Decoding Critical Hits: Do They Ignore Stat Boosts?
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Yes, critical hits in Pokémon do partially ignore stat boosts. Specifically, they circumvent the attacker’s negative stat stages and the defender’s positive stat stages relevant to damage calculation. However, this is a nuanced topic, as the mechanics have evolved across different generations of the game. Let’s delve deeper into the mechanics and dispel common misconceptions surrounding critical hits and stat modifications.
Understanding Critical Hit Mechanics
Critical hits (crits) are a staple in the Pokémon battle system, adding an element of unpredictability and potential for massive damage swings. A critical hit essentially multiplies the damage output of a move, typically by 1.5x in recent generations. However, their interaction with stat boosts and other modifiers is not always straightforward.
Generation III and Onward: The Core Rule
From Generation III onwards, the fundamental rule governing critical hits and stat boosts emerged. When a move lands a critical hit, the game ignores the attacker’s negative stat stages and the defender’s positive stat stages. This means that if your Pokémon has had its Attack stat lowered due to moves like Growl or Intimidate, the critical hit bypasses those penalties. Similarly, if the opponent has boosted their Defense with moves like Defense Curl or Iron Defense, the critical hit ignores those boosts.
What Isn’t Ignored?
It’s crucial to understand what critical hits don’t ignore. They do not negate:
- Abilities: Abilities like Thick Fat (which reduces damage from Fire and Ice moves) or Filter (which reduces damage from super-effective moves) remain in effect. The Ability Unaware lets the Pokémon ignore the opponent’s stat changes, both positive and negative, when using or taking an attack.
- Items: Held items that boost stats or provide other benefits, such as Choice Band or Life Orb, are not bypassed by critical hits. Eviolite/Assault Vest are stat multipliers, rather than stat stage boosts. Critical hits only ignore stat stage changes.
- Damage Reduction: Critical hits ignore “damage reduction” (the percentage based kind) not Damage resistance. Aka “armor”.
- Burn: The halved damage from physical moves due to a burn is not ignored.
The Role of Screens
Critical hits also bypass the protective effects of Light Screen and Reflect, collectively known as “screens.” These moves significantly reduce damage from special and physical attacks, respectively. However, a critical hit negates this protection, allowing the attack to deal full damage.
Critical Hit Ratio
The chance of landing a critical hit depends on a Pokémon’s critical hit ratio. This ratio can be increased through various means, such as:
- Moves: Moves like Focus Energy increase the critical hit ratio.
- Items: Items like Razor Claw and Scope Lens boost the critical hit ratio.
- Abilities: Abilities like Super Luck increase the critical hit ratio.
With enough investment, it’s possible to guarantee critical hits, making moves with high critical hit ratios extremely potent. If the CRIT Rate is equal to 100% or greater, an attack is guaranteed to be a Critical Hit. If the CRIT Rate is equal to 0% or lesser, an attack can never be a Critical Hit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do critical hits ignore Eviolite/Assault Vest?
No, critical hits do not ignore the effects of Eviolite or Assault Vest. These items provide a direct boost to a Pokémon’s Defense or Special Defense stat, respectively. Critical hits only ignore stat stage changes, not flat stat increases granted by items or abilities.
2. Does the Ability “Unaware” affect critical hits?
No, the Ability Unaware does not directly affect critical hits. Unaware allows a Pokémon to ignore the opponent’s stat changes when calculating damage. It has no interaction with the critical hit mechanic itself.
3. Do critical hits ignore immunity?
No, critical hits do not override immunities. If a Pokémon is immune to a certain type of move, a critical hit will not bypass that immunity. For example, a Ground-type Pokémon is immune to Electric-type moves, regardless of whether the Electric-type move is a critical hit. When a creature immune to critical hits is critically hit by a Strike or other attack that deals damage, it takes normal damage instead of double damage. This does not make it immune to any other critical success effects of other actions that have the attack trait (such as Grapple and Shove).
4. What abilities prevent critical hits?
The primary ability that prevents a Pokémon from receiving critical hits is Shell Armor. Other abilities, such as Battle Armor, also provide this protection. Shell Armor prevents Pokémon from receiving a critical hit, even if they would usually always land one such as with Frost Breath, Storm Throw, or with Merciless (if the target is poisoned).
5. How much does a critical hit boost an attack?
In most recent generations, a critical hit multiplies the attack’s damage by 1.5x. However, in earlier generations (specifically, Generation I), the multiplier was 2x. This is 50% (or more with Crit Boost) more damage than normal, and is represented by a red damage pop-up and a unique hit-flash animation. Basic attacks, Special Attacks and damage over time can crit from different sources.
6. What moves are guaranteed to be critical hits?
Some moves are designed to always result in a critical hit. Examples include:
- Frost Breath
- Storm Throw
Additionally, the ability Merciless, combined with a poisoned target, guarantees critical hits.
7. Do critical hits ignore the halved damage from a burn?
No, critical hits do not ignore the halved damage from a burn. If a physical attacker is burned, their Attack stat is halved. A critical hit will still calculate damage based on this reduced Attack stat.
8. Does a high critical hit rate always result in higher damage output?
Not always. While a higher critical hit rate increases the probability of landing a critical hit, it’s essential to consider the trade-off. Investing heavily in critical hit rate might mean sacrificing other valuable stats, such as Attack or Special Attack. at least 50% crit rate and 100% crit damage is the ideal, anything above that is just a bonus.
9. Are critical hits affected by type matchups?
Yes, critical hits are still affected by type matchups. A critical hit will still deal super-effective, not very effective, or no damage based on the type relationship between the attacking move and the defending Pokémon.
10. Do critical hits ignore stat boosting moves?
No. Clear Smog inflicts damage and resets all stat levels of the target to 0; unlike Haze, this move only hits one target, rather than affecting every Pokémon on the field. This effect does not work if the target is unaffected by the attack because of type immunity, protection, or is behind a substitute.
11. Are critical hits beneficial?
Yes. When a move scores a critical hit, the attacker’s negative stat stages, the defender’s positive stat stages, and the defensive boosts from screens are always ignored.
12. Do unaware ignore stat boosts?
Unaware ignores +1/+2 stat boosts. Choice Band/Specs aren’t +1 boosts. They just multiply the respective stat by 1.5. Unaware would not ignore them.
13. Does Dragon Rage ignore defense?
Dragon Rage causes exactly 40 Hit Points of damage. The opponent’s use of defensive attacks such as Light Screen, Harden, and the defensive aspect of Amnesia, and/or offensive attacks such as Leer or the Special-lowering side effect of Psychic have absolutely no effect on the damage caused by this attack.
14. Is ATK or crit damage better?
This is known as the golden ratio. So if you have a significant amount of crit rate % and crit dmg % then atk % is more useful. So if you were to have for example 1700 total attack, 80% crit rate, and 160% crit damage. You’d be doing less damage than if you had 2000 attack, 70% crit rate, and 140% crit damage.
15. What moves ignore stat changes?
6 Pokemon Moves That Ignore Stat Changes 6 Chip Away. 5 Fissure. 4 Sacred Sword. 3 Darkest Lariat. 2 Horn Drill. 1 Final Gambit.
Strategic Implications
Understanding the interaction between critical hits and stat boosts is vital for strategic gameplay. Utilizing moves and abilities that increase critical hit ratio can be a powerful tactic, especially against opponents who rely on stat boosts to enhance their defenses. However, it’s also crucial to be aware of abilities like Shell Armor that can completely negate this strategy.
Conclusion
In summary, critical hits in Pokémon partially ignore stat boosts by circumventing the attacker’s negative stat stages and the defender’s positive stat stages, as well as defensive screens. However, they do not ignore abilities, items, burn, or type immunities. Mastering these nuances is essential for maximizing your strategic advantage in battle.
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