Concept Name: All Animals Are Equal, But Some More Than Others
General Description:
A Pokémon that constantly decentralizes the metagame's top players, while not becoming the most centralizing player itself.
Justification: Each new generation (or game) brings us a slew of new competitors in the OU meta. For example, Greninja, Aegislash, and the many Megas, were introduced in the beginning of Generation 6.
Aegislash witnessed a huge amount of its use in the OU meta, having access to priority Shadow Sneak, a powerful Shadow Ball attack, and a signature move that punished contact attackers. Because of its incredible usage and functions, it was suspected and then banned.
Greninja had a different case, yet the ban hammer fell upon it.
What was it about these two that got them banned? Was it necessarily them being overpowered?
The fact that these two shaped the metagame around them was the behind the reason they got banned.
The Pokémon that could effectively counter them were either few, or had flaws that essentially made them bait to the opponents.
In this Project, we should aim at exploring what competitors in the new post-Greninja OU metagame have potential to be abused and it what way. We should include playstyles and cores that dominate the current metagame, as well as those that are viable but do not see much use. Observing individual Pokémon is an important part of the assessment in the way that we would learn how certain Pokémon look more viable that others (stats, typing, item usage).
The resulting goal should be to create a Pokémon that is able to take on multiple opponents, yet have an equal fallacy to be checked by them. This way the metagame has no real top player, or at least one that stays for a time.
Questions to be Answered:
- Observe the current top Pokémon (on the Usage stats and the OU viability thread). What makes them top threats? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- We know that a Pokémon's strengths can lower another Pokémon's usage, whether it be outclassing it (Ferrothorn being an overall better hazard lead over Skarmory) or being an effective counter to it. Can a Pokémon's weak points lower the usage of other Pokémon and it what way is it so?
- Given that our Project should not become a top player, how powerful should it be, considering stats, type combos, and current playstyles?
- How in the world do you constantly replace top players in the OU metagame? Does this constant change require the use of cores rather than a single Pokémon?
- How do we keep this Pokémon from becoming the most centralizing player?
- Is there a single role that can take on multiple Pokémon? Does a Pokémon require multiple roles to be viable?
- Following up on the previous question, in what ways does a Pokémon with a single role be come overpowered? With multiple roles?
- What playstyles does a Pokémon need to be suited for to be viable?
- How expansive does a movepool need to be for a Pokémon to be overpowered?
- What kind of OU stat spreads make a Pokémon viable? Abused?
- If we do not want the Pokémon to be a gimmick in the OU competition, what kinds of underrated playstyles should be utilized and what kinds shouldn't?
Explanation:
I've been thinking of making a mon that can take on multiple threats. My problem with bringing up such a cocept was that it was boring and didn't seem to require much thought.
It would be simple to make a Pokémon that can serve as effective checks and counters to Mega Metagross, Mega Lopunny, and Landorus-T. I don't think a Pokémon like that would be an interesting addition to the metagame.
However, the idea of making a Pokémon that doesn't let a top player sit on its throne for long had me analyzing a lot of current playstyles and competitors in the meta.
Should we frame our Project to create a glass cannon that dishes out heavy hits while not being able to take a hit?
Should our Project be geared towards making a bulky offensive player that has few yet exploitable weaknesses?
Including the discussion of the post-Greninja meta (new threats that can be abused, and playstyles that have fallen in usage), I'd like to see discussion on individual roles in teams, as well as core discussion.
Once we get to the playtest, we would be experimenting a lot with this Pokémon and its role as the dethroner of powerful mons in OU.
I'd just like some comments and critique on this concept. It's been rolling around in my head since CAP 19 and I've had to edit it to fit the current changes to the metagame.