Pokémon Legends Z-A: All status conditions explained

Status conditions have been a part of Pokémon’s battle system since the beginning, but with Pokémon Legends: Z-A, a lot of them have undergone dramatic changes to fit the new battle system. Without the turn-based system to regulate how all of these things work, many of them have taken on different forms, and even veteran players might be confused about exactly what does what.

We’ll explain all of the status conditions in Legends: Z-A so you can strategise accordingly.

Burn – Legends ZA

Burn is one of the most unchanged. A burned Pokémon will gradually take damage over time (at a slower rate than when poisoned), and the power of all of its physical attacks will be halved.

Confusion – Legends ZA

Conversely, confusion has seen the biggest change. Confused Pokémon can no longer hurt themselves in battle. Instead, they will move erratically around the battlefield and have a greater chance of missing their attacks.

Drowsy – Legends ZA

Sleep has been replaced completely with Drowsy. Drowsy Pokémon will see their moves recharge more slowly, essentially extending their cooldown duration until the status is cured.

Frozen – Legends ZA

A frozen Pokémon will become completely immobile and be unable to launch any attacks until it thaws out. Thawing happens over time, although uniquely to Legends: Z-A, it will also thaw if hit with certain attacks, such as any fire-type attack.

Paralysis – Legends ZA

Paralysis no longer prevents Pokémon from moving occasionally; instead, it now slows down their movement speed on the battlefield. This makes them less able to dodge attacks and slower to close the distance when launching physical attacks.

Poisoned – Legends ZA

Poison is also relatively unchanged. Poisoned Pokémon will take damage over time, and this persists outside of battle too. A poisoned Pokémon will continue to take damage until it faints as long as it is summoned onto the field.

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