Max Guard (move)

Max Guard ダイウォール Dai Wall

Battles Type  Normal Category  Status PP  — (max. —) Power  — Accuracy  —% Priority  +4 Does not make contact Not affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Not affected by Mirror Move Not affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Self: Affects the user

Availability Introduced  Generation VIII Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests Condition  [[{{{category}}} (condition)|{{{category}}}]] Appeal  0   Jam  0

Super Contests Condition  [[{{{category}}} (condition)|{{{category}}}]] Appeal  0

Contest Spectaculars Condition  [[{{{category}}} (condition)|{{{category}}}]] Appeal  0   Jamming  0

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation VIII Generation IX

Max Guard (Japanese: ダイウォール Dai Wall) is a non-damaging Normal-type Max Move introduced in Generation VIII.

Effect

Main article: Protection

Max Guard protects the user from moves for the rest of the turn. It offers greater protection than most other protection moves.

Max Guard fully protects the user from most Max Moves and cannot be penetrated or nullified by most moves that break protection. G-Max One Blow, G-Max Rapid Flow, and Feint deal full damage through Max Guard, but Feint does not lift Max Guard's protection like it would other protection effects. Max Guard also follows many of the moves that bypass other protection, but it successfully protects from Block, Flower Shield, Gear Up, Magnetic Flux, Phantom Force, Psych Up, Shadow Force, Teatime, Transform, and any contact move affected by Unseen Fist.

If the user goes last in the turn, Max Guard will fail. The chance that Max Guard will succeed drops each time the user successfully and consecutively uses Endure, any protection move that only affects the user, Quick Guard, or Wide Guard.

Generation VIII

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Max Guard cannot be selected in a battle.

Description

Learnset

Generation VIII

Any Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon can use Max Guard if it knows a status move.

In other games

Pokémon GO

All Dynamax and Gigantamax Pokémon can learn Max Guard. Crowned Sword Zacian, Crowned Shield Zamazenta, and Eternatus can learn a variant called Guard. Players must first unlock Max Guard and can then increase its level up to Level 3. Activating Dynamax Cannon's Adventure Effect temporarily increases Max Guard's level by 1, except for Zacian and Zamazenta. If Max Guard is locked, Dynamax Cannon will temporarily unlock it at Level 1.

Using Max Guard during a Max Battle adds a small amount of temporary HP to the user, visually represented by a shield next to the user's HP bar. At Level 1, each shield represents 20 HP; at Level 2, each shield represents 40 HP; at Level 3, each shield represents 60 HP;^[1] and at Level 4 (Level 3 while under the Adventure Effect of Dynamax Cannon), each shield represents 80 HP. Using Max Guard repeatedly will add more shields, up to a maximum of three, for a combined maximum of 60 HP at Level 1, 120 HP at Level 2, 180 HP at Level 3, and 240 HP at Level 4.

Max Guard will also make the user the center of attention, encouraging the boss to attack the user when using single-target attacks instead of picking a target at random.^[1]

If Guard is unlocked on Crowned Shield Zamazenta, it will enter the battle with one shield pre-applied,^[2] immediately making it the center of attention. Crowned Shield Zamazenta can also have up to four shields at once, instead of the usual three, for a combined maximum of 80 HP at Level 1, 160 HP at Level 2, and 240 HP at Level 3. Zamazenta's Level 3 Guard has the same maximum shield of 240 HP as a Max Pokémon's Level 4 Max Guard, which is the highest possible since Zamazenta is not affected by Dynamax Cannon's Adventure Effect.

Pokémon Masters EX

In animation

Pokémon animated series

Dynamax Gyarados
The Dynamaxed user creates a barrier that blocks incoming attacks. This works even against Max Moves.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Dynamax Gyarados forms a light blue barrier of energy in front of itself, protecting it from attacks, including Max Moves.
Lance's Gyarados	Flash of the Titans!		Debut Base move is Dragon Dance

Pokémon: Twilight Wings

Gigantamax Duraludon
The Dynamaxed user creates a barrier that blocks incoming attacks. This works even against Max Moves.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Gigantamax Duraludon forms a light blue barrier of energy in front of itself, protecting it from attacks, including Max Moves.
Raihan's Duraludon	Sky		Debut

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Dynamax Oranguru
The Dynamaxed user creates a barrier that blocks incoming attacks. This works even against Max Moves.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Dynamax Oranguru raises its fan and forms a barrier in front of itself to protect it from attacks, including Max Moves.
Henry's Fanguru	Teary!! The Voice of the Master		Debut

In other generations

Spin-off series games

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• Max Guard is the only Max Move in the core series:
  • To be a status move.
  • With a priority that is not 0.
  • That can have a different type than its base move.
• Max Guard is the first Generation VIII move in index number order.

In other languages

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.