Z-Move Discussion

[Pyritie]

Is there any sort of pattern to which status moves get which effects?

 

[javimgol]

Have Z-moves STAB?

 

[Garagara]

Man some of these are the dumbest, especially the reset stat changes. Outside of your opponent using memento or something, how it baton pass z move good? You reset stat changes then baton pass. Greaaaat

 

[Cresselia~~]

So, status moves are worthless with Z moves apart from Splash?

 

[Maestro Arena]

Dunno what to think about the z-moves which restore user stats.

 

[Zukrad]

So, status moves are worthless with Z moves apart from Splash?

Celebrate and equivalents are Geomancy x 0.5

 

[jackgraves]

Celebrate and equivalents are Geomancy x 0.5

Well no, they are +1 to all stats, Ancient Power style, not just for Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, and Speed.

Also, Belly Drum and Curse (the Ghost-Type variant) heal the user to full before taking 50% of their health.

Parting Shot and Memento fully restore HP to whatever Pokemon is switched out to.

Destiny Bond doubles as Follow Me, redirecting enemy attacks.

Oh, and all Z-Buffed status moves retain their original effect, with the Z-Effect just stacking on top of it.

 

[AquaticPanic]

"Psycho Shift: Special Attack ↑↑"

Oh god Stored Power Sigilyph

"Calm Mind: Reset user's stats"

Aaaaand there goes my Stored Power Z-Calm Mind Swoobat strategy. That's trash. (Tho if it gets Purify then it has a replacement. Gotta check that later)

Also Celebrate Stored Power Espeon hype

 

[Retro64]

Didn't really expect Z-moves to be widely used but these status Z-moves actually seem pretty usable, especially since for many of them the regular move is still useful after, like Parting Shot (although RIP if your run Splash I suppose after the boost, haha). Z-splash and Belly drum can be very useful for set up sweepers.

 

[GaIe]

So if i'm understanding this correctly, the stat reset z-moves gives you the boost and then resets all your stats? That's very dumb, I was looking forward to what Z-SD gave the user but woke up to this dissapointment.

 

[Codraroll]

So if i'm understanding this correctly, the stat reset z-moves gives you the boost and then resets all your stats? That's very dumb, I was looking forward to what Z-SD gave the user but woke up to this dissapointment.

The other way 'round. Imagine being at -5 Attack after a barrage of Charm and Growl and then using Zwords Dance. Your Attack will be reset to 0, then you get the +2 boost, bringing you to +2 instead of -3 overall. That's not too shabby.

 

[GaIe]

The other way 'round. Imagine being at -5 Attack after a barrage of Screech and Growl and then using Zwords Dance. Your Attack will be reset to 0, then you get the +2 boost, bringing you to +2 instead of -3 overall. That's not too shabby.

Ah i see, that makes much more sense. So in a competitive sense I guess Zwords Dance would only seem useful if your intimidated then (or some other attack dropping effect that i'm forgetting).

 

[jackgraves]

Ah i see, that makes much more sense. So in a competitive sense I guess Zwords Dance would only seem useful if your intimidated then (or some other attack dropping effect that i'm forgetting).

Yes, or if you come in on Sticky Web. Also, there a TON of new damaging moves that also lower the target's stats, like Trop Kick, Liquidation, Shadow Bone, Lunge, etc., so a Z-Set Up option could actually be really handy.

Also, Eevee can only use Extreme EvoBoost if it knows Last Resort, so yeah, that sucks.

 

[Project_Mars]

Well, looks like in VGC the only interesting Status Z-Moves may be Destiny Bond (oh lordy Z-Destiny Bond is gonna cause some Angst) and Parting Shot (Stat Reduction on an opponent and a full heal on the incoming Pokemon can probably swing the game around)

 

[Garagara]

"Psycho Shift: Special Attack ↑↑"

Oh god Stored Power Sigilyph

"Calm Mind: Reset user's stats"

Aaaaand there goes my Stored Power Z-Calm Mind Swoobat strategy. That's trash. (Tho if it gets Purify then it has a replacement. Gotta check that later)

Also Celebrate Stored Power Espeon hype

Woobat does get psycho shift as an egg move though, raising SpA by 2 stages.

 

[Garuru]

Ooh, Forest's Curse and Trick-or-Treat also raise all stats when Z-powered. That's good news for Trevenant and Gourgeist, 4mss aside.

 

[jackgraves]

So, I noticed we don't have the required moves to make exclusive Z-Moves written down here, so let me fix that.

Pulverizing Pancake requires Giga Impact.
Stoked Sparksurfer requires Thunderbolt.
Catastropika requires Volt Tackle.
10,000,000 Volts Thunderbolt requires Thunderbolt.
Extreme Evoboost requires Last Resort.
Guardian of Alola requires Nature's Madness.
Sinister Arrow Raid requires Spirit Shackle.
Malicious Moonsault requires Darkest Lariat.
Oceanic Operetta requires Sparkling Aria.
Genesis Supernova requires Psychic.
Soul-Stealing Seven Star Strike requires Spectral Thief.

 

[LastFootnote]

I am guessing that "Reset user's stats" is going to be an effect similar to White Herb, such that it only resets stats that have negative levels. That makes Z-Baton Pass more reasonable: pass the raised stats, not the lowered stats.

 

[Deaga]

"Psycho Shift: Special Attack ↑↑"

Oh god Stored Power Sigilyph

Friendly Reminder that if you're using a Z-Crystal for the Z-Moves, you're not holding a Flame Orb.

 

[LastFootnote]

I wonder if "Boosts critical-hit ratio" is just one level, or a full-on two level boost like Lansat Berry and Focus Energy. I'm tentatively guessing the latter, since it's an already-programmed effect. Z-Tailwind looks very promising if so.

An interesting thing about Z-Moves is that they make the type of support moves matter, and they potentially give great flexibility about how you use your Z-Boost. For instance:

Fearow : Sniper, Flyinium Z
Drill Peck
Drill Run
Mirror Move
Tailwind

(This is just an example, not necessarily a viable one for any specific metagame.)

You have the option of using Z-Tailwind to raise your crit ratio (while doubling your team's Speed), using Z-Mirror Move to raise your Attack two stages (and then immediately launching an attack), or using 160-BP Supersonic Skystrike. I think that flexibility will be useful.

 

[Project_Mars]

I wonder if "Boosts critical-hit ratio" is just one level, or a full-on two level boost like Lansat Berry and Focus Energy. I'm tentatively guessing the latter, since it's an already-programmed effect. Z-Tailwind looks very promising if so.

An interesting thing about Z-Moves is that they make the type of support moves matter, and they potentially give great flexibility about how you use your Z-Boost. For instance:

Fearow : Sniper, Flyinium Z
Drill Peck
Drill Run
Mirror Move
Tailwind

(This is just an example, not necessarily a viable one for any specific metagame.)

You have the option of using Z-Tailwind to raise your crit ratio (while doubling your team's Speed), using Z-Mirror Move to raise your Attack two stages (and then immediately launching an attack), or using 160-BP Supersonic Skystrike. I think that flexibility will be useful.

Pretty much this, a Z-Crystal on a Pokemon with an Attack and a status move that share typings would actually have some versatility.

 

[AquaticPanic]

Friendly Reminder that if you're using a Z-Crystal for the Z-Moves, you're not holding a Flame Orb.

Well, point is not to use Psycho Shift with an orb. It's to even more power when you use Stored Power. (And you still can switch in on Wisps anyways)

Woobat does get psycho shift as an egg move though, raising SpA by 2 stages.

Well, yeah but it already does that with Calm Mind. I wanted a +2 in every stat (Simple) then CM, then Stored Power.

Inb4 everyone runs Celebrate in STABmons from now on

 

[Hitzel]

I think it's pretty obvious that a lot of these status and non-attacking moves were given lackluster effects to avoid creating a game of absolutely bonkers and randomly thrown together set-up mons. Can you imagine how dumb it would be if every mon on every team had the potential to set up in several different ways? I am not down. Useful setups are going to come out of these but only the good ones so their uses on teams will be more predictable.

 

[Deaga]

Well, point is not to use Psycho Shift with an orb. It's to even more power when you use Stored Power. (And you still can switch in on Wisps anyways)

Use Calm Mind to also get +2 total buffs and the same base power? Sure you're increasing your SAtk less, but you get huge advantages such as having a useable item (!!!!) and being able to use that move more than once in the whole battle (!!!!!!!!!!!). Those buff seem to far outweigh a one-time use of "Nasty Plot".

 

[Nexus]

So, I noticed we don't have the required moves to make exclusive Z-Moves written down here, so let me fix that.

Pulverizing Pancake requires Giga Impact.
Stoked Sparksurfer requires Thunderbolt.
Catastropika requires Volt Tackle.
10,000,000 Volts Thunderbolt requires Thunderbolt.
Extreme Evoboost requires Last Resort.
Guardian of Alola requires Nature's Madness.
Sinister Arrow Raid requires Spirit Shackle.
Malicious Moonsault requires Darkest Lariat.
Oceanic Operetta requires Sparkling Aria.
Genesis Supernova requires Psychic.
Soul-Stealing Seven Star Strike requires Spectral Thief.

Thanks adding these to the OP, also added a section with Z-move animation videos if anyone has any others PM me links to them try to only send decent quality ones.