Same-type attack bonus
The same-type attack bonus (Japanese: タイプ一致ボーナス coincident type bonus), abbreviated STAB, is a damage boost that is applied to moves used by a Pokémon of the same type. This bonus has been present in all core series Pokémon games.
In the core series games
If a Pokémon uses a damaging move that has the same type as one of that Pokémon's types, the move's damage is increased by ×1.5. If a Pokémon has the Ability Adaptability, the boost is ×2 instead.
The type of the Pokémon and the move when it is used determine whether it receives the bonus, not their listed types. For example, if a Fire-type Pokémon uses Weather Ball during harsh sunlight (so that the move becomes Fire-type), it will receive the bonus; however, if a pure Normal-type Pokémon uses Weather Ball during harsh sunlight, it will not receive the bonus, despite Weather Ball being listed as a Normal-type move. Similarly, if a Dark-type Pokémon with Protean activates its Protean by using an Ice-type move, it will receive the bonus for Ice-type attacks and lose it for Dark-type attacks.
Pledge combination moves (two different moves from among Grass Pledge, Fire Pledge, or Water Pledge performed by the same team on the same turn) always receive the bonus, even if neither of the performers shares a type with either half of the move combination (for example, a Silvally with Grass Pledge and a Smeargle with Water Pledge).
Flying Press is a Fighting-type move, not a Flying-type move, despite using the type effectiveness of both types. It receives STAB only when used by a Fighting-type Pokémon.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, STAB only increases a move's damage by ×1.25.
In Generation IX, Terastallized Pokémon receive STAB for their Tera type and the type(s) they had immediately before Terastallizing. If their Tera type is one of their original type(s), the STAB boost becomes ×2 for attacks that have the same type as their Tera type. If such an attack is also affected by Adaptability, the STAB boost is increased to ×2.25.
Unaffected moves
The same-type attack bonus is applied as part of the damage formula, so does not apply to damaging moves that do not use the damage formula to calculate damage. Likewise, damage that is not the direct result of a damaging move (such as poison damage, or the additional effect of Flame Burst) does not receive the same-type attack bonus.
Additionally, from Generation II onward, Struggle deals typeless damage and consequently does not receive the same-type attack bonus. From Generations II to IV, Beat Up, Future Sight, and Doom Desire also do not receive the same-type attack bonus.
Pokémon that do not have a type do not get a bonus when using a move that does not have a type. For example, if a pure Fire-type Pokémon that used Burn Up (and so no longer has a type) uses Revelation Dance, Revelation Dance will not have a type, but does not receive the same-type attack bonus.
Shadow moves (which only exist in Pokémon Colosseum and XD) never receive the same-type attack bonus.
In the spin-off games
Mystery Dungeon series
In the Mystery Dungeon games, STAB boosts damage by 50%.
Pokémon GO
In Pokémon GO, STAB boosts damage by 20% (25% prior to June 21, 2017).
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc
The concept of same-type attack bonus was mentioned by Ruby in PS599, noting how Zinnia used her Mega Salamence's Aerilate Ability to give its Hyper Voice attack a power boost.
Trivia
- Contrary to what some early strategy guides stated, Normal-type attacks receive same-type attack bonus.
- From Generations VI to VIII, Protean and Libero change the Pokémon's type to match the move it is using, allowing it to always receive the same-type attack bonus. In Generation IX, Protean and Libero only works once per switch in.
- The Ability Normalize changes all of the Pokémon's moves to be Normal-type, allowing a Normal-type Pokémon to always receive the same-type attack bonus.
- The signature Abilities Steelworker and Rocky Payload can be thought to simulate STABs for Dhelmise and Bombirdier, respectively.
See also
In other languages
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This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games. |