Zarude
PvE Analysis
Zarude is a Grass/Dark Type Mythical Pokemon from the land of Galar. It's a fairly interesting Pokemon, but is it worth using in PvE? Well, yes and no. Its primary niche is as a Grass Type attacker, which puts it on a par with some of the "good" Shadow Grass Type Pokemon, even going so far as to surpass every non-Shadow/Mega Grass Type to date. The lack of strong Grass Types in general means that it can be a solid pick to shore up any Grass Type holes, though it's not a must have Pokemon in this niche.
As a Dark Type, it's basically Tyranitar with a different sub-type; usable, but not outstanding. It can be useful for newer players that want to take advantage of its potential role-compression, but it's not good for players that have already been working on their Dark/Ghost teams for a while.
Best PvE Offensive Moveset
Vine Whip + Power Whip | Best |
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Bite + Crunch | Best |
- Vine Whip and Power Whip provide maximum power and utility for Zarude, making it one of the best choices for Grass-type damage in raids.
- Bite and Dark Pulse make Zarude a usable Dark Type attacker
- Energy Ball is plainly inferior.
PvP Analysis
Vine Whip + Dark Pulse and Power Whip |
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Vine Whip is generally more preferable due to its high energy generation, letting Zarude access its Charge Moves sooner. Bite is a very polarizing move that makes Zarude a harder counter against Ghost and Psychic Pokemon, giving up shield pressure in the process.
Dark Pulse and Power Whip cost the same moderate amount of energy, both gain STAB, and are decent options for Zarude. Energy Ball is a downgrade, and its minor chance to proc a debuff on the opponent is not worth it.
Great League | N / A |
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You literally cannot | |
Ultra League | 2 / 5 |
Just like in Great League, Shiftry is slightly more preferred in the CP-capped battleground of Ultra League. Being a mythical Pokemon prevents Zarude from participating in specific formats like Premier Cup, and therefore Zarude is better utilized for Master League. | |
Master League | 4 / 5 |
The combination of a Dark/Grass typing, very competent all-around stats, and a solid moveset provides Zarude with a unique matchup spread in the Master League. As the Master League's first viable Grass-type, Zarude is one of the very few Pokemon that can simultaneously pin down both Kyogre and Groudon. Its Dark-type secondary typing allows it to take on Giratina and Mewtwo, although it must be wary of Focus Blast from the latter. However, while Zarude possesses many strong qualities, its typing also leaves it with many weaknesses. Togekiss, Yveltal, and Ho-Oh wall it hard, and Zarude's Fighting-type weakness can lead it to being pressured by the many sources of Fighting-type damage in the league, such as Melmetal's and Landorus-T's Superpower. |