Competitive Information for Zapdos [Diamond/Pearl]
Electric / Flying
Abilities:
If this Pokemon is the target of a move, that move loses one additional PP.
Disclaimer: All videos and opinions are owned by their respective creators and may not reflect our views.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Zapdos? These builds are optimized for Diamond/Pearl Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Diamond/Pearl metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Get ready to meet Zapdos, the wonderful Electric and Flying-typed Pokémon! It's a sight to see Zapdos out in the 4th generation battlefield. Its only type-related weaknesses are Ice and Rock. Check out the movesets listed below to learn more about Zapdos's strategies.
Item: Leftovers / Life Orb
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Heat Wave
- Thunderbolt / Discharge
- Roost
- Toxic
Zapdos is a legendary Special Sweeper. It is primarily designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Leftovers are always a great recovery option to ensure Zapdos last longer regaining it's health points every turn. Life Orb boosts the power of Zapdos's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Zapdos is the target of a move that move loses one additional pp.
♦ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 95-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
♦ Discharge is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Electric-type move (30% chance to paralyze adjacent pokemon).
♦ Roost is a status move (heals 50% hp. flying-type removed until turn ends).
♦ Toxic is a status move (badly poisons the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/eaa91
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 12 Hp / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
Moveset:
- Thunderbolt / Discharge
- Air Cutter
- Heat Wave
- Extrasensory
Zapdos is a legendary Special Sweeper. This moveset is designed to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Zapdos's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Zapdos's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Zapdos is the target of a move that move loses one additional pp.
♦ Discharge is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Electric-type move (30% chance to paralyze adjacent pokemon).
♦ Air Cutter is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Flying-type move (high critical hit ratio. hits adjacent foes).
♦ Heat Wave is a special 100-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the foes).
♦ Extrasensory is a special 80-base power Psychic-type move (10% chance to flinch the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/eba91
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Zapdos? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Diamond/Pearl Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Diamond/Pearl metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Life Orb / Choice Specs
Ability: Pressure
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 12 Hp / 252 SpA / 244 Spe
Moveset:
- Air Cutter
- Heat Wave
- Discharge / Thunderbolt
- Twister
Zapdos is a legendary Special Sweeper. It's primary goal is to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Choice Specs will increase the damage of Zapdos's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. Life Orb boosts the power of Zapdos's damaging moves by 1.3x but it then loses 1/10 its max HP immediately after the attack. With Pressure, if Zapdos is the target of a move that move loses one additional pp.
♦ Heat Wave is a special 100-base power Fire-type move (10% chance to burn the foes).
♦ Discharge is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Electric-type move (30% chance to paralyze adjacent pokemon).
♦ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 95-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
♦ Twister is a special 40-base power Dragon-type move (20% chance to flinch the foes).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/faa91
Movepool
Want to know what moves Zapdos can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Diamond/Pearl generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Zapdos.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Zapdos can perform in Diamond/Pearl. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive DP Move and Ability Combos for Zapdos
- Moves: Rain dance + Thunder
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Detect, Endure, Protect
- Moves that Break Screens: Defog
- Moves that inflict status: Thunder Wave, Toxic
Moves that boost Zapdos's stats
- Agility
- Ancient Power
- Charge
- Charge Beam
- Ominous Wind
- Steel Wing
Most notable and possible best moves for Zapdos
- Baton Pass
- Discharge
- Heat Wave
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Hidden Power Flying
- Hidden Power Grass
- Hidden Power Ice
- Light Screen
- Protect
- Rest
- Roost
- Sleep Talk
- Substitute
- Thunderbolt
- Toxic
- U-turn
Common Effort Values for Zapdos in Diamond and Pearl
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/0/252/4/252/ )
- Modest Nature ( 0/0/4/252/0/252/ )
- Optimize Zapdos's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
THIS SECTION IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Some builds on this page have been hidden, click here to display them
Here are the best movesets for Zapdos. Top rated Zapdos Diamond/Pearl movesets. You can find Zapdos builds Diamond/Pearl. Zapdos movesets Diamond/Pearl are listed here. VGC Zapdos Competitive Movesets can be found here. Find various EV spreads, find the best nature for Zapdos in Diamond/Pearl along with competitive movesets. Basic info and Movesets for evolution