Zekrom—The Dark Overlord：A Special Zekrom Team Report
Hey guys, 20LiangLiang (Trainer Name: ?????) here. I’m always keen on building teams with unpopular Pokémon, and today I would like to share a team featuring Zekrom. With this team, I managed to reach 1950 rating both on battel stadium ranked doubles and showdown ladder, which I think is enough to prove the strength of this team. (I later finished 16th on the in-game ladder, with over 2000 rating)
I always believed that a high-ranked team should give consideration to stability and some unique skills. A stable team meaning able to go at least 50–50 with common teams in the meta (such as TornOgre, LapDog, VenuKoal(Don), etc.).
Having some unique skills mean that you should have some sets which your opponent is not aware of. It can be used in the occasion where you want to mess with your opponent’s reads.
When I built this team, the first problem I ran into was how to train Zekrom. Typical physical Zekrom’s damage is always limited by Intimidate, used by the most popular Pokémon in the meta — Incineroar. By contrast, popular cores in the meta such as Venusaur, Charizard, Calyrex-Shadow, Kyogre, Lapras and Thundurus, are not affected by Intimidate. I then attempted to use special Zekrom, because I found Zekrom’s damage output with max SpA (189) to be much higher than its physical variant after Intimidate (about 148). Besides, there’s always going to be less counters to a special attacker than a physical one.
I chose Comfey as the second member to support Zekrom, mainly using draining kiss to self proc weakness policy.
There are three main threats against Zekrom: Landorus-Therian, Groudon and Calyrex-Ice, which are all physical attackers. So obviously, Incineroar is a great check against them.
Now that we have a Dynamax core and two supporters in the team, what I need next is a non-Dynamax attacker. Choice Scarf Rapid-Strike Urshifu is my choice here. It turns out that Scarf Urshifu is a great late-game sweeper against Landorus, Zacian and Metagross. Benefitting from Zekrom’s resistance to electric and grass type moves, many opponents choose not to bring Regieleki or Rillaboom to the game, which is favorable for Urshifu.
The combination of the 4 Pokémon above is able to deal with many situations well enough. As such, the other two members are mainly there to patch up minor holes. First I chose Clefairy to cover the situation when it’s difficult to bring Incineroar (Special attackers, ablitilies such as Competitive Defiant). Clefairy is also the only option to survive against a Landorus+Thundurus lead.
For the last member, I was hoping to find something that could check both Groudon and Xerneas at the same time, but found none. I decided to give up the Xerneas check at the end, and used a Thundurus-Incarnate with Rain Dance and Weather Ball to check Sun teams. With the help of Rain Dance, Urshifu can KO Groudon easily, Weather Ball in Sun could also be a powerful move against Venusaur. Even when not against Sun teams, Thundurus could also work wonders with its great speed stat.
The Team
Zekrom
Zekrom @ Weakness Policy
Ability: Teravolt
Level: 50
EVs: 156 HP / 252 SpA / 100 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rising Voltage
- Draco Meteor
- Earth Power
- Protect
A reliable Dynamax core that is brought almost every game, except some Groudon matchups. As I’ve mentioned before, this is a Special Zekrom to counter the abundance of Intimidate in the meta. Max SpA is necessary as its base SpA is not really high. Max airstream is not available for special Zekrom, so I gave up on investing any speed EVs and just invested in bulk. This Zekrom’s set is highly concealed due to Dynamaxing on turn1, which could affect the opponents’ judgement. Due to the common impression of Zekrom being physical, the opponent might try to Intimidate, use Reflect or Will-O-Wisp to weaken Zekrom, but all of that will just go to waste as we are special.
For the moves, I chose Rising Voltage and Draco Meteor for the 140BP STABs when Dynamaxed, Protect and Earth Power. Max Quake is pretty good in the meta because of its wide coverage and SpD boost. The combination of Max Wyrmwind and Max Quake guarantees Zekrom’s survival. But the shortcoming of these moves is that all of them have immunities against them. All 3 moves can be walled by just Zacian and Landorus.
Besides, once Max Quake is used, experienced players will know Zekrom’s set, as it can’t learn any physical ground type moves.
Zekrom’s ability, Teravolt might be useless most of the time, but it can be used to bypass abilities such as: Lightning Rod, Clear Body and Friend Guard, which is very important.
Comfey
Comfey @ Babiri Berry
Ability: Triage
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Floral Healing
- Draining Kiss
- Trick Room
- Protect
A standard support set. Draining Kiss is a stable method to self proc weakness policy, Floral Healing to heal teammates, Trick Room when against faster teams.
There are many other viable moves for Comfey, such as Ally Switch, Helping Hand, Safeguard, etc. But at the end I chose Protect as its last move. I think the survival of Comfey is really important. Opponents usually try to KO Comfey as quickly as possible, as such, Protect could help Comfey survive crucial turns, which may have great influence in the rest of the game.
There are two main choices for Comfey’s item: Focus Sash and Babiri Berry. Sash could help Comfey survive a powerful move but with Babiri, it might take two or even three, which is why I chose it. It should be noted that even with Babiri, it is difficult for Comfey to survive a +1 Behemoth Blade. But if Zacian is at ±0, there’s no problem surviving it.
Incineroar
Incineroar @ Shuca Berry
Ability: Intimidate
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 76 Def / 100 SpD / 76 Spe
Careful Nature
- Fake Out
- Flare Blitz
- Snarl
- Parting Shot
The most popular Pokémon in the current meta, everyone loves Incineroar, so do I. Intimidate plays a vital role in the team, to reduce damage from Landorus, Calyrex-Ice and Zacian. Intimidate, Parting Shot and Floral Healing can help Zekrom live longer on the field. In addition, Intimidate is also the easiest way to help Comfey survive a Behemoth Blade to set up trick room.
I chose Shuca Berry to help Incineroar survive a Max Quake from Venusaur, Groudon, Landorus, etc. to safely Parting Shot out.
Gigantamax Urshifu (Rapid Strike Style)
Urshifu-Rapid-Strike-Gmax @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Unseen Fist
Level: 50
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Surging Strikes
- Aqua Jet
- Close Combat
- U-turn
Great sweeper to have in the back. With Choice Scarf, it can outspeed Max Speed Calyrex-Shadow. Urshifu cleans up late game so swiftly with scarf, one shotting so many threats to Zekrom before they can even move. This is something Sash Urshifu could never achieve.
Urshifu could also dish out tons of damage to Groudon/Charizard with the help of Rain Dance from Thundurus.
Clefairy
Clefairy @ Eviolite
Ability: Friend Guard
Level: 50
EVs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 Spe
- Follow Me
- Protect
- Helping Hand
- Sing
I chose Sing as the last move of Clefairy. It could be expected for Clefairy to land Sing at least once out of thrice if it’s constantly on the field. This could be a game-changer once landed.
I didn’t bring Clefairy in many games though. I mainly bring Clefairy when Incineroar is highly compromised in the matchup. Especially against a Thundurus+Landorus lead. I also bring Clefairy against passive Trick Room teams and just try to land Sing and waste Trick Room turns. I have been thinking of changing Clefairy to a Sash Mamoswine lately though.
Thundurus-Incarnate
Thundurus (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Prankster
Level: 50
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rain Dance
- Weather Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder Wave
All the other members of this team is pretty weak to Groudon teams, and Thundurus is my answer to those matches. Most players would lead Groudon to counter Zekrom. As such, by leading Urshifu+Thundurus, we could then unleash a devastating Rain Dance+Surging Strikes combo. If Venusaur is on the field, Thundurus could also deliver a Max Flare into it via Weather Ball.
Even when not against Sun teams, Thundurus could also work as speed control with Thunderwave, and deal great damage with thunderbolt.
Most Thundurus in the meta run a physical set with Defiant, and by running a Special Prankster set, this could mess with the opponent thinking Thundurus to be a cover for Zekrom against Intimidate. But what they don’t know is that both Zekrom and Thundurus are Special.
Leads and Matchups:
Teams adapt to players, not the other way round. Hence, I’ll provide with some common ideas on how to lead with this team instead of limiting options. Overall, you would want to lead Zekrom+Comfey to self proc Weakness Policy, and brawl with the opponent relying on Zekrom’s bulk. Then finally sweep the opponent’s team with Urshifu/Thundurus.
Here are some matches that I ran into while playing:
Against: Tornadus Kyogre+Kartana/Metagross+Incineroar
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Incineroar+Urshifu in the back.
It would be common to expect Tailwind+Water Spout, trying to KO Comfey early. Comfey could Protect and Zekrom KOs Kyogre with Max Lightning. Doesn’t really matter if it’s Kartana or Metagross in the back, just Max Wyrmwind into Tornadus’ slot to drop their Atk stat. Incineroar could switch in to help further weaken the opponent. After Tailwind and their Dynamax ends, Urshifu could then easily sweep through their team.
Against: Lapras Amoongus+Landorus+Zacian
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Incineroar+Urshifu in the back
Lapras is likely going to max guard or switch into Landorus, reading a Max Lightning. The safest play is to self proc Weakness Policy and Max Lightning into Amoonguss to prevent being Spored. It is important to be cautious of the possible switches; to only Max Wyrmwind into the slot beside Zacian, and Max Lightning into the slot beside Landorus. The main tactic is to weaken Landorus and Zacian to create an easy breakthrough for Urshifu to sweep.
Against: Coalossal Dragonite+Zacian+Incineroar
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Incineroar+Urshifu in the back
Both side will self proc weakness policy and Coalossal would KO Comfey (Doesn’t matter if Coal Max Quake into Zekrom), Zekrom KOs Coalossal with Max Quake. Get Incineroar in with the free switch and Fake Out whoever’s coming in. It’s a free win after knocking out Dragonite.
Against: Metagross Urshifu+Yveltal+Tapu Fini
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Thundurus+Urshifu in the back
Max Wrymwind into Metagross to lower its Atk stat; Comfey will be fine with Babiri. In case of Metagross switching into Fini, it’s best to Max Lightning into Metagross on turn 2. Doesn’t matter if Metagross gets a +3 Def with Max Steelspike, as we are special. Metagross won’t be able to KO Zekrom with Max Quake, and we can just heal up with Comfey.
Against: Solgaleo Spectrier+Amoonguss+Incineroar
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Incineroar+Urshifu in the back
This is more of a coin flip: If the opponent bulldozes, it would be best to Max Lightning+Trick Room; if the opponent Will-O-Wisps, it would be best to double onto Spectrier to pick up a KO. But do remember, neither Solgaleo nor Zekrom could OHKO the opponent with a Max Quake.
Against: Calyrex-Shadow Indeedee-F+Urshifu-SingleStrike+Incineroar
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Incineroar+Urshifu in the back
Comfey protect turn 1, Zekrom Max Quake to gain a SpD boost, then Max Lightning to change the terrain. Comfey can choose to swap into Incineroar or Floral Heal, as long as Calyrex is under 40% HP, Urshifu should be able to get the job done.
Against: Amoongus Dusclops/Porygon2+Calyrex-Ice+Incineroar
Lead: Zekrom+Comfey, Incineroar+Urshifu in the back
This is quite a difficult matchup, much more so if Dusclops knows Haze. Self proc Weakness Policy and set up Electric Terrain with Max Lightning. Once Calyrex is out, swap in Incineroar and keep chipping away at the Trick Room user with Max Lightning. Calyrex can’t OHKO Zekrom after weakened, so try to stall out Trick Room with switches or protect. +2SpA Zekrom can OHKO Dusclops/Porygon2 under Electric Terrain.
Against: Thundurus Landorus+Zacian+Incineroar
Lead: Zekrom+Clefairy, Comfey+Urshifu in the back
This might be difficult if we don’t know Landorus’ set. If they go for Swords Dance, its best to Protect Clefairy and Max Wyrmwind to OHKO Landorus, as a +1 Thundurus is still no threat to Zekrom. But if they go for Earthquake, it would be better to Helping Hand Max Wyrmwind into Thundurus. +2SpA Zekrom OHKOs Life Orb Thundurus, and deals around 70% to Assault Vest sets. Zacian is no threat, as long as we keep Wyrmwinding into the slot beside it, leave it to Urshifu.
Against: Groudon Charizard+Venusaur+Clefairy
Lead: Thundurus+Urshifu, Incineroar+Zekrom in the back
If they lead Charizard Groudon, Rain Dance into Surging Strikes to KO Charizard.
If they lead Charizard Venusaur, Rain Dance into Surging Strikes to KO Charizard, if they switched Groudon in, even better, as now Zekrom has no more bad matchups.
If they lead Groudon Venusaur, Urshifu can switch into Incineroar, Thundurus Max Flare into Venusaur. When Dynamax ends, Rain Dance and let Urshifu finish the job.
If they lead Clefairy Groudon into Swords Dance, Rain Dance Surging Strikes into Groudon’s slot, doesn’t matter if they Follow Me, Thundurus can now threat Groudon with a Max Geyser. If Groudon switches out, we switch out Urshifu, when he comes back, we can Max Flare into Venusaur.
Against: Groudon Thundurus
Lead: Thundurus+Urshifu, Clefairy/Comfey+Zekrom in the back
With a Thundurus on the opponent’s side, it gets a bit trickier depending on who is going to Dynamax. If they Max Groudon we’ll have to Max Thundurus, if they Max Thundurus we’ll have to Max Zekrom. It all depends on how this game evolves.
Against: Xerneas Indeedee/Amoonguss
Lead: Just run, it’s probably a loss.
On a final note
At last, I want to say that this a pretty strong team in this meta. Even if opponent already knew your set, and landed an Eerie Impulse on Zekrom, it’s not the end of the world. You could still win! When you lose such matchups, don’t always blame the opponent on knowing your set, try to think if you’ve made crucial mistakes, or any bad play that lead to the loss, and improve your skills.
I hope this weird team could bring some inspiration to players when team building, and also hope Zekrom could appear more on the world stage.
Original Creator:
20LiangLiang(20亮亮) — — —@tsltang0508
Translators:
Key — — — @Klefki_22
Setsuku(節栩) — — — @Genrayz
