Mountaineer - Ability ID 314

In-Game Description

"Immune to Rock-type attacks and Stealth Rock damage."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Mountaineer grants complete immunity to all Rock-type moves and Stealth Rock entry hazard damage. The Pokémon takes no damage from moves like Stone Edge, Rock Slide, or Ancient Power. Also prevents chip damage from Stealth Rock when switching in, making it ideal for hazard-heavy battles.

Character count: 289

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Mountaineer provides two distinct protective effects:

1. Rock-type Move Immunity: Complete immunity to all Rock-type attacks
2. Stealth Rock Immunity: No damage taken from Stealth Rock entry hazards

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability Mountaineer = {
    .onAfterTypeEffectiveness =
        +[](ON_AFTER_TYPE_EFFECTIVENESS) {
            if (moveType == TYPE_ROCK) *mod = 0;
        },
    .onAfterTypeEffectivenessFor = APPLY_ON_TARGET,
    .breakable = TRUE,
    .stealthRockImmune = TRUE,
};

The ability works by:

• Setting type effectiveness modifier to 0 for Rock-type moves (*mod = 0)
• Using the stealthRockImmune flag to prevent Stealth Rock damage
• Being marked as breakable = TRUE, meaning it can be suppressed by abilities like Mold Breaker

Affected Rock-Type Moves

Mountaineer provides immunity to all Rock-type moves including but not limited to:

• Stone Edge
• Rock Slide
• Rock Blast
• Ancient Power
• Power Gem
• Head Smash
• Stone Axe
• Rock Wrecker
• Diamond Storm
• Thousand Arrows (when used by Zygarde)

Interactions with Other Abilities/Mechanics

• Mold Breaker Effects: Can be bypassed by Mold Breaker, Turboblaze, Teravolt, and similar abilities
• Multi-Hit Moves: Completely negates multi-hit Rock moves like Rock Blast
• Critical Hits: Even critical Rock-type moves deal no damage
• Status Rock Moves: Non-damaging Rock moves (like Stealth Rock setup) are not affected
• Combination with Other Immunities: Stacks with other type immunities and resistances

Stealth Rock Interaction

• Prevents all damage from Stealth Rock regardless of the Pokémon's typing
• Does not prevent other entry hazards (Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Sticky Web)
• Does not remove existing Stealth Rock from the field (unlike Molten Core)

Strategic Implications

Offensive Value:

• Allows safe switching into predicted Rock-type moves
• Provides setup opportunities against Rock-type attackers
• Excellent for pivot strategies

Defensive Value:

• Hard counter to Rock-type sweepers
• Negates Stealth Rock chip damage for improved longevity
• Reduces opponent's coverage options

Team Synergy:

• Excellent on teams weak to Rock-type moves
• Pairs well with Pokémon that struggle with entry hazards
• Good insurance against common Rock-type coverage moves

Common Users

Based on the species data, Mountaineer appears on various Pokémon including:

• Ice-type Pokémon (often as regular or innate ability)
• Fire-type Pokémon (frequently as innate ability)
• Ground/Rock-type hybrids (providing unique defensive coverage)
• Flying-type Pokémon (complementing their typical Rock weakness)
• Various legendary and pseudo-legendary Pokémon

Competitive Usage Notes

• Tier Impact: Particularly valuable in higher tiers where Stealth Rock is omnipresent
• Meta Relevance: Counters Rock-type coverage moves that are common in competitive play
• Setup Potential: Provides safe setup opportunities against Rock-type moves
• Hazard Management: Reduces reliance on traditional hazard removal

Counters

• Mold Breaker: Completely bypasses the immunity
• Non-Rock Coverage: Opponents can use other coverage types
• Status Moves: Vulnerable to status conditions and non-damaging moves
• Indirect Damage: Cannot prevent damage from burns, poison, or weather

Synergies

• Weak Armor: Can safely activate on contact moves without Rock-type interference
• Sturdy: Provides additional protection layers
• Recovery Moves: Longevity enhanced by reduced chip damage
• Setup Moves: Safe setup opportunities against Rock-type users

Version History

• Introduced in Elite Redux as part of the expanded ability system
• Shares Stealth Rock immunity with Molten Core (ability that also absorbs Rock moves for stat boosts)
• Part of the defensive immunity ability family alongside type-specific immunities

Example Damage Calculations

252+ Atk Choice Band Tyranitar Stone Edge vs. Mountaineer Pokémon:
Normal: 150-176 HP (potential KO)
With Mountaineer: 0 HP (no damage)

Stealth Rock damage on typical 4x weak Flying/Ice type:
Normal: 50% max HP
With Mountaineer: 0% max HP

The ability transforms Rock-weak Pokémon into reliable counters and provides significant defensive utility in hazard-heavy metagames.