Tangling Hair - Ability ID 221

In-Game Description

"Lowers Speed of enemies that make contact with this Pokémon."

Extended In-Game Description

For use in Elite Redux extended ability UI (IMPORTANT: exactly 280-300 chars counted WITH spaces)

When hit by a contact move, the attacker becomes tangled in the user's hair, reducing their Speed by one stage. This sticky hair trap punishes physical contact attackers by slowing them down, making it harder for fast physical sweepers to maintain momentum. Bypasses Safeguard protection.

Character count: 288

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

TANGLING HAIR is a contact-punishment ability identical to Gooey in mechanics, providing defensive utility by slowing down physical attackers.

Core Mechanics

• Trigger: When the Pokémon with Tangling Hair is hit by a contact move
• Effect: Reduces attacker's Speed by 1 stage (-1)
• Activation Conditions: Only if attacker's Speed can be lowered (not already at -6 stages)
• Safeguard Bypass: Ignores Safeguard protection on the attacker

Activation Conditions

1. Contact Move Required: Only contact moves trigger the ability
2. Stat Lowerable Check: Attacker must be able to have Speed lowered
3. Mirror Armor Immunity: Respects stat lowering immunities like Mirror Armor
4. On-Hit Application: Must successfully hit the Tangling Hair user

Technical Implementation

// From abilities.cc - Tangling Hair uses Gooey's implementation
constexpr Ability TanglingHair = {
    .onDefender = Gooey.onDefender,
};

// The actual Gooey implementation that Tangling Hair inherits:
constexpr Ability Gooey = {
    .onDefender = +[](ON_DEFENDER) -> int {
        CHECK(ShouldApplyOnHitAffect(attacker))
        CHECK(StatLowerableOrMirrorArmor(attacker, STAT_SPEED))
        CHECK(IsMoveMakingContact(move, attacker))

        BattleScriptCall(BattleScript_GooeyActivates);
        gHitMarker |= HITMARKER_IGNORE_SAFEGUARD;
        return TRUE;
    },
};

Battle Script Mechanics

The ability uses BattleScript_GooeyActivates which:

• Swaps attacker/target context for proper stat application
• Sets MOVE_EFFECT_SPD_MINUS_1 as the secondary effect
• Applies Speed reduction immediately after damage calculation

Complete List of Contact Moves (Examples)

Physical Contact Moves that trigger Tangling Hair:

• Tackle, Body Slam, Take Down
• Punch moves: Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch
• Scratch, Slash, Fury Swipes
• Bite, Crunch, Jaw moves
• Close Combat, Mach Punch, Drain Punch
• Earthquake does NOT trigger (non-contact)
• Rock Slide does NOT trigger (non-contact)

Interactions with Other Abilities/Mechanics

• Mirror Armor: Reflects the Speed drop back to the Tangling Hair user
• Clear Body/White Smoke: Prevents the Speed reduction entirely
• Defiant/Competitive: Triggers +2 Attack/Sp.Attack when Speed is lowered
• Substitute: Contact moves hitting Substitute do NOT trigger Tangling Hair
• Long Reach: Moves become non-contact, preventing activation

Strategic Implications

Defensive Applications:

• Punishes physical contact attackers by reducing their Speed
• Creates speed control for slower defensive teams
• Deters setup sweepers using contact moves
• Provides passive team support through opponent speed reduction

Offensive Considerations:

• Forces opponents to consider non-contact alternatives
• Can ruin opponent's speed tier calculations mid-battle
• Synergizes with Thunder Wave and other speed control

Example Damage Calculations

Tangling Hair doesn't affect damage calculation - it's a post-damage effect:

• Opponent uses Close Combat → Deals full damage → Speed drops by 1 stage
• Opponent at +1 Speed → After contact move → Now at base Speed (0 stages)
• Multiple contact hits in one turn → Only one Speed drop per turn

Common Users

In Elite Redux, Pokémon commonly associated with Tangling Hair:

• Dugtrio line: Hair-like ground spikes
• Tangela/Tangrowth: Vine hair that tangles
• Various grass types: With hair-like appendages
• Custom distributions: As innate abilities on defensive builds

Competitive Usage Notes

• Physical Wall Support: Excellent on bulky Pokémon that can tank contact moves
• Speed Control Teams: Fits well in teams needing passive speed manipulation
• Setup Disruption: Interferes with physical setup sweepers' momentum
• Contact Move Deterrent: Makes opponents reconsider their move choices

Counters and Limitations

Direct Counters:

• Non-Contact Physical Moves: Earthquake, Rock Slide, Bulldoze, U-turn
• Special Attackers: Completely bypass the ability
• Stat Immunity: Clear Body, White Smoke prevent the Speed drop
• Remote Contact: Long Reach makes contact moves non-contact

Situational Limitations:

• Already Slow Opponents: -1 Speed may not matter for slow tanks
• Choice Item Users: May not care about Speed drop if locked into one move
• Priority Users: Speed reduction less relevant for priority move spam

Synergies and Combinations

Ability Combinations:

• With Regenerator: Creates excellent defensive pivot that heals and slows
• With Rocky Helmet: Punishes contact moves with damage AND speed drop
• With Rough Skin/Iron Barbs: Triple punishment for contact moves

Move Synergies:

• Thunder Wave: Stacks paralysis with Speed drops for maximum control
• Infestation/Bind: Trapping moves become more effective with slower opponents
• Payback: Benefits from slower opponents due to Speed reduction

Team Role:

• Defensive Pivot: Switches into physical threats and cripples their speed
• Speed Control Support: Provides team-wide speed advantage
• Physical Check: Helps handle fast physical sweepers through accumulated speed drops

Counters

Hard Counters:

• Special attackers (completely avoid contact)
• Non-contact physical moves
• Stat immunity abilities

Soft Counters:

• Pokemon that don't rely on Speed
• Choice item users
• Priority move users

Version History

• Generation VII: Introduced as signature ability of Alolan Dugtrio
• Elite Redux: Maintains original mechanics, distributed to various Pokémon
• Implementation: Shares exact code with Gooey for consistency