Magic Guard

Basic Information

• Ability ID: ABILITY_MAGIC_GUARD (98)
• Name: Magic Guard
• Category: Damage Prevention
• Introduced: Generation IV

In-Game Description

"Only damaged by attacks."

Extended In-Game Description

Magic Guard protects the Pokémon from all forms of indirect damage including entry hazards, weather damage, status conditions, recoil, Life Orb damage, and Curse. The Pokémon can only be damaged by direct attacks from opponents. This makes it ideal for defensive strategies and allows safe use of powerful recoil moves and Life Orb without drawbacks. Perfect for hazard-heavy battles. Character count: 290

Detailed Effects

What Magic Guard Prevents

1. Entry Hazard Damage

   • Stealth Rock damage
   • Spikes damage
   • All other entry hazards

2. Weather Damage

   • Sandstorm damage
   • Hail damage

3. Status Condition Damage

   • Poison damage (both in battle and in the field)
   • Burn damage (but still receives Attack reduction)
   • Bad poison (Toxic) damage
   • Curse damage (when used by Ghost-type)

4. Recoil Damage

   • Move recoil (Head Smash, Brave Bird, etc.)
   • Struggle recoil
   • Life Orb recoil
   • Other item-based recoil

5. Other Indirect Damage

   • Leech Seed damage
   • Nightmare damage
   • Flame Burst splash damage to allies
   • Trap move damage (Bind, Wrap, etc.)
   • Rocky Helmet/Rough Skin/Iron Barbs damage

What Magic Guard Does NOT Prevent

• Direct damage from attacks
• Stat reductions from burn/paralysis
• Other status condition effects (sleep, freeze, paralysis speed reduction)
• Perish Song KO
• Pain Split damage
• Substitute creation HP cost

Implementation Details

Code Structure

• Defined in src/abilities.cc with the magicGuard = TRUE flag
• Protection checked via IsMagicGuardProtected() function throughout the battle engine
• Field poison immunity handled in src/field_poison.c

Abilities with Magic Guard Effect

The following abilities share the magicGuard = TRUE property:

1. Magic Guard - The original ability
2. Impenetrable - Elite Redux custom ability with additional effects
3. Apple Enlightenment - Elite Redux custom ability
4. Conjurer of Deceit - Elite Redux custom ability
5. Immovable Object - Elite Redux custom ability

Key Code Locations

• Ability definition: src/abilities.cc:1228
• Field poison check: src/field_poison.c:136-137
• Entry hazard checks: src/battle_script_commands.c
• Recoil prevention: src/battle_script_commands.c
• AI evaluation: src/battle_ai_util.c (Rating: 9/10)

Strategic Implications

Offensive Benefits

• Recoil Move Usage: Can freely use powerful recoil moves like Head Smash without taking damage
• Life Orb Synergy: Gets 30% damage boost from Life Orb with no HP loss
• Reckless Strategy: Can ignore self-damaging aspects of moves

Defensive Benefits

• Hazard Immunity: Can switch in repeatedly without taking Stealth Rock/Spikes damage
• Weather Team Counter: Immune to Sandstorm/Hail chip damage
• Status Absorber: Can take Toxic/Will-O-Wisp without taking damage over time

Common Pokémon with Magic Guard

• Alakazam line
• Clefable line
• Reuniclus line
• Sigilyph

Competitive Usage

Common Sets

1. Life Orb Sweeper: Maximizes damage output without drawbacks
2. Hazard Immune Pivot: Switches in freely on hazards
3. Status Absorber: Takes status moves without long-term damage
4. Calm Mind Setup: Sets up without fear of chip damage

Counters and Limitations

• Still vulnerable to direct attacks
• Doesn't prevent status condition effects (paralysis speed drop, burn attack drop)
• Can still be phazed or forced out
• Taunt can prevent setup strategies

Interactions with Other Mechanics

Positive Interactions

• Life Orb: Full benefit with no drawback
• Flame Orb/Toxic Orb: Can activate other abilities without taking damage
• Sticky Barb: No damage from holding
• Black Sludge on non-Poison types: No damage taken

Notable Synergies

• Trick Room: Many Magic Guard users have low Speed
• Cosmic Power: Can boost defenses without chip damage concerns
• Recover/Moonlight: Only needs to heal direct damage

Notes

• In Elite Redux, multiple custom abilities share the Magic Guard effect, providing similar protection with additional benefits
• The AI highly values this ability (9/10 rating) due to its powerful defensive properties
• Field poison damage is also prevented, making overworld traversal safer