You’re staring down a Corviknight. It looks like a Steel-type. It acts like a Steel-type. But you forget it's also a Flying-type, and suddenly your "super effective" Ground-type move does absolutely nothing. Zero. Zip. Honestly, we’ve all been there. Galar changed the vibe of the series in a lot of ways, but the Pokemon Sword type chart remains the absolute backbone of whether you’re winning matches or crying at a "Game Over" screen because a Gym Leader's ace outsped you.
Memorizing eighteen different types isn't just about homework. It’s about survival in the Wild Area.
The math is actually pretty simple on paper. A move can deal double damage ($2 \times$), quadruple damage ($4 \times$), half damage ($0.5 \times$), or nothing at all ($0 \times$). But when you mix in dual-types—which Galar is obsessed with—the mental gymnastics get exhausting. You aren't just thinking about Fire beating Grass. You're thinking about why a Fire-type move only does neutral damage to a Ferrothorn because its Steel typing is messing with the calculation. It’s a lot.
The Basic Rock-Paper-Scissors of Galar
Let's start with the stuff everyone knows, or at least thinks they know. Fire burns Grass. Water puts out Fire. Grass drinks Water. That’s the "Starter Triangle." It’s the first thing Leon or Hop will implicitly teach you. But the Pokemon Sword type chart gets weird the moment you step outside that little bubble.
Take the Fairy type. It was relatively new when Sword and Shield dropped, and it still catches people off guard. Fairy is a literal dragon-slayer. If you bring a Haxorus against a Sylveon, you’re going to have a bad time. Fairy is also weak to Poison and Steel. Why Steel? Think of old European folklore where "cold iron" was the only thing that could ward off mischievous spirits. Game Freak loves that kind of flavor.
Then there’s Psychic. Back in the Red and Blue days, Psychic was god-tier. Now? It’s constantly looking over its shoulder for Dark, Ghost, and Bug types. It’s a glass cannon typing.
Understanding the Immunity Game
Immunities are the real game-changers in Pokemon Sword. If you can predict a move and switch into a Pokemon that takes zero damage, you’ve basically stolen a turn. In a competitive match, or even a tough Max Raid Battle, that’s everything.
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- Normal and Ghost can’t touch each other. It’s like two different dimensions.
- Flying laughs at Ground moves (Earthquake who?).
- Steel is completely immune to Poison damage and the Poisoned status effect.
- Dark types are immune to Psychic.
- Ground types soak up Electric attacks like a sponge.
- Fairy types take zero damage from Dragon moves.
Imagine you're fighting Alister in the Ghost-type gym (if you’re playing Shield, though the mechanics are identical for the Sword version's typing logic). You send out a Normal-type like Snorlax. His Ghost moves won't hit you. But wait—your Normal moves won't hit him either. You’re both just swinging at air until someone pulls out a Dark or Crunch-type move. It's awkward. It's tactical. It's Pokemon.
Why Dual Typings Break Your Brain
Galar is full of tricky combinations. Centiskorch is Fire/Bug. Coalossal is Rock/Fire. Grimmsnarl is Fairy/Dark.
When a Pokemon has two types, the weaknesses and resistances multiply. If a Pokemon is Fire/Flying (like Charizard), it’s double-weak to Rock. That means a simple Stone Edge deals $4 \times$ damage. That’s usually an instant knockout. Conversely, if a Pokemon has a resistance from both types, it might only take $0.25 \times$ damage.
Look at Dracovish. It’s a Water/Dragon monstrosity. Water is weak to Grass and Electric. But Dragon is resistant to Grass and Electric. Result? They cancel out. Dracovish takes neutral damage from the things that should normally kill a Water-type. This is why Dracovish became a competitive nightmare. You couldn't just "type-match" it easily. You had to outpower it or outspeed it.
The Defensive Kings of Sword and Shield
If you want to win by attrition, you look at the Steel type. Steel is arguably the best defensive type on the Pokemon Sword type chart. It resists almost everything: Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Steel, and Fairy.
It’s ridiculous.
But it has three very common, very painful weaknesses: Fire, Fighting, and Ground. In Galar, everyone carries a Ground-type move like High Horsepower or Earthquake just because Steel and Rock types are so prevalent. If you’re running a Copperajah, you’re a tank, but you’re a tank with a very specific "explode here" button on your forehead.
The Hidden Mechanics: Weather and Terrain
The type chart doesn't exist in a vacuum. The Wild Area is famous for its "harsh sunlight" or "sandstorms." These change the math.
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In Rain, Water moves get a 50% boost. Fire moves get a 50% nerf. If you’re using a Water-type against a Fire-type in the rain, you aren't just doing $2 \times$ damage. You're doing $2 \times$ damage plus the rain bonus. It’s a nuke.
Sandstorms are even weirder. They don't just do chip damage every turn; they actually boost the Special Defense of Rock-type Pokemon by 50%. So, if you’re trying to blast a Gigalith with a Special-based Water move during a sandstorm, you might be surprised when it survives with half its health.
Pro Tips for Dominating the Galar Circuit
- Check the move, not just the Pokemon. Just because Cinderace is a Fire-type doesn't mean it only uses Fire moves. With the Libero ability, it actually changes its type to whatever move it’s using. It’s a shapeshifter. It’s cheating, basically.
- Don't sleep on the "Useless" types. Poison used to be terrible. Now, with the abundance of Fairy-types like Zacian and Togekiss, Poison is a vital offensive tool.
- Ice is a glass hammer. Ice-types are offensively amazing—they destroy Dragons, Grass, Ground, and Flying types. Defensively? They’re hot garbage. They only resist themselves. Using an Ice-type is a high-risk, high-reward gamble.
- Stealth Rock is king. In competitive Sword play, switching is constant. Entry hazards like Stealth Rock deal damage based on the Pokemon Sword type chart when a Pokemon enters the field. A Charizard loses 50% of its HP just for stepping onto the field if rocks are up.
Actionable Strategy: Building Your Team
Stop picking your favorites based on looks alone. I know, it’s hard. Sobble is cute. But if your entire team is Water and Flying, one Toxtricity is going to wipe you off the map.
You need "coverage." This means giving your Pokemon moves that aren't their own type. Give your Fighting-type a dynamic Ice Punch to deal with those pesky Flying-types. Give your Grass-type a Ground-type move to surprise those Poison-types.
When you look at the Pokemon Sword type chart, don't see a wall of text. See a puzzle. Every Pokemon has a hole in its armor. Your job is to find it before they find yours. Go into the Wild Area, test these out, and remember: if all else fails, just Dynamax and hope for the best. Sometimes raw power overrides the math, but the math is what makes you a Master.
Build a team with at least four different primary types and ensure your movepool covers the big three threats in Galar: Steel, Fairy, and Dragon. If you can't hit those for super-effective damage, you aren't ready for the Champion Cup.
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Next Steps for Galar Mastery:
- Audit your current party: Identify which single Pokemon could wipe your entire team. If a single Electivire could kill all six of your monsters, go catch a Ground-type immediately.
- Check your Movepool: Go to the move reminder in any Pokemon Center. Look for "coverage" moves—attacks that are a different type than the Pokemon itself—to surprise opponents who think they have the type advantage.
- Master the Held Items: Equip a "Choice Band" or "Life Orb" on your heavy hitters to push that type-advantage damage into the "one-hit KO" territory.