[OVERVIEW]
Flying
========
* Zapdos's great mixed bulk makes it into one of the best defensive pivots for Flying teams.
* Access to Roost gives Zapdos great longevity, and Volt Switch allows it to gain momentum for its team.
* With its additional Electric typing and specially defensive investment, Zapdos is a special wall and is one of the few reliable switch-ins to Electric-type attacks.
* Its Electric typing also lets it serve as a great check to Steel-types like Mega Scizor, and its access to Heat Wave backed by its respectable Special Attack lets it threaten most of them out.
* Zapdos is one of the best possible Defoggers because of Pressure, which reduces Stealth Rock's effective PP and allows Zapdos to have enough Defog PP to stall it out.
* Pressure also makes Zapdos capable of PP stalling most slower Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and acting as a stallbreaker with a combination of Substitute and Roost.
* Unfortunately, Zapdos's defensive stats only go so far, and it's easily broken by many of the wallbreakers in the Monotype metagame, such as Hoopa-U.
* Its Defense is also quite lacking due to a lack of investment, meaning most physical attackers can deal significant damage to it.
[SET]
name: SubToxic (Flying)
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpD / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Discharge gives Zapdos a relatively hard-hitting STAB attack that can also allow it to outspeed foes by paralyzing them. It also hits Poison- and Steel-types that are immune to poison.
* Roost is needed to keep Zapdos as healthy as possible, importantly restoring the HP lost from repeatedly using Substitute.
* Toxic lets Zapdos cripple its foes by putting them on a timer. It also keeps Zapdos from being walled by Ground-types and specially defensive walls.
* Substitute combines with Roost and/or Toxic to easily stall out almost any Pokemon by racking up extra turns of poison damage. It is also very useful for scouting purposes and protecting Zapdos from status moves.
Set Details
========
* 76 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Zapdos outspeed everything up to neutral-natured base 90s and, most importantly, Heatran.
* Maximum HP investment gives Zapdos the most mixed bulk, allowing it to survive multiple hits from both physical and special attackers.
* The rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to allow Zapdos to take Electric-type attacks like Thunderbolt more easily.
* Leftovers gives Zapdos passive recovery, which also helps mitigate the damage from using Substitute.
* Pressure is the preferred ability to more easily PP stall foes with Substitute + Roost spam.
Usage Tips
========
* Zapdos is most effective against slower Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and special attackers such as Thundurus because it can use Substitute and its great bulk to scout their moves.
* In particular, because Zapdos is a common target for high-powered Z-moves, Substitute should be used to scout for them. Substitute and Roost can beat Magearna that try to use the otherwise very effective combination of Twinkle Tackle and Fleur Cannon.
* Bring Zapdos into special attackers that it can wall. Pokemon that use moves that drop their Special Attack such as Draco Meteor and Fleur Cannon are especially easy to take advantage of.
* Zapdos can easily pivot into attacks and spread Toxic poison or paralysis with Discharge early-game so that late-game it can focus on stalling.
* Make sure to avoid facing off against walls and other status-using Pokemon without Substitute active. Zapdos cannot afford to have its recovery crippled at all.
* That being said, thanks to Substitute's ability to block status, Pressure to further reduce PP, and Zapdos's great defense, Zapdos is a fantastic stallbreaker able to disrupt almost every defensive Pokemon.
* Use Toxic with Substitute and Roost to stack up poison damage. If the opponent chooses to switch out due to the scaling damage of Toxic poison, Zapdos can get a free Substitute.
* Make absolute sure to keep Zapdos as healthy as possible with Roost because it thrives on being able to switch into attackers.
* In the same vein, also try to keep Stealth Rock off the field to avoid letting Zapdos take significant damage as it switches in.
* Once behind a Substitute, Zapdos can poison its foes with Toxic or freely fire off Discharge, but make sure to heal in order to be ready to use Substitute later on
* Take advantage of Pressure and Substitute to beat Pokemon Zapdos wouldn't otherwise be able to stop. For example, Zapdos can stall out all 8 PP from Diancie's Diamond Storm or Alolan Golem's Stone Edge.
Team Options
========
* Skarmory is the best teammates for this set due to the wide range of support it provides: using Defog, taking neutral damage from Rock- and Ice-type moves, checking physical attackers, and phazing setup sweepers with Whirlwind.
* Mantine is another great teammate for very similar reasons. It can also use Defog and is an even better specially defensive wall than Zapdos, filling the need for these two roles. Mantine also has Water Absorb, which lets it easily check many Water-type wallbreakers like Greninja and Keldeo, and its Water typing lets it switch into Ice-type attacks with ease, such as Nidoking's Ice Beam. In exchange, Mantine's critical weakness to Electric-type attacks is relieved by Zapdos, which easily switches into those moves.
* Celesteela shares Skarmory's typing but has better Special Defense, enabling it to switch into attacks like Power Gem from Nihilego more easily. Celesteela is also capable of using Flamethrower and/or Earthquake with its Steel typing, letting it check opposing Steel-types that cannot be poisoned, such as Mega Scizor and Heatran, very easily.
* Mega Charizard Y is a much less reliable Ice-type switch-in, but it can actively threaten them with its very powerful sun-boosted Fire Blast. It also helps break walls like Mega Sableye and Mew that Zapdos cannot handle.
* Gliscor is another stallbreaker that can make it almost impossible for stall teams to win, as its use of Taunt or Swords Dance alongside Poison Heal, which also lets it serve as a great status absorber, can completely break many walls like Clefable. Gliscor can also set up Stealth Rock too, which Zapdos can use to rack up even more damage as it forces switches.
* Landorus and Landorus-T are also great Stealth Rock users. Landorus helps break Mega Sableye and the Alomomola + Toxapex core. Landorus-T is one of the best pivots and brings in Zapdos easily with U-turn; acting as a defensive pivot gives Zapdos another great Rock-type switch-in as well.
* Additionally, these Ground-types can switch into the Electric-types that break Zapdos like Choice Specs Xurkitree and can also beat Steel-types like Excadrill for Zapdos.
* Togekiss is useful for its Heal Bell support in the event of Zapdos being inflicted with status. With a Choice Scarf, Togekiss is able to outspeed and KO threats like Kyurem-B and Keldeo that Zapdos has trouble with.
[SET]
name: Defog (Flying)
move 1: Volt Switch / Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Defog
move 4: Heat Wave / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 192 SpD / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Volt Switch is used to gain momentum and let Zapdos pivot in and out of threats while dealing modest damage.
* Discharge can be used over Volt Switch to avoid being forced to switch out when attacking and provides a chance to paralyze foes.
* Roost keeps Zapdos healthy and able to switch into attacks many times throughout a game.
* Defog allows Zapdos to remove Stealth Rock, which can be crippling for Flying teams.
* Heat Wave lets Zapdos deal great damage to Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Magearna, and Mega Scizor, preventing them from using Zapdos as setup fodder.
* Toxic can be used instead to allow Zapdos to cripple walls like Mega Slowbro and opposing Zapdos.
Set Details
========
* 64 Speed EVs allow Zapdos to outspeed everything up to Timid Magearna including Adamant Mega Scizor.
* Maximizing Zapdos's special bulk is preferred to easily switch into other Electric-type attacks, such as Magearna's Thunderbolt, so 252 HP EVs, 192 Special Defense EVs, and a Calm nature are used.
* Pressure allows Zapdos to PP stall attacks. Most importantly, thanks to Pressure, Zapdos's 24 PP of Defog will outlast the effective 16 PP of Stealth Rock.
* Leftovers gives Zapdos passive recovery, improving its longevity and allowing it to more easily PP stall attackers with Pressure and Roost.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch Zapdos into predicted Stealth Rock to get it in to Defog without taking damage. Additionally, doing this lets Zapdos's Pressure reduce the foe's Stealth Rock PP by two instead of one, allowing Zapdos to have enough Defog PP to prevent Stealth Rock.
* Make sure to Roost as much as needed; maintaining high health on Zapdos is critical to allowing it to switch into Stealth Rock setters reliably.
* Preemptive use of Roost is also highly recommended for scouting purposes. It can also preemptively Roost as a foe tries to break it with a Z-move, only to have most of its damage recovered immediately.
* Try to avoid switching Zapdos into powerful attacks if Stealth Rock is up, as even if Zapdos can survive to Defog, it will be too low to heal back.
* Use Pressure to let Zapdos eventually beat attackers that have low PP, such as those that use Stone Edge or Draco Meteor.
* While Zapdos can switch into some walls, be careful of those that can status it. If Zapdos lacks Toxic, it can generally only Defog away entry hazards and then Volt Switch out.
* When Zapdos forces a foe out, Volt Switch is especially useful for gaining momentum and switching a suitable check in immediately.
* Alternatively, if running Toxic, Zapdos should look to spread status early-game to cripple switch-ins that it can Volt Switch out of later.
Team Options
========
* Skarmory forms a great core with Zapdos, as its great physical bulk and Steel typing let it switch into many physically offensive threats, including Stone Edge users and Icicle Crash users. It can also use Defog, which pairs well with Zapdos, as together they can Defog on almost all attackers.
* Mantine completes the defensive core with Skarmory and Zapdos by serving as a reliable switch-in for Ice Beam and other more powerful special attackers like Greninja. It also appreciates having an extra moveslot when Zapdos takes the Defogger role.
* Many Flying-types appreciate having Zapdos's Defog support, as Stealth Rock very quickly wears them down and limits their opportunities to switch in.
* Mega Charizard Y requires Defog support and is useful for breaking walls like Porygon2 and Mega Venusaur that Zapdos cannot always beat.
* Dragonite also needs Defog support to protect its Multiscale and also helps break walls like Chansey and Toxapex.
* Gliscor, Landorus, and Landorus-T are useful for being Electric immune, which allows them to switch into the overly powerful Electric-types that Zapdos cannot handle such as Choice Specs Alolan Raichu. Landorus-T can form a very powerful VoltTurn core with Zapdos as well, especially if it's running a defensive set that can easily switch into Stone Edge.
* Celesteela can be a good teammate for Zapdos without Heat Wave, as it can easily check Steel-types like Magearna with Flamethrower or Earthquake.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
* A EV spread with fewer Speed EVs can be used to improve the Defog set's special bulk, such as only using 92 Speed to outspeed Timid Magearna, but not being able to Roost on Xurkitree is generally not worth it.
* Zapdos can attempt to use a physically defensive spread to better check the likes of Excadrill; however, Skarmory's typing, which makes it take neutral damage from moves like Stone Edge, allows it to be a far superior physical wall, and most common Electric-type attacks such as Thunderbolt are special, making this spread far less effective.
* A set of Discharge / Heat Wave / Toxic / Roost can be used to still Toxic stall walls while not being completely walled by Excadrill and Ferrothorn, but this leaves Zapdos vulnerable to status and incapable of Substitute PP stalling the likes of Mega Venusaur and utility Mega Sableye.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Status**: Being burned or poisoned will end the hopes of any Zapdos set because Zapdos relies heavily on being healthy to safely either stall with Substitute and Toxic or Defog Stealth Rock.
**Walls**: Walls that don't care about poison, such as Heatran, Chansey, Toxapex, and Mega Venusaur can all beat the Defog set by threatening it out with their own status moves. Heatran and Chansey in particular not only can use Toxic to cripple Zapdos but also are capable of setting Stealth Rock. Almost all walls will eventually lose to the SubToxic set though.
**Wallbreakers**: Choice Specs Xurkitree, Hoopa-U, and Mega Charizard Y easily break through Zapdos with their powerful STAB attacks. Additionally Choice Specs-using Kingdra, Keldeo, and Greninja can all beat Zapdos in the rain.
**Stallbreakers**: Mega Sableye, Taunt Mew, and Z-Rain Dance Manaphy can all beat Zapdos. Mega Sableye and Manaphy cannot be permanently crippled by Toxic, and Mew can use Taunt to prevent Zapdos from using Toxic, Defog, or Roost.
**Excadrill**: Although it can't switch into Heat Wave, Excadrill outright walls any set without it and can threaten out all Zapdos sets with its use of Rock Slide once brought in safely.
**Nidoking and Nidoqueen**: Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen take relatively insignificant damage from even Heat Wave, cannot be poisoned, and are immune to Electric-type attacks. Furthermore, both can set Stealth Rock on Zapdos and threaten to 2HKO it with Ice Beam.
**Ice-types**: Ice-types such as Weavile and Choice Band Alolan Sandslash can use their STAB Icicle Crash to outright OHKO Zapdos, although they must be careful of switching into Heat Wave.
**Rock-types**: Although no slower Rock-types can beat Zapdos with Stone Edge due to Pressure + Roost stall, faster Pokemon like Lycanroc-D and Terrakion can easily come in and KO Zapdos.
**Setup Sweepers**: Zapdos is setup fodder for certain sweepers depending on what moves it runs. Zapdos without Toxic is a free turn of setup for Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, while lacking Heat Wave will allow both Mega Scizor and Bisharp to Swords Dance on it safely.
Flying
========
* Zapdos's great mixed bulk makes it into one of the best defensive pivots for Flying teams.
* Access to Roost gives Zapdos great longevity, and Volt Switch allows it to gain momentum for its team.
* With its additional Electric typing and specially defensive investment, Zapdos is a special wall and is one of the few reliable switch-ins to Electric-type attacks.
* Its Electric typing also lets it serve as a great check to Steel-types like Mega Scizor, and its access to Heat Wave backed by its respectable Special Attack lets it threaten most of them out.
* Zapdos is one of the best possible Defoggers because of Pressure, which reduces Stealth Rock's effective PP and allows Zapdos to have enough Defog PP to stall it out.
* Pressure also makes Zapdos capable of PP stalling most slower Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and acting as a stallbreaker with a combination of Substitute and Roost.
* Unfortunately, Zapdos's defensive stats only go so far, and it's easily broken by many of the wallbreakers in the Monotype metagame, such as Hoopa-U.
* Its Defense is also quite lacking due to a lack of investment, meaning most physical attackers can deal significant damage to it.
[SET]
name: SubToxic (Flying)
move 1: Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Toxic
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Timid
evs: 252 HP / 180 SpD / 76 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Discharge gives Zapdos a relatively hard-hitting STAB attack that can also allow it to outspeed foes by paralyzing them. It also hits Poison- and Steel-types that are immune to poison.
* Roost is needed to keep Zapdos as healthy as possible, importantly restoring the HP lost from repeatedly using Substitute.
* Toxic lets Zapdos cripple its foes by putting them on a timer. It also keeps Zapdos from being walled by Ground-types and specially defensive walls.
* Substitute combines with Roost and/or Toxic to easily stall out almost any Pokemon by racking up extra turns of poison damage. It is also very useful for scouting purposes and protecting Zapdos from status moves.
Set Details
========
* 76 Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Zapdos outspeed everything up to neutral-natured base 90s and, most importantly, Heatran.
* Maximum HP investment gives Zapdos the most mixed bulk, allowing it to survive multiple hits from both physical and special attackers.
* The rest of the EVs are put into Special Defense to allow Zapdos to take Electric-type attacks like Thunderbolt more easily.
* Leftovers gives Zapdos passive recovery, which also helps mitigate the damage from using Substitute.
* Pressure is the preferred ability to more easily PP stall foes with Substitute + Roost spam.
Usage Tips
========
* Zapdos is most effective against slower Pokemon like Mega Venusaur and special attackers such as Thundurus because it can use Substitute and its great bulk to scout their moves.
* In particular, because Zapdos is a common target for high-powered Z-moves, Substitute should be used to scout for them. Substitute and Roost can beat Magearna that try to use the otherwise very effective combination of Twinkle Tackle and Fleur Cannon.
* Bring Zapdos into special attackers that it can wall. Pokemon that use moves that drop their Special Attack such as Draco Meteor and Fleur Cannon are especially easy to take advantage of.
* Zapdos can easily pivot into attacks and spread Toxic poison or paralysis with Discharge early-game so that late-game it can focus on stalling.
* Make sure to avoid facing off against walls and other status-using Pokemon without Substitute active. Zapdos cannot afford to have its recovery crippled at all.
* That being said, thanks to Substitute's ability to block status, Pressure to further reduce PP, and Zapdos's great defense, Zapdos is a fantastic stallbreaker able to disrupt almost every defensive Pokemon.
* Use Toxic with Substitute and Roost to stack up poison damage. If the opponent chooses to switch out due to the scaling damage of Toxic poison, Zapdos can get a free Substitute.
* Make absolute sure to keep Zapdos as healthy as possible with Roost because it thrives on being able to switch into attackers.
* In the same vein, also try to keep Stealth Rock off the field to avoid letting Zapdos take significant damage as it switches in.
* Once behind a Substitute, Zapdos can poison its foes with Toxic or freely fire off Discharge, but make sure to heal in order to be ready to use Substitute later on
* Take advantage of Pressure and Substitute to beat Pokemon Zapdos wouldn't otherwise be able to stop. For example, Zapdos can stall out all 8 PP from Diancie's Diamond Storm or Alolan Golem's Stone Edge.
Team Options
========
* Skarmory is the best teammates for this set due to the wide range of support it provides: using Defog, taking neutral damage from Rock- and Ice-type moves, checking physical attackers, and phazing setup sweepers with Whirlwind.
* Mantine is another great teammate for very similar reasons. It can also use Defog and is an even better specially defensive wall than Zapdos, filling the need for these two roles. Mantine also has Water Absorb, which lets it easily check many Water-type wallbreakers like Greninja and Keldeo, and its Water typing lets it switch into Ice-type attacks with ease, such as Nidoking's Ice Beam. In exchange, Mantine's critical weakness to Electric-type attacks is relieved by Zapdos, which easily switches into those moves.
* Celesteela shares Skarmory's typing but has better Special Defense, enabling it to switch into attacks like Power Gem from Nihilego more easily. Celesteela is also capable of using Flamethrower and/or Earthquake with its Steel typing, letting it check opposing Steel-types that cannot be poisoned, such as Mega Scizor and Heatran, very easily.
* Mega Charizard Y is a much less reliable Ice-type switch-in, but it can actively threaten them with its very powerful sun-boosted Fire Blast. It also helps break walls like Mega Sableye and Mew that Zapdos cannot handle.
* Gliscor is another stallbreaker that can make it almost impossible for stall teams to win, as its use of Taunt or Swords Dance alongside Poison Heal, which also lets it serve as a great status absorber, can completely break many walls like Clefable. Gliscor can also set up Stealth Rock too, which Zapdos can use to rack up even more damage as it forces switches.
* Landorus and Landorus-T are also great Stealth Rock users. Landorus helps break Mega Sableye and the Alomomola + Toxapex core. Landorus-T is one of the best pivots and brings in Zapdos easily with U-turn; acting as a defensive pivot gives Zapdos another great Rock-type switch-in as well.
* Additionally, these Ground-types can switch into the Electric-types that break Zapdos like Choice Specs Xurkitree and can also beat Steel-types like Excadrill for Zapdos.
* Togekiss is useful for its Heal Bell support in the event of Zapdos being inflicted with status. With a Choice Scarf, Togekiss is able to outspeed and KO threats like Kyurem-B and Keldeo that Zapdos has trouble with.
[SET]
name: Defog (Flying)
move 1: Volt Switch / Discharge
move 2: Roost
move 3: Defog
move 4: Heat Wave / Toxic
item: Leftovers
ability: Pressure
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 192 SpD / 64 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Volt Switch is used to gain momentum and let Zapdos pivot in and out of threats while dealing modest damage.
* Discharge can be used over Volt Switch to avoid being forced to switch out when attacking and provides a chance to paralyze foes.
* Roost keeps Zapdos healthy and able to switch into attacks many times throughout a game.
* Defog allows Zapdos to remove Stealth Rock, which can be crippling for Flying teams.
* Heat Wave lets Zapdos deal great damage to Steel-types like Ferrothorn, Magearna, and Mega Scizor, preventing them from using Zapdos as setup fodder.
* Toxic can be used instead to allow Zapdos to cripple walls like Mega Slowbro and opposing Zapdos.
Set Details
========
* 64 Speed EVs allow Zapdos to outspeed everything up to Timid Magearna including Adamant Mega Scizor.
* Maximizing Zapdos's special bulk is preferred to easily switch into other Electric-type attacks, such as Magearna's Thunderbolt, so 252 HP EVs, 192 Special Defense EVs, and a Calm nature are used.
* Pressure allows Zapdos to PP stall attacks. Most importantly, thanks to Pressure, Zapdos's 24 PP of Defog will outlast the effective 16 PP of Stealth Rock.
* Leftovers gives Zapdos passive recovery, improving its longevity and allowing it to more easily PP stall attackers with Pressure and Roost.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch Zapdos into predicted Stealth Rock to get it in to Defog without taking damage. Additionally, doing this lets Zapdos's Pressure reduce the foe's Stealth Rock PP by two instead of one, allowing Zapdos to have enough Defog PP to prevent Stealth Rock.
* Make sure to Roost as much as needed; maintaining high health on Zapdos is critical to allowing it to switch into Stealth Rock setters reliably.
* Preemptive use of Roost is also highly recommended for scouting purposes. It can also preemptively Roost as a foe tries to break it with a Z-move, only to have most of its damage recovered immediately.
* Try to avoid switching Zapdos into powerful attacks if Stealth Rock is up, as even if Zapdos can survive to Defog, it will be too low to heal back.
* Use Pressure to let Zapdos eventually beat attackers that have low PP, such as those that use Stone Edge or Draco Meteor.
* While Zapdos can switch into some walls, be careful of those that can status it. If Zapdos lacks Toxic, it can generally only Defog away entry hazards and then Volt Switch out.
* When Zapdos forces a foe out, Volt Switch is especially useful for gaining momentum and switching a suitable check in immediately.
* Alternatively, if running Toxic, Zapdos should look to spread status early-game to cripple switch-ins that it can Volt Switch out of later.
Team Options
========
* Skarmory forms a great core with Zapdos, as its great physical bulk and Steel typing let it switch into many physically offensive threats, including Stone Edge users and Icicle Crash users. It can also use Defog, which pairs well with Zapdos, as together they can Defog on almost all attackers.
* Mantine completes the defensive core with Skarmory and Zapdos by serving as a reliable switch-in for Ice Beam and other more powerful special attackers like Greninja. It also appreciates having an extra moveslot when Zapdos takes the Defogger role.
* Many Flying-types appreciate having Zapdos's Defog support, as Stealth Rock very quickly wears them down and limits their opportunities to switch in.
* Mega Charizard Y requires Defog support and is useful for breaking walls like Porygon2 and Mega Venusaur that Zapdos cannot always beat.
* Dragonite also needs Defog support to protect its Multiscale and also helps break walls like Chansey and Toxapex.
* Gliscor, Landorus, and Landorus-T are useful for being Electric immune, which allows them to switch into the overly powerful Electric-types that Zapdos cannot handle such as Choice Specs Alolan Raichu. Landorus-T can form a very powerful VoltTurn core with Zapdos as well, especially if it's running a defensive set that can easily switch into Stone Edge.
* Celesteela can be a good teammate for Zapdos without Heat Wave, as it can easily check Steel-types like Magearna with Flamethrower or Earthquake.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Flying
--------
* A EV spread with fewer Speed EVs can be used to improve the Defog set's special bulk, such as only using 92 Speed to outspeed Timid Magearna, but not being able to Roost on Xurkitree is generally not worth it.
* Zapdos can attempt to use a physically defensive spread to better check the likes of Excadrill; however, Skarmory's typing, which makes it take neutral damage from moves like Stone Edge, allows it to be a far superior physical wall, and most common Electric-type attacks such as Thunderbolt are special, making this spread far less effective.
* A set of Discharge / Heat Wave / Toxic / Roost can be used to still Toxic stall walls while not being completely walled by Excadrill and Ferrothorn, but this leaves Zapdos vulnerable to status and incapable of Substitute PP stalling the likes of Mega Venusaur and utility Mega Sableye.
Checks and Counters
===================
Flying
--------
**Status**: Being burned or poisoned will end the hopes of any Zapdos set because Zapdos relies heavily on being healthy to safely either stall with Substitute and Toxic or Defog Stealth Rock.
**Walls**: Walls that don't care about poison, such as Heatran, Chansey, Toxapex, and Mega Venusaur can all beat the Defog set by threatening it out with their own status moves. Heatran and Chansey in particular not only can use Toxic to cripple Zapdos but also are capable of setting Stealth Rock. Almost all walls will eventually lose to the SubToxic set though.
**Wallbreakers**: Choice Specs Xurkitree, Hoopa-U, and Mega Charizard Y easily break through Zapdos with their powerful STAB attacks. Additionally Choice Specs-using Kingdra, Keldeo, and Greninja can all beat Zapdos in the rain.
**Stallbreakers**: Mega Sableye, Taunt Mew, and Z-Rain Dance Manaphy can all beat Zapdos. Mega Sableye and Manaphy cannot be permanently crippled by Toxic, and Mew can use Taunt to prevent Zapdos from using Toxic, Defog, or Roost.
**Excadrill**: Although it can't switch into Heat Wave, Excadrill outright walls any set without it and can threaten out all Zapdos sets with its use of Rock Slide once brought in safely.
**Nidoking and Nidoqueen**: Both Nidoking and Nidoqueen take relatively insignificant damage from even Heat Wave, cannot be poisoned, and are immune to Electric-type attacks. Furthermore, both can set Stealth Rock on Zapdos and threaten to 2HKO it with Ice Beam.
**Ice-types**: Ice-types such as Weavile and Choice Band Alolan Sandslash can use their STAB Icicle Crash to outright OHKO Zapdos, although they must be careful of switching into Heat Wave.
**Rock-types**: Although no slower Rock-types can beat Zapdos with Stone Edge due to Pressure + Roost stall, faster Pokemon like Lycanroc-D and Terrakion can easily come in and KO Zapdos.
**Setup Sweepers**: Zapdos is setup fodder for certain sweepers depending on what moves it runs. Zapdos without Toxic is a free turn of setup for Mega Charizard X and Volcarona, while lacking Heat Wave will allow both Mega Scizor and Bisharp to Swords Dance on it safely.
Last edited:
