Ever been in a Pokémon battle where your powerful move just… fizzles? Maybe your opponent's ability is blocking your attacks, leaving you frustrated and powerless. Abilities in Pokémon can drastically change the flow of battle, sometimes negating entire strategies. But what if there was a way to ignore those pesky abilities altogether? That's where Mold Breaker comes in, an ability that allows certain Pokémon to bypass the effects of other Pokémon's abilities, unleashing the full potential of their moves.
Mold Breaker is important because it provides a crucial tactical advantage. It can turn the tables in seemingly impossible situations, allowing for unexpected victories. Understanding how Mold Breaker works, which Pokémon possess it, and how to effectively use it can significantly improve your competitive Pokémon gameplay. It adds another layer of depth to team building and battle strategy, rewarding players who understand the nuances of Pokémon abilities and their interactions.
What Exactly Can Mold Breaker Ignore?
What specific abilities does Mold Breaker ignore?
Mold Breaker ignores abilities that would prevent a move from making contact, reduce damage, alter a move's effect, or change the target of a move. This allows the Pokémon with Mold Breaker to bypass defensive and disruptive strategies that rely on abilities such as Levitate, Wonder Guard, and Magic Bounce, effectively hitting the opponent as if these abilities weren't present.
Mold Breaker's primary function is to negate the effects of abilities that interfere with direct attacks. For example, a Pokémon with Levitate is normally immune to Ground-type attacks, but Mold Breaker negates this immunity, allowing a Pokémon with Earthquake to hit a Levitating foe. Similarly, Wonder Guard, which makes a Pokémon only susceptible to super-effective attacks, is bypassed, making all attacks capable of inflicting damage. It's important to note that Mold Breaker doesn't negate abilities that activate *after* an attack has already made contact, such as Flame Body or Static. These abilities will still trigger if the Mold Breaker user's move makes contact. Also, abilities that affect the user of Mold Breaker itself are unaffected; for example, the ability Intimidate will still lower the Attack stat of the Mold Breaker user upon entering the battlefield. Mold Breaker is specifically geared towards allowing moves to hit *through* defensive or disruptive abilities of the *target* Pokémon.Does Mold Breaker affect abilities that activate after a Pokemon faints?
No, Mold Breaker does not affect abilities that activate after a Pokémon faints. Mold Breaker only negates abilities that would otherwise prevent a move from hitting or having its full effect *before* the target Pokémon faints. Once a Pokémon has fainted, Mold Breaker's influence is no longer relevant because the ability activates as a consequence of the faint, not as a preventative measure against an incoming attack.
Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze (all functionally identical abilities) bypass abilities that would block or redirect attacks, lower stats upon entry, or otherwise interfere with the initial application of a move. These abilities essentially allow moves to ignore protective or interfering abilities on the target. For example, a Pokémon with Mold Breaker can hit a Pokémon with the Levitate ability with Ground-type moves, which would normally be impossible. However, abilities like Aftermath, which cause damage to the attacker after the Pokémon with the ability faints from a physical move, or Mummy, which changes the attacker's ability to Mummy upon contact, are triggered by the act of fainting or making contact, respectively. Mold Breaker only considers abilities during the initial execution of a move. The crucial distinction is timing. Mold Breaker only suppresses abilities *before* the move connects and deals damage. Abilities that activate upon fainting or under other specific conditions (like defeat) are not checked until after the Pokémon has already been knocked out. Therefore, Aftermath, Mummy, and similar abilities will still activate even if the attacking Pokémon has Mold Breaker. The move successfully landed, damage was dealt, and the target fainted – Mold Breaker's job is done at that point.Are there any moves that bypass Mold Breaker's effect?
Yes, a few specific moves and abilities can bypass Mold Breaker's effect. These mostly involve moves that are designed to function independently of the target's abilities or rely on mechanics that override Mold Breaker's negation.
Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze all function identically, negating most abilities the target Pokémon might have. This usually allows moves like Earthquake to hit Pokémon with Levitate or moves like Poison Jab to poison Pokémon with abilities like Immunity. However, certain mechanics within the game take precedence. For example, moves that are guaranteed to critical hit, such as those used with the Scope Lens and the Focus Energy setup, will bypass abilities like Battle Armor or Shell Armor even when the attacker has Mold Breaker. This is because the guaranteed critical hit mechanic overrides the ability's protection. Furthermore, certain moves have effects that are entirely independent of the target's ability. An example is moves that force a switch, such as Roar, Whirlwind, or Circle Throw. These moves will still force the target Pokémon to switch out, regardless of whether the target possesses an ability like Suction Cups, which would normally prevent it. This is because the forced switch is a programmed effect of the move, not an interaction influenced by the target's ability in the same way damage calculation or status application is. In summary, while Mold Breaker effectively neutralizes a wide array of abilities, specific interactions programmed into certain moves or resulting from core game mechanics can circumvent its effect.How does Mold Breaker interact with abilities that change the weather?
Mold Breaker ignores abilities that would prevent weather from being changed or override an existing weather condition. This means a Pokémon with Mold Breaker can successfully set weather (Rain, Sun, Sandstorm, or Hail/Snow) even if the opposing Pokémon has abilities like Air Lock, Cloud Nine, or Desolate Land, Primordial Sea, or Delta Stream active.
Essentially, Mold Breaker removes the protective effect these weather-negating or weather-altering abilities would normally provide. While Air Lock and Cloud Nine simply negate the *effects* of weather, Desolate Land, Primordial Sea, and Delta Stream prevent any other weather condition from being initiated *while* they are active. Mold Breaker circumvents these restrictions, allowing the Mold Breaker Pokémon to successfully use a weather-inducing move or ability, replacing the existing weather.
For example, if a Groudon with Desolate Land is active, preventing rain from being set, a Pokémon with Mold Breaker using Rain Dance will succeed in changing the weather to rain, overriding Desolate Land. After the Mold Breaker Pokémon switches out or faints, Desolate Land will then immediately reassert itself, setting the weather back to harsh sunlight. The same applies to Primordial Sea and Delta Stream, and to abilities used in conjunction with weather such as Swift Swim or Sand Rush.
Does Mold Breaker only work on abilities or other effects as well?
Mold Breaker primarily works by negating the effects of other Pokémon's abilities during battle. This means that abilities which would normally prevent moves from working, alter damage, or apply status conditions are ignored when a Pokémon with Mold Breaker uses a move against the opponent. However, Mold Breaker does *not* bypass other effects like items, terrain, or moves such as Protect.
Mold Breaker's core function is ability negation, allowing moves to bypass defenses and immunities granted by abilities. For example, a Pokémon with Mold Breaker can use Earthquake against a Pokémon with Levitate, which would normally make them immune to Ground-type moves. Similarly, it allows moves to inflict status conditions even if the target has an ability that should prevent it, such as inflicting paralysis on a Pokémon with the ability Limber. It's important to note the limitations of Mold Breaker. It exclusively targets abilities. Held items like a Focus Sash, which prevents a Pokémon from being knocked out in one hit, will still function as normal. Terrain effects, such as Misty Terrain preventing status conditions, will also not be ignored by Mold Breaker. Finally, protective moves like Protect and Detect will also work normally. Mold Breaker allows you to bypass abilities that provide protection, but it doesn’t negate the effects of moves that create protection, or items that bestow a protective effect.What are some good strategies for using a Pokemon with Mold Breaker?
The best strategies for using a Pokémon with Mold Breaker revolve around capitalizing on its ability to ignore the abilities of opposing Pokémon. This primarily involves using attacks that would normally be rendered ineffective or significantly weaker by the target's ability, turning those potentially bad matchups into favorable ones. Think of it as removing a safety net for your opponent, allowing you to exploit their weaknesses without being hindered by their special ability.
Mold Breaker shines when facing opponents with abilities that provide immunities, status condition prevention, or significant stat boosts. For example, using Earthquake against a Levitate user like Rotom becomes a viable offensive option. Similarly, you can inflict status conditions like paralysis or burn on Pokémon with abilities like Magic Bounce or Sap Sipper, respectively, opening them up to further exploitation. Predicting when your opponent will switch to a Pokémon with a problematic ability is key to maximizing Mold Breaker's impact; then, you can immediately punish that switch-in. Furthermore, Mold Breaker can be a valuable asset in double battles, where abilities like Intimidate or Pressure can significantly affect your team's performance. By ignoring these abilities, a Mold Breaker Pokémon can more reliably deliver strong attacks and support its partner. In general, focus on offensive moves that would be suppressed by abilities to maximize the effectiveness of Mold Breaker. It's also good to note that Mold Breaker does not ignore abilities that activate after a Pokemon is hit by a move, such as Aftermath or Cute Charm.Does Mold Breaker affect abilities in double or triple battles?
Yes, Mold Breaker, as well as similar abilities like Teravolt and Turboblaze, bypasses the effects of most abilities of other Pokémon on the field in double and triple battles, allowing the user to hit them with moves that would otherwise be blocked or altered.
Mold Breaker's primary function is to ignore abilities that might protect a target from damage or status conditions. This means that in a multi-battle scenario, if a Pokémon with Mold Breaker targets an opponent with an ability like Levitate, the Mold Breaker user's Ground-type move will still hit. Similarly, abilities that alter move properties, like Lightning Rod or Storm Drain, are also ignored, meaning the Mold Breaker user's Water or Electric-type attacks will hit the intended target rather than being redirected. This makes Mold Breaker incredibly useful for dealing with teams reliant on specific abilities for defense or synergy. However, it's important to note some limitations. Mold Breaker does not ignore abilities that activate after a Pokémon is hit or fainted, such as Aftermath or Mummy. It also doesn't ignore abilities that affect the user of Mold Breaker itself, such as Intimidate. Additionally, some abilities are specifically coded to be unaffected by Mold Breaker-like abilities. Thus, while Mold Breaker offers a significant advantage in bypassing defensive abilities, it is not a universally effective countermeasure and understanding its interactions with various abilities is key to its strategic deployment.Hopefully, that clears up what Mold Breaker is all about! It's a neat ability that can really shake things up in battle. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for more Pokémon insights and explanations!