Can You Use Taunt in Psychic Terrain? A Deep Dive
The short answer is: yes, you can use Taunt in Psychic Terrain, but with some important caveats. Psychic Terrain is a fascinating battle condition that dramatically alters the effectiveness of priority moves and the potency of Psychic-type attacks, but it doesn’t completely shut down all status moves. This article will explore how Taunt interacts with Psychic Terrain, clarify the rules, and answer common questions about this complex mechanic.
How Taunt Works and Its Interaction with Psychic Terrain
Taunt is a non-damaging status move that prevents the target Pokémon from using status moves for three turns. It’s a powerful tool to disrupt defensive strategies, stop healing, and generally force opponents to attack. However, the introduction of Psychic Terrain adds a layer of complexity.
Psychic Terrain has two core effects:
- It boosts the power of Psychic-type moves used by grounded Pokémon by 1.5x.
- It blocks priority moves from targeting grounded Pokémon.
Here’s the crucial part: Psychic Terrain only blocks priority moves; it does not block status moves like Taunt directly. The core issue arises not from Taunt itself but whether the Taunt user has the Prankster ability.
The Prankster Ability
The Prankster ability is what complicates the matter. Prankster grants a +1 priority to non-damaging moves, including Taunt. This is where the interaction with Psychic Terrain becomes nuanced. A Prankster user attempting to use Taunt on a grounded Pokémon under Psychic Terrain will find their move blocked. This is because, for that turn, it becomes a priority move, and therefore falls victim to the terrain’s protective effect.
However, a Taunt user without Prankster, will work just fine. Their Taunt move doesn’t have priority, and it is used normally on the grounded Pokemon even in Psychic Terrain.
Specific Scenarios and Examples
- Scenario 1: Prankster Taunt vs. Grounded Pokémon: If a Pokémon with Prankster uses Taunt on a grounded opponent while Psychic Terrain is active, the Taunt move will fail. The terrain will effectively neutralize the increased priority granted by Prankster.
- Scenario 2: Non-Prankster Taunt vs. Grounded Pokémon: If a Pokémon without Prankster uses Taunt on a grounded opponent while Psychic Terrain is active, the Taunt move will succeed. It doesn’t gain priority, so it’s not blocked by the terrain.
- Scenario 3: Prankster Taunt vs. Flying Pokémon: If a Pokémon with Prankster uses Taunt on a flying opponent (or any non-grounded opponent), the Taunt move will succeed, even under Psychic Terrain. The terrain only affects grounded Pokémon.
- Scenario 4: Taunt on a non-grounded target: Taunt works as normal against Pokémon that are not grounded, regardless of whether the user is a Prankster or not, since priority moves only interact with ground-type pokemon.
Importance of Grounded Status
The “grounded” status is crucial. Pokemon that are flying-type, those under the effects of Levitate (an ability), or holding Air Balloon will not be affected by psychic terrain. This means any priority move can hit them without issues, even in psychic terrain, provided they are not on your side of the field.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Psychic Terrain and Taunt
1. What moves are blocked by Psychic Terrain?
Psychic Terrain blocks priority moves that target grounded Pokémon, specifically moves with a priority greater than 0. Moves that target multiple opponents or all pokemon are not blocked. For example, moves like Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, and Prankster-boosted moves will be blocked if targeting a grounded opponent.
2. Does Psychic Terrain prevent all status moves?
No. Psychic Terrain specifically blocks priority moves that target grounded Pokémon, not all status moves. So, most non-priority status moves will work normally.
3. Can you use Fake Out in Psychic Terrain?
Yes and No. Fake Out is a priority move. If you use Fake Out on a grounded Pokémon, it will fail. However, if you use Fake Out on a non-grounded Pokémon, it will work. The target’s grounded status matters, not the user’s.
4. Does Psychic Terrain stop Follow Me?
No. Follow Me is a self-targeted priority move, and Psychic Terrain only blocks priority moves that target grounded opponents.
5. Does Protect fail in Psychic Terrain?
No. Protect is a defensive move targeting the user, not an opponent. Psychic Terrain only blocks priority attacks that target grounded pokemon.
6. How long does Psychic Terrain last?
Psychic Terrain lasts for 5 turns by default. If the user is holding a Terrain Extender, it lasts for 8 turns.
7. What abilities summon Psychic Terrain?
The primary ability that summons Psychic Terrain is Psychic Surge.
8. How can you remove Psychic Terrain?
Psychic Terrain can be removed by using a terrain-changing move, having the user faint, or by using it again from the party menu.
9. Does Misty Terrain stop Taunt?
No. Misty Terrain prevents status-inducing moves but does not prevent Taunt or Encore.
10. Can you use Spore in Psychic Terrain?
No. Spore is a status move that is blocked by Misty Terrain, not Psychic Terrain. Psychic Terrain only blocks priority status moves targeting grounded pokemon.
11. What Pokémon are immune to Taunt?
Dark-type and Unaware Pokémon are immune to Taunt. Pokémon with the Oblivious ability or those under the effect of Aroma Veil cannot be Taunted.
12. What does Taunt actually block?
Taunt prevents the target Pokémon from using status moves. This includes moves like Recover, Swords Dance, Toxic, and others.
13. What moves can still be used under Psychic Terrain?
Regular attack moves (non-priority) and status moves are still usable, unless they are given priority by abilities like Prankster. The effectiveness of status moves depends on the user having a priority move, or not being a priority move at all.
14. Does Expanding Force work only in Psychic Terrain?
Expanding Force gains boosted power and targets all opponents under Psychic Terrain, but it can still be used without Psychic Terrain and will do less damage.
15. What are some good counters to Psychic-type moves?
Dark-type, Ghost-type, and Bug-type Pokémon and moves are super effective against Psychic types. Steel types resist Psychic-type moves but don’t deal extra damage.
Conclusion
In summary, while Psychic Terrain might seem like a hard counter to Taunt, that is not necessarily true. The key is whether the user has the Prankster ability. If they do, Taunt will fail against grounded Pokémon; otherwise, it will work as expected. Understanding these subtleties is essential to mastering the tactical depths of Pokemon battles. Always keep in mind the target’s grounded status and whether a move has priority. With this knowledge, you can use Taunt effectively, even on a Psychic Terrain battlefield.