Sword & Shield Battle Mechanics Research

[LORD SAGIS]

Does leech seed recover more health if the opponent dynamaxes?

 

[Anubis]

It was brought to my attention that a particular Japanese site was claiming that not all HAs are available from raid battles, and people thought there's an extra condition that HAs can only spawn if a rare purple raid also spawns there. The HA restriction was confirmed by Kaphotics who was already working on it here. Essentially, only encounters listed as "A4" can have the possibility of HA. This means a lot of Pokemon we had assumed to be able to get HA cannot have it, such as Clefable! There are also several gen 8 Pokemon that currently do not have HA available, such as Yamper line and Wooloo line.

I went through and sorted out every Galar Dex mon and their evolution family/forms to say who can and can't have HA.
(I don't believe there are any other places to get HA mons in SwSh?)

A few notes:
- Kanto Meowth and Persian can get HA by breeding female HA Galar Meowth with male Kanto Meowth holding Everstone. (When breeding different regional forms, the mons holding Everstone will pass down their form. Otherwise only regional forms are hatched.)
- Mime Jr. and Kanto Mr. Mime can get HA by breeding female HA Galar Mr. Mime holding Odd Incense with male Kanto Mr. Mime holding Everstone.
- A lot of mons are marked "n/a" because while they have an A4 encounter, they functionally only have 1 ability so something like a 3rd slot Aegislash is indistinguishable on PS. Blank Pokemon simply cannot have the 3rd slot ability at all, whether it's HA or the same as another ability.

This will have implications for competitive play until Home comes out or they start releasing more of the HA gen 8 Pokemon through other means.

EDIT: After looking into it more myself, I don't buy the "red raids can only spawn HA if a purple raid version of it also exists." From what I can tell, every den has 2 pools of mons, a 1) common pool of 12 mons where ~3 can have HA (red beams), and 2) a rare pool of 12 mons where ~4 can have HA (purple beams). There are clearly mons in the rare pool that can't have HA, and there are clearly mons in the common pool that have HA and aren't in the purple pool. The mons that are skipped simply aren't marked as having an A4 encounter because Game Freak.

 

[Merritt]

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

Elgyem line doesn't have HA access according to the sheet so GG

Apparently giving Falinks a Ghost-typing due to Trick or Treat doesn't let it use No Retreat again, and it causes the message that Falinks can't switch out to appear, though Falinks is still capable of switching.

 

[Champion Leon]

Since Judgment was called into question, The Immortal asked me to check every other signature move to see if it's clickable in game.

Btw if you have 4 grayed out moves, it goes straight to struggle, which is why I had to go put Protect on them.

EDIT: TI missed a bunch, will be updating in a bit.
EDIT2: Did that.

Here are all the screenshots showing what happens to them: https://imgur.com/a/lAZc9yy

Clickable:
Accelerock
Doom Desire
Fairy Lock
Mat Block
Night Daze
Soft-Boiled
V-create
Water Shuriken

Unclickable:
Aeroblast
Barrage
Beak Blast
Chatter
Conversion
Conversion 2
Crush Grip
Dragon Ascent
Fiery Dance
Fleur Cannon
Floral Healing
Geomancy
Heart Swap
Hyperspace Fury
Hyperspace Hole
Kinesis
Land's Wrath
Light of Ruin
Lovely Kiss
Lunar Dance
Magma Storm
Milk Drink
Mind Blown
Nature's Madness
Oblivion Wing
Origin Pulse
Precipice Blades
Psycho Boost
Relic Song
Revelation Dance
Roar of Time
Sacred Fire
Searing Shot
Shadow Force
Sketch
Spacial Rend
Steam Eruption
Techno Blast
Thousand Waves

Does Dynamaxing with these greyed our moves let you select them as Max moves? Such as 4 greyed out moves, and instead of Struggle can you Max Attack for 3 turns instead? Does it prevent Dynamaxing? Can you Max attack Struggle?

If so, Does it mean if you have at least 1 useable attack that you can only Max attack with it if the other moves are greyed out? Or can you still select other grey moves and max them? Such as Max Guard while your Pokemon knows Sketch.

 

[Rarycaris]

Has anyone managed to locate the NPC who gives you the Kyurem and Necrozma items yet, or at least confirm their existence?

 

[TrainerX493]

Thanks to what was posted just above and double-checked through Serebii, I put together a list of Pokémon without their hidden ability and what said ability is:
Clefairy - Friend Guard
Clefable - Friend Guard
Goldeen - Lightningrod
Seaking - Lightningrod

Hoothoot - Tinted Lens
Noctowl - Tinted Lens
Chinchou - Water Absorb
Lanturn - Water Absorb
Cleffa - Friend Guard
Sudowoodo - Rattled
Delibird - Insomnia

Wingull - Rain Dish
Pelipper - Rain Dish
Electrike - Minus
Manectric - Minus
Barboach - Hydration
Whiscash - Hydration

Shellos (West form) - Sand Force (This may be just a version exclusive)
Gastrodon (West form) - Sand Force
Drifloon - Flare Boost
Drifblim - Flare Boost
Bronzor - Heavy Metal
Bronzong - Heavy Metal
Bonsly - Rattled
Skorupi - Keen Eye
Drapion - Keen Eye
Croagunk - Poison Touch
Toxicroak - Poison Touch
Snover - Soundproof
Abomasnow - Soundproof

Purrloin - Prankster
Liepard - Prankster
Munna - Telepathy
Musharna - Telepathy
Pidove - Rivalry
Tranquill - Rivalry
Unfezant - Rivalry
Woobat - Simple
Swoobat - Simple
Throh - Mold Breaker
Sawk - Mold Breaker
Basculin - Mold Breaker
Maractus - Storm Drain
Elgyem - Analytic
Beheeyem - Analytic
Cubchoo - Rattled
Beartic - Swift Swim
Golett - No Guard
Golurk - No Guard

Espurr - Own Tempo
Meowstic - Prankster
Binacle - Pickpocket
Barbaracle - Pickpocket
Pumpkaboo (Small & Large Size) - Insomnia
Gourgeist (Small & Large Size) - Insomnia
Bergmite - Sturdy
Avalugg - Sturdy

Grookey - Grassy Surge
Thwackey - Grassy Surge
Rillaboom - Grassy Surge
Scorbunny - Libero
Raboot - Libero
Cinderace - Libero
Sobble - Sniper
Drizzile - Sniper
Inteleon - Sniper
Grubbin - Swarm
Skwovet - Big Pecks
Greedent - Mirror Armor
Nickit - Stakeout
Thievulv - Stakeout
Wooloo - Bulletproof
Dubwool - Bulletproof
Yamper - Rattled
Boltund - Competitive
Noibat - Telepathy
Noivern - Telepathy
Dracozolt - Sand Rush
Arctozolt - Slush Rush
Dracovish - Sand Rush
Arctovish - Slush Rush

Also Serebii lists here moves that doesn't work against D/G-Max Pokemon. Most/all of these have been stated already, but another reference never hurt (interestingly, Dragon Tail works - minus its effect, yet Circle Throw just plain fails): https://serebii.net/swordshield/dynamax.shtml

 

[viol and bass]

If a Gigantamax Lapras holding Light Clay uses G-max Resonance, does the Aurora Veil effect last 8 turns?

 

[Skore]

Well there goes my secret strategy for Bulletproof Dubwool....

Seriously though, not having as many options for Prankster could hurt some team building.

 

[zdodson7]

Sorry if this has already been answered but I can't find it anywhere. How much does Punk Rock boost sound moves by???

 

[Anubis]

Does Dynamaxing with these greyed our moves let you select them as Max moves? Such as 4 greyed out moves, and instead of Struggle can you Max Attack for 3 turns instead? Does it prevent Dynamaxing? Can you Max attack Struggle?

Greyed out moves are also greyed out as Max Moves. Rest of your questions about Struggle's interactions with Dynamax are answered here.

I got an Imposter Ditto to test with Neutralizing Gas and these are my findings. I believe we currently handle Imposter incorrectly as it always activates when NG leaves according to peach who asked me about this.
- Neutralizing Gas prevents Imposter from activating if both enter the field at the same time, or if Imposter is sent out into Neutralizing Gas.
- If an untransformed Imposter Ditto uses Dynamax + Max Guard on the same turn that Neutralizing Gas switches out, Ditto still uses Max Guard. Imposter doesn't activate.
- If an Imposter Ditto starts a battle against a Neutralizing Gas Weezing, and Weezing switches out while Ditto uses Transform, Transform goes off and Imposter doesn't happen.
- If an untransformed Imposter Ditto afflicted by Sleep is on the field at the same time as a Neutralizing Gas Weezing and then loses a turn due to sleep, Weezing switching out that same turn does not cause Imposter to activate.
- Slow switch-in of Imposter Ditto vs Neutralizing Gas allows Imposter to activate.
Scenario 1:
-- Chandelure starts a battle against a Neutralizing Gas Weezing.
-- Turn 1: Chandelure leaves the field and Imposter Ditto is sent out.
-- Turn 1: Then, Weezing leaves the field. Neutralizing Gas disperses.
--> Imposter does not activate.
Scenario 2:
-- Sudowoodo starts a battle against a Neutralizing Gas Weezing.
-- Turn 1: Weezing leaves the field, Neutralizing Gas disperses, and Glalie is sent out.
-- Turn 1: Then, Sudowoodo leaves the field and Imposter Ditto is sent out.
--> Imposter causes Ditto to transform into Glalie.

--------

Sorry if this has already been answered but I can't find it anywhere. How much does Punk Rock boost sound moves by???

Funny, I had this half typed out when you posted.

All tested at level 50:
- Punk Rock gives a 1.3x Base Power boost to Sound-type moves:
134 SpA Toxtricity Hyper Voice (doubles) versus 78 SpD Wobbuffet.
Unboosted: Possible damage amounts: (59, 60, 60, 61, 62, 63, 63, 64, 65, 65, 66, 67, 67, 68, 69, 70)
1.3x damage boost: Possible damage amounts: (77, 78, 78, 79, 81, 82, 82, 83, 84, 84, 86, 87, 87, 88, 90, 91)
1.3x BP boost: Possible damage amounts: (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90)

The damages best match the calculations for the 1.3x Base Power boost.

61 Trials

Damage - Count
76 - 2
77 - 7
78 - 5
79 - 3
80 - 3
81 - 9
82 - 2
83 - 3
84 - 6
85 - 2
86 - 2
87 - 5
88 - 5
89 - 3
90 - 4

EDIT: Also tested with a level 50 138 SpA Toxtricity vs Wobbuffet with the same stats and it hits the max of 93 damage, which supports the move-power conclusion and eliminates Attack boost.
Predicted damage in this scenario:
If it were 1.3x base power: 79, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93
If it were 1.3x attack: 78, 79, 80, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92

Now assuming that Punk Rock gives 1.3x BP boost, we check the defensive bonus.
I believe that Punk Rock gives the user a 0.5x damage multiplier against sound moves.
134 SpA Toxtricity Boomburst (singles) versus 81 SpD Toxtricity.
Base: Possible damage amounts: (113, 115, 116, 117, 119, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 127, 128, 129, 131, 132, 134)
Light Screen: Possible damage amounts: (56, 57, 58, 58, 59, 60, 60, 61, 62, 62, 63, 64, 64, 65, 66, 67)
With 0.5x BP: Possible damage amounts: (57, 58, 59, 59, 60, 61, 61, 62, 63, 63, 64, 65, 65, 66, 67, 68)

The damages best match the calculations for the 0.5x damage, same as Light Screen.

112 Trials

Damage - Count
56 - 4
57 - 9
58 - 14
59 - 8
60 - 11
61 - 8
62 - 22
63 - 8
64 - 14
65 - 4
66 - 8
67 - 2
68 - 0

 

[EternalDream]

Also Serebii lists here moves that doesn't work against D/G-Max Pokemon. Most/all of these have been stated already, but another reference never hurt (interestingly, Dragon Tail works - minus its effect, yet Circle Throw just plain fails): https://serebii.net/swordshield/dynamax.shtml

Hold on. That list says Knock Off doesn't work vs DMax, is that true? That's quite a big nerf to Knock Off in the current meta, and it does still work on Showdown currently...

 

[Anubis]

Hold on. That list says Knock Off doesn't work vs DMax, is that true? That's quite a big nerf to Knock Off in the current meta, and it does still work on Showdown currently...

They say Perish Song doesn't work, when it definitely does.

I also tested Knock off vs a Dynamax Pokemon and it also works fine.

I think that there's confusion between mechanics of Max Raid battles (obviously they don't want you to cheese the boss with Perish Song) and actual player vs player battles. I caution people against using mechanics of Max Raid battles and generalizing to battles between players.

 

[Tommy1984]

It was brought to my attention that a particular Japanese site was claiming that not all HAs are available from raid battles, and there's an extra condition that HAs can only spawn if a rare purple raid also spawns there.

I can also confirm that HAs are restricted to certain dens, but its not true that these are always rare purple raids. For example Toxapex can not get Regenerator on a rare purple raid (Den 44) but you can get it on a normal red raid (Den 29).

Hold on. That list says Knock Off doesn't work vs DMax, is that true? That's quite a big nerf to Knock Off in the current meta, and it does still work on Showdown currently...

I can confirm that Knock Off and Pluck don't work ... but the dumb NPCs still spam them in the raid battles. In addition I think also Instruct on Oranguru and Trick don't work. edit: didn't know that the raid battles are different from PvP battles

 

[Anubis]

I can also confirm that HAs are restricted to certain dens, but its not true that these are always rare purple raids. For example Toxapex can not get Regenerator on a rare purple raid (Den 44) but you can get it on a normal red raid (Den 29).

That's not what it means. You can get HA on purple or red dens, but the theory is that a purple den must exist.

 

[Worldie]

I can confirm that Knock Off and Pluck don't work ... but the dumb NPCs still spam them in the raid battles. In addition I think also Instruct on Oranguru and Trick don't work.

Instruct works in the raid battle if used on a regular ally, but will fail if used on a Dinamaxed pokemon (including ally).
Tested this myself and Oranguru in max raids is actually pretty funny to use lol

 

[Yung Dramps]

Does Stakeout affect Special moves now? If not oh my god Thievul is even worse than we ever could've imagined

If it always did, then Showdown Damage Calc is bugged, for it doesn't show that Stakeout doubles Special move damage

 

[Mega-Pokebattlerz]

Skwovet - Big Pecks
Greedent - Mirror Armor

Grubbin - Swarm

Um... Grubbin doesn't have a HA, Swarm is its only ability.

 

[TPP]

I tested this in game just now, but I heard that Clangorous Soul on PS will work even if you have less than 33% health. This is not true and it will fail. I used the move at full health and went from 279 HP to 186 HP the first time, after the second time I was at 76 HP (hail was up). From there I tried to use it, but the move failed. I forgot to take a picture, but I'll edit one in later tonight when I get the chance.

I also want to confirm that Silvally's Multi Attack will appear as Max-Strike (Normal-type) with base 95 when "More Info" is clicked on, but when the attack itself is used, it will match the memory/type Silvally has. I had a Silvally Fairy that dynamaxed and used Max Starfall.

Silvally Images

 

[Yung Dramps]

Sticky Web seemingly doesn't activate Competitive/Defiant anymore??? Could just be Webs swapped to your side via Court Change function this way, but what about opponents' webs?

 

[doipy hooves]

Sticky Web seemingly doesn't activate Competitive/Defiant anymore??? Could just be Webs swapped to your side via Court Change function this way, but what about opponents' webs?

The comments say this may just be a Court Change thing (some claim tested). I guess it still counts as 'your' webs, just on your own side so Defiant wouldn't activate from the ally-created debuff.

 

[Hugin]

If that’s the case, Webs+Contrary (with and without Court Change) probably needs to be tested as well. They SHOULD still work, but that’s an actual usable strategy, so it’s worth it to double-check.

 

[Yung Dramps]

If that’s the case, Webs+Contrary (with and without Court Change) probably needs to be tested as well. They SHOULD still work, but that’s an actual usable strategy, so it’s worth it to double-check.

The video shows Webs + Contrary still works

 

[SadisticMystic]

Contrary does not, and has never, cared about who's responsible for the stat changes: even your own self-inflicted changes from Superpower or Leaf Storm get inverted. Defiant and Competitive, meanwhile, always have: you can't use Parting Shot on a doubles teammate with the expectation of tripping these abilities to get to +3 in one of the attacking stats. It has to be the opponent's move or ability in order to catch notice of one of those abilities.

 

[PokeTroopa]

Not sure if it's been posted prior, too lazy to look, but I think attack priority can be changed in the middle of a turn when the weather changes.

Example from a raid:
Ditto copying Pikachu uses max geyser and sets up the rain
Magikarp with Swift Swim does whatever
Pikachu, who has the same speed as the Ditto, moves third in this scenario using whatever move I clicked
Next set of turns Magikarp moves first, outspeeding both Pikachu and Ditto

Edit: Also got Cramorant in a random battle the other day and its ability wasnt working properly after using surf, please fix lol.

 

[Matleo]

-can Ditto copy Cramorants Gulp and Gorgle form? (why only pikachu they could use quilwish with poison point;"belch, sludge wave" , frilish with cursed body, politoed with drizzle, barboach with mudsport, carvanah with rough skin, masquerein with intimidate, dependingg on other used moves... by it or oponents against it too)

-how could they make Drum Beating and not make it a sound move? or is it? why din't anyone answer me?
- the same with G-Resonance and G-Snooze, are they sound moves because they should be.
-does Soundproof protect from G-Max Stun Shock and other G-moves
-is Yawn a sound move now? should be in future.

our poison/electrtic friend come from System of a Down Toxicity song?

-can someone take Applin with Bulletproof and test all potential new and old moves? its not listed... its still there for testing.

-Did someone test Snipe shot on moves semi invulnerable turns? can it hit dig, dive, through substitute?

-do you think they could add more additional effects to old moves and abilities in gen 4 remakes, and Galar sequels?

-weird that Eartquake and Magnitude work on D-max and especially on G-max pokemon taking their size...