superpower allows Zygarde to deal massive super effective damage against Kyurem-Black and Porygon 2. -> Superpower allows Zygarde to deal massive super effective damage against Kyurem-B and Porygon2.

Extreme Speed gives Zygarde an option to use to snipe faster pokemon once they are low on hp.

This EV spread allows Zygarde to maximize its offensive power while having enough speed to deal with many of the slower pokemon in the tier and outspeed even the fastest pokemon when in tailwind including Choice Scarf users such as Genesect. -> This EV spread allows Zygarde to maximize its offensive power while having enough speed to deal with many of the slower Pokemon in the tier. It can outspeed even the fastest Pokemon when supported with tailwind, including Choice Scarf users such as Genesect.

Substitute pairs extremely well with Dragon Dance as opponents will often try to slow Zygarde's momentum with Fakeout and Intimidate, both of which are stopped by Substitute. Substitute is a great option if you expect your opponent to protect, attack Zygarde with a status move such as spore, or if there are no opposing pokemon on the field who can currently threaten Zygarde. -> Substitute pairs extremely well with Dragon Dance as opponents will often try to slow Zygarde's momentum with Fake Out and Intimidate, both of which are stopped by Substitute. Substitute is a great option if you expect your opponent to Protect, attack Zygarde with a status move such as Spore, or if there are no opposing Pokemon on the field who can currently threaten Zygarde.

Protect is a classic staple in doubles for its ability to block foes' attacks. It is useful for preventing Zygarde from getting hit by threatening attacks like Kyurem-Black’s Ice Beam. -> Protect is a classic staple in doubles for its ability to block foes' attacks. It is useful for preventing Zygarde from getting hit by threatening attacks like Kyurem-B's Ice Beam. (not sure if doubles should be capitalized or not; maybe just change it to Doubles OU)

This EV spread with high Atk and Spe allows Zygarde to maximize what it can get off of Dragon Dance. -> This EV spread with high Atk and Spe allows Zygarde to maximize its damage-dealing potential.

 

[emma]

Shadowmonstr7

You have 24 hours to implement Yoda's QC check or this is getting reassigned.

 

[emma]

This is being reassigned. zeefable will pick off where Shadowmonstr7 left off and the two of them will be co-writers.