>>11562257I find defense to be the most exciting type to play because of the threat of attack types. In X, attack types are busted, stamina types are still boring, and balance types can't compete against the other min-maxed types. Defense types get bullied a lot but when they work they are great because they go against the full force of the game.
They are viable but you need to be really good at positioning. I'm the Tusk Mammoth spammer and I play it as a defense type. It works wonders as long as my strategy works, which is tilting to catch the attacks at an angle. What I believe happens in this case is that by tilting, not just the blade but the axis takes the force of the impact and can redirect it to the stadium.
I am also testing Golem Rock and Cobalt Drake as defense types and something I've found is that having a low center of gravity (through Under Needle or Low Orb), helps them to get stuck in place. A strategy I try with them is to avoid the center and gatekeep the rail by standing on the entrance at the left. You'll get smacked but you're meant to get smacked, and as long as the attack type doesn't hit the rail you can survive. As with every gen, attack types, except for phoenix, are only a threat in the first seconds of the game so all you need to do is to survive those first seconds of the match.
Once I have the time I'll bring my defense combos to a tournament to prove my theory.
