Ever been frustrated when your perfectly planned strategy is foiled by a pesky opponent's ability? In the world of Pokémon, abilities can significantly alter the course of a battle, and some, like those that grant immunities or status condition prevention, can feel downright impenetrable. That's where Mold Breaker comes in – an ability designed to shatter those defenses and allow attacks to land where they otherwise wouldn't. Understanding Mold Breaker and similar abilities is crucial for competitive battling, as it allows you to bypass common roadblocks and execute strategies that would normally be impossible.
Without the knowledge of how Mold Breaker works, you might find yourself consistently losing to Pokémon with abilities that seem to defy logic. Knowing the specific abilities that Mold Breaker can bypass, and the Pokémon that possess this powerful skill, is essential for building a well-rounded team and developing effective strategies. It opens up a new level of tactical depth, allowing you to exploit weaknesses you previously couldn't access, and ultimately, increases your chances of victory. So, what exactly *does* Mold Breaker do?
What abilities are affected by Mold Breaker?
What abilities are ignored by Mold Breaker?
Mold Breaker is an ability that nullifies other Pokémon's abilities that would otherwise prevent a move from working as intended. Specifically, it allows moves used by the Mold Breaker Pokémon to bypass abilities that block, redirect, alter, or otherwise hinder the move's effect on the target.
Mold Breaker's primary function is to ignore defensive abilities that would usually protect a Pokémon. For example, it allows moves to hit through abilities like Levitate (which grants immunity to Ground-type moves), Wonder Guard (which only allows super-effective moves to hit), and Magic Bounce (which reflects status moves). It's crucial to understand that Mold Breaker doesn't negate the *effects* of abilities entirely; it only allows the move to connect initially. So, while a Mold Breaker Pokémon can hit a Pokémon with Levitate using Earthquake, the attack will still only deal normal damage. However, Mold Breaker doesn't bypass all abilities. It doesn't ignore abilities that activate *after* a move makes contact, such as Aftermath or Rough Skin. Also, abilities that change the attacker's stats or move properties are not affected. For instance, an attack's power will not be affected by abilities like Technician, and the attacker still risks being burned by Flame Body. Furthermore, Mold Breaker doesn't affect abilities that influence the battle environment, like Drought or Sand Stream. The focus remains on bypassing direct defensive mechanisms of the target Pokémon.Does Mold Breaker affect abilities on my own Pokemon?
No, the Mold Breaker ability only bypasses the abilities of the *opponent's* Pokémon. It does not affect the abilities of the Pokémon with Mold Breaker or its allies.
Mold Breaker functions solely to negate the effects of certain abilities that would otherwise hinder the Mold Breaker user's moves. For example, a Pokémon with Mold Breaker can use Earthquake against a Pokémon with Levitate, or hit a Pokémon with Wonder Guard with a non-super effective move, even though those abilities would normally prevent those actions. However, Mold Breaker does not affect the holder of Mold Breaker or ally's stats or ability interactions. The wording of Mold Breaker is specific in that it ignores abilities that would prevent the user's moves from working correctly against the target. Therefore, abilities on the user's side of the field are not relevant to this effect. This distinction is important for understanding how Mold Breaker interacts in battles, particularly in double battles where abilities of both allies and opponents can potentially influence the outcome of a move.How does Mold Breaker interact with Sturdy or Disguise?
Mold Breaker completely negates the effects of both Sturdy and Disguise. Sturdy, which normally allows a Pokémon to survive a one-hit KO with 1 HP when at full health, is ignored, and the Mold Breaker user can knock out the Sturdy Pokémon in one hit. Similarly, Disguise, which allows Mimikyu to avoid damage from one attack, is bypassed, and the Mold Breaker user’s attack hits Mimikyu directly, damaging its actual HP instead of removing the Disguise.
Mold Breaker's function is to ignore abilities that could otherwise prevent damage or status conditions. Sturdy and Disguise fall squarely into this category. Sturdy is a defensive ability designed to prevent a knockout, and Disguise is a protective barrier that shields Mimikyu from a single attack. Because Mold Breaker bypasses such effects, these abilities offer no protection against moves from a Pokémon with Mold Breaker. The interaction is straightforward: the Mold Breaker Pokémon's move lands as if Sturdy and Disguise simply don't exist. This makes Mold Breaker a valuable ability in competitive battling, as it provides a way to overcome common defensive strategies and deal significant damage where other attacks might have failed. This is especially valuable for Pokémon that are already strong attackers, as it removes one layer of defense that opponents might rely on.Does Mold Breaker work against abilities activated after a hit?
Yes, Mold Breaker does work against abilities that activate after a hit, as long as those abilities would normally prevent the effect of the attack or alter its damage calculation. Mold Breaker effectively ignores the effects of such abilities, allowing the move to proceed as if the opposing Pokémon had no ability at all.
Mold Breaker is an ability that allows moves used by the Pokémon with Mold Breaker to ignore the effects of certain abilities of the target Pokémon. It essentially bypasses abilities that would otherwise prevent the move from working, reduce its damage, or inflict a status condition. This applies to abilities that activate *during* the damage calculation, such as Solid Rock or Filter, which reduce damage taken from super effective moves. Critically, it *also* applies to abilities that activate *after* a hit, like Aftermath, which damages the attacker upon fainting the user with a direct hit, or Mummy, which changes the attacker's ability to Mummy upon contact. Because Mold Breaker negates the effect of these abilities, Aftermath and Mummy will not activate if the Mold Breaker user knocks out the target with a direct attack.
It is important to note that Mold Breaker only bypasses abilities that directly interfere with the execution or outcome of a move. It does *not* bypass abilities that trigger based on other conditions, such as weather or terrain. For example, if a Pokémon with an ability like Lightning Rod is on the field, Mold Breaker will not redirect Electric-type moves away from the Mold Breaker user. Lightning Rod does not directly interact with the move targeted at the Mold Breaker user; rather, it triggers based on the presence of an Electric-type move, regardless of whether the move would normally affect the Pokémon with Lightning Rod. Thus, Mold Breaker’s impact is limited to abilities that modify or prevent the intended effects of an attack.
What happens if multiple Pokemon have Mold Breaker?
If multiple Pokémon on the field have the Mold Breaker ability (or its equivalents, Teravolt and Turboblaze), the effects stack in that all abilities that would otherwise interfere with a move are ignored. The move will bypass *all* relevant abilities regardless of how many Mold Breaker users are present.
The Mold Breaker ability essentially negates any ability that would normally block, redirect, or otherwise modify the effect of a move. This includes abilities like Levitate (which makes a Pokémon immune to Ground-type moves), Wonder Guard (which only allows super-effective attacks to hit), and Magic Bounce (which reflects status moves). Having multiple Pokémon with Mold Breaker doesn't make the effect "more powerful" than having just one; the target's abilities are either bypassed entirely or they are not. Therefore, stacking Mold Breaker from multiple sources just ensures redundancy if one of the Mold Breaker Pokémon is knocked out or has its ability suppressed.
Essentially, Mold Breaker ensures that the move functions as if no opposing abilities exist that would normally alter its outcome. This makes Mold Breaker a valuable asset for Pokémon that rely on specific moves to deal damage or inflict status conditions, particularly against opponents with disruptive abilities. The key takeaway is that once *any* Pokémon on the attacking side has Mold Breaker active, all relevant abilities on the *defending* side are ignored, and additional Mold Breaker users provide no further advantage beyond securing that effect.
Does Mold Breaker bypass Wonder Guard?
Yes, the Mold Breaker ability bypasses Wonder Guard. Wonder Guard makes the Pokémon immune to all attacks that are not super effective, but Mold Breaker ignores the abilities of the target Pokémon, allowing any attack from a Pokémon with Mold Breaker to hit Shedinja (the Pokémon with Wonder Guard) regardless of its effectiveness.
Mold Breaker, along with Teravolt and Turboblaze, is an ability that allows the user to ignore the effects of other Pokémon's abilities during battle. This is particularly useful against defensive abilities like Wonder Guard, Magic Bounce, and abilities that prevent status conditions. Without Mold Breaker (or its equivalents), Shedinja is only vulnerable to super effective attacks, severely limiting the opponent's options. However, Mold Breaker negates this advantage, making Shedinja susceptible to any direct damage move. This interaction makes Mold Breaker a valuable ability in certain matchups. It essentially removes a strategic advantage held by the opponent, forcing them to rely on different strategies or switch out their Pokémon. Because Wonder Guard is a rather unique and potent ability, Mold Breaker’s ability to completely negate it makes it highly impactful in those specific circumstances. This interaction is not limited to Shedinja alone; any Pokémon possessing an ability that Mold Breaker could bypass becomes vulnerable, increasing the strategic depth of battles.Alright, that wraps up the explanation of the Mold Breaker ability! Hopefully, you've now got a good grasp of how it works and can use that knowledge to your advantage. Thanks for reading, and feel free to swing by again if you have any more Pokémon questions – we're always happy to help!