Should there be Stealth Rock Variations?

[thetifftiff]

I really don't like stealth rock because their overuse is touted as strategy when it's simply doing what everyone else is doing and making people abandon otherwise viable pokemon. I think having a variation of stealth rock for pretty much every type would at least mae the whole thing less predictable and boring as well as bringing some very good pokemon back into being used more often competitively because they won't be almost guaranteed to have 50% of their health chopped off from the start.

 

[winstein]

I would only support this on the condition that Grass-types are unaffected or benefits from its existence. They are lucky that Rock was the entry hazard, because they are the ones that are least impacted, considering their resistance to Ground and not a weakness to Rock (Bug and Flying are Rock-weak despite their Ground resistance/immunity). I also see Stealth Rock as a boon to Grass-types, because all Rock-weaks happen to be types Grass-types hate. With that, Ice, Flying, Fire, Poison (not Toxic Spikes) and Bug are out.

So I say sure, just one more hazard, but it should be a Grass-type. It wouldn't be broken since a lot of types resist Grass, and it would also discourage some Weather starters from ruining Sun, which has less advantages over Sand and Rain because of their starters' viability. Ghost-types will also appreciate Tyranitar's huge HP loss as well. However, if that's the case, then Rock and Grass can't be together, although only Ice-types will be hurt badly since there are Pokemon that can be weak to both (like Cloyster).

Thanks for reading.

 

[BlackwaterPark]

I definitely think there should be new variations. Here's some that I would like to see. Note that none of the would be able to be placed on the same side of the battlefield simultaneously:

Psychic: With all the Fighting-types running around in the metagame, this serves as a way to lessen their domination. In addition, nothing except Toxicroak would have a double weakness to it, so it wouldn't be too powerful.

Dragon: I like this one because it would deal neutral damage to everything expect for Steel (which would take half damage) and Dragon (which would take double damage). This would be a good way to check Dragon-types while not doing too much to anything else.

Grass: While a lot of types resist Grass, this one could be very useful. It would cause trouble for both rain and sandstorm teams as well as bulky Water-types.

Fire: This one would mainly be for Scizor, Ferrothorn and Excadrill, but it does double damage to most other Steel-types as well, which resist the types mentioned above as well as Stealth Rock.

 

[Andre27]

I definitely think there should be new variations. Here's some that I would like to see. Note that none of the would be able to be placed on the same side of the battlefield simultaneously:

Psychic: With all the Fighting-types running around in the metagame, this serves as a way to lessen their domination. In addition, nothing except Toxicroak would have a double weakness to it, so it wouldn't be too powerful.

Dragon: I like this one because it would deal neutral damage to everything expect for Steel (which would take half damage) and Dragon (which would take double damage). This would be a good way to check Dragon-types while not doing too much to anything else.

Grass: While a lot of types resist Grass, this one could be very useful. It would cause trouble for both rain and sandstorm teams as well as bulky Water-types.

Fire: This one would mainly be for Scizor, Ferrothorn and Excadrill, but it does double damage to most other Steel-types as well, which resist the types mentioned above as well as Stealth Rock.

The Psychic entry hazards sound like a bad idea. Psychic types are already bordering OP with their incredible movepools.

Dragon entry: No. It simply doesn't feel like a dragon type to go down the path of entry hazards.

Grass entry could be interesting. Grass thorns or an entry hazard which slows down opponents.

Fire entry hazards are long overdue. Something which currently is achieved though the combi of grass and fire oath is needed in a single move.

 

[tachimegun]

Personally, I don't like Stealth Rock in a way that it is not fair: damaging Pokemon with certain types more. I really feel sorry for Pokemon like Charizard and Moltres.
So I think it would be a good idea to introduce some Stealth Rock variations. To prevent these 'stealth rocks' damage Pokemon easily, it would be good if they are not stackable, i.e. only one may exist in the opponent field at a time.

Do not agree? Then I'd love it if Stealth Rock didn't exist at all.

 

[Sanic Hegehog]

Stealth Ice. It would be a decent way to balance out the Dragon type a little considering they are very overpowered in the competitive environment as we speak.

And Gliscor, that bastard...

 

[Shiny Staraptor]

At maximum, spikes and stealth rock already set up 37% damage.

You forgot about Volcarona, but's that's the only exception.
Anyway, I think it would add more diversity. I'm open to more entry hazards.

 

[Cyber Jet]

No as it made some pokemon all ready from being great in battle to being crap as it takes away 25% of the HP to some and even up to 50% of these HP just for switching in and then they also have to deal with Spikes/Toxics spikes too after that if there up.

 

[Dark Tranquillity]

The Psychic entry hazards sound like a bad idea. Psychic types are already bordering OP with their incredible movepools.

Dragon entry: No. It simply doesn't feel like a dragon type to go down the path of entry hazards.

Grass entry could be interesting. Grass thorns or an entry hazard which slows down opponents.

Fire entry hazards are long overdue. Something which currently is achieved though the combi of grass and fire oath is needed in a single move.

A fire entry hazard would be a good adition.

Something along the lines of:
"Embers are scattered around your teams feet!"

 

[SharKing]

I personally disagree with the whole concept. We already have enough entry hazards to worry about, especially the obnoxious Stealth Rock. (Someone on Serebii thought the move was carried out by the Pokemon tossing sharp rocks to the ground, feigning a failed attack. If that was the case, Flying-types and Levitators shouldn't suffer. But it's not.) It's the type factor that makes it obnoxious; Pokes like Charizard and Yanmega lose half of their max HP just for leaving their Poke Balls.

While I disagree with the concept, I do believe some variations are possible assuming Nintendo wants to troll us some more.

In my mind, there might be a Fire-type variant consisting of scattered embers on the ground. Due to the nature of fire, I figure it would cause damage on the switchin and at the end of each turn. I also think it would be as temporary as 5 turns, since fire doesn't burn forever. Moreover, Water-type switchins might douse this move. (With its short life and the sheer prevalence of Bulky Waters, this might be only barely viable, if at all.)

 

[The Outrage]

max 50% (with 4x SR weakness)

I meant neutral damage, at most its 75% with 3 layers of spikes and x4 weakness.

Now exploit another weakness to get another 25%? Yeah, broken.

That's why if there are new ones, they shouldn't be able to stack.

 

[SharKing]

I meant neutral damage, at most its 75% with 3 layers of spikes and x4 weakness.

Volcarona, anyone?

 

[Drakon]

NO. Stealth Rock already causes huge headaches in the metagame adding more SR variations would make even more headaches.

 

[siburke939]

I meant neutral damage, at most its 75% with 3 layers of spikes and x4 weakness.

Now exploit another weakness to get another 25%? Yeah, broken.

That's why if there are new ones, they shouldn't be able to stack.

i forgot about this guy:

Volcarona, anyone?

(damn new pokemon!)

i do think having a rock type switch in to smash SR would work - maybe ground types to soak up spikes (like the toxic spikes scenario)

 

[thetifftiff]

Volcarona, anyone?

Why do you keep focusing on him? There are a large number of things that lose half their health to stealth rock. Anything with the combination of any of the following: ice, fire, bug, and flying.

Yes that includes volcarona. It also includes the obvious fire/flying everyone brings up. It also includes articuno and delibird, the large amount of flying bugs...

I mean am I missing something or do you just keep bringing up volcarona to be repetitive?

 

[SharKing]

Why do you keep focusing on him? There are a large number of things that lose half their health to stealth rock. Anything with the combination of any of the following: ice, fire, bug, and flying.

Yes that includes volcarona. It also includes the obvious fire/flying everyone brings up. It also includes articuno and delibird, the large amount of flying bugs...

I mean am I missing something or do you just keep bringing up volcarona to be repetitive?

You're missing something. Volcarona's a special case because not only does it have that nasty Stealth Rock weakness, but unlike all others with that degree of the weakness, it has no immunity to Spikes. Therefore, unlike Charizard and the like, Volcarona can take 75% damage from entry hazards under normal conditions.

 

[Orion-Sama]

I mean am I missing something or do you just keep bringing up volcarona to be repetitive?

They're bringing Volcarona up because, as of currently, it is the only Pokémon that can be hit by both Stealth Rock and Spikes at max damage, which amounts to 75% of its total HP when it switches in and those hazards are set up (Stealth Rock + 3 Spikes layers). Every other existing combination of those Types right now involves Flying as one of the Types, which means they're unaffected by Spikes.

Oops, beaten to the punch. But yeah... I think another aspect that makes Stealth Rock ridiculous is that you don't need to set up more than one layer to mess shit up. At least Spikes takes some kind of luck, planning and lastability to set up 3 layers and cause max damage. With Stealth Rock it's a cheap "use it once and kill anything coming in". Basically punishment for using anything weak to Rock.

Honestly, I like the concept of the Move in itself, but not the execution or the over-the-top damage input.

 

[thetifftiff]

Ok yes, I can admit I was slow on the uptake on that one. Introduce an ice bug and it will be equally screwed. :c Which makes me sadder considering ice/bug is one of those type combinations I really want to see.

 

[Andre27]

A fire entry hazard would be a good adition.

Something along the lines of:
"Embers are scattered around your teams feet!"

I'd like that. Perhaps a change to Fire Spin turning the battlefield into a blazing inferno.

 

[Flower Girl]

Well, in essence, you could make a stealth rock variation of any type, just with different names. SHOULD they do it...heck no, it'd drive people crazy. Though it dosn't need to be EXACTLY like stealth rock, in the sense that it deals damage, it could be status inflicting or a stat lowering switch-in attack. Like if they made a grass type "stealth rock", it could, per say, sharply lower speed on the pokemon switching in (I'm envisioning long vines/grass that grow around the enemy teams feet when they switch in). Or the electric "stelth rock" could paralyze the pokemon (Like an electromagnetic field). and so on. Also I think there should be an ability for resisting these things, or is that just levitate?

Just ideas I had