The Mix and Mega council has voted to suspect Zapdos-Galar. Zapdos-Galar has seen usage even prior to the ban of Urshifu-Rapid-Strike, but after its ban, its stocks have skyrocketed. Flying / Fighting type coverage is essentially unresisted in the metagame, but Zapdos-Galar was blessed with a multitude of other tools to work with. At base 100 speed, it's relatively fast, typically outrunning everything on a team that's not speed control, and with Metagrossite, it can even outpace the likes of Solgaleo. Pre-Mega Defiant allows it to badly punish intimidate, whether it's from a Manectite Mew or a pre-mega Landorus-T. With Thundurus Kick, it rarely has to predict, as even if they go out to a fighting resist you likely still KO with a Brave Bird when they're at -1 Def. As if that weren't enough, Zapdos-G also comes with U-turn to allow it to get momentum on the few things that do check it, like defensive Zapdos; thanks to its high attack and Tough Claws, even this pivoting tends to hurt. Defensively, Zapdos-G is rather less potent, but it can still freely come in on Ground-type attacks, and its bulk is good enough that neutral attackers like Barraskewda need some chip to revenge kill it.
However, Zapdos-G is not without its flaws. While it's a powerful breaker, Mix and Mega has no shortage of those, and compared with other options like Kartana, who sports a variety of helpful resistances and a blazing fast speed tier, Zapdos-G can sometimes come up short. Zeraora and Barraskewda both give it competition as a pivoting fighting type, as each of them outspeed Zapdos and offer their own utility. Zapdos-G also has some opportunity cost, as it can't be run alongside normal Zapdos and its stones do have other users. Defensively, Pokemon like Ho-Oh, Slowbro, Magearna, Zapdos, and Solgaleo can give Zapdos-G trouble, as do rarer picks like Toxapex and Tapu Koko. And against offensive teams, Zapdos' lack of reliable resistances mean it can have a tough time coming in safely to do its job.
With this in mind, it's up for the community to determine how to weather this storm. Eligible Mix and Mega voters will decide whether or not Zapdos-Galar will continue to be allowed to hold mega stones.
Requirements:
Requirements can be achieved by getting 80 GXE with 30 games, down to 76 GXE with 50 games on the Mix and Mega ladder. In order to participate in the suspect, you must create a fresh alt (creation date no earlier than 26 July 2022) with the prefix MGZ at the start of the name. When you have obtained the reqs, make sure to post proof of your alt's record (generally a screenshot) in this thread, and if you wish to do so, you can also share your thoughts on the test here.
Code:
MGZ Suspect- ✓
MG Zounds- ✓
Omgz Wow- ✗
The deadline for this suspect will be just over two weeks from now, concluding on August 9th at 11:59 PM GMT +0 (7:59 PM EDT).
Voting:
Once the suspect period is over, everyone who has obtained reqs will be tagged. The post will then outline a process of blind voting, which will be clarified once the time arrives. For now, follow the above "Requirements" subheading to ensure that you have posted your reqs correctly. You must post on this thread in order to be tagged in the voting thread, however you do not need to include your vote on this thread.
A super-majority of 60% ban votes is required for Zapdos-Galar to be banned from the metagame.
TL;DR:
- Zapdos-Galar is allowed on the ladder during the suspect test
- The GXE requirement is 80 and the minimum game count is 30, down to a minimum of 76 after 50 games
- You must ladder on a newly-created alt using the prefix MGZ
- You must post your reqs in this thread, though the voting process will happen in a separate thread. You are not required to state your vote in this thread.
- The suspect test will conclude at 11:59pm GMT +0 (7:59pm EDT) on Tuesday, August 9th.
- A ban vote of 60% is required to remove Zapdos-Galar from the metagame.
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