reachzero
the pastor of disaster
This poll will definitively decide the concept for CAP 1. Like last round, this will be a Bold Vote. The details of how a bold vote works can be found here: http://www.smogon.com/cap/process/process_rules . Please vote for one, and only once, concept. The two remaining concepts are:
Concept: Weather Slayer
Description: This Pokémon exploits weaknesses in a team built around any weather condition to pose a large threat to the opposing team as a whole, analogously to the way in which offensive lead Machamp was used to exploit the lead metagame in Generation IV.
Justification: Weather is probably the most controversial subject in this generation today. A Pokémon created with this concept could contribute to metagame diversity by making teams that don't necessarily exploit a weather condition more viable. As well, this concept could allow the community to explore how "weather teams" can be checked effectively, and how "weather teams" can adapt to a threat like CAP 1.
Questions To Be Answered:
- Will a "weather slayer" allow strategies not dependent on weather to be more effective?
- Which threats should a "weather slayer" concentrate on checking or countering directly?
- Which lesser-used Pokémon become more relevant and viable with a "weather slayer" in the metagame?
- Which OU Pokémon can best use the help of a "weather slayer" to their advantage?
- How effective is the "weather slayer" outside of checking opposing weather-based strategies?
- Can less common weather-based teams use the "weather slayer" to counter other weather-based teams to become more viable?
- Are all weather conditions worth "slaying"?
This poll will close in 24 hours. Choose wisely!Concept: Momentum
General Description: This will be a Pokemon that can be utilized to gain or regain momentum for a player's team at any point in the match as its primary function.
Justification: Gen. 5 is a very powerful metagame. As such, most battles are won by the smarter strategist who can best maneuver around his/her opponent's onslaught to gain even a single turn's advantage, potentially clinching them the match. This process of gaining and regaining momentum is most often the defining element that makes a winner and a loser out of a single Pokemon battle. Any top player in this metagame should agree that momentum is the most crucial element in any given match; however, "momentum" itself is a rather vaguely defined term that is never really explored in concrete terms. Is it keeping opposing teams on the defensive? Forcing switches? Good prediction? Spamming U-turn? These have all been approaches to achieving momentum, but they are also player-side and largely synonymous with "strategy," as opposed to Pokemon-side and regarding a Pokemon's role on the team. Certainly there are threats like Ferrothorn/Gliscor (defensive) and Scizor/Latios/Voltlos, etc., etc. (offensive) that can achieve momentum as we know it, but there is no current niche for a "momentum Pokemon" because the concept has been purely delegated to players and not to Pokemon.
Questions to be Answered:
-How do we define momentum in terms of competitive Pokemon? What factors make current Pokemon able to achieve momentum and how can we incorporate that information into a successful CAP?
-How do different styles of play (Weather-based offense, stall, bulky offense, etc.) use momentum to achieve their goals and how can our CAP play to those strategies in an effort to take their momentum away?
-What type of traditional role (sweeper, tank, wall, support) would a Pokemon like this most resemble? Would it have to be able to fit more than one of these roles to fit in a variety of teams?
-How will the different playstyles be affected by the addition of a Pokemon that can regain offensive/defensive momentum at any given point? Will offensive teams play more conservatively? Will defensive teams play more recklessly? Will everything simply adapt to a new threat and move on normally?