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Pokémon moves are completely unbalanced! (Accuracy, Status Moves and newer Gens)

  • 13
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    1
    Years
    • Seen Mar 20, 2025
    I have three major issues with the moves in Pokémon:
    1. Accuracy: Obviously, there must be weak and stronger moves as you progress through the game, but Accuracy isn't used cleverly to balance against Power. More than 70% of all attacking moves have 100% accuracy anyway, which makes weaker moves with accuracy less than 100 completely stand out, e.g. Slam, Mega Punch, Bounce. On the other hand, there are extremely powerful moves with no draw backs like Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam or Surf. If these moves had 95% accuracy instead, you could see why the Elemental Punches, Crunch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Strength or any other base 70-80 power moves are weaker.
    2. Status Moves: I never understood why most status moves don't check for type immunities, but a few like Thunder Wave do so - this is so inconsistent. Either all Status Moves don't check for type immunities or all do (except those that are specified for that type like Grass types now being immune to all powder moves regardless of the type), but the current exceptions are weird.
    3. Newer Gens: I think starting in Gen 7 we have seen the addition of some completely busted moves that are extremely powerful and have no drawback whatsoever, like Power at or above 100 with 100% Accuracy or damaging moves with a 50% or more (some even up to 100%) chance to trigger a positive effect for the user like increasing a stat or lowering an opponent's stat.
     
    For 1 (and 3): Might be the reason they are coming out with ridiculous new moves. Valued Surf, Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, and Flamethrower since the dawn of Pokemon time. Rarely buffs or nerfs anything, likely for consistency between games. Imagines 95% accuracy on them not being too popular, and sub 100% accuracy in general. Tempts you with 80 power moves with an extra effect instead, or picking a Pokemon with a stronger, non-Thunderbolt move.

    On 2: Fair. Tied most of the status immunities to the type, rather than moves versus the type. Cannot burn Fire types, paralyze Electric types, freeze Ice types, or poison Steel types. Still runs into things like Thunder Wave not working against Ground types, but Hypnosis working against Dark types. Would not mind more consistency on that.

    On 3: Agrees and disagrees. Depends on the Pokemon they appear on. Aura Wheel on Morpeko (110 power, 100% accuracy)? Balanced it around Morpeko. Needed something to stand out in exchange for its low stats. Collision Course on Koraidon? Silly. Confined a lot of really good moves to legendaries, but not all (see: Make it Rain).

    Cannot recall any with more normal power + stat changes being too crazy (outside of legendaries). Are Aqua Step, Torch Song, and Lumina Crash good? Absolutely. Never made a big splash in competitive...probably? Likely used Espathra more for Speed Boost + Stored Power than Lumina Crash. Knows about Order Up being on Dondozo quite often. Removed Power-Up Punch after three generations, for what it is worth.

    Still proves insufficient sometimes. Points to Triple Arrows on Hisuian Decidueye. Looks incredibly overpowered (90 power, 100% accuracy, increased critical hit chance, 50% chance of -1 Defense, and 30% flinch chance). Was not enough to push Hisuian Decidueye into higher competitive tiers.
     
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