#mainline battle tank

[theokone]

mainline battle tank time ! 

[edwards-exploit]

Troublesome Tangmere and 249 Squadron Reliable Rebecca!

In an ideal world, we could've had a story where Tangmere causes good old Sundrian Confusion and Delay and then promptly eats shit.

Rebecca as 249 Squadron wasn't my idea, but it's been ingrained into my head nonetheless. I like the idea of a Rebecca that spent most of her life in scrapyards and storage and then still coming out singing- quite literally! But the trauma of it is still very much there, just... lingering. I imagine 'What Rebecca Does' was one of those moments where her anxiety and self doubt got the better of her- she only spent a short while on rails, and while she did pull expresses like The Night Ferry back on the mainland, here on Sodor it seemed that everyone is much more.... experienced and worldly and cool, and most of all, they got modifications and rebuilds to work around their design flaws while Rebecca is still very much an unrebuilt bulleid pacific. Poor girl's not sure what she can really do, after all these years and with her mechanical problems. This isn't even getting into when she WAS in service- her family was fine, and quite loving actually- and the ex SR engines were a decent sort! Everyone else, however...

[ifbench]

Pokemon Firered Retrospective, from the perspective of someone whose primary experience with Kanto was Pokespe

To preface this, I have never seen Kanto outside of Pokespe, and brief clips from stuff like "Beating Pokemon without getting hit" or Pikasprey's softlock videos. I knew the general story of it, but I didn't know the details.

If you'd like to read my other mainline Pokemon retrospectives, you can read Emerald here, and X here.

Pokemon Firered was one of the most mixed quality gaming experiences I've had in recent memory.

It was mostly fun, sure, but I had to take extensive measures in order to make it not unbearable.

I chose Charmander as my starter, named him Burhalla, and caught a Pidgey and Ratatta on Route 1. I named them Linne and Jifa respectively. Jifa would become my HM buddy.

First few routes weren't too bad...until I made it to Brock.

Then everything went downhill.

Brock was brutal. His Onix was 3 levels higher than any I had encountered thus far, including his gym trainer. With both my main Pokemon weak to rock, and all of my attacks NFE against rock, it seemed like my only choice was to grind.

So I activated an infinite rare candy cheat instead, and leveled up Burhalla until he learned Metal Claw.

Even then, that wasn't quite enough. I had to level up him even further until he evolved into a Charmeleon, and then I finally beat Brock.

At this point, I was rather miffed, but I decided to press on. Maybe things would get better soon?

Mount Moon was fine. Not bad, not good, just...fine.

Then was Cerulean City, and Misty, who was my biggest roadblock in the entire run.

Burhalla was right out, leaving only Linne the Pidgey to battle her.

And it took so, so many tries. Even more than Brock.

But eventually, with the right luck, and the right timing of usage of healing items, Linne the Pidgeotto defeated Misty.

That battle tanked my enjoyment of Firered severely. It was frustrating, hard, and I began to start disliking Firered.

But I pressed onwards, up through Nugget Bridge (Which, I gotta say, I did not expect the nugget guy to be a Rocket grunt), to Bill's house.

It was cool seeing stuff from Pokespe in-game, like the stuff with Bill, but backtracking back across Route 25 was annoying.

Then there was the SS Anne.

It was a maze to navigate without a guide, and it got really frustrating.

But I continued pressing onwards, even as much as I was getting tired of Firered.

Surge was thankfully much easier than Misty or Brock, and I pressed onwards through Route 11.

Then I arrived at the sleeping Snorlax, realized I had no idea where to go or what to do from here, and gave up.

For over a month, I didn't touch FIrered again. I played some X, some Sun, some Shield, and some Violet, but Firered was on hold.

After growing a bit bored with my Violet replaythrough, though, I decided to return to Firered. Maybe, with a month's break, it'd be less painful than I remembered.

First order of business was where to go next.

I asked for advice, and apparently I had to backtrack to Cerulean City to get to my next destination.

I made my way through Diglett's Cave to get back there, and caught my third team member: Dirir the Diglett.

And after taking the long way around, I finally went into the house at the top-right corner, and made my way across the northern edge of Kanto, Route 9.

Then was Rock Tunnel.

See, I hadn't gotten Flash. And I had no idea where it was.

So like with Emerald's Victory Road, I had to navigate through Rock Tunnel with extremely limited visibility. And I was going Repel-less as an additional challenge, since I was imagining that my protagonist was a Zorua.

Not an experience I wish to repeat. But eventually, I made it to Lavender Town.

Lavender Town was both unlike and yet exactly like the stories I've heard of it. It was spooky, creepy, and eeire, but I felt safe, and the music felt calming instead of terrifying.

Perhaps it was simply that I had simply outgrown creepypastas? Or maybe it was just that my interests had shifted, or my standards had changed. I did attempt writing a PMD creepypasta once, after all.

Whatever the case was, I didn't spend too much time in Lavender Town. I remembered from a small clip I saw years ago, that I needed a Silph Scope in order to make it up the Pokemon Tower.

So I set out west, towards Celadon City, in search of the Silph Scope, and perhaps a new friend or two.

After passing through yet another underground tunnel that bypassed Saffron City, I was beginning to suspect that perhaps something similar to the manga was happening: A psychic bubble that enveloped Saffron City, preventing anyone from entering.

But soon I made it to Celadon City, the home of Kanto's Game Corner.

I had learned my lesson from Emerald: These places were rigged.

So I decided to cheat a little in turn.

You know how I had a ton of rare candies from the infinite rare candy cheat? I decided to sell about a hundred, so I could get one of the Game Corner prizes: A Dratini.

I had read a wonderful fic a long time ago called Dragon Dance, detailing Lance's rise to champion, and I decided to take inspiration from Lance freeing a Dratini from the Game Corner. I named them Darnod.

In flavor, I imagined this as busting up the Game Corner, freeing all the Pokemon, and a Dratini and Eevee follow my protagonist into the Rocket Hideout, becoming part of xyr team.

Yes, an Eevee too. I got the Eevee from the Celadon Department Store, and named them Voivick. I also acquired a water stone, and evolved Voivick into a Vaporeon.

Burhalla, Linne, Dirir, Voivick, Darnod, and Jifa would comprise my final Kanto team.

But before we get there, I had to infiltrate the Team Rocket Hideout.

I had heard of spin tiles before, from reading an Undertale AU sprite comic called Inverted Fate, but actually experiencing them was a fun puzzle! It was also silly watching my character spin around and around and around.

Eventually, I made it through the hideout, to Giovanni.

He was no slouch, and I had a pretty tough time with him! But thanks to my new team members, I pulled through, and acquired the Silph Scope.

After a quick detour to defeat Erika, who was a relatively easy opponent, I made my way back to Lavender Town.

Pokemon Tower was a bit more spooky than Lavender Town itself. It wasn't quite as terrifying as its manga incarnation, but still pretty eerie, especially with the possessed trainers, and the spell tag circle.

Soon, I made it to Marowak's ghost, and put the restless spirit to rest.

And after defeating a few Rocket grunts and rescuing Mr. Fuji, I obtained the pokeflute. Finally, I could bypass the Snorlax that had frustrated me into giving up for a month.

I went south from Lavender Town, across the docks, and battled the Snorlax there. It was a tricky battle, but I eventually won.

The long walk to Fuchsia City was arduous, but before too long, I made it to the home of the Safari Zone.

I originally wasn't planning on going in, until I heard from a friend that I needed to go there to get an HM.

And so I went in, trying to find my way to the fabled house at the end of the Safari Zone.

It was tricky, but I found it, and someone's gold teeth while I was at it!

With my new HM in hand, I challenged Koga for my next badge. It was another tricky battle, but thankfully, none of my team were weak to poison.

Next...I went to Cycling Road, having no idea that I was going the complete wrong way.

Cycling Road, as far as I can tell, is meant to be ridden downhill. I went uphill.

I was very confused at first, but kept making my way up the now-tedious Cycling Road, and eventually came out the other side, now with HM Fly. No more backtracking for me, I could now quickly return to any Pokemon Center I've been to.

Then, finally, with nowhere else to go, it was time to enter Saffron City.

While there was no psychic bubble around the city like in the manga, the city was certainly overrun by Team Rocket.

And so, like Red, Blue, and Green did in the manga, it was finally time for me to storm Silph Co.

Silph Co was a maze. Over 10 different floors, each connected by warp tiles, with no indication of which ones led to the path forward.

It was brutally confusing, and filled to the brim with trainers itching for a battle.

But I eventually found the keycard, and navigated my way to the hidden side of the top floor. It was time to face Giovanni again.

He was just as tough as when I encountered him in the Rocket Hideout, but Voivick pulled through, and I acquired the master ball.

Compared to Giovanni, Sabrina was relatively easy, though still pretty difficult. I had to work for that win, but I got my sixth badge.

Then it was time for me to go Surfing, along the southern edge of Kanto.

The Seafoam Islands were a tricky puzzle to figure out. It took me a few rounds of falling through holes and climbing up ladders to realize that I had to use Strength to push boulders down the holes, and change the flow of the water.

Soon, though, I made it to Cinnabar Island...and was immediately taken from there to Firered and Leafgreen's exclusive sub-region, the reason I decided to play this before Let's Go: the Sevii Islands.

For the Sevii Islands, I had absolutely no idea what the game version was like. I hadn't even seen any snippets of footage about them. My only experience with them was the Firered and Leafgreen arc of Pokemon Adventures.

But this time, there were no repossessed pokedexes, or "three Team Rocket beasts". Instead, I simply had to go on a variety of fetch quests.

It wasn't anything too special, but I'm glad it was there. It was fun! And I look forward to returning here in the postgame someday, once I find the drive to catch enough Pokemon for the Rainbow Pass.

But that's for later. For now, having defeated a biker gang, I returned to Cinnabar Island. Before I could face the gym, though, I had to traverse through the decrepit Pokemon Mansion.

Pokemon Mansion was like Silph Co, only much smaller, but the random encounters, statue puzzles, and eerie atmosphere made it feel just as long.

This was where Team Rocket conducted many of their experiments. It was where Mewtwo was created. And it lived up to that atmosphere.

Although some of the journal entries clearly had some of the dubiously canon stuff from Pokemon's very early days, such as references to real-life locations.

Still very neat, though.

Blaine wasn't as difficult as Misty, but was much more difficult than Erika. He specialized in the same type as my starter: Fire.

But with help from Voivick, I defeated him, and got my seventh badge.

I had just one stop left before Victory Road: The very first gym I encountered, whose gym leader was absent for so long.

Viridian City's gym leader had finally returned, and I was going to take him on.

The gym puzzle was my favorite yet of Kanto's, with the combination of spin tiles and trainers creating a genuinely neat maze.

And then I made it to Giovanni, for our final battle...until Soulsilver, Ultra Moon, and Let's Go Eevee, at least.

This battle with him was the trickiest against him yet. It took several tries for me to win.

But win I did, and Team Rocket, supposedly, was no more.

With all eight Kanto badges under my belt, it was time to go to Victory Road.

Before that, though, another battle with Blue. It was another tough one, but then again, all the major battles at this point were tough.

The badge check gates were really cool! The only comparable one I had seen so far was in Kalos, as Hoenn didn't have any. And Kalos' was more just inscriptions of the badges on the walls. Still cool, but not like Kanto's.

And then it was time for Kanto's Victory Road, my third Victory Road.

It was tricky, but in a different way from Hoenn and Kalos'.

Hoenn's was a test of navigation. How well could I navigate this maze in near-complete darkness?

Kalos' was a test of strength. So many powerful trainers, with nowhere in between to heal besides usage of items.

Kanto's was much shorter than both, fully lit, and its trainers weren't as tough as Kalos', but what it lacked in navigation and strength, it made up for in puzzles and endurance.

There were boulders scattered around, and I had to maneuver them sokoban-style onto switches in order to progress.

Oh, and the entire thing was filled with random encounters. At this point, I gave up on the "no repels" rule, and bought a bunch of max repels for this.

It was tough. It was confusing. It was my final test before the Indigo Plateau.

And eventually, I passed the test, making it out.

All that was left, was five battles. The Elite Four, and the Champion. The toughest the Kanto region had to offer.

At this point, all my Pokemon were fully evolved, save for my HM buddy Jifa. I was functionally going into this gauntlet with five Pokemon.

But I had conquered Hoenn in a similar way. Five battlers, and an HM buddy. I had hope that I could do this.

Healing up, and stocking up on healing items, I proceeded towards my first of my final battles, against Lorelei.

It's been a while, so I don't quite remember how these battles went. I do remember, though, that even Burhalla's fire wasn't enough to melt her ice. Linne, Dirir, and especially Darnod were weak to ice, so it was tricky.

But I pulled through, and next up was Bruno, fighting-type master.

Linne was vital here. Her Fly was invaluable in avoiding moves while still dealing damage. But a Hitmonlee knocked her out, leaving Voivick, Darnod, Dirir, and Burhalla to take on the rest.

Next was Agatha, and her ghost-types were no joke...even if she was more of a poison specialist. All my normal-type moves were out of the question. But with patience and strategy, I did it.

And last of Kanto's Elite Four was Lance, who had influenced this journey in his own way, back at the Celadon Game Corner. Darnod helped me a lot here. It was dragon vs dragons, and Darnod's Dragon Claw took many of them down. But the same went in reverse, and Darnod fell, leaving Voivick to finish things off with their Aurora Beam.

One battle left. Healing up my team, I progressed into the champion's chamber, to face Blue one final time.

This was by far the most difficult late-game battle I had. All the others had specialized in one or two types. But Blue was like me, with a rounded team.

It was tough. It was arduous. It took every member of my team, even Jifa, to win.

But win I did, and I had become champion of Kanto.

I had completed Pokemon Firered.

While my thoughts on this one are more mixed than Emerald or X, I did truly enjoy it, especially once it hit its stride around Lavender Town.

It has its flaws. Extreme difficulty in the earlygame, lots of grinding necessary, and much confusion on where to go next.

But I had fun, despite it all. I cherish this victory all the same.

[wrenanigans]

SAW A SKYRIM POST YOU REBLOGGED. SKYRIM FAN???

YES! New skyrim fan! I finally started playing the game 12 years after its release and I am HOOKED! I’m gonna use this ask as an excuse to ramble so uh, long post beware xD

Okay so my first ever run has been the most chaotic shit. I just finished the main questline, but it was a JOURNEY to get there.

I’ve been playing with my gf @bucca2 who introduced me to the game. The first thing she did, as soon as we got out of the tutorial (and got mods working, including multiplayer), was take me to a little farm up north to meet somebody. “You liked Kefka, I think you’ll like this one,” she said. Cryptic and concerning! And I found this wagon and met Cicero.

To quote Aby, “Yeah, honestly, it was like taking a kid to Disneyland for the first time. There was this quiet wonder in his voice like he was discovering magic was real...honestly, I wish I had been recording. It was very adorable. He was hooked from Cicero's first voice line.”

Dude, when I say “blorbo at first sight” I mean I was down bad in an instant. I was writing fanfic based on that interaction alone (with some helpful hints from Aby). I had dreams about the bastard on night one. I got obsessed.

That feral enthusiasm did not wane as the game went on, because I went straight for the Dark Brotherhood questline. I was the Listener before I had even spoken with the Greybeards. I even updated a mod from an old Skyrim edition myself so I could marry Cicero. I was all about that wretched little fool and it was making a fool of me.

With Cicero as my first companion, I went onto the Thieves’ Guild quests next. Did you know that you can fail the tutorial pickpocketing quest? Because that’s what I did! They recruited me anyway. I got up to the Sepulcher quest, but never finished it, so I just have the skeleton key xD

When we assassinated the vampire in the DB questline, I got infected, and decided “eh, why not!” So I became a vampire. This made the inheritance of Bloodchill Manor extra fun — I simply sat back and watched the bloodbath! I only had to lift a finger when the Dawnguard came knocking xD

I went to the Bards’ College next. We’d “acquired” an expansion mod for it (do not get me started on other modders who charge for their shit. i have strong 🏴‍☠️ opinions) so that was a fun extra questline.

Up next was some Daedric prince shenaniganry. I got the Ebony Blade and did some light murderizing to buff it, then met Sanguine for some debauchery. My stealth archer build got even more broken when I stopped by to pick up Barbas from Clavicus Vile. Immortal dog to tank for me? Yes please!

Then I did the Dawnguard questline! I accidentally-on-purpose cheesed the pilgrimage to go fill the ewer. I got so lost in the Vale that I found the palace treasure room when I was only on shrine two. Seeing Serana shove the snow elf bastard off the cliff was fun, though I did miss the loot…

After that, I decided it was time for some warmongering, and signed up for the Imperial Legion. Which was a little awkward, considering I’d assassinated the Emperor already, but what they don’t know can’t hurt me! I had great fun in the battles where I simply perched up high and picked Stormcloaks off, like some sort of nefarious gargoyle. Also, General Tullius? would. He also saved my ass when I got lost in the Whiterun battle and found by 7 or so Stormcloaks, and he tanked while I shot them down. Sometimes the game’s mechanics make for great story :P

Finally, it was time for the mainline quest. I tolerated Delphine until she was no longer useful, at which point I turned to Parthurnax for guidance. Being told to go on a grand quest to find the Elder Scroll I already had was pretty entertaining, especially considering I’d done the same thing with the dragonstone from the first dungeon (which I’d gone to early to retrieve the golden claw). It was also funny as hell when I tried to talk my way into heaven and the only faction dialogue choices I had where the two that the dude didn’t like xD

After that, I went, “well now what? …probably lunch.” So I went and munched on somebody, as a vampiric treat. That’s where I last left my playthrough! I’ve had an absolute blast with the game, even if I am playing it ass-backwards. I may go do the Dragonborn DLC content next. If you have any recommendations for more shit to get up to, I’d love to hear it! Especially if it involves murder xD

[pillowbugs]

The Peak of Bug Types: An Appreciative Primer on Unova's Bug Pokémon

Introduction

Until Unova, Bug types weren’t known for being particularly popular. Despite the regional bug being a common archetype in every mainline Pokémon game, available from the start of the game, it was seen as the equivalent of a Jagen in Fire Emblem: a crutch ‘pre-promote’ (it evolves early) with horrible stats that is meant to help you survive early on, meant to be dropped from the team once more options were available. 

While every Pokémon game has bugs that don’t fit that mould, with varied stats and roles, the fact that Bug as a type is considered lacklustre offensively and defensively, with its three weaknesses all being common types ingame, made bugs difficult to use most of the time. The rare standouts included Scyther and its evolution Scizor, as well as Heracross. 

"Holy shit" - Exeggutor, probably

Generation 5 introduced a whopping 9 Bug-type evolutionary lines in total!

For reference, Generation 1, a similarly large generation, has 6 lines. Gen 2 introduced 6 new lines as well (and added Scizor to Gen 1’s Scyther). Gen 3 effectively introduced 8 with Wurmple’s split evolution as well as Shedinja/Ninjask. Gen 4 effectively introduced 6 full lines (and added Yanmega to Gen 2’s Yanma) with 4 possible evolutions for Burmy, and had the Poison/Bug Skorupi lose its Bug typing upon evolution into Drapion.

All of Unova’s bugs are more than usable ingame, which is more than most regions can say. It makes sense, then, that Unova has not one, but two (and arguably three) separate notable Bug-type trainers, those being Burgh (Gym Leader), Alder (BW1 Champion, albeit postgame; generally considered multitype but has 3 bugs) and Emmet (Facility Head). How else are they going to show off all their incredible bugs?

The 9 evolutionary lines that will be covered in this primer are: Leavanny, Scolipede, Crustle, Escavalier, Accelgor, Galvantula, Durant, Volcarona and Genesect.

(All artworks from the Pokémon Global Link)

#540 - #542: Sewaddle, Swadloon, Leavanny

Sewaddle is the very first Bug type you meet in BW1 and BW2, coming right after the second gym in BW1 and shortly before the first gym in BW2. It evolves into Swadloon at Level 20, then into Leavanny with high friendship. It is a Bug/Grass type, similar to Parasect in Gen 1 and Wormadam (Plant) in Gen 4. 

Swadloon is one of the bulkiest Pokémon found around the time you obtain it, with 55/90/80 defensive stats. This would be about the time you fight Castelia City’s Bug-type Gym Leader Burgh (who also happens to have one on his team in BW2). Combined with the fact that you also obtain the Eviolite in the same city, Swadloon becomes a veritable tank for quite a while until evolution. 

Leavanny sheds its previous defensive role for a harder-hitting, faster one, albeit still with similar defensive stats, only losing 10 Defence (and 10 Special Defence in its debut generation). With 103 base Attack, and a decent 92 Speed, it relies mostly on STAB Razor Leaf and Bug Bite, and TM27 Return off of aforementioned high friendship (bought at Nimbasa City in BW1 and received after the first gym in BW2) from the very start. Unfortunately, most of the time, both its STABs are resisted – but when they aren’t, Leavanny can deal heavy damage. This is further boosted by it naturally learning Swords Dance later on, which doubles its physical damage output. Leaf Blade and X-Scissor are also good moves to have later on, and it learns both relatively early at Levels 36 and 39 respectively. 

In all, Leavanny is a Pokémon that is available early and can continue being useful, even in a game where the ethos is to keep updating your team as you go along.

Notable Trainers: Burgh (BW1, BW2, Masters)

Leavanny is the Bug-type Gym Leader Burgh’s ace Pokémon in all the games he appears in. In addition, Swadloon is also the first Pokemon he sends out in BW2 on Normal and Easy modes. In his pre-battle quote in BW2 + some lines in Masters, he brags about Leavanny and how it makes clothes for other Pokémon. He’s proud of his bugs!

***

#543 - #545: Venipede, Whirlipede, Scolipede

Venipede is the very first Bug type you meet in BW1, sharing the position with Sewaddle. It comes right after the second gym in BW1 and shortly after the first gym in BW2. It evolves into Whirlipede at Level 22, then into Scolipede at Level 30. It is a Bug/Poison type, similar to Beedrill in Gen 1, Ariados in Gen 2 and Dustox in Gen 3. 

Like Swadloon, Whirlipede is bulky for the time you get it, trading a later evolution time, 8 less Atk and 1 less Special Def. for 9 more Def. and a better defensive typing. With the Eviolite, it becomes incredibly tanky, and is immune to Poison to boot.

Scolipede also becomes fast and offensive upon evolution, but has a worse offensive typing and 3 less Atk (13 in Gen 5) in exchange for 20 Speed and a better defensive typing.

Technically, the one thing Scolipede is known for now didn’t exist in full in Gen 5, as its hidden ability then was Quick Feet rather than Speed Boost. Still, it had the niche of Baton Pass by level-up as well as multiple boosting moves, such as Swords Dance by TM and Iron Defense by level-up as a Whirlipede. Scolipede is also able to learn both Spikes and Toxic Spikes (albeit by breeding), making it a fast hazards setter. 

In all, despite its statline, Scolipede can be more of a support Pokémon with a lot of tools at its disposal.

Notable Trainers: Burgh (BW1), Roxie (BW2, Masters)

Whirlipede is one of Burgh’s team members in BW1, alongside Dwebble and Leavanny. 

Come BW2, it appears with Roxie instead, and serves as her ace Pokémon. Roxie’s bass is styled after the evolutionary line. As her ace, all of Roxie’s Pokémon World Tournament (PWT) teams feature a Scolipede, as does her base in Masters.

***

#557, #558: Dwebble, Crustle

Dwebble is first available to the player in the Desert Resort, accessed after the 3rd gym in both BW1 and BW2. It evolves into Crustle at Level 34. It is a Bug/Rock type, similar to Armaldo in Gen 3, but with much better availability.

Dwebble carries Smack Down as Rock STAB from the very start, and learns Bug Bite for Bug STAB soon after. Its Rock moves can be useful for the upcoming Nimbasa Gym, as Rock attacks are the only way to hit Emolga super effectively at this point in the game. Stealth Rock at Level 24 can also be used to punish Elesa’s strategy of constantly using Volt Switch, removing ¼ of Emolga’s health (and Joltik on Challenge Mode; ⅛ for Zebstrika and Flaaffy) every time they switch in.

Crustle does mostly the same things even after evolution. It gets Shell Smash at later levels and can use it to set up a sweep, being able to survive a hit with Sturdy.

Notable Trainers: Burgh (BW1, BW2), Ingo + Emmet (BW1, BW2)

Dwebble is one of Burgh’s Pokemon in both games, punishing anyone who thought they could roll up with a Fire or Flying type and get an easy win. In BW2 in particular, Burgh brags about how cute Dwebble is. He also uses Crustle in his PWT teams, using 2 for the Driftveil and Mix Tournaments and 1 for the postgame-exclusive tournaments.

The Subway Bosses also use Crustle on their teams for the regular lines.

***

#588, #589: Karrablast, Escavalier

Karrablast is first obtained right before the 5th badge, at Route 6 in both games. It can be evolved straight away when traded for a Shelmet. Escavalier is a Bug/Steel type, similar to Forretress and Scizor in Gen 2 and Wormadam (Trash) in Gen 4.

Escavalier turns from a relatively faster attacker into a much slower, but bulkier and harder-hitting one. Its typing gives it 9 (8 in Gen 5) resistances and only 1 (albeit 4x) weakness to Fire. 

Karrablast and Shelmet are the only two Pokémon that need to be traded with a specific Pokemon to evolve as of Gen 9. Canonically, Karrablast steals Shelmet’s shell and uses it as armour as an Escavalier.

Notable Trainers: Alder (BW1, BW2), Burgh (BW2 Challenge Mode, PWT), Emmet (Masters)

Alder uses an Escavalier on his team in both games, though he switches it out during the PWT. 

Burgh uses a Karrablast on Challenge Mode in BW2, replacing his Swadloon along with Shelmet. He also uses 2 Escavalier in his PWT teams for the Driftveil and Mix Tournaments, and 1 for the postgame-exclusive tournaments.

Emmet uses an Escavalier in Masters, to match his brother’s Accelgor, referencing how both Pokémon rely on each other to evolve.

***

#616, #617: Shelmet, Accelgor

(skipped ahead in line to be with Escavalier)

Shelmet is only obtained right before the 7th gym in BW1, and much earlier right before the 5th gym in BW2. It can be evolved right away when traded for a Karrablast. It is a pure Bug type, similar to Pinsir in Gen 1 and Kricketune in Gen 4.

As an Accelgor, it turns from slow and defensive to a fast special attacker, with a whopping 145 Speed. It gets U-Turn via level-up, as well as Giga Drain for coverage against Rock types and Recover (which it’ll probably never use) and Final Gambit (could be hilarious cheese with its high speed).

Karrablast and Shelmet are the only two Pokemon that need to be traded with a specific Pokémon to evolve as of Gen 9. Canonically, after getting its shell stolen, Accelgor becomes understandably grumpy, which explains its perpetual sulking expression.

Notable Trainers: Alder (BW1, BW2), Shadow Triad (BW2), Burgh (BW2 Challenge Mode, PWT), Ingo (Masters)

Alder uses an Accelgor on his team in both games, though he switches it out for the PWT. 

In BW2, one of the Shadow Triad (the Triple Battle one) uses an Accelgor in all his battles.

Burgh uses a Shelmet on Challenge Mode in BW2, replacing his Swadloon. He also uses an Accelgor in his PWT teams for postgame-exclusive tournaments.

Ingo uses an Accelgor in Masters, to match his brother’s Escavalier, referencing how both Pokémon rely on each other to evolve. 

***

#595, #596: Joltik, Galvantula

Joltik is obtained shortly before the 6th gym in both games, in Chargestone Cave. It evolves into Galvantula at level 36. It is the very first Bug/Electric type, with only Vikavolt in Gen 7 following its example. Joltik was the smallest Pokemon upon debut, and still shares this title with 6 other Pokémon introduced in subsequent generations.

Its Electric typing neutralises its weakness to the upcoming gym’s Flying types and gives it super effective STAB against them, turning a normally disadvantageous matchup for Bug types into an advantageous one. It gets Energy Ball via TM for coverage, as well as Giga Drain in BW2 through a Move Tutor. It also gets Sucker Punch via level-up for priority, albeit off its weaker attacking stat.

As a Galvantula, it is a reasonably fast special attacker with a workable Atk and good STAB moves. Its main draw is Compound Eyes, which allows it to use the strong but inaccurate Thunder with much better accuracy, removing its main drawback.

Notable Trainers: Emmet (BW1, BW2), Elesa (BW2 Challenge Mode, PWT)

In both games, Emmet uses a Galvantula for his Multi Line battle. Funnily enough, his Galvantula is a physical set (as opposed to the usual special) with Cross Poison, which is only available via breeding in Gen 5. This has not been lost on fans, which is why a lot of fanart of him depicts him with some outrageous number of Joltik. (Breeding for perfect IVs does take a lot of Eggs...)

Elesa uses a Joltik in her Challenge Mode battle in BW2.  She also uses 2 Galvantula in her Driftveil and Mix Tournament teams, and 1 for the Unova Leaders Tournament.

***

#632: Durant

Durant is obtained at the very end of the game in BW1, being found on Victory Road right before the Elite 4. It is locked to postgame areas in BW2. It is single-staged. Like Escavalier, it is Bug/Steel type, giving it multiple resistances and only 1 weakness.

Durant is notable for being able to pull its weight well at the Elite 4 even right after capture; EXP-less challenge runs of BW1 use Durant to great effect for the E4, N and Ghetsis, using its incredible defensive typing and strong attacks off 109 Atk with Hustle. Its 112 Def and 109 Speed don’t hurt either.

Durant’s rampage does not end there; with the release of its Hidden Ability Truant, it is infamous for exploiting the AI’s reluctance to switch Pokémon out to break Battle Subway Singles. Using Entrainment to change the opposing lead Pokémon’s ability to Truant, it allows for another sweeper to set up unopposed just by using Protect whenever the opponent attacks.

Durant is so destructive, it canonically destroyed Victory Road between BW1 and BW2.

Notable Trainers: Emmet (BW1, BW2), Burgh (BW2 PWT)

Ironically for someone whose brother’s side of the workplace gets absolutely demolished by the Pokémon, Emmet uses a Durant in both his Doubles and Multi Lines teams. It unfortunately doesn’t have Truant.

Burgh also uses a Durant for postgame-exclusive tournaments in the PWT.

***

#636, #637: Larvesta, Volcarona

Larvesta can be obtained with Surf in BW1 (so after the 6th gym), but requires backtracking to the starting town and travelling to the optional Route 18. There, an Egg is obtained, which takes even more time to hatch. Even when it hatches, Larvesta’s base stats are mediocre for the time it arrives, at Level 1 to boot. It also only evolves at Level 59, which is higher than the final boss’ ace Pokemon. 

For all that effort, when it finally evolves, Volcarona is one of the best Pokemon overall in Generation 5, and one of the most popular. It managed to gain 2 new forms in Generation 9, which is a honour previously only afforded to mascots (and Donphan, which had ties to SV’s theme of travel).

Thankfully, it can also be obtained directly in BW1 in the postgame in Relic Castle’s basement, and in BW2 it can be obtained as early as right after the 5th gym in the same place, as a Volcarona.

While Larvesta is a physical attacker, Volcarona is a specially-oriented offensive Pokémon instead, with high SpA, SpD and Speed. It has access to Quiver Dance, the best boosting move in the game. Its signature move is Fiery Dance, which can further boost its Special Attack to even higher levels, albeit only obtainable at Level 100. It even gets access to Giga Drain in BW2 via Move Tutor to counter its crippling Rock weakness.

Volcarona is quite potent competitively, despite its weakness to Stealth Rock. It is even somewhat infamous as a ‘matchup moth’ due to its ability to sweep unprepared teams thoroughly just by setting up a few QDs. 

Notable Trainers: Alder (BW1, BW2, Masters)

Alder’s ace Pokémon is his Volcarona, which appears in all his teams. He is also said to have had another Volcarona in the past, which is currently deceased.

***

#649: Genesect

Genesect is one of Unova’s Mythical Pokémon, which is said to have been revived from a fossil and altered by Team Plasma. Similar to Escavalier and Durant, it is Bug/Steel type, which is a valuable defensive typing. 

Genesect is the first and only Bug-type mythical Pokemon, excluding Arceus holding an Insect Plate.

As a Mythical, Genesect has no trainer in its debut games, but is used by Hilbert, the BW1 male protagonist, in Masters.

***

Some Statistics

For obvious reasons, Burgh is the trainer who uses the largest variety of Generation 5’s Bug types, using 6/9 lines with the unused 3 being Galvantula, Volcarona (Alder’s ace + postgame-exclusive) and Genesect (mythical). 

Emmet ranks 2nd, despite not even being known for Bug types; he uses 4 in total, those being Crustle, Galvantula, Durant and Escavalier. He implicitly has had a Shelmet before as well, mentioning that he traded with Ingo for Escavalier, which would make 5. If Masters is excluded, though, he ties with Alder, each using 3 lines.

The Pokemon most used by notable Unovan trainers is Accelgor, with 4 trainers using it; however, if Masters is excluded, it ties with Crustle with 3 trainers.

[classicdatabase]

CD Entry #009

While far from a series staple, Guts Man in specific has had a notable amount of solo reappearances (ones that do not include some or all of the first game’s lineup alongside him) in the mainline Classic series, especially considering all have some sort of direct relation to Dr. Wily.

In Mega Man (1987) Guts Man is debuted as a character, but he already receives special treatment compared to the other bosses; namely, the final stage of the game, where several identical Guts Man copies(?) hooked up to wiring are placed as decoration within the tileset. This could be due to Guts Man’s rematch being the last boss fight before the Wily Machine, but none of the other bosses rematched in this stage have such treatment.

Mega Man 2 is when this became explicitly deliberate and not just a possible reuse of assets with the Guts Tank/Guts-Dozer, the boss of the third Dr. Wily stage. This otherwise unrelated tank boss that spawns Metalls and spits bullets at the player is directly based on and heavily resembles Guts Man, despite the original character not appearing in the game. This is even directly addressed in the officially licensed Archie Comics series (though taking place in a separate canon), with Guts Man proclaiming: “He ripped off my design again?! To make that?!”

Finally, Mega Man 7 features the Robot Museum mini-stage appearing after the first 4 bosses are defeated. Many robots from previous entries can be seen on display in this area’s background, however the only one Dr. Wily steals, at least on-screen, is once again Guts Man, who is modified to use treads (similar to the Guts Tank), a claw arm, and is used as the first boss of the game’s Wily Fortress stages.

Honorable mentions of this phenomenon include Mega Man & Bass referencing him in Stone Man’s CD Database entry claiming them to be friends, Concrete Man being seemingly based on him, Clown Man’s stage having toys based on Guts Man G, and his appearance as a playable racer in Mega Man Battle & Chase, though Ice Man also appears in the same role.

The reasoning for this pattern, to my understanding, is unknown.

[weirdowithaquill]

Traintober 2023: Day 28 - Which Way Now?

Lost in the Fog:

The Island of Sodor was hosting a visitor from the Other Railway. The visitor was a large, impressive tank engine who was helping out on Thomas’ branchline.

“I do love getting to pull trucks again,” the engine said cheerfully to Percy. “We don’t to pull trucks on my heritage railway.” “They might be fun, but you do have to be careful,” warned Percy. “Some trucks can be troublesome.” The engine chuckled. “Don’t worry about me, Percy – I’ll be fine!” Percy was doubtful. And yet, to his amazement, the visitor managed the trucks well. The trucks came along quietly, distracted from misbehaving by the songs the engine sang to them.

The visitor really did brighten up the yard every time they passed through. “Did you need a hand?” he offered to Toby as the old tram struggled with a long line of empty ballast trucks heading back for the Little Western. “That would be great,” grinned Toby. “Thank you.” With the visitor’s help, they managed the run in half the time it usually took – and better yet, his sing-a-longs kept the trucks from acting up.

“You really have a knack with the trucks,” mused Duck, watching in amazement as the big engine shunted them into their proper places. “I’m impressed.” “Thank you!” the visitor said. “That’s too kind!”

The visitor grew to be popular amongst all the engines. The speed and dedication they brought to every train won over even the gruffest of trucks and engines alike �� not even James could think of a bad word!

Everyone was sad when it came time for the visiting engine to return back to their heritage railway. “Safe travels!” called Percy. “Don’t get lost!” warned Oliver. “Lost?” quizzed the engine. “That isn’t likely, is it?” “Well… no – but sometimes the signalman near Killdane nods off. Make sure you whistle to alert him to your presence.” The engine smiled. “Thanks for the advice, I’ll keep it in mind!” And with that, the engine set off into the setting sun.

Things went well at first – but then night fell. With it came the mist. The mist rose up out of every crevice, seemingly rising up out of the ground itself, swirling around and blanketing everything it touched in an impenetrable wall of grey.

The visitor peered into the darkness, trying to see which town they were passing through. The station signs were obscured – several station lamps flickered and died and a chill danced in the air, winding around the visitor and doing its best to freeze their boiler into ice. The visitor still battled onwards.

“We can’t stop here…” they said, narrowing their eyes to try and spot a familiar shape. “It’s the middle of the mainline. No trains can stop here.” “Then which way now?” asked the engine’s driver. The answer lay just up ahead, where a signal light shone green, piercing sharply through the mist to illuminate the world around it.

“Someone must be expecting us,” hummed the driver. “That’s good!” A station platform appeared on the engine’s left, and they slowed to a stop, waiting for some sort of instructions on where to go. The driver and fireman looked back, and then the driver groaned.

“That stupid signalman! Come on, you need to go remind him that he needs to drop the signal back to red.” “And you?” “I’ll go find us some hot coffee in the station house. This seems like a big station – there’s got to be someone around.” The two left their engine sizzling nicely under the station canopy, heading off to complete their respective tasks.

Normally, this would have been fine – and had the engine been anywhere else, this would have been a routine stop. But the name of the station illuminated by a flickering station lamp was Killdane. “Um… shouldn’t we whistle?” asked the engine. But his crew had already left.

The engine’s eyes darted around. Something felt off about this station. It wasn’t the electric wires running above the tracks, nor was it the eerily still lines of coaches and trucks in the sidings. No, there was something else. Maybe… the second set of points that felt like they shouldn’t be there?

“Oh, why hello there,” grinned a deep, almost gravelly voice from behind the engine. “Um… hello?” The visitor had never heard that voice before. There was no face to put to the sound – this voice was completely new, and it scared them slightly. “What’re you doing on our line?” “I’m waiting to continue on,” the engine replied firmly. “We’ll take you,” the voice replied. Before the engine could question that, they were buffered roughly from behind. There was the deep, almost howling honk of a diesel horn, and the engine was suddenly being shoved forwards, out of the station.

“Hey! You can’t do this! Stop! Stop! Driver!” The visiting engine’s driver sprinted onto the platform, just in time to see the shape of a long train of scrap leave the platform where their engine had previously stood.

The engine tried to apply their brakes – but they couldn’t. They tried to call out for help – but no one answered.

The diesel pushed the poor engine down a long, overgrown path that led down through a bricked path between rows of town houses. The mist was even thicker down here, engulfing the poor engine and making it almost impossible to see what was ahead.

At least, until the mist began to clear around a large industrial estate, littered with the rusting remains of engines. “Oi! You can’t do this!” shouted the engine. “I’m preserved! Preserved!” “No one will come looking here,” sneered the diesel, shunting the engine into a shed. “Your crew can’t save you now, steam kettle.”

The steam engine sat, cold and alone, in the shed. Ahead of them, a pair of massive sliding steel doors were clamped tightly shut. Suddenly, the engine felt a jolt. The scrap trucks had been shoved behind them.

Two identical diesels in grimy green paintwork with wasp stripes oiled up on either side of the visitor. “This time, there’s no escape,” one sneered. The other just shot the poor visitor an unidentifiable look.

The two rumbled backwards again – and then the engine felt another jolt, and they all began to roll forwards. The giant steel doors groaned open, revealing a room bathed in red. Molten slag bubbled on either side of the track, and a giant claw loomed overhead.

“This engine’s not for scrapping!” begged the engine. “I just want to go home!” The claw didn’t stop its descent, lowering down, down, down…

With a sickening crunch, it ripped into the visitor’s boiler, lifting the engine up into the air, and dragging it over to the molten slag.

“Just another poor soul, gone to meet its maker,” sneered Arry. Bert didn’t reply. He just silently rumbled away, a goal set in his mind.

This time, Arry wouldn’t get away.

Back to Master Post

[didyoutrydynamite]

So what’s the dumbest thing you as a dm have ever seen a player use a spell for?

Easy.

In this one campaign, a party of heroes at some point ended up in the sewers of a city fighting a giant spider. Now when I say giant spider, I don't mean the "giant" ones the size of a dog or what ever, this thing was the size of a mainline battle tank and was blocking up an entire tunnel of the sewers.

So the party were in about half way into combat with it, when suddenly the giant spider shot it's web at the party's bard player and immediately started dragging him towards it. Most of the floor was covered in knee deep sewer water, so none of the melee fighters could catch up to cut the web and all the ranged players missed their shots, so right before it was the spider's turn it was up to the entangled bard to save himself.

He managed to work his hands to shred his arcane guitar and successfully casted Fear on the giant spider. It's very next turn the spider crawled at lightning speed away from the bard in a primal panic... with the bard still caught in it's web. So like a dog sled from hell, the bard was dragged screaming through several city blocks worth of sewage by a humongous spider desperately trying to get away from him, with the rest of the party chasing after to rescue him.

[sieglinde-freud]

6, 13 and 26? :)

OMGGG MAKER OF THE ASK GAME IN MY INBOX HI FAYEE <3 6 already answered soo

13. What do you like most about Fire Emblem?

i would love to lie to you all and say its the gameplay because im super smart and good at these games but if youve read like any of my posts it’s probably fairly obvious its the characters. these little guys make or break the game for me, and i think the fact that fire emblem has so many of them is what keeps me really into the series. theres just SO MANY of them, and i know thats a detractor to some people, but being able to pick out a handful of favs for each game is so fun to me. the fact that the cast changes for each game keeps it fresh i think. and while i do love the gameplay of the series, i think the characters help elevate that too. ive tried playing advanced wars and its a good game, pretty similar to fire emblem, but the same stakes just arent as present when im bossing around a bunch of guys who dont mean anything to me. i dont care. if random soldier in a tank goes down thats not really my problem, i’ll just get another one. but if someone like idk… stahl died during battle? yeah i have sully as a backup, but thats STAHL. theyre DIFFERENT even when they can do the exact same thing. liking characters gives you an incentive to keep them alive and help them grow, and the permadeath mechanic gives you an incentive to actually play well instead of relying on sacrifice strategies even if you know a replacement is coming. just good shit all around. and honestly? fire emblem casts are generally pretty likeable too, at least in my opinion. i could probably count on one hand all of the playable characters i genuinely have disdain for out of like the hundreds available. theyre all just so fun, even when theyre a bit more simple, or maybe even a little TOO complex for a game built around a support system. love em all. they are ALL my little guys :3

26. Come up with a pitch for a new FE title, no matter how silly it is!

i think ive made a post about this once but it still shakes around in my head every now and then. i have absolutely no idea for a mainline fire emblem game (well. yes i do. the idea is that i want vampires in there but thats all i got) but if i were in charge of making a silly little spin off title, i would make it a dating sim. but not just any dating sim: a roguelite dating sim. the idea is that you play as inigo/laslow and your goal is simply to go on ONE successful date. ONE. but for inigo, it’s not quite that easy. you have to go through a few different stages, first you have to get through asking someone out and having them say yes. then you have to get ready for the date. then, the date itself. and as you go through these stages, you can get a couple of boosts to help you out. for example, if you run into gerome, you can borrow his mask. this ups your “mystery” factor, but it decreases your ability to see properly, giving you the “klutz” status. you can bring along a wingman (cynthia, brady, saizo, owain probably?) but they have a set chance to steal your thunder at any time. you can get severa to ask you for advice, but if you’ve been playing bad she’ll turn you down and yell at you, decreasing your confidence. you can pick up olivia’s headband while getting ready, which would increase your confidence. just a bunch of silly bullshit that makes or breaks inigos ability to successfully pick up a date. if your date asks you questions you have 5 seconds to pick a socially acceptable answer. does your date like puns? if you picked up laurents glasses previously you might have a better time reading their expressions to tell. but if you picked up his hat, you look like a doofus and are locked into a harder difficulty automatically. average playtime to complete is 75 hours.

[spinningbuster98]

Mega Man & Bass (Mega Man) Ending

The last levels are where this game shits the bed

The first one is ok, dickish enemy placement notwithstanding, until you get to the boss

Not only is is really awkward to fight, with that goddamn monkey pelting you repeatedly, but the platform you’re on will immediately sink into the insta kill lava as soon as the boss dies. You WILL die on your first time, most likely having spent all your ammo for the weakness. Fuck you too game

But it’s the second stage that takes the cake, in fact it sort of reminds me of Gate 2 from X6.

The actual level segments are short, awkward but whatever. The issue is that you have 4 bosses to fight and the first two are some of the worst in the franchise

The fucking tank is vulnerable to the mines but since it’s got no healthbar you’re not gonna know this, and having to wait until he exposes his three weak spots and always dodging the same attacks over and over while you do so gets so fucking tedious and boring!

The flying tank has you fight it over a bottomless pits with infinitely respawning platforms which it can destroy at a moment’s notice, coupled with random flash bombs which blind you for a second and aiming the Drill (its weakness) while you’re trying to keep your footing is fucking awkward

The other two bosses are generally less tedious, King himself is pathetic, but the King Tankhas that fuck you laser attack that pretty much requires tha mine to be stopped properly so i hope you didn’t run out!

I would normally applaud the game for having some actual level design to go through during the boss rush but, like most levels in this game, these sections are tedious and that yoko block section after Cold Man can fuck righ off

The only reason why Wily is hard here is because this game has no E Tanks, you can only rely on Eddie who gives you random drops and can thus screw you over like he did with me. Mega Man also can’t use Magic Card on the second phase despite it being its weakness because he can’t jump high enough to hit the cockpit

I find the ending music’s sad tones to be appropriate, given that this was the last Classic mainline game for 10 whole years before MM9 in 2008 (unless you count Powered Up in 2006). I dunno why Capcom put Classic on ice for a decade, though I do know that Mega Man as a franchise was falling off of people’s radar during this time, as Legends would also be axed after only two games and a spinoff, and X would slowly die off in the early 2000s, which were populated by completely new subseries but most importantly Battle Network.

[deflare]

Little Guys Advent Day 3, and it’s my boys! My horrible, horrible boys!

I present to you, a Black Templar!

No Pity! No Remorse! No Fear!

The Templars are a successor chapter to the Imperial Fists. During the days of the legions, the Fists maintained an elite group of warriors who were dedicated to protecting their Primarch and defending the legion’s most important relics and sites. When Guilliman split everyone up, these guys would become the Black Templars, led by the champion Sigismund (who’s a Very Cool Dude with whole novels dedicated to him).

You might recall that a chapter is defined by how closely they adhere to the Codex Astartes? The Black Templars are on the “threw the book out the airlock and never looked back” end of the spectrum. They have way more guys than the 1,000 allowed by Imperial law. The way they get around this: A chapter is allowed to go over the limit when they’re on crusade. And the Templars have been on crusade for 10,000 years. They grab recruits wherever they find ‘em; at this point, even their leaders don’t know how many of the bastards are out there. And unlike most chapters (who have a whole formal structure where newbies are made scouts before getting sent into mainline battle squads), the Templars just throw new guys into their standard units and let them learn on the job. Or die horribly. Whichever.

At the heart of the Black Templars is a deep-rooted, unshakable zealotry. All Space Marines are psycho-conditioned to be hyper-loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium and so on. But the Templars crank this up to 11. They’re the most hateful, furious, and devout* of all Space Marines. They refuse to use battle-psychics the way other chapters do, and gain power from a series of vows--Suffer Not the Unclean to Live, Uphold the Honor of the Emperor, Abhor and Destroy the Witch, Accept any Challenge. They really like charging straight at the enemy and murdering them at close range or grinding them under tank-treads. But they’ll do what they need to in order to murderize their enemy--and if a bunch of civilians get caught in the crossfire, well, it’s the Emperor’s will. They lean really hard on their Chaplains, morale officers who keep their brothers sane and loyal by reciting chants of loyalty and faith, and by bonking enemies with their staffs of office. (Most chapters have Chaplains; the Black Templars really like Chaplains.)

So why do I like these vicious little murder-monks? Part of it is the historical ties. As you can probably tell from the model, the Templars are heavily inspired by historical crusader forces--the Knights Templar in name, the Teutonic Knights in culture and behavior. The crusaders were also horrible, terrible, no-good people, but in my comfy remove from the sites of their atrocities, they’re still interesting to reference. This gives the Templars a very strong aesthetic that stands out from other Space Marines. And that’s the biggest thing I like about the Templars--they’re pretty unique. Lots of special kits (with beautiful models), interesting customization options, a strong vibe. I like that they dunk on Guilliman’s rulebook. I like how over-the-top evil they are. And I just think they look cool. Like, look at this shit.

Awesome.

*Let’s talk about Space Marines and faith.

The modern Imperium worships the Emperor as a god, and any deviation from this creed is met with horrible punishment and/or death. But it wasn’t always this way. The Emperor himself didn’t want to be worshiped as a god. He was, in fact, something of a Reddit atheist.

See, Big E’s logic was that the Chaos gods were fueled by worship, and a lot of humanity accidentally worshiped them in different forms. Therefore, the Emperor figures, no worship, no Chaos gods. He was horribly, horribly wrong. But this didn’t stop him from creating the creed of the Imperial Truth, which stated that humanity was destined to rule the stars, and there were no gods or demons or supernatural things (please ignore the psychics that are scientifically-verified fact, thank you). And he enforced this creed across the galaxy, violently.

Some folks, however, looked at the 12-foot tall immortal super-psyker with an aura of supernatural charisma, who created his own host of demigods and angels, and went, “Okay, that looks like a god.” The biggest proponent of this was the Primarch Lorgar, who wrote the first texts that would become the basis of the Imperial faith. The Emperor would chastise Lorgar for his faith, which caused Lorgar to fuck off to worship the Chaos gods, and ultimately kicked off the whole Heresy. The whole story of the Horus Heresy is full of ironic turns like that.

Anyway, faith in the Emperor as a god was a popular but suppressed cult during the Great Crusade and the Heresy. When he was entombed on the Golden Throne, the faith was able to spread unchecked, and within a couple of thousand years, it was the official religion of the Imperium, dubbed the Imperial Creed. Whoops.

The Space Marines have a fuzzy relationship with the Imperial Creed. The Legiones Astartes were the foremost champions of the Imperial Truth back in the day. Love and honor for the Emperor is imprinted into all chapters’ basic conditioning, but worshipping him as a god? Eeeeeeeh. Most chapters find a compromise where they hail the Emperor as the greatest of all humans, and they fight in his name, and so on, and they just avoid discussing topics of religion when they’re hanging out with normal humans.

The Black Templars are an exception. They’re all about worshipping the Emperor as a god. And making other people worship him as a god. The religious terminology ain’t just a metaphor for them.

Master post here

[themaresnest-dumblr]

Is This The SILLIEST Computer Game Of All Time?

Forget the back blurb of so-called 'plot' - this is a game where you take on a bunch of armies that have swords and shields and stuff with modern assault rifles, mainline battle tanks, helicopter gunships ... with predicable results. Granted, one can see the appeal to an American audience, who think a war is where one side bombs a helpless enemy back into the Stone Age (and half of its own allies in uncountable numbers of 'friendly fire' incidents) before moralising about everyone else committing 'genocide' (usually the ones that didn't buy their weapons ...), but what possible satisfaction - other than perhaps to 2 incher incels and those kids who stomp on the ants in their garden (and are certainly ones to add to your 'little shit that needs watching as they get older' list) - can be derived from such a silly game where the player would have to be incredibly moronic to get themselves so much as bruised, let alone killed?

[magpiejay1234]

So, since I had to cut Disney stuff short, let's discuss all the major Heartless bosses for each world.

Twilight Town: Darkside

Agrabah: Antlion

Beast's Castle: Infernal Engine

Olympus Coliseum: Guard Armor

Halloween Town: Leechgrave

Wonderland: Crimson Prankster

Neverland: Ruler of the Sky

Antlion, and Ruler of the Sky are bosses heavily influenced by Shadow of the Colosssus, Infernal Engine is a boss heavily influenced by General Guy's tank from Paper Mario, and Leechgrave feels like a Mario & Luigi boss, or one of King Boo's upper class minions (either in mainline Mario games, or when he is battling his archnemesis Luigi in Luigi's Mansion games).

Returning bosses all have thematic relevance, of course. Darkside was attracted to Kairi's light in KH1, but ends up being an early test for Kingdom Key to observe Sora's capabilities, which becomes gender inverted with Roxas, and Xion. Guard Armor in KH1 was a test of Sora, Donald & Goofy as a trio, and becomes a test for Roxas solo for the connections he developed with his party of Axel, and Xion. Crimson Prankster is a variation of Trickmaster with two bodies, which ties with what's going on with Roxas.

The overall selection of the bosses makes the feeling of Days being the Team Dark analogue for KH1, and CoM. Harder bosses, longer levels, stronger main characters, with the Team Chaotix mission structure thrown in, of course.

Kind of interesting we sort of reference both three of the inspirations of KH1 with this game, Sonic, Mario, and of course, Ico, for Nomura's original idea for KH1 being a game about killing a witch, with Kairi tagging along Sora in the concept artwork.

Either way, the main boss selection is quite fitting for a Roxas game, but that's likely due to h.a.n.d. (co-developers of this game alongside now defunct Disney Interactive Studios, and Square Enix) than Nomura. BBS does not have an interesting boss selection in contrast, due to the franchise's shift to human bosses, and humanoid bosses for monster bosses, as speedrunners, and reverse engineering became obsessed with them rather quickly after the introduction of Data bosses.

Of course, I wonder what would we have in the cut Pinocchio world.

[ohthehypocrisy]

Wobbuffet for Pokemon Unite!

Season 1

Season 2

Prev: Cradily - Hatterene - Tropius - Cacturne - Ditto - Weavile - Ogerpon - Coalossal - Gogoat - Galarian Slowbro - Luxray - Breloom - Uxie, Mesprit, & Azelf

I have something to confess. I didn’t play Pokemon Gold & Silver when it came out, so I wasn’t as fond of Gen 2 as I was Generation 1 and 3. I grew up around pokemon fans that regarded Gold & Silver as the best games in the series, and I couldn’t fathom it. I will admit, however, that a lot of the designs that came out in those games were some of the slickest, coolest, and wonkiest ones ever, from Scizor to Heracross, and from Girafarig to Miltank, the designs were all over the place, and they gave the games their own sort of charm to them.

The weirdest one, by far, would be Wobbuffet, a beloved and wacky pokemon adored by all. Many would like to see this pokemon join Unite, so let’s see if it has what it takes to take a hit and return the damage on Aeos Island.

-

While Wobbuffet has the most impressive HP stat we’ve seen so far, it is ultimately let down by literally everything else. Pitifully low defenses makes that gargantuan HP number weaker than it actually is, nevermind the awfully low offensive stats and Speed. Unfortunately, Wobbuffet is a gimmick pokemon through and through, as its stats and moves are designed to revolve around its defining trait; it’s ability to take a hit and then return it back at the opponent. While this has had mixed results in the mainline games and their competitive formats, this translates to one single niche in Pokemon Unite, and that would be the role of a...

Defender

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Basic Attack - Melee/Sp. Attack

Each time the pokemon receives damage from a basic attack, the pokemon gains a basic attack counter. The pokemon can only use basic attacks while it has any amount of basic attack counters on it, but each use reduces the counter by 1. Each time the pokemon damages an enemy with a basic attack, the pokemon restores a small amount of HP. The basic attack counter will also increase if the pokemon is in the path of an allies’ basic attack. 

The pokemon’s basic attack counter increases by one each time it receives a basic attack from opposing pokemon, Wild or otherwise. This basic attack counter has no limits, but resets when you are KO’d.

The basic attack counter also increases when the pokemon is in range of basic attacks used by teammates.

The basic attack counter is displayed by a boxing glove graphic on the HUD, followed by a number.

The basic attack has the pokemon wobble back and forth repeatedly, damaging all nearby enemies. With mashing, the pokemon can unleash 4 attacks a second. As with most basic attacks, Wynaut and Wobbuffet cannot move while they are stuck using their basic attacks.

When damage is dealt, the user’s HP is restored by 2.5% each time.

Wynaut and Wobbuffet start each round and respawn with 0 basic attack counters.

Did you know that Wobbuffet never throw the first punch in a fight? Because of their gimmick, they spend the battle tanking hits in order to retaliate against the enemy, using their own power against them. As such, while Wobbuffet can hit really fast and hard and can even heal itself with its basic attack, it is limited by its self-imposed pacifism that prevents it from getting violent in the first place.

Now obviously, it is in the enemy team’s best interest to eliminate all opposition, so you are going to get hit. But this can become mortifying when you run out of basic attacks to throw and you can’t defend a Goal Zone from being broken. Luckily, your basic attack can increase when an ally uses their basic attack on you, deliberately or otherwise. It doesn’t hurt you to receive their attacks, but it still counts as a hit, which increases your basic attack counter.

However, you need to keep in mind that your basic attack will only increase when receiving basic attacks, not opposing Moves. Yeah, Attackers and Speedsters rely on their basic attack to get the most damage, but even as a Defender, you will take more damage than you can counter, meaning you can be overwhelmed at the start of a fight.

Luckily, you have a very disruptive ability that turns what would be a liability of a basic attack into one of your greatest strengths.

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Ability: Shadow Tag

When an opposing pokemon enters the user’s range, that pokemon will be Immobilized and become unable to use their moves for a short time. Afterwards, Shadow Tag cannot affect the enemy for a while, but receiving damage from your basic attack will reduce the duration of this effect.

Shadow Tag activates when enemies come within melee basic attack range of the user. Upon activation, the enemy will become Immobilized, which prevents them from moving or using Dash Moves, and they are prevented from using Moves while Immobilized. This effect lasts for 3 seconds.

After Shadow Tag wears off, the enemy cannot be affected again for 30 seconds. This is shown with a black bar underneath the enemy’s shadow, counting down until they can be affected again. This countdown bar can be reduced by 1 second for each basic attack you deal to the enemy.

Shadow Tag has no effect on Wild Pokemon.

If an opposing pokemon runs into you and sees that you have no basic attacks to use, then the enemy will mistakenly decide that you are EXP fodder. They will throw their moves at you and stay at arms’ length away from you, whittling down your HP as they sit comfortably on their side of the field.

Well, that’s when they make the biggest mistake of their life. With the Shadow Tag ability, all you need is to confirm the presence of an enemy and then approach them with malicious intent. When Wobbuffet gets within striking distance of an enemy, Shadow Tag activates, not only incapacitating the enemy by restricting their movement, but it will also prevent them from using Moves. When that happens, the enemy will, in a panic, mash the basic attack button, hoping and praying that their allies are nearby to stop you from delivering all of those pent up counterattacks you’re storing.

Shadow Tag is Wobbuffet’s most powerful ability and is one of the strongest in the game. Because Wobbuffet relies on receiving basic attacks to use its own basic attack, the simplest way to counter Wobbuffet is to just not use basic attacks at all. Shadow Tag as an ability removes this counterplay, forcing the enemy to sit in place and spend some quality time with you. As a Defender, this is a very powerful ability, as you’ve taken the flow of battle away from the opposing pokemon.

Similar to other abilities like Wigglytuff’s Cute Charm, Shadow Tag cannot affect the same enemy again for 30 seconds, with a visible meter displayed by the affected pokemon’s shadow. Unlike Wigglytuff’s Ability, Wobbuffet can influence this cooldown by simply using its basic attack against the affected pokemon. Each hit of your basic attack reduces the cooldown of Shadow Tag, and since you can launch 4 hits in a second with your basic attack, 1 second cashes out to 5 seconds of cooldown reduced. After 4 or 5 seconds of constant basic attacks, the Shadow Tag resets and can be used on the affected pokemon once again.

I know this seems like another ability meant to ruin Melee attackers, but to be fair, Shadow Tag would absolutely ruin ranged attackers all the same. Wobbuffet has to actually approach the target to affect them, so those who don’t want to get caught simply have to keep their distance. And guess what? That’s exactly what a Defender is supposed to do.

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At the start of the game Wobbuffet will start out as Wynaut. You can choose between Splash and Amnesia as your first move. By Level 2, you’ll have learned both.

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Move 1: Splash (Melee)

The pokemon jumps forward, pushing back enemies slightly upon landing. The move can be charged, during which the damage and Shove effect increases the more attacks the user receives while charging. 8s cooldown.

Splash is a short ranged jump that damages enemies slightly and Shoves enemies a very short distance away.

The move can be charged indefinitely, but it cannot be cancelled. While charging, Splash’s damage increases by 10% for each attack received, having no limit. Wynaut cannot move while charging and the attack’s designated direction cannot be changed.

I always feel a little weird giving the move Splash some utility when it specifically isn’t supposed to have any when used in the main games. But you know what? We can gaslight ourselves into thinking Charizard and Duraludon are physical attackers and that Leftovers is a good item or that the MVP rating means something, so let’s just say that Splash, when used by Wynaut, is a baby’s first counter attacking move.

By itself, Splash is a pitifully weak dash move that only sends you forward a very short distance. But because Wynaut is equally capable of learning how to counter moves, it has some shocking resilience when it comes to taking blows. It’s no surprise that it can take it and dish it out when it’s training to become a Wobbuffet, so don’t be shocked when it KO’s you while it’s using Splash to practice throwing its weight around.

You can charge Splash to absorb hits, which increases the damage you can deal when Splash is unleashed. Taking hits doesn’t increase the distance you can jump, but there’s no limit to the damage you can store, so use the move boldly when the enemy goes on the offensive.

But, again, the enemy can choose not to engage, which is acceptable for a Defender, but not when they’re stalling for time and backup. If you want to get in on the offensive quickly, you’ll also need to learn Amnesia.

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Move 2: Amnesia (Buff)

The pokemon forgets something, boosting its Defense and Sp. Defense for a short while, and gains 8 basic attack counters. 10s cooldown.

Amnesia boosts your Defense and Sp. Defense by 75% for 4 seconds.

Back in my day, Wynaut came out of the egg with 3 moves, maybe 4. Apparently Amnesia is a very recent addition to its movepool, which is whatever to me. At least it makes the early game easier.

For a starting move, Amnesia grants a very powerful defensive boon. 75% Defense and Sp. Defense is insane for a move you can know by Level 2, but it’s held back by the very short 4 second buff duration. It’s very useful when combined with Splash, as the move builds up damage by the number of hits received, not their strength.

It also comes with some free basic attack counters. Apparently Wynaut forgets that it wasn’t hit? And that’s enough for it to get 8 whole basic attack counters. That may seem like a lot, but remember that you can throw out up to 4 hits per second with quick enough button mashing, so it’s not a very bountiful boon. But hey, at least it’s something. At least you’ll be able to muster up some basic attacks for when the enemy team is threatening to score points in your Goal Zone.

Wynaut is a quick learner, though, as after a few Levels, it will very quickly evolve into the much sturdier Wobbuffet.

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At Level 4, Wynaut evolves into Wobbuffet. At the same time, Splash becomes either Counter or Mirror Coat.

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Move 1a: Counter (Dash)

The user toughens up its body in preparation for a charge attack. While charging, the pokemon builds up damage and basic attack counters from all Attack based Moves and basic attacks. When Counter is unleashed, the user dashes forward, dealing damage to all enemies along the way. The damage dealt by Counter increases the more damage the user received and the more basic attack counters generated while charging. If the damage dealt by Counter is high enough, enemies will be Stunned. 8s cooldown.

At Level 10, Counter becomes Counter+.

Increases the damage build up. The pokemon becomes Unstoppable while charging.

Counter sends Wobbuffet dashing forward in the designated direction. Wobbuffet charges Counter for 3 seconds, during this time you can move at reduced Movement Speed, though the designated attack direction will not change.

Counter stockpiles 50% of all damage received while charging the move. When unleashed, all stockpiled damage is released when this move hits an enemy. Counter+ increases this build up to 75%. 

Extra damage is dealt for each basic attack counter made, piling on an additional 10% for each one.

If the damage dealt by Counter or Counter+ exceeds 30% or more of the enemy’s max HP, they will be Stunned for 1.5 seconds.

Counter will only stockpile damage and generate basic attack counters from Attack based Moves and basic attacks. Unite Moves will not affect Counter, even if it was used by an Attack based pokemon.

High risk, high reward. That is the core philosophy of a move like Counter.

As Wobbuffet is famous for taking hits and returning them twofold, Counter is the natural evolution of a move like Splash...I think. By anticipating the opposing team’s offensive push, a well timed Counter can be disastrous for the enemy, as Wobbuffet will not only absorb all the damage dealt, but also become stronger for it afterwards.

Counter works by absorbing half of the damage Wobbuffet receives from opposing pokemon’s Attack based Moves and basic attacks. It won’t absorb damage from Unite Moves, but more on that later. When the move is fully charged, Wobbuffet rushes forward, unleashing all of that stockpiled damage back onto the opposing team. If the resulting damage deals more than 30% of the target’s HP in one hit, the enemy will be knocked silly and will be Stunned for quite a while. You can expect to have an easy time Stunning opposing Attackers and Speedsters due to their low HP, but opposing Defenders and All-Rounders will feel almost resilient to this effect, especially if you don’t absorb enough damage.

But if you do manage to Stun the enemy, then great news! Counter generates basic attack counters from all Attack based Moves and basic attacks, so you can score in some cheap shots while the enemy is dizzy and restore some of that lost HP back.

Oh, but you do have to take those hits in the first place, huh? Counter may seem like a saving grace for you and your team while you’re behind on EXP, but 3 seconds is longer than it seems when it comes to absorbing damage. The Level difference will do you no favors if you’re depending on Counter for a cheap KO, as it’s entirely possible to get KO’d yourself before the move comes out. You can fortify yourself with Amnesia during the charge, but you can’t change the charging direction of Counter once it’s chosen, so you better hope the opposing Attacker doesn’t move too far away from the fight.

At this level, hindrances and obstacles aren’t all that common yet, but they can seriously impede your counterattacking efforts. Counter does not have any hindrance immunity until it upgrades at Level 10, so watch out for stray projectiles like Cramorant’s Hurricane or Mr. Mime’s Confusion or even Crustle’s Rock Tomb.

If range is the issue, then Mirror Coat is the solution.

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Move 1b: Mirror Coat (Sure Hit)

The user gathers up light energy, preparing to unleash it at all nearby enemies. While charging, the pokemon builds up damage and basic attack counters from all Sp. Attack based Moves and basic attacks. When Mirror Coat is unleashed, psychic shards are unleashed upon all enemies within range. The damage dealt by Mirror Coat increases the more damage the user received and the more basic attack counters generated while charging. If the damage dealt by Mirror Coat is high enough, enemies will be Stunned. 8s cooldown.

At Level 10, Mirror Coat becomes Mirror Coat+.

Increases the damage build up. The pokemon becomes Unstoppable while charging.

Mirror Coat locks on to all visible pokemon in range and damages them with flying psychic shards after 3 seconds of charging. Wobbuffet can move while charging.

Mirror Coat stockpiles 50% of all damage received while charging the move. When unleashed, all stockpiled damage is released when this move hits an enemy. Mirror Coat+ increases this build up to 75%.

Extra damage is dealt for each basic attacker counter made, piling on an additional 10% for each one.

If the damage dealt by Mirror Coat or Mirror Coat+ exceeds 30% or more of the enemy’s max HP, they will be Stunned for 1.5 seconds.

Mirror Coat will only stockpile damage and generate basic attack counters from Sp. Attack based Moves and basic attacks. Unite Moves will not affect Mirror Coat, even if it was used by a Sp. Attack based pokemon.

High risk, high reward. That is the core philosophy of a move like Mirror Coat.

As Wobbuffet is famous for taking hits and returning them twofold, Mirror Coat is the natural evolution of a move like Splash...hey wait a minute! This is functionally identical to Counter, isn’t it? Well, yes, since Counter returns all physical damage taken, Mirror Coat is the special opposite, and is reflected as such in Pokemon Unite.

While Counter is a Dash Move, Mirror Coat is a Sure-Hit attack that requires visible enemies in range. This may seem like it makes Counter the weaker of the two, but Mirror Coat will not be able to target and damage enemies that are in hiding or invisible. Other than that, the plan of attack is the same. Simply charge Mirror Coat when big damage comes your way, and you’ll retaliate with painful psychic blasts.

The problem here is that, since you can only have one of either Counter or Mirror Coat, certain fights against balanced teams become unwinnable for you. If the entire opposing team is rocking all Attack based pokemon, then Counter is a no brainer, same goes for Mirror Coat against Sp. Attack based teams. But if the opposing team is balanced, then the move will become useless depending on who you run into. Counter and Mirror Coat will only absorb damage from their respective ends of the damage spectrum, so don’t get caught fighting the wrong enemy by yourself. Try to have a teammate nearby that can cover for your weakness.

Wow, a Defender with counterattacking moves that can be easy to counter. What a world you live in, Wobbuffet.

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At Level 6, Amnesia becomes either Safeguard or Encore.

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Move 2a: Safeguard (Buff)

The user casts a protective field at its location, greatly reducing damage received and prevents hindrances from affecting you and your allies while within the area of effect. HP restoring effects are also strengthened while Safeguard is active. Your allies restore a bit of HP when you gain basic attack counters from their basic attacks. 11s cooldown.

At Level 12, Safeguard becomes Safeguard+.

Extends the duration of the protective field and also expands its area of effect.

Safeguard creates a veil of light that reduces damage received by 75% and prevents hindrances from affecting you and your allies. Safeguard can only protect allies that are within the area of effect. Safeguard lasts only for 5 seconds.

Your HP restoring effects are also increased by 50%, affecting items like Potions and Drain Crowd and Shell Bell, as well as the HP restoring effects of your basic attack. Allies restore 5% of their HP when they generate basic attack counters for you.

Safeguard+ extends the duration of the move to 6.5 seconds and increases the size of the area of effect by 30%.

Because of how one-note Wobbuffet’s defensive capabilities are, it’s ability to support the team with timely KO’s makes it feel like a Supporter at times. Now, I won’t hesitate to say that this is similar to Umbreon, where a Defender can pretend to be a Supporter with one move, but given Wobbuffet’s pathetically shallow movepool, I think it gets a pass here.

All the best, Safeguard is a very powerful defensive boon for you and your allies. While it isn’t any stronger for you over Amnesia, it does share that defensive buffer with allies. Safeguard does protect you and the team from hindrances, so already this is such a great effect to have when Stuns and Hindrances are everywhere in this meta. It does confine you and the team to a specific space, but it is literally the safest spot on the map, so better make yourself at home.

It also makes for a nice retreat, as Safeguard also amplifies healing effects used within the area of effect. This can be anything from the Goal Zone passive healing, to items like Potion and Drain Crown. Most notably, Wobbuffet’s own basic attack comes with healing, so if the opposing team decides to take the fight inside your humble abode, you’ll have the advantage while the barrier is up.

Speaking of healing, remember when I said that ally basic attacks contribute to your basic attack counter? Well, in order to incentivize teammates into buffing you up, Safeguard will also heal allies when they add basic attack counters to you. This favors ranged attackers the most, as they are able to provide cover fire while within the safety of Safeguard.

The shield only lasts for 5 seconds though, a little longer with Safeguard+. After that you have to wait for the move to come off of cooldown, which can take 11 seconds in total. Safeguard isn’t something you can put down at the start of the fight, as the healing and defensive boon it provides is way too good to squander. Although, if you anticipate burst damage coming your way, Safeguard may be your only recourse when the fight starts.

Burst damage is so annoying. If only you could take the option away from the enemy. Show of hands.

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Move 2b: Encore (Hindrance)

The user gives an opposing pokemon a round of applause, showering them with praise and cheer. While the opposing pokemon is being praised, that pokemon can only use basic attacks. The damage they deal to all opposing pokemon is reduced, except when they are used against the user. The user’s basic attack counter increases by twice the normal amount when they receive damage from a praised opposing pokemon’s basic attack. 7s cooldown.

At Level 12, Encore becomes Encore+.

Also reduces the praised opposing pokemon’s Movement Speed.

When Encore is used, a special effect of applause, cheers, confetti scattering around the target, and a spotlight all play and highlight the affected opposing pokemon.

While praised, the affected pokemon can only use basic attacks or their Unite Move. Encore lasts for 7 seconds.

The damage the praised pokemon deals to Wild Pokemon and teammates is reduced by 50%, but remains 100% when targeting the user.

Your basic attack counter doubles with each hit received while Encore is in effect.

Encore+ reduces the target’s Movement Speed by 30%.

Give the enemy a big round of applause. Their aptitude in pressing one button is to be recognized, and must be praised! Cheer, cheer! Mash that basic attack button!

At the moment, there are only two moves with the effect of forcing the enemy to use solely their basic attack; Clefable’s Follow Me and Sableye’s Confuse Ray. Neither effect lasts for as long as Wobbuffet’s Encore, nor do they drastically reduce the enemy’s offensive foothold in a fight. It’s no coincidence that these effects come from Supporters, since Wobbuffet’s other Move makes it feel like a Supporter itself. For what it's worth, Encore provides a lot of value to the team, though mostly to Wobbuffet.

The praise effect of Encore affects only one opponent at a time, so it can be difficult to take advantage of in a fight over an objective. However, Encore lasts for as long as the move’s cooldown runs for, so you can immediately use Encore again as soon as the effect ends. Depending on who you spotlight with this move, it can completely sap away the enemy’s momentum, since Encore not only forces the victim to use only basic attacks, but those basic attacks deal half damage to everything but Wobbuffet itself.

Obviously, the counterplay to this would be to target Wobbuffet with basic attacks, but Encore causes Wobbuffet’s basic attack counter to double with each hit received. Since Wobbuffet gets stronger the more hits it takes, the only way to fight Encore is to not fight at all. Just disengage and retreat from the fight, which is exactly what Wobbuffet as a Defender wants you to do. Oh, but if Wobbuffet uses Encore+, this also becomes harder to do as the move gains a Movement Speed debuff. And don't get me started on how effective combining Encore with Shadow Tag can be, it almost feels cheap when you land it just right.

Now keep in mind, Encore does not prevent the enemy from dealing damage, and it especially doesn’t prevent them from using their Unite Move. Before you learn your Unite Move, this is something you’ll have to watch out for, especially if you Encore the opposing Jungler who will most likely have their Unite Move ready. 

If you anticipate the opposing Unite Move, you can do something about it. Yep, that’s right. Wobbuffet, as a Defender that can counter anything, can even counter Unite Moves with its own.

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Unite Move: That’s The Way It Is (Buff/Sure Hit)

The user becomes empowered by Aeos Energy. While empowered, the user receives reduced damage from opposing Unite Moves. At the end of the move, a concentrated ball of Aeos Energy is fired at all opposing pokemon that damaged the user with their Unite Moves. The more damage the user received, the more powerful this attack becomes.

Wobbuffet’s Unite Move, That’s The Way It Is, reduces incoming Unite Move damage by 75% and lasts for 8 seconds.

Wobbuffet is completely Unstoppable while the Unite Move is active.

After 8 seconds, Wobbuffet unleashes a homing attack on all opposing pokemon that damaged it with a Unite Move, regardless of their range. Wobbuffet cannot be interrupted during this attack. Enemies that were buffed by opposing Unite Moves will not be targeted.

That’s The Way It Is deals 100% of the original damage received back to all targeted pokemon.

Did you know that Wobbuffet’s Japanese name, Sonans, can be literally translated to ‘That’s the way it is!’? Supposedly this name and its habit of placing a hand on its forehead is in reference to a famous Japanese comedian, combining to create a niche pokemon with a niche archetype akin to the phrase ‘that’s the way the cookie crumbles’. I suppose it’s only natural to lament losing to bad karma, when all you can do is sigh and accept the result.

After all, when you go up against a Wobbuffet, all you can do is expect to have your power turned against you, especially when it uses its Unite Move, That’s The Way It Is. While others use their Unite Move to deal big damage or to save their teammates, Wobbuffet sticks mainly to its ideology of never hitting first. By harnessing Aeos Energy, it gains the ability to counter even Unite Moves, turning all of that power back against the attackers.

Because of how much of a game changer Unite Moves can be, they're very easy to counter when the fight takes place near important objectives like Regieleki or Rayquaza. You can expect the enemy team to try and desperately secure the objective based on their positioning. And even if they choose not to use their Unite Move, that puts you and your team in the advantage if they aren't willing to risk getting their Unite Moves countered. A good offense is a great defense, as they say.

The one thing to note about That's The Way It Is is that certain Unite Moves won't trigger the counterattack effect. Some Unite Moves will buff the user, like Gengar's Phantom Ambush or Machamp's Barrage Blow, but they can be followed up with the actual Unite Move attack, which can be countered. But then there are straightforward buffs that do not trigger That's The Way It Is and its counterattack, such as Goodra's Right As Rain or Tyranitar's Tyrannical Rampage. As well as other supportive Unite Moves such as Comfey's Flowery Fields Forever, Mimikyu's Play With Me bypasses Unstoppable and forces Wobbuffet's Unite Move to end, proving to be the one and only counter to this counter.

The number of Unite Moves you can't counter with That's The Way It Is is very small, but there are enough of them to make a team. This would be the worst thing to see if Wobbuffet ever got into the game. Good thing Wobbuffet isn't real and this is all a post made for fun, eh?

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Achievements

KO 10 opposing pokemon in a single game using either Counter or Mirror Coat.

There are talented people out there that can do many things well, and then there are less experienced people that can, at best, do only one thing. For those that can only do one thing, you must learn to do it very well. Fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks. Fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

Pokemon fall under this dichotomy all the same, and Wobbuffet falls into the latter scope of the spectrum here. As a pokemon, it can only do one thing, but it is terrifying how well it can do it. In Pokemon Unite, it brings its experience of taking his and retaliating in kind to the battlefield, and as such, its achievement reflects this.

10 KO's in a single match is quite the tall order, even for a Defender. However, both Counter and Mirror Coat can target and damage enemies that weren't even involved in the fight, making the moves easier to use in the heat of battle. If you absorb a big hit, you can get an easy KO by keeping the squishy enemies in range of the impending counterattack.

This becomes even easier when Counter and Mirror Coat upgrade, gaining Unstoppable. Yeah, these counterattack effects can be snubbed by a well placed hindrance, so if you want to have a solid shot at earning this achievement, it's in your best interest to level up as soon as possible.

Defenders can't do their job well if they're behind in experience.

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Holowear

Now, I do need to point at that, while Wobbuffet can be of either gender, the one I've chosen for this post is female, as shown by its bright pink lips. No particular reason for that decision on my part, I just think it's really funny that, when they started updating pokemon models to have sexual dimorphism in Gen 4, Wobbuffet, of all creatures, got some face paint, ha ha.

Now that we've got that out of the way, Dancer Style Holowear gives Wobbuffet a flashy dress and big dramatic feathers that enhance its back and forth motions. Training Style Holowear puts Wobbuffet in a sturdy piece of headgear, some cushy body armor, and shoulder pads to make it look like your average sparring partner at the gym. But Wobbuffet works really well as a bodyguard, so Stoic Style Holowear gives it big black glasses, a black suit, and a radio piece on where I think its ear is. With Concierge Style Holowear, Wobbuffet wears a fancy tuxedo suit, a musical note headpiece, and wields a conductor's baton in one hand, since it's a profession which requires a lot of swaying. And finally, Knight Style Holowear covers Wobbuffet head to toe in silver armor plating, with a leather cloth covering the breastplate and stylized with the pokeball symbol.

Thanks to the pokemon anime, we know that Wobbuffet can be made to look very fashionable, so just about any wardrobe will work for our wobbly wisecracker.

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Strategy

As a Defender, one thing stands out with Wobbuffet when you compare it to its other impregnable ilk, and that would be how quickly it reaches its full potential. Yes, it evolves at Level 4 like most other Defenders, but it acquires its full kit by Level 6, and fully upgrades at Level 12, requiring far less EXP than a Defender typically would need.

This is because of Wobbuffet's glaring weakness when it comes to securing EXP through Wild Pokemon. If it respawns after losing a battle, it'll have a miserable time trying to KO Wild Pokemon because of how slow their basic attacks are and how weak their main attacks are. Counter and Mirror Coat both work regardless of what moves Wild Pokemon use, but the rate of damage Wobbuffet can absorb is really low, so it's better to rely on getting EXP through teamfights and helping allies secure objectives by defending them.

To that end, Wobbuffet must master its matchups against the enemy team with either Safeguard or Encore. Choosing between Counter and Mirror Coat is a matter of understanding the attack spectrum of the opposing team, so I won't insult your intelligence when I say you should run Counter when the opposing team is running physical attackers. Instead, you should weigh the pros and cons of running either Safeguard or Encore over the other, as both moves have their advantages and disadvantages.

Because Safeguard creates a safe space for you and your allies, it's a great countermeasure against persistent enemies, physical or ranged. It's best used in tandem with ranged attackers of your own and you want to preserve your Goal Zones, but it's also pretty handy for your Melee attackers when they're right in the middle of a team fight with an objective, like Regieleki. It's not as useful in the offensive push, but it can cover a retreat thanks to the barrier blocking hindrances from affecting you and your team's escape.

As good as you are at taking hits, your job as a Defender is to guard allies who may not be as resilient as you, so Encore is an effective detriment to burst damage from the opposing team. It singles out an enemy and locks them into only using their basic attack, so already it stops savage move combos like Gengar's Sludge Bomb and Hex. However, it also reduces the damage they deal to all other pokemon except against you, which is handy to protect the team and also great for generating basic attack counters. It may not be as useful during a team fight, but if you can hit an enemy who will cause the most problems with their moves, you'll bring a lot of value to your team's offensive momentum, especially if you tag them with Shadow Tag at the same time.

Regarding the merits of teamwork, it's important to you and your team that your basic attack counters are always stocked up really high. You can't actually do anything without any basic attack counters, so you'll be a sitting duck if the enemy team reads into your unarmed disposition. Remember, your teammates can give you basic attack counters by keeping you in range of their hits, so brawls with a melee attacker ally can keep you supplied with hits while fending off the enemy team.

There's also the Shadow Tag ability you need to utilize. Normally, Defenders can get taken by surprise when ambushed by enemies in hiding, but Shadow Tag can snag enemies hiding in Tall Grass, so that can dissuade an assault if you're approaching their position unknowingly. After tagging them, Shadow Tag cannot affect an enemy again for 30 seconds, but this timer can be reduced by your basic attack, of which you can throw 12 hits with your basic attack while the enemy is trapped. You can handle Melee attackers easy, but against ranged attackers, all you need to do is put yourself within melee range to hold them down and pummel them, with or without the assistance of an ally.

One last thing. Because of Wobbuffet's sheer power in its counterattacking abilities, opposing pokemon will not hesitate to use their Unite Moves against you to deal big damage and weaken you before the big team fight happens. Your Unite Move, That's The Way It Is, has a very low charge time, so it gives you ample opportunities to counter these wayward Unite Moves heading your way. However, don't go wasting the Unite Move wantonly, as it'll only deal damage if you actually intercept opposing Unite Moves. If the enemy sees you powered up with That's The Way It Is, they can easily keep their finger off the Unite Move button until yours runs out.

With all of this in mind, does Wobbuffet actually have a shot in Pokemon Unite? I don't see Wynaut.

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And this has been Wobbuffet for Pokemon Unite! I was originally gonna scrap this post because I couldn't come up with a moveset I was happy with, but when I started getting ideas for a pokemon to abuse an attack absorbing counter effect, Wobbuffet came back to my head space. It was quite literally made for this archetype, so I was happy enough to rework the entire post just to get it in line.

Phew, that'll be it from me for now. See ya later!

[theokone]

After action report of Battle ********  (TW : blood , gore , tanks)

The air was filled with the stench of gunpowder, blood , burning corpses, metal , and grass  and stink of rotting corpses getting slightly stronger as time goes by. The ruins of a once luscious green paradise now filled with bodies , barricades , firing positions and wreckages both broken and alight. Two massive armies clashing together with no clear winner as the battlefield remains empty of live soldier or working vehicles. There, however, seemed to be more dead bodies and wreckage of one side than the other. Nevertheless, there was not much signs of occupied  territory from either side. Only just the wreckage and the dead. Their weapons and equipment  lay on the ground, their owners dead, missing or too injured to carry them. The silent deafening the surrounding only broken by the crackling of fires and creaking of metal .

( finally I finished this ! ) 

(hope you guys enjoy ! ) 

[centrally-unplanned]

When you say that Russian forces didn't mobilize much, or didn't mobilize enough, how do you square that with the reports (rumors?) from really early in the war, about all sorts of janky prototype weapons and ancient WWII-era things being dusted off and sent into battle? I've heard various people say the Russian army didn't attack at full strength, and various others say they threw anything and everything in there, but I've no idea which ones to believe.

It very complicated - both are true, though early in the war most of these reports are probably selection bias. Organizations don't work as seamless resource distributors - they have personalities, hierarchies, etc. What we overall observed, particularly early in the war, was *too much* equipment and not enough people to use them. Michael Koffman, one of the best Russia analysts in the world who I recommend wholeheartedly to anyone, has a great write-up in March on Russia's force design. He notes things like how the Russian motorized infantry platoons were supposed to have 7 or more soldiers per vehicle, such that ~3 could dismount while the rest drive, but in practice they averaged ~5, meaning they were pretty much stuck in their APC's. This is having too many vehicles! But while the front line groups have too many, certainly backline reserves had too few - but the frontline groups aren't gonna give up their equipment.

Things like that are happening because Russia still partially depends on conscription to flesh out its army, but has refused to declare a draft because they don't consider the war in Ukraine to be a "war", but a "special military operation". All of these battle groups entered the war at at least ~20% undermanned due to that gap, and it was probably more in practice due to corruption. This is the biggest part of how Russia 'half-assed' the war, and its still true.

Other parts of the story are force commitments, Russia simply held lots of assets in 'reserve' thinking they wouldn't need them and then realized they were wrong. Its you get things like the March-April 2022 escalation of the air war - Russia increased its sortie rate for air strikes by 50% at the end of March by deploying more planes, etc, from other parts of the country as they realized they had failed to achieve air superiority. They obviously could have done this in February, they just chose not to because they had a different, incorrect, picture of what the optimal strategy would be.

But now, today, most of these cards are played, outside of the draft. They have lost more and more tanks, artillery, planes (shot down some, but run down more often), etc over the six months of war than they can hope to replace with new production or assets sitting elsewhere, and reserves are getting into the older, junkier territory. In February they didn't need any 1970's tech, any of that tech being used is just bureaucratic slip-up. Its a different story after 6 months of war. So this is the second part of how Russia "half-assed" the war, but its increasingly less relevant.

A wrinkle by the way is the DLPR, the two breakaway republics of Luhansk & Donetsk that are Russian puppet states in Ukraine. These two regions have been Russia's answer to their mobilization problem, and they have implemented mass conscription and field units to fight alongside the Russians. But they are from dirtpoor regions and aren't part of the Russian army - as such they get the castoffs Russia is willing to donate to them. If you are hearing reports of 19th century rifles or ww2 helmets being used in like March, they are probably true - but they are DLPR forces, not mainline Russian forces. Russia absolutely should have been arming these forces to be up to par, but strategy has not been their forte in this war.