SwSh Dynamax: Thoughts, Feelings, or Concerns

[Matthew Clerkin]

Are those really semantics, though? It's kind of the majority of their mechanics. (Only things Esserise left off were the turn limits of Dynamax and the change of appearance) If we ignore the stat and move changes, we're kind of just left with "They're similar because they get bigger and more powerful", which is also the MO of regulation evolution and Mega Evolution.

Fair enough. Got to stop listening to fish brain in the middle of the night

 

[FelipePR]

Are those really semantics, though? It's kind of the majority of their mechanics. (Only things Esserise left off were the turn limits of Dynamax and the change of appearance) If we ignore the stat and move changes, we're kind of just left with "They're similar because they get bigger and more powerful", which is also the MO of regulation evolution and Mega Evolution.

While the mechanics differ considerably, I think at least the concept and/or the perspective is similar. The major difference between these features and the Mega Evolution is, well, that the last one is supposed to be considered an evolution, even if special, and not a totally new mechanic. Dynamax and Totem Pokémon are more boss challenge oriented, no is accident that the last ones are battled at the end of every trial while the first ones are faced in Max raid Battles.

To be honest, I think such an idea may have arisen from the concept of primal reversion.

 

[Kallyle]

While I enjoy Dynamax as a mechanic, there's a few thoughts/criticisms I have towards the mechanic that time hasn't changed my opinion of:

1. I don't like how every status move becomes Max Guard. I know that the offensive Max Moves now come with stat modifications for either you side or the opposition's side, but compared to how the predecessor Z-Moves handled it with Z-Status moves, it kind of feels like a downgrade to make them all a Dynamax version of protect. It leans Max Moves and Dynamax as a whole towards the hyper-offensive side of things.
2. The only non-asethetic difference between regular Dynamax and Gigantamax is that one of the Max Moves becomes a G-Max Move. I can understand not wanting Gigantamax to overshadow regular Dynamax, but only having one move as a difference doesn't really justify a form change in my opinion. This is especially true for me since certain G-Max move substitutions end up making a portion of Gigantamax forms inferior to regular Dynamax. It doesn't help that I also feel the same way about Keldeo's Resolute Form. At the very least, Game Freak should have given Gigantamax forms a redistribution of their base stats. For example, G-Max Charizard could have had its Attack and Sp. Attack stats swapped around, making it a physical attacker in comparison to regular Charizard.

 

[Poke Dragon]

At first, I thought Dynamax was boring because it was just Pokemon going giant, but now I actually kind of like it since it wasn't like Mega Evolution where you absolutely needed a held item if you weren't Rayquaza, plus I like how it's more balanced since it doesn't last the whole battle. And not all Gigantamaxes are bad, like Gigantamax Toxtricity can paralyze or poison the target by using its Giga move.

 

[FelipePR]

At first, I thought Dynamax was boring because it was just Pokemon going giant, but now I actually kind of like it since it wasn't like Mega Evolution where you absolutely needed a held item if you weren't Rayquaza, plus I like how it's more balanced since it doesn't last the whole battle. And not all Gigantamaxes are bad, like Gigantamax Toxtricity can paralyze or poison the target by using its Giga move.

Well, if the mega evolutions don't need hold a item, it would be even more unbalanced. Several Pokémon would be as broken as Mega Rayquaza.

On the other hand, I believe that still there is "mega evolution" in Pokemon Sword/Shield, only restricted to legendary Zacian/Zamacenta. Hero forms is practically a mega evolution. The major difference is that it increases the stats by 50, not 100.

 

[Poke Dragon]

On the other hand, I believe that still there is mega evolution in Pokemon Sword/Shield, only restricted to legendary Zacian/Zamacenta. Hero forms is practically a mega evolution. The only difference is that it increases the stats by 50, not 100.

I see them more like Giratina's Origin form given there is no midbattle transformation going on with them since they are sent out already in those forms. The only difference is that they are not those forms outside of battle.

 

[Boss1708]

I think Dynamax should be only available for a Pokemon not holding an item. Held Item + Dynamax seems a bit like Mega Rayquaza. Lol.

On the other hand, I appreciate that Dynamax only boosts HP instead of boosting all stats (minus HP) like Megas did.

 

[FelipePR]

I see them more like Giratina's Origin form given there is no midbattle transformation going on with them since they are sent out already in those forms. The only difference is that they are not those forms outside of battle.

You are probably right, but I dare say that the Hero forms are more a kind of especial evolution form rather than an altered form. When I say it is like a mega evolution, actually, I was referring to the fact that Zacian/Zamazenta gain stats (and even a new type) in exchange for wasting the held item slot.

 

[Defiant]

I think the form a Pokemon takes when it Gigantamaxes, should be the same form it takes as a Mega. Hypothetically, Dynamax energy, and Infinity energy are both tapping into that form hidden in the Pokemon's DNA just presenting it in different ways.

So a hypothetical Mega Alcremie would appear the same as GMax Alcremie (albeit a regular size) and if you fed Beedril Max Soup, its GMax form would look like a larger Mega Beedrill

 

[BigBadButterfree]

I think the form a Pokemon takes when it Gigantamaxes, should be the same form it takes as a Mega. Hypothetically, Dynamax energy, and Infinity energy are both tapping into that form hidden in the Pokemon's DNA just presenting it in different ways.

So a hypothetical Mega Alcremie would appear the same as GMax Alcremie (albeit a regular size) and if you fed Beedril Max Soup, its GMax form would look like a larger Mega Beedrill

While I like that idea, how would that account for those like Gengar or the Kanto starters? Gigantamax forms all try to accentuate some design element as "giant" in a way that megas don't really.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

How that we know that Eternatus isn’t the only source of Dynamax energy, since Calyrex uses its own blue energy to Dynamax, it seems even more odd that the legendary Wolves can’t Dynamax. I wonder what’s the reason they can’t?

 

[BlueWaves]

How that we know that Eternatus isn’t the only source of Dynamax energy, since Calyrex uses its own blue energy to Dynamax, it seems even more odd that the legendary Wolves can’t Dynamax. I wonder what’s the reason they can’t?

Maybe its because the Wolves are supposed to be the "Heroes" who fight against Dynamax Pokemon? Based off the lore that was given, it seems that Dynamax Pokemon were originally dangerous threats to Galar. Makes me wonder if Calyrex was the King that fought alongside the Wolves.

 

[RK9]

How that we know that Eternatus isn’t the only source of Dynamax energy, since Calyrex uses its own blue energy to Dynamax, it seems even more odd that the legendary Wolves can’t Dynamax. I wonder what’s the reason they can’t?

Find out in Pokemon Sword and Shield II where we have Calyrex riding Zacian and Zamazenta crowned that can G-max!

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Maybe its because the Wolves are supposed to be the "Heroes" who fight against Dynamax Pokemon? Based off the lore that was given, it seems that Dynamax Pokemon were originally dangerous threats to Galar. Makes me wonder if Calyrex was the King that fought alongside the Wolves.

Even Calyrex uses Dynamax, with its own energy. And that by definition cannot be a "dangerous threat" since it was fighting Eternatus. We can argue that the red Dynamax Eternatus uses can be a threat (it makes Pokemon go on a rampage), but Calyrex's brand of Dynamax is its own.

So I was wondering why are the wolves totally unaffected by any brand of Dynamax at all (either Calyrex or Eternatus).

 

[Esserise]

How that we know that Eternatus isn’t the only source of Dynamax energy, since Calyrex uses its own blue energy to Dynamax, it seems even more odd that the legendary Wolves can’t Dynamax. I wonder what’s the reason they can’t?

Spoiler

Well, we don't know for sure that that's what Calyrex's blue aura is meant to imply. There are also hints scattered around that could be interpreted as suggesting it had an encounter with Eternatus in the past. How do we know it's not something like, Calyrex absorbed some of Eternatus's ability and made it its own, as opposed to just being able to Dynamax in a way that's totally independent from anything related to Eternatus? I mean, if the latter were the case, then why don't any other Legendary Pokémon get their own aura colors, even though many of them are even stronger than Calyrex? Why can't they "use their own power" to Dynamax?

Maybe its because the Wolves are supposed to be the "Heroes" who fight against Dynamax Pokemon? Based off the lore that was given, it seems that Dynamax Pokemon were originally dangerous threats to Galar. Makes me wonder if Calyrex was the King that fought alongside the Wolves.

Calyrex fighting alongside the wolves doesn't really make sense. The original (distorted) version of the story is that there was a single hero who fought off the Darkest Day using a sword and shield, but we learn over the course of the game that that version was wrong, and that there were actually two heroes, as depicted by the secret statues in Stow-on-Side and the tapestries in Hammerlocke.

While I think it is debatable as to whether those two heroes were separate humans who stood alongside the wolves or were metaphors for the wolves themselves, I don't think Calyrex meshes in either way, because then you've either got one human representing Calyrex and one human representing another unidentified entity, or you've got the humans in the story as metaphors for the wolves, and you're right back to there not really being any hint of a third presence during the Darkest Day.

 

[RK9]

While I think it is debatable as to whether those two heroes were separate humans who stood alongside the wolves or were metaphors for the wolves themselves, I don't think Calyrex meshes in either way, because then you've either got one human representing Calyrex and one human representing another unidentified entity, or you've got the humans in the story as metaphors for the wolves, and you're right back to there not really being any hint of a third presence during the Darkest Day.

What if the heroes... turned into the wolves...

 

[Emmy]

What if the heroes... turned into the wolves...

*Shudders in flashbacks to Kadabra's Dex profile*

 

[RC821]

I wish they nerf Dynamaxing.

 

[Fan of Jarrus]

I wish they nerf Dynamaxing.

How?

 

[RC821]

How?

From what I seen from people that disliked Dynamaxing, Dynamaxing is too overpowered.