Greetings Pokemon trainers! 2 days away till the beginning of Ranked Series 10 and that means that it’s time for another competitive legend overview. In the last article in this series, we looked at the sword-wielding canine hero of Galar, Zacian. This time, we offer a Ranked Series 10 guide on Galar’s shield-wielding dog, Zamazenta.
This article is going to cover Zamazenta’s base stats, ideal moves, and ideal counters. Get ready for number two on our list. For those interested in the overview on Zacian, click here.
Image from WIN.gg
Zamazenta is the mascot legendary for Pokemon Shield and is one-half of the Hero Duo, along with Zacian. It rocks the Fighting-type with no item. And when it has the Rusted Shield, gains a new dual Fighting/Steel-type. This form is called Crowned Shield Zamazenta. The following below are base stats for both base and crowned Zamazenta.
Hero of Many Battles
HP: 92
Atk: 130
Def: 115
Sp. Atk: 80
Sp. Def: 115
Spd: 138
Crowned Shield
HP: 92
Atk: 130
Def: 145
Sp. Atk: 80
Sp. Def: 145
Spd: 128
Despite the drop in speed, Crowned Shield Zamazenta’s defenses are a boon to any player looking for a defensive tank for their restricted mon. However, no doubt that other players know this too, so now, on to the important information.
The best way to use Zamazenta in Ranked Series 10 is as a Physical Wall given its base stats. For this, players will want an Impish natured Zamazenta. Pokemon with an impish nature see a boost in Defense at the cost of their Sp. Attack. For its held item, always make sure it’s holding the Rusted Shield as this build is for Crowned Shield Zamazenta.
The reason for this is also to optimize Zamazenta’s defense, which will be further augmented by its ability. Dauntless Shield increases Zamazenta’s defenses as soon as it enters the field! So that’s a defense boost from its held item AND a freebie from its abilities. Having these four moves will help the player be sure that their Zamazenta stands strong as Fort Knox.
image from bulbagarden
Behemoth Bash: Zamazenta’s signature move has a base power of 100. While it won’t get the boost from hitting Dynamax Pokemon as they are illegal for Series 10, it’s still a good move for STAB benefit.
Iron Defense: Boosts Zamazenta’s defenses on top of the buffs from Dauntless Shield, allowing it to become even bulkier.
Close Combat: Secondary Stab move and though it lowers its defenses quite a bit, Iron Defense can compensate for it.
Play Rough: This move allows Zamazenta to not only get in a move with its good attack stat but lower the opponent’s attack, which will make it harder for opponents to kill it. It also provides coverage for Zamazenta’s Fighting-type weakness.
By lowering down the opponent’s stats while keeping its own defense stat raised, Zamazenta will help players stand tall till the end.
Fighting, Fire, and Ground types are the best to counter Zamazenta. Players might consider Landorus, Cinderace, and either Urshifu as excellent counters to this shield-bearing warrior. Just like with Zacian, Pokemon with the ability, Unaware, like Quagsire are also great choices as they will ignore Zamazenta’s Dauntless Shield. Have this particular Pokemon use Earthquake and its game over for Zama.
Shields are a mighty defensive force to be reckoned with. However, whether it’s through using flames, earth, or brute force, Zamazenta’s defenses are a wall that will crumble if approached the right way. Go on, players, and bring those shields down.
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