Zekrom (QC 0/3)

[LeNorm]

7th Gen:

[OVERVIEW]

Almost finished, just need to add a little more detail, and some finishing comments (counters and other options)

• Great Attack stat
• Unique STAB Combination
• In a tier devoid of many powerful electric types, Zekrom is a great option, especially given the plethora of birds in Ubers (Ho-Oh, Lugia, Yveltal, etc.)
• Decent bulk (100/120/100)
• Teravolt is a solid ability (essentially mold breaker) that allows Zekrom to ignore abilities that hinder attacks, which will help break through multiscale/shadow shield, or the odd levitate user (latias/latios, rotom-w) if running earth power.
• Physical move pool means Zekrom relies on stabs that have quite a few key immunities in ubers
• Middling Speed means that it must either run a choice scarf, or is outsped by/speed ties with a number of key pokemon
• Weak to ground attacks, which are very common in ubers (Primal-Groudon)

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Bolt Strike/Fusion Bolt
move 2: Outrage/Dragon Claw
move 3: Shadow Claw/Crunch/Dragon Claw
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Choice Scart
ability: Treavolt
nature: Adamant
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Bolt Strike/Fusion Bolt are very powerful stabs that can hit most water types (Kyogre, Arceus-W, Tapu Fini, Greninja, etc.) and non-dragon flying types (Ho-Oh, Lugia, Yyeltal, Arceus-Flying)
• Bolt Strike should typically be run given it almost guaranteed OHKOs Kyogre, Darkrai, can OHKO Lugia after stealth rocks, even guaranteed 2HKOs defensive Aegislash in shield form. Fusion Bolt could be run for the accuracy, but Fusion Bolt's 30 extra bp really can make a big difference
• Outrage again is a very powerful stab, that hits a lot of the meta-game and can OHKO most dragon types. Dragon Claw could be run again for more flexibility, but again the power would be missed. For instance, Defensive Primal Groudon has a chance 2HKO'd by Outrage, but cannot be by Dragon Claw, without a crit
• Crunch can OHKO Lunala after Stealth Rocks
• Volt Switch gives flexibility and allows scouting - though it is walled by ground types

Set Details
========

• 252 speed evs and a choice scarf outspeed almost all the meta
• Adamant and 252 attack evs maximise attack

Usage Tips
========

• This Zekrom can be walled by ground types such as Primal Groudon, if you choose an electric move, so should wait until there are no remaining ground types, or hope that Outrage 2HKOs and Groudon doesn't use a ground attack and OHKH Zekrom (even with a defensive set, there is more than 50% chance Groudon will OHKO Zekrom without any defensive investments)
• But it functions as a great revenge killer, outspeeding many common pokemon (extreme killer arceus, for instance)
• It can also be a good late-game sweeper, though its main attacks are walled by common pokemon (Groudon and Xerneas)

Team Options
========

• U-Turn and other Volt Switch users that like to form a volt-turn core
• With early game use, bulky pokemon that can happily come in after a volt swich
• Flying types that are immune to ground types, most notably Ho-Oh which also resists fairy moves
• Primal Groudon checks, such as Primal Groudon itself, Lugia, Primal Kyogre, Mega-Salamence, etc.
• Counters to Xerneas (Ho-Oh Aegislash, etc.)

[SET]
name: Hone Claws
move 1: Hone Claws
move 2: Bolt Strike
move 3: Dragon Claw
move 4: Substitute/Outrage
item: Shuka Berry/Lum Berry
ability: Teravolt
nature: Adamant
evs: 136 HP/ 252 Atk/120 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Bolt Strike, D-Claw (and Outrage) are all good physical stab moves
• Bolt Strike hits flying and water type pokemon for super effective damage, and hits the fairy and steel types that resist D-Claw
• Hone claws boosts attack and accuracy, which aids Bolt strike making it (more than) 100% accurate, and taking it to a OHKO against many notable threats
• +1 Dragon Claw can also hit most pokemon hard - even neutral threats would not be happy against it
• Sub gives you flexibility in prediction and immunity to status (esp. burns, which otherwise would wreck Zekrom)

Set Details
========

• 252 evs and adamant nature allow Zekrom to hit as hard as possible
• If Outrage is run, Lum Berry works well to either stop burns or remove confusion after outrage
• HP evs mean that jolly arceus does not 2HKO with extreme speed, Kyogre cannot 1HKO with Ice Beam
• Can outspeed 44 spe Geomancy Xerneas before Geomancy

Usage Tips
========

• Less reliant on prediction than other Zekroms
• Switch into pokemon that have to switch out (defensive Steel types, flying types, some water pokemon, though beware of ice beam)
• Outrage should only be used if fairy pokemon are already taken out. In particular, Geomancy Xerneas gets a free chance to set up and wreak havoc if you lock yourself into outrage

Team Options
========

• Xerneas enjoys this Zekrom's ability to weaken Primal-Groudon (only when this is running a Shuka Berry)

[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Bolt Strike/Fusion Bolt
move 2: Outrage/Dragon Claw
move 3: Shadow Claw/Crunch/Dragon Claw
move 4: Volt Switch
item: Choice Scart
ability: Treavolt
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe


[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Bolt Strike is a very powerful stab that can hit most water types (Kyogre, Arceus-W, Tapu Fini, Greninja, etc.) and non-dragon flying types (Ho-Oh, Lugia, Yyeltal, Arceus-Flying)
• Outrage again is a very powerful stab, that hits a lot of the meta-game and can OHKO most dragon types. Dragon Claw could be run again for more flexibility, but again the power would be missed. For instance, Defensive Primal Groudon has a chance 2HKO'd by Outrage, but cannot be by Dragon Claw, without a crit
• Crunch can OHKO Lunala after Stealth Rocks
• Volt Switch only to switch out and scout, thus giving flexibility - though it is walled by ground types

Set Details
========

• 252 evs and adamant nature allow Zekrom to hit as hard as possible
• If Outrage is run, Lum Berry works well to either stop burns or remove confusion after outrage
• HP evs mean that jolly arceus does not 2HKO with extreme speed, Kyogre cannot 1HKO with Ice Beam
• Can outspeed 44 spe Geomancy Xerneas before Geomancy

Usage Tips
========

• Powerful wall breaker

Team Options
========

• Similar to above (Primal-Groudon and Xerneas counters)

[SET]
name: Choice Specs
move 1: Thunder/Thunderbolt
move 2: Earth Power
move 3: Drago Meteor
move 4: Volt Swich
item: Choice Specs
ability: Teravolt
nature: Modest
evs: 252 SpA/4SpD/252Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

• Thunder provides excellent Electric stab, with great power, thunderbolt has better accuracy and so is more consistent. Can hit flying/water types well. In rain, Thunder has perfect accuracy
• Earth Power is a guaranteed 2HKO on primal groudon. Gives Zekrom better coverage than physical sets.
• Draco Meteor nukes most pokemon, other than steel or fairy types
• Volt Switch is to switch out and scout, thus giving flexibility - though it is walled by ground types

Set Details
========

• A special set has a strong element of surprise, yet can still work very well given Zekrom's 120 base SpA + specs
• Only true über with stab electric type moves, and special set can also take good advantage of this

Usage Tips
========

• Powerful wall breaker, can surprise most physical walls that would otherwise happily switch into Zekrom

Team Options
========

• Thunder benefits from rain, so rain setters can help
• Similar to above

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

List some options for the Pokemon user that are plausible but not always recommended due to being either not consistent enough or too outclassed by other Pokemon in the metagame.

Checks and Counters
===================

**Insert Threat Here**: Describe why the Pokemon is a threat.

 

[Aberforth]

OK I know this isn't done yet but...

Choice Specs with Rain Setters recommended as teammates? Rain hasn't been worth a damn in over 2 years. Not even a word about taking on Mega Salamence? Teravolt does not work on Shadow Shield, yet you say it does. You mention Greninja as a relevant Bolt Strike target, Scarf is first set over Hone Claws, and you dont mention why Shuca Berry is ran on the hone claws set. There's some other stuff I'm chalking up as 'finishing detail and comments' but some of this stuff is nothing like what I've ever seen in ORAS or SuMo.

 

[Fireburn]

This analysis has too many problems to be worth continuing. The writeup suggests you haven't used this mon at all: Lati@s and Rotom-W (seriously) mentions in the Overview, mentions of Teravolt ignoring Shadow Shield when that has been proven false, Scarf as first set before Hone Claws (the actual best set), no mentions of Z-Crystal on Hone Claws set, freaking Shadow Claw as a primary move option on Scarf and Band, making Specs a main set, multiple repeated spelling mistakes...it's just not there man. Sorry. :(

I am going to reassign this analysis. If you wish to try again at some point in the future, I would advise looking at other analyses to get a feel for what to do before posting.