Dynamax & Gigantamax — Deep-Dive Reference
Dynamax debuted in Gen 8 Sword/Shield as the once-per-battle ability that doubled HP for 3 turns. Every move converted into a Max Move with boosted base power and a guaranteed secondary effect (weather, terrain, stat boost, hazard). 33 Pokémon had unique Gigantamax forms — cosmetically distinct, with a custom signature G-Max Move. Banned in Smogon OU pre-launch but legal in VGC 2020.
Generations
8 only — Sword/Shield (2019)
Per-battle limit
Once per team, lasts 3 turns
HP boost
× 2 max HP for the 3 Dynamax turns
Banned in
Smogon OU (Dynamax Clause); legal in VGC 2020
Dynamax took the "once-per-battle" mechanic and gave every Pokémon a 3-turn power phase: doubled HP, boosted moves, guaranteed secondary effects. Smogon banned it pre-launch. VGC kept it. The format split that resulted echoed across all of Gen 8.
At a glance
Dynamax is a 3-turn buff that doubles a Pokémon's HP and converts every move into a Max Move (or G-Max Move for the 33 Gigantamax-capable Pokémon). The buff is universal — any Pokémon can Dynamax once per battle.
- Generations activeGen 8 only — Sword/Shield (2019), Crown Tundra DLC (2020)
- Per-battle limitOnce per team. The 3-turn duration is fixed.
- HP boostMax HP × 2 for the 3 Dynamax turns. Healing recalculates against doubled HP.
- Move conversionEvery move becomes a Max Move (or G-Max Move for G-Max forms)
- Status movesBecome Max Guard — protect-tier move that blocks ALL incoming damage including Max Moves
- Smogon OU statusBanned via Dynamax Clause from launch. No suspect testing.
- VGC 2020 statusLegal. Format defined by Dynamax interaction.
- Removed inGen 9 — no Dynamax in Scarlet/Violet
How Dynamax works
Activation is instant at start of turn, costs no turn, and the buff lasts exactly 3 turns. After 3 turns, the Pokémon reverts to base form and the team has used its single Dynamax allowance.
Mechanically
- Activation: instant at start-of-turn. Pokémon Dynamaxes BEFORE its move resolves.
- HP boost: Max HP × 2 immediately. Current HP is also × 2 (so a 100% HP Pokémon becomes 100% of new max). Damage taken pre-Dynamax is preserved as a percentage.
- Duration: exactly 3 turns. After the 3rd Max Move, the Pokémon reverts.
- Item slot free: unlike Mega/Z, Dynamax doesn't require holding an item. Pokémon can hold Choice Scarf, Life Orb, etc.
- Status: existing status conditions persist. New status conditions can be applied during Dynamax.
- Stat boosts: existing stat boosts persist. New stat boosts (from Max Move secondaries) accumulate.
- Switch out: switching out reverts the Pokémon to base form AND uses the Dynamax allowance for the team. You don't get to keep Dynamax for the next time it's in.
Max Moves — the secondary effects
Every move type has a corresponding Max Move with a guaranteed secondary effect. The secondary applies on hit (no RNG roll), and effects stack across the 3 Dynamax turns.
Max Moves by type
| Type | Max Move | Secondary effect |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Max Strike | Lower target Speed by 1 stage |
| Fire | Max Flare | Set Sun for 5 turns |
| Water | Max Geyser | Set Rain for 5 turns |
| Electric | Max Lightning | Set Electric Terrain for 5 turns |
| Grass | Max Overgrowth | Set Grassy Terrain for 5 turns |
| Ice | Max Hailstorm | Set Hail for 5 turns |
| Fighting | Max Knuckle | +1 Attack to ENTIRE team |
| Poison | Max Ooze | +1 Sp.Atk to ENTIRE team |
| Ground | Max Quake | +1 Sp.Def to ENTIRE team |
| Flying | Max Airstream | +1 Speed to ENTIRE team |
| Psychic | Max Mindstorm | Set Psychic Terrain for 5 turns |
| Bug | Max Flutterby | Lower target Sp.Atk by 1 stage |
| Rock | Max Rockfall | Set Sandstorm for 5 turns |
| Ghost | Max Phantasm | Lower target Defense by 1 stage |
| Dragon | Max Wyrmwind | Lower target Attack by 1 stage |
| Dark | Max Darkness | Lower target Sp.Def by 1 stage |
| Steel | Max Steelspike | +1 Defense to ENTIRE team |
| Fairy | Max Starfall | Set Misty Terrain for 5 turns |
Status move conversion → Max Guard
- Max Guard: every status move converts to Max Guard during Dynamax — a Protect-tier move that blocks ALL incoming damage and effects, INCLUDING other Max Moves.
- This means: your Tornadus can't Tailwind during Dynamax. Your Wash Rotom can't Will-O-Wisp. Setup, status, and utility all become Max Guard.
- Tradeoff: a Pokémon can Dynamax to defensively wall a turn, then revert and resume normal moveset.
- Max Guard is even more reliable than Protect — no consecutive-use accuracy penalty.
Max Move base power table
Max Move base power is determined by the original move's BP, similar to Z-Moves but with a different table. Higher-BP moves get less proportional boost.
Special-case base powers
| Original BP | Max Move BP (most types) |
|---|---|
| 1-40 | 90 |
| 41-50 | 100 |
| 51-60 | 110 |
| 61-70 | 120 |
| 71-80 | 130 |
| 81-90 | 140 |
| 91-100 | 150 |
| 101-110 | 150 (capped) |
| 111+ | 150 (capped) |
Fighting + Poison-type Max Moves are weaker: Max Knuckle and Max Ooze use a different BP table that caps lower (typically 95 max), to compensate for their team-wide stat boosts.
Max Move idiosyncrasies
- Multi-hit moves: a single hit. Bullet Seed (5 hits) becomes one big Max Overgrowth hit, not multi-hit.
- OHKO moves: cannot be Dynamax'd into. Sheer Cold, Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill — all blocked.
- Counter / Mirror Coat: cannot be Dynamax'd.
- Multi-turn moves (Solar Beam, Sky Attack): become single-turn Max Moves.
- Z-Moves cannot be combined with Dynamax: a Pokémon either Dynamaxes or Z-Moves, not both. Only relevant in events where both mechanics co-existed (none in standard Gen 8).
Gigantamax — signature G-Max forms
33 Pokémon have a Gigantamax form — a cosmetic G-Max forme triggered by a special factor (Gigantamax Factor) that gives them a unique signature G-Max Move replacing one of their regular Max Moves.
G-Max Factor mechanics
- Gigantamax Factor: a hidden flag on a specific Pokémon — set in lore through Max Raid Battles or specific gift Pokémon. Toggle: yes/no.
- Required: a Pokémon needs the G-Max Factor AND must Dynamax to G-Max. Without the factor, a normally-G-Max-capable Pokémon Dynamaxes normally with regular Max Moves.
- Cosmetic + signature move: G-Max Pokémon look visually distinct (Gigantamax Charizard has a fiery scarf, Gigantamax Lapras has a cloud-like halo) and replace ONE of their regular Max Moves with their signature G-Max Move.
- Other Max Moves preserved: a G-Max Charizard still uses Max Flare for Fire moves, Max Wyrmwind for Dragon moves — only the type matching its G-Max Move (Fire for Charizard) is replaced by the signature.
Notable G-Max Moves
| Pokémon | G-Max Move | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Charizard-Gmax | G-Max Wildfire | Fire — sets sun + 1/6 max HP per turn for 4 turns to non-Fire-types |
| Lapras-Gmax | G-Max Resonance | Ice — sets Aurora Veil for 5 turns regardless of weather |
| Rillaboom-Gmax | G-Max Drum Solo | Grass — ignores ability of target (huge for breaking Magic Bounce, Disguise, etc.) |
| Inteleon-Gmax | G-Max Hydrosnipe | Water — ignores ability of target |
| Cinderace-Gmax | G-Max Fireball | Fire — ignores ability of target |
| Toxtricity-Gmax | G-Max Stun Shock | Electric — Toxic to grounded non-Steel targets |
| Hatterene-Gmax | G-Max Smite | Fairy — confuses target |
| Drednaw-Gmax | G-Max Stonesurge | Water — sets Stealth Rock on opponent's side |
| Stunfisk-Gmax | G-Max Stun Shock + G-Max Stunfisk | Steel — sets Stealth Rock equivalent |
| Coalossal-Gmax | G-Max Volcalith | Rock — sets sandstorm-like chip damage to non-Rock for 4 turns |
| Eevee-Gmax | G-Max Cuddle | Normal — infatuates all of opposite gender |
| Pikachu-Gmax | G-Max Volt Crash | Electric — paralyzes ALL targets |
Other G-Max forms include Gigantamax variants of: Butterfree, Meowth, Machamp, Gengar, Kingler, Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Garbodor, Melmetal, Corviknight, Orbeetle, Sandaconda, Centiskorch, Grimmsnarl, Alcremie, Copperajah, Duraludon, Urshifu (both forms), and others — 33 total.
Dynamax vs Gigantamax
Both mechanics share the 3-turn / × 2 HP / once-per-battle backbone. The difference is purely cosmetic + signature move.
Dynamax (any Pokémon)
Visual
Pokémon grows in size, glows red
Move conversion
Every move → Max Move (18 types)
Signature
None
Availability
Universal — every Pokémon can Dynamax
Gigantamax (33 Pokémon)
Visual
Unique cosmetic G-Max forme
Move conversion
Every move → Max Move, but ONE type replaced by signature G-Max Move
Signature
Custom move with a unique secondary effect
Availability
Only 33 specific Pokémon, requires G-Max Factor
Competitive impact & ban
Smogon banned Dynamax outright (Dynamax Clause) at the launch of Gen 8 OU. The official VGC kept it for VGC 2020 — and it was also legal in VGC 2021 Series 12 (Crown Tundra). The split shaped the Gen 8 metagame.
Why Smogon banned Dynamax
- Game-ending power: a single Dynamax sweeper could clean up a team across 3 turns. The combination of doubled HP, boosted moves, and stacking secondary effects compressed into 3 turns was deemed unbalancable.
- Reduced strategic depth: every match revolved around "when does the opponent Dynamax?" — turning teambuilding and play into reactive Dynamax-counter games.
- RNG amplification: status effects guaranteed via Max Move secondaries (e.g. Max Lightning + Max Lightning + Max Lightning = setup of Electric Terrain → +1 Speed → +1 Speed → +1 Speed) trivialized RNG into deterministic team-wide buffs.
- Pre-launch ban: Smogon banned Dynamax before Gen 8 launched, with no suspect test. The first time in Smogon history a mechanic was banned without testing.
VGC 2020 with Dynamax
- VGC 2020 was the first VGC season fully built around Dynamax. The format produced strategies that wouldn't have been possible without it.
- Top teams ran 1-2 Dynamax-priority Pokémon (Inteleon, Charizard, Kingdra, Inteleon-Gmax, Hatterene) plus 4 supporters — defining the "Dynamax Pivot" archetype.
- Max Airstream (+1 Speed for the team via Flying-type Max Move) was the format's core enabler. Tornadus, Inteleon, Cinderace, Dragapult — all carried Flying-type moves to enable team-wide Speed boosts on Dynamax.
Smogon NU/RU/UU experiments
Smogon's lower tiers — UU, RU, NU, PU — also banned Dynamax via the same clause. The mechanic was never tested in any Smogon Singles tier.
Iconic Dynamax users
Iconic VGC 2020 / 2021 Dynamax users — Pokémon whose entire build was centered on the 3-turn Dynamax window.
| Pokémon | Dynamax role | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Inteleon | Speed control + nuke | Max Airstream sets +1 Speed for team. G-Max Hydrosnipe ignores abilities. |
| Tornadus | Hurricane spam | Max Airstream + Hurricane = team Speed boost + 110 BP STAB. |
| Charizard | Sun setter | G-Max Wildfire sets sun + chip damage. Solar Power Charizard hits hard. |
| Hatterene | Trick Room + setup | G-Max Smite confuses + Magic Bounce makes hazard counter. |
| Cinderace | Libero coverage | Libero gives STAB on every move. Max Flare sets sun for boost. G-Max Fireball ignores ability. |
| Rillaboom | Grassy Terrain + nuke | G-Max Drum Solo ignores ability. Grassy Surge sets terrain on switch-in. |
| Dragapult | Speed sweeper | Max Airstream + Dragon Darts = Speed control + 80 BP × 2 hits. |
| Urshifu | Wallbreaker | Wicked Blow / Surging Strikes always crit. Max Knuckle for team Atk boost. |
"The Dynamax window is 3 turns. Make all 3 count." — every Dynamax pivot was a multi-turn setup window where you stacked stat boosts and won the game.
Removal in Gen 9
Dynamax was retired alongside Mega Evolution and Z-Moves at the launch of Gen 9 Scarlet/Violet (November 2022). No Dynamax in SV. No Dynamax-equivalent in any DLC. The mechanic is gen-locked to Gen 8.
Why Dynamax was removed
- Replaced by Tera: Game Freak chose Terastallization as Gen 9's once-per-battle mechanic. Tera is balanced (no doubled HP, no team-wide secondary effects) — a learning from Dynamax's reception.
- Smogon ban precedent: Dynamax was banned in OU, raising friction. Tera keeps a base mechanic legal in OU while individual offenders (Ogerpon-W, Terapagos) get banned.
- Dynamax animation length: 6+ second cinematic + 3 turns of Max Move animations was a pacing issue for ranked online play.
- Storage / catalogue: Game Freak stopped maintaining the 33 G-Max forms across each new gen. Cleaner to retire entirely.
Where Dynamax exists today
Dynamax is in Pokémon HOME catalogues (G-Max forms are tracked) but cannot battle in Gen 9 games. Pokémon GO never adopted Dynamax. As of April 2026, Dynamax is gen-locked to Gen 8 with no path back.
Common misconceptions
- "Dynamax doubles all stats" — wrong. Only HP is doubled. Other stats stay the same.
- "The HP boost stays after Dynamax ends" — wrong. After the 3 turns, Max HP returns to base. If the Pokémon was at 100% HP at end of Dynamax, it's now at 50% (because the 100% was based on doubled HP).
- "Max Moves bypass Protect" — wrong. Max Moves DO NOT bypass Protect. Only Max Guard blocks them.
- "G-Max Factor is a stat boost" — wrong. G-Max Factor is a binary flag — yes/no. Doesn't boost stats; just enables the Gigantamax form.
- "You can hold an item with Dynamax" — true! Unlike Mega Stones or Z-Crystals, Dynamax doesn't require a held item. Pokémon can carry Choice Scarf, Life Orb, etc.
- "Dynamax extends with Max Mushrooms" — wrong. The 3-turn cap is hard. Max Mushrooms (in-lore items for catching G-Max Pokémon) don't affect battle duration.
- "Dynamax lasts forever in singles" — wrong. Singles is bo1 typically; Dynamax is once per battle, so it ends with the battle. But within a battle, the 3-turn cap applies to all formats including doubles.
Where to go from here
Dynamax is gen-locked but its impact on Gen 8 VGC is foundational. Read the era guide for full historical context.
- Gen 8 Era — Gen 8 Sword/Shield Era for the complete Dynamax / VGC 2020-2021 history.
- Gen 8 OU — Gen 8 OU format guide for the format-specific banlist (Dynamax Clause).
- Mega Evolution — Mega Evolution Deep-Dive for the Gen 6-7 once-per-battle mechanic.
- Z-Moves — Z-Moves Deep-Dive for the Gen 7 once-per-battle mechanic.
- Tera (Gen 9 successor) — Terastallization Deep-Dive for the modern equivalent.
- Glossary — every term used above is defined in the Competitive Glossary.