Other Metagames [Balanced Hackmons]Zygarde Offense

[Kadabrium]

Introduction​

Simply speaking, Zygarde is one of my favorite newer pokemon design wise. It received a powerful new Forme this generation along with an impressive signature move in Core Enforcer, but unfortunately not the exact stats to back it up. This compelled me to turn to Hackmons and find a way for the Guardian of Order to rightfully use its very own signature power.

Teambuilding Process​

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Specially Attacking Zygarde with Core Enforcer

Fast Pokemon that can dish out instant damage and is not priority weak

Secondary setup sweeper that requires less time to boost

Stops opposing setup momentum

SE attacks against Steel-types and opposing Zygarde

Spectral Thief support

The Team​

Leftover Legendary (Zygarde-Complete) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Def / 198 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Core Enforcer
- Magma Storm
- Substitute
- Quiver Dance
​

Zygarde is the core sweeper of the team. Its great mixed bulk in conjunction with Magic Bounce means it can setup on virtually anything lacking a super-effective STAB or boost-removing move. In practice, since this set lack recovery it is best sent out versus passive walls or pokemon locked into non-threatening moves. However, when absolutely needed it can even setup against the likes of Deoxys-S as long as it gets off a single Core Enforcer hit. It is, however, very weak against Boomburst and Spectral Thief, which must be weakened enough by teammates before attempting a sweep with Zygarde. The speed EVs are meant to outspeed base 90s unboosted and max base 100s at +1, but in reality I tend to find speed tiers not especially important within this range in BH in general.

Psystricken (Mewtwo-Mega-Y) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Genesis Supernova
- Parting Shot
- Moongeist Beam
​

Since Zygarde takes long preparation to set up it is required that the team have a member who can dish out damage right off the bat without any setup, and Mewtwo fulfills this role well since it outspeeds base 130s and can actually take a few neutral hits unlike Deoxys. After repeated trials, Psychic Terrain Mewtwo has proven to be my most reliable Mewtwo set. Most notably, it is able to block priority users which otherwise can do massive damage to the team due to its lack of dedicated walls. Most of the time all it needs to do is click Psystrike and kill off everything slower than itself and less bulky than Arceus, while Moongeist is chosen to hit the occasional Shedinja. I find myself rarely needing to use Genesis, and the few times I did were mostly against opposing Zygardes; this slot was once reserved for Fairy- or Fighting-type coverage, but none of those turned out to be reliable enough to worth a slot.

Kyogreninjaskyogre (Greninja-Ash) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
IVs: 0 SpD
- Steam Eruption
- Beat Up
- Catastropika
- Shell Smash
​

Water Bubble users are among the most explosive sweepers in the game right now. Greninja-A can easily setup with a Focus Sash especially under the common Psychic Terrain and proceed to blast away anything bar Unaware resists and Water Absorb. Beat Up is useful against opposing frail Focus Sash users such as Deoxys formes, Mewtwo and Gengar, while Catastropika offers a reliable option for opposing Kyogres and Imposters.
Since the SpD IVs are lowered to the point where a +2 Steam Eruption can already KO Imposter Chansey:

+2 252 SpA Water Bubble Greninja-Ash Steam Eruption vs. 252 HP / 0- SpD Greninja-Ash: 724-852 (101.4 - 119.3%)
I have considered changing Catastropika into a move that offers utility coverage elsewhere, such as a priority move, a move to hit Shedinja, or even Power Trip. They have produced mixed results and I find it mostly unnecessary to decide which is objectively better.

PlumpJuicyGrub (Blissey) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Innards Out
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
- Spore
- Sticky Web
- Magic Coat
- Defog
​

Innards Out Blissey instantly eliminates -ate users and most other forms of setup sweepers once per game. Since its defenses are basically the lower the better, a Naive nature with Choice Scarf is chosen to offer some last-ditch support options when the opponent decides not to instantly attack it.

SinisterArrowRaid (Groudon-Primal) @ Choice Band
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Sacred Fire
- Sleep Talk
- Ice Hammer
​

Groudon is one of the best counters to Steel-types with both its STABs hitting them for SE damage. It can lure in setup stoppers disguised as Arceus, Water Absorb users and dragon walls as Greninja, and most steel types in general as Mewtwo or Zygarde. Ice Hammer is mainly there to hit opposing Zygarde and Giratina.

Silvally-Broken (Arceus-Ghost) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Spectral Thief
- Destiny Bond
- Spore
​

Focus Sash Arceus can use Spectral Thief to remove boosts from oppsing setup sweepers that aren't Normal type and then proceed to Prankster Baton Pass/Spore away. Destiny Bond is used as a last attempt of defense when a Normal-type sets up or its sash has been broken.

Threats​

-Normal-type setup sweepers: These cannot be stopped by Spectral Thief and the only option the team has is to Innards Out or Destiny Bond them.
-Multiple Shedinjas: This team lacks damaging entry hazards and as such struggle to break defensive cores with Shedinja. I have used Sunsteel Strike on Groudon and Moongeist Beam on Greninja to deal with this problem, but these teams are typically pretty rare recently.
-Multiple Sash users: Any Sash user not immediately beaten by Greninja's Beat Up, such as Mega Rayquaza, can easily punch holes through the team.

Importable

Leftover Legendary (Zygarde-Complete) @ Leftovers
Ability: Magic Bounce
EVs: 252 Def / 198 SpA / 60 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Core Enforcer
- Magma Storm
- Substitute
- Quiver Dance

Psystricken (Mewtwo-Mega-Y) @ Choice Specs
Ability: Psychic Surge
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psystrike
- Genesis Supernova
- Parting Shot
- Moongeist Beam

Kyogreninjaskyogre (Greninja-Ash) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Water Bubble
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
IVs: 0 SpD
- Steam Eruption
- Beat Up
- Catastropika
- Shell Smash

PlumpJuicyGrub (Blissey) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Innards Out
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD
- Spore
- Sticky Web
- Magic Coat
- Defog

SinisterArrowRaid (Groudon-Primal) @ Choice Band
Ability: Illusion
EVs: 240 HP / 252 Atk / 16 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Sacred Fire
- Sleep Talk
- Ice Hammer

Silvally-Broken (Arceus-Ghost) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Baton Pass
- Spectral Thief
- Destiny Bond
- Spore

 

[willdbeast]

This seems like a solid team but there are a few small problems I've noticed
To start with your greninja has minimised SpDef (in order to OHKO an imposter after shell smash presumably) but you can in fact run 2 SpDef IVs and still achieve this :]
I would consider V-create over sacred fire since 80% more damage is not to be sniffed at but obviously at a cost and no handy burn

Sorry I didn't have more to add but it's a good team!

 

[Kadabrium]

This seems like a solid team but there are a few small problems I've noticed
To start with your greninja has minimised SpDef (in order to OHKO an imposter after shell smash presumably) but you can in fact run 2 SpDef IVs and still achieve this :]
I would consider V-create over sacred fire since 80% more damage is not to be sniffed at but obviously at a cost and no handy burn

Sorry I didn't have more to add but it's a good team!

What's your thoughts of running both heart swap and spectral thief on arceus? Both of those moves have a type immunity so if an opponent of that type sets up i cannot reliably deal with it. On the other hand, spore does also help me greatly versus fast attackers that dont need a boost, such as choiced water bubble and mewtwos.

 

[willdbeast]

What's your thoughts of running both heart swap and spectral thief on arceus? Both of those moves have a type immunity so if an opponent of that type sets up i cannot reliably deal with it. On the other hand, spore does also help me greatly versus fast attackers that dont need a boost, such as choiced water bubble and mewtwos.

That would probably help but you'd still really struggle against any normal type setup sweeper if psychic terrain is up especially since you have a psychic surge user and also your arceus seems to be almost completely useless at the moment against any safety goggles/poison heal normal type.
Imposter + normal setup at the moment looks like it wins if they avoid the destiny bond (easier now it fails after successive use) since to stop imposter it looks like you normally need to use blissey. Hazards look like an issue but if you play offensively enough you can just play round it and you don't seem to be able to spare a slot for another defog.
I wish I could be more constructive but I can't think of much to improve it without changing everything.
(Maybe try unaware mega gyarados or something to stop most setup sweeps instead of arceus but I don't know how well this would fit in with the team)

 

[Kadabrium]

That would probably help but you'd still really struggle against any normal type setup sweeper if psychic terrain is up especially since you have a psychic surge user and also your arceus seems to be almost completely useless at the moment against any safety goggles/poison heal normal type.
Imposter + normal setup at the moment looks like it wins if they avoid the destiny bond (easier now it fails after successive use) since to stop imposter it looks like you normally need to use blissey. Hazards look like an issue but if you play offensively enough you can just play round it and you don't seem to be able to spare a slot for another defog.
I wish I could be more constructive but I can't think of much to improve it without changing everything.
(Maybe try unaware mega gyarados or something to stop most setup sweeps instead of arceus but I don't know how well this would fit in with the team)

How does gyarados work differently from arceus except that it has a psychic resistance? I can only think of that if both run the same unaware set gyarados could use that to baton pass against psychic types that outspeed arceus, but then again gyarados gets outsped by many more things than that.
I have actually put defog on mewtwo and stealth rock instead of web on blissey since i lost to a quiver dance pidgeot some time ago. I only need the other moves on mewtwo in very specific situations and if genesis does end up being banned i will definitely keep it that way.

 

[willdbeast]

How does gyarados work differently from arceus except that it has a psychic resistance? I can only think of that if both run the same unaware set gyarados could use that to baton pass against psychic types that outspeed arceus, but then again gyarados gets outsped by many more things than that.
I have actually put defog on mewtwo and stealth rock instead of web on blissey since i lost to a quiver dance pidgeot some time ago. I only need the other moves on mewtwo in very specific situations and if genesis does end up being banned i will definitely keep it that way.

The advantage of mega gyarados is that it checks powerful psychic types much better and it resists moongeist beam and sunsteel strike which makes it harder to get past, as well as being immune to stored power and resisting power trip. It is suited to slightly more balanced teams though so idk if it would work for you.