[OVERVIEW]
Zygarde differentiates itself from other defensive walls in the Ubers tier with its colossal physical bulk when it transforms into its Complete forme. As a result, Zygarde-C is able to effectively handle a myriad of physical threats in the tier such as Primal Groudon, Swords Dance Arceus formes, Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, Mega Lucario, and Mega Gyarados, solidifying its role as a physical wall on many defensive teams. Zygarde is also the only Pokemon to carry Thousand Arrows, which hits almost the entire tier neutrally and removes the Ground immunity from key defensive threats such as Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, Celesteela, Salamence, and Bronzong, which teammates can subsequently take advantage of. It is also the only user of Glare in the tier, which enables it to paralyze offensive Ground-types such as Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground without fail. Despite its powerful utility moves, Zygarde's base 100 Attack makes its offensive presence somewhat lacking, and special attackers such as Xerneas and Primal Kyogre can exploit its lesser special bulk. Zygarde also has no reliable recovery outside of Rest, which either leaves it vulnerable when recovering HP or sacrifices a moveslot to defend itself with Sleep Talk. Power Construct, while being Zygarde's greatest strength, is also its greatest weakness, as it demands precise HP management for it to transform safely, and threats that it normally checks such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon and Mega Lucario can power through it if left pre-transformed. Some threats that Zygarde checks can have ways to circumvent it or exploit its severe Ice weakness, which include Hidden Power Ice users such as Ho-Oh, Marshadow, and Primal Groudon, as well as Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus and mixed Rock Polish Primal Groudon, so scouting is occasionally needed to keep Zygarde from being lured and KOed.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Rest
move 3: Glare / Toxic / Dragon Tail
move 4: Sleep Talk / Dragon Tail
item: Leftovers
ability: Power Construct
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Thousand Arrows is Zygarde's best offensive move, hitting prominent threats such as Primal Groudon and Steel-types super effectively, as well as stripping the Ground immunity from Ho-Oh and Celesteela. Rest is Zygarde's only form of reliable recovery, healing damage and status conditions and giving Zygarde more chances to activate Power Construct at a safer HP threshold. Glare is an extremely reliable tool to stop many Speed-oriented sweepers in the tier such as Mega Salamence due to its 100% accuracy, and it makes Zygarde the only Pokemon able to paralyze Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus-Ground, two difficult Pokemon to stop conventionally. Alternatively, Toxic can cripple many defensive threats and tanks that otherwise take advantage of Zygarde's meager offensive presence. Dragon Tail prevents sweepers from setting up on Zygarde and can rack up residual damage when used with entry hazards, Toxic, or both. Sleep Talk is the only way Zygarde can retaliate under the effects of Rest, but it doesn't guarantee the right move is used and consumes an important moveslot that can be filled by either status moves or Dragon Tail.
Set Details
========
The given EV spread maximizes Zygarde's physical bulk to bolster its effectiveness against physical attackers and is the best possible option for Zygarde to deal with physical sweepers such as Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon prior to changing formes. Despite Zygarde-C's massive HP stat, maximum HP investment is used for Zygarde to activate Power Construct as safely as possible. However, a different EV spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe can be used to Speed tie with 0 Speed Solgaleo and Lunala before activating Power Construct while outspeeding opposing Zygarde. Leftovers is used to keep Zygarde as healthy as possible both before and after Power Construct activates without using Rest. A Chesto Berry can be used instead to immediately wake up after Rest once and doesn't force Zygarde to use Sleep Talk to defend itself, but Leftovers's health regeneration is very difficult to forego when Power Construct is factored in.
Usage Tips
========
Before Power Construct activates, switch into incoming attacks sparingly to maintain as much HP as possible when it does so Zygarde doesn't have to use Rest afterwards. Despite this, attempt to activate Power Construct early in a game so Zygarde isn't pressured by residual damage and attackers that can power through Zygarde and its lower bulk pre-Power Construct. Power Construct checks for Zygarde's HP value at the end of a turn, so Leftovers and Rest can prevent Zygarde from transforming and potentially waste a turn. Keep this in mind when determining the power of incoming attacks and entry hazard damage so Zygarde can activate Power Construct correctly. Due to Zygarde's lower overall bulk before Power Construct, scouting for possible Ice-type coverage moves by threats that Zygarde checks such as Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus and Hidden Power Ice Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Marshadow is extremely important, as they can bypass regular Zygarde's lower bulk or potentially KO it outright. As with most Pokemon that carry Sleep Talk, Zygarde can be used to take a Hypnosis from Darkrai or Lunala to prevent team members or potential checks to them from losing turns and giving them a chance to set up freely.
Team Options
========
Primal Groudon checks Xerneas and Primal Kyogre and can be used as a Stealth Rock setter or use Lava Plume burns to make physical attackers almost completely useless against Zygarde-C. Entry hazard setters as a whole are useful, as they can increase Dragon Tail's potential damage, so Pokemon such as Dialga, Excadrill, and Landorus-T are good teammates. Spikes users such as Ferrothorn and Klefki, however, are the best entry hazard setters to use with Dragon Tail, greatly punishing those that switch into Zygarde recklessly or stay in against it. Ferrothorn, in particular, is an incredibly effective partner for Zygarde, as it checks Xerneas, Primal Kyogre, and most Defog Arceus formes, appreciates Zygarde's ability to deal with Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and offers Spikes and Leech Seed to assist Zygarde's poor offensive presence and lack of reliable recovery. In the same vein, bulky Steel-types appreciate Zygarde's ability to handle Fire-types, and their defensive typing provides a solid building block for many defensive teams. Magearna prevents Xerneas, Calm Mind Arceus-Dark, and Yveltal from exploiting Zygarde's passive nature, while Zygarde can either cripple both Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon with Toxic or check them outright, two threats that Magearna greatly struggles with. Toxapex can check defensive Primal Kyogre, Marshadow, and Xerneas sets lacking Thunder and Psyshock, as well as hindering the opposing team's offensive presence with Scald and Toxic Spikes. Support Arceus formes are valuable when dealing with hazard stacking teams, as Spikes greatly diminishes Zygarde's longevity and safety when Power Construct activates. Arceus-Water deals with more cumbersome wallbreakers such as Primal Groudon and Rayquaza, and Arceus-Fairy can deal with Dark-types such as Yveltal and Mega Sableye that can exploit Zygarde-C's defensive properties with Taunt and Magic Bounce, respectively. Xerneas can stave off Dark-types that can exploit Zygarde, such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark, and can remove the negative effects of Rest with Aromatherapy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A SubCoil set can be a useful sweeper for more passive balance or stall teams and can go toe to toe with extremely powerful physical sweepers such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, but it has no form of reliable recovery, and Substitute can make it harder for Zygarde to activate Power Construct safely as well as hinder its durability. Haze can prevent sweepers from setting up on Zygarde, and it can lure and waste Geomancy Xerneas's Power Herb if it sets up expecting Zygarde to switch, but it is a generally less effective option than Dragon Tail and takes up a moveslot that can be used by Glare or Toxic. Extreme Speed can pick off weakened or frail attackers, but it does minuscule damage due to Zygarde's below-average base 100 Attack stat. Thousand Waves can trap normal switch-ins to Zygarde, which Zygarde can exploit by giving a free opportunity to switch in to a team member or seting up a Substitute or Coil, but it leaves Zygarde vulnerable to Ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, Yveltal, and Celesteela, Pokemon it can normally deal with thanks to Thousand Arrows. Dragon Dance can utilize Zygarde's bulk to accumulate multiple boosts and attempt to sweep, but it takes too long to set up due to Zygarde's poor Attack and Speed without offering the defensive utility of Coil.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas are extremely dangerous foes for Zygarde to deal with, as they can either severely damage it with their STAB attacks or set up with Calm Mind or Geomancy, respectively, since they are immune to Dragon Tail.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre's immense Special Attack stat and access to Ice Beam directly threatens Zygarde's walling capabilities. Its bulk also lets it stomach multiple Thousand Arrows, and Primal Kyogre can use Toxic back against Zygarde, pressuring it to use Rest.
**Special Attackers**: Zygarde's special bulk is rather lacking compared to its physical bulk, so special attackers can easily exploit this weakness. Specially oriented threats such as Deoxys-A, all Mewtwo variants, Lunala, Kyurem-W, Shuca Berry Dialga, and Arceus-Ice can either severely damage or KO Zygarde or take advantage of Zygarde switching out to use utility or offensive options.
**Marshadow**: Despite being physically oriented, Marshadow can still threaten and lure Zygarde adequately, with a Technician- and Life Orb-boosted Hidden Power Ice always 2HKOing Zygarde-C. Bulk Up variants can also pressure a worn down Zygarde or Zygarde-C with a +1 Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike, which can KO either with enough residual damage.
**Rayquaza**: Unlike most wallbreakers, Rayquaza is able to lure Zygarde with its mixed attacker set and always 2HKO it with Draco Meteor, but Dragon Tail severely damages it if it switches in carelessly.
**Taunt Users**: Pokemon that normally can't break through Zygarde can deny it recovery and status options with Taunt. Notable users that can utilize this are Yveltal and Mega Gengar, which can either severely damage or KO Zygarde or remove Leftovers with Knock Off, decimating Zygarde's longevity in the process.
[OVERVIEW]
* Zygarde's immense physical bulk in its Complete forme makes it a premier defensive wall in the Ubers tier.
* Awesome check to common Ubers threats such as Primal Groudon, some Swords Dance Arceus formes, Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Lucario
* Zygarde can fit on defensive teams as an effective physical tank.
* Thousand Arrows is an amazing move, hitting almost the entire tier neutrally and removes the Ground immunity of important defensive threats such as Ho-Oh, Salamence, Giratina-O, Celesteela, and Bronzong, which teammates can take advantage of if the opponent hasn't switched out.
* Has access to Glare, which can paralyze offensive Ground-types such as Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground without fail.
* A below-average base 100 Attack stat makes Zygarde's offensive presence somewhat lacking.
* Powerful special attackers such as Xerneas and Primal Kyogre can bypass Zygarde's defenses entirely.
* Zygarde has no reliable recovery, which leaves it vulnerable when using Rest to recover HP.
* Power Construct is also Zygarde's greatest weakness, as it takes careful HP management to be activated safely and threats it normally checks such as Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon can pressure or KO it if left in its 50% forme.
* Some of the threats that Zygarde checks can have ways to circumvent it, such as Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus and either Mixed Rock Polish or Hidden Power Ice Primal Groudon, so scouting is occasionally needed to keep Zygarde from being lured.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Rest
move 3: Glare / Toxic / Dragon Tail
move 4: Sleep Talk / Dragon Tail
item: Leftovers
ability: Power Construct
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Thousand Arrows is the most versatile attack Zygarde has at its disposal, hitting common threats such as Primal Groudon and Steel-types super-effectively.
* Rest is Zygarde's only form of non-passive recovery, healing residual damage, removes crippling status such as Toxic and burns, and can make it easier for Zygarde-50% to activate Power Construct.
* Toxic is extremely effective against most defensive Pokemon, crippling walls and tanks that would otherwise take advantage of Zygarde's meager offensive presence.
* Dragon Tail prevents physical sweepers from setting up in front of Zygarde, and can rack up residual damage when used in tandem with both entry hazards and/or Toxic. It is most effective when paired with Spikes users, as it maximizes Dragon Tail's potential damage.
* Glare is a very reliable backup stop to many Speed-related sweepers such as Mega Salamence and other fast threats, and makes Zygarde the only Pokemon to debilitate both Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground, two prominent Pokemon in the tier.
* Sleep Talk is the only way Zygarde can pressure other Pokemon when using Rest, but does not guarantee the right move is used and consumes an important moveslot for either status or Dragon Tail.
Set Details
========
* The EV spread given maximizes Zygarde's physical bulk to maximize its effectiveness against physical attackers, and is the best possible option for Zygarde survive boosted physical sweepers such as Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon in its 50% forme.
* Maximum HP investment is used despite Zygarde-C's titanic HP stat to let Zygarde-50% transition with Power Construct comfortably.
* An alternative spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe can be used to Speed tie with 0 Speed Solgaleo and Lunala while outspeeding opposing Zygarde.
* Leftovers is the preferred item to keep Zygarde as healthy as possible both pre- and post-Power Construct without having to immediately resort to Rest.
* A Chesto Berry can be used to recover from Rest immediately once, giving Zygarde more opportunities to retaliate safely, but the passive health regeneration from Leftovers is extremely important for Zygarde to have.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch into attacks sparingly when Zygarde is in its 50% forme, as having as much HP as possible when activating Power Construct is paramount to maintaining momentum and not having to use Rest immediately.
* However, prioritize getting Zygarde to transform into Zygarde-C early on into a game as to not be pressured by both residual damage and attackers that can take advantage of Zygarde-50%'s lower physical bulk.
* Power Construct checks for the HP value at the end of the turn, so Rest and Leftovers can prevent Zygarde from transforming, while switching into Stealth Rock and reaching below 50% from the damage will not activate Power Construct. Keep this in mind when gauging potential damage from attackers in order to trigger Power Construct correctly.
* Especially when Zygarde has not transformed, try to scout for potential lure moves that typical threats that Zygarde checks can carry, as it can potentially invalidate Zygarde's defensive capabilities against said threats.
* If carrying Sleep Talk, using Zygarde to absorb sleep moves such as Hypnosis from Darkrai and Lunala is an option to prevent key team members from losing turns.
Team Options
========
* Primal Groudon can check both Xerneas and Primal Kyogre for Zygarde, and can provide either Stealth Rock or Lava Plume burns to render physical attackers almost useless.
* Entry hazard setters in general are useful to give Dragon Tail more residual damage, so Pokemon such as Dialga, Landorus-T, Excadrill, and the like are effective teammates. Spikes users such as Ferrothorn and Klefki are the most effective entry hazard setters to pair with Zygarde if it carries Dragon Tail, forcing opponents to take significant residual damage should they decide to recklessly switch into or stay in against Zygarde.
* Bulky Steel-types are very effective teammates, as their vulnerability to Fire-types is alleviated with Zygarde's resistances, and provide solid utility for any team composition.
* Ferrothorn provides immense utility when coupled with Zygarde, as both Spikes and Leech Seed directly address Zygarde's low offensive presence and lack of reliable recovery, and it checks Xerneas, Primal Kyogre, and most Defog Arceus formes. Ferrothorn also appreciates Zygarde's ability to check both Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh.
* Magearna also checks Xerneas extremely well, and can check several Pokemon that exploit Zygarde's passivity such as Yveltal and Calm Mind Arceus formes. Zygarde assists Magearna by either checking or crippling Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh with Toxic.
* Toxapex can check defensive variants of Primal Kyogre and some Xerneas variants for Zygarde as well as crippling the opposing team's offensive pressure with Toxic Spikes or Scald.
* Support Arceus formes are extremely helpful when dealing with hazard-stacking teams, as Spikes greatly wears down Zygarde's longevity and safety when Power Construct activates. Arceus-Water can provide an additional solution to more cumbersome wallbreakers such as Primal Groudon and Rayquaza, and Arceus-Fairy can ward off Dark-types such as Yveltal and Mega Sableye that can exploit Zygarde-C's defensive properties.
* Xerneas can pressure most Dark-types that carry Taunt and can remove the negative effects of Rest for Zygarde with Aromatherapy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A SubCoil set can be an extremely effective win condition for more passive balance or stall teams and can ward off more powerful physical sweepers such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, but it has no form of reliable recovery and Substitute is very detrimental to Zygarde's durability.
* Haze is a useful option on the Physically Defensive set to prevent sweepers from setting up, as well as being rather cheeky against Geomancy variants of Xerneas expecting Zygarde to switch out, but this also makes it lose out on a valuable moveslot for utility options such as Toxic, Glare, or Dragon Tail.
* Extreme Speed can pick off weak, frailer attackers, but does very little damage because of Zygarde's below-average base 100 Attack stat.
* Thousand Waves traps normal switch-ins to Zygarde, which Zygarde can either exploit with Coil or Substitute or get a free switch for a team member, but it leaves Zygarde vulnerable to Ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, Yveltal, and Celesteela, Pokemon it can normally deal with thanks to Thousand Arrows.
* Dragon Dance takes advantage of Zygarde-C's bulk to accumulate multiple boosts, but it takes too many turns to get to an acceptable level of power and Speed due to Zygarde's poor offenses, and doesn't offer the extremely potent Defense boost that Coil has.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas are extremely dangerous foes for Zygarde to deal with, as they can either severely damage it with their STAB attacks or set up with Calm Mind or Geomancy respectively since they are immune to Dragon Tail.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre's immense Special Attack stat and access to Ice Beam directly threatens Zygarde's walling capabilities. Its bulk also lets it stomach multiple Thousand Arrows and can use Toxic back against Zygarde if it lacks Rest.
**Special Attackers**: Zygarde's special bulk is rather lacking compared to its physical bulk, so special attackers can easily exploit this weakness. Specially-oriented threats such as Deoxys-A, all Mewtwo variants, Lunala, Kyurem-W, Shuca Berry Dialga, and Arceus-Ice can either severely damage or KO Zygarde or take advantage of Zygarde switching out to use utility or offensive options.
**Rayquaza**: Unlike most wallbreakers, Rayquaza is able to lure Zygarde with its Mixed Attacker set and always 2HKO it with Draco Meteor, but Dragon Tail severely damages it if it switches in carelessly.
**Taunt users**: Pokemon that normally can't break through Zygarde can deny it recovery and status options with Taunt. Notable users that can utilize this are Yveltal and Mega Gengar, which can either severely damage or KO Zygarde or remove Leftovers with Knock Off, decimating Zygarde's longevity in the process.
* Zygarde's immense physical bulk in its Complete forme makes it a premier defensive wall in the Ubers tier.
* Awesome check to common Ubers threats such as Primal Groudon, some Swords Dance Arceus formes, Ho-Oh, Mega Salamence, Mega Gyarados, and Mega Lucario
* Zygarde can fit on defensive teams as an effective physical tank.
* Thousand Arrows is an amazing move, hitting almost the entire tier neutrally and removes the Ground immunity of important defensive threats such as Ho-Oh, Salamence, Giratina-O, Celesteela, and Bronzong, which teammates can take advantage of if the opponent hasn't switched out.
* Has access to Glare, which can paralyze offensive Ground-types such as Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground without fail.
* A below-average base 100 Attack stat makes Zygarde's offensive presence somewhat lacking.
* Powerful special attackers such as Xerneas and Primal Kyogre can bypass Zygarde's defenses entirely.
* Zygarde has no reliable recovery, which leaves it vulnerable when using Rest to recover HP.
* Power Construct is also Zygarde's greatest weakness, as it takes careful HP management to be activated safely and threats it normally checks such as Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon can pressure or KO it if left in its 50% forme.
* Some of the threats that Zygarde checks can have ways to circumvent it, such as Ice Beam Extreme Killer Arceus and either Mixed Rock Polish or Hidden Power Ice Primal Groudon, so scouting is occasionally needed to keep Zygarde from being lured.
[SET]
name: Physically Defensive
move 1: Thousand Arrows
move 2: Rest
move 3: Glare / Toxic / Dragon Tail
move 4: Sleep Talk / Dragon Tail
item: Leftovers
ability: Power Construct
nature: Impish
evs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Thousand Arrows is the most versatile attack Zygarde has at its disposal, hitting common threats such as Primal Groudon and Steel-types super-effectively.
* Rest is Zygarde's only form of non-passive recovery, healing residual damage, removes crippling status such as Toxic and burns, and can make it easier for Zygarde-50% to activate Power Construct.
* Toxic is extremely effective against most defensive Pokemon, crippling walls and tanks that would otherwise take advantage of Zygarde's meager offensive presence.
* Dragon Tail prevents physical sweepers from setting up in front of Zygarde, and can rack up residual damage when used in tandem with both entry hazards and/or Toxic. It is most effective when paired with Spikes users, as it maximizes Dragon Tail's potential damage.
* Glare is a very reliable backup stop to many Speed-related sweepers such as Mega Salamence and other fast threats, and makes Zygarde the only Pokemon to debilitate both Rock Polish Primal Groudon and Arceus-Ground, two prominent Pokemon in the tier.
* Sleep Talk is the only way Zygarde can pressure other Pokemon when using Rest, but does not guarantee the right move is used and consumes an important moveslot for either status or Dragon Tail.
Set Details
========
* The EV spread given maximizes Zygarde's physical bulk to maximize its effectiveness against physical attackers, and is the best possible option for Zygarde survive boosted physical sweepers such as Mega Lucario and Primal Groudon in its 50% forme.
* Maximum HP investment is used despite Zygarde-C's titanic HP stat to let Zygarde-50% transition with Power Construct comfortably.
* An alternative spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe can be used to Speed tie with 0 Speed Solgaleo and Lunala while outspeeding opposing Zygarde.
* Leftovers is the preferred item to keep Zygarde as healthy as possible both pre- and post-Power Construct without having to immediately resort to Rest.
* A Chesto Berry can be used to recover from Rest immediately once, giving Zygarde more opportunities to retaliate safely, but the passive health regeneration from Leftovers is extremely important for Zygarde to have.
Usage Tips
========
* Switch into attacks sparingly when Zygarde is in its 50% forme, as having as much HP as possible when activating Power Construct is paramount to maintaining momentum and not having to use Rest immediately.
* However, prioritize getting Zygarde to transform into Zygarde-C early on into a game as to not be pressured by both residual damage and attackers that can take advantage of Zygarde-50%'s lower physical bulk.
* Power Construct checks for the HP value at the end of the turn, so Rest and Leftovers can prevent Zygarde from transforming, while switching into Stealth Rock and reaching below 50% from the damage will not activate Power Construct. Keep this in mind when gauging potential damage from attackers in order to trigger Power Construct correctly.
* Especially when Zygarde has not transformed, try to scout for potential lure moves that typical threats that Zygarde checks can carry, as it can potentially invalidate Zygarde's defensive capabilities against said threats.
* If carrying Sleep Talk, using Zygarde to absorb sleep moves such as Hypnosis from Darkrai and Lunala is an option to prevent key team members from losing turns.
Team Options
========
* Primal Groudon can check both Xerneas and Primal Kyogre for Zygarde, and can provide either Stealth Rock or Lava Plume burns to render physical attackers almost useless.
* Entry hazard setters in general are useful to give Dragon Tail more residual damage, so Pokemon such as Dialga, Landorus-T, Excadrill, and the like are effective teammates. Spikes users such as Ferrothorn and Klefki are the most effective entry hazard setters to pair with Zygarde if it carries Dragon Tail, forcing opponents to take significant residual damage should they decide to recklessly switch into or stay in against Zygarde.
* Bulky Steel-types are very effective teammates, as their vulnerability to Fire-types is alleviated with Zygarde's resistances, and provide solid utility for any team composition.
* Ferrothorn provides immense utility when coupled with Zygarde, as both Spikes and Leech Seed directly address Zygarde's low offensive presence and lack of reliable recovery, and it checks Xerneas, Primal Kyogre, and most Defog Arceus formes. Ferrothorn also appreciates Zygarde's ability to check both Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh.
* Magearna also checks Xerneas extremely well, and can check several Pokemon that exploit Zygarde's passivity such as Yveltal and Calm Mind Arceus formes. Zygarde assists Magearna by either checking or crippling Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh with Toxic.
* Toxapex can check defensive variants of Primal Kyogre and some Xerneas variants for Zygarde as well as crippling the opposing team's offensive pressure with Toxic Spikes or Scald.
* Support Arceus formes are extremely helpful when dealing with hazard-stacking teams, as Spikes greatly wears down Zygarde's longevity and safety when Power Construct activates. Arceus-Water can provide an additional solution to more cumbersome wallbreakers such as Primal Groudon and Rayquaza, and Arceus-Fairy can ward off Dark-types such as Yveltal and Mega Sableye that can exploit Zygarde-C's defensive properties.
* Xerneas can pressure most Dark-types that carry Taunt and can remove the negative effects of Rest for Zygarde with Aromatherapy.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* A SubCoil set can be an extremely effective win condition for more passive balance or stall teams and can ward off more powerful physical sweepers such as Swords Dance Primal Groudon, but it has no form of reliable recovery and Substitute is very detrimental to Zygarde's durability.
* Haze is a useful option on the Physically Defensive set to prevent sweepers from setting up, as well as being rather cheeky against Geomancy variants of Xerneas expecting Zygarde to switch out, but this also makes it lose out on a valuable moveslot for utility options such as Toxic, Glare, or Dragon Tail.
* Extreme Speed can pick off weak, frailer attackers, but does very little damage because of Zygarde's below-average base 100 Attack stat.
* Thousand Waves traps normal switch-ins to Zygarde, which Zygarde can either exploit with Coil or Substitute or get a free switch for a team member, but it leaves Zygarde vulnerable to Ground-immune Pokemon such as Ho-Oh, Giratina-O, Yveltal, and Celesteela, Pokemon it can normally deal with thanks to Thousand Arrows.
* Dragon Dance takes advantage of Zygarde-C's bulk to accumulate multiple boosts, but it takes too many turns to get to an acceptable level of power and Speed due to Zygarde's poor offenses, and doesn't offer the extremely potent Defense boost that Coil has.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Fairy-types**: Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas are extremely dangerous foes for Zygarde to deal with, as they can either severely damage it with their STAB attacks or set up with Calm Mind or Geomancy respectively since they are immune to Dragon Tail.
**Primal Kyogre**: Primal Kyogre's immense Special Attack stat and access to Ice Beam directly threatens Zygarde's walling capabilities. Its bulk also lets it stomach multiple Thousand Arrows and can use Toxic back against Zygarde if it lacks Rest.
**Special Attackers**: Zygarde's special bulk is rather lacking compared to its physical bulk, so special attackers can easily exploit this weakness. Specially-oriented threats such as Deoxys-A, all Mewtwo variants, Lunala, Kyurem-W, Shuca Berry Dialga, and Arceus-Ice can either severely damage or KO Zygarde or take advantage of Zygarde switching out to use utility or offensive options.
**Rayquaza**: Unlike most wallbreakers, Rayquaza is able to lure Zygarde with its Mixed Attacker set and always 2HKO it with Draco Meteor, but Dragon Tail severely damages it if it switches in carelessly.
**Taunt users**: Pokemon that normally can't break through Zygarde can deny it recovery and status options with Taunt. Notable users that can utilize this are Yveltal and Mega Gengar, which can either severely damage or KO Zygarde or remove Leftovers with Knock Off, decimating Zygarde's longevity in the process.
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