Playstyle Reversal [Now Playable!]

[Klang]

Approved by The Eevee General

Playstyle reversal is a tier that aims to make offensive teams play more defensively and defensive teams play more offensively, with the addition of one simple (yet chaotic) rule:

All status moves (bar set-up) will lower Defence and Special Defence by one stage, and raise Attack and Special attack by one stage.
All attacking and set-up moves will lower Attack and Special Attack by one stage, and raise Defence and Special Defence by one stage.

Clarification on set-up moves

Set-up moves are addressed as attacking moves, which means after, say, using Tail Glow, your SpA will increase by 3, followed by a drop in attacking stats and raise in defensive stats. For the sake of consistency and not to over-complicate things, defensive set-up moves like Iron Defence do the same. Note that set-up moves only include stat changing moves, and not things like Focus Energy and Aqua Veil.

Standard OU clauses apply



As you can imagine, this can be completely counter-productive for both sides of the spectrum who both need to come up with new, creative strategies to both get around and abuse this change in mechanics.

FAQ

Q: How does contrary work with this change?
A: Contrary reverses the stat changes as it does with anything else, which makes them extremely deadly seeing as the boosts they gain are perfect for their needs.

Q: How do Clear Body / Big Pecks / Hyper Cutter work?
A: Since the stat changes are self-inflicted, none of these abilities prevent stat drops.

Q: How do Defiant and Competitive work?
A: Much like the above abilities, the stat changes are self inflicted.

Q: If I attack and the opponent uses Protect/Detect, what happens?
A: Your defenses will still be raised and your attacking stats lowered.

Q: What if my move fails?
A: The stat changes still apply.

Potentially deadly stuff:

Protect and Substitute: These are very likely to be the main offensive boosting moves in the tier, with the former probably being banworthy. Since these are both status moves, spamming them alongside leftovers or another form of passive recovery means easy set-up.

Regenerator: Not having to lower your defenses when healing is pretty nice, which means this is likely to become one of the better stall abilities.

Taunt: Set up and denying status moves at the same time? Yes please.

Tail Glow / Swords Dance / Nasty Plot: While they don't provide as big of an offensive boost, +1 defence / +1 special defence / +1 or 2 in the respective attacking stat is nothing to scoff at.

Infiltrator: Since substitute is likely to be common, this is probably going to be a very handy ability to kill things while they're setting up.

Possible threats

Shuckle @ Mental Herb
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Sticky Web
- Stealth Rock
- Protect
- Encore

Gets a cosmic power every turn because of Contrary, which means stopping it from setting up both hazards without taunt will be an immense challenge. It could alternatively run a more defensive set, though similar to standard non-hazard Shuckle if the opponent is immune to toxic it doesn't accomplish much.

Noivern @ Choice Specs
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Draco Meteor
- Boomburst
- Hurricane
- Flamethrower

With the likely substitute spam, Noivern is likely to be a great way to pick them all off, especially with their lowered defenses.

 

[CactusCacti]

Oh hell yes
Finally a meta where I can start abusing power swappers to all out.

Also Closecombat turns into super power lite, which is kinda amusing.

 

[DinaIsha]

It might feel like I'm shitposting, but this is really my first thought on all Setup based Metas:

 

[canno]

V-Create now lowers all of the users main stats. That's amusing.

Also can Focus Energy Sniper Kingdra shine here? It can ignore the attack drops, gets more bulk by attacking, and ignores the defensive boosts from Pokemon using attacking moves. And all this also comes with a nice 2.5x boost to all attacks thanks to Sniper. Sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Klang]

Oh hell yes
Finally a meta where I can start abusing power swappers to all out.

Also Closecombat turns into super power lite, which is kinda amusing.

I must admit I never thought about power swap and guard swap. Nice catch!

It might feel like I'm shitposting, but this is really my first thought on all Setup based Metas:

Unaware is kind of a mixed bag - while you ignore set-up sweepers, enemy attackers will be able to spam their attacks as usually without fearing any downsides from their lowered offences, which you ironically ignore. In a sense, it goes both ways now while in standard that only really applied to Superpower and Draco + clones.

 

[Rumors]

The first thing that comes to mind here is HO Volturn. Attack drops on hit? IDGAF because I'm switching out anyway!

Also, while the damage is low, Power-Up Punch is now more like Cosmic Power Punch, with a side of Sp. A dropping.

Amusingly, Foul Play will be amazing against stall and Volturn teams. It ignores your own attack drops, raises your defense, hurts defensive teams more and more, and Volturners don't get the Atk drop/Def boost to reduce its damage. Equally amusingly, it'll suck against offensive teams, but not too badly at least since you're boosting defense.

Also, @Dinalsha: Unaware would work against the opposing defenses, but they're still going to care about their own stat drops. In fact, I can actually see it be a liability. Try to use stally moves like recover? Your defenses are dropping and you're ignoring their attack drops. Try to go on the offense with Unaware? You're ignoring their defense drops and your attack is dropping.

 

[Pikachuun]

CLICK TO CLOSE

config/formats.js

    {
        name: "Playstyle Reversal",
        section: "Other Metagames",
      
        ruleset: ['Pokemon', 'Standard', 'Team Preview', 'Swagger Clause', 'Baton Pass Clause'],
        banlist: ['Uber', 'Soul Dew', 'Gengarite', 'Kangaskhanite', 'Lucarionite', 'Mawilite'],
        onModifyMove: function (move) {
            if (move && move.self) {
                if (move.category === "Status") {
                    move.onHit = function(source) {
                        return this.boost({atk: 1, spa: 1, def: -1, spd: -1});
                    }
                } else {
                    move.onHit = function(attacker, defender) {
                        return this.boost({atk: -1, spa: -1, def: 1, spd: 1}, defender, attacker);
                    }
                }
            } else if (move && move.category === "Status") {
                if (move.target === "self" && move.boosts) {
                    move.self = {boosts: {atk: -1, spa: -1, def: 1, spd: 1}};
                } else {
                    move.self = {boosts: {atk: 1, spa: 1, def: -1, spd: -1}};
                }
            } else if (move) {
                move.self = {boosts: {atk: -1, spa: -1, def: 1, spd: 1}};
            }
        }
    },

 

[Yozora]

All status moves (bar set-up) will lower Defence and Special Defence by one stage, and raise Attack and Special attack by one stage.

Tail Glow / Swords Dance / Nasty Plot: While they don't provide as big of an offensive boost, +1 defence / +1 special defence / +1 or 2 in the respective attacking stat is nothing to scoff at.

It's a bit confusing : are set-up moves affected, or not ?
Another tricky move is Nature Power. Granted, it's no longer an Earthquake equivalent, but it boosts both attacks. Sadly, few mons can actually make use of it (Quiver Dance + Nature Power Lilligant anyone ? who needs coverage)
Anyway, great meta.

 

[EV]

It's a bit confusing : are set-up moves affected, or not ?
Another tricky move is Nature Power. Granted, it's no longer an Earthquake equivalent, but it boosts both attacks. Sadly, few mons can actually make use of it (Quiver Dance + Nature Power Lilligant anyone ? who needs coverage)
Anyway, great meta.

All attacking and set-up moves will lower Attack and Special Attack by one stage, and raise Defence and Special Defence by one stage.

Setup moves are addressed as attacking moves.

 

[Twiranitar]

Really like this metagame. Changes a lot the strategies and sets. Hope it become popular!

 

[Klang]

It's a bit confusing : are set-up moves affected, or not ?
Another tricky move is Nature Power. Granted, it's no longer an Earthquake equivalent, but it boosts both attacks. Sadly, few mons can actually make use of it (Quiver Dance + Nature Power Lilligant anyone ? who needs coverage)
Anyway, great meta.

I guess I'll clarify it better in the OP since this seems to be a popular question so far.

But yeah TEG's answer is correct: Set-up moves are addressed as attacking moves, which means after, say, using Tail Glow, your SpA will increase by 3, followed by a drop in attacking stats and raise in defensive stats. For the sake of consistency and not to over-complicate things, defensive set-up moves like Iron Defence do the same.

CLICK TO CLOSE

config/formats.js

    {
        name: "Playstyle Reversal",
        section: "Other Metagames",
     
        ruleset: ['Pokemon', 'Standard', 'Team Preview', 'Swagger Clause', 'Baton Pass Clause'],
        banlist: ['Uber', 'Soul Dew', 'Gengarite', 'Kangaskhanite', 'Lucarionite', 'Mawilite'],
        onModifyMove: function (move) {
            if (move && move.self) {
                if (move.category === "Status") {
                    move.onHit = function(source) {
                        return this.boost({atk: 1, spa: 1, def: -1, spd: -1});
                    }
                } else {
                    move.onHit = function(attacker, defender) {
                        return this.boost({atk: -1, spa: -1, def: 1, spd: 1}, defender, attacker);
                    }
                }
            } else if (move && move.category === "Status") {
                if (move.target === "self" && move.boosts) {
                    move.self = {boosts: {atk: -1, spa: -1, def: 1, spd: 1}};
                } else {
                    move.self = {boosts: {atk: 1, spa: 1, def: -1, spd: -1}};
                }
            } else if (move) {
                move.self = {boosts: {atk: -1, spa: -1, def: 1, spd: 1}};
            }
        }
    },

Sweet! Thanks for coding :)

 

[Kit Kasai]

Yanmega says hello

e: also, Pikachuun, how does your implementation interact with Clear Body / White Smoke?
I'm assuming it's not affected by Clear Body as it's inflicted upon self, but just clarifying.

 

[Pikachuun]

Yanmega says hello

e: also, Pikachuun, how does your implementation interact with Clear Body / White Smoke?
I'm assuming it's not affected by Clear Body as it's inflicted upon self, but just clarifying.

Correct. The one problem with the code is how it interacts with Protect/Detect, but that would involve an entirely different procedure (onBegin will be too fast, onTry will still be too fast, etc.)

 

[DinaIsha]

Unaware is kind of a mixed bag - while you ignore set-up sweepers, enemy attackers will be able to spam their attacks as usually without fearing any downsides from their lowered offences, which you ironically ignore.

But all you do with Quagsire is Toxic/Burn Stall. It's good enough that you ignore their Offensive Set Up. Maybe if Substitute is not banned, you could check Quagsire to some extent. If not, then I can certainly see it being used to a great extent.

 

[Rumors]

But all you do with Quagsire is Toxic/Burn Stall. It's good enough that you ignore their Offensive Set Up. Maybe if Substitute is not banned, you could check Quagsire to some extent. If not, then I can certainly see it being used to a great extent.

Stalling reduces your defenses though. And since your opponent isn't ignoring your defense drops, you're setting their offense up for them. Not saying Quag is useless or anything, but it'll probably have to alternate between attacking and stalling if it wants to stay in for extended periods of time.

 

[Fossil_Maniac_27]

Contrary shuckle loves you. Free defense boosts on protect, toxic, sticky web, just about anything it does. Contrary Malamar also gets 2 attack boosts with superpower now, at the cost of it's special defense.

 

[Ghoul King]

V-Create now lowers all of the users main stats. That's amusing.

Pretty sure it would end up only lowering Attack, Special Attack, and Speed.

Also, Power Up Punch is Cosmic Power Up Punch.

 

[Fossil_Maniac_27]

Another interesting thing is that Shell Smash is now a combination of Work-up and Agility, no more defense drops, but slightly less attack boosts. That might make it better in some ways, actually.

 

[Red Cat]

How do Foul Play and Seismic Toss work? These seem like really good moves for stall teams to abuse if they count as attacks.

 

[Mulan15262]

How do Foul Play and Seismic Toss work? These seem like really good moves for stall teams to abuse if they count as attacks.

I would assume that they are treated as attacks.

 

[Red Cat]

Super important question here: Does Splash count as a status move or a set-up move?

 

[Klang]

How do Foul Play and Seismic Toss work? These seem like really good moves for stall teams to abuse if they count as attacks.

They're both treated as attacking moves. Seismic Toss I don't see making that big of a splash but Foul Play might be suspect worthy.

 

[Pikachuun]

Super important question here: Does Splash count as a status move or a set-up move?

Status.

 

[canno]

Status.

But it sets you up for failure

 

[DoW]

I just realised, if there's no rocks then scolipede spamming protect/sub then baton passing to something sashed with good priority, e.g. dnite, could be a quick gg. By the end it'd be reasonably easy to get +6 Atk, SpA and Spe and -6 Def and SpD, with the defense drops not really mattering if you pass to a sashed mon with good priority (and the speed will help a lot anyway). I think SR will be needed in this meta, perhaps Landorus-I would be a good setter as it's fast and can use the SpA boost? Perhaps things like Terrakion or Mega Manectric with roar would be useful as well?