Intimidate

The format's most important defensive ability, softening physical attackers every time it switches in.

Intimidate is a tier S ability. It is classified as support, anti-Intimidate. Lowers the Attack of adjacent foes by one stage on entry. Common users include incineroar, landorus-therian, salamence. The format's most important defensive ability, softening physical attackers every time it switches in.

Positioning matters with Intimidate. Think about when the ability triggers — on entry, on hit, on switch out, or continuously — and build your turns around those moments. Abilities that trigger on entry pair well with pivot moves, while continuous abilities reward careful lead selection. If the ability affects the whole field, consider how long you expect that field condition to last and whether your opponent can override it.

In team building, Intimidate should justify at least one team slot and ideally shape several. Ask which Pokémon benefit directly from the ability and which opponents will try to play around it. Build redundant answers to the ability's common counters so the rest of the team still functions when the ability is negated, overridden or ignored.

Matchup value depends on whether the opponent's team can ignore, copy or remove the ability's effect. Bring Intimidate when you expect the opposing strategy to rely on the mechanics it counters, and consider a backup plan for games where that interaction does not come up. Test these matchups in the team builder and analyzer before finalizing your roster.

Explore related Pokémon, team examples and guides to see Intimidate in action.