Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Pokemon Tabletop. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Type shifting into bug; Bug sucks for shifting, I wanna improve it
Topic Started: Apr 13 2015, 02:23 AM (1,378 Views)
theholymoo
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
One of my players is a bug elementalist that has type sync and he wants to shift some of his pokemon obviously but excluding a few pokemon its super detrimental to most pokemon, so im trying to think of ways to reward the shift...but cant, other than giving his pokemon all tinted lens, which probably isn't the best leap. so I'm looking for advice to help my player out and make this ability useful

Please note were still using 1.4

thanks in advance.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Jacquerel
Member Avatar
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
With the boost given to it by Bug Ace, Threaded is always useful to have and easy to justify on most bug-shifted pokemon, ditto wallclimber.
Compound Eyes, Shield Dust, Effect Spore, Flutter, and Dust Cloud are all useful or interesting abilities common to several bug types which you could consider using.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The Magician's Adviser
Member Avatar
Farfetch'd Ace
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Also, bug-eevee is its own reward
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
theholymoo
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
I suppose Bug Ace does make it better, still i feel like that's a general answer to all type shifts, I mean, if you can type shift pokemon to steel, which is the best type to have, you probably would make it better by also being a steel ace. So I suppose what I'm saying is it still seems like the weaker path to take, I want to reward my players for thinking out of the box and not picking the most OP combinations.
Edited by theholymoo, Apr 13 2015, 05:16 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
joviality
Member Avatar
Pokélectrician
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Perhaps consider giving the Pokemon a resistance or two based on its habitat?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
EdroGrimshell
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
I actually did this once, I played a swarmlord and got type sync. In my case I made three of my pokemon into bug types. They all had a few things in common (threaded, wallclimber, boosted perception and stealth), but each had unique advantages on top of that.

One was actually a axew, turned into a bug type it got access to a lot of interesting bug moves to make it more annoying to fight, but, it also got the ability to fly since I based its new appearance on a dragonfly. The effect actually had it so it was more of a mimicking insect, giving it additional stealth, some guile, and a few moves based on hiding; feint attack, camouflage, etc.

The next one was a female mightyena type shifted into a bug type. Now, this one was tricky since I didn't want to go wasp or hornet and instead decided on a cockroach, deciding to go with something more sturdy. The GM responded by giving it DR, the Medicinal Nanobots augment benefits (not the actual thing), and access to Attack, Defend, and Heal Order as Tutor moves. I personally only picked up Defend and Heal Order.

The last one was actually already a bug, but I did something interesting with it. You see, I had a karrablast, but no shelmet and we weren't anywhere near a habitat where shelmet could show up. So, I asked my GM if I could evolve my karablast as a pure bug type using Type Sync. He thought it was interesting enough and I turned it into a new pokemon, essentially. Really all I did was type shift Escavalier to a pure bug type and switched some of its defenses into speed and HP (-3 to each defense, +5 speed, +1 HP). It was based on an Ox Beetle, making it very similar to heracross in appearance (a Hercules beetle), leading to a whole subplot where researchers were looking into the pokemon as if it was related to heracross in prehistory. Ended up getting a nice fossil pokemon out of it too.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Onidrill
Member Avatar
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Bugs are highly adaptable, so give them the gift of one of the best abilities in Adaptibility.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
theholymoo
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
These are all fair suggestions and I'll consider many of them, thanks to everyone who made a suggestion.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
theweirdest1
Member Avatar
Pokémon Trainer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Aside from what has been said already, shifting things to bug can make them look really *bleep*ing terrifying, so giving it a rank or two of Intimidate skill could work as well. I would not want to see a Machamp shifted to Bug/Fighting in person.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Elemental Knight
Member Avatar
Knight of the Spread Sheet
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
From the research I did for my Type-Shifting Movelist Helper, there're a few options for Bug shifting, beyond just changing out their move list's entries.

TLDR: Bug-type shifting is a great option, but it lends itself towards Pokemon builds that reward clever usage of Capabilities, terrain, and the battle's situation. It may not add direct face-smashing power, but Bug-types get lots of tools that let them get just the right angle or squeeze into valuable vantage points. The cleverer the player, the more powerful the common Bug-type tools.
  • THREADED. Holy Miltank, this might be the best Capability ever. Seriously, if a player can't see ways to use this for fun and profit, you may need to check their pulse.
  • Burrow capability. Believe it or not, a fair few Bugs have this! Moving underground means moving in three dimensions, which is powerful in a clever player's hands.
  • Wallclimber capability. Again, lots of Bugs have this, and it's useful for the clever player, though obviously requires, y'know, walls - so it's less useful in open fields or some Gym matches.
  • Naturewalk (Forest). Never you mind that underbrush! As a Bug-type, just trundle on through.
Also, there're lots of other useful abilities besides CompoundEyes, though that's definitely a favorite. Silk Threads is good - a free Move slot is nice, and it buffs String Shot even further (it'll let you Slow opponents, which is great for crowd control, keeping people in hazards and away from the squishies, and having String Shot gets you Threaded, which again, is amazing). Battle Armor is nice for dependability, and Shed Skin or Shield Dust can save you from debilitating status effects - both great for those tankier 'mon - as is Parry and Tolerance, which isn't as uncommon on Bugs as you might expect.

As for Moves, there're Pokemon who would kill to get Quiver Dance. Fell Stinger is great in Tabletop, because you can use it to get a nice domino effect going - your ATK going up and up as more and more baddies fall. U-Turn is amazing in the hands of a Juggler, who can make it function like a Baton Pass as well (and again, Quiver Dance OMGWTFBBQ). Rage Powder is great for tanky 'mon, because it lets them literally draw aggro. And the ol' standbys of Silver Wind, Megahorn, Pin Missile, or Signal Beam are great face-smashing options against tricky Types like Psychic and Dark.

Finally, don't neglect the non-Bug Type moves that Bug-Types often get. Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Confusion, Gust... This is a solid, if simple, Move List for any Pokemon, and is a big reason why Butterfree et al are valuable team members.
Edited by Elemental Knight, Apr 16 2015, 09:04 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Pokemon: Tabletop United · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Pokéball created by Sarah & Delirium of the ZNR