"Swords Dance doesn't do anything, I'll make him learn HYPER BEAM!"

[BHwolfgang]

Back when I first started Pokemon, my team would only use offensive moves. I didn't realize how useful moves such as Screech, Sword Dance, Calm Mind, etc. were. To be honest, I actually thought that those moves were useless. How wrong was I.

Nowadays, most of my Pokemons would have at least one stat reducing or boosting move in their move slot. The AI just doesn't switch out their Pokemons enough for me to use Spikes or Toxic Spikes.

 

[Gymnotide]

I use all moves as often as I can.
Try using Magic Coat. It makes you a pro.

 

[Bluerang1]

I always use offensive thinking defensive is a waste a time :$ But I vary the moveset... now this is General Pokemon Gaming :P

 

[SIN1488]

For the longest time I only used offensive moves. It was only recently that I realized how good defensive moves can be if used right. Before that, I used to think they were a waste of a turn.

 

[Witch]

I don't use defensive moves much :X I never really saw the point if your pokemon are well trained

 

[RuRuBell]

When I was a kid, I only did offensive moves. And since you couldn't really check moves in Red, I just had the same thing over and over. Like, Ember, Flame Thrower, and Fire Blast on my Charizard.

Now I try to have one stat increase/decreaser, something that causes a status problem, and maybe two attacks. I don't battle competitively, though.

 

[Cherrim]

Embarrassingly enough, it wasn't until gen 3 that I realized that OHAY, TAIL WHIP ISN'T USELESS. I think I was too stupid to understand the concept of stats going up or down in battle (or... even what stats really did) when I first played Pokémon so I'd only use attacks that did obvious damage right away. :|

I've smartened up now but I stiiiill don't like having more than one "doesn't do damage" move on a given Pokémon. Bias from earlier, I suppose. XD;

(Also, I'm gonna move this to General Gaming since it's game-related.)

 

[Aureol]

I used to have only monotype offensive, accuracy-decreasing/evasion increasing and sleeping moves on me. I thought stat-moves did almost nothing (like maybe 10% per boost or something), and the other status-effects were not worthy in mine holy sight.

Now, I still only use those moves in-game (diversity in offensive types now of course), as well as double-stat-increasing moves (NEVER stat-decreasing: waste of time for something I'll probably OHKO anyways). I also use paralysis. Never burn or poison though. In competition though, whatever works best.

 

[Timbjerr]

Funny that the title should mention Swords Dance though. My younger brother, on his first playthrough of Red, taught his Charizard Swords Dance upon finding the TM for it. The move he deleted for it? Slash. To this day, he will vehemently argue that an attack called "Swords Dance" should be an offensive attack. To quote his argument, "if my charizard is gonna go through the trouble to pull swords out of his ass and dance around with them to increase his attack power, I'm fairly certain that he'd rather get rid of them by throwing them at the opponent instead of sticking them back in."

 

[Kon~]

In all honesty...

I appreciate the use of stat-affecting moves and defensive moves, etc. etc... but...

I don't play competitively. I'm sure that if I did, I would have a more strategic approach to movesets, but as I only play in-game, I just do an all offensive blow-out and thrash the game AI with high levels, lotsa grinding and STAB.

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

In the past I was all about offensive attacks. Even today, many of my movesets are offense-oriented, but I have branched out a bit. I don't use too many stat increasing moves outside of Agility, but I use other tactics such as HP-restoration, Substitute, and Thunder Wave.

 

[Flare Riqueza]

I used to just use pure power on Emerald, i.e. get an Absol, pack it up with powerful attacks, but now, my tactics go as far as getting a pokemon bred with Belly Drum or Dragon Dance, then using that move, then killing.

 

[Water Pokemon Trainer]

Lolz i think everyone used to concerntrate of pure offensive. I still do on trainer battles and gym batles ect.. but like against other realy people i tend to try and be more strategic But sometimes charizards fire blast is very good against a blastoise 2x his lvl :P

 

[myrrhman]

In all honesty...

I appreciate the use of stat-affecting moves and defensive moves, etc. etc... but...

I don't play competitively. I'm sure that if I did, I would have a more strategic approach to movesets, but as I only play in-game, I just do an all offensive blow-out and thrash the game AI with high levels, lotsa grinding and STAB.

This. I don't battle competitively, and just do challenges over and over. Pretty much the only non-offensive moves I will ever have is Double Team/Sand Attack, Recover, and Substitute.

 

[Kenpari]

Back before I learned about competitive battling, I never put any stat-increasing moves on my Pokemon. Knowing how I was, if I would have put anything on them, I would have put Swords Dance on a special attacker because I didn't know crap about Special/Physical stats.

 

[Arma]

The only defensive move I used when I was little is Sword Dance. I'm not into competitive battling, but I often use stat raising moves on my pokemon. I never liked the screens actually, I prefer moves like acid armor, iron defense etc.

Anyone else who uses moves like acid armor over the screens?

 

[EmeraldSerenade]

I usually ditched those kinda moves until I got into competitive battling. I didn't really care much about raising stat's xD

 

[Waki Tobaye]

Anyone else who uses moves like acid armor over the screens?

Acid Armor and Iron Defense are pretty much the same thing (both raise Def 2 stages), but the difference here is that the effect (1/2 reduction from Def or SpD, depending on the screen) stays even after the user changes. That gives other Poké chance to set up, like batton passers or bulky Poké.
Anyway, IMO both the screens and stat-increasing moves are pretty much useless in-game.

 

[Arma]

Acid Armor and Iron Defense are pretty much the same thing (both raise Def 2 stages), but the difference here is that the effect (1/2 reduction from Def or SpD, depending on the screen) stays even after the user changes. That gives other Poké chance to set up, like batton passers or bulky Poké.
Anyway, IMO both the screens and stat-increasing moves are pretty much useless in-game.

I know Iron defense and acid armor are the same thing, didn't use them on the same pokemon ( acid armor is kinda rare). Defense and sp. def raising moves really helped in FR elite 4. especially when i was battling lance, Vaporeon kicked his butt XD

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

I can't be bothered getting set-up moves...usually. Usually, I run with 2 or 3 Pokemon, meaning I rip through the much weaker enemy AI.

In my HeartGold playthrough...that wasn't so much the case. I had to grind a bit and only beat the Elite Four once my Gyarados got DD.

Basically; before, I used all out offense in all my moves. Nowadays, I tend to put GOOD stat-up moves onto my Pokemon so I don't need to grind them up as much. =P It means I can play without being lazy. =D

And of course, I play competitively with only the top-notchest moves. xP