:necrozma-ultra: No Holds Barred! :necrozma-ultra:
Premise / Introduction
Have you ever wished that more Pokémon had minmaxed spreads instead of the Hoenn Special? Have your ever wanted to live in a world where Avalugg and Rhyperior's SpDef was a little higher than 5? Then wish no more my friend, this metagame is for you! No Holds Barred allows Pokémon to use their full power, by combining Attack and SpAtk into the Offense stat and Defense and SpDef into the Resilience stat (explained in more detail in the Q&A section). Stats are calculated normally, then summed for damage calculation.Premise / Introduction
Spreadsheet (made by readytolose, thanks a lot !!) to visualize every pokemon's Offense and Resilience's stat. (Keep in mind that these shouldn't be taken as base stats, as ev investment gets a little weird here, since you can invest in both attack and spatk or defense and spdef. It's just a tool to visualize who has the most offensive potential and the most bulk).
Another Spreadsheet (made by Imperator Romanum, thanks a million too!) that lets you visualize these stats but in terms of equivalent to "real base stats", depending on nature and EV investment. It's a little more complicated, here's the original post that explains how it works in depth.
Third Spreadsheet (made by council member duckycrater) that compiles a bunch of information about each pokemon's bulk (optimal ev spreads, access to recovery, etc).
Council
:delibird: Delibird Heart (tier leader) :delibird:
:eiscue: Ghoulish Champ :eiscue:
:latias: Sequoia :latias:
:swirlix: AquiIo :swirlix:
:dondozo: duckycrater :dondozo:
Banlist
:delibird: Delibird Heart (tier leader) :delibird:
:eiscue: Ghoulish Champ :eiscue:
:latias: Sequoia :latias:
:swirlix: AquiIo :swirlix:
:dondozo: duckycrater :dondozo:
Banlist
Standard OMs, Sleep Moves Clause, Evasion Items Clause, Evasion Abilities Clause
:annihilape: Annihilape
:arceus: Arceus
:archaludon: Archaludon
:Blissey: Blissey
:calyrex-ice: Calyrex-Ice
:calyrex-shadow: Calyrex-Shadow
:Chansey: Chansey
:deoxys: Deoxys
:deoxys-attack: Deoxys-Attack
:dialga: Dialga
:dialga-origin: Dialga-Origin
:Dondozo: Dondozo
:espathra: Espathra
:eternatus: Eternatus
:giratina: Giratina
:giratina-origin: Giratina-Origin
:groudon: Groudon
:ho-oh: Ho-Oh
:koraidon: Koraidon
:kyogre: Kyogre
:kyurem-black: Kyurem-Black
:kyurem-white: Kyurem-White
:landorus: Landorus-Incarnate
:lugia: Lugia
:lunala: Lunala
:magearna: Magearna
:mewtwo: Mewtwo
:miraidon: Miraidon
:Necrozma-Dawn-Wings: Necrozma-Dawn-Wings
:necrozma-dusk-mane: Necrozma-Dusk-Mane
:ogerpon-hearthflame: Ogerpon-Hearthflame
:palafin: Palafin
:palkia: Palkia
:palkia-origin: Palkia-Origin
:rayquaza: Rayquaza
:reshiram: Reshiram
:shaymin-sky: Shaymin-Sky
:solgaleo: Solgaleo
:terapagos: Terapagos
:volcarona: Volcarona
:zacian: Zacian
:zacian-crowned: Zacian-Crowned
:zamazenta-crowned: Zamazenta-Crowned
:zekrom: Zekrom
:Chansey: Chansey
:Blissey: Blissey
:arceus: Arceus
:archaludon: Archaludon
:Blissey: Blissey
:calyrex-ice: Calyrex-Ice
:calyrex-shadow: Calyrex-Shadow
:Chansey: Chansey
:deoxys: Deoxys
:deoxys-attack: Deoxys-Attack
:dialga: Dialga
:dialga-origin: Dialga-Origin
:Dondozo: Dondozo
:espathra: Espathra
:eternatus: Eternatus
:giratina: Giratina
:giratina-origin: Giratina-Origin
:groudon: Groudon
:ho-oh: Ho-Oh
:koraidon: Koraidon
:kyogre: Kyogre
:kyurem-black: Kyurem-Black
:kyurem-white: Kyurem-White
:landorus: Landorus-Incarnate
:lugia: Lugia
:lunala: Lunala
:magearna: Magearna
:mewtwo: Mewtwo
:miraidon: Miraidon
:Necrozma-Dawn-Wings: Necrozma-Dawn-Wings
:necrozma-dusk-mane: Necrozma-Dusk-Mane
:ogerpon-hearthflame: Ogerpon-Hearthflame
:palafin: Palafin
:palkia: Palkia
:palkia-origin: Palkia-Origin
:rayquaza: Rayquaza
:reshiram: Reshiram
:shaymin-sky: Shaymin-Sky
:solgaleo: Solgaleo
:terapagos: Terapagos
:volcarona: Volcarona
:zacian: Zacian
:zacian-crowned: Zacian-Crowned
:zamazenta-crowned: Zamazenta-Crowned
:zekrom: Zekrom
:Chansey: Chansey
:Blissey: Blissey
:baxcalibur: Baxcalibur
:chi-yu: Chi-Yu
:chien-pao: Chien-Pao
:flutter-mane: Flutter Mane
:gouging-fire: Gouging Fire
:iron-bundle: Iron Bundle
:roaring-moon: Roaring Moon
:sneasler: Sneasler
:spectrier: Spectrier
:ursaluna-bloodmoon: Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
:urshifu: Urshifu
:urshifu-rapid-strike: Urshifu-Rapid-Strike
:chi-yu: Chi-Yu
:chien-pao: Chien-Pao
:flutter-mane: Flutter Mane
:gouging-fire: Gouging Fire
:iron-bundle: Iron Bundle
:roaring-moon: Roaring Moon
:sneasler: Sneasler
:spectrier: Spectrier
:ursaluna-bloodmoon: Ursaluna-Bloodmoon
:urshifu: Urshifu
:urshifu-rapid-strike: Urshifu-Rapid-Strike
:diglett: Arena Trap
:smeargle: Moody
:wobbuffet: Shadow Tag
:smeargle: Moody
:wobbuffet: Shadow Tag
:eevee: Baton Pass
:basculegion: Last Respects
:cyclizar: Shed Tail
:basculegion: Last Respects
:cyclizar: Shed Tail
:slowking: King's Rock
:weavile: Razor Fang
:weavile: Razor Fang
:Alomomola: Alomomola
:hoopa-unbound: Hoopa-Unbound
:toxapex: Toxapex
:zamazenta: Zamazenta
:iron-valiant: Iron Valiant
:clefable: Clefable
:clodsire: Clodsire
:volcarona: Quiver Dance
:clefable: Cosmic Power
:hoopa-unbound: Hoopa-Unbound
:toxapex: Toxapex
:zamazenta: Zamazenta
:iron-valiant: Iron Valiant
:clefable: Clefable
:clodsire: Clodsire
:volcarona: Quiver Dance
:clefable: Cosmic Power
Biggest Winners / Strategies
Mons with mixed stat spreads, either offensively (Hoopa-Unbound, Iron Valiant, etc) or defensively (Toxapex) benefit hugely in this tier.
This also allows Pokémon to invest into attack AND special attack, or defense and special defense to further increase their offense or bulk, if they already have a very high speed / are a trick room attacker or priority user in the case of attackers, or if they already have massive base HP in the case of defensive mons (looking at Chansey and Blissey, who already run max def and max spdef anyway, and may need to be banned from this tier).
Coverage options that are usually unusable because they don't match the Pokémon's preferred offensive stat (for example, Earthquake for Raging Bolt) also become usable!
Symmetrical boosting moves (Work Up and Cosmic Power) become better relative to regular play. Noble Roar and Charm / Feather Dance are also better, even if I'm not sure that makes them worth using; it's still something to think about. Defense boosting is much more effective in general since it covers both sides with one move.
Example Sets
:Hoopa-Unbound: @ Life Orb
Ability: Magician
Tera Type: Dark
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 SpA
Quiet Nature (Better than Brave as Hoopa-U has higher base SpAtk)
- Hyperspace Fury
- Drain Punch
- Psychic
- Trick Room
Hoopa-U may have to be quickbanned, but I feel he's one of the single biggest winners of the tier (with Trick Room support). Although...
252 Atk / 252+ SpAtk Hoopa-Unbound Life Orb Hyperspace Fury vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def / 0 Spdef Bastiodon: 156-185 (48.1 - 57%) -- 41.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
...it goes both ways! So it's hard to tell what will really come out on top here. Sounds exciting!
This also unlocks super interesting coverage options for a lot of mons, such as:
:Raging-Bolt: @ Booster Energy
Ability: Protosynthesis
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 120 HP / 252 SpA / 136 Spe
Modest Nature
- Earthquake
- Dragon Hammer
- Thunderclap
- Calm Mind
Raging Bolt for example gets slightly stronger dragon stab in Dragon Hammer (although Draco Meteor is also made better in this tier so maybe you'd still want to use it) AND super cool ground coverage with EQ!
:Keldeo-Resolute: @ Leftovers
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Close Combat
- Aqua Jet / Vacuum Wave
- Calm Mind
CC and Aqua Jet now offer CM keldeo some new dangerous tools !
:Kyurem: @ Loaded Dice / Life Orb / Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Ground
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Freeze-Dry
- Earth Power
- Scale Shot / Icicle Spear
- Dragon Dance
Similarly, DD Kyurem can now use Earth Power and Freeze-Dry! These will be boosted as Kyurem DDs, even if they aren't boosted as fast as in regular play (since DD still only increases the Attack half of your Offense stat, every attack raise isn't really a +1 increase... but you start with a higher base offense anyways!).
:Deoxys-Speed: @ Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpA
Timid Nature
- Cosmic Power
- Nasty Plot
- Drain Punch
- Stored Power
Enter DEMON DEO-S!! Cosmic Power is like a symmetrical Amnesia/Iron Defense, making sets like these much harder to check offensively. Similarly, Nasty Plot now boosts the power of your Drain Punches, making this a terrifying opponent to face...
There are many more possibilities to consider! This list is far from exhaustive, and there are probably sets that would only be discovered if this OM was coded and playable.
FAQ
Q: How are stats calculated?
A: For example, a 252 Atk / 252+ SpAtk Hoopa-U has an attack stat of 419 and a special attack stat of 489. Thus, its Offense stat reaches a whopping 901! This offense stat is then used during damage calculation for both physical AND special moves! The same applies for defenses and resilience. Stat raises apply BEFORE the stats are summed, so in the previous example, if Hoopa-U uses Nasty Plot and raise its Special Attack to 978, its Offense stat becomes 978 + 419 = 1397.
A: As with every other move, Foul Play calculates damage based on the opponent's Offense, and Body Press on the user's Resilience, because the stat substitution happens during damage calculation.
Q: How do Stat Raises / Drops work?
A: Your Attack, SpAtk, Defense and SpDef still exist; Stat raises and drops only affected the relevant stat, which then affects your Offense or Resilience when your stats are summed. As per the intro: For example, a 252 Atk / 252+ SpAtk Hoopa-U has an attack stat of 419 and a special attack stat of 482. Thus its offense stat reaches a whopping 901! Stat raises apply BEFORE the stats are summed, so in the previous example, if Hoopa-U nasty plots and raise its Special Attack to 978, its Offense stat becomes 978 + 419 = 1397.
Q: How does Choice Band/Choice Specs/Eviolite/Huge Power/Fur Coat/Assault Vest/etc. work?
These effects apply after stat calculation. For example, Huge Power and Choice Band are only in effect when using a Physical Attack and applies AFTER stats are summed, and Eviolite does not give two 1.5x boosts for both defenses, only one for each move category.
Q: Are Reflect / Light Screen / Burn affected?
A: Despite the fact that you now have one single stat to determine the damage you do with both physical and special moves, that distinction still exists for the purpose of effects that care about the type of attack being used, such as Reflect, Light Screen, or burn.
Q: How does Strength Sap work?
A: Strength Sap operates outside of damage calculation, so it still only lowers your Attack and heals based on your Attack stat only. However -1 Atk in this tier nerfs your overall offensive prowess, so keep that in mind :)
Q: How does Tera Blast / Photon Geyser work?
A: Tera Blast and Photon Geysers are special moves that become physical when your Attack is higher than your SpAtk. They still work the same in this OM, as your Attack and SpAtk still exist, they're just being summed during damage calculation. Although an attack being physical or special is only relevant in niche scenarios here (when used against screens, for exemple).
Q: How do Beads of Ruin / Sword of Ruin / Tablet of Ruin / Vessel of Ruin work ?
A: Same as usual. They only affect moves of the corresponding affiliation (due to how they are coded interally), so for example Sword of Ruin will lower the opposing pokemon's entire Resilience, but only when using a physical move.
Q: How do critical hits ignoring raises / drops work ?
A: When a crit occurs, all defense raises and offense drops are ignored before calculating the Offense and Resilience total, similarly to how they work in the real game.
A: For example, a 252 Atk / 252+ SpAtk Hoopa-U has an attack stat of 419 and a special attack stat of 489. Thus, its Offense stat reaches a whopping 901! This offense stat is then used during damage calculation for both physical AND special moves! The same applies for defenses and resilience. Stat raises apply BEFORE the stats are summed, so in the previous example, if Hoopa-U uses Nasty Plot and raise its Special Attack to 978, its Offense stat becomes 978 + 419 = 1397.
Q: How do Foul Play and Body Press work?A: As with every other move, Foul Play calculates damage based on the opponent's Offense, and Body Press on the user's Resilience, because the stat substitution happens during damage calculation.
Q: How do Stat Raises / Drops work?
A: Your Attack, SpAtk, Defense and SpDef still exist; Stat raises and drops only affected the relevant stat, which then affects your Offense or Resilience when your stats are summed. As per the intro: For example, a 252 Atk / 252+ SpAtk Hoopa-U has an attack stat of 419 and a special attack stat of 482. Thus its offense stat reaches a whopping 901! Stat raises apply BEFORE the stats are summed, so in the previous example, if Hoopa-U nasty plots and raise its Special Attack to 978, its Offense stat becomes 978 + 419 = 1397.
Q: How does Choice Band/Choice Specs/Eviolite/Huge Power/Fur Coat/Assault Vest/etc. work?
These effects apply after stat calculation. For example, Huge Power and Choice Band are only in effect when using a Physical Attack and applies AFTER stats are summed, and Eviolite does not give two 1.5x boosts for both defenses, only one for each move category.
Q: Are Reflect / Light Screen / Burn affected?
A: Despite the fact that you now have one single stat to determine the damage you do with both physical and special moves, that distinction still exists for the purpose of effects that care about the type of attack being used, such as Reflect, Light Screen, or burn.
Q: How does Strength Sap work?
A: Strength Sap operates outside of damage calculation, so it still only lowers your Attack and heals based on your Attack stat only. However -1 Atk in this tier nerfs your overall offensive prowess, so keep that in mind :)
Q: How does Tera Blast / Photon Geyser work?
A: Tera Blast and Photon Geysers are special moves that become physical when your Attack is higher than your SpAtk. They still work the same in this OM, as your Attack and SpAtk still exist, they're just being summed during damage calculation. Although an attack being physical or special is only relevant in niche scenarios here (when used against screens, for exemple).
Q: How do Beads of Ruin / Sword of Ruin / Tablet of Ruin / Vessel of Ruin work ?
A: Same as usual. They only affect moves of the corresponding affiliation (due to how they are coded interally), so for example Sword of Ruin will lower the opposing pokemon's entire Resilience, but only when using a physical move.
Q: How do critical hits ignoring raises / drops work ?
A: When a crit occurs, all defense raises and offense drops are ignored before calculating the Offense and Resilience total, similarly to how they work in the real game.
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