Is Zacian or Zamazenta Better in Pokemon GO?

Pokemon GO has a wide array of Legendary species, Zacian and Zamazenta are the representatives of the Galar region, and two powerhouses that bring their own unique Special Move with Adventure Effects. Like many other Alternate Form Pokemon, Crowned Sword Zacian and Crowned Shield Zamazenta are powerful, and these two species are particularly good for Max Battles.

But players might be wondering which of these two legendaries is the best. So, to figure that out, let's analyze both Zacian and Zamazenta, their performance in PvE and PvP, their moveset, alternate forms, stats, and utility of their Adventure Effects. This guide will help players decide whether to invest their Stardust (and farming time) in Zacian or Zamazenta.

Zacian & Zamazenta Performance in Pokemon GO

To let Pokemon GO players know which Pokemon has the best performance, it is necessary to take a look at their overall stats, then compare each of these Pokemon main attributes and how well they perform in various activities. First, let's take a look at Zacian's stats in both its regular and Crowned forms:

	Zacian (Hero of Many Battles)	Crowned Sword Zacian
Max CP	4329	5629
ATK	254	332
DEF	236	240
HP	192	192

As players can see, Zacian has tremendously good stats, though the base stats from both Legendaries in their regular or Hero of Many Battles forms, are barely distinguishable from each other. The real change occurs when Zacian turns into Crowned Sword Zacian, a process which is close to a Mega Evolution, but more related to the Dynamax phenomenon, since this Pokemon is primed for Max Battles. Zacian's damage increases considerably, while its defense has a slight bump up. It's CP jumps from 4329 to 5629, one of the highest of all Special Form Pokemon.

Now for the really important part, besides its main attribute being attack, Zacian's Iron Head also turns into Behemot Blade, which also serves as an Adventure Effect move that boosts all party members' attack by 5% during Max Battles. Zacian's role is that of an attacker, and its powerful damage boost works best when in smaller groups (aka, Raid Battles). Though the effect boosts attack by 1.1 in Raids and 1.05 in Max Battles, the reality is that Zacian does more damage when calculating TDO.

In terms of PvP moveset and performance, Zacian does a slightly better job than Zamazenta. Zacian is an early bird, which means that it does consistent damage faster and better than Zamazenta, and can gain the upper hand faster during the first round, snowballing and causing the opponent to rush shield or commit other mistakes in the later rounds. Sadly, in terms of coverage, Zacian is a little bit inferior and loses the battle against some of the meta picks in Ultra and Master Leagues.

	Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles)	Crowned Shield Zamazenta
Max CP	4329	4717
ATK	254	250
DEF	236	292
HP	192	192

Zamazenta's base stats in its Hero of Many Battles form are equal to Zacian's, though when activating Crowned Shield form, Zamazenta suffers a change that completely shifts its purpose. From an attacker into a bulky defender, Zamazenta becomes empowered turning its charged move Iron Head into Behemot Bash (also available for activation as an Adventure Effect move).

On the other hand, Zamazenta's Crowned form loses in Attack (1.5% less approximately) but gains a lot of bulk in the form of flat DEF stat, plus the 1.1/1.05 increase thanks to its Adventure Effect (if active) during Raids or Max Battles. Overall, a nice tradeoff and ideal to resist powerful attackers like Eternamax Eternatus. So, yes, Crowned Shield Zamazenta is a tank, while on the other hand, Crowned Sword Zacian is an attacker.

In PvP, Zamazenta shines in difficult battles, using Ice Fang as Fast Move, and Close Combat/Crunch as Charged Moves grant this Legendary coverage against some of the most annoying picks in Master and Ultra Leagues. Rivals like Dragonite, Landorus, or Dialga Origin Forme will have a tough time dealing with Zamazenta's mix of bulkiness, coverage, and damage.

Should Players Pick Zacian or Zamazenta in Pokemon GO?

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Now for the really important question: Which is better, Zacian or Zamazenta? The answer depends on what players are looking for in Pokemon GO. If they need a consistent attacker for Raids or Max Battles, Zacian is the answer. If they are also looking for a powerful snowballing Pokemon for PvP, then Zacian, though it lacks a bit of coverage.

If players need a tanky Pokemon for difficult Raids and are going to face them in groups of 3 or more, then Zamazenta is what they need. It is also important to mention that Zamazenta can be more useful for PvP (though not as much as Zacian), though it requires a little bit more skill to learn the ideal tactics to make it shine in Ultra and Master Leagues. Its versatility and greater coverage make Zamazenta superior in PvP.

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