SS mechanics overview

This page's purpose is to list the most important mechanics introduced in the eighth generation, which began with the Sword and Shield versions, released in November 2019. Unlike what you'll find on the SS Banlist page, everything here is directly tied to the games' core mechanics and do not depend on some specific community rules. Therefore, everything described below applies both on cartridge and simulators.

A restricted Pokédex...

For the first time in the series’ history, not all Pokémon are included in the National Pokédex. At the games’ release, only 400 Pokémon were available out of the 890 existing at the time. The launch of Pokémon HOME in February 2020 reintroduced around thirty more, while the first DLC, The Isle of Armor, released in June 2020, added roughly a hundred additional Pokémon. Even more were brought back with the second DLC, The Crown Tundra, released in October 2020. Here is a list of some of the most iconic Pokémon from at least one generation of OverUsed that never set foot in the Galar region:

... and some major changes to moves

Before looking at how Pokémon were individually affected, it is worth noting that several moves were removed altogether, the most notable ones being:

• Pursuit - damage is doubled if the target switches out during that turn.
• Hidden Power - the move’s type depends on the Pokémon’s original IVs.
• Return - the higher the user’s happiness, the greater the damage dealt.
• Frustration - the lower the user’s happiness, the greater the damage dealt.
• Signal Beam - deals damage and has a 10% chance to confuse the target.
• Heart Stamp - deals damage and has a 30% chance to make the target flinch.
• Refresh - heals the user’s status conditions.
• Heart Swap - the user and the target swap their stat changes.
• Tail Glow - the user raises its Special Attack by 3 stages.

The following Pokémon gained access to new moves (only the most notable options are listed here):

Pokémon	Gained moves
	Aura Sphere
	Weather Ball
	Rock Blast
	Play Rough
	High Horsepower
	Close Combat
	Coupe Psyko
	Dragon Dance
	U-Turn
	Scald
	First Impression
	Shell Smash
	Mystical Fire
	Stored Power
	Cosmic Power
	Air Slash
	Freeze-Dry
	Nasty Plot
	Power Whip
	Spikes
	Toxic Spikes
	Calm Mind
	Icicle Spear
	Heat Crash
	Heavy Slam
	Earth Power
	Draining Kiss
	Drain Punch
	Strength Sap
	Hurricane

End of Mega Evolutions and Z-Crystals

Pokémon can no longer hold Z-Crystals or, for those that previously could, Mega Evolve.

New Defog's effect

In addition to its effects from Generations 6 and 7 (removing Entry Hazards from both sides of the field, clearing screens, and lowering the target’s evasion), Defog now also removes active terrains.

Terrains and moves' power

The power boost granted by Psychic Terrain, Grassy Terrain, and Electric Terrain to Psychic-, Grass-, and Electric-type moves respectively is now 30% instead of 50%.

Dynamax and Gigantamax

[The following mechanics were banned on December 17, 2019, and are therefore presented here for informational purposes only.]

These mechanics are, in a way, a mix between Mega Evolution and Z-Moves. Like Mega Evolution, a Pokémon using Dynamax (or Gigantamax) becomes larger and more resilient, and like Z-Moves, a Dynamaxed (or Gigantamaxed) Pokémon sees the power of its moves increased, all for a duration of 3 turns only. However, while any Pokémon can use Dynamax, only a select few are capable of Gigantamaxing.

Dynamax

In practice, a Dynamaxed Pokémon:

• has its HP doubled.
• gains access to stronger offensive moves that cannot miss and may have additional secondary effects.
• cannot use status moves, as they are replaced by Max Guard, a Protect-like move.
• cannot be flinched or phazed out, whether through items (such as Red Card) or moves (such as Whirlwind or Roar).
• can switch moves even if it is holding a Choice item, whose effect is ignored for the duration of Dynamax.
• loses any existing Substitute upon Dynamaxing.

Offensive moves have effects that depend on their type, as follows:

• Fire-, Ice-, Water-, and Rock-type moves respectively trigger harsh sunlight, hail, rain, or sandstorm.
• Psychic-, Electric-, Fairy-, and Grass-type moves respectively activate Psychic Terrain, Electric Terrain, Misty Terrain, and Grassy Terrain.
• Fighting-, Steel-, Poison-, Ground-, and Flying-type moves respectively raise the user’s Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, or Speed by one stage.
• Dragon-, Ghost-, Bug-, Dark-, and Normal-type moves respectively lower the target’s Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, or Speed by one stage.

A Pokémon that uses Protect to shield itself from a Dynamax move will still take damage equal to 25% of the damage it would normally have received. The only way for a Pokémon to avoid all damage from a Dynamaxed Pokémon’s attack is to use Max Guard while itself in Dynamax form.

Note that certain moves used by Pokémon in their normal form will have no effect on a Dynamaxed opponent. This includes:

• moves that depend on weight: Low Kick, Grass Knot, Heat Crash, Heavy Slam.
• moves that force the target to switch out: Whirlwind, Roar, Circle Throw.
• moves that affect the target’s Ability: Skill Swap, Worry Seed, Entrainment.
• moves that affect the target’s move selection: Encore, Disable, Torment.

Gigantamax

The Gigantamax phenomenon is almost identical to Dynamax in every respect, except that it only applies to a very limited number of Pokémon, and that within a given species, only certain individuals are capable of Gigantamaxing. As a result, some Charizard can Gigantamax, while others are only capable of Dynamaxing. In addition to growing in size, and unlike regular Dynamax, a Gigantamaxed Pokémon also undergoes a significant appearance change. It also gains access to a unique G-Max Move.

Finally, note that Gigantamax replaces Dynamax; a Pokémon cannot choose between the two transformations.

26 Gigantamax forms have been introduced in Pokémon Sword & Shield:

7 new Gigantamax forms have been added in the first DLC The Isle of Armor:

Summary

A red box means that the feature is absent from that generation, while a green box indicates that it is present.