The Ultimate Guide to Pokémon Type Combinations

One key to mastering Pokémon is understanding the strategic impact of type combinations. Many Pokémon have two associated types that combine to form key strengths, weaknesses, and gameplay attributes. Learning these type combinations is crucial for building effective teams and winning more battles.

In this guide, we’ll explore the most common and impactful dual-type Pokémon to understand the synergies and advantages created by their mixtures. With this knowledge, you can craft team compositions with ideal type balances. Let’s dive in!

How Dual Types Work

Pokémon can have one or two types that determine their attributes:

Single-type – Just one type, like pure Fire Charizard
Dual-type – A combination of two types, like Water/Ground Swampert

Dual-type Pokémon blend the properties of both their types:

Offensive strengths/weaknesses combine when attacking
Defensive resistances/vulnerabilities also combine

This creates strategic dynamics. Now let’s look at some stellar combinations.

Also, Check this as well Pokémon Type Strengths and Weaknesses

Water/Ground Type

The Water/Ground pairing is extremely common defensively. It’s one of the most resilient type combos, with only Grass and Electric being super effective.

Great examples include Swampert, Quagsire, and Whiscash.

Offensively, they get STAB on moves like Mud Shot, Muddy Water, and Surf to pressure Fire, Rock, Poison, and Electric foes.

This excellent balance of offense and defense makes Water/Ground types premier picks for PvP formats like Ultra League.

Fire/Flying Type

By merging Fire’s offensive coverage with Flying’s speed and utility, Fire/Flying types become explosive attackers.

Top choices like Charizard, Moltres, and Ho-Oh can overwhelm teams with punishing Fire and Flying STAB attacks.

They make great leads capable of pressuring Grass, Bug, Steel, Fighting, and Ground opponents.

Just watch out for Electric, Water and Rock attacks, which will deal quadruple damage.

Dragon/Flying Type

This potent combo combines Dragon’s raw power with Flying’s speed and additional resistances.

Threats like Dragonite, Salamence, and Rayquaza dominate with moves like Outrage and Hurricane.

Dragon/Flyers can overwhelm unprepared teams through brute strength alone. Stock up on Ice, Dragon, Rock and Fairy counters if you expect them.

Ghost/Dark Type

Perhaps the ultimate offensive pairing, Ghost/Dark provides flawless neutral coverage with perfect STAB moves.

Spectral threats like Gengar, Tyranitar, Hydreigon and Hoopa Confined can only be hit super effectively by Fighting and Fairy moves.

Meanwhile, they terrorize Psychic, Ghost and Grass types with Shadow Ball, Crunch, and more. This combo demands strategic respect.

Fire/Fighting Type

Wedding Fighting’s brawn with Fire’s flair, Fire/Fighters like Infernape and Blaziken hit extraordinarily hard.

They gain widespread offensive coverage against Grass, Ice, Bug, Rock, Steel and Dark types.

While defensively vulnerable to Flying, Ground and Water, smart shielding enables them to sweep unprepared teams.

Top Fire/Fighters define the dominant aggressive “glass cannon” strategy.

Grass/Poison Type

By combining Grass and Poison, classics like Venusaur, Roserade and Vileplume gain key distinctions:

Resists Water instead of being weak to it
Provides ideal anti-Water+Ground coverage with moves like Sludge Bomb
Takes neutral (not super effective) damage from Psychic moves

This exceptional type synergy empowers them in Open formats with heavy Water and Ground representation.

Dark/Fighting Type

Another brutal offense-oriented pairing, Dark/Fighting types crush Psychic, Ghost and Dark opponents with moves like Snarl and Power-Up Punch.

Umbreon, Tyranitar, Scrafty and Yveltal can overpower teams through sheer damage potential alone.

While lack of resistances creates some defensive vulnerabilities, intelligent shielding enables them to reshape battles.

Fairy/Steel Type

This combo creates Pokémon that can stall out opponents. Fairy/Steels like Mawile, Klefki and Jirachi have:

Only Ground and Fire weaknesses
Key resistances to Dragon, Fighting, Bug, Dark and more
Sustainability from Steel and Fairy moves like Play Rough and Flash Cannon

With smart shield use, they can repeatedly bait opponents into resisted attacks until the win.

Dragon/Steel Type

Merging Dragon’s offense with Steel’s durability generates well-balanced powerhouses.

Threats like Dialga, Steelix and Metagross withstand physical attacks well while pummeling foes with STAB Dragon and Steel moves.

With relatively few weaknesses, they make reliable leads and safe switches able to apply consistent pressure.

Conclusion

Dual typing creates complex strengths, weaknesses and gameplay styles. Learn the combinations that suit your battle preferences, whether hyper offense, defense or balance. Pair types to cover each other’s weaknesses and gain an advantage over the meta!