You're right, I went a bit hastily over the hidden power department figuring it wasnt the most important part but I added it into the description :).For that particular set Mr Omgness, I'd be using HP Ice as you don't really want ground types blocking your volt switch momentum, so nailing gliscor, garchomp and Landorous (after pokebank) I'd consider to be of highest importance. Hippodown I think avoids any problems though, sadly.
It's a simple matter of SpD to HP ratio. You start seeing a diminishing return in overall damage mitigation the more skewed the stats become. I think it's been said that AV affects the SpD damage you would have taken, so you naturally see a bigger reduction in damage the lower yourHmm I tend to disagree as a 1.5x boost to special defense becomes bigger and bigger as the stat itself increases, it's the same with Choice Specs/Scarf isn't it? Assault Vest can allow Special Defensive Walls to invest in something else than Special Defense, might it be Offense or Physical Defense. I've been experimenting a lot lately with Assault Vest and the biggest successes I had were Sylveon and Goodra. Ever since I used that set on Sylveon I don't make a team without Sylveon, although I now prefer it as WishPasser for my Assault Vest user as Sylveondoes that job superb.
Also Regice does not have any recovery options outside of Leftovers and Rest anyway which are available for all pokémon.
I think when using Assault Vest you have to take this in consideration:
- Use it on something that has workable special defense or atleast a high HP stat or a good set of resistances (p.e. don't use it on Mienshao)
- Use it on something that has a good offensive stat and the coverage to take advantage of it (p.e. don't use it on Claydol or Amoonguss).
- Use it on something that doesn't rely on status moves mainly to carve it's niche in it's respective metagame (especially important recovery moves) (p.e. don't use it on Jellicent or Blissey).
- Wish Support is something to take into consideration, an Assault Vest user should have many switch-in opportunities anyway and should therefore not have much trouble to receive a Wish.
That being said I thought of another set:
Magnezone @ Assault Vest
Analytic
252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power
With resistances to Bug, Fairy, Electric, Grass, Steel, Flying, Psychic, Dragon, Rock, Normal, Poison and Ice Magnezone can handle quite some special attacks and has many switch-in opportunities. With maximum investment into SpA and by running Analytic you also simulate having a Life Orb (without the recoil) in most cases because Analytic will also trigger when your opponent switches. The power of this set lies especially in Volt Switch which gives you momentum while hitting pretty hard. You can also bluff Magnet Pull early game and use this to your advantage. This Magnezone shouldn't be played as a wall but as a pivot with Volt Switch giving you momentum throughout the game while also dishing out some respectable damage. With a slow Volt Switch it pairs greatly with M-Gengar who can use Shadow Tag to trap and finish off whatever you like, Gyarados and Salamence who resist all weaknesses Magnezone has (and vice versa) and can find an opportunity to setup or you can build a VoltTurn team with it.
Hidden Power depends on what you like to hit hard: Fire for Ferrothorn/Scizor, Ice for Dragons & Ground/Flying-types, Ground for Heatran and Grass for Gastrodon/Quagsire.
I see your point, thanks for the explanation!It's a simple matter of SpD to HP ratio. You start seeing a diminishing return in overall damage mitigation the more skewed the stats become. I think it's been said that AV affects the SpD damage you would have taken, so you naturally see a bigger reduction in damage the lower your
SpD. So lowering an attack that would do 15% damage instead of 20% doesn't look as impressive when Leftovers restores a set 1/16 of HP every turn. And for every turn you are not hit with a special attack, the more HP is preserved as a whole from Leftovers.
And actually AV isn't a horrible choice on Mienshao if only because of Regenerator, a natural pairing for this item. So if you were going to use Regice primarily as a SpD pivot then AV makes a bit more sense, but that role is still topped by Chansey who has far less weaknesses and the absolute best special bulk with Eviolite and her HP, and she can also heal and absorb status to boot. Magnezone however seems like a viable AV candidate.
What about Regirock? It has Drain Punch for some recovery, decent HP, amazing Defense and alright Special Defense.I think it's been covered numerous times already that Assault Vest becomes less and less useful the higher your SpD already is, as the return investment pales compared to Leftovers, which recovers HP overall that could have been damaged by either stat. Assault Vest is the most reliable on pokemon that have poor SpD, great HP, great initial attacking stats, great coverage, and has the resistances to switch in repeatedly and not minding hazards. The list is short.
Regice is weak to Stealth Rock and it's SpD is already so good that Assault Vest does nothing but hinder him since he can't use recovery options. Not to mention he'll get murdered by the numerous physical Fire, Fighting, Rock and Steel moves.
Which is why PuP is a good idea to use on this set to boost attack.Azumarill is one of the best users of this item. Choice band is neat in some situations, but you often extra bulk, definitely use this over mystic water. Pre bank it refuses to die to greninja, ever, and will not die to sludge bombs. Did I mention his typing is amazing? Also wish blissey to heal it most of the way up, don't max HP if AV and wish support. The only problem is he isn't super strong like with a choice band, stuff like gourgeist and rotom-w will have a much easier time.
Slowbro gets Scald and Regenerator. It's a fantastic AV user, one of the best actually.I find Assault Vest fascinating. I'm still trying to find interesting Pokémon to use it with, but the main thing I'm looking for is things that accomplish the same ends as support/status/recovery/boosting moves, without actually being non-offensive moves. Examples of what I'm talking about: Scald, Regenerator, Contrary Superpower, etc.
One that came to me literally just now is Moxie. You can boost your Atk while keeping the SDef boost and 'playing by the rules of Assault Vest'. Any ideas for potential users of this? Something with Pursuit, like Heracross or Krookodile perhaps? Is it even worth trying?
Slowbro and Tangrowth make fantastic mixed walls thanks to Regenerator, beefy HP, and other advantages. Slowbro has Scald, Tangrowth has Giga Drain, Knock Off and sweet offenses.I find Assault Vest fascinating. I'm still trying to find interesting Pokémon to use it with, but the main thing I'm looking for is things that accomplish the same ends as support/status/recovery/boosting moves, without actually being non-offensive moves. Examples of what I'm talking about: Scald, Regenerator, Contrary Superpower, etc.
One that came to me literally just now is Moxie. You can boost your Atk while keeping the SDef boost and 'playing by the rules of Assault Vest'. Any ideas for potential users of this? Something with Pursuit, like Heracross or Krookodile perhaps? Is it even worth trying?
Not to mention that Slowbro actually has quite alot offensive pressure with moves like Fire Blast, Surf/Hydro Pump/Scald, Psychic/Psyshock, Ice Beam/Blizzard, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast and probably a couple of others that i forgot. Coming off a base 100 Special Attack stat that makes an ideal pokemon on a bulky offense team or as a pivot. Regenerator makes it a come-in-get-out attacker too.Slowbro and Tangrowth make fantastic mixed walls thanks to Regenerator, beefy HP, and other advantages. Slowbro has Scald, Tangrowth has Giga Drain, Knock Off and sweet offenses.
Haha yes I just saw that after I made this post, so it's funny we have nearly the same identical physical set. I simply posted the special version first because that's what I've been testing so far (will be testing physical next)!For reasons stated in this post, i think that a physically based set is much more viable for Assault Vest Eelektross.
Agreeing that Conkeldurr is a pretty excellent Assault Vest user, i haven't used it *too* much myself, but i've faced it enough to know that its a threatening Pokemon and a very solid user of the item. It doesn't have the same level of outright bulk that other Assault Vest users such as Tyranitar and Goodra do, but the vest still makes it frighteningly hard to OHKO without a very strong super effective attack, and between the combination of Drain Punch+Mach Punch, Ice Punch, Knock Off and Conkeldurr's massive base 140 Attack stat, it'll definitely be crippling whatever it took the hit from in return.So, Assault Vest Conkeldurr is a fucking monster:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/pokebankoubeta-68877468
My set is
Conkeldurr @ Assault Vest, Iron Fist
Adamant, 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Special Def
Mach Punch
Drain Punch
Knock Off
Ice Punch
Obviously adjustments can be made, as Guts lets you absorb status a bit (although without Leftovers it's a bit harder to survive; still, switching in on Rotoms with nigh-impunity is awfully tempting). With Assault Vest, Conk is suddenly a completely safe switch-in on the likes of Heatran and Gengar. Knock Off is a great coverage move for its power and utility, while Ice Punch helps me with Landorus and Gliscor (dragons, as you see, are a nice bonus).
I'd consider it the optimal example of an Assault Vester, even moreso than Tyranitar, because it doesn't just supplement its great bulk but it works well with Drain Punch, which makes up for the lack of Leftover healing. TTar is great, but without healing it NEEDS wish support to not be whittled down over multiple switch-ins. My Conk enjoys Florges's Wish, yes, but as you can see from the replay, Drain Punch does it just fine.