[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 11-12 points
**Overview**: Hisuian Zoroark has many good traits going for it; it has an amazing offensive and defensive typing, a solid Speed tier, and a great movepool, and its signature ability Illusion has the potential to force foes into dangerous mindgames. However, it is incredibly frail, and Illusion is far better on paper than it usually performs in practice due to factors like entry hazard chip damage giving Hisuian Zoroark away based on damage dealt and opponents being able to make switches that take into account if they could be facing a disguised Hisuian Zoroark. The surprise factor of Illusion is also somewhat nullified when opponents have the chance to prepare for it beforehand, making it difficult to use properly. Finally, despite Hisuian Zoroark's great typing, it struggles against Dark-types, which are extremely common. These flaws make Hisuian Zoroark inconsistent, but it still finds use as a solid mid-tier wallbreaker and disruptor.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: Hisuian Zoroark seeks to do as much damage as possible through the use of damage-boosting items like Choice Specs or even setup moves like Nasty Plot. Its strong offensive typing, stats, and movepool make it effective when given free turns to use its powerful attacks, but its frailty can make it difficult to position. If the opponent falls for the disguise from Illusion, Hisuian Zoroark will get the free turns it needs, but it can't be relied upon due to Illusion not disguising Hisuian Zoroark's current HP and status.
**Disruptor**: If Hisuian Zoroark isn't able to break through the opposing team, it can opt to run moves like Trick, Will-O-Wisp, and Knock Off to cripple opposing walls instead. Like the wallbreaker set, Illusion can be helpful to lure in specific targets on the opposing team, but it shouldn't be relied upon.
**Offensive Pivot**: Combined with a Choice Scarf and U-turn, Hisuian Zoroark can grab offensive momentum by leveraging its offenses and Speed to force switches. These sets usually ignore Illusion completely, as fooling the opponent with a disguise may actually work against the goal of the set to force switches. These sets may also run Trick to cripple a defensive wall when their extra Speed from Choice Scarf is no longer needed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Hyper Voice, Body Slam, Shadow Ball, Bitter Malice, Poltergeist, Shadow Sneak, Hex
**Setup Moves**: Agility, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Brick Break, Knock Off, Roar, Substitute, Taunt, Trick, U-turn, Will-O-Wisp
**Coverage**: Crunch, Dark Pulse, Flamethrower, Focus Blast, Foul Play, Grass Knot, Icy Wind, Low Kick, Psychic, Sludge Bomb, Throat Chop
Niche Moves
========
**Curse / Memento**: While usually hard to fit, if Hisuian Zoroark has a free moveslot, it can use Curse to deny bulky setup sweepers from taking advantage of it while also potentially providing a free switch to one of its teammates. Memento can be used similarly to gain momentum, with the differing goal of giving one of Hisuian Zoroark's teammates a setup opportunity.
**Giga Impact / Hyper Beam**: Since Hisuian Zoroark gains STAB on these risky, strong attacks, their sheer power can sometimes be worth the tradeoff of a recharge turn. These moves are typically used if Hisuian Zoroark has a specific target on the opposing team for which it wants to trade itself.
**Night Shade**: Night Shade can be used as a consistent damage option if Hisuian Zoroark is facing multiple specially bulky Pokemon that it can't break with its regular attacks.
Common Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Most Hisuian Zoroark sets use a damage-boosting item, since it usually aims to do as much damage as possible before it faints. It can run any damage-boosting item such as Choice Specs, Life Orb, or Spell Tag depending on what it needs to do in battle.
**Choice Scarf**: Hisuian Zoroark can be used as a revenge killer with a Choice Scarf, since it still has decent natural offenses without a damage-boosting item. Choice Scarf may be paired with Trick to disrupt the opposing team if needed.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots can be used to help maintain the Illusion disguise, especially if Hisuian Zoroark is being disguised as a Pokemon that is also using or commonly uses Heavy-Duty Boots. It also prevents opponents from finding out that it is Hisuian Zoroark in disguise from the amount of damage it takes from entry hazards.
Niche Items
========
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is typically seen on lead Hisuian Zoroark sets that aim to deal early damage and survive as long as possible while doing so. It can also be paired with setup to guarantee Hisuian Zoroark a chance to boost.
**Colbur Berry**: Colbur Berry can sometimes be used to let Hisuian Zoroark survive a Dark-type attack to set up or deal damage.
Tera
========
Hisuian Zoroark should not be a Tera Captain. Its base typing is already excellent, and it also lacks longevity and bulk to take long-term advantage of Tera. While it isn't a terrible Tera user, it is heavily outclassed by higher-priced Tera Captains. If it is chosen to be a Tera Captain, then it usually runs Tera Normal or Ghost to increase its standard damage output. It can also use any other offensive Tera type when paired with Tera Blast if it needs coverage for a specific foe. Notably, Tera Blast is a usable STAB attack both before and after Tera for Hisuian Zoroark, so it can use Tera Blast without fear of wasting a move slot if it does not use Tera during battle. Lastly, while Terastallizing does not remove Illusion, Tera Captains are known before battle, so Terastallizing Hisuian Zoroark reveals it through the Illusion.
Draft Strategy
========
Hisuian Zoroark lacks role compression, so it can be difficult to fit onto drafts, but it has a definite niche as a decently fast and strong special wallbreaker for teams that are looking for one.
**Slow Pivots**: While its three immunities and Illusion ability help, Hisuian Zoroark still struggles to enter the field due to its frailty. Pokemon like Corviknight, Scizor, and Raging Bolt are appreciated to use moves like U-turn and Volt Switch to bring Hisuian Zoroark into battle safely.
**Physical-heavy Teams**: Hisuian Zoroark is mainly used as a strong special attacker, and it fits well on teams that need more special offense. Additionally, if a team has several strong physically-attacking threats like Garchomp, Sneasler, and Gouging Fire, this encourages the opponent to bring physically defensive Pokemon, which Hisuian Zoroark can exploit. Sometimes, it may even be able to disguise itself as one of the physical threats, luring in a physical wall and removing or weakening it for its teammate.
**Entry Hazard Setters and Removal**: Hisuian Zoroark appreciates the chip damage from entry hazards to effectively wallbreak, and it also appreciates hazards being removed on its side to try to preserve Illusion.
Checks and Counters
========
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Hisuian Zoroark is fairly strong, but it's not strong enough to muscle through very specially bulky Pokemon. If Hisuian Zoroark can't OHKO or 2HKO a foe, it will likely lose the interaction due to its frailty. While it can run physical or mixed sets, these are significantly weaker than its special sets and also struggle to find the OHKOs or 2HKOs it needs.
**Faster / Speed-tied Threats**: There are many relevant Pokemon that sit at or above Hisuian Zoroark's Speed tier, such as Meowscarada, Ogerpon-W, and Darkrai, and practically all of them effortlessly threaten an OHKO on Hisuian Zoroark. This means Hisuian Zoroark has a difficult time risking Speed ties, and after it gets a KO, it usually has to deal with a loss of momentum by being forced out.
**Entry Hazards**: As mentioned earlier, entry hazards can disrupt Illusion and are the main reason why it is unreliable. Teams that want to make use of Illusion need to ensure hazards aren't set or are removed promptly.
**Dark-types**: Hisuian Zoroark struggles to break through Dark-type Pokemon as it is reliant on Focus Blast to do so, and they threaten it with super effective damage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
**Draft Order**: Round 5 onwards
**Price Range**: 11-12 points
**Overview**: Hisuian Zoroark has many good traits going for it; it has an amazing offensive and defensive typing, a solid Speed tier, and a great movepool, and its signature ability Illusion has the potential to force foes into dangerous mindgames. However, it is incredibly frail, and Illusion is far better on paper than it usually performs in practice due to factors like entry hazard chip damage giving Hisuian Zoroark away based on damage dealt and opponents being able to make switches that take into account if they could be facing a disguised Hisuian Zoroark. The surprise factor of Illusion is also somewhat nullified when opponents have the chance to prepare for it beforehand, making it difficult to use properly. Finally, despite Hisuian Zoroark's great typing, it struggles against Dark-types, which are extremely common. These flaws make Hisuian Zoroark inconsistent, but it still finds use as a solid mid-tier wallbreaker and disruptor.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Wallbreaker**: Hisuian Zoroark seeks to do as much damage as possible through the use of damage-boosting items like Choice Specs or even setup moves like Nasty Plot. Its strong offensive typing, stats, and movepool make it effective when given free turns to use its powerful attacks, but its frailty can make it difficult to position. If the opponent falls for the disguise from Illusion, Hisuian Zoroark will get the free turns it needs, but it can't be relied upon due to Illusion not disguising Hisuian Zoroark's current HP and status.
**Disruptor**: If Hisuian Zoroark isn't able to break through the opposing team, it can opt to run moves like Trick, Will-O-Wisp, and Knock Off to cripple opposing walls instead. Like the wallbreaker set, Illusion can be helpful to lure in specific targets on the opposing team, but it shouldn't be relied upon.
**Offensive Pivot**: Combined with a Choice Scarf and U-turn, Hisuian Zoroark can grab offensive momentum by leveraging its offenses and Speed to force switches. These sets usually ignore Illusion completely, as fooling the opponent with a disguise may actually work against the goal of the set to force switches. These sets may also run Trick to cripple a defensive wall when their extra Speed from Choice Scarf is no longer needed.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Hyper Voice, Body Slam, Shadow Ball, Bitter Malice, Poltergeist, Shadow Sneak, Hex
**Setup Moves**: Agility, Nasty Plot, Swords Dance
**Utility Moves**: Brick Break, Knock Off, Roar, Substitute, Taunt, Trick, U-turn, Will-O-Wisp
**Coverage**: Crunch, Dark Pulse, Flamethrower, Focus Blast, Foul Play, Grass Knot, Icy Wind, Low Kick, Psychic, Sludge Bomb, Throat Chop
Niche Moves
========
**Curse / Memento**: While usually hard to fit, if Hisuian Zoroark has a free moveslot, it can use Curse to deny bulky setup sweepers from taking advantage of it while also potentially providing a free switch to one of its teammates. Memento can be used similarly to gain momentum, with the differing goal of giving one of Hisuian Zoroark's teammates a setup opportunity.
**Giga Impact / Hyper Beam**: Since Hisuian Zoroark gains STAB on these risky, strong attacks, their sheer power can sometimes be worth the tradeoff of a recharge turn. These moves are typically used if Hisuian Zoroark has a specific target on the opposing team for which it wants to trade itself.
**Night Shade**: Night Shade can be used as a consistent damage option if Hisuian Zoroark is facing multiple specially bulky Pokemon that it can't break with its regular attacks.
Common Items
========
**Damage-boosting Items**: Most Hisuian Zoroark sets use a damage-boosting item, since it usually aims to do as much damage as possible before it faints. It can run any damage-boosting item such as Choice Specs, Life Orb, or Spell Tag depending on what it needs to do in battle.
**Choice Scarf**: Hisuian Zoroark can be used as a revenge killer with a Choice Scarf, since it still has decent natural offenses without a damage-boosting item. Choice Scarf may be paired with Trick to disrupt the opposing team if needed.
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Heavy-Duty Boots can be used to help maintain the Illusion disguise, especially if Hisuian Zoroark is being disguised as a Pokemon that is also using or commonly uses Heavy-Duty Boots. It also prevents opponents from finding out that it is Hisuian Zoroark in disguise from the amount of damage it takes from entry hazards.
Niche Items
========
**Focus Sash**: Focus Sash is typically seen on lead Hisuian Zoroark sets that aim to deal early damage and survive as long as possible while doing so. It can also be paired with setup to guarantee Hisuian Zoroark a chance to boost.
**Colbur Berry**: Colbur Berry can sometimes be used to let Hisuian Zoroark survive a Dark-type attack to set up or deal damage.
Tera
========
Hisuian Zoroark should not be a Tera Captain. Its base typing is already excellent, and it also lacks longevity and bulk to take long-term advantage of Tera. While it isn't a terrible Tera user, it is heavily outclassed by higher-priced Tera Captains. If it is chosen to be a Tera Captain, then it usually runs Tera Normal or Ghost to increase its standard damage output. It can also use any other offensive Tera type when paired with Tera Blast if it needs coverage for a specific foe. Notably, Tera Blast is a usable STAB attack both before and after Tera for Hisuian Zoroark, so it can use Tera Blast without fear of wasting a move slot if it does not use Tera during battle. Lastly, while Terastallizing does not remove Illusion, Tera Captains are known before battle, so Terastallizing Hisuian Zoroark reveals it through the Illusion.
Draft Strategy
========
Hisuian Zoroark lacks role compression, so it can be difficult to fit onto drafts, but it has a definite niche as a decently fast and strong special wallbreaker for teams that are looking for one.
**Slow Pivots**: While its three immunities and Illusion ability help, Hisuian Zoroark still struggles to enter the field due to its frailty. Pokemon like Corviknight, Scizor, and Raging Bolt are appreciated to use moves like U-turn and Volt Switch to bring Hisuian Zoroark into battle safely.
**Physical-heavy Teams**: Hisuian Zoroark is mainly used as a strong special attacker, and it fits well on teams that need more special offense. Additionally, if a team has several strong physically-attacking threats like Garchomp, Sneasler, and Gouging Fire, this encourages the opponent to bring physically defensive Pokemon, which Hisuian Zoroark can exploit. Sometimes, it may even be able to disguise itself as one of the physical threats, luring in a physical wall and removing or weakening it for its teammate.
**Entry Hazard Setters and Removal**: Hisuian Zoroark appreciates the chip damage from entry hazards to effectively wallbreak, and it also appreciates hazards being removed on its side to try to preserve Illusion.
Checks and Counters
========
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Hisuian Zoroark is fairly strong, but it's not strong enough to muscle through very specially bulky Pokemon. If Hisuian Zoroark can't OHKO or 2HKO a foe, it will likely lose the interaction due to its frailty. While it can run physical or mixed sets, these are significantly weaker than its special sets and also struggle to find the OHKOs or 2HKOs it needs.
**Faster / Speed-tied Threats**: There are many relevant Pokemon that sit at or above Hisuian Zoroark's Speed tier, such as Meowscarada, Ogerpon-W, and Darkrai, and practically all of them effortlessly threaten an OHKO on Hisuian Zoroark. This means Hisuian Zoroark has a difficult time risking Speed ties, and after it gets a KO, it usually has to deal with a loss of momentum by being forced out.
**Entry Hazards**: As mentioned earlier, entry hazards can disrupt Illusion and are the main reason why it is unreliable. Teams that want to make use of Illusion need to ensure hazards aren't set or are removed promptly.
**Dark-types**: Hisuian Zoroark struggles to break through Dark-type Pokemon as it is reliant on Focus Blast to do so, and they threaten it with super effective damage.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/scribble.356084/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/
Last edited:
