Will-O-Wisp inflicts the Burn status condition on the target. A burned Pokémon:
- Has its physical Attack halved (effectively a permanent −1 equivalent, but stronger)
- Takes 1/16 of its max HP in chip damage at the end of every turn
The Burn halving stacks with IntimidateIntimidateabilityWhen this Pokémon enters the battlefield, the opposing Pokémon's Attack stat drops by one stage.Click to read more →’s Attack drop — a Burned Pokémon that was also Intimidated deals about 1/3 its normal physical damage.
Why Rotom-Wash runs it
Rotom-Wash is the primary Will-O-Wisp user in Reg M-A. It fills the defensive pivot role on rain teams and uses Will-O-Wisp for two reasons:
- Neuter physical threats. Rain teams are physically fragile. Burning a Landorus-Therian, IncineroarIncineroarpokemonThe most-used Pokémon in Reg M-A. Defines doubles tempo with Fake Out, Intimidate on every switch, and Parting Shot pivots.Click to read more →, or GarchompGarchomppokemonThe premier spread attacker under Tailwind. Earthquake hits both opponents, Scale Shot chains Speed boosts, and Dragon Claw threatens opposing dragons.Click to read more → before it can deal full damage dramatically extends team longevity.
- Chip over time. 1/16 HP per turn sounds small, but across 5–8 turns of a game it adds up — especially on slow, tanky Pokémon that expect to stay on the field long.
Will-O-Wisp vs Intimidate
Intimidate (−1 Attack) is a stage-based drop that resets on switch-out. Will-O-Wisp (Burn) is a status condition that persists until the Pokémon is healed or switches out. Against a Pokémon that switches frequently, Intimidate is better. Against a Pokémon staying on the field, Burn is often worse than the −1 because the halving is fixed and the chip adds up.
Stacking both — Burn from Will-O-Wisp and Intimidate from switching in — means physical attackers deal about 1/3 their original damage.
Miss rate
Will-O-Wisp has 85% accuracy. It misses about 1 in 7 times, which is a real consideration in competitive play.