Rate That Pokemon B/W Day 3: Oshawott/Dewott/Samurott

[Venusaur]

Rules (adapted from Fire Emblem RTUs and shamelessly stolen and adapted from Knuckles/Folgore Blue/other previous names I can't remember):

- Votes need some explanation regarding their gameplay performance to be counted. If somebody else said what you want to already, quote them explicitly. You can a bit,

but no SEWADDLE HAS STRING SHOT 10/10.

- This RTU series is for Black and White, not Black 2 and White 2. Don't include anything about the latter.

* +/- ≤1 point extra regarding personality/appearance is encouraged, but no more. If you exercise your bias privileges, please do so explicitly.

- Votes are made out of 10. You cannot rate a Pokemon above 10 or below 0. Try to keep it easily calculable, for my sake.

- The rating topic will be updated whenever I can (or feel like), but I will try to allow at least 24 hours for each topic. If not enough votes are in, the current ranking continues on the the next day.

- A Pokemon being inferior relative to another Pokemon does not reduce their rating, though it may be mentioned. Just don't factor it into the rating itself.

Remember, it's about what the Pokemon can do.

- HOWEVER, if it locks you out of the other choices (starters and fossils, mainly), up to one point may be deducted.

- If a vote is unacceptable (rule breaking, terrible reasoning, etc.) , I'll give you a chance to revise it, and explain why it was rejected.

- We are rating in-game performance only, up until the Elite 4 is beaten the first time. Trade evolutions are A-OK, as are in-game trades.

- Evolution lines get condensed, so treat, say, Snivy/Servine/Serperior all as one unit.

- An asterisk next to a name means that I messed up and didn't give enough time for redos. That asterisk means that the rating is subject to change whenever that vote comes in.

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Snivy/Servine/Serperior: 4.56

Tepig/Pignite/Emboar*: 8.5

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Oshawott is personally my favorite of these three, and for good reasons, too. Once it gets Razor Shell, it really picks up on the power end, and it isn't even bad before that! As for later in the game, it ends up a lot like Emboar, except with a sole Water type compared to Emboar's Fire/Fighting (And 5 extra Speed). But to make up for that lack of extra typing, Samurott picks up Megahorn and Blizzard, and by the E4 you can even use a gimmick SD/Aqua Jet set to negate that 70 Speed.

As for Gyms, it can take Clay and Brycen (Revenge works wonders with that Ice resist), along with Drayden/Iris if your Blizzards aim true. It really doesn't have any big advantages against the E4 like Emboar, but it also lacks a weakness to Caitlin/Shauntal.

Oshawott's a solid choice, and easily makes up for the lack of Tepig, so no points lost there!

It gets an 8/10 normally, but with +1 bias because I like playing favorites. So, 9/10.

[Strawman]

I'm so sad I missed the other starts. Poor Snivy. I love you so much but everyone else hate you :(

Ahem, anyways.

Oshawott and co. are cool. Good offensive stats, its decent in the gyms, gets acceptable coverage and the last one looks pretty awesome. Bulk and speed are sometimes questionable with it, however.

8/10

[Xeniferos]

This is the starter I picked for my first playthrough, and I can't remember ever needing to substitute another poke in due to stats, limited movepool, etc.. Ended up being female too. ^^

Movepool was solid, the shell attack was also a pretty neat addition. Seemed like she had pretty solid HP/defenses when I used her. Samurott's design was my favorite out of the three starters, even if it was a bit awkward. Solid pokemon overall.

7+.5/10 after figuring bias. 7.5/10

Edited July 11, 2012 by Xjezhekiir

[Ninja Caterpie]

It's got a nice natural movepool and gets a pretty good set of TMs for coverage. Almost equal Attack and Spattack stats means it can play mixed really easily with Surf, X-Scissor/Mega Horn, Grass Knot and Blizzard or some other utility move. I can't remember if it gets Swords Dance by the E4 but if it does you can just go full physical sweeper with SD/Megahorn/Waterfall/Aqua Jet because SD + Aqua Jet is amazing.

Through the main game, it does fine against every gym leader besides Elesa but all the starters are bad against Elesa because Aerial Ace. It gets Razor Shell wicked early and all the TMs.

+1 bias because it's a Samurai Dialga Narwhal WITH A BEARD

8.5/10

Edited July 11, 2012 by Ninja Caterpie

[Icon of Sin]

Fairly decent alternative to Tepig. He trades a good amount of HP and Attack for a bit of everything else, which can be a good trade in a few situations. He can go mixed with a plethora of Water moves in his learnset, but he also has a few options in other types. Probably the most notable option is Megahorn through a Heart Scale, which gives him a fierce move against common Dark types. Revenge isn't bad, but Samurott is often too fast to use it best and, unlike Emboar, he doesn't get STAB on it, usually being about as powerful as a basic 2 hit Arm Thrust from Emboar. Then there's moves such as Grass Knot, Blizzard, Aerial Ace, Dig and 5 HMs.

In the end, he turns out to be an Emboar with less offense and coverage, but more speed which might not be needed. Still, he's around for the entire game for being a starter. I don't like his looks, but I'm not cutting points off for that.

8/10

Edited July 11, 2012 by Dio

[Ema Skye]

Oshawott is personally my favorite of these three, and for good reasons, too. Once it gets Razor Shell, it really picks up on the power end, and it isn't even bad before that! As for later in the game, it ends up a lot like Emboar, except with a sole Water type compared to Emboar's Fire/Fighting (And 5 extra Speed). But to make up for that lack of extra typing, Samurott picks up Megahorn and Blizzard, and by the E4 you can even use a gimmick SD/Aqua Jet set to negate that 70 Speed.

As for Gyms, it can take Clay and Brycen (Revenge works wonders with that Ice resist), along with Drayden/Iris if your Blizzards aim true. It really doesn't have any big advantages against the E4 like Emboar, but it also lacks a weakness to Caitlin/Shauntal.

Oshawott's a solid choice, and easily makes up for the lack of Tepig, so no points lost there!

It gets an 8/10 normally, but with +1 bias because I like playing favorites. So, 9/10.

This

[Smiley Jim]

Oshawott isn't as amazing as some of the other water starters, but he is still a great choice overall.

First off, his offense is almost on par with Emboar's. 100atk/108spa(as Samurott), with Water being an overall good type in Unova(though nowhere near what it was in Hoenn or Johto, for example), high powered STAB gotten at a low level(FFS, Razor Shell has 75 base power and he gets it at Lv17), as well as good coverage for the things that resist water, means that he will be doing good damage to just about everything, though 70 spe is barely better than what Emboar has. Defensively, he has a decent 95HP/85def/70spd, which combined with water having few weaknesses, means that he's durable overall.

Like a lot of water types, Samurott has a pretty versatile movepool. On top of getting the standard water STAB(again, he gets Razor Shell at Lv17, and Aqua Jet at Lv33), he also gets Megahorn through relearner, which is great for killing grass types(he can use Blizzard, but that's inaccurate as all hell, though Megahorn's accuracy is shaky as well)as well as Revenge early on, though Revenge is very situational.

As for gym matchups, he's pretty average. The only gym he's really good in is Clay's gym, and obviously, he hates Elesa. Everything else(besides the waiter trio, which every starter sucks in), he's roughly neutral, though he does resist Brycen's attacks.

Another thing about Oshawott is his relative lack of competition. While Snivy has to compete with Petilil and Cottonee for a spot and Tepig has Darumaka to contend with, Oshawott's strongest competitor(Frillish)doesn't show until after you get Surf, though Tirtouga and Ducklett are decent enough substitutes.

Oshawott in a nutshell: Crazy offense early on with Razor Shell, can take a hit, but a little on the slow side.

7.5

Edited July 11, 2012 by Mercenary James

[Shadow Mir]

Oshawott is personally my favorite of these three, and for good reasons, too. Once it gets Razor Shell, it really picks up on the power end, and it isn't even bad before that! As for later in the game, it ends up a lot like Emboar, except with a sole Water type compared to Emboar's Fire/Fighting (And 5 extra Speed). But to make up for that lack of extra typing, Samurott picks up Megahorn and Blizzard, and by the E4 you can even use a gimmick SD/Aqua Jet set to negate that 70 Speed.

As for Gyms, it can take Clay and Brycen (Revenge works wonders with that Ice resist), along with Drayden/Iris if your Blizzards aim true. It really doesn't have any big advantages against the E4 like Emboar, but it also lacks a weakness to Caitlin/Shauntal.

Oshawott's a solid choice, and easily makes up for the lack of Tepig, so no points lost there!

It gets an 8/10 normally, but with +1 bias because I like playing favorites. So, 9/10.

This. Also, I personally prefer Oshawott since you don't really get a chance at a good water type until at least midgame (Panpour excepted, but considering that unless you picked Snivy, you'll have to find it in shaking grass, its relevance is sorta questionable).

Edited July 11, 2012 by Golden Cucco

[I don't play for turns]

It's certainly a solid pokemon. It has high offensive stats, and special attack even higher than Emboar's. It's got decent physical bulk too, with 95/85. However, it's speed and special defense are lacking, and barely any better than Emboar, with 70/70. Based on this, not Emboar, so 2/10 It learns razor shell and water pulse naturally, which are both good offensive water moves considering how early they can be learned, and of course surf is available later. First gyms is bleh, like for all the starters. Second and third are fine, the fourth is tough, the fifth is cake, the sixth is fine, the seventh isn't too hard because it resists ice, and the last should be a bit more challenging, due to Samurott not getting stab on anything that can do decent damage. Its movepool isn't too flashy, but I guess it can get the job done, although it doesn't have too much coverage *cough unlike Emboar cough* it mostly learns normal and water damaging moves, with the hard to find/ expensive occasional ice type move, revenge, dig and aerial ace as options for possible better coverage. Excellent offense, decent type coverage and physical bulk, with lacking speed. Not that great against E4, but not that bad either. 7.5/10

Oh, and just because i feel like being repetitive, Emboar is better, in my opinion.

To Golden Cucco, I found Seismitoad to be pretty good.

Edited July 11, 2012 by I don't play for turns

[Shadow Mir]

To Golden Cucco, I found Seismitoad to be pretty good.

Personally, I think Seismitoad isn't nearly good enough to replace Oshawott.

[Breezy Kanzaki]

Oshawott is personally my favorite of these three, and for good reasons, too. Once it gets Razor Shell, it really picks up on the power end, and it isn't even bad before that! As for later in the game, it ends up a lot like Emboar, except with a sole Water type compared to Emboar's Fire/Fighting (And 5 extra Speed). But to make up for that lack of extra typing, Samurott picks up Megahorn and Blizzard, and by the E4 you can even use a gimmick SD/Aqua Jet set to negate that 70 Speed.

As for Gyms, it can take Clay and Brycen (Revenge works wonders with that Ice resist), along with Drayden/Iris if your Blizzards aim true. It really doesn't have any big advantages against the E4 like Emboar, but it also lacks a weakness to Caitlin/Shauntal.

Oshawott's a solid choice, and easily makes up for the lack of Tepig, so no points lost there!

It gets an 8/10 normally, but with +1 bias because I like playing favorites. So, 9/10.

My vote shall be this as well.

[I don't play for turns]

Personally, I think Seismitoad isn't nearly good enough to replace Oshawott.

It isn't. But none of the other fire types are good enough to replace Emboar either. Serperior is most likely a different story, thanks to Leavanny, but whatever. I'm saying that you have to find a substitute for each starter, like in every game, but Seismitoad is decent by itself and I think it's pretty good as far as non-starter water-types go.

[Shadow Mir]

It isn't. But none of the other fire types are good enough to replace Emboar either. Serperior is most likely a different story, thanks to Leavanny, but whatever. I'm saying that you have to find a substitute for each starter, like in every game, but Seismitoad is decent by itself and I think it's pretty good as far as non-starter water-types go.

IMO, Darmanitan could be a solid replacement for Emboar. Either way, I still maintain that the selection of non-starter water types in Unova's... not that good, to say the least.

Edited July 12, 2012 by Golden Cucco