CAP 28 - Part 12 - Flavor Ability Discussion

[Dogfish44]

I... can buy the logic behind Battle Armour - it's most notable around the head, which actually reminds me of a knight's helmet? Wearing a helmet seems an excellent way to avoid being hit with a critical hit. I certainly disagree with the surprisingly angry comments that Bug types don't pick it up that often - by distribution Bug-types are more inclined to pick it up than most types!

I actually don't particularly like Hyper Cutter - it's mostly flavour coded towards claws - something about it seems slightly off to me? I think it's the build - Hyper Cutter tends to have a very 'seperate' mouth in the few cases it's a mouth (Trapinch and Mawile-to-an-extent-weird-mon-biology), wheras our mouth is substantially more 'part' of the body - think Exploud, who has the Elemental Fangs, a similarly large gaping mouth... and no Hyper Cutter.

I'm going to also second Rivalry and Mold Breaker as being stalwart options for 'aggressive' mons and, for Mold Breaker, fairly common 'I'm A Dragon' abilities. Stench is also interesting, and naturally it's already on the only line that currently has Neutralizing gas, so the precedent is sound.

 

[Pipotchi]

Hyper Cutter sounds pretty perfect to me. Even though it translates to "Superpowerful Claws" fropm the japanese name, it seems to also refer to jaw crushing power since mons like Trapinch and Mawile, Pinsir get it. Its the only jaw-related ability that is non-competitive, and this mon is all about its giant mouth so Im definitely for it. It also helps that 10 out of the 11 mons that get it is some type of arthropod (beetles, crabs, scorpions, insects), just like our mon.

 

[flying moose]

I'm in favor of no additional flavor ability.

Often when there's a mon with a big, unusual, cool ability like Neutralizing Gas, they only get that and maybe one other option.

 

[Lectrys]

I'm in favor of no additional flavor ability.

Often when there's a mon with a big, unusual, cool ability like Neutralizing Gas, they only get that and maybe one other option.

Every Pokemon with Neutralizing Gas literally gets 3 different abilities. In the case of Weezing-Galar, it also has Levitate and Misty Surge to play with.

 

[Krazyguy75]

Every Pokemon with Neutralizing Gas literally gets 3 different abilities. In the case of Weezing-Galar, it also has Levitate and Misty Surge to play with.

All... 3? I mean sure, this is true, and undisputable. But his point wasn't that pokemon with Neutralizing Gas get only 2. It was that pokemon with unusual abilities often get only 2. Neutralizing gas is an exception, but an exception with especially low sample size.

That said, I'm ambivalent on this. 2 abilities would be fine, as would 3. I don't really see any "must-have" abilities for the mon being suggested. I think having NGas as the main ability and CEyes as the hidden one would work, but I'm not objecting to having a third.

 

[Voltage]

Hey all, this is your official 24 hours remaining notice! Any last minute suggestions, ideas or comments, need to be in before this time tomorrow! I look forward to sharing the final slate with you all!

 

[CharSiuEmboar]

Probably minor: I like Hyper Cutter, and see it as adequate, if we are to have one.

Pick Up however: it's got a big ol' mouth, and it's buglike nature could be similar to a Scarab/Dung Beetle, picking up shiny things in its mouth as it goes along.

 

[Daiquiri Ice]

I’d say Hyper Cutter and Swarm would be fine, since it has jaws like other Hyper Cutters, and Swarm can fit on any bug. Unnerve could be another option, given its intimidating design. Also would be fine with no additional flavor ability

 

[Magic Mayhem Maiden]

As I think Miasmaw is an intimidating predator insect, I'd like its ability to reflect it's presence and it's strength. Here are also my thoughts on suggested abilities.

Definitely not Shed Skin, this is not an insect that undergoes metamorphosis rather than just grow bigger.

I don't really like Battle Armor since it's highlighting a defensive aspect of Miasmaw (which Miasmaw isn't, considering it's 60 Def and mediocre HP/SpDef). I don't agree with Pick Up either because that makes Miasmaw seem like a scavenger, which I feel isn't what it is.

For Stench, again I disagree with the gas being both neutralizing and repulsive. This is only on Poison-type Pokémons, which are either embodiments of filth or based on skunks (and also rotten flowers), which aren't Bug nor Dragon. Furthermore, Neutralizing Gas is on Galarian Weezing, which the normal Weezing has Stench, regional variants have adapted to different environments, which is a precedent of separating Neutralizing Gas from Stench. Nevermind

White Smoke is an ability we didn't have much discussion on, and I don't think it's either a good or bad choice for Miasmaw, although that does mean two abilities based on the smoke.

Mold Breaker sounds like a pretty good flavor ability, but I don't really like it since it's just overlapping effects with Neutralizing Gas. If we are going to have a flavor ability, I'd rather have it do something else.

On to the abilities I do like, Rivalry is an interesting ability since as an predator it's going to be aggressive, and it is a "common Dragon ability". I don't have much to say about it otherwise. Unnerve is another good flavor ability and I'll second Daiquiri Ice's suggestion since also bug types (and Haxorus line) gets it. I've been throwing my support for Hyper Cutter and many others have to.

But I'm also fine with No Additional Flavor Ability since it really doesn't need one. I might actually support this one more since many of the past CAP Mons have 3 abilities already.

P.S. I just found this funny

 

[aaronarium]

I still like White Smoke. I really don't have anything insightful to say since it's so self-explanatory, but I think it's fine having multiple abilities based on the gas. This applies to Stench too but I don't want to feel like we're imitating G!Weezing just bc they both have NGas.

 

[BitBitio]

We don’t need another ability imo
No Flavor Ability

 

[Pipotchi]

For Stench, again I disagree with the gas being both neutralizing and repulsive. This is only on Poison-type Pokémons, which are either embodiments of filth or based on skunks (and also rotten flowers), which aren't Bug nor Dragon. Furthermore, Neutralizing Gas is on Galarian Weezing, which the normal Weezing has Stench, regional variants have adapted to different environments, which is a precedent of separating Neutralizing Gas from Stench.

not sure if im interpreting what you said correctly but regular weezing has access to both neutralizing gas and stench. https://www.smogon.com/dex/ss/pokemon/weezing/

also shed skin shouldnt be considered a flavor ability in my opinion. especially on a pokemon with recover

 

[Quanyails]

The slate, as determined by -Voltage-, Mx, and CAP mods, is:

Battle Armor
Hyper Cutter
Mold Breaker
Rivalry
Stench
Unnerve
White Smoke
No Flavor Ability

Thank you all, for your discussion! We'll be going onward to the polls!