Zygarde [QC: 2/3] (Written)

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[OVERVIEW]

Zygarde's main niche stems from its signature move, Thousand Arrows, which is a Ground-type move that also hits Flying or Levitating Pokemon. Thousand Arrows is very easy to spam, and having few resists and no immunities means that it compresses coverage and can easily be run as a mono-attacking move. This also means Zygarde does well against teams that run a Ground immunity such as Celesteela or Landorus-T as their only answer to Ground-types as they are not immune to Zygarde's Ground-type STAB move. Zygarde's very good bulk, decent speed tier and useful resistances means that it does not lack set up or switch in opportunities and it possesses a versatile yet compact movepool comprising of Dragon Dance and Coil for set up, Outrage for a high base power STAB move and Extreme Speed for powerful priority. This means that Zygarde has the capacity to run multiple sets, each with slightly different checks and counters, making it unpredictable and sometimes difficult to deal with. However, a middling Attack stat at base 100 means that Zygarde can be weak without an Attack-boosting nature, item or set up move. Though its Dragon/Ground typing is generally very good, Zygarde's quadruple weakness to Ice-type moves can be exploited; it is easy for many Pokemon like Stratagem and Nihilego to carry Hidden Power Ice to do significant damage to it. Thousand Arrows, despite hitting Pokemon in the air, is still resisted by Grass- and Bug-types, which Zygarde is more reliant on Dragonium Z or a weaker Extreme Speed to break through without locking itself into Outrage. Furthermore, Zygarde is solidly checked by defensive Tomohawk, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, unless it has been hit by Toxic previously. Finally, its ability, Aura Break, is completely useless in the CAP metagame but it is the only ability it can legally run.

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

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

Thousand Arrows is the focal point of the set, hitting even Flying or Levitating Pokemon like Skarmory, Celesteela and Zapdos which do not usually fear Ground-type moves. This means that it is very easy to click throughout the match due to its few resistances. Outrage is a very powerful Dragon-type STAB move which can allow Zygarde to break through some Grass-types like Tangrowth that resist Thousand Arrows though it unfortunately has the downside of locking Zygarde in to the attack. This can be dangerous against Fairy- and Steel-types such as Clefable, Ferrothorn and Magearna, as it gives them the opportunity to set up hazards, boost or deal significant damage to Zygarde. It must also be wary of knocking out an opposing Pokemon with Outrage as Zygarde can be easily revenge killed by a faster opponent while it is locked in. Extreme Speed offers powerful priority as it has high base power for a priority move and does decent damage with a Choice Band. It allows Zygarde to occasionally circumvent its mediocre speed tier and revenge kill weakened opponents such as Greninja, Syclant and Mega Alakazam as well as pick off a highly weakened Tomohawk before it can priority Roost. Toxic is invaluable in wearing down physically defensive threats such as Tangrowth, Landorus-T and Tomohawk which would otherwise be able to counter this set.

Set Details
========

Holding a Choice Band provides Zygarde with the extra power that it really desires, giving it the ability to do a lot of damage to most of the metagame. Maximum Attack investment with an Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible, and to power up Extreme Speed which can be used to make up for the loss in speed. Maximum speed allows Zygarde to outspeed most of the defensive metagame and tie with other neutral base 95s like Colossoil and Modest Specs Volkraken.

Usage Tips
========

Zygarde can switch in fairly often using its good bulk, especially on Fire- and Poison-type attacks from the likes of Pyroak, Mollux and Crucibelle. It must be wary of Burns from Lava Plume, however, and should try not to switch directly in on the move. Toxic should be used early-game when susceptible defensive threats are predicted to switch into Zygarde but only when it can't be taken advantage of by the opponent - switching out immediately after it is used does not give the opponent the chance to do so. Zygarde should be mainly using Thousand Arrows to punch holes in the opposing team as few Pokemon with reliable recovery can take multiple hits. Use Outrage only when it is absolutely needed due to its side-effect of locking Zygarde in, although it can be very effective to catch neutral targets expecting a weaker Thousand Arrows. As previously mentioned, Extreme Speed is useful to revenge kill weakened opponents, so getting chip damage on them and keeping Zygarde in the back can be an effective way to deal with them. Zygarde can also clean with Extreme Speed late game, in which case it does not need to stay particularly healthy as Extreme Speed's +2 priority means that Zygarde does not even fear other priority moves like Water Shuirken or Bullet Punch. Zygarde should not stay in on any Pokemon that could realistically carry Hidden Power Ice such as Plasmanta and defensive Landorus-T as they will do big damage to Zygarde due to its quadruple weakness. If they are revealed not to have Hidden Power Ice, Zygarde has an easier time staying in and attacking so it is important to scout for the move.

Team Options
========

Zygarde appreciates entry hazard support to wear down its checks and counters and make its role of wallbreaking much easier. Arghonaut and Ferrothorn can set Spikes throughout the match, the former being able to take Ice-type attacks for Zygarde while the latter can deal with Fairy- and Dragon- types not carrying Fire- or Fighting-type coverage. More offensive Spikes setters include Syclant and Greninja, both of which can bait in and weaken Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini, two checks to Zygarde. Syclant can use U-Turn to provide Zygarde with free switch ins whereas Greninja can lure in and damage Grass-types like Tangrowth with Gunk Shot. Clefable and Heatran are examples of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock for Zygarde, Heatran being an especially good partner as it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses. Steel-types in general work well with Zygarde as they have good defensive synergy; Pokemon such as Magearna and Celesteela can take super-effective Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks for Zygarde. Mega Scizor in particular is a good partner as it can deal with most Fairy- and Grass-types and can U-Turn Zygarde in on Pokemon like Heatran and Mollux, however it notably doesn't deal with Pyroak. Zygarde appreciates Pokemon that can deal with the Grass-types that prevent it from spamming Thousand Arrows, examples include Poison- and Flying-types like Mega Crucibelle, Tomohawk and Flyinium Z Landorus-T, the latter of which can potentially lure them and remove them from the game with a powerful Z move. Mega Crucibelle also shares checks and counters such as Landorus-T and Tomohawk with Zygarde and can sweep late game once these have been weakened by Zygarde. Similarly, Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja appreciate Zygarde's ability to punch holes in the opposing team and can also pivot it in with U-Turn. Magnezone also provides momentum with Volt Switch and can remove Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor with Magnet Pull, two Pokemon that can usually deal with Zygarde's attacks.

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thousand Arrows
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Dragonium Z / Groundium Z
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

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

Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to simultaneously boost its Attack and Speed, potentially giving it the ability to both outspeed its usual revenge killers like Syclant and Greninja, and break through its conventional counters like Pyroak and Mega Scizor. Thousand Arrows is used once again due to its great coverage with few resistances and it is also Zygarde's only way of hitting Pokemon like Skarmory and Celesteela for decent damage. Outrage is an extremely strong Dragon-type STAB move and it allows Zygarde to break through Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows like AV Tangrowth as well as being Zygarde's strongest attack against neutral targets like Mew. Extreme Speed is very useful even with a move that boosts Zygarde's Speed as it allows it to deal with faster but frail or weakened revenge killers like Choice Scarf Greninja and Latios. Due to its +2 priority, Extreme Speed also gives Zygarde the ability to circumvent other priority and go before Greninja's Water Shuriken or Tomohawk's Haze. It can also create mid games against Sucker Punch users like Colossoil, as using Extreme Speed will cause Sucker Punch to fail.

Set Details
========

The EVs maximise Zygarde's Attack and Speed, making it a much more potent offensive threat. Zygarde is far from frail without investment in bulk so it should not find it difficult to take a neutral hit before setting up. An Adamant nature is much preferred as it boosts Zygarde's somewhat mediocre Attack stat, but Jolly can be used to speed tie with Choice Scarf base 95s like Tapu Lele and Volkraken after Zygarde has set up. Zygarde can utilise a choice of powerful Z Moves in order to break through a selection of its traditional checks and counters. Dragonium Z is Zygarde's most powerful attack and has great neutral coverage, giving it the ability to break through bulky Pokemon like Tangrowth and Mew without locking itself into Outrage. However, Zygarde must be wary of wasting its Z Move on Fairy-types switching in. A second option is Groundium Z, which can be used to allow Zygarde to deal massive damage to Pokemon like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini which take little or nothing from its Dragon-type STAB and aren't KO'd by regular Thousand Arrows. It is important to note that Tectonic Rage does not hit Pokemon in the air like Thousand Arrows does, so Flying or Levitating Pokemon are immune to this particular Z Move. If Zygarde's team already has Z Move user, Zygarde can use other items such as Earth Plate and Sitrus Berry, though they are generally less effective. Earth Plate boosts Zygarde's Thousand Arrows - its most used move - without diminishing its longevity while Sitrus Berry allows Zygarde to recover off some damage sustained while setting up and can give it the opportunity to set up more than once during a match.

Usage Tips
========

This Zygarde set should be used to set up and sweep in the late-game once its checks like Landorus-T, Tomohawk and Tangrowth have been worn down to the point where they fall to at least a +1 Z Move, though bear in mind that Zygarde can only use its Z Move once so only one of these Pokemon can be KO'd if they are at a decent amount of health. Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Latios and Syclant which can OHKO Zygarde must also be Paralysed, eliminated or in range of a +1 Extreme Speed. Zygarde's health should try to be preserved until this point in the game so it has the best chance of sweeping successfully. This can be done by keeping hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes off of Zygarde's side of the field and by not switching it in on Pokemon such as Tapu Koko which could significantly damage it with a coverage move. When Zygade does want to set up, its teammates should try to pivot it in on Fire-, Poison- and Rock-types such as Heatran, Mollux and Crucibelle which cannot significantly damage Zygarde. Pokemon Choice-locked into attacks Zygarde resists are especially safe targets, examples include Volkraken locked into Fire Blast or Power Gem and Tapu Lele, Magnezone and Plasmanta locked into Hidden Power Fire, Thunderbolt or, in Plasmanta's case, Sludge Bomb. More passive Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T and Pyroak also make good targets, but Zygarde must be wary as Landorus can carry Hidden Power Ice and Pyroak can burn Zygarde with Lava Plume or chip away at it with Leech Seed. This Zygarde set can also wallbreak effectively and lure Pokemon that fall to its Z Move mid-game, but this drastically reduces its chances of sweeping and instead takes a more supportive role for a second late-game sweeper or cleaner which will ultimately end up winning the game. Zygarde should use its Z Move against a bulky threat like Mew or Tangrowth which it would be unable to break through otherwise. However, it must be cautious of the opponent switching out and scouting for the Z Move, especially since Fairy-types are immune to Devastating Drake and Flying-types are immune to to Tectonic Rage. Entry hazards on the opposing side of the field can help Zygarde with this by punishing the opponent for switching out.

Team Options
========

This set appreciates hazard support in the form on Stealth Rock and Spikes to wear down opposing Pokemon when they switch in, potentially putting them in range of Zygarde's Extreme Speed or Devastating Drake in the late-game. Ferrothorn and Arghonaut are good options to set Spikes on balance teams as they have good defensive synergy with Zygarde whereas Syclant and Greninja work better on faster-paced teams as they have the ability weaken some checks to Zygarde in Tapu Fini and, in Greninja's case, Tangrowth. There are plenty of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock in the tier, two examples being Heatran and Clefable; the former can also weaken bulky Water-types like Tapu Fini and Keldeo with Magma Storm and Toxic whereas the latter can lure Ferrothorn and Scizor with Flamethrower. Lures for Haze Tomohawk are extremely important for allowing Zygarde to sweep and hitting it with Toxic early game and not giving it chance to recover is also a good way to whittle it down until Zygarde can knock it out. Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T, Revenankh and Pyroak can carry Toxic to surprise opposing Tomohawk. Pokemon like Mega Diancie, Tapu Koko, Cyclohm and Magnezone which are good switchins to Defensive Tomohawk are helpful as Zygarde will be forced out by it often. In general, physical wallbreakers help weaken Pokemon like Landorus-T, Clefable, Arghonaut, Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn which is essential for Zygarde to be able to sweep. Good examples include Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham and Flame Orb Colossoil, which can all use their raw power to punch holes in the opposing team. Magnezone can trap Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, two Pokemon that can be problematic for this set, while also providing Volt Switch support to pivot Zygarde in on Pokemon it can set up on like Pyroak and Plasmanta. Other Pokemon which use pivoting moves are useful for easily getting in Zygarde, examples include Mega Scizor, Crucibelle and Mega Crucibelle, Landorus-T and Greninja. These Pokemon can give Zygarde set up opportunities against Heatran, Celesteela, Mollux, Pyroak and Toxapex, amongst others.

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

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

Substitute has many uses which warrant it a place on this set, namely blocking status and Intimidate and, if already set up, giving Zygarde an opportunity to attack faster opponents without taking damage. It also allows Zygarde to set up on more passive Pokemon. Coil is a great move on Zygarde, as it simultaneously boosts Zygarde's mediocre Attack stat and its good Defense. This means that Zygarde can quickly become both impossible to wall and difficult to take down and Zygarde's Substitute can become very difficult to break due to high Special Defense investment and Defense boosts from Coil. Thousand Arrows is a must on Zygarde and its good neutral coverage and lack of immunities mean that it can be run as the only attacking move on this set. Toxic is also essential on this set as it allows Zygarde to stall out many Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows or are otherwise bulky enough to take repeated hits from Zygarde, most importantly giving it the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk, something which very few physical set up sweepers can boast to do. Toxic also has good synergy with Thousand Arrows as Zygarde can hit every Poison- and Steel-type immune to Toxic super-effectively. Extreme Speed is an option to improve Zygarde's matchup against offensive teams and make it more difficult to revenge kill but it means forgoing Toxic, Zygarde's main stallbreaking tool and only way to stall out defensive Tomohawk.

Set Details
========

240 HP EVs give Zygarde 101 HP Substitutes, meaning that Chansey cannot break them with one Seismic Toss and turning it into setup fodder. The Speed investment allows Zygarde to outspeed neutral base 70s like Bisharp, Breloom and Mega Swampert outside of rain, which is important because these Pokemon can either cripple Zygarde or outright KO it. A Careful nature along with the rest of the EVs dumped into Special Defense give Zygarde as much special bulk as possible, as Zygarde will be boosting its physical Defense with Coil. It also contributes to Zygarde's ability to beat defensive Tomohawk by preventing Air Slash from breaking its Substitute Leftovers is mandatory on this set as it allows Zygarde to recover the damage sustained when using Substitute and provides passive recovery throughout the match. This is especially important as Zygarde will likely being staying on the field for some time when it chooses to set up.

Usage Tips
========

Zygarde has an easy time setting up against passive Pokemon or weak special attackers that can't break its Substitute. Common examples include Chansey, Mega Sableye, defensive Mega Scizor, defensive Tomohawk lacking Taunt, Pyroak, Cyclohm without Ice Beam and specially defensive Mollux. Zygarde should be pivoted in on these Pokemon if at all possible so it does not have to risk catching a Burn as it switches in. It can then set up a Substitute and avoid status.If it comes in early-game and the opponent still has defensive answers such as Tangrowth, Tomohawk and Landorus-T, Zygarde should throw off Toxics to wear them down. Offensive threats such as Syclant and Mega Medicham should themselves be worn down until they would be KO'd by a +1 or +2 Thousand Arrows so they cannot beat a Zygarde behind a Substitute. Zygarde works quite well when it has no teammates left because the threat of phazing is removed, something that Pokemon like Arghonaut and Skarmory can usually use to stop Zygarde's sweep.

Team Options
========

Like any other set, this Zygarde set appreciates entry hazard support to damage offensive threats whenever they come in. Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Syclant can set Spikes, the former luring Fire-types which Zygarde can set up on and the latter can U-Turn out of Pokemon like Mega Scizor and give Zygarde's team momentum. Examples of capable Stealth Rock setters include Heatran and Clefable, both of which have good defensive synergy with Zygarde. Heatran is an especially good partner because it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses and can trap and KO Tapu Fini with Magma Storm and Bloom Doom (or stall it out with Substitute and Toxic), removing a Pokemon that can set Misty Terrain and prevent Zygarde from using Toxic on grounded opponents. Tapu Bulu is another great teammate as it can set Grassy Terrain which doubles the recovery Zygarde gets each turn, increasing the amount of Substitutes Zygarde can set. It can also break through Unaware Arghonaut if Zygarde is struggling to do so. Zygarde appreciates wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Greninja that can weaken the opposing team in order for Zygarde to sweep late game. These Pokemon also appreciate certain Pokemon on stall being weakened, such as Mega Sableye, Skarmory and Chansey, respectively. As previously mentioned, Pokemon that can pivot Zygarde in on opponents which give it set up opportunities are also highly-valued teammates and Mega Scizor is a prime example as it lures in Mollux, Heatran and Tomohawk, which Zygarde can easily set up on. Kerfluffle is also extremely useful as it baits in Mega Scizor and Fire-types like Mollux, Pyroak and Mega Charizard Y and can use Parting Shot as they switch to pivot Zygarde in while also giving the opponent -1 in attacking stats and making it easier for Zygarde to set up. This also means that Zygarde does not have to risk a Burn from Lava Plume if it hard switches in.

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

A set with both Dragon Dance and Coil can find itself useful on Aurora Veil teams as it gains additional bulk which allows it to set up the multiple times it requires to be effective. However, it is generally inconsistent as it lacks both the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk (which can very easily remove all its boosts) like the SubCoil set and the overall power of the Dragon Dance set. Superpower is also an option on the Choice Band set to hit Ferrothorn super-effectively but Zygarde loathes to give up any of its existing moves and the Attack drop makes it unappealing to lock in to. Zygarde can use a Life Orb on the Dragon Dance set if its team already has a Z Move user as it boosts all of its attacks consistently. However, it cuts into Zygarde's longevity and undermines its good bulk. A Lum Berry can be used on the Dragon Dance set but it has generally less utility than a Z-Crystal due to Will-O-Wisp being relatively uncommon. That said, it makes Zygarde more comfortable setting up in front of Pokemon which carry moves like Scald and Lava Plume which can burn Zygarde. Substitute can be used on the Dragon Dance set to avoid status and help against revenge killers, but Zygarde's matchup in general versus faster Pokemon is weaker without Extreme Speed. Protect has seen some usage on a set with Substitute and Toxic to stall out moves like Clefable's Moonblast, but it makes Zygarde extremely passive and is generally worse than Coil. Thousand Waves can be used to trap defensive Pokemon and stall them out with Toxic but it lacks Thousand Arrows' vital ability to hit Flying-types making it difficult to run as a mono-attacking move.Finally, Iron Tail is a niche option to hit both Clefable and Tapu Bulu super-effectively but it is unreliable due to its accuracy and has very little utility outside of hitting those two Pokemon and Crunch can be used to hit Mew super-effectively but it is difficult to fit onto a set and is very weak otherwise.

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

**Fairy-types**: Clefable, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini are all good answers to Zygarde in part due to their immunity to Zygarde's strongest attack: Outrage. Clefable is never 2HKO'd by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and can retaliate with a super-effective Moonblast. It can deal with a set up Zygarde due to Unaware and does not usually fear Toxic thanks to Heal Bell or Magic Guard. Tapu Bulu is resistant to Thousand Arrows which means that Zygarde's best attack to hit it is Extreme Speed. However, it is vulnerable to Toxic and can be picked off with said Extreme Speed with entry hazard support. Similarly, though it is easily worn down, Tapu Fini can take two hits from Zygarde and deal good damage back with Moonblast. Misty Terrain not only prevents Zygarde from using Toxic against grounded opponents but weakens its Dragon-type STAB move.

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Tomohawk, Arghonaut and Mew are generally good answers to Zygarde. Though it is easily worn down and very vulnerable to Toxic, defensive Landous-T can lower Zygarde's attack and, if it is carrying it, hit it with a super-effective Hidden Power Ice. Tomohawk can use Prankster Haze to remove any of Zygarde's boosts with ease and completely walls the Dragon Dance set. However, it can be stalled out with Toxic by the Choice Band and SubCoil sets. In the same vein, Arghonaut can ignore Zygarde's boosts with Unaware and phase it out with Circle Throw. It is also bulky enough to take on the Choice Band set but can do little in return aside from phasing it if it is not carrying Ice Punch. This makes it difficult to beat the SubCoil set as it is also vulnerable to Toxic. Physically defensive Mew can take any attack and retaliate with Ice Beam, doing massive damage to Zygarde. In addition, due to Synchronise, if Zygarde uses Toxic against it it gets Badly Poisoned in return. Mew does however fall to a Z Move on the Dragon Dance set.

**Grass-types**: Grass-types are one of the few types that can resist Thousand Arrows, which naturally makes them good counters to Zygarde. Tangrowth is arguably the best counter to Zygarde as it can take any attack and retaliate with a four-times-effective Hidden Power Ice. Its ability, Regenerator, allows it to switch into Zygarde multiple times during a match but it dislikes being Badly Poisoned by Toxic. The Assault Vest set can also be 2HKO'd by +1 Outrage or OHKO'd by +1 Devastating Drake after Stealth Rock, but the physically defensive set does not have this problem. Ferrothorn can switch into Zygarde multiple times and is immune to Toxic, but it is easily worn down by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and is set up fodder for the SubCoil set. Similarly, physically defensive Pyroak can switch in and recover off the damage with Synthesis but is useless against the Substitute + Coil set unless it is carrying Roar. It must be cautious of Z-Outrage from Dragon Dance Zygarde, however.

**Bug-types**: The second of the types that can resist Zygarde's signature move, Bug-types are also good answers but generally lose to boosting variants because of their weaker defensive capabilities. Aurumoth can take Thousand Arrows from Zygarde and can retaliate with Psychic or Blizzard but is outsped and KO'd by a +1/+1 Zygarde so cannot deal with the Dragon Dance set. Mega Pinsir handles Zygarde better while in its base form as gaining the Flying-type upon Mega Evolution means it takes the first Thousand Arrows neutrally instead of resisting it, nonetheless, it can 2HKO Zygarde with Return. It also falls to Outrage, however. Mega Scizor can take any attack and recover off the damage with Roost, but is set up fodder for the Substitute + Coil set and it must be wary of Tectonic Rage on the Dragon Dance set too.

**Revenge Killers**: There are many faster Pokemon that can beat Zygarde, although almost all of them struggle to switch in more than once on any attack. Syclant, Kerfluffle, Greninja and Garchomp are naturally faster so can easily revenge kill the Choice Band and SubCoil sets with a super-effective STAB move. They do fear Choice Band Extreme Speed, however. Most Choice Scarf Pokemon can outspeed even +1 Speed Zygarde, some examples being all of the previously mentioned Pokemon as well as Tapu Lele, Latios and Keldeo. Tapu Lele also sets Psychic Terrain which means that it does not fear Extreme Speed, although it speed ties with the Dragon Dance set if Zygarde is running a Jolly nature.
 
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Kyubics what's going on with this? Also, Dragon Dance set definitely needs to be second with SubCoil behind it.
I should get this done by the end of the week, sorry! SubCoil is used way more in CAP due to Haze Tomohawk so personally I can't see why it should go after DD. I know usage isn't the same as viability, but the ability to beat Tomohawk puts it way above in my opinion.
I know Dragon Dance + Coil is a thing too, is that set worthy or just OO
I was thinking about this, it's somewhat viable on Veil but otherwise I think it's not worth running over DD or SubCoil, and having two set up moves and no ability to beat Tomohawk is annoying. OO if it's up to me.
 

cbrevan

spin, spin, spin
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Dragon Dance is a much more threatening sweeper than SubCoil against offensive teams, and is much less passive before it's been able to setup than SubCoil. SubCoil is a great set for breaking down balance and fat teams in general, but I think DD Zygarde's usage as a reliable wincon against offensive teams is a bit more valuable in the current metagame.
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]

make sure you start off with something other than Thousand Arrows, but that can be done in the write-up
- Thousand Arrows is very easy to spam, having few resists and no immunities means that it compresses coverage and can easily be run as a mono-attacking move
- Also does well against teams that run a Ground immunity as their only answer to ground types
- Very good bulk and useful resistances means that it does not lack set up or switch in opportunities mention decent speed tier here
- Great movepool; Dragon Dance and Coil for set up and Extreme Speed for powerful priority emphasize how compact yet versatile zygarde's movepool is, also Outrage for a high Base Power move
- Multiple sets, each with slightly different checks and counters that make it unpredictable and sometimes difficult to deal with

- Middling attack at base 100 means that it can be weak without an Attack-boosting nature, item or set up
- 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited; it is easy for many Pokemon to carry Hidden Power Ice to do significant damage to it
- Thousand Arrows does not help against Grass and Bug types, which Zygarde can struggle to break through i'd say it's more reliant on a weaker Extreme Speed or taking up a Z-Crystal on Outrage to deal with these
- Is solidly checked by defensive Tomohawk, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, unless it has been hit by Toxic previously
- Its ability, Aura Break, is completely useless in the CAP metagame but it is the only ability it can legally run.

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

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

- Thousand Arrows is the crux of the set nooooooooooooo get rid of "crux of the set" - it has a bad reputation and sounds like your new at writing analyses (which might be true but don't let it sound like you do), hitting even Flying or Levitating Pokemon which ones? Zapdos / Celesteela / Skarm hate it. This means that it is very easy to click throughout the match due to its few resistances
- Outrage is a very powerful STAB move, allowing Zygarde to potentially break through some Grass types like what that resist Thousand Arrows
- Unfortunately, it has the downside of locking Zygarde in, which can be dangerous against Fairy types mention Steel-types too since they can actually abuse the locked effect of Outrage, mention some examples of Fairy-types and Steel-types as well - Ferrothorn especially
- Extreme Speed offers powerful priority, doing decent damage with a Choice Band. It allows Zygarde to occasionally circumvent its mediocre speed tier and revenge kill weakened opponents notable examples?
- Toxic is invaluable in wearing down physically defensive threats such as Tangrowth, Landorus-T and Tomohawk which would otherwise be able to counter this set. Catching them early in the match allows Zygarde to break through them later on
- However, it is awkward to be locked into and can be taken advantage of. get rid of this point imo - early-game is when you use Toxic, and you generally aren't staying in for more than a turn at a time early-game

Set Details
========

- Choice Band provides Zygarde with the extra power that it really desires, giving it the ability to do a lot of damage to most of the metagame
- Max Attack with an Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible, and to power up Extreme Speed which can be used to make up for the loss in speed
- Maximum speed allows Zygarde to outspeed most of the defensive metagame and tie with other neutral base 95s like Colossoil and Volkraken

Usage Tips
========

these points need to be in order - tell how to switch Zygarde in (or what not to switch it in on, like moves that'd burn it), then Toxic early-game to wear stuff down, then Thousand Arrows mid-to-late game, Outrage only if needed, and Extreme Speed when needed to revenge kill or clean up

switch out if there's something that can spread burn or hp ice, etc.


- Choice Band Zygarde should be mainly using Thousand Arrows to punch holes in the opposing team with its few resists
- Use Outrage and Toxic conservatively, when they can't be taken advantage of by the opponent toxic is a little bit more spammable early game
- Toxic in particular should be used more early on when susceptible defensive threats are predicted to come in
- Zygarde can switch in fairly often using its good bulk, especially on Fire and Poison type attacks from the likes of Pyroak, Mollux and Crucibelle. It must be wary of burns from Lava Plume, however.
- As previously mentioned, Extreme Speed is useful to revenge kill weakened opponents, so getting chip damage on them and keeping Zygarde in the back can be helpful

Team Options
========

- Zygarde appreciates entry hazard support to wear down its checks and counters and make its role of wallbreaking much easier
- Arghonaut and Ferrothorn can set Spikes throughout the match, the former being able to take Ice type attacks for Zygarde while the latter can deal with Fairy and Dragon types
- More offensive Spikes setters include Syclant and Greninja, both of which can bait in and weaken Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini, two checks to Zygarde. Syclant can use U-Turn to provide Zygarde with free switch ins whereas Greninja can lure and damage Grass Types like Tangrowth with Gunk Shot
- Clefable and Heatran are examples of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock for Zygarde, Heatran being an especially good partner as it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses
- Steel types in general work well with Zygarde as they have good defensive synergy what other steel types? Magearna, Celesteela (good with defensive synergy)
- Mega Scizor in particular is a good partner as it can deal with most Fairy and Grass types and can U-Turn Zygarde in on Pokemon like Heatran and Mollux, however it notably doesn't deal with Pyroak
- Zygarde appreciates Pokemon that can deal with the Grass types that prevent it from spamming Thousand Arrows, examples include Poison and Flying types like Mega Crucibelle, Tomohawk and Flyinium Z Landorus-T, the latter of which can potentially lure them and remove them from the game.
- Mega Crucibelle also shares checks and counters such as Landorus-T and Tomohawk with Zygarde and can sweep late game once these have been weakened earlier by Zygarde
- Similarly, Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja appreciate Zygarde's ability to punch holes in the opposing team and can also pivot it in with U-Turn.
- Magnezone also provides momentum with Volt Switch and can remove Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor with Magnet Pull, two Pokemon that can usually deal with Zygarde's attacks

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thousand Arrows
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Dragonium Z / Groundium Z / Life Orb move Life Orb too - it really just cuts into Zygarde longevity
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

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

- Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to simultaneously boost its Attack and Speed, potentially giving it the ability to both outspeed it's usual revenge killers like Syclant and Greninja, and break through its conventional counters like Pyroak and Mega Scizor
- Thousand Arrows is used once again due to its great coverage with few resistances; it is also Zygarde's only way of hitting Pokemon like Skarmory and Celesteela for decent damage
- Outrage is an extremely strong Dragon type STAB, allowing Zygarde to break through Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows like AV Tangrowth as well as being Zygarde's strongest attack against neutral targets like Mew
- Extreme Speed is also very useful even with a move that boosts Zygarde's speed as it allows it to deal with faster but frail or weakened revenge killers like Choice Scarf Greninja and Latios
- It also gives Zygarde the ability to circumvent other priority and go before Greninja's Water Shuiriken or Tomohawk's Haze with its +2 prioity. It can also create mind games against Sucker Punch users like Colossoil, as using Extreme Speed will cause Sucker Punch to fail.

Set Details
========

- The EVs maximise Zygarde's Attack and Speed, making it a much more potent offensive threat
- Zygarde is far from frail without bulk investment so should not find it difficult to take a neutral hit before setting up
- An Adamant nature is much preferred as it boosts Zygarde's somewhat mediocre Attack stat, but Jolly can be used to speed tie with Choice Scarf base 95s like Tapu Lele and Volkraken.
- Zygarde has a choice of powerful Z Moves which it can use to break through its traditional checks and counters
- Dragonium Z is Zygarde's most powerful attack and has great neutral coverage, giving it the ability to break through bulky Pokemon like Tangrowth and Mew without locking itself into Outrage. However, Zygarde must be wary of wasting its Z Move on Fairy types switching in.
- Groundium Z can be used to allow Zygarde to deal massive damage to Pokemon like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini which take little or nothing from its Dragon type STAB or Thousand Arrows?
- Life Orb is an option if Zygarde's team already has a Z Move user as it grants it consistently more power across all of its attacks. It does have the disadvantage of wearing Zygarde down, however. mention Sitrus Berry and Earth Plate instead

Usage Tips
========

- This Zygarde set should be used to set up and sweep in the late-game once its checks like Landorus-T, Tomohawk and Tangrowth have been worn down to the point where they fall to a +1 Z Move or Life Orb attack.
- Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Syclant which can OHKO Zygarde must also be in range of a +1 Extreme Speed or, especially in the case of the former, paralysed or eliminated. Tapu Lele is a pretty pathetic example of something needing to be taken out with Extreme Speed...
- Zygarde's health should try to be preserved until this point so it has the best chance of sweeping successfully how do you do this? briefly explain
- When Zygade does want to set up, its teammates should try to pivot it in on Fire, Poison and Rock types such as Heatran, Mollux and Crucibelle which cannot significantly damage Zygarde. Pokemon Choice-locked into attacks Zygarde resists are especially safe targets, examples include Volkraken locked into Fire Blast or Power Gem and Tapu Lele, Magnezone and Plasmanta locked into Hidden Power Fire, Thunderbolt or, in Plasmanta's case, Sludge Bomb.
- More passive Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T and Pyroak also make good targets, but Zygarde must be wary as both of these can carry Hidden Power Ice. Pyroak doesn't run HP Ice as often, but it runs Lava Plume and Leech Seed, which are much more annoying
- Zygarde can attempt to wallbreak and lure Pokemon that fall to its Z Move mid-game, but this drastically reduces its chances of sweeping and instead takes a more supportive role for a second late-game sweeper or cleaner.i don't like how this is set up as a negative - it's ok to act as a mid-game sweeper

Team Options
========

- This set appreciates hazard support to wear down opposing Pokemon like what when they switch in, potentially putting them in range of Zygarde's Extreme Speed or Devastating Drake in the late-game
- Ferrothorn and Arghonaut are good options to set Spikes on balance teams as they have good defensive synergy with Zygarde whereas Syclant and Greninja work better on faster-paced teams as they have the ability weaken some checks to Zygarde in Tapu Fini and, in Greninja's case, Tangrowth Syclant can wear down Tangrowth too
- There are plenty of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock in the tier, two examples being Heatran and Clefable; the former can also weaken bulky Water types like Tapu Fini and Keldeo with Magma Storm and Toxic whereas the latter can lure Ferrothorn and Scizor with Flamethrower
- Landorus-T can also set Stealth Rock and can potentially lure and KO Haze Tomohawk, which walls this set, with Supersonic Skystrike, however this is often expected and it also means Zygarde itself cannot use a Z Move. Landorus-T also stacks an Ice weakness with Zygarde i wouldn't list out Landorus-T as a good teammate with this set, at least SSSS Lando
- Lures for Haze Tomohawk in general are extremely important; hitting it with Toxic early game and not giving it chance to recover is also a good way to whittle it down until Zygarde can knock it out. what lures in Tomo and uses Toxic?
- Physical wallbreakers help weaken Pokemon like Landorus-T, Clefable, Arghonaut, Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn which is essential for Zygarde to be able to sweep. Good examples include Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham and Flame Orb Colossoil, which can all use their raw power to punch holes in the opposing team.
- Magnezone can trap Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, two Pokemon that can be problematic for this set, while also providing Volt Switch support to pivot Zygarde in on Pokemon it can set up on like Pyroak and Plasmanta
- Other Pokemon which use pivoting moves are useful for easily getting in Zygarde, examples include Mega Scizor, Crucibelle and Mega Crucibelle, Landorus-T and Greninja. These Pokemon can give Zygarde set up opportunites against Heatran, Celesteela, Mollux, Pyroak and Toxapex, amongst others.

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

If the set is called SubCoil, I'd put do:

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


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

- Thousand Arrows is a must on Zygarde, its good neutral coverage and lack of immunities mean that it can be run as the only attacking move on this set.
- Coil is a great move on Zygarde, as it simultaneously boosts Zygarde's mediocre Attack stat and its good Defensive what?. This means that Zygarde can quickly become both impossible to wall and difficult to take down.
- Substitute has many uses which warrant it a place on this set, namely blocking status and Intimidate and, if already set up, giving Zygarde an opportunity to attack faster opponents without taking damage. It also allows Zygarde to set up on more passive Pokemon.
- Zygarde's Substitute can become very difficult to break due to high Special Defense investment and Defense boosts from Coil
- Toxic is essential on this set as it allows Zygarde to stall out many Pokemon that would otherwise counter it more like anything that would resist Thousand Arrows, most importantly giving it the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk, something which very few physical set up sweepers can boast to do
- Toxic also has good synergy with Thousand Arrows as Zygarde can hit every Poison and Steel type immune to Toxic super-effectively hits Tomo, Argho
- Extreme Speed is an option to improve Zygarde's matchup against offensive teams and make it more difficult to revenge kill but it means forgoing Toxic, Zygarde's main stallbreaking tool and only way to stall out defensive Tomohawk

Set Details
========

- 240 HP EVs give Zygarde 101 HP Substitutes, meaning that Chansey cannot break them with one Seismic Toss and turning it into setup fodder
- The Speed investment allows Zygarde to outspeed neutral base 70s like Bisharp, Breloom and Mega Swampert outside of rain, which is important because these Pokemon can either cripple Zygarde or outright KO it.
- A Careful nature along with the rest of the EVs dumped into Special Defense give Zygarde as much special bulk as possible, as Zygarde will be boosting its physical Defense with Coil
- It also contributes to Zygarde's ability to beat defensive Tomohawk by preventing Air Slash from breaking its Substitute
- Leftovers is mandatory on this set as it allows Zygarde to recover the damage sustained when using Substitute and provides passive recovery throughout the match. This is especially important as Zygarde will likely being staying on the field for some time when it chooses to set up.

Usage Tips
========

- Zygarde has an easy time setting up against passive Pokemon or weak special attackers that can't break its Substitute
- Common examples include Chansey, Mega Sableye, defensive Mega Scizor, defensive Tomohawk lacking Taunt, Pyroak and specially defensive Mollux
- Zygarde should be pivoted in on these Pokemon if at all possible so it does not have to risk catching a burn as it switches in Pyroak and Mollux run Lava Plume, Sab runs WoW, this doesn't make too much sense
- If it comes in early-game and the opponent still has defensive answers such as Tangrowth and Landorus-T, Zygarde should throw off Toxics to wear them down throw in Tomohawk here too
- Offensive threats such as Syclant and Mega Medicham should be worn down until they would be KO'd by a +1 or +2 Thousand Arrows so they cannot beat a Zygarde behind a Sub
- Zygarde works quite well as a last Pokemon make sure you clarify this a little, maybe "Zygarde functions best when it has no teammates left because it removes the threat of phazing, something that can usually stop Zygarde's sweep. what are common phazers

Team Options
========

- Like any other set, this Zygarde set appreciates entry hazard support to damage offensive threats whenever they come in
- Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Syclant can set Spikes, the former luring Fire types which Zygarde can set up on and the latter can U-Turn out of Pokemon like Mega Scizor and give Zygarde's team momentum
- Examples of capable Stealth Rock setters include Heatran and Landorus-T
- Heatran is an especially good partner because it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses and can trap and KO Tapu Fini with Magma Storm and Bloom Doom (or stall it out with Substitute and Toxic), removing a Pokemon that can set Misty Terrain and prevent Zygarde from using Toxic on grounded opponents
- Tapu Bulu is another great teammate as it can set Grassy Terrain which doubles the recovery Zygarde gets each turn, increasing the amount of Substitutes Zygarde can set
- Zygarde appreciates wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Greninja that can weaken the opposing team in order for Zygarde to sweep late game
- These Pokemon also appreciate certain Pokemon on stall being weakened, such as Mega Sableye, Skarmory and Chansey, respectively.
- As previously mentioned, Pokemon that can pivot Zygarde in on opponents which give it set up opportunities are also highly-valued teammates
- Mega Scizor is a prime example as it lures in Mollux, Heatran and Tomohawk, which Zygarde can easily set up on
- Kerfluffle is also extremely useful as it gets Zygarde in versus Mega Scizor and Fire types like Mollux, Pyroak and Mega Charizard Y while also giving the opponent -1 in attacking stats and making it easier for Zygarde to set up.

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

- A set with both Dragon Dance and Coil can find itself useful on Aurora Veil teams, but it is generally inconsistent as it lacks both the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk (which can very easily remove all its boosts) like the SubCoil set and the overall power of the Dragon Dance set
- Iron Tail is a niche option to hit both Clefable and Tapu Bulu super-effectively but it is unreliable due to its accuracy and has very little utility outside of hitting those two Pokemon
- Superpower is also an option on the Choice Band set to hit Ferrothorn super-effectively but Zygarde loathes to give up any of its existing moves and the Attack drop makes it unappealing to lock in to
- Lum Berry can be used on the Dragon Dance set but it has generally less utility than a Z-Crystal due to Will-O-Wisp being relatively uncommon
- Substitute can be used on the Dragon Dance set to avoid status and help against revenge killers, but Zygarde's matchup in general versus faster Pokemon is weaker without Extreme Speed
- Protect has seen some use on a set with Substitute and Toxic to stall out moves like Clefable's Moonblast, but it makes Zygarde extremely passive and is generally worse than Coil
- Thousand Waves can be used to trap defensive Pokemon and stall them out with Toxic but it lacks Thousand Arrows' vital ability to hit Flying types making it difficult to run as a mono-attacking move
- Life Orb and Crunch down here

Move Iron Tail down below Thousand Waves and above Life Orb


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

**Grass and Bug Types**: These types are the few Pokemon that can resist Thousand Arrows, which naturally makes them good counters to Zygarde. Tangrowth is arguably the best counter to Zygarde as it can take any attack and retaliate with a 4x effective Hidden Power Ice. Its ability, Regenerator, allows it to switch into Zygarde multiple times during a match but it dislikes being Toxiced. The Assault Vest set can also be 2HKO'd by +1 Outrage or OHKO'd by +1 Devastating Drake after Stealth Rock, but the physically defensive set does not have this problem. Ferrothorn can switch into Zygarde multiple times and is immune to Toxic, but it is easily worn down by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and is set up fodder for the SubCoil set. Similarly, physically defensive Pyroak and Mega Scizor can take any attack and recover off the damage with Synthesis and Roost respectively, but easily fall to the Substitute + Coil set. They both must be wary of Z Moves on the Dragon Dance set too. separate into two sections, add Aurumoth and Pinsir

**Fairy Types**: Clefable, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini are all good answers to Zygarde in part due to their immunity to Zygarde's strongest attack: Outrage. Clefable is never 2HKO'd by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and can retaliate with a super-effective Moonblast. It can deal with a set up Zygarde due to Unaware and does not usually fear Toxic thanks to Heal Bell or Magic Guard. Tapu Bulu is also resistant to Thousand Arrows which means that Zygarde's best attack to hit it is Extreme Speed. However, it is vulnerable to Toxic and can be worn down I'd say "picked off" because Tapu Bulu is usually denting Zygarde pretty hard otherwise with said Extreme Speed or with entry hazards. Similarly, though it is easily worn down, Tapu Fini can take two hits from Zygarde and deal good damage back with Moonblast. Misty Terrain not only prevents Zygarde from using Toxic still works against Tomo, say grounded threats but weakens its Dragon type STAB.

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Tomohawk, Arghonaut and Mew are generally good answers to Zygarde. Though it is easily worn down and very vulnerable to Toxic, defensive Landous-T can lower Zygarde's attack and, if it is carrying it, hit it with a super-effective Hidden Power Ice. Tomohawk can use Prankster Haze to remove any of Zygarde's boosts with ease and completely walls the Dragon Dance set. However, if the Choice Band set hits it with Toxic it can be stalled out and it is complete set up fodder for the SubCoil set it's not really set up fodder because Zygarde can't accumulate boosts, but Zygarde can stall it out pretty easily. In the same vein, Arghonaut can ignore Zygarde's boosts with Unaware and phase it out with Circle Throw. It is also bulky enough to take on the Choice Band set but can do little in return aside from phasing it if it is mot carrying Ice Punch. vulnerable to Toxic as well This makes it difficult to beat the SubCoil set. Physically defensive Mew can take any attack and retaliate with Ice Beam, doing massive damage to Zygarde. In addition, due to Synchronise, if Zygarde uses Toxic against it it gets Badly Poisoned in return. Mew does however fall to a Z Move on the Dragon Dance set.

**Revenge Killers**: There are many faster Pokemon that can beat Zygarde, although almost all of them struggle to switch in more than once on any attack. Syclant, Kerfluffle, Greninja and Garchomp are naturally faster so can easily revenge kill the Choice Band and SubCoil sets with a super-effective STAB move. They do fear Choice Band Extreme Speed, however. Most Choice Scarf Pokemon can outspeed even +1 Speed Zygarde, some examples being all of the previously mentioned Pokemon as well as Tapu Lele, Latios and Keldeo. Tapu Lele also sets Psychic Terrain which means that it does not fear Extreme Speed, although it speed ties with the Dragon Dance set if Zygarde is running a Jolly nature.
Good start - let's give these comments a go and then I'll take another look
 
Good start - let's give these comments a go and then I'll take another look
Implemented. There were a couple of things I wasn't sure about:
- You said Syclant can wear down Tangrowth, but who in their right mind switches Tangrowth in on Syclant? Greninja can lure it if it has not been revealed to be Protean yet
- I think already mentioned your change on the penultimate bullet point for the SubCoil set's moves in the previous point, and it wasn't what I was trying to get at
- I haven't ordered the OO exactly like you said, mainly because I wanted to keep all the options for the Dragon Dance set together
Thanks for checking this so quickly :]
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
[OVERVIEW]

- Thousand Arrows is very easy to spam, having few resists and no immunities means that it compresses coverage and can easily be run as a mono-attacking move
- Also does well against teams that run a Ground immunity as their only answer to ground types
- Very good bulk, a decent speed tier and useful resistances means that it does not lack set up or switch in opportunities
- Versatile yet compact movepool; Dragon Dance and Coil for set up, Outrage for a high bas power STAB move and Extreme Speed for powerful priority
- Multiple sets, each with slightly different checks and counters that make it unpredictable and sometimes difficult to deal with

- Middling attack at base 100 means that it can be weak without an Attack-boosting nature, item or set up
- 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited; it is easy for many Pokemon to carry Hidden Power Ice to do significant damage to it
- Thousand Arrows does not help against Grass and Bug types, which Zygarde is more reliant on Dragonium Z or a weaker Extreme Speed to break through without locking itself into Outrage
- Is solidly checked by defensive Tomohawk, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, unless it has been hit by Toxic previously
- Its ability, Aura Break, is completely useless in the CAP metagame but it is the only ability it can legally run.

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

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

- Thousand Arrows is the focal point of the set, hitting even Flying or Levitating Pokemon like Skarmory, Celesteela and Zapdos which do not usually fear Ground type moves. This means that it is very easy to click throughout the match due to its few resistances
- Outrage is a very powerful STAB move, allowing Zygarde to potentially break through some Grass types like Tangrowth that resist Thousand Arrows
- Unfortunately, it has the downside of locking Zygarde in, which can be dangerous against Fairy and Steel types such as Clefable, Ferrothorn and Magearna, giving them the opportunity to set up hazards, boost or deal significant damage to Zygarde. It must also be wary of knocking an opposing Pokemon out with Outrage as Zygarde can be easily revenge killed by a faster opponent while it is locked in.
- Extreme Speed offers powerful priority, doing decent damage with a Choice Band. It allows Zygarde to occasionally circumvent its mediocre speed tier and revenge kill weakened opponents such as Greninja, Syclant and Mega Alakazam mention that it can pick off weakened tomo before it roosts (i mean, it has to be extremely weakened on defensive, but its better than nothing)
- Toxic is invaluable in wearing down physically defensive threats such as Tangrowth, Landorus-T and Tomohawk which would otherwise be able to counter this set. Catching them early in the match allows Zygarde to break through them later onthis is more of a usage tip

Set Details
========

- Choice Band provides Zygarde with the extra power that it really desires, giving it the ability to do a lot of damage to most of the metagame
- Max Attack with an Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible, and to power up Extreme Speed which can be used to make up for the loss in speed
- Maximum speed allows Zygarde to outspeed most of the defensive metagame and tie with other neutral base 95s like Colossoil and Volkraken

Usage Tips
========

- Zygarde can switch in fairly often using its good bulk, especially on Fire and Poison type attacks from the likes of Pyroak, Mollux and Crucibelle. It must be wary of burns from Lava Plume, however, and should try not to switch directly in on the move.
- Toxic should be used more early on when susceptible defensive threats are predicted to come in but only when it can't be taken advantage of by the opponent - switching out immediately after it is used does not give the opponent the chance to do so.
- Zygarde should be mainly using Thousand Arrows to punch holes in the opposing team with its few resists
- Use Outrage only when absolutely needed due to its side-effect if locking Zygarde in, although it can be very effective to catch neutral targets expecting a weaker Thousand Arrows
- As previously mentioned, Extreme Speed is useful to revenge kill weakened opponents, so getting chip damage on them and keeping Zygarde in the back can be helpful. Zygarde can also clean with Extreme Speed late game, in which case it does not need to stay particularly healthy.
- Zygarde should not stay in on any Pokemon that could realistically carry Hidden Power Ice such as Plasmanta and defensive Landorus-T as it will do big damage to Zygarde. If they are revealed not to have HP Ice, Zygarde has an easier time staying in and attacking.

Team Options
========

- Zygarde appreciates entry hazard support to wear down its checks and counters and make its role of wallbreaking much easier
- Arghonaut and Ferrothorn can set Spikes throughout the match, the former being able to take Ice type attacks for Zygarde while the latter can deal with Fairy and Dragon types
- More offensive Spikes setters include Syclant and Greninja, both of which can bait in and weaken Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini, two checks to Zygarde. Syclant can use U-Turn to provide Zygarde with free switch ins whereas Greninja can lure and damage Grass Types like Tangrowth with Gunk Shot
- Clefable and Heatran are examples of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock for Zygarde, Heatran being an especially good partner as it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses
- Steel types in general work well with Zygarde as they have good defensive synergy; Pokemon such as Magearna and Celesteela can take super-effective Dragon and Fairy type attacks for Zygarde
- Mega Scizor in particular is a good partner as it can deal with most Fairy and Grass types and can U-Turn Zygarde in on Pokemon like Heatran and Mollux, however it notably doesn't deal with Pyroak
- Zygarde appreciates Pokemon that can deal with the Grass types that prevent it from spamming Thousand Arrows, examples include Poison and Flying types like Mega Crucibelle, Tomohawk and Flyinium Z Landorus-T, the latter of which can potentially lure them and remove them from the game.
- Mega Crucibelle also shares checks and counters such as Landorus-T and Tomohawk with Zygarde and can sweep late game once these have been weakened earlier by Zygarde
- Similarly, Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja appreciate Zygarde's ability to punch holes in the opposing team and can also pivot it in with U-Turn.
- Magnezone also provides momentum with Volt Switch and can remove Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor with Magnet Pull, two Pokemon that can usually deal with Zygarde's attacks

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thousand Arrows
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Dragonium Z / Groundium Z
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant / Jolly remove jolly, i think it's not worth the power drop most of the time, but i can see it being useful some, so keep it as a mention
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

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

- Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to simultaneously boost its Attack and Speed, potentially giving it the ability to both outspeed it's usual revenge killers like Syclant and Greninja, and break through its conventional counters like Pyroak and Mega Scizor
- Thousand Arrows is used once again due to its great coverage with few resistances; it is also Zygarde's only way of hitting Pokemon like Skarmory and Celesteela for decent damage
- Outrage is an extremely strong Dragon type STAB, allowing Zygarde to break through Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows like AV Tangrowth as well as being Zygarde's strongest attack against neutral targets like Mew
- Extreme Speed is also very useful even with a move that boosts Zygarde's speed as it allows it to deal with faster but frail or weakened revenge killers like Choice Scarf Greninja and Latios
- It also gives Zygarde the ability to circumvent other priority and go before Greninja's Water Shuiriken or Tomohawk's Haze with its +2 prioity. It can also create mind games against Sucker Punch users like Colossoil, as using Extreme Speed will cause Sucker Punch to fail.

Set Details
========

- The EVs maximise Zygarde's Attack and Speed, making it a much more potent offensive threat
- Zygarde is far from frail without bulk investment so should not find it difficult to take a neutral hit before setting up
- An Adamant nature is much preferred as it boosts Zygarde's somewhat mediocre Attack stat, but Jolly can be used to speed tie with Choice Scarf base 95s like Tapu Lele and Volkraken.
- Zygarde has a choice of powerful Z Moves which it can use to break through its traditional checks and counters
- Dragonium Z is Zygarde's most powerful attack and has great neutral coverage, giving it the ability to break through bulky Pokemon like Tangrowth and Mew without locking itself into Outrage. However, Zygarde must be wary of wasting its Z Move on Fairy types switching in.
- Groundium Z can be used to allow Zygarde to deal massive damage to Pokemon like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini which take little or nothing from its Dragon type STAB and aren't KO'd by regular Thousand Arrows
- If Zygarde's team already has Z Move user, Zygarde can use other items such as Earth Plate and Sitrus Berry, though they are generally less effective
- Earth Plate boosts Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, its most used move, without diminishing its longevity while Sitrus Berry allows Zygarde to recover off some damage sustained while setting up and can give it the opportunity to set up more than once

Usage Tips
========

- This Zygarde set should be used to set up and sweep in the late-game once its checks like Landorus-T, Tomohawk and Tangrowth have been worn down to the point where they fall to a +1 Z Move or Life Orb attack.
- Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Latios and Syclant which can OHKO Zygarde must also be Paralysed, eliminated or in range of a +1 Extreme Speed.
- Zygarde's health should try to be preserved until this point so it has the best chance of sweeping successfully, this can be done by keeping hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes off of Zygarde's side of the field and not switching it in on Pokemon that could significantly damage it with a coverage move such as Tapu Koko
- When Zygade does want to set up, its teammates should try to pivot it in on Fire, Poison and Rock types such as Heatran, Mollux and Crucibelle which cannot significantly damage Zygarde. Pokemon Choice-locked into attacks Zygarde resists are especially safe targets, examples include Volkraken locked into Fire Blast or Power Gem and Tapu Lele, Magnezone and Plasmanta locked into Hidden Power Fire, Thunderbolt or, in Plasmanta's case, Sludge Bomb.
- More passive Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T and Pyroak also make good targets, but Zygarde must be wary as both of these can carry Hidden Power Ice and Pyroak can burn Zygarde with Lava Plume or chip away at it with Leech Seed
- This Zygarde set can also wallbreak effectively and lure Pokemon that fall to its Z Move mid-game, but this drastically reduces its chances of sweeping and instead takes a more supportive role for a second late-game sweeper or cleaner.

when do i z move?

Team Options
========

- This set appreciates hazard support in the form on Stealth Rock and Spikes to wear down opposing Pokemon when they switch in, potentially putting them in range of Zygarde's Extreme Speed or Devastating Drake in the late-game
- Ferrothorn and Arghonaut are good options to set Spikes on balance teams as they have good defensive synergy with Zygarde whereas Syclant and Greninja work better on faster-paced teams as they have the ability weaken some checks to Zygarde in Tapu Fini and, in Greninja's case, Tangrowth
- There are plenty of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock in the tier, two examples being Heatran and Clefable; the former can also weaken bulky Water types like Tapu Fini and Keldeo with Magma Storm and Toxic whereas the latter can lure Ferrothorn and Scizor with Flamethrower
- Lures for Haze Tomohawk are extremely important for allowing Zygarde to sweep; hitting it with Toxic early game and not giving it chance to recover is also a good way to whittle it down until Zygarde can knock it out. Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T, Revenankh and Pyroak can carry Toxic to surprise opposing Tomohawk.
- Physical wallbreakers help weaken Pokemon like Landorus-T, Clefable, Arghonaut, Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn which is essential for Zygarde to be able to sweep. Good examples include Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham and Flame Orb Colossoil, which can all use their raw power to punch holes in the opposing team.
- Magnezone can trap Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, two Pokemon that can be problematic for this set, while also providing Volt Switch support to pivot Zygarde in on Pokemon it can set up on like Pyroak and Plasmanta
- Other Pokemon which use pivoting moves are useful for easily getting in Zygarde, examples include Mega Scizor, Crucibelle and Mega Crucibelle, Landorus-T and Greninja. These Pokemon can give Zygarde set up opportunites against Heatran, Celesteela, Mollux, Pyroak and Toxapex, amongst others.

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

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

reorder the moves to reflect the moveset's order

- Thousand Arrows is a must on Zygarde, its good neutral coverage and lack of immunities mean that it can be run as the only attacking move on this set.
- Coil is a great move on Zygarde, as it simultaneously boosts Zygarde's mediocre Attack stat and its good Defense. This means that Zygarde can quickly become both impossible to wall and difficult to take down.
- Substitute has many uses which warrant it a place on this set, namely blocking status and Intimidate and, if already set up, giving Zygarde an opportunity to attack faster opponents without taking damage. It also allows Zygarde to set up on more passive Pokemon.
- Zygarde's Substitute can become very difficult to break due to high Special Defense investment and Defense boosts from Coil
- Toxic is essential on this set as it allows Zygarde to stall out many Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows or are otherwise bulky enough to take repeated hits from Zygarde, most importantly giving it the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk, something which very few physical set up sweepers can boast to do
- Toxic also has good synergy with Thousand Arrows as Zygarde can hit every Poison and Steel type immune to Toxic super-effectively
- Extreme Speed is an option to improve Zygarde's matchup against offensive teams and make it more difficult to revenge kill but it means forgoing Toxic, Zygarde's main stallbreaking tool and only way to stall out defensive Tomohawk

Set Details
========

- 240 HP EVs give Zygarde 101 HP Substitutes, meaning that Chansey cannot break them with one Seismic Toss and turning it into setup fodder
- The Speed investment allows Zygarde to outspeed neutral base 70s like Bisharp, Breloom and Mega Swampert outside of rain, which is important because these Pokemon can either cripple Zygarde or outright KO it.
- A Careful nature along with the rest of the EVs dumped into Special Defense give Zygarde as much special bulk as possible, as Zygarde will be boosting its physical Defense with Coil
- It also contributes to Zygarde's ability to beat defensive Tomohawk by preventing Air Slash from breaking its Substitute
- Leftovers is mandatory on this set as it allows Zygarde to recover the damage sustained when using Substitute and provides passive recovery throughout the match. This is especially important as Zygarde will likely being staying on the field for some time when it chooses to set up.

Usage Tips
========

- Zygarde has an easy time setting up against passive Pokemon or weak special attackers that can't break its Substitute
- Common examples include Chansey, Mega Sableye, defensive Mega Scizor, defensive Tomohawk lacking Taunt, Pyroak and specially defensive Mollux cyclohm lacking ice beam too
- Zygarde should be pivoted in on these Pokemon if at all possible so it does not have to risk catching a burn as it switches in. It can then set up a Substitute and avoid status.
- If it comes in early-game and the opponent still has defensive answers such as Tangrowth, Tomohawk and Landorus-T, Zygarde should throw off Toxics to wear them down
- Offensive threats such as Syclant and Mega Medicham should be worn down until they would be KO'd by a +1 or +2 Thousand Arrows so they cannot beat a Zygarde behind a Sub
- Zygarde works quite well when it has no teammates left because the threat of phazing is removed, something that Pokemon like Arghonaut and Skarmory can usually use to stop Zygarde's sweep.

Team Options
========

- Like any other set, this Zygarde set appreciates entry hazard support to damage offensive threats whenever they come in
- Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Syclant can set Spikes, the former luring Fire types which Zygarde can set up on and the latter can U-Turn out of Pokemon like Mega Scizor and give Zygarde's team momentum
- Examples of capable Stealth Rock setters include Heatran and Landorus-T why do they pair well with this set?
- Heatran is an especially good partner because it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses and can trap and KO Tapu Fini with Magma Storm and Bloom Doom (or stall it out with Substitute and Toxic), removing a Pokemon that can set Misty Terrain and prevent Zygarde from using Toxic on grounded opponents
- Tapu Bulu is another great teammate as it can set Grassy Terrain which doubles the recovery Zygarde gets each turn, increasing the amount of Substitutes Zygarde can set bulu also can crush arghonaut if it gets into a pinch
- Zygarde appreciates wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Greninja that can weaken the opposing team in order for Zygarde to sweep late game
- These Pokemon also appreciate certain Pokemon on stall being weakened, such as Mega Sableye, Skarmory and Chansey, respectively.
- As previously mentioned, Pokemon that can pivot Zygarde in on opponents which give it set up opportunities are also highly-valued teammates
- Mega Scizor is a prime example as it lures in Mollux, Heatran and Tomohawk, which Zygarde can easily set up on
- Kerfluffle is also extremely useful as it gets Zygarde in versus Mega Scizor and Fire types like Mollux, Pyroak and Mega Charizard Y while also giving the opponent -1 in attacking stats and making it easier for Zygarde to set up.

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

- A set with both Dragon Dance and Coil can find itself useful on Aurora Veil teams, but it is generally inconsistent as it lacks both the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk (which can very easily remove all its boosts) like the SubCoil set and the overall power of the Dragon Dance set
- Superpower is also an option on the Choice Band set to hit Ferrothorn super-effectively but Zygarde loathes to give up any of its existing moves and the Attack drop makes it unappealing to lock in to
- Zygarde can use a Life Orb on the Dragon Dance set if its team already has a Z Move user as it boosts all of its attacks consistently. However, it cuts into Zygarde's longevity and undermines its good bulk.
- Lum Berry can be used on the Dragon Dance set but it has generally less utility than a Z-Crystal due to Will-O-Wisp being relatively uncommon
- Substitute can be used on the Dragon Dance set to avoid status and help against revenge killers, but Zygarde's matchup in general versus faster Pokemon is weaker without Extreme Speed
- Protect has seen some use on a set with Substitute and Toxic to stall out moves like Clefable's Moonblast, but it makes Zygarde extremely passive and is generally worse than Coil
- Thousand Waves can be used to trap defensive Pokemon and stall them out with Toxic but it lacks Thousand Arrows' vital ability to hit Flying types making it difficult to run as a mono-attacking move
- Iron Tail is a niche option to hit both Clefable and Tapu Bulu super-effectively but it is unreliable due to its accuracy and has very little utility outside of hitting those two Pokemon
- Crunch can be used to hit Mew super-effectively but it is difficult to fit onto a set and is very weak otherwise

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

**Grass Types**: One of the types that can resist Thousand Arrows, which naturally makes them good counters to Zygarde. Tangrowth is arguably the best counter to Zygarde as it can take any attack and retaliate with a 4x effective Hidden Power Ice. Its ability, Regenerator, allows it to switch into Zygarde multiple times during a match but it dislikes being Toxiced. The Assault Vest set can also be 2HKO'd by +1 Outrage or OHKO'd by +1 Devastating Drake after Stealth Rock, but the physically defensive set does not have this problem. Ferrothorn can switch into Zygarde multiple times and is immune to Toxic, but it is easily worn down by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and is set up fodder for the SubCoil set. Similarly, physically defensive Pyroak can switch in and recover off the damage with Synthesis but is useless against the Substitute + Coil set unless carrying Roar or Hidden Power Ice. It must be cautious of Z-Outrage from Dragon Dance Zygarde, however.

**Bug Types**: The second of the types that can resist Zygarde's signature move, Bug Types are also good answers but generally lose to boosting variants because of their weaker defensive capabilities. Aurumoth can take Thousand Arrows from Zygarde and can retaliate with Psychic or Blizzard but is outsped and KO'd by a +1/+1 Zygarde so does not deal with the Dragon Dance set. Mega Pinsir handles Zygarde better while in its base form as gaining the Flying type upon Mega Evolution means it takes the first Thousand Arrows neutrally, nonetheless, it can 2HKO Zygarde with Return. It also falls to Outrage, however. Mega Scizor can take any attack and recover off the damage with Roost, but is set up fodder for the Substitute + Coil set. It must be wary of Tectonic Rage on the Dragon Dance set too.

**Fairy Types**: Clefable, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini are all good answers to Zygarde in part due to their immunity to Zygarde's strongest attack: Outrage. Clefable is never 2HKO'd by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and can retaliate with a super-effective Moonblast. It can deal with a set up Zygarde due to Unaware and does not usually fear Toxic thanks to Heal Bell or Magic Guard. Tapu Bulu is also resistant to Thousand Arrows which means that Zygarde's best attack to hit it is Extreme Speed. However, it is vulnerable to Toxic and can be picked off with said Extreme Speed with entry hazard support. Similarly, though it is easily worn down, Tapu Fini can take two hits from Zygarde and deal good damage back with Moonblast. Misty Terrain not only prevents Zygarde from using Toxic against grounded opponents but weakens its Dragon type STAB.

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Tomohawk, Arghonaut and Mew are generally good answers to Zygarde. Though it is easily worn down and very vulnerable to Toxic, defensive Landous-T can lower Zygarde's attack and, if it is carrying it, hit it with a super-effective Hidden Power Ice. Tomohawk can use Prankster Haze to remove any of Zygarde's boosts with ease and completely walls the Dragon Dance set. However, it can be stalled out with Toxic by the Choice Band and SubCoil sets. In the same vein, Arghonaut can ignore Zygarde's boosts with Unaware and phase it out with Circle Throw. It is also bulky enough to take on the Choice Band set but can do little in return aside from phasing it if it is mot carrying Ice Punch. This makes it difficult to beat the SubCoil set as it is also vulnerable to Toxic. Physically defensive Mew can take any attack and retaliate with Ice Beam, doing massive damage to Zygarde. In addition, due to Synchronise, if Zygarde uses Toxic against it it gets Badly Poisoned in return. Mew does however fall to a Z Move on the Dragon Dance set.

**Revenge Killers**: There are many faster Pokemon that can beat Zygarde, although almost all of them struggle to switch in more than once on any attack. Syclant, Kerfluffle, Greninja and Garchomp are naturally faster so can easily revenge kill the Choice Band and SubCoil sets with a super-effective STAB move. They do fear Choice Band Extreme Speed, however. Most Choice Scarf Pokemon can outspeed even +1 Speed Zygarde, some examples being all of the previously mentioned Pokemon as well as Tapu Lele, Latios and Keldeo. Tapu Lele also sets Psychic Terrain which means that it does not fear Extreme Speed, although it speed ties with the Dragon Dance set if Zygarde is running a Jolly nature.
Implement my few comments and QC 1/3

 

HeaLnDeaL

Let's Keep Fighting
is an Artistis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a CAP Contributor Alumnus
[OVERVIEW]

- Thousand Arrows is very easy to spam, having few resists and no immunities means that it compresses coverage and can easily be run as a mono-attacking move
- Also does well against teams that run a Ground immunity as their only answer to ground types
- Very good bulk, a decent speed tier and useful resistances means that it does not lack set up or switch in opportunities
- Versatile yet compact movepool; Dragon Dance and Coil for set up, Outrage for a high bas power STAB move and Extreme Speed for powerful priority
- Multiple sets, each with slightly different checks and counters that make it unpredictable and sometimes difficult to deal with

- Middling attack at base 100 means that it can be weak without an Attack-boosting nature, item or set up
- 4x weakness to Ice can be exploited; it is easy for many Pokemon to carry Hidden Power Ice to do significant damage to it
- Thousand Arrows does not help against Grass and Bug types, which Zygarde is more reliant on Dragonium Z or a weaker Extreme Speed to break through without locking itself into Outrage
- Is solidly checked by defensive Tomohawk, one of the most common Pokemon in the metagame, unless it has been hit by Toxic previously
- Its ability, Aura Break, is completely useless in the CAP metagame but it is the only ability it can legally run.

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

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

- Thousand Arrows is the focal point of the set, hitting even Flying or Levitating Pokemon like Skarmory, Celesteela and Zapdos which do not usually fear Ground type moves. This means that it is very easy to click throughout the match due to its few resistances
- Outrage is a very powerful STAB move, allowing Zygarde to potentially break through some Grass types like Tangrowth that resist Thousand Arrows
- Unfortunately, it has the downside of locking Zygarde in, which can be dangerous against Fairy and Steel types such as Clefable, Ferrothorn and Magearna, giving them the opportunity to set up hazards, boost or deal significant damage to Zygarde. It must also be wary of knocking an opposing Pokemon out with Outrage as Zygarde can be easily revenge killed by a faster opponent while it is locked in.
- Extreme Speed offers powerful priority, doing decent damage with a Choice Band. It allows Zygarde to occasionally circumvent its mediocre speed tier and revenge kill weakened opponents such as Greninja, Syclant and Mega Alakazam as well as pick off a highly weakened Tomohawk before it can Roost
- Toxic is invaluable in wearing down physically defensive threats such as Tangrowth, Landorus-T and Tomohawk which would otherwise be able to counter this set.

Set Details
========

- Choice Band provides Zygarde with the extra power that it really desires, giving it the ability to do a lot of damage to most of the metagame
- Max Attack with an Adamant nature is used to hit as hard as possible, and to power up Extreme Speed which can be used to make up for the loss in speed
- Maximum speed allows Zygarde to outspeed most of the defensive metagame and tie with other neutral base 95s like Colossoil and Volkraken

Usage Tips
========

- Zygarde can switch in fairly often using its good bulk, especially on Fire and Poison type attacks from the likes of Pyroak, Mollux and Crucibelle. It must be wary of burns from Lava Plume, however, and should try not to switch directly in on the move.
- Toxic should be used more early on when susceptible defensive threats are predicted to come in but only when it can't be taken advantage of by the opponent - switching out immediately after it is used does not give the opponent the chance to do so.
- Zygarde should be mainly using Thousand Arrows to punch holes in the opposing team with its few resists
- Use Outrage only when absolutely needed due to its side-effect if locking Zygarde in, although it can be very effective to catch neutral targets expecting a weaker Thousand Arrows
- As previously mentioned, Extreme Speed is useful to revenge kill weakened opponents, so getting chip damage on them and keeping Zygarde in the back can be helpful. Zygarde can also clean with Extreme Speed late game, in which case it does not need to stay particularly healthy.
- Zygarde should not stay in on any Pokemon that could realistically carry Hidden Power Ice such as Plasmanta and defensive Landorus-T as it will do big damage to Zygarde. If they are revealed not to have HP Ice, Zygarde has an easier time staying in and attacking.

Team Options
========

- Zygarde appreciates entry hazard support to wear down its checks and counters and make its role of wallbreaking much easier
- Arghonaut and Ferrothorn can set Spikes throughout the match, the former being able to take Ice type attacks for Zygarde while the latter can deal with Fairy and Dragon types
- More offensive Spikes setters include Syclant and Greninja, both of which can bait in and weaken Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini, two checks to Zygarde. Syclant can use U-Turn to provide Zygarde with free switch ins whereas Greninja can lure and damage Grass Types like Tangrowth with Gunk Shot
- Clefable and Heatran are examples of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock for Zygarde, Heatran being an especially good partner as it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses
- Steel types in general work well with Zygarde as they have good defensive synergy; Pokemon such as Magearna and Celesteela can take super-effective Dragon and Fairy type attacks for Zygarde
- Mega Scizor in particular is a good partner as it can deal with most Fairy and Grass types and can U-Turn Zygarde in on Pokemon like Heatran and Mollux, however it notably doesn't deal with Pyroak
- Zygarde appreciates Pokemon that can deal with the Grass types that prevent it from spamming Thousand Arrows, examples include Poison and Flying types like Mega Crucibelle, Tomohawk and Flyinium Z Landorus-T, the latter of which can potentially lure them and remove them from the game.
- Mega Crucibelle also shares checks and counters such as Landorus-T and Tomohawk with Zygarde and can sweep late game once these have been weakened earlier by Zygarde
- Similarly, Tapu Koko and Ash-Greninja appreciate Zygarde's ability to punch holes in the opposing team and can also pivot it in with U-Turn.
- Magnezone also provides momentum with Volt Switch and can remove Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor with Magnet Pull, two Pokemon that can usually deal with Zygarde's attacks

[SET]
name: Dragon Dance
move 1: Dragon Dance
move 2: Thousand Arrows
move 3: Outrage
move 4: Extreme Speed
item: Dragonium Z / Groundium Z
ability: Aura Break
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

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

- Dragon Dance allows Zygarde to simultaneously boost its Attack and Speed, potentially giving it the ability to both outspeed it's usual revenge killers like Syclant and Greninja, and break through its conventional counters like Pyroak and Mega Scizor
- Thousand Arrows is used once again due to its great coverage with few resistances; it is also Zygarde's only way of hitting Pokemon like Skarmory and Celesteela for decent damage
- Outrage is an extremely strong Dragon type STAB, allowing Zygarde to break through Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows like AV Tangrowth as well as being Zygarde's strongest attack against neutral targets like Mew
- Extreme Speed is also very useful even with a move that boosts Zygarde's speed as it allows it to deal with faster but frail or weakened revenge killers like Choice Scarf Greninja and Latios
- It also gives Zygarde the ability to circumvent other priority and go before Greninja's Water Shuiriken or Tomohawk's Haze with its +2 prioity. It can also create mind games against Sucker Punch users like Colossoil, as using Extreme Speed will cause Sucker Punch to fail.

Set Details
========

- The EVs maximise Zygarde's Attack and Speed, making it a much more potent offensive threat
- Zygarde is far from frail without bulk investment so should not find it difficult to take a neutral hit before setting up
- An Adamant nature is much preferred as it boosts Zygarde's somewhat mediocre Attack stat, but Jolly can be used to speed tie with Choice Scarf base 95s like Tapu Lele and Volkraken.
- Zygarde has a choice of powerful Z Moves which it can use to break through its traditional checks and counters
- Dragonium Z is Zygarde's most powerful attack and has great neutral coverage, giving it the ability to break through bulky Pokemon like Tangrowth and Mew without locking itself into Outrage. However, Zygarde must be wary of wasting its Z Move on Fairy types switching in.
- Groundium Z can be used to allow Zygarde to deal massive damage to Pokemon like Mega Scizor, Ferrothorn and Tapu Fini which take little or nothing from its Dragon type STAB and aren't KO'd by regular Thousand Arrows
- If Zygarde's team already has Z Move user, Zygarde can use other items such as Earth Plate and Sitrus Berry, though they are generally less effective
- Earth Plate boosts Zygarde's Thousand Arrows, its most used move, without diminishing its longevity while Sitrus Berry allows Zygarde to recover off some damage sustained while setting up and can give it the opportunity to set up more than once

Usage Tips
========

- This Zygarde set should be used to set up and sweep in the late-game once its checks like Landorus-T, Tomohawk and Tangrowth have been worn down to the point where they fall to a +1 Z Move or Life Orb attack.
- Revenge killers like Choice Scarf Latios and Syclant which can OHKO Zygarde must also be Paralysed, eliminated or in range of a +1 Extreme Speed.
- Zygarde's health should try to be preserved until this point so it has the best chance of sweeping successfully, this can be done by keeping hazards like Spikes and Toxic Spikes off of Zygarde's side of the field and not switching it in on Pokemon that could significantly damage it with a coverage move such as Tapu Koko
- When Zygade does want to set up, its teammates should try to pivot it in on Fire, Poison and Rock types such as Heatran, Mollux and Crucibelle which cannot significantly damage Zygarde. Pokemon Choice-locked into attacks Zygarde resists are especially safe targets, examples include Volkraken locked into Fire Blast or Power Gem and Tapu Lele, Magnezone and Plasmanta locked into Hidden Power Fire, Thunderbolt or, in Plasmanta's case, Sludge Bomb.
- More passive Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T and Pyroak also make good targets, but Zygarde must be wary as both of these can carry Hidden Power Ice and Pyroak can burn Zygarde with Lava Plume or chip away at it with Leech Seed Pyroak does not commonly carry HP Ice
- This Zygarde set can also wallbreak effectively and lure Pokemon that fall to its Z Move mid-game, but this drastically reduces its chances of sweeping and instead takes a more supportive role for a second late-game sweeper or cleaner.
- Zygarde should use its Z Move against a bulky threat like Mew or Tangrowth which it would be unable to break through otherwise. However, it must be cautious of the opponent switching out and scouting for the Z-Move, especially since Fairy Types are immune to Devastating Drake and Flying Types are immune to to Tectonic Rage. Entry hazards on the opposing side of the field can help Zygarde with this by punishing the opponent for switching out.

Team Options
========

- This set appreciates hazard support in the form on Stealth Rock and Spikes to wear down opposing Pokemon when they switch in, potentially putting them in range of Zygarde's Extreme Speed or Devastating Drake in the late-game
- Ferrothorn and Arghonaut are good options to set Spikes on balance teams as they have good defensive synergy with Zygarde whereas Syclant and Greninja work better on faster-paced teams as they have the ability weaken some checks to Zygarde in Tapu Fini and, in Greninja's case, Tangrowth
- There are plenty of Pokemon that can set Stealth Rock in the tier, two examples being Heatran and Clefable; the former can also weaken bulky Water types like Tapu Fini and Keldeo with Magma Storm and Toxic whereas the latter can lure Ferrothorn and Scizor with Flamethrower
- Lures for Haze Tomohawk are extremely important for allowing Zygarde to sweep; hitting it with Toxic early game and not giving it chance to recover is also a good way to whittle it down until Zygarde can knock it out. Pokemon such as defensive Landorus-T, Revenankh and Pyroak can carry Toxic to surprise opposing Tomohawk.
- Lures might generally be more effective to damage Tomo, but you still need to list things that Zygarde can switch to if Tomo comes in on it
- Physical wallbreakers help weaken Pokemon like Landorus-T, Clefable, Arghonaut, Mega Scizor and Ferrothorn which is essential for Zygarde to be able to sweep. Good examples include Mega Mawile, Mega Medicham and Flame Orb Colossoil, which can all use their raw power to punch holes in the opposing team.
- Magnezone can trap Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor, two Pokemon that can be problematic for this set, while also providing Volt Switch support to pivot Zygarde in on Pokemon it can set up on like Pyroak and Plasmanta
- Other Pokemon which use pivoting moves are useful for easily getting in Zygarde, examples include Mega Scizor, Crucibelle and Mega Crucibelle, Landorus-T and Greninja. These Pokemon can give Zygarde set up opportunites against Heatran, Celesteela, Mollux, Pyroak and Toxapex, amongst others.

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

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

- Substitute has many uses which warrant it a place on this set, namely blocking status and Intimidate and, if already set up, giving Zygarde an opportunity to attack faster opponents without taking damage. It also allows Zygarde to set up on more passive Pokemon.
- Zygarde's Substitute can become very difficult to break due to high Special Defense investment and Defense boosts from Coil
- Coil is a great move on Zygarde, as it simultaneously boosts Zygarde's mediocre Attack stat and its good Defense. This means that Zygarde can quickly become both impossible to wall and difficult to take down.
- Thousand Arrows is a must on Zygarde, its good neutral coverage and lack of immunities mean that it can be run as the only attacking move on this set.
- Toxic is essential on this set as it allows Zygarde to stall out many Pokemon that resist Thousand Arrows or are otherwise bulky enough to take repeated hits from Zygarde, most importantly giving it the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk, something which very few physical set up sweepers can boast to do
- Toxic also has good synergy with Thousand Arrows as Zygarde can hit every Poison and Steel type immune to Toxic super-effectively
- Extreme Speed is an option to improve Zygarde's matchup against offensive teams and make it more difficult to revenge kill but it means forgoing Toxic, Zygarde's main stallbreaking tool and only way to stall out defensive Tomohawk

Set Details
========

- 240 HP EVs give Zygarde 101 HP Substitutes, meaning that Chansey cannot break them with one Seismic Toss and turning it into setup fodder
- The Speed investment allows Zygarde to outspeed neutral base 70s like Bisharp, Breloom and Mega Swampert outside of rain, which is important because these Pokemon can either cripple Zygarde or outright KO it.
- A Careful nature along with the rest of the EVs dumped into Special Defense give Zygarde as much special bulk as possible, as Zygarde will be boosting its physical Defense with Coil
- It also contributes to Zygarde's ability to beat defensive Tomohawk by preventing Air Slash from breaking its Substitute
- Leftovers is mandatory on this set as it allows Zygarde to recover the damage sustained when using Substitute and provides passive recovery throughout the match. This is especially important as Zygarde will likely being staying on the field for some time when it chooses to set up.

Usage Tips
========

- Zygarde has an easy time setting up against passive Pokemon or weak special attackers that can't break its Substitute
- Common examples include Chansey, Mega Sableye, defensive Mega Scizor, defensive Tomohawk lacking Taunt, Pyroak, Cyclohm without Ice Beam and specially defensive Mollux
- Zygarde should be pivoted in on these Pokemon if at all possible so it does not have to risk catching a burn as it switches in. It can then set up a Substitute and avoid status.
- If it comes in early-game and the opponent still has defensive answers such as Tangrowth, Tomohawk and Landorus-T, Zygarde should throw off Toxics to wear them down
- Offensive threats such as Syclant and Mega Medicham should be worn down until they would be KO'd by a +1 or +2 Thousand Arrows so they cannot beat a Zygarde behind a Sub
- Zygarde works quite well when it has no teammates left because the threat of phazing is removed, something that Pokemon like Arghonaut and Skarmory can usually use to stop Zygarde's sweep.

Team Options
========

- Like any other set, this Zygarde set appreciates entry hazard support to damage offensive threats whenever they come in
- Pokemon like Ferrothorn and Syclant can set Spikes, the former luring Fire types which Zygarde can set up on and the latter can U-Turn out of Pokemon like Mega Scizor and give Zygarde's team momentum
- Examples of capable Stealth Rock setters include Heatran and Clefable, both of which have good defensive synergy with Zygarde
- Heatran is an especially good partner because it resists all of Zygarde's weaknesses and can trap and KO Tapu Fini with Magma Storm and Bloom Doom (or stall it out with Substitute and Toxic), removing a Pokemon that can set Misty Terrain and prevent Zygarde from using Toxic on grounded opponents
- Tapu Bulu is another great teammate as it can set Grassy Terrain which doubles the recovery Zygarde gets each turn, increasing the amount of Substitutes Zygarde can set. It can also break through Arghonaut if Zygarde is struggling to do so.
- Zygarde appreciates wallbreakers such as Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile and Greninja that can weaken the opposing team in order for Zygarde to sweep late game
- These Pokemon also appreciate certain Pokemon on stall being weakened, such as Mega Sableye, Skarmory and Chansey, respectively.
- As previously mentioned, Pokemon that can pivot Zygarde in on opponents which give it set up opportunities are also highly-valued teammates
- Mega Scizor is a prime example as it lures in Mollux, Heatran and Tomohawk, which Zygarde can easily set up on
- Kerfluffle is also extremely useful as it gets Zygarde in versus Mega Scizor and Fire types like Mollux, Pyroak and Mega Charizard Y while also giving the opponent -1 in attacking stats and making it easier for Zygarde to set up. Kerf needs to be careful pivoting verus Lava plumers though since people have a decent expectation that Kerf will switch vs a fire type.... so really, I wouldn't recommend a fast pivot-move user against Pyoak/Mollux since a lava plume very well might come (in terms of bringing in Zygarde safely)

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

- A set with both Dragon Dance and Coil can find itself useful on Aurora Veil teams, but it is generally inconsistent as it lacks both the ability to beat Haze Tomohawk (which can very easily remove all its boosts) like the SubCoil set and the overall power of the Dragon Dance set Explain why Aurora Veil teams is a prereq for double dance? I'm not sure it is, since other double dancers like landog do fine without veil
- Superpower is also an option on the Choice Band set to hit Ferrothorn super-effectively but Zygarde loathes to give up any of its existing moves and the Attack drop makes it unappealing to lock in to
- Zygarde can use a Life Orb on the Dragon Dance set if its team already has a Z Move user as it boosts all of its attacks consistently. However, it cuts into Zygarde's longevity and undermines its good bulk.
- Lum Berry can be used on the Dragon Dance set but it has generally less utility than a Z-Crystal due to Will-O-Wisp being relatively uncommon
- Substitute can be used on the Dragon Dance set to avoid status and help against revenge killers, but Zygarde's matchup in general versus faster Pokemon is weaker without Extreme Speed
- Protect has seen some use on a set with Substitute and Toxic to stall out moves like Clefable's Moonblast, but it makes Zygarde extremely passive and is generally worse than Coil
- Thousand Waves can be used to trap defensive Pokemon and stall them out with Toxic but it lacks Thousand Arrows' vital ability to hit Flying types making it difficult to run as a mono-attacking move
- Iron Tail is a niche option to hit both Clefable and Tapu Bulu super-effectively but it is unreliable due to its accuracy and has very little utility outside of hitting those two Pokemon
- Crunch can be used to hit Mew super-effectively but it is difficult to fit onto a set and is very weak otherwise

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

**Grass Types**: One of the types that can resist Thousand Arrows, which naturally makes them good counters to Zygarde. Tangrowth is arguably the best counter to Zygarde as it can take any attack and retaliate with a 4x effective Hidden Power Ice. Its ability, Regenerator, allows it to switch into Zygarde multiple times during a match but it dislikes being Toxiced. The Assault Vest set can also be 2HKO'd by +1 Outrage or OHKO'd by +1 Devastating Drake after Stealth Rock, but the physically defensive set does not have this problem. Ferrothorn can switch into Zygarde multiple times and is immune to Toxic, but it is easily worn down by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and is set up fodder for the SubCoil set. Similarly, physically defensive Pyroak can switch in and recover off the damage with Synthesis but is useless against the Substitute + Coil set unless carrying Roar or Hidden Power Ice Again, I don't think it's common for Pyroak to run HP Ice... sounds OO at best. It must be cautious of Z-Outrage from Dragon Dance Zygarde, however.

**Bug Types**: The second of the types that can resist Zygarde's signature move, Bug Types are also good answers but generally lose to boosting variants because of their weaker defensive capabilities. Aurumoth can take Thousand Arrows from Zygarde and can retaliate with Psychic or Blizzard but is outsped and KO'd by a +1/+1 Zygarde so does not deal with the Dragon Dance set. Mega Pinsir handles Zygarde better while in its base form as gaining the Flying type upon Mega Evolution means it takes the first Thousand Arrows neutrally, nonetheless, it can 2HKO Zygarde with Return. It also falls to Outrage, however. Mega Scizor can take any attack and recover off the damage with Roost, but is set up fodder for the Substitute + Coil set. It must be wary of Tectonic Rage on the Dragon Dance set too.

**Fairy Types**: Clefable, Tapu Bulu and Tapu Fini are all good answers to Zygarde in part due to their immunity to Zygarde's strongest attack: Outrage. Clefable is never 2HKO'd by Choice Band Thousand Arrows and can retaliate with a super-effective Moonblast. It can deal with a set up Zygarde due to Unaware and does not usually fear Toxic thanks to Heal Bell or Magic Guard. Tapu Bulu is also resistant to Thousand Arrows which means that Zygarde's best attack to hit it is Extreme Speed. However, it is vulnerable to Toxic and can be picked off with said Extreme Speed with entry hazard support. Similarly, though it is easily worn down, Tapu Fini can take two hits from Zygarde and deal good damage back with Moonblast. Misty Terrain not only prevents Zygarde from using Toxic against grounded opponents but weakens its Dragon type STAB.
Move Fairies to be first

**Physically Defensive Pokemon**: Other physically defensive Pokemon like Landorus-T, Tomohawk, Arghonaut and Mew are generally good answers to Zygarde. Though it is easily worn down and very vulnerable to Toxic, defensive Landous-T can lower Zygarde's attack and, if it is carrying it, hit it with a super-effective Hidden Power Ice. Tomohawk can use Prankster Haze to remove any of Zygarde's boosts with ease and completely walls the Dragon Dance set. However, it can be stalled out with Toxic by the Choice Band and SubCoil sets. In the same vein, Arghonaut can ignore Zygarde's boosts with Unaware and phase it out with Circle Throw. It is also bulky enough to take on the Choice Band set but can do little in return aside from phasing it if it is mot carrying Ice Punch. This makes it difficult to beat the SubCoil set as it is also vulnerable to Toxic. Physically defensive Mew can take any attack and retaliate with Ice Beam, doing massive damage to Zygarde. In addition, due to Synchronise, if Zygarde uses Toxic against it it gets Badly Poisoned in return. Mew does however fall to a Z Move on the Dragon Dance set.
Move this to second

**Revenge Killers**: There are many faster Pokemon that can beat Zygarde, although almost all of them struggle to switch in more than once on any attack. Syclant, Kerfluffle, Greninja and Garchomp are naturally faster so can easily revenge kill the Choice Band and SubCoil sets with a super-effective STAB move. They do fear Choice Band Extreme Speed, however. Most Choice Scarf Pokemon can outspeed even +1 Speed Zygarde, some examples being all of the previously mentioned Pokemon as well as Tapu Lele, Latios and Keldeo. Tapu Lele also sets Psychic Terrain which means that it does not fear Extreme Speed, although it speed ties with the Dragon Dance set if Zygarde is running a Jolly nature.
Just a few nitpicks here and there
QC 2/3
 

cbrevan

spin, spin, spin
is a CAP Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnus
Hey Kyubics

How're you doing? With USUM out, we need to shift our priorities to the current metagame. Unfortunately, this means you would need to update this writeup to USUM as well. We would have to revert the analysis back to QC 0/3 to ensure it's up to date, but given how close to completion this analysis was, I wouldn't expect you to convert it back to bullet points. Given all this, would you be willing to finish and update this analysis for USUM?
 
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