Zacian
VGC Guide
Zacian is the fastest restricted legendary in Regulation F. Intrepid Sword grants +1 Attack on entry, pushing its 170 base Attack to an effective 255. Fairy/Steel dual STAB coverage makes it one of the hardest restricted Pokémon to wall.
Intrepid Sword: Ability Breakdown
Raises Attack +1 on entry (×1.5)
A free Attack boost the moment Zacian switches in — 170 base Attack becomes an effective 255. Cannot be prevented by Unaware; can only be triggered once per switch-in.
Steel/Fairy dual STAB coverage
Behemoth Blade (Fairy STAB) cuts through Dragon-types; Iron Head/Close Combat covers Fairy, Ice, and Rock resists. No single defensive type resists both STABs.
Best Movesets
Behemoth Blade is Zacian’s signature move — Fairy STAB that hits through Dragon types. Close Combat covers Steel and Rock resists. Iron Head gives reliable Steel STAB without the defense drops Close Combat incurs.
Life Orb ×1.3 significantly expands one-hit KO ranges. Under Tailwind, every turn is a guaranteed attack opportunity — ideal wallbreaker against bulky team compositions.
EV Spread Recommendations
Jolly
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Rusted Sword
Outruns all base 130 and below; Rusted Sword powers up Behemoth Blade but locks the move
Jolly
252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Life Orb
Maximum damage output — ×1.3 expands OHKO ranges significantly
Adamant
252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Assault Vest
Adamant maximizes physical output; relies on Tailwind support for speed
Team Building Partners
Intimidate protects Zacian’s physical durability; Fake Out creates a free safe switch-in to trigger Intrepid Sword. Parting Shot cycling maintains pressure.
Prankster Tailwind with priority — under Tailwind, Zacian’s 148 base Speed outspeeds the entire unboosted field. Tailwind + Intrepid Sword is an overwhelming combo.
Grassy Terrain restores HP each turn extending Zacian survivability. Grassy Glide gains priority in Terrain, covering Zacian’s lack of priority moves.
Surging Strikes bypasses Protect with guaranteed crits — pairs with Zacian to form a dual physical core that breaks through even the bulkiest defensive structures.
How to Counter Zacian
Ground-type Spread Moves
Zacian has a ×2 Ground weakness. Earthquake hits both targets in doubles — high-Attack Ground-types like Great Tusk or Landorus threaten Zacian immediately on entry.
Fire-type Coverage
Steel-type weakness means Sun-boosted Flare Blitz or Sacred Fire can OHKO. Koraidon and Chi-Yu Sun teams are natural Zacian counters.
Unaware Ignores Intrepid Sword
Pokemon with Unaware ignore Zacian’s +1 Attack boost entirely — they take the same damage regardless of the Intrepid Sword activation.
Steel + Fairy Dual Coverage
Gholdengo’s Good as Gold grants immunity to Fairy status moves and resists most of Zacian’s kit. Combining Steel and Fairy resisters forces Zacian into unfavorable matchups.