Question 1

What does "discard this card at the end of your opponent's next turn" mean?

Accepted Answer

This means the protective effect of Defender is temporary. Once you attach it to your Pokémon, it will remain on that Pokémon until the end of your opponent's turn immediately following the turn you played it, at which point it is moved to the discard pile.

Question 2

Can I attach multiple Defender cards to one Pokémon?

Accepted Answer

The card text says "Attach Defender to 1 of your Pokémon." While you can attach multiple Trainer cards to a Pokémon, the rules for Item cards like Defender usually state that you can only have one of a specific Item card attached unless otherwise specified, though the damage reduction effect would stack if multiple were allowed.

Question 3

Does Defender reduce damage from special conditions or Abilities?

Accepted Answer

No, Defender specifically states "Any damage done to the Pokémon Defender is attached to by attacks is reduced by 20." This means it only reduces damage from attacks, not from special conditions (like Burn or Poison) or effects from Abilities.

Question 4

Is Defender a powerful card in competitive play?

Accepted Answer

During its era, Defender was a valuable defensive tool, especially for protecting key Pokémon or allowing them to survive an extra turn to set up a powerful attack. Its effectiveness varied depending on the prevailing metagame and the amount of damage attacks were dealing.

Question 5

What is the significance of the "after applying Weakness and Resistance" clause?

Accepted Answer

This clause clarifies the order of operations for damage calculation. First, any Weakness or Resistance that applies to the attacking Pokémon is calculated, and *then* Defender's 20 damage reduction is applied. This ensures the reduction is always applied to the final damage total.

Defender

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