What Does No Guard Do In Pokemon

What Does No Guard Do in Pokémon? A Deep Dive into the Ability

The Pokémon world is full of fascinating abilities, each offering unique strategic advantages. Among them, No Guard stands out as a truly unique and potentially game-breaking ability. This article will explore exactly what No Guard does, its strategic implications, Pokémon that possess it, and how best to utilize it in battle. Understanding No Guard can significantly elevate your Pokémon battling skills.

What is No Guard?

No Guard is an ability that ignores accuracy and evasion checks. This means that moves with 100% accuracy, like Struggle, will still miss, and moves that are normally impossible to hit due to high evasion will always land. This effectively removes the element of chance from these aspects of combat, leading to a highly predictable—and potentially devastating—battle style.

How No Guard Works in Practice:

• Accuracy is irrelevant: Even moves with 0% accuracy will hit a Pokémon with No Guard. This is its most impactful feature.
• Evasion is irrelevant: A Pokémon with No Guard cannot be avoided, even by moves designed to increase evasion or by Pokémon with abilities like Bulletproof or Shield Dust.

This dual functionality makes No Guard extremely powerful, especially when paired with moves that normally suffer from low accuracy or are facing high evasion opponents.

Strategic Implications of No Guard:

No Guard's impact is twofold:

• Offensive Advantage: It gives you a huge offensive boost. You can reliably land moves like Earthquake or Fire Blast that normally have a chance of missing, dramatically increasing your damage output. This is particularly useful against elusive opponents with abilities like Speed Boost or those using moves like Minimize.
• Defensive Vulnerability: Conversely, because accuracy is irrelevant for both the user and opponents, your own Pokémon is also vulnerable to low-accuracy attacks that you might typically avoid. This is a significant trade-off.

Pokémon with No Guard:

Several Pokémon possess the No Guard ability. Some of the more notable examples include:

• Gothitelle: A Psychic-type Pokémon with solid special attack.
• Liepard: A Dark-type Pokémon with good Speed.

Utilizing No Guard Effectively:

To maximize the advantages of No Guard, consider the following strategies:

• Prioritize High-Base Power Moves: Since accuracy is no longer a concern, focus on moves with high base power to maximize damage.
• Pair with High-Speed Pokémon: Fast Pokémon can ensure they utilize their attack before they are hit by a retaliatory attack.
• Consider Team Composition: Account for the increased vulnerability to low-accuracy attacks. Choose a team that can synergize and cover each other's weaknesses.

No Guard vs. Other Abilities:

It’s important to consider No Guard in comparison to other abilities. Abilities like Sheer Force ignore secondary effects of moves, while Unaware ignores stat changes. No Guard is unique in its complete disregard for accuracy and evasion.

Conclusion:

No Guard is a high-risk, high-reward ability. Its potential to land otherwise unreliable attacks can be decisive, especially against high-evasion opponents. However, its vulnerability to low-accuracy attacks must be carefully considered when building a team around a Pokémon with this ability. Mastering No Guard requires a strong understanding of Pokémon movesets, team composition, and battle strategy. Understanding its strengths and weaknesses is crucial to successfully leveraging its unique capabilities.