What are all the factors that affect the confusion damage when a battling Pokémon is confused?

Question

Aside from standard damage modifiers e.g. 2x Attack from Swords Dance and basic facts/stats like the typeless base-40 damage.

Comments

What is a "factor" in this context?

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https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/224736/how-does-confusion-damage-work

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I don't think this is a duplicate. The other question's answer doesn't explicitly say anything about what affects confusion damage and implies that it's affected by physical attack and physical defense (while it might be affected by a bunch of other mechanics).

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Getting hit by confusion is exactly the same as an opponent using a 40 BP typeless Physical move on you. Stat boosts and the like all affect confusion damage

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There are still a bunch of differences. Confusion damage always ignores technician, and it ignores burns and reflect in some generations.

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So that means: if I use Swagger on the opponent then that opposing Pokémon will take more confusion damage?

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Yes it would. Swagger increases your physical attack which would increase the damage output on your Pokémon when your Pokémon hits itself in confusion, a baseless 40 BP type-less physical attack.

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https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Confusion_(status_condition) seems to have almost all the information needed to answer this question except information about marvel scale.

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> Confusion damage is calculated as if it were a typeless physical move with a power of 40; it cannot score a critical hit, and does not receive STAB. Confusion damage is unaffected by Wonder Guard, Technician, and a held Life Orb. Badges affect confusion damage when they boost the user's physical Attack or Defense.

source: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Confusion_(status_condition)

Bulbapedia also has a nifty table on their confusion page, which denotes certain qualities of confusion and what generations those qualities apply in, such as burn halving damage in generations 1-4.

edit: my source lacks marvel scale, but I can't find any source concerning the damage from marvel scale. As confusion damage scales off of defense, however, I would assume marvel scale does reduce damage from confusion. Please correct me if I'm wrong

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The source is incomplete. It's missing marvel scale.
@TrNguyen Do you want me to put this question back on the unanswered list?

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i looked it up and couldn't find any answer to marvel scale interacting with confusion. Even a question about marvel scale affecting confusion on this very site has no answer

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If you don't know the answer, why are you answering?
Also which question is about marvel scale and confusion damage? I searched this site using Google and couldn't find it.

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because literally nobody has the answer, and it's 1 example. The question didn't ask about marvel scale specifically, they asked about how confusion works in general. Bulbapedia answers literally everything bar 1 example
https://pokemondb.net/pokebase/39668/do-secondary-status-conditions-activate-marvel-scale#:~:text=Marvel%20Scale%20raises%20the%20Defense,suffering%20from%20a%20status%20ailment.&text=This%20is%20the%20description%20of,or%20anything%20of%20the%20sort. this is the question

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The question asks for factors, and marvel scale can be one of them. If a question asks you to list all moves with a higher critical hit chance, you can't just ignore slash and say "the question asked about critical hit chance in general, not slash specifically." I don't think you can assume marvel scale reduces confusion damage either, because fur coat and grass pelt don't affect it.
Also the other question asked about whether confusion can activate marvel scale, not whether marvel scale can reduce confusion damage if it's already active.

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ok but the difference is there's stuff online saying slash is a critical hit move, there is literally NOTHING online that states if marvel scale reduces confusion damage.

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If nobody knows the answer, the question should remain unanswered.

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why wouldn't you answer a question when literally everything bar 1 essentially irrelevant detail is answerable?

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If the asker needs the information urgently, it's already in the comments. If this question stays in the unanswered list, it's more likely that someone will post a complete answer in the future.

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I’d like to add, that since it is testable, there’s no reason why a detail should be ignored.
It’s different if it’s something untestable, but this is.
In this case, it should be able to be tested on showdown.

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Marvel Scale doesn't affect confusion damage, it only affects major status ailments.

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Marvel scale ACTIVATES when there's a major status ailment. It AFFECTS physical damage, which may or may not include confusion damage.

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Well, since Confusion is somewhat hinted at being a Physical hit, Marvel Scale should affect Confusion.

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Abilities that raise physical attacks (like guts or pure power) don't affect confusion damage in some generations, so it's definitely possible that marvel scale is also like that.

Answer 1

It doesn't seem to be affected by marvel scale:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9anythinggoes-2082923083
(both dragonairs in the replay were the exact same besides the ability and item)

I also tested eviolite and metal powder, they don't seem to affect it either.
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9anythinggoes-2082929091
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8anythinggoes-2082931200

For all the other factors this info is in the comments and bulbapedia:

Confusion damage is calculated as if it were a typeless physical move with a power of 40; it cannot score a critical hit, and does not receive STAB. Confusion damage is unaffected by Wonder Guard, Technician, and a held Life Orb. Badges affect confusion damage when they boost the user's physical Attack or Defense. It ignores burn and Technician as well.

Source: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Confusion_(status_condition)

There is a table on the bulbapedia page for some things that work differently on different games.

Hope this helps.