Forums · I casually proclaim I have deduced the absolute worst move in the game

Repto

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Feb 27 '09

No, not Splash. A move that could arguably not have been intended to be so incredibly worthless, but.. it's just so bad, it almost makes me angry that they still make Pokemon learn it.

I'm talking about Razor Wind. Two turns to use, at a metagame-breaking 80 base power, with one stage higher a crit rate than normal.

It wasn't until 3rd gen that this move was 100% accurate, as opposed to 75%.

Now it's not only special, but the only Pokemon that can get STAB on it is Zangoose, who has terrible special attack as it is. The highest base SpA of a Poke that learns it is 90, that belonging to Shiftry. The next highest 85, Floatzel, then Absol with 75.

My logic for calling it the absolute worst move in the game? Because even amongst all other shitty moves that are bad simply because they're meant to be used when a Poke is below lv10, this move does not have a single feature about it that is not the worst of all other moves that share that feature. Though admittably it's a culmination of those things that in effect make it the worst in one of its respective categories;

Two/Second-turn attacks. Special attacks. Normal attacks. High-crit attacks. I defy you to find something else that's worse than Razor Wind that doesn't already get a bye on some other technicality. If there's something that does the same thing but better, then the lesser move is disqualified.

Razor Wind is worse than Bide, Smog (mentioned only because someone saw fit to give that to Flareon late in his movelist) or even Feint, which is the absolute worst move created this gen, and IMO the second worst move in the entire game, again trumping Bide in worthlessness.
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Slowflake

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Feb 27 '09

Scyther: Level 33
Scizor: Level 33
Nuzleaf: Level 37
Absol: Level 17
Buizel: Level 45
Floatzel: Level 50

I'm sorry, there's NO EXCUSE for anyone to learn Razor Wind at level 50. 21 levels after Agility, no less.

Now let's check out Feint:

Pikachu: Level 29
Meowth: Level 54
Persian: Level 68
Farfetch'd: Level 43
Hitmonlee: Level 25
Hitmonchan: Level 21
Kabutops: Move relearner, level 40 at the earliest
Heracross: Level 49
Skarmory: Level 20
Hitmontop: Level 33
Meditite/Medicham: Level 22
Sharpedo: Move relearner, level 30 at the earliest
Kecleon: Level 14
Monferno/Infernape: Level 26
Trapinch: Level 81
Stunky/Skuntank: Level 18
Riolu/Lucario: Level 15
Yanmega: Level 38
Gallade: Level 39

Some of these are tame, but several that are are Platinum-only, and as a result delay the acquisition of moves further compared to D/P, which is not cool. Gotta love that level 81 Trapinch. Learns it after Crunch, Earth Power and EQ! And Fissure comes at level 89... do the math yourself. Other than Trapinch, I don't recall any other non-legendary that still learns moves naturally in their 80s, especially not such crappy ones.
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rose!cherubi

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Feb 27 '09

Isn't Constrict worse than Smog?
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Repto

0 +0

Feb 27 '09

They're both your general low-level crap. I shouldn't have pointed Smog out, but Razor Wind makes me think of horrible moves given to Pokes high in their movelists, and Flareon learns Smog in the late 50s.
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