What is a good moveset for Zapdos?
This thread is forKantonian Zapdos. For Galarian Zapdos, please gohere.
If you have a good competitive moveset for Zapdos,post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for its pre-evolutions, if any, can also be shared on this thread.
Be sure to includefull set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated.Access the full list of guidelines here.
Zapdos Pokédex and learnsetfor reference.
Pleaselog inorregisterto add a comment.
Zapdos@ LeftoversAbility: PressureEVs: 200 HP / 58 Def / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Thunderbolt- Substitute- Roost- Toxic / Roar
Note:This set works a kajillion times better if the enemies are already Poisoned, from my experience. (Like Toxic Spikes, or a previous staller using Toxic) Although Zapdos comes with Toxic here, you can replace it with Roar if you have Toxic Spikes. Zapdos needs as much time as possible to set up a Substitute, and with the Speed to do it!
Zapdos can make a pretty good Pressure Staller! Although you can still sweep normally with this set, once you encounter something that bothers you, you can just start Substituting, and Roosting to begin the stall! Thunderbolt is there for the STAB, and just to help finish foes off. Substitute is there so that you can Sub & Roost all day long! :DHave Toxic if you do not have a team with Toxic Spikes. If you have Toxic Spikes, replace instead with Roar since you won’t need Toxic anymore if they are already poisoned, and to bring in some foes to get them poisoned too!
Here is my current Zapdos moveset on my UU Team:
Zapdos@ Choice SpecsAbility: PressureEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- U-turn- Thunderbolt- Heat Wave- Hidden Power [Ice]
This moveset is self-explanatory. U-turn makes Zapdos a scout, chosen over Volt Switch to strike opposing Lead Azelf and Mew. Thunderbolt is STAB, which strikes really hard paired with Choice Specs. Heat Wave is there for pesky Steel Types like Bronzong who can utterly wall Zapdos that lack Heat Wave. Hidden Power [Ice] is great coverage over Flygon, who rules the current UU Metagame* Considering most Zapdos are Scarfed, most people won’t dare keep Flygon in on a Zapdos.
*I mentioned Smogon Tiers there, not DB Tiers
-Mike
My predicted Moveset for Zapdos once it goes OU(If it does):
Zapdos @ Life Orb / Choice SpecsAbility: PressureEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Thunder / Thunderbolt- Heat Wave- Hidden Power [Ground] / Hidden Power [Fighting] / Hidden Power [Ice]- Ancient Power / Roost
This is it. Thunder should be used on Rain teams, but can be used on a non-weather team due to Rain being so common in OU. Heat Wave nails those annoying Steels that plague OU. The type of Hidden Power depends on what you need to be covered. HP Ground nails Heatran, HP Fighting nails Tyranitar, and HP Ice nails Dragonite/Salamence/Garchomp. Use Ancient Power with Hidden Power [Ground] / Hidden Power [Fighting]only, andnever with Hidden Power [Ice]. Roost can be used if you run HP Ice, but HP Ground and Ancient Power are the preferred moves (EdgeQuake coverage). Item really varies on what you prefer, run Life Orb with Roost, and Choice Specs with All-Out Offense Variant.
National DexZapdos @ LeftoversAbility: StaticEVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Charge Beam- Substitute / Hurricane- Heat Wave / Hidden Power [Ice] / Hurricane- Roost
This set aims to make Zapdos a reliable and hard-hitting sweeper. Charge Beam is your primary STAB and can give you an awful lot of SpA Boosts. Sub is for avoiding Toxic from the likes ofSlowking-Galar, Slowbro and Opposing Zapdos, this can be exchanged for Hurricane if your team has cleric support. Heat Wave Checks Steel Types, most notablyExcadrill and Ferrothorn. HP [Ice] can be used instead of Heat Wave for checkingLandorus-T, Garchomp and Gliscor, but they can be neutrally damage by Hurricane. Finally, Roost Gives you a reliable form of Recovery.
Gen 8 Monotype
Zapdos @ Choice SpecsAbility: StaticEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Volt Switch- Hurricane- Heat Wave- Thunderbolt
Choice Specs Zapdos is a fearsome breaker on Electric teams, providing the team with a crucial ground immunity and packs a punch. Thunderbolt is your go-to STAB, but if the target resists Electric then Hurricane is a powerful alternate option. Heat Wave is great for a way to deal with Steel and Grass types, and Volt Switch is a good pivoting move.
If you use Choice Specs Zapdos, that means that it isn’t Heavy-Duty Boots, so to prevent Stealth Rock damage from racking up Zapdos appreciates defoggers such as Rotom-Wash, which it also forms a nice VoltTurn core with. Choice Specs Tapu Koko is another powerful Choice Specs user that goes well with Zapdos as it’s a good form of speed control.
Role: Rain ScoutZapdos @ Life OrbAbility: PressureEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Thunder- Hidden Power [Water]- Extrasensory- Volt Switch
Thunder gets STAB, perfect accuracy in the rain, and 30% chance to paralyze.Hidden Power [Water] gets a rain boost, while Extrasensory is coverage. Volt Switch lets him scout.
Zapdos @ LeftoversAbility: PressureEVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpAModest Nature- Thunder- Roost- Thunder Wave- Defog
A very straight forward bulky build for Zapdos. You\ bring it out to stop set ups or sweeps. Once you slow them down with t-wave, you got roost to replenish your health while you sweep. With all the bulk, it should take most hits pretty well, and with a massive special attack, you can take out most heavy hitters with the thunder. (Talonflame, Charizard, etc.) Also, the t-wave is a really great combo with the roost, to stall out your opponent with all that bulk. The defog is just in case if you got stealth rocks shoved up your ass.
Zapdos @ LeftoversAbility: StaticEVs: 252 HP / 6 Def / 252 SpAModest Nature- Discharge- Heat Wave- Hidden Power [Ice]- Roost
This combines utility with power. Zapdos has few weaknesses and with its resistances, it can go toe-to-toe with many different Pokemon. It can switch easily into Steel, Grass, and Bug-type moves and hit their STAB users hard with Heat Wave. It also does well against Fighting- and Flying-types with Discharge; Static and Discharge work together to give you a very good chance of paralyzing other Pokemon (on a turn where Zapdos uses Discharge and an opponent uses a contact move, you have a 51% chance of landing paralysis.)
Many Bug-, Fighting-, Steel-, and Flying-type moves also make contact, so not only does Zapdos switch into them easily, Static punishes their users just from the act of allowing Zapdos to switch in. If they retreat, Discharge can potentially paralyze non-Ground, non-Electric Pokemon they fall back to. Paralyzed targets will almost always be slower than Zapdos, and it even gives it the potential to enable Roost spam–you’d use it contentiously until the opponent becomes fully paralyzed and gives you a free turn.
Both of these are reasons to have Max HP instead of Max Spe, and taking hits better also draws out the usefulness of Lefties and Roost. Hidden Power [Ice] is mainly to strike Ground and Dragon Types, especially Pokemon 4x weak to Ice like Landorus or Garchomp.
Zapdos @ LeftoversAbility: PressureEVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpeTimid Nature- Discharge- Defog- U-turn / Heat Wave- Tailwind / Heat Wave
Tailwind can be a nice boost to your team, and U-turn is pivot. Both can be replaced for Heat Wave or Roost if you want it a bit more offensive or even more tanky. Defog and Pressure can allow it to have more PP than Stealth Rock. Discharge is to prevent Taunt bait.(And it’s neighborhood friendly, so don’t be afraid even though it can basically summon lighting bolts from the sky which can kill you!)
Offensive
Zapdos @ Leftovers / Life OrbAbility: Pressure / StaticEVs: 208 HP / 252 SpA / 48 SpeModest Nature / Timid Nature- Thunderbolt / Discharge- Heat Wave- Ancient Power / U-Turn / Hidden Power [Flying] / Roost- Extrasensory / Signal Beam / Defog
Thunderbolt is stronger, Discharge has a bigger paralysis chance. Both are STAB. Heat Wave is coverage. Ancient Power is a substitute for Hidden Power [Rock], U-Turn is for pivoting, Hidden Power [Flying] is STAB. Roost heals. Extrasensory is coverage, Signal Beam is coverage, Defog is team support.
National Dex Monotype (Electric and Flying)Zapdos @ Waterium ZAbility: StaticEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Rain Dance- Thunder- Hurricane- Weather Ball
Kind of surprised no one posted a set like this. Waterium Z is for Z-Rain Dance, which raises your speed on stage. Now, you can use Thunder and Hurricane for STAB moves that don’t miss in the rain. Weather Ball turns into a water type move during rain, which provides coverage against rock types.
Gen V
Zapdos @ Life OrbAbility: PressureEVs: 64 HP / 252 SpA / 64 SpD / 128 SpeTimid Nature- Heat Wave- Discharge- Roost- Tailwind
Discharge gives you a nice STAB that can paralyze the foe. Tailwind helps Zapdos and the rest of the team move faster, which can help change the tide of battle. Roost heals Zapdos, and Heat Wave provides type coverage. Life Orb puts more power behind your attacks, and you can just heal off the damage with Roost. Your EVs give you decent bulk that works well with good typing and Roost, good Speed for use with Tailwind, and good Special Attack.
Double/Triple Battle
Zapdos @ Life OrbAbility: StaticEVs: 196 Atk / 60 SpA / 252 SpeHasty Nature- Light Screen- Drill Peck- Discharge- Hidden Power [Ground]
I have to admit, I feel strange passing up Air Cutter, Heat Wave, and Tailwind. However, your movepool becomes limited, so I put in EVs in Attack to allow for Drill Peck. Okay, yeah, really feeling strange about this. Drill Peck thankfully gets STAB and can hit any foe in a Triple Battle. As for 300 Special Attack, just use a Discharge teammate.
Light Screen provides team support, and makes me feel weird about using a Defense lowering nature. Discharge is STAB and a great move in multi-battles. HP is coverage. Yeah, this set just makes me feel weird. I’ve used it a few times (I love Zapdos) and it works out pretty good, but I still can’t get over all the lessons I’ve learned throughout the years all being thrown away in one set.
Zapdos @ Choice ScarfAbility: PressureEVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 SpeModest Nature- Thunderbolt- Heat Wave- Volt Switch- Hidden Power [Ice]
Choice Scarf allows him to outspeed the many Greninjas running around these days, allowing you to take out a big threat. Heat Wave is coverage. Volt Switch allows you to switch while doing damage, and it will go first 99% of the time with the Scarf. Hidden Power [Ice] provides coverage against Dragons and Ground type Pokemon.
Zapdos is a good special attacker
Zapdos @ Choice Scarf / Magnet / Zap PlateAbility: StaticEVs: 248 HP / 252 SpA / 8 SpDModest Nature-Thunderbolt-Roost-Heat Wave-Hidden Power [Ice]
Zapdos @ Leftovers / Choice ScarfAbility: StaticEVs: 190 Atk / 252 SpA / 68 SpeMild Nature-Thunder / Thunderbolt-Rain Dance/ Ancient Power-Heat Wave-Roost / Drill Peck / Hidden Power [Flying] / Volt Switch / U-turn
Alright, so since Zapdos doesn’t really get to many good special Flying moves I decided to allow Drill Peck, and that’s why I have some EVs for Attack when Zapdos is mainly a Special Attacker. So, the other moves are pretty predictable, Thunderbolt for STAB, you could go Thunder, but I think Thunderbolt is better for the accuracy, Heat Wave covers your Ice weakness better than Ancient Power, Ancient Power is there for that nice boost in all your stats if you get lucky, if you don’t want Drill Peck then go for Hidden Power [Flying] because Zapdos is definitely a better Special Attacker, or Roost to heal up. You might want Volt Switch or U-turn to just get out of a bad situation.
So, if you’re running Scarf then you outspeed those annoying Greninjas running around, and you can take out a very fast and big threat. Leftovers just for more recovery.
Gen 2 OU
Zapdos @ Leftovers- Thunder / Thunderbolt- Hidden Power [Water]- Drill Peck- Toxic
Thunder is generally better than Thunderbolt in the stall-infested GSC OU metafame, hitting defensive Pokemon for more and having a neat 30% paralysis chance. Thunderbolt however can be used on defensive teams for its consistency. Hidden Power [Water] is coverage for Rock-types like Tyranitar, Rhydon, and Golem, and does more to Blissey. Toxic can cripple anything trying to switch in, and it also forces Blissey and Miltank to use Heal Bell and other Pokemon to Rest, giving your Pokemon a free switch.
Gen 7 Doubles OU
Zapdos @ Aguav BerryAbility: StaticEVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 SpeTimid NatureIVs: 0 Atk- Thunderbolt / Discharge- Protect- Tailwind- Heat Wave
Thunderbolt is Electric STAB with no drawbacks that does single-target damage, while Discharge does spread damage but also hits your ally. If you decide to use Discharge, I recommend having Tapu Fini (doesn’t have to be on the field when using Discharge) or a bunch of ground types on your team so you can’t accidentally paralyze (or hurt, in the case of ground types) your ally, or just have them use protect every time you use Discharge. Protect allows Zapdos to be completely safe from attacks for a turn while its ally can still attack. Tailwind is for speed control. Heat Wave melts Steel types such as Kartana.
LGPE OU
ZapdosAbility: No AbilityBold Nature- Thunder Wave / Toxic- Roost- U-turn- Thunderbolt
Thunder Wave slows things down, Toxic chips things, Roost is healing, U-Turn is pivoting, and Thunderbolt is STAB.
Bulky Rain Pivot
Gen 8 OU
Zapdos @ Heavy-Duty BootsAbility: StaticEVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpABold Nature- Thunder- Hurricane- U-turn- Roost
Thanks to its natural bulk, access to U-turn and Roost, and a good defensive typing, Zapdos can serve as an effective pivot for Rain teams. Thunder and Hurricane are dual STAB to give Zapdos some offensive presence, and the EVs maximize physical bulk for better checking Grass types. Static is generally more useful than Pressure since Zapdos is often switching into physical attackers, and Heavy-Duty Boots means Zapdos doesn’t have to worry about hazards.
This set works in tandem with specially defensive Ferrothorn, as it can check special attackers for Zapdos, and in return Zapdos can take some pressure off Ferrothorn as the sole defensive Pokemon on rain. Of course, this set works best on a rain team due the Hurricane and Thunder otherwise having low accuracy, but if you wanted to use it on a rainless team you should use Thunderbolt and Heat Wave instead.
