Upper Hand

Type

Fighting

Category

physical

Power

65

Accuracy

100

PP

15

Priority

3

Target

adjacent

Contact

Yes

Spread

No

Protect blocks

Yes

Wide Guard blocks

No

Prized for its priority, letting the user act before faster threats or enabling support in key turns.

• Blaziken Mega
• Hawlucha Mega
• Greninja Ash
• Greninja Mega
• Heracross Mega
• Gallade Mega
• Falinks Mega
• Sceptile Mega
• Kommo O
• Lucario Mega Z
• Lucario Mega
• Scrafty Mega
• Crabominable Mega
• Infernape
• Quaquaval
• Decidueye Hisui
• Greninja Battle Bond
• Blaziken
• Greninja
• Raichu Mega Y
• Heracross
• Lycanroc Midnight
• Weavile
• Raichu Mega X
• Raichu Alola
• Sceptile
• Samurott Hisui
• Talonflame
• Passimian
• Conkeldurr
• Samurott
• Falinks
• Crabominable
• Scrafty
• Decidueye
• Gallade
• Sneasler
• Lucario
• Toxicroak
• Hawlucha
• Medicham Mega
• Raichu
• Pikachu Starter
• Medicham
• Pikachu
• Pikachu Alola Cap
• Pikachu Belle
• Pikachu Cosplay
• Pikachu Gmax
• Pikachu Hoenn Cap
• Pikachu Kalos Cap
• Pikachu Libre
• Pikachu Original Cap
• Pikachu Partner Cap
• Pikachu Phd
• Pikachu Pop Star
• Pikachu Rock Star
• Pikachu Sinnoh Cap
• Pikachu Unova Cap
• Pikachu World Cap

Upper Hand is a Fighting-type physical attack. It has 65 base power, 100% accuracy, 15 PP and targets a single adjacent target. It has +3 priority, letting it move before most attacks. It makes contact, which matters for abilities and items that trigger on contact. Upper Hand is a Fighting-type physical attack. It has 65 base power, 100% accuracy, 15 PP and targets a single adjacent target. It has +3 priority, so it acts before most moves. It makes contact, which matters for contact-triggering abilities and items.

Prized for its priority, letting the user act before faster threats or enabling support in key turns.

Consider Upper Hand when you need to move before the opponent to secure a knockout, flinch, or utility effect. Priority moves are especially valuable against fast threats and speed-control teams, but they can be blocked by Quick Guard and abilities like Queenly Majesty or Dazzling.

In team building, Upper Hand is usually a coverage or primary STAB option. It shines when your team already has speed control or when it patches a matchup hole. Compare it with alternative moves of the same type and category to decide whether the extra power, accuracy or side effect justifies the slot over a more defensive option.

Common mistakes with Upper Hand include: Using it without a clear plan for the turns it creates. Forgetting that Protect and Detect can block it, wasting a key turn. Assuming priority always goes first without accounting for Quick Guard or Psychic Terrain. Spamming it predictably and letting the opponent switch into a resist. Not considering how redirectors like Follow Me and Rage Powder change targeting.

Protect and Detect block this move. Quick Guard and Psychic Terrain can stop priority versions. These interactions are situational, so test them in the team builder and matchup analyzer before committing to the moveslot.

Use the tools below to test Upper Hand in a full team context and compare it with alternative options.

• Protect / Detect: blocks this move.
• Wide Guard: does not block this move.
• Follow Me / Rage Powder: spread moves are not redirected.
• Quick Guard: blocks this priority move.