rewrite this title Pokemon Unite Zapdos: Move breakdown, best build, counters, and more

Pokemon Unite Zapdos is an addition that is reshaping Aeos Island in its own way. While some Pokemon are built for close-range brawls, others are a threat from a distance. Zapdos enters the roster as a ranged Special Attacker that revolves around area control and crowd control.

Its toolkit has a variety of electric fields, paralysis effects, and a huge damage output. When piloted correctly, Zapdos can lock down key targets and create important scoring opportunities.

Here’s a complete breakdown of Pokemon Unite Zapdos’ abilities, best builds, and how to counter it in battle.

Pokemon Unite Zapdos: Ability and move breakdown

Zapdos is an offensive mage that is most efficient in the backline. With strong area-of-effect (AoE) damage and paralysis effects, it excels at disrupting enemy positioning and controlling objectives.

While playing Zapdos, positioning is important as it is powerful but won’t survive if caught out of place.

Ability – Static: Zapdos’ passive ability punishes enemies for getting too close. When it takes damage from nearby opponents, it triggers paralysis on them, briefly disabling them. After being triggered, the ability goes on a cooldown. Additionally, whenever Zapdos lands a boosted basic attack, Thunder Shock, or Thunderbolt, it generates an electric field. These fields stay on the ground for some time, dealing damage over time and slowing enemies down. This mechanic is central to its playstyle. These electric fields are not just for bonus damage, but also to buff other abilities.Basic Attack: Zapdos fires electric orbs. At regular intervals, its next basic attack becomes powered, launching a bigger, stronger orb. If the boosted attack hits an opponent, the cooldown for the next boosted attack is reduced.Thunder Shock (level 1): Thunder Shock releases a bolt of electricity aimed at a target. If it connects, it chains to a nearby enemy, dealing additional damage.Discharge (level 3): Discharge releases a burst of electricity around Zapdos, damaging and paralyzing nearby enemies. If an electric field is present within the area, Discharge absorbs it. Doing so expands its radius and extends its duration.Thunderbolt (level 5): Thunderbolt strikes a selected area with a powerful electric blast, damaging and paralyzing enemies within it. It also leaves behind an electric field. This move provides reliable ranged crowd control and sets up future ability interactions.Zap Cannon (level 7): Zap Cannon fires a concentrated electric projectile in a linear path that explodes on impact, damaging all enemies in the blast radius. If the projectile travels through an existing electric field, it absorbs that field, increasing its size, range, and damage output. Enemies hit by these buffed explosions are rendered unable to act for sometime.

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Unite Move (level 9): High-Voltage Siege: Zapdos’ Unite Move repeatedly summons lightning strikes in a designated area. Each bolt creates an electric field upon impact and paralyzes the enemies struck. If a single opponent is hit three times consecutively, they become unable to act.

Additionally, if lightning strikes an enemy goal zone five times, that zone becomes temporarily defenseless, allowing one allied Pokemon to score instantly.

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Best Held Items for Pokemon Unite Zapdos

To maximize Zapdos’ potential as a Special Attacker, focus on boosting Special Attack, HP and reducing cooldowns.

Shell Bell: Provides Special Attack, cooldown reduction, and HP. It also restores HP when moves hit opponents.Wise Glasses: Buffs with Special Attack, directly improve overall damage output.Slick Spoon: Boosts HP and Special Attack while allowing Zapdos to ignore some of the opponent’s Special Defense.

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Pokemon Unite Zapdos: Best Battle Item

Eject Button: Eject Button teleports you to a chosen direction. Since Zapdos lacks mobility, this item is essential for escaping dives or chasing someone.

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Pokemon Unite Zapdos: Best Emblem setup

6 Green Emblems: Boosts Special Attack.7 Black Emblems: Reduces move cooldowns.

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How to counter Pokemon Unite Zapdos

Pokemon Unite Zapdos can dominate if left unchecked, but it has exploitable weaknesses:

High mobility assassins: Speedsters that can deal burst damage (like Rapidash, Talonflame and Absol) can shut it down before it sets up its electric fields.Long-range poke: Outranging Zapdos (which Decidueye and Inteleon excel at) forces it to reposition frequently and limits its ability to set up fields safely.Crowd control and interrupts: Stuns and displacement (from Pokemon like Blastoise, Mamoswine and Slowbro) can prevent it from fully using its moves.Avoid field stacking: Do not stay inside its electric fields longer than necessary. Stepping or dashing out quickly minimizes both slow effects and damage amplification.

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Edited by Aashish Victor