Poison Type Guide: Strengths & Counters

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

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Offense rank

#17 · Bad

Defense rank

#4 · Good

Offensive power

94%

Defensive strength

103%

What Is Poison Strong Against? Offensive Matchups

Strong against

GrassFairy

Not very effective against

PoisonGroundRockGhost

Has no effect

Steel

Venom wilts Grass and taints Fairy magic, but barely seeps into Poison kin, washes off Ground and Rock, wafts through Ghosts, and slides uselessly off impervious Steel.

Super-Effective

  • Grass

    Poisoned saplines collapse a Grass type’s core strength.

  • Fairy

    Folklore: toxins and iron undo fae magic.

Not Very Effective

  • Poison

    Venom specialists are built to tolerate venom.

  • Ground

    Earth absorbs and dilutes toxins.

  • Rock

    Minerals are inert to acid.

  • Ghost

    Specters can’t be poisoned.

Ineffective

  • Steel

    Metal is impervious to corrosion mid-battle.

What Is Poison Weak To? Defensive Matchups

Weak to

GroundPsychic

Resists

GrassFightingPoisonBugFairy

Immune to

None

Ground buries toxins and Psychic precision pinpoints antidotes, while Poison dwellers relish toxic swamps, shrug off blows from Grass, Fighting, Bug, and fellow Poison, and even corrode Fairy sparkle.

Weak To

  • Ground

    Soil entombs contamination.

  • Psychic

    Surgical mind skills find cures.

Resistant To

  • Grass

    Weeds thrive in toxic soil.

  • Fighting

    Venomous barbs deter punches.

  • Poison

    Immunity to own chemistry.

  • Bug

    Many toxic species naturally shrug off insect venoms.

  • Fairy

    Corruption and blight traditionally weaken fae magic.

Uneven Matchups

  • PoisonFighting
    Fighting0.5×
  • PoisonPsychic
    Psychic
  • PoisonBug
    Bug0.5×
  • PoisonRock0.5×
    Rock
  • PoisonGhost0.5×
    Ghost
  • PoisonSteel
    Steel

Related Type Guides

Learn about types Poison is weak to:

Types that resist Poison:

Types Poison is super effective against:

Full Type Chart

Type Effectiveness Chart

Interactive Battle Type Chart

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Has no effect
0.5×
Not very effective
Normal effectiveness
Super effective
Normal type icon
Fire type icon
Water type icon
Electric type icon
Grass type icon
Ice type icon
Fighting type icon
Poison type icon
Ground type icon
Flying type icon
Psychic type icon
Bug type icon
Rock type icon
Ghost type icon
Dragon type icon
Dark type icon
Steel type icon
Fairy type icon
Normal type icon
Fire type icon
Water type icon
Electric type icon
Grass type icon
Ice type icon
Fighting type icon
Poison type icon
Ground type icon
Flying type icon
Psychic type icon
Bug type icon
Rock type icon
Ghost type icon
Dragon type icon
Dark type icon
Steel type icon
Fairy type icon

Matchup Details

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• Chart based on rules effective since 2013

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