Smogon Community - View Single Post - CAP 4 - Part 1

MysticNova · Sep 11th, 2012, 5:03:48 AM

Concept: Trick Typing

General Description: A Pokemon that uses the weaknesses of its typing as resists, and its resists as weaknesses in order to create a unique combination of defense and offense that wouldn't be able to be seen anywhere else.

Justification: Such a Pokemon would be able to counter top threats without having to resort the the same typings over and over. You would also be able to have powerful offensive STABs without having a horrible typing. This would increase diversity in the amount of choices and what each choice offers when teambuilding. A lot of things can threaten or OHKO another Pokemon, but can't switch in to do it. This would allow you to have the same offensive STAB's that can defeat the same Pokemon, but you can now switch into such Pokemon. Once again, this creates a unique combination of offense and defense that wouldn't be able to be seen anywhere else, while allowing horrible typings defensively, but good offensively, such as Ice or Fire, shine.

Questions to be Answered:

How would a Pokemon activate this ability/trait?
What threats can and should be covered by the Pokemon utilizing its ability/trait?
What sort of typings would be best suited for the metagame?
Should a field effect be created?
What is an ideal balance between defensive and offensive capabilities?
Should the Pokemon be focused towards either defensive or offensive?
How would immunities play into this?
Can the Pokemon still use its original typing effectively (defensively)?
How would this influence the way this Pokemon is played or played against?
Can the Pokemon offer a unique niche that nothing else can offer without its special ability/trait?
Will it be difficult to find a counter for this Pokemon?
Should this Pokemon be related to weather-either for or against it?

Explanation: Typing has always been one of the most deciding factors in determining the viability of a Pokemon. Just look at the Rotom formes. Especially Rotom-F. BoltBeam STAB should make it a top tier Pokemon right? Nope barely gets any usage even in NU, simply because its typing sucks (and Blizzard over Ice Beam, but not really, probably would still be NU). But what if we could turn that typing right around, and create something with amazing STAB's, while having a great and unique set of resists. The one thing that I would say that is most similar to this concept that already exists would be Heatran. Nothing takes on Sun like it does, and all of its resists/immunites are unique and something only it can offer. I want to take this one step further, and see if an even greater level of uniqueness can be achieved.

Obviously, it will take some time to go through multiple type combinations to find an ideal type, but something that has really caught my eye in this concept is the possibility of the unpredictability of what said Pokemon's resists actually are. For this unpredictability factor to work, said Pokemon must have a fast "type changing move" or have multiple abilities. This doesn't really have to be implemented, since its probably too complex to incorporate all of that in and might take away from what the Pokemon does, but its just something that I think would be cool to have incorporated.

Sep 11th, 2012, 5:03:48 AM	#35
MysticNova Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 83	Concept: Trick Typing General Description: A Pokemon that uses the weaknesses of its typing as resists, and its resists as weaknesses in order to create a unique combination of defense and offense that wouldn't be able to be seen anywhere else. Justification: Such a Pokemon would be able to counter top threats without having to resort the the same typings over and over. You would also be able to have powerful offensive STABs without having a horrible typing. This would increase diversity in the amount of choices and what each choice offers when teambuilding. A lot of things can threaten or OHKO another Pokemon, but can't switch in to do it. This would allow you to have the same offensive STAB's that can defeat the same Pokemon, but you can now switch into such Pokemon. Once again, this creates a unique combination of offense and defense that wouldn't be able to be seen anywhere else, while allowing horrible typings defensively, but good offensively, such as Ice or Fire, shine. Questions to be Answered: How would a Pokemon activate this ability/trait? What threats can and should be covered by the Pokemon utilizing its ability/trait? What sort of typings would be best suited for the metagame? Should a field effect be created? What is an ideal balance between defensive and offensive capabilities? Should the Pokemon be focused towards either defensive or offensive? How would immunities play into this? Can the Pokemon still use its original typing effectively (defensively)? How would this influence the way this Pokemon is played or played against? Can the Pokemon offer a unique niche that nothing else can offer without its special ability/trait? Will it be difficult to find a counter for this Pokemon? Should this Pokemon be related to weather-either for or against it? Explanation: Typing has always been one of the most deciding factors in determining the viability of a Pokemon. Just look at the Rotom formes. Especially Rotom-F. BoltBeam STAB should make it a top tier Pokemon right? Nope barely gets any usage even in NU, simply because its typing sucks (and Blizzard over Ice Beam, but not really, probably would still be NU). But what if we could turn that typing right around, and create something with amazing STAB's, while having a great and unique set of resists. The one thing that I would say that is most similar to this concept that already exists would be Heatran. Nothing takes on Sun like it does, and all of its resists/immunites are unique and something only it can offer. I want to take this one step further, and see if an even greater level of uniqueness can be achieved. Obviously, it will take some time to go through multiple type combinations to find an ideal type, but something that has really caught my eye in this concept is the possibility of the unpredictability of what said Pokemon's resists actually are. For this unpredictability factor to work, said Pokemon must have a fast "type changing move" or have multiple abilities. This doesn't really have to be implemented, since its probably too complex to incorporate all of that in and might take away from what the Pokemon does, but its just something that I think would be cool to have incorporated.