Pokémon damage calculator

How the Pokémon damage formula works

The damage formula has been functionally the same since Generation 5 — small constants change, but the skeleton is the same. Every move applies this equation, then multiplies by a random roll between 0.85 and 1.00 in 16 steps:

damage = (((2 × level / 5 + 2) × power × A / D) / 50 + 2)
         × targets × weather × crit × random × STAB × type × burn × other

The big-picture takeaway is that level scales linearly, the attacking stat over the defending stat scales linearly, and almost everything else is a multiplier. That's why a single +1 boost (1.5×) usually outperforms switching to a stronger move with poor coverage.

What goes into A and D

For physical moves, A is the attacker's Attack stat and D is the defender's Defense. For special moves, A is the attacker's Special Attack and D is the defender's Special Defense. There are a few important exceptions in Gen 9:

• Body Press uses the attacker's Defense as A.
• Psyshock, Psystrike, Secret Sword use the defender's physical Defense even though the move is special.
• Foul Play uses the defender's Attack stat instead of the attacker's.

STAB, Tera, and the 2× rule

Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB) gives a 1.5× boost when the move's type matches one of the attacker's types. In Generation 9, Terastallization adds a twist:

• If the Tera type does not match either original type, STAB on the Tera-type move is 1.5× (still standard STAB).
• If the Tera type matches one of the original types, STAB on that type's moves becomes 2.0× — a notable jump from 1.5×.
• Moves of the original types still get 1.5× STAB even after Terastallizing, as long as the Pokémon "knows" them.

The Stellar Tera type added in The Indigo Disk applies 2× to one move per type (first use only), 1.2× thereafter, and removes weakness/resistance multipliers from incoming damage.

Type effectiveness chart values

Each attacking type has 18 possible matchups, returning one of four values: 0× (no effect), 0.5× (not very effective), 1× (neutral), 2× (super effective). With dual-typed defenders these stack, giving final values of 0×, 0.25×, 0.5×, 1×, 2×, and 4×. Our interactive type chart visualizes all 324 matchups in one grid.

Weather and terrain modifiers

Weather adds a 1.5× / 0.5× modifier on certain types: Sun (Fire ↑, Water ↓), Rain (Water ↑, Fire ↓), Snow (Ice Def ↑ in Gen 9), Sand (Rock SpDef ↑). Terrains add a 1.3× modifier on grounded Pokémon: Electric Terrain (Electric moves), Grassy (Grass), Psychic (Psychic), Misty (halves Dragon damage to grounded targets). Multiple modifiers stack multiplicatively.

Items and abilities

The most common offensive items: Life Orb (+30% damage, lose 10% HP per hit), Choice Band / Specs (+50%, lock into one move), Expert Belt (+20% but only on super-effective hits), Muscle Band / Wise Glasses (+10%). Abilities that affect damage include Adaptability (STAB becomes 2× / 2.25× with Tera), Tinted Lens (resisted moves do 2×), Solid Rock / Filter (incoming super-effective moves do 0.75×), and the ruin abilities in Gen 9 (Sword of Ruin lowers all opposing Defense by 25%, etc.).

How to use this damage calculator

The fastest workflow is: pick attacker, pick defender, pick the move (it auto-fills type, category, and base power for ~900 common moves), then check the result. Modifiers are off by default — only turn on the ones you actually have on the field.

For VGC, enable the Doubles toggle whenever your move hits both opponents. This applies the 0.75× spread multiplier, which is built into the Gen 9 formula for moves like Earthquake, Surf, Heat Wave, Discharge, Make It Rain, and Dazzling Gleam.

If you're working backwards from a damage range — "what does Garchomp need to OHKO Iron Treads?" — start with the defender, set their EV spread, then adjust the attacker's EVs in 4-step increments. Stat allocation only matters in multiples of 4 EVs above 252 invested (since 252 → 32 stat boost, 248 → 31, 244 → 30, etc).

Damage calculator vs. Pokémon Showdown — what's different

Pokémon Showdown's damage calculator (calc.pokemonshowdown.com) is the reference standard for competitive players because it's maintained by the developers of the simulator that hosts most online play. We use the same underlying formula and have validated Pokemons's outputs against Showdown's across hundreds of matchups in OU, VGC, and Ubers.

Where we differ is in UX. Showdown's calc was built for power users — it shows everything at once, including obscure modifiers most players will never use. Our calc hides the rare stuff (you can expand "advanced options" if you need it) so the common 90% of damage questions get answered in three clicks.

When you need the deeper calc

If you're calcing rare interactions — Triple Axel's progressive damage, Beat Up's per-ally rolls, Pollen Puff's heal-vs-damage mode, Misty Explosion against grounded targets, Mind Blown's HP cost stacking with Magic Guard — use Showdown's calc directly. Our tool covers ~95% of real matchups; for the last 5% we link out instead of fudging the math.

Related calculators on Pokemons

Once you've worked out your damage, the natural next step is checking the rest of your build:

• Stat calculator — get the exact in-game numbers your spread produces.
• EV calculator — distribute your 510 EVs for the breakpoints you need.
• IV calculator — work backwards from a captured Pokémon's stats.
• Coverage calculator — find the move that hits everything your damage calc says you're weak to.
• Type chart — verify the effectiveness multiplier you just calculated.

For competitive analysis on the most-used Pokémon in Gen 9 OU and VGC, head to our builds hub — every page has a tested EV spread, item, and moveset you can plug directly into the damage calc above.