VG Weekly Poll #29 Do you use sacrificial moves?

[Joshawott]

Hello Everynyan! Welcome to the twenty-ninth instalment in the Video Games Forum's new weekly series of polls!

Centered around the Pokemon series of video games, these polls will be based on the various different aspects of the popular video game franchise. Every Monday, a Video Games staff member will post a new poll that'll remained stickied up on top of the forum. Suggestions for polls and questions can be sent to Joshawott, and they could possibly used for new polls (credit will be given, of course).

With that out of the way, here is the poll: Do you use sacrificial moves? In the games, there are some attacks which when used, it comes at the price of causing the user faint. Sometimes, this is done to deal lots of damage to an opponent, while in other times it can be used to support a team mate. This poll was suggested by Water Max.

Past Polls of the Week

01) Was Black and White a step in the right direction?
02) Did you agree with N's ideals?
03) Favourite Generation?
04) Do you EV train?
05) Favourite Grass-type starter?
06) Was the Battle Tower/Subway too hard?
07) Favourite Spin-Off Series?
08) Favourite Fire/Fighting type starter?
09) Who was the hardest Gym Leader?
10) Primary, Secondary of Tertiary Version?
11) Do you use the Pokémon Global Link?
12) Do you like the Pokémon Dream World?
13) Creepiest Pokémon Resting Place?
14) Favourite Regional Professor?
15) Favourite Legendary Trio?
16) Favourite Early Bird?
17) Favourite Unova Gym Design?
18) Favourite Ice-type Trainer
19) Favourite Dragon-type Version Mascot
20) Initial Reaction to Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition?
21) Favourite Male Playable Character?
22) Favourite Villainous team?
23) Favourite Early Rodent?
24) Favourite Fossil Pokémon?
25) Most Anticipated 3DS Feature?
26) Favourite Female Playable Character?
27) Thoughts on the Doctor and Nurse trainer classes?
28) Do you nickname your Pokémon?

Thank you for voting!

-The Video Games Forum Staff

 

[Meyneth]

I don't really used them that much but I have used Explosion once or twice.

 

[Bouffalant Herdier]

I once used Explosion all the time, but I've gone off it a lot since it no longer halves the target's Defence as of Gen V. Specifically using a Normal Gem to boost its power feels like a waste when there are so many other great hold items around. It's still devastating in Double & Triple battles if used correctly, though, which is the main reason why I picked the first option in the poll.

I've never used support sacrificial moves like Memento or Healing Wish. Memento's effect can be removed if the enemy just switches the Pokemon out, which I suppose is the main use of it, but I'd rather use Yawn for the same purpose, and most of the Pokemon that can use Healing Wish are too slow to use it effectively.

 

[Bandit Keith]

It's not worth it. NO.

 

[smalllady]

Oooh man I hate sacrificial moves. I don't even like moves that cause recoil damage. It's just an unnecessary risk for me.

 

[ravenclaw1991]

I never use them. I find them really annoying to be honest.. Especially Explosion and Selfdestruct. I go for a purely offensive technique. I use damaging moves, so I don't even use status moves, unless its early on when training a Pokemon and they barely have any good attacks.

 

[Lord Clowncrete]

since such moves are pointless in-game, i will talk from the competitive point of view.

Explosion and Self-Destruct are useless this gen in singles thanks to the nerf. Why would I explode my ferrothorn when I can just keep him and do more damage by stalling?

I regularly use healing wish for my sun team. Lilligant is a great user of it since it outspeeds literally everything in sunny weather due to chlorophyll.

 

[Donyor]

I don't use them, not worth it. Though it could be useful if your pokémon was about to die anyway.

 

[Almonds]

I never use them - It's a waste of move space. Why use sacrificing moves when you can easily teach them other useful moves?

 

[ZACH ATTACK]

I never use anything that always KO's the user. I occasionally use something with a recoil move, like Eelektross with Wild Charge.

 

[Juzey]

No. I do sometimes have moves like Explosion, because I think I'll use them if the Pokémon's HP gets really low, but then I never do.

 

[Rainami]

I don't think I've used Explosion/Selfdestruct before. I would teach them to a Pokemon to use, but with its power halved in generation 5, I'm hesitant.

Memento could have some uses too, but I dunno about Healing Wish.

 

[Zeb]

Memento and Healing Wish are really underrated. I think the only one I don't/haven't used is Final Gambit.

But yeah, I use both offensive and supportive types. I don't use them all that often, though.

 

[TwilightBlade]

Nah. I've tried using Explosion and it's just not for me. I'm not that good at prediction. Oops? xD

 

[Ghetsis-Dennis]

Why should I use sacrificial moves if I want my Pokemon to live longer to beat my opponent?

In short, NO!

 

[winstein]

I don't think there is a place for sacrificial moves in-game, as experience points are quite valuable, no matter how little. Once that move is used, your Pokemon is out and if no one's sharing the experience, you lose out. However, if the opponent used a sacrificial move, then it's easier to gain experience points, like how a Hiker's Gravelers or Golems might use this move, resulting in easy experience if using a Ghost-type or Steel/Rock-type.

In short, it's not practical to use it in-game. However, it has some use in competitive battling. Explosion was strong so it was great, but now there aren't as many good users (Lickylicky could be a good user). I do like the concept of Healing Wish, though. Memento as well, although I wished it reduced both attack stats by three stages instead of two, now that there are moves that increase the user's stat by three stages.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Infinity Mk-II]

Healing wish is alright, and so is Explosion.

Memento, though? That one is pretty terrible. Not only you are sacrifying a pokémon for a miserable debuff, the opponent can fix it as easilly as switching.
Even if it lowered ALL stats or something, its usage would still be pretty limited.


Final Gambit is another pretty interesting move, as it deals set damage instead of being affected by defense unlike explosion, and relies on both pokémon fighting. However given that none of the users have particularly high HP...

 

[Kihote]

I never really liked sacrificial moves since in almost all my battles the outcome was decided by my last standing pokémon who was in the red. Yeah, I'm not that good so using them would give me unnessesary risks ^^;;;

 

[Water Max]

I've used Self Destruct and Explosion from my Golem and Gigalith using them therefore I chose "Yes - I use offensive moves". I haven't used support sacrificial moves but I'm interested in using Healing Wish because it is like using a Full Restore without using the item therefore being useful in competitive battles. I haven't used Final Gambit before but it sounds interesting because the power varies.

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned Perish Song yet or should it be excluded because it doesn't make the user faint in the same turn and the effect can be removed?

 

[Infinity Mk-II]

Perish Song isn't sacrificial, it just can affect the user. And gives a temporary state that while it does lead to it, it isn't instantly fainting.

It probably doesn't count as move with a negative effect on the user either, as it affects simply everyone in the field. (That isn't immune to it)