Zoroark

a thing that i hated was that illusion only works for bluffing and, after all, a intelligent and versated trainer would know that it's a fake from the first attack...and another thing, he doesn't copy the second pokemon... it copies the LAST pokemon in your party...
You're expecting too much from illusion. The point isn't to fool the opponent for the whole match, but just one turn since more often then not that's all you'll need; Honestly, if your Zoroark is disguised as a Mienshao, how long do you expect the illusion to last?
 
The thing is, Zoroark has speed, decent power, and a movepool to do some serious harm to a team - one turn should be all you need. Think of it like the spy in TF2: disguises fool sentry guns and bad players. In a real match it gets you that split second you need to stab the medic - but it's the backstab, and your skill in using it, that makes the kill. Same thing with Zoroark.
 
Issusion still has its uses, even though they get to see the last pokemon on your team, they don't ever know wether of not when you bring out that pokemon, is it really that? Or is it Zorark? Its all about prediction still, so its not something to totally through out the window.
 
after fighiting like, a bajillion of these basturds, i can saftley say that hes a piece of when used in the lead spot. i dont know why people thinks its a good idea, because unless your using counter its a job done better by stronger pokemon. even when people have used it in other spots it still only managed to be mediocure at best.
 
I recently watched a battle where a person brought a Zoroark, but he kept it in the last slot of his party; He still lost, but his opponent was very paranoid about which poke Zoroark was going to be the entire match.
 
So who has a good synergy with Zoroark then? Probably something thats takes hits Zoroark couldn't, but uses a similar move? For the facade. Obviously something that'll force a switch, but who will work best?
Hell, even pretend as Metagross with Hone Claws... I hope that made sense.
So yes, sorry, who works well with Zoroark?
 
Hi, I was wondering, which stats would be better for a zoroark? I've been IV breeding zoruas, and eventually came to two that I think would be better to EV train. I have one that's modest with 31/0-3/4,5/24,25/18,19/30,31 and one that's timid with 4,5/14,15/30,31/31/30,31/28-29 (I used serebii's IV calculator). I mean, is hp and speed more important than SpA and defenses?
 
Zoroark won't take a hit with or without IVs. Just make it a better attacker.

Unless you plan on luring in resisted hits, but forcing a switch and then another switch should be good enough.
 
Okay, thank you, I'm going to go with the second one since it has more power and only a couple points less of speed.
 
I think it may be extremely gimmicky, but I think zoroark could be a champ at running a mixed set. Put ninetales in as your second slotter or any other fire type pokemon, and switch this thing out after a water pokemon killed your last poke. use swords dance, make your hold item absorb bulb, and instantly you have a +2 attack, +1 sp A sweeper.

Zoroark
Hasty- 252 speed, 192 special attack, 64 attack
absorb bulb
swords dance
sucker punch
grass knot
flamethrower

sucker punch is zoroarks priority move , but can be replaced by night slash for stab. grass knot takes out the water pokemon you were attempting to kill, and flamethrower makes good coverage and has increased power from ninetales if you switched him in.

other notable moves for him are: night slash, night daze, uturn, shadow ball, shadow claw. an all-special set like the one on the original post would work too, exchange swords dance for nasty plot, but keep absorb bulb as your item. then you have a +3 zoroark sweep, which could be devastating.
 
I think it may be extremely gimmicky, but I think zoroark could be a champ at running a mixed set. Put ninetales in as your second slotter or any other fire type pokemon, and switch this thing out after a water pokemon killed your last poke. use swords dance, make your hold item absorb bulb, and instantly you have a +2 attack, +1 sp A sweeper.

Zoroark
Hasty- 252 speed, 192 special attack, 64 attack
absorb bulb
swords dance
sucker punch
grass knot
flamethrower

sucker punch is zoroarks priority move , but can be replaced by night slash for stab. grass knot takes out the water pokemon you were attempting to kill, and flamethrower makes good coverage and has increased power from ninetales if you switched him in.

other notable moves for him are: night slash, night daze, uturn, shadow ball, shadow claw. an all-special set like the one on the original post would work too, exchange swords dance for nasty plot, but keep absorb bulb as your item. then you have a +3 zoroark sweep, which could be devastating.
I don't see the point of using Swords Dance if you're using only 1 physical attack. Depending on your team, you can replace Grass Knot or Flamethrower with something like Low Sweep (to slow down faster opponents on the switch), for instance. Shadow Ball and Shadow Claw are also redundant with Zoroark's Dark STAB.

I can't think of other viable physical moves that Zoroark can use, though.
 
Zoroark won't take a hit with or without IVs. Just make it a better attacker.

Unless you plan on luring in resisted hits, but forcing a switch and then another switch should be good enough.

Really not true. Zoroark can usually take neutral hidden powers and weaker non-STAB Flamethrowers and such. Sure it takes a huge chunk of HP, but generally you are only going to stay in if you can 2HKO.

I use him with Scizor, Swampert, Spiritomb, Dragonite and Lucario and this provides plenty of opportunities to absorb a soft blow and let him do his thing.
 
zoroark's illusion into gengar is perfect! the foe won't suspect something when u use a dark pulse or a focus blast. also the weaknesses of gengar are not very effective on zoroark or even imune. psychic is imune, ghost is not very effective and dark too. perfect to trick your opponent :)
 
zoroark's illusion into gengar is perfect! the foe won't suspect something when u use a dark pulse or a focus blast. also the weaknesses of gengar are not very effective on zoroark or even imune. psychic is imune, ghost is not very effective and dark too. perfect to trick your opponent :)


I'll give you Focus Blast, but Dark Pulse is redundant coverage with the supposed Ghost type. Why would "Gengar" use it? Maybe you should wait until they have been fooled enough to set up before using Dark Pulse.
 
Just gotta say.

Zoroark (M) @ Life Orb
Trait: Illusion
EVs: 40 Atk / 216 SAtk / 252 Spd
Naive Nature (+Spd, -SDef)
- Nasty Plot
- Sucker Punch
- Night Daze
- Focus Blast

I can not stress enough how good this set is. Sucker Punch KOs Latios, Gengar, Starmie, and every other Psychic/Ghost in that omnipresent 110+ speed tier. The rest is really self-explanatory. So good yet everyone just overlooks the fact that Sucker Punch is amazing for Special Sets too as even with only 40 EVs Zoroark has a decent attack stat and....It's STAB Sucker Punch. 'Nuff said.
 
Unlike Gengar this guy is only immune to Psychic which is a rare attack type so I find that this guy doesn't live very long apart from Illusion bluffs. Maybe I'm just using him wrong...

I try to disguise mine as a Jellicent to lure and kill Ferrothorn, but feigned immunities mean nothing when you can't even switch in against an opponent with raging momentum.
 
Taunt is this things savior. Im using a Timid Special Set and it works great, especially at finishing off other threats with its great coverage
 
I think part of the problem with using Zoruark is people are trying to use him for Illusion. Think of him more like Infernape- a frail sweeper that can set up on either side of the spectrum. But with Illusion.
 
Zoroark has turned the tide of many many matches for me and he rarely goes a game without a kill. A single nasty plot makes him strong enough to sweep through entire teams.

I relish having a Reuniclus kill off one of my pokes (I've sacrificed my Tentacruel to one before to get a couple toxic spikes up) because I can just switch in Zoroark nasty plot in the face of psychic/psyshock and they are now in serious jeopardy of losing. Another nice one is to switch him in against blissey, disguised as a fighting pokemon. They likely switch to the wrong pokemon as you nasty plot.

He's a fantastic tool against all the defensive steels on every team as well. Ferrothorn and Skarmory never expect a flamethrower until it is too late.

Finally, DO NOT USE IN THE LEAD SPOT. Using him in the lead spot means that if you are lucky, you will have a good matchup to get a nasty plot up and that is your only advantage. You still have to face the entire team and are more likely to find them having an appropriate counter. Using him mid-game gives you some information on your opponent's strategy and play-style, AND the opportunity to switch in after one of your pokemon faint. This way you can use the illusion to either bluff the opposing player into a switch or bait them into an attack. Furthermore, the later into the game it takes for Zoroark to appear the less prepared your opponent will be - AKA throw a bunch of stuff at them and they will be forced to adjust or fall behind worrying about Zoroark.
 
Wouldn't a mixed set be best with this thing? Sucker Punch is an amazing move and i'd imagine that it's beastly with illusion. Zoroark isn't fast enough to beat the likes of Latios, Gengar and company, and sucker punch can OHKO them all.
 
I love this thing as a lead. Illusion is a great way to screw with your opponents head, and if you take the form of a common lead, you can really confuse your opponent. Say you become a Machamp. They try to blast you with a Psychic, you're immune, and get a free Nasty Plot.
 
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