Does Thunder Wave Work with Prankster? A Comprehensive Guide
Yes, Thunder Wave absolutely works with the Prankster ability, and it’s a very potent combination. Prankster increases the priority of status moves by +1, which means a Thunder Wave used by a Pokémon with Prankster will go before most other moves, regardless of the Pokémon’s speed. This allows you to reliably paralyze your opponent, potentially crippling their strategy. However, there are nuances and exceptions to this, which we will explore in this detailed guide.
Understanding Prankster
What Prankster Does
The Prankster ability is a game-changer for many support-oriented Pokémon. It grants a +1 priority boost to all non-damaging moves. Priority moves always go before regular moves, with higher priority moves going first. In Pokémon battles, speed is key, but Prankster flips the script. A slower Pokémon with Prankster can use status moves like Thunder Wave, Taunt, or Will-O-Wisp before a faster opponent using a regular move, giving them an edge in battle.
How Prankster Affects Thunder Wave
When a Pokémon with Prankster uses Thunder Wave, the move gains a +1 priority. This means that the Prankster-boosted Thunder Wave will go before any move with a normal priority of 0, such as most offensive attacks. However, it will still be beaten by moves with a higher priority, such as Quick Attack or Mach Punch (though these would not be commonly used against a status move user). The result is that you are likely to land the paralysis status on your opponent before they can react. This can be extremely powerful for controlling the pace of the battle.
Limitations of Prankster
It’s important to note the limitations of Prankster. Most importantly, Dark-type Pokémon are immune to status moves affected by Prankster. This crucial detail often dictates how you use Prankster in battles. For example, if your Prankster user attempts to use Thunder Wave on a Dark-type Pokémon, it will not work.
Additionally, Prankster only boosts status moves – offensive attacks will not get the priority boost. This means that you can’t use Prankster to outspeed a physical or special attack with your own move. Lastly, certain abilities and terrains can negate Prankster’s effects, which we will explore in the FAQs.
Thunder Wave: The Paralysis Staple
What Thunder Wave Does
Thunder Wave is a status move that inflicts paralysis on the target. While it does not deal damage, paralysis is a very powerful status effect. When a Pokémon is paralyzed, its speed is halved, and it has a 25% chance of being fully paralyzed (unable to move) each turn. This makes Thunder Wave extremely potent for shutting down fast threats and giving you opportunities to set up or deal heavy damage.
Who Is Immune to Thunder Wave
Ground-type Pokémon are completely immune to Thunder Wave. Furthermore, since electric-type Pokemon cannot be paralyzed, they are also considered immune. Finally, remember that Dark-types are immune to any status move boosted by Prankster, so if your Prankster user attempts to use Thunder Wave on a Dark-type, it will also not work. Also, the ability Lightning Rod will redirect all electrical moves including Thunder Wave to the user, granting them the benefit and protection of their ability while also denying your paralysis.
Why Thunder Wave is Valuable
The combination of speed control and the potential for full paralysis makes Thunder Wave a highly sought-after move. It can completely cripple faster threats, and it’s often used as a disruptive tool for strategies such as stalling, setting up, or even controlling priority moves. However, it’s always important to be cognizant of the type match ups for this status move.
Prankster Thunder Wave: A Powerful Combination
The Synergy
The real power of Thunder Wave lies in its synergy with Prankster. By granting the move priority, you can almost guarantee that you will paralyze your opponent before they are able to take an action. This allows you to disrupt their momentum and take control of the flow of the battle.
Strategic Applications
With Prankster Thunder Wave, you can:
- Neutralize speed-based threats: Fast, offensive Pokémon are often dependent on their speed. Paralyzing them can dramatically reduce their effectiveness.
- Disrupt sweepers: If your opponent is setting up to sweep your team, Thunder Wave can stop them in their tracks.
- Gain control: Paralyzed Pokémon are far less likely to be threatening, allowing you to plan your strategy more effectively.
- Facilitate setup: Paralyzed targets become easy targets for stat boosts or other setup moves.
Considerations
While the combination is powerful, you should always be aware of the type immunities and specific abilities that can shut it down. Understanding when and where to use it is vital to maximizing its impact.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Prankster affect other Electric-type moves?
No, Prankster only affects non-damaging status moves. It will not boost offensive Electric-type moves like Thunderbolt or Discharge.
2. Can a Prankster boosted Thunder Wave paralyze a Ground-type Pokémon?
No, Ground-type Pokémon are immune to Electric-type moves, including Thunder Wave, regardless of Prankster.
3. Is a Dark-type Pokémon immune to Prankster boosted Thunder Wave?
Yes, Dark-type Pokémon are completely immune to moves boosted by Prankster.
4. Does Psychic Terrain block Prankster boosted Thunder Wave?
Yes, if Psychic Terrain is active, Pokémon on the ground cannot be affected by moves with increased priority including Prankster moves.
5. Can Lightning Rod redirect Prankster boosted Thunder Wave?
Yes, the Lightning Rod ability will redirect all Electric-type attacks, including Prankster-boosted Thunder Wave, to the user, giving them the paralysis status instead.
6. How does the speed reduction of paralysis work?
When paralyzed, a Pokémon’s speed stat is halved. Additionally, there’s a 25% chance it will be fully paralyzed and unable to move on any given turn.
7. Does Prankster work on moves like Roar or Whirlwind?
No, moves that have negative priority, like Roar and Whirlwind, remain at the lowest priority even with Prankster’s boost, so the opponent will move before you.
8. Can a Prankster boosted Thunder Wave be used on the user?
From a game engine perspective, moves with a “cube effect” can be centered on the caster, so yes, you can paralyze yourself with a Prankster boosted Thunder Wave if you wanted to. However, this is a generally a poor strategy.
9. Does Prankster work with moves that target the whole field?
Moves that target the whole field (except Perish Song and Rototiller) and moves that set traps are successful regardless of Dark types.
10. What are some good Pokémon that have the Prankster ability?
Some of the best Pokémon that have the Prankster ability include Thundurus, Riolu, Liepard, and Sableye.
11. Is Thunder Wave the best status move with Prankster?
Thunder Wave is one of the best, but other status moves like Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Encore are also extremely effective with Prankster, based on your battle strategy.
12. Can a paralyzed Pokémon use a priority move?
Yes, a paralyzed Pokémon can use priority moves, but paralysis can still prevent the move from being used due to the 25% chance of full paralysis, and of course, speed reduction.
13. Does the priority from Prankster get blocked by other priority moves?
No, moves with higher priority will still go first, regardless of a Prankster user’s move. However, you will move before any move with a normal or lower priority than your status move.
14. Can I use a Prankster move and then Copycat for a higher priority move?
Yes, for example, if Riolu uses a non-prankster boosted move, you can use Copycat afterwards to get the +1 priority. If a Prankster user successfully uses Roar, then using Copycat afterwards will gain you a +1 priority Roar.
15. Is Thunder Wave a good move outside of Prankster?
Yes, Thunder Wave is still an excellent move without Prankster. Its high accuracy and chance of inflicting paralysis make it extremely valuable. However, Prankster allows it to be used offensively due to the +1 priority.
In conclusion, Prankster and Thunder Wave together make a very powerful combination and an excellent tool to add to your team. By utilizing this combination effectively, you can drastically improve your odds of winning matches, especially in competitive play.