Are any types objectively better than others?

[Sopheria]

Do you feel that there are any types that are objectively better than others? For example, in Gen 1 Psychic was the best type, until Dark types were introduced and they introduced more powerful Bug types. And up until Gen 6 Dragon types were more powerful than other types due to them resisting 4 of the most common types, and in general having higher than average stats.

Do you feel that there's still an objectively best, and objectively worst type?

 

[Khoshi]

I hate everyone who was using the Psychic type in Gen 1. Screw having to use Beedrill and Twineedle, the move's weak. I just hated how you had basically one or two moves worth using against the Psychic type, and even then, it's usually on a Pokemon weak to them. Makes no sense.

I think the Fairy Type in Gen 6 is a type that's growing in strength. Only introduced recently, yet it's really strong already. Resists Bug, Dark, Fighting and is immune to Dragon altogether. You said the Dragon type was all powerful prior to Gen 6, here's your reason. The Fairy type is reptile Kryptonite.

 

[Timbjerr]

As much as I love it, the poison-type has been on the short end of the stick for most of the series' existence. XY has been nice to them though, what with making them a strong counter to fairies and whatnot. XD

 

[Harmonious Fusion]

I don't know of any single types, and I don't know about Gen VI now that poison is actually useful for something, but pre-Gen VI bug/poison was one of the worst type combinations, if not the worst. It had several common weaknesses, most Pokemon with that combo weren't particularly special stat-wise, and it couldn't do much that other type combos couldn't do better.

 

[Megan]

- As of Gen 6 Ghost types have become really powerful, especially since Steel types lost their resistance to them.
- Even though Dragons got a really bad weakness because of the fairy type they still can hold their ground quite well.
- Steel types, although losing their resistance to ghosts have gained usefulnes because of fairies being weak to them.

Fairies could be better, unfortunately there aren't many useful Fairy type Pokemon (besides Klefki and Guardevoir).

As for the worst type...well Ice, unfortunately. Still one resistance (against itself), lots of (common) weaknesses, lots of types resisting it and its sole purpose (being the counterpart to Dragons) being rendered almost useless because of Fairies.

 

[Flushed]

I feel like Dragons are objectively the best type due to the specific Pokemon of the type. All of the pseudo-legends are Dragons if I recall correctly, except Tyranitar. And a lot of the legendaries are Dragons, so by base stat total alone, dragons are objectively the best.

 

[Sonata]

Bugs are still one of the worst types. Most of them can get OHKO'd or 2HKO'd pretty easily. Fairies are the new masters of the game, kicking Dragons out of that spot. (Until they release a steel/dragon type that doesn't suck)

 

[Hikamaru]

I'm gonna split mine into best and worst types, as follows.

Best:

• Dragon - As mentioned earlier, they have the highest stat totals among Pokemon, and until Fairy-types came along they were quite hard to counter since Dragons were weak to their own attacks while Ice, although effective were weak to most coverage moves that Dragons could learn.
• Fairy - Pretty good defensive typing due to their minimal weaknesses, and also really good offensive presence as well.
• Psychic - Especially in 1st Gen. They were essentially Dragon-type on drugs in that they had just one weakness and only thing resisting their moves were other Psychic-types.
• Steel - Even if they lost resistance to Dark and Ghost in exchange for an advantage against Fairy, they still have loads of resistances to make them the threat they are competitively.
• Normal - I know Normal-types aren't exactly amazing normally, but in an Inverse Battle it's a completely different story. Normal-type moves inversed hit everything for unresisted damage, essentially making it as overpowered as 1st Gen Psychics.

Worst:

• Grass - They tend to usually struggle on both the offensive and defensive spectrum, due to having loads of weaknesses and also the fact loads of types resist Grass moves.
• Bug - It was already terrible offensively, and now with 7 resistances to its moves it's just as bad as Grass on that aspect.
• Poison - Even with the new advantage on Fairy, the Poison-type itself still doesn't have good offensive presence. Having just one advantage (2nd-5th Gen) meant it really wasn't a type of choice by many players.
• Ice - It may be good offensively, but the problems facing Ice is that it's mainly the moves that see more use than the Pokemon itself. This is due to Ice having so many weaknesses and also only resisting itself. Now they seem to be outclassed as Dragon counters by Fairy which are immune to Dragon moves.

 

[Bellsprout]

Splitting it so it's easier too

Strong:
- Dragon: before x&y it was a pain to face dragon types at the end of the game mainly because you usually couldn't find an ice or dragon type to counter them until so late after you've already raised most of your Pokemon. With fairy types introduced it's def easier, but I'll still put them under here.
- Steel: Not usually a problem when I make a varied team, but when I do runs of a solo type team I find steel to be one of the biggest obstacles. They resist a lot and then on top of that usually have high defenses or maybe just defense (i dont remember)
- Normal (bulky): bulky normal types can be a pain if you don't have a fighting type. They're usually not much a threat though since their moves deal normal damage.

Weak:
- Bug: I don't think bug as a type itself is that weak. I think a lot of bug Pokemon are just usually paired with a secondary bad typing and then on top of that mediorce to horrible stats. When I get a bug Pokemon that has good stats I'm pretty pleased.
- Flying: This doesn't apply to all flying types as it does mostly to flying types based on birds. They are usually so fragile defensively and then pretty mediorce throughout their other stats.
- Ice: I love ice offensively, but defensively I find them to be very fragile.

 

[Hiatus]

Post generation two, I always felt that ghost-types were sort of overpowered. They're resistant against normal, and since most ghost Pokémon float in air and have Levitate ability, they are granted immunity over ground as well. That's a bit too much, if you ask me. ): Aside from that, dragon were pretty powerful, too, until the introduction of fairy in generation six.

 

[Pendraflare]

One type I didn't see anyone mention is the Fighting-type, because it hit a lot of common-types, including Rock, Dark and Steel, for super-effective damage and only had two weaknesses that weren't seen often. Especially pre-Gen VI before the Fairy-type was introduced, STAB Close Combat would be nothing to mess with. They could also pack moves to cover their weaknesses pretty well, like Rock-type moves or Ice Punch. Stuff like Mienshao and Lucario would wreck. However, many people say the Fighting-type was hit just as hard as Dragon was with Fairy-types being introduced.

 

[Meksal]

I'd say electric types are pretty bad, considering they can't do anything to ground types.

 

[Puddle]

I feel like Dragons are objectively the best type due to the specific Pokemon of the type. All of the pseudo-legends are Dragons if I recall correctly, except Tyranitar. And a lot of the legendaries are Dragons, so by base stat total alone, dragons are objectively the best.

And Metagross.

I agree. Dragons are still the best type. I'll sweep a Fairy Mono team with a Dragon mono team any day of the week.

Fire types have really gotten good with some new additions and resisting fairy.

Bug types were the worst and is now improving.

The worst type... Hmm. I almost feel like Ground types are right now. We have a lot of Pokemon that can know strong moves to use against those ground types.

Also, grass types have always been pretty bad, imo. I'm just not a staller.

 

[Aeroblast]

Well, Ghost types received a boost after Steel types lost its resistance to ghost. Only type now resisting Ghost type in any way is the largely mediocre Normal type (though admittedly they're decent defensively).

 

[DowntownDumpling]

I'm not about to tally up the weaknesses and resistances and factor everything else in myself, but Ice, Bug, and Poison seem like some of the worst.

Fairy would be a great type if its Pokemon base was... less awful. (I mean, other than Azumarill and a few others...)

 

[Dter ic]

- Ground type is just about as good as fighting offensively. Hits many other types super-effectively and is the only one that hits electric types. (not named emolga)
- Steel types are the best defensive typing in existence so far. Most resistances of any type even though it's no longer resistant to ghost and dark.

Grass types are probably the worst type of all. Several weaknesses to commonly used types and are generally slow.

 

[Noir]

One type I didn't see anyone mention is the Fighting-type, because it hit a lot of common-types, including Rock, Dark and Steel, for super-effective damage and only had two weaknesses that weren't seen often. Especially pre-Gen VI before the Fairy-type was introduced, STAB Close Combat would be nothing to mess with. They could also pack moves to cover their weaknesses pretty well, like Rock-type moves or Ice Punch. Stuff like Mienshao and Lucario would wreck. However, many people say the Fighting-type was hit just as hard as Dragon was with Fairy-types being introduced.

I agree with this completely. All fighting needed was a good STAB move with decent distribution and Close Combat...doesn't really have a downside compared to every other 120+ BP move in the game. Every pokemon that got it can use it and those who don't have other gimmicks/options to explore (DynamicPunch Machamp, HJK Mienshao, Hammer Arm Conkeldurr ect.) The presense of Ghostmons and Intimidate-fliers made them easier to handle and 'less exposed' as vicious compared to Draco Meteor Lati@s and pals.

My personal ranking would look something like Dragon -> Fairy -> Ghost -> Fighting -> Steel -> everything else in various positions -> Ice -> Bug. Bug types are defined more by their secondary typings than they are their bug type, are generally weak and are resisted by a grand 7 types (Fire, Fairy, Poison, Flying, Fighting, Ghost, Steel)

 

[Pepperton]

Different types need different strategies to reach their full potential in battle. If we're talking purely in an offensive matter, Dragon is pretty close to the top if it doesn't take the crown itself. Hits most of the other types for neutral damage or better and most of its attacks have high BP. I've found fighting and ground to be useful types after playing Pokemon for so long, but I wouldn't say they're particularly strong, like how I wouldn't say Ice isn't particularly weak. I don't think you can call the only solid counter to Dragon types before generation 6 a 'weak' type.

 

[Cerberus87]

Yes. Ice is the worst defensive type, while Steel is the best.

Offensively, Rock, Fighting and Dragon are all pretty good. I'd say Poison is still the worst despite being SE on Fairy.

 

[Kameken]

I actually find dragons easy to knock out most of the time, because of the huge amount that are one-shotted by a stab ice beam from anything. Even dragonite can only survive one because of multiscale, and even then frosslass with blizzard usually cuts through the thing in a few turns.

As for best, I'd say fire, offensively. Fighting has a few things that make it seem better, but fire is able to be more mixed between physical and special, helping it take on more threats that don't necessarily need to be weak to it.