The Best Attack in Gen IV

What is the best move in Gen IV


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Taunt gets my vote; Gen IV introduced it as a completely different move, and it's played a major part in cutting down usage of (or making it easier to set up) the other extremely powerful move that people've mentioned, Stealth Rock.
 
I can't believe no one's said this yet--Hidden Power! Suddenly, any Pokemon can learn a move of any type, thus giving it a strong counter to a single Pokemon that might otherwise be its downfall.

HP Grass Zapdos laughs at Swampert!
HP Fighting Rotom pwns Dark-type counters!

Hidden Power allows so many Pokemon to have perfect coverage, and EVERYONE can learn it! No question in my mind--it is the best attack in Gen III, IV, and probably even V (we'll see).
 

MK Ultra

BOOGEYMAN
is a Forum Moderator Alumnus
I can't believe no one's said this yet--Hidden Power! Suddenly, any Pokemon can learn a move of any type, thus giving it a strong counter to a single Pokemon that might otherwise be its downfall.

HP Grass Zapdos laughs at Swampert!
HP Fighting Rotom pwns Dark-type counters!

Hidden Power allows so many Pokemon to have perfect coverage, and EVERYONE can learn it! No question in my mind--it is the best attack in Gen III, IV, and probably even V (we'll see).
But it only applies to specially-inclined pokemon - Machamp's HP anything won't dent apart from a four times weakness. Yeah, it's a good move, but there's no way a 70 BP move should be crowned the best of Gen IV.
 
But it only applies to specially-inclined pokemon - Machamp's HP anything won't dent apart from a four times weakness. Yeah, it's a good move, but there's no way a 70 BP move should be crowned the best of Gen IV.
U-Turn is on the list, which is also 70BP, and MOST moves can only be used effectively by a select few. Hidden Power is used effectively by far more pokes than any other move and works out to be the linchpin to many a moveset.
 
U-Turn is on the list, which is also 70BP, and MOST moves can only be used effectively by a select few. Hidden Power is used effectively by far more pokes than any other move and works out to be the linchpin to many a moveset.
If U-turn had 20 Base Power, people would still use it. It wouldn't be as widespread as it is now, but the ability to scout your opponent's team is what makes U-turn so good. An SE Hidden Power isn't as powerful as something like a STAB Thunderbolt or Surf so it's only better than the Pokemon's STAB if it hits something SE that resists the STAB or hits something 4x weak to it.
 
Stealth Rock
Substitute
U-Turn
Draco Meteor
Close Combat
Spore
Dragon Dance
Outrage
Taunt
Earthquake

^top 10

Moves that are uber good because of specific pokemon:

Doom Desire
Bullet Punch
Iron Head
Air Slash
Fake Out
 
By what criteria do we judge it's the best move? If it's the one that shaped the metagame, I have to say Stealth Rock. It's everywhere. If it's the most useful move IN the metagame, it's Taunt, hands-down. It single-handedly shuts down entire teams when used correctly. Running two or even three Taunt-ers on one team is often a great way to rack up some easy wins. So I voted Taunt.
 
Just starting to get into Comp Battles so this is a great thread to see what to look out for.

From what Ive seen, I love substitute.

Tho I am a noob.
 
Stealth Rock is #1, obviously. No other move has ever centralized the metagame as much as those floting rocks have. Games are won and lost based on this move.
Sure, Spore is amazing, not saying that it isn't, but it takes one Pokémon out of commission temporarily, while Stealth Rock affects all of your opponent's Pokémon for the rest of the match (unless they pack a spinner), so it gets my vote.

Actually, if I could vote for a second place, I would have went with U-turn, simply because I LOVE the scouting and tempo advantage it gives. I almost never run a team without at least one U-turner. Although I'm probably valuing it higher than I should simply due to personal preference. =P
 

lmitchell0012

Wi-Fi Blacklisted
Stealth Rock is #1, obviously. No other move has ever centralized the metagame as much as those floting rocks have. Games are won and lost based on this move.
Sure, Spore is amazing, not saying that it isn't, but it takes one Pokémon out of commission temporarily, while Stealth Rock affects all of your opponent's Pokémon for the rest of the match (unless they pack a spinner), so it gets my vote.

Actually, if I could vote for a second place, I would have went with U-turn, simply because I LOVE the scouting and tempo advantage it gives. I almost never run a team without at least one U-turner. Although I'm probably valuing it higher than I should simply due to personal preference. =P
He said the best ATTACK. Not the best move. But if we were talking about the best move, I have to agree with you.
 

Athenodoros

Official Smogon Know-It-All
I may be going against the tide here, but I voted Dragon Dance. Keeping in mind, we are looking for best, not most widely used or game-changing. Can you imagine Garchomp with Dragon Dance? Or do you think Mence would have come into sight of being banned without DD? +1/+1 is an amazing boost for any physicaly attacker - it becomes faster than any non-scarfs and the equivalent of a Choice Band boost after one turn's setup. It is the defining move for many of the game's most powerful setup sweepers at the moment.
 
Good old shealth rock. A move that is found on almost every team, it caused a massive drop in the viablity of flyers and what damage calculation doesn't take SR into consideration. No other move has completely change a metagame like Stealth rock did.

Honourable mentions goes to Substitue and Spore, however poor its distribution.
 
Stealth Rock. Assuming your opponent switches like 10 times in a match (which seems quite standard), that's 10x 12.5% (average), which is 125% for one turn of set-up. It also eases some KOs on your sweepers. What's not to like?

If it's about attacks, not moves, I think it would either be Outrage (quite poor distribution, but fantastically strong) and Earthquake (great distribution, and hits a lot of things SE).
 
I aid this earlier in the thread, but I've yet to see a soild argument otherwise.

Yes, Stealth Rock is a great move. Yes, Stealth Rock makes or breaks some pokemon.

But does Stealth Rock alone basically render a KO? No, it can only deal 50%. [49.9% if you know what you're doing with the HP numbers]

Does Stealth Rock have a clause preveting it's use? No.

Spore is easily the best attack of Generation 4.

Why?

-Unlike Stealth Rock, Spore basically takes a pokemon out of the game, unless it is not KO'ed before it wakes up.

- Imagine the metagame without Sleep Clause, would you?

EVERY SINGLE TEAM would have Breloom. Sorry, no, it wouldn't. Breloom would be Uber.

Every single team would have Smergle. Nope, he'd probobly be Uber as well. [TrickScarf -> Spore/Agility/Sub -> Spore, ect]

You could probobly bet a fair number of teams would run Parasect. And he'd only not be Uber because of LOLFAIL type, being frail, and too slow to outspeed things even with a scarf. Even then, you could bet your life that you'd never see a Water type without Ice Beam [Or Stone Edge for a certain Serpent] again, as Parasect would get in, Spore -> Sub -> GG.

Stealth Rock is a great move and all, and, admittedly, it is the best move in the metagame. However, in the game itself? Spore takes the cake, and runs with it, being easily the single most broken move in the whole game.
 

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