Introduction:
Rock types are known for having not only the highest average defense stat when fully evolved (being around 118), but they are also known alongside grass to have the highest number of weaknesses for a type (including water, ground and fighting which are very common). Often times, rock types are not commonly found on teams because they are seen as in a sense frail because it is common to be facing up against super effective moves, substantially making them less viable from a defensive standpoint. Type pairings have done little as an ailment defensively leaving most common pairings with rock with crippling 4x weaknesses such as Steel-Rock,(4x weak to fighting and ground), Water-Rock (4x weak to grass) and Rock-Ground (4x weak to water and grass) with a lack the 2 paired types to cover these weaknesses. What rock needs is a defensive niche that is more pronounced than just a fire resist which water handles effectively and a normal resist which steel does effectively. One option is to provide rock with an additional resistance which would keep rock in check by maintaining its high number of weaknesses but at the same time allow for different ways the type can be used defensively, with that type being rock. With this, rock types would be allowed to take advantage of the fact that if there is a rock weakness on a team, it's defensive bulk and resistance to rock would serve well in patching a rock resist without having to solely rely on a steel type or ground type, providing greater options for team building because of the need for rock types to have other pokemon that can patch it's own list of resistances. Why resist rock though? Stone edge and rock slide are some of the most commonly used coverage moves in the current metagame because of the lack of resistances to it and because pokemon that receive these moves have often naturally high attack stats which can take advantage of the excellent coverage it provides. If rock types could be able to handle users of stone edge with ease due to great defenses, it could act as a check to many scarfed fighting types which can safely stone edge and hit most of the opponents team for at least neutral damage due to a lack of types that resist it, causing uncertainty on whether the user should lock in to stone edge or go for a STAB fighting move predicting the rock type. If there was a ghost type on the same team as a rock type which could handle physical hits, it leaves the opponent uncertain on how to handle the situation, possibly forcing a switch so that a rock or ghost type can set up if they predict wrong. On top of this, rock types can be more active on the battlefield because of a resistance to stealth rock, being such a driving factor in the current metagame, allowing it to more easilly switch in and absorb a hit as well as allow for specific type combos to not be crippled by hazards damage.
Pokemon that would benefit from these changes:
Aerodactyl:
-Better able to act as a scout because a rock resist would patch it's normal weakness due to the fact that is a flying type.
-Access to roost and flying pairing can possibly allow Aerodactyl to become a physical tank.
Armaldo/Crustle:
-Resistance to stealth rocks and neutrality to rock move allow for both to better act as a support set (via hazards and rapid spin)
Omastar/Kabutops:
-Higher use of support moves for these normally offensive pokemon because of a greater ability to wall offensive threats due to their great defenses.
Solrock/Lunatone:
-Great set of resistances and immunities to many common attacking types allowing these normally NU pokemon to find a place as a defensive wall while also being almost unaffected by hazards.
Regirock/Gigalith:
-Greater use as pure defensive walls or tanks due to their terrific defenses, can fit better on teams because of the ability to handle stone edges with ease as well as fire and flying types like talonflame. mono typing eliminates quad resistance.
Onix/Rhydon/Golem:
-Quad resistance to rock allows for high mobility on battlefield if there are no spikes and pressures against the use of a rock type move in fear of setting up hazards or rock polish or a banded hit.
Cradilly:
-Excellent defensive pokemon not normally seen due to weakness to fighting and ice which are common. Unique typing allows for exceptional performance as a physical and special wall.
Macargo:
-This pokemon needs anything it can get on top of having one of the best recovery moves in the game (all it needs is water absorb)
Tyrannitar:
-Top tier bulk. Additional arsenal to physical resistances to balance newly added fairy weakness.
Please comment on your thoughts about what impacts this change might have on battling and any criticisms about as to why these changes might disrupt the current balance in the metagame.
Rock types are known for having not only the highest average defense stat when fully evolved (being around 118), but they are also known alongside grass to have the highest number of weaknesses for a type (including water, ground and fighting which are very common). Often times, rock types are not commonly found on teams because they are seen as in a sense frail because it is common to be facing up against super effective moves, substantially making them less viable from a defensive standpoint. Type pairings have done little as an ailment defensively leaving most common pairings with rock with crippling 4x weaknesses such as Steel-Rock,(4x weak to fighting and ground), Water-Rock (4x weak to grass) and Rock-Ground (4x weak to water and grass) with a lack the 2 paired types to cover these weaknesses. What rock needs is a defensive niche that is more pronounced than just a fire resist which water handles effectively and a normal resist which steel does effectively. One option is to provide rock with an additional resistance which would keep rock in check by maintaining its high number of weaknesses but at the same time allow for different ways the type can be used defensively, with that type being rock. With this, rock types would be allowed to take advantage of the fact that if there is a rock weakness on a team, it's defensive bulk and resistance to rock would serve well in patching a rock resist without having to solely rely on a steel type or ground type, providing greater options for team building because of the need for rock types to have other pokemon that can patch it's own list of resistances. Why resist rock though? Stone edge and rock slide are some of the most commonly used coverage moves in the current metagame because of the lack of resistances to it and because pokemon that receive these moves have often naturally high attack stats which can take advantage of the excellent coverage it provides. If rock types could be able to handle users of stone edge with ease due to great defenses, it could act as a check to many scarfed fighting types which can safely stone edge and hit most of the opponents team for at least neutral damage due to a lack of types that resist it, causing uncertainty on whether the user should lock in to stone edge or go for a STAB fighting move predicting the rock type. If there was a ghost type on the same team as a rock type which could handle physical hits, it leaves the opponent uncertain on how to handle the situation, possibly forcing a switch so that a rock or ghost type can set up if they predict wrong. On top of this, rock types can be more active on the battlefield because of a resistance to stealth rock, being such a driving factor in the current metagame, allowing it to more easilly switch in and absorb a hit as well as allow for specific type combos to not be crippled by hazards damage.
Pokemon that would benefit from these changes:
Aerodactyl:
-Better able to act as a scout because a rock resist would patch it's normal weakness due to the fact that is a flying type.
-Access to roost and flying pairing can possibly allow Aerodactyl to become a physical tank.
Armaldo/Crustle:
-Resistance to stealth rocks and neutrality to rock move allow for both to better act as a support set (via hazards and rapid spin)
Omastar/Kabutops:
-Higher use of support moves for these normally offensive pokemon because of a greater ability to wall offensive threats due to their great defenses.
Solrock/Lunatone:
-Great set of resistances and immunities to many common attacking types allowing these normally NU pokemon to find a place as a defensive wall while also being almost unaffected by hazards.
Regirock/Gigalith:
-Greater use as pure defensive walls or tanks due to their terrific defenses, can fit better on teams because of the ability to handle stone edges with ease as well as fire and flying types like talonflame. mono typing eliminates quad resistance.
Onix/Rhydon/Golem:
-Quad resistance to rock allows for high mobility on battlefield if there are no spikes and pressures against the use of a rock type move in fear of setting up hazards or rock polish or a banded hit.
Cradilly:
-Excellent defensive pokemon not normally seen due to weakness to fighting and ice which are common. Unique typing allows for exceptional performance as a physical and special wall.
Macargo:
-This pokemon needs anything it can get on top of having one of the best recovery moves in the game (all it needs is water absorb)
Tyrannitar:
-Top tier bulk. Additional arsenal to physical resistances to balance newly added fairy weakness.
Please comment on your thoughts about what impacts this change might have on battling and any criticisms about as to why these changes might disrupt the current balance in the metagame.
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