Ice Type Guide: Strengths & Counters

Explore the Ice type: learn its strengths, weaknesses, resistances, immunities and practical tips for VGC and Showdown ladder play.

Start here: Home Quiz · Type Chart · Advanced Matchup Quiz

Offensive Matchups

  • Strong against: GrassGroundFlyingDragon
  • Not very effective against: FireWaterIceSteel
  • Has no effect: None

Average Offensive Power: 111%: Good offensively, ranking #4 of 18.

Offensive Matchup – Overview

Frost kills Grass, grinds Ground, ices wings, and freezes mighty Dragons, yet it melts before Fire, diffuses in Water, glances off Ice, and fails to scratch Steel.

Super-Effective
  • Grass – Frost destroys crops and greenery.
  • Ground – Glaciers grind and heave earth apart.
  • Flying – Ice on wings stalls flight mid-air.
  • Dragon – Cold-blooded scales freeze stiff.
Not Very Effective
  • Fire – Flames melt ice faster than it forms.
  • Water – Ice melts into water.
  • Ice – Frost on frost yields little change.
  • Steel – Hardened metal cleaves or shrugs ice.

Defensive Matchups

  • Weak to: FireFightingRockSteel
  • Resists: Ice
  • Immune to: None

Average Defensive Strength: 84%: Worst defensively, ranking #18 of 18.

Defensive Matchup – Overview

Fire melts, Fighters shatter, Rocks crack, and Steel chisels brittle ice, while only other Ice attacks feel familiar enough to do minimal harm.

Weak To
  • Fire – Heat liquefies frozen defenses.
  • Fighting – Focused punches shatter brittle ice.
  • Rock – Falling stones fracture glaciers.
  • Steel – Metal blades carve frozen surfaces.
Resistant To
  • Ice – Snow versus snow yields minor damage.

Uneven Matchups

  • IceWater0.5×
    Water
  • IceGrass
    Grass
  • IceFighting
    Fighting
  • IceGround
    Ground
  • IceFlying
    Flying
  • IceRock
    Rock
  • IceDragon
    Dragon

Full Type Chart

Type Effectiveness Chart

Interactive Battle Type Chart

DEFENSE → across columns • ATTACK ↓ down rows

Click on types to highlight rows/columns • Hover over cells for details

Has no effect
0.5×
Not very effective
Normal effectiveness
Super effective
NOR
FIR
WAT
ELE
GRA
ICE
FIG
POI
GRO
FLY
PSY
BUG
ROC
GHO
DRA
DAR
STE
FAI
NOR
FIR
WAT
ELE
GRA
ICE
FIG
POI
GRO
FLY
PSY
BUG
ROC
GHO
DRA
DAR
STE
FAI

• Click on type names to highlight entire rows (attacking) or columns (defending)

• Hover over cells to see detailed effectiveness information

• Chart based on rules effective since 2013

Back to all guides

Type Matchup Quiz logo

Want a quick tour?

We can walk you through the quiz modes, advanced tools, and where to find everything.