Water Type Guide: Strengths & Counters
Explore the Water type: learn its strengths, weaknesses, resistances, immunities and practical tips for VGC and Showdown ladder play.
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Offense rank
#5 · Good
Defense rank
#8 · Okay
Offensive power
108%
Defensive strength
100%
What Is Water Strong Against? Offensive Matchups
Strong against
Not very effective against
Has no effect
Tidal force extinguishes Fire, erodes Ground, and batters Rock, but it splashes harmlessly on Water, nourishes Grass, and rolls off imperious Dragons.
Super-Effective
- Fire
Water removes heat and oxygen, killing flame.
- Ground
Floods liquefy soil foundations.
- Rock
Persistent surf chips and caves cliff faces.
Not Very Effective
- Water
Two waves merge with little force.
- Grass
Plants absorb and redirect the flow.
- Dragon
Dragons command rivers and tides.
What Is Water Weak To? Defensive Matchups
Weak to
Resists
Immune to
Electric currents rip through water and shock its dwellers, while thirsty Grass siphons strength; in return, Water shrugs off Fire, mingles with Ice, endures its own flow, and corrodes Steel only slowly.
Weak To
- Electric
Conductive water channels every volt to living tissue.
- Grass
Roots and vines literally drink Water Pokemon dry.
Resistant To
- Fire
Flames sputter out on contact.
- Water
Water pressure is easier to absorb when your body is water-based.
- Ice
Ice is merely solid water.
- Steel
Rust and corrosion act gradually.
Uneven Matchups
- Water→Electric1×←Electric→2×
- Water→Ice1×←Ice→0.5×
- Water→Ground2×←Ground→1×
- Water→Rock2×←Rock→1×
- Water→Dragon0.5×←Dragon→1×
- Water→Steel1×←Steel→0.5×
Related Type Guides
Full Type Chart
Type Effectiveness Chart
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• Chart based on rules effective since 2013