Pokémon Stat Modifiers: Boosts, Drops, and Competitive Impact
📈 Stat stage basics
In Pokémon battles, stat stages represent temporary changes to a Pokémon’s stats caused by moves, abilities, or items. Each core battle stat — Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed, Accuracy, and Evasion — can be modified in discrete stages ranging from −6 to +6 . These stages modify the stat independently with a multiplier and stack with other effects like items, field conditions or STAB bonus.
- Stage range: −6 (severe drop) to +6 (maximum boost).
- Each stage applies a Multiplier to the stat’s current value.
- Stat changes reset when the Pokémon switches out, unless transferred via Baton Pass move.
- The Ability Contrary invert stage changes — boosts become drops and vice versa.
- Moves like Haze or Clear Smog remove all stage changes from the target.
🧮 Stat stage multipliers
For most stats (excluding Accuracy and Evasion), the multiplier formula is:
If stage ≥ 0: Multiplier = (2 + stage) ÷ 2
If stage < 0: Multiplier = 2 ÷ (2 − stage)
Accuracy and Evasion stats use a different formula:
If stage ≥ 0: Multiplier = (3 + stage) ÷ 3
If stage < 0: Multiplier = 3 ÷ (3 − stage)
Applying the calculation this results in the following possible multipliers:
| Stage | Standard Stats (Atk/Def/SpA/SpD/Speed) | Accuracy / Evasion |
|---|---|---|
| −6 | ×0.25 | ×0.33 |
| −5 | ×0.28 | ×0.38 |
| −4 | ×0.33 | ×0.43 |
| −3 | ×0.4 | ×0.5 |
| −2 | ×0.5 | ×0.6 |
| −1 | ×0.67 | ×0.75 |
| +0 | ×1 | ×1 |
| +1 | ×1.5 | ×1.33 |
| +2 | ×2 | ×1.67 |
| +3 | ×2.5 | ×2 |
| +4 | ×3 | ×2.33 |
| +5 | ×3.5 | ×2.67 |
| +6 | ×4 | ×3 |
⚙️ Common stage‑altering moves
Many moves directly modify stat stages, either boosting the user or lowering the target. Some affect multiple stats at once.
- Swords Dance: +2 Attack.
- Nasty Plot: +2 Special Attack.
- Calm Mind: +1 Special Attack & Special Defense.
- Dragon Dance: +1 Attack & Speed.
- Growl: −1 Attack (all adjacent targets).
- Double Team: +1 Evasion.
- Quiver Dance: +1 Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.
🧠 Abilities that modify stat stages
Several Pokémon abilities automatically alter stat stages when triggered, often shaping the flow of battle before a move is even used.
- Intimidate: Lowers the opponent’s Attack by 1 stage upon entry.
- Download: Raises either Attack or Special Attack based on the opponent’s weaker defense stat.
- Moody: Randomly raises one stat by 2 stages and lowers another by 1 each turn.
- Defiant: Boosts Attack by 2 stages when any stat is lowered by an opponent.
- Competitive: Boosts Special Attack by 2 stages when any stat is lowered by an opponent.
- Simple: Doubles the effect of all stat stage changes (e.g., +1 becomes +2).
- Contrary: Inverts stat changes — boosts become drops and vice versa.
🎒 Items that affect stat stages
Some held items influence stat stages by triggering boosts or drops during battle. These effects can be conditional, reactive, or passive.
- Stat-boosting berries: For example Liechi Berry (+1 Attack), Salac Berry (+1 Speed) activate when HP falls below 25%.
- Weakness Policy: Boosts Attack and Special Attack by 2 stages when hit by a super-effective move.
- Eject Pack: Switches the holder out when one of its stats is lowered, preserving momentum.
📌 Strategy tips
- When expecting your opponent to make a defense turn (i.e. because of your fake out move) use setup moves like Swords Dance or Calm Mind.
- Use stat‑lowering moves to cripple offensive threats or force switches, disrupting momentum.
- Baton Pass can transfer accumulated boosts to a teammate, enabling surprise sweeps.
- Moves like Haze and Clear Smog are vital counters to stat‑boosting strategies.
- Abilities like Contrary and Simple radically alter how stat stages behave — plan around them carefully.
- Stat boosts can be punished. Forced switching moves like Roar or Whirlwind reset setup attempts. Another common strategy is to use encore on a Pokémon who sets up. Using encore forces it use the move for a couple additional turns often rendering this Pokémon useless until switching out.
🕰️ The history of stat stages in Pokémon
Stat stage mechanics have remained largely consistent, but key additions over generations have expanded their strategic depth.
Generation I
- Basic −6 to +6 system introduced; critical hits ignored stat changes entirely.
Generation II
- Special stat split into Special Attack and Special Defense, increasing stage granularity.
- Baton Pass became a key mechanic for transferring boosts.
Generation III
- Abilities like Intimidate introduced, automatically altering stat stages on entry.
Generation IV
- Simple introduced, doubling the effect of stage changes.
Generation V
- Clear Smog added as a reliable stat reset that still deals damage.
- Contrary introduced, inverting stage changes and enabling unique strategies.
Generation VIII
- Max Moves and G‑Max Moves often provided guaranteed stage boosts or drops, adding setup potential to Dynamax strategies.