Battle Pointers

Learn about STAB, party diversity, held items, and priority moves to master battles in pokemon sun moon. Boost your Pokemon's damage by 50% with STAB.

Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB)

Same Type Attack Bonus, commonly abbreviated to STAB, means that when a Pokemon uses a move whose Type matches one of the Pokemon’s Types, that move will deal 50% more damage. This mechanic encourages Pokemon to use moves of their own Type. If a Pokemon has two Types, it gains STAB from both. It is generally recommended that Pokemon carry at least one move with STAB, and ideally one from each of their Types if they are dual-type.

Variety is the Spice of Life

To succeed in pokemon sun moon, aim to make your Pokemon party as diverse as possible. Filling your party with only one Type makes you vulnerable to Pokemon that resist that Type. With up to 6 Pokemon in a party and Pokemon having up to two Types, you can represent 12 of the 18 Types with your Pokemon alone. For the remaining Types, you can teach your Pokemon moves of those Types via TMs or other means. While your Pokemon won’t gain STAB from using moves not of their Type, they will still inflict 2 times damage (or 4 times if double-weak) against Pokemon weak to those moves, which is better than neutral damage with STAB.

Avoid Being Empty-Handed

Each Pokemon in your party can hold one item. Giving them beneficial held items, such as berries that cure ailments or items like the Silk Scarf that boost the power of a particular Type of move, is highly recommended. You can give Pokemon items to hold via the Pokemon menu or Bag menu by selecting the “Held Item” option or “Give to Pokemon” option, respectively. Berries are consumed when used, but other items remain unless a move like Fling is used.

Keeping your Priorities Straight

Priority moves are special moves that go first in battle regardless of the Pokemon’s Speed stat. For example, Quick Attack is a priority move. While these moves normally inflict less damage than others, they are immensely useful for picking off weakened foes or preventing opponents from acting. Be aware that if both Pokemon use a Priority Move, the one with the higher Speed stat goes first. Some moves have higher priority than others, with moves like Protect and Endure normally always going first, while some moves can even have negative priority, making the user go last.

Out with a Bang!

In difficult situations, consider sacrificing your current Pokemon if it's at critical health and unlikely to win. Instead of wasting a turn attacking, you could heal or revive another Pokemon, inflict a status ailment, or use moves that sacrifice your Pokemon like Self-Destruct, Explosion, or Memento. This can be a strategic choice if your Pokemon is going to faint regardless.