Zanth (FFC)

Overview
Zanth is a monster with one of the best support spreads, a powerful, cost-efficient skill, and a ridiculous endgame. Zanth’s support cripples Close-Range and Mid-Range vivosaurs like crazy, decreasing damage output so hard that the survivability of Zanth’s team is increased significantly, with only Long-Range vivos being able to dent the SZ normally.

General Gameplan (Early Game)
When on the offensive, Zanth will want to abuse Zanth Press early game since it’s strictly better than Zanth Tail. For such a small increase in FP, Press has a big jump in Damage compared to its first skill. Sedate the SZ, since it probably has something capable of threatening your team, like a sauropod in its natural habitat. For defensive positioning, always keep Zanth in the SZ. Do not miss out on what is objectively Zanth’s best trait. Usually, the smartest move for defensive positioning involving Zanth is to stick one of your other vivos in the AZ+. Since your opponent would want to put two of their vivos in the AZ to cut the support in half, Mid-Range vivos would have a perfect range multiplier against yours if Zanth were in the SZ+. Any Long-Range vivos would have a perfect range multiplier on Zanth as well, maximising their possible damage output in that situation.

Midgame/Endgame
Zanth has one of the best endgames alongside Nigo. If the FP is high enough, Zanth Shot should be used on the offensive, otherwise keep damaging the opponent with Zanth Press. As usual, keep Zanth in the SZ for defensive positioning if there are Mid-Ranges on the field.

For endgame, Zanth Shot in tandem with optimal 1v1 defensive positioning will definitely win against almost everything. Even if Zanth doesn’t have a lot of LP by the time endgame comes around, Zanth Shot’s properties are still able to clutch wins out alongside the fact that the opponent’s damage output is severely weakened (assuming Close-Range/Mid-Range).

Optimal Teammates/Strategies
Confuse spammers cover up Zanth’s weak spot by being able to weaken the SZ while Zanth oppresses the AZ. It’s a simple strategy and it works extremely well. Nigo also works well with Zanth because of its incredible offense on far away vivos. Heracles and Zanth form a nifty core where the resulting support is +60% your side/-60% their side, and a boost that big brings Zanth Press into the 200’s in terms of damage, which is insane.

Winning/Losing Matchups
Elemental advantage or not, Zanth basically invalidates Close-Ranges and Mid-Ranges, including Saichan and Heracles. This is especially evident in endgame, where anything that doesn’t pack sleep will probably lose to Zanth’s support.

Zanth loses pretty handily to Nigo, as it’s a Long-Range vivosaur, meaning it’s unaffected by Zanth’s support. Nigo can damage Zanth heavily, especially with Link. It’s also more likely for Nigo to beat Zanth than for Zanth to beat Nigo in endgame, as Nigo will usually have more LP by the time a 1v1 situation will occur, giving it a better shot at beating Zanth.