Flying-type Pokemon are known for their speed and agility in the Pokemon world, often soaring above the battlefield to deliver powerful attacks. But to truly master battles, it’s crucial to understand not only their offensive capabilities but also their defensive strengths. If you’re wondering What Is Flying Pokemon Strong Against, and how to effectively counter them, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will dive deep into the type matchups, strengths, weaknesses, and best strategies for dealing with Flying-type Pokemon, ensuring you’re always prepared for airborne adversaries.
Flying-type Pokemon can be incredibly evasive opponents. Their ability to take to the skies can make them seem untouchable, allowing them to dodge certain attacks and then strike back with surprising force. However, like every Pokemon type, Flying-types have their own set of strengths and vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Understanding these type matchups is key to gaining a strategic advantage in battles.
Understanding Flying-Type Strengths
To answer the question “what is flying pokemon strong against?”, we need to look at the types of Pokemon that Flying-types have an advantage over. Flying-type moves are super effective against three specific types:
Super Effective Against
- Grass-type: Just as birds might feast on seeds and plants, Flying-type moves are devastatingly effective against Grass-type Pokemon. Moves like Peck, Wing Attack, and Hurricane can quickly bring down even the toughest Grass-type opponents.
- Fighting-type: Flying Pokemon have a natural advantage over Fighting-types. Their aerial maneuverability allows them to evade close-combat attacks, while their Flying-type moves can strike Fighting-types for super effective damage. Imagine a bird of prey outmaneuvering a ground-based fighter – this is the essence of this type matchup.
- Bug-type: Many Bug-type Pokemon are grounded and vulnerable to aerial assaults. Flying-type moves represent a significant threat to Bug-types, often overwhelming them with powerful gusts of wind or sharp, piercing attacks from above.
Honchkrow
Resistances and Immunities
Beyond their offensive advantages, Flying-types also boast impressive defensive capabilities. They are resistant to damage from:
- Fighting-type: As mentioned, Flying-types resist Fighting-type attacks, taking only half damage. This resistance, combined with their super effective offense, makes them strong counters to Fighting Pokemon.
- Bug-type: Similar to Fighting-types, Flying Pokemon also resist Bug-type moves, further cementing their dominance in this matchup.
- Grass-type: Flying-types also resist Grass-type attacks, reducing the effectiveness of moves like Razor Leaf and Solar Beam.
Crucially, Flying-type Pokemon have a complete immunity to:
- Ground-type: This is perhaps the most significant defensive advantage of Flying-types. Ground-type moves, which are often powerful and widely used, have absolutely no effect on Flying Pokemon. Moves like Earthquake and Earth Power, which can decimate many other types, simply pass harmlessly through Flying-types. This immunity is a defining characteristic and a major strategic asset.
Exploiting Flying-Type Weaknesses
While understanding what Flying-type Pokemon are strong against is important, knowing their weaknesses is equally vital for effective battling. Flying-types have three primary weaknesses:
Super Effective Types Against Flying
- Electric-type: Just as lightning can strike birds in the sky, Electric-type moves are super effective against Flying Pokemon. Powerful electric currents can disrupt their flight and deal significant damage.
- Ice-type: The cold of ice can be debilitating to creatures of the air. Ice-type moves are another super effective counter to Flying-types, representing the harshness of winter skies.
- Rock-type: Rock-type moves are also super effective against Flying Pokemon. Think of rocks and stones being thrown at flying creatures – these solid, grounded attacks can bring them crashing down.
Recommended Pokemon Counters
To effectively counter Flying-type Pokemon, consider using Pokemon of the Electric, Ice, and Rock types. Some excellent examples include:
- Alolan Golem (Rock/Electric): This dual-type Pokemon combines two weaknesses of Flying-types into one powerful package. Its Rock and Electric moves will deal massive damage.
Alolan Golem pokemon dexerto
- Aurorus (Rock/Ice): Another dual-type, Aurorus leverages both Rock and Ice-type strengths to overwhelm Flying-types. Its Ice Beam and Rock moves are highly effective.
- Iron Thorns (Rock/Electric): Similar to Alolan Golem, Iron Thorns provides a potent combination of Rock and Electric typing, making it a formidable counter.
- Arctozolt (Electric/Ice): Arctozolt brings together Electric and Ice in a different combination, offering versatility and strong offensive pressure against Flying-types.
- Hisuian Avalugg (Ice/Rock): This Pokemon’s unique Ice/Rock typing and high Defense make it a sturdy and effective counter, capable of withstanding Flying-type attacks while dishing out super effective damage.
Remember to consider the secondary typing of your opponent, as it might introduce additional resistances or weaknesses. However, these dual-type examples provide a strong starting point for building a team to counter Flying-types.
Super Effective Moves to Use
When battling Flying-type Pokemon, prioritize moves from the Electric, Ice, and Rock categories. Here are some highly effective moves to consider:
Electric-type Moves:
- Bolt Strike: A powerful physical Electric move with high damage and a chance to paralyze.
- Zap Cannon: A special Electric move with guaranteed paralysis, despite lower accuracy.
- Thunder: A strong special Electric move with a good balance of power and a chance to paralyze.
Rock-type Moves:
- Rock Wrecker: An incredibly powerful physical Rock move with high damage, though it requires a recharge turn.
- Meteor Beam: A special Rock move that boosts Special Attack on use and delivers significant damage.
- Stone Edge: A reliable physical Rock move with a high critical hit ratio.
Ice-type Moves:
- Ice Burn: A very powerful special Ice move, but requires a charge turn and has a chance to burn.
- Blizzard: A strong special Ice move that can hit multiple opponents in double battles.
- Ice Beam: A dependable special Ice move with good power and accuracy.
- Icicle Spear: A multi-strike physical Ice move that hits multiple times, bypassing some defensive setups.
Best Tera Types for Flying Pokemon
In Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, Tera Types add a new layer of strategy. If you want to enhance your Flying-type Pokemon, consider these Tera Types:
- Flying Tera Type: This directly boosts the power of Flying-type moves, making them even more potent with STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus).
- Ground Tera Type: This strategically removes the Electric-type weakness and provides a resistance to Rock-type attacks, significantly improving survivability against common Flying-type counters. It also maintains immunity to Ground.
- Steel Tera Type: This eliminates both Ice and Rock-type weaknesses, making Flying-types much harder to take down defensively.
Corviknight in the Pokemon anime
Best Flying-Type Moves for Offense
While knowing how to counter Flying-types is crucial defensively, understanding their offensive movepool is key to using them effectively. Here are some of the best Flying-type moves:
| MOVE | CATEGORY | POWER | ACCURACY | PP | EFFECT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Special | 110 | 70% | 10 | May confuse the opponent |
| Aeroblast | Special | 100 | 95% | 5 | High critical hit ratio |
| Bleakwind Storm | Special | 100 | 80% | 10 | May lower the opponent’s Speed |
| Oblivion Wing | Special | 80 | 100% | 10 | User recovers HP equal to most of the damage dealt |
| Sky Attack | Physical | 140 | 90% | 5 | Charge turn, high critical hit ratio, may cause flinching |
| Brave Bird | Physical | 120 | 100% | 15 | User takes recoil damage |
| Dragon Ascent | Physical | 120 | 100% | 5 | Lowers user’s Defense and Sp. Defense |
| Fly | Physical | 90 | 95% | 15 | Charge turn, can avoid certain moves on charge turn |
| Feather Dance | Status | – | 100% | 15 | Sharply lowers the opponent’s Attack |
| Roost | Status | – | – | 5 | User recovers half of its max HP, loses Flying type temporarily |
Top Flying Pokemon in the Meta
The Pokemon world boasts a vast array of Flying-types. Some of the most powerful and meta-relevant Flying Pokemon include:
- Rayquaza
- Yveltal
- Lugia
- Tornadus
- Ho-Oh
- Salamence
- Togekiss
- Corviknight
- Shaymin (Sky Forme)
- Cramorant
Understanding what Flying Pokemon are strong against, as well as their weaknesses, is essential for any Pokemon trainer looking to dominate battles. By leveraging type matchups and choosing the right counters, you can effectively handle these aerial aces and ensure victory.
