Grass-type weaknesses
Grass-type Pokémon are weak to Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison-type attacks, taking double damage. They resist Electric, Grass, Ground, and Water-type moves. Defensively, Grass pairs poorly against common offensive types, making it vulnerable in neutral matchups.
TYPE EFFECTIVENESS
Defensive Reading: Managing Fragility
Grass ties with Rock for the most weaknesses in the franchise, sitting at five. Fire, Ice, Flying, Poison, and Bug attacks all deal double damage.
In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, U-turn (Bug) and common Ice-type coverage moves make keeping a pure Grass type on the field extremely risky. With Pokémon Legends: Z-A returning to Kalos, expect early-game Flying and Bug types to heavily pressure pure Grass-type starters.
To punish a Grass type, simply exploit its lack of defensive coverage. Most Grass Pokémon lack the speed to sweep, allowing you to safely switch in a Fire or Flying type to force them out.
Offensive Reading: Cracking Bulky Cores
Offensively, Grass is a specialized tool designed to crack specific defensive walls. It deals super-effective damage to Water, Ground, and Rock types.
Water and Ground are notoriously difficult to break due to their few weaknesses. A strong Grass STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) is often the most reliable way to clear these bulky threats during a standard playthrough.
However, Grass is resisted by seven different types, including Dragon, Steel, and Fire. You should never lock into a Grass move unless you specifically predict a weak target staying in.
Game-Changing Dual-Types
Secondary typings drastically alter the defensive profile of a Grass Pokémon, often saving it from its inherent fragility.
- Grass/Steel: Eliminates weaknesses to Flying, Poison, Bug, and Ice. It creates a massive 4x weakness to Fire, but turns the Pokémon into a premier physical wall.
- Grass/Poison: Neutralizes the Bug and Poison weaknesses. It also allows the Pokémon to absorb Toxic Spikes upon entering the field, providing immediate passive utility.
- Grass/Ghost: Grants immunities to Normal and Fighting moves. It blocks Rapid Spin attempts, making it an excellent pivot option.
Team Integration and Coverage
The classic Fire/Water/Grass core remains the gold standard for in-game team building. Water covers Grass's Fire weakness, while Fire handles the Bug and Ice threats.
Grass Pokémon uniquely benefit from powder immunities. Switching a Grass type into an anticipated Spore or Sleep Powder completely wastes the opponent's turn.
When building your team, pair your Grass attacker with a Rock or Electric type. This ensures you can hit the Flying and Fire types that will inevitably switch in to absorb your Grass attacks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grass type weak against?
Grass takes double damage from Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug, and Poison-type attacks. This ties it with Rock for the highest number of weaknesses in the game, making pure Grass Pokémon difficult to keep on the field defensively.
What is Grass super effective against?
Grass-type moves deal double damage to Water, Ground, and Rock-type Pokémon. This makes Grass an essential offensive tool for breaking through bulky defensive walls during your in-game progression.
Is Grass a good defensive type?
No. While it resists Ground and Water, its five common weaknesses make it defensively unreliable. In Scarlet and Violet, players often Terastallize pure Grass Pokémon to shed these vulnerabilities entirely.
How does a Grass/Steel dual-typing change weaknesses?
Adding Steel to a Grass Pokémon completely neutralizes its weaknesses to Bug, Flying, Ice, and Poison. However, it creates a severe four-times weakness to Fire and adds a weakness to Fighting.
