[OVERVIEW]
Zygarde has the potential to become one of the physically bulkiest p Pokemon in the 1v1 metagame, Zygarde-C, thanks to its Complete forme Power Construct. Because of that, it is able to soak up many attacks from various physical attacking p Pokemon such as Mega Charizard X (RH x2), non-Taunt Mega Gyarados, (RH, AC) and some Sspecial attacking Pokemon like Primarina. The combination of Zygarde's having great utility moves like Coil, Rest, (AC) and Substitute, (AC) alongside being able access to use a priority move like in Extreme Speed lets it beat various styles of Pokemon, from Taunt-less Sstall (RC) like Jumpluff, to Hhyper Ooffense (RC) like Choice Scarf Haxorus. Its ability, Power Construct, gives it free health after falling below 50% of its actual hpHP. Because of Its 4-Times-Weakness to Ice-attacks its 4x weakness to Ice-type attacks, you will have to look out for Pokemon who run Ice-type coverage like Greninja. Special Aattacking Pokemon or strong Dragon-types (AH) like bulky Hoopa-Unbound, (AC) and Tapu Lele (RH), (AC) or Kommo-o, (AC) and Dragonite can also be a Pproblem for Zygarde. Overall Pokemon with Taunt, like Mega Sableye and Tapu Fini, or unexspected unexpected moves that can catch you off-guard, (AC) like Belly Drum, (AC) can be very deadly for Zygarde, because Zygarde is, before turning into Zygarde-C, the Complete Form, still relatively fragile on the sSpecial dDefensive side and mediocre on the pPhysical dDefensive side. (This sentence is really long, but technically correct. Considering splitting it into two sentences, not sure where you would prefer to do that.) Popular Taunt users are Mega-Sableye and Tapu-Fini. To play around Power Construct, What your foes can do, to play around your ability is at first attack you with a weaker attack to avoid activating it in the 50% form and not activate Power Construct to and get you in the kill range of their Z (RH) or Recharge Move.
[SET]
Name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Coil
move 3: Extreme Speed
move 4: Rest/ Substitute
item: Groundium-Z
ability: Power Construct
nature: Impish
evs: 248 HP / 12 Atk / 248 Def (added spaces)
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's most useful STAB move (added space), (AC) and in Addition is helpful because it able to smacks down fFlying-types, (AH, AC) allowing so the Tectonic Rage is able to hit the opponents flying types, (RC) such as Landorus-Therian and both Mega Charizard Y (RH x2) and Mega Charizard X (RH x2) before mega Evolution prior to its Mega Evolution. Coil is helpful in various matchups (RC) when in which Zygarde needs to boost its physical Attack to hit stronger or its physical Defense to live even more attacks (RC) from Pokemon like Mega-Charizard-X, Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Donphan. Extreme Speed is nice to have, because it's (added apostrophe) an physical priority move (RC) which that helps such an slow pPokemon like Zygarde to win some matchups (RC) against Pokemon like Carracosta and Dragon Dance Mega Charizard X. and can help against Pokemon where you missed a important roll to K.O. with Tectonic Rage, like against Dragon Dance Mega-Charizard-X. Rest and Substitute can both be played used to help vs. against status moves. Rest helps you Zygarde with various stall matchups, like Jumpluff and opposing Zygarde, while Substitute helps Zygarde with status moves is helping you vs. Status Moves (RC) like Yawn and Leech Seed, (AC) who which fail if you are behind have used Substitute before. So it helps you against Pokemon like Ferrothorn, with Leech Seed.
Set Details
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The big significant HP and Defense investment of 248 HP / 248 Def and with an Impish Nature lets Zygarde withstand Outrage from Jolly Mega Charizard X (RH x2) all of the time (redundant). Groundium Z turns Thousand Arrows into Tectonic Rage, (AC) so that Zygarde can quickly KO foes. The 12 Atk Attack EVs (removed apostrophe) are leftovers and are useful against bulky Pokemon like Mega Charizard X (RH x2). Its ability, Power Construct, lets Zygarde transform into its bulkier form, (AC) Zygarde-C, doubling its base HP stat. with an hp base stat that is double as high as the one from Zygarde 50%.
Usage Tips
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In the most games, (AC) Coil should be considered as the first move you use, if you are not able to eliminate to foe with an Tectonic Rage immediately. So iIt is favorable ideal to Coil up first against Pokemon like Choice Scarf Landorus-Therian, Donphan or Primarina without lacking Substitute. However, (AC) sometimes it's (added apostrophe) worth using Tectonic Rage roight off the bat. its It is recommended to to use it immediately against Pokemon like Magearna, Carracosta or counterless Registeel lacking Counter. Substitute is prefferred to be used as soon as possible if you are playing against a Pokemon that is are generally typically slower than you Zygarde and useing their own Z-Move.(replace comma with period) Substitute is also preferred against Pokemon that use Staus Moves status moves or attacks that return double Damage like Mirror Coat and Counter (you might want to rephrase the "attacks that return double damage" section, since Metal Burst is a similar move, but doesn't return double damage), (AC) So it is useful in the first turn against Pokemon like such as Registeel without Iron Defense, Mega Audino (RH), Magnet Rise Aegislash (RH x2), (AC) or and Ferrothorn. If you are using Rest against Sstall Pokemon to PP Sstall (RH) them, (AC) then you want to use Rest as much as possible to get the maximum PP advantage of PP over your foe. However, if you want to do that, you always take the risk in getting critically hit. and losing, because a crit is getting more likely the longer the battle takes. However if you are using Rest to withstand your foes attacks and are able to get some damage on their Pokemon to KO them eventually sooner or later, that is always advertised and appreciated to do. So Rest is preferred against Pokemon like Jumpluff, (AC) and Mega Slowbro, (RH, AC) or Registeel, (AC) and Mega Gyarados (RH) wiithout lacking Taunt. When you use Coil and/or Rest, (AC) in an attempt to and stall your opponents, (AC) you will have to look out to stay out of the critical hit Ddamage range from your foe., because they will most likely happen if you are stalling. The most important matchup, Mega Charizard X (RH x2), can be won by using Coil first and clicking Thousand Arrows into +Tectonic Rage if they didn't use Dragon Dance first turn and stayed in their regular forme. If it mMega eEvolved on the first turn, (AC) you can kill OHKO with Tectonic Rage. If they used Dragon Dance, use Coil twice, (AC) and then click Thousand Arrows if they didn't (added apostrophe) mMega eEvolve, (AC) or finish them with Tectonic Rage if they did. they mega evolved After you attacked with two Coils and Thousand Arrows after using Coil twice, Extreme Speed is able to OHKO or 2HKO finish them of with one or two, dependings on how bulky the foes opposing Charizard is.
Team Options
========
Zygarde appreciates pokemon, who are partners that beating Pokemon with Ice-Ttype (RH) Ccoverage. (replace comma with period) So you might want to cConsider strong fFire-types (AH) like one of the Mega Charizards (RH) as teammates, because Zygarde covers their Rock-Weakness Rock-type weakness, (AC) and wins against Pokemon like Crustle. and the In return, Charizards are is covering Zygarde's (added apostrophe) big Ice-Weakness 4x Ice-type weakness by beating Pokemon like Greninja and Genesect. To help further support Zygarde, (AC) even more you need something to cover its dragon weakness Dragon- and Fairy-type weaknesses. and an answer to cover Zygardes last weakness, Fairy-Type-Pokemon, would also be great. Some A strong special attacking Fairy-, Steel- or Poison-Ttype would be the best choice for that, because Zygarde is attacking physically. So Pokemon like Magearna or Mega (RH) Gardevoir are a good teammate choices, (AC) because they are able to beat some big threats for to Zygarde (RC) like Naganadel, Mega Aggron (RH) and opposing Mega Gardevoir (RH). In revenge exchange, Zygarde covers their Poison- (AH) and Fire-type Wweaknesses, (AC) and wins winning against Pokemon like Mega Venusaur (RH) and both Mega Charizards forms. Strong Sspecial attackers such as Porygon-Z or and Mega Gardevoir (RH) can also be a problem for Zygarde, (AC) so a Special-Defensive special wall like Type: Null (added space) can help cover that weakness you out too. In return, (AC) Zygarde wins against most of the strong heavy hitting (using the term "strong attackers", when put next to your previous sentence, implies that Zygarde helps Type: Null by covering physically orientated attackers. The term "heavy hitting attackers" better reflects that you just mean Pokemon with large nukes, at least in my opinion) attackers that are a Pproblem for Type: Null (added space) like Taunt Heatran, Swords Dance Mega Mawile, Taunt Mega Tyranitar, Mega Blaziken, Crustle, and Victini. Taunt users, like Tapu Fini (RH) or Mega Gyarados (RH) can counter out Zygarde, so you might want to consider a Pokemon with the ability Oblivious (not a GP thing, but isn't Slowbro the only viable Oblivious user? If not, ignore this, but otherwise, considering rewriting the sentence to better reflect that) like Slowbro, (AC) or an opposing your own Taunt user like Tapu Fini (RH). Zygarde helps Slowbro and Tapu-Fini out by covering their Electric-type Wweakness, (AC) and wins winning against Pokemon like Blot Bolt Strike Victini or and Zeraora. Zygarde has overall has a very shaky matchups against bulky Water-Ttype Pokemon like Primarina or and Tapu Fini (RH). So a Grass-Ttype Pokemon like Kartana are a good addition that help cover this weakness. could also be a good Addition. That would work because In return, Zygarde covers Kartanas Fire-Ttype Wweakness and is capable of beating Pokemon like the both Mega Charizards forms or and Heatran.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other options
========
Zygarde can also be played with the Spread use an alternative spread of 16 HP / 96 Atk / 252 Def / 144 Spe with an Impish Nature. This set would risk losing the very important Mega Charizard X (RH x2) matchup, (AC) but also has some upsides. It outspeeds full maximum Speed Mega Gyarados (RH) without an Speed boosting nature in 50% form, and is able to kill the OHKO bulky Version of Tapu Fini (RH). all of the time. Outrage alongside + Dragonium Z (RH) as an item is also an offensive change you can make, which would helps to hit beat some of the Dragon-Ttypes that beat Zygarde, (AC) such as Kommo-O (RC) if you are using the faster Zygarde spread, or Choice Scarf Haxorus.
Checks and Counters
========
**Ice-Ttype Attacks**: Zygarde is heavily checked by Alola-Ninetales and Ice-Ttype Ccoverage (RC) like Ice Beam and Blizzard (people know what Ice-type moves are.) used by Mons Pokemon like Greninja, Choice Scarf Porygon-Z, Genesect, Pheromosa, Manaphy, and Mega Swampert, as well as certain alternative Ice type attacks like Hidden Power Ice from Choice Specs Magnezone, (AC) and Ice Punch from Mega Medicham. It Zygarde will most likely die in one-hit be OHKOed and cannot outspeed them due to hit before them with super-effective attacks, because of its relatively low base sSpeed.
**Fairy-Ttype Pokemon**: Zygarde gets beaten up by many fairy types like Mega Gardevoir (RH), Tapu Lele (RH), Tapu Fini, (AC, RH) and Substitute Primarina, (AC) and as it cannot hurt them with a super-effective attack, (AC) and is not fast enough to KO outspeed them either.
**Dragon-Ttype Pokemon**: Zygarde loses to many faster Dragon-Ttype Aattackers like non-Choice Scarf Dragonite, Kommo-O, Naganadel, or and Latios.
**Defensive Pokemon**: Despite Coil boosting Zygarde's Attack and Defense stats, Zygarde still gets with Coil ,that helps it and set up big Attacks stats, completely walled by some of the prominent stall Pokemon in the tier 1v1, (AC) because they are often setting up their Defense stat faster, have in comparison to its attack stat an outstanding physical defense better Defense stats than Zygarde's Attack stat, (AC) or are resisting its attacks. So As a result, Pokemon like Mega Slowbro (RH), Mega Altaria (RH), Clefable, (AC) or and Type: Null (added space) are all winning against you Zygarde.
**Swords Dance**: The only downside from Coil is, that it only boosts Attack, Defense and Accuracy by once stage per use, (AC) so Pokemon with access to Swords Dance like Swords Dance Kartana, Tapu Bulu, and Mega Heracross are going to set up and KO you .
**Taunt-User**: Allthough Although you most of the time win against "tauntless" stall lacking Taunt due to Rest, (AC) you have a big Problem against struggle against Taunt users like overall. They Taunt prevents you from setting up, using Rest or Substitute, so you lose against Pokemon like Deoxys-S, Mega Sableye,(AC, RH) and Kee Berry Mew, (AC) and Mega Gyarados (RH).
**Strong Special attackers**: Zygarde dies to most of the strongest special attacking (RH) Pokemon in 1v1, (AC) the Tier or as well as Pokemon that can set up to be very strong using moves like Quiver Dance or Nasty Plot, (AC) like such as Volcarona and Normalium Z Porygon-Z.