Fire Scales - Ability ID 571

In-Game Description

"Halves damage taken by Special moves. Does NOT double SpDef."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Fire Scales provides a 50% damage reduction against all special attacks, effectively halving incoming special damage. Unlike Marvel Scale which boosts defensive stats when afflicted, Fire Scales directly reduces damage from special moves through a multiplicative modifier applied during damage calculation.

Character count: 290

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Fire Scales applies a 50% damage reduction to all incoming special attacks through the onDefensiveMultiplier callback in the battle damage calculation engine.

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability FireScales = {
    .onDefensiveMultiplier =
        +[](ON_DEFENSIVE_MULTIPLIER) {
            if (IS_MOVE_SPECIAL(move)) MUL(.5);
        },
    .breakable = TRUE,
};

Key Differences from Similar Abilities

• vs Marvel Scale: Marvel Scale increases Defense AND Special Defense stats by 50% when status afflicted. Fire Scales directly reduces special damage by 50% with no stat changes or status requirements.
• vs Ice Scales: Fire Scales uses identical code to Ice Scales - both halve special damage taken.
• vs Thick Fat: Fire Scales affects ALL special moves, while Thick Fat only affects Fire and Ice-type moves.

Activation Conditions

• Activates against any special attack (moves with special damage category)
• No status condition, weather, or HP threshold requirements
• Always active when the Pokémon has this ability

Affected Moves

Fire Scales affects all moves categorized as special attacks, including:

• All special attacking moves (Flamethrower, Surf, Thunderbolt, etc.)
• Special Z-moves and Max moves
• Multi-hit special moves (each hit is reduced)
• Variable power special moves

Interactions with Other Mechanics

• Damage Calculation Order: Applied during the defensive multiplier phase, after type effectiveness but before final damage calculation
• Critical Hits: Still reduces damage even on critical hits
• STAB/Type Effectiveness: Reduction applies after STAB and type effectiveness calculations
• Other Damage Reductions: Stacks multiplicatively with other damage reduction effects
• Mold Breaker Effects: Can be bypassed by abilities that ignore defensive abilities
• Breakable: Listed as breakable = TRUE, meaning it can be suppressed by certain effects

Strategic Implications

• Special Wall: Transforms Pokémon into effective special walls regardless of base Special Defense
• Type Coverage: Provides universal special defense unlike type-specific resistances
• HP Investment: Allows for more HP investment since special bulk is effectively doubled
• Mixed Attackers: Forces opponents to rely more heavily on physical attacks

Example Damage Calculations

• 100 Base Power special move normally dealing 200 damage → deals 100 damage
• Super effective special move (2x damage) dealing 400 damage → deals 200 damage
• Critical hit special move dealing 300 damage → deals 150 damage

Common Users

Based on the codebase analysis, Fire Scales appears on:

• Charizard Mega Z (as an innate ability alongside Hellblaze and Flame Shield)
• Several other Fire-type Pokémon as either a regular or innate ability

Competitive Usage Notes

• Team Role: Excellent for special defensive pivots and walls
• Item Synergy: Works well with Leftovers, Assault Vest alternatives, or offensive items
• Move Coverage: Pairs well with moves that punish physical attackers (Will-O-Wisp, etc.)

Counters

• Physical Attacks: Fire Scales provides no protection against physical moves
• Status Moves: Non-damaging moves are unaffected
• Mold Breaker: Abilities like Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze ignore Fire Scales
• Ability Suppression: Gastro Acid, Simple Beam, and similar moves disable the effect

Synergies

• Physical Bulk: Pokémon with naturally high Defense benefit most
• Recovery Moves: Pairs excellently with reliable recovery
• Status Moves: Can freely use status moves while tanking special attacks
• Entry Hazards: Can safely set hazards against special attackers

Version History

• Introduced in Elite Redux as part of the expanded ability system
• Shares implementation code with Ice Scales ability
• Distinguishes itself from Marvel Scale through damage reduction vs. stat boost mechanics