Breakwater - Ability ID 741

In-Game Description

"Swift Swim + Stall."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Swift Swim boosts Speed by 50% during rain weather. Stall reduces damage by 30% when moving before the opponent. Both effects stack for excellent defensive rain sweeping. Works with all rain types including Primordial Sea. Strategic positioning for optimal benefits.

Character count: 287

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Breakwater is a combination ability that merges Swift Swim and Stall effects, providing both offensive speed boost and defensive damage reduction under specific conditions.

Component Abilities

Swift Swim Component

• Speed boost: 1.5x Speed multiplier during rain weather
• Weather requirement: Any form of rain must be active
  • Regular rain (from Rain Dance or Drizzle)
  • Heavy rain (from Drizzle ability)
  • Primordial Sea (extremely heavy rain)
• Immediate activation: Speed boost applies as soon as rain is active

Stall Component

• Damage reduction: 0.7x defensive multiplier (30% damage reduction)
• Activation condition: Only when the opponent moves after this Pokémon
• Turn order dependency: Based on gCurrentTurnActionNumber vs GetBattlerTurnOrderNum
• Breakable: Can be bypassed by Mold Breaker family abilities

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability Breakwater = {
    .onDefensiveMultiplier = Stall.onDefensiveMultiplier,
    .onStat = SwiftSwim.onStat,
    .breakable = TRUE,
};

Activation Conditions

1. Swift Swim effect: Active whenever rain weather is present
2. Stall effect: Active when this Pokémon moves before the opponent in turn order
3. Both effects: Can be active simultaneously for maximum benefit

Strategic Applications

Rain Team Synergy

• Speed control: Outspeeds threats in rain weather
• Bulk preservation: Takes reduced damage when moving first
• Weather dependency: Requires rain setup for speed benefit
• Turn order manipulation: Benefits from priority moves or speed investment

Optimal Usage Scenarios

• Defensive sweeper: Set up moves while taking reduced damage
• Rain dance teams: Core member of rain-based strategies
• Speed tier manipulation: Outspeed key threats in rain
• Bulk enhancement: Survive attacks that would otherwise KO

Important Interactions

Weather Effects

• Rain duration: In Elite Redux, weather lasts 8 turns (extended from 5)
• Weather override: Speed boost lost if rain is replaced
• Cloud Nine/Air Lock: Negates weather-based speed boost
• Multiple weather: Only rain provides the speed benefit

Turn Order Mechanics

• Priority moves: Stall effect works with priority moves
• Speed ties: Turn order determines Stall activation
• Choice items: Speed boost helps with choice item effectiveness
• Trick Room: Stall becomes less reliable in reversed speed conditions

Competitive Advantages

• Dual utility: Provides both offense and defense
• Rain synergy: Excellent fit for rain teams
• Versatile positioning: Works as both setup sweeper and tank
• Unpredictable: Opponents must account for both effects

Potential Drawbacks

• Weather dependency: Speed boost requires rain
• Turn order requirement: Stall effect situational
• Breakable ability: Mold Breaker bypasses Stall component
• Complex positioning: Requires careful turn order management

Counters and Limitations

• Weather override: Harsh sun, sandstorm, or hail negates speed boost
• Mold Breaker family: Teravolt, Turboblaze bypass Stall effect
• Faster priority: High priority moves can bypass both effects
• Multi-hit moves: Can overwhelm even with damage reduction

Synergistic Partners

• Drizzle setters: Politoed, Pelipper for automatic rain
• Rain Dance users: Manual weather setters as backup
• Thunder users: Perfect accuracy Thunder in rain
• Water-type moves: Boosted damage in rain weather

Usage Tips

• Lead with rain setter: Ensure rain is active for speed boost
• Priority move coverage: Use priority to guarantee Stall activation
• Speed investment: Even with Swift Swim, some investment helps
• Weather extension: Damp Rock extends beneficial weather
• Turn order awareness: Monitor speed stats and turn order

Version History

• Introduced in Elite Redux as combination ability
• ID 741 in the ability roster
• Combines two classic competitive abilities
• Part of the multi-ability system implementation