Ice-type Pokémon are weak to four types: Fighting, Rock, Steel, and Fire. Any move from one of these types deals double damage to an Ice-type Pokémon. On top of those offensive weaknesses, Ice is one of the worst defensive types in the game, resisting only itself. That single resistance makes Ice-type Pokémon easy targets for a wide range of opponents.
Types That Deal Super Effective Damage to Ice
Fighting, Rock, Steel, and Fire moves all hit Ice types for 2x damage. Here’s why each one matters in practice:
- Fighting: One of the most common offensive types in competitive play. Many Pokémon learn Fighting-type coverage moves like Close Combat or Brick Break, so Ice types frequently take super effective hits even from non-Fighting Pokémon.
- Rock: Rock-type moves like Stone Edge and Rock Slide are popular coverage options. Since many Ice types also carry a secondary Water or Flying typing, Rock can be especially dangerous depending on the matchup.
- Steel: Steel types resist Ice-type attacks and hit back for super effective damage, making them hard counters. Pokémon like Scizor or Metagross wall most Ice types completely.
- Fire: Fire is everywhere offensively. Flamethrower and Fire Blast are common coverage moves across many teams, giving Ice types very few safe switch-in opportunities.
Why Ice Is a Poor Defensive Type
Ice resists exactly one type: Ice itself. Every other type hits it for neutral or super effective damage. Compare that to Steel, which resists 10 types and is immune to Poison, and the gap is obvious. This means that even when an Ice-type Pokémon has solid stats, it often can’t take hits well because so many attacks are unresisted.
Ice types are also vulnerable to Stealth Rock, the most common entry hazard in competitive battles. Switching an Ice-type Pokémon into Stealth Rock costs 25% of its HP, or even more if it has a secondary type that’s also weak to Rock (like Ice/Flying). This chip damage adds up quickly, limiting how often you can bring your Ice type into battle.
Dual Typings That Help or Hurt
Some secondary typings patch up Ice’s defensive problems, while others make them worse. Ice/Water Pokémon like Lapras gain resistances to Water and Ice moves, and their Water typing is only weak to Electric and Grass, neither of which overlaps with Ice’s weaknesses except in specific cases. Ice/Ground (like Mamoswine) trades a Fire weakness for a Fire neutrality on the Ground side, but picks up additional weaknesses to Water and Grass.
On the other hand, Ice/Flying (like Articuno) is a rough combination. It doubles the Rock weakness to 4x damage, meaning a single Rock-type move can knock it out from full health. Ice/Grass is similarly punishing, stacking weaknesses to Fire and leaving the Pokémon vulnerable to six different types.
Ice as an Offensive Type
Where Ice falls short defensively, it shines on offense. Ice-type moves are super effective against Dragon, Flying, Grass, and Ground, four types that dominate competitive play. Dragon types in particular are some of the strongest Pokémon in most formats, and Ice is one of only three types that hits them super effectively.
This is why Ice Beam is one of the most widely used coverage moves in the game, even on Pokémon that aren’t Ice type. The offensive value of Ice moves is excellent. The problem is that being an Ice-type Pokémon means living with the defensive baggage that comes with it. Many trainers opt to use Ice-type moves on Pokémon of other types rather than building around an actual Ice-type team member.
Best Counters to Ice-Type Pokémon
If you’re facing an Ice type, your best options are Steel and Fire types. Steel Pokémon resist Ice-type attacks, take neutral or reduced damage from most of Ice’s common coverage moves, and hit back super effectively. Fire types threaten a knockout while also resisting Ice moves.
Fighting types are strong attackers into Ice but need to watch for coverage moves like Psychic or Fairy-type attacks that some Ice Pokémon carry. Rock types similarly hit hard but often share a weakness to Water or Fighting moves that Ice types may have access to, so prediction matters more in those matchups.