CAP 32 - Part 14 - Moveset Discussion

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snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
CAP 32 So Far

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In this stage, we are determining the required and disallowed competitive moves by creating a list of approved movesets. The movesets will be decided based on the competitive needs and limitations of this project. We are not submitting full movepools at this time. There will be a later stage for movepool submissions (level-up sets, egg moves, etc) once the required and disallowed moves have been determined via the accepted movesets.

Moveset Discussion Rules & Guidelines

There should be five kinds of posts in the thread:
  • Moveset Archetype Submissions
  • Moveset Submissions
  • Moveset Edits/Option Submissions
  • General Commentary
  • Section Leader/Topic Leader Announcements/Updates
This means that no moves can be suggested or commented on unless they are part of a full competitive moveset submission or suggested as a additional option for one or more previous movesets. Any recommendations to disallow certain moves should only be in reference to moves contained in previously posted movesets.

The general flow of this thread should go like this:
  1. People post moveset archetypes.
  2. People post moveset submissions for these archetypes in a prescribed format (see below)
  3. Other people suggest to add/remove moves or other options to previously posted movesets (see below)
  4. Other people propose edits to the descriptive information with previously posted movesets
  5. Other people comment on the competitive pros and cons of previously posted movesets, additions/removals, and proposed edits
  6. Continuously over the course of the thread, the movepool leader updates the first post in the thread with the "currently accepted" movesets and other information related to the status of the intelligent community consensus (see below)
By the end of this discussion thread, we should have the following outputs:
  • The top post in the thread (maintained by the Movepool Leader) will contain a list of all edited, approved movesets
  • The top post will list controversial movesets and/or optional moves that need to be voted on by the community
Prohibited Moves:
Legendary Signature Moves are banned from discussion unless one (or more) is specifically allowed by the combined consensus of the TL and the Movepool Leader. The following moves are considered Legendary Signatures:

Aeroblast
Astral Barrage
Behemoth Bash
Behemoth Blade
Blue Flare
Bolt Strike
Crush Grip
Collision Course
Core Enforcer
Dark Void
Doom Desire
Dragon Ascent
Dynamax Cannon
Electro Drift
Eternabeam
Fleur Cannon
Freeze Shock
Fusion Bolt
Fusion Flare
Geomancy
Glacial Lance
Glaciate
Heart Swap
Hyperspace Fury
Hyperspace Hole
Ice Burn
Judgement
Jungle Healing
Land's Wrath
Light of Ruin
Lunar Dance
Luster Purge
Magma Storm
Mist Ball
Moongeist Beam
Oblivion Wing
Origin Pulse
Photon Geyser
Plasma Fists
Precipice Blades
Prismatic Laser
Psycho Boost
Psystrike
Relic Song
Roar of Time
Ruination
Sacred Fire
Searing Shot
Secret Sword
Seed Flare
Shadow Force
Spacial Rend
Spectral Thief
Steam Eruption
Surging Strikes
Sunsteel Strike
Techno Blast
Thousand Arrows
Thousand Waves
V-Create
Wicked Blow


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Moveset Submissions

Movesets should be posted in the following format:

Moveset Submission

Name: Agility Sweeper
Move 1: Agility
Move 2: Thunderbolt
Move 3: Energy Ball
Move 4: Earth Power / Focus Blast
Ability: Sheer Force
Item: Life Orb
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Timid / Modest
  • Agility doubles CAP X's speed, which allows it to sweep.
  • Because of CAP X's Electric typing, Thunderbolt can hit Water-types like Arghonaut and Toxapex very hard.
  • Energy Ball allows CAP X to break through common Ground-types which may look to switch into its Electric-type STAB, most notably Seismitoad and Hippowdon.
  • Earth Power lets CAP X hit Pokemon such as Excadrill, and Aegislash extremely hard, however, Focus Blast is also an option that allows CAP X to deal with Pokemon such as Equilibra and Ferrothorn if desired.
  • Life Orb's recoil is removed by Sheer Force and allows CAP X to hit even harder.
  • Timid is preferred as it allows CAP X to outpace Dragapult after it has used Agility, but Modest can be used for more breaking power, notably allowing CAP X to OHKO Toxapex.
Code:
[B]Moveset Submission[/B]

Name:
Move 1:
Move 2:
Move 3:
Move 4:
Ability: (optional)
Item: (optional)
EVs: (optional)
Nature: (optional)
[LIST]
[*]
[*]
[*]
[/LIST]
Please keep to the above format so the movepool leader can easily see which posts in the thread are proposing new moveset submissions, and can easily locate the information when updating the top post in the thread.

Ability, Item, EVs, and Nature are optional. All that is required are four moves, a name, and some descriptive information (in bullet form).

Any suggested moveset posted without any reasonable description will be deleted by the moderators. People should not spam movesets, post without checking the movesets already submitted, or post movesets without thinking them through.

Although we are not posting movesets in the full C&C analysis format, you should generally adhere to C&C standards where it makes sense. While there will not be excessively strict moderation on this, use common sense. Don't get too slash-happy with moves, no stupid names, use proper spelling and grammar, etc.

If you are unsure of the optimal ability, item, EVs, or nature -- you can leave it out and it can be edited in later over the course of the thread. By the end of the thread, every accepted moveset should be filled in completely. That doesn't mean we need to be 100% sure of every aspect of the moveset. It's fine if we go with our best guess and leave it to the playtest to optimize it.


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Moveset Edits/Option Submissions

Edits/options should be made by copying the most recent version of the moveset and description into an unattributed quote tags ([ QUOTE][ /QUOTE]). Then make any edits, additions, or replacements in bold text, removals should be in strike-through text. The most recent copy should taken from the top post or from the original submission post, depending on whichever one is most current.

Posters can and should comment on the reasoning and background for any proposed edits outside of Quote tags. Simple wording or spelling corrections do not need any explanation or commentary.

Additional move proposals must be made in the context of one or more movesets. The user cannot simply post "I suggest we add Taunt as an option to all non-choiced movesets", for example.


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Movepool Leader/Topic Leader Posts

The first post under the OP is reserved by the Movepool Leader, and will serve as the reference post for the current status of the discussion.

When the Movepool Leader determines that a moveset, option, or edit is accepted by intelligent community consensus, they will add/update a list of "Approved Movesets" in the first post. The Movepool Leader SHOULD NOT add every submission to the first post automatically, simply because it was posted in the thread. The Movepool Leader SHOULD NOT add a submission to the first post if it was not actively accepted by intelligent community consensus. "Lack of any response" is not the same as "acceptance". As with all CAP discussion threads, the leader should always use their best judgement.

If a proposal has received significant intelligent feedback (positive or negative), but it has not yet reached consensus, the Movepool leader should add it to an "Under Consideration" list in the first post. If the thread ends with controversial items that can't reach consensus, they will go to a community poll. In most cases, the "Under Consideration" list should be comprised of full movesets or additional option proposals. Edits to the description of most movesets, probably will not require extensive discussion or polling.

As the Movepool Leader makes updates to the first post, they should also post announcements in the thread indicating what they have added or updated. This will allow active discussion participants to easily track the progress of the thread. The Topic Leader should also post regular feedback in the thread, like every other competitive discussion.

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Name: Agility Sweeper
Move 1: Agility
Move 2: Thunderbolt
Move 3: Ice Beam
Move 4: Earth Power / Energy Ball
Ability: Sheer Force
Item: Life Orb
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Nature: Modest / Timid
  • Agility doubles CAP X's speed, which allows it to sweep.
  • Because of CAP X's Electric typing, Thunderbolt can hit Water-types like Arghonaut very hard.
  • Ice Beam complements Thunderbolt very well, allowing it to hit Ground-types like Garchomp.
  • Earth Power lets CAP X hit Heatran and Mega Crucibelle very hard, while Energy Ball lets it hit Gastrodon and Mega Swampert harder.
  • Sheer Force powers up CAP X's main moves.
  • Life Orb's recoil is removed by Sheer Force and allows CAP X to hit even harder.
  • Modest is preferred for more power, but Timid can be used to outspeed Gyarados and Heatran before boosting.
 

shnowshner

You've Gotta Try
is a Pre-Contributor
We're nearing the end of CAP 32's main process now: in this stage we'll spend time ironing out what sets 32 could effectively run in the metagame, and ultimately decide the most important pieces of its final movepool.

As a refresher, here's our statline, abilities, and Defining Moves (underlined+bolded moves being those Vile and Base listed in their submission)

90 / 99 / 89 / 99 / 97 / 55 (BST: 529)

Primary Ability: Pixilate
Secondary Ability: Intimidate

Required:
  • If Physical/Mixed: Extreme Speed, Double-Edge, Flare Blitz/Heat Crash
  • If Special/Mixed: Hyper Voice, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Overheat
  • At least one of: U-Turn/Volt Switch/Parting Shot
Optional:
  • Boomburst, Rapid Spin, Fire Lash, Knock Off, Will-o-Wisp, Taunt, 50% Recovery, Strength Sap, Stealth Rock, Spikes
  • At most one of: Bitter Blade/Armor Cannon/Torch Song — Psychic Coverage/Electric Coverage
Now it wouldn't be a proper CAP stage without some discussion prior to submissions. This is not me stalling for time because I have to spend >36 hours of the next three days doing work-related stuff. Answer these questions and we'll move onto finalizing our competitive process!

  1. How do we feel about our Defining Moves list? Is there anything there we don't see as necessary anymore?
  2. Unsurprisingly, our stats are rather average. Though we're capable of eating strong hits if desired, our 99/99/55 offenses definitely fall below the curve of the CAP metagame, with Boomburst carrying much of the raw power. Are there any moves that we felt were previously off-limits but now could help bolster us past our meager statline, and into something the opponent is compelled to respect?
  3. Which side of the offensive spectrum do we want to maximize investment into? Is CAP 32 capable of running viable Physical, Special, and/or Mixed sets?
  4. CAP 32 at this point has been largely defined by its strong Normal moves being Fairy-type, and losing that in exchange for situationally better physical defense via Intimidate is a hard bargain to make. How much room is there for Intimidate to function? Is this something we should spend time looking at?
I aiming discussion to last about 24 hours.

==================================
Bitter Blade, Boomburst, Bulk Up, Double-Edge, Draining Kiss, Explosion, Extreme Speed, Fiery Dance, Fire Blast, Fire Lash, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Knock Off, Lava Plume, Moonblast, Moonlight, Psychic, Psyshock, Spikes, Taunt, Thunder, Thunderbolt, Volt Switch, Wild Charge, Will-O-Wisp, Zen Headbutt

Nothing!

Torch Song, Strength Sap, Volt Tackle, Lumina Crash, Heat Crash, Growth, Parting Shot, Rapid Spin, Nuzzle

Name: Bulk Up
Move 1: Bulk Up
Move 2: Bitter Blade
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Knock Off / Double-Edge
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
Tera Type: Water / Fairy
Nature: Adamant
Name: Physically Defensive
Move 1: Moonblast
Move 2: Strength Sap Moonlight
Move 3: Parting Shot Volt Switch
Move 4: Will-o-Wisp / Nuzzle / Spikes / Lava Plume / Knock Off
Ability: Intimidate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Nature: Bold
Name: Choice Band
Move 1: Extreme Speed
Move 2: Explosion
Move 3: Bitter Blade
Move 4: Volt Tackle / Double-Edge / Knock Off
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Name: Physical Bitter Blade
Move 1: Bitter Blade
Move 2: Extreme Speed
Move 3: Knock Off
Move 4: Parting Shot Volt Switch
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
Name: All-Out Attacker
Move 1: Explosion
Move 2: Knock Off
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Fire Lash
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
Name: Offensive Bulk Up
Move 1: Bulk Up
Move 2: Bitter Blade
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Knock Off / Thunder Punch / Moonlight / Strength Sap / Taunt / Substitute
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe or 136 HP / 252 Atk / 120 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Name: Choice Band Wallbreaker
Move 1: Extreme Speed
Move 2: Fire Lash / Bitter Blade / Flare Blitz
Move 3: Zen Headbutt / Wild Charge
Move 4: U-turn / Explosion
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
Name: Bulky Espeed
Move 1: Extreme Speed
Move 2: Fire Lash / Will-O-Wisp
Move 3: Knock Off
Move 4: Moonlight
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
Nature: Impish
Tera Type: Fairy / Flying
EVs: 252 HP / 124 Atk / 132 Def
Name: Breaker (Special)
Move 1: Boomburst
Move 2: Fire Blast
Move 3: Volt Switch
Move 4: Extreme Speed / Spikes / Thunder
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Choice Specs
Nature: Modest
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Name: Fiery Dance
Move 1: Fiery Dance
Move 2: Boomburst
Move 3: Knock Off / Thunderbolt / Psyshock
Move 4: Strength Sap Moonlight
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
Nature: Modest
Tera Type: Fairy / some defensive tera
EVs: 192 HP / 252 SpA / 64 Spe (or a bulkier spread)
 
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Zetalz

Expect nothing, deliver less
is a Pre-Contributor
How do we feel about our Defining Moves list? Is there anything there we don't see as necessary anymore?
Required moves is just goodstuff STABS + PS, really see no reason to disclude anything on there besides maybe the other pivoting moves. The most defining thing in there that needs ironing out is Heat Crash imo, as working with it in mind changes how well full physical and/or Intim sets will function. More on that later.

Which side of the offensive spectrum do we want to maximize investment into? Is CAP 32 capable of running viable Physical, Special, and/or Mixed sets?
Special 32 is viable no matter what ability or spread you run on it imo. Boomburst carries on Pixilate sets ofc, but even on Intim sets something like Flame+Moonblast is still somewhat respectable. Mixed sets are a bit of a misnomer, as I find it very unlikely 32 will actually run a mixed spread given just how poor it's offense spread is. It's more likely to just run full physical/special with the 1 opposite spectrum Pixil move to fill it out, BB is still insane even without invest and the threat of Espeed in the back forces the opponent to respect it.

Physical is a bit more touch and go. Espeed and Double Edge are obv very powerful, but there's still some issues. Neither move is as spammable as BB, Espeed is relatively weak in comparison and low PP, while Edge (and Blitz) have the recoil caveat, made worse with how slow 32 is. I think the most crucial thing for physical 32 to succeed is to have a move that can replicate the no-drawback appeal of Boomburst, namely; Heat Crash. A mostly maxed out Heat Crash gives full physical sets a drawback-less STAB option, and also lets Intim sets remain competitive damage-wise with the lack of Pixliate boosted moves. Without it, I struggle to picture a physical-leaning 32 being able to remain competitive with special-leaning simply from how much less 'free' it's STAB options are.

CAP 32 at this point has been largely defined by its strong Normal moves being Fairy-type, and losing that in exchange for situationally better physical defense via Intimidate is a hard bargain to make. How much room is there for Intimidate to function? Is this something we should spend time looking at?
Intim's viability is largely defined by two things; 1) the power of it's non-Pixilate boosted attacks, and 2) the level of pressure it's able to exert through it's utility options. I've already mentioned that Heat Crash has a large impact on Intim's viability by providing a high power low/no drawback STAB in the absence of Pixilate, so instead I'll focus on utility. Spikes and Knock are self-explanatory for the value they provide in applying pressure to the opponent, but more interesting to me is that of status inflicting moves (Wisp & Twave primarily). Status infliction pairs excellently with either of the 2 previously mentioned utility options, and makes sets like STAB/recovery/2 utility feel like less of a sink without the Pixilate unga bunga boost.

Another option, though an undoubtedly more controversial one, is the inclusion of 1 of the very strong Fire moves discussed previously; Bitter Blade, Armor Canon and Torch Song. In the same vein as Heat Crash, they pick up the slack of lacking Pixil moves. Bitter Blade reduces the pressure of needing 50% Recovery on some sets, Armor Cannon is consistent pressure on the Special side, and Torch Song enhances the value of getting even a single free turn. This isn't my favorite path to take, as I think making Intim sets viable is possible without any of these, and something like Torch Song opens up other cans of worms, but I do think it's worth discussion at this point.
 

Da Pizza Man

Pizza Time
is a Pre-Contributor
Unsurprisingly, our stats are rather average. Though we're capable of eating strong hits if desired, our 99/99/55 offenses definitely fall below the curve of the CAP metagame, with Boomburst carrying much of the raw power. Are there any moves that we felt were previously off-limits but now could help bolster us past our meager statline, and into something the opponent is compelled to respect?

I think that given our fairly low attack, I would be fine with allowing certain Attack Boosting Setup Moves. Swords Dance is most certainly still going to be off the table, and I really shouldn't have to explain why an -ate Extreme Speed user with Swords Dance would be too much. However, I think that we are just weak enough to the point where giving ourselves access to something that a +1 Attack Boost while allow us to serve as a fairly respectable threat while not making us super overbearing.

CAP 32 at this point has been largely defined by its strong Normal moves being Fairy-type, and losing that in exchange for situationally better physical defense via Intimidate is a hard bargain to make. How much room is there for Intimidate to function? Is this something we should spend time looking at?

Intimidate is a worthless ability for us. I've been very vocal about this on Discord (Although not so much in the thread which I sort of regret), so it should come as no surprise that I don't really think that there is really any worth in spending time to try to take a look at it. To elaborate, I do not believe CAP32 has the tools to pull of defensive sets well (And movepool additions really aren't going to fix that), and on offensive sets the choice is pretty much always going to be Pixilate just due to how much more valuable the additional extra power (And for physical sets, the added utility of Extreme Speed) than Intimidate drops for us.
 
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Unsurprisingly, our stats are rather average. Though we're capable of eating strong hits if desired, our 99/99/55 offenses definitely fall below the curve of the CAP metagame, with Boomburst carrying much of the raw power. Are there any moves that we felt were previously off-limits but now could help bolster us past our meager statline, and into something the opponent is compelled to respect?
Yes, I think Bulk Up could really help out physical sets, 99 Attack I don't think would be very good without boosting, but something like Swords Dance is too strong. Bulk Up is perfect, it's not too strong but is enough to be viable. And something like Howl would be too weak.

Also I think speed boosting moves could help out special sets, I think you'd be more inclined to try out Boomburst if you were capable of going faster.

Which side of the offensive spectrum do we want to maximize investment into? Is CAP 32 capable of running viable Physical, Special, and/or Mixed sets?
I can see us running physical, I can see us running special, but I cannot see us running mixed. We don't have the moveslot or EV flexibility for mixed sets to be viable IMO.

CAP 32 at this point has been largely defined by its strong Normal moves being Fairy-type, and losing that in exchange for situationally better physical defense via Intimidate is a hard bargain to make. How much room is there for Intimidate to function? Is this something we should spend time looking at?
I don't think Intimidate is an ability that will be competitively viable on CAP 32, we just lose so much without our main Pixilate STABs. I'm sure some people will submit Intimidate sets, but IMO it is not something we need to spend time looking at.
 
It annoys me when people trot out opinions like "Intimidate is worthless" as if they're objective fact. CAP32 has the same physical defense as Lando-T, a typing that shuts down many of the biggest threats in the metagame, and a potentially superb movepool. Strength Sap, Moonblast and Lava Plume/Wisp allow it to beat everything it needs to, and it can use Spikes, Knock Off, Parting Shot or another option to reduce its passivity. Sure, Intimidate will probably be a niche pick compared to Pixilate (as befits a secondary ability), but theorymonning that a Pokemon with these incredible strengths would be unviable is ridiculous in my opinion.
 

snake

is a Community Leaderis a Top CAP Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
CAP Co-Leader
Unsurprisingly, our stats are rather average. Though we're capable of eating strong hits if desired, our 99/99/55 offenses definitely fall below the curve of the CAP metagame, with Boomburst carrying much of the raw power. Are there any moves that we felt were previously off-limits but now could help bolster us past our meager statline, and into something the opponent is compelled to respect?
The obvious answer here is boosting. CAP32 can use its bulk to set up, and the attack stat is low enough to not be crazy after one turn of boosting (especially compared to the higher attack spreads). While some have called Swords Dance into question, I think it should be examined with some scrutiny. Base 55 Speed is stupidly slow, even if Extreme Speed helps to make up for it. It could be balanced given CAP32's stat spread. Bulk Up/Coil are also options to consider.

Also, I want to call out how well Bitter Blade combines with setup. Compressing Fire-type STAB and recovery into one move allows for a good amount of moveset flexibility, allowing us to run Knock Off or coverage in the last slot. I think that if we go for setup, Bitter Blade makes sense to pick as the signature Fire-type move mentioned in our defining moves list. Without setup, Bitter Blade is simply too weak to be an option.

Which side of the offensive spectrum do we want to maximize investment into? Is CAP 32 capable of running viable Physical, Special, and/or Mixed sets?
I think it's very possible to have viable physical sets and viable special sets, but I don't think dedicated mixed sets will realistically work. However, I struggle to think of any moves that would be required to make a mixed set work that wouldn't already fit on the physical or special sets. That is, I think most mixed sets will contain moves that would be used for the fully physical or fully special sets anyways.
 
How do we feel about our Defining Moves list? Is there anything there we don't see as necessary anymore?
It feels okay to me. I didn't list Psychic or Electric coverage as definining moves when I submitted this spread because I wasn't convinced we would actually run them. Moveslots are precious on this mon, and a nuclear Boomburst makes coverage less relevant. However, I think one of these coverage types should be available as an option, especially since we have a secondary ability now without the immediate power of Boomburst. When I was doing calcs for this spread it didn't feel to me like Armor Cannon was necessary over Fire Blast in most situations. Lava Plume should absolutely be in our arsenal. Torch Song into Boomburst sounds really scary / volatile. Bitter Blade or Heat Crash to open up physical sets seems reasonable to me.

Unsurprisingly, our stats are rather average. Though we're capable of eating strong hits if desired, our 99/99/55 offenses definitely fall below the curve of the CAP metagame, with Boomburst carrying much of the raw power. Are there any moves that we felt were previously off-limits but now could help bolster us past our meager statline, and into something the opponent is compelled to respect?
I think water coverage might be something to consider. I can't remember if we dismissed it previously, but it helps vs. Iron Moth, Garganacl, Skeledirge, Volcarona, Tera Fire Kingambit, etc. I'm not sure if there's room for it on sets but it seems decent.

I'm leaning toward supporting Bulk Up. Checking Bulk Up sets could become tricky with our bulk when you throw tera fairy or other teras into the mix (atespeed is insane). I think the CAP metagame has the tools to manage it, but its matchup against offense teams seems pretty scary on paper. Overall though I support it.

Which side of the offensive spectrum do we want to maximize investment into? Is CAP 32 capable of running viable Physical, Special, and/or Mixed sets?
If Bulk Up is approved, I think physical sets are the most potent because of the power of Pixilate Extreme Speed against a myriad of offensive threats and how hard we become to take down with tera in the mix. I still think special offensive sets are good since we're so hard to switch into. To the extent that mixed is possible, it's probably specially-based sets with pocket Extreme Speed. I'm not sure how this would play out in practice.

CAP 32 at this point has been largely defined by its strong Normal moves being Fairy-type, and losing that in exchange for situationally better physical defense via Intimidate is a hard bargain to make. How much room is there for Intimidate to function? Is this something we should spend time looking at?
I think there's room for a fat Intimidate pivot set. Even if our typing is sometimes awkward, we have very good bulk and some amazing tools at our disposal. I believe we should at least allow ourselves the tools that Intimidate sets would make use of (Lava Plume and Spikes for example), as they don't break Pixilate sets at all in my eyes so the downside is minimal.
 

shnowshner

You've Gotta Try
is a Pre-Contributor
Alright, it's been the listed 29 hours since my first post, let's review:

Discussion was pretty slow so I am making the assumption that people's opinions on a lot of prior aspects of 32 haven't changed much. Perhaps any swings in thought will emerge as movesets are submitted, but it looks as if our Defining Moves list is in a good spot. Boosting, primarily Bulk Up, has gotten attention as our slow Speed does a lot to keep us in check, even with Extreme Speed. As far as the attacking spectrum is concerned, Physical seems the most popular due to Extreme Speed, though Special sets have an edge thanks to the raw power of Boomburst. Mixed sets are likely going to be more "primarily Special but you run Extreme Speed because it OHKOs Roaring Moon or smthn," at which point it's not exactly clear if we are truly "mixed" or running a tech option to deal with specific targets.

Between forums and Discord there doesn't seem to be a collective agreement on whether Intimidate is viable or not. Some argue that our utility toolkit and general STAB combo is enough for 32 to remain threatening even without moves like Extreme Speed or Boomburst, which is where Intimidate would shine most. I think there's a couple MUs where Intimidate is potentially useful: it leaves us less vulnerable to Liquidation Iron Valiant, Roaring Moon, Gunk Shot Cinderace, Venomicon-Epilogue, EQ Baxcaliber, and maybe a few more. Extreme Speed does help handle many of these already, but when you factor Terastallization into the mix, it becomes less clear-cut. At the end of the day, I feel that Intimidate is tertiary to CAP 32's goals, and I'm not going to bend over backwards to make it work if it endangers the cohesion of Pixilate 32, but also don't mind people including set submissions for Intimidate.

The biggest point of contention I predict to see going forward is the status of our three signature Fire-type moves: Bitter Blade, Armor Cannon, and Torch Song. Viable movesets for all three are possible, but we're allowed just one of them, so it'll be up to the community to discuss which of these and their respective sets are the most promising for CAP 32.

So, a few more things to pine over:
  1. Right now, our three main archetypes are Bulky Special Pixilate, Physical Setup Pixilate, and Intimidate Wall. Are there any other archetypes we might be able to fulfill?
  2. Do any moves from one archetype translate poorly between the other archetypes?
  3. After going through our Defining Moves list again, I want to hone in on our choice of either Electric or Psychic coverage. Should we continue to limit ourselves to only one of these options, or do we feel comfortable letting CAP 32 have access to both?
Again, like 24 hours or so for this section.
 
Right now, our three main archetypes are Bulky Special Pixilate, Physical Setup Pixilate, and Intimidate Wall. Are there any other archetypes we might be able to fulfill?
If unmentioned moves are still on the table for discussion for answering this question, I can see us being a good suicide lead. Pixilate boosting Explosion and making it so it hits Ghost types I think would help make these sets viable. I could also see Special Setup Pixilate being decent, whether that is imitating Skeledirge with Torch Song, or maybe some kind of speed boost.
 

Brambane

protect the wetlands
is a Contributor Alumnus
I would say Special Pixilate could probably do set-up too. If you lose to specially boosting CAP32, you probably also lose to Specs CAP32 which is something we are allowing anyways. So long as the Special Attack boost doesn't come from something that boosts Speed (sorry Quiver Dance) it is probably fine, if you want to really err on the side of "I don't want this thing to defensively Tera and be a shithead" then Calm Mind probably isn't the route either. Something like Work Up, Nasty Plot, or Torch Song would work here.

For the most part Intimidate and Pixilate sets are running the same moves. I read Intimidate as a slower Tomohawk with Knock Off, worse weaknesses, and more vulnerable to Knock Off. And if Tomohawk got Knock it would almost certainly run it! That Pokemon basically runs STAB / Recovery / Removal or Hazards / Filler, so we probably end up with something similar + Knock Off. Rapid Spin and Spikes were already on the table for Pixilate, so no real concern for overlap here.

CAP32 getting Electric and Psychic coverage seems unnecessary but also harmless. The Pokemon is honestly pressed for moveslots so much already (pretty much every set wants dual STABs and Knock Off) that realistically most sets won't bother with trying to bait something like Toxapex with an anemic unSTABed Zen Headbutt off of 99 Attack.

As far as which of Torch Song/Bitter Blade/Armor Cannon, its always not Armor Cannon. The only set that I would see ever running it is Specs and Fire Blast is fine there, if you are not clicking Boomburst you aren't happy anyways. Bitter Blade is probably the most valuable of the options since it compresses moveslots the best for the physical sets, which is more valuable asset. Not only desirable, but probably required for CAP32 to excel.
 
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Right now, our three main archetypes are Bulky Special Pixilate, Physical Setup Pixilate, and Intimidate Wall. Are there any other archetypes we might be able to fulfill?

Probably Pixilate wall, and you might say “why skip, why would Intimidate be used then?” Because Intimidate is still very good for more effectively checking Roaring Moon, Bax, and Cinderace. A Pixilate wall would lose that value in exchange for clicking Fairy Boomburst.

After going through our Defining Moves list again, I want to hone in on our choice of either Electric or Psychic coverage. Should we continue to limit ourselves to only one of these options, or do we feel comfortable letting CAP 32 have access to both?

Fire move/Fairy move/Knock or hazards/Recovery seems pretty standard either way, you could run Psychic Fangs ig on Bitter Blade sets (this is my preferred move on CAP32, Armor Cannon is meh, and Torch Song + Boomburst is uhhhh), so I think it’s fine for both to be there
 
I'd just like to say that I think focusing on either physical or special boosting is probably the best approach. If we get for instance Nasty Plot and Bulk Up, our ability to either wallbreak with ease or maim offense depending on the set feels really painful to deal with. I'd rather focus on just one or the other. Personally physical boosting makes the most sense to me because it's more well-rounded. Special boosting does break most fat teams really well (save like Unaware Clod) but it's bad into any offensive team style, so it's much more volatile and I'm not sure it's worth focusing on.

Right now, our three main archetypes are Bulky Special Pixilate, Physical Setup Pixilate, and Intimidate Wall. Are there any other archetypes we might be able to fulfill?
Hazard lead with boom seems solid. I'm not sure if fat pivot is distinct from Intimidate wall but I think it's plausible personally.
Do any moves from one archetype translate poorly between the other archetypes?
If this means a move that's good in one archetype breaking another one, there's nothing I can think of that's worth worrying about.
After going through our Defining Moves list again, I want to hone in on our choice of either Electric or Psychic coverage. Should we continue to limit ourselves to only one of these options, or do we feel comfortable letting CAP 32 have access to both?
Let's just choose one since there's significant overlap and there's reason to doubt if we'd run such coverage at all. I prefer Psychic between the two, for Moth and like Clodsire I guess.
 
Going to answer only a few questions because I honestly don't know the answer to a lot of these.


Unsurprisingly, our stats are rather average. Though we're capable of eating strong hits if desired, our 99/99/55 offenses definitely fall below the curve of the CAP metagame, with Boomburst carrying much of the raw power. Are there any moves that we felt were previously off-limits but now could help bolster us past our meager statline, and into something the opponent is compelled to respect?
I think Swords Dance could turn 32 into a powerful threat. I'm not in favor of special boosting because I believe physical boosting benefits us more and giving us both physical and special boosting would be just extra fluff. Pixilate Boomburst carries special sets all the way anyways.
Does Swords Dance stop us from being a pivot and just turns us into a mini E-Killer? yeah. do i think any of us care at this point? probably not


After going through our Defining Moves list again, I want to hone in on our choice of either Electric or Psychic coverage. Should we continue to limit ourselves to only one of these options, or do we feel comfortable letting CAP 32 have access to both?
Give us one. Giving us both forms of coverage is extra fluff.

Right now, our three main archetypes are Bulky Special Pixilate, Physical Setup Pixilate, and Intimidate Wall. Are there any other archetypes we might be able to fulfill?
Mayyyybeeee mixed could be worth noting. I still dislike mixed CAP32, however, but it may work if someone smarter than me makes a set for it.
 
Does Swords Dance stop us from being a pivot and just turns us into a mini E-Killer? yeah. do i think any of us care at this point? probably not
I care! The community has set a goal to create an offensive pivot. Therefore, we should try to achieve that. If we just start creating new roles for CAP32 on a whim or to increase its viability, it's hard to see any point in the formalised process we follow. How will we learn anything?
 

Da Pizza Man

Pizza Time
is a Pre-Contributor
I care! The community has set a goal to create an offensive pivot. Therefore, we should try to achieve that. If we just start creating new roles for CAP32 on a whim or to increase its viability, it's hard to see any point in the formalised process we follow. How will we learn anything?
We set a goal to create a mon whose viable in spite of having average stats. The role of an offensive pivot was simply just a guideline we could follow to acheive that goal, not the goal itself. We don't have to force ourselves to stick to the role that we choose in role discussion if we find that another role would help us achieve the concept better.
 
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Zetalz

Expect nothing, deliver less
is a Pre-Contributor
I care! The community has set a goal to create an offensive pivot. Therefore, we should try to achieve that. If we just start creating new roles for CAP32 on a whim or to increase its viability, it's hard to see any point in the formalised process we follow. How will we learn anything?
To further add on to what DPM said, role is also something done so early on into the process that the decision is made with a lot less information then we have now here towards the end. This prompts re-examination of that chosen role and whether or not it's the ideal path given how the project unfolds. Any shift in direction at this stage is not done so "on a whim", re-examination of prior focuses is a healthy part of any CAP process.


After going through our Defining Moves list again, I want to hone in on our choice of either Electric or Psychic coverage. Should we continue to limit ourselves to only one of these options, or do we feel comfortable letting CAP 32 have access to both?
Personally don't see the harm in allowing both. 32 is move-strapped as is, and neither option feels terribly impactful on their own given how garbo 32's offensive stat are.

Also I'll throw my hat in the Bitter Blade ring properly now. I have been pilled on the moveslot compression it enables on physical sets. In the same vein I agree that set-up of any kind is probably chill, the dogwater speed we're working with really hampers any reservations I might have about allowing it to throw off nuclear Fairy moves.
 

shnowshner

You've Gotta Try
is a Pre-Contributor
Okay everyone, that wraps up the discussion half. Think our Archetypes are best summarized as follows:
  1. Bulky Special Pixilate
  2. Physical Setup Pixilate
  3. Wall
    • This can be with or without Intimidate, both directions seem feasible for what you're trying to accomplish
  4. Explosion Lead/Setter
I debated for a bit on the last one, but Pixilate does have some interesting implications for some sort of suicide lead/interim HO hazard control and setter. I don't have a ton of confidence in the latter two overall, but they are things we can accomplish in ways other Pokemon may be unable to, so I figured it was fine to include them.

I'm also freeing Psychic and Electric coverage to be used together since nobody is opposed. Our moveslots aren't terribly free and our offenses really depend on STAB, so general coverage from these two shouldn't be an issue.

I am leaving shortly to elate my tastebuds at a steakhouse so I will open up Moveset Submissions right now and worry about it later tonight. Please remember to follow the submission guidelines posted in the OP, and get cooking!
 
Moveset Submission
Name: F.E.A.R. Suicide Lead
Move 1: Endeavor
Move 2: Explosion
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Stealth Rock
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Focus Sash
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant

Also this isn't in the submission format but the Tera type is Fairy.

What happens when you combine F.E.A.R. Rattata with a Suicide Lead. This set is a very safe lead. If you start the match and opponent starts with a Pokemon that easily checks you, you can turn the tables with Endeavor + Extreme Speed, which has the extra bonus of being able to hit Ghost types thanks to Pixilate. If the opponent starts the match with something that CAP 32 could maybe take hits from, instead of going for Endeavor, you can use it as an opportunity to set up hazards, and then do a ton of damage with Pixilate boosted Explosion while getting momentum. EVs maximize Attack so that Explosion hits as hard as possible. You can Tera Fairy for even more power but that is probably a waste of Tera. Enjoy the steakhouse.
 
I am leaving shortly to elate my tastebuds at a steakhouse so I will open up Moveset Submissions right now and worry about it later tonight. Please remember to follow the submission guidelines posted in the OP, and get cooking!
What were they cooking?

Anyway…

Moveset Submission

Name: Physical Bitter Blade
Move 1: Bitter Blade
Move 2: Extreme Speed
Move 3: Knock Off
Move 4: Parting Shot
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
Nature: Adamant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
  • This set takes advantage of Bitter Blade’s role compression, allowing CAP32 to use more utility. Bitter Blade STAB hits threatens Jumbao, Caribolt, and Meowscarada
  • Pixilate Extreme Speed is very strong, allowing for a form of speed control and strong STAB. It threatens Offensive Great Tusk, Iron Valiant, and Roaring Moon.
  • Knock Off is amazing utility in a meta with little users, knocking off Krilowatt’s LO, Clodsire lefties, Cinderace HDB, Rotom-W Lefties, and more.
  • Parting Shot allows CAP32 to slow pivot out without procting Venomicon’s Stamina.
  • Heavy-Duty Boots nullifies hazard chip damage that threatens CAP32’s ability to switch in.
  • The EVs aren’t thought out, could/will be optimized.
  • Tera Fairy, nullifies Ground weakness and SR weakness if HDB gets knocked
 

Da Pizza Man

Pizza Time
is a Pre-Contributor
Moveset Submission

Name: Bulk Up
Move 1: Bulk Up
Move 2: Bitter Blade
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Knock Off / Double-Edge
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 192 HP / 252 Atk / 64 Spe
Tera Type: Water / Fairy
Nature: Adamant

This set is essentially what we would get if we made Ceruledge a Fairy-type. Bulk Up and Bitter Blade have fantastic synergy with each other, turning us into a bulky and powerful sweeper with a reliable source of healing. Extreme Speed is obviously going to be good on any physical set, so it's pretty much going to be an auto include. The last slot is sort of mostly down to preference I feel. Knock Off serves as a very solid utility option that doubles as being coverage against Skeledirge, while Double-Edge is an option we can go with if we ever just need to hit something really hard. The given EV Spread double creeps Equilibra while focusing the rest into bulk and power.
 
Moveset Submission

Name: Intimidate Pivot
Move 1: Bitter Blade / Heat Crash
Move 2: Wil-O-Wisp / Spikes
Move 3: Knock Off / Recover
Move 4: Parting Shot
Ability: Intimidate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Nature: Careful
Tera-Type: Steel / Water
EVs: 248 HP / 252 SpD / 8 Def

Skeledirge is a prime of example of a successful defensive fire type, and CAP 32 happens to have similar defensive attributes thanks to its part fairy typing. It makes it easy to pivot into threats such as Iron Valiant or Dragapult, sponge a hit for a teammate, and create advantageous situations for a partner with Intimidate in tandem with Parting Shot to slow-pivot. Bitter Blade can be used to keep CAP 32's health up if Knock Off or another utility move is used over recovery, while Heat Crash acts as immediate damage (pending consensus on weight). Once in and intimidate activates, it can easily set up hazards, spread status, Knock Off for utility, or simply Parting Shot out to create set-up opportunities for a teammate.

Despite Pixilate dominating much of the discussion as CAP 32's primary ability, I don't think it's natural bulk and surprisingly good defensive typing (especially with tera) should be underestimated with its potency as a support mon.
 
Moveset Submission

Name: Physically Defensive
Move 1: Moonblast
Move 2: Strength Sap
Move 3: Parting Shot
Move 4: Will-o-Wisp / Nuzzle / Spikes / Lava Plume / Knock Off
Ability: Intimidate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Nature: Bold
  • A physically defensive set is the best way to leverage CAP32's resistances and ability to counter Kingambit, Valiant, Roaring Moon, Bax and co.
  • Moonblast is necessary to check the aforementioned threats, hitting most of them on their weaker SpD.
  • Strength Sap provides exceptional recovery while further tilting the match-up against physical attackers in our favour.
  • Parting Shot generates momentum, capitalising on CAP32's low speed.
  • Will-o-Wisp or Lava Plume are useful against Kingambit, primarily. However, it may be more beneficial to be able to force progress with Spikes or Knock. I also slashed Nuzzle as an interesting mid-ground between checking threats and reducing passivity.
Name: Choice Band
Move 1: Extreme Speed
Move 2: Explosion
Move 3: Bitter Blade
Move 4: Volt Tackle / Double-Edge / Knock Off
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Choice Band
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Nature: Adamant
  • This is a really cool solution to the problem of low stats. Banded Extreme Speed is a brutal wincon against offensive teams, while Explosion nukes bulkier teams.
  • Bitter Blade helps mitigate hazard damage and recoil until it's time to go boom.
  • Volt Tackle makes sense because of the connection to a defibrillator, and hits common switch-ins like Toxapex and Venomicon. Double-Edge and Knock Off are both normal as well. I considered a pivoting move, but it seems unnecessary given how predictable the switch-ins to our Fairy STAB will be.
 
Moveset submission

Name: Specially Offensive
Move 1: Boomburst
Move 2: Fire Blast
Move 3: Knock Off
Move 4: Extreme Speed / Spikes
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots
Nature: Modest
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

  • Boomburst hits incredibly hard and is vital to any special Pixilate set, even doing reasonable damage to resists.
  • Fire Blast hits steels like Equilibra that resist Boomburst.
  • Knock Off punishes switch-ins like Skeledirge and Volcarona. Item removal is valuable against most of the meta.
  • Pocket Extreme Speed is still a useful move even without investment as one of the strongest priority moves in the game, one which a huge array of offensive threats happen to be weak to. You will not OHKO them (except non-tera Roaring Moon), but picking them off when they're weakened is still valuable utility. I think Modest is the nature that makes the most sense to preserve our defenses but Mild or whatever might be a consideration.
  • Spikes provide valuable chip damage over the course of a game, and our STABs prevent most hazard removers from safely switching in, making us a pretty good setter.
  • I went max speed for max adamant Kingambit and the mirror. 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 SpA Quiet might be a thing if you don't care about outspeeding stuff I guess, but being slower than standard Libra and stuff like Book is tough to justify.
 

Brambane

protect the wetlands
is a Contributor Alumnus
Moveset submission

Name: All-Out Attacker
Move 1: Explosion
Move 2: Knock Off
Move 3: Extreme Speed
Move 4: Fire Lash
Ability: Pixilate
Item: Heavy-Duty Boots / Leftovers
Nature: Adamant
Tera Type: Fairy
EVs: 80 HP / 252 Atk / 176 Spe
  • Explosion is the best move in the game; Pixilate makes it the best move outside the game
  • This set is primarily a wallbreaker with Fire Lash; only a handful of Pokemon (i.e. Iron Moth, Cinderace) without Covert Cloak want to switch into a Fire Lash due to the strength of CAP32's follow up options
  • Unlike Bulk Up, this set has a more favorable MU against common walls by clicking Fire Lash a bunch; however, it is less capable of snowballing to to end game
  • It also is far less tankier than Bulk Up and dependent on either Extreme Speed or using Explosion to trade against offense teams
  • Fire Lash into Knock Off does a good chunk into the standard Skeledirge, but doesn't really KO without prior damage
  • Fire Lash into Explosion however almost always KOs the standard Skeledirge, meaning you really lay on the pressure
  • This set has a ton of power against slower teams while keeping the useful strong Extreme Speed; even the tankiest physical Pokemon in the meta right now, Dondozo, gets KOed by Fire Lash into Explosion
  • Extreme Speed is great; fun fact, Fire Lash into Extreme Speed will KO Stratagem
  • Tera Fairy is the obvious option; Tera Fairy Explosion is absolutely nuclear, but it's really for Extreme Speed
  • The Speed is for the max Speed Adamant Kingambit, but is fairly flexible. Just make sure you outspeed Equilibra and Skeledirge
 
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