Sword & Shield Battle Mechanics Research

[Stellar]

There's a lot of great work in this thread, but I would advise against trying to answer research questions based on "logic."

Some people in this thread are discounting things (e.g., Payback doubling on switch) based on what "makes sense," and Pokémon a lot of times does not make sense. Either research it directly yourself in the game or do not post; we're trying to nail down actual mechanics and assumptions don't have a place here.

Keep up the good work!

 

[SadisticMystic]

Looks like Symbiosis is bugged again; big surprise there. Indeedee sets Psychic Terrain, consumes its Psychic Seed, Oranguru uses Symbiosis to send over a Repel, and Indeedee consumes the Repel immediately, treating it as another Psychic Seed bonus. This doesn't happen in USUM. No clue if it works with any other items that can't normally be consumed.

 

[Matleo]

what happens when you use Sticky Web after your oponent used Stealth Rocks???
I personaly hope it would block it... zou know stickz web that makes the rocks stay put...

Or could someone test Incinerate when oponent used Sticky Web? to see if more moves remove some entry hazards.

Does Surf or a other move remove entry hazards now? maybe there are more additional effects hidden? those quide books show stuff? or should we ask game creators and pokemon company on twitter if we missed things?

 

[Rarycaris]

Looks like Symbiosis is bugged again; big surprise there. Indeedee sets Psychic Terrain, consumes its Psychic Seed, Oranguru uses Symbiosis to send over a Repel, and Indeedee consumes the Repel immediately, treating it as another Psychic Seed bonus. This doesn't happen in USUM. No clue if it works with any other items that can't normally be consumed.

What happens when you send over an item which *can* be consumed, but under different circumstances? Could this be used to trigger, say, Blunder Policy?

 

[TheReflexWonder]

Tried searching "Trick" and "Choice" and couldn't find this interaction listed, so:

Moving first and Tricking a Choice item onto an opponent who used a move last turn no longer locks them into the previous move. The Tricked 'Mon still uses whatever move they chose that turn before becoming Choice-locked. A significant nerf to TrickScarfers and the like.

Confirmed this multiple times with a TrickScarf Rotom in the Battle Tower. Unsure if this works the same way if the Trick user moves second; it may or may not be possible for the faster 'Mon to get locked into the move they used earlier that turn, which would up the viability of slow Trick users, at least. This also makes me wonder if Tricking between two Choice users allow them both to switch moves as a result for some really outlandish Doubles memes.

 

[Merritt]

Since Beak Bolt and Fishious Rend apparently have doubled power on switches, does Analytic still boost power on switches? If so, and this requires hacking, does a Pokemon with both Analytic and one of these moves get both boosts on a switch?

e: skill swap elgyem ect ect

E2: GOTTEM

 

[DrPumpkinz]

Since Beak Bolt and Fishious Rend apparently have doubled power on switches, does Analytic still boost power on switches? If so, though this probably requires hacking, does a Pokemon with both Analytic and one of these moves get both boosts on a switch?

I didn't know a Skill Swap Beheeyem was considered hacking.

 

[CasualPokePlayer]

Can you Feint Dynamax-Guard?

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1196270156156026880/pu/vid/1280x720/v0vHQnKtz89tv8My.mp4?tag=10

Feint is able to hit Max Guard users, but it does not lift the protection from other attacks.

 

[SadisticMystic]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1197879768584048640

No Retreat fails if its own volatile is already present, so you can't normally stack multiple boosts this way. However, if you already have the "Can't Escape" volatile from something like Mean Look, then No Retreat succeeds without setting its own status flag, and in that case you can use it for multiple boosts.

Whether it works with other kinds of trapping volatiles (Ingrain, Octolock, Jaw Lock) still has yet to be tested, plus there's also the question of how it works if Falinks has been turned into a ghost by Trick-or-Treat.

[EDIT] At least the temporary traps like Whirlpool and Stunfisk's new Snap Trap move do not prevent the No Retreat status from being created.

 

[Dunfan]

A bunch more questions:

• Does Psyshock!Max Mindstorm hits def instead of spd?
• Is Photon Geyser!Max Mindstorm physical if atk > spa?
• Is Bolt Beak a biting move like Fishious Rend? (it would be a bit odd, but we never know)

 

[Count Bleck]

Some more abilities seem to have updated according to Serebii. A lot of them we knew of our are minor, like increased encounter rates for specific pokemon types, but the big one of interest is Synchronize. If you lead it in the party, All encountered pokemon will be the same nature.

 

[Rarycaris]

Some more abilities seem to have updated according to Serebii. A lot of them we knew of our are minor, like increased encounter rates for specific pokemon types, but the big one of interest is Synchronize. If you lead it in the party, All encountered pokemon will be the same nature.

Does this apply to legendaries?

 

[probationsmack]

Can someone do a full rundown of utility umbrella? Does it negate bonus damage from weather ie water in rain? Does it negate sand force? Does it allow the holder to negate damage reduction ie using water in sun? Any hidden interaction with terrains? Etc.

 

[GMars]

Does Fishious Rend still get double Base Power if a faster foe uses U-turn against Dracovish and switches out into something new? (Situation today on the ladder, Galarian Darmanitan uses U-turn against Dracovish, swaps to something new. Does the new thing take a 170 bp hit or an 85 bp hit)

 

[LordHelix]

Do we know how umbrella item interacts with damage, weather speed boosting abilities and moonlight yet?

Like in a situation between ludicolo in rain and utility umbrella clefable. Would ludicolos water stab still be boosted in rain? Will clefables moonlight still heal to 50%?

 

[Siggu]

On the matter of Fishious Rend and Beak Bolt, the move descriptions say the power is doubled "if the user attacks before the target".

We know that wording matters with manual switches, but...
- Does it work if the opponent used a status move? (didn't attack)
- If it does, does it work with all status moves, or just those that are targetless (e.g. Defog) or only target the Fishious Rend/Beak Bolt target?
- Does it not get a boost if the target switched in through a move (U-Turn, Volt Switch, Baton Pass, Teleport, Parting Shot, Magic Mirrored phazing move...)?
- Does it work if the target didn't do anything this turn? (Truant, recharge moves, charging moves...)

 

[CasualPokePlayer]

How does Copycat interact with Max Moves? Does it cause the user (not Dmax'd itself) to use the Max move, the base move, or does it simply fail?

Actually ended up being able to do this in a Max Raid battle, it called the base move (it copycat'd my ally, who was Ezaphs, not the Pokemon being raided).

Probably best if someone checks in a normal battle tho, in case the Max Raid battle did some funky stuff to that.

 

[urkerab]

two mechanics tested in one video. bolt beak (and presumably fishious rend) get double power on a switch in. also, dragon darts hits around phantom force, which is something that my earlier dragon darts tests didn't confirm (i'll link that twitter thread here too even though it was linked earlier in this thread).

What happens if the Follow Me user isn't immune to Dragon Darts?

 

[probationsmack]

I just tested Utility umbrella ingame using a damaged Umbreon holding the item. I sent in Umbreon after setting sandstorm and used moonlight. Only 25 percent was healed and I was buffeted by sandstorm. So as per usual. I’m guessing the item only negates damage boosts from weather while defending and/or damage reductions while attacking but I have no easy way to test this in a timely fashion.

Edit: and I’m curious about sand force too I guess

 

[Sereg]

This is probably irrelevant, but out of interest and in case someone finds some obscure use for it, does dynamaxing give shedinja a second hit point?

 

[CTNC]

This is probably irrelevant, but out of interest and in case someone finds some obscure use for it, does dynamaxing give shedinja a second hit point?

It's been tested and I hate to say it, but Shedinja still has 1 HP. :(

 

[LordHelix]

I just tested Utility umbrella ingame using a damaged Umbreon holding the item. I sent in Umbreon after setting sandstorm and used moonlight. Only 25 percent was healed and I was buffeted by sandstorm. So as per usual. I’m guessing the item only negates damage boosts from weather while defending and/or damage reductions while attacking but I have no easy way to test this in a timely fashion.

Edit: and I’m curious about sand force too I guess

Thats really bizarre especially the chip damage, chip is an effect of weather is it not?

Makes me question why the hell this item exists

 

[Matleo]

On the matter of Fishious Rend and Beak Bolt, the move descriptions say the power is doubled "if the user attacks before the target".

We know that wording matters with manual switches, but...
- Does it work if the opponent used a status move? (didn't attack)
- If it does, does it work with all status moves, or just those that are targetless (e.g. Defog) or only target the Fishious Rend/Beak Bolt target?
- Does it not get a boost if the target switched in through a move (U-Turn, Volt Switch, Baton Pass, Teleport, Parting Shot, Magic Mirrored phazing move...)?

Sableys Stal ability, Truant and Slow Start got now new friends. All decreased priority move users.

 

[Count Bleck]

Thats really bizarre especially the chip damage, chip is an effect of weather is it not?

Makes me question why the hell this item exists

Safety Goggles already prevents hail and sand damage, would be weird to give it to yet anothetr item.

That being said, being able to live Rain or sun boosted max moves could be a nasty surprise to Dynamax sweepers.

 

[Colonel M]

After seeing another user post something in here about Substitute and seeing how it is implemented currently in Showdown I have some Substitute questions to ask.

-Does Substitute disappear as you Dynamax, as shown in a previous post (https://www.smogon.com/forums/threa...chanics-research.3655528/page-13#post-8287292).
- While Dynamaxed will the Substitute still function in spite of the text? Does it block status? Does it take damage for the Pokemon? Does it ignore Imposter?
- After the Pokemon has reverted from Dynamax will the Pokemon regain its Substitute?

If I'm understanding correctly in the post I've referenced it would sound like when a Pokemon Dynamaxes it would lose its Substitute, become vulnerable, and after Dynamax is done I'm not sure what would happen. If this has already been answered I apologize.