Sync move: Difference between revisions

Example of a sync move

A sync move (Japanese: バディーズわざ Buddies move) is a powerful attack that can be used during battle in Pokémon Masters EX. According to Professor Bellis, sync stones are required for sync pairs to use a sync move. These are rare stones that are only found in the oceans of Pasio. They are known to amplify the power that arises from the bond between Trainer and Pokémon, which she calls "sync strength." As the bond grows, so does the strength of the sync move. Every Trainer in Pasio has a Poryphone with an embedded sync stone to allow all to access sync moves.

Mechanics

Basics

During battle, a sync move can only be used if the sync move countdown is at 0. At the start of the battle, the sync move countdown begins at 9 (6 for the opponent's team's center-most sync pair and 4 for opponents of Legendary Arena/Gauntlet), and decreases by one each time a sync pair uses a move. Once the countdown is down to 0, a sync move can be unleashed at any point. Once a sync move has been used, the countdown resets, and its user's team receives a damage-boosting sync buff.

Any sync pair from the player's team can use a sync move once the countdown reaches 0. In contrast, on the opponent's team, only center-most sync pair/Pokémon can use sync moves. Moreover, while the player's sync move targets only one opponent (unless if it's a 6★ EX strike pair, which targets every opponent), the opponent's sync move will cause damage to all of the player's Pokémon and, before version 1.6.0, would reset all their raised stat ranks to zero.

In addition, despite having move in its name, sync moves are treated differently from moves, especially in skills. However, all damage-dealing moves, sync moves, and max moves are sometimes lumped together as "attacks."

Power

The base power of a sync move (as well as the base power of the sync pair's regular moves) can be increased by increasing the sync pair's move level. Move level can be increased by using a Move Candy or by obtaining a duplicate of the sync pair. Move level can be increased four times (up to move level 5), and each increase of it raises the power of a sync move (and other attacks) by 5%. This results in a sync move at move level 3 having 15% more power than the same attack at move level 1, and sync move at move level 5 having 20% more power than the same attack at move level 1. The only exceptions are Leaf & Eevee, Professor Sycamore & Xerneas, as well as Sygna Suit Dawn & Cresselia—all of whom have non-damaging sync moves.

Some sync moves have effects that can increase their powers if their conditions are met (or power-increasing effects). There are three categories for their effects: binary, single stat-gradual, and multiple stat-gradual.

• Binary effects check whether their conditions have been satisfied when the sync move is performed; if they were, then the sync move's power multiplicatively doubles (or increases by ×2).
  • Typical description for binary effects: "This attack's power increases when [condition stated is met]."
• Single stat-gradual effects check how much the user's stat is raised or the targeted opponent's (or target's) stat is lowered. If the user's/target's stat is raised/lowered by X stat ranks when the sync move is performed, then the attack's power multiplicatively increases by the factor of (1/6 × X), respectively. Since each stat in these effects rise/lower to a maximum of six stat ranks, their factors scale to the maximum of ×2.
  • Typical wording for single stat-gradual effects focused on one user's stats: "The more the user's [stat] is raised, the greater the power of this attack."
  • Typical wording for single stat-gradual effects focused on one target's stats: "The more the target's [stat] is lowered, the greater the power of this attack."
• Multiple stat-gradual effects check how much all user's stats are raised or all the target's stats are lowered. If the user's/target's stats—including critical-hit rate as that is a stat in Pokémon Masters EX—are raised/lowered by Y stat ranks total when the sync move is performed, then the attack's power multiplicatively increases by the factor of [1/15 × (The smallest value between 18 & Y)], respectively. So, if the user's/target's stats are raised/lowered by a total of at least 18 stat ranks, then the sync move's factor reaches its maximum potential of ×2.2, respectively.
  • Typical wording for single multiple gradual effects focused on one user's stat: "The more the user's stats are raised, the greater the power of this attack."
  • Typical wording for single multiple gradual effects focused on one target's stats: "The more the target's stat are lowered, the greater the power of this attack."

Here is a table showing the pattern among sync moves' powers:

General Properties

The sync move removes any status condition or status change that would prevent the Pokémon from using a Pokémon move (namely, Sleep, Freeze, and Flinch), it will also not trigger damage from Burn, Poison, and Trap, nor will it trigger HP regeneration. Furthermore, if the opponent has the Enduring effect—a status change allowing them to survive the first time their HP reaches 0—said effect won't be triggered, and the opponent will be defeated if their HP reaches 0 as a consequence of a sync move. If offensive, the sync move will always hit the opponent, regardless of the status conditions and negative accuracy stages of the user, and if the opponent is in the semi-invulnerable period of an offensive move, their move will be negated and the sync move will hit them. As a result, if the user has the Sure Hit Next effect—a status change that allows them not to miss the next hit—that effect won't be lost when using a sync move. Finally, the critical hit rate of the sync move is lower than that of the other offensive Pokémon moves—reaching only 80% if critical-hit rate is fully raised to three stat ranks. However, having the Critical Hit ↑ Next effect when using a sync move or both possessing a fully raised critical-hit rate and a skill/effect the makes sync moves' critical hits land more easily will make sync moves always land critical hits (except in special circumstances).

Also, all sync moves grant sync buffs to their users' team after they are used. Each sync buff multiplies a sync pair's damage from their attack moves, sync moves, and max moves by 1.5x (×150%), and sync buffs stack additively, which means that sync pairs with two of them deal double (or ×200%) damage, those with three deal 2.5× (or ×250%) damage, and so on.

6★ EX

Furthermore, sync pairs raised to 6★ EX get the following effects added to their sync move depending on their role:

• Strike: Sync move targets all opponents in the field without the damage scaling despite becoming a spread move.
• Tech: Sync move deals 1.5× more damage to the target.
• Support: Doubles the number of sync buffs given to each teammate (from 1 to 2) the first time their sync move is used each battle.

Misc.

Prior to version 1.9.0, upon entering any battle, a Sync Orb Chance could activate. If a sync move was used during such a battle, five sync pair-specific sync orbs (in single player) or 25 co-op sync orbs (in co-op) would be awarded.

List of sync moves

The following is a list of currently available sync moves.

Trivia

• Tomboyish Mermaid Bubble Beam, High-Flying Sky Attack, Grateful Friend Flare Blitz, Heart of Gold Leaf Storm, Steel-Clad Iron Tail, New Dawn Wood Hammer, and Triumphant Hydro Cannon are the seven only damage-dealing sync moves with power-increasing effects that support sync pairs own.
• Ignoring sync moves with conditions requiring specific weather, terrain, or zone effects to be present, Freezing Terror Blizzard, Miracle Idol Draco Meteor, and Desert Spirit Dragon Beam are the only sync moves with unique conditions for their power-increasing effects (i.e., targeting a frozen opponent, zero field effects being in the field of play, any weather being in effect, respectively).
  • Due to those condition, this sync move is the only Dragon-type attack that is potentially less powerful in a Dragon Zone (1.5× damage) than outside it (2× damage if no field effects are present).
• Island Splintered Stormshards is the only sync move that removes any field effects.
• All non-damaging sync moves charge their user's move gauges and are owned by support sync pairs.
• Audacious Multi-Attack is the first sync move that can have its type changed—succeeded by Heart-Thumping Normal Impact.
  • Audacious Multi-Attack is also the only sync move that can be any type.
• Gentlemanly Geomancy is the only sync move with its info box saying that it targets all allies.
• May (Spring 2021) & Lopunny are the only sync pair with two sync moves of different names and types, Heart-Thumping Normal Impact and Heart-Thumping Fighting Impact. The one in use depends on whether Lopunny Mega Evolved in battle.
• Storm Clout Steel Beam has the same second half of its name as generic special Steel-type sync moves, but unlike the latters, the former is based on a move from the core series games.
• World Domination Psystrike is the only sync move that can be affected by a power boost.
  • With a power boost, it is also the only Mega-Evolving sync move with 250-300 power.
• Nightmares Begone Lunar Dance is the only sync move with the "Heals" effect tag.
• Desert Spirit Dragon Beam is the only sync move used by an anniversary-commemorating sync pair, Raihan (Anniversary 2021) & Flygon, not to be based on a move.
• Express Line Bug Impact and Friendship Forging Mist Ball are the only sync moves used by sync pairs with "Wish" Trainer moves to have conditions of their power-increasing effects be different from having their corresponding field effects active while using their sync moves.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 拍組招式 Paakjóu Jīusīk Mandarin 拍組招式 Pāizǔ Zhāoshì French Capacité Duo German Gefährtenattacke Italian Unimossa Korean 버디즈기술 Buddies Giseul Spanish Movimiento compi

See also

• List of moves (Masters)

This article is part of Project Sidegames, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Sidegames.