Wonder Guard - Ability ID 25

In-Game Description

"Is only hit by Super-effective attacks or indirect damage."

Extended In-Game Description

For use in Elite Redux extended ability UI (280-300 chars max)

Only super-effective moves can damage this Pokémon. All other direct attacks deal zero damage. Status moves, weather, poison, burn, and entry hazards still work. Can be bypassed by Mold Breaker abilities. Shedinja's signature ability turns 1 HP into formidable defense. Forces careful teambuilding.

Character count: 298

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Wonder Guard provides complete immunity to all direct damage that isn't super-effective (2x or greater). The ability checks type effectiveness after damage calculation and sets damage to 0 if the modifier is less than 2.0x.

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability WonderGuard = {
    .onAfterTypeEffectiveness =
        +[](ON_AFTER_TYPE_EFFECTIVENESS) {
            if (*mod < UQ_4_12(2.0)) *mod = 0;
        },
    .onAfterTypeEffectivenessFor = APPLY_ON_TARGET,
    .breakable = TRUE,
    .randomizerBanned = TRUE,
};

Additional check in battle_util.c:

if (abilityDef == ABILITY_WONDER_GUARD && modifier <= UQ_4_12(1.0) && gBattleMoves[move].power) 
    modifier = UQ_4_12(0.0);

Damage Immunities

Blocked damage types:

• Not very effective moves (0.5x)
• Neutral effectiveness moves (1x)
• Any damaging move below 2x effectiveness

Damage that bypasses Wonder Guard:

• Super-effective moves (2x or greater)
• Status conditions (poison, burn, etc.)
• Weather damage (sandstorm, hail)
• Entry hazards (Stealth Rock, Spikes)
• Leech Seed, Curse, Nightmare
• Recoil damage
• Struggle (typeless damage)

Ability Interactions

Can be bypassed by:

• Mold Breaker (and variants like Turboblaze, Teravolt)
• Any ability with mold-breaking properties

Cannot be copied by:

• Skill Swap (explicitly banned)
• Role Play (explicitly banned)
• Trace (would be too powerful)

Restrictions

• Banned from randomizer modes
• Cannot be given to other Pokémon through normal means
• Specifically designed for Shedinja's 1 HP gimmick

Shedinja in Elite Redux

Stats: 1 HP / 90 Atk / 45 Def / 90 SpA / 30 SpD / 80 Spe

Type: Bug/Ghost

Abilities:

• Innate: Wonder Guard, Haunted Spirit, Adaptability
• Changeable: Overcoat, Suppress, Recurring Nightmare

Type effectiveness (with Wonder Guard):

• Immune to: Normal, Fighting, Poison, Ground, Bug, Steel, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Fairy
• Vulnerable to: Flying, Rock, Ghost, Fire, Dark (all 2x effective)

Strategic Implications

• Team preview: Opponents must ensure they have super-effective coverage
• Hazard weakness: Entry hazards bypass Wonder Guard
• Status vulnerability: Can be worn down by poison/burn
• Weather teams: Sandstorm and hail chip through Wonder Guard

Common Strategies

Using Wonder Guard:

• Heavy Duty Boots to avoid hazards
• Toxic Spikes immunity (Poison type move)
• Safety Goggles for weather immunity
• Substitute to block status

Countering Wonder Guard:

• Entry hazards (especially Stealth Rock)
• Weather damage
• Status moves (Will-O-Wisp, Toxic)
• Mold Breaker abilities
• Super-effective coverage

Competitive Usage Notes

Wonder Guard Shedinja creates a unique team-building constraint where opponents must have answers or lose to it. Despite only 1 HP, proper support can make Shedinja surprisingly difficult to remove. The ability is balanced by numerous indirect damage sources and the prevalence of super-effective coverage in competitive play.

Version History

Wonder Guard has remained mechanically consistent since Generation 3. The main changes have been the addition of new ways to bypass it (Mold Breaker in Gen 4) and new forms of indirect damage. The ability remains exclusive to Shedinja in official games, though ROM hacks like Elite Redux may expand its availability.