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898
- ↓ 0.01
- ꩜ 0.09
- ↑ 1.31
{F}{C} → Smack Down : 20+
If your opponent’s Active Pokémon has {F} Resistance, this attack does 50 more damage.
illus. Kanako Eo
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The hexagonal cavity is its ear. It walks in the direction of sounds it hears, but if the sounds cease, it panics and topples over.
Cooleslaw
The Roggenrola line have the exclusive attack Smack Down (this Roggenrola and EPO Boldore). It has a very unique effect, which is quite fitting for the attack in the main games (which enables Flying Pokemon to be hit by ground type attacks), shown in the TCG by increasing damage against Pokemon that would normally resist it rather than the regular reduction. This effect is worded so that Colorless Pokemon that are weak to Fighting (i.e. Normal typed in the games) don’t get increased damage, just the Flying types that are targeted, although this obviously has the side effect of affecting Psychic type cards that resist Fighting as well.
Of the two wordings specified in the different Smack Down cards when searched for all type resistances, a similar effect of increasing damage against an opponent that has a specific resistance is found on three other Pokemon – EM Medicham EX, HP Sharpedo, and BKP Zebstrika (would love to know if I missed any). Of these, I understand what they were going for with Medicham the most, given the attack is called “Sky Kick”, so it does more damage to Flying types. The Sharpedo is a Delta Species card, happening to be changed to Fighting, and it increases damage against its relevant resistance as well, although I don’t know what the logic is there. The logic behind the Zekstrika is interesting, it seems to again be targeting Flying type Pokemon, although this time it is dealing even more damage to them because it is already super-effective as a Lightning type card. In Zebstrika’s case, instead of dealing more damage to turn disadvantageous matchups on their head, it is going overkill in advantageous ones.
I find it most surprising that while cards with this effect aren’t exclusively of one type (looking at you Zebstrika), all appearances do exclusively target opponents with a Fighting resistance. For such an interesting and clearly recurring effect (even if it’s not very common, it’s appeared in 4 generations of cards), you would think that they would expand it to just beyond cards with a Fighting resistance.