Sword & Shield Battle Mechanics Research

My understanding is that Battle Bond, Comatose, Disguise, Flower Gift, Forecast, Gulp Missile, Hunger Switch, Ice Face, Multitype, Power Construct, RKS System, Schooling, Shields Down, Stance Change and Zen Mode are immune to Core Enforcer, Gastro Acid and Mummy, plus the following moves and abilities, which additionally ignore or fail on the following abilities:
  • Entrainment can't copy Illusion, Imposter, Power of Alchemy, Receiver or Trace, nor can it overwrite Truant
  • Role Play can't copy Illusion, Imposter, Power of Alchemy, Receiver, Trace or Wonder Guard
  • Simple Beam and Worry Seed can't overwrite Truant
  • Skill Swap can't swap Illusion or Wonder Guard
  • Power of Alchemy and Receiver ignore Illusion, Imposter, Power of Alchemy, Receiver, Trace and Wonder Guard
  • Trace ignores Illusion, Imposter, Power of Alchemy, Receiver and Trace
  • Wandering Spirit can't swap with Illusion or Wonder Guard
Hopefully I haven't made any errors creating this list. I also seem to remember that some of the older Abilities weren't originally excluded and they only got added to the list in a later generation, but I forget which ones.
 
Incidentally someone recently stole a Razor Fang within the Battle Tower, and turns out it has a placeholder sprite. Probably still works, but doesn't look like it'll be freed without an update or something.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/259372-pokemon-sword/78291906


There's actually a Razor Fang sprite from the datamines, with the new white outline and all. Not a battle mechanic but I wonder if it gets flagged online, or if other unreleased items do have a sprite and could be released via event as of now.
It seems wild to me they put an item you cant actually get in the battle tower
 
Not the first time they made mistakes like these, though... I mean, they've used illegal movesets before (though for items it's a first).
Tecnically some of the gen 7 items were unobtainable until released via events.
Unreleased Megastones for example, but the bigger offender was Custap berry which was only made available toward the end of USUM cycle
 
Tecnically some of the gen 7 items were unobtainable until released via events.
Unreleased Megastones for example, but the bigger offender was Custap berry which was only made available toward the end of USUM cycle
I was thinking of Shell Smash Kommo-o, though.
 
Moves that affect you and your allies, but not things like Tailwind which affects your side of the field:
  • Aromatherapy (blocked by Substitute or Sap Sipper)
  • Gear Up (only works if Ability is Plus or Minus)
  • Heal Bell (blocked by Soundproof)
  • Howl (in Gen 8) (blocked by Substitute)
  • Life Dew (blocked by Storm Drain or Water Absorb)
  • Magnetic Flux (only works if Ability is Plus or Minus)
None of these are blocked by Protect, but what about Max Guard? (Also have I got all of the other provisos correct?)
 

DaWoblefet

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Various mechanics across the board in this one:
  • Host failure glitches
Confirming from Team Rocket Elite with a video that Quash will fail under the same circumstances that Sucker Punch fails. Speaking of which, Zaggyo finds that it doesn't matter which side falls to only having 1 Pokemon; the glitch will trigger either way. We can summarize the host failure glitches with Sucker Punch / Quash so far as follows:

Once either side falls to one Pokemon remaining, starting the following turn, the host's first Pokemon sent out is immune to Sucker Punch / Quash.
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Moves that affect you and your allies, but not things like Tailwind which affects your side of the field:
  • Aromatherapy (blocked by Substitute or Sap Sipper)
  • Gear Up (only works if Ability is Plus or Minus)
  • Heal Bell (blocked by Soundproof)
  • Howl (in Gen 8) (blocked by Substitute)
  • Life Dew (blocked by Storm Drain or Water Absorb)
  • Magnetic Flux (only works if Ability is Plus or Minus)
None of these are blocked by Protect, but what about Max Guard? (Also have I got all of the other provisos correct?)
Zaggyo and I independently tested this. Max Guard will stop the following effects that can otherwise bypass Protect:
  • Block
  • Flower Shield*
  • Gear Up*
  • Magnetic Flux*
  • Phantom Force
  • Psych Up
  • Teatime
  • Transform
*for these effects, rather than block the moves outright, it plays the animation like it would work, then Max Guard blocks the effect.

Some examples of moves that will bypass Max Guard:
  • Acupressure
  • Aromatherapy
  • Aromatic Mist
  • Confide
  • Curse (Ghost-type)
  • Decorate
  • Feint (though it will not lift the effect of Max Guard, only damages through it)
  • Future Sight
  • Haze
  • Howl
  • Life Dew
  • Mean Look
  • Perish Song
  • Play Nice
  • Role Play
  • entry hazards (Stealth Rock, Sticky Web, etc.)
  • Tearful Look
Most amusing on this list to me is that Max Guard will stop Block, but it doesn't stop Mean Look.
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32-bit overflow in damage calculation is still in the game. SadisticMystic came up with this setup to test it:
Level 95 Centiskorch with Solar Power, +3 Sp. Atk with 265 starting Sp. Atk uses Rollout into an Eiscue twice, setting up an 8x Rollout Storage multiplier for use with Fire Blast in the sun into a Stonjourner with 7 Sp. Def that is reduced to -6 Sp. Def.

If 32-bit overflow still existed, then this calculation would overflow when applying the weather modifier. These are the ending damage rolls with 32-bit overflow:
  • 21, 22, 22, 22, 23, 23, 23, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 24, 25, 25, 26
If there were no 32-bit overflow, however, we'd hit much larger damage range, which would still be subject to the already demonstrated 16-bit HP truncation check, so the damage rolls look pretty odd:
  • 13129, 20993, 28858, 36722, 44587, 52451, 60317, 2645, 10510, 18374, 26239, 34103, 41968, 49832, 57697, 26
As can be seen from this clip from Anubis, the attack dealt 24 damage, indicating that 32-bit overflow does still occur. I have a video of my side as well that I well eventually upload.
**********
Some various different mechanics I have built up in my notes (these may be repeats somewhere else in the thread)
  • While Dynamaxed, Zen Mode Darmanitan and Wishiwashi transform based on the percent of their Dynamaxed HP, not base HP. So a Wishiwashi with 100 base HP -> Dynamax to 200 base HP will transform back to Solo Forme at 50 HP while Dynamaxed.
  • Serene Grace has no effect on improving the odds of G-Max Snooze or G-Max Replenish.
  • Imprison locks out an opponent's base moves even while the Imprison user is Dynamaxed. So for example, a Chandelure with Imprison + Shadow Ball will still lock an opposing Gengar's Shadow Ball from being used even if Chandelure Dynamaxes. If Gengar Dynamaxes, it is free to use Max Phantasm based on Shadow Ball, regardless of whether or not Chandelure is Dynamaxed.
  • Assault Vest prevents the selection of Max Guard both pre- and post-Dynamax.
  • Choice Scarf is accounted for when determining the order of multiple Pokemon Dynamaxing (though it immediately breaks the Choice lock / loses the Scarf Speed for the purposes of turn order)
  • G-Max Befuddle will not re-roll a status condition for a Pokemon that has an immunity. For example, if G-Max Befuddle is used against a Toxicrity, it could do nothing, though the game makes no mention of a natural immunity (roll Poison/Paralysis) or put Toxicrity to sleep. If a Pokemon is protected by Sweet Veil and G-Max Befuddle rolls sleep, Sweet Veil will activate and prevent that sleep.
  • Aegislash will Dynamax in its current forme, but it can only switch from Shield -> Blade since Max Guard does not switch Aegislash back to Shield Forme, even Max Guard based on King's Shield.
  • Dynamaxing does not remove the Encore volatile; being Encored, then Dynamaxing, will result in the Encore volatile still displaying in the Y-info screen (and Encore can wear off mid-Dynamax, etc.). However, using Encore on some Dynamaxed target will always display "But it failed!", even if it was the first turn of Dynamax and no Max Move was used yet. Of course, the Encore doesn't really do anything since it gets straight-up ignored.
  • Using Instruct on a Dynamaxed Pokemon will display "But it failed!" even if the most recent used move wasn't a Max Move.
  • Timing out at Team Preview will always lock you into the first 4 Pokemon in VGC matches, even if you had part of your team already selected.
  • Timing out during a turn with one move selected will respect the move that was locked in.
  • Whether or not Zacian and Zamazenta are in their Crowned formes is not revealed at Team Preview, but it is revealed immediately in the battle Team Preview [+] even if Zacian/Zamazenta are not present.
  • The effects of Infestation are not passed by Baton Pass.
  • Unburden vs. Neutralizing Gas:
    • If Neutralizing Gas was not on the field when the Unburden user lost their item: switching in Neutralizing Gas later will negate the Speed boost from Unburden until the Neutralizing Gas leaves the field
    • If Neutralizing Gas was on the field when the Unburden user lost their item: Unburden will not get the 2x Speed boost even after Neutralizing Gas leaves the field
 
Don't know if this was said or not but if Zacian or Zamazenta activate Intrepid Sword or Dauntless Shield and Weezing switches in after that and switches out, their abilities will activate again and give them another boost. Happened to me in the Battle Tower. Maybe it works the same for Intimidate.
 

DaWoblefet

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Don't know if this was said or not but if Zacian or Zamazenta activate Intrepid Sword or Dauntless Shield and Weezing switches in after that and switches out, their abilities will activate again and give them another boost. Happened to me in the Battle Tower. Maybe it works the same for Intimidate.
I initially thought this was wrong based on the previous research on Neutralizing Gas in this thread, but I can confirm that switching in and out Neutralizing Gas will reset Intrepid Sword. You can continually switch Neutralizing Gas in and out to trigger Intrepid Sword multiple times. Even if you lead Neutralizing Gas + Intrepid Sword, you can switch Neutralizing Gas in and out multiple times to garner multiple boosts from Intrepid Sword. Related: if Zacian is already at +6, Intrepid Sword will not activate at all.

When I tested this further, however, it wasn't just the abilities of the legendary dogs that would reactivate; Intimidate, Drought, and Pressure also will reactivate whenever Neutralizing Gas switches out. So you can reactivate entrance activation abilities as many times as you want by simply switching Neutralizing Gas in and out of the field.


I asked Anubis to try to figure out what went wrong, since they originally documented the behavior, and Anubis's best explanation is that the tests got mixed up and this was tested with Unnerve rather than Intimidate; as it turns out, Unnerve doesn't display an activation message upon Neutralizing Gas switching out if Unnerve had already activated before. However, Unnerve is still active, despite a lack of message. For example:
  1. Lead Neutralizing Gas + Unnerve (Neutralizing Gas will always activate before Unnerve, regardless of Speed)
  2. Switch out Neutralizing Gas (Unnerve will activate and say the opposing team can't eat Berries)
  3. Switch in Neutralizing Gas
  4. Switch out Neutralizing Gas (Unnerve will not play its message that the opposing team can't eat Berries)
  5. Bring an opponent down to sub-50% HP; it will not activate Sitrus Berry
  6. Switch out Unnerve; Sitrus Berry activates immediately

Anubis asked me to verify the behavior of Contrary and Neutralizing Gas on behalf of Ransei. Contrary is negated during Neutralizing Gas; a Koffing's Screech into a Contrary Inkay lowered its Defenses just fine.

Dawn of ares asked me to test the interaction between Gulp Missile and Mold Breaker. When a Mold Breaker Pokemon attacks a Gulp Missile target that has something in its mouth, it will still hit the Mold Breaker Pokemon.

Do Mirror Armor's stat drops bypass Substitutes?
Pokemon A with Substitute uses Screech into Pokemon B with Mirror Armor. Mirror Armor activates, but Pokemon A's Defense does not drop ("it doesn't affect <Pokemon>..."). Pokemon B's Defense doesn't drop either, as expected. On an unrelated note, though I would have expected this, you can miss Screech on a Pokemon with Mirror Armor.
 
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Does Fling work the same way as a TR if you hack a TM as a held item? It would get 200 power with a selfdestruct.
 
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Pokemon A with Substitute uses Screech into Pokemon B with Mirror Armor. Mirror Armor activates, but Pokemon A's Defense does not drop ("it doesn't affect <Pokemon>..."). Pokemon B's Defense doesn't drop either, as expected. On an unrelated note, though I would have expected this, you can miss Screech on a Pokemon with Mirror Armor.
What if the stat drop was a secondary effect of the move e.g. Breaking Swipe? What if the attacker's stat is already at -6 (no Substitute)?
 
Does Neutralizing Gas "turn off" upon switching out before or after Pursuit? For example, will a Moxie Pursuit user gain a boost if it faints the Neutralizing Gas Pokémon about to switch out?
 
How does ripen affect berries other than Jaboca, Rowap, and the HP healing berries?
Did any Pokemon other than Aegislash change their base stats?
 
Did any Pokemon other than Aegislash change their base stats?
No, Aegi was the only pokemon this gen to see changes to stats.
(For completion, Koffing and Weezing are the only ones which gets a change in abilities available, getting a second ability and a hidden ability in both it's Kanto and galar forms)
 

Anubis

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[21:22:11] +Kris: can you test if [Snipe Shot] gets boosted by sheer force (and if so, what the secondary is ie crit ratio or redirection ignoring)
Doesn't look like it has a secondary effect.
153 SpA Sheer Force Inteleon vs 100 SpD Noivern dropped it to 124/160 HP from full (36 damage).
63 SpA Inteleon Snipe Shot vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Noivern: 34-41 (21.2 - 25.6%) -- possible 5HKO after Leftovers recovery
Possible damage amounts: (34, 35, 35, 36, 36, 36, 37, 37, 38, 38, 39, 39, 39, 39, 40, 41)

Does Fling work the same way as a TR if you hack a TM as a held item? It would get 200 power with a selfdestruct.
It says "But it failed!" when I tried to fling TM20 Self-Destruct.

[8:13 AM] The Immortal: Do hacked max moves break protect
Yes, Wobbuffet took 1 damage from Max Airstream while using Protect.

SadisticMystic said:
If Cramorant uses Power Herb Dive into one of the Water immune abilities, does it still come up with a catch in its mouth like it would from using the regular, 2-turn version of the move?
Yep, it gets a catch vs both Water Absorb and Storm Drain.

[00:47:03] +Kris: is an ally's mold breaker supposed to ignore steely spirit
[00:37:14] @Kris: anubis if the ally got boosted even if it has mold breaker
[00:37:26] @Kris: bc PS currently has mold breaker ally ignore
Seems that PS is wrong then, because Mold Breaker Gyarados still gets that Steely Spirit boost from ally Perrserker.
At level 50, Steely Spirit boosted 145 Att Gyarados Iron Head vs 71 Def Wobbuffet did 106 damage.

If no boost:
0 Atk Gyarados Iron Head vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Wobbuffet: 62-73 (20.8 - 24.5%) -- possible 6HKO after Leftovers recovery
Possible damage amounts: (62, 62, 63, 64, 64, 65, 66, 67, 67, 68, 69, 70, 70, 71, 72, 73)

Steely Spirit Boosted:
0 Atk Gyarados Iron Head vs. 0 HP / 0 Def Wobbuffet: 92-109 (34.7 - 41.1%) -- 68.7% chance to 3HKO after Leftovers recovery
Possible damage amounts: (92, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109)

[11:45 AM] The Immortal: Was photon geyser into max mindstorm tested
I assume the test is for whether it's physical or special in Max Mindstorm form. It displays as special and the damage is consistent with it being a special attack even though the mon using it had higher Att than SpA.
At level 50, Arctozolt with 120 Att, 99 SpA uses 130 BP Max Mindstorm (Photon Geyser) vs Wobbuffet with 71 Def, 78 SpD, knocking it down to 231/265 HP from full.

As a Special Attack:
0- SpA Arctozolt Psychic vs. 252 HP / 0 SpD Wobbuffet: 31-37 (10.4 - 12.4%) -- possibly the worst move ever
Possible damage amounts: (31, 31, 32, 32, 32, 33, 33, 34, 34, 34, 35, 35, 35, 36, 36, 37)

As a Physical Attack:
0 Atk Arctozolt Psychic vs. 252 HP / 0 Def Wobbuffet: 41-49 (13.8 - 16.4%) -- possible 9HKO after Leftovers recovery
Possible damage amounts: (41, 42, 42, 43, 43, 44, 44, 45, 45, 46, 46, 47, 47, 48, 48, 49)

[9:05 PM] The Immortal: dumb question but if you hack a jaw fossil, what happens when you revive it
You are sorely disappointed because Cara Liss only likes the 4 Galar fossils.

[5:05 PM] The Immortal: i'm sure you've seen the copycat max move interaction that ppl have been posting recently
[5:05 PM] The Immortal: but i've only seen videos of it copying max guard base moves
[5:06 PM] The Immortal: can you test attacking max moves just to be sure
If you hack on a Max Move and Dynamax and use it, the opponent's Copycat results in "But it failed!"
Otherwise, Copycat uses the base move for attacking moves (e.g. Snore, Acrobatics) as well as support moves (e.g. Tailwind).

If a slower Growlithe is sent out vs a Torkoal, Drought activates first, then Intimidate, then Eject Pack.
If a faster Arcanine is sent out vs a Torkoal, Intimidate activates first, then Drought, then Eject Pack.

See here for relevant videos: https://imgur.com/a/OXx54Hu
Kris The Immortal
 
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