Pokemon GO type guide: Strength, weaknesses, compatibility, and more

Pokemon GO type chart with weaknesses, resistances, and many more (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Pokemon GO type chart with weaknesses, resistances, and many more features (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For those who wish to succeed in Pokemon GO battles, they will have to keep the Type Charts in mind and master all of its proponents. Figuring out all the strengths, weaknesses, and effectiveness of different Pokemon Types plays a crucial role in improving a trainer's gameplay. The method of Type Charts to represent the type differences and efficiency has been prominent for a long time in the Pokemon franchise.

Especially in Pokemon games like Pokemon GO, most of the gameplay revolves around Type Charts. These charts indicate the fighter's strengths and weaknesses, along with effectiveness and efficiency in battles, and much more. While the standard Pokemon Type Chart has evolved over time and has become common knowledge to pro gamers, below is a detailed explanation for beginners to the series.


Pokemon GO Type Charts: Effectiveness, weakness, resistance, and more explained

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Pokemon GO's type matchups are identical to the mainline titles and only have a slight difference in fighters' effectiveness and resistance due to in-game meta tweaks.

An update for the title slightly decreased the existing differences in December 2018. Below is a detailed chart representing the game's type meta.

TypeStrong VsWeak VsResistsVulnerable To
NormalRock, Ghost, Steel Ghost
Fighting
FightingNormal, Rock, Steel, Ice, DarkFlying, Poison, Psychic, Bug, Ghost, FairyRock, Bug, DarkFlying, Psychic, Fairy
FlyingFighting, Bug, GrassRock, Steel, ElectricFighting, Ground, Bug, GrassRock, Electric, Ice
PoisonGrass, FairyPoison, Ground, Rock, Ghost, SteelFighting, Poison, Grass, FairyGround, Psychic
GroundPoison, Rock, Steel, Fire, ElectricFlying, Bug, GrassPoison, Rock, ElectricWater, Grass, Ice
RockFlying, Bug, Fire, IceFighting, Ground, Steel
Normal, Flying, Poison, FireFighting, Ground, Steel, Water, Grass
BugGrass, Psychic, DarkFighting, Flying, Poison, Ghost, Steel, Fire, FairyFighting, Ground, GrassFlying, Rock, Fire
GhostGhost, PsychicNormal, DarkNormal, Fighting, Poison, BugGhost, Dark
SteelRock, Ice, Fairy Steel, Fire, Water, ElectricNormal, Flying, Poison, Rock, Bug, Steel, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, FairyFighting, Ground, Fire
FireBug, Steel, Grass, IceRock, Fire, Water, DragonBug, Steel, Fire, Grass, IceGround, Rock, Water
WaterGround, Rock, FireWater, Grass, DragonSteel, Fire, Water, IceGrass, Electric
GrassGround, Rock, WaterFlying, Poison, Bug, Steel, Fire, Grass, DragonGround, Water, Grass, ElectricFlying, Poison, Bug, Fire, Ice
ElectricFlying, WaterGround, Grass, Electric, DragonFlying, Steel, ElectricGround
PsychicFighting, PoisonSteel, Psychic, DarkFighting, Psychic
Bug, Ghost, Dark
Ice Flying, Ground, Grass, Dragon Steel, Fire, Water, Ice IceFighting, Rock, Steel, Fire
Dragon Dragon Steel, FairyFire, Water, Grass, ElectricIce, Dragon, Fairy
FairyFighting, Dragon, DarkPoison, Steel, FireFighting, Bug, Dragon, DarkPoison, Steel
DarkGhost, PsychicFighting, Dark, FairyGhost, Psychic, DarkFighting, Bug, Fairy

In the aforementioned table, a total of 18 types of Pokemon are mentioned along with their meta settings. The first column represents the type of the critters whereas the second is the type it is strong against, and the third one comprises its weaknesses. The third and fourth columns represent the type's resistance and vulnerability, respectively.


Changes to type effectiveness in Pokemon GO

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There is also another difference between Pokemon GO and the mainline titles. The developers at Niantic have removed the status of type immunities from the game's meta. These are provided below for reference:

  • Ground-type's immunity to Electric-type
  • Flying-type's immunity to Ground-type
  • Ghost-type's immunity to Normal and Fighting-type
  • Normal-type's and Fighting immunity to Ghost-type
  • Steel-type's immunity to Poison-type
  • Dark-type's immunity to Psychic-type
  • Fairy-type's immunity to Dragon-type

The total immunity from these types was turned into type resistance in the game. Currently, it has further changed into another kind of resistance where the Pokemon that gets hit becomes immune and takes just 0.39 times the amount of damage it normally would. This type of immunity only proves to defend a third of the total damage received.

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Below is a complete explanation of the status of super-effective, not very effective, immune, and doubly-effective type attacks.

  • Not very effective - 0.625x damage inflicted, whereas it deals 0.5x damage in the main series.
  • Super effective - 1.6x damage inflicted, whereas it deals 2x damage in the main series.
  • Immunity - 0.39x damage inflicted, whereas it deals 0 damage in the main series.
  • Doubly effective - 2.56x damage inflicted, whereas it deals 4x damage in the main series.

The type-effectiveness tweaks done by the developers have brought the title a lot closer to the meta of the mainline games. Things might not be super identical, but they're very close.

The more meta-knowledge you muster, the better your gameplay will become. It will ultimately decide your outcome in PvP, Gym Battles, and Raids in Pokemon GO.

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