StaraptorThinking about item manipulation (breaking ability combos)
I'll lead with a couple questions:
1. How will fling work with Enchanted Items? (Like the normal item, refuse to be flung, unique base as they are a different item than normal?)
2. How will Bug Bite / Pluck work if the Enchanted Item target is a berry?
Here are a few OBVIOUS ability breakers:
Thief -
- Power 60 -
Accuracy 100%
- PP 40 - If the user has no item, it steals the target's. (Only works once unless the user can remove its item).
Covet -
-
Power 60 -
Accuracy 100% -
PP 40 - If the user has no item, it steals the target's. (Only works once unless the user can remove its item).
[If Fling is Allow this will effectively be a two-turn Knock Off]
Scizor @ [No Item]
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
+ Atk / - SpA Nature
- Bullet Punch
- U-turn / Bug Bite
- ( Superpower / Swords Dance / Roost / Bug Bite / Defog )
- Thief
Bisharp @ [No Item]
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
+ Atk / - SpA Nature
- Sucker Punch
- Thief
- Iron Head
- Swords Dance
Weavile @ [No Item]
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Thief
- Icicle Crash
- Ice Shard
- ( Pursuit / Low Kick / Poison Jab / Swords Dance )
Note: These are standard OU sets with Thief instead of Knock Off, since Knock Off is banned.
Blissey @ [No Item]
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
- Covet
- Toxic
- Wish
- Protect
Other Potential Thief Users: (These are less attack oriented and won't be as strong with it):
- Diggersby, Skarmory, Staraptor, Talonflame, Thundurus, Thundurus-Therian, Tornadus-Therian, Gengar, Mew, Klefki [OU]
- Alakazam, Arcanine, Chandelure, Crobat, Darmanitan, Galvantula, Gardevoir, Gligar, Heracross, Honchkrow, Hydreigon, Krookodile, Machamp, Mandibuzz, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, Porygon-Z, Porygon2, Sableye, Slurpuff, Tentacruel, Toxicroak, Whimsicott [UU]
There are over 100 total Pokemon with Thief, but searching lower than UU is probably not worth it in this case, since it's not adding an ability to make the mon more viable.
Other Covet Users: (These include more bulky mons that make sense to use tricks with status stalling, etc.)"
- Azumarill, Clefable, Diancie, Keldeo, Klefki, Latias, Manaphy, Mew, Sylveon, Togekiss [OU]
- Arcanine, Empoleon, Espeon, Florges, Infernape, Roserade, Shaymin, Slurpuff, Snorlax, Umbreon, Vaporeon, Whimsicott [UU]
Trick -
- User switches its held item with the target's.
Switcheroo -
- User switches its held item with the target's.
Bad Items to consider tricking to foe.- Normal Choice (Choice Scarf, Flame/Toxic Orb, Assault Vest (Requires Klutz))
- Custap Berry (Color Change) - Lets you remove foe's STAB and control their weaknesses (IE they will always be weak to the second turn of Outrage).
- Iapapa Berry (Dry Skin) - Makes target weak to fire and makes it take (burn-tier damage) damage in harsh sunlight.
- Occa Berry (Heavy Metal) - Mostly useless, doubles low kick damage.
- Passho Berry (Hustle) - Somewhat risky; makes the foe inaccurate, but buffs their attack. Similar idea to using Swagger.
- Fairy Gem (Imposter) - Prevents the foe from knowing what's up and is a completely useless item once switched.
- Shell Bell (Light Metal) - Mostly useless, doubles heavy slam damage.
- Burn Drive (Normalize) - Forces all the target's moves to normal type. Making any Physical/Special moves NVE to Rock/Steel and No Effect on Ghost...and generally depreiving of coverage (or STAB).
- Soul Dew (Prankster) - Guarantees your Trick goes first; you have to hope it's useless to the foe.
- Claw Fossil (Slow Start) - Unless you have Klutz, the foe can see this one coming a mile away (Slow Start is an obvious status effect announced on switch in).
- But halves Attack and Speed for 5 turns; similar to 5 turns of Stall + Burn damage reduction (no Burn Damage).
- Electirizer (Stall) - Foe always moves last. (Same as normal Lagging Tail, but that doesn't exist in this meta).
- Pomeg Berry (Truant) - Foe moves every other turn; runs the risk of the foe knowing what you're about to do and using Protect.
- Skull Fossil (Weak Armour) - If you follow up with a multi-hit move their defense will be near zero by the end.
Trick Users - I'm not detailing EVs on these, since unless you're using the mon as 100% support you'll pick EVs based on the rest of the moveset.
- Celebi, Clefable, Gengar, Jirachi, Latias, Latios, Mew, Slowbro, Starmie, Togekiss, Victini [OU]
- Alakazam, Azelf, Chandelure, Cresselia, Espeon, Gardevoir, Metagross, Porygon-Z, Reuniclus, Sableye [UU]
Switcheroo Users - I'm not detailing EVs on these, since unless you're using the mon as 100% support you'll pick EVs based on the rest of the moveset
.
- Klefki [OU]
- Crawdaunt, Whimsicott [UU]
Magician - If this Pokemon has no item, it steals the item off a Pokemon it hits with an attack.
(Upon hitting with AY move, steals the foe's item, allows more powerful moves to work like Thief.)
Potential Users - Delphox, Hoopa, Klefki
I don't have any sets for this. Play Rough Klefki and A NORMAL Hoopa are the most obvious users; but neither looks that good.
Pickpocket - If this Pokemon has no item, it steals the item off a Pokemon making contact with it.
(Upon being hit with the foe's contact move, steals the foe's item. Should be used on defensive pokemon.)
Potential Users -Barbaracle, Shiftry, Weavile
Barbaracle is probably the only valid user (the others aren't defensive enough); even then Barbaracle is normally a Shell Smash Sweeper; not a defensive set, so I don't know if Pickpocket would work well (Unless you per se switch into a flying attack and steal Gale Wings off the user).
