How to Beat Zapdos

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If you are looking for the best ways to defeat Zapdos in Pokemon Go, you've come to the right place! This guide will teach you how to successfully win battles against Zapdos by exploiting its Type weakness(es). In addition, it is equally as important to choose the optimal Pokemon and Movesets to take advantage of those weaknesses. This will allow you to to deal maximum damage during battle and defeat Zapdos quickly and easily.
How to Beat Zapdos
To defeat Zapdos in Pokemon Go you must take advantage of its Type Weakness(es). Being a Electric/Flying Type, Zapdos is vulnerable against Rock and Ice Type Moves. This guide lists the best Pokemon and best Movesets you should use in order to defeat Zapdos as effectively and as efficiently as possible.
Before we get into the details of this guide, please see below. The following is a simple step by step guide/checklist on how to defeat Zapdos. If you would like more information surrounding terminology, specific Pokemon, Movesets, DPS, etc. feel free to check out the rest of this guide.
5 Simple Tips to Defeat Zapdos
Tip #1. CP (Combat Power) Advantage
Choose Pokemon with equal or higher CP than that of the Zapdos you are battling. If your CP advantage is high enough, the next steps will not be as important in battle. Zapdos can have up to a maximum of 3330 CP.
Tip #2. Use Move Types Zapdos is Weak Against
Taking advantage of the Type Weakness(es) of Zapdos will allow you to deal more damage during battle. Zapdos is weak against the following Types:
		Rock	Ice
	Damage Increase	1.25	1.25
Tip #3. Use Pokemon & Moves of the Same Type for Additional Damage
For example, Bulbasaur using a Grass Move, Charmander using a Fire Move or Squirtle using a Water Move will deal 25% more damage simply because the Pokemon is the same Type as the Move it is using. You can find out more about damage mechanics at the end of this page.
Tip #4. Choose the Best Type(s) of Pokemon
Dealing additional damage, while taking reduced damage is important in defeating Zapdos. Avoid using Types of Pokemon Zapdos Moves are Super Effective against, instead try to use Types of Pokemon of which Zapdos Moves are Not Very Effective against.
	Move		X	Zapdos Moves are Super Effective Against
	Thunder Shock
	-
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
	Move		✓	Zapdos Moves Not Very Effective Against
	Thunder Shock
	-
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
Tip #5. Use High DPS Movesets for Max Damage
Taking advantage of the Type Weakness(es) of Zapdos and the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) of your own Pokemon will allow you to deal a great amount of damage during battle. Zapdos will go down quickly if the optimal Pokemon & Movesets are used. You can learn more about high damage Movesets at the end of this guide: Section IV. Best Pokemon & Movesets to use against Zapdos in battle.
Thank you for reading. If you would like further or more detailed information on how to defeat Zapdos please continue reading the rest of this guide. If you have questions, comments, or tips of your own, feel free to leave a message in the comment section at the end of this guide!
I. Zapdos Type Weaknesses
To defeat Zapdos you must first learn its Type weaknesses. Using specific Types of Moves that Zapdos is weak against will result in those Moves dealing Super Effective damage (25% damage bonus).
Zapdos is a Electric/Flying Type Pokemon, which means it is weak against the following Move Type(s) and will be vulnerable to the following damage multipliers:
		Rock	Ice
		1.25	1.25
II. Utilizing Benefit of Super Effective Moves
Next we must identify Moves of the above Types. This is important as Moves that are Super Effective deal 25% additional damage. If a Pokemon has a double weakness, the Move will deal 56% additional damage.
In order to defeat Zapdos you will want to choose a Pokemon with Move Types Zapdos is vulnerable against. The moves of these types are shown below:
	Move Name	Fast/ Charge	Type	Power	Sec.	Energy	DPS
	Ancient Power	Charge	Rock	35	3.60	-25	9.72
	Power Gem	Charge	Rock	40	2.90	-33	13.79
	Rock Slide	Charge	Rock	50	3.20	-33	15.63
	Rock Throw	Fast	Rock	12	1.36	7	8.82
	Rock Tomb	Charge	Rock	30	3.40	-25	8.82
	Stone Edge	Charge	Rock	80	3.10	-100	25.81
	Move Name	Fast/ Charge	Type	Power	Sec.	Energy	DPS
	Blizzard	Charge	Ice	100	3.90	-100	25.64
	Frost Breath	Fast	Ice	9	0.81	7	11.11
	Ice Beam	Charge	Ice	65	3.65	-50	17.81
	Ice Punch	Charge	Ice	45	3.50	-33	12.86
	Ice Shard	Fast	Ice	15	1.40	7	10.71
	Icy Wind	Charge	Ice	25	3.80	-20	6.58
III. Pokemon Weakness(es) vs. Zapdos
Before we go any further, please take a minute to consider the following. Most of this guide is focused on dealing high amounts of damage in a short period of time, in order to beat Zapdos as quickly as possible. However, it is important to note that defensive Type weaknesses play an important role in Pokemon Go battles as well.
First off, Zapdos can deal a great amount of damage using Thunder Shock and Thunder. This is especially true if you are using Pokemon that are weak against these Move Type(s). The damage per second and ranking of this moveset is shown below.
			High DPS Moveset for Zapdos:
			Move:		Thunder Shock	Thunder
			Move Type:		Electric	Electric
			Category:		Fast	Charge
			DPS:		8.3	23.3
			Rank (DPS):		#75	#40
			DPS (w/ STAB):		10.4	29.1
			Rank (w/ STAB):		#59	#14
	Zapdos is capable of using the following Moves:
	Zapdos Fast Moves:				Zapdos Charge Moves:
		Thunder Shock	-			Discharge	Thunder	Thunderbolt
	Type:				Type:
	Power:	5			Power:	35	100	55
	Sec:	0.6 sec			Sec:	2.5 sec	4.3 sec	2.7 sec
	Energy:	7			Energy:	-33	-100	-50
	DPS:	8.3			DPS:	14.0	23.3	20.4
	STAB:	10.4			STAB:	17.5	29.1	25.5
While Thunder Shock and Thunder is a strong Moveset, most of Zapdos's Moves will deal additional damage if used against certain Types of Pokemon as they will take increased damage from Zapdos. Depending on the particular Moveset of the Zapdos you are battling against, you will want to try and avoid using Pokemon of the following Types.
	Move		X	Zapdos Moves are Super Effective Against
	Thunder Shock
	-
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
On the other hand, there are certain Types of Pokemon in Pokemon Go, that will take less damage from the Moves of Zapdos. Therefore, to survive longer during Gym battles you will want to try and use Pokemon of the below Types when battling against Zapdos.
	Move		✓	Zapdos Moves are Not Very Effective Against
	Thunder Shock
	-
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
It is important to note that this is not the only factor in choosing the optimal Pokemon to defeat Zapdos. If you have a Pokemon with much higher CP and a high damage Moveset vs. Zapdos you will obviously want to use that Pokemon. You will be able to win the battle quickly before your opponent has even had a chance to deal much damage. However, if you are using a Pokemon with average CP and an average moveset, choosing the right Type of Pokemon becomes much more important.
IV. Benefits of Type Weakness & STAB Damage
Getting back to the offensive side of battling, the next step is to identify which Pokemon have the capability of using Super Effective Moves against Zapdos. Furthermore, we must identify Pokemon that are the same Type as the Moves they are using. This will result in an added 25% additional damage bonus, commonly referred to as STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus).
If you are new to Pokemon Go or to the damage mechanics in general, be sure to review the chart below before making your way to Section V. (Best Pokemon Movesets vs. Zapdos). It explains how Pokemon Go DB determines the best damage Moveset/Pokemon to beat Zapdos.
The following chart explains the terms used in this guide:
Battle Mechanics Terminology (Quick Reference Guide)
DPS		DPS stands for Damage per Second. The DPS of each Move is calculated by taking the Power of a Move and dividing it by the time (seconds) it takes to actually perform the move (also known as a cooldown).
STAB		STAB stands for Same Type Attack Bonus. When a Pokemon uses a Move that is the same Type as itself that Move will deal additional bonus damage. For example, if a Electric Type Pokemon uses a Electric Type Move it will deal 25% more damage.
Best Fast Move		The Best Fast Move is calculated by taking the highest DPS Fast Move a Pokemon is capable of using. This includes the 25% STAB bonus. Generally every Pokemon in Pokemon Go will have one of two possible Fast Moves.
Best Charge Move		The Best Charge Move is calculated by taking the highest DPS Charge Move a Pokemon is capable of using. This includes the 25% STAB bonus. Generally every Pokemon in Pokemon Go will have one of three possible Charge Moves.
Best Fast Move DPS vs. Zapdos		Best Fast Move DPS vs. Zapdos is calculated by taking the Best Fast Move DPS w/ STAB and multiplying that DPS by 1.25 if Zapdos has a single weakness to that Type or multiplying that DPS by 1.56 if Zapdos has a double weakness to that Type.
Best Charge Move DPS vs. Zapdos		Best Charge Move DPS vs. Zapdos is calculated by taking the Best Charge Move DPS w/ STAB and multiplying that DPS by 1.25 if Zapdos has a single weakness to that Type or multiplying that DPS by 1.56 if Zapdos has a double weakness to that Type.
Average DPS		Average DPS is simply the average of the Best Fast Move DPS vs. Zapdos and the Best Charge Move DPS vs. Zapdos. The chart is then sorted by highest Average DPS to lowest.
V. Best Pokemon & Movesets to use against Zapdos in battle.
The following chart lists the top Pokemon/Moveset against Zapdos. The list is sorted by highest Average Damage per Second to lowest. Type Effectiveness and STAB play a big role in increasing the damage that is done to Zapdos. If you follow every step in this guide, you will have a much easier time defeating Zapdos. Good Luck!
Best Pokemon Movesets vs. Zapdos
Pic	Name	Best Fast Move	Best Charge Move	Fast Move Type	Charge Move Type	Best Fast Move DPS vs. Zapdos	Best Charge Move DPS vs. Zapdos	Average DPS
	Dewgong	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	17.4	40.1	28.7
	Cloyster	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	17.4	40.1	28.7
	Lapras	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	17.4	40.1	28.7
	Articuno	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	17.4	40.1	28.7
	Graveler	Mud Slap	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	13.9	40.3	27.1
	Golem	Mud Slap	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	13.9	40.3	27.1
	Rhydon	Mud Slap	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	13.9	40.3	27.1
	Onix	Rock Throw	Stone Edge	Rock	Rock	13.8	40.3	27.1
	Kabutops	Mud Shot	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	10.9	40.3	25.6
	Mankey	Scratch	Cross Chop	Normal	Fighting	12.0	37.5	24.8
	Jigglypuff	Pound	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	16.2	32.1	24.1
	Primeape	Low Kick	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	10.4	37.5	24.0
	Machop	Low Kick	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	10.4	37.5	24.0
	Machoke	Low Kick	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	10.4	37.5	24.0
	Meowth	Scratch	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	15.0	32.1	23.5
	Seadra	Water Gun	Blizzard	Water	Ice	15.0	32.1	23.5
	Machamp	Karate Chop	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	9.4	37.5	23.4
	Nidoqueen	Poison Jab	Stone Edge	Poison	Rock	14.3	32.3	23.3
	Tentacruel	Poison Jab	Blizzard	Poison	Ice	14.3	32.1	23.2
	Pidgeot	Wing Attack	Hurricane	Flying	Flying	15.0	31.3	23.1
	Wigglytuff	Pound	Hyper Beam	Normal	Normal	16.2	30.0	23.1
	Chansey	Pound	Hyper Beam	Normal	Normal	16.2	30.0	23.1
	Dugtrio	Mud Slap	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	13.9	32.3	23.1
	Rattata	Tackle	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	13.6	32.1	22.8
	Eevee	Tackle	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	13.6	32.1	22.8
	Hitmonlee	Rock Smash	Stone Edge	Fighting	Rock	13.3	32.3	22.8
	Charizard	Wing Attack	Fire Blast	Flying	Fire	15.0	30.5	22.7
	Arcanine	Fire Fang	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	14.9	30.5	22.7
	Mew	Pound	Blizzard	Normal	Ice	13.0	32.1	22.5
	Psyduck	Water Gun	Cross Chop	Water	Fighting	15.0	30.0	22.5
	Exeggutor	Zen Headbutt	Solar Beam	Psychic	Grass	14.3	30.6	22.4
	Ivysaur	Vine Whip	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	13.5	31.3	22.4
	Bellsprout	Vine Whip	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	13.5	31.3	22.4
	Tangela	Vine Whip	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	13.5	31.3	22.4
	Wartortle	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Blastoise	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Golduck	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Starmie	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Vaporeon	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Omastar	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Parasect	Bug Bite	Solar Beam	Bug	Grass	13.9	30.6	22.3
	Weepinbell	Razor Leaf	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	12.9	31.3	22.1
	Venusaur	Vine Whip	Solar Beam	Grass	Grass	13.5	30.6	22.0
	Nidoking	Poison Jab	Earthquake	Poison	Ground	14.3	29.8	22.0
	Marowak	Mud Slap	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	13.9	29.8	21.8
	Vileplume	Razor Leaf	Solar Beam	Grass	Grass	12.9	30.6	21.8
	Victreebel	Razor Leaf	Solar Beam	Grass	Grass	12.9	30.6	21.8
	Snorlax	Zen Headbutt	Body Slam	Psychic	Normal	11.4	32.1	21.7
	Sandslash	Mud Shot	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	13.6	29.8	21.7
	Poliwrath	Bubble	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	13.6	29.6	21.6
	Ninetales	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Ponyta	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Rapidash	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Magmar	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Flareon	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Moltres	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Dragonite	Dragon Breath	Dragon Claw	Dragon	Dragon	15.0	27.3	21.2
	Raticate	Bite	Hyper Beam	Dark	Normal	12.0	30.0	21.0
	Gyarados	Bite	Hydro Pump	Dark	Water	12.0	29.6	20.8
	Raichu	Spark	Thunder	Electric	Electric	12.5	29.1	20.8
	Lickitung	Zen Headbutt	Hyper Beam	Psychic	Normal	11.4	30.0	20.7
	Muk	Poison Jab	Gunk Shot	Poison	Poison	14.3	27.1	20.7
	Haunter	Shadow Claw	Sludge Bomb	Ghost	Poison	14.5	26.4	20.5
	Gengar	Shadow Claw	Sludge Bomb	Ghost	Poison	14.5	26.4	20.5
	Beedrill	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb	Poison	Poison	14.3	26.4	20.4
	Nidorino	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb	Poison	Poison	14.3	26.4	20.4
	Grimer	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb	Poison	Poison	14.3	26.4	20.4
	Ekans	Poison Sting	Gunk Shot	Poison	Poison	12.9	27.1	20.0
	Alakazam	Psycho Cut	Psychic	Psychic	Psychic	15.4	24.6	20.0
	Mewtwo	Psycho Cut	Psychic	Psychic	Psychic	15.4	24.6	20.0