BEST Nuzlocke Variant - Hardcore Nuzlocke Rules

Can you beat Pokemon Platinum with only Level 1 Pokemon?
• Can you beat Pokemon P...
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Watch live at: / pokemonchallenges
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Disclaimer: This is the most fun way to play the game in MY opinion. Obviously, try to find a rule set that is the most fun for you. However, I do suggest considering this one.
If you're unfamiliar with the standard nuzlocke rules, they are as follows:
-Only the first encounter in an area may be caught
-If a Pokemon faints, it is considered dead and may no longer be used.
The Hardcore Nuzlockes add these two additional rules to make it challenging:
-No item use in battle
-No levelling past the next Gym Leader's highest level Pokemon.
The full rule set can be found here:
rules.pchal.tv
Happy Nuzlocking!
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Follow at: / pokemonchal
Edited by:
/ moshjarcus
/ moshjarcus

[@SinisterHoodedFigure]

There is a hack that actually forces those rules on you, that I am currently doing a nuzlocke of. Pokémon X Y Naturia... on hard mode. Due to very limited software at the moment I can only do a voiceless run, but the difficulty of this game... lets say there isn’t a successful run yet, on normal mode.

Yo aren't you the dude who made Blue Kaizo? I literally started Nuzlocking that game on my channel yesterday!

[@SinisterHoodedFigure]

Pokémon Challenges the very one. Also made Crystal Kaizo and Emerald Kaizo, as well as Pokémon Stadium Kaizo recently.

That's so sick man I love Blue Kaizo so far! Hmu on Twitter some time my dude!

[@mrorcadood]

Emerald Kaizo crushed my soul. I gave up when I got to Norman. And he forces no items in battle, and encounter rates are lowered to discourage grinding. The game could possibly be rigged as well, as the only Metronome that was used against me turned into Explosion. I have a level 50 Blaziken before the 5th gym fml

[@Kakarotta17]

SinisterHoodedFigure is there one for fire red or leaf green?

[@shotgunpete5117]

1 more rule: Change the switch mode to set, always.

[@MonoManaR]

Shotgun Pete hopefully he adds this to his rules

[@captianbacon]

Shotgun Pete I believe that's just a normal rule

[@captianbacon]

Shotgun Pete like every nuzlocke is set if you play with switch (excluding grinding perposes) its not a nuzlocke

[@KiranasOfRizon]

The original nuzlocke ruleset did not require the restriction of set. As long as it's "catch only the first pokemon on each route" and "release any pokemon that faints", it's a nuzlocke by definition.

[@shotgunpete5117]

Honestly I'm not sure if set is part of the "official nuzlocke" rules, but personally I feel it's a must for any more challenging playthrough, nuzlocke or not. Even just a regular playthrough becomes a lot more difficult because honestly the switch mode is way too easy. Even if you don't play by nuzlocke rules, the games can be pretty challenging if you play with set and don't overlevel your mons.

[@Asher17]

When I first played pokemon blue, back in 2nd grade, my mindset was "items suck, they use up a turn that i could use to battle." Even when I later realized that was not necessarily true, the mindset of "don't use items in battle" never left me.....little did I know I've been playing on super hardcore mode my whole life.

[@darklord4851]

Asher17 yeah I was like that for about 2-3 years

[@reverb-nb5xn]

Honestly same, on fire red I always chose charmander and just grinded my way up in the game, never using items in battle and never using any stat boosting items, honestly that was hardcore mode since I had to use a cheat for money to win, but I finally beat it and came back realizing how easy the game really is

[@kymreinaljadegalicha9961]

HAHAHAHA SEYM

[@takeyourheart3030]

I know right who’d have thought?

[@gfalconi]

I always used potions like crazy

[@IFalled]

If you don't want to overlevel, just play HGSS. You know, where the exp spread is complete bs

[@antonioiniguez1615]

Eiffal.B yeah.

[@xyzzy-dv6te]

GSC is like that too, _underleveled wild Pokemon_

[@toxiknao8826]

I've overleveled more in hgss than most games. Then again that's my favorite.

[@caiobarros7946]

have you tried sacred gold/storm silver? those hacks are pretty nice.

[@Prince-dt6wq]

Bs means

[@latrodectusmactans7592]

I think set mode, no overleveling, no items in battle is just a fun way to play even if you’re not doing a nuzlocke.

[@lordinfernape4753]

Thats exactly what I do I also dont heal in between elite 4 battles so I may reach the champion with only like 2 Pokemon Fortunatley legendaries are stupidly broken😂

[@Ledyba165]

Indeed. Even in a regular, non-nuzlocke run, I always play like that. Set, level limit and no items in battle. And I try to use Pokemon that aren't that strong. That way, even regular playthroughs can become really challenging.

[@lincolneyar8269]

One of the best Nuzlockers, in my opinion, is Marriland. He imposes challenges to every run very well and always changes it up in every game. He's actually one of those who employs item restrictions and level limits which makes it fairly challenging.

[@konnerhunter]

Lincoln Eyar Preach! 🙌🏼

[@kalebsok2947]

Didn’t he create the wedlocke?

[@keffertv304]

Dont forget thekingnappy

[@SunfishV]

Marriland, the true god.

[@1XRJ]

KingNappy is good but not as good as Marriland

[@challengerjakku1943]

Now that I think about it Ive never used an X Item...Ive had them in my bag sure but I prefer the extra attack over using an X item and possibly getting bodied.

[@sus4644]

??? ??? You're not the only one. I never use them too.

[@challengerjakku1943]

I used one rather recently in my pokemon ruby nuzlocke I miss recalled that Roxannes nosepass was level 13 instead of 15 so I went there level 12 Xitems stopped her pretty quickly.

[@yanmeggo]

Every time I get an X item I sell it LOL

[@TheRoyals98]

same. I have never used an x item, i always end up just selling them right before entering the elite four lol

[@HyperLuigi37]

One of the only places I’ve ever used X items is against that damn Smeargle in the battle with the Normal Trial guy in Sun/Ultra Sun, he was always before my second team member showed up and the stats just never made it seem plausible to beat him without insane luck, so I always find myself needing to resort to X items to have a chance.

[@TheEquestrianGallade]

"There are two broken mechanics... items and grinding levels." You know, two industry standards for RPG's since the beginning of time.

[@ChosenOne41]

It boggles my mind that these two things ever became industry standards. Even as a little kid I knew that items and over-leveling made JRPGs boring and mindless. Paper Mario had a level cap mechanic so I don't see why that didn't become the new standard. As for items they just simply should have them be balanced.

[@jaredloveless]

They're soOOO BROKEN!!!! lol

[@OriasRofocale]

@@ChosenOne41 I always tried to eek by on the lowest level possible, because I didn't want to spend so much time grinding, but items are kind of part of the flavor. I wouldn't particularly avoid them in old JRPGs, you still would be stuck in a cycle of failure if you were relying on them every turn, and Square games didn't really have much in the way of stat boosting items that I recall. My brother was more of the "grind to your highest spells at the first possible opportunity." I guess your sense of fun can vary.

[@chadnorris8257]

@@OriasRofocale I usually try to avoid grind by doing every quest and area possible. Like in Skyrim, you're always discovering new caves and stuff. I may have an objective across the map, but I will go in each area and clear it, just so I can level up.

[@meat2023]

@@ChosenOne41 Probably because no one played paper mario.

[@Rastaboulotte]

To be honest, the worst loophole is that you can have a Gyarados anytime on basically any game and he's always hella strong. At least he is 4x weak to electric... Also, I like to play with the rule that I cannot buy consumable, like potion and antidote. It makes you go to the healing center often, but at least it's hard.

This is a very good point. Gyarados is an absolute top tier Pokemon. Busted ability stats and typing for a level 20 evolution that's readily available as an encounter.

[@Rastaboulotte]

That time when the old rod is actually the best fishing rod in the game XD. Gotta dodge those Goldeens.

[@redwings13400]

Gyarados is absolutely ridiculous in nuzlockes. Absurdly op at level 20, then gets dragon dance to sweep e4 teams. Whenever I've had a gyarados in a nuzlocke the run gets about 10 times easier, even the weakness to electric types is pretty easy to play around, since electric coverage moves aren't all that common in pokemon.

[@petelee2477]

Yannick Lafontaine I don't see how having to do the tedious task of running to the pokemon center add challenge. Inconvenient but not challenging

[@Rastaboulotte]

Yeah you are right I meant it that way, sorry it was not clear. The fact that you cannot buy consumable makes you save the few you collect(this is the chanllenge) and healing to the pokemon center more frequent(This is the result of the rule and the inconvenience like you pointed out).

[@OfficialRedTeamReview]

Thank you for being a pokemon channel that doesn't copy/aste Jwittz's personality. seriously, like 90% of the other channels basically copy that guy. thank you for being original

[@ljaquos]

So...you're thanking him for not having enthusiasm?

[@MrScotteh]

ljaquos thanking him for not faking enthusiasm

[@OfficialRedTeamReview]

Meme Machine bingo

[@MxPokirby]

Because you're the absolute perfect judge of when a person isn't being their true self? Cute. Does your uncle work at Nintendo, too?

[@OfficialRedTeamReview]

Mr. Pokirby he does

[@Rehlaris]

I guess I just lack the patience for nuzlockes. I've never run a successful one. In Y, I got to the point where I fight Calem in front of the Alistar psychic gym, and he KO'd all my pokemon (mostly with his Delphox). I was doing a Wedlocke run with no items in battle, no overleveling (inspired by Marriland's Wedlockes), but I'd just recently lost four pokemon I'd had for like, ever, in the Ice caves, which has a LOT of difficult trainers and some double battles in there. I didn't train up my pokemon all the way, because I had what I thought I needed for the psychic gym, and I was only going to get the regular gym trainers outta the way first, but I didn't realize Calem was gonna be there. I also ran a pretty good blind White 2 run, and got up to that... western-like, airplane town's like, fiery cave thingy, where pokemon were just dropping left and right. And I've been trying to do an Omega Ruby nuzlocke for years with no luck-- I'm just pretty garbage at nuzlockes i guess

[@ZodiacEntertainment2]

Nuzlockes are hard and very luck based, but that's what I like about them.

[@TenshiPrime]

Back when I was eleven, I did this rule set with one difference. Two healing items in gym battles, has to be the same healing items they have!

[@senorspam9424]

only problem is, you have a lot more advantages other than healing that they don't have, like knowing their team and type, and being able to counter it. that's why we cant exactly shoot for fair gym battles in a standard pokemon game, maybe in romhacks that use competitive gym teams.

[@DiabloOGM72]

i see one other flaw with the regular Nuzlocke Challenge: being able to switch when you KO an opposing pokemon. being able to do that means you basically disable damage dealt to you if you're super effective. try it on Set Mode for a challenge

I actually specify this in my rulebook! I do indeed always play on set mode, switch is broken as hell!

[@Sheriel_Phoenix]

Wait people play on Switch mode for real?

[@harmless_xd4107]

Duncanox - Pokemon Videos! I did that for my first nuzlocke (oras) and I lost the Locke to Stevens mega metagross because I hit myself in confusion. Would have won otherwise

[@GIR177]

Pretty sure set mode is a no brainer decision for anyone past the age of 10. Even serious battle facilities and multiplayer follow set mode. Switch just destroys any possibility of the opponent having momentum.

[@reanamet1901]

It baffles me, but I believe, out of all people that play Pokemon games, most don't even realize that Set mode exists (and is really the only fair way to play the game).

[@cincinnattydaddy4105]

Damn Jan has come a long way, from these days

[@jamsgamingstation6023]

He didn't touch his nose once in this video 🤔

[@coinish2997]

@@jamsgamingstation6023 he touches his nose at 4:30

[@PeanutTechno]

Imagine speedrunners adding these restrictions onto speedruns and having that as a separate (glitchless) category....

[@sanfransiscon]

One of my new favorite ways to play isn't so much a challenge run, but more of a fun way to look at how Pokemon encounters are laid out. If anyone has an idea for a name for this type of playthrough, feel free to suggest it! The basic premise of this run is to only use Pokemon encountered en route to the next Gym Leader, and using a completely different team for the next. Using FireRed as an example, your first team could consist of your starter and anything you want to catch leading up to Brock's Gym. I like to impose level restrictions and no healing items in battle. After Brock's Gym, you must replace your entire team with encounters leading up to Misty's Gym, but you cannot catch something you already caught. Sometimes you can't reach an area with future encounters until beating the gym. In that case, I think it's fine to go there with the previous team and simply try to make as little progress as possible while picking up members of the new team. You can also return to earlier areas and use previous team members to help train the new team, and you won't need to worry about the old team overleveling since they won't be used again until the very end. After you defeat all the gyms, you create your final team, consisting of your starter and 4 MVPs, one per 2 gym badges, for example gym 2, gym 3, gym 6, gym 8. The 6th member of this team will be a single encounter of your choice that you find leading to the Elite Four. Again, there are a lot of house rules here. But I think it's a really interesting way to play, especially for later generations that have a wider variety of encounters per area.

[@vish5942]

3:46 nothing related to what you said but why did you use aqua tail when you clearly had bulldoze the magnezone line can't have levitate

Good catch! This is in the Rom Hack "Rising Ruby" where Wattsons Magneton has an Air Balloon! Heres the full fight if you're curious! www.twitch.tv/videos/150649521?sr=a&t=31s

[@zacklikestoramble2747]

No items in battle, no X items, Level limits, are all extremely common rules, there isnt anything special or "hardcore" about this

[@bellringgames8225]

Zack Likes To Ramble No items in battle means no poke balls. Pretty damn hardcore. (JK that would be hell)

[@servantofcygnus]

sensationalist 👏🏾 videos 👏🏾 generate 👏🏾 views! to think i actually clicked this in spite of the red-arrow-pointing-at-nothing-of-consequence video expecting a legitimately interesting outcome

[@TheDeathmail]

Well, for one it's a concept lots of people don't think about. Also, the purpose is for it to be a simple easy to remember and hardcore nuzlocke

[@BiddoTheScene]

Regal Killager Isn't it pointing at the items tab? Which he goes on about how items make nuzlockes too easy.

[@ccaad5]

It also doesn't occur to most people to abuse the shit out of the X items.

[@jackharley8917]

Dude I love the way you made this video!

[@jackharley8917]

MoshJarcus Did a great job on the editting too!

[@MoshJarcus]

Thanks dude!

[@tinkerer3399]

A slightly more moderate one that I use is that you can only use items that you find in the game, no purchasing them (excluding pokeballs). The second restriction is one that I've used for years since my first Nuzlocke Edit: But bear in mind that I've only done mainly blind Nuzlockes, only looking ahead to see the next gym leaders level.

[@aesheronanglvd3th309]

I always sort of bronzeman-ed items. I'll keep items stocked, but never hoard, and I use only 2 items max every battle. And while I never had a hard level cap, I've tried not to mindlessly grind too much either.

[@TehFoamy]

"Items trivialize teambuilding decisions" I agree with everything in this video but to be fair, you don't really have many teambuilding options in a Nuzlocke anyway since you're locked into picking from the first Pokémon you catch in each area

[@FlashRave]

You can (ab)use repels to get better Pokemon in an area. Like, in red/ blue you can use repels in Veridian Forest to have a better shot at getting a Pikachu.

[@springD12]

"You should only do Nuzlocks for the games you are familiar with" Good to know... *hiding the fact I failed a Pokemon Black Blind Nuzlock*

[@miiwong111]

this is a super old comment but I did too lmao went into the elite 4 unhealed and unprepared cos I was a dummy and didn't realise it was the elite 4 room

[@robmacher3253]

@@miiwong111 I did a blind nuzlock of Emerald and did mostly fine. Granted i overleveled at least 3 of the gym leaders and i did get swept by Drake's Salamence, but i did pretty well for the most part.

[@shmirko1665]

I'ma do a blind X run, with some extra hard rules. Dunno if I'll do a no healing items run, but I'll surely not use mega's, they are bs

[@VerryLongName]

@@shmirko1665 the main villain boss has a mega that you should try to be prepared for. He uses the regular form in the first battle

[@Peelster1]

@@VerryLongName You commenting this even though it doesn't tell much, would make the run no longer completely blind if they read your comment, defeating the purpose. I know you just wanted to help, but a blind run means no information at all.

[@jeremyl2728]

I only found this guy out like a month or two ago and I love is content. But it is crazy to see him going from belittling the chat and KZbin scrubs two sounding genuine and wholesome it's it's I can't

[@siffumetsu271]

Funny thing try this even without a nuzlock it makes the game more interesting I banned bags during battle for normal playthroughs now

[@sosorry1237]

When i do nuzlockes i also apply these rules, though i allow held items just because none of them are really broken and really just help you build little strategies.

[@drewpamon]

Nuzlock is not about making the game harder. It's about making you care about your pokemon

That's the beautiful thing about playing this game, everyone sees something else in it that they find fun!

[@crono276]

Why not both?

[@XoAngelJaycee]

drewpamon which one can care about their Pokémon without doing a nuzlocke which I find boring as all hell and un-enjoyable.

[@SuperGuldo]

bullshit lmao as if i give a fuck about virtual battle machines

[@greedow]

nuzlocke was originally called pokemon hard mode... it's about making it hard.

[@emmettracine8310]

Another way to do it but still have items is to put a simple item limit in place. Whether it's 1 per pokemon or 3 per battle, the rules are very flexible to the level of challenge you want. That's why Nuzlockes are so good.

[@catskills8553]

I was surprised how much harder these simple tweaks made a Nuzlocke, good video!

[@clownsingularity]

People telling me nuzlockes arent hard, now i just feel bad

[@vinnyjefferson2085]

Has anyone actually ever used x Items. I just use them as way to get more money by selling them.

[@nairb2173]

They’re boring so I’ve never used them, but in speedruns and item-allowing nuzlockes they’re OP as hell

[@animator4287]

DUDE I JUST STARTED PLAYING POKEMON AND I HAVE THE SAME MINDSET I SOLD ALL MINE.

[@Tree_-wp5zn]

Challenge runs.

[@ChosenOne41]

I started playing Pokemon Stadium recently and found it to be crazy difficult at first because you can't use items or over-level your opponents which I have become so used to. This made me realize that Pokemon is a very fun and challenging series when over-leveling and items are taken out of the picture. Also set mode is a thing.

[@PvtVallen]

I often use these runs too, but the only way I actually managed to challenge myself was by adding an extra rule. If you own more than 12 pokemon (party + boxes combined) when you beat a gym leader, release your winning team. Without a rule like this you just dont lose enough pokemon on a run to ever make it a challenge.

[@pokekidplays3899]

Jan talking about how gym leaders are more rewarding with HC rules, my god it is

[@islarf5095]

That red arrow though

[@treefiddy_Yugo-slay-via]

What about it?

[@flamingbull3438]

I'm going to try this out! I find that the challenging battles always seem to be the most rewarding, so hopefully this can make even early gyms more fun to battle

[@tvheadted2441]

Lol I’ve actually been playing by your suggested rules since I started playing Nuzlockes! Cool video!

[@fullauto2006]

This was Jan before Nuzlockes corrupted his soul. Lmao i found this video and el-oh-elled

[@fabianzeledon2015]

Great video pc, just wanna mention that mincinno in the first clip is named after me

[@leafegreens]

One time I did what I called the Rainbow Challenge, not necessarily to make the game more difficult but to change the way I approached things. Basically the primary colors of you team have to match the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. You can either use your own judgment as far as colors go, or go by the "offical" dex colors if you want something more structured (just substitute brown pokemon for the orange slot). It can lead to a lot of interesting situations, such as pokemon that have multiple forms, or pokemon that change colors after evolving. Or what if you catch a shiny? Suddenly Espeon can fill that green slot, even though it would normally be violet. Feel free to add, remove, or alter any rules to suit your personal preferences, the important thing is to have fun while experiencing the game in a new way.

[@kaosmage20]

Question with the overleveling rule, if your pokemon levels up during the gym fight to past the limit would that count as breaking the rules or would that be up to the person on whether it breaks the rules or not?

[@morgankingsley4992]

Marriland does this all the time

[@PatSmashYT]

A nuzlocke resulted in me sweeping every gym with an overpowered excadrill

[@captainspartan04]

He banned himself from using excadrill I’m pretty sure because of how op it is

[@captainjibe1340]

I started playing with these rules because of you and to be fair it’s much harder and more fulfilling

[@nogy8884]

Damn I remember seeing this video pop up in my youtube feed back when it came out. We've come a long way since then, huh

[@Dukstless]

You mean there are people who don't enforce level cap? think.png

[@DerMaflon]

Thought the same thing. Everyone caps at the gym leaders signature pokemon

[@robmacher3253]

@@DerMaflon I actually overleveled the second half of the gym leaders when i did a nuzlocke of Emerald, but that's because i never did a full playthrough of that game prior to my nuzlock so it was mostly blind.

[@kamikazesenpai21]

Well i try not to overlevel but i dont have a *strict* level cap

[@charliesmith1358]

Turns out the only thing I wasn't already doing here is not using healing items. X items I considered useless because for most pokemon you can get a move that boosts more then one stage for a stat that it uses. And overleveling required grinding on routes where you barely get any exp, which is incredibly boring so I never did it. I'm finding it hard enough with healing items anyway so I'll keep to them for now lmao

[@beardlessdragon]

I have played with the Gym leader level rule for quite a while now, but have been too nervous to try no items lol. I definitely need to try that for my next Nuzlocke though

[@davidesenwein3029]

Pokemon Challenges, I am playing Pokemon Fire Red on my laptop, I only caught one Pokemon per route, and have not use an item in battle. All my Pokemon are nicknamed, I defeated Misty's level 21 Starmie with my level 19 Ivysaur. None of my Pokemon fainted yet.

[@finn_underwood]

Due to being a coward myself, I play Nuzlockes with similar rules, except I have a few tweaks to the no-Items rule: One playstyle I use is I permit myself the usage of a grand total of 1 potion, 1 super potion, and 1 hyper potion, PER GAME. Meaning that, if I use a potion in the first gym, that's it, I can no longer use any more potions for the rest of the game. (No Max Potion, no Revies, no Healing Items of any kind ouside of those three bottles.) The other playstyle I use is Berries Only; The only items I can use on Pokemon are Berries. To make it more difficult, I also add the condition that I can't plant nor grow any berries myself; I can only use the ones I find in the wild. (again, no potions or healing or revives of any form outside of berries.) Idk, I just found those playstlyes a bit less hardcore, but still a challenge. Perfect for someone like me.

[@Espeon804]

I don't do these rules. But this is how I play a Nuzlocke: RULES: 1. Catch first PKMN in each new area. Only one. If fainted, then too bad. 2. If PKMN faints, box or release to never use again. 3. Have Options for turns set to "SET". Meaning opponent sends out next Pokémon without question. 4. Cannot have more than 10 of each potion in stock. CANNOT use revives.. (Sell them away.) 5. No duplicate items. Including Z-Moves. One Z-Move for each Pokémon is allowed. 6. You MUST battle every wild Pokémon encountered. (See mercy rules) 7. NO healing moves. (Roost, Recover, Swallow, ect.) 8. CANNOT use booster stat items. (X Attack, X Defend, etc.) MERCY RULES: 1. *Shiny Luck:* If any encounter is a shiny, you may capture and use it. But it must be boxed when dead. 2. *Three Strikes, you're out:* You have 3 lives. But not 3 for each PKMN. You can only revive any Pokémon 3 times. However it is used depends on the player. (Ex. 2 lives used on a Dragonite. 1 on an Espeon.) 3. *Emergency Exit:* If you feel the need to flee, you can only run once per area. (Area flee rule is reset when left.) 4. *Item Savior:* Berries are allowed, including healing berries. What do you think? Do any of you play this way? This made me attached to a freakin Rhydon, and I don't even like it that much. R.I.P "KrASHer" The Rhydon. Died to Lance Dragonite Critical-hit Dragon Rush at level 46.

[@LunatheMoonDragon]

Espeon804 Your rules look fun! However, some of the rules actually make the playthrough much easier than even the standard nuzlocke. If that’s how you like to play, then play on! But it doesn’t really fit the theme of making a nuzlocke more challenging

[@Espeon804]

LunatheMoonDragon Well, if I remove the 3 lives mercy rule, then it is more difficult.

[@LunatheMoonDragon]

You also allow Z moves, which are incredibly broken. Hey man, no shame. Sometimes I let my dead pokemon come back because I'm weak lol

[@Espeon804]

LunatheMoonDragon Lol. I never did a Nuzlocke for gen 7, so I guess Z-Moves aren't allowed in the regular challenge, huh? I did it for gen 4, and goodness. Lance destroyed me.

[@Rizack94]

Espeon804 I don't even know what z-moves are xD I stopped to bw since i don't have a 3ds and still avoiding spoilers for xy/oras/(u)sm

[@elSteeler]

Why do you allow the exp share in gen 6 and 7? Does it just save on grinding without having to sacrifice too much difficulty? I usually only nuzlocke older games with a similar ruleset, although harder. Level caps are leader's lowest Pokemon and it's a dungeon crawl where I can't backtrack a route or cave without beating every trainer.

[@inkarnator7717]

You may have left it out because it's obvius, though there is also the rule that you are not allowed to reset and reload.

[@snafutari8799]

My main rules seem stupid, until you actually try it. 1) only use the standard pokeball, i.e. no great balls or ultra balls. 2) don't fly anywhere. This makes platinum hell.

[@Purpose_Porpoise]

That just seems tedious.

[@KlaviceGavin]

Don't use the running shoes or bike. Then the game gets so ridiculously slow you ragequit unless you're using a speed up key.

[@bluejay43]

I mean, I already use these rules even if I'm not doing a nuzlocke.

[@arshana4081]

i once play emerald, and somewhat stuck on map because trainer npc block the exit way. its game over if i dont use fly lol

[@hawxtalongaming7486]

*sweats*

[@slendveny7191]

Wait, people actually use items in battle? I've been doing challenge runs for a while now.

[@rhench]

Hi PC! Been enjoying your content as a recent new subscriber. What happens if a pokemon dies and you later encounter another of that line? Can you catch it since you no longer have the original, or would you move on since you already had one?

[@CarlosRodriguez-dh7mm]

I think a good level cap would be keeping track of the highest level you've encountered. If you find a level 38 Tentacruel, then that's as high as you can go until you find a level 40 Seadra or whatever.

[@commonviewer2488]

How do you have the patience to grind for happiness without items? It's such a slog to go through

[@MrLeonLuffy]

I think this is how Projared does this, but also set battle option not switch

[@encycl07pedia-]

I think he overleveled. Not sure, but I can't imagine beating a Nuzlocke without either items or overleveling.

[@MrLeonLuffy]

@@encycl07pedia- oh wow you have no idea what you just did, I am now a Pokemon Challenges fan but had no idea I left this comment on a video of his 3 years ago, I thought I just found him a few months ago for the first time. But yeah check out his channel he really does beat the games like this and an even more insane challenge on way harder pokemon ROM hacks

[@chrisgroves8891]

What is the ruling on gift Pokémon. So I’m doing my first nuzlocke and it’s a hardcore of Pokémon x can you use gift/static Pokémon and the Route encounter. For example can you use the Route 7 snorlax and Route 7 encounter or the glittering cave encounter and a gift fossil Pokémon. Also I’m assuming you can’t revive any fossil of choice (old amber for aeradactyl instead of the fossils given)

[@VerryLongName]

What do people think about only using set mode during boss/gym/rival fights for HC nuzlockes? I saw SHF do this in his RenPlat run that he discontinued. I think it's a great way to optimize experience gain while still keeping the difficulty of the boss battles. I think set mode on games/romhacks that don't have the improved EXP share (all team members get EXP) makes it harder to get enough experience to every member of the team before the fights. Being able to switch train in regular battles to level up the weaker mons is very effective if you wanna skip the extra grinding. I love nuzlocke runs, but I don't want to have to grind too much, especially if I'm not playing on an emulator.

[@christophercrane2323]

I already do these rules. I thought most people did.

[@sosorry1237]

Christopher Crane Well some do the first one and while definetly less common some might do the second one, but this wasnt really that much about a new idea as just sharing this way of nuzlocking.

[@VerdantSerpents]

I think most people do regardless of if its a Locke or not. I can't stand wasting money and items for story mode, and grinding literally defeats the point and adds tedium

[@sandraplattsphoneaccount7799]

I always grind, especially in Nuzlokes ( If the pokemon always die from fainting or not ), makes opponent's critical hits less OP

[@godqueensadie]

While I agree about X-items and overleveling, I rarely see players use X-items even in casual runs, or intentionally overlevel. Using healing items hardly trivializes the challenge, either, as crits and healing loops are still a factor, and using items forces you to take a hit regardless. Pokemon is an RPG, and as such, there are RNG elements to the battles. The 2 main rules for a Nuzlocke make the game harder simply by exacerbating the RNG, and increasing the damage bad RNG causes. This is the actual reason Nuzlocke's are flawed, because they don't really make beating the game more challenging, it just forces the player to win more coin flips to succeed. Not allowing the use of items at all in battle just worsens that. I enjoy Nuzlocke's with the 2 main rules not because it adds fair challenge(because it simply doesn't), but because of the added feeling of attachment that's formed by knowing that you can lose Pokemon forever, and they can't be so easily replaced, in addition to it forcing me to use playstyles I'd never otherwise use. If I want a fair challenge, there are other games for that that don't rely on RNG.

[@Cailan_Mors]

People actually use X items? Since when?

[@stagelights_]

i actually go for "no items in battle" rulesets in my normal pokemon runs too lol

[@dierpy5872]

also make that you can't switch pokemon when the opponent pokemon is defeated und switchs his next pokemon in

Yes I forgot to mention this but this is super important. Playing on set is a necessity imo

[@FantasyAngel-zj7bw]

That's a bit much. Rules out a lot of the strategy. I think that would make it less fun, and NPCs hardly ever switch anyway.

[@andrewlee6378]

So I can't use pokeballs

[@noahrios3537]

Earned a sub and a like, some people play with these rules already but the ones who dont should give it a try, it makes the classic pokemon games so much more challenging and increases your pokemon knowledge with type effectiveness and resistance

[@Peelster1]

One thing people have been mentioning lately is that even with level caps, you still outnumber your opponent. Solution: Only bring the number of Pokemon to the Gym that the leader has. Problem: You still outlevel all but their ace. Solution: Level match for each individual pokemon. You cannot possibly level match for the Elite Four, as they have 26 Pokemon in total. So you can either level match to the 4th member on entry and bring 5 Pokemon or the Champion and bring 6. Instead of level matching to the individual pokemon, you can instead use the average level. Decide which law of averages you wish to use beforehand; Mean, Median, Mode, or Range. Mean is the sum of all the levels divided by the number of Pokemon. Median is the middle number, when you list all the levels from least to greatest. Mode is the most common number. Range average is similar to median, but is the lowest level plus the highest level and than divide the sum by 2. Brock in Red, Blue and FireRed and LeafGreen has a Lv 12 Geodude and a Lv 14 Onix. You fight at level 13 with 2 Pokemon. Mean and Range are both 13 here, there is no Median or Mode. Roxanne in Emerald has 2 Level 12 Geodudes and a Lv 15 Nosepass. Your level you fight at will vary based on what you picked for your law of average. Mean: 12+12+15=39/3=13 Median: 12, 12, 15 The middle number is 12. Mode: The most common number is 12. Range: (12+15)/2=13.5 round up to 14. Giovanni 5 pokemon levels in Red and Blue: 42, 44, 45, 45, 50 Mean: Sum total 226/5=45.2 Round down to 45. Median: 45 (3rd number in list) Mode: 45 (2 occurrences) Range: (42+50)/2=46 The Elite Four in RBY: (Listed from lowest level to highest level, not by trainer) 53 53 54 54 55 55 55 56 56 56 56 56 56 56 58 58 58 59 60 60 61 61 61 62 63 65 Mean: 1497/26=57.57692 Round up to 58. Median: 56 (The 13th and 14th number. There is no dead center as 26 is an even number, but both numbers are 56 regardless. If they weren't both the same, average both numbers together and round accordingly.) Mode: 56 (7 occurrences) Range: (53+65)/2=59 You can do this for Pokemon Colosseum and XD as well as colosseums have 4 trainers (usually), and Mt. Battle has 10 trainers per Area. In the final Mt. Battle Area of Pokemon Colosseum there are 10 trainers who have 45 Pokemon among them. Mean: Level Total of All Pokemon/45 Pokemon Answer is 59.8. Round up to 60. Median: The 23rd Pokemon in order of Level from Lowest to Highest. Which is 60. Mode: The most common level among them. In this case 60, as almost every trainer has all level 60s. Range: The sum of the lowest level plus the highest level divided by 2. In this case the range is 58-60 so it is 59. You could also try that for the 1-100 Mt. Battle Challenge in which you need to use the same team on one continues challenge. In which case... Mean: 100 trainers full rosters level grand total/divided by how many pokemon all 100 trainers have in total. (I'm not counting the number of pokemon you knock out in a full Mt. Battle right now.) Median: Whatever the middle number is in that large amount of Pokemon. Mode: Whatever the most common level is from the 1st trainer to the 100th trainer. Range: (15+60)/2 37.5 Round up to 38.

[@Greninjia]

Ttar's extreme randomizer nuzlocke NOW THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL DIFFICULT

[@yebo1457]

That's cause the devs scaled it compared to the actual games, imagine if he was using this "no items" rule in both his extreme randomizer and in the Insurgence Nuzlocke. He'd lose quicc af.

[@Greninjia]

the extreme randomizer is difficult tho you are right though

[@lancosty8519]

When I play nuzlockes I use some similar rules, like for example, you can’t buy potions and items, you can only use the ones you find in the way. You can use the items inside battle instead of outside battle, outside battle is illegal. In the Pokemon league, you are allowed to buy as many Full restores as you want, but you can only use them when your oponent uses one full restore. Lets say Blue uses one full restore, you are allowed to use only one full restore. I hope some of you try it out, have a great day

[@trillionbones89]

Is there a consensus on repeating Pokemon or Pokemon you caught lesser evolutions from? I personally make it up as I go along, but I don't want to have a guaranteed Pokemon because I got 2/3 from a route. No Items is a good idea! For an "easy" nuzlocke you can limit Revives to only those you found - and for its recovery from death is has to wait until all the other team members have reached the level of the highest pokemon before being used in battle/encounter again. (I had this small feature because I got impatient leveling up a weak Pokemon and it eventually died after investing 30min.) The most frustrating thing about Nuzlocke is when you finally surf and have to catch a Lvl 10 Tentacruel only for the next encounter to be a Lvl30 Tentacruel. :/

[@Acecard-jl2py]

I did a mono type lock once. All were steel type and I had to rely on their secondary typing to my advantage. But it's like only having six pokemon with only one type hindered by one more type. I went Emopleon, Magnezone, Lucario, Aggron, Skarmory and Scizor. It was a pretty interesting challenge.

[@platypusfriend77]

In terms of healing items I use a rule I call reaction item usage. Every time an opponent uses an item on their Pokémon I gain the ability to use any item of my choice within that battle. Just how I do it.

[@MasterJ_2003]

I'm only just doing my first nuzlocke, I might try this "hard-locke" after I've completed my second

[@party_joey5115]

I’ve been not using items in battle for awhile now and it makes Pokémon so much more fun

[@kevinliu9539]

Do you play with species clause on? The one where if your first encounter in an area is the same pokemon as one you've already caught?

[@AshenDust_]

I always do.

[@michaelashby708]

Another rule I use in "hardcore" nuzlokes when I look up the level of the next gym leaders Pokémon I use the same number of Pokémon the gym leader has

[@fandemusique4693]

Should be logic though. I mean, it's what is done in the anime, the people who complain about how they rekt pokemon are the same who don't use the same amount of pokemon and spam the potions.

[@knightarcane4920]

Depends on how hard the game is, if its an actual Nintendo released game sure thats fair, but if it's a rom hack or fan made game design to be tougher with pokemon having diverse move pools and in one hack i played the opponent pokemon having evs and in some case good ivs, you are gonna need to have that team of six every time

[@fandemusique4693]

@@knightarcane4920 still, using more pokemon than the opponent and can using more and better healing item is cheating, when you don't have those advantages and still won, there you can complain of how easy pokemon is.

[@katsuo2823]

Randomised nuzlock is too difficult . You can get a truant starter and your gym leader might have a arceus with wonder guard so it's tough

[@wyatthepner203]

pragyan Joshi most randomizer programs have things like disable bad,broken,or overpowered abilities up to a certain point though

[@mrorcadood]

I got a Slow Start Sceptile in Platinum but the game made up for it by giving me a Huge Power Raticate

[@SuperGuldo]

randomized nuzlock is too easy did one with a friend in plat and we got tyranitar crunch one shot everything

[@haitamc5611]

No its actually easier then the ordinary. Catch a legendary. Sweep the game with it. I had an insanely OP team in heartgold. Venusaur, Latios (with soul dew ), Gyarados, Raikou ...

[@finalscore2983]

I personally always go for a no legendaries or pseudo's, because they immediately render the game far too easy. Or, only ever use the first 6 pokemon you encounter.

[@SoggyWafflesXp]

But what is the Pokémon over levels in the middle of the gym or elite 4 battle?

[@CallMeMebe]

:/ I just realized I've been playing Nuzlocke's incorrectly in that I've added additional rules always assuming they were part of the original rules... The no items during battles, or in between gym battles (except for Pokeball for first encounters), and the rule that your Pokemon's levels can't be over the highest level of the next gym leader's Pokemon were just rules I always used to play by in Nuzlocke. I think this way of playing is definitely more fun and challenging. Additional rules I also play by is no using Repels and no running away (unless your Pokemon are on the verge of overlevelling) First Pokemon you meet on each route/city, but if you have a repeat of a Pokemon you already have, it's a bust and so you lose your chance. (So if I catch a Pidgey on route 1 and on route 2 the first Pokemon I meet is Pidgey again, I lose my chance of catching it.) Exception to the rule is if the previously caught Pokemon is dead. (so in the previous example, if I caught a pidgey route 1, but i killed it, then I can catch pidgey on route 2) No leaving the Gym in the middle, so you have to finish the entire gym without healing or using items. (Elite 4 you can use items between each member)

[@dbn6585]

having no items is all fine and dandy, restricting urself? no problem, but if the oponent ai does heal and we can't, i see some shenanigans there..

[@RazorusR3X777]

Sister Abigail you could resteict yourself to only using 2 or 3 healing items in a gym or boss trainer battle

[@mflowersz5422]

Sister Abigail Or just use the same amount of items they sue

[@anon2447]

i restrict myself to buying only 6 Items per shop, including Pokeballs so i'll have to balance Pokeballs with Pots and X items and it's been really fun.

[@devastatheseeker9967]

Hey...guess what? EVERYONE KNOWS ITEMS ARE BROKEN

Apparently game freak didn't when they made x-items twice as strong in gen 7 :^)

[@devastatheseeker9967]

Pokémon Challenges i think it's because the majority of the casual community didn't think of them as useful at all. Considering that most people never want their mon to have a move like harden or howl compared to iron defense and swords dance the casual community see x items as a minor item with no real value. I think you do a good job of explaining why x items are actually good though

[@Lukidukification]

gamefreak's target audience is also 6-12

[@myfavoritethingschannel7610]

They didn't make this game to be played that way so ... It not there fault

[@Abyssionknight]

Not sure why this was recommended to me now, but I'm glad these rules caught on! They're the rules i've been using ever since Marriland's Platinum Nuzlocke back in 2013. Though his rules also require you to remain in set mode the entire game, so no advanced warning on what your opponent will be using.

[@Nekromant05]

I just finished my first ever Nuzlocke, a Randomised Pokemon Red, where many trainers in the end had a Mewtu including Lorelai (thank god I had Lapras!). I did use Items and Switch Mode in Battles because in a randomiser you cannot really prepare for the next fight at all so for my first time that was just to hard for me but I really want to do a real Nuzlocke next. But I have a question regarding Safari Zone. Do you really use the first encounter rule for that? I mean there just is not anything you can do in Safari Zone but throwing a Ball and pray. So I came up with the aditional Safari Zone rule that you go in, throw a ball at every encounter you have and the first one to stay in is your encounter. If you run out of Safariballs or Steps before you catch one you failed your encounter.

[@that-guy-pearce]

The video’s fine for the most part, but if I may offer some constructive criticism, try not to make it look like you’re reading a script. Makes it seem more spontaneous and people will be more willing to watch

[@seandon3k]

Secret Steve good tip thats fax

[@nannerbananner5559]

If these are rules that you would like to apply to your Nuzlocke, then that's great! You're an experienced player who can face this sort of challenge and overcome it and feel satisfied in doing so. However, saying that the original "rules" are broken and "too easy" is a bit silly. These are all self-imposed rules. No one is really keeping track. If a player wants to do a vanilla run in order to just have fun or familiarize themselves with the concept, then they are welcome to and they really don't deserve someone telling them that they're "not playing it hard enough".

[@janehrahan5116]

The purpose of the nuzlocke is to be relatively difficult to a rational functional adult. Items make the games trivially easy for any said functional adult. If you find a trivially easy game more power too you, regardless a classic nuzlocke does fail at its stated goal in an objective sense.

[@nannerbananner5559]

@@janehrahan5116 The way you word this immediately insults anyone who'd prefer to stick to vanilla rules, as if doing so makes people "disfunctional" or incompetent. More over, it assumes only an adult would play a Nuzlocke. There are players of all ages and varying degrees of experience with the game. There are children who look at popular KZbin channels and want to try out a Nuzlocke like their favorite content creator. There are players who are unfamiliar with the new gens or with Pokemon altogether and might want to try it out. Assuming similarly experienced players do Nuzlockes is irrational. Moreover, I would actually like to apologize because this post was meant as a reply to a comment which was dissing players who do vanilla runs, but I somehow doofed really hard and posted it as a separate comment instead. orz

[@animator4287]

@@nannerbananner5559 Trust me mate, he knows, he was just putting out his opinion out there, in his newest vid I think? It was about his rules and he said he wasn’t forcing it to anybody and wouldn’t really recommend them, unless they really want to.

[@elton8135]

lol i was watching this out of curiosity, but then discovered that most of that my favorite youtuber already have been doing it for years, can't use a pokemon over the level of the gym or the champion, can't buy anything apart from pokeballs and repels, can't use items outside of battle, so every potion is important, and the better ones rather save them until the elite four.

[@Sgogeta80]

Hello I appreciate the ruleset. I do have one question about the over leveling. The rules state no leveling past the Gym Leader's highest level pokemon, but what exactly counts as the "gym battle"? Is it the fight against the leader, or is it the trainers in the gym. If I already have a full team that's at the level cap, challenge the trainers in the gym, and one of the mons overlevel, do I forfeit "x" mon until the gym leader battle is over? I guess I just need clarification on what counts as the "gym battle"

[@animator4287]

Gym Leaders ace

[@boredhuman6512]

Ughhhh not for me. I can't stand having lower level lol

[@Heinz_Egbert]

Same,im always scared of losing a pokémon

[@Tyler_Gomola]

Hey anyone feel like this is totally being over though? Or that they're ignoring that it's a game and just meant to fun?

[@praetosstuff8230]

Tyler Gomola Some people enjoy something challenging. But yeah, I see your point though.

[@Jaden-lv7kx]

I'm fairly certain most people who do these challenges are people who have played the game 1000 times before and no longer find much challenge or interest in the standard game.

It all kind of depends what's fun to you in games. Me personally, and a lot of other Nuzlocke players like being challenged and having to go all out in terms of strategy and optimization. Other people might enjoy the exploration, collecting or online battling! That's why the Pokémon games are among my favorite games ever. You have so much freedom in how you want to play through the game.

[@Tyler_Gomola]

Pokémon Challenges see I personally don't know what the attraction is towards frustratingly hard games, like extreme nuzlocks or the Souls franchise. They seem like exercises in masochism

[@Jaden-lv7kx]

haha, they certainly can be. I think its to get a feeling of accomplishment though mostly. After all nearly everyone wants to have something that they mastered. These sort of things prove that.

[@dood3530]

Overall I like this ruleset, but how would you handle items for the Elite Four? Without over-leveling, I really can't imagine anyone making it through the Elite Four with NO items whatsoever. I've done runs where I can only use items outside of battle, and it made things much more reasonable, while also remaining intense in the middle of combat.

[@danielholmqvist2713]

I'm playing Black 2 (vanilla) and to make those easy ass games challenging too I'm also doing 3 levels less than every gym leader, and only being able to use as many pokemon as my opponent in every major battle. Thinking about the baton pass rule too (no reuse of the same pokemon in any major battle). Should be said that the three level deficit on gym leaders can be ignored for the first (and maybe second)gym since that's literally impossible otherwise

[@keerokamiya9126]

Okay haaaaang on a second. I have a dew issues with your claims about Nuzlockes. 1st : The X items and healing items. Those cost money man they aren't free, so when you've used them all up for the dozens of grinding sessions you're outta luck for the trainer battles. That's not even counting the money you need for pokeballs so you can actually catch something, because not every encounter is gonna BE caught at all or easily. 2nd : The No items rule is ridiculous because Gym leaders will use potions in later gens. Not to mention gen 7 and all it's broken totems 2 V 1 and the Kahuna and their Z moves. There is NO guarantee that you'll find a first encounter that'll help your team THAT much in a way you need. I mean come on this is pokemon, there's ALWAYS way too many variables to consider in battle. Crits, status effects, min and max rolls. This video is ridiculous garbage.

[@raze2012_]

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. That's kinda why a variation I consider on the item clause is reciprocation: if a leader uses a full restore that battle, I can use one in battle. It's never really a problem unless you are actively going out of your way to overgrind (which I never do to begin with. I get bored). never did a S/M nuzlocke, but I never considered the totem point. guess people can either eat it or make exceptions as the need. .

[@KingFudge]

Glad somebody said it before me. I'm nuzlocking ultra sun right now... I cannot imagine doing it without X items.

[@fishpop]

No items & no over-levelling. AKA what Marriland always does... You smack your lips a lot...

[@Yvs8962]

Ive always done no items in battle, but I just recently started implimenting an over level restriction. Though how I impliment that varies based on which game Im nuzlocking. I use a modified over leveling rule for the Drayano challenge hacks for example where I can be 1-5 levels higher than the gym. Without being higher leveled, some gyms in those games, especially the early ones, can legit be like impossible to reliably get through if you dont get the right first encounters on the early routes. That being said an addition to the rule is Im not allowed to grind to be over leveled, I can grind, but only to have my levels on par with the leader. My Pokemon can only be over leveled if they got that way simply progressing through the game normally.

[@geoserenity]

Due to how pokemon getting hit in battle is inevitable, I would say allow hp healing items and pokeballs only, but in a tier system. Pokeballs as needed according to nuzlocke rules, as for potions: Potion-from start super potion-after 2nd gym lemonade-after 5th gym hyper potion-after 8th gym Max potion and full restore not allowed, but other healing items may be as healing amount dictates. Status healing items not allowed in or out of battle.

[@Algernonab]

I wonder if implementing something like this would even be possible in an SMT/Persona game. I wrote a set of Nuzlocke rules for Persona 3, 4, and 5, but found them to be quite easy when I did P5R, even though it was my 1st playthrough and I was playing on Hard Mode. P3 and P4 are proving to be a bit more of a challenge than it though. I also plan on attempting to write rules for SMT3 and SMT5 when those drop for the Switch/PS4 in early 2021.

[@pepicisam]

battle style set and only using a pokecenter once when entering the city and only able to use it again after a gym leader is defeated cripples you. my 1st time through black and white 2 were played with those rules and no item usage in battle and essentially turned into a golduck solo run as everything i caught would get crit during battles while trying to level.

[@Leaky107]

The personality difference of him now is astonishing

[@ScrapperTBP]

This is how my friend and I do it along with a randomizer and soullocke template