Usage · August 2026
5.7%
Zapdos is ranked #36 in Gen 9 OU, carried by 98,986 teams
TierC · top 60 of the format
Ladder rank#36 of 230
Raw count98,986
Viability ceiling91
Month on month-0.78pp
13 month peak9.5%
FormatGen 9 OU
Base statsspecies values, before EVs and natureBST 580
HP
90
Atk
90
Def
85
SpA
125
SpD
90
Spe
100
Usage over time5.7%▼ 0.78pppeak 9.5% · Oct '25
hover a month for the exact figure · 13 months of ladder history
Most used set
21.7% of Zapdos teamsHP
248
Atk
0
Def
252
SpA
8
SpD
0
Spe
0
NatureBold
AbilityStatic · 97.1%
ItemHeavy-Duty Boots · 80.2%
Tera typeGrass · 30.1%
Moves
99.5%
85.3%
64.8%
35.5%
Alternative spreads
over 5% usageBold248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe18.7%
Bold248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD14.0%
Moves
8 tracked99.5%
85.3%
64.8%
35.5%
35.5%
32.6%
26.5%
13.3%
Items
80.2%
12.6%
5.4%
Tera types
30.1%
23.0%
12.5%
10.0%
8.7%
7.4%
2.9%
2.6%
Abilities
97.1%
2.9%
EV spreads
top 6Bold248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpA21.7%
Bold248 HP / 244 Def / 16 Spe18.7%
Bold248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD14.0%
Timid4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe6.1%
Timid4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe5.9%
Timid252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe5.9%
Top teammates
share of teams
Best Zapdos build for Gen 9 OU
The set above is the one Gen 9 OU players run most often, taken from 730,502 battles in August 2026. Zapdos sits at rank #36 with 5.7% usage, which puts it in C tier, down 0.78 points on the month before.
These are usage numbers, not a recommendation from a council. A move at 90% is close to mandatory; anything under 30% is a tech pick that answers a specific matchup. Read the spreads the same way: the top spread is the safe default, and the alternatives usually trade bulk for speed or the other way round.
The checks and counters table is generated from real games rather than a type chart, so it accounts for items, Tera choices, and how often the matchup ends in a switch instead of a knockout.