The Pokemon series is enjoyed by all sorts of gamers, but its battle system is incredibly complicated. There's an obscene amount of numbers and statistics that go into how much damage an attack will do, and understanding them can be a challenge for both new and veteran trainers.
The most important of these numbers are the Attack and Special Attack stat, which are the main indicators of how much damage your Pokemon can dish out. Here is a simple, comprehensive explanation of these two complicated stats, as well as everything else you need to know about these numbers in your Pokemon's description.
Updated October 24, 2021 by Cameron Roy Hall: The Pokemon franchise is currently sitting on the edge of a sea of major releases; Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, the highly anticipated remakes of the popular DS games Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, are releasing on November 19, 2021, and Pokemon Legends: Arceus, an exciting new entry that shows the beginnings of the Sinnoh Region back when it was known as the Hisui Region, is releasing on January 28, 2022.
While Legends is set to shake up the formula with more open-world gameplay, none of these upcoming entries to the Pocket Monster universe appear likely to meddle with the basic stat mechanics of the popular RPG. So, now's the perfect time to brush up on the fundamentals, especially considering how Pokemon never really explains how a lot of the numbers behind the combat work, and in terms of the core game, combat is everything.
16 Each Affects Different Types Of Attacks
The most important difference between these stats in battle is that each will affect different types of moves. The higher your regular Attack stat is, the greater your power will be for physical moves, while your special moves are empowered by your Special Attack stat.
Each different Pokemon species has unique stats, and some may be stronger or weaker on either front. For example, some, like Alakazam, have a much higher Special Attack stat than their regular Attack stat, and therefore must use special moves to do the most damage that they can. The reverse is true for Pokemon with a high Attack stat like Machamp, who makes much better use out of physical attacks.
15 They Represent Physical Contact And Supernatural Strikes
The stylistic difference between Attack and Special Attack is that they represent different forms of combat. The Attack stat is used for physical moves that either use a Pokemon’s body or involve the throwing of a physical object. Great examples are Karate Chop and Rock Slide, which both make a physical impact on the target.
Special Attack, meanwhile, is left for elemental and magical attacks that are usually done from a distance. These usually have to do with moves that control forces of nature, like Hydro Pump or Flamethrower, but also attacks that involve more mystical forces like Psybeam or Dark Pulse.
14 Symbols Are Used For Visual Short Hand
If you find yourself unsure as to whether a certain move uses a Pokemon's Attack or Special Attack stat, look to the symbols for clarification. On the summary page for any given move (in all applicable titles), there will be at least seven pieces of information; the move's name, the available Power Points (PP for short; it's how many times the move may be used before replenishment is needed), the power level, the rate of accuracy, the typing, the description, and the category. The category is the one we're looking for right now.
If there is a symbol that resembles concentric ovals, like a slightly squished Target logo, then the move is categorized as a Special Attack. If there is a symbol that resembles a spiky explosion, like the action bubbles from old comics, then the move is categorized simply as an Attack. In older games, like Pokemon Diamond & Pearl, the Special Attack symbol was blue/purple and the Attack symbol was red/yellow, but in more recent entries, like Pokemon Sword & Shield, the symbols are simplified into minimalistic line art.
13 Each Are Resisted By Different Defensive Stats
Two other stats go hand-in-hand with these offensive stats, and those are Defense and Special Defense. Pokemon with high Defense are often physically sturdy and bulky to prevent damage from physical moves and are particularly common among rock-type and steel-type Pokemon like Onix and Steelix.
Pokemon with more mental fortitude, meanwhile, are typically going to have higher Special Defense, taking less damage from special moves. These are often Special Attack users themselves as well, such as Espeon and Alcremie.
12 Some Pokemon Are Good At Both Attack Types
Not every single Pokemon has to be solely physical or special, and it’s important to check a Pokemon’s stats to see if you can give a wider selection of moves. The iconic Lucario especially has a great combination of both Attack and Special Attack, meaning that if you train it right then you can safely teach it physical and special moves.
That said, while this can give you a unique advantage in battle, it’s typically more effective to stick to only one attack type per Pokemon. Versatility is impressive, but you’ll often be more powerful if you increase just one offensive stat, rather than spreading your power too thin by attempting to balance both stats equally.
11 Some Pokemon Are Also Only Super Resistant To One Or The Other
In the same way that some select Pokemon have great Attack and Special Attack stats (mixed attackers), only a few equally excel in both Defense and Special Defense.
Blissey, for instance, is an infamous special wall with an absurd base 255 HP and 135 Special Defense. It’s almost impervious to special moves, but in return, it has just 10 Defense. The key to defeating tankier opponents, then, is knowing how they’re trained and where their best base stats lie so you can target their weaker defenses.
10 Physical Opponents Are Often ‘Easier’ To Deal With
Those who have played competitive Pokemon or watched a little (especially in the doubles format) will probably have noticed one thing: the Intimidate Ability is very, very popular. Why? Simply because its effect, which is reducing the Attack stat of the opponent(s) by one stage when the user switches in, is incredibly useful.
Physical attacking threats are very common, and their power can be cut in various ways that Special Attackers’ power can’t. There’s no Special Attack-reducing equivalent of this Ability, for instance. They often have more ways to set up, but a physically-oriented metagame means that there need to be more ways to make them less oppressive too.
9 Status Moves Aren’t Physical Or Special
There is a third type of attack that would seem initially like it’s related to Special Attack, but is deeply important to distinguish as its own sub-type. Status moves often don’t deal direct damage and instead cause effects that alter stats, inflict status ailments, or change the weather.
These aren’t calculated from either stat, with their effectiveness not being affected by either of your damage stats. As a result, Attack and Special Attack users are equally capable of using Status moves alongside their damaging attacks.
8 Status Effects Can Also Cut A Pokemon’s Attack Stat
Confusion, taking the maximum amount of Sleep turns (1-3), and flinches are just a few of the irritating RNG-based situations Pokemon players often find themselves in. Of the status effects, though, Burn might be one of the most detrimental.
On the surface, Burn simply deals a little residual damage each turn. For physical Pokemon, though, this status can be devastating, as it also cuts the victim’s active Attack in half. Those with the Guts Ability are spared this as they actually gain 50% Attack when statused (and the usual Burn reduction isn’t applied).
7 Base Stats Are Much More Important Than Available Moves
One question a lot of newer players will ask is how such-and-such Pokemon is supposed to be used in battle. The most important thing is to play to each Pokemon’s strengths, and these can usually be ascertained quite easily from that species’ base stats.
The Psychic-type powerhouse Alakazam, for instance, has excellent Special Attack and Speed base stats (135 and 120 respectively) but is sorely lacking elsewhere. Its base Attack is only 50, meaning that while it learns some great physical moves like Zen Headbutt and the elemental punches, it really isn’t equipped to use them properly. There are much better movesets, for this powerful Psychic Pokemon and others.
6 Priority Moves Are Almost Always Physical
Speed is a hugely influential stat in a Pokemon battle. Naturally, Pokemon with higher Speed take their turn before slower ones. Most of the time, at least, because priority is a crucial factor to consider.
Some moves have negative priority, meaning that a faster Pokemon using them will take their turn after a Pokemon using a move with standard or higher priority. The opposite is also true, with attacks such as Mach Punch, Ice Shard and Extreme Speed (the latter having +2 priority over the former two’s +1, meaning it will always go before them) allowing slower Pokemon to handily ‘snipe’ weakened faster ones. There are two important things to remember about increased priority attacking moves: they usually have a lower base power because of their utility, and they’re almost exclusively physical moves (some status moves also have priority brackets). There are very few exceptions, but Vacuum Wave stands out as a +1 priority Fighting-type Special attack.
5 Stats Can Be Increased In Battle By Six Stages
Some Status moves can temporarily increase your damage stats, but it’s not specified how effective they can be. Moves like Swords Dance claim to “sharply raise” your Attack, while Sharpen simply claims to raise it.
These are cryptic descriptions, but what’s happening is that your attack stat is being raised in stages of 50%. Moves that “sharply raise” are increasing the stat by two of these stages and functionally doubling the stat. The highest that a stat can be increased is by six of these stages, which adds up to four times your original stat. That said, doubling your Attack or Special Attack is usually all you need to defeat most opponents in one hit.
4 There Are Several Exceptions
These are not entirely exclusive rules, as several moves ignore certain offensive or defensive stats. A great example of this is Psyshock, a move that uses your Special Attack stat but is only resisted by regular Defense. As a result, it can surprise an opponent who’s preparing for a special move.
Certain moves ignore stats altogether, despite being labeled as physical or special. These often can be found in flat damage moves that remove a specific amount of hit points every time, such as Dragon Rage and Night Shade. Since these sorts of moves have a predetermined amount of damage, their Special Attack label is functionally meaningless.
3 These Stats And Their Moves Have Changed Over Time
There have been two fairly large changes to how these stats work since the first Pokemon games. In Pokemon Red & Blue, there was no Special Attack stat, and instead, Pokémon simply had a Special stat that affected both attack and defense.
Additionally, physical and special move categories were only added in Pokemon Diamond & Pearl. In every Pokemon game before it, each move’s physical or special distinction was based on the move's type, rather than specific traits of the moves. For example, all Poison-type moves were physical, while all Fire-type moves were special.
2 Items And Abilities Can Alter Stats
The key way to identify your Pokemon’s Attack and Special Attack stat is by looking at the Pokemon’s summary, but there are a few ways that a stat might be greater or lesser than it seems. These are often due to Abilities, passive effects that each Pokemon has that can sometimes increase or decrease it.
One Ability like that is Slow Start, the ability of Regigigas, which will keep the Pokemon’s Attack and Speed stats reduced by half for the first five turns of battle to prevent it from going out of control. On the item side, objects like the Choice Band will raise your physical attack stat by 50% at the cost of being locked into only one move.
1 Both Stats Are Equally Powerful
An ideal team should have some physical attackers and some special attackers, as neither of them are inherently stronger than the other. Each has its strengths, with lots of special attacks having additional unique effects and physical attacks often having greater damage capabilities.
Very few Pokemon are equally powerful in both stats, so having some with each stat is important for having a well-rounded team. With a good mix, you’ll be able to have an advantage over your opponent in ways besides just type-advantage.