Ghost Type Guide: Strengths & Counters
Explore the Ghost type: learn its strengths, weaknesses, resistances, immunities and practical tips for VGC and Showdown ladder play.
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Offensive Matchups
- Strong against: PsychicGhost
- Not very effective against: Dark
- Has no effect: Normal
Average Offensive Power: 103%: Poor offensively, ranking #10 of 18.
Offensive Matchup – Overview
Only other Ghosts and vulnerable Psychics feel spectral claws, while Dark shadows dim them and Normal bodies remain untouched.
Super-Effective
- Ghost – Spirits interfere on the same plane.
- Psychic – Hauntings unravel mental focus.
Not Very Effective
- Dark – Shadows swallow specters.
Ineffective
- Normal – Physical bodies ignore intangible strikes.
Defensive Matchups
- Weak to: GhostDark
- Resists: PoisonBug
- Immune to: NormalFighting
Average Defensive Strength: 106%: Strong defensively, ranking #2 of 18.
Defensive Matchup – Overview
Rival phantoms and creeping darkness bite back, but poison passes through ectoplasm, insects can’t touch vapor, and all Normal or Fighting blows phase harmlessly through.
Weak To
- Ghost – Spiritual clashes tear ectoplasm.
- Dark – Malicious shadows consume spectral light.
Resistant To
- Poison – Can’t poison what’s already dead.
- Bug – Tiny bodies can’t grasp vapor.
Immune To
- Normal – Physical strikes pass through.
- Fighting – Martial blows hit only air.
Uneven Matchups
- Ghost→Fighting1×←Fighting→0×
- Ghost→Poison1×←Poison→0.5×
- Ghost→Psychic2×←Psychic→1×
- Ghost→Bug1×←Bug→0.5×
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• Chart based on rules effective since 2013