Aggron · Dragons Exalted (DRX) #80

10 comments

1. 

   feyblade

   (12 years ago)

   Mind I ask…
   Why, from a flavor perspective, is Steel supposed to be the “milling” type? From a gameplay perspective, it does match the whole “slow and steady wins the race” concept. But in terms of flavor, I see no connection here.   

   I see milling as something that makes sense primarily  on psychic pokemon (it is a subtle way to victory that involves little direct conflict, and it involves sapping the opponent of his ability to rely on his options) and dark pokemon(it involves subterfuge and suppression and it picks on those that cannot even fight back)

   It also makes sense on ground-type fighters (it is a good way to represent the massive collateral damage their attacks can make, though it will often be mutual) and fire (but it will almost purely be mutual or self-afflicted, here.) How on earth does it align with the steel type?

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     Nosrednafeyblade

     (6 years ago)

     I mean, why would aggron even have an ability called “Toppling Wind” why not something to do with digging?

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     • 

       OtakuNosredna

       (6 years ago)

       With regards to both your musings:

       1) Sometimes things work a certain way because of game balance.
       2) Sometimes things work a certain way because of the mythology behind the Pokémon.
       3) Sometimes they work a certain way due to puns.
       4) Sometimes they work a certain way because it made sense to enough of the staff on that particular day.

       I don’t know if Metal (Steel) Types specializing in mill is about game balance, but what little I can find about the actual myths and/or dinosaurs Aggron may have taken inspiration from makes mill – if not a great fit – a decent one. Just as likely, though, is that it is a simple pun (steel mills are where steel is manufactured from iron ore). With no Type really specializing in mill, someone may have decided that these were good enough reasons to give a Type that – at the time – had perhaps the one competitive mill deck even more mill (See Durant from NVI).

       If think about it, you can justify most mechanics for multiple, if not all, Types in the Pokémon TCG and video games. If you need help justifying one, then just ask (as opposed to me making a truly monstrous comment explaining it all).

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         AmbassadorOtaku

         (2 years ago)

         Chandelure LOR26 is a long-delayed follow up to this conversation. I really like Otaku’s set of principles here, and boldly suggest an additional clause;

         Sometimes things work in one language but not the other*.

         As Twylis pointed out in the comments of Chandelure, Aggron’s Ability, やまおろし, could’ve (should’ve? eh) been translated to something with “Mountain” in its name. Once you’ve got that, you can look through other instances of the word “Mountain” being used in the names of attacks, abilities, etc., and find it’s the keyword that they’ve building up as a trope to the point they can give Chandelure a “Mountain”-related ability, and it makes sense in TCG logic because “Mountain” now means the attack has a milling effect, and not necessarily that the Pokémon is a Steel, Rock, or Ground type.

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           AmbassadorAmbassador

           (2 years ago)

           *Usually things get lost in the translation process of JP>EN, but there are some cutesy idiosyncrasies exclusive to the EN localization of the game that turn out to be pretty mundane when you check the original JP text.

2. 

   coolestman22

   (11 years ago)

   Played against an Aggron mill deck in Top 16 at Regionals. It focused around using Sableye to Junk Hunt for Devolution Sprays and Hammers. Still not sure how it made it to Top 16.

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     Curtis coolestman22

     (11 years ago)

     I’ve played against that deck a few times on PTCGO. The best way I usually have to deal with them is to just focus on Sableye. The more Junk Hunts you can cut off, the less they can devolve their Aggrons.

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       coolestman22Curtis

       (11 years ago)

       That’s how I won Games 2 and 3.

       Game One my strategy was to take out Lairons, but he milled all my Catchers.

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3. 

   reshikrom64

   (11 years ago)

   Well, now we know how N’s Castle fell to ruin in BW2. Dang Aggrons!

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     Jiří z Poděbradreshikrom64

     (2 years ago)

     This Aggron looks like she’s a diva striking a pose!

     Reply