SPOILERS! Pokemon Sword & Shield Pre-Release SPOILERS - Check Post 2!

I feel like it'll mostly be used so Pokemon can set up without dying. Like Falinks has a move that boosts every stat it has, but it has no recovery, so maybe a D-Max HP boost will give it the time it needs to get to boost itself to the point where it can no longer take any lethal damage and begin to sweep. Though I'm not sure how boosting moves work when D-Maxed. Do they change into generic D-Max moves?
From my understanding all non damaging moves becoming Max guard.
 
Oh god, this discussion got me looking up the Max Moves we know so far, and there is indeed one that boosts Attack, and one that boosts Speed; They are Fighting and Flying respectively, which means HAWLUCHA gets STAB on the Dragon Dance equivalent Max Move Combo.
Don't worry about it. Speculatory SWSH has told me Hawlucha isn't as great as this combo would let it on to be due to poor Flying STAB options and middling power outside of Dynamax. Still strong lad though
 
I suppose it's a good thing dexit happened then, I don't think I could see my dear skarm drop into UUBL or even *gulps* UU. Corv bodies it in every way: Bulk wise, ability wise and by the looks of it all...probably movepool wise if it gets rocks.
Skarm always still has spikes. Regardless it should have dropped to UU about a year ago when it was in the C ranks, but now it’s a solid B rank again
 
I'm gonna need a source on this. Even if this is true you still get to hold an item. Life Orb Fire Blast is 77% as powerful as Inferno Overdrive so even if they have lower base power they're still likely to be dealing comparable damage, if not outright much more.
Quite a while back, I did my own comparison and found that you pretty much reached Z-move power with a 10 or 20 power increase over the base move and a +50% damage boost (from any of Band/Specs, +1 offensive stat, -1 defensive stat, weather, terrain). So while you're first Max Flare won't hit quite as hard as a Z-move, your second and third ones will.
 
Makes weather teams a little more viable at least seeing as literally any member of the team could potentially be a secondary (or tertiary) setter.
Speaking of which, rain teams are currently down to only one rain setter (ability wise) with Pelipper, right? One thing I'm curious about is if any pokemon will gain the terrain surges as hidden abilities to make up for the lack of Tapus. The guardians themselves were strong and somewhat centralizing in certain metas but the abilities would be fun to see on other pokemon.
 
Skarm always still has spikes. Regardless it should have dropped to UU about a year ago when it was in the C ranks, but now it’s a solid B rank again
True enough, but we have no proof corv doesn't yet (though logically I don't see why it would). From what we know it kinda seems like skarm that's not dead set on just walling, there's potential for more sets then that it seems.

The tier dropping thing I feel like you're just saying to wound me, which jokes on you I'm kinda into.
 
I was thinking about using Dynamax Eiscue to set up hail for itself with the Max Ice to refresh Ice Face, but it doesn't really need dynamax for that, as long as it can get in on a physical attacker unscathed, it can just set Hail normally with its free turn.
 
I was thinking about using Dynamax Eiscue to set up hail for itself to refresh Ice Face, but it doesn't really need dynamax for that, as long as it can get in on a physical attacker unscathed, it can just set hail on its free turn.
It doesn't really seem like it has any reason not to hold an icy rock so throwing hail on it probably isn't a bad idea. Y'all nuts if you think it's going to be good just because of this though. Mimikyu failed to stay ou and it's typing and probably offensive presence is far better then this thing.

Eiscue really seems like GF's last ditch effort at making a bulky ice type...if this one doesn't work I'm going to have quite a time getting drunk and hitting on Eiscue's dad at its funeral.
 
It doesn't really seem like it has any reason not to hold an icy rock so throwing hail on it probably isn't a bad idea. Y'all nuts if you think it's going to be good just because of this though. Mimikyu failed to stay ou and it's typing and probably offensive presence is far better then this thing.
I mean this thing is virtually invincible to physical attacks while under hail. Kind of different from Mimikyu’s terrifying base 85 or whatever attack off of sub 100 BP STABs, with one chance to pull it off. They’re not comparable to each other
 
Quite a while back, I did my own comparison and found that you pretty much reached Z-move power with a 10 or 20 power increase over the base move and a +50% damage boost (from any of Band/Specs, +1 offensive stat, -1 defensive stat, weather, terrain). So while you're first Max Flare won't hit quite as hard as a Z-move, your second and third ones will.

That carries the inherent drawback of predictability, though. If my opponent only hits that hard with a Fire max move, and they can't switch out, I can send in my counter to fire moves. Or change the weather, or buff my special defense with Dynamax, or just tank it with my doubled HP, and so on. I don't usually have to just pray that my opponent didn't bring the right move or guess when they're going to use it. If I anticipate a Dynamax coming, I pretty much always have the option to double my HP to tank it, unless I have deliberately foregone that possibility in the match.

I do foresee a problem if, as expected, Max moves allow you to break choice locks without switching out. I also think it's disappointing that certain types, such as physical Dark types or special Fighting types, get left high and dry by their STAB Max Moves giving buffs that are of no relevance to what they're doing.
 
I mean this thing is virtually invincible to physical attacks while under hail. Kind of different from Mimikyu’s terrifying base 85 or whatever attack off of sub 100 BP STABs, with one chance to pull it off. They’re not comparable to each other

Well damn, daddy tearing me down every chance you get huh?

I suppose you're right, but are we sure it restores after 1 turn? And I assume its at the end of the turn? If that's the case singles might see some use of it, but it'll be trash in doubles.

If it has some form of recovery on top of everything....then maybe we'll talk.
 
Do we know how Dynamax interacts with items and abilities yet? I'm especially wondering about choice items. If a banded pokemon will get locked into one max move until it changes back or if the item (including the boost) ends up ignored.

Implying anyone would use Politoed when Pelipper exists.

VGC and tiers other than OU exist so they might. >.>
 
It doesn't really seem like it has any reason not to hold an icy rock so throwing hail on it probably isn't a bad idea. Y'all nuts if you think it's going to be good just because of this though. Mimikyu failed to stay ou and it's typing and probably offensive presence is far better then this thing.

Eiscue really seems like GF's last ditch effort at making a bulky ice type...if this one doesn't work I'm going to have quite a time getting drunk and hitting on Eiscue's dad at its funeral.

Eiscue seems to have an incredibly specific niche of checking Fighting types on Hail teams, which other Pokémon can probably do better. Otherwise, Rock-types and specially oriented Fire types shouldn't have much problem taking it down. Keep in mind the most common attacking Rock moves (including the physical ones) don't make contact: Stone Edge, Power Gem, Rock Slide...
 
I mean this thing is virtually invincible to physical attacks while under hail. Kind of different from Mimikyu’s terrifying base 85 or whatever attack off of sub 100 BP STABs, with one chance to pull it off. They’re not comparable to each other
Also, once you removed all the special attackers, it's going to be a nightmare for your opponent. Combine that with Hail damage and, ideally, Toxic/Toxic Spikes, your opponent won't like to switch out their Pkm even if they had special attackers. And flying Pkm are usually weak to ice moves. I'm not sure about its place in OU, but it might have a higher chance to find a place in monotype if an ice player manages to find some space for it, that is.
 
Eiscue could be very strong as a blanket check to physical attackers on monotype ice type teams especially since it can be refreshed thanks to hail. What it can do instead will depend on its moveset though.
 
Also, once you removed all the special attackers, it's going to be a nightmare for your opponent. Combine that with Hail damage and, ideally, Toxic/Toxic Spikes, your opponent won't like to switch out their Pkm even if they had special attackers. And flying Pkm are usually weak to ice moves. I'm not sure about its place in OU, but it might have a higher chance to find a place in monotype if an ice player manages to find some space for it, that is.
Especially considering of all the types, ice probably got hit the least with Dexit. Most of the key players of the ice type are still here.
 
Skarm always still has spikes. Regardless it should have dropped to UU about a year ago when it was in the C ranks, but now it’s a solid B rank again
In addition to Defog, Corviknight will probably get Spikes due to the use of caltrops in Britain and the fact that a nickname for them is "crow's feet." It would be a missed opportunity if they didn't tbh. Get fucked Skarmory lol
 
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It probably won't find a place in any of the higher tiers, but that is exactly how such a ridiculous and situationally powerful niche should be.

Hmm, a Pokémon whose ability is so binarily powerful that it singlehandedly makes it an nigh-impenetrable counter to specific team compositions while being utterly useless against others? Honestly, who would ever want to use something like that?

shedinja.jpg
 
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