Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
Fake Out has a higher priority than Rage Powder (and Follow Me) so Mega Scovillain would not be able to deter the move from hitting its partner.
And absorbing a Fake Out (or any move) on switch-in would also be difficult since you have to mega first, switch out and then switch back in which takes too many turns to execute to be worth it.
Another thing that I think is being overlooked (again, very VGC specific in this case, wouldn't apply to singles) is that with how common and despised Amoongus is, having an auto-burn mon could in fact end up being a hindrance.
Say you're running mega scovillain, and i'm running one of the many strong special attackers or support mons. I'll gladly take the burn on my mon if this now makes me completely immune to your sleep moves, and to paralysis and freezes too. I'll glady trade 8% damage per turn (in VGC where battles rarely last long enough for that to matter anyway) for the trade of being immune to status hax.
(and viceversa, if my pokemon is already poisoned/paralyzed, well I don't care of your m-scovillain i'll click the buttons anyway)
I honestly think that, even in a world where M-Scovillain stats didn't suck, the auto-burn would end up often limiting your own options more than it limits the opponents. You basically have to give up relying on otherwise powerful tools like Paralysis and Sleep. And the payout isn't exactly the potential of winning the game on the spot like es. building your team around a Earthquake spam from Ursaluna or Mega Excadrill would.
In a way it's a lot similar to how a ipotetical "auto-topsyturby" for Malamar wouldn't work, as that one instead would mean you have to give up using intimidate or speed control options like icy winds (as well as actually turning opponent downside skills like Draco Meteor or Close Combat into upsides)
Another thing that I think is being overlooked (again, very VGC specific in this case, wouldn't apply to singles) is that with how common and despised Amoongus is, having an auto-burn mon could in fact end up being a hindrance.
Say you're running mega scovillain, and i'm running one of the many strong special attackers or support mons. I'll gladly take the burn on my mon if this now makes me completely immune to your sleep moves, and to paralysis and freezes too. I'll glady trade 8% damage per turn (in VGC where battles rarely last long enough for that to matter anyway) for the trade of being immune to status hax.
(and viceversa, if my pokemon is already poisoned/paralyzed, well I don't care of your m-scovillain i'll click the buttons anyway)
I honestly think that, even in a world where M-Scovillain stats didn't suck, the auto-burn would end up often limiting your own options more than it limits the opponents. You basically have to give up relying on otherwise powerful tools like Paralysis and Sleep. And the payout isn't exactly the potential of winning the game on the spot like es. building your team around a Earthquake spam from Ursaluna or Mega Excadrill would.
In a way it's a lot similar to how a ipotetical "auto-topsyturby" for Malamar wouldn't work, as that one instead would mean you have to give up using intimidate or speed control options like icy winds (as well as actually turning opponent downside skills like Draco Meteor or Close Combat into upsides)
Not a VGC expert, though I can see that Mega Scovillain will be much better in Singles than in VGC. That being said, there is one thing that Amoonguss and Scovillain have in common: Grass typing. Out of some Grassy Terrain squads, I don,t think Mega Scovillain and Amoonguss are supposed to be ran on the same team. So I don,t agree with the stance on Mega Scovillain burning will sabotage Amonguss's Spore because teams with Mega Scovillain will be built with different strats than teams with Amoonguss.
So I don,t agree with the stance on Mega Scovillain burning will sabotage Amonguss's Spore because teams with Mega Scovillain will be built with different strats than teams with Amoonguss.
In a way it's a lot similar to how a ipotetical "auto-topsyturby" for Malamar wouldn't work, as that one instead would mean you have to give up using intimidate or speed control options like icy winds (as well as actually turning opponent downside skills like Draco Meteor or Close Combat into upsides)
yeah there probably isn't an ability they could give mega malamar that isn't too broken to make, somehow justifies its horrific stat spread and typing, or doesn't have too many downsides to use
trick room? too broken
magic room? why would I turn my items off
wonder room? incredibly niche but maybe useful to troll chesnaught/aggron
auto-charm? way too gimmicky to pull off most of the time.
auto-hypnosis or yawn? too broken and if such a thing exists they are giving it to darkrai so it can only ever be in one format
contrary? only ever good contrary users are fast, 88 speed ain't it
neutralizing gas clone or sequel? I can just run weezing who isn't quad weak to the best move in the game
wonder guard? shedinja is only balanced because it has 1 HP, dark/psychic is only weak to 2 things
there's also a leak that makes all this even funnier
supposedly crabominable and staraptor are both getting contrary which makes the weirdest stat spread ever on mega malamar make even less sense other than they just don't care if people use it ever
yeah there probably isn't an ability they could give mega malamar that isn't too broken to make, somehow justifies its horrific stat spread and typing, or doesn't have too many downsides to use
trick room? too broken
magic room? why would I turn my items off
wonder room? incredibly niche but maybe useful to troll chesnaught/aggron
auto-charm? way too gimmicky to pull off most of the time.
auto-hypnosis or yawn? too broken and if such a thing exists they are giving it to darkrai so it can only ever be in one format
contrary? only ever good contrary users are fast, 88 speed ain't it
neutralizing gas clone or sequel? I can just run weezing who isn't quad weak to the best move in the game
wonder guard? shedinja is only balanced because it has 1 HP, dark/psychic is only weak to 2 things
they'd have to really come up with something insane like turning the game into Inverse Battle, forcing competitive players to learn the inverted type chart just in case they run into a Mega Malamar
or maybe like malamar steals all the buffs on the field or something who knows
there's also a leak that makes all this even funnier
supposedly crabominable and staraptor are both getting contrary which makes the weirdest stat spread ever on mega malamar make even less sense other than they just don't care if people use it ever
re: that spoiler, I think that was just them guessing because they got a buff from intimidate. So there could be all kinds of abilities that aren't just Contrary, including possible extra re-works on existing abilities to counter Intimidate.
Honestly from design alone I feel like Crabominable should get Gorilla Tactics (it leaned super hard into its yeti ape design) or Slush Rush (the spikes for traction, the way it quickly approaches your location to slam you upside the head) but neither of those really work with its stat spread anyway (it even got slower...).
Inverse battle Malamar honestly wouldn't be that impressive, at least from a defensive side. Having only two resistences to Bug and Fairy isn't anything to write home about.
Offensively, there's some more potential, since you can do stuff like hit Fairies with super effective Knock Offs.
Inverse battle Malamar honestly wouldn't be that impressive, at least from a defensive side. Having only two resistences to Bug and Fairy isn't anything to write home about.
Offensively, there's some more potential, since you can do stuff like hit Fairies with super effective Knock Offs.
yeah there probably isn't an ability they could give mega malamar that isn't too broken to make, somehow justifies its horrific stat spread and typing, or doesn't have too many downsides to use
trick room? too broken
magic room? why would I turn my items off
wonder room? incredibly niche but maybe useful to troll chesnaught/aggron
auto-charm? way too gimmicky to pull off most of the time.
auto-hypnosis or yawn? too broken and if such a thing exists they are giving it to darkrai so it can only ever be in one format
contrary? only ever good contrary users are fast, 88 speed ain't it
neutralizing gas clone or sequel? I can just run weezing who isn't quad weak to the best move in the game
wonder guard? shedinja is only balanced because it has 1 HP, dark/psychic is only weak to 2 things
there's also a leak that makes all this even funnier
supposedly crabominable and staraptor are both getting contrary which makes the weirdest stat spread ever on mega malamar make even less sense other than they just don't care if people use it ever
Fwiw auto magic room would lead to some really diabolical strats like setup moves on choice scarfed mons, but more importantly it’d create a hazard meta game like the world hasn’t seen before since boots would be disabled and passive recovery would be nullified. Malamar can suck all it wants but when a whole team is being chipped by hisui samurott and volc/cinderace have cut health or are slowed by webs it basically make its priority or fast sweeper’s job easier to clean as.
The main problem with “setup trick room/magic room etc” on switch is it’s balanced out by the fact the time is limited and kinda tricky to play around. You might end up with your mega Malamar being forced in on turn 3 throwing off your trick room / magic room times. I’m kinda surprised magic room isnt tinkered with a bit more but ig nothing good gets it.
Inverse Room would enable some diabolical Psyspam but it kinda works both ways. You basically have to keep in mind that the opposing team isn't Psyspam too lol.
(You go from one immunity and two resists to Psychic to two Resists, with neither being bulky on the Special side that often.)
That's honestly more cause of the opportunity cost.
Giving up your turn just to remove a choice lock is not really something worth it (expecially as that very same turn you're still choice locked anyway)
Same reason as why terrains, despite existing already in gen 6, were never even considered before gen 7.
I agree with the general idea of your post, but considering the usage Mega Audino gets in Hackmons Metas due to the godly typing alone and the fact that the ability they gave to it was designed for Doubles the only conclussion I can draw is that specifically Mega Audino they did expect to get usage. It failed spectacularly, but Audino they expected to at least somewhat succeed.
I agree with the general idea of your post, but considering the usage Mega Audino gets in Hackmons Metas due to the godly typing alone and the fact that the ability they gave to it was designed for Doubles the only conclussion I can draw is that specifically Mega Audino they did expect to get usage. It failed spectacularly, but Audino they expected to at least somewhat succeed.
Just checked the Pokedex entry from Legends ZA and...
"Anyone who touches the secondary feelers that have sprouted from the base of its throat will fall into a deep sleep."
Thats the definition of Sleepy Body ability, lol. 30% of sleeping a contact Mon would be incredibly good and make some RNG magic (which I always like).
Thats the definition of Sleepy Body ability, lol. 30% of sleeping a contact Mon would be incredibly good and make some RNG magic (which I always like).
Just checked the Pokedex entry from Legends ZA and...
"Anyone who touches the secondary feelers that have sprouted from the base of its throat will fall into a deep sleep."
Thats the definition of Sleepy Body ability, lol. 30% of sleeping a contact Mon would be incredibly good and make some RNG magic (which I always like).
Don,t think it would be banned, its still a huge opportunity cost, since its a Mega. A defensive Mega for an offensive team (cause defensive teams won,t really be able to abuse said Sleep turns). The concept kinda worked with Sableye (its much better for me in balance teams than in Stall ones), but Mega Audino would be worse at it.
Don,t think it would be banned, its still a huge opportunity cost, since its a Mega. A defensive Mega for an offensive team (cause defensive teams won,t really be able to abuse said Sleep turns). The concept kinda worked with Sableye (its much better for me in balance teams than in Stall ones), but Mega Audino would be worse at it.
A 30% to fall asleep for just hitting Mega Audino would be insanely broken. You could easily sleep multiple Pokemon without even directly attacking them. Plus Audino has Calm Mind, and if you’re attacking it physically, you’re likely using contact moves.
And honestly “Mega opritunity cost” is kind of meme. We’re so deep in Powercreep that most Megas can’t even compete with non-Megas.
We are so deep in powercreep where the actually good megas are so good that the others need some beyond broken ability to justify them. (a 30% chance to sleep on contact on that bulky of a pokemon does qualify, imo, expecially considering Audino has a pretty solid supportive moveset for VGC, Wish for recovery, and the last time it was available it even learned Ally Switch in case you love your 50/50s with an added sleep chance)
Giving Megas to the Pseudo Legends and actual Legends was always overkill but it is pretty impressive how Megamence and Megagross are still competitively insane at least!
About as impressive as Megachomp being meh.
A 30% to fall asleep for just hitting Mega Audino would be insanely broken. You could easily sleep multiple Pokemon without even directly attacking them. Plus Audino has Calm Mind, and if you’re attacking it physically, you’re likely using contact moves.
And honestly “Mega opritunity cost” is kind of meme. We’re so deep in Powercreep that most Megas can’t even compete with non-Megas.
Current Sleep Clause allows Effect Spore and Relic Song as only Sleep ways. However, that hasn,t always been the case. In previous Gens (and in some current Tiers, like LC), Sleep Clause meant one Sleep Mon and it was modded to prevent a second one being slept. We don,t currently know which Sleep Clause will be used in Smogon when Champions Meta appears, but if its old one, it would prevent Mega Audino from sleeping multiple Mons.
Also, CM Mega Audino uses just one offensive move, usually (alternatively it can use 3, but this would mean no recovery). This means its easily walled by Poison, Fire and Steel types, even if it sleeps them. It buying turns for teammates is the real strong effect of the potential ability.
I don,t see that broken. Just a "very strong ability locked on a otherwise weak Mega". Which balances itself out. Scovillain burning 100% of the time is much stronger and consistent than sleeping 30% of the time provided something contacts you. Of course, people that hate RNG will always complain about this kind of things, but those just should learn to play.
I don,t see that broken. Just a "very strong ability locked on a otherwise weak Mega". Which balances itself out. Scovillain burning 100% of the time is much stronger and consistent than sleeping 30% of the time provided something contacts you. Of course, people that hate RNG will always complain about this kind of things, but those just should learn to play.
I'm not too confident on burn vs sleep comparison. The main difference is that you (in both singles and doubles) have things that are fine taking a burn or even want to take one, whereas there's never anything that wants to get asleep, and in both environment, a poorly timed sleep can and will lose the game on the spot due to giving upwards of 3 free turns to your opponent to do whatever they want.
As much as I like Audino, if they were to buff it, I'd rather them give something else than this xd
