Bug Type Guide: Strengths & Counters
Explore the Bug type: learn its strengths, weaknesses, resistances, immunities and practical tips for VGC and Showdown ladder play.
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Offensive Matchups
- Strong against: GrassPsychicDark
- Not very effective against: FireFightingPoisonFlyingGhostSteelFairy
- Has no effect: None
Average Offensive Power: 97%: Bad offensively, ranking #15 of 18.
Offensive Matchup – Overview
Swarms strip Grass, unsettle Psychic calm, and bite into Dark deceit, but they burn, get swatted, succumb to toxins, miss flying prey, faze no ghosts, dent no steel, and dazzle no fairies.
Super-Effective
- Grass – Caterpillars chew leaves efficiently.
- Psychic – Creepy-crawlies interrupt focus.
- Dark – Night-dwelling bugs hunt shadows.
Not Very Effective
- Fire – Heat scorches chitin.
- Fighting – Punches swat tiny foes.
- Poison – Bug venom isn't effective against poison.
- Flying – Prey can’t catch predators in the air.
- Ghost – Insects pass through apparitions.
- Steel – Mandibles can’t pierce iron.
- Fairy – Sparkling magic dazzles swarms.
Defensive Matchups
- Weak to: FireFlyingRock
- Resists: GrassFightingGround
- Immune to: None
Average Defensive Strength: 92%: Bad defensively, ranking #14 of 18.
Defensive Matchup – Overview
Flames, birds, and falling rocks devastate fragile carapaces, yet insects shrug off leaves, dodge fists, and burrow beneath earthquakes.
Weak To
- Fire – Exoskeletons char easily.
- Flying – Birds snack on bugs.
- Rock – Boulders crush arthropods.
Resistant To
- Grass – Leaves cushion impact.
- Fighting – Small size confounds punches.
- Ground – Burrowing avoids tremors.
Uneven Matchups
- Bug→Fighting0.5×←Fighting→0.5×
- Bug→Poison0.5×←Poison→1×
- Bug→Ground1×←Ground→0.5×
- Bug→Psychic2×←Psychic→1×
- Bug→Rock1×←Rock→2×
- Bug→Ghost0.5×←Ghost→1×
- Bug→Dark2×←Dark→1×
- Bug→Steel0.5×←Steel→1×
- Bug→Fairy0.5×←Fairy→1×
Full Type Chart
Type Effectiveness Chart
Interactive Battle Type Chart
DEFENSE → across columns • ATTACK ↓ down rows
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• Chart based on rules effective since 2013