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Pet Mods General thread
- Thread starter Monte Cristo
- Start date
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Hi guys, it's about time I updated everyone on the progress with Project Balanced Metagame (the linked post is very outdated now)
Things are really shaping up well and we have an initial changelist done that I already feel presents a better balanced alternative to standard XY OU, though it's far from finished. It has been in the works for many months now and it looks like it would be a lot of fun to play, we just need to get people interested. I'll be publishing the full changelist sometime in the next few weeks (I'm away for 3 weeks in June/July so it may need to be delayed for a bit, but we should be in full swing by late July), then we'll discuss the metagame and try to work through more changes as a community once the proper PBM thread has been made and approved.
In the meantime, I'll be putting up a few previews just to show people what sort of changes to expect from PBM. The first preview will be fairly general and just show a few specific ideas that have surfaced so far which might get people thinking. Hope you enjoy.
In XY OU, Forretress has gone from one of the best hazard setters / removers to being considered more or less completely unviable by serious players. It finds itself spinblocked by the most common Ghost-types in OU, while competition from the unblockable Defog users has been the final nail in the coffin. Forretress often seems like a liability in comparison.
Bulletproof is a flavour-friendly ability change that completely turns these issues on their head: Forretress goes from being destroyed by Aegislash and Gengar to being an almost completely safe switch into them, destroying them with Earthquake and Gyro Ball respectively while setting up hazards and fearing few of their offensive moves. It defeats switch-ins from the Latis with Gyro Ball while destroying Excadrill with Earthquake, and can completely pick apart the commonly seen Deoxys-S / Bisharp / Aegislash combination.
252 Atk Aegislash-Blade Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Forretress: 62-74 (17.5 - 20.9%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
The changes to Slurpuff may not seem particularly significant at first, but they give it a very useful niche. A Thick Fat Slurpuff with Milk Drink and Cotton Guard is the only Pokémon in the game that can safely counter both Mega Charizards, even 98% of the time with Stealth Rock up. A Calm nature with 172 Sp. Def EVs ensures high safety against Charizard Y's sun-boosted Fire Blasts, while putting the remainder into Defense gives it the ability to easily take Charizard X's Flare Blitzes and Earthquakes. Cotton Guard ensures that Char-X cannot overcome Slurpuff through Dragon Dance and turns it into a very sturdy wall. The remaining moveslots are best dedicated to Toxic and an attacking move to bring them down, though Calm Mind can work over Toxic.
252+ Atk Tough Claws Mega Charizard X Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Thick Fat Slurpuff: 148-175 (40.2 - 47.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 172+ SpD Thick Fat Slurpuff in Sun: 148-175 (40.2 - 47.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
If this seems too niche, this Slurpuff set will also counter Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Latias, Conkeldurr, Infernape, Volcarona and Hydreigon, while putting up a good fight against Latios, Garchomp and Greninja.
(Rock Smash gives Belly Drum Slurpuff a move it can use to beat Heatran and some other Steel types, which hard walled it before. Its low base power keeps it balanced and though it is mostly underwhelming, it at least gives it an extra coverage option.)
Iron Fist helps make up for the nerf applied to Meteor Mash, boosting it up to 108 BP. It also increases Hammer Arm to 120 BP, Bullet Punch to 48 BP and the elemental punches to 90 BP. It enables Metagross to do well in all the sets it is known for: leads, Choice sets, Assault Vest and Agility sets.
(N.B. Other considered options included Download and Analytic, but both were approaching the overpowered end of the spectrum. That's not to say they can't be considered again as the project develops.)
...
That's all for now. Any feedback would be appreciated. There's still a lot of reviewing to be done and none of these changes are 100% set in stone, so if you'd like to get involved let me know and I can add you into the development group. Otherwise, expect to hear more in the coming weeks!
Things are really shaping up well and we have an initial changelist done that I already feel presents a better balanced alternative to standard XY OU, though it's far from finished. It has been in the works for many months now and it looks like it would be a lot of fun to play, we just need to get people interested. I'll be publishing the full changelist sometime in the next few weeks (I'm away for 3 weeks in June/July so it may need to be delayed for a bit, but we should be in full swing by late July), then we'll discuss the metagame and try to work through more changes as a community once the proper PBM thread has been made and approved.
In the meantime, I'll be putting up a few previews just to show people what sort of changes to expect from PBM. The first preview will be fairly general and just show a few specific ideas that have surfaced so far which might get people thinking. Hope you enjoy.
PBM Preview #1: Three New Options in OU
Forretress
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilities: Sturdy / Overcoat / Bulletproof
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilities: Sturdy / Overcoat / Bulletproof
In XY OU, Forretress has gone from one of the best hazard setters / removers to being considered more or less completely unviable by serious players. It finds itself spinblocked by the most common Ghost-types in OU, while competition from the unblockable Defog users has been the final nail in the coffin. Forretress often seems like a liability in comparison.
Bulletproof is a flavour-friendly ability change that completely turns these issues on their head: Forretress goes from being destroyed by Aegislash and Gengar to being an almost completely safe switch into them, destroying them with Earthquake and Gyro Ball respectively while setting up hazards and fearing few of their offensive moves. It defeats switch-ins from the Latis with Gyro Ball while destroying Excadrill with Earthquake, and can completely pick apart the commonly seen Deoxys-S / Bisharp / Aegislash combination.
252 Atk Aegislash-Blade Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Forretress: 62-74 (17.5 - 20.9%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
Slurpuff
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Milk Drink, Rock Smash, Thunder Wave
Abilities: Sweet Veil / Unburden / Thick Fat
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Milk Drink, Rock Smash, Thunder Wave
Abilities: Sweet Veil / Unburden / Thick Fat
The changes to Slurpuff may not seem particularly significant at first, but they give it a very useful niche. A Thick Fat Slurpuff with Milk Drink and Cotton Guard is the only Pokémon in the game that can safely counter both Mega Charizards, even 98% of the time with Stealth Rock up. A Calm nature with 172 Sp. Def EVs ensures high safety against Charizard Y's sun-boosted Fire Blasts, while putting the remainder into Defense gives it the ability to easily take Charizard X's Flare Blitzes and Earthquakes. Cotton Guard ensures that Char-X cannot overcome Slurpuff through Dragon Dance and turns it into a very sturdy wall. The remaining moveslots are best dedicated to Toxic and an attacking move to bring them down, though Calm Mind can work over Toxic.
252+ Atk Tough Claws Mega Charizard X Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Thick Fat Slurpuff: 148-175 (40.2 - 47.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 172+ SpD Thick Fat Slurpuff in Sun: 148-175 (40.2 - 47.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
If this seems too niche, this Slurpuff set will also counter Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Latias, Conkeldurr, Infernape, Volcarona and Hydreigon, while putting up a good fight against Latios, Garchomp and Greninja.
(Rock Smash gives Belly Drum Slurpuff a move it can use to beat Heatran and some other Steel types, which hard walled it before. Its low base power keeps it balanced and though it is mostly underwhelming, it at least gives it an extra coverage option.)
Metagross
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilities: Clear Body / Iron Fist
Game Freak's treatment of Metagross is the kind of thing that gives PBM a reason to exist. Its influence over the metagame has been constantly ebbing away since it was introduced in Gen 3, and in Gen 6 its signature move was weakened to 90 BP, along with it gaining two new weaknesses. None of this was helped by GF's bizarre decision to give it the hidden ability Light Metal, an ability that is literally useless to it (Low Kick still hits for 120 BP). We have attempted to compensate for its extra weaknesses by giving it a flavourful ability that complements its role as a bulky attacker.
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilities: Clear Body / Iron Fist
Iron Fist helps make up for the nerf applied to Meteor Mash, boosting it up to 108 BP. It also increases Hammer Arm to 120 BP, Bullet Punch to 48 BP and the elemental punches to 90 BP. It enables Metagross to do well in all the sets it is known for: leads, Choice sets, Assault Vest and Agility sets.
(N.B. Other considered options included Download and Analytic, but both were approaching the overpowered end of the spectrum. That's not to say they can't be considered again as the project develops.)
CB Vs. Stall
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mandibuzz: 232-274 (54.7 - 64.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 214-252 (50.9 - 60%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-W: 152-179 (50 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Venusaur: 186-220 (51 - 60.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 177-209 (44.9 - 53%) -- 30.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def (Roosting) Skarmory: 254-300 (76 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
CB Vs. Offence
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus: 325-384 (101.5 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 312-367 (87.1 - 102.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 358-423 (88.6 - 104.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mandibuzz: 232-274 (54.7 - 64.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 214-252 (50.9 - 60%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-W: 152-179 (50 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Venusaur: 186-220 (51 - 60.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 177-209 (44.9 - 53%) -- 30.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def (Roosting) Skarmory: 254-300 (76 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
CB Vs. Offence
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus: 325-384 (101.5 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 312-367 (87.1 - 102.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 358-423 (88.6 - 104.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
...
That's all for now. Any feedback would be appreciated. There's still a lot of reviewing to be done and none of these changes are 100% set in stone, so if you'd like to get involved let me know and I can add you into the development group. Otherwise, expect to hear more in the coming weeks!
All of this looks good, I'm especially liking the changes to Slurpuff. This should get it's own thread once you're done with the first changelist.Hi guys, it's about time I updated everyone on the progress with Project Balanced Metagame (the linked post is very outdated now)
Things are really shaping up well and we have an initial changelist done that I already feel presents a better balanced alternative to standard XY OU, though it's far from finished. It has been in the works for many months now and it looks like it would be a lot of fun to play, we just need to get people interested. I'll be publishing the full changelist sometime in the next few weeks (I'm away for 3 weeks in June/July so it may need to be delayed for a bit, but we should be in full swing by late July), then we'll discuss the metagame and try to work through more changes as a community once the proper PBM thread has been made and approved.
In the meantime, I'll be putting up a few previews just to show people what sort of changes to expect from PBM. The first preview will be fairly general and just show a few specific ideas that have surfaced so far which might get people thinking. Hope you enjoy.
PBM Preview #1: Three New Options in OU
Forretress
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilities: Sturdy / Overcoat / Bulletproof
In XY OU, Forretress has gone from one of the best hazard setters / removers to being considered more or less completely unviable by serious players. It finds itself spinblocked by the most common Ghost-types in OU, while competition from the unblockable Defog users has been the final nail in the coffin. Forretress often seems like a liability in comparison.
Bulletproof is a flavour-friendly ability change that completely turns these issues on their head: Forretress goes from being destroyed by Aegislash and Gengar to being an almost completely safe switch into them, destroying them with Earthquake and Gyro Ball respectively while setting up hazards and fearing few of their offensive moves. It defeats switch-ins from the Latis with Gyro Ball while destroying Excadrill with Earthquake, and can completely pick apart the commonly seen Deoxys-S / Bisharp / Aegislash combination.
252 Atk Aegislash-Blade Sacred Sword vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Forretress: 62-74 (17.5 - 20.9%) -- possible 7HKO after Leftovers recovery
Slurpuff
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Milk Drink, Rock Smash, Thunder Wave
Abilities: Sweet Veil / Unburden / Thick Fat
The changes to Slurpuff may not seem particularly significant at first, but they give it a very useful niche. A Thick Fat Slurpuff with Milk Drink and Cotton Guard is the only Pokémon in the game that can safely counter both Mega Charizards, even 98% of the time with Stealth Rock up. A Calm nature with 172 Sp. Def EVs ensures high safety against Charizard Y's sun-boosted Fire Blasts, while putting the remainder into Defense gives it the ability to easily take Charizard X's Flare Blitzes and Earthquakes. Cotton Guard ensures that Char-X cannot overcome Slurpuff through Dragon Dance and turns it into a very sturdy wall. The remaining moveslots are best dedicated to Toxic and an attacking move to bring them down, though Calm Mind can work over Toxic.
252+ Atk Tough Claws Mega Charizard X Flare Blitz vs. 252 HP / 84 Def Thick Fat Slurpuff: 148-175 (40.2 - 47.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252 SpA Mega Charizard Y Fire Blast vs. 252 HP / 172+ SpD Thick Fat Slurpuff in Sun: 148-175 (40.2 - 47.5%) -- 2% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
If this seems too niche, this Slurpuff set will also counter Dragonite, Kyurem-B, Latias, Conkeldurr, Infernape, Volcarona and Hydreigon, while putting up a good fight against Latios, Garchomp and Greninja.
(Rock Smash gives Belly Drum Slurpuff a move it can use to beat Heatran and some other Steel types, which hard walled it before. Its low base power keeps it balanced and though it is mostly underwhelming, it at least gives it an extra coverage option.)
MetagrossGame Freak's treatment of Metagross is the kind of thing that gives PBM a reason to exist. Its influence over the metagame has been constantly ebbing away since it was introduced in Gen 3, and in Gen 6 its signature move was weakened to 90 BP, along with it gaining two new weaknesses. None of this was helped by GF's bizarre decision to give it the hidden ability Light Metal, an ability that is literally useless to it (Low Kick still hits for 120 BP). We have attempted to compensate for its extra weaknesses by giving it a flavourful ability that complements its role as a bulky attacker.
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilities: Clear Body / Iron Fist
Iron Fist helps make up for the nerf applied to Meteor Mash, boosting it up to 108 BP. It also increases Hammer Arm to 120 BP, Bullet Punch to 48 BP and the elemental punches to 90 BP. It enables Metagross to do well in all the sets it is known for: leads, Choice sets, Assault Vest and Agility sets.
(N.B. Other considered options included Download and Analytic, but both were approaching the overpowered end of the spectrum. That's not to say they can't be considered again as the project develops.)
CB Vs. Stall
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mandibuzz: 232-274 (54.7 - 64.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Ice Punch vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hippowdon: 214-252 (50.9 - 60%) -- 85.9% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Rotom-W: 152-179 (50 - 58.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Mega Venusaur: 186-220 (51 - 60.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Quagsire: 177-209 (44.9 - 53%) -- 30.5% chance to 2HKO after Stealth Rock and Leftovers recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Hammer Arm vs. 252 HP / 232+ Def (Roosting) Skarmory: 254-300 (76 - 89.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
CB Vs. Offence
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Landorus: 325-384 (101.5 - 120%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Garchomp: 312-367 (87.1 - 102.5%) -- 56.3% chance to OHKO after Stealth Rock
252+ Atk Choice Band Iron Fist Metagross Meteor Mash vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Azumarill: 358-423 (88.6 - 104.7%) -- guaranteed OHKO after Stealth Rock
...
That's all for now. Any feedback would be appreciated. There's still a lot of reviewing to be done and none of these changes are 100% set in stone, so if you'd like to get involved let me know and I can add you into the development group. Otherwise, expect to hear more in the coming weeks!
Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I will be making a thread for it as soon as I can devote some time to one, for the next 6 weeks or so I'm just too busy with other things. Until then I guess I'll just write up a some more posts like that, it helps explain the logic behind some of the changes and it was quite fun.
Doesn't look bad, but was it approved by a moderator?So I decided to post my idea here, since i consider it a pet mod.
Cartoonmons
Ill just explain this idea for now. You pick a Pokemon and choose a cartoon character that resembles it the most. Then tweak the Pokemon into making him for fitting for the character its based on. So im going to give you an example.
Now we tweak Infernape into becoming more closer to Mojo. It can be a simple slight stat change to whole movepool, stats, appearance and abilities.
Rules
1. You must keep the same BST as it had before, so you have to change the Pokemon stats around to fit the character more.
2. No relating to superheros. However, this may change laater on.
3. Dont be mean in the thread.
4. Have fun while doing this!
So? What do ya think?
Oh wait wait wait, so i have to approve it then post it here....
EDIT: Deleted it, dont wanna get in trouble.
To be honest, I'm not certain an idea like that would be a very good one - look at what happened with Pop Culture Mons. It dominated this thread for a time with tons of wild submissions and then faded out and died.
Hi everyone, just here to post another preview for Project Balanced Metagame. It's the same as the last one in that it's a more in depth look at how we could make 3 more Pokémon OU viable.
PBM Preview #2: 3 More Threats
Lanturn is a good example of the kind of incremental base stat changes we can try in PBM. A +10 increase to its Defense and Special Attack allows it to keep up with the power creep that has happened since it was introduced, while not being overly noticeable.
But the more interesting change here is definitely Wish, which grants Lanturn the unique and immensely useful Wish + Volt Switch combination. This allows Lanturn to perform a "slow Wish pass", taking a hit from something as it Volt Switches out and allowing the recipient to receive the Wish unscathed. Scald burns attackers from its weaker physical side, while discouraging Ground-type switch-ins. Volt Absorb allows it to heal itself and an ally at the same time by switching into an Electric-type and using Wish. And finally, its massive 130 Base HP stat allows it to pass huge amounts of HP with each Wish.
With its great typing and decent defenses, Lanturn can also counter some of the metagame's top offensive threats such as Choice Band Talonflame, Choice Specs Keldeo, Rotom-Wash and Thundurus, while also resisting the BoltBeam combination.
Lanturn @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Volt Switch
Despite having a few viable users, Skill Link is an ability that still seems to have untapped potential. Bone Rush suits Armaldo as a fossil Pokémon, and it becomes the only Pokémon to learn this move in conjunction with Skill Link. It is 25% stronger than Earthquake with the added bonus of breaking through Substitutes, and it destroys many Pokémon that resist Armaldo's STABs, such as Aegislash.
Skill Link bumps Rock Blast, Pin Missile and Bone Rush up to an effective 125 BP, easily blowing its previous best options Stone Edge, X-Scissor and Earthquake out of the water. The power is all the more impressive coming off Armaldo's 125 base Attack. They provide excellent coverage together, Rock/Ground providing the "EdgeQuake" combination while Pin Missile covers Pokémon that resist the combination such as Breloom and Chesnaught.
This leaves a fourth moveslot open for whatever suits Armaldo's purposes best. Stealth Rock can be used for an anti-lead, as Armaldo will always come out on top against common leads like Deoxys and Terrakion due to its ability to ignore Focus Sashes. Other common leads such as Tyranitar and Talonflame are also easily dealt with. Alternatively, Armaldo can attempt a late game sweep using Rock Polish, or can use Swords Dance to wallbreak.
Dragon Rush is the only Dragon-type move boosted by Sheer Force, becoming even stronger than Outrage with no Life Orb recoil and no being locked in. Druddigon's Dragon Rush is able to OHKO even relatively bulky attackers like Keldeo, and 2HKO Mandibuzz. Its 75% accuracy may be poor, but it's only slightly worse than Stone Edge.
Druddigon is also unique among Dragon-types in that switching a Fairy-type into it is a very dangerous idea. Its Sheer Force Gunk Shot is effectively 156 BP and will OHKO the likes of Clefable and Azumarill easily. Switching a Steel type in is also dangerous, as Fire Punch hits for 97BP and will 2HKO Skarmory and Aegislash, as well as OHKOing Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Even revenge killing Druddigon is difficult as it can OHKO Latios with Sucker Punch, and has enough bulk to take Thundurus' HP Ice and OHKO in return.
However Druddigon is kept in check by some big flaws. It is extremely slow outside of Trick Room (outsped by even Azumarill and Mawile), walled by Heatran if it chooses Fire Punch over Earthquake (and walled by Skarmory, Scizor etc. otherwise), and its main moves are very inaccurate and can only be helped by Hone Claws. Without Choice Band it doesn't quite have the power to 2HKO walls like Hippowdon, and faster walls like Mandibuzz (which outspeeds Adamant Druddigon even with no Speed investment) can keep using Roost until Dragon Rush inevitably misses. Finally, its reliance on Sucker Punch to deal with faster offensive threats can be easily exploited.
---
That's all for now. More to come at a later date, and if it intrigues you feel free to get involved.
PBM Preview #2: 3 More Threats
Lanturn
Base Stats: 130 HP / 58 Atk / 68 Def / 86 SpA / 76 SpD / 67 Spe
Movepool: +Wish
Abilities: Volt Absorb / Illuminate / Water Absorb
Base Stats: 130 HP / 58 Atk / 68 Def / 86 SpA / 76 SpD / 67 Spe
Movepool: +Wish
Abilities: Volt Absorb / Illuminate / Water Absorb
Lanturn is a good example of the kind of incremental base stat changes we can try in PBM. A +10 increase to its Defense and Special Attack allows it to keep up with the power creep that has happened since it was introduced, while not being overly noticeable.
But the more interesting change here is definitely Wish, which grants Lanturn the unique and immensely useful Wish + Volt Switch combination. This allows Lanturn to perform a "slow Wish pass", taking a hit from something as it Volt Switches out and allowing the recipient to receive the Wish unscathed. Scald burns attackers from its weaker physical side, while discouraging Ground-type switch-ins. Volt Absorb allows it to heal itself and an ally at the same time by switching into an Electric-type and using Wish. And finally, its massive 130 Base HP stat allows it to pass huge amounts of HP with each Wish.
With its great typing and decent defenses, Lanturn can also counter some of the metagame's top offensive threats such as Choice Band Talonflame, Choice Specs Keldeo, Rotom-Wash and Thundurus, while also resisting the BoltBeam combination.
Lanturn @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Volt Switch
Armaldo
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Bone Rush, Pin Missile
Abilities: Battle Armor / Swift Swim / Skill Link
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Bone Rush, Pin Missile
Abilities: Battle Armor / Swift Swim / Skill Link
Despite having a few viable users, Skill Link is an ability that still seems to have untapped potential. Bone Rush suits Armaldo as a fossil Pokémon, and it becomes the only Pokémon to learn this move in conjunction with Skill Link. It is 25% stronger than Earthquake with the added bonus of breaking through Substitutes, and it destroys many Pokémon that resist Armaldo's STABs, such as Aegislash.
Skill Link bumps Rock Blast, Pin Missile and Bone Rush up to an effective 125 BP, easily blowing its previous best options Stone Edge, X-Scissor and Earthquake out of the water. The power is all the more impressive coming off Armaldo's 125 base Attack. They provide excellent coverage together, Rock/Ground providing the "EdgeQuake" combination while Pin Missile covers Pokémon that resist the combination such as Breloom and Chesnaught.
This leaves a fourth moveslot open for whatever suits Armaldo's purposes best. Stealth Rock can be used for an anti-lead, as Armaldo will always come out on top against common leads like Deoxys and Terrakion due to its ability to ignore Focus Sashes. Other common leads such as Tyranitar and Talonflame are also easily dealt with. Alternatively, Armaldo can attempt a late game sweep using Rock Polish, or can use Swords Dance to wallbreak.
Druddigon
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Dragon Rush, Hammer Arm
Abilities: Rough Skin / Sheer Force / Mold Breaker
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Dragon Rush, Hammer Arm
Abilities: Rough Skin / Sheer Force / Mold Breaker
Dragon Rush is the only Dragon-type move boosted by Sheer Force, becoming even stronger than Outrage with no Life Orb recoil and no being locked in. Druddigon's Dragon Rush is able to OHKO even relatively bulky attackers like Keldeo, and 2HKO Mandibuzz. Its 75% accuracy may be poor, but it's only slightly worse than Stone Edge.
Druddigon is also unique among Dragon-types in that switching a Fairy-type into it is a very dangerous idea. Its Sheer Force Gunk Shot is effectively 156 BP and will OHKO the likes of Clefable and Azumarill easily. Switching a Steel type in is also dangerous, as Fire Punch hits for 97BP and will 2HKO Skarmory and Aegislash, as well as OHKOing Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Even revenge killing Druddigon is difficult as it can OHKO Latios with Sucker Punch, and has enough bulk to take Thundurus' HP Ice and OHKO in return.
However Druddigon is kept in check by some big flaws. It is extremely slow outside of Trick Room (outsped by even Azumarill and Mawile), walled by Heatran if it chooses Fire Punch over Earthquake (and walled by Skarmory, Scizor etc. otherwise), and its main moves are very inaccurate and can only be helped by Hone Claws. Without Choice Band it doesn't quite have the power to 2HKO walls like Hippowdon, and faster walls like Mandibuzz (which outspeeds Adamant Druddigon even with no Speed investment) can keep using Roost until Dragon Rush inevitably misses. Finally, its reliance on Sucker Punch to deal with faster offensive threats can be easily exploited.
---
That's all for now. More to come at a later date, and if it intrigues you feel free to get involved.
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Druddigon is already 2 stronk for ubers :( now you just made it stronker also hammer arm while having a use in trickroom is kinda outclassed by superpower.Hi everyone, just here to post another preview for Project Balanced Metagame. It's the same as the last one in that it's a more in depth look at how we could make 3 more Pokémon OU viable.
PBM Preview #2: 3 More Threats
Lanturn
Base Stats: 130 HP / 58 Atk / 68 Def / 86 SpA / 76 SpD / 67 Spe
Movepool: +Wish
Abilities: Volt Absorb / Illuminate / Water Absorb
Lanturn is a good example of the kind of incremental base stat changes we can try in PBM. A +10 increase to its Defense and Special Attack allows it to keep up with the power creep that has happened since it was introduced, while not being overly noticeable.
But the more interesting change here is definitely Wish, which grants Lanturn the unique and immensely useful Wish + Volt Switch combination. This allows Lanturn to perform a "slow Wish pass", taking a hit from something as it Volt Switches out and allowing the recipient to receive the Wish unscathed. Scald burns attackers from its weaker physical side, while discouraging Ground-type switch-ins. Volt Absorb allows it to heal itself and an ally at the same time by switching into an Electric-type and using Wish. And finally, its massive 130 Base HP stat allows it to pass huge amounts of HP with each Wish.
With its great typing and decent defenses, Lanturn can also counter some of the metagame's top offensive threats such as Choice Band Talonflame, Choice Specs Keldeo, Rotom-Wash and Thundurus, while also resisting the BoltBeam combination.
Lanturn @ Leftovers
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Def / 252 HP / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
- Wish
- Protect
- Scald
- Volt Switch
Armaldo
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Bone Rush, Pin Missile
Abilities: Battle Armor / Swift Swim / Skill Link
Despite having a few viable users, Skill Link is an ability that still seems to have untapped potential. Bone Rush suits Armaldo as a fossil Pokémon, and it becomes the only Pokémon to learn this move in conjunction with Skill Link. It is 25% stronger than Earthquake with the added bonus of breaking through Substitutes, and it destroys many Pokémon that resist Armaldo's STABs, such as Aegislash.
Skill Link bumps Rock Blast, Pin Missile and Bone Rush up to an effective 125 BP, easily blowing its previous best options Stone Edge, X-Scissor and Earthquake out of the water. The power is all the more impressive coming off Armaldo's 125 base Attack. They provide excellent coverage together, Rock/Ground providing the "EdgeQuake" combination while Pin Missile covers Pokémon that resist the combination such as Breloom and Chesnaught.
This leaves a fourth moveslot open for whatever suits Armaldo's purposes best. Stealth Rock can be used for an anti-lead, as Armaldo will always come out on top against common leads like Deoxys and Terrakion due to its ability to ignore Focus Sashes. Other common leads such as Tyranitar and Talonflame are also easily dealt with. Alternatively, Armaldo can attempt a late game sweep using Rock Polish, or can use Swords Dance to wallbreak.
Druddigon
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: +Dragon Rush, Hammer Arm
Abilities: Rough Skin / Sheer Force / Mold Breaker
Dragon Rush is the only Dragon-type move boosted by Sheer Force, becoming even stronger than Outrage with no Life Orb recoil and no being locked in. Druddigon's Dragon Rush is able to OHKO even relatively bulky attackers like Keldeo, and 2HKO Mandibuzz. Its 75% accuracy may be poor, but it's only slightly worse than Stone Edge.
Druddigon is also unique among Dragon-types in that switching a Fairy-type into it is a very dangerous idea. Its Sheer Force Gunk Shot is effectively 156 BP and will OHKO the likes of Clefable and Azumarill easily. Switching a Steel type in is also dangerous, as Fire Punch hits for 97BP and will 2HKO Skarmory and Aegislash, as well as OHKOing Ferrothorn and Mega Scizor. Even revenge killing Druddigon is difficult as it can OHKO Latios with Sucker Punch, and has enough bulk to take Thundurus' HP Ice and OHKO in return.
However Druddigon is kept in check by some big flaws. It is extremely slow outside of Trick Room (outsped by even Azumarill and Mawile), walled by Heatran if it chooses Fire Punch over Earthquake (and walled by Skarmory, Scizor etc. otherwise), and its main moves are very inaccurate and can only be helped by Hone Claws. Without Choice Band it doesn't quite have the power to 2HKO walls like Hippowdon, and faster walls like Mandibuzz (which outspeeds Adamant Druddigon even with no Speed investment) can keep using Roost until Dragon Rush inevitably misses. Finally, its reliance on Sucker Punch to deal with faster offensive threats can be easily exploited.
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That's all for now. More to come at a later date, and if it intrigues you feel free to get involved.
What do you mean? I have to admit after running some calcs Druddigon's power did seem a bit extreme, but the power is comparable to Choice Band Garchomp which has way more Speed to work with, so it's kinda borderline. If it proves too much then it'll get removed.
Also, funny how Lightning Rod Mega Sceptile is announced right after I posted about Lanturn, suddenly it doesn't look quite so good. I guess it can always try running Ice Beam over Scald though.
(its an ru joke lol) But I really like the lanturn buff, passes off pretty large wishes and is a cleric with a better typing then alomomola albeit not as bulky but close specially and has heal bell over alomomola who does not.
Fair enough lol. Alo will need a buff too though and Heal Bell is definitely an option for that
I know it's not been long since the last preview and not many people look at this thread, but I'm going put another preview up anyway, because there's a lot of things to cover and I like the opportunity to explain the changes that are made in detail so that they make more sense.
I've had a few people ask about this so just to be clear: I'm aiming to post a full PBM thread sometime in the nearish future (probably in July). We've got a good "foundation" changelist already and it is ready for public release, but I can't post it right now because I'm away for 3 weeks this summer and can't guarantee I'll be able to devote any time to running a thread. Ideally there will be multiple people running the thread, since it'll be a community project and we want as many people getting involved as possible.
Anyway, here's preview #3. I'm taking a different approach this time, focusing on the few Pokémon that PBM nerfs, Ubers that don't really belong with the rest. Nerfs are rarely as exciting as buffs, but a lot of people want to see these Pokémon back in OU, so let's explore some possible ways of doing that.
This isn't an exhaustive list, as sometimes it's difficult to know how to approach nerfing. There's no Mega Kangaskhan here because it's difficult to nerf that without taking away its signature ability. The only thing suggested so far is to remove Sucker Punch and Seismic Toss. Other Ubers not included here will be Darkrai and Shaymin-S, as it's difficult to say if/how they could be lowered to OU level. Any suggestions for a balanced flavour-friendly revision of these Pokémon is more than welcome.
PBM Preview #3: Ubers Return
Blaziken returning to OU helps reduce the influence of a few very centralising threats. It provides a new viable Mega to use, which should reduce the number of Mega Charizards around. It also gives people something other than Keldeo and Infernape to use as a safe offensive counter to Bisharp. Justified makes it a brilliant Pokémon to bring in on the extremely common Knock Off, especially since it has no item to lose.
Mega Lucario being considered broken was based on two major things: its powerful priority and its ridiculously powerful other moves. A way to make Mega Lucario good but not broken is to take away one of these massive strengths and let it keep the other. Technician means Mega Lucario still has 3 strong priority moves to choose from: Vacuum Wave, Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch. However, the rest of its moves remain balanced, making it a good fit in OU. Its versatility on both sides of the attacking spectrum, along with its excellent base 112 Speed, ensure it is still entirely worthy of being an offensive team's choice of Mega evolution.
Technician shouldn't just be regarded as an inferior Adaptability, as it actually brings some interesting new options. On the physical side, Lucario can abuse moves like Bite (Technician allows it to hit harder than Crunch), Bulldoze, Rock Tomb, Dual Chop, Metal Claw, Power-Up Punch and Bone Rush. Special Mega Lucario can use Technician boosted Hidden Power to hit with 90BP from any type it chooses, which as well as making it difficult to play around also becomes a stronger move than common options like Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon and Shadow Ball, though without the additional effects of these moves.
Its impact on the metagame would be similar to Blaziken's: each team only gets one Mega and Lucario's return could reduce the prevalence of things like Mega Charizard and Mega Pinsir. It also has Justified in its base form and its resistance to Bisharp's STAB moves would make it another solid counter.
Mega Gengar
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Ability: Levitate
Mega Gengar is another Pokémon broken entirely because of its ability. Giving it the same ability as its base form solves this issue, turning it into a faster and stronger version of itself. A base stat upgrade alone can still make for a powerful Mega, as the popularity of Mega Scizor shows. In Gengar's case, it gains power similar to Life Orb Gengar, but with more bulk, speed and no recoil. The new Speed tier puts it ahead of numerous threats including Greninja, Starmie, Alakazam, Weavile, Dugtrio, Raikou, Thundurus, Espeon, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Choice Scarf Gothitelle and the Latis - all of which it can beat comfortably. The extra bulk can make a big difference too. For example:
252 Atk Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 212-252 (80.9 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 266-314 (101.5 - 119.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 198-234 (75.5 - 89.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 372-438 (141.9 - 167.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
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So far we've covered ten Pokémon/Mega Evolutions. These alone make OU a far more diverse place and there's still a lot more to come. Images of the full list of previewed Pokémon will be at the bottom of each post now, just for some visual perspective.
Next preview will be within the next few days and things might slow down a bit after that
I've had a few people ask about this so just to be clear: I'm aiming to post a full PBM thread sometime in the nearish future (probably in July). We've got a good "foundation" changelist already and it is ready for public release, but I can't post it right now because I'm away for 3 weeks this summer and can't guarantee I'll be able to devote any time to running a thread. Ideally there will be multiple people running the thread, since it'll be a community project and we want as many people getting involved as possible.
Anyway, here's preview #3. I'm taking a different approach this time, focusing on the few Pokémon that PBM nerfs, Ubers that don't really belong with the rest. Nerfs are rarely as exciting as buffs, but a lot of people want to see these Pokémon back in OU, so let's explore some possible ways of doing that.
This isn't an exhaustive list, as sometimes it's difficult to know how to approach nerfing. There's no Mega Kangaskhan here because it's difficult to nerf that without taking away its signature ability. The only thing suggested so far is to remove Sucker Punch and Seismic Toss. Other Ubers not included here will be Darkrai and Shaymin-S, as it's difficult to say if/how they could be lowered to OU level. Any suggestions for a balanced flavour-friendly revision of these Pokémon is more than welcome.
PBM Preview #3: Ubers Return
Blaziken / Mega Blaziken
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Blaziken Abilities: Blaze / Justified
Mega Blaziken Ability: Reckless
Reckless is an ability that suits Blaziken far better than the overly slow Emboar. It powers up High Jump Kick, Flare Blitz and Brave Bird by 20%, which gives it three extremely powerful moves with perfect coverage. Mega Blaziken functions as a powerful wallbreaker or Agility sweeper, OHKOing or 2HKOing almost everything, while Blaziken can use a Choice Scarf to become a good revenge killer. Blaziken's surprisingly good typing allows it to come in on some major threats such as Heatran, Bisharp and Scizor, before punishing whatever comes in to counter. While most Megas are intended to sweep, Mega Blaziken is most effective at breaking down the opponent's team early on so that another sweeper can come in and finish the job. Despite its raw power, its reliance on recoil moves causes it to get worn down very quickly.
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Blaziken Abilities: Blaze / Justified
Mega Blaziken Ability: Reckless
Blaziken returning to OU helps reduce the influence of a few very centralising threats. It provides a new viable Mega to use, which should reduce the number of Mega Charizards around. It also gives people something other than Keldeo and Infernape to use as a safe offensive counter to Bisharp. Justified makes it a brilliant Pokémon to bring in on the extremely common Knock Off, especially since it has no item to lose.
Mega Lucario
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Ability: Technician
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Ability: Technician
Mega Lucario being considered broken was based on two major things: its powerful priority and its ridiculously powerful other moves. A way to make Mega Lucario good but not broken is to take away one of these massive strengths and let it keep the other. Technician means Mega Lucario still has 3 strong priority moves to choose from: Vacuum Wave, Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch. However, the rest of its moves remain balanced, making it a good fit in OU. Its versatility on both sides of the attacking spectrum, along with its excellent base 112 Speed, ensure it is still entirely worthy of being an offensive team's choice of Mega evolution.
Technician shouldn't just be regarded as an inferior Adaptability, as it actually brings some interesting new options. On the physical side, Lucario can abuse moves like Bite (Technician allows it to hit harder than Crunch), Bulldoze, Rock Tomb, Dual Chop, Metal Claw, Power-Up Punch and Bone Rush. Special Mega Lucario can use Technician boosted Hidden Power to hit with 90BP from any type it chooses, which as well as making it difficult to play around also becomes a stronger move than common options like Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon and Shadow Ball, though without the additional effects of these moves.
Its impact on the metagame would be similar to Blaziken's: each team only gets one Mega and Lucario's return could reduce the prevalence of things like Mega Charizard and Mega Pinsir. It also has Justified in its base form and its resistance to Bisharp's STAB moves would make it another solid counter.
Mega Gengar
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Ability: Levitate
252 Atk Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 212-252 (80.9 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 266-314 (101.5 - 119.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 198-234 (75.5 - 89.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 372-438 (141.9 - 167.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
----
So far we've covered ten Pokémon/Mega Evolutions. These alone make OU a far more diverse place and there's still a lot more to come. Images of the full list of previewed Pokémon will be at the bottom of each post now, just for some visual perspective.
Next preview will be within the next few days and things might slow down a bit after that
All of these ideas are GENIUS! Brilliant work sir, I can't wait for this pet mod! :) I especially love Techinician Mega Lucario.I know it's not been long since the last preview and not many people look at this thread, but I'm going put another preview up anyway, because there's a lot of things to cover and I like the opportunity to explain the changes that are made in detail so that they make more sense.
I've had a few people ask about this so just to be clear: I'm aiming to post a full PBM thread sometime in the nearish future (probably in July). We've got a good "foundation" changelist already and it is ready for public release, but I can't post it right now because I'm away for 3 weeks this summer and can't guarantee I'll be able to devote any time to running a thread. Ideally there will be multiple people running the thread, since it'll be a community project and we want as many people getting involved as possible.
Anyway, here's preview #3. I'm taking a different approach this time, focusing on the few Pokémon that PBM nerfs, Ubers that don't really belong with the rest. Nerfs are rarely as exciting as buffs, but a lot of people want to see these Pokémon back in OU, so let's explore some possible ways of doing that.
This isn't an exhaustive list, as sometimes it's difficult to know how to approach nerfing. There's no Mega Kangaskhan here because it's difficult to nerf that without taking away its signature ability. The only thing suggested so far is to remove Sucker Punch and Seismic Toss. Other Ubers not included here will be Darkrai and Shaymin-S, as it's difficult to say if/how they could be lowered to OU level. Any suggestions for a balanced flavour-friendly revision of these Pokémon is more than welcome.
PBM Preview #3: Ubers Return
Blaziken / Mega BlazikenReckless is an ability that suits Blaziken far better than the overly slow Emboar. It powers up High Jump Kick, Flare Blitz and Brave Bird by 20%, which gives it three extremely powerful moves with perfect coverage. Mega Blaziken functions as a powerful wallbreaker or Agility sweeper, OHKOing or 2HKOing almost everything, while Blaziken can use a Choice Scarf to become a good revenge killer. Blaziken's surprisingly good typing allows it to come in on some major threats such as Heatran, Bisharp and Scizor, before punishing whatever comes in to counter. While most Megas are intended to sweep, Mega Blaziken is most effective at breaking down the opponent's team early on so that another sweeper can come in and finish the job. Despite its raw power, its reliance on recoil moves causes it to get worn down very quickly.
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Blaziken Abilities: Blaze / Justified
Mega Blaziken Ability: Reckless
Blaziken returning to OU helps reduce the influence of a few very centralising threats. It provides a new viable Mega to use, which should reduce the number of Mega Charizards around. It also gives people something other than Keldeo and Infernape to use as a safe offensive counter to Bisharp. Justified makes it a brilliant Pokémon to bring in on the extremely common Knock Off, especially since it has no item to lose.
Mega Lucario
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Ability: Technician
Mega Lucario being considered broken was based on two major things: its powerful priority and its ridiculously powerful other moves. A way to make Mega Lucario good but not broken is to take away one of these massive strengths and let it keep the other. Technician means Mega Lucario still has 3 strong priority moves to choose from: Vacuum Wave, Extreme Speed and Bullet Punch. However, the rest of its moves remain balanced, making it a good fit in OU. Its versatility on both sides of the attacking spectrum, along with its excellent base 112 Speed, ensure it is still entirely worthy of being an offensive team's choice of Mega evolution.
Technician shouldn't just be regarded as an inferior Adaptability, as it actually brings some interesting new options. On the physical side, Lucario can abuse moves like Bite (Technician allows it to hit harder than Crunch), Bulldoze, Rock Tomb, Dual Chop, Metal Claw, Power-Up Punch and Bone Rush. Special Mega Lucario can use Technician boosted Hidden Power to hit with 90BP from any type it chooses, which as well as making it difficult to play around also becomes a stronger move than common options like Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon and Shadow Ball, though without the additional effects of these moves.
Its impact on the metagame would be similar to Blaziken's: each team only gets one Mega and Lucario's return could reduce the prevalence of things like Mega Charizard and Mega Pinsir. It also has Justified in its base form and its resistance to Bisharp's STAB moves would make it another solid counter.
Mega Gengar is another Pokémon broken entirely because of its ability. Giving it the same ability as its base form solves this issue, turning it into a faster and stronger version of itself. A base stat upgrade alone can still make for a powerful Mega, as the popularity of Mega Scizor shows. In Gengar's case, it gains power similar to Life Orb Gengar, but with more bulk, speed and no recoil. The new Speed tier puts it ahead of numerous threats including Greninja, Starmie, Alakazam, Weavile, Dugtrio, Raikou, Thundurus, Espeon, Choice Scarf Tyranitar, Choice Scarf Gothitelle and the Latis - all of which it can beat comfortably. The extra bulk can make a big difference too. For example:
Mega Gengar
Base Stats: Unchanged
Movepool: Unchanged
Ability: Levitate
252 Atk Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 212-252 (80.9 - 96.1%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 Atk Spooky Plate Aegislash-Blade Shadow Sneak vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 266-314 (101.5 - 119.8%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Gengar: 198-234 (75.5 - 89.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Conkeldurr Knock Off (97.5 BP) vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Gengar: 372-438 (141.9 - 167.1%) -- guaranteed OHKO
----
So far we've covered ten Pokémon/Mega Evolutions. These alone make OU a far more diverse place and there's still a lot more to come. Images of the full list of previewed Pokémon will be at the bottom of each post now, just for some visual perspective.
Next preview will be within the next few days and things might slow down a bit after that
Thank you, that's really appreciated. I might be able to get a thread up sometime in the near future, but I'm not 100% sure as I have a really nasty exam I should preparing for.
In the meantime here's another preview. This one is about 3 fast and powerful attackers that could be great, but currently have little to no use.
PBM Preview #4: 3 Fast Attackers
Pyroar
Base Stats: Unchanged (86 HP / 68 Atk / 72 Def / 109 SpA / 66 SpD / 106 Spe)
Movepool: +Morning Sun
Abilities: Rivalry / Competitive / Solar Power
Perhaps more consistent is the ability Solar Power, which will give Pyroar a 50% Special Attack boost as long as the weather is kept sunny. Morning Sun can be used to help it regain most of its HP, which would be lost to the ability's secondary effect. Though slower and less powerful than Mega Houndoom, it can at least pair well with Mega Charizard Y.
Despite its immense power after switching into Defog, it can at least be kept in check by the usual special walls such as Chansey and Goodra. It is also unable to switch into fast and dangerous Defoggers like Lati@s, as well as most Rapid Spinners, and most Choice Scarfers will finish it off easily. Finally, it is vulnerable to common priority moves Aqua Jet, Mach Punch and Sucker Punch. Despite these flaws, the sheer power level attainable simply by switching in at the right time will make it a major threat.
Heliolisk
Base Stats: Unchanged (62 HP / 55 Atk / 52 Def / 109 SpA / 94 SpD / 109 Spe)
Movepool: +Solar Beam, Weather Ball
Abilities: Dry Skin / Solar Power / Sand Rush
The useless Sand Veil has been replaced by the far more suitable Sand Rush, which would make it the fastest sweeper available during Sandstorm and allow it to run a Modest nature for extra power. Its access to Surf and Electric STAB can be used to help sand teams overcome Pokémon they commonly struggle with, such as Water-types and bulky Grounds, while also helping rebalance them away from being overly physically based. When taken together, Heliolisk's abilities and move options make it versatile weather sweeper that can fit into 3 of the 4 main weather types, performing a slightly different role in each.
Tauros
Base Stats: Unchanged (75 HP / 100 Atk / 95 Def / 40 SpA / 70 SpD / 110 Spe)
Movepool: +Head Smash
Abilties: Intimidate / Sheer Force / Reckless
Despite its huge Speed and power, Tauros should be kept in check by its over-reliance on recoil moves. It can only really switch in on moves like Shadow Ball, as it needs to keep as much HP as possible to use its best moves and protect itself from priority. Though it is able to break most physical walls, it needs entry hazards to beat some, and the 50% recoil from Head Smash will make walls such as Mandibuzz largely a one-for-one matchup. Against offensive teams in particular, Tauros badly wants to be able to switch moves, but in most cases a Life Orb will see it worn out too quickly and a Choice Band will be the better option. There are also some walls that can beat it no matter what: Ferrothorn in particular will put it out of the match very quickly with Iron Barbs, but defensive Mega Scizor, Alomomola, Hippowdon, Rhyperior and some bulky Ghost-types will usually handle it too.
252 Atk Choice Band Reckless Tauros Double-Edge vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Keldeo: 321-378 (99.3 - 117%) -- 93.8% chance to OHKO
252 Atk Choice Band Reckless Tauros Wild Charge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Skarmory: 168-198 (50.2 - 59.2%) -- 82.4% chance to 2HKO after Leftovers recovery
Wrote up another preview. I hope those of you still following the thread are getting a good sense of how a few small changes can really shake up the OU metagame in a good way. As I've said before, if you're interested in getting involved in development feel free to let me know
PBM Preview #5: 3 Water Types
Blastoise is infamously overshadowed by its counterparts Venusaur and Charizard. Where Mega Venusaur has Synthesis, Giga Drain and Leech Seed, and other walls at least have Leftovers, Blastoise currently has no recovery at all. Slack Off gives it the survivability it needs to do its job consistently.
Mega Blastoise's 79/120 physical defense combined with its usable Special Attack makes it a solid tank and answer to many physical threats such as Tyranitar and Landorus-T. It allows defensive teams to use a viable hazard removal option other than Defog, leaving them less vulnerable to Bisharp and other similar Pokémon, and its boosted Dark Pulse will ensure only neutral specially bulky Ghosts will have any chance of stopping it. Its ability to completely tear apart the offensive core of Deoxys/Bisharp/Aegislash will make this combination significantly less overcentralising in PBM compared to standard OU.
On an unrelated note, in case someone suggests it, here's why giving something as dangerous as Blastoise Shell Smash wouldn't be wise.
Due to its poor typing and ability options, Lapras is deep in NU despite its actually very solid base stats. Its 130/80/95 defenses are superior to many of OU's better walls, and Lapras' new ability options allow it to exploit these fully regardless of its unfortunate weaknesses.
Lapras is incredibly diverse, being able to run purely defensive sets with useful moves like Perish Song and Heal Bell, but also offensive sets with its 3 boosting moves, Calm Mind, Curse and Dragon Dance. Possibly its most effective set overall would be its Calm Mind set, which obtains near-perfect coverage with just its STABs Surf and Freeze-Dry, and can make up for its unboosted physical bulk with Marvel Scale or Multiscale. A Resting mono-attacking Lapras with Freeze-Dry can wall many physical attackers better than even Suicune can, while boosting up on the special side.
Marvel Scale boosted Lapras is so bulky that even Specs Keldeo's Secret Sword and Mega Tyranitar's Stone Edge cannot guarantee a 2HKO. Adamant max Attack Landorus-T's Stone Edge will only 4HKO, allowing Lapras to Rest and boost up on it. Adamant Choice Band Talonflame's Flare Blitz will fail to take off even a third of its HP. These Pokémon will fare even worse if they have the misfortune of coming up against a Curse set, which will bring them down quickly with its 120BP Avalanches.
Kabutops is currently only usable on rain teams, making it fairly predictable. Technician is an ability that suits it, already having been given to the similar Scyther, and allows it to perform an offensive role on more standard teams. It has some useful advantages, being one of the few frail offensive Pokémon that doesn't fear Talonflame (even Choice Band Brave Bird misses the 2HKO). It can outspeed Bisharp and 2HKO it with its Technician-boosted Aqua Jet, protecting it from the risk of Sucker Punch. Technician also boosts Rock Tomb, which will slow down any faster threats attempting to switch in, and Aerial Ace, which will destroy common switch-ins like Mega Venusaur, Keldeo and Breloom. Weaker Low Kicks, for example against Keldeo, will also be boosted, and boosted Thief is an option for teams that struggle with Aegislash and those that want to use Kabutops as an offensive spinner.
PBM Preview #5: 3 Water Types
Blastoise
Base Stats: Unchanged (79 HP / 83 Atk / 100 Def / 85 SpA / 105 SpD / 78 Spe)
Mega Blastoise: (79 HP / 103 Atk / 120 Def / 135 SpA / 115 SpD / 78 Spe)
Movepool: +Slack Off
Abilties: Torrent / Rain Dish (Mega Launcher)
Base Stats: Unchanged (79 HP / 83 Atk / 100 Def / 85 SpA / 105 SpD / 78 Spe)
Mega Blastoise: (79 HP / 103 Atk / 120 Def / 135 SpA / 115 SpD / 78 Spe)
Movepool: +Slack Off
Abilties: Torrent / Rain Dish (Mega Launcher)
Blastoise is infamously overshadowed by its counterparts Venusaur and Charizard. Where Mega Venusaur has Synthesis, Giga Drain and Leech Seed, and other walls at least have Leftovers, Blastoise currently has no recovery at all. Slack Off gives it the survivability it needs to do its job consistently.
Mega Blastoise's 79/120 physical defense combined with its usable Special Attack makes it a solid tank and answer to many physical threats such as Tyranitar and Landorus-T. It allows defensive teams to use a viable hazard removal option other than Defog, leaving them less vulnerable to Bisharp and other similar Pokémon, and its boosted Dark Pulse will ensure only neutral specially bulky Ghosts will have any chance of stopping it. Its ability to completely tear apart the offensive core of Deoxys/Bisharp/Aegislash will make this combination significantly less overcentralising in PBM compared to standard OU.
On an unrelated note, in case someone suggests it, here's why giving something as dangerous as Blastoise Shell Smash wouldn't be wise.
Lapras
Base Stats: Unchanged (130 HP / 85 Atk / 80 Def / 85 SpA / 95 SpD / 60 Spe)
Movepool: +Calm Mind, Recover
Abilties: Natural Cure / Marvel Scale / Multiscale
Base Stats: Unchanged (130 HP / 85 Atk / 80 Def / 85 SpA / 95 SpD / 60 Spe)
Movepool: +Calm Mind, Recover
Abilties: Natural Cure / Marvel Scale / Multiscale
Due to its poor typing and ability options, Lapras is deep in NU despite its actually very solid base stats. Its 130/80/95 defenses are superior to many of OU's better walls, and Lapras' new ability options allow it to exploit these fully regardless of its unfortunate weaknesses.
Lapras is incredibly diverse, being able to run purely defensive sets with useful moves like Perish Song and Heal Bell, but also offensive sets with its 3 boosting moves, Calm Mind, Curse and Dragon Dance. Possibly its most effective set overall would be its Calm Mind set, which obtains near-perfect coverage with just its STABs Surf and Freeze-Dry, and can make up for its unboosted physical bulk with Marvel Scale or Multiscale. A Resting mono-attacking Lapras with Freeze-Dry can wall many physical attackers better than even Suicune can, while boosting up on the special side.
Marvel Scale boosted Lapras is so bulky that even Specs Keldeo's Secret Sword and Mega Tyranitar's Stone Edge cannot guarantee a 2HKO. Adamant max Attack Landorus-T's Stone Edge will only 4HKO, allowing Lapras to Rest and boost up on it. Adamant Choice Band Talonflame's Flare Blitz will fail to take off even a third of its HP. These Pokémon will fare even worse if they have the misfortune of coming up against a Curse set, which will bring them down quickly with its 120BP Avalanches.
Kabutops
Base Stats: Unchanged (60 HP / 115 Atk / 105 Def / 65 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe)
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilties: Swift Swim / Weak Armor / Technician
Base Stats: Unchanged (60 HP / 115 Atk / 105 Def / 65 SpA / 70 SpD / 80 Spe)
Movepool: Unchanged
Abilties: Swift Swim / Weak Armor / Technician
Kabutops is currently only usable on rain teams, making it fairly predictable. Technician is an ability that suits it, already having been given to the similar Scyther, and allows it to perform an offensive role on more standard teams. It has some useful advantages, being one of the few frail offensive Pokémon that doesn't fear Talonflame (even Choice Band Brave Bird misses the 2HKO). It can outspeed Bisharp and 2HKO it with its Technician-boosted Aqua Jet, protecting it from the risk of Sucker Punch. Technician also boosts Rock Tomb, which will slow down any faster threats attempting to switch in, and Aerial Ace, which will destroy common switch-ins like Mega Venusaur, Keldeo and Breloom. Weaker Low Kicks, for example against Keldeo, will also be boosted, and boosted Thief is an option for teams that struggle with Aegislash and those that want to use Kabutops as an offensive spinner.
this is a terribl example, chansey could have wishtected twaved you, and cleaned if they actually had any move able to dent it heck even
252+ Atk Life Orb Bisharp Sucker Punch vs. -1 4 HP / 0 Def Mega Blastoise: 231-274 (77 - 91.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
that + greninja would have killed him after a twave!
this seems to be a really bad match with bad plays just to support an argument, please try to convince me with something better.
It wasn't supposed to be a proper game man. It was an illustration of the power level. 2HKO Chansey after one boost, outspeed and OHKO Deoxys-S, OHKO Keldeo with a neutral move, survive any priority. Chansey is the only thing that would have been able to wall it, but it couldn't do so without sacrificing itself. It's too fast and powerful after a boost.
heybrb let me not be able to set up at all vs 90% of the meta, fight against a mediocre team with bad plays and then be called broken.
Mega Blastoise is a bulky Pokémon with great typing, it can set up easier than most.
I'm not saying it's broken because of that battle, I already said it's a manufactured battle intended to show off its speed and power. Just look at how fast it is and how much damage it can do after one turn of set up. There's no need to be snarky
Doesn't Technician actually make Bullet Punch and Vacuum Wave stronger than before (a 2.25 multiplier instead of 2). Doesn't mean it's broken, just wanted to bring some attention to it. Also, when you first posted about this you gave a lot of ability changes (Snow Warning Articuno for example), were changes made to those?
And finally, this looks really great. I've been wanting a metagame like this for a long time.
Technician is a 1.5x boost, so what's 40BP becomes 60BP as with Adaptability. Could you be getting it mixed up with Sniper (which is 2.25x critical hits)?
That first post is pretty outdated now and I've learned a lot about balancing since then, but I'd say about 75% of it is still correct. Snow Warning Articuno is still on there and one of the changes I'm more fond of. Drought Moltres and Shell Smash Torterra are both changed for being too strong, if Dodrio gets Adaptability it will probably lose Brave Bird, and some of the other changes are outdated too (Seviper now gets Hustle instead of Strong Jaw because it fits great with Coil and is much more interesting). But yeah, most of it's still accurate.
Thanks man I really appreciate the feedback. I'm kinda busy with some personal stuff at the moment unfortunately but I hope I can make a thread for it sometime relatively soon, if not I'll probably pass the project into someone else's care.
I was including STAB too, so 1.5*1.5 = 2.25, or am I forgetting something?
Adaptability's a 1.33x boost?
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