Here we are, the last of Pokemon you can catch and use in Bugmerald version. I've put off Durant for a long time because I just couldn't think of any ideas for it. It comes in, it hits hard, and it faints in short order. This can certainly be effective, but is there anything else Durant can offer? Fortunately, with all the changes that have been made to its Bug peers, I can see some new options surfacing for our metal ant. Let's look at how Durant can support its time outside of a one and done sweep.
1. Stats
We're gently massaging some extra stats into Durant because I don't want to go too overboard and make it obscenely powerful by mistake. HP is staying a pitiful 58, Attack isn't changing, but Def is getting bumped up to 122 and Sp. Def to 70, along with a tiny Speed boost to 111. I think these changes will give Durant the bump it needed to durability while still keeping it pretty fragile overall, and it appreciates being able to out speed foes at the 110 Speed tier. Nothing too crazy.
2. Abilities
Get Swarm out of here! I don't want to see it anymore! Durant's new trio of abilities will be:
- Strong Jaw
- Hustle
- Inspire
Strong Jaw gives you that sweet, sweet 50% power boost at the cost of only affecting a handful of moves. If you instead want all the raw power all the time, Hustle is still here to keep you frustrated when that crucial miss inevitably occurs. Inspire is a brand new ability that raises the Attack and Sp. Attack of Durant's ally on the field when Durant faints. I mean this to be a reference to attack pheromones that ants and other hymenopterans use to signal their friends to go on the offensive. Battle is often deadly for the individual, but the pheromones it leaves behind lead the hive to victory.
3. Movepool
Jaw Lock is 100% getting added for Durant. Ants pretty famously lock foes in their massive jaws, even after the attacking ant dies. I think just blocking escape is a little boring for the intensity of this move, so I'll be buffing it in some way by either having it do damage over time or possibly lowering Defense or some other stat. Hyper Fang and Poison Fang are two other no-brainers that will let Durant get full use out of its new Strong Jaw ability.
Memento is being added to go along with Durant's new Inspire ability. If Durant has fulfilled its role for the battle, it can go out in a blaze of glory to buff its allies and debuff the opponent in one fell swoop. Alternatively, use Follow Me to take a sacrificial hit for an ally and boost them upon fainting. Hone Claws will also be making a glorious return to complement Hustle's inconsistency. Finally, we'll be moving First Impression from Egg Move to a normal level-up move.
Conclusion
Durant can still bulldoze through teams with its signature Hustle plus Choice Band/Life Orb combo. While it doesn't have any terribly powerful moves, that double boost results in astounding physical damage output. But now you can also opt for a mixed attack/support role. Durant will not hit as hard without Hustle, but it can disrupt foes with Jaw Lock, Follow Me, or Memento while still hitting with more powerful attacks than most support Pokemon are able to utilize. Inspire can then give perhaps the game-winning boost to your ace and allow them to sweep through a team that Durant has softened up.
It will all be up to you, give it a try and see what ability and moveset you like best!
No comments:
Post a Comment