V. Building Techniques

If you have not noticed yet, Tearing Through Heaven has a different system than most Roleplay Forums. This site has been built with story mechanics taking priority while the other mechanics have been less centered on Pokemon and more on the individual for the development. The attack system has been changed in order to toss away numbers and suggest severity and apply imagination to the writing style. Every last attack (except for Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee series attacks) have been categorized in order to make it so that your Pokemon build towards a preferable attack with relation to other techniques. There are also unique ways to build your Pokemon because of this while also being logical. There have also been a number of changes and categorizations of attacks in order to adapt them to the system and give you an idea of how attacks function in this realistic Roleplay.

Attack Classifications

• Basic: These attacks just do damage. They do not have extra effects such as status damages, debuffs, or buffs. They just do damage to the target (Examples: Tackle, Pound, Bite). However, this does not mean they cannot be applied to targets in different ways or interact with the environment in a certain way (Examples: Cut, Surf, Strength). This is not limited to what is thought of as HM moves either. Have a Grookey that knows Branch Poke? Try to get it to pick a lock!

• Priority: Also known as initiative moves that make Pokemon go first. Priority moves work different on the forum. Priority moves make it so that Pokemon have their speed increase by a stage. However, unlike stat increasing moves, Priority moves have these speed boosts last for only the next-turn and increase the speed stage by one unless it specifically notes otherwise. (Note: Some abilities, such as Triage, can give this to certain moves as well.) Some examples of these moves are Quick Attack, Aqua Jet, and Vacuum Wave. Priority moves are useful in order to position your Pokemon to use Counter-Based moves.

• Counter:  No! Not THIS counter! Well...to put it simply, Counter Moves are moves that have their damage increase based on priority. For example certain moves have their damage double due to which Pokemon moves first or last (Examples: Avalanche, Payback, etc). This depends on position and speed. If your opponent uses a priority move and an attack requires that you move Before/After an opponent (regardless of either) the attack's damage will double because it is implied that because of superior speed, your Pokemon is countering to do damage at an alarming rate!  
  
  

• Tech: These attacks are dependent on their placement as a Technique. Although these attacks can be added to your Pokemon's repertoire at Tier 1, they are effective depending on other variables of the placement. For example, Metronome is an attack that mimics any attack! However, if it is Tier 1, you will randomly roll a Tier 1 based attack. If It is added as a Tier 4 attack, you will randomly roll a Tier 4 attack. Tech are useful in that they are able to turn the tide, but are unpredictable and situational.
  
  

• Buff: Techniques that buff Pokemon increase their stats! As explained before, there are buffs that do not do damage but simply make your Pokemon stronger but cannot be used again in that same battle (Example: Quiver Dance, Swords Dance) and then there are buffs that do damage and constantly make your Pokemon stronger (Example: Charge Beam)! Buff Techniques have a very different role and are very helpful, and one should not underestimate them.
  
  

• Debuff: The opposite of buffs and decreases Pokemon stats in battle. Pokemon who are on the receiving end of debuffs that do not do damage will have their stats decreased, but because they have seen it before, it will not be effective a second time (Example: Leer, Growl, etc). However, the use of Pokemon moves that hammer away at their bodies and psyche (Examples: Psychic, Rock Smash, etc) will continously lower their stats if they make continuous successful hits. Pokemon should be careful about their physical and mental states while in battle and their Warlords should be vigilant. 
  
  

• Status Conditions: These are mostly the mostly common of attacks! Attacks that put on status effects work differently on Tearing Through Heaven. Continuous exposure to status damage attacks will increase the severity of those statuses making paralysis come from limited to responses by limbs to making Pokemon have a completely shattered nervous system. Thus, Status Conditions have a more serious effect in this Pokemon World revolving around war (Examples: Thunder Wave, Will-o-Wisp, etc.)! 
  
  

• Healing: Healing-based techniques do as they say: they heal your Pokemon! Although there are a plethora of healing techniques, on Tearing Through Heaven, healing techniques can only be used once per move per battle. This makes Healing techniques incredibly useful, but their timing must be considered! Healing Techniques at higher tiers are extremely diverse and even more useful than the last (Examples: Recover, Ingrain, Aqua Ring, etc).
  
  

• Multi-Attack: Multi-Attacks hit more than a single time during a battle! Although they can do overwhelming damage their accuracy is something left to be desired. However, the more hits, the less likely a Pokemon is not able to dodge. Not only that, but if the attack is Special then Accuracy will increase the likelihood of more numbers while Evasion makes it so these attacks hit more often if they are Physical.

• Switch: These techniques swap one Pokemon with the next! Whether forcing your Pokemon to leave battle and tag in another Pokemon (Examples: Ally Switch, Flip-Turn) or forcing your opponent's Pokemon from battle (Examples: Roar, Whirlwind) these attacks make it so that you change the field in your favor. This also bypasses Locks immediately that are caused by moves such as Bind or Mean Look that trap your Pokemon in a certain situation.

• Pierce: These attacks are simple in that they ignore stats in order to deal damage. Attacks such as Chip Away and Darkest Lariat are able to bypass Pokemon who have mounted high defenses or built around barricades. It is a good thing to keep one of these attacks on hand for Pokemon who try to manipulate stats in their favor.

• Charge/Recharge: Dangerous attacks that bide time before unleashing devastating damage or attacks that use a large amount of energy. Attacks that require charging (Such as Solar Blade or Sky Attack) will take a bit of time for the Pokemon before they unleash the attack. Attacks such as Hyper Beam or Blast Burn can be used immediately, but yet the Pokemon is rendered immobile and restricted to guarding themselves to the best of their ability.

• Modify: Modifying-based techniques are strange in a way! They have many different effects that affect stats and situations all at once! They may even change the Pokemon's type or make it so that the type does not matter at all. Flying-Type Pokemon no longer are immune to Ground-based techniques when they use Roost are ground by Gravity. Certain Pokemon may use Magnet Rise to make them float in the air. These techniques are unique in that they can not only be useful in battle, but modify a lot of different things in the field as well. They can also be used in unique ways in the Roleplay when battling.

• Accurate: Moves that "Never Miss" are instead marked as "Accurate." When a Pokemon uses an attack that is supposed to Never Miss, it is almost treated like a homing attack or is made to be almost an impossible situation to escape! In this regard, attacks that Negate are not able to work all of the time depending on the situation. Attacks such as Swift and Aerial Ace make it difficult to be dodged. However, having higher speed can make dodges more realistic as well as how to protect against such attacks.

• Negate: These type of moves protect against attack damage! Whether by using a shield, using flight, or digging into the ground; the user is able to escape taking damage in some method. Protect and Detect have the most prominent effect as they are able to negate damage by using barriers or becoming aware of certain techniques being used. Fly and Dig are used to evade an attack and can be used as an attack in the same regard on the same turn one dodged. However, these techniques can only be used once per battle, with the exception of attacks being used against but cannot be used to dodge as it will be expected.

• Field: The use of field moves affect your Pokemon or the entire field in order to change conditions! There are two different field effects: Barricades and Field States. Barricades are protective veils and shields that keep your Pokemon same from certain attacks or effects. Lucky Chant will protect against Critical Hits while Light Screen protects against Special attacks by cutting the damage in half. Field States are weather conditions or traps! Stealth Rock makes it so boulders attack the opponent's Pokemon when they enter battle and Rain Dance make it so that all Pokemon are affected by rainy weather.

• Rate Up: Attacks with a "Rate Up" are attacks with higher Critical Hit Rates. These attacks are special as Critical Hits do not happen for every attack on the forum, but ONLY for these attacks (Examples: Razor Leaf, Slash, etc)! Attacks with Rate Up are treated as if they are a Tier higher than they usually are when the Pokemon uses techniques that increase the Critical Rate like Laser Focus or Focus Energy. This makes it so that attacks will always do tremendous damage, unless they are guarded against by field effects such as Lucky Chant.
  
  
• Redirect: There are types of moves that redirect attacks or change the flow of battle by mixing up the order. This simply is a strategical movement seen in battles where there is more than one Pokemon. By using these techniques, the user is able to force the movement for certain Pokemon. For example, using Spotlight will cause attacks that are aimed towards an ally will suddenly be aimed towards a certain the Pokemon themselves. Certain techniques not only can be used to direct moves to themselves, but to change the order of other moves in a method that is like augmenting actions themselves, so one should be very careful about these techniques. Though, they will not be common since they can only be used once per battle.

• Drain: Techniques that absorb HP from other targets in order to regain vitality. These techniques vary in range in order to keep up one's strength while crippling the enemy. Moves such as Mega Drain and Drain Punch have this effect on opponents as they will suffer damage while fighting a losing battle. However, not all Drain techniques will be as strong as others making it so that it is a not a technique to depend on, but a very good one to take note of in times of hardships.

• Recoil: Techniques that are powerful due to their strength, but the roughness of them is enough to put a strain on the Pokemon's body. Pokemon suffer from damage from initiating these attacks and making contact. Techniques such as Submission will cause damage after taking down an enemy leaving the Pokemon with some damage. Although these moves are damaging, they are useful for techniques that require the Pokemon to have lower vitality overtime if they use them in combination with certain attacks.
  
  
• Signature: Signature attacks can only be used by certain Pokemon. When there are three Pokemon species or less with an attack (not including Legendary), it is known as a signature attack and grouped away from the entirety of the Tier List. These attacks can be used by that species of Pokemon and slotted in to their Tier Rank. Some signature attacks are unique and even have higher tiers on their own. If one is searching for a Pokemon that is unique in its attacks and can turn the tide, one would look for the Pokemon with these signature techniques (Examples: Volt Tackle, Crabhammer, etc). Signature techniques are listed separately along with the Pokemon they are limited to.
  

Note: This explanation is not to make it so attacks are guaranteed to hit, but to provide a guideline and replacement for how Roleplay affects the many moves that people may be a fan of in the series.