What Item Boosts Terrain in Pokémon?
The primary item that boosts terrain in the Pokémon world is the Terrain Extender. This held item, introduced in Generation VII, serves a crucial role for trainers who rely on the strategic advantages offered by various terrains. By extending the duration of these battlefield effects, the Terrain Extender significantly enhances the effectiveness of Pokémon strategies centered around terrain control.
Understanding the Terrain Extender
How It Works
The Terrain Extender functions by increasing the number of turns that a terrain effect remains active on the battlefield. Without the Terrain Extender, terrain effects typically last for five turns. When held by a Pokémon that creates terrain using a move or ability, the Terrain Extender boosts that duration to eight turns. This extra three-turn extension can make a considerable difference in battles, allowing players to fully exploit the benefits of the terrain for a more extended period.
Mechanics and Usage
The Terrain Extender isn’t specific to any single type of terrain. It works universally with Electric Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Misty Terrain, and Psychic Terrain. This means that regardless of the terrain type your Pokémon creates, the Terrain Extender will increase its duration.
The item’s effectiveness is straightforward: it must be held by a Pokémon that actively sets the terrain or, in some cases, by a Pokemon that switches in while the terrain is active. When that Pokémon brings a terrain effect to the field, the duration is automatically extended. This simplicity of function makes it a valuable addition to any team that utilizes terrain control strategies.
Strategic Importance
The impact of the Terrain Extender on battles cannot be overstated. The extended duration of terrain effects allows players to:
- Maximize Offensive Output: Terrain such as Electric Terrain and Psychic Terrain enhance the power of certain move types, allowing for a substantial increase in damage output over a longer duration.
- Control the Battlefield: With terrain effects lasting longer, you can dictate the flow of the battle, limiting your opponent’s options and controlling their actions for a greater duration of the match.
- Boost Recovery: Grassy Terrain provides a healing effect for grounded Pokémon, and extending this duration can dramatically improve your team’s survivability during a match.
- Provide Status Immunities: Misty Terrain prevents status conditions on grounded Pokémon, and the extra turns from the Terrain Extender allow for consistent protection.
- Boost Team Synergies: Consistent, longer terrain duration allows for teammates to fully capitalize on the benefits and build strong synergies.
By choosing to use the Terrain Extender, you commit to a long-game strategy based around sustained battlefield control. It rewards players who are adept at planning several turns ahead and who are looking to build their team’s strategy around the effects of particular terrain.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Terrain in Pokémon
1. What Pokémon Abilities Cause Terrain?
Four prominent Pokémon, collectively known as the Tapu deities, possess abilities that cause terrain upon entering the battlefield:
- Tapu Koko’s Electric Surge creates Electric Terrain.
- Tapu Bulu’s Grassy Surge creates Grassy Terrain.
- Tapu Fini’s Misty Surge creates Misty Terrain.
- Tapu Lele’s Psychic Surge creates Psychic Terrain.
2. How Do You Extend Misty Terrain?
Apart from the Terrain Extender, there is no other item that directly extends Misty Terrain. However, a Misty Seed will be consumed to give a Pokémon a Special Defense boost while on Misty Terrain. The most reliable way to extend Misty Terrain’s duration is by having a Pokémon hold a Terrain Extender while bringing Misty Terrain into effect.
3. How Much Does Misty Terrain Boost Fairy-type Attacks?
Misty Terrain strengthens Fairy-type moves, increasing their power by 1.5x for grounded Pokémon.
4. Are Flying Types Affected By Terrain?
Normally, Flying-type Pokémon, those with the ability Levitate, and Pokémon holding an Air Balloon are immune to the effects of terrains. However, Pokémon holding the Ground Clearance item will now be affected by terrain while still keeping their Ground immunity.
5. Does Defog Remove Terrain?
Yes, the move Defog now removes all terrains and the effects of G-Max Steelsurge. This makes Defog a significant counter to teams that rely heavily on terrain-based strategies.
6. Can Pokémon Fall Asleep with Misty Terrain Active?
Misty Terrain prevents all grounded Pokémon on the field from being affected by status conditions, such as sleep or paralysis. This also means that yawn will fail on grounded Pokémon when Misty Terrain is in effect.
7. Does Booster Energy and Terrain Stack?
Booster Energy’s boost does not stack with terrain. If a Pokémon with the abilities Protosynthesis or Quark Drive switches in while Sun or Electric Terrain, respectively, are active, the boost from the field will be gained, and the Booster Energy won’t activate.
8. How Much Does Psychic Terrain Boost?
Psychic Terrain boosts the power of Psychic-type moves by 50%. It also provides immunity for affected Pokémon to priority moves from opponents.
9. Does Psychic Terrain Stop Spore?
Yes, the effect of Psychic Terrain prevents all status inducing moves on grounded Pokémon, including moves like Spore and Toxic. It does not, however, stop effects of Taunt or Encore.
10. What Item Boosts Defense?
The Eviolite boosts the Defense and Special Defense by 50%, but it only works on Pokémon that have not fully evolved. This item provides a significant boost for those Pokemon.
11. Can Dragonite Learn Defog?
Dragonite can learn Defog via HM in a prior generation. However, without trading it over to a newer game, there is no way to teach it defog in a newer generation.
12. What Does Grassy Terrain Do?
Grassy Terrain boosts the power of Grass-type attacks, and heals grounded Pokémon a small amount at the end of each turn. This terrain also weakens the power of Earthquake and magnitude attacks.
13. How Does Misty Terrain Affect Status Conditions Like Swagger?
While Misty Terrain prevents status conditions like paralysis, sleep, and poison, it does not prevent confusion from moves like Swagger. This means that while your Pokémon are protected from other status effects, they could still become confused.
14. Can You Use Thunder Wave in Misty Terrain?
Misty Terrain will neutralize the status effects of Thunder Wave on grounded targets. Therefore, a player will not be able to paralyze the opponents while misty terrain is active. However, non-grounded targets can be paralyzed normally.
15. How Does Toxic Orb Interact With Misty Terrain?
Misty Terrain can prevent the Toxic Orb from activating on a Pokémon. However, if a Pokémon is subject to a move like Swallow, the Toxic Orb will activate, even during Misty Terrain, and the Pokémon will become poisoned.
By understanding these various aspects of terrain in Pokémon, and especially how the Terrain Extender works, trainers can vastly improve their strategic options in battle, leading to more victories and a more in-depth experience with the game.