[overview]
**Draft Order**: Late round 1 onwards
**Price Range**: 17 points
**Overview**: Zygarde is a deadly and versatile offensive threat thanks to its incredible typing, bulk, and access to multiple setup moves. Its signature move, Thousand Arrows, allows it to break through Ground-immune Pokemon and nearly always guarantee progress in any matchup, significantly narrowing the number of checks capable of slowing its rampage. Its access to multiple setup moves make it a threat to a wide variety of team structures - it can power through its checks with Dragon Dance-boosted Z-Moves, grind down balance teams with a combination of Coil, Toxic, and Substitute, and frustrate offensive builds by slowing them down with Glare and picking off faster threats with Extreme Speed. While it is capable of muscling through almost any obstacle it desires to, Zygarde cannot do it all at once and can sometimes find itself floundering in matches where it is missing a crucial status or coverage move. Additionally, its Attack and Speed stats are rather average before boosts, limiting its damage output at times. Finally, Zygarde is hampered by status, losing significant damage when burned and staying power when affected by toxic. However, these are only minor flaws to contend with, as none are surefire answers to stopping the dangerous snake.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Dragon Dance Sweeper**: Zygarde can set up a Dragon Dance and begin sweeping teams with a combination of Thousand Arrows and Outrage. It can utilize a variety of items to assist it in setting up, such as maintaining health with a healing or resistance Berry, warding off status with Lum Berry, or opt for a Z-Crystal to launch a powerful Z-Move and muscle through a potential check.
**Coil Sweeper**: Coil boosts Zygarde's Defense and Attack, allowing it to set up on physical threats with ease, where it can easily spread Glare and Toxic to disrupt its foes and move before them with Extreme Speed. Thanks to the utility granted by Thousand Arrows, it can also carry Dragon Dance alongside Coil for added flexibility in endgame scenarios.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band-boosted Thousand Arrows excels at breaking down teams that lack foes that resist it, as it punishes teams that rely on Flying-types and Levitate users to take on traditional Ground-type attacks. Few foes can withstand repeatedly switching into Zygarde's moves, as it wears them down throughout the game, and it is able to pick off the weakened foes with Extreme Speed in the late-game.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Thousand Arrows, Outrage
**Setup Moves**: Coil, Dragon Dance
**Utility Moves**: Glare, Toxic, Substitute, Protect, Dragon Tail, Rest
**Coverage**: Extreme Speed, Iron Tail, Crunch, Superpower
Niche Moves
========
**Core Enforcer / Draco Meteor**: As Zygarde's checks tend to be physically bulky, Core Enforcer and Draco Meteor can surprise foes with a weaker Special Defense stat, dealing significantly more damage than its physical options.
**Sludge Wave**: Sludge Wave is an effective way to hit physically bulky Grass-types that want to switch in on Zygarde and check it.
**Grass Knot**: Grass Knot can be used to deal significant damage to bulky Ground- and Water-types.
**Camouflage**: Camouflage is a niche option that can change Zygarde's typing, allowing it to set up on a different set of foes that would normally threaten it with super effective moves.
**Thousand Waves**: Zygarde can trap foes with Thousand Waves, and dispatch of them however it chooses without fear of pivots.
**Earthquake**: While not having the grounding effect of Thousand Arrows, Earthquake is slightly stronger and can be used in matchups versus teams with poor Ground-resistant Pokemon.
Common Items
========
**Z-Crystal**: Zygarde is an incredible Z-Move user thanks to its ease of ability to set up and access to important coverage that allows it to beat its checks. Dragonium-Z powers up Outrage into Devastating Drake, which allows it to launch an incredibly powerful Dragon move without being locked into its move and deals tremendous damage to unresisted targets. Alternatively, Steelium-Z allows Zygarde to KO opposing Fairy-types via Corkscrew Crash.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is an effective item to let Zygarde spam Thousand Arrows thank to its ability to hit all targets, and it also helps power up Extreme Speed to pick off frailer foes.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers allows Zygarde to stay on the field and spread status, set up additional Substitutes, and outlive foes attempting to wear it down.
**Lum Berry**: As Zygarde dislikes status, Lum Berry is an effective way of allowing it to set up without being burned or inflicted with Toxic.
**Weakness Policy**: Thanks to its massive bulk, Zygarde can take a super effective attack and comfortably survive, allowing it to immediately boost its offenses with a Weakness Policy.
**Iapapa Berry**: Iapapa Berry and other similar Berries are effective items that take advantage of Zygarde's impressive bulk to help it set up.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Yache, Roseli, and occasionally Haban Berry can be useful items to allow Zygarde to set up versus certain foes.
**Choice Scarf**: Zygarde can surprise faster threats and quickly KO them with a Choice Scarf; this is notably effective against top Electric-type threats like Tapu Koko and Zeraora.
**Rocky Helmet**: Zygarde's great set of resistances can help it defensively check physical attackers and punish them with a Rocky Helmet.
**Assault Vest**: Assault Vest can be a good option to check dangerous special attacking threats like Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Thundurus.
Draft Strategy
========
Zygarde is an incredibly powerful offensive powerhouse that can make itself fit into many team archetypes, but it fits best on teams that appreciate its ability to act as a wincon and wallbreaker and use its natural bulk and priority Extreme Speed to check opposing threats efficiently. It does require its teammates support to maximize its potential, as it is incapable of setting Stealth Rock, unlike most of its Ground-type contemporaries.
**Entry Hazards**: Zygarde is incredibly efficient with entry hazards down on the opponent's side of the field, as no foe can escape getting smacked by a combination of Stealth Rock and Thousand Arrows. Even the bulkiest Ground-type checks are typically grounded and greatly dislike switching into Spikes and Toxic Spikes, making it possible for Zygarde to muscle through its sturdiest checks with entry hazard support. Stealth Rock setters like Necrozma and Infernape make great teammates, whereas Spikers like Qwilfish and Roserade can fill this role to assist the team.
**Pivots**: Zygarde enjoys being brought in safely by pivoting moves to stay healthy and give it a favorable matchup to spam its attacks. VoltTurn users like Scizor, Tornadus-T, and Uxie pair well with it for this reason.
**Ice-resistant Partners**: Sporting a 4x weakness to Ice-type moves, Zygarde greatly appreciates teammates that can reliably sponge them, making partners like Toxapex, Mega Scizor, and Jirachi good teammates.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Despite resisting Stealth Rock, Zygarde is susceptible to Spikes and greatly dislikes Toxic Spikes, making it often worthwhile to carry Rapid Spin or Defog support when facing these entry hazards. Reliable Defoggers like Zapdos and Rotom-W and spinners like Mega Blastoise and Starmie can provide this support.
**Grounded Poison-types**: Grounded Poison-types are a great partner for Zygarde, since they are capable of threatening the Grass- and Fairy-types that check it and simultaneously rid the field of Toxic Spikes that it despises. Teammates like Roserade, Nihilego, and Mega Beedrill can fill this role to good effect.
**Dual Screens**: Dual screens can enhance Zygarde's natural bulk, allowing it to set up on an even wider swathe of foes, especially on hyper offensive team structures, making dual screens setters like Alolan Ninetales, Serperior, and Klefki good teammates.
Checks and Counters
========
**Physically bulky Ground-resistant Pokemon**: Grass- and Bug-types resist Thousand Arrows and can switch into Zygarde and put it on a timer with Toxic or smack it with Hidden Power Ice. Bulky Grass-types like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu and Bug-types like Buzzwole and Illumise are especially good at checking it.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, while not always able to switch into Thousand Arrows, can be a nuisance to Zygarde. Tapu Fini, Clefable, and Mega Diancie can all threaten to knock it out with a powerful Moonblast if it is not yet set up.
**Faster Attackers**: Many faster threats can deal tremendous damage to Zygarde with Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type moves before it can set up or revenge it after a Dragon Dance with a Choice Scarf. Powerful attackers like Mega Diancie and Weavile can outright KO it with their STAB moves, and foes like Latios and Greninja can revenge it with a Choice Scarf.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diviniya.618293/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/king-l5.440126/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
**Draft Order**: Late round 1 onwards
**Price Range**: 17 points
**Overview**: Zygarde is a deadly and versatile offensive threat thanks to its incredible typing, bulk, and access to multiple setup moves. Its signature move, Thousand Arrows, allows it to break through Ground-immune Pokemon and nearly always guarantee progress in any matchup, significantly narrowing the number of checks capable of slowing its rampage. Its access to multiple setup moves make it a threat to a wide variety of team structures - it can power through its checks with Dragon Dance-boosted Z-Moves, grind down balance teams with a combination of Coil, Toxic, and Substitute, and frustrate offensive builds by slowing them down with Glare and picking off faster threats with Extreme Speed. While it is capable of muscling through almost any obstacle it desires to, Zygarde cannot do it all at once and can sometimes find itself floundering in matches where it is missing a crucial status or coverage move. Additionally, its Attack and Speed stats are rather average before boosts, limiting its damage output at times. Finally, Zygarde is hampered by status, losing significant damage when burned and staying power when affected by toxic. However, these are only minor flaws to contend with, as none are surefire answers to stopping the dangerous snake.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Dragon Dance Sweeper**: Zygarde can set up a Dragon Dance and begin sweeping teams with a combination of Thousand Arrows and Outrage. It can utilize a variety of items to assist it in setting up, such as maintaining health with a healing or resistance Berry, warding off status with Lum Berry, or opt for a Z-Crystal to launch a powerful Z-Move and muscle through a potential check.
**Coil Sweeper**: Coil boosts Zygarde's Defense and Attack, allowing it to set up on physical threats with ease, where it can easily spread Glare and Toxic to disrupt its foes and move before them with Extreme Speed. Thanks to the utility granted by Thousand Arrows, it can also carry Dragon Dance alongside Coil for added flexibility in endgame scenarios.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band-boosted Thousand Arrows excels at breaking down teams that lack foes that resist it, as it punishes teams that rely on Flying-types and Levitate users to take on traditional Ground-type attacks. Few foes can withstand repeatedly switching into Zygarde's moves, as it wears them down throughout the game, and it is able to pick off the weakened foes with Extreme Speed in the late-game.
Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Thousand Arrows, Outrage
**Setup Moves**: Coil, Dragon Dance
**Utility Moves**: Glare, Toxic, Substitute, Protect, Dragon Tail, Rest
**Coverage**: Extreme Speed, Iron Tail, Crunch, Superpower
Niche Moves
========
**Core Enforcer / Draco Meteor**: As Zygarde's checks tend to be physically bulky, Core Enforcer and Draco Meteor can surprise foes with a weaker Special Defense stat, dealing significantly more damage than its physical options.
**Sludge Wave**: Sludge Wave is an effective way to hit physically bulky Grass-types that want to switch in on Zygarde and check it.
**Grass Knot**: Grass Knot can be used to deal significant damage to bulky Ground- and Water-types.
**Camouflage**: Camouflage is a niche option that can change Zygarde's typing, allowing it to set up on a different set of foes that would normally threaten it with super effective moves.
**Thousand Waves**: Zygarde can trap foes with Thousand Waves, and dispatch of them however it chooses without fear of pivots.
**Earthquake**: While not having the grounding effect of Thousand Arrows, Earthquake is slightly stronger and can be used in matchups versus teams with poor Ground-resistant Pokemon.
Common Items
========
**Z-Crystal**: Zygarde is an incredible Z-Move user thanks to its ease of ability to set up and access to important coverage that allows it to beat its checks. Dragonium-Z powers up Outrage into Devastating Drake, which allows it to launch an incredibly powerful Dragon move without being locked into its move and deals tremendous damage to unresisted targets. Alternatively, Steelium-Z allows Zygarde to KO opposing Fairy-types via Corkscrew Crash.
**Choice Band**: Choice Band is an effective item to let Zygarde spam Thousand Arrows thank to its ability to hit all targets, and it also helps power up Extreme Speed to pick off frailer foes.
**Leftovers**: Leftovers allows Zygarde to stay on the field and spread status, set up additional Substitutes, and outlive foes attempting to wear it down.
**Lum Berry**: As Zygarde dislikes status, Lum Berry is an effective way of allowing it to set up without being burned or inflicted with Toxic.
**Weakness Policy**: Thanks to its massive bulk, Zygarde can take a super effective attack and comfortably survive, allowing it to immediately boost its offenses with a Weakness Policy.
**Iapapa Berry**: Iapapa Berry and other similar Berries are effective items that take advantage of Zygarde's impressive bulk to help it set up.
Niche Items
========
**Resistance Berries**: Yache, Roseli, and occasionally Haban Berry can be useful items to allow Zygarde to set up versus certain foes.
**Choice Scarf**: Zygarde can surprise faster threats and quickly KO them with a Choice Scarf; this is notably effective against top Electric-type threats like Tapu Koko and Zeraora.
**Rocky Helmet**: Zygarde's great set of resistances can help it defensively check physical attackers and punish them with a Rocky Helmet.
**Assault Vest**: Assault Vest can be a good option to check dangerous special attacking threats like Mega Charizard Y, Volcarona, and Thundurus.
Draft Strategy
========
Zygarde is an incredibly powerful offensive powerhouse that can make itself fit into many team archetypes, but it fits best on teams that appreciate its ability to act as a wincon and wallbreaker and use its natural bulk and priority Extreme Speed to check opposing threats efficiently. It does require its teammates support to maximize its potential, as it is incapable of setting Stealth Rock, unlike most of its Ground-type contemporaries.
**Entry Hazards**: Zygarde is incredibly efficient with entry hazards down on the opponent's side of the field, as no foe can escape getting smacked by a combination of Stealth Rock and Thousand Arrows. Even the bulkiest Ground-type checks are typically grounded and greatly dislike switching into Spikes and Toxic Spikes, making it possible for Zygarde to muscle through its sturdiest checks with entry hazard support. Stealth Rock setters like Necrozma and Infernape make great teammates, whereas Spikers like Qwilfish and Roserade can fill this role to assist the team.
**Pivots**: Zygarde enjoys being brought in safely by pivoting moves to stay healthy and give it a favorable matchup to spam its attacks. VoltTurn users like Scizor, Tornadus-T, and Uxie pair well with it for this reason.
**Ice-resistant Partners**: Sporting a 4x weakness to Ice-type moves, Zygarde greatly appreciates teammates that can reliably sponge them, making partners like Toxapex, Mega Scizor, and Jirachi good teammates.
**Entry Hazard Removal**: Despite resisting Stealth Rock, Zygarde is susceptible to Spikes and greatly dislikes Toxic Spikes, making it often worthwhile to carry Rapid Spin or Defog support when facing these entry hazards. Reliable Defoggers like Zapdos and Rotom-W and spinners like Mega Blastoise and Starmie can provide this support.
**Grounded Poison-types**: Grounded Poison-types are a great partner for Zygarde, since they are capable of threatening the Grass- and Fairy-types that check it and simultaneously rid the field of Toxic Spikes that it despises. Teammates like Roserade, Nihilego, and Mega Beedrill can fill this role to good effect.
**Dual Screens**: Dual screens can enhance Zygarde's natural bulk, allowing it to set up on an even wider swathe of foes, especially on hyper offensive team structures, making dual screens setters like Alolan Ninetales, Serperior, and Klefki good teammates.
Checks and Counters
========
**Physically bulky Ground-resistant Pokemon**: Grass- and Bug-types resist Thousand Arrows and can switch into Zygarde and put it on a timer with Toxic or smack it with Hidden Power Ice. Bulky Grass-types like Tangrowth and Tapu Bulu and Bug-types like Buzzwole and Illumise are especially good at checking it.
**Fairy-types**: Fairy-types, while not always able to switch into Thousand Arrows, can be a nuisance to Zygarde. Tapu Fini, Clefable, and Mega Diancie can all threaten to knock it out with a powerful Moonblast if it is not yet set up.
**Faster Attackers**: Many faster threats can deal tremendous damage to Zygarde with Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type moves before it can set up or revenge it after a Dragon Dance with a Choice Scarf. Powerful attackers like Mega Diancie and Weavile can outright KO it with their STAB moves, and foes like Latios and Greninja can revenge it with a Choice Scarf.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/diviniya.618293/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/odinrm.613514/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/king-l5.440126/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno.527276/
Last edited:
