[OVERVIEW]
Zygarde is a top threat in SM OU, and Thousand Arrows is the source of its power. Because it compresses coverage extremely well and breaks past common answers to Ground-types like Celesteela, Skarmory, and Landorus-T, Thousand Arrows gives Zygarde excellent anti-meta properties, punishing opponents that rely on immune Pokemon to deal with Ground-type attacks. Extreme Speed, Coil, and Dragon Dance are just the right tools for Zygarde to take advantage of Thousand Arrows. Backed up by excellent defensive stats to provide ample opportunities to switch in or set up, Zygarde is both a great attacker and a great sweeper. This makes it quite unpredictable, further adding to its effectiveness, as some Pokemon that may counter one set can be setup bait to another. Though powerful, Zygarde does possess mediocre offensive stats, meaning that it often has to boost more than once or requires excessive chip damage to the opponent's team to sweep, limiting it. Further, while Thousand Arrows does ignore immunities, it offers no respite from Grass- and Bug-types like Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Tapu Bulu, which can be a challenge for Zygarde to overcome.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Toxic / Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows and Choice Band are a match made in heaven. No Pokemon immune to it and few resisting it mean that Zygarde can simply use this attack and do serious damage. Extreme Speed and Choice Band together also have great synergy. It gives Zygarde great utility assisting teams in revenge killing or cleaning in the late-game. Outrage, while having no shortage of drawbacks, does prevent Tangrowth from effortlessly walling this set. Toxic is undoubtedly an awkward move to be locked into, but it does put a lot of pressure on defensive roadblocks to Zygarde such as Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Hippowdon. Superpower is a good option to earn a clean 2HKO on a would-be defensive counter Ferrothorn. It also does lasting damage to Chansey and allows Zygarde to pivot out, unlike Outrage. Iron Tail tail crushes Tapu Bulu and Clefable, which are quite good counters to this set otherwise, as both are quite resilient or completely immune to Toxic.
Set Details
========
With Choice Band Zygarde can 2HKO a scary part of the metagame with the very spammable Thousand Arrows. An Adamant nature is ideal, as Zygarde needs the power, and it can use Extreme Speed to make up for any Speed lost. 252 Attack EVs are optimal, as Zygarde's goal is to deal damage, not take hits. Running 252 Speed EVs to tie with other neutral base 95s like Tapu Lele is ideal as well.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Band Zygarde is a mid-game hole puncher that capitalizes on its ability to simply spam Thousand Arrows and create meaningful breaches in the opponent's defenses. Zygarde is difficult to switch into, but its fairly poor base Attack and Thousand Arrows's Base Power can prevent it from getting OHKOs. It best forces out offensive Pokemon that have already sustained some chip damage. Zygarde's defensive capabilities are another facet of using it effectively. Don't be afraid to let it absorb predicted attacks like Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast to get into battle. Extreme Speed can be a great revenge killing tool. If the opponent has a dangerous sweeper like Volcarona, Zygarde can keep it at bay. Make sure to keep Zygarde sufficiently healthy in this scenario.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support is the biggest boon to any Choice attacker, and Zygarde is no exception. Stealth Rock and Spikes from the likes of Greninja, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Chansey will turn 3HKOs into 2HKOs and just make the switches Zygarde can force more effective. Toxic Spikes has significant synergy with Zygarde, as most Pokemon that are obnoxious to it, such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu, are quite vulnerable to them, while most defensive Pokmemon immune to Toxic Spikes such as Skarmory, Celesteela, Toxapex, and Zapdos cannot wall Zygarde for obvious reasons. In general they wear down the opponent's team nicely. Mega Scizor has good synergy with Choice Band Zygarde. Scizor can handle Grass- and Fairy-types that can be a hindrance to Zygarde and create good chip damage and momentum with U-turn, often against targets that Zygarde can easily force out like Magnezone, Heatran, and Volcarona. Other U-turn users like Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja can create switch advantage and chip damage Zygarde can capitalize on too. Both of these Pokemon are exceptionally fast and can act as late-game cleaners once Zygarde has done enough damage. Magnezone is decent at grabbing momentum, and it's quite capable of trapping and KOing both Ferrothorn and Scizor, two defensive obstacles for Zygarde.
[SET]
name: Subcoil
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Toxic / Extreme Speed
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Coil
item: Leftovers
ability: Aura Break
nature: Careful
evs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's main attack; with its secondary effect, it achieves perfect synergy with Toxic, scoring a super effective hit on almost anything immune to poison. Toxic in combination with Coil and Substitute can stall out or at least significantly pressure traditional counters to Zygarde such as Quagsire and Tangrowth. Extreme Speed is also an option. While this does sacrifice any possibility of stallbreaking, Zygarde's incredible bulk can let it achieve quite a few boosts, and with Extreme Speed it prevents the opponent from relying on a fast Pokemon like Greninja or Latios to simply revenge kill Zygarde after letting it get too many Coil boosts. Substitute is key; it allows Zygarde to take advantage of passive Pokemon, and in combination with Coil and Zygarde's high defensive stats a Substitute can often become very difficult to break with one attack. Coil's boosting is what makes this set so deadly. With specially defensive investment and Coil boosting Defense and Attack, Zygarde becomes very bulky and powerful, quickly.
Set Details
========
Try to set up on relatively passive Pokemon like Chansey, Mega Sableye, Amoonguss, and defensive Mega Scizor. Conserve Zygarde's HP and wait until the late-game before looking to set up. There are quite a lot of Pokemon that simply will be unable to deal with Zygarde once it gets going, and the later the game goes, the higher chance the opponent will be left with only those Pokemon. One of the problems that Coil Zygarde is that it can simply be phazed, by Skarmory's Whirlwind for example; however, this problem can be solved by simply leaving Zygarde as your last Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Try to set up on relatively passive Pokemon like Chansey, Mega Sableye, Amoonguss, and defensive Mega Scizor. Conserve Zygarde's HP and wait until the late-game before looking to set up. There are quite a lot of Pokemon that simply will be unable to deal with Zygarde once it gets going, and the later the game goes, the higher chance the opponent will be left with only those Pokemon. One of the problems that Coil Zygarde is that it can simply be phazed, by Skarmory's Whirlwind for example; however, this problem can be solved by simply leaving Zygarde as your last Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Coil Zygarde is generally reserved as a late-game sweeper and contribution to anti-stall efforts on offensive or balanced teams. Some Stealth Rock support is obligatory for a late-game sweep, as indirectly wearing down the opposing team pays off. Landorus-T, Terrakion, Heatran, and Chansey are convincing users of the move. Toxic Spikes support is ideal on this set if it lacks Toxic; naturally, the targets of Toxic are quite vulnerable to Toxic Spikes too. Toxapex and Greninja are most talented at this. General wallbreakers and attackers will cause wounds to the enemy team that can be big enough for Zygarde to clean up. Greninja, Mega Mawile, and Mega Medicham are unmatched at this.
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Dragon Dance
item: Dragonium Z / Groundium Z
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
======
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's main attack; hitting through Ground-type immunities is an amazing property, especially when paired with a Dragon STAB attack. Outrage achieves good coverage alongside Thousand Arrows. With Dragonium Z, Zygarde can break through some foes that resist Ground-type attacks while avoiding the drawbacks of Outrage. Extreme Speed is a great tool for avoiding enemy priority attacks and dealing with faster Choice Scarf users like Latios. Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, making it a deadly sweeper.
Set Details
========
252 Attack and Speed EVs are standard for an offensive Dragon Dance user. Outrunning as many Pokemon and dealing as much damage as possible do the most to improve the chance of a successful sweep. An Adamant nature is optimal; Jolly buys Zygarde little and the extra power does more than anything else. Dragonium Z is a great tool for giving Zygarde a very powerful attack with a lot of neutral coverage, letting it break past checks that are otherwise not sufficiently weakened, especially Tangrowth, which would otherwise force Zygarde into locking itself into Outrage. Groundium Z is an option as well; Tectonic Rage hits nearly as hard as Devastating Drake, but it can be used to target various Pokemon that are immune or resistant to Dragon-type attacks like Tapu Fini, Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Scizor.
Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Zygarde is a fairly archetypical setup sweeper. It wants to use its setup move late in the game and then clean up. Try to completely conserve its HP and keep it free of status throughout the early- and mid-game, as this will give it the highest chance of success in the later stages of the match. Only use Zygarde defensively if it's absolutely necessary. Factor in the probability of a successful late-game sweep into this decision. Throughout the early- and mid-game, use your entry hazard users and attackers to wear down the opposing team. Identify Zygarde's checks and focus on wearing them down. Keep in mind that +1 Devastating Drake will not simply OHKO its primary targets, Tangrowth and Landorus-T; they need to be worn down somewhat for Zygarde to avoid taking damage when getting past them. When the late-game hits, try to lure in something that Zygarde can set up on. Heatran, Magnezone, and Landorus-T lacking Hidden Power Ice are among the most common Pokemon Zygarde can take advantage of. Choice users locked into the wrong move also suffice. While sweeping is this set's specialty, it's possible for it to act as a mid-game wallbreaker, as Dragon Dance and a Z-Move together are quite devastating. Zygarde is no slouch at bringing in and eliminating the likes of Landorus-T, Tangrowth, and other defensive Pokemon. While it will sustain damage in trying to break past these threats, usually too much to sweep, Zygarde will ultimately prevail, and other teammates may capitalize on this.
Team Options
========
General wallbreakers and attackers that put a lot of pressure on the physically defensive Pokemon in the tier are the first thing Zygarde needs for support. Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile are terrifyingly powerful and, thanks to their movepools, somewhat unpredictable attackers that can draw in and crush the likes of Landorus-T, Tangrowth, Celesteela, Skarmory, Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, Scizor, Clefable, and pretty much anything in the tier that might be able to defensively check Zygarde. Life Orb Garchomp has high redundancy with Zygarde, which can alleviate some of the defensive need for its typing on a team, and can act as a solid lure to the defensive Pokemon that Zygarde struggles against. Entry hazard users make life quite a lot easier for any late-game sweeper, and Zygarde is no exception. Azelf is a great partner, as early-game guaranteed hazards add their damage up quickly and substantially. Greninja, Garchomp, and Heatran are generally reliable and effective entry hazard users as well. Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor can be a problem for this set, and Magnezone is quite capable of trapping and eliminating these threats.
[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Coil
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 160 HP / 216 Atk / 28 SpD / 104 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's signature offensive move, getting good neutral coverage with one slot. Extreme Speed is used to not fall victim to revenge killers. Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, and is more useful for trying to sweep through faster teams. Coil boosts Zygarde's Defense rather than Speed. It can be used to set up in the face of relatively weak physical attackers. Using both moves on one set creates more situations where Zygarde can successfully boost.
Set Details
========
104 Speed EVs ensure that Zygarde outpaces Timid Magearna, which can easily check Zygarde should it lack the Speed. It also conveniently beats Greninja at +1, avoiding its deadly Ice Beam. 160 HP EVs have a specific goal in mind; they allow Zygarde to survive Choice Scarf Garchomp's Outrage. 28 Special Defense EVs allow Zygarde to survive Choice Scarf Tapu Lele's Moonblast and two Moonblasts from Tapu Fini, both after Stealth Rock. The remaining 216 EVs are placed into Attack to give Zygarde as much power as it can away with. An Adamant nature is most beneficial, as because of Zygarde's Speed tier, a positive nature does little. Sitrus Berry gives Zygarde the ability to deceive the opponent into thinking it's easier to KO than it actually is. With the Sitrus Berry it's often possible to boost for one more turn, which can lead to a sweep. This is especially apparent against Pokemon like Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y, which Zygarde can potentially switch into to boost thanks to Sitrus Berry. Earth Plate is another option. It gives Zygarde a nice power boost without any defensive drawbacks, as Life Orb recoil runs too contrary to a defensive booster.
Usage Tips
========
Double Dance Zygarde is another late-game sweeper variant. It's generally ideal to preserve its HP until late-game, and to use your wallbreakers, entry hazard users, and pivots to put wear onto the opponent's team during the early- and mid-game. Once the late-game arrives, focus on bringing in Zygarde against Pokemon it can set up against, such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Scizor, and Magnezone. Choice item users locked into the wrong move, such as Choice Scarf Keldeo locked into Secret Sword, are great opportunities as well. Knowing when to use Coil or Dragon Dance is a major key and all about estimating how valuable boosting Speed or Defense may be. Coil has a few uses: it can provide extra turns to boost against relatively weak physical attackers like Excadrill lacking a boosting item, Mega Scizor, and defensive Landorus-T lacking Hidden Power Ice. It also provides protection against physical attackers that Zygarde may be incapable of OHKOing. For example, Zygarde is capable of 2HKOing Mega Pinsir with a combination of Thousand Arrows and Extreme Speed; in this case the protection of +1 Defense is much more useful than Speed, which ultimately does nothing. It also protects against priority users that Extreme Speed is too weak against, such as Bisharp. Dragon Dance's uses are outpacing opposing Pokemon, naturally. Keep in mind this can be offset by Extreme Speed's +2 priority. The choice of which move to use comes down to looking at which Pokemon the opponent has and calculating whether Speed or Defense is better at preserving Zygarde's HP. Coil's +1 Attack boost may be enough to finish off the opponent's Greninja, or it may be the case that the extra Speed is necessary to outspeed it and hit it with a more powerful Thousand Arrows, and Zygarde's natural bulk will be sufficient in surviving the rest of the opponent's attacks.
Team Options
========
As mentioned, Zygarde does need its teammates to do significant wear to the opponent's team in the early- and mid-game to think about cleaning up. Garchomp, Greninja, Terrakion, Heatran, and Azelf are all good entry hazard users that can deal significant indirect damage to the opposing team. Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, and Alolan Marowak are powerful physical attackers that can rend open the opponent's team for Zygarde to capitalize on. Mega Scizor, Tapu Koko, Ash-Greninja, and Magnezone are all good offensive pivots that can be used to bring in these same attackers in the early- and mid-game. Magnezone is particularly noteworthy for its ability to eliminate opposing Ferrothorn, a large issue for Zygarde.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Lum Berry is an option on Zygarde's Dragon Dance sets, as it can allow it to set up in the face of Will-O-Wisp users, but these are not really common enough for it to be a consistent item. Protect is an interesting option on the Substitute + Coil set; paired with Toxic Spikes support it can let Zygarde get past the same Pokemon that Toxic does, while using Protect to heal excessively. Naturally, this is reliant on a lot of support and runs the risk of being nigh-useless should the opponent be able to play around Toxic Spikes while having an answer to Toxic-less Zygarde. Life Orb is an option on Zygarde's Dragon Dance sets to power up all of its attacks, which is quite useful, especially considering it's the only option for boosting Extreme Speed, but its recoil really runs counter to Zygarde's excellent natural bulk, making it a questionable choice.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Clefable, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Bulu can all be a thorn in Zygarde's side. Clefable can ignore boosts with Unaware, and has the bulk to survive two Choice Band-boosted Thousand Arrows while 2HKOing in return with Moonblast. Even when Zygarde is running Toxic, Clefable can still be a problem with Heal Bell or Magic Guard. Tapu Fini can check most sets quite well, but it cannot switch into Choice Band-boosted Thousand Arrows and prevail. Tapu Bulu is a great counter to sets that lack both Toxic and Iron Tail thanks to its favorable typing.
*Grass- and Bug-types**: Unlike Flying-type and levitating Pokemon, Bug- and Grass-types resist Ground and thus take advantage of Zygarde's propensity to using a single STAB attack. Hidden Power Ice Tangrowth is the main mention here; while it can fall to Toxic, Devastating Drake, and Choice Band Outrage, it still stops Thousand Arrow spam from doing much of anything and can force Zygarde into a bad spot if healthy. Ferrothorn is also a big issue for Zygarde; it can deal with the Choice Band and Dragon Dance sets effectively, but it will fall to Substitute + Coil. Mega Scizor usually is not a good answer to boosting Zygarde, as Coil will usually prevent it from countering Zygarde; however, Scizor does easily avoid a 2HKO from anything Choice Band Zygarde can throw at it, which will result in Zygarde simply being stalled out of PP. Buzzwole possessing Ice Punch is a pretty hard counter to Zygarde outside of Substitute and Toxic shenanigans.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users like Garchomp, Greninja, Gengar, Latios, and Keldeo are an issue for Zygarde. Their ability to simply outspeed Zygarde and either OHKO it or deal serious damage to it and lower its Speed with Icy Wind will stifle any attempt at sweeping. Ice Shard from the likes of Mamoswine and Weavile is also quite an issue for Zygarde, as it comes close to OHKOing. All of these Pokemon except Gengar are vulnerable to Extreme Speed should they be sufficiently worn down, however.
Zygarde is a top threat in SM OU, and Thousand Arrows is the source of its power. Because it compresses coverage extremely well and breaks past common answers to Ground-types like Celesteela, Skarmory, and Landorus-T, Thousand Arrows gives Zygarde excellent anti-meta properties, punishing opponents that rely on immune Pokemon to deal with Ground-type attacks. Extreme Speed, Coil, and Dragon Dance are just the right tools for Zygarde to take advantage of Thousand Arrows. Backed up by excellent defensive stats to provide ample opportunities to switch in or set up, Zygarde is both a great attacker and a great sweeper. This makes it quite unpredictable, further adding to its effectiveness, as some Pokemon that may counter one set can be setup bait to another. Though powerful, Zygarde does possess mediocre offensive stats, meaning that it often has to boost more than once or requires excessive chip damage to the opponent's team to sweep, limiting it. Further, while Thousand Arrows does ignore immunities, it offers no respite from Grass- and Bug-types like Mega Scizor, Tangrowth, and Tapu Bulu, which can be a challenge for Zygarde to overcome.
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Toxic / Superpower
item: Choice Band
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows and Choice Band are a match made in heaven. No Pokemon immune to it and few resisting it mean that Zygarde can simply use this attack and do serious damage. Extreme Speed and Choice Band together also have great synergy. It gives Zygarde great utility assisting teams in revenge killing or cleaning in the late-game. Outrage, while having no shortage of drawbacks, does prevent Tangrowth from effortlessly walling this set. Toxic is undoubtedly an awkward move to be locked into, but it does put a lot of pressure on defensive roadblocks to Zygarde such as Tangrowth, Tapu Bulu, and Hippowdon. Superpower is a good option to earn a clean 2HKO on a would-be defensive counter Ferrothorn. It also does lasting damage to Chansey and allows Zygarde to pivot out, unlike Outrage. Iron Tail tail crushes Tapu Bulu and Clefable, which are quite good counters to this set otherwise, as both are quite resilient or completely immune to Toxic.
Set Details
========
With Choice Band Zygarde can 2HKO a scary part of the metagame with the very spammable Thousand Arrows. An Adamant nature is ideal, as Zygarde needs the power, and it can use Extreme Speed to make up for any Speed lost. 252 Attack EVs are optimal, as Zygarde's goal is to deal damage, not take hits. Running 252 Speed EVs to tie with other neutral base 95s like Tapu Lele is ideal as well.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Band Zygarde is a mid-game hole puncher that capitalizes on its ability to simply spam Thousand Arrows and create meaningful breaches in the opponent's defenses. Zygarde is difficult to switch into, but its fairly poor base Attack and Thousand Arrows's Base Power can prevent it from getting OHKOs. It best forces out offensive Pokemon that have already sustained some chip damage. Zygarde's defensive capabilities are another facet of using it effectively. Don't be afraid to let it absorb predicted attacks like Mega Charizard Y's Fire Blast to get into battle. Extreme Speed can be a great revenge killing tool. If the opponent has a dangerous sweeper like Volcarona, Zygarde can keep it at bay. Make sure to keep Zygarde sufficiently healthy in this scenario.
Team Options
========
Entry hazard support is the biggest boon to any Choice attacker, and Zygarde is no exception. Stealth Rock and Spikes from the likes of Greninja, Heatran, Ferrothorn, and Chansey will turn 3HKOs into 2HKOs and just make the switches Zygarde can force more effective. Toxic Spikes has significant synergy with Zygarde, as most Pokemon that are obnoxious to it, such as Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu, are quite vulnerable to them, while most defensive Pokmemon immune to Toxic Spikes such as Skarmory, Celesteela, Toxapex, and Zapdos cannot wall Zygarde for obvious reasons. In general they wear down the opponent's team nicely. Mega Scizor has good synergy with Choice Band Zygarde. Scizor can handle Grass- and Fairy-types that can be a hindrance to Zygarde and create good chip damage and momentum with U-turn, often against targets that Zygarde can easily force out like Magnezone, Heatran, and Volcarona. Other U-turn users like Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja can create switch advantage and chip damage Zygarde can capitalize on too. Both of these Pokemon are exceptionally fast and can act as late-game cleaners once Zygarde has done enough damage. Magnezone is decent at grabbing momentum, and it's quite capable of trapping and KOing both Ferrothorn and Scizor, two defensive obstacles for Zygarde.
[SET]
name: Subcoil
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Toxic / Extreme Speed
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Coil
item: Leftovers
ability: Aura Break
nature: Careful
evs: 240 HP / 212 SpD / 56 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's main attack; with its secondary effect, it achieves perfect synergy with Toxic, scoring a super effective hit on almost anything immune to poison. Toxic in combination with Coil and Substitute can stall out or at least significantly pressure traditional counters to Zygarde such as Quagsire and Tangrowth. Extreme Speed is also an option. While this does sacrifice any possibility of stallbreaking, Zygarde's incredible bulk can let it achieve quite a few boosts, and with Extreme Speed it prevents the opponent from relying on a fast Pokemon like Greninja or Latios to simply revenge kill Zygarde after letting it get too many Coil boosts. Substitute is key; it allows Zygarde to take advantage of passive Pokemon, and in combination with Coil and Zygarde's high defensive stats a Substitute can often become very difficult to break with one attack. Coil's boosting is what makes this set so deadly. With specially defensive investment and Coil boosting Defense and Attack, Zygarde becomes very bulky and powerful, quickly.
Set Details
========
Try to set up on relatively passive Pokemon like Chansey, Mega Sableye, Amoonguss, and defensive Mega Scizor. Conserve Zygarde's HP and wait until the late-game before looking to set up. There are quite a lot of Pokemon that simply will be unable to deal with Zygarde once it gets going, and the later the game goes, the higher chance the opponent will be left with only those Pokemon. One of the problems that Coil Zygarde is that it can simply be phazed, by Skarmory's Whirlwind for example; however, this problem can be solved by simply leaving Zygarde as your last Pokemon.
Usage Tips
========
Try to set up on relatively passive Pokemon like Chansey, Mega Sableye, Amoonguss, and defensive Mega Scizor. Conserve Zygarde's HP and wait until the late-game before looking to set up. There are quite a lot of Pokemon that simply will be unable to deal with Zygarde once it gets going, and the later the game goes, the higher chance the opponent will be left with only those Pokemon. One of the problems that Coil Zygarde is that it can simply be phazed, by Skarmory's Whirlwind for example; however, this problem can be solved by simply leaving Zygarde as your last Pokemon.
Team Options
========
Coil Zygarde is generally reserved as a late-game sweeper and contribution to anti-stall efforts on offensive or balanced teams. Some Stealth Rock support is obligatory for a late-game sweep, as indirectly wearing down the opposing team pays off. Landorus-T, Terrakion, Heatran, and Chansey are convincing users of the move. Toxic Spikes support is ideal on this set if it lacks Toxic; naturally, the targets of Toxic are quite vulnerable to Toxic Spikes too. Toxapex and Greninja are most talented at this. General wallbreakers and attackers will cause wounds to the enemy team that can be big enough for Zygarde to clean up. Greninja, Mega Mawile, and Mega Medicham are unmatched at this.
[SET]
name: Offensive Dragon Dance
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Outrage
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Dragon Dance
item: Dragonium Z / Groundium Z
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
======
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's main attack; hitting through Ground-type immunities is an amazing property, especially when paired with a Dragon STAB attack. Outrage achieves good coverage alongside Thousand Arrows. With Dragonium Z, Zygarde can break through some foes that resist Ground-type attacks while avoiding the drawbacks of Outrage. Extreme Speed is a great tool for avoiding enemy priority attacks and dealing with faster Choice Scarf users like Latios. Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, making it a deadly sweeper.
Set Details
========
252 Attack and Speed EVs are standard for an offensive Dragon Dance user. Outrunning as many Pokemon and dealing as much damage as possible do the most to improve the chance of a successful sweep. An Adamant nature is optimal; Jolly buys Zygarde little and the extra power does more than anything else. Dragonium Z is a great tool for giving Zygarde a very powerful attack with a lot of neutral coverage, letting it break past checks that are otherwise not sufficiently weakened, especially Tangrowth, which would otherwise force Zygarde into locking itself into Outrage. Groundium Z is an option as well; Tectonic Rage hits nearly as hard as Devastating Drake, but it can be used to target various Pokemon that are immune or resistant to Dragon-type attacks like Tapu Fini, Ferrothorn, Clefable, and Scizor.
Usage Tips
========
Dragon Dance Zygarde is a fairly archetypical setup sweeper. It wants to use its setup move late in the game and then clean up. Try to completely conserve its HP and keep it free of status throughout the early- and mid-game, as this will give it the highest chance of success in the later stages of the match. Only use Zygarde defensively if it's absolutely necessary. Factor in the probability of a successful late-game sweep into this decision. Throughout the early- and mid-game, use your entry hazard users and attackers to wear down the opposing team. Identify Zygarde's checks and focus on wearing them down. Keep in mind that +1 Devastating Drake will not simply OHKO its primary targets, Tangrowth and Landorus-T; they need to be worn down somewhat for Zygarde to avoid taking damage when getting past them. When the late-game hits, try to lure in something that Zygarde can set up on. Heatran, Magnezone, and Landorus-T lacking Hidden Power Ice are among the most common Pokemon Zygarde can take advantage of. Choice users locked into the wrong move also suffice. While sweeping is this set's specialty, it's possible for it to act as a mid-game wallbreaker, as Dragon Dance and a Z-Move together are quite devastating. Zygarde is no slouch at bringing in and eliminating the likes of Landorus-T, Tangrowth, and other defensive Pokemon. While it will sustain damage in trying to break past these threats, usually too much to sweep, Zygarde will ultimately prevail, and other teammates may capitalize on this.
Team Options
========
General wallbreakers and attackers that put a lot of pressure on the physically defensive Pokemon in the tier are the first thing Zygarde needs for support. Mega Medicham and Mega Mawile are terrifyingly powerful and, thanks to their movepools, somewhat unpredictable attackers that can draw in and crush the likes of Landorus-T, Tangrowth, Celesteela, Skarmory, Rotom-W, Tapu Fini, Scizor, Clefable, and pretty much anything in the tier that might be able to defensively check Zygarde. Life Orb Garchomp has high redundancy with Zygarde, which can alleviate some of the defensive need for its typing on a team, and can act as a solid lure to the defensive Pokemon that Zygarde struggles against. Entry hazard users make life quite a lot easier for any late-game sweeper, and Zygarde is no exception. Azelf is a great partner, as early-game guaranteed hazards add their damage up quickly and substantially. Greninja, Garchomp, and Heatran are generally reliable and effective entry hazard users as well. Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor can be a problem for this set, and Magnezone is quite capable of trapping and eliminating these threats.
[SET]
name: Double Dance
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Extreme Speed
move 3: Dragon Dance
move 4: Coil
item: Sitrus Berry
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 160 HP / 216 Atk / 28 SpD / 104 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's signature offensive move, getting good neutral coverage with one slot. Extreme Speed is used to not fall victim to revenge killers. Dragon Dance boosts Zygarde's Attack and Speed, and is more useful for trying to sweep through faster teams. Coil boosts Zygarde's Defense rather than Speed. It can be used to set up in the face of relatively weak physical attackers. Using both moves on one set creates more situations where Zygarde can successfully boost.
Set Details
========
104 Speed EVs ensure that Zygarde outpaces Timid Magearna, which can easily check Zygarde should it lack the Speed. It also conveniently beats Greninja at +1, avoiding its deadly Ice Beam. 160 HP EVs have a specific goal in mind; they allow Zygarde to survive Choice Scarf Garchomp's Outrage. 28 Special Defense EVs allow Zygarde to survive Choice Scarf Tapu Lele's Moonblast and two Moonblasts from Tapu Fini, both after Stealth Rock. The remaining 216 EVs are placed into Attack to give Zygarde as much power as it can away with. An Adamant nature is most beneficial, as because of Zygarde's Speed tier, a positive nature does little. Sitrus Berry gives Zygarde the ability to deceive the opponent into thinking it's easier to KO than it actually is. With the Sitrus Berry it's often possible to boost for one more turn, which can lead to a sweep. This is especially apparent against Pokemon like Volcarona and Mega Charizard Y, which Zygarde can potentially switch into to boost thanks to Sitrus Berry. Earth Plate is another option. It gives Zygarde a nice power boost without any defensive drawbacks, as Life Orb recoil runs too contrary to a defensive booster.
Usage Tips
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Double Dance Zygarde is another late-game sweeper variant. It's generally ideal to preserve its HP until late-game, and to use your wallbreakers, entry hazard users, and pivots to put wear onto the opponent's team during the early- and mid-game. Once the late-game arrives, focus on bringing in Zygarde against Pokemon it can set up against, such as Heatran, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Scizor, and Magnezone. Choice item users locked into the wrong move, such as Choice Scarf Keldeo locked into Secret Sword, are great opportunities as well. Knowing when to use Coil or Dragon Dance is a major key and all about estimating how valuable boosting Speed or Defense may be. Coil has a few uses: it can provide extra turns to boost against relatively weak physical attackers like Excadrill lacking a boosting item, Mega Scizor, and defensive Landorus-T lacking Hidden Power Ice. It also provides protection against physical attackers that Zygarde may be incapable of OHKOing. For example, Zygarde is capable of 2HKOing Mega Pinsir with a combination of Thousand Arrows and Extreme Speed; in this case the protection of +1 Defense is much more useful than Speed, which ultimately does nothing. It also protects against priority users that Extreme Speed is too weak against, such as Bisharp. Dragon Dance's uses are outpacing opposing Pokemon, naturally. Keep in mind this can be offset by Extreme Speed's +2 priority. The choice of which move to use comes down to looking at which Pokemon the opponent has and calculating whether Speed or Defense is better at preserving Zygarde's HP. Coil's +1 Attack boost may be enough to finish off the opponent's Greninja, or it may be the case that the extra Speed is necessary to outspeed it and hit it with a more powerful Thousand Arrows, and Zygarde's natural bulk will be sufficient in surviving the rest of the opponent's attacks.
Team Options
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As mentioned, Zygarde does need its teammates to do significant wear to the opponent's team in the early- and mid-game to think about cleaning up. Garchomp, Greninja, Terrakion, Heatran, and Azelf are all good entry hazard users that can deal significant indirect damage to the opposing team. Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham, Mega Pinsir, Tapu Bulu, and Alolan Marowak are powerful physical attackers that can rend open the opponent's team for Zygarde to capitalize on. Mega Scizor, Tapu Koko, Ash-Greninja, and Magnezone are all good offensive pivots that can be used to bring in these same attackers in the early- and mid-game. Magnezone is particularly noteworthy for its ability to eliminate opposing Ferrothorn, a large issue for Zygarde.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
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Lum Berry is an option on Zygarde's Dragon Dance sets, as it can allow it to set up in the face of Will-O-Wisp users, but these are not really common enough for it to be a consistent item. Protect is an interesting option on the Substitute + Coil set; paired with Toxic Spikes support it can let Zygarde get past the same Pokemon that Toxic does, while using Protect to heal excessively. Naturally, this is reliant on a lot of support and runs the risk of being nigh-useless should the opponent be able to play around Toxic Spikes while having an answer to Toxic-less Zygarde. Life Orb is an option on Zygarde's Dragon Dance sets to power up all of its attacks, which is quite useful, especially considering it's the only option for boosting Extreme Speed, but its recoil really runs counter to Zygarde's excellent natural bulk, making it a questionable choice.
Checks and Counters
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**Fairy-types**: Clefable, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Bulu can all be a thorn in Zygarde's side. Clefable can ignore boosts with Unaware, and has the bulk to survive two Choice Band-boosted Thousand Arrows while 2HKOing in return with Moonblast. Even when Zygarde is running Toxic, Clefable can still be a problem with Heal Bell or Magic Guard. Tapu Fini can check most sets quite well, but it cannot switch into Choice Band-boosted Thousand Arrows and prevail. Tapu Bulu is a great counter to sets that lack both Toxic and Iron Tail thanks to its favorable typing.
*Grass- and Bug-types**: Unlike Flying-type and levitating Pokemon, Bug- and Grass-types resist Ground and thus take advantage of Zygarde's propensity to using a single STAB attack. Hidden Power Ice Tangrowth is the main mention here; while it can fall to Toxic, Devastating Drake, and Choice Band Outrage, it still stops Thousand Arrow spam from doing much of anything and can force Zygarde into a bad spot if healthy. Ferrothorn is also a big issue for Zygarde; it can deal with the Choice Band and Dragon Dance sets effectively, but it will fall to Substitute + Coil. Mega Scizor usually is not a good answer to boosting Zygarde, as Coil will usually prevent it from countering Zygarde; however, Scizor does easily avoid a 2HKO from anything Choice Band Zygarde can throw at it, which will result in Zygarde simply being stalled out of PP. Buzzwole possessing Ice Punch is a pretty hard counter to Zygarde outside of Substitute and Toxic shenanigans.
**Revenge Killers**: Choice Scarf users like Garchomp, Greninja, Gengar, Latios, and Keldeo are an issue for Zygarde. Their ability to simply outspeed Zygarde and either OHKO it or deal serious damage to it and lower its Speed with Icy Wind will stifle any attempt at sweeping. Ice Shard from the likes of Mamoswine and Weavile is also quite an issue for Zygarde, as it comes close to OHKOing. All of these Pokemon except Gengar are vulnerable to Extreme Speed should they be sufficiently worn down, however.
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