Draft Zarude

[drizzle]

[overview]
**Draft Order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price Range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid Speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB combinations that deal super effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used as a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switch-in to many Pokemon.

**Setup Sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to setup moves to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to set up, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set, however, is that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STAB options in Power Whip and Knock Off as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its high Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility Moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup-sweeping Zarude and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with Acrobatics and a Liechi or Salac Berry can be used to surprise your foes. It can also be used with a Custap Berry to revenge kill opposing fast sweepers.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Because Zarude wants to avoid entry hazard damage on both pivot and setup sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for it.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it is not hard for foes to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a Berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STAB moves to threaten foes or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health restoration than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also a safe option to almost always have a held item while still eventually empowering Acrobatics.

**Lum Berry**: Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: Zarude can use one of these items on Endure sets more efficiently, as reaching the health threshold required to activate them is not always reliable.

**Damage-boosting Items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more or if finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since its defensive typing and limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastallize and use Tera Blast. Tera Poison is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic- or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but Zarude can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Tera Poison, offensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Latios. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts; however, it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow Pivots**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in with a slow pivot such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way to get it on the field.

**Entry Hazard Setters**: While entry hazard setters such as Garchomp and Glimmora are essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since they often struggle breaking through many defensive Pokemon at full health.

**Speed Control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control Pokemon such as Palafin and Tornadus-T takes the pressure off of Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt and Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, which often forces them to invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities.

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison- and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground- and Rock-type moves, respectively, Poison- and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze, Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf and Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn, since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact Move-punishing Effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet.

**Priority Users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority moves, as it will often be left at low HP after KOing a Pokemon.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to defeat foes, much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/henguinie.313217/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/

 

[Techno]

Add Remove Notes

monkey

[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range**: 14-15 points 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a physical attacker that has a stat distribution that allows it to fit a variety of roles. It works best on teams that need a mid-tier Tera Captain. This is way too short and should be a bit more detailed. I rewrote below, feel free to use or modify if you'd like

Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly weak to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings that deal super-effective damage to Zarude.


[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, its key resistances to Ground, Water, and Ghost-type moves along with U-turn make for a useful pivot. it can be used a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status, such as Scald, making it a great switchin to many Pokemon.

**Setup sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to the setup moves it has to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

Add wallbreaker with choice band/scarf

(repeat as necessary)

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch, Throat Chop Put Throat Chop in niche if you want to mention it

**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, Brick Break niche, also move u-turn here

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, U-turn, Tera Blast put rock tomb in niche

Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure with a Liechi / Salac Berry + Acrobatics can be used to surprise your opponent with a scary sweeper. This set works best with Tera Flying, however, which will be shown to your opponent so the surprise may not work out as well. opponents. It can also revenge opposing fast sweepers with a Custap Berry.

**Sunny Day**: Enabling Zarude's ability, Sunny Day can be used to surprise your opponent on an expected status inflicting move. If it is a full Sunny Day set, Solar Blade is an option for a 100% accurate powerful STAB move. too niche

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Wanting to avoid hazard damage on both pivot and set-up sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for Zarude.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it will not be hard for your opponent opponents to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Zarude has enough coverage moves to get away with running a Choice Scarf set. Ok but explain why it would use scarf - "Scarf allows Zarude to revenge faster Pokemon while also serving as a great pivot."

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also useful to almost always empower Acrobatics, allowing you it to hit Grass and Fighting-types super effectively.

**Lum Berry**: Although Zarude has the ability to cure status conditions with Jungle Healing, Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Damage-boosting items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more, or finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

**Loaded Dice**: Loaded Dice + Bullet Seed give an alternative to the weaker Petal Blizzard or less accurate Power Whip, however Grass-type coverage is often not useful enough to devote an item to. too niche

Add Choice Band
Add Liechi/Salac/Custap if you're gonna mention it in niche moves

Tera
========
If you plan on drafting Zarude, it should almost always be a Tera Captain. Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since Its defensive typing as well as limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize and use Tera Blast. Poison-type Tera is theoretically the best, often effective as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and your opponent opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but it can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Poison-type, some standouts are Fairy-type, Fire-type, Fighting-type, Electric-type, and Water-type offensive types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective. Zarude is also one of the rare cases for a Tera Captain where you almost always want to Terastalize the first turn possible since your defensive typing will likely only get better, so be sure to pick one that is good to commit to for the entirety of the game. Not sure if this is worth mentioning, itll typically be obvious what scenarios it should tera immediately & which it should wait

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts, however it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow momentum**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely with a slower momentum user such as Slowking-Galar Galarian Slowking is the safest way. And with U-turn, Zarude can form a momentum core with your slow momentum user. idt this is worth mentioning

**Entry-hazard setters**: While entry-hazards are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage. since it often struggles breaking through many defense Pokemon at full health.

**Speed control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control such as (give 2-3 examples) takes the pressure for Zarude to be the sole revenge killer away.

**High tier special attackers Special Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers such as (give 2-3 examples) are important to removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, and often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs.

Checks and Counters
========
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Fighting-type moves, Steel-types still annoy Zarude with their naturally high physical bulk. Poison and Flying types are much more annoying for Zarude, mention those instead

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf or Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn since Zarude does not want to stay in on it.

**Contact move punishing effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with things effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet that punish contact moves.

**Priority users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority as it will often be left on low HP after KOing a Pokemon, leaving there no possibility to recover the lost health back.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to win 1v1s against said Pokemon, much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100000
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000
[/QUOTE]

qc 1/2 - most areas could be a little more detailed & i moved around / changed a lot of things. lmk if you have any questions

 

[drizzle]

Add Remove Notes

monkey

[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range**: 14-15 points 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a physical attacker that has a stat distribution that allows it to fit a variety of roles. It works best on teams that need a mid-tier Tera Captain. This is way too short and should be a bit more detailed. I rewrote below, feel free to use or modify if you'd like

Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly weak to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings that deal super-effective damage to Zarude.


[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, its key resistances to Ground, Water, and Ghost-type moves along with U-turn make for a useful pivot. it can be used a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status, such as Scald, making it a great switchin to many Pokemon.

**Setup sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to the setup moves it has to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

Add wallbreaker with choice band/scarf

(repeat as necessary)

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch, Throat Chop Put Throat Chop in niche if you want to mention it

**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, Brick Break niche, also move u-turn here

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, U-turn, Tera Blast put rock tomb in niche

Niche Moves
========
**Endure**: Endure with a Liechi / Salac Berry + Acrobatics can be used to surprise your opponent with a scary sweeper. This set works best with Tera Flying, however, which will be shown to your opponent so the surprise may not work out as well. opponents. It can also revenge opposing fast sweepers with a Custap Berry.

**Sunny Day**: Enabling Zarude's ability, Sunny Day can be used to surprise your opponent on an expected status inflicting move. If it is a full Sunny Day set, Solar Blade is an option for a 100% accurate powerful STAB move. too niche

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Wanting to avoid hazard damage on both pivot and set-up sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for Zarude.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it will not be hard for your opponent opponents to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Zarude has enough coverage moves to get away with running a Choice Scarf set. Ok but explain why it would use scarf - "Scarf allows Zarude to revenge faster Pokemon while also serving as a great pivot."

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also useful to almost always empower Acrobatics, allowing you it to hit Grass and Fighting-types super effectively.

**Lum Berry**: Although Zarude has the ability to cure status conditions with Jungle Healing, Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Damage-boosting items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more, or finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

**Loaded Dice**: Loaded Dice + Bullet Seed give an alternative to the weaker Petal Blizzard or less accurate Power Whip, however Grass-type coverage is often not useful enough to devote an item to. too niche

Add Choice Band
Add Liechi/Salac/Custap if you're gonna mention it in niche moves

Tera
========
If you plan on drafting Zarude, it should almost always be a Tera Captain. Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since Its defensive typing as well as limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize and use Tera Blast. Poison-type Tera is theoretically the best, often effective as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and your opponent opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but it can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Poison-type, some standouts are Fairy-type, Fire-type, Fighting-type, Electric-type, and Water-type offensive types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective. Zarude is also one of the rare cases for a Tera Captain where you almost always want to Terastalize the first turn possible since your defensive typing will likely only get better, so be sure to pick one that is good to commit to for the entirety of the game. Not sure if this is worth mentioning, itll typically be obvious what scenarios it should tera immediately & which it should wait

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts, however it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow momentum**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely with a slower momentum user such as Slowking-Galar Galarian Slowking is the safest way. And with U-turn, Zarude can form a momentum core with your slow momentum user. idt this is worth mentioning

**Entry-hazard setters**: While entry-hazards are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage. since it often struggles breaking through many defense Pokemon at full health.

**Speed control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control such as (give 2-3 examples) takes the pressure for Zarude to be the sole revenge killer away.

**High tier special attackers Special Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers such as (give 2-3 examples) are important to removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, and often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs.

Checks and Counters
========
**Steel-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Fighting-type moves, Steel-types still annoy Zarude with their naturally high physical bulk. Poison and Flying types are much more annoying for Zarude, mention those instead

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf or Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn since Zarude does not want to stay in on it.

**Contact move punishing effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with things effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet that punish contact moves.

**Priority users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority as it will often be left on low HP after KOing a Pokemon, leaving there no possibility to recover the lost health back.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to win 1v1s against said Pokemon, much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100000
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000

qc 1/2 - most areas could be a little more detailed & i moved around / changed a lot of things. lmk if you have any questions
[/QUOTE]
implemented

 

[Hacker]

qc 2/2

[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings that deal super-effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switchin to many Pokemon.

**Setup sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to the setup moves it has to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STABs in Power Whip and Knock Off, as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its 120 base Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup sweeping Zarude, and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with a Liechi / Salac Berry + Acrobatics can be used to surprise your opponents. It can also revenge opposing fast sweepers with a Custap Berry.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Wanting to avoid hazard damage on both pivot and set-up sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for Zarude.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it will not be hard for opponents to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STABs to threaten opponents or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also useful to almost always empower Acrobatics, allowing it to hit Grass and Fighting-types super effectively.

**Lum Berry**: Although Zarude has the ability to cure status conditions with Jungle Healing, Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Choice Band**: While Choice Scarf is a great revenge killer, Choice Band Zarude can surprise opponents and break walls with powerful attacks. (doesnt feel niche tbh)

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: With Endure, Zarude can use an item to get an attack off before being fainted.

**Damage-boosting items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more, or finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since its defensive typing as well as limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize and use Tera Blast. Poison-type Tera is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but it can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Poison-type, offensive types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon Latios (moon didnt feel like too good of a pairing). It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts, however it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow momentum**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely with a slower momentum user such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way.

**Entry-hazard setters**: While entry-hazards are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since it often struggles breaking through many defense Pokemon at full health.

**Speed control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control Pokemon such as Palafin or Tornadus-T takes the pressure for Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt or Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, and often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities.

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground and Rock-type moves, respectfully, Poison and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf or Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact move punishing effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet that punish contact moves.

**Priority users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority as it will often be left on low HP after KOing a Pokemon, leaving there no possibility to recover the lost health back.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to win 1v1s against said Pokemon, much less sweep.

 

[drizzle]

qc 2/2

[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings that deal super-effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switchin to many Pokemon.

**Setup sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to the setup moves it has to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STABs in Power Whip and Knock Off, as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its 120 base Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup sweeping Zarude, and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with a Liechi / Salac Berry + Acrobatics can be used to surprise your opponents. It can also revenge opposing fast sweepers with a Custap Berry.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Wanting to avoid hazard damage on both pivot and set-up sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for Zarude.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it will not be hard for opponents to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STABs to threaten opponents or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also useful to almost always empower Acrobatics, allowing it to hit Grass and Fighting-types super effectively.

**Lum Berry**: Although Zarude has the ability to cure status conditions with Jungle Healing, Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Choice Band**: While Choice Scarf is a great revenge killer, Choice Band Zarude can surprise opponents and break walls with powerful attacks. (doesnt feel niche tbh)

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: With Endure, Zarude can use an item to get an attack off before being fainted.

**Damage-boosting items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more, or finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since its defensive typing as well as limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize and use Tera Blast. Poison-type Tera is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but it can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Poison-type, offensive types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon Latios (moon didnt feel like too good of a pairing). It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts, however it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow momentum**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely with a slower momentum user such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way.

**Entry-hazard setters**: While entry-hazards are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since it often struggles breaking through many defense Pokemon at full health.

**Speed control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control Pokemon such as Palafin or Tornadus-T takes the pressure for Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt or Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, and often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities.

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground and Rock-type moves, respectfully, Poison and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf or Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact move punishing effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet that punish contact moves.

**Priority users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority as it will often be left on low HP after KOing a Pokemon, leaving there no possibility to recover the lost health back.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to win 1v1s against said Pokemon, much less sweep.

implemented

 

[drizzle]

gm GP Team

 

[Zrp200]

add
remove
comment

GP Amcheck

[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings that deal super-effective super effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used as a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switchin switch-in to many Pokemon.

**Setup sweeper Sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to the setup moves it has setup moves to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set, (AC) however, (AC) is that that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STABs STAB options in Power Whip and Knock Off (RC) as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its 120 base Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves Moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup moves Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility moves Moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup sweeping setup-sweeping Zarude (RC) and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with a Liechi / Salac Berry + Acrobatics Acrobatics and a Liechi or Salac Berry can be used to surprise your opponents. It can also be used with a Custap Berry Endure does not 'revenge kill' things, but it can be used as a revenge killing tool revenge kill opposing fast sweepers with a Custap Berry.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Wanting Because Zarude wants to avoid hazard damage on both pivot and set-up sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for Zarude it. dangling modifier

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it will not be hard is not hard for opponents to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STABs STAB moves to threaten opponents or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also useful to almost always empower Acrobatics, allowing it to hit Grass and Fighting-types super effectively it already does this even in when using it with an item. But also, how does sitrus berry 'ensure' that acrobatics is empowered?

**Lum Berry**: Although Zarude has the ability to cure status conditions with Jungle Healing, redundant Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: With Endure, Zarude can use an item to get an attack off before being fainted KOed. I encourage you to clarify this section; doesn't this only apply to Custap Berry and Salac Berry? Liechi doesn't give anything that would help it move first

**Damage-boosting items Items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more, or or if finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since its defensive typing as well as and limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize and use Tera Blast. Poison-type Tera Tera Poison is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but it Zarude can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Poison-type Tera Poison, offensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Latios. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts, however it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow momentum pivots**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely with a slower momentum user slow pivot such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way. assuming you're referring to slow pivots here; I've never heard of it referred to as 'momentum'.

**Entry-hazard Entry hazard setters**: While entry-hazards entry hazards are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since it often struggles breaking through many defense defensive Pokemon at full health. might be good to give an example or two of such pokemon, both for setters and of defensive mons

**Speed control Control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other another speed control Pokemon such as Palafin or Tornadus-T this may potentially change the meaning of the sentence to imply that only one additional mon should be considered; if this is incorrect, change the 'or' to an 'and' to imply plural should be drafted and ignore the 'another' change takes off the pressure for Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special wallbreakers Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt or and Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, and which often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities. if this passed qc, then I have no objections. that said, this does feel overly reductive of the mechanics at play

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison Poison- and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground and Rock-type moves (RC) respectfully respectively, Poison Poison- and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf or Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn (RC) since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact move punishing effects Move-punishing Effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet that punish contact moves.

**Priority users Users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority, (AC) as it will often be left on at low HP after KOing a Pokemon.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to win 1v1s against said Pokemon defeat it don't use the term '1v1', much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100000
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000

 

[drizzle]

add
remove
comment

GP Amcheck

[overview]
**Draft order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings that deal super-effective super effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used as a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switchin switch-in to many Pokemon.

**Setup sweeper Sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to the setup moves it has setup moves to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set, (AC) however, (AC) is that that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STABs STAB options in Power Whip and Knock Off (RC) as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its 120 base Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB moves Moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup moves Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility moves Moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup sweeping setup-sweeping Zarude (RC) and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with a Liechi / Salac Berry + Acrobatics Acrobatics and a Liechi or Salac Berry can be used to surprise your opponents. It can also be used with a Custap Berry Endure does not 'revenge kill' things, but it can be used as a revenge killing tool revenge kill opposing fast sweepers with a Custap Berry.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Wanting Because Zarude wants to avoid hazard damage on both pivot and set-up sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for Zarude it. dangling modifier

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it will not be hard is not hard for opponents to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STABs STAB moves to threaten opponents or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also useful to almost always empower Acrobatics, allowing it to hit Grass and Fighting-types super effectively it already does this even in when using it with an item. But also, how does sitrus berry 'ensure' that acrobatics is empowered?

**Lum Berry**: Although Zarude has the ability to cure status conditions with Jungle Healing, redundant Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: With Endure, Zarude can use an item to get an attack off before being fainted KOed. I encourage you to clarify this section; doesn't this only apply to Custap Berry and Salac Berry? Liechi doesn't give anything that would help it move first

**Damage-boosting items Items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more, or or if finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since its defensive typing as well as and limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize and use Tera Blast. Poison-type Tera Tera Poison is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but it Zarude can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Poison-type Tera Poison, offensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Latios. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts, however it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow momentum pivots**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely with a slower momentum user slow pivot such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way. assuming you're referring to slow pivots here; I've never heard of it referred to as 'momentum'.

**Entry-hazard Entry hazard setters**: While entry-hazards entry hazards are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since it often struggles breaking through many defense defensive Pokemon at full health. might be good to give an example or two of such pokemon, both for setters and of defensive mons

**Speed control Control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other another speed control Pokemon such as Palafin or Tornadus-T this may potentially change the meaning of the sentence to imply that only one additional mon should be considered; if this is incorrect, change the 'or' to an 'and' to imply plural should be drafted and ignore the 'another' change takes off the pressure for Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special wallbreakers Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt or and Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, and which often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities. if this passed qc, then I have no objections. that said, this does feel overly reductive of the mechanics at play

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison Poison- and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground and Rock-type moves (RC) respectfully respectively, Poison Poison- and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf or Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn (RC) since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact move punishing effects Move-punishing Effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet that punish contact moves.

**Priority users Users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority, (AC) as it will often be left on at low HP after KOing a Pokemon.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to win 1v1s against said Pokemon defeat it don't use the term '1v1', much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user1.100000
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user2.200000
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user3.300000
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/user4.400000

implemented and ready for publishing.

 

[SolarBeam]

1/1, GP Team done

Crediting Zrp too; feel free to let me know if either of you have questions.

the don dada

blue = add
red = remove
(orange) = comment

[overview]
**Draft order Order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range Range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed Speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings combinations that deal super effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used as a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switch-in to many Pokemon.

**Setup Sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to setup moves to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup set up, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set, however, is that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STAB options in Power Whip and Knock Off as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its 120 base high (dex info) Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility Moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup-sweeping Zarude and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with Acrobatics and a Liechi or Salac Berry can be used to surprise your opponents. It can also be used with a Custap Berry to revenge kill opposing fast sweepers.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Because Zarude wants to avoid entry hazard damage on both pivot and set-up setup sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for it.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it is not hard for opponents foes to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry Berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STAB moves to threaten opponents foes or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack restoration than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also a safe option to almost always have a held item while still eventually empowering Acrobatics.

**Lum Berry**: Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: On Endure sets, Zarude can use one of these items more efficiently on Endure sets, (AC) as reaching the health threshold required to activate them is not always reliable.

**Damage-boosting Items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more or if finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since (removed bold on e) its defensive typing and limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize Terastallize and use Tera Blast. Tera Poison is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic- (AH) or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but Zarude can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Tera Poison, offensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Latios. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts; (replaced comma with semicolon) however, (AC) it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow pivots Pivots**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely (redundant with safest) with a slow pivot such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way to get it on the field (need to specify the thing the way is safest for).

**Entry hazard setters Hazard Setters**: While entry hazard setters such as Garchomp or and Glimmora are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since it they often struggles struggle (talking about the multiple sets, not the singular Zarude) breaking through many defensive Pokemon at full health.

**Speed Control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control Pokemon such as Palafin and Tornadus-T takes the pressure for off of Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt and Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, which often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities.

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison- and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground- (AH) and Rock-type moves, (AC) respectively, Poison- and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze, (AC) Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf and Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn, (AC) since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact Move-punishing Effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet.

**Priority Users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority moves, as it will often be left at low HP after KOing a Pokemon.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to defeat it foes, much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/henguinie.313217/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/

 

[drizzle]

1/1, GP Team done

Crediting Zrp too; feel free to let me know if either of you have questions.

the don dada

blue = add
red = remove
(orange) = comment

[overview]
**Draft order Order**: Round 4 onwards

**Price range Range**: 13-15 points

**Overview**: Zarude is a strong physical attacker with a solid speed Speed tier and lots of versatility, allowing it to fit in a variety of roles. It can be used a a solid pivot or wallbreaker to enable teammates, or it can be a setup sweeper on its own, with or without Tera. However, its typing leaves it incredibly vulnerable to U-turn, allowing foes to easily pivot on it to maintain momentum, and its coverage without Tera struggles against many threatening types, such as Flying. It also gets outsped by many of the meta's biggest threats, most of which have STAB typings combinations that deal super effective damage to Zarude.

[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
**Pivot**: Although Zarude's typing leaves it weak to a lot of common types, it can be used as a solid pivot to position teammates better against Zarude's own checks. Jungle Healing also allows it to absorb status moves, such as Scald, making it a great switch-in to many Pokemon.

**Setup Sweeper**: Especially potent as a Tera Captain, Zarude can use its access to setup moves to clean teams up. Its great natural bulk allows it opportunities to setup set up, especially when using Tera to remove its mediocre typing. The major downside to this set, however, is that its STAB combination often struggles versus specific Pokemon, requiring additional coverage or specific Tera types.

**Wallbreaker**: With powerful STAB options in Power Whip and Knock Off as well as powerful coverage options like Close Combat, Zarude can use its 120 base high (dex info) Attack to break down walls.

Common Moves
========
**Primary STAB Moves**: Power Whip, Bullet Seed, Petal Blizzard, Knock Off, Crunch

**Setup Moves**: Swords Dance, Bulk Up, Trailblaze

**Utility Moves**: Taunt, Encore, Jungle Healing, Synthesis, Roar, U-turn, Brick Break

**Coverage**: Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Low Kick, Close Combat, Rock Tomb, Rock Slide, Stomping Tantrum, Tera Blast

Niche Moves
========
**Throat Chop**: While the chance to decrease Defense makes Crunch the better option for setup-sweeping Zarude and the utility Knock Off provides is useful in almost any other case, Throat Chop can be used to surprise check Pokemon that use sound moves like Toxtricity and Pixilate Sylveon.

**Endure**: Endure with Acrobatics and a Liechi or Salac Berry can be used to surprise your opponents. It can also be used with a Custap Berry to revenge kill opposing fast sweepers.

Common Items
========
**Heavy-Duty Boots**: Because Zarude wants to avoid entry hazard damage on both pivot and set-up setup sets, Heavy-Duty Boots is a safe option for it.

**Resistance Berries**: Due to Zarude's expansive list of weaknesses, it is not hard for opponents foes to fit coverage that hits Zarude super effectively. On setup sets, picking the correct weakness to hold a berry Berry for may be essential to safely sweep.

**Choice Scarf**: Choice Scarf Zarude is a great pivot and revenge killer that can use its powerful STAB moves to threaten opponents foes or U-turn to get momentum while avoiding unfavorable matchups.

**Leftovers**: Zarude is naturally bulky enough that it can gain enough value from Leftovers on setup sets to warrant it over other items.

Niche Items
========
**Sitrus Berry**: Giving Zarude a larger and more immediate health pack restoration than Leftovers does, Sitrus Berry is also a safe option to almost always have a held item while still eventually empowering Acrobatics.

**Lum Berry**: Lum Berry is a way to clear status if it is not efficient to have Jungle Healing on a set.

**Custap / Liechi / Salac Berry**: On Endure sets, Zarude can use one of these items more efficiently on Endure sets, (AC) as reaching the health threshold required to activate them is not always reliable.

**Damage-boosting Items**: Zarude usually has more than enough damage thanks to Swords Dance, but if it needs just a little bit more or if finding a Pokemon to set up against is too difficult, having a damage-boosting item is not a problem.

Tera
========
Zarude works well as a lower-priced Tera captain, since (removed bold on e) its defensive typing and limited movepool are both assisted by the ability to Terastalize Terastallize and use Tera Blast. Tera Poison is often effective, as it gets rid of all of Zarude's weaknesses and opponents will most likely not consider to bring Psychic- (AH) or Ground-type coverage for a Zarude, but Zarude can use pretty much any Tera type. Besides Tera Poison, offensive Tera types such as Tera Fairy, Fighting, and Water are also effective.

Draft Strategy
========
If intended to be a Tera Captain, Zarude should be drafted alongside stronger Pokemon that are banned from being a Tera Captain, such as Iron Valiant and Latios. It fits well on balance or bulky offense drafts; (replaced comma with semicolon) however, (AC) it needs quite a bit of support to live up to its full potential.

**Slow pivots Pivots**: Due to Zarude's poor defensive typing, getting Zarude in safely (redundant with safest) with a slow pivot such as Galarian Slowking is the safest way to get it on the field (need to specify the thing the way is safest for).

**Entry hazard setters Hazard Setters**: While entry hazard setters such as Garchomp or and Glimmora are an essential on any Draft team, setup and pivot Zarude sets both especially appreciate residual damage, since it they often struggles struggle (talking about the multiple sets, not the singular Zarude) breaking through many defensive Pokemon at full health.

**Speed Control**: Although Zarude is a good Choice Scarf user, drafting other speed control Pokemon such as Palafin and Tornadus-T takes the pressure for off of Zarude to be the sole revenge killer.

**Special Wallbreakers**: Reliable special attackers like Raging Bolt and Gholdengo are important for removing the physical walls that hinder Zarude's sweeping capabilities. Special wallbreakers put lots of pressure on physically defensive Pokemon, which often forces them to instead invest in Special Defense EVs rather than the Defense EVs that will stop Zarude's sweeping capabilities.

Checks and Counters
========
**Poison- and Flying-type Pokemon**: Despite Zarude's access to Ground- (AH) and Rock-type moves, (AC) respectively, Poison- and Flying-types still annoy Zarude with their resistance to Zarude's Grass-type STAB moves and ability to hit back super effectively.

**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon can often threaten Zarude out, and even at +1 Speed with Choice Scarf or Trailblaze, (AC) Zarude is outsped by a lot of other Choice Scarf and Booster Energy users. Many faster Pokemon can also maintain momentum with U-turn, (AC) since Zarude does not want to stay in on them.

**Contact Move-punishing Effects**: Most of the moves Zarude uses are contact moves, meaning it is easy to punish it with effects that punish contact moves, like Flame Body and Rocky Helmet.

**Priority Users**: Zarude is especially vulnerable to priority moves, as it will often be left at low HP after KOing a Pokemon.

**Haze / Clear Smog**: Moves that remove stat boosts, especially on physical walls such as Toxapex, make it much harder for Zarude to defeat it foes, much less sweep.

[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/henguinie.313217/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/techno6377.527276/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/zrp200.327515/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/solarbeam.470115/

Implemented, and now ready for upload.

 

[Hacker]

https://www.smogon.com/dex/sv/pokemon/zarude/draft/