{"id":90134,"date":"2025-03-15T01:00:22","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T01:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/?p=90134"},"modified":"2025-03-15T01:00:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T01:00:22","slug":"how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How does attack vs Special Attack work?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_67_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#How_does_attack_vs_Special_Attack_work\" title=\"How does attack vs Special Attack work?\">How does attack vs Special Attack work?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Understanding_Attack_and_Special_Attack\" title=\"Understanding Attack and Special Attack\">Understanding Attack and Special Attack<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#How_do_you_know_if_a_Pokemon_uses_attack_or_Special_Attack\" title=\"How do you know if a Pok\u00e9mon uses attack or Special Attack?\">How do you know if a Pok\u00e9mon uses attack or Special Attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_is_the_difference_between_Special_Attack_and_attack\" title=\"What is the difference between Special Attack and attack?\">What is the difference between Special Attack and attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#How_do_physical_and_special_attacks_work\" title=\"How do physical and special attacks work?\">How do physical and special attacks work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Are_fighting_moves_physical_or_special\" title=\"Are fighting moves physical or special?\">Are fighting moves physical or special?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_defines_a_special_attack_in_Pokemon\" title=\"What defines a special attack in Pok\u00e9mon?\">What defines a special attack in Pok\u00e9mon?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_counts_as_a_physical_attack_in_Pokemon\" title=\"What counts as a physical attack in Pok\u00e9mon?\">What counts as a physical attack in Pok\u00e9mon?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Is_Dragon_Claw_a_special_attack\" title=\"Is Dragon Claw a special attack?\">Is Dragon Claw a special attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_are_examples_of_special_attacks\" title=\"What are examples of special attacks?\">What are examples of special attacks?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_moves_use_Special_Attack\" title=\"What moves use Special Attack?\">What moves use Special Attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Is_Charizard_a_special_attacker\" title=\"Is Charizard a special attacker?\">Is Charizard a special attacker?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Is_earthquake_a_special_attack\" title=\"Is earthquake a special attack?\">Is earthquake a special attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Is_Dark_Pulse_a_special_attack\" title=\"Is Dark Pulse a special attack?\">Is Dark Pulse a special attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_Pokemon_type_has_the_best_attack\" title=\"What Pok\u00e9mon type has the best attack?\">What Pok\u00e9mon type has the best attack?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_are_the_three_types_of_attacks_in_Pokemon\" title=\"What are the three types of attacks in Pok\u00e9mon?\">What are the three types of attacks in Pok\u00e9mon?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Do_charged_attacks_count_as_physical_damage\" title=\"Do charged attacks count as physical damage?\">Do charged attacks count as physical damage?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#What_raises_special_attack_in_Pokemon\" title=\"What raises special attack in Pok\u00e9mon?\">What raises special attack in Pok\u00e9mon?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/#Can_Pokemon_have_two_charged_Attacks\" title=\"Can Pok\u00e9mon have two charged Attacks?\">Can Pok\u00e9mon have two charged Attacks?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_attack_vs_Special_Attack_work\"><\/span>How does attack vs Special Attack work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>The <strong>attack<\/strong> stat in Pok\u00e9mon determines the power of <strong>physical moves<\/strong>, while the <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> stat determines the power of <strong>special moves<\/strong>, with each Pok\u00e9mon species having unique stats that may be stronger or weaker in either area. The difference between <strong>attack<\/strong> and <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> is that <strong>attack<\/strong> refers to <strong>physical<\/strong> or <strong>melee damage<\/strong>, such as a <strong>fire punch<\/strong>, whereas <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> refers to <strong>magic<\/strong> or <strong>ranged damage<\/strong>, such as a <strong>flamethrower<\/strong>, with the latter being calculated against <strong>special defense<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Attack_and_Special_Attack\"><\/span>Understanding Attack and Special Attack<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To understand how <strong>attack<\/strong> and <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> work, it&#8217;s essential to know the difference between <strong>physical<\/strong> and <strong>special moves<\/strong>. <strong>Physical moves<\/strong> are those that physically strike the opponent, such as a <strong>punch<\/strong> or <strong>kick<\/strong>, while <strong>special moves<\/strong> are those that don&#8217;t involve physical contact, such as a <strong>fire blast<\/strong>. Each Pok\u00e9mon has a unique set of stats, including <strong>attack<\/strong> and <strong>Special Attack<\/strong>, which determine the power of their <strong>physical<\/strong> and <strong>special moves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_know_if_a_Pokemon_uses_attack_or_Special_Attack\"><\/span>How do you know if a Pok\u00e9mon uses attack or Special Attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you check a Pok\u00e9mon&#8217;s move description, <strong>physical moves<\/strong> will have an <strong>orange and yellow &#8220;explosion&#8221; symbol<\/strong>, while <strong>special moves<\/strong> will have a <strong>purple &#8220;swirl&#8221; symbol<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_difference_between_Special_Attack_and_attack\"><\/span>What is the difference between Special Attack and attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Special Attack<\/strong> is basically <strong>magic<\/strong> or <strong>ranged damage<\/strong>, such as a <strong>flamethrower<\/strong>, while <strong>attack<\/strong> is <strong>physical<\/strong> or <strong>melee damage<\/strong>, such as a <strong>fire punch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_physical_and_special_attacks_work\"><\/span>How do physical and special attacks work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Physical attacks<\/strong> are those that physically strike the opponent, such as a <strong>punch<\/strong> or <strong>kick<\/strong>, while <strong>special attacks<\/strong> are those that don&#8217;t involve physical contact, such as a <strong>fire blast<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_fighting_moves_physical_or_special\"><\/span>Are fighting moves physical or special?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most <strong>fighting moves<\/strong> are <strong>physical attacks<\/strong>, but some may be <strong>special attacks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_defines_a_special_attack_in_Pokemon\"><\/span>What defines a special attack in Pok\u00e9mon?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A <strong>special attack<\/strong> is defined as a move that uses the <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> stat to determine its power.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_counts_as_a_physical_attack_in_Pokemon\"><\/span>What counts as a physical attack in Pok\u00e9mon?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Physical attacks<\/strong> include moves such as <strong>Normal<\/strong>, <strong>Fighting<\/strong>, <strong>Flying<\/strong>, <strong>Ground<\/strong>, <strong>Rock<\/strong>, <strong>Bug<\/strong>, <strong>Ghost<\/strong>, and <strong>Poison<\/strong> types.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Dragon_Claw_a_special_attack\"><\/span>Is Dragon Claw a special attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Dragon Claw<\/strong> is a <strong>physical attack<\/strong>, not a <strong>special attack<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_examples_of_special_attacks\"><\/span>What are examples of special attacks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Examples of <strong>special attacks<\/strong> include <strong>Alpha Strike<\/strong>, <strong>Attack Reflector<\/strong>, and <strong>Charge-Input Special<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_moves_use_Special_Attack\"><\/span>What moves use Special Attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Moves such as <strong>Psyshock<\/strong>, <strong>Psystrike<\/strong>, and <strong>Secret Sword<\/strong> use the <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> stat to determine their power.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Charizard_a_special_attacker\"><\/span>Is Charizard a special attacker?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Charizard<\/strong> can be either a <strong>special attacker<\/strong> or a <strong>physical attacker<\/strong>, depending on its moveset.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_earthquake_a_special_attack\"><\/span>Is earthquake a special attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Earthquake<\/strong> is a <strong>physical attack<\/strong>, not a <strong>special attack<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Dark_Pulse_a_special_attack\"><\/span>Is Dark Pulse a special attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Dark Pulse<\/strong> is a <strong>special attack<\/strong> that may cause the target to <strong>flinch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Pokemon_type_has_the_best_attack\"><\/span>What Pok\u00e9mon type has the best attack?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The <strong>Fire\/Fighting<\/strong> type is considered to have one of the best attacks in Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_three_types_of_attacks_in_Pokemon\"><\/span>What are the three types of attacks in Pok\u00e9mon?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The three types of attacks in Pok\u00e9mon are <strong>Physical<\/strong>, <strong>Special<\/strong>, and <strong>Status<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_charged_attacks_count_as_physical_damage\"><\/span>Do charged attacks count as physical damage?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Charged attacks<\/strong> can deal either <strong>physical<\/strong> or <strong>special damage<\/strong>, depending on the move.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_raises_special_attack_in_Pokemon\"><\/span>What raises special attack in Pok\u00e9mon?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Moves such as <strong>Calm Mind<\/strong>, <strong>Charge Beam<\/strong>, and <strong>Clangorous Soul<\/strong> can raise a Pok\u00e9mon&#8217;s <strong>Special Attack<\/strong> stat.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Pokemon_have_two_charged_Attacks\"><\/span>Can Pok\u00e9mon have two charged Attacks?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, Pok\u00e9mon can have two <strong>charged attacks<\/strong>, which can be unlocked using <strong>Stardust<\/strong> and <strong>Candy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does attack vs Special Attack work? The attack stat in Pok\u00e9mon determines the power of physical moves, while the Special Attack stat determines the power of special moves, with each Pok\u00e9mon species having unique stats that may be stronger or weaker in either area. The difference between attack and Special Attack is that attack &#8230; <a title=\"How does attack vs Special Attack work?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/how-does-attack-vs-special-attack-work\/\" aria-label=\"More on How does attack vs Special Attack work?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90134\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gameslearningsociety.org\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}