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Why is sludge bomb a special move?

Ice Car

Banned
515
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I don't know to be honest. It makes less sense to me that Gunk Shot is physical but Sludge Bomb isn't to me though.
 

Haza

☆A Life of Pokémon and Beyoncé ☆
6,722
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15
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  • Age 32
  • Seen Oct 1, 2021
I always imagine it being a projectile move so it makes sense to me. Especially seeing it's animation in the anime, I always imagine it that way while my Roserade uses the move too.
 

PlatinumDude

Nyeh?
12,964
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13
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I think Sludge Bomb got changed to a special move for the same reason as Sludge. While both are projectile moves to an extent, Sludge (Bomb) might need some form of energy to execute.
 

sunshinesan

Pokesho fan
83
Posts
15
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  • Seen May 9, 2014
Poison/sludge moves are very hard to decide for when it comes to physical/special. They are almost in between. Physical = rock, Special = water, ? = gooey somewhat liquid, somewhat solid sludge.
 

CourageHound

Trust & Courage. Nothing More
823
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11
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When gunk shot was used for the first time in the anime, it was shown to hurl exploding balls of trash and poison. With sludge bomb i come to think of it as being launched some way or another with energy rather than physical strength. But tbh, idk i would like for sludge bomb to be physical
 

Fuyuki~

Banned
85
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11
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Well, what else is going to replace Sludge Bomb as the Poison-Type Psychic/
Flamethrower/Thunderbolt/etc. if it is changed to Physical?
 

Ninjagon

Back from a break.
368
Posts
11
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I think it looks like a special move, imo. So yeah what most people have said. It IS projectile.
 

PiemanFiddy

Dark-Type Gym Leader
194
Posts
11
Years
It makes less sense for something like Self-destruct or Explosion to be a physical move.

I know it's a move you find among Physical walls or Poison types, but that doesn't mean it has to be physical. It's a freakin EXPLOSION.

That's like saying Hyper Beam is a physical move. You can't be too sure, I mean.. Hyper Beam is essentially an explosive too! Freakin' nintendo logic....
 

Fuyuki~

Banned
85
Posts
11
Years
It makes less sense for something like Self-destruct or Explosion to be a physical move.

I know it's a move you find among Physical walls or Poison types, but that doesn't mean it has to be physical. It's a freakin EXPLOSION.

That's like saying Hyper Beam is a physical move. You can't be too sure, I mean.. Hyper Beam is essentially an explosive too! Freakin' nintendo logic....
On that note, may I pose a question?

How does SmokeScreen and Sand-Attack make Explosion and Self-Destruct less accurate?
 

PiemanFiddy

Dark-Type Gym Leader
194
Posts
11
Years
On that note, may I pose a question?

How does SmokeScreen and Sand-Attack make Explosion and Self-Destruct less accurate?



Are you trying to counter my point or support it? I don't understand.

The fact that an explosion is a physical move is implying that the explosive itself is a sentient being capable of making an actual PHYSICAL contact with the opponent... when in reality, it melts your skin off.

A move like Sand Attack or Smokescreen shouldn't affect an explosion... because it's an Explosion. If I lit a bonfire inside of one of the 9/11 planes, and it was surrounded by smoke, do you think it'd miss the Twin Towers? Probably not. (Not meant to be offensive, just to make a point)

Let me make another point. Goku's Kamehameha wave. I know it's off-topic.. but do you see Goku's Kamehameha punching people in the face? No! It explodes, and incinerates them.


...Nintendo Logic. Sorry If you WERE supporting my point, I just needed to go on a rant about the obvious flaw in logic.
 

Fuyuki~

Banned
85
Posts
11
Years
Are you trying to counter my point or support it? I don't understand.

The fact that an explosion is a physical move is implying that the explosive itself is a sentient being capable of making an actual PHYSICAL contact with the opponent... when in reality, it melts your skin off.

A move like Sand Attack or Smokescreen shouldn't affect an explosion... because it's an Explosion. If I lit a bonfire inside of one of the 9/11 planes, and it was surrounded by smoke, do you think it'd miss the Twin Towers? Probably not. (Not meant to be offensive, just to make a point)

Let me make another point. Goku's Kamehameha wave. I know it's off-topic.. but do you see Goku's Kamehameha punching people in the face? No! It explodes, and incinerates them.


...Nintendo Logic. Sorry If you WERE supporting my point, I just needed to go on a rant about the obvious flaw in logic.
I just saw your point about Explosion being Physical and not Special and citing it as "Nintendo Logic" so that reminded me of my own question I had not too long ago. It wasn't trying to support or disprove your argument in anyway~

I realize that it should be special because you aren't making direct contact with the opponent.
 

PiemanFiddy

Dark-Type Gym Leader
194
Posts
11
Years
I just saw your point about Explosion being Physical and not Special and citing it as "Nintendo Logic" so that reminded me of my own question I had not too long ago. It wasn't trying to support or disprove your argument in anyway~

I realize that it should be special because you aren't making direct contact with the opponent.


Precisely.

On topic about Sludge Bomb though, it actually is tough to determine if it's special or not.

I'm just imagining a versatile ball-shaped figure covered in sludge smacking the opponent. I suppose it could be a physical move if Sludge were actually made up from a material instead of pure sludge. =/
 

PiemanFiddy

Dark-Type Gym Leader
194
Posts
11
Years

CJBlazer

Rogon, the Ninja Pokemon
72
Posts
12
Years
Well....

Special refers to a ranged attack, such as a blast of flames or a forceful burst of water from a Pokemon.

Physical refers to a physical attack, such as a punch or kick.

Other refers to any attack that does not inflict damage

From the way Sludge Bomb looks, the Pokemon fires a huge bomb of toxic wastes at the opponent, so it would appear to be special.

Hope I helped.
 
5,616
Posts
13
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  • Age 35
  • Seen May 15, 2023
Well....

Special refers to a ranged attack, such as a blast of flames or a forceful burst of water from a Pokemon.

Physical refers to a physical attack, such as a punch or kick.

Other refers to any attack that does not inflict damage

From the way Sludge Bomb looks, the Pokemon fires a huge bomb of toxic wastes at the opponent, so it would appear to be special.

Hope I helped.

Special doesn't determin Ranged attacks. Razor Leaf is Physical and is purely ranged.

Physical and Special are for manifestation as I saw someone post. Example Magical Leaf vs Razor Leaf. Magical Leaf, the user summons from nothing energy that takes the form of leaves that are fired at the opponent. Razor Leaf is used when the user fires leaves from its body at an incredible speed so that it can cut its opponent.

Special moves can make physcal contact as the user has to be close enough to touch the opponent to use it and at the same time some Physcial attacks don't have to make physical contact (which means the user isn't touching the opponent.)

From Bulbapedia:
Physical Attacks said:
A physical move is one in which the user uses its physical strength or solid projectiles in order to damage its foes.
 
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