What if Game Freak increased the BST of some old mons...

[Ninja Dewott]

So, all this talk about 'power creep' that I've been hearing again over the past few weeks got me thinking. When Gen VI comes, there's a guarantee there'll be some fantastic new pokemon that will reduce an exisiting pokemon's viability. Or maybe the power of these new mons would put some walls out of use, a bit like Snorlax this Gen.

Ironically, I was thinking about this ages ago, in the weeks running up to Gen V, and thinking it'd be cool if some old pokemon got stat increases or something else to make them better (I even thought of Ninetales as a specific example) and I suppose, in a way, they did, thanks to Dream World.

But what I'm on about here is not DW abilities, but rather actual BST increases. Take Sandslash for example. It was awful in Gen IV and, although it got a good DW ability, it's still unlikely to be much use when it's released. But suppose it got it's Speed increased to 80 and it's attack to 120. A lot would change.

So my question to you dear peasants people, is how any BST changes would affect the metagame. I'm not asking if it would happen (I think it rather unlikely myself) but rather what would happen.

Just some food for thought. Discuss.

[Dragonicwari]

The meta game would change, a lot. Though they kinda did this with poke on they gave an evolution with the same bst, an example would be scythed to scizor. A new type and changed stats makes all the difference.

[Zachmac]

Absol needs 110 special attack and speed.

Sword Dance/Night Slash/Fire Blast/Super Power could probably smash. Actually, the one I listed seems kind of balanced.

Erm, I think sandslash with better stats would get sandrush banned, and Excadrill down to UU or something, maybe viable as an OU scarfer in the sand? Or maybe stoutland would have to get better as well for that to happen.

[redcharzard]

Flareon could become somewhat usable (increase s.atk to allow the full use of special attacks and maybe a speed boost), golem could get a small s.def boost to help it out, Qwirlfish could get higher s.atk or atk and a small speed boost, Sceptile could get higher physical attack (same with Typholosion), and a lot of other pokemon would be improved or weakened.

[Skydra]

I would definitely support this idea, although I doubt that it will actually come about. Taking some old favorites up a notch would be fun.

But what I'm on about here is not DW abilities, but rather actual BST increases. Take Sandslash for example. It was awful in Gen IV and, although it got a good DW ability, it's still unlikely to be much use when it's released. But suppose it got it's Speed increased to 80 and it's attack to 120. A lot would change.

Actually, 80 speed would make it less viable, at least in higher tiers, because its too fast for Trick Room, but too slow to outspeed much of anything without Trick Room. But a relevant boost in some stats would help it, along with many other older Pokemon.

[zerofield]

Absol needs 110 special attack and speed.

Sword Dance/Night Slash/Fire Blast/Super Power could probably smash. Actually, the one I listed seems kind of balanced.

Erm, I think sandslash with better stats would get sandrush banned, and Excadrill down to UU or something, maybe viable as an OU scarfer in the sand? Or maybe stoutland would have to get better as well for that to happen.

lolol@excadrill ever going UU... even with sandstream+sandrush on the same team banned it would be an amazing spinner for sun and a great check to many sand teams out there. honestly why i think it was banned instead of sand rush being banned was because that would have hurt sand so much more than just banning drill.

[Asbestospoison]

If Chancey had better Def...
And I Kind of feel sorry for Exxegutor, maybe if it's special Defense rose some, along with better speed (mainly speed, 55 is pretty awful, not even that great in Chlorophyll), it could at least try to match up to how good it was in RBY.

[britishlanguage]

I would definitely support this idea, although I doubt that it will actually come about. Taking some old favorites up a notch would be fun.


Actually, 80 speed would make it less viable, at least in higher tiers, because its too fast for Trick Room, but too slow to outspeed much of anything without Trick Room. But a relevant boost in some stats would help it, along with many other older Pokemon.

um... SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNN NDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD RRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH
That is all.

[Zachmac]

lolol@excadrill ever going UU... even with sandstream+sandrush on the same team banned it would be an amazing spinner for sun and a great check to many sand teams out there. honestly why i think it was banned instead of sand rush being banned was because that would have hurt sand so much more than just banning drill.

Not bulky enough to tank, without sandrush, not fast enough to sweep. It also doesn't have too much over Landurus, so no, not really.

The reason the combo wasn't banned was because Stoutland wasn't broken, and Sandslash likely wasn't going to be.

If Chancey had better Def...

Wait, are you saying chansy isn't already good?

Actually, 80 speed would make it less viable, at least in higher tiers, because its too fast for Trick Room, but too slow to outspeed much of anything without Trick Room. But a relevant boost in some stats would help it, along with many other older Pokemon.

Check out it's DW ability.

[Skydra]

Ah, I was unaware of Sand Rush (probably because it didn't have much usefulness on Sandslash anyway).

[Asbestospoison]

.Wait, are you saying chansy isn't already good?

**** no. I'm saying even if it had like 30 extra points in defense, it would be a near unstoppable pink blob of rage-quit inducing fear, walling . You'd have to be insane to think Chancey sucks. And not the good kind of insane.

[FrostyFlame]

If Chancey had better Def...

If Chansey had better defense we'd probably have to ban that mofo from ubers considering eviolite makes it very hard to kill as it is.

[Blue Harvest]

.. Eviolite Chansey has 90% the physical durability of SKARMORY. No thank you, we do not need it any tougher.

[Zachmac]

What if Charizard had 110 speed? It would need rapid spin support, but it would be a monster in the sun.

When the sun is shining, Solar Power instantly transforms Charizard into one of the most lethal special attackers in the game. Fire Blast receives the equivalent of three STAB boosts, making it a devastatingly powerful move that can quickly reduce an opponent's team to ashes. Even bulky Pokemon that resist Fire-type attacks, such as Latios and Jellicent, cannot switch in without being swiftly 2HKOed. Chansey and Blissey, the ultimate special walls, are both cleanly 2HKOed if Charizard carries Choice Specs. Without an immunity to Fire-type attacks or the ability to change the weather, stopping Charizard can be extremely difficult.

Eh...With more speed, it could go Uber though. Only counters I can think of for specs are Politoed, Tyranitar and Heatran, the latter two KOed by Focus Blast.

[kaiser soze]

Sorry, but I don't really see this happening. Besides, it would lead to more bickering over pokemon that got slighted.

But if they did, Flygon needs more speed. At least more than Garchomp.

[TerraWolf]

User GameFreak does not have the choice to change the BST of any Pokemon he chooses. Lizzy has no Nintenpower

[Barbeller]

Only problem was, if Gamefreak were to do this, some 'powerful' pokemon would get the rise as well. Then the whole point of it would be useless.

The obvious solution to this Power Creep is to play lower tiers.

[Ninja Dewott]

Actually, 80 speed would make it less viable, at least in higher tiers, because its too fast for Trick Room, but too slow to outspeed much of anything without Trick Room. But a relevant boost in some stats would help it, along with many other older Pokemon.

Well, the whole idea of Sand Rush is to boost speed, so it's unlikely

What if Charizard had 110 speed? It would need rapid spin support, but it would be a monster in the sun.

But it'd still be outclassed by Volcarona though, thanks to Quiver Dance

[Zachmac]

But it'd still be outclassed by Volcarona though, thanks to Quiver Dance

Not completely, as it has solar power.

Imagine a choice specs on in the sun. 120 fire blast. STAB makes it 180. Sun makes it 270. Solar power makes it 405. Finally, specs would make it have 608 power. You'd have to either be immune or a politoed/t-tar in order to safely swap into that.

[coolminun]

Not completely, as it has solar power.

Imagine a choice specs on in the sun. 120 fire blast. STAB makes it 180. Sun makes it 270. Solar power makes it 405. Finally, specs would make it have 608 power. You'd have to either be immune or a politoed/t-tar in order to safely swap into that.

Geez, that power is frightening. if you gave it more speed, he'd be the 2nd broken starter being banished to ubers. Some pokes like the nu pokes would really like the boost. For me, I'd really like to see electroball used more often, so a poke like minun and pikachu should have more speed.

I think if they did really do this pika would get it mostly, being the mascot and all.