What would happen if....

Funnily enough I was thinking about this on the way to school this morning. I don't think they'd be used. So many Walls and Tanks rely on Leftovers to work so much better, it's invaluble. Most physical / special Walls and Tanks are what they are because they can take hits without needing a boost anyway.
 
Anti said:
Funnily enough I was thinking about this on the way to school this morning. I don't think they'd be used. So many Walls and Tanks rely on Leftovers to work so much better, it's invaluble. Most physical / special Walls and Tanks are what they are because they can take hits without needing a boost anyway.
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Actually, I think they work. Imagine Skarmory, who's 2KOed by CB Cross CC. Supposing you use a Choice Def item, it'd take less damage, being able to tank Heracross.

But hey, if you can take Heracross hits, Roost the damage and OHKO it back, isn't it obvious that your opponent's gonna switch? So you can just SR/Roost on the switch and then switch Skarm to your counter. You can take more hits, and you'll barely feel the lock.

So, they won't be as popular and threatning as the offensive choice items, but they certainly have potential.
 
Tanks would become sponges, without much more use. Have you seen Cresselia stalling? Not anymore with a choice item. It will either heal continuously, or TW continuously, or whatever, but it won't be as useful. Same for Blissey: If she takes slightly less than 50% from a physical hit, she will have to choose between healing back, or doing something threatening/helpful (TW, Aromatherapy, Ice Beam...).

However, I can see that Pressure stalling would be much more dangerous. Spiritomb, Suicune and Dusknoir would really benefit from those items.
 
Que tal granadino! jeje

Walling wouldn't be that effective, seriously, walling is based in being able to use several moves that work well together like taunt, rest, damaging moves, status. Being locked into one move sucks when deffending.

You rest forever? ok, i'll set up in your face, or i'll switch an opposite attack based sweeper that you can't touch.

Being trapped would very dangerous. But we can't discuss this topic, specially since those items don't exist, and we can't correctly predict how they would affect the metagame.
 
i've been thinking of these 2 possibilities for quite some time and i have some uncertainties about them...

blissey would suck with choice def+ since she'd be stuck with healing or responding with non-CM'd special attacks

i'd see skarmory pulling off 3 spikes, even though then rapid spinners would be a must (they already are in my opinion)

suicune = pressure stalling with rest

taunt/knock off/trick would be everywhere

what about physicsl/special attackers that used def/sp.def choice items THEMSELVES? example: tyranitar with def+ choice item, sandstorm sp.def + and stuck using one item...doesn't that sound wrong?
 
It might be useful for something that already has insane Atk/Sp. Atk but would like a little more defense (perhaps something like Rampardos), but then again you're probably better off using a Choice Scarf in that case, since it doesn't matter what your defenses are if you can outspeed and OHKO them.
 
I'm wondering what if there was a choice scarfer with OHKO moves such as sheer cold or horn drill. That would be a novelty I suppose.
 
Spaniard said:
Que tal granadino! jeje

Walling wouldn't be that effective, seriously, walling is based in being able to use several moves that work well together like taunt, rest, damaging moves, status. Being locked into one move sucks when deffending.

You rest forever? ok, i'll set up in your face, or i'll switch an opposite attack based sweeper that you can't touch.

Being trapped would very dangerous. But we can't discuss this topic, specially since those items don't exist, and we can't correctly predict how they would affect the metagame.
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The point of Choice defensive items is to absorb a hit, scare something and switch, like on the Skarmory example I said above.

Supposing you have a Choice Cresselia. Your opponent will probably switch to his Weavile/Ttar, because you've already took a Specs Draaco Meteor from his Salamence. Thunder Wave them on the switch, and next time use Rest.

The lack of leftovers Recovery will make Rest usable in most cases. That could make Rest/Bell strategies a little more viable. Also, a lot of stallers/wall will still prefer leftovers than Def Choice items, but they'll still be great.
 
Maybe instead they could make an item that increased defense and decreased something like speed. Then it'd be useful I think.
 
I don't think they would be bad. Walls would suck as they couldn't change moves. Sweepers would die to walls as they can't do much damage.

Although Choice SD item in Sandstorm on Shuckle gives it something like 1382 SD.
 
This would work pretty well with Toxistalling and healing moves. I could see it being used.

Oh, and obligatory lol Choice HP Item. Imagine blissey with like 1000 HP. O-o
 
Calciphoce said:
This would work pretty well with Toxistalling and healing moves. I could see it being used.

Oh, and obligatory lol Choice HP Item. Imagine blissey with like 1000 HP. O-o
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imagine this choice hp item being like final fantasy's bubble status...
blissey would be pushed into ubers...and many UU and BL pokemon would become quite usable...shuckle would kill for an hp choice item haha =D
 
Actually, I think their best use would be swapping them onto enemy pokes. :P

using a speedy poke who can throw a choice DEF onto a Gyara about to taunt/dance or a Garchomp about to swords dance would be a lot of fun . . . and you could combine the item with the opposite type attacker.
ie.

Trick Alakazam w/ Choice +DEF

Trick Linoon w/ Choice +Sp.DEF
 
They would suck outside of Trick.


Good luck walling Nasty Plot Togekiss with Choice +SpDef Blissey. What move are you going to use? Your only shot at doing it is with Toxic. All Togekiss has to do is weaken you a bit, maybe lead with Hippowdon, and Blissey is screwed next time. Hippowdon + Togekiss + Aromatherapy = useless Blissey. If you ever use a move that isn't Toxic, Togekiss may just be able to sweep your team. Say you're locked into Softboiled. Togekiss can Nasty Plot up as you do nothing. After +6 Special Attack, Aura Sphere will be doing a lot of damage to Blissey, even with 50% more SpDef.

They will never include a +HP item with +Def items. Either the amount HP is increased will make it always better than the +Def items (if they are all +50% or whatever, then there is no reason to ever use +Def over +HP), or the amount will be so much lower that it's always worse.

You also wouldn't give a +Def band to Rampardos. You get significantly better stats by just putting EVs into a defense / HP and using a Choice Band.
 
Choice items don't work well defensively. Stalling requires being versatile even moreso than sweeping, believe it or not. In examples like Obi's, you are required to be able to recover AND deal a bit of damage. Not being able to do both when ever desired makes you autofail. Plus, an attacker can at least switch out to a wall when it predicts wrong and uses the wrong move, but a wall usually doesn't have much of an alternative to switch to.
 
Taunt Trick and Knock off would become so popular with teams that you really wouldn't want to use the items and most walls depend on leftovers more than a boost.
 
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