Challenge Gotta Get Back, Back From The Past - Pokémon White 2 Nuzlocke - Conquest Moves Only

[leafsaber47]

Generation V is by far the most experimental generation in the entirety of the Pokémon franchise. A not-for-kids shonen manga, a typing game with a kickass boss theme... and a crossover with a Koei Tecmo franchise (or two)...

Pokémon Conquest.

Quite uniquely, it combines the historical essence of Nobunaga's Ambition & Samurai Warriors with Pokémon, trying out setting Pokémon in the past before Legends: Arceus did. Before Generation VIII would cause Movexit, Conquest did not include many moves that were present from the Generation V core series games before they (and Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee) did, and to be frank the choices are much more restrictive (even though some moves that did not survive Gen VIII are usable there).

List of moves

Absorb -

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Aqua Tail -

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Assurance -

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Astonish -

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Aura Sphere -

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Bite -

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Blizzard -

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Blue Flare -

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Body Slam -

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Bolt Strike -

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Brave Bird -

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Brine -

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Bubble -

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Bubble Beam -

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Bug Bite -

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Bulldoze -

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Bullet Punch -

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Confusion -

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Cross Chop -

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Cross Poison -

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Crunch -

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Dig -

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Discharge -

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Double Slap -

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Dragon Claw -

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Dragon Pulse -

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Dragon Rage -

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Dragon Rush -

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Dragon Tail -

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Dream Eater -

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Drill Run -

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Earth Power -

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Electro Ball -

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Ember -

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Feint Attack -

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Fiery Dance -

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Fire Blast -

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Fire Fang -

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Fire Spin -

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Flame Burst -

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Flame Wheel -

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Flamethrower -

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Flash Cannon -

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Force Palm -

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Foul Play -

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Fury Cutter -

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Fury Swipes -

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Future Sight -

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Gyro Ball -

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Headbutt -

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Heat Crash -

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Hex -

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High Jump Kick -

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Hydro Pump -

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Hyper Fang -

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Hyper Voice -

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Hypnosis -

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Ice Ball -

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Ice Beam -

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Icicle Crash -

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Icy Wind -

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Incinerate -

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Iron Head -

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Iron Tail -

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Judgment -

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Karate Chop -

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Leaf Blade -

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Leaf Storm -

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Lick -

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Low Kick -

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Mega Drain -

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Metal Claw -

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Meteor Mash -

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Mud Bomb -

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Mud-Slap -

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Night Daze -

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Night Slash -

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Outrage -

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Petal Dance -

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Poison Fang -

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Poison Jab -

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Poison Sting -

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Poison Tail -

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Pound -

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Powder Snow -

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Psybeam -

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Psychic -

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Psycho Cut -

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Psyshock -

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Psystrike -

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Quick Attack -

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Razor Leaf -

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Roar of Time -

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Rock Blast -

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Rock Slide -

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Rock Tomb -

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Rock Wrecker -

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Sacred Sword -

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Shadow Ball -

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Shadow Sneak -

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Sky Drop -

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Slash -

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Sludge Bomb -

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Spark -

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Splash -

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Stone Edge -

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Superpower -

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Tackle -

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Tail Slap -

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Teleport -

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Thunder -

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Thunder Shock -

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Thunderbolt -

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Twineedle -

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Venoshock -

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Vine Whip -

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Volt Switch -

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Volt Tackle -

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Wake-Up Slap -

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Water Gun -

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Water Pulse -

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Wing Attack -

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X-Scissor -

-

Now, there are various notable things about this selection of moves:

• Only three Status moves — one of which (Hypnosis) has any actual use. With mostly Physical and Special moves able to be used, this makes Choice items very lucrative. This challenge has an additional rule regarding that, you'll see later.
• The Flying, Bug, and Rock types have no access to any Special moves. Have a special attacker of one of those three types? You're going to have a rough time.
• Dark types would have access to Special moves if the only one allowed for this challenge wasn't a signature move.
• Electric types have to rely on Spark for Physical damage. Volt Tackle is only allowed on the Pikachu family. This is miles more frustrating of a limitation than Supercell Slam, Wild Charge, or Thunder Punch. Ghost types are similarly starving for good physical Ghost damage, though this isn't as bad as you'd think because Shadow Sneak is a priority move.
• Several types, even if they still have viable moves for one/both categories, are missing essential/common moves. Dragon is missing Draco Meteor. Fighting is missing Close Combat and Focus Miss. Poison is missing Gunk Shot. Grass is missing Giga Drain. Ground is missing Earthquake.
• Only priority moves include Bullet Punch, Shadow Sneak, and Quick Attack.
• No HM moves (yes, it means no Waterfall, Fly, and Surf). This means they can only be used outside of battle.

Now, why play White 2? Black 2/White 2 are Generation V games and are in the same generation as Pokémon Conquest. Doesn't feel right playing in any later generation. Additionally, Black 2 was my real first Pokémon game, and would be a good place to start poking at some more niches of the Pokémon community.

And yes, there will be multiple attempts. The challenge's only done once we beat Iris.

Rules:

• The two essentials for a Nuzlocke:
  • You can only catch the first wild Pokémon encountered in each area/location of the game (or as a gift) — and nothing else.
  • Fainted Pokémon are considered dead and must be boxed or released.
• Dupes Clause and Shiny Clause are active. This changes the "first wild Pokémon in each area" rule in certain occasions to reduce the frustration factor.
• During battle, I can only use moves that are also available in Pokémon Conquest. Oshawott can use Water Gun, but cannot use Razor Shell in battle for example.
• Battle Style must be on Set, not Shift/Switch.
• Normal mode. Challenge mode is overkill, even for a challenge of this caliber.
• My Starter Pokémon must always be a male Oshawott. Can't be a Conquest-themed challenge run without the samurai otter.
• I will be giving myself 24 BP upon reaching Nimbasa City to give me access to purchasing one of the Choice items (Choice Band/Choice Specs/Choice Scarf) and only from those three items in any battle facility (we can't participate in them in fear of deaths, except for the mandatory Driftveil Tournament visit in the PWT — where causalities are possible). I'm already limiting myself with my move choices, don't want to make this too hard.
• All my own Pokémon must be nicknamed after characters from historical fiction works, actual history, or mythology. Stuff from the country of Japan is top priority, but stuff from other countries are OK. (i.e.: Samurai Warriors/Dynasty Warriors/Nobunaga's Ambition series characters and Fate series servants)

Will update with playlogs whenever I feel like. Expect our first update early August.

 

[Ashenlock]

Well dang, this is a cool idea. Post updates please!

Conquest is a game that seemed like it could have done much better if better balance and changes like more moves (and options for different Pokemon) were implemented. I hope this challenge will be a nostalgic reminder to me about how the game was, and maybe about how it could have been.

 

[leafsaber47]

Let's actually get this started.

Update 1 - On the Otter Hand...

Well, hello. I guess she's the only traditional female Professor the franchise ever had. After Kukui, things got weird.
So you want to know my player's name?

Yes, it's an Arknights reference. If you got this right before clicking on this spoiler, you're a greater and more amicable doctor than I. Please leave your "evolve to crab" jokes at the door.

Hmm... His name in English is Hugh, but I think we can do a bit better for this challenge.

Detranslation!

Well, Akafuyu's mother wants her to go out and find Bianca.
...And.

Excuse me?

Eventually.

He's going to follow her, right?

Figured as much. I actually accidentally entered this house several times but I forgor how those doors worked.

Hmph.

This must be it.

Boy, those two years really enhanced her looks.

Akafuyu is staring at her.

Yeah. That's her.

It's about that time.

Hey, rules are rules.

Tokiyuki Hojo, The Elusive Samurai
Recency bias ofc

Jolly nature. Aqua Tail, Superpower, X-Scissor is the moveset I might want for him as a Samurott. HM move (Surf most likely) for fourth move because we need HM moves in our party despite them being unable to be used in battle.

Press X to Doubt

Yikes.

That was a close one!

Thanks for that — the Town Map as well.

Welp, here's the Route 19 encounter. It was either this or Purrloin.

Towa Higurashi, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
Yeah, very hard to nickname Patrat and Watchog. I tried my best.

At least it's not -Attack.
Crunch, Hyper Fang, Fire Punch, Hypnosis as final moveset... yeah. At least it has that going for it.

A new, eligible move. Shame it runs on Tokiyuki's weaker Sp. Atk.

I'm shocked you didn't break your legs earlier leaping off that cliff.

His Patrat was wiped.

Just a bit further than Youngster Terrell..

Purrloin wasn't an issue.

Eh. I'm sure we can get a member of the Venipede line later. Sewaddle is fine. STAB moves in Leaf Blade and X-Scissor and Slash for minute coverage. Shame you can't damage Steel-types.

Third mon and we've gone out of Japan for a nickname already.
Sanslar Nuzsha Pasha, Altair: A Record of Battles
Fun fact: the Ottoman Empire and its earlier incarnations were a big location involved in the Silk Road... now what is the Leavanny family known for again?

Yes to +Attack. Not a fan of that Speed reduction, though.

Went down easily.
Time to head to Floccesy Ranch. I blame the Hiker blocking the way.

I kinda forgot you had to fight him here.

That was fast. Died to a critical hit Tackle.
Not a huge loss. There are plenty of Hypnosis material elsewhere.
Deaths: 1

That's for pulling a Blue's Raticate on me.

Welp, no Riolu and Lucario for me. Lucario is the most popular Pokémon amongst a certain subset of Pokémon fans... I'm sure you know which ones.
Its STAB attacks and OK coverage would have been great but whatever.

Mashiro Mitsumine, Engaged to the Unidentified
Technically, yes, the nickname is nebulous for our nickname rules but the character this Lillipup is being named after is an inugami, a type of youkai — and youkai are a huge part of Shinto mythology.

Nice. Too bad the Stoutland family doesn't have good STAB options. It's like Gen 1 all over again. At least you get some niche coverage.

No deaths from her.

Some more legal moves we now have access to. Towa had learned Bite earlier actually — but she died to that crit from Hyu's Snivy.

[insert baseless spongebob joke here]

Your Psyduck and Mareep weren't that painful, ol' dude. Your Mareep didn't have Thunder Shock (might have not been the case in Challenge mode).

no u

Well, after that Youngster was figuratively cleaved, Akafuyu met a Team Plasma member for the first time and was kicked the TM for Frustration, which we can't use.

Then, we got everyone alive sans Tokiyuki up to Lv. 11. Tokiyuki Hojo himself is Lv. 13.

Next, we have to run more errands for Alder and head back to Aspertia City for our first Gym Leader bout. Let's hope we don't get as unlucky as that Hyu fight with that shitty crit.