Pokémon Type Effectiveness
Introduction
Type effectiveness and type matchup is a fundamental mechanic of the Pokémon battling system and illustrates how different Pokémon types interact with each other.
Each Pokémon has one or two types, and each type has its own strengths and weaknesses against other types. For example, a fire-type Pokémon is strong against grass-type but weak against water-type.
In most cases, this relationship is symmetrical, but not always – in other words, an offensive type advantage does not guarantee a defensive type advantage. Consider the following: Electric attacks are super effective against water types, whereas water attacks provide neutral damage against electric types, as opposed to being not very effective.
Understanding type effectiveness is crucial for building a well-rounded team and making strategic decisions during battles.
Details
Damaging moves typically vary in effectiveness depending on the move’s type and the type(s) of its target. Type effectiveness greatly influences how much damage a move deals:
- Super Effective: The move deals 2x damage.
- Not Very Effective: The move deals 0.5x damage.
- No Effect: The move deals 0x damage.
- Normal Damage: The move deals 1x damage.
For target Pokémon that have multiple types, the type effectiveness of a move is the product of its effectivess against each of the types:
- Super Effective * Super Effective: The move deals 4x damage.
- Super Effective * Not Very Effective: The move deals 1x damage.
- Not Very Effective * Not Very Effective: The move deals 0.25x damage.
- [Any] * No Effect: The move deals 0x damage.