What is a good moveset for Zangoose?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Zangoose, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some explanation, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Zangoose Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

This guy is boss in NU. If left unattended, he can sweep and leave the opponent in tears.

Here's my set!

Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Facade
- Close Combat
- Knock Off

Alright lemme explain. The item and ability are pretty self explanatory. Protect is to get that x2 attack before sweeping. Facade is standard STAB and with that ability and effect, this move is beast on this guy. Close Combat is to cover Steel-types and just a good move. Defense drops don't matter anyway because Zangoose has crap defense. Knock Off is to get rid of pesky items and hit Ghost-types super-effectively.

Hope this set brings victory to many!

Answer 2

Gen 3 OU

Zangoose @ Leftovers
Ability: Immunity
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Brick Break
- Shadow Ball
- Swords Dance

Return is STAB. Brick Break hits Rock and Steel Types. Shadow Ball deals with Ghost Types. Swords Dance is to boost your attacks.

Answer 3

Zangoose (M) @ Choice Band
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Return
- Close Combat
- Pursuit
- Quick Attack / Shadow Claw

Return is good STAB and has good neutral coverage.
Close Combat takes care of Steel- and Rock-types obstacles resisting Return.
Pursuit catches fleeing Pokemon (Get the f*ck back here!) and is backed up by band.
Quick Attack is nice STAB priority to finish off weakened opponents.Shadow Claw hits Ghosts harder than Pursuit does and is an alternative if Quick Attack isn't desired.

Answer 4

This Zangoose is more directed towards the 1v1 metagame on Pokemon Showdown.

(Zangoose) (M) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Protect
- Facade
- Fling
- Revenge

The point of this Pokemon is to deal a massive amount of damage.

Protect will give time for the Toxic Orb to activate. Once the Toxic Orb has activated, it will put the Toxic Boost ability into effect. Toxic Boost increases all physical moves by 1.5x. Facade will double damage from 70 to 140 if the user is poisoned, I think you get the combo. After using this, if they still manage to have HP, fling over that Toxic Orb. If they still manage to have health, (even unlikely after facade), use Revenge to finish them off. They would've had to of attacked you some time around.

Math Behind This: (Not sure if my math is correct, but):

Toxic Orb Activation - 2nd Turn

Toxic Orb - Toxic Boost 1.5x damage on physical attacks.

Facade - Toxic Orb Poisoning - 70 x 2 = 140 damage.

Toxic Orb Poisoning - Toxic Boost - Facade

FINAL MATH:

140 x 1.5 = 210 damage.

Comments

Although your final equation is correct, it isn't the correct way to calculate damage. You do: (((2 x Level)/5 + 2) x Base Power x (Your Attack/Opponent's Defense) /50) This is without things like Screens, Effectiveness, Tera Buffs, Crits, etc. Sorry if I sounded nerdy or mean there.

---

yeah that's probably true flameacegaming, I wrote this like 10 years ago. I had no idea what I was yapping about then nor do I now

Answer 5

Zangoose @Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpD or 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Facade
- Swords Dance
- Fling
- Aerial Ace

• Facade [STAB, Boosted by poison, boosted by Toxic Boost]
• Swords Dance [Attack boost, obviously]
• Fling [Poison your enemy]
• Aerial Ace [Deal with fighting types]

(252 ATT/252 SPE/4 HP if you want a quicker one)

But with Facade, not only is it STAB, the Toxic Boost and how Facade's stronger with a status condition, it becomes an extremely powerful move on this guy. It confuses me how its in NU, I used it all the time after I figured this out. I tested it in Pokemon Showdown, and manage to one hit KO a Mega Rayquaza, and leave a Defense Forme Deoxys at red HP, and this was WITHOUT a Swords Dance boost. Swords Dance would obviously give a big boost in Attack, allowing you to sweep almost any Pokemon you fight. Fling lets you badly poison your enemy, of course, and since Zangoose is the only Pokemon (As of now) with Toxic Boost, it most likely won't be beneficial. Aerial Ace obviously deals with Normal's onl weakness, Fighting types. I highly recommend this set, but if not, at LEAST give it Facade.

Answer 6

Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Facade
- Aerial Ace
- Close Combat

Knock Off is for hitting Ghost-types, which can be achieved using Night Slash or Shadow Claw, but Knock Off removes the target's held item. Facade is STAB and is boosted by the Toxic Orb, Aerial Ace is coverage against Fighting-types, and Close Combat is further coverage.

Answer 7

Okay, everyone makes toxic boost and toxic orb movesets so.. Why not make another one?
Toxic Sweep (Zangoose) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 172 HP / 188 Atk / 148 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Close Combat
- Facade
- Fire Punch
- Knock Off

Okay, okay, I know i'm gonna receive hate for this, but NO i'm NOT gonna insert any protect here. You can change it into whatever you want if you can't bare the fact there's no protect, but this is how my team is. Close Combat and Facade is easily explained. Fire Punch and Knock Off are for coverage against ghost and all that. We shouldn't actually worry about his crap defense, as he's got pretty decent speed to cover a few threats that could ohko him. Besides, the most will probably just Swords Dance or Nasty Plot them up anyway.. Enjoy this really bad moveset I made because I was bored! :D

Comments

There should be three periods after “so”, not two. The “i” in “i’m” should be capitalized. The “i” In “i’m” should be capitalized. (Again.) It should be bear, not bare. Zangoose is only one Pokémon, so you should refer to it as “my Pokémon”, not a “team”. Because “ohko” stands for One Hit Knock Out, all the letters should be capitalized. Your second to last sentence lacks any understandable meaning, please clarify what you’re trying to convey. Again, it’s three periods, not two.

Answer 8

Zangoose @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Facade
- Knock Off
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance

Facade with Toxic Boost and Toxic Orb and STAB with Adamant nature and full investment in Attack will be pretty strong. Knock Off to get rid of opponent's Item and to hit Ghosts. Close Combat as coverage. Swords Dance to boost Attack.

Answer 9

Yang (Zangoose) @ Toxic Orb
Ability: Toxic Boost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Aerial Ace
- Brick Break
- Facade
- Night Slash

• Aerial Ace (deal with fighting type)
• Brick Break (rock and steel types)
• Facade (stab, makes use of ability and item)
• Night Slash (ghost types)

Simple, really... Aerial ace if it's a fighting type, brick break to deal with rock and steel enemies, night slash to take care of ghosts, and facade can be used to hit everything else (neutrally at least). Also make sure you have healing items.

Comments

Make sure you have healing items? Uh, you can't use healing items in competitive

Answer 10

Gen 9 NU Substitute + Belly Drum

Zangoose @ Salac Berry
Ability: Immunity
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Belly Drum
- Body Slam
- Power Trip

Apparently, Belly Drum Zangoose is actually a thing in Gen 9 NU, so here is one of the two Belly Drum sets used in Gen 9 NU. This set uses Substitute and Salac Berry. You need to have the right support such as screens or just playing right in order to pull this off. Substitute allows Zangoose to dodge status conditions. Belly Drum boosts Zangoose's attack by 6 stages, and after using Substitute, helps gets Zangoose's HP down to the Salac berry range to give Zangoose a speed boost. Body Slam is used for a Normal STAB. Power Trip, a move Zangoose gets in Gen 9, becomes incredibly powerful upon using Belly Drum and getting the potential Salac Berry boost, as well as providing coverage against Ghost-types. Tera Ghost allows Zangoose to turn its Fighting weakness to an immunity. Immunity is the ability since Toxic Boost isn't needed for this set.

Answer 11

Gen 9 NU Belly Drum

Zangoose @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Immunity
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Belly Drum
- Body Slam
- Power Trip
- Quick Attack

This is the other Belly Drum set Zangoose uses in Gen 9 NU. Screens support is appreciated since Zangoose isn't exactly what you would call bulky. Belly Drum boosts Zangoose's Attack stat by 6 stages, making it a dangerous cleaner once you setup. Body Slam is used for your Normal STAB. Power Trip becomes a 140 BP move after setting up Belly Drum and provides coverage against Ghost-types. Quick Attack is used for a priority STAB that revenge kills faster Pokemon. Sitrus Berry is used to recover some lost HP. Tera Normal is used to boost the power of Zangoose's STAB moves. Immunity is the Ability since Toxic Boost isn't needed on this set.