Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield—Brilliant Stars

Damage vs. the effect of an attack

P

Pokemom1111

New Member
If a Poke-BODY "Prevents all DAMAGE done to a benched Pokemon by your opponent's attacks" (Dugtrio CG or Bastidon MT), is it a prevention for the effects of an attack such as Tyranitar DF's 'Electromark' and subsequent use of 'Shock-wave' attacks?

As near as I can tell, "Electromark" does no damage nor causes a special effect resulting in damage (eg. burn or poison) and is, possibly, allowed to mark your opponent's benched Pokemon when he or she has the aforementioned Poke-BODY in play.

Question A. Is it true that Electromark causes no damage and is allowed to place a Shock-wave marker on a benched Pokemon in this circumstance? If the answer is "Yes" then I have Question B.

Question B. What is the definition of "damage"? The wording of the Shock-wave attack is, "Choose 1 of your opponent's benched Pokemon that has any Shock-wave markers on it. That Pokemon is Knocked Out." Is the effect of this attack considered "damage" since it does not assign a numerical value to the damage caused and/or a requirement for a certain amount of damage counters to be placed? Would the Poke-BODY have to specifically include "Prevent all damage" AND THE EFfECTS OF AN ATTACK for the Poke-BODY to be successful in preventing Shock-wave to knock it out?

Thanks for your assistance in defining "damage" for me 'cause I have totally confused myself even trying to explain why I am confused.:confused: I guess I need to know whether I have to shut down the Poke-BODY before using Electromark or Shock-ware or not at all.
 
If there is a specific number, then it is damage.

Note that 'place # damage counters' does not do damage. It would count as an effect.
 
Damage in the English sense of the word *is* an effect.
Damage in the Pokemon sense of the word is *not* an effect. (effect being used in the Pokemon sense of 'effect')

I don't think that the Special effects that you refer to actually 'do damage' in the Pokemon sense of the term damage. For example with Poison you place a damage counter on each Pokemon that is Poisoned between turns. The same for Burn.

If you want to place an Electromarker on a Pokemon then you would have to make sure that you had shut down any effect that prevents 'other effects' of attacks.
 
Last edited:
Cloyster d stops Shockwave. Dugtrio does not.

Charmander rox is correct in that an attack with a number like 10, 40, or whatever is damage. Damage counters, effects like Shockwave, and such are not damage even if they KO a pokemon.
 
I just want to confirm my understanding of this since I am building a deck for some (poor) kid who may or may not get killed in Battle Roads by my instructions on how to play this deck:

My understanding of the responses (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) is that the Shock-wave attack IS successful in knocking out a benched pokemon marked with a shockwave marker even if the opponent has a Bastiodon or Dugtio in play (since it places no specific number of damage on the benched pokemon). Hope I got it!
 
Last edited:
Pokemom1111 said:
I just want to confirm my understanding of this since I am building a deck for some (poor) kid who may or may not get killed in Battle Roads by my instructions on how to play this deck:

My understanding of the responses (PLEASE correct me if I am wrong) is that the Shock-wave attack IS successful in knocking out a benched pokemon marked with a shockwave marker even if the opponent has a Bastiodon or Dugtio in play (since it places no specific number of damage on the benched pokemon). Hope I got it!
Click to expand...

That is correct--since Dugtrio and Bastiodon only prevent damage, they don't prevent other effects. Electro-Marking is an effect, and Knocking Out via Shock-Wave is an effect (well, when the attack or whatever says "Knock(ed) Out ..."). However, KO is not an "effect" when considered as a result of the number of damage counters on the Pokemon--it's more a fact of the game in that case.
 
In a nutshell, if it says "do XX damage", it's damage.
If it says anything else (place damage counters, knock out that Pokemon, the defending Pokemon is Poisoned, etc.), then it is not damage, even if the end result is putting damage counters on the Pokemon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top