Understanding Pokémon type matchups is crucial for any trainer aiming to build a strong team and dominate battles. The intricate web of strengths, weaknesses, resistances, and immunities dictates the flow of combat. Let’s delve into a proposed re-evaluation of these type interactions, exploring not only What Resists Flying-type moves but also a broader spectrum of potential rebalances across all types.
Currently, Flying-type Pokémon are notably weak to Electric, Ice, and Rock-type moves in the standard game mechanics. However, imagine a revised system where type interactions are shifted to create a more dynamic and strategic battle environment. This exploration proposes a series of type matchup adjustments, aiming for a more nuanced and potentially balanced gameplay experience.
Here’s a type-by-type breakdown of suggested changes:
Normal Type: Instead of having no super effective matchups, Normal-type moves could become super effective against Poison types. Conversely, to introduce a new weakness and utility for Fairy types, Normal-type attacks could be resisted by Fairy-types.
Fighting Type: To temper Fighting’s dominance, a weakness to Steel types is suggested, moving away from the current resistance. Furthermore, Fighting moves could be super effective against Ground types, adding another layer to Ground-type weaknesses beyond the standard Water, Grass, and Ice. To balance this buff, Fighting moves could deal half damage to Dragon types, reducing their overall effectiveness against a traditionally powerful type.
Flying Type: To enhance Flying-type offense, it’s proposed that Flying moves should be super effective against Fire types. This adds a logical element – wind and air currents fueling fire – and provides Flying types with a more prominent offensive niche. While not directly stating what resists flying in this suggested system, understanding traditional resistances like Steel, Rock and Electric in the current game context helps appreciate the potential shift in balance.
Poison Type: To make Poison less defensively weak, a weakness to Ice and Water types is proposed. Offensively, Poison moves could become super effective against Normal types, giving them a unique offensive advantage. Interestingly, in this proposed system, Poison would deal normal damage to Grass types, a departure from the usual super effectiveness, and even absorb normal damage from Grass moves, offering a unique defensive niche against Grass.
Ground Type: To shift Ground type’s defensive profile, immunity to Electric is maintained, but the suggestion is to remove the weakness to Ice. Instead, a weakness to Fighting type is introduced, making Fighting types more relevant against Ground.
Rock Type: To bolster Rock types defensively, resistance to Psychic types and immunity to Dark types are suggested. This would significantly improve Rock’s defensive utility, especially against common offensive types.
Bug Type: Often considered underpowered, Bug types could receive a significant buff. It’s proposed that Bug moves deal normal damage to Fighting, Fairy, and Ghost types. Defensively, Bug types could absorb normal damage from Fighting and Grass moves, granting them unique resistances.
Ghost Type: To enhance Ghost type’s defensive capabilities, it’s suggested they absorb normal damage from Bug type moves. However, to balance this, a weakness to Fairy types is proposed, adding another key weakness alongside Dark.
Steel Type: To introduce more weaknesses to Steel, Water types could become super effective against them. Offensively, Steel moves could become super effective against Electric types, creating a new offensive niche. Additionally, maintaining super effectiveness against Fighting and absorbing half damage from Fighting moves reinforces Steel’s defensive prowess against Fighting.
Fire Type: To balance Fire types defensively, resistance to Electric types and absorption of half damage from Electric moves are suggested. However, a weakness to Flying types is also introduced, aligning with the proposed Flying-type offensive buff.
Water Type: To strengthen Water types offensively, they could become super effective against Steel and Poison types. Defensively, Water types could resist Poison but absorb super effective damage from Ice and deal half damage to Ice in return. This creates a more complex interaction with Ice types.
Grass Type: To adjust Grass type’s offensive matchups, it’s proposed they deal normal damage to Poison and Bug types, moving away from super effectiveness against Poison. Defensively, Grass types could absorb normal damage from Grass moves. A unique offensive niche is suggested: Grass moves become super effective against Cut/Scratch-based moves (like Cut and Fury Swipes), adding a specific counter to certain move categories.
Electric Type: To balance Electric type offensively, it’s proposed they deal half damage to Fire types and absorb half damage from Electric moves. A weakness to Steel types is also suggested, aligning with Steel’s proposed buff against Electric.
Psychic Type: To adjust Psychic’s offensive profile, it could become super effective against Dragon types, providing a new counter to Dragons. However, Psychic moves could deal half damage to Rock types, reducing their effectiveness against a defensively strong type.
Ice Type: To enhance Ice’s offensive utility, it could become super effective against Poison and Water types. Ice moves could deal normal damage to Ground types, a change from the usual super effectiveness, and absorb half damage from Water moves, creating an interesting defensive interaction.
Dragon Type: To balance Dragon types defensively, they could resist Fighting moves but become weak to Psychic types. This adds a key weakness and counters Dragon’s traditionally strong defensive profile.
Dark Type: To adjust Dark type’s interactions, it’s proposed they take no damage from Rock type moves and absorb super effective damage from Fairy types. Offensively, Dark moves would remain super effective against Fairy, creating a risk-reward dynamic in Fairy vs. Dark matchups. Additionally, Dark types could absorb super effective damage from light-based moves (like Solar Beam and Moonblast), granting them a unique defensive niche against specific move categories.
Fairy Type: To enhance Fairy’s defensive capabilities, it’s proposed they absorb normal damage from Bug moves. Offensively, Fairy moves could become super effective against Ghost types and deal half damage to Normal types.
These proposed changes offer a thought-provoking reimagining of Pokémon type matchups. While focusing on “what resists flying” through the lens of Flying-type offense and interactions, the broader type rebalancing could lead to a more strategically diverse and engaging battle system within the Pokémon universe.
