I am doing a project and it occurred to me that it might be interesting getting some other opinions (assuming others are interested in giving their opinions) on useful or not-useful side effects of moves. So I decided to take a survey. If you don’t want to post your opinions here, you may PM or email me.

For my project the point is to be objective and rate the effect on its own merits. Afterwards, the other factors would be considered. I plan to include a “works well with” section to cover compatible hold items, moves, pokémon, stats, abilities, types and the like, but that is a different phase of the project.

Anyone who has taken the first survey is welcome to take this one. I have refined the comparisons, though I have kept the results from the first survey. The first one failed as it was inconsistent mainly due to adjustments I kept making to the poorly formatted questions. I hope this new format will yield more accurate results. I also felt the timing was bad as most members were in school. All participants will be listed as contributors to the final project.

The rules are simple. Assume one-on-one battling. Rate the effects on their own without any outside influences. (Pretend you don’t know what the move is.) All conditions (gender, stats, moves, HP, PP, etc.) are equal or unknown. Status effects (burn, confuse, critical hit, flinch, stat change by one level, etc.) are equal. I have highlighted the important part of the effect. Compare the effects to the base effect (marked with an asterisk) in the group. The scale is 10 to -10.

10 = most useful for your defending pokémon
0 = no advantage
-10 = most useful for the opposing pokémon

Simplistic examples:

Confuses defender, 100% -10
Burns opponent, 100% 10
No effect. 0

How would you rate each one of the following effects?

*Always hits except when opponent uses Fly, Dig or Dive.
Always hits including when opponent uses Fly, Dig or Dive.

*Always hits except when opponent uses Fly, Dig or Dive.
Always hits except when opponent uses Fly, Dig or Dive, but always hits second.

*Normal attack. (i.e.;No effect. Therefore, cannot hit opponent when using Fly.)
Normal attack, including when opponent uses Fly.

Both defender and opponent may attack while opponent takes damage. Neither may retreat.
Neither defender or opponent may attack while opponent takes damage. Neither may retreat.

*Uses opponent’s move selected by you.
Uses opponent’s last move.
Uses opponent’s move selected at random.

*Uses opponent’s move selected at random.
Uses any move selected at random.

*Faint opponent.
Faint opponent when defending pokémon faints.
Faint opponent and defender in three turns. Either pokémon may avoid fainting by retreating.

*Blocks physical or special attack.
Blocks physical or special attack, but unreliable when used again.

*Reduce the PP of one of the opponent’s moves to 0.
Reduce the PP of one of the opponent’s moves by 2 to 5 points.
Reduce the PP of one of the opponent’s moves by 4.

*No effect. (Can be used without restrictions.)
Fails unless all other of the defender’s moves have been used at least once.

*Does double damage.
Does double damage only if the opponent has used Minimize.

*Doubles the power of the next attack.
Doubles the power of Rollout or Ice Ball.

Can only use the attack if the opponent is asleep.
Can only use the attack if the defender is asleep.

*Forces opponent to retreat in wild battles or switch opponents in trainer battles.
Forces opponent to retreat in wild battles.

Opponent may only use the same attack for 2-6 turns.
Opponent may not use the same attack twice in a row.

*Prevents any pokémon from sleeping for 2-5 turns (opponent does not have any move like Rest, Dream Eater or Snore).
Prevents any pokémon from sleeping for 2-5 turns (opponent has a move like Rest, Dream Eater or Snore).
Prevents any pokémon from sleeping for 2-5 turns (you have no idea what opponent you may be up against).

*If the opponent is sleeping, they receive double damage (damage is calculated separately).
If the opponent is sleeping, they receive double damage (damage is calculated separately) and wake up.

*Confuse the opponent, 100%.
Confuse the opponent and increase their attack by 1 level, 100%.

*Increase opponent’s attack by 1 level, 100%.
Confuse the opponent and increase their attack by 1 level, 100%.

Power increases as tameness increases.
Power decreases as tameness increases.


It’s like déjà vu all over again.
Yogi Berra

1. Magenta is an ugly color.

2. I don't believe in number rankings; a move's utility depends on the situation, and varies a lot.

3. I like 'always hits' moves, and I prefer for evasion boosting moves to be legal. There is a reason this trait is always paired with weak damage (exceptions of aura sphere and maybe vital throw). I also prefer flamethrower to fireblast: another case of a trade between accuracy and power. As for hitting when fly, dig, dive, sky dive are in effect, this rarely occurs anyways, and is only useful against the computer, as most humans will give a Pokemon a move that causes more damage.

But it was cool to find out Twister hits Pokemon in the middle of Fly.

4. You've got the old rule for fire spin listed! Man, that was a good strategy, outfit Ninetails with toxic and fire spin, and trap the opponent while passive damage accrued. That was the best thing ever, no wonder it got nerfed. The latter? it's useless.

5. Using an opponent's move is good mainly for scouting and when you don't have anything better to spend the slot on. Which is sucky.

6. All the instant faint moves are too inaccurate to be any good. The revenge faint move has it's uses with fast Pokemon. Perish Song is okay if you build a team around it. It's also useful for breaking baton pass chains.

7. Protect/Detect and PP drain are good for stalling Pokemon.

8. I don't even know what "Fails unless all other of the defender’s moves have been used at least once." means. Is that the move Last Resort? It's not very useful.

9. Explosion and Self Destruct are the only moves that deal double damage I know of, and they have a cost. They're great for when a Pokemon has nothing else to contribute, I always give it to Electrode. <3 boom

10. Defense curl + ice ball and/or rollout is enough to get through the game. It will fail against humans, who will switch to something that can take a hit.

11. Sleep talk and to a lesser extend, snore are good for Pokemon with rest, a strategy for tanks or Pokemon with guts ability. But dream eater sucks.

12. Whirlwind and Roar are good to accrue passive damage from spikes and the like if that's on your team. It's also good for breaking baton pass chains, and teams benifit greatly from having at least one 'mon with that, perish song, heart swap, or haze.

13. Uproar is weak, but worry seed is good against things likely to have rest; use it only against tanks.

14. Wake up slap (and smelling salt, for that matter) are situationally useful, but at least do something in less than ideal circumstances.

15. I like to use Swagger against my own Pokemon in 2 player battles. Pokemon like Spinda or Chatrot. Confuse ray is good for stalling. Teeter dance is fun.

16. Return is better than Frustration, as happiness is increases over time. You'd have to work to kill your Poke repeatedly, to keep frustration powered up. If you're winning fights Return will get better.

Thank you, Spriteless, for your opinions.