What if moves could be dual-typed?

[Soopa Derp Cat]

I mean, Pokémon can have two types, so why can't their moves? I realize this isn't terribly likely to happen, but I thought it would make an interesting point to discuss.

Of course no every move would be double typed; in fact, most probably wouldn't be. One good example of what this could be applied to is the elemental punches. Giving them their respective elements makes sense, but wouldn't it make more sense if they were Fighting + <Element>? Other examples:

Will 'o' wisp: Fire/Ghost

Scald: Fire/Water

Dragon Claw: Steel/Dragon

Bullet Punch: Steel/Fighting

Sacred Fire: Fairy/Fire

Leech Life: Bug/Poison

 

[Fannie]

So, say the opposing Pokemon had a dual typing and both types of the move were super effective, the damage would be x8 AKA inevitable death? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, it would make the game more complex. I'm all for complexity.

 

[Hiatus]

It would cause a major shake-up to the competitive scene, that's for sure. Aside from that, though, I feel like this would be a nice experiment; we never know how good or bad certain things are until we try.

 

[Lycanthropy]

Hawlucha's Flying Press is dual typed, right?

But yeah, I always wondered why the elemental punches weren't part fighting type. In fact I believed that Shadow Claw was actually part normal type on my first playthrough because it dealt so little damage to Geodude and Graveler. Of course I hadn't figured out about the attack/special attack ratio of Haunter and the defense/special defense ratio of the rock types. (I think I hadn't found out about the existence of the physical/special split until I was somewhere around the Elite Four actually.)

 

[Ky0greK1ng]

I think this is an excellent idea, and should have been done long ago! :)

But Fannie had a good point... What would you do if the opposing Pokemon was weak to the two types of the attack?

 

[takeKopter]

It's gonna be very complex in calculating damage (not to mention STAB) , but still good for head canon

Aura Sphere: Fighting/Psychic
Heat Wave: Fire/flying
Ominous Wind: Ghost/Flying
muddy Water: Water/Ground
Blaze Kick: Fire/Fighting
leaf blade: Grass/Steel
Icy wind: Ice/Flying
Leaf storm: grass/flying

 

[Pinkie-Dawn]

Imagine if dual-typed moves had existed since Gen 1 and were implemented in pre-existing moves, it could've saved a lot of Pokemon from being mediocre due the pre-Gen 4 physical/special split, where it was based on type rather than the move itself.

 

[Sirfetch’d]

Imagine if there were more of these. Poor Magcargo would be destroyed by Muddy Water even more if it was really Ground/Water :( I'd love to see more dual typed moves though. It'd be really interesting in competitive play.

 

[KorpiklaaniVodka]

Imagine if there were more of these. Poor Magcargo would be destroyed by Muddy Water even more if it was really Ground/Water :( I'd love to see more dual typed moves though. It'd be really interesting in competitive play.

And then they give Magcargo Desolate Land and say screw you. :)

Anyway, I don't really want dual-typed moves tbh.

 

[Hikamaru]

Flying Press was kind-of a dual-typed move, since it did both Fighting and Flying damage. However, I don't really want to see these kinds of moves be widespread because it would make competitive very complicated.

 

[scottishnotscotch]

I think it would have to be used very sparingly to prevent type matchups becoming too confusing. To be honest, dual-typed Pokemon confuse me occasionally as it is - I always have to think wait, that type is weak to X but this type isn't, does that make it resistant or just neutral? etc.
To some extent, I still hold onto my childhood strategy of just-hit-things-til-they-die, with only minor attention paid to type matchups, STAB, physical/special split and so on, and at the end of the day the games are still intended to be easily beatable by that kind of kid.

Used rarely though, I think dual-typed moves could be great.

 

[faf]

I also agree that there shouldn't be anymore dual type moves, especially changing old moves. Sure, Flying Press was cute but it was never used due to Hawlucha's barren movepool (it can easily run both of its STABs in one moveset) and plus at times can negate each other (namely against Rock- and Steel-types). Furthermore, adding on another type to an existing move (such as the elemental punches having Fighting added on) can actually nerf them in a way. As said, it's just far too complicated; I welcome any new mechanics added to the games but Dual-type moves, simply put, don't fly for me.

 

[Soopa Derp Cat]

Hey, I have been saying that they shouldn't really be common. Yeah, a lot of moves would become a lot more powerful, but it wouldn't just make everything OP. Heck, it would make some things a bit more balanced.

For example, Scald being Fire + Water would arguably balance it a bit more. One of the big problems with Scald is that it's a move that can inflict burn, but can also OHKO fire-types. If it became a half-fire move, however, it would be neutral against fire types, thus taking away some of the scare factor. It would also make it much less useful against rock types, and almost COMPLETELY useless against water types since they would double-resist a water+fire move.

The only things it would gain would be normal effectiveness against grass and super-effectiveness against ice. And pure ice is already, debatably, the worst type in the series anyway, so I doubt anybody would be too upset about that.

 

[Elysieum]

It's an interesting notion that isn't entirely senseless. Dual type moves could adopt the qualities of dual type monsters and open up the power of versatility in battling a great deal.

However, I do think it would over-complicate things for the worse. It's like adding another variable multiplier into battling. Suddenly we would have much more frequent 4x super-effective hits and the same of 0.25x ones. Dual type moves could be a bit too chaotic.

 

[Aisu]

It would be helpful if you're the one dealing them out. Damage could go from four times to eight times and OHKO your opponents. It could also bring out a lot of under-appreciated Pokemon into Wi-Fi matches. On the other hand, if you're the one taking hits like that and especially in serious game moments like the Champion versus battle or against Team Whatever, then that would be a real problem when your whole team goes to one move.

 

[Zeroza]

I was actually thinking about this earlier this week. The main issue I see with dual typing move would be making since of how or why it does extra damage.

For example: Scald as Fire/Water, is really just really hot water. It cannot actually catch something on fire. The added affect of causing burn damage makes up for that.

I think having combo moves, moves that you use separately that cause an additional affect could be really awesome.

For example, a rock/fire or ground fire type could learn something like this
Oil Slick ~ Type Ground ~ Power 30 ~ The user sprays the opponent with oil. Any fire attack that hits the opponent afterwards does double damage.

Or it could be a field type move that makes the next fire move do double damage. Kind of like using hail to guarantee a blizzard hit or rain dance for thunder.

 

[LegendChu]

I'm not sure if I want to see Dual Type moves, but since we are talking about it, there's a Normal Type move that could actually be an Electric/Fire/Ice, Triple Type Move - Tri Attack (Paralyze/Burn/Freeze)

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[d4rk]

We did not think of the YOLO calculation method for dual-type moves, guys.

Let's say you just throw up the move and the game chooses between the two-types to inflict the most damage. With this way, no 8x weakness or /8 resistances but the following :

For example Scald.
Against a Rock-type Pokemon -> Water scald
Against Grass-type Pokemon -> Fire Scald.
Mind blown.

OK this would be really messing up metagame, and maybe not in a good way. But hey, it could transform any lame Pokemon into something decent, and add some spice to type coverage.

You're welcome. Haha

 

[DiamondCreeper23]

There is the move Flying Press but currently, that's the only one and it can be learned by Pikachu Libre and Hawlucha

 

[liam_]

I wouldn't mind a couple more like Flying Press if they fit the Pokemon, like Flying Press was pretty clever for Hawlucha. For loads of moves to suddenly be like this would just be so confusing, as it is I've used Hawlucha in every playthrough I've done of X which must be approaching 10 or so now, and I *still* get caught out now and again by the fact that the double typing sometimes negates super effectiveness etc. when I'm using it.