Mastering the Pokémon Type System
The Pokémon type system is the foundation of both in-game and competitive battle strategy. Knowing which types are strong or weak against others determines whether your moves do 2×, 1×, 0.5×, or 0× damage. With 18 types in the current game, there's a lot to absorb — this guide breaks it all down clearly.
How Type Matchups Work
When you use a move, the damage is multiplied based on the defending Pokémon's type(s):
- Super Effective (2×) — The attacking type is strong against the defending type. Double damage.
- Not Very Effective (0.5×) — The attacking type is resisted. Half damage.
- No Effect (0×) — The defending type is immune. Zero damage.
- Normal (1×) — Standard damage, no modifier.
Pokémon with two types stack these modifiers. A Fire move hitting a Grass/Bug Pokémon deals 4× damage (2× for Grass + 2× for Bug). Conversely, a move can deal just 0.25× against doubly-resistant Pokémon.
The 18 Pokémon Types and Their Key Interactions
| Type | Strong Against | Weak Against | Immune To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | — | Fighting | Ghost |
| Fire | Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel | Water, Ground, Rock | — |
| Water | Fire, Ground, Rock | Grass, Electric | — |
| Grass | Water, Ground, Rock | Fire, Ice, Poison, Flying, Bug | — |
| Electric | Water, Flying | Ground | Ground |
| Ice | Grass, Ground, Flying, Dragon | Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel | — |
| Fighting | Normal, Ice, Rock, Dark, Steel | Flying, Psychic, Fairy | Ghost |
| Poison | Grass, Fairy | Ground, Psychic | Steel |
| Ground | Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock, Steel | Water, Grass, Ice | Flying |
| Flying | Grass, Fighting, Bug | Electric, Ice, Rock | Ground |
| Psychic | Fighting, Poison | Bug, Ghost, Dark | Dark |
| Bug | Grass, Psychic, Dark | Fire, Flying, Rock | — |
| Rock | Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug | Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Steel | — |
| Ghost | Psychic, Ghost | Ghost, Dark | Normal, Fighting |
| Dragon | Dragon | Ice, Dragon, Fairy | Fairy |
| Dark | Psychic, Ghost | Fighting, Bug, Fairy | Psychic |
| Steel | Ice, Rock, Fairy | Fire, Fighting, Ground | Poison |
| Fairy | Fighting, Dragon, Dark | Poison, Steel | Dragon |
The Most Defensively Versatile Types
Some types are far more useful defensively than others. Here are the standouts:
- Steel — Resists 10 types and is immune to Poison. One of the most valuable defensive types in the game.
- Fairy — Immune to Dragon moves, which are extremely common in competitive play. Resists Fighting and Dark.
- Ghost — Immune to Normal and Fighting, two very common move types.
- Water — Only two weaknesses (Grass and Electric), which are relatively uncommon on many teams.
The Most Offensively Powerful Types
- Ground — Hits 5 types super effectively including Electric. The only way to hit Electric-types for super effective damage.
- Fighting — Hits 5 types super effectively, including Normal, Dark, and Steel.
- Ice — Hits 4 types super effectively, crucially including Dragon and Flying.
- Rock — Hits 4 types super effectively and benefits from the powerful "STAB + Stealth Rock" combo in competitive play.
Practical Tips for Using the Type Chart
- Learn the immunities first — They're easy to remember and the most impactful (e.g., Electric is immune to Ground, Ghost is immune to Normal and Fighting).
- Prioritise STAB moves — Same-Type Attack Bonus gives a 1.5× boost to moves matching your Pokémon's type. A super effective STAB move deals 3× damage.
- Cover common threat types — Always have a way to handle Dragon, Water, and Ground on your team.
- Watch for dual-type multiplications — Grass/Flying types take 4× damage from Ice moves. These can be team-defining vulnerabilities.