Zoroark

Zoroark-Hisui lands at singles rank 58 with 1.8% high-ladder (1760) usage and 3% overall, a legitimate high-ladder presence. The entire identity is anchored in the Illusion ability: by impersonating the last Pokémon in the party, it baits opponents into moves that whiff or trigger unfavorable trades. Expert analysis classifies it as a 「one-time ambush slot targeting Farigiraf Trick Room cores and Scizor-Mega builds」 with roughly 10% bring rate—a targeted meta call rather than a generalist pick. Three appearances in ladder top 300 confirm its viability at the ceiling.

Playstyle：Illusion is the entire game plan: slot Zoroark-Hisui last in party, enter as the disguise target, then strike before the opponent can correct their read. Focus Sash (53.8%) guarantees at least one hit survived and enables Memento (5.5%) as a Baton Pass setup tool; Choice Scarf (19.7%) drops the disguise angle for raw Speed and immediate KOs. The move pool is notably broad—Bitter Malice (12%), Shadow Ball (11.9%), Icy Wind (10.4%), Hyper Voice (9%), Flamethrower (7.8%), Focus Blast (7.6%)—allowing customization to target specific meta threats. Expert commentary explicitly documents the 「disguise as Starmie-Mega to bait the opponent's response, then let the real Starmie-Mega clean up」 strategy, and notes that Focus Blast specifically threatens Archaludon OHKOs.

⚠️ Unfavorable matchups3

GarchompArchaludonMeowscarada

Zoroark-Hisui sits at rank 70 in Doubles with 1.03% high-ladder usage (2.8% overall), barely crossing the threshold for meaningful presence. The 50% win rate indicates it is not a reliable Doubles pillar. In the 6-pick-4 format, its paper-thin 60/60 physical and special bulk is even more exposed to spread moves and multi-target pressure, and the Illusion mind-game is harder to execute when opponents have more information about the party from the 4-Pokémon reveal. It occupies a niche attacker role that requires specific team support.

Playstyle：Choice Scarf (59.3%) dominates Double usage, prioritizing maximum Speed and immediate KOs over Illusion's sustain. Shadow Ball (15%), Psychic (13.1%), and Icy Wind (13%) form the core—Icy Wind is particularly valuable in Doubles for its dual-target Speed drop. Focus Sash (24.2%) variants keep a role as a surprise Memento lead. Teammates Basculegion (6.6%), Pelipper (5.8%), and Blastoise-Mega (5.7%) suggest placement in rain offense teams, where Zoroark-Hisui's coverage and Speed help clear the path for the rain-boosted attackers. Illusion retains bait value in Doubles but is harder to execute against experienced opponents.

Zoroark posts the lowest usage in high-ladder singles (0.04%, rank 197), though 0.26% all-rank usage reveals activity in lower tiers. Illusion's 100% adoption rate paired with a flexible movepool—Night Daze, Memento, Taunt, Torment—indicates a precision-disruption role. Zero top-300 ladder appearances confirm severe competitive marginalization.

Playstyle：Singles Zoroark uses Timid (83% of spreads), fastening on 126 Speed tier and 32 Special Attack EVs, with Focus Sash (97.7%) guaranteeing survival. Movepool design prioritizes disruption over damage: Night Daze (24.5%) for output, Memento (20.8%) for momentum reversal, Taunt and Torment (20.8% each) forming the core disruption suite. The strategy leverages Illusion's deception to misdirect switches, then applies precision disruption to collapse opponent gameplay.

✅ Favorable matchups2

UmbreonEspathra

⚠️ Unfavorable matchups1

Scizor-Mega

Zoroark is completely unviable in doubles (usagePct=0), despite 6,357 low-ladder samples yielding zero high-rank appearances. Doubles' expanded visibility (6v4 team selection) and simultaneous threats invalidate Illusion-based deception—opponents see both active Pokémon, eliminating single-Pokémon mimicry. Disruption tools lose efficacy across two parallel battlefronts.