Ever been supremely frustrated when your powerful Earthquake attack does absolutely nothing against a Pokémon floating in the air with Levitate? Or perhaps you've felt cheated when your attempts to paralyze an enemy with Static keep failing? These defensive Abilities are powerful tools in battle, often dictating strategy and limiting options. However, there's one Ability that can shatter these carefully laid plans and turn the tide of battle: Mold Breaker.
Understanding Mold Breaker is crucial for both competitive players and casual fans alike. It provides a significant advantage by negating the effects of many common and powerful Abilities, opening up new offensive avenues and allowing for unexpected strategies. Ignoring this Ability could leave you vulnerable to being easily countered, while mastering its implications allows you to exploit weaknesses and dominate your opponents.
What are some common questions about Mold Breaker?
What specific abilities does Mold Breaker ignore?
Mold Breaker nullifies abilities that would prevent a move from successfully executing its intended effect or that alter a move's typical functionality. It allows moves to bypass defensive abilities, stat-altering abilities, and redirection abilities that would normally hinder the attacker. However, it generally does not affect abilities that trigger after a move has already made contact or that passively affect the Pokémon with Mold Breaker.
Mold Breaker's primary function is to ignore abilities that directly interfere with the execution of a move. This includes abilities like Levitate (which negates Ground-type moves), Wonder Guard (which only allows super-effective moves to hit), and Disguise (which allows Mimikyu to avoid one attack). It also circumvents abilities that modify stats defensively, such as Clear Body, preventing the target from having its stats lowered by the Mold Breaker user's moves. Abilities that redirect moves, such as Storm Drain and Lightning Rod, are also bypassed, allowing single-target moves to hit their intended target. It's important to note that Mold Breaker only affects the *initial* execution of the move. Abilities that trigger *after* the move connects, such as Aftermath or Rough Skin, will still activate. Furthermore, abilities that provide passive effects affecting the Mold Breaker user itself, like Pressure or Unnerve, remain active. Mold Breaker allows the user to ignore an opponent's ability when *using* a move, not to suppress the ability entirely. Also, abilities that simply change the type of a move, such as Normalize or Pixilate, are not bypassed by Mold Breaker.How does Mold Breaker change type matchups?
Mold Breaker negates abilities that would otherwise alter the effectiveness of moves based on type. This primarily affects matchups by allowing moves to bypass abilities that grant immunity, resistance, or redirection, effectively turning previously unfavorable matchups into neutral or even advantageous ones.
Mold Breaker's impact is most significant when facing Pokémon with abilities like Levitate, Flash Fire, or Volt Absorb. Levitate normally grants immunity to Ground-type moves, Flash Fire absorbs Fire-type moves and powers up the user's Fire attacks, and Volt Absorb heals the user when hit by Electric-type moves. With Mold Breaker active, a Ground-type move will hit a Pokémon with Levitate for normal damage, a Fire-type move will damage a Pokémon with Flash Fire instead of being absorbed, and an Electric-type move will damage rather than heal a Pokémon with Volt Absorb. Furthermore, Mold Breaker ignores abilities that redirect moves, such as Lightning Rod (which redirects Electric-type moves to the user) and Storm Drain (which redirects Water-type moves to the user). This is especially useful in double battles, where redirection abilities can completely disrupt offensive strategies. By ignoring redirection, Mold Breaker allows moves to hit their intended targets, ensuring a more predictable and reliable outcome. This can be vital for securing KOs and controlling the flow of battle. In essence, Mold Breaker removes the unpredictable element that certain abilities introduce to type matchups, allowing for straightforward damage calculation and strategic planning. The removal of immunities and redirections can turn the tide of a battle, especially against teams heavily reliant on ability-based defenses.Does Mold Breaker affect abilities that activate after an attack?
Yes, Mold Breaker does affect abilities that activate after an attack. Mold Breaker allows the Pokémon with the ability to ignore the effects of other Pokémon's abilities during battle, regardless of when those abilities would normally activate. This includes abilities triggered by the attacking move itself, as well as abilities that activate after the move has concluded.
Mold Breaker essentially bypasses any ability that would otherwise impede the effectiveness of a move. This means if an ability is designed to activate *after* an attack hits, such as causing a status condition upon contact or triggering a secondary effect based on damage dealt, Mold Breaker will negate it. The timing of the ability's activation is irrelevant; if it interferes with the attacking Pokémon's strategy or would otherwise change the outcome of the attack, Mold Breaker circumvents it. Consider abilities like Aftermath or Cursed Body. Aftermath, which causes damage to the attacker upon knockout by a direct attack, is ignored by Mold Breaker. Similarly, Cursed Body, which has a chance of disabling the attacker's move, will not activate if the attacker has Mold Breaker. This makes Mold Breaker a potent ability for overcoming defensive strategies and ensuring consistent damage output, even against opponents with disruptive or retaliatory abilities.Does Mold Breaker work on abilities in double battles?
Yes, Mold Breaker functions in double battles, negating the effects of most Abilities that would otherwise prevent a move from working or alter its effects when targeting an opponent with the Mold Breaker ability.
Mold Breaker, along with Teravolt and Turboblaze, bypasses Abilities that would normally interfere with the user's moves. This means abilities like Levitate, Motor Drive, or Flash Fire will be ignored, allowing Ground-type moves to hit Levitating Pokémon, Electric-type moves to affect Pokémon with Motor Drive without being redirected or nullified, and Fire-type moves to damage Pokémon with Flash Fire instead of being absorbed. The ability effectively removes the defensive or redirective properties granted by these abilities from the target.
However, it's important to note that Mold Breaker doesn't negate *all* Abilities. Abilities that activate after a move has already made contact, such as Aftermath or Rough Skin, will still trigger. Similarly, Abilities that alter the user's own stats or provide passive immunities to status conditions (e.g., Immunity to poison) are not affected. The primary function of Mold Breaker is to ensure that the move connects and deals damage, unhindered by the target's defensive Ability.
Can a Pokemon with Mold Breaker be affected by its own ability negation?
No, a Pokémon with the Mold Breaker ability cannot be affected by its own ability negation. Mold Breaker specifically allows the Pokémon to ignore the abilities of *other* Pokémon that could potentially hinder its moves. It does not affect its own ability or susceptibility to external effects that would negate abilities in general.
Mold Breaker's primary function is to bypass abilities like Levitate, Magic Bounce, or Filter that would otherwise prevent a move from hitting or dealing full damage. The ability only targets opponent abilities and provides no self-targeting function. If a Pokémon with Mold Breaker is affected by an ability like Gastro Acid or is under the effects of the move Worry Seed, then its Mold Breaker ability will be suppressed just like any other ability. This happens because those moves don't interact with other abilities on the field, but suppress the target's ability outright. Essentially, Mold Breaker ensures the Pokémon's moves function as intended against opponents with defensive abilities, but it doesn't provide immunity to effects that universally negate or suppress abilities. The affected Pokémon can still be the target of such moves.What strategies counter a Pokemon with Mold Breaker?
The primary strategy to counter a Pokémon with Mold Breaker is to exploit its weaknesses in stats, typing, and movepool rather than relying on abilities for defense or status immunity. Since Mold Breaker ignores abilities that would otherwise provide protection, focus on offensive pressure, status conditions that bypass ability-based immunities, and strategic switching to gain type advantages.
Mold Breaker essentially negates a wide range of defensive and disruptive abilities. This includes abilities like Levitate (making Ground-type attacks effective), Magic Bounce (allowing status moves to be reflected), and Wonder Guard (allowing only super-effective attacks to hit). Therefore, attempts to stall, redirect, or otherwise neutralize the Mold Breaker Pokémon through its target's abilities will be ineffective. Instead, treat the encounter as if the opponent has no ability whatsoever, focusing on direct offense and exploiting type matchups. If a Mold Breaker user is weak to Water-type moves, for example, directly attacking with a powerful Water-type move is generally the most reliable course of action, irrespective of any defensive ability the target might possess under normal circumstances. Additionally, consider using status conditions that are not directly negated by abilities. For instance, while a Mold Breaker user can bypass abilities like Immunity to inflict poison, it does not grant immunity to status conditions itself. If the Mold Breaker user has low Special Defense, paralyzing it or burning it can severely hinder its offensive capabilities and make it easier to manage. Prioritizing strong, direct attacks and strategic status infliction will provide a more reliable approach than relying on abilities to provide a defensive advantage.Does Mold Breaker affect abilities outside of battle?
No, the Mold Breaker ability only affects abilities during battle. It negates the effects of certain abilities that would otherwise interfere with the Pokémon with Mold Breaker using its moves.
Mold Breaker's primary function is to ignore abilities that could prevent a move from hitting or having its intended effect. For example, a Pokémon with Mold Breaker can use Earthquake against a Pokémon with Levitate, normally an immunity. Similarly, abilities like Wonder Guard, which usually only allows super-effective moves to hit, are bypassed by Mold Breaker, allowing any move to connect. It is important to remember that Mold Breaker only affects *some* abilities, and there are limitations. Abilities that activate upon being hit by a move, such as Counter or Mirror Coat, are not affected by Mold Breaker. The effect of Mold Breaker is also not permanent; it only lasts for the duration of the turn in which the move is used.Hopefully, that clears up what Mold Breaker does! It's a super handy ability to have up your sleeve, especially when dealing with tricky opponents. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back for more Pokémon tips and tricks!