You don't memorise 324 squares. You learn the few rules that cover most of them, in a set order, and practise in short bursts. Below is a 7-day plan that does that. It's our suggestion, not a law, so change it if a day feels too easy or too hard.
The type chart has 18 types. Each one meets all 18 as a target, which makes 324 matchups. Here is how they split up:
| Result | What the game says | Squares |
|---|---|---|
| Super effective | Double damage | 51 |
| Normal | (nothing) | 204 |
| Not very effective | Half damage | 61 |
| No effect | "It doesn't affect..." | 8 |
Most squares are plain normal damage. You only need to learn the 120 that are not, and many of those follow patterns. The type chart for kids shows the whole grid if you want it open while you read.
Rules that save you work
Some types are easy to learn because they stand out.
| Type | Hits for 2× | Takes 2× from | Resists or immune to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Fire | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| Water | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Electric | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Grass | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Ice | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Fighting | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Poison | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Ground | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Flying | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Psychic | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Bug | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Rock | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Ghost | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Dragon | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Dark | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Steel | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| Fairy | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Read down the table and a few things jump out:
- Normal and Electric are each weak to only one type. Normal is weak to Fighting, and Electric is weak to Ground.
- Grass and Rock have five weaknesses each, the most of any type.
- Fighting and Ground each hit five types for double damage.
- Normal hits nothing for double damage.
- Ghost and Dragon are the only types that are super effective against themselves. Nine types resist themselves: Fire, Water, Electric, Grass, Ice, Poison, Psychic, Dark and Steel.
More triangles
Start with the one everybody knows: Fire beats Grass, Grass beats Water, and Water beats Fire. The chart has other circles where each type beats the next, and each one is a handy shortcut. You don't need all of them. Pick three or four:
- Water beats Ground, Ground beats Electric, Electric beats Water.
- Fighting beats Dark, Dark beats Psychic, Psychic beats Fighting.
- Fighting beats Steel, Steel beats Fairy, Fairy beats Fighting.
- Ice beats Flying, Flying beats Fighting, Fighting beats Ice.
The 8 immunities
Eight matchups do no damage at all. They are worth learning by heart, because using one wastes your turn. You can read more in our guide to Pokémon immunities.
- Normal moves do nothing to Ghost
- Fighting moves do nothing to Ghost
- Electric moves do nothing to Ground
- Poison moves do nothing to Steel
- Ground moves do nothing to Flying
- Psychic moves do nothing to Dark
- Ghost moves do nothing to Normal
- Dragon moves do nothing to Fairy
A 7-day plan
The plan takes a few minutes a day. Each day has a place to practise.
| Day | Learn this | Practise here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fire, Water and Grass triangle | Types 101 lesson |
| 2 | The 8 immunities | Types quiz |
| 3 | Normal and Electric are each weak to only one type | Type Master: super effective or not? |
| 4 | Three or four more triangles | Type Clash: 60 seconds, who wins the matchup? |
| 5 | Ghost and Dragon hit themselves, and nine types resist themselves | Type chart PDF stuck on the wall |
| 6 | Dual types multiply | Dual types lesson (a Plus lesson) and the dual-type weaknesses guide |
| 7 | Mixed practice of everything so far | Types quiz, then Type Clash |
Without Plus you can play 3 quiz packs a day. The Daily Pack and the lessons don't count toward that, so you can do them as well.
Dual types
Many Pokémon have two types, and then the damage numbers multiply. Bulbapedia gives three examples:
- A Fairy move against a Dark/Dragon Pokémon is super effective against both types, so it does 4×.
- A Fighting move against a Psychic/Flying Pokémon is not very effective against both, so it does ¼×.
- A Grass move against a Water/Flying Pokémon is super effective against Water and not very effective against Flying. They cancel out, so it does 1×.
Small tricks
- Say the reason out loud. "Water puts out Fire" gives you a picture to hang the rule on.
- Turn each day's rule into a question for someone else and quiz them.
- Bug and Fighting are the only two types that are each not very effective against the other, which is an odd fact that is easy to remember.
- If you forget a matchup, look it up. The printable chart is there so you can.
- Stop when it stops being fun, and pick it up tomorrow.