Question

What improves your attack more - Swords Dance, or Hone Claws + Hustle boost?

Answer 1

Okay my source told me wrong, you are suppose to add the Hustle Boost before multipling by the Hone Claws boost, Swords Dance gives you the Same amount of Hone Claws+Hustle. Thanks SlipperyDevil for correcting me.

Comments

Just for the record +50% and x1.5 are the same thing.

5x1.5=7.5
5/2=2.5(50%)...5+2.5(50%)=7.5

so it depends on if Hustle raises 50% of the current stat or just raises +1 stage. stat boosts go like this:

+1 = x1.5
+2 = x2
+3= x2.5
+4= x3
+5= x3.5
+6= x4

Swords Dance raises Atk by +2 Stages (Sharply Rose) so it would Double its Atk. i think Hustle, Guts, Choice items etc, just give an automatic +1 boost to the relevant stat. in that case Hustles +1 and Hone Claws +1 comes out to be +2, the same as Swords Dance.

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What about bulk up .how much power do u get from it ?

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50% doesnt equal 1.5. 50% of 2 is one. But when you multiply 1.5 by 2 you dont get one you get 3. Totally different answers

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What i was saying is that if you used Howl or Hone Claws or Dragon Dance, attack stat goes up +1 stage. +1 multiplies your normal Atk stat by 1.5 which is plus 50%. to add 50% you multiply by 1.5. if you had 2 x .5 its the same as dividing by 2. So what im saying is i don't know if Hustle raises by x1.5 of whatever its Atk stat is, or just comes in with +1 Atk automatically. if the latter is the case, +1 Atk(Hustle) + +1 Atk(Hone Claws) = +2 Atk, which is the same as a Swords Dance boost. but have not had this cleared up whether Hustle is a auto +1 or what.

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@Dark Star:

Bulk Up gives +1 to Atk and +1 to Def. Both stats x1.5

if it says (stat) rose, that's +1. if it says (stat) rose sharply, that's +2. if it says (stat) rose drastically, that's +3.

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Look Swords dance Doubles your attack. Hustle plus Hones Claws multiples it by 1.5 then adds 50%. Take 100 like i used aboved 100x2=200 so you have 200 attack from the Swords Dance. 100x1.5=150+50%=225, that is the Hustle plus Hones Claws boost. You first multiply 100 by 1.5 which equals 150, then you add 50% of 150 which is 75. So 75+150=225. If you add 1.5 to 100 you get 101.5 but if you add 50% of 100 to 100 you get 150.

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+50% or x1.5 is not the same as raising the stage by 1.
adding 50% looks like so, but if you add 50% twice to 100%, it won't be 200%
because for the second adding of the 50%, you have to add 50% of 150, which is 225.
(also 100 x 1.5 x 1.5= 225)
Conclusion: 1swords dance=200%
hustle+honeclaws=225%

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Kangmin: if i use Swords Dance 3 times with Ambipom then Baton Pass the +6 Atk Boost to Machamp that holds Choice Band and has Hustle, its Atk doesn't get x4(Swords Dance) + 50%(Hustle) + 50%(Choice Band). that would make its Atk way too high.

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Machamps Atk caps at 394 with a beneficial nature.

394 x4(+6 Swords Dance) = 1576 Atk.

if you tried to boost again you would get "its Attack WON'T GO ANY HIGHER....." as the result.

now if you took 1576 x1.5(Hustle) = 2364.
2364 x1.5(Choice Band) = 3546 Atk.

see how OP that would be? and put it on a faster Hustler like Durant, you now have rape on a cattle prod....

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Slippery Devil,
that DOES make his attack absolutely high, and why doesn't that make sense?
100 x 4 x 1.5 x 1.5= 900%damage. Nah, not as high as shuckle

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K. you are implying that the 1.5 from Hustle is applied AFTER everything else. a pokemons Atk cannot exceed 400% of its original stat. Hustle would raise x1.5 aka +1 Stage. Hone Claws raises Atk  x1.5 aka +1 Stage, 1+1=2 so +2 Stages or Double original Atk stat. Swords Dance adds +2 or DOUBLE ORIGINAL ATK STAT. the message "(stat) won't go any higher..."means its STAT IN QUESTION CANNOT GO AAAAANNNNNYYYYYY HIGHER. not even by 1 point. so after +6 Atk, Hustle or Choice Bands boost is pretty much null and void.

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Hustle and Choice Band do not provide a +1 boost, but rather provide a passive boost increase outside the -6 to +6 range.

So even at +6, Hustle and Choice Band will still provide an additional Attack boost.

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I trust trachy's credibility. but that boost would be applied before the rest,  since i have been told Abilities factor in first, i.e. Scizors Technician boost. so if that is indeed the case, the Multiplier would be of the base stat not the boosted, right?

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So which is it was i right the first time or not -___-

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Slippery Devil,
adding 50% is NOT the same as +1boost.
if you do +2boosts, it will be 200%
but if you add 50% two times, it will not be 200%, since you add the second 50% from 150%,
meaning it will add to 225%
and of course, pokemon's stat CAN exceed over 400% of its original stat

Answer 2

OK, I know this Q is old, but the answer is WRONG.

Hone Claws + Hustle > Swords Dance

Both Hone Claws and Hustle are a +1, but you can't "add" the boosts.

Ex: 1.5*1.5 = 2.25...which is more than 2.

For that same reason, any Banded STAB Attack can overcome resistance.

Source(s): Smogon, Bulbapedia, me.