Are they reallly that X-cellent?

Started by curiousnathan January 15th, 2013 4:40 PM
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  • 37 replies

curiousnathan

Male
Australia
Seen October 18th, 2020
Posted October 5th, 2020
7,753 posts
13.7 Years
Let's talk about battle items. More specifically, 'X' items. (X Arttack, X Speed etc) Did you use them throughout your playthroughs? Or did they rot in your bag? If you did use them, were they reallllly that useful?

Personally, I found no use for them whatsoever. My team did absoloutely fine without them.

How about yours? Discuss!

Captain Gizmo

Monkey King

Age 29
Male
Canada
Seen 2 Weeks Ago
Posted 3 Weeks Ago
4,842 posts
10.7 Years
I don't like wasting a turn using x-items. I prefer using one of my moves or a HP restoring/ status removing item instead of an X-items. Whenever I find some, I just sell them for a few extra cash.
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skyluigi2

Male
United Kingdom
Seen October 4th, 2022
Posted July 21st, 2019
988 posts
13.6 Years
I always sell them. I've literally never used one of them, and so I really couldn't say how useful they are.

Hikamaru

Age 30
Female
Australia
Seen January 24th, 2019
Posted September 4th, 2018
50,214 posts
12.2 Years
I used an X Attack on my Riolu during my Gym battle with Cheren in Black 2, and I have to say it saved my life cos he would have taken my entire team out with Work-Up boosted Tackles.

I have to say, X items can be handy when used at the right time.
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Starry Windy

Everything will be Daijoubu.

Male
Liberty Garden
Seen April 28th, 2020
Posted April 28th, 2020
9,307 posts
10.4 Years
I use X items when some Pokemon Trainer (like Cheren and Game Freak Morimoto) send out Liepard. So it's no waste of turn if Liepard use Fake Out to my Pokemon, and I could make it to my advantage.

Sydian

fake your death.

Age 30
they/them
Georgia
Seen May 22nd, 2022
Posted November 29th, 2021
33,354 posts
15.2 Years
You know, if I'm gonna rely on a stat boost, I'd rather use a move like Dragon Dance or Quiver Dance and get in more than one stat boost and that way, it's a move on my Pokemon rather than an item I wouldn't be able to use in a link battle. Just another thought.
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gucci

Male
United Kingdom
Seen September 26th, 2021
Posted August 7th, 2019
21,056 posts
15.4 Years
For the whole 15 years of playing Pokemon I think I've only ever used the X items twice.
Seen October 2nd, 2020
Posted July 12th, 2014
483 posts
10.4 Years
I've never used them much at all, other than very rarely if I happen to remember to use an X Accuracy for something like a Sand Attack spamming Pidgey. I generally sold them back when there was a limit on bag items, but now I don't bother.

The concept seems pretty good - the benefits of a stat-boosting move without having to use up a move slot - but they work out to just not be that useful. In-game, stat-boosting isn't particularly necessary, since you don't need to sweep, since the AI is dumb as a brick and switching is pretty much risk free. And competitively, when stat-boosting becomes a more desirable strategy, you can't use items anyway.

alisaie

they/them
Seen March 14th, 2023
Posted February 3rd, 2022
13,598 posts
14.8 Years
Because I rarely go to the shop and sell items they just tend to sit there in my bag until that once in a blue moon moment does come around and I go and sell things like Nuggets, Pearls, etc. X-Items then are on that list of things to sell.
Age 35
Male
Dream World
Seen December 21st, 2016
Posted October 8th, 2016
1,638 posts
10.8 Years
I used them once, in Heart Gold, against Red. I sent out Kingdra against his Blastoise, stuffed him full of X items, and swept. It was quite funny actually.

These items don't see much use because most of the time they aren't needed, and in later games there are many good stat-boosting moves. But they can be very useful. Using an item on a Pokémon has priority over anything, any move, even the likes of Gastro Acid which stop you from using items on your Pokémon. So you can use an item like an X Defend and boost your Defense before the opponent attacks, increasing endurance.

If you don't have any stat-boosting moves, these items could have some use, too.


Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the day Pokémon pulled a Dallas and jumped the shark.

Brendino

The Ruins of Alph
Seen 17 Hours Ago
Posted April 6th, 2023
8,567 posts
13.5 Years
When used at the right time against certain Pokemon, the X items can actually be quite useful. That being said, I can't recall a single time that I've ever used one on my Pokemon. If I want my Pokemon to boost their stats in battle (or lower an opponent's), I'll just stick to the moves that my Pokemon already knows.
Seen September 18th, 2020
Posted February 18th, 2018
7,741 posts
16.6 Years
I tend to forget them but I do use them when I both remember and see fit. It helps in my case that I've come to favour a defensive approach to battles, which is to say that burning a turn isn't likely to have dire consequences. I personally think Dire Hit is the most useful battle item for general use; most monsters can't naturally boost their critical hit ratio beyond holding a Scope Lens, which of course takes up the held item slot. At the very least, things like Cynthia's Spiritomb make a good case for carrying X Accuracies.



The concept seems pretty good - the benefits of a stat-boosting move without having to use up a move slot - but they work out to just not be that useful. In-game, stat-boosting isn't particularly necessary, since you don't need to sweep, since the AI is dumb as a brick and switching is pretty much risk free. And competitively, when stat-boosting becomes a more desirable strategy, you can't use items anyway.
More people should use the Wonder Launcher.
Age 35
Male
Dream World
Seen December 21st, 2016
Posted October 8th, 2016
1,638 posts
10.8 Years
Personally I think that the X times are a Xtreme waste of time (oh no I didn't. >:()

You're probably better of with just stat boosting moves.
But that's the point. What if you *don't* have stat-boosting moves?

Not every Pokémon learns Calm Mind and Dragon Dance.


Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, the day Pokémon pulled a Dallas and jumped the shark.