WIP CAP Minor Updates

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Birkal

Birkal

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CAP Minor Updates
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Equilibra Concept Art by StephXPM ​

Hello and welcome to the CAP Minor Updates thread! We'll be using this space to make the following sorts up updates:
  • Moves added through GameFreak DLC, updates, and events
  • CAP Projects that were nerfed and/or edited by the CAP Metagame Council
  • Inconsistencies discovered in movepools' level up structure, egg moves, and tutors
To emphasize, this is not a place to suggest additions to CAP Pokemon. It is mostly for corrections that need to be made to CAPs for the reasons listed above. This is not a place to suggest that Mollux should get Mystical Fire, or that we buff Voodoom. Any posts making these sorts of suggestions will be moderated. If you have a request of this kind, you should get approval to post a thread in the CAP Policy Review subforum.

This thread will be to discuss CAP minor updates. If it is a simple adjustment, such as a change in level-up structure for consistency, then we will make the change outright in this thread. If it's due to something else (such as Equilibra losing Bulletproof), we will utilize this thread to discuss it. Once discussion has wrapped up, a moderator will end the discussion and create a poll in CAP Voting so that the community can finalize the change.

Thanks, and happy posting!
 
As a result of this thread, Equilibra has been nerfed to no longer have Bulletproof. This sets some new precedence for CAP, so I'm opening the floor to discuss how we should proceed as a community. We have several options, as far as I see. We can give both Equilibra and Justyke (its pre-evolution) No Secondary Ability to match the ban. We could edit the secondary ability with a non-competitive option. We could even edit the secondary ability solely for Equilibra, leaving Bulletproof on Justyke. There's a lot of options that we could potentially poll here, so I'd like to see them all discussed.

As a final note, I'll be cross-referencing the discussion in Equilibra's Flavor Ability Discussion to ensure that we're not putting anything competitive on Equilibra. Our goal is to make this transition in a sensible fashion that doesn't impact its competitive usage in any way. If you have questions about this process, do send me a message. Otherwise, let us know which options you'd like to see on an CAP26 (Equilibra) Ability Adjustment Poll!
 
I am adamantly of the opinion that Bulletproof must be replaced with a non-competitive ability. Working under the idea that from an optics standpoint that CAP nerfs after their original generation are like nerfs in between generations, similar to how Gengar lost Levitate for Cursed Body going from Kalos to Alola, I feel it just would be rather poor optics to just make Equilibra lose an ability with no replacement. A Pokémon has never in the history of Pokémon gone from having three abilities to having two abilities or two abilities to one ability, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. As such, I feel that it would be best to give Equilibra a flavor ability.

As for abilities I’d like to see replace Bulletproof, I think Keen Eye, Steadfast and Inner Focus are all very fun options to consider. Steadfast is perhaps my favorite of the bunch, fitting in with Equilibra being very steadfast about its morals, and fits well next to Justified, its hidden ability. If we want to go a different route, Light Metal would also do just fine. As for Justyke, personally, I think it should lose Bulletproof too, if only because I am certain that it only has it because Equilibra had it, and to me a gavel being bulletproof doesn’t make too much sense to me. If people want to keep it around, that’s fine though. I do think it’s bad flavor to go from three abilities to two abilities through evolving, though, so let’s not do that either.
 
I think we should take a bunch of the options from the flavor ability thread and poll them as well as additions suggested in this thread. Stuff like Unnerve, Pressure, Keen Eye, Telepathy, Light Metal, Inner Focus, etc. I honestly think Justyke shouldn't have bulletproof as it barely fits it in flavor, imo, so we should probably give it the same ability as libra or maybe even a different one since stuff like unnerve don't seem to fit Justyke as well as its evolution.
 
In addition to those in the Flavor Ability Discussion channel, there are 2 new flavor abilities with the potential to be relevant here from Gen 8. Power Spot (although with a different connotation between Stonehenge and the Courtroom) and Stalwart ("Marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit").

There is one more change we've had that might be relevant: The banning of Arena Trap. On one hand, it is currently banned which makes it functionally little more than a flavour ability (and a rather fitting one imo). On the other hand, it is still a powerful ability that is technically on our ability ban list. I don't think it will be unbanned anytime soon, but on the offchance it does get unbanned in, say, gen 9, we would need to revisit this exact discussion.

As for Justyke, I think whether or not we change Bulletproof will depend on what we decide on for Equilibra. There is another Pokemon who loses Bulletproof: Applin. It is not unreasonable for Justyke to keep Bulletproof if we pick an ability like Stalwart, or for it to lose the ability for something like Light Metal or Keen Eye.
 
I agree with replacing bulletproof with a non-competitive ability for both Libra and Justyke. Neither of them looked very bulletproof from the start and I don’t think neither should be left with just levitate.
For equilibra the options of Power Spot, Inner focus, Steadfast, and Telepathy. Pressure is up there as well but I’m not sure if it is way too useful for an otherwise flavour ability. I don’t really see Arena trap working with this design and it would be a pain of having to change equilibra again if the opinion of arena trap changes in further generations.
For Justyke I see the options of Inner focus, Steadfast, and Telepathy working with it like its evo, but additional options of Rock Head (because it hammers the wood thing) and Soundproof (reference to how the hammer is used silence people in the courtroom)

Right now my favourite options are Power Spot for libra and Soundproof for its Evo. I am pretty sure that any option that isn’t something ridiculous like steely spirit should work too.
 
Of the ones from the original poll, I support Pressure, Telekinesis and Keen Eye. I think they fit the most with both designs and their general flavour. I dont think a change between stages is necessary.
 
As Reviloja said, we have precedence in-game where a Pokemon has an ability replaced with another in the form of Levitate -> Cursed Body Gengar. Replacing Levitate did not affect Gengar's pre-evolutions. Likewise, we could replace Bulletproof on Equilibra with something else while keeping it the same on Justyke.

I think Jewvia's suggestion of Stalwart is an excellent one, since it suggests durability not only physically but also in personality, which fits a Pokemon seeking justice. It also doesn't feel like a thematic downgrade from Bulletproof like some of the other abilities mentioned here.

Additionally, I think that thematically, Bulletproof -> Heavy Metal or Bulletproof -> Light Metal fits, as
both abilities have to deal with how sturdy the Pokemon is. They might be a bit generic, though.

Other abilities I like to replace Bulletproof on Equilibra are Pressure or Telepathy (correlated with legendaries), Inner Focus or Steadfast (more "unflinching" abilities), or Anticipation (being able to judge the opponent).
 
I also would like to second Stalwart, an ability I had forgotten existed when I made my post. It is a very fun flavor ability for sure, and it absolutely is my favorite.

As I did in the original flavor ability thread, I would like to advocate against Pressure. It isn’t like it’s going to overtake Levitate or anything, but I do have concerns that Pressure could be hypothetically used in a stall set of sorts as a budget Corviknight or something. Equilibra is an extremely bulky Pokémon and I think giving something so bulky access to Pressure will see Pressure be run at least every now and again. I just feel it’s too much of a gamble to consider it for Equilibra. Arena Trap is perhaps an even worse idea, as it creates a headache at the start of each generation where until Arena Trap is banned once more a Pokémon that is extremely bulky gets access to Arena Trap. I don’t even see the flavor for Arena Trap, as it is entirely possible for people (albeit very illegal) to not show up at court, so it doesn’t make much sense to begin with. I also doubt the flavor of Soundproof on Justyke, because it just doesn’t seem like an ability it would get, and to me feels like a way to just give a “proof” ability because it sounds closest to Bulletproof.
 
Stalwart sounds cool for Equilibra. Sucks that it lost Bulletproof but oh well.

Also we should consider doing the possible other mini updates as well for it after the ability one, such as adjusting level-up learnset to fit with Game Freak's style as well as Isle of Armour tutor moves (so literally Steel Roller for this thing)
 
I'm fully on board with Equilibra having Stalwart as its second flavor ability to replace Bulletproof. It feels fitting for its interest in justice and/or revenge considering it bypasses move-redirecting Abilities, at least in Doubles.
 
I'm increasingly on board with Stalwart actually. I think gaining a Gen 8 ability certainly makes the nerf feel more realistic and it definitely fits the flavour.
 
Stalwart works for Equilibra on a thematic basis and it makes the nerf feel more realistic. preaching to the choir of course.
 
Is CAP Doubles a concern at all? Stalwart and Power Spot do nothing in single but, especially the latter, can create unforseen niches in doubles.
 
Talpr0ne said:
Is CAP Doubles a concern at all? Stalwart and Power Spot do nothing in single but, especially the latter, can create unforseen niches in doubles.
Click to expand...
CAP Singles is our main focus and CAP Doubles really isn't a meta practiced outside of occasional tournaments and sometimes CAPPL. It's effect on Doubles would not affect our decision here to my knowledge.

With that said, I also support Stalwart, I think its a good fit for Equilibra. If we are worried about it because its an exclusive to one mon rn (although that has never really stopped us before) I would say my second choices would be Unnerve and Keen Eye in that order.
 
(In agreement by Birkal, DHR, and Quanyails:)

It looks like there is strong support to leave Justyke with Bulletproof and to replace Bulletproof on Equilibra with Stalwart, so this will be the change we'll be making. Thank you for your input, everyone!

Edit: the latter is true, but the former needs more discussion. Stay tuned for what we do with Justyke!
 
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(As agreed by Birkal + DHR + Quanyails:)

As a follow-up to the above, we will be polling whether Justyke should will keep Bulletproof or gain Stalwart.
 
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