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Zoroark, You Have Claws! Use 'Em!

fenyx4

HOENN CONFIRMED!
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  • Does anyone else get annoyed when certain Pokemon seem to be dominant in the "wrong" stat? My most recent example is with Zoroark:
    Zoroark, You Have Claws!  Use 'Em!


    IMO, it looks like a physical fighter (especially due to the menacing claws and occasional teeth featured), and its natural moveset would suggest the same, containing primarily Physical moves. Yet its base Special Attack (120) is higher than its Attack (105), and its signature move, Night Burst, is a special move. I intend on teaching mine physically-oriented moves like Trickery and Claw Sharpen, but I keep on remembering the extra points I'll miss out on from the Special Attack stat.

    Sceptile is another offender:
    Zoroark, You Have Claws!  Use 'Em!

    It was the first bipedal Grass starter, and a speedster at that. It looks like it would be inclined to partake in hand-to-hand combat, with a majority of its moves being Physical as well. But instead, it has a higher base stat of Special Attack (105) in comparison to Attack (85). Even worse, its signature move in Generation III, Leaf Blade, was converted to a Physical move, with a +20 gain in Power to partially compensate. I know that RSE preceding Generation IV's Physical/Special split in moves could have been a factor in the disconnect, but couldn't its offensive base stats have been switched in Generation IV or something, since several moves had alterations in power during the transition from RSE/FRLG to DPPt/HGSS?

    Finally, Lucario comes to mind as well.
    Zoroark, You Have Claws!  Use 'Em!

    Its dominant offensive stat is Special, which matches the category of its signature move, Aura Sphere. But it still looks like a Physical fighter to me, especially with its possible origins of Egyptian boxing, according to Bulbapedia.

    I believe implementing mixed movesets in the aforementioned Pokemon could help in rectifying the problems, but personally, I intend to focus on only on one offensive stat, so I can utilize an Adamant or Modest nature to ignore the stat that I won't even be using in the long run. However, Pokemon with conflicting appearances, dominant stats, and movesets kind of make this difficult. BW introduces a new aspect in the mix: some Pokemon can learn moves that run on one stat yet base damage on the non-correlating defensive stat (i.e., Psycho Shock using the user's Special Attack and the foe's Defense stat rather than Special Defense). This seems to preserve and blend aspects of both move categories, lessening the need for mixed offensive movesets.

    In any case, here's the main question I was posing for discussion once again: Do you get annoyed when a certain Pokemon seems to be dominant in the "wrong" stat?
     

    PlatinumDude

    Nyeh?
    12,964
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  • I feel that Emboar's stat distribution is a bit off (Speed in particular). Even though it fights with speed and power according to its White Pokedex entry, its base Speed is 65, which is pretty slow.
     

    Xela

    Do you believe in yourself?
    349
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    • Seen Feb 18, 2024
    Actually, Lucario should be a special offender because of his ability to use aura, but that's the only reason I could see him to be a good special offender.
     

    Zeffy

    g'day
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    • Seen Feb 7, 2024
    It doesn't bother me. I love Pokémon the way they are, I don't complain.
     

    Elite Overlord LeSabre™

    On that 'Non stop road'
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  • Where are Flareon, Entei, and Luxray on that list? I feel all three would do much better as Special Attackers... at least until they get access to decent physical moves of their respective types.
     

    fenyx4

    HOENN CONFIRMED!
    1,761
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  • Where are Flareon, Entei, and Luxray on that list? I feel all three would do much better as Special Attackers... at least until they get access to decent physical moves of their respective types.

    Oh yeah...I heard a lot of people were disappointed about Flareon still not gaining the move Flare Blitz to suit its higher Attack stat.
    And I agree, Entei should've been specialized as well! :cer_nod: The only good decent Fire move it naturally has is Fire Fang, with Flare Blitz only obtainable for its moveset by event... :( And now that I examine its moveset, the movepool seems littered with more Special moves...
    Zoroark, You Have Claws!  Use 'Em!


    I'm not too familiar with Luxray in battle, so I don't have a particular comment about its stat distribution...
     

    Apostrophe

    Everybody do the search dance!
    256
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    • Seen Nov 10, 2010
    Yeah, it disappointed me that so much of Luxray's BST was spent on Attack. I guess it makes sense, though, seeing how its most powerful STAB attack is Spark for most of the game. But yeah, a more powerful Thunderbolt would have been nice.
     

    Rainbow-Sasuke

    300 Posts be the 15th?
    245
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  • One word. Hariyama. It looks like a natural Physical attacker. Yet, having 144 HP, it's his dominant stat. Also, Lanturn. To me it looks like a really powerful Special attacker. HP is it's dominant stat.
     

    Hatenko

    Hiya!
    279
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    • Seen Oct 16, 2010
    I think that if Pachirisu and Luvdisc had usable Special Attacks that even Illumise and Entei (don't start with me, 90 base is only bad compared to his Attack) have, then they would be exempt from the unofficial "Extreme NU" level they live in right now.
     
    5,285
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    • Seen May 7, 2024
    C'mon guys...what does look like it shouldn't be using physical attacks?

    I mean, Alakazam looks like it should be good at punching (it was until Gen IV), yet nobody argues it shouldn't be a special attacker.

    Ghosts, I guess, should be better at special attacks, seeing as they're not actually solid, and so can't use physical attacks.

    I'm personally happy with the way a lot of them worked out...

    Flareon and Entei, yes, they need better physical movepools.
    Luxray? It still has base 95 special attack, which is more than Entei's. Yes, it could do with physical STAB, but unlike most electric-types, it makes a good bulky mixed pokemon, rather than an inferior Jolteon (which most others are).
     
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