Values some items consistently across generations. Names Leftovers, Choice items, and Life Orbs as reoccurring options. Gets a bit stale. Are there any items you wish were improved or diminished? How would you change them?
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Buffs
- Sticky Barb: No longer damages the original holder. Latches onto enemies as an ongoing condition, much like Wrap, regardless of their held item (or lack thereof).
- Absorb Bulb: Also increases Special Defense by one stage and heals 1/8 of the holder's maximum hitpoints.
- Cell Battery: Also increases Defense by one stage and heals 1/8 of the holder's maximum hitpoints.
- Snowball: Also increases Special Attack by one stage and heals 1/8 of the holder's maximum hitpoints.
- Float Stone: Also halves the damage dealt from the user's Ground-type attacks and Dive. Cannot be affected by terrains. (Exists to be Tricked onto Pokemon.)
Nerfs
- Leftovers: Disappears after eating from it six times. (Outheals Sitrus Berry over time still.) May be regained via Recycle.
- Black Sludge: Disappears after eating from it eight times. (Leaves a small bonus for Poison.) Cannot be regained via Recycle.
- Choice items: Reduce the stat boost from 50% to 40%.
- Air Balloon: Suffers 1/16 of their max hitpoints upon falling to the ground.
- Life Orb: Inflicts 1/8 of the damage dealt to the holder, instead of a flat 10% of maximum health.
- Rocky Helmet: Inflicts 1/8 of the attacker's maximum hitpoints (down from 1/6).
Tried not to go too wild on buffs or nerfs. May not have gone far enough. Aims for balance. Does not want a new batch of automatic picks. Could be very off-base, though, as a non-competitive player.
Left Focus Sash alone, despite being a common item. Risks invalidating it very easily.
Great topic!
I believe items such as Muscle Band and Wise Glasses should get a buff. I say that these items should boost a Pokémon's physical and special moves respectively by 20% instead of 10%. A 10% boost in power hardly makes a difference in battle. This could result in players choosing to use these items for a 20% boost with no drawbacks, or a Life Orb for its 30% boost with the recoil damage drawback instead of completely rendering them useless in favor of the Life Orb entirely. Otherwise, you might didn't even know that Muscle Band and Wise Glasses even existed.
Additionally, I believe that the Choice Scarf should definitely be nerfed. Speed is everything in Pokémon battles, and I believe that the Choice Scarf simply gives players too much of an advantage, especially if they use it on a Pokémon that is already lightning fast and hits hard, or if they use it on an Imposter Ditto for revenge killing. I think it would be more balanced if it increased a Pokémon's speed stat by 25% rather than a whole 50%. Interestingly, I have no problem with the other "Choice" items though. Sure, they result in Pokémon hitting harder, but power isn't always everything in competitive. It's mostly about being able to hit
first rather than
harder. Choice Scarf is different because it's often used on Pokémon that hit hard anyway, such as, for example, Kartana or Ghost-Rider Calyrex.
Kartana with a Choice Scarf can be extremely dangerous because not only is it already one of the fastest Pokémon ever, but it also has a base Attack stat of 181, which is, if I'm not mistaken, the highest Attack stat of all Pokémon. (If I am wrong, someone please correct me). Combine that with its Beast Boost ability, which boosts its Attack stat every time it faints a Pokémon, and the move Smart Strike, an average-powered but nonetheless STAB Steel-type move that never misses and gets stronger with Beast Boost, and you have a very dangerous sweeper that essentially can't be outsped. Even if Kartana does need to use another move other than Smart Strike, the player can simply Dynamax it, which temporarily unlocks the "Choice lock" and if it knows Max Knuckle, which it likely does because Sacred Sword is a staple on Kartana, another move that ignores the target's stat changes, then it can boost its Attack even more. That's why I believe Choice Scarf should be nerfed. Other than that, I don't really have any other issues with held items. I believe many are fine as they are.
