Pokémon Scarlet and Violet boast a sometimes intimidating lineup of 400 Pokémon to catch and train. That number is impressive on its own, but it becomes even more daunting when you start to think about every available Pokémon type’s strengths, weaknesses, and counters.
As is franchise tradition, every Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet has a classification “type.” It’s the basis of their combat identity. Fire, ice, water, poison, flying…you get the idea. Each of those types is strong against other types, and each of those types is weak against other types. That’s the basis of the “rock, paper, scissors” combat system the series has relied on for decades at this point.
Even if you’re familiar with the basics of Pokémon’s type system, Scarlet and Violet‘s massive roster, shocking number of type possibilities, and new mechanics will likely throw you for a loop at some point. That being the case, here’s a hopefully handy look at which Pokémon types you should (and shouldn’t) use in which situations.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Terastallizing Explained
Terastallizing is a system that lets you change or modify a Pokémon’s type. By using a special item called a Tera Orb (which needs to be recharged at a Pokémon Center or at a special Terastal crystal after each use), you can change a Pokémon’s type to their special “Tera Type.” It’s basically an optional third type that Pokémon have access to.
The big catch with the game’s Terastallizing system is that some Pokémon’s Tera Types are copies of one of their base types and some offer completely different types. So, if you have a Fire-type Pokémon with a Fire-type Tera, unlocking their Tera will enhance the effectiveness of their Fire abilities. However, if an Ice-type Pokémon has a Flying-type Tera, you’ll gain access to the strengths and weaknesses that come with that new type.
It’s a fascinating system that completely changes how you’ll approach typical strengths and weaknesses. Properly using the Terastallizing mechanic can either help you change a Pokémon type in order to avoid certain weaknesses or simply make an existing strength even better. You won’t always be able to rely on it, but you should always be aware of when this option is available as it can completely change the nature of pretty much every match-up
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: Every Type’s Strengths, Weaknesses, and Counters
There’s a lot of information in this section, but the basics should (hopefully) be pretty simple. Every Pokémon has a type, and those types have strengths and weaknesses. A type’s “Strength” means that it gains damage advantages over the types of Pokémon listed under the Strengths section. A type’s “Weakness” means that it is especially vulnerable to Pokémon types listed under the Weaknesses section.
As noted above, you can use Terastallizing to play with that system a bit, and there are quite a few type matchups in the game that are ultimately “Neutral” (meaning that they don’t offer any notable strengths or weaknesses). Generally speaking, though, you’re looking to play types against their strengths and hold them back against their weaknesses whenever possible.
Bug
Strengths
– Grass
– Dark
– Psychic
Weaknesses
– Fire
– Flying
– Rock
Dark
Strengths
– Ghost
– Psychic
Weaknesses
– Bug
– Fairy
– Fighting
Dragon
Strengths
– Dragon
Weaknesses
– Dragon
– Fairy
– Ice
Electric
Strengths
– Flying
– Water
Weaknesses
– Ground
Fighting
Strengths
– Dark
– Ice
– Normal
– Rock
– Steel
Weaknesses
– Fairy
– Flying
– Psychic
Fire
Strengths
– Bug
– Grass
– Ice
– Steel
Weaknesses
– Ground
– Rock
– Water
Flying
Strengths
– Bug
– Fighting
– Grass
Weaknesses
– Electric
– Ice
– Rock
Ghost
Strengths
– Ghost
– Psychic
Weaknesses
– Dark
– Ghost
Grass
Strengths
– Ground
– Rock
– Water
Weaknesses
– Bug
– Fire
– Flying
– Ice
– Poison
Ground
Strengths
– Electric
– Fire
– Poison
– Rock
– Steel
Weaknesses
– Grass
– Ice
– Water
Ice
Strengths
– Dragon
– Flying
– Grass
– Ground
Weaknesses
– Fighting
– Fire
– Rock
– Steel
Normal
Strengths
– None
Weaknesses
– Fighting
Poison
Strengths
– Fairy
– Grass
Weaknesses
– Ground
– Psychic
Psychic
Strengths
– Fighting
– Poison
Weaknesses
– Bug
– Dark
– Ghost
Rock
Strengths
– Bug
– Fire
– Flying
– Ice
Weaknesses
– Fighting
– Grass
– Ground
– Steel
– Water
Steel
Strengths
– Fairy
– Ice
– Rock
Weaknesses
– Fighting
– Fire
– Ground
Water
Strengths
– Fire
– Ground
– Rock
Weaknesses
– Electric
– Grass