PokePath TD Route 1-2 Guide: Beating Zapdos (Wave 100 Strategy)

Route 1-2 is notorious for its split paths and lack of water, but the real challenge is Wave 100: Zapdos. This Legendary Bird is fast, tanky, and immune to many crowd control effects.

If your standard AOE team can clear Waves 1-99 but fails at the Boss, don't worry. You don't need to restart the whole run.

In this guide, we will break down the Perfect 10-Unit Team needed to obliterate Zapdos using a tactical "Clawitzer Swap."

🏆 The Team Explained: Why We Chose These Units

For Route 1-2, we need a mix of Spawn Camping Burst (to nuke Zapdos early) and Mid-Lane Security (to catch him if he splits). Here is the breakdown of our 10-unit squad:

1. The "Nuke" Squad (Bottom Left Spawn)

This group is your Boss Killer. Their job is to deal 80% of Zapdos' health the moment he spawns.

• Clawitzer (The MVP):
  • Role: Burst Damage.
  • Why? Swapped in at Wave 100. With 1,950 Power at Level 100 and a passive that deals Double Damage on Crits, it hits harder than any other unit. Since there is no water, Clawitzer is the only unit with enough raw stats to compensate.
• Farfetch'd:
  • Role: Crit Buffer.
  • Why? Increases Clawitzer's Critical Damage by 33%. This synergy turns Clawitzer's rockets into tactical nukes.
• Sunflora:
  • Role: Damage Buffer.
  • Why? Provides a flat +20% Damage Aura. Essential for maximizing the initial burst.

2. The Mid-Lane Defense (The Split Point)

If Zapdos survives the spawn nuke, he will run to the center and split either Up or Down. This squad covers both paths.

• Weavile:
  • Role: DPS / Cleanup.
  • Why? Fast attack speed and high crit rate. Weavile is placed centrally to reach enemies regardless of which path they take.
• Ditto (Copying Weavile):
  • Role: Force Multiplier.
  • Why? One Weavile is good; two are unstoppable. Copying Weavile ensures you have consistent DPS in the center.
• Corsola:
  • Role: Crowd Control.
  • Why? Even without water, a Level 100 Corsola has a 300 Range. Its Slow aura covers the entire junction, forcing Zapdos to crawl through your kill zone.
• Ampharos:
  • Role: Hard CC (Stun).
  • Why? Zapdos is fast. Ampharos provides a chance to Paralyze him, stopping him dead in his tracks for free hits.

3. The Utility Units

• Honchkrow (Mountain):
  • Role: Anti-Invisible.
  • Why? Essential for Waves 1-99 to spot invisible ghosts. Can be sold on Wave 100 for extra damage if needed.
• Aggron / Flygon (Mountain):
  • Role: Chip Damage.
  • Why? Takes advantage of the map's many mountain tiles to deal long-range AOE damage.

⚙️ The Winning Strategy: Step-by-Step

Phase 1: The Grind (Waves 1-99)

• Use Maractus in the grass patches and Aggron on the mountains to clear swarms.
• Keep Honchkrow active to catch invisible enemies.

Phase 2: The Tactical Swap (Wave 100)

1. Pause the game as soon as Wave 100 starts.
2. Retire Maractus. It is weak against single targets.
3. Deploy Clawitzer in the Bottom Left corner (closest to spawn).
4. Surround Clawitzer with Farfetch'd and Sunflora.
5. Set Targeting: Make sure Clawitzer is set to "Strong" or "First".

Phase 3: The Infinite Retry

• Unpause. Zapdos should lose half his HP instantly from Clawitzer.
• The Finish: Weavile and Ditto finish him off in the middle.
• If you fail: Don't panic! The game's Infinite Retry mechanic lets you restart Wave 100 instantly. Adjust your positioning and try again.

🎥 Watch the Strategy in Action