Stats: 90 HP/125 Attack/ 90 Defence/ 85 Special Attack/ 90 Special Defence / 100 Speed
Type: Fighting/Flying
Abilities: Defiant
Notable Moves:
Close Combat
Brave Bird
U Turn
Stomping Tantrum
Thunderous Kick
Drill Peck
Bulk Up
Agility
Tera Blast
Pros
• Respectable Attack stat with decent speed while still also naturally able to take hits
• Amazing stab combination able to hit the majority of Pokémon super effectively or Neutral with strong BP moves
• Can Act as a Pivot due to U turn+ Decent bulk and good defensive type
• Able to abuse Defog/intimidate with defiant and can switch into more of them now that Defog movepool got nerfed
Cons
• While stats are good, it can often feel a bit to weak or too slow depending on what set you are using
• Not good coverage moves, so it has to rely on stab+ u turn a lot
• Very predictable, there’s not a lot of variance to it’s gameplay.
Tera:
Fighting: Able to power up close combat or thunderous kick and help break through/ohko mons easier. Also loses weakness to ice and electric if really needed
Flying: Powers up Brave Bird and Drill Peck, Very similar in that it’s used mainly to break easier but also removes the fairy, psychic, and flying weakness.
Fire: Could be used on bu/agil sets under screens to help vs wisp pult/rotom and other things that will burn you. Turns fairy and ice into a resist.
Steel: Another option for bu/agil sets, also deals with fairy and ice while adding a resist to flying and psychic. Can avoid toxic and is just a general good defensive typing
Sets:
Choice Scarf
Zapdos-Galar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Thunderous Kick/Drill Peck/Stomping Tantrum
Main idea is to force revenge kills and use the good offensive typing to be tough to switch into. Also acts as an offensive pivot to things like tusk/Landorus/Rillaboom, etc. 4th move is always just depending on team and personal preference.
Choice Band
Zapdos-Galar @ Choice Band
Ability: Defiant
Tera Type: Fighting/Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Brave Bird
- Close Combat
- U-turn
- Thunderous Kick/Drill Peck/Stomping Tantrum
You trade the speed from scarf into absolute breaking power. Assuming you get the turn right and click a neutral move something is getting 2shot or ohkoes. Still can pivot into the same things as scarf.
Double Dance
Zapdos-Galar @ Lum Berry/Weakness Policy/ Leftovers
Ability: Defiant
Tera Type: Fire/Fairy/Steel/Fighting/Flying
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Bulk Up
- Agility
- Thunderous Kick/Close Combat
- Brave Bird/ Drill Peck
Used on HO/Screens HO idea is to just sweep and set up on common phsyical attackers using either natural bulk,defensive type, or Tera. Lum is useful outside Tera fire/steel, Weakness Policy under screens and leftovers just all around. Also have to ask whether immediate damage but lower defenses and health or no drawbacks but weaker works better.
Conclusion: Zapdos-Galar is a very useful Pokémon as always, It got improved from the nerfs to zapdos and tornadus likely resulting in less usage but does wish lando would have kept its moves and it’s usage. It didn’t really gain anything outside of Tera blast but also didn’t really lose anything. Tera also isn’t too mind blowing for it likely just trying to strengthen its stabs. Despite this though it has an amazing type combo useful both defensive and offensive, still can u turn and pivot, and still can break teams with banded stab moves. Overall I think Zapdos-Galar will stay a solid ou pokemon