Embargo says hello.Love this thread! Really nice ideas. I've been toying with this idea for a while now, so here goes:
.:A Berry Useful Immunity:.![]()
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Tired of never having a chance to switch in because of spammable moves like Scald? Are you annoyed that some Pokemon's types are less useful because they don't have immunities to help them switch in or are too susceptible to a certain type?
Metagame premise:
An OU-based metagame where type resist berries now grant immunities to a type when held. For example, a Mamoswine with Passho Berry makes it immune to Water-type moves, while giving it Rindo berry makes it immune to Grass moves. They will have this immunity as long as they hold the berry.
Just like the normal berries, the immunities only work if the user is weak to a type (so Mamoswine with Yache berry will not be immune to Ice moves). If a Poison-weak user holds a Kebia berry, they will be immune to Poison damage AND Poison status. If a Fire-weak user holds an Occa berry, they will also be immune to Burn status. Wacan Berry users will be immune to Thunder Wave/Nuzzle, but will still be susceptible to other forms of paralysis like Glare (as they do no turn Electric type, they are just immune to Electric type paraysis moves).
As Stealth Rock calculates damage based on type effectiveness, Charti users may potentially be immune to SR damage...but not sure if this will turn into a Pet Mod (see Questions for Community below for more detail).
As for Chilan berry- since no one is weak to Normal, just like its normal effect, anyone can hold Chilan berry and gain a Normal immunity (mostly to protect you for Fake Out and Extremespeed)
Moldbreaker has no effect on the berry immunities, since it only interacts with abilities.
Tried to balance the immunity advantage by:
Potential bans and threats:
- Using the item slot. Sure Sableye can be immune to Fairy moves now, but it can't Mega evolve or use Leftovers. Sweepers will have to rely on stat ups instead of Life Orb and NFEs like Chansey will have to forgo Eviolite.
- Like the type resist berries' original effects, immunity only works on the Pokemon's weakness (except for Chilan Berry). This way, the immunity options are limited- you will always know that Normal types will potentially have a Fighting type immunity.
- Knock Off will remove the immunities when the berries are Knocked Off. However, Colbur berries will make the holder immune to Dark type moves, so Knock Off has no effect.
- The importance of Taunt/Whirlwind/Roar. Immunity holders will have to rely on boosting moves for offensive potential to replace the lack of Choice items/Life Orb.
- Unnerve ignores all berry immunities.
-Moreso on the threats side, but Pokemon with one weakness:
- Colbur + Ghost/Psychic types. Since they are immune to Dark type moves and therefore Knock Off- these types have a better advantage in that their Immunities won't be removed unless its by Trick/Switcheroo. This also protects them from both Sucker Punch and Pursuit- except from Unnerve Pursuit trapping Tyranitar.
- Scizor has the potential to be a great Swords Dancer, being immune to the Fire type weakness and Poison/Burn status. Teams will have to rely on passive Rocks/Spikes damage to help inflict damage, which Scizor can just Defog/Roost. Taunt helps against Scizor though. Otherwise, Babiri Berry Unaware Clefable can keep it in check.
- Normal types in general- they are now immune to both Ghost and Fighting. Snorlax will be formidable once it sets up (although it trades Leftovers for a Ghost/Fighting immunity). Blissey finally has defining niche against Chansey, with more HP + Fighting type immunity it walls a lot more Special sweepers who relied on Focus Blast hitting to dent the pink blob.
- Pure Electric types turn their Ground weakness into an immunity. Xurkitree has an easier time using Tail Glow while bulky Raikou appreciates easier Calm Minds.
- Magic Bounce. Protects from Taunt/pseudo-hazing moves, which protects Colbur Berry Espeon's stat boosts. Good for using Stored Power.
- Bulky Water types- in general are already good with only 2 weaknesses, so removing one is a great asset. Specifically, Electric immunities protect you from Volt Switch momentum breakers. Some notable ones:
- Fairy types. Their weaknesses are not that common, so removing one of them is a great boon. Unaware Clefable doesn't have to worry about Poison status anymore if it has Kebia, while Babiri Berry protects it from Scizor's Bullet punches.
- Gyarados. Being immune to Electricity leaves it with one weakness- and can take advantage of a Electric/Ground moves to provide a well-placed Intimidate, then Substitute/Dragon Dance away. Ironically, now becomes a great Electric type counter.
- Mantine really appreciates being immune to Electricity. Although it loses Lefties, the lack of a x4 weakness helps it sponge special attacks and Roost damage better.
- Gastrodon. Rindo Berry removes its only weakness to Ground, and coupled with Storm Drain, allows it to be a great counter against Rain teams, not fearing Hidden Power grass anymore.
- Tapu Koko with Shuca berry leaves it with only a Poison weaknesses, which gives it great synergy with Steel types (Tapu Koko can protect them from Ground moves). Nice pivoting potential as it has access to both pivot moves.
- Magnezone- now has Ground immunity that lasts for more than one-turn, allowing it to be a safer Steel switch-in. While Skarmory/Celesteela can choose either a Fire/Electric immunity, Magnezon has Sturdy to allow insurance in finding out which immunity they have, and then fire of a Thunderbolt/Hidden Power Fire once you find out their immunity berry.
- Dragonite- extra immunities helps with Multiscale DD sets. Mindgame galore with baiting which move to use- is it immune to Ice? Or maybe the spammable Fairy? Guess wrong and Dragonite has already boosted.
- Yache Garchomp has returned with a vengeance. Or is he baiting you and has a Roseli berry instead?
Misc Metagame thoughts:
- Choice users will be less effective, since these potentially give a free turn/switch-in. Same with Mono-attacking Sleep Talk sets and Self Destruct/Explosion.
- Volturn will not be as spammable, which could lead to more interesting, tactical plays where you have to be more careful.
- Taunt is more important against both stat boosters + pseudohazers.
- Knock Off will be more important but also be a liability against Colbur berry users. Colbur berry users will be important to block Knock Offs and may see a rise.
- Hazards. Switching will be a lot more prevalent because every type potentially will have no effect against another type. Mispredicting potentially means a switch, so damage can add up.
- Defog will be more useful, in relation to the last point.
- Chilan Berry+ Sturdy protects your leads from Fake Out, guaranteeing you at least two turns. Doesn't protect from Taunt though.
- Scald will be less spammable. Grass types with Occa Berry laugh at the face of boiling water (takes resisted damage but is immune to burn). Physical Rock/Ground types appreciate the immunity to Scald's burn chance (although can still be burned by Fire moves).
- Occa berry Grass types finally have a way to protect themselves from the increased Fire damage under Sun. Physical Chlorophyll sweepers in particular don't need to fear burn status anymore. Technician Breloom also appreciates immunity to burn which would've weakened its Mach Punches.
- Similarly, Swift Swimmers love Wacan Berry- protecting them from Electric attacks as well as Thunder Wave paralysis. Ludicolo can use Coba berry to protect itself from accurate Hurricanes.
- Shuca berry Heatran finally removes its x4 Ground weakness for more than one turn. Notably, Specially Defensive versions have nothing to fear against Magnezone as long as it can survive a Thunderbolt, as it will be immune to Hidden Power Ground/Fire.
- Unaware users will be more important for set-up sweepers. Babiri Clefable is great against Scizor, while Quagsire has a niche of having no weaknesses with a Rindo berry (and can Recover off the damage).
- Unnerve will also be a more useful ability now. Unnerve Tyranitar ignores Colbur Berry and makes a great Pursuit trapper for Psychic/Ghost types.
- Trick may see some use again. Although situational, something like Toxic Orb + Magic Guard Alakazam using Trick against a Colbur Berry holder would be a good exchange.
- Noivern/Gothitelle's Frisk ability will have more use? lol
Questions for the community
-STEALTH ROCK-. SR relies type effectiveness to deal damage (50% against Rock/Flying). Would making Rock-weak Charti-berry users immune to SR turn this into a Pet mod? The berry turns the weakness into an immunity, and Stealth Rock weakness IS weakness-reliant. Could make for more interesting metagame potential where things SR-immune Volcarona and co. would gain more viability. Additionally, this 'balances' out by telegraphing what immunity a Pokemon has (so a full health Aerodactyl is confirmed to be Rock immune instead of Water. Saving you one turn of being outpredicted).
If immunity is allowed, this opens up a couple of options, for example:
- Another thing that helps Multiscale Dragonite (but also saves you trying to predict if he will be immune to Ice/Fairy).
- Eases switch-ins for rock-weather setters like Pelipper, Alola-Ninetales or the Drought setters. (Although weather has less turns per switch-in, in exchange for more opportunities to safely set weather again in the longer term)
- Quiver Dance + Roost Volcarona being more viable again.
- Talonflame/Moltres switches in safer. Rock immunity highlights defensive benefits of Fire/Flying, allowing the mto become bulky defoggers that are immune to all hazards. Good synergy with a Water-immune Ground type to absorb Water/Electric attacks.
-Other hazards. Poison-weak Kebia-berry holders will be immune to Toxic Spikes because they are immune to Poison, but they won't absorb the Toxic Spikes like Poison types.
Should Ground-weak Shuca users (grants Ground immunity) be immune to Spikes? Spikes don't rely on Ground weaknesses, and I think they just deal typeless damage? I feel like Spikes should be left as is...if they they will be immune to Spikes, then I feel this mechanics change makes it a Pet Mod?
Or should hazards just stay the same then (Charti having no effect on SR)? Or just have Stealth Rock immunities because that's the only one that relies on type effectiveness (leaning to this because more interesting, but again don't want this to be a Pet Mod)?
-Type Changes (Conversion/Camouflage)- How do the normal type-resist berries handle this (my guess is they don't, they just reduce damage)? If Colbur Berry Starmie uses Camouflage, should it just retain its Dark immunity until its item gets removed? If it switches out and switches in again, it will go back to its original typing anyway.
This is more an issue for Camouflage/Reflect Type rather than Conversion, since Porygon-Z would rather use Normalium-Z (Normal type means it can only use Chople Berry anyway, so if it uses Conversion, it would gain weaknesses).
As for Imposter- I'm thinking Ditto will keep the Fighting type immunity when Transformed (again, it will most likely gain a weakness when it transforms unless it transforms to Normal type).
-Scrappy & Ignoring Fighting/Normal type immunities. Scrappy's description states how it only affects Ghost types, but is that how it is coded in the game? Or is it coded that Normal/Fighting has no immunities at all?
If it's the latter, then the scenario will be like this: Pangoro's Dark type moves will still have no effect on Colbur Berry holders, but Normal/Fighting moves can damage Chople/Chilan berry holders.
Otherwise if it the coding needs to be changed as well (if the ability originally only works on specifically Ghost types), does that push this to Pet Mod territory again?
In hide tags because of length..
Maybe someone likes this idea enough to pick it up?