@Blazerelease

When one is given a power, such as the Sharingan, we see them use that specific ability to the fullest. The rinnegan has such a variety of techniques that regular ninjutsu attacks are not necessary.

I don't believe there is a difference here. If Nagato can assign specific abilities to specific corpses (but cannot switch them remotely), then he can do the same for regular ninjutsu. Yet, if this assignment is unique (due to, say, the nature of the Six Paths of Pain technique), then he would obviously save the ninjutsu for himself.

I see

Though in most cases, they avoid using those powers, like Genin Sasuke and Kakashi from part 1, Madara and his PS, and some others. Yet, these indivuals excel in basic ninjutsu and taijutsu. Their mere fire release were strong enough to overpower a water release jutsu, one of them mastered an S Rank jutsu to the point of making different versions of it. Basically, Nagato isn't the same as others when it's about Basic ninjutsu. He overwhelms and sometimes survives his opponent that excel in Ninjutsu, through the aid of his Rinnegen techs, without them, he's not that much of a threat.

Not true, he didn't use most Rinnegan techs until after Hanzo killed Yahiko, we just weren't shown him using other techs before that. He has many techs he uses afterwards. Here is some non Rinnegan techs he has used

Amplification Summoning Technique, Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, Five-Seal Barrier, Genjutsu Protect, Hidden Doorway Technique, Magic Lantern Body Technique, Mirrored Sudden Attacker Technique, Rain Tiger at Will Technique, Sensing Technique, Shadow Clone Technique, Shapeshifting Technique, Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave, Water Release: Wild Water Wave, Wind Release: Air Bullets, and Wind Release: Gale Palm.

To me him not using it is PIS. We have seen him using substitution jutsu in the manga. So if he can use substitution, why can't he use his wind style? That wind style would have been useful when naruto was using smoke bombs against him, no?

Plot stupidity man, plot stupidity.

Pain also summons the Gedo Mazou actually in episode 10 lol.

What was the last time Substitution worked on anyone? I don't think any Dojutsu user has ever been fooled by one. Nor has anyone with sensing capabilities.

Secondly, we know that the paths (bodies) have unique powers (e.g. Ashura path can't use Deva Path), so clearly if Nagato keeps the Ninjutsu assigned to himself then no other Path can use it.

Literally everything in Naruto is plot, so it's a meaningless phrase.

@killman

Animal path used substitution to escape Jiriaya's lion mane at the start of the battle. Also , itachi was using substitution on sage mode Kabuto( a high level sensor ) to set up izanami. Anyway, animal path using substitution is either an outlier or its a plot hole.

Also , everything happens for plot of course, but when an illogical event happens even within the context of the established rules or details of the universe or character then it's a plot hole, aka deus ex machina.