ZA Comp When January 29 comes

Pokemon Legends: ZAs Mega Dimension DLC doesn't seem to be getting any major updates for the foreseeable future aside from new rewards, codes for free items, and ranked seasons. But these can still fundamentally change how the game plays and feels when played, especially with how the meta changes competitively. Pokemon Legends: ZASeason 6 starts shortly, on January 29, and it's already confirmed to be a bloodbath. With several new meta-distorting legendaries, the game will never be the same, and all the fun you had in ranked battles is most likely over.

Before we dive into how the limited legendaries will affect the meta, let's set the stage by reviewing the Season 5 meta. From now on, the game revolves around powerful attackers that can hit hard and fast, such as Swords of Justice, Volcanion and Magearna. With Pokemon Legends: ZAs Mega Evolutions still play a big role, it's clear that the focus is on heavy offensive threats, but the approach has been balanced by defensive controls and counterplay.

Volcanion provides both bulk and offensive power, often running Fire and Water moves to hit hard against a variety of enemies. It's a hard Pokemon to break, especially with its Fire/Water typing.
Magearna has been a favorite choice due to its high Special Attack and wide movepool, allowing it to serve as both an offensive and support asset in teams. It also received a new Mega Evolution in the game.
Armarouge has similarly found her niche thanks to her Fire/Psychic typing and ability to hit hard when using items like Expert Belt, Life Orb, and Assault Vest in combination with powerful moves like Armor Cannon, Psychic, and Meteor Beam.
Swampert has been an all-around choice in terms of both offense and utility, thanks to its access to Earthquake, Waterfall, and Stealth Rock. It is a reliable choice for many teams.
The Sword of Justice has been a staple for its high stats, offensive versatility, and ability to hit hard with moves like melee and holy sword.
Baxcalibur is a good answer to many threats in the meta, and once it's started up with Swords Dance, it can deal massive damage even against targets that don't take super effective damage from it.
Garchomp is Pokemon Legends: ZAs most OP Pokemon at the moment, and that's because it contains incredible stats, a very strong Mega Evolution, and it can be used with tons of different items to improve its damage or survivability.

The meta has been shaped by these strong attackers, but with the limited Legendary Pokémon coming soon, the focus will shift from maintaining balance to dealing with overwhelming power. These will be limited to one per team, but they will still be problematic additions to the game in terms of balance. The restricted Pokemon are:

Xerneas
Yveltal
Zygarde
Mewtwo
Groudon
Kyogre
Rayquaza

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Pokemon Legends: ZA looks to rewrite the unwritten rules of Mega Evolution

With the gameplay changes that Pokemon Legends: ZA makes to the series' formula, the best Mega Evolutions can look completely different.

Limited legendaries in Pokemon Legends: ZA officially ruin the game

Why Xerneas is OP in PLZA ranked battles

Xerneas enters the field as a Fairy-type powerhouse with access to Moonblast and Geomancy. Although it may not have an ability like Fairy Aura Pokemon Legends: ZAXerneas still has an incredible offensive presence. Its ability to set Geomancy, a move that increases both Special Attack and its movement speed, allows it to sweep teams once set. Xerneas can overwhelm current offensive staples like Sword of Justice with its Fairy-type moves, as well as critters like Garchomp and Baxcalibur, as Moonblast is very effective against Fighting and Dragon-types.

With the current meta relying heavily on powerful attackers, Pokemon Legends: ZA's Xerneas will likely force teams to prepare counters to its sweep potential. Expect to see more steel and poison types used as defensive responses, or even more priority users looking to shut it down before it becomes too much of a threat. Still, it has a wide move pool, including Thunderbolt and even the new TMs Pokemon Legends: ZAs DLC.

How Mewtwo Could Reshape PLZA's Ranked Battles

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One of the most iconic Pokémon in the franchise, Mewtwo packs massive offensive power with its 120 base Special Attack and versatile movepool, including Psystrike, Shadow Ball, and Calm Mind. Then PLEASEs Mega Mewtwo Y dominated the meta in Season 3, it's likely that the Pokemon will once again be prominent in Season 6.

Why you shouldn't sleep on Zygarde in Pokemon Legends: ZA

In Season 6, Zygarde's combination of bulk and power will make it a strong defensive option against the likes of Xerneas and Mewtwo. While it may not have any of the legendary abilities in other games, its clean stats and impressive movepool will give it the flexibility to act as both a wall and a striker, making it a solid choice for both defensive and offensive lineups. Mega Zygarde can also quickly take out opponents when its Mega form is triggered, as it has an incredible base Special Attack of 216 and OP moves.

How Groudon and Kyogre can wipe out the competition in Pokemon Legends: ZA

With abilities cut from Pokemon Legends: ZAGroudon still has one of the most powerful offensive presences in the game. Precipice Blades, Fire Punch, and Stone Edge provide excellent cover, and Groudon is sure to remain a dominant physical attacker. Its Ground and Fire movepool will allow it to hit incredibly hard against Fire, Steel and Stone types. In addition to that, Primal Groudon will also be available.

Kyogre, without his primordial ability, still represents one of the most consistent special attackers in the game. With Origin Pulse, Ice Beam and Thunder, it has great coverage and can hit both offensive and defensive teams hard. Kyogre will fill the role of a bulky Water-type attacker, utilizing his special attack to break through walls and counter Fire-types like Groudon. Primal Kyogre will still be a top pick for most teams, with very few counters.

Pokemon Legends: ZA's Mega Rayquaza is about to break the game

Without abilities, Rayquaza still has incredible speed and offensive coverage. Dragon Ascent and Extreme Speed will make it a huge threat against anything that doesn't overshoot it or pack a priority move. Rayquaza's combination of Flying and Dragon moves will put huge pressure on the current meta, where Dragon-types and Flying-types are still very relevant. More importantly, Pokemon Legends: ZA's Rayquaza doesn't have a Mega Stone, but it can still Mega Evolve just by having Dragon Ascent as one of its moves.

Possibly more importantly, this means that anyone can use items when using and fighting Mega Rayquaza. A Focus Sash will make it so that Ice-type moves won't be able to do it once, as will boosted moves from Xerneas, Garchomp, Baxcalibur, and other common meta threats. Its addition could be a make-or-break moment for PLEASEs competitive scene, and there's no going back, unfortunately.