CAP 34 - Part 16 - Flavor Ability Discussion

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CAP 34 So Far

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Please pay very close attention to kenn's posts during this thread and remain on topic. DO NOT begin by posting massive lists of abilities!

Some general rules for this discussion:
  • Custom abilities are banned. No exceptions. Posts suggesting custom abilities will be deleted.
  • There are ability banlists for the different stages of ability discussion. Posts suggesting banned abilities will be deleted.
The following abilities are banned from this discussion:

Arena Trap
As One
Aura Break
Bad Dreams
Battle Bond
Beads Of Ruin
Beast Boost *
Chilling Neigh
Commander
Dark Aura
Dauntless Shield
Delta Stream
Desolate Land
Disguise
Dragon's Maw
Fairy Aura
Flower Gift
Forecast
Full Metal Body
Grim Neigh
Gulp Missile
Hadron Engine
Hunger Switch
Ice Face
Illusion
Imposter
Intrepid Sword
Moody
Multitype
Neuroforce
Orichalcum Pulse
Power Construct
Primordial Sea
Prism Armor
Protosynthesis *
Quark Drive *
RKS System
Schooling
Shadow Shield
Shadow Tag
Shields Down
Soul Heart
Stance Change
Sword Of Ruin
Tablets Of Ruin
Teravolt
Transistor
Turboblaze
Unseen Fist
Vessel Of Ruin
Victory Star
Wonder Guard
Zen Mode
Zero To Hero

Bulletproof
Color Change*
Defeatist
Dry Skin
Earth Eater
Flash Fire
Fur Coat
Good As Gold
Gorilla Tactics
Huge Power
Ice Scales
Libero*
Levitate
Lightning Rod
Magic Bounce
Magic Guard
Magnet Pull
Mimicry*
Motor Drive
Parental Bond
Protean*
Pure Power
Purifying Salt
Regenerator
Sap Sipper
Slow Start
Stall
Storm Drain
Truant
Volt Absorb
Water Absorb
Water Bubble
Well Baked Body
Wind Rider

Comatose
Drizzle
Drought
Electric Surge
Fluffy
Grassy Surge
Innards Out
Misty Surge
Prankster
Psychic Surge
Sand Stream
Snow Warning
Speed Boost
Stamina
Steam Engine
Supreme Overlord
Toxic Debris
Triage
 
Hi everyone, I'm here again to lead us into determining Chuggalong's Hidden /Flavor Ability! We are nearing the end of this process, so let's get this stage rolling in order to have a succesful 2.0 release!

So for this stage, there's really not much to discuss in terms of where we wanna go, so I will allow ability submissions from the get-go. Before you submit though, keep in mind we are going for strictly flavor as we already have a viable and competitively-minded ability in Armor Tail providing Chuggalong with all it needs. Your submissions must be based in flavor and have a good reasoning as to why it fits flavor-wise and has little to no competitive implications.
 
my crackpot suggestion: Slow Start

there's precedent for it (another Poison type vehicle mon in Varoom got Slow Start this gen) and it would be really really really funny

my serious suggestion is Steadfast. it fits well flavor wise, and it's unlikely to affect Chuggalong competitive wise since flinching is so luck based. I also like White Smoke, Heavy Metal, and Aftermath.

also, are we just giving Chuggalong one flavor ability or two? I recall that last time we gave a CAP with only one primary ability that could get a flavor ability flavor abilities (Astrolotl) we gave it two flavor abilities.
 
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White Smoke is the most obvious and immediately fitting answer: There's no way it'll outclass Armor Tail and it fits perfectly with the design, which is literally depicted with (off-)white smoke in its art and sprite.

Slow Start is also a fun option, though I think it would be better off relegated to a prevo, like how Revavroom handles it. Alternatively, I'd like to bring up Stall, which fits with the train theming fairly well. Though it doesn't have the same precedent as Slow Start, it's still a compelling option imo.

Given Chuggalong's scale and imposing nature, I'd also like to suggest either Pressure or Intimidate. Both of these abilities are fitting, though I'd prefer Pressure over Intimidate, simply because Pressure has a much more refined and grand association.
 
Petition to revisit Steam Engine.
It's the most flavorful ability for a train with smoke, and many trains are known for having a literal steam engine.
It allows the user to have max Speed after being hit with a Fire or Water move, but it only has competitive implications in doubles, it does not grant immunity to the types and is not activated by Will o Wisp.
 
Full Metal Body - Has the same mechanics as White Smoke and it makes sense for a train.

Heavy Metal / Light Metal - Provides nothing competitively but makes sense for a train.

Vital Spirit - Doesn’t matter in a sleepless meta, but makes sense since Chuggalong looks very full of energy.

I also support White Smoke, Pressure, and Slow Start.
 
Hustle - Think of a barreling train about to derail, too fast for its own good.

As for competitive implications, Chuggalong's pathetic attack stat combined with the Hustle accuracy drop will ensure that this wouldn't be a worthwhile option, though the attack gained from Clangorous Soul might incline someone to make a really bad gimmick set.
 
My personal suggestion would be Stench, an ability exclusive to Poison types and would certainly fit the toxic fumes spewing out from Chuggalong’s engine. While an additional flinch chance can introduce an element of RNG, a 10% chance is nothing compared to Armor Tail’s utility, and Stench would never be selected over it.

I also support White Smoke, Heavy Metal, and Slow Start.

I also do not think Steam Engine is a realistic option. I do not see how a mon with Stored Power should be able to max out its speed after one good prediction and switch in, especially when most players expect Armor Tail.
 
Aftermacth (A masive breach of toxic gas is dropped of their mouth or vagon in their death)(Sygerny with kommo'o signature move than cut 1/3 of hp)
Flash Fire Steam Engine or Water Absorb (Steampunk Train)
Reckless(Stampid Train)
Stall or Slow star(Is a lazy hippie train, is the Last in the station)
Aroma Veil(If the gas is not poison-like smel)
This is my list of 5 category of abilities
 
I think Steam Engine has too much competitive potential to be a flavor ability. Chuggalong resists both Fire and Water, so it is not too difficult for it to find a switch in to boost it to +6 speed. Intimidate too.

Slow Start and White Smoke would be my top choices, since as a train which wants turns to set up, it is flavorful for it to have a slow start, and the White Smoke in the design is obvious.
 
Going to talk a bit about some of the abilities already brought up

Steam Engine: While I love this ability flavor wise, I think this would be a terrible idea to slate, as it has fairly notable competitive implications. While I'm not super concerned about the speed boost in of itself, what really worries me is just how well it enables Stored Power. A single activation of Steam Engine is enough to boost Stored Power's power from 140 BP to 240 BP (Which is enough to OHKO Standard Argh (Calc Below)). While I don't see this taking over Armor Tail in usage anytime soon, it enables a cheese option that I really don't think would be healthy, and should especially be avoided in a stage meant purely for flavor.

+2 252 SpA Chuggalong Stored Power (240 BP) vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Unaware Arghonaut: 442-522 (106.7 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Slow Start: I know StarFalcon sort of brought this up as a joke, but I honestly really like this, and I will be requesting that this get officially unbanned from discussion. It's honestly a really nice nod to our status as a setup sweeper when you really look at it, plus it fits very well with Chuggalong being a train to begin with. Definetely one of my favorite options here.

Run Away: I'm not really a huge fan of this. While it's a neat little pun, I don't really think Chuggalong really fits well in with any of the other Pokemon you see typically get this ability (Mostly small animals and bugs, with the exception of Ponyta/Rapidash, but even then, horses aren't really fighters and are sort of known for sprinting). Obviously there's no competitive implications here, but the flavor just doesn't sit right with me.
 
Da Pizza Man said:
Going to talk a bit about some of the abilities already brought up

Steam Engine: While I love this ability flavor wise, I think this would be a terrible idea to slate, as it has fairly notable competitive implications. While I'm not super concerned about the speed boost in of itself, what really worries me is just how well it enables Stored Power. A single activation of Steam Engine is enough to boost Stored Power's power from 140 BP to 240 BP (Which is enough to OHKO Standard Argh (Calc Below)). While I don't see this taking over Armor Tail in usage anytime soon, it enables a cheese option that I really don't think would be healthy, and should especially be avoided in a stage meant purely for flavor.

+2 252 SpA Chuggalong Stored Power (240 BP) vs. 252 HP / 108 SpD Unaware Arghonaut: 442-522 (106.7 - 126%) -- guaranteed OHKO

Slow Start: I know StarFalcon sort of brought this up as a joke, but I honestly really like this, and I will be requesting that this get officially unbanned from discussion. It's honestly a really nice nod to our status as a setup sweeper when you really look at it, plus it fits very well with Chuggalong being a train to begin with. Definetely one of my favorite options here.

Run Away: I'm not really a huge fan of this. While it's a neat little pun, I don't really think Chuggalong really fits well in with any of the other Pokemon you see typically get this ability (Mostly small animals and bugs, with the exception of Ponyta/Rapidash, but even then, horses aren't really fighters and are sort of known for sprinting). Obviously there's no competitive implications here, but the flavor just doesn't sit right with me.
Click to expand...
If chuggalong learns nasty plot or tail glow (some trains have glowing vagon) and has armor tail (Block most speedy atack with a flashy tail, you can argument this for the next move set section, with plus 3 in special atack and 6 in speed, stored power become 200 power. Other ability than can have can be rage shell (he has a shell protrecting he vagons and if one is dropped out he shell, become mad with the broken of he shell and the most of the cargo
 
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For existing options, I'm gonna throw my support for White Smoke & Stench. Slow Start is one that I think works best for the pre-evo, particularly since ours is a literal turtle, but I can see it being on Chuggalong as well.
Since Steam Engine is basically vetoed, I'll like to nominate Flame Body as an alternative, among the other Abilities of the Coalossal line.
For another, I'd suggest Anger Point. Yes, it also raises the same concerns as Steam Engine, but the trigger is much more difficult to come by, and it uses a dump stat anyway. Not to mention Chinese Dragons can become furious at the drop of a hat when provoked (see Outrage for reasons why...)
 
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Honestly speaking, Steam Engine + Stored Power sounds like a combo that will be brought a single time in tours, proceed to get OHKO'd by a Walking Wake that decided to click Draco instead, and then not get brought again.

I do not believe that Stored Power is so good that you'd be willing to give up a priority immunity for the chance that a) your opponent is running a move you can get the boost off on, and b) said move is on a mon that can't OHKO you on a mispredict, and c) being +6 speed instead of +1 speed matters. Compare this to just completely denying Hemogoblin (still #1 in usage for some weeks in CAPPL) and Kingambit (still high usage) from being able to realistically revenge you.

Denying an ability from being flavor off of the mere potential that it could do something ever is not something we need to be doing, and I think its important to recognize just how good Armor Tail is on Chuggalong.
 
Okay so since it has been a few days and no real activity here, I am here to present a slate! (I know I didn't give out a warning but we got plenty of options imo that would be worthy of a slate anyways) I also wanna confirm that we will be choosing 2 flavor abilities from this slate so keep that in mind when voting does open up...and with all that, here is the slate!

White Smoke
Slow Start
Pressure
Heavy Metal
Light Metal
Aftermath
Anger Point

Not gonna go too in depth on why these are on the slate as the thread has kinda shown that but I will mention that Steam Engine is noticeable not here and I am of the mindset that it would cause too many potential complications with our current access to Stored Power and it is best to not have that shift any focus away from the use of Armor Tail whether it is in a negative or a positive light.

Tagging dex for the all good and then we can move onto voting!
 
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