Can thief + fling be a good counter to all the crazy items?

wDro

Some pokemon like gliscor can learn both thief and fling. It looks good on paper, but I wonder how well this combo works in real battles. Basically the strategy is to steal your opponent's items like choice specs/band/scarf, next time when you switch the same pokemon in, you can use fling and then steal another item. In fact, thief alone can mess up a lot of pokemon. What do you guys think?
 
I always wondered about using something like this but it is way too situational. Trick/Switcheroo + Fling is also pretty neat but novelty.
 
I like the idea of doing stuff like Tricking Choice Specs onto stuff that can't use it, or Tricking Flame Orbs and stuff as well. Fling can add to that, I'm sure, but it does seem a bit novely. For those pokes that rely on thier items though, it can be amazing.
 
sounds like a fun thing to try out.
What's the % that Thief would steal the item when you use the move?
Is it 100% if they have an item or is it liek 80% or something like that.
 
it's a sure thing iirc. Pokemon like gliscor have better options than fling damage wise, but thief/trick/switcheroo seem pretty useful by themselves.
 
Have to experiment and see how much damage the choice scarf items do, there's a short list on here, but its incomplete.
 
Lopunny has switcheroo/fling, and i did recommand a set with those 2 for her. There should be other candidates
 
Similar to this, there is a Snorlax (IIRC) In the battle tower that flings an Iron Ball, recycles, and flings it again.

I just pictured this. Imagine a A Fat Snorlax Throwing an Iron Ball at you, caughing up another one, and launching it too.
 
To be honest, a thing I'm interested in seeing is Fling + Choice Item. Have a hard sweeper early on in the battle and then later on, Fling the Item and have the versatility. Either way, most Fling combos seem a bit novelty to me but it could be interesting.
 
something I've been thinking about:

Hypno*Choice Scarf
Hypnosis
Switcheroo
Psycho Cut/Brick Break/Seismic Toss
Focus Punch/Assist/Trick Room/Fling

Fast Sleeper and then switch out. Brick Break + CScarf gives you the possible chance of KOing Weavile and denting Tyranitar (though you should just sleep Tyranitar and then switch to your counter. Focus Punch is useful for they switch after a switcheroo (no pun intended) or if they are stuck repeating something like Aromatherapy or Swords Dance or any buff. Trick Room makes the speed boost from their CScarf a hinderance and is useful for Hypno since even with a +Spd nature he's still very slow. Assist if you like random novelty and know that your options are good (Assisting Earthquake, Stealth Rocks, Aromatherapy, maybe Explosion and other moves are useful but also very random).

edit: With Max EV's and +Spd Nature, CScarf Hypno reaches 384 speed, outspeeding Max EV Jolly Weavile by one point (assuming 31 IV's for both).
 
i think i'm just gonna play around with a Fling, Theif, Earthquake, Aerial Ace @ Iron Ball moveset on my glisor.

whetever its a novelty or not, its bound to give a fun battle or two.

it would have been neat if you throw like say Damp Rock or something and it caused Rain.
 
Tricky said:
flinging an iron ball from a dark type pokemon could be a nice opener.
180 power w/ stab..
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Since so many openers are fast and hard hitting, for this to work you'd need a wallish dark pokémon. Umbreon and spiritomb come to mind but neither can learn fling.... Drapion works if they're physical though.

clembo2021 said:
CORRECTION: Fling + Iron Ball + Dark pokemon + Choice Band = win. 150 base damage + 1.5x for STAB + 1.5x for CB. lolwut.
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Of course, your pokémon holds a choice band in one hand and an iron ball in the other?


What about a fast dark pokémon flinging a dark plate? 90 (base) * 1.2 (plate) * 1.5 (STAB) = 162 power.

I don't see any power rating for choice band at http://www.smogon.com/forums/showpost.php?p=379940&postcount=1016 - that's a better possibility if it's >72 power
 
I don't know about Fling + Thief, but in 2v2 Fling + Fake Out @ King's Rock seems pretty interesting as you're basically getting two turns of free flinch AND Flinging the King's Rock can flinch ghosts as well.
 
Drack said:
I don't see any power rating for choice band at http://www.smogon.com/forums/showpost.php?p=379940&postcount=1016 - that's a better possibility if it's >72 power
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I've tested a lot of items that aren't on that list for an added effect when flung. Not only did none of them have one, but I found out that all items I tested that aren't on that list have about the same power, and it's not high. Choice Band was definitely one of my tested items and it doesn't do much damage.
 
I had to check the thread thrice, but couldn't find a single post mentioning that Gliscor learns Knock Off that basically does the same thing as Thief + Fling, only better and using just one move slot. Sure, you'd lose some gimmick move like the 150BP Iron Orb Fling... that's usable only once.

Trick/Switcheroo(/Thief) + Fling has some advantages, but at least on Gliscor, far more disadvantages to use over Knock Off IMO.
 
This combination is just way too slow in D/P; in fact, it would have been way too slow for GSC, had the moves existed then. You're doing like an average of 70 base power worth of damage (I'm being generous here) every 2 turns...
 
My thought is either to A) Use Lopunny with Klutz and switcheroo the item on to you, effectively stopping choice banders. But since all they lost was 25% damage, they'll still be hitting you hard. So I'd just go B) Have your choice bander have trick so that you can have a choice of choice banding, or just hitting hard.
 
Knock off is good but not a lot of pokemon can learn it =\
Great Sage said:
This combination is just way too slow in D/P; in fact, it would have been way too slow for GSC, had the moves existed then. You're doing like an average of 70 base power worth of damage (I'm being generous here) every 2 turns...
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You are kinda right. But the main purpose of thief is more like a support move where it has the potential to permanently remove a major threat your opponent has on your team.
 
2 moveslots wasted doing something not needed, why steal an item then Fling it away wasting 2 turns when you could be doing something else, like Swords Dancing or other stat upper. If you have major problems with certain items either work around it or make a new team completely. Thief+Fling isn't even a 100% counter as many Pokemon can now use many different items. Sure its crazy but its too slow and not even a counter, takes away time from something else you should be doing.
 
Well, that and your going to see more things holding the orbs, which I wouldn't really want to trick, although having them and flinging them first turn is nice.

I would like to use this kind of move combo, for pure novelty, and thats probably all it will ever be used for sadly.
 
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