choice items, not seeing much use?

9voltdude

I have noticed that in a lot of the DP analysis that a choice band/choice specs set is always just thrown in there to fill up space. but does anyone still even use choice items? the only one of the three choice items I see being put on teams is scarf since there isn't any other kind of item that raises speed (quick claw doesn't count since it only works %10 of the time). but as for band/specs no one really wants to use them since Life Orb gives people the choice of changing there moves. giving a %30 power boost (in both sp.atk and atk) with slight recoil is a lot better than %50 attack boost (in only one kind of atk stat) and being locked into a move. who else likes to use life orb over the choice items most of the time thanks to the non-lock move selection?
 
I think you're right, Choice Band/Specs aren't used that ofter (they're still used moderately though).

I've seen a lot more Choice Scarf leads now a days.
 
SpecsMence is no joke and definitely not put there to fill up space. Same goes for SpecsHeatran and many others. ChoiceBand Garchomp still hits hard and ChoiceBand Tyranitar and Heracross are staples of this generation. My sincere advice to you is "lurk moar".
 
Well I haven't had to much DP experiance but I do manage to pull of a triple choice team(scarf,specs,CB) backed up with an all around hitter and two sturdy walls.
If it is true that the use has decreased a little,I wonder why.

EDIT:I saw Crab's post,assuming he has a good amount of experiance I actually don't know how relevant my post is anymore =/
 
I disagree. choice items are seeing much use. It's just like a trade-off: you trade flexibility for power. I always keep at least one Choice user (my Gengar).
 
I don't see how choice items are seeing less use. Every Heracross I've seen was holding either Scarf or Band except for one who was using Burn Orb. Every Zam I've seen was holding Specs. I've also seen alot of SpecsGengar and ScarfChomp is very common.
 
I've seen quite a lot of Choice users, such as Garchomp (Band/Scarf), Heracross (Band/Scarf, in fact I've never seen a non-Choiced Hera in D/P), Lucario (Specs/Band/Scarf), Heatran (Specs/Scarf), Salamence (Specs), Roserade (Specs/Scarf), and a lot more. But teams rarely have more than two Choice users, due to the huge liabilities that they represent. No amount of prediction can avoid this:
Tyranitar used Earthquake
Ground-weak Pokemon fainted
Trainer switches in Azelf
Azelf used Nasty Plot

There are some Pokemon on which Choice items are more appropriate than Life Orbs; most of those are reasonably stable Pokemon like Tyranitar who do not enjoy the HP loss, or Pokemon that don't get enough power from Life Orb.
 
Guys like Slaking basically NEED to have a Choice item because they're going to be switching out so much that the move lock doesn't even matter.
 
I think some newer players stay away from Choice items due to the amount of prediction it takes. Also, at first glance being locked into one move really sounds dumb for those who don't realize how switch-heavy Pokemon is. Since DP brought in a lot of new players (like myself), there's probably a lower percentage of battlers you'll see with it.

However, Salamence, Garchomp, Flygon, Heracross, Porygon-Z, Slaking, and a few others are often choiced all the same.
 
some people can't afford to lose the 10%. such as flyers for one, cause that's a big hit, 35% lost if stealth rock is out just to use one move?

other things usually are frail, so there's no point in staying in and switch around if it's not a gurantee 2hko by any other move after any first move, you know?
 
CB and CSpecs seem to be especially undervalued by newbies, in my experience. The Scarf goes either way(but is generally valued over either of the other Choice items, it seems), and the Orbs(Toxic, Burn, and Life) are generally applied too liberally(but the status orbs especially.) It takes battling experience to appreciate just how powerful Choice Band and Choice Specs can be(and not just on stuff like 'Cross and 'Mence respectively.)
 
The less experienced players sometimes don't realize the effectiveness of Tricking a choice item onto another pokemon to potentially make it dead weight on their opponent's team. Also, Choice items don't only have to be used for attacks. I, for one, use a Choice Scarf on my Rotom so it can get off a really fast Thunder Wave. It then tricks it away to screw something else over after it switches back in. If you can get your Counter to switch-in, then tricking a choice item onto it, either the Scarf, or its "opposite" choice item for its set, then, in their attempt to counter you, they just got countered themselves.
 
Bologo said:
The less experienced players sometimes don't realize the effectiveness of Tricking a choice item onto another pokemon to potentially make it dead weight on their opponent's team.
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And what a lot of moderately experienced players don't realize is that tricking something onto a pokemon that can't necessarily use it does not make it dead weight. Blissey will still wall the fuck out of anything, even if it's holding a choice item. The only thing you need to make sure is that you don't make yourself set-up bait.
 
Bologo said:
The less experienced players sometimes don't realize the effectiveness of Tricking a choice item onto another pokemon to potentially make it dead weight on their opponent's team. Also, Choice items don't only have to be used for attacks. I, for one, use a Choice Scarf on my Rotom so it can get off a really fast Thunder Wave. It then tricks it away to screw something else over after it switches back in. If you can get your Counter to switch-in, then tricking a choice item onto it, either the Scarf, or its "opposite" choice item for its set, then, in their attempt to counter you, they just got countered themselves.
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Lol, I remember fighting you. It turned out that you gave my Gar Scarf for Black Sludge and I KO'd Rotom with Shadow Ball. Lol. Anyways, that shows that Tricking doesn't always work.
 
Life orb is fantastic for mixed sweepers. For any dedicated sweeper, I'm convinced a choice item is better 100% of the time.
 
I find choice item use fluctuates pretty heavily, in early DP it was chronic in my circles, then just fell away as people went back to DDMence instead of CBTar (I swear TTar just fell of the face of the earth in the last month).

But while CB might be seeing little use at the moment as people are experimenting with the new toys DP has provided them, earlier on choice items were definitely being used a lot.
 
I don't know what you're talking about. I use a Choice pokemon or two on every team I've made since Advance :/
 
Choice Pokemon used correctly can become a big threat. I agree that most new players don't use them since they don't like being subjected to 1 move. Choice Scarf is too common in the meta game since it's something that ruins Magic speed numbers. As for Band/Specs, it's just something that makes deadly Pokemon more deadly. If your prediction is that horrible, just slap a Life Orb or Expert Belt.
 
I think it's unfair to say that only newbies don't use choice items. I have been playing competitively for along time and my main team doesn't have a single choice carrier. This is because I prefer flexibility over a little boost in power or even speed.
 
I haven't noticed any decrease in Choice Item use. Every team I make has at least one Choice Itemer, and in DP it's usually two. I usually have one pokemon Scarf'ed, to surprise kill things like Weavile and Zam, and then I usually have a very hard hitting CB or CSer like Hera or Heatran. Most teams I've come across have had at least on Choice Item user, in the likes of Hera, Mence, Tar, etc..
 
Compared to 3rd gen not much changed. Actually it somehow increased. I mean leads are generally leading with scarfs and there are specs and choice in the team eventhough I dont use choice band nor specs. In my 3rd gen team I used to had one choice bander and that was all my choice. Now a choice band and 2scarfs.
 
I haven't noticed any decrease in Choice Item use. Every team I make has at least one Choice Itemer, and in DP it's usually two. I usually have one pokemon Scarf'ed, to surprise kill things like Weavile and Zam, and then I usually have a very hard hitting CB or CSer like Hera or Heatran. Most teams I've come across have had at least on Choice Item user, in the likes of Hera, Mence, Tar, etc..
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Lol. Talking about surprises...

I scarf my Weavile to surprise those who want to surprise my Weavile :-) (I'm looking at those annoying Scarf Garchomps...) As well as surprising other weaviles with a brick-break.
 
I love using Specs Roserade. It is capable of doing more damage than Specsmence with STABd CSpecs Leaf Storm. I've used it to clean teams up so many times.

And what about CB Azumarill? CBd Aqua Jet running off Huge Power is nothing to scoff at. And if there <i>is</i> a GSC remake with tutors for the punches, it will become 10 times more dangerous.

I have encountered CS Garchomp used in conjunction with CBTar enough times to know that Choice Items are still being used heavily.
 
I use Scarf Roselia for fast Sleeps and revenge killing. CBJask is also fun. People leave Cressy in like 'lol Ninjask can't do anything'.
 
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