In-battle formes
Base
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Abilities | |
| Tier |
| HP: | 108 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack: | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 121 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 81 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 95 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 95 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Complete
| Type | |
|---|---|
| Abilities | |
| Tier |
| HP: | 216 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack: | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Defense: | 121 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Atk: | 91 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sp. Def: | 95 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: | 85 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Formes
- Base
- 10%
Strategies
- en
Written by Lotus
Overview
- Zygarde is one of the more versatile threats in the tier due to a number of unique traits it has over other Pokemon.
- While it is not a very notable threat in its base forme, Zygarde gains immense bulk after transforming via Power Construct. This aids Zygarde by either easing its setup or making it a nigh-impenetrable physical wall.
- Offensive sets employing Dragon Dance in particular are very difficult for many teams to properly handle. Zygarde's signature move, Thousand Arrows, hits almost the entire relevant tier for at least neutral damage and leaves Zygarde with more freedom to choose other moves. Depending on what utility move Zygarde opts for, foes that attempt to check Zygarde may have to contend with phazing, status, or even trapping.
- Defensive variants of Zygarde also have invaluable traits. Thanks to its typing and bulk, Zygarde is capable of handling some of the most common and dangerous threats in the tier, such as Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh, with ease. On top of being a durable defensive behemoth, Zygarde has access to excellent utility moves like Dragon Tail and Glare, both of which excel at punishing a variety of foes that may attempt to take advantage of Zygarde's passivity.
- It is important to note, however, that Zygarde's every mentioned potential is fulfilled only under the assumption that it undergoes Power Construct safely. Prior to transformation, Zygarde is rather exploitable due to its lacking bulk and vulnerability to Fairy- and Ice-types.
- While offensive variants of Zygarde-C are difficult to stop, several conditions must be met for it to be successful, including prior damage dealt on its checks, dedicated entry hazard support, and even an elimination of a threat in some cases. For these reasons, unlike defensive variants, offensive variants of Zygarde are heavily reliant on their teammates to be effective, and the team must be built around them.
Big Boss (Dragon Dance)
| Move 1 |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move 2 |
| ||||||||
| Move 3 |
| ||||||||
| Move 4 |
| Item | |
|---|---|
| Ability | |
| Nature |
|
| EVs |
|
Moves
- Dragon Dance compensates Zygarde's lacking damage output and lets it outspeed many Pokemon after a boost, turning it into an offensive threat.
- Thousand Arrows is a spammable STAB move that hits almost the entire tier for at least neutral damage while naturally threatening extremely common threats like Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh. Groundium Z makes the move into an immensely powerful Tectonic Rage that is capable of OHKOing Zygarde's offensive checks like Xerneas with or without prior damage.
- Zygarde can opt to use Substitute thanks to its massive bulk and Thousand Arrows freeing up a moveslot that would otherwise go to a coverage move. Substitute greatly aids Zygarde by letting it effectively manage HP to safely activate Power Construct, letting it avoid status moves and Dragon Tail from Giratina and opposing defensive Zygarde, easing predictions, and punishing its switch-in with Dragon Tail or Glare.
- Dragon Tail may not seem to be the most viable option on an offensive Dragon Dance set, but it prevents Zygarde from getting phazed by Lugia and Skarmory, as a boosted Zygarde can phaze them first before it is phazed by Whirlwind. Dragon Tail also helps Zygarde punish Arceus formes and its other offensive checks by forcing them to switch into a random teammate while doing a considerable amount of damage and drawing them closer to KO range. It is important to note that if Zygarde is running Dragonium Z with Dragon Tail, it will have favorable matchup against occasional Ditto and Dragon-types like Mega Salamence and Giratina-O, as Devastating Drake does not have negative priority like Dragon Tail, so Zygarde can strike them first.
- Glare punishes offensive foes that attempt to switch in and check Zygarde, and paralysis can occasionally give Zygarde a free turn to set up or attack.
- Protect guards Zygarde for a turn, protecting it from attacks while letting it gain an extra turn of recovery from Leftovers and possibly stall more residual damage on a foe. Repeated use of Substitute and Protect can effectively stall out a foe, as Zygarde only ends up using a small portion of its health to do so.
- Outrage can be used over Dragon Tail so Zygarde can use a stronger Devastating Drake, which, when boosted, can quickly dispose of Mega Salamence, Giratina-O, and opposing Zygarde.
Set Details
- 232 Speed EVs allow Zygarde to outspeed Mega Gengar and Marshadow in its Complete forme after a Dragon Dance, preventing the latter from stealing Zygarde's boosts before Zygarde gets to attack. If outspeeding more threats is desired, 248 Speed EVs can be used to allow Zygarde to outspeed Rash Deoxys-A after a Dragon Dance. 30 HP IVs should be used if Zygarde is not running any HP EVs and is not holding Leftovers so it can activate Power Construct after using Substitute twice.
- 12 HP EVs maximize Zygarde's Leftovers recovery in its Complete forme. If Zygarde is holding a Z-Crystal, they make Zygarde's HP number divisible by four so that Power Construct activates after two uses of Substitute.
- 48 Special Defense EVs allow Zygarde to survive an Ice Beam from support Arceus formes from full HP in its base forme. The rest of the EVs are put into Attack, combined with an Adamant nature, to maximize Zygarde's damage output.
- A bulkier EV spread of 12 HP / 160 Atk / 56 Def / 48 SpD / 232 Spe and an Impish nature allow Zygarde to survive +2 Sunsteel Strike from Necrozma-DM, +2 Photon Geyser from Ultra Necrozma, and uninvested Ice Beam from support Arceus formes, as well as ensuring that Zygarde-C's Substitute will always block defensive Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike. This EV investment comes at the cost of a noticeable drop in damage output, however.
- A different EV spread of 44 HP / 252 Atk / 12 Def / 200 Spe can be used if Zygarde isn't running Leftovers, as this maximizes Zygarde's damage output, allows it to activate Power Construct after using Substitute twice, and ensures that Zygarde outspeeds Marshadow at +1 in its Complete forme. Note that Zygarde's inability to outspeed Mega Gengar at +1 in Complete forme can be detrimental.
- Leftovers provides Zygarde with passive recovery, allowing it to set up Substitute multiple times and aiding its attempt to stall a foe with paralysis from Glare.
- Groundium Z allows Zygarde to use Tectonic Rage, which, at +1, is capable of outright taking out Xerneas, defensive Primal Groudon, and support Arceus formes after some prior damage.
- Dragonium Z is an alternative Z-Crystal that can be used so Zygarde can hit Dragon-types with Devastating Drake for super effective damage.
- Power Construct transforms Zygarde into its Complete forme when it has lost a half or more of its HP, giving it a massive boost in HP and letting it ease setup and set more Substitutes.
Usage Tips
- Dragon Dance Zygarde requires a number of conditions to be fulfilled for it to effectively sweep or cause serious damage to the opponent's team. As it is reliant on prior damage on foes like support Arceus formes even when opting to use a Z-Crystal, outright attempting to sweep with Zygarde is never a sensible strategy unless another teammate requires Zygarde to damage a foe that it draws in.
- Support Arceus formes are one of the most problematic foes for Zygarde to confront, as they are commonly prepared to check Zygarde and have sufficient bulk to survive a Z-Move when healthy. They are required to be damaged for Zygarde to bypass them. Statusing them with Toxic is a good idea, as this allows Zygarde to rack up the residual damage with Substitute.
- Setting up entry hazards is also helpful, as this leaves Zygarde with an option to wear down its checks with Dragon Tail to the point where they can no longer effectively handle boosted attacks.
- Even after Zygarde's traditional checks like support Arceus formes and Xerneas have been eliminated, recklessly setting up Dragon Dance is discouraged, especially if Zygarde is using a bulkier EV spread. As some foes like Mega Gengar, Ultra Necrozma, and Deoxys-A can outspeed boosted Zygarde depending on its EV spread, one must draft a plan to deal with them beforehand if Zygarde is not capable of outspeeding them at +1. All relevant Choice Scarf users are also capable of revenge killing boosted Zygarde, so possible Choice Scarf users like Xerneas and Yveltal have to be scouted with caution.
- Zygarde's primary setup targets are passive foes that rely on status, such as Ferrothorn, Toxapex, and Chansey. It is best to set Substitute against them first to avoid status moves and grant Zygarde temporary protection should the opponent immediately switch into Zygarde's checks; this allows Zygarde to either wear them down with Dragon Tail or paralyze them without getting harmed. Frequently setting Substitute also allows Zygarde to safely activate Power Construct.
- Both Glare and Protect provide Zygarde with valuable utility options even when it is not able to successfully set up. Glare allows Zygarde to check Rock Polish Primal Groudon while essentially punishing every foe that tries to take it on by paralyzing them. Paralyzed foes can easily be taken advantage of by Zygarde's teammates, and paralysis can even provide Zygarde with a free turn to set up. Protect, while it is very handy for further improving Zygarde's ability to stall a statused foe, can also be used to scout a foe's move while providing Zygarde with an extra turn of recovery.
- Although this variant of Zygarde isn't very durable and lacks recovery apart from Leftovers, it can still be used as an offensive check to Primal Groudon and Extreme Killer Arceus.
- Zygarde using a Z-Crystal becomes predictable once it reveals that it lacks Leftovers, and an opponent may attempt to predict a Z-Move. Be prepared to make predictions, especially if an opponent's only check to a boosted Zygarde has to avoid a Z-Move to prevent the sweep.
Team Options
- Zygarde appreciates entry hazard support. All variations of entry hazards are beneficial for Zygarde in different ways. It is recommended for hazard setters to carry some form of a status move, as they naturally draw in Defog users, which Zygarde can easily deal with later if they are statused.
- Stealth Rock support allows Zygarde to better deal with Lugia if Dragon Tail is not used, and it also helps punish defensive Yveltal and Salamence, should the latter attempt switching in to hinder Zygarde's setup with Intimidate. Offensive teams can have a dedicated Stealth Rock setter, such as Excadrill and Deoxys-S. On more balanced teams, Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM can provide Stealth Rock support while functioning as solid checks to Fairy-types.
- Spikes support is particularly helpful for Zygarde using a Z-Crystal, as this wears down grounded foes much faster. Both Cloyster and Deoxys-S can set Spikes for Zygarde on offensive teams to pressure the opposing team early-game. Cloyster can also set Toxic Spikes, and Zygarde can take advantage of this well, as many foes that are immune to said entry hazard can be set up on by Zygarde or cannot contend with Zygarde. Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Klefki can set Spikes, check certain support Arceus formes, and spread status.
- A myriad of offensive Pokemon can benefit from the damage that Zygarde-C spreads onto the opposing team or can assist Zygarde-C themselves in a similar way.
- Xerneas benefits from Zygarde-C threatening Primal Groudon and Steel-types, can deal with defensive Yveltal, and easily clean a weakened team after a Geomancy. Choice Scarf variants can cure Zygarde of status and provide revenge killing utilities against faster foes.
- Mega Gengar is one of the best offensive partners to Zygarde, as it can take advantage of weakened teams, trap and eliminate Fairy-types, and even force a trade with Destiny Bond against a foe that has to be eliminated for Zygarde to be successful. Hex variants in particular appreciate Zygarde spreading paralysis with Glare, and Mega Gengar can soften a passive wall with Will-O-Wisp, providing a better setup condition for Zygarde against the likes of defensive Necrozma-DM.
- Other setup sweepers like Rock Polish Primal Groudon and powerhouses like Yveltal and Primal Kyogre can wreak havoc on opponent's defensive backbones early-game for Zygarde.
- Gothitelle can remove support Arceus formes and other passive foes for Zygarde. Its ability to neutralize a foe and provide Zygarde with a safe environment to set up is generally appreciated.
Defensive
| Move 1 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move 2 |
| ||||||||||||||
| Move 3 |
| ||||||||||||||
| Move 4 |
|
| Item | |
|---|---|
| Ability | |
| Nature |
|
| EVs |
|
Moves
- Rest is mandatory, as it is the only way Zygarde can recover health. In addition, the move provides Zygarde with more opportunities to activate Power Construct.
- Coil boosts Zygarde's bulk to further levels, letting it prevail against Swords Dance variants of Primal Groudon, Arceus, and Arceus-Ground. Coil also prevents Zygarde from being set up on by the latter two using Substitute.
- Sleep Talk prevents Zygarde from being completely passive while it is asleep.
- Thousand Arrows prevents Zygarde from being completely passive against Xerneas and Magearna. Thousand Arrows is also helpful for punishing Mega Gengar, checking Mega Lucario, and wearing down Primal Groudon.
- Glare harshly punishes foes, should they switch into Zygarde to force it out. It also proves extremely useful due to its ability to paralyze Primal Groudon, letting Zygarde be one of the few Pokemon that can shut down Rock Polish variants.
- Dragon Tail allows Zygarde to reliably check its foes by phazing them, and it can also be used to rack up good amounts of damage with entry hazards on the field. More notably, it prevents Zygarde from being trapped by Gothitelle.
- Toxic is another possible utility option that lets Zygarde more reliably check Primal Groudon by putting it on timer while punishing its checks like support Arceus formes harder than Glare would.
Set Details
- Maximum investment in HP and Defense and an Impish nature allow Zygarde to fulfill its role as a defensive wall. The EV spread is also the most sensible option to allow Zygarde to take on boosted Primal Groudon and Mega Lucario prior to its transformation, as Zygarde cannot survive +2 Precipice Blades or +2 Close Combat from said foes while running less bulk investment.
- Leftovers provides Zygarde with passive recovery, leaving it less reliant on Rest and letting it narrowly avoid two consecutive Close Combats from Mega Lucario.
- Power Construct, once activated, turns Zygarde into a formidable physical wall that becomes very difficult to surmount with physical attackers without brute force.
Usage Tips
- Zygarde should be switched into weak or resisted attacks from Pokemon such as defensive variants of Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh. Zygarde can also switch into a predicted status move from foes that cannot pose an immediate threat, as the residual damage will eventually activate Power Construct, and Zygarde can simply use Rest to rid itself of its status ailment anyway.
- Even when taking weak attacks, one must carefully observe the amount of damage that Zygarde takes and draft plans about making defensive reactions. Necrozma-DM has a considerable chance to carry a Z-Crystal, which is capable of taking out Zygarde prior to transformation at an unexpected situation.
- Coverage moves are another factor that Zygarde must be concerned of, as foes it would otherwise check, such as Primal Groudon and Rayquaza, may carry moves like Hidden Power Ice or Draco Meteor. This necessitates scouting before one decides to stay in against them, unless there are no other teammates that can feasibly deal with them.
- When running a moveset with Coil, carefully observe threats that Zygarde will be tasked to deal with. For example, when taking on Primal Groudon, take note of how much damage it does with physical attacks. If the damage output is far above defensive variants', it is better for Zygarde to start setting up Coil, as there is a considerable chance that it may be taking on a Swords Dance variant. Another case when Coil should be set up with haste is when dealing with Swords Dance Arceus formes, as they commonly carry Substitute or use Z-Moves to defeat Zygarde prior to transformation.
- As Zygarde lacking Coil or Dragon Tail is set up on by Substitute users like opposing Zygarde, Arceus-Ground, and Extreme Killer Arceus, ensure that they are scouted beforehand to prevent them from gaining free turns of setup.
- Zygarde's health should be managed even after transformation, especially if he opponent has wallbreakers employing a setup move, a Z-Move, or both. Zygarde won't always be in the healthiest condition after transformation, and failure to properly manage its health may leave it unable to check them.
Team Options
- Thanks to Zygarde's ability to check the majority of physical attackers in the tier with its sheer bulk, it can easily form a defensive core with teammates that can patch up its vulnerability to special attackers.
- Zygarde desires a teammate that can deal with Fairy-types and support Arceus formes, which commonly carry Ice Beam. Ferrothorn and Magearna are solid partners in this regard. Ferrothorn makes Zygarde's Dragon Tail more useful with Spikes, allows Zygarde to safely manage its health with Leech Seed, and appreciates Zygarde's ability to take on most Primal Groudon variants and Fighting-types. Magearna is also a reliable switch-in to support Arceus formes and, unlike Ferrothorn, serves as a strong check to Xerneas.
- Zygarde can assist and benefit from a number of very common Pokemon as well. Primal Groudon enjoys the spread of paralysis, as this allows it to threaten faster foes it would otherwise cautiously contend against. Zygarde functioning as a status absorber and occasionally removing Ground immunities from Pokemon is also appreciated. Primal Groudon sets up Stealth Rock so Zygarde can take advantage of it with Dragon Tail, and it can check Xerneas and Primal Kyogre.
- Mega Gengar, especially Hex variants, benefit from the spread of paralysis, as this boosts Hex and may occasionally provide Mega Gengar with room to breathe. In return, Mega Gengar can remove Fairy-types and any relevant clerics apart from Magearna, which would otherwise limit Zygarde's usefulness. Zygarde can handle Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, which Mega Gengar normally does not enjoy facing.
- Ho-Oh is a great check to Xerneas and the majority of support Arceus formes that can threaten Zygarde with Ice Beam, and it can render physical attackers useless with Sacred Fire burns. As a number of physical attackers like Primal Groudon and Mega Salamence can overwhelm Ho-Oh, Zygarde's ability to blanket check the majority of them is appreciated. Ho-Oh also checks Marshadow lacking Rock Tomb, while Zygarde can check Marshadow lacking Hidden Power Ice.
- Necrozma-DM similarly benefits from utility options that Zygarde provides. Defensive variants can set Stealth Rock and punish support Arceus formes with Toxic.
- Various support Arceus formes aid Zygarde. Arceus-Ground and Arceus-Water can function as a secondary check to Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, which Zygarde will have a much shakier matchup against when it is asleep. As most support Arceus formes despise Toxic, Zygarde's ability to switch into said move is always appreciated. Zygarde can also check boosted Primal Groudon and Necrozma-DM, as most Arceus formes struggle properly handling boosted attacks from them.
- Both Magearna and Blissey are excellent checks to Fairy-types, and they can alleviate Zygarde lacking Sleep Talk thanks to their access to Heal Bell.
Thousand Waves
| Move 1 |
| ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move 2 |
| ||||||||
| Move 3 |
| ||||||||
| Move 4 |
| Item | |
|---|---|
| Ability | |
| Nature |
|
| EVs |
|
Moves
- Dragon Dance and Thousand Arrows are mandatory for any Zygarde variant attempting to sweep.
- Thousand Waves prevents a foe from switching once it has been hit by the move. Depending on what foe Zygarde traps, it can either fully set up or safely switch to a teammate that can deal with the foe.
- Rest fully restores Zygarde's health and removes status, letting it consistently take hits from foes like defensive Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh that can't immediately threaten it and fully set up.
Set Details
- 220 Attack EVs with an Adamant nature allow Zygarde to OHKO any relevant Arceus forme, including Arceus-Ground, with +6 Thousand Arrows after Stealth Rock damage.
- 80 HP EVs let Zygarde survive an Ice Beam from a support Arceus forme, if it proves to be a necessity. The rest of the EVs are invested in Defense, letting Zygarde avoid the 4HKO from defensive Primal Groudon's Precipice Blades most of the time with Leftovers recovery so it can reliably set up Dragon Dance while consistently taking hits.
- Power Construct allows Zygarde to transform into its Complete forme when its HP is under 50% at the end of the turn.
Usage Tips
- This set takes advantage of Zygarde's checks' tendencies to switch into it by trapping them on switch using Thousand Waves and switching to a teammate that can deal with them. Therefore, Thousand Waves is what Zygarde should usually use. However, Zygarde can situationally use Dragon Dance to punish foes like support Arceus formes that switch into it.
- On the other hand, Zygarde can fully set up on foes that are not powerful enough to surmount its Complete forme such as defensive Primal Groudon, Ferrothorn, defensive Necrozma-DM, and Excadrill. Occasionally, these foes may stay in against Zygarde to either set entry hazards or status it before switching out. Zygarde can take advantage of this to trap them with Thousand Waves and fully set up on them.
- Once a foe has been trapped, Zygarde can simply repeat setting up Dragon Dance and using Rest when its health is low. While a fully boosted Zygarde may seem impossible to stop, certain foes like Lugia, Skarmory, and opposing Zygarde can still survive +6 Thousand Arrows and phaze Zygarde. Setting entry hazards up before attempting to sweep with Zygarde is a good plan in this regard.
- Defensive teams typically rely on support Arceus formes or phazing to check setup sweepers. Due to this, Zygarde can be preserved until late-game. Once it doesn't have any teammates left, Zygarde can freely set up, as many common Pokemon on defensive teams are not capable of sufficiently pressuring it. Ensure that problematic foes like support Arceus formes have been eliminated beforehand, however.
Team Options
- This set appreciates similar team support to other Dragon Dance sets, but certain Pokemon pair with this variant of Zygarde especially well. Mega Gengar and Gothitelle are the most notable ones, as after Zygarde traps a passive foe with Thousand Waves on the switch, they can promptly switch in and proceed to trap and remove them. Mega Gengar can either eliminate or force a trade with a problematic foe, while Gothitelle can trap and remove almost every relevant support Arceus forme.
- Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Arceus-Fairy are all valid users of Stealth Rock. When Zygarde is paired with Gothitelle, any support Arceus forme that attempts to use Defog to remove entry hazards can be trapped early-game, providing Zygarde with better opportunities to set up.
- Spikes support, while not effective as Stealth Rock, can still aid Zygarde, as Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes give +6 Zygarde a good chance to OHKO opposing defensive Zygarde in its base forme. Ferrothorn is a good Spikes setter for this reason, as its tendency to draw in Primal Groudon is also appreciated.
- Various wallbreakers like Yveltal, Primal Kyogre, and Marshadow can be paired with set, as they aid Zygarde's sweep in a situation where there are no foes that Zygarde can trap and use as setup fodder.
Other Options
- A Dragon Dance set can use Extreme Speed so Zygarde can pick off faster offensive checks like weakened Choice Scarf Xerneas and Deoxys-A.
- Earth Plate provides a consistent boost to Thousand Arrows's damage output, notably letting +1 Zygarde OHKO Marshadow after recoil damage from Life Orb.
- Iron Tail in tandem with Steelium Z allows Zygarde to OHKO both Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy after a Dragon Dance, but it doesn't have much use otherwise.
- Coil may be used alongside Dragon Dance, which makes Zygarde harder to take down as it continues to boost its damage output, bulk, and Speed. Simply using 28 Defense EVs allows Zygarde to make a Substitute that cannot be broken by any one hit from defensive variants of Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Ho-Oh, after it has transformed.
- Mago Berry allows Zygarde to quickly heal itself in a pinch, letting it set up more reliably under offensive pressure. However, lacking Leftovers or a Z-Crystal isn't very ideal.
- Haze can be used over Coil on the defensive set to deter setup and check opposing Zygarde-C with Dragon Dance + Substitute and Bulk Up variants of Marshadow, but this leaves Zygarde vulnerable to Gothitelle.
- A combination of Block and Normalium Z is an alternative way of allowing Zygarde to trap and set up on a foe, but it has no notable benefits over simply using Thousand Waves apart from letting Zygarde trap airborne foes with ease and reliably set up on Life Orb Ho-Oh with a Defense boost from Z-Block.
Checks and Counters
Fairy-types: Fairy-types like Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy tend to be the best checks to Zygarde thanks to their immunity to Dragon Tail and ability to hit it super effectively with their STAB moves. Xerneas in particular is one of the more dangerous foes for Zygarde, as Zygarde cannot prevent Xerneas from setting up Geomancy without employing the uncommon Haze, and Xerneas variants with Aromatherapy do not mind switching into Glare.
Ice-type Attacks: Zygarde suffers from the popularity of Ice-type attacks in the tier, as it has an extreme weakness to them. This means Zygarde struggles to combat support Arceus formes that commonly employ Ice Beam and Hidden Power Ice users like Primal Groudon and Marshadow.
Special Attackers: Zygarde gains huge bulk after transforming, but due to rather mediocre Special Defense and a lack of notable resistances, it is easily overwhelmed by strong special attackers like Yveltal and Lunala. Draco Meteor from Rayquaza, Giratina-O, and Naganadel and Spacial Rend from Palkia mostly end up being lethal blows for Zygarde in its base forme, and they are still capable of heavily damaging Zygarde in its Complete forme, even if they won't outright OHKO it.
Faster Foes: Zygarde fails to outspeed Deoxys-A and Choice Scarf users like Xerneas and Yveltal after Dragon Dance boosts and thus is vulnerable to getting revenge killed. Should Zygarde have opted for a bulkier EV spread, it is also prone to getting revenge killed by foes like Mega Gengar and Mewtwo.
Offensive Pressure Prior to Power Construct: Failure to properly transform Zygarde will greatly limit its ability to set up and take hits. Due to Zygarde's tendency to punctually take mildly strong attacks to safely go through transformation, it is heavily pressured by threats that can hit it with boosted attacks. Examples include Swords Dance variants of Primal Groudon, Necrozma-DM, and Mega Lucario, though they do not wish to confront Zygarde in its Complete forme. Zygarde also is overwhelmed by the presence of multiple special attackers, as it is often forced out against it them. If pressured to the point where it cannot safely transform at appropriate time, Zygarde's efficiency as a blanket check to physical attackers significantly diminishes.
Taunt: Though most Taunt users do not appreciate switching into Glare or Thousand Arrows, they can hinder Zygarde's effectiveness by preventing its setup and recovery. Preventing Dragon Dance leaves Zygarde much easier to offensively handle due to its lack of immediate power, while preventing Rest significantly hinders Zygarde's ability to manage its HP as a defensive wall.
