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I got an offensive Zapdos squad waiting for some new ideas to be improved. So feel free to give some of your thoughts. I'd greatly appreciate it.
ZapBoss
and the Gang
Tbh this team was a Naganadel squad at first, but after it got banned, I replaced it with Ash-Gren, because I needed a strong special attacking presence. After some testing, I had to admit that it was very weak to the Hawlucha + Terrain Seed (esp. +PhyDef with Koko) combination. Thus I replaced it with offensive Zapdos and adjusted the team. After some further testing, I noticed most problems with Mega-Venusaur. I put Zen Headbutt on Bulu for that reason, but it needs to much prediction on my part in order to get it on the switch in. I was debating HP Flying on Zapdos, but I feel like the lack of ice coverage hurts more than it helps.
I would like to keep the Zapdos offensive, so yes, i know, offensive Sciz and putting Defog on Zap could improve the team, but that's not the route I wanna go. As Scizor is in my opinion an even more reliable Hazard Remover, I want to keep it that way to counter the abundance of Sticky Web teams. Scizor can Defog even on Bisharp. For every other suggestion, I'll thank you in advance.
So let us get into Detail with all sets:
Zapdos:The Bird, the Myth, the Legend. The set is pretty self-explanatory. Thunderbolt with Electrium-Z always kills Tapu Lele after Rocks and Gigavolt Havoc has a good chance of killing Magma-Tran after Rocks. That is the reason, why i do not put on Discharge. It almost always fails to kill. Timid nature is to outspeed Lele, as long it is not Scarf, and if it is Scarf, it does not kill Zapdos. HP Ice, of course, for mainly Lando; Heatwave for Steel Types. Not much to explain here, i guess.
As more often than not, people have Ice coverage to really hurt Zapdos. As my Zapdos has no bulk, I needed an Ice resist, which triggered my ORAS memory - Sub CM Keldeo.
Keldeo:Keldeo also gets rid of the biggest counter to any special attacker such as Zapdos - Chansey. And with Toxapex running only Scald or Knock Off, it can easily burn it and helps to wear down that annoying thing. Yes, Zapdos beats Toxapex, but it is always good to have some other countermeasures. For about 50 games, I even tried maxHP maxSPE Keldeo, but the lack of power proved to be a problem, while Ash-Gren, for example, is soft-checked by an offensive Keldeo as well. Also, maxHP Keldeo failed to 2HKO Chansey.
Nevertheless, I was weak to Bolt-Beam and Blacephalon. So I added a Heatran:
Heatran:Heatran, first, has been Magma-Tran, but Blacephalons carrying HP Ground or Z-Shadow Ball gave me problems. Also, Scarf Lele and Mega-Alakazam were able to OHKO. 140 SpDef Evs ensured to live all these. And with other mons on the team to deal with physical Threats, I decided to go no HP but SpDef invested. This, I know, seems strange, but worked for me. With the loss of SpAtt EVs I also decided I would go with Lava Plume, just because it's more reliable and my Heatran Set does not hit as hard as the Trapper Set.
After adding the Heatran, it was pretty obvious that its perfect partner could fit on the team - Tapu Bulu:
Tapu Bulu:I decided to go with the Choice Banded Set. Bulu 2HKOs defensive Lando-T on the switch-in, even intimidated. It also has a chance to OHKO the standard Pex, which is always killed with Rocks up. Bulu is on this team to wallbreak, dealing with defensive backbones of BO and Balance. Zen Headbutt is supposed to hit Venu on the switch-in, as it is the biggest threat to this team.
At this point, the team had hard hitters on both sides, set-up, wallbreaking, and Stealth Rocks. What it lacked, was hazard removal, speed, and physical defense. So Scarf Lando and Mega Scizor were added:
Scizor-Mega:Scizor carries Defog and as it is not 2HKOed by Bisharps Knock Off, it is my way of dealing with the plenty of Sticky Web teams on the ladder. It also checks Mega Lopunny, can at least pivot in to Mega Medicham or check it if intimidated, while also providing the team with a Fairy check and much needed priority. Its fire weakness is, of course, covered by Tran.
Landorus-T:At this point in Pokemon, you should not have to explain a defensive or Scarf Lando-T. Everything is standard but the rock slide. Lando is my Volcarona check, as long as it does not care HP Ice. Rock Slide also helps with Pinsir and the Zards. Stone Edge is not really needed for anything, so I went with the flinch chance and better accuracy.
The biggest threats of this team are Volcarona and Venusaur-Mega. If you can think of better measures against them, feel free to comment. A way to deal with both can be found in the "TLDR" section below.
https://pokepast.es/7433368053c27a28
THANKS
I got an offensive Zapdos squad waiting for some new ideas to be improved. So feel free to give some of your thoughts. I'd greatly appreciate it.
ZapBoss
and the Gang
Tbh this team was a Naganadel squad at first, but after it got banned, I replaced it with Ash-Gren, because I needed a strong special attacking presence. After some testing, I had to admit that it was very weak to the Hawlucha + Terrain Seed (esp. +PhyDef with Koko) combination. Thus I replaced it with offensive Zapdos and adjusted the team. After some further testing, I noticed most problems with Mega-Venusaur. I put Zen Headbutt on Bulu for that reason, but it needs to much prediction on my part in order to get it on the switch in. I was debating HP Flying on Zapdos, but I feel like the lack of ice coverage hurts more than it helps.
I would like to keep the Zapdos offensive, so yes, i know, offensive Sciz and putting Defog on Zap could improve the team, but that's not the route I wanna go. As Scizor is in my opinion an even more reliable Hazard Remover, I want to keep it that way to counter the abundance of Sticky Web teams. Scizor can Defog even on Bisharp. For every other suggestion, I'll thank you in advance.
So let us get into Detail with all sets:
Zapdos:
T-Bolt Gigavolt Havoc
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 264-312 (81.7 - 96.5%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Lele: 246-291 (87.5 - 103.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Discharge Gigavolt Havoc
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (160 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 241-285 (74.6 - 88.2%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (160 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Lele: 225-265 (80 - 94.3%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 264-312 (81.7 - 96.5%) -- 62.5% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (175 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Lele: 246-291 (87.5 - 103.5%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Discharge Gigavolt Havoc
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (160 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Heatran: 241-285 (74.6 - 88.2%) -- 6.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252 SpA Zapdos Gigavolt Havoc (160 BP) vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Tapu Lele: 225-265 (80 - 94.3%) -- 50% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
ZapBoss (Zapdos) @ Electrium Z
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Roost
As more often than not, people have Ice coverage to really hurt Zapdos. As my Zapdos has no bulk, I needed an Ice resist, which triggered my ORAS memory - Sub CM Keldeo.
Keldeo:
Greninja (Battle Bond not activated)
252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 124-147 (38.3 - 45.5%)
Greninja (Battle Bond activated)
252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja-Ash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 165-195 (51 - 60.3%)
vs. Chansey (maxHP)
0 SpA Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 302-356 (42.9 - 50.6%)
vs. Chansey (maxSPA)
252 SpA Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 368-434 (52.3 - 61.7%)
Toxapex's hits to break sub (maxHp)
0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 28-33 (7.2 - 8.5%)
3-4 hits to break the sub
Toxapex's hits to break sub (0HP)
0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 28-33 (8.6 - 10.2%)
always 3 hits to break the sub
252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 124-147 (38.3 - 45.5%)
Greninja (Battle Bond activated)
252 SpA Choice Specs Greninja-Ash Hydro Pump vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 165-195 (51 - 60.3%)
vs. Chansey (maxHP)
0 SpA Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 302-356 (42.9 - 50.6%)
vs. Chansey (maxSPA)
252 SpA Keldeo Secret Sword vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Eviolite Chansey: 368-434 (52.3 - 61.7%)
Toxapex's hits to break sub (maxHp)
0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 28-33 (7.2 - 8.5%)
3-4 hits to break the sub
Toxapex's hits to break sub (0HP)
0 SpA Toxapex Scald vs. 0 HP / 4 SpD Keldeo: 28-33 (8.6 - 10.2%)
always 3 hits to break the sub
Keldeo-Resolute @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Scald
- Secret Sword
- Calm Mind
- Substitute
Nevertheless, I was weak to Bolt-Beam and Blacephalon. So I added a Heatran:
Heatran:
Blacephalon
252+ SpA Blacephalon Hidden Power Ground vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 272-320 (84.2 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Blacephalon Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 268-316 (82.9 - 97.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Tapu Lele
252 SpA Tapu Lele Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 218-258 (67.4 - 79.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Mega-Alakazam
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 272-322 (84.2 - 99.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Blacephalon Hidden Power Ground vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 272-320 (84.2 - 99%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ SpA Blacephalon Never-Ending Nightmare (160 BP) vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 268-316 (82.9 - 97.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Tapu Lele
252 SpA Tapu Lele Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 218-258 (67.4 - 79.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Mega-Alakazam
252 SpA Alakazam-Mega Focus Blast vs. 0 HP / 140 SpD Heatran: 272-322 (84.2 - 99.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 116 SpA / 140 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 116 SpA / 140 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Earth Power
- Stealth Rock
- Taunt
After adding the Heatran, it was pretty obvious that its perfect partner could fit on the team - Tapu Bulu:
Tapu Bulu:
Landorus-T
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Tapu Bulu Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian in Grassy Terrain: 256-303 (67 - 79.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Toxapex
252+ Atk Choice Band Tapu Bulu Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex in Grassy Terrain: 268-316 (88.1 - 103.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
-1 252+ Atk Choice Band Tapu Bulu Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 216+ Def Landorus-Therian in Grassy Terrain: 256-303 (67 - 79.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
Toxapex
252+ Atk Choice Band Tapu Bulu Wood Hammer vs. 252 HP / 192+ Def Toxapex in Grassy Terrain: 268-316 (88.1 - 103.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
Tapu Bulu @ Choice Band
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Zen Headbutt
Ability: Grassy Surge
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Wood Hammer
- Horn Leech
- Superpower
- Zen Headbutt
At this point, the team had hard hitters on both sides, set-up, wallbreaking, and Stealth Rocks. What it lacked, was hazard removal, speed, and physical defense. So Scarf Lando and Mega Scizor were added:
Scizor-Mega:
Bisharp (+2 Att)
+2 252 Atk Dread Plate Bisharp Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Scizor-Mega: 141-166 (41.1 - 48.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Mega Medicham (-1 Att)
252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Scizor-Mega: 201-237 (58.6 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Mega Lopunny
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Scizor-Mega: 126-148 (36.7 - 43.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
+2 252 Atk Dread Plate Bisharp Knock Off vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Scizor-Mega: 141-166 (41.1 - 48.3%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Mega Medicham (-1 Att)
252 Atk Pure Power Medicham-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Scizor-Mega: 201-237 (58.6 - 69%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Mega Lopunny
252 Atk Lopunny-Mega High Jump Kick vs. 248 HP / 252+ Def Scizor-Mega: 126-148 (36.7 - 43.1%) -- guaranteed 3HKO
Scizor @ Scizorite
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
Ability: Light Metal
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Defog
- U-turn
- Bullet Punch
- Roost
Landorus-T:
Volcarona
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 243-286 (76.1 - 89.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
+1 252 SpA Volcarona Fiery Dance vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Landorus-Therian: 243-286 (76.1 - 89.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
Landorus-Therian @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Rock Slide
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpA / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Rock Slide
The biggest threats of this team are Volcarona and Venusaur-Mega. If you can think of better measures against them, feel free to comment. A way to deal with both can be found in the "TLDR" section below.
FOR A SHORTER SUMMARY OF THE TEAM CLICK HERE
Please feel free to give me your thoughts on this team and how i could possibly improve it. If you want to try it out, this is the Pokepast:Zapdos:
- Offensive, Hard Special Hitter
Keldeo:
- Sub CM, Set-Up Sweeper, Semi-Stallbreaker
Heatran:
- Pseudo Special Tank, Semi-Stallbreaker, Stealth Rocker
Tapu Bulu:
- Wallbreaker, Hard Physical Hitter
Scizor:
- Hazard Remover, Physical Tank
Landorus-T:
- Momentum- Gainer, Cleaner
Threats:
Volcarona
Between Heatran and Rock Slide from Lando, you should be able to deal with it, if you are not able to keep Rocks up. Volc is the scariest, if they run Timid.
Venusaur-Mega
Weaken it, taunt it and get it on the switch-in to Bulu. But be careful - even Band Bulu does only between 61 and 72 %.
- Offensive, Hard Special Hitter
Keldeo:
- Sub CM, Set-Up Sweeper, Semi-Stallbreaker
Heatran:
- Pseudo Special Tank, Semi-Stallbreaker, Stealth Rocker
Tapu Bulu:
- Wallbreaker, Hard Physical Hitter
Scizor:
- Hazard Remover, Physical Tank
Landorus-T:
- Momentum- Gainer, Cleaner
Threats:
Volcarona
Between Heatran and Rock Slide from Lando, you should be able to deal with it, if you are not able to keep Rocks up. Volc is the scariest, if they run Timid.
Venusaur-Mega
Weaken it, taunt it and get it on the switch-in to Bulu. But be careful - even Band Bulu does only between 61 and 72 %.
https://pokepast.es/7433368053c27a28
THANKS
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