GSC Redux: Rise of the Metallics (Proposal)

[zfs]

This is an idea that sprung from a meta-game I played in a test battle with DTC. I was considering a metagame with no abilities as a way to even the playing field and change what is important in selecting pokemon to fill a certain role, emphasizing movepool, stats and typing the way that the equal BST meta emphasizes movepool, ability and typing. DTC suggested removing abilities, items and EVs, but otherwise playing in the BW metagame with all eligible pokemon. It was a fun battle, and it got me thinking about other ways to change metagames by introducing arbitrary restrictions and/or additions. This is the result of that line of thought.

Basic metagame abstract: A meta which combines aspects of RBY Cup and new ideas about movepool restriction, plus introducing new mechanics and abilities into a previously static environment.

Basic outline of the metagame:

1. Restricted to the first 251 pokemon (Bulbasaur-Celebi) with Ubers consisting of Mewtwo, Mew, Ho-Oh and Lugia.

2. Pokemon are restricted to their GSC learnset; not moves they learn in BW that also existed in GSC, but their actual GSC learnset. For example, Delibird no longer gets Spikes, but it did in GSC through the New York Pokemon Center, so it can use Spikes. Venusaur can learn Sludge Bomb in B/W, and Sludge Bomb existed in GSC, but Venusaur couldn't use Sludge Bomb in GSC, so it can't use Sludge Bomb.

3. All EVs are set to 248 with a neutral nature and 31 IVs. This mimics the actual stats from GSC. Obviously, you have to change your IVs to utilize Hidden Power.

4. Male/Female mechanics are post-GSC; that is, you don't need to lower attack DVs to make a Pokemon with variable gender female. This is minor, but can potentially be important for things like Attract.

5. All moves have their current B/W functionality. This includes the physical/special split, and any changes to base power, PP, or move mechanics that occurred between GSC and B/W.

6. Items are restricted to either items that existed in GSC or that have a post-GSC item with identical functionality, i.e. Miracle Berry and Mint Berry are functionally identical to Lum Berry and Chesto Berry. In a perfect world, I'd also include Berserk Gene and set the type-specific boosting items back to a 12.5% boost instead of 20%, but that's a minor problem.

7. Abilities exist and can be used, including hidden abilities from DW. I'm going to say that we'll start off with Drizzle/Swift Swim being legal, Moody being illegal, and everything else being legal.

8. Standard clauses still apply, including Sleep Clause, Evasion Clause and OHKO clause. There's also no team preview.

How this changes GSC: In a word, drastically. The biggest change prima facie is the inclusion of abilities which greatly alter the GSC meta. Weather, previously a laughably inept gimmick except in very rare cases, now becomes a force, with Politoed, Ninetales and Tyranitar all existing to set-up permanent weather, and a number of powerful abusers of each weather. With the removal of Choice Band, Huge Power Azumarill joins Thick Club Marowak as one of the heaviest non-boosted hitters in the meta. Wobbuffet, a low-tier NU pokemon in the standard GSC meta, re-gains his RSE niche with the introduction of Shadow Tag to the environment.

Move mechanic changes are also a huge difference maker. Sleep Talk's inability to successfully choose and use Rest largely neuters many of the most powerful, difficult to kill movesets in the game, including the all-powerful Curselax. Dragonite, long hindered in GSC by a complete inability to abuse his Dragon STAB, gains 120 base power physical Outrage. Triple-Layering transforms Spikes from a nuisance into a game-breaker. Explosion, a hugely powerful move in the actual GSC meta, has been greatly nerfed.

Obviously, I'm interested in any thoughts, suggestions, changes, etc. from the public. This way an idea that I conceptualized in a single day without much outside input, so it invariably has some flaws that I haven't noticed yet.

Besides that, feel free to discuss possible sets that you think will be especially useful in the meta, theorymon some potential strategies, or just revel in the awesomeness that is the return of Delibird as Spiker.



"Hmm, a letter from zfs, my favorite little Jewish boy...what!? I get spikes again!? Oh happy day!"

[SpecsX]

I got nothing to say. Just reveling in Delibird's greatness. Seems like Growth Eeveelutions will be incredible here.

[zfs]

Also, a mechanics question for people:

Were it possible, would you want to see the stat cap of 999 like in GSC, or no stat cap like in post-GSC?

[IstheCakeReallyaLie]

>Spikes Delibird
You are a god. Can it learn Rapid Spin in GSC? Because if so, I think we have the next Forrestress on out hands.

[Steamroll]

Originally Posted by Fat zfs

Also, a mechanics question for people:

Were it possible, would you want to see the stat cap of 999 like in GSC, or no stat cap like in post-GSC?

Fuck the 999 limit, 16 attack marowak is dumb >:(.

[Pocket]

This is really cool, but ban weather summoning abilities. Introducing weather would make GSC not GSC anymore. GSC TTar is also not a special tank that we all know today - Unnerve plz

I'd also say ban Trapping abilities, such as Magnet Pull, Arena Trap, & Shadow Tag that made future gen ez

Also only 1 layer of Spikes plz

[zfs]

Pocket, I'm taking all of your suggestions under advisement, and discussing it with people who have shown interest in the meta on IRC. I think I'm definitely behind limiting Tyranitar to Unnerve (I don't have a huge problem with stream in general, but Tyranitar getting a SpDef boost is completely contrary to the spirit of this meta, which is meant to be a quicker, more dynamic version of GSC), and Drizzle was definitely something that needs to be talked about, since in the games I've played, Vaporeon is an absolute terror.

[zfs]

So, early returns on some mechanical things:

Nobody has seen a real need for the 999 stat cap, so stats will stay un-capped ala Gen 3 and beyond.

Type-Boosting items are minor enough that staying as a 20% boost isn't a problem, but everyone wants to see Berserk Gene make a comeback.

Pretty much universal acceptance to the idea of banning weather inducing abilities, especially among those who saw the terror that is Hydration Vaporeon in a GSC environment.

Trapping abilities and layered spikes I'm going to take more time to discuss with people.

Oh, and special metagame-creator veto for Delibird to be able to use Rapid Spin + Spikes even though it's an illegal Egg Move + NYPC combo, because he's Delibird and he deserves it.

[zfs]

Bumping this so that people can find it more easily now that we're doing things like voting on OMotM.