Right, I'm locking this. When influential people begin suggesting things like Hustle, I honestly don't know how many people in this thread are trolling or not. I wanted this thread to be a bit more lighthearted, and I'm not certain that it's working. So, I'll make my thoughts clear before the polls go up.
I honestly don't know if people are deliberately ignoring me or simply haven't had time to read my posts, but know that I am annoyed when people bring up posts that were made in the previous thread, without even acknowledging my thoughts on the same matter, or simply believing that I am supposed to treat those words as gospel. I did read those posts, and I ignored them because frankly, their arguments were greatly flawed at best. So repeating them is, if anything, more likely to make me ignore your points - almost as much as the blatant appeals to popularity that have been flying around everywhere. I will say it for those of you who don't get it: popularity is not an argument.
I feel obliged to repeat my remarks that I made before. If Colossoil and Krilowatt taught us anything at all, it's that haphazardly slapping abilities on that could be used for one function, pertinent to the concept, does not mean they will be used in that way. Flare Boost could have a trillion applications or just one, but it comes down to the same thing - by selecting it we adopt the mindset that the timer-tornado is a valid path to walk for this CAP. That is not something I can accept. Moxie works, true, but the stat spreads are already thoroughly bound up by so many considerations - adding yet another one, so strong as Moxie, introduces more problems than it solves. From a process standpoint I can't justify its inclusion. As for Multiscale and Sturdy... I liked them to begin with, but I fear I may have underestimated the strength of a guaranteed turn, or guaranteed switch-in, with relative safety. As such, I have decided that none of these abilities deserve inclusion on the slate, but I thank all of you who debated and argued for them.
If you're still ignoring - or even not responding to - arguments for No Guard, then I'm not sure what I can say. Most of the posts I have seen (not all) have consisted purely of "I don't like No Guard and here's why". And that's fine, but it'd be nice if you addressed the arguments of others as well. Now look - No Guard is solely a prior-battle risky ability. The risk is in choosing No Guard - in effect, to remove the uncertainty factor from the game. If you do not think that that is risky - to my mind, it is, in a far deeper manner to that which those supporters of Flare Boost seem to be fixated upon - then I can't see anything I can say that will help. The choice to remove uncertainty is one which affects both teams, for the entirety of the time that CAP4 is out - while Illusion is most effective at the beginning, and Weak Armour at the end, No Guard's risk is perpetual. Why is No Guard's uncertainty-removal any different to that of any other abilities you are certainly itching to name? Because No Guard only removes the uncertainty that is outside the player's control, and no more. Certainly, those of you who believe that risk is solely defined by player-player interactions within the game itself will fail to understand this argument, and I'm sorry for that. There is nothing else to be said. I could go on to other arguments - that No Guard's effective power-boost as an ability also extends to support moves, for example - but I feel my words would be wasted.
Oh, I forgot the ludicrous argument that No Guard is inherently overpowered on anything it touches. I'm not sure if you've heard of Golurk, but it has Dynamicpunch and Stone Edge and yet, as far as the OU analysis is concerned, Iron Fist is the ability of choice. This CAP will not receive anything even remotely close to the strength of Dynamicpunch if No Guard is chosen. That is my final word on the matter. Furthermore, Guts wasn't exactly uncommon on Machamp in DPP either - it is almost certain that Weak Armour and Illusion will easily justify their use over it.
Finally, a word on "triality". I took this to mean that every ability would see use on similar sets, with its own technical, inherent advantages. Flare Boost is best used on a set with Flame Orb - you cannot have a Flare Boost Abuse set with Weak Armour. It does not satisfy my criteria for triality. No Guard, Weak Armour and Illusion can all theoretically be used on a similar set, for better or for worse. At the same time, any arbitrary ability does not satisfy the criteria because they do not necessarily change the way that one would play the similar set. If you don't understand my meaning of triality I encourage you to discard it - it was meant to simplify things, but if it is complicating things instead it is best to do away with it.
With all that said, here is the slate for CAP4's Tertiary Ability.
Code:
No Guard
No Competitive Ability
I haven't changed anything from last time. If I had desperately wanted No Guard, or possibly been a less scrupulous person, I may have run No Guard against something that could never win, such as Mummy. But I do believe that you have a right to vote for no ability at all if you wish - and that as one who believes that I must do what is best for the Project and the Community, I should not slate something I would not want - so as No Guard is the only ability that, to my mind, currently satisfies everything I am looking for, it is the one to be voted upon.
Please keep this in mind when you inevitably complain in the voting thread. At any rate, I will know who did and didn't read this post.
Poll will be up shortly.