OU Zygarde

[p2]

[OVERVIEW]

* Zygarde is one of the bulkiest setup sweepers in the tier, capable of running both very threatening Coil and Dragon Dance sets. Coil is extremely bulky and is capable of harassing any kind of team from stall to hyper offense, while Dragon Dance heavily pressures offensive teams.
* Access to Thousand Arrows makes Zygarde difficult for many teams to handle, as it gives huge coverage in a single moveslot, allowing Zygarde to easily break through Pokemon other Dragon- and Ground-types such as Dragonite, Garchomp, and Landorus-T would need Magnezone support for, such as Skarmory and Celesteela.
* Common Ice- and Fairy-types such as Weavile, Mamoswine, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Fini all hurt Zygarde's attempts to sweep.
* Zygarde faces competition from other Dragon- and Ground-types such as Dragonite, Garchomp, Landorus-T as well as other Dragon Dance users such as Salamence and Mega Charizard X. The aforementioned Pokemon all have attributes to separate themselves from Zygarde.


[SET]
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Thousand Arrows
move 4: Toxic / Extreme Speed
item: Leftovers
ability: Aura Break
nature: Careful
evs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe

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

* Substitute allows Zygarde to avoid status and to set up on more passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Landorus-T lacking Hidden Power Ice and Swords Dance, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss.
* Coil boosts Zygarde's Attack and Defense, allowing it to overwhelm teams as it becomes very difficult to break physically.
* Thousand Arrows has incredible neutral coverage, knocking down Flying-types and Levitate users such as Skarmory, Celesteela, Zapdos, and Rotom-W, which would be able to wall Zygarde otherwise.
* Toxic breaks down bulky Grass- and Water-types that can wall Zygarde such as Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Slowbro.
* Extreme Speed can be used to pick off weakened offensive Pokemon such as Greninja and Tapu Koko.


Set Details
========

* 240 HP EVs provides Zygarde with over 404 HP, allowing it to set up Substitutes with over 101 HP, which a single Seismic Toss can never break. The HP EV investment also ensures STAB Foul Play will never break the Substitute in a single hit either and provides maximum HP recovery from Leftovers.
* 56 Speed EVs are used to outspeed neutral-natured base 70s such as Bisharp and Breloom.
* The remaining EVs along with a Careful nature are put into Special Defense in order to set up on bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss. Physical Defense investment isn't needed, as Coil covers it.
* Leftovers is used to provide Zygarde with passive recovery, allowing it to regain HP and providing more longevity.

Usage Tips
========

* Zygarde shouldn't be used to sweep when its checks and counters are still healthy. If using Toxic, take advantage of Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Slowbro that switch in to wall Zygarde.
* Zygarde should aim to set up on Pokemon it punishes such as Amoonguss and Heatran lacking Hidden Power Ice as well as other passive Pokemon like Chansey, as they cannot break its Substitute easily, turning them into setup bait.
* Thousand Arrows is extremely spammable, and even if Zygarde struggles to set up, it can still weaken and threaten the likes of Tapu Koko and Rotom-W.
* Avoid status moves; burns and Toxic are extremely crippling to Zygarde, leaving it unable to function properly, as it will just get worn down very quickly.

Team Options
========

* Grass-types such as Tangrowth, Mega Venusaur, Serperior, Tapu Bulu, and Breloom can all pressure bulky Water- and Ground-types that are annoying for Zygarde. Tapu Bulu in particular pairs very well because of the additional recovery and because Grassy Terrain doesn't weaken Thousand Arrows. Grass-types appreciate Zygarde beating the likes of Skarmory and Heatran.
* Steel-types such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Celesteela can take on Fairy-, Ice- and Dragon-types that annoy Zygarde such as Tapu Lele, Weavile, Mamoswine, and Latios.
* Pivots such as Magearna, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and Jirachi can all provide Zygarde with opportunities to switch in through Volt Switch and U-turn. Zygarde also appreciates the latter two being able to set up Stealth Rock, or in the case of Landorus-T, heavily pressure Grass-types with Supersonic Skystrike.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thousand Arrows
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb
ability: Aura Break
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

* Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to increase its Speed and power, allowing it to overwhelm offensive teams that lack a faster revenge killer easily.
* Thousand Arrows has great neutral coverage, hitting Flying-types and Levitate users that Earthquake can't such as Zapdos, Celesteela, Rotom-W, and Bronzong.
* Outrage rounds off Zygarde's coverage, nailing bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth that could wall Zygarde otherwise.
* Extreme Speed allows Zygarde to hit faster revenge killers, mainly Choice Scarf users such as Garchomp, Latios, Pheromosa, and Keldeo.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Attack investment allows Zygarde to hit as fast as possible, while a Jolly nature ensures Zygarde can outspeed everything up to opposing Zygarde, Tapu Lele, and Kyurem-B. This also means Zygarde can outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Landorus-T, neutral Speed base 100s such as Mega Charizard Y.
* Life Orb boosts the power of Zygarde's moves further, making it more difficult to handle defensively.
* Groundium Z can be used over Life Orb to give Zygarde access to Tectonic Rage, allowing it to break defensive Pokemon such as Tapu Fini very easily. It can also break the likes of Landorus-T after Zygarde knocks it down with Thousand Arrows.

Usage Tips
========

* Aim to set up with Zygarde when its checks and counters have been weakened to the point where they can be picked off by a +1 Thousand Arrows or Outrage.
* Try to remove problematic Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele before trying to sweep with Zygarde too, as Zygarde will not be able to effectively sweep if they are still healthy.
* Avoiding status is also imperative when using Zygarde, as Toxic and stray Will-O-Wisp and Scald burns will cripple it completely.

Team Options
========

* Other sweepers that take advantage of Zygarde's main revenge killers can function very well alongside it. This includes the likes of Double Dance Landorus-T and Autotomize Celesteela, which can set up on Choice Scarf Garchomp. Celesteela can also set up on Choice Scarf Latios.
* Steel-types such as Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, and Magearna can threaten Ice- and Fairy-types such as Mamoswine, Weavile, and Tapu Lele while providing different benefits. Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor can Pursuit trap the likes of Latios, and Mega Scizor can also bring Zygarde in safely through U-turn, as can Magearna with Volt Switch. Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards, chipping at the opposing team and making it easier for Zygarde to set up and sweep. Jirachi can also check Fairy- and Ice-types while also providing Healing Wish support, giving Zygarde a second chance if it is weakened too much or gets crippled by status.
* Ice- and Fire-types can threaten Grass-types that annoy Zygarde, mainly Tangrowth. Weavile, Mamoswine and Kyurem-B can all break down Grass-types, as well as Fire-types such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran. Mega Charizard in particular pairs well with Zygarde, as they both aim to overwhelm and break down a common check in Landorus-T.

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

* Iron Tail can be used to hit Tapu Bulu and various other Fairy-types that give Zygarde trouble.
* Zygarde can also run Choice Band to threaten teams similarly to its 10% forme, dealing heavy damage to teams that lack Grass-types to resist Thousand Arrows. However, it is much bulkier, which can make it harder for some offensive teams to deal with, as Zygarde has the bulk to survive stray Hidden Power Ices unlike Zygarde-10%.
* Running both Coil and Dragon Dance on the same set allows Zygarde to ease and remove matchup problems, but this means it has to forgo Extreme Speed and Toxic, which are very important moves.
* Glare allows Zygarde to cripple faster Pokemon and can be taken advantage of on entry hazard-stacking teams along with Dragon Tail.
* Rest + Sleep Talk allows Zygarde to take advantage of its solid bulk, potentially making it very difficult to take down when paired with a boosting move and Thousand Arrows; however, again, it lacks Extreme Speed and Toxic.

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

**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types such as Hidden Power Ice Amoonguss and Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu can all take on Zygarde, but the latter two fear Toxic. Additionally, Amoonguss's neutrality to Ground-type moves means that Zygarde can have an easier time powering through it.

**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Tapu Fini can wall Zygarde; Tapu Fini in particular is a great answer, as it can avoid Toxic with Misty Terrain. Offensive Water-types such as Greninja, Mega Gyarados, Manaphy, and Keldeo can all pressure Zygarde with Ice-type coverage moves.

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Landorus-T and Hippowdon with Hidden Power Ice and Ice Fang, respectively, can break past Zygarde or at least deter it from setting up and force it out. However, both Pokemon fear Toxic, which will put them on a timer.

**Various Bulky Pokemon**: Although not many Pokemon fit this category, Pokemon such as Buzzwole can be very annoying for Zygarde to face, as it takes little damage from Thousand Arrows, can set up a Substitute before Zygarde lands Toxic, or just breaks it down with Ice Punch. Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire are applicable here too, but they mainly suffer from the fact that Zygarde can just Toxic stall them.

**Fairy-types**: Tapu Lele can break Zygarde with Moonblast while avoiding Extreme Speed thanks to Psychic Terrain; however, it will struggle to switch in due to its physical frailty. The aforementioned Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini can both take on Zygarde. Unaware Clefable can wall Zygarde, but Zygarde is capable of PP stalling Heal Bell with Toxic, limiting Clefable's effectiveness.

**Ice-types**: Mamoswine and Weavile both have priority that can pick off a weakened Zygarde, but they need to watch out for Extreme Speed, which will pick them off if they are weakened first. Otherwise, Weavile naturally outspeeds and can hit Zygarde with Icicle Crash. Kyurem-B also shares the same Speed tier as Zygarde, outspeeding Coil variants, and can threaten it with Ice Beam or Subzero Slammer.

**Faster Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios, Salamence, Hydreigon, and Mega Charizard X can all outspeed Zygarde and hit it extremely hard with powerful STAB moves. However, they fear Dragon Dance variants, which will outspeed them at +1 and proceed to break them with Outrage.

 

[Chou Toshio]

Alola Ninetales as a teammate, because it is just so incredibly hard to kill if it gets any kind of defensive support. So of course other screen users, but also Alola Persian and even anything with Intimidate. Literally anything.

On that note, Lando-T is actually a great partner despite dual quad ice Weak because of Intimidate and having Z-Fly to just obliterate Grass/Bugs lured into it expecting equake plus hp ice lol. There's also a double-bird type synergy made possible by thousand arrows spam.

If Zygarde is getting some sort of screen support, Chesto-Resto > Sub also pulls off some truly dumb wins.

 

[TURBODERP]

For the Sub-Coil set, does Dragon Tail warrant a mention at all (in Set Details or OO)? Being able to phaze out Skarm and Hippo (although the latter is really not seen anymore) before they Phaze you out is really nice, although with all the Tapus running around I fully concede that it can be a huge momentum loss.

Also I'm sorry but Zygarde's shiny sprite is awful.

 

[Martin]

I'd slash Toxic before ESpeed on SubCoil personally; I've found myself using it a lot more, it makes the stall matchup that much more potent (seriously what does stall have for SubCoil+Toxic Zygarde? It has random stuff like Shed, Clef, Quag etc. for non-Toxic variants, and being able to put a timer on Haze users like Mantine is really big), and most of the time when I run ESpeed I end up swapping it out for Toxic anyway just 'cause I generally don't need it on the types of teams I'm using SubCoil Zygarde on.

 

[Hootie]

Probably should mention that the HP EVs are for a Leftovers number and provide an extra Sub because 232 EVs already keeps Foul Play from breaking the Sub. Usage tips for both sets should go into more detail that you need to avoid Toxic, more so Coil otherwise it's completely neutered. Iron Tail also deserves a mention in OO for hitting primarily Tapu Bulu and a few other Fairy-type targets.

1/3

 

[Colonel M]

Yeah definitely with Iron Tail mention. You can also mention Jirachi can provide Healing Wish support which is fucking godlike for a mon like Zygarde.

Where is Scarf Sludge Wave Zygarde?

I think Hootie covered everything I can think of so we'll close with this:

* its shiny is also so fucking lit i love mint snek

/

 

[Gary]

I'm not QC, but jk lol I am.

* Faces competition from other Dragon- and Ground-types such as Dragonite, Garchomp, Landorus-T as well as other Dragon Dance users such as Mega Gyarados Salamence and Mega Charizard X. The aforementioned Pokemon all have attributes to separate themselves from Zygarde.

Mega Gyarados is pretty ass atm, so saying that it faces competition from it is kinda over exaggerated, especially when you consider that it's a Mega and requires a lot more team support in general. I think Salamence is a better comparison, because it's much more immediately offensive threatening, has the ability to nuke with SSSS, and snowballs pretty easily, whereas Zygarde might need to grab more than just one boost to actually sweep.

Also put Choice Band in OO. It's not the best set, but considering that Zydoge is pretty ass cheeks and Zygarde can literally pull of the same set but the added bulk is honestly better in the current meta, as it can still force switches and it doesn't have to worry too much about failing to kill something like Doge does. You can also run Iron Tail on it too, unlike Zydoge. Other than that, this looks good.

Nigga. QC 3/3

 

[Ash Borer]

Do z crystals on the dd set make sense? Zyggy cant really rely on its bulk with a life orb sapping its hp.

 

[Seth Vilo]

Probably should mention that the HP EVs are for a Leftovers number and provide an extra Sub because 232 EVs already keeps Foul Play from breaking the Sub. Usage tips for both sets should go into more detail that you need to avoid Toxic, more so Coil otherwise it's completely neutered. Iron Tail also deserves a mention in OO for hitting primarily Tapu Bulu and a few other Fairy-type targets.

1/3

From my calculations, that's not completely true. 232 EVs give Zygarde 415 HP. 415/4=103.75, which rounds down to 103 HP Subs. STAB Foul Plays on a max damage roll do exactly 103 HP of damage, breaking the Sub. 236 EVs reach 416 HP, which goes to 104 HP Subs though, allowing for Foul Play survival. 240 is the Leftovers number, but since Zygarde isn't enormously prone to passive damage anyway with Sub + Sand immunity, it's up to QC.

If you wanted to drop HP to 236 for the Foul Play Benchmark without the Leftovers number (since even at 416 you still recover the same HP as 417 HP, and "Leftovers numbers" are primarily to reduce passive damage while also maximizing Lefties recovery), those last 4 EVs could be dropped into Speed so that Zygarde always outruns Max Speed Timid Magnezone, now that it doesn't have to drop it's Speed IV for Hidden Power Fire what with Hyper Training.

Hootie Edit: That was a mistake on my part, but either way I didn't suggest any changes to the main spread anyways.

 

[Chou Toshio]

I've said my piece about Chesto-Resto, and I still think that "defensive support" should still be highlighted in teammates (really, more important than "other sweepers" imo). Screens of all forms, Parting Shot, Memento, their z-variants, and even just simple Intimidate users (or better, Intimidate + Flynium-Z). Behind Aurora Veil, Zygarde uses HP Ice Landorus and Tapu Fini as set up fodder.

Either way, Buzzwole is one of the things I hate seeing the most on the other side when using Zygarde-- definitely deserves a mention.

 

[mulgokizary]

Hi, how are you doing?

To reiterate what I've said in the past, I think SubCoil needs some attack investment in order to be an effective breaker (and to be more proactive in other matchups. This thing hits like a wet noodle and has problems even 2hkoing things on offense.) If the SpD is there to take on bulky Grass-type Pokemon that don't run HP Ice, you definitely don't need 212 SpD in order to do so. You can go as low as 156 SpD (Subs still live Giga Drains from defensive Grass-types, Heatran's EP can't break, everything in Celesteela's Special movepool can't break, weak scalds from stall waters like Quagsire don't even come close to breaking, Lele's Moonblast STILL doesn't do enough to bring you below 25%, etc.) and put the rest into attack to hit harder to break things like Toxapex yadda yadda. I don't understand why Zygarde needs 212 SpD.

On an aside, HP Ice on bulky Grass-types and Unaware Clefable are both rising in usage so this set is going to have problems soon. I don't think Zygarde reliably takes on those bulky Grass-types anymore. I'm questioning Zygarde's effectiveness in the tier more and more every day...

Thanks for reading.

 

[Gary]

See I disagree with that reasoning. What exactly does Zygarde need the extra Attack for? Like I get that hitting a bit harder is kinda nice, but without max investment Adamant it's still not hitting that hard at all, and having as much bulk as possible is honestly great for it because it just eats hits from everything and is practically impossible to revenge without an Ice move. The bulky Grasses that run HP Ice are by no means full stops to it, because Growth just gets crippled by Toxic and even with Regen it's going to be heavily pressured the rest of the match especially if you're packing something like Ash Ninja with Zyg, and Amoonguss, and if Amoonguss comes in while you're behind a Sub, you can actually 1v1 it, because HP Ice does less to Zygarde than a +1 Thousand Arrows, and at that point it's a matter of clicking Clear Smog hoping he wont Sub or clicking HP Ice hoping he's trying to Sub. Unaware Clefable is annoying for it sure, but it's by no means beating Zygarde the entire match. Toxic forces it to Heal Bell, and that shit can easily be stalled out of PP to a point where u can just Toxic it and put it on a timer late game if it really comes down to it. Tbh, there really aren't super reliable ways to deal with Zygarde especially defensively, because it's so fucking fat and can set up on practically everything, and pretty much everything bar Fini hates being slapped by Toxic.

Zygarde isn't a breaker, it's a late game win con with the ability to soak up hits through the match if need be. The Attack investment does nothing for it but give it a tiny bit of extra fire power which in reality, doesn't really do much for it considering that the purpose of it is to be brought out late game, and it's not like adding a bit of investment is going to let you beat Ice-types or something like that. Zygarde's viability is perfectly fine.

 

[mulgokizary]

It's solely to break through Haze Toxapex which is one of the lynchpins that holds bulky teams together against Zygardes that don't run any attack. Without it they can PP stall with Haze + Recover. If part of Zygarde's purpose on your team is to give stall a hard time you need to be able to break through this one. I think this concession is fine because the extra SpD that's on the spread isn't really doing you any favors (to my knowledge.)

In my experience you can't really 1v1 Amoonguss in that way for a variety of reasons, ie they can Regen out to Skarm expecting a sub and take Zygarde on later when it's at lower health, other subtle stuff like that. Even if you took Amoonguss down you'd probably lose most of Zygarde's health in the process so it's a counter-intuitive way to play the matchup (unless you're setting up something that REALLY wants toxa/amoon gone like... keld I guess.). You're right about forcing Clefable's Heal Bells, but it takes a lot of discipline and you need a way to ensure that T-Spikes won't eventually hit the field over a very long game where you're trying to toxic Clef 8 times while keeping your health up. I don't think Zygarde is unviable, but it isn't 6-0ing stall like it used to, especially without the extra attack investment. I don't necessarily mean that the analysis should be changed because of it (aside from Zygarde being able to beat Bulky Grass-types by virtue of subbing).

This Pokemon is still good even if its utility in bulky matchups is dwindling. Coil Zyg can give other types of teams a very hard time once fini is down for example. You can also take strong hits out of desperation from stuff like specs Gren to force it out, etc... I'm not saying it's unviable by any means.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Lumari]

GP 1/1

check

[OVERVIEW]

* Zygarde is one of the bulkiest set-up setup sweepers in the tier, capable of running both very threatening Coil and Dragon Dance sets. Coil is extremely bulky and is capable of harassing any kind of team from stall to hyper offense, while Dragon Dance heavily pressures offensive teams.
* Access to Thousand Arrows makes Zygarde difficult for many teams to handle, (AC) as it gives huge coverage in a single moveslot, allowing Zygarde to easily break through Pokemon other Dragon- and Ground-types such as Dragonite, Garchomp, and Landorus-T would need Magnezone support for, (AC) such as Skarmory and Celesteela easily.
* Common Ice- and Fairy-types such as Weavile, Mamoswine, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Lele, and Tapu Fini all hurt Zygarde's attempts to sweep. (AP)
* Zygarde faces competition from other Dragon- and Ground-types such as Dragonite, Garchomp, Landorus-T as well as other Dragon Dance users such as Salamence and Mega Charizard X. The aforementioned Pokemon all have attributes to separate themselves from Zygarde.


[SET]
name: SubCoil
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Coil
move 3: Thousand Arrows
move 4: Toxic / Extreme Speed
item: Leftovers
ability: Aura Break
nature: Careful
evs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe

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

* Substitute allows Zygarde to avoid status and allows it to set up on more passive Pokemon such as Ferrothorn, Landorus-T lacking Hidden Power Ice and Swords Dance, Tangrowth, and Amoonguss.
* Coil boosts Zygarde's Attack and Defense, allowing it to overwhelm teams as it becomes very difficult to break physically.
* Thousand Arrows has incredible neutral coverage, knocking down Flying-types and Levitate users such as Skarmory, Celesteela, Zapdos, and Rotom-W, (AC) which would be able to wall Zygarde otherwise.
* Toxic breaks down bulky Grass- and Water-types that can wall Zygarde such as Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Slowbro.
* Extreme Speed can be used to pick off weakened offensive Pokemon such as Greninja and Tapu Koko.


Set Details
========

* 240 HP EVs provides Zygarde with over 404 HP, (AC) which means it can allowing it to set up Substitutes with over 101 HP, meaning which a single Seismic Toss can never break it. The HP EV investment also ensures STAB Foul Play will never break the Substitute in a single hit either. It also ensures Zygarde gains and provides maximum HP recovery from Leftovers.
* 56 Speed EVs are used to outspeed neutral-natured Speed base 70s such as Bisharp and Breloom.
* The remaining EVs along with a Careful nature are put into Special Defense in order to set up on bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth and Amoonguss. Physical Defense investment isn't needed, (AC) as Coil covers it.
* Leftovers are is used to provide Zygarde with passive recovery, allowing it to regain HP and providing more longevity.

Usage Tips
========

* Zygarde shouldn't be used to sweep when its checks and counters are still healthy. If using Toxic, take advantage of Pokemon such as Tangrowth and Slowbro that switch in to wall Zygarde.
* Zygarde should aim to set up on Pokemon it punishes such as Amoonguss and Heatran lacking Hidden Power Ice as well as other passive Pokemon like Chansey, (AC) as they cannot break its Substitute easily, turning them into set-up setup bait.
* Thousand Arrows is extremely spammable, (AC) and even if Zygarde struggles to set up, it can still weaken and threaten the likes of Tapu Koko and Rotom-W.
* Avoid Zygarde from being hit by status moves; (SC) burns and Toxic are extremely crippling to Zygarde, leaving it unable to function properly, (AC) as it will just get worn down very quickly.

Team Options
========

* Grass-types such as Tangrowth, Mega Venusaur, Serperior, Tapu Bulu, and Breloom can all pressure bulky Water- and Ground-types that are annoying for Zygarde. Tapu Bulu in particular pairs very well because of the additional recovery and because Grassy Terrain doesn't weaken Thousand Arrows. Grass-types appreciate Zygarde beating the likes of Skarmory and Heatran.
* Steel-types such as Heatran, Mega Scizor, Mega Metagross, and Celesteela can take on Fairy-, Ice- and Dragon-types that annoy Zygarde such as Tapu Lele, Weavile, Mamoswine, (AC) and Latios.
* Pivots such as Magearna, Rotom-W, Landorus-T, and Jirachi can all provide switchin opportunities for Zygarde with opportunities to switch in through Volt Switch and U-turn. Zygarde also appreciates the latter two being able to set up Stealth Rock, or in the case of Landorus-T, heavily pressure Grass-types with Flyinium Z Supersonic Skystrike.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thousand Arrows
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Life Orb
ability: Aura Break
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

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

* Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to increase its Speed and power, allowing it to overwhelm offensive teams that lack a faster revenge killer easily.
* Thousand Arrows has great neutral coverage, hitting Flying-types and Levitate users that Earthquake can't such as Zapdos, Celesteela, Rotom-W, and Bronzong.
* Outrage rounds off Zygarde's coverage, nailing bulky Grass-types such as Tangrowth which that could wall Zygarde otherwise.
* Extreme Speed allows Zygarde to hit faster revenge killers, mainly Choice Scarf users such as Garchomp, Latios, Pheromosa, and Keldeo.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Attack investment allows Zygarde to hit as fast as possible, (AC) while a Jolly nature ensures Zygarde can outspeed everything up to opposing Zygarde, Tapu Lele, and Kyurem-B. This also means Zygarde can outspeed Pokemon such as Jolly Landorus-T, neutral Speed base 100s such as Mega Charizard Y.
* Life Orb boosts the power of Zygarde's moves further, making it more difficult to handle defensively.

Usage Tips
========

* Aim to set up with Zygarde when its checks and counters have been weakened to the point where they can be picked off by a +1 Thousand Arrows or Outrage.
* Try to remove problematic Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Garchomp and Choice Scarf Tapu Lele before trying to sweep with Zygarde too, as Zygarde will not be able to effectively sweep if they are still healthy.
* Avoiding status is also imperative when using Zygarde, (AC) as Toxic and stray Will-O-Wisp and Scald burns will cripple it completely.

Team Options
========

* Other sweepers that take advantage of Zygarde's main revenge killers can function very well alongside it. This includes the likes of Double Dance Landorus-T, Autotomize Celesteela, (AC) which can set up on Choice Scarf Garchomp, and Double Dance Landorus-T. (if they both can set up on Chomp then don't move Lando and change the comma before Celesteela to "and") Celesteela can also set up on Choice Scarf Latios.
* Steel-types such as Mega Metagross, Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn, (AC) and Magearna can threaten Ice- and Fairy-types such as Mamoswine, Weavile, and Tapu Lele (RC) while providing different benefits. Mega Metagross and Mega Scizor can Pursuit trap the likes of Latios, and Mega Scizor can provide switchins for also bring Zygarde in safely through U-turn, as can Magearna with Volt Switch. Ferrothorn can set up entry hazards, chipping at the opposing team and making it easier for Zygarde to set up and sweep. Jirachi can also check Fairy- and Ice-types while also providing Healing Wish support, giving Zygarde a second chance if it is weakened too much or gets crippled by status.
* Ice- and Fire-types can threaten Grass-types that annoy Zygarde, mainly Tangrowth. Weavile, Mamoswine and Kyurem-B can all break down Grass-types, as well as Fire-types such as Mega Charizard X, Mega Charizard Y, and Heatran. Mega Charizard in particular pairs well with Zygarde, (AC) as they both aim to overwhelm and break down a common check in Landorus-T.

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

* Iron Tail can be used to hit Tapu Bulu and various other Fairy-types that give Zygarde trouble.
* Zygarde can also run Choice Band to threaten teams similarly to its 10% forme, dealing heavy damage to teams that lack Grass-types to resist Thousand Arrows. However, it is much bulkier, (AC) which can make it harder for some offensive teams to deal with, (AC) as Zygarde has the bulk to survive stray Hidden Powers Ices unlike Zygarde-10%. (AH)
* Running both Coil and Dragon Dance on the same set allows Zygarde to ease and remove matchup problems, but this means it forgoes has to forgo Extreme Speed and Toxic, (AC) which are very important moves.
* Glare allows Zygarde to cripple faster Pokemon and can be abused taken advantage of on entry hazard-stacking teams along with Dragon Tail.
* Rest + Sleep Talk allows Zygarde to abuse take advantage of its solid bulk, (AC) and potentially making it very difficult to take down when paired with a boosting move and Thousand Arrows; (SC) it can be very difficult to take down, but however, again, it lacks Extreme Speed and Toxic.

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

**Bulky Grass-types**: Bulky Grass-types such as Hidden Power Ice Amoonguss and Tangrowth with Hidden Power Ice, and Tapu Bulu can all take on Zygarde, but the latter two fear Toxic. Additionally, Amoonguss's neutrality to Ground-type moves means that Zygarde can have an easier time powering through it though.

**Water-types**: Bulky Water-types such as Slowbro and Tapu Fini can wall Zygarde; (SC) Tapu Fini in particular is a great answer, (AC) as it can avoid Toxic with Misty Terrain. Offensive Water-types such as Greninja, Mega Gyarados, Manaphy, and Keldeo can all pressure Zygarde with Ice-type coverage moves.

**Bulky Ground-types**: Bulky Landorus-T and Hippowdon with Hidden Power Ice and Ice Fang, respectively, (AC) can break past Zygarde (RC) or at least deter it from setting up and force it out. However, both Pokemon fear Toxic, (AC) which will put them on a timer.

**Various Bulky Pokemon**: Although not many Pokemon fit this category, Pokemon such as Buzzwole can be very annoying for Zygarde to face, (AC) as it takes little damage from Thousand Arrows, can set up a Substitute before Zygarde lands Toxic, (AC) or just breaks it down with Ice Punch. Unaware users such as Clefable and Quagsire are applicable here too, (AC) but they mainly suffer from the fact that Zygarde can just Toxic stall them.

**Fairy-types**: Tapu Lele can break Zygarde with Moonblast while avoiding Extreme Speed thanks to Psychic Terrain; (SC) however, (AC) it will struggle to switch in due to its physical frailty. The aforementioned Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini can both take on Zygarde. Unaware Clefable can wall Zygarde, (AC) but Zygarde is capable of PP stalling Heal Bell with Toxic, limiting Clefable's effectiveness.

**Ice-types**: Mamoswine and Weavile both have priority that can pick off a weakened Zygarde, but they need to watch out for Extreme Speed, (AC) which will pick them off if they are weakened first. Otherwise, Weavile naturally outspeeds and can hit Zygarde with Icicle Crash. Kyurem-B also shares the same Speed tier as Zygarde, outspeeding Coil variants, and can threaten it with Ice Beam or Subzero Slammer.

**Faster Dragon-types**: Dragon-types such as Latios, Salamence, Hydreigon, and Mega Charizard X can all outspeed Zygarde and hit it extremely hard with powerful STAB moves. However, they fear Dragon Dance variants, (AC) which will outspeed them at +1 and proceed to break them with Outrage.

 

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