Type counters guide

Best Counters for Water-type Pokémon

Find practical counter Pokémon, attacking types, and defensive matchup notes for Water.

Water
Water type icon

Water

Quick answer

Water is best pressured by Electric and Grass-type attacks at 2x damage. Because there is no 4x weakness, defensive safety, Speed, and raw stats matter more.

Best move types

Electric×2Grass×2

Top weaknesses (2)

Electric×2Grass×2

Type matchup table

Electric type iconElectric2x
Grass type iconGrass2x
Normal type iconNormal1x
Fighting type iconFighting1x
Poison type iconPoison1x
Ground type iconGround1x
Flying type iconFlying1x
Psychic type iconPsychic1x
Bug type iconBug1x
Rock type iconRock1x
Ghost type iconGhost1x
Dragon type iconDragon1x
Dark type iconDark1x
Fairy type iconFairy1x
Fire type iconFire0.5x
Water type iconWater0.5x
Ice type iconIce0.5x
Steel type iconSteel0.5x

Recommended practical counters

Strong theoretical counters

Best move types to use

Electric×2Grass×2

Move availability depends on game version and learnset data, so this page recommends move types rather than guaranteed moves.

Electric type pageGrass type page

What not to use

Fire×0.5Water×0.5Ice×0.5Steel×0.5

These attacking types are resisted or blocked by the defender's typing, so they are usually lower-priority choices unless they provide a special battle role.

Pokémon with Water typing

Squirtle Pokémon sprite

Squirtle

Water
Wartortle Pokémon sprite

Wartortle

Water
Blastoise Pokémon sprite

Blastoise

Water
Blastoise-Mega Pokémon sprite

Blastoise-Mega

Water
Blastoise-Gmax Pokémon sprite

Blastoise-Gmax

Water
Psyduck Pokémon sprite

Psyduck

Water
Golduck Pokémon sprite

Golduck

Water
Poliwag Pokémon sprite

Poliwag

Water
Poliwhirl Pokémon sprite

Poliwhirl

Water

Battle caveats

  • This ranking uses modern Gen 6+ type matchups, STAB value, defensive switch-in safety, and base stats.
  • Abilities, held items, Terastallization, weather, terrain, and format rules can change real battle outcomes.
  • Coverage moves can punish obvious counters, so treat this as type-based guidance rather than a full matchup simulator.
  • Move availability depends on game version and learnset data; this page recommends attacking types rather than guaranteed moves.

Related pages

Water weakness chartWater PokémonElectric type pageGrass type pagePokémon type chartSpeed tiers

FAQ

What is the best counter for Water?

Water is best countered by Pokémon that can use Electric and Grass (2x) attacks while avoiding bad defensive matchups into Water STAB attacks. Because there is no 4x weakness, Speed, bulk, and offensive stats matter more when choosing the actual Pokémon.

What type is best against Water?

Electric and Grass are the strongest attacking types against Water, dealing 2x damage under the modern Gen 6+ type chart.

How many useful attacking types hit Water super-effectively?

Water has 2 super-effective attacking options: Electric and Grass. Use the highest multiplier first, then choose a Pokémon that is not exposed to Water STAB attacks.

Are abilities included in this counter ranking?

No. The ranking uses base typing and base stats. Abilities, items, Terastallization, weather, terrain, and special move rules can change the real matchup.

Does Terastallization change Water counters?

Yes. Terastallization can replace the defensive typing used here, so the recommended counter types may change completely in formats where Tera is active.

What should I avoid using against Water?

Avoid relying on Fire, Water, Ice, and Steel attacks unless they have a special role or unusually high power.

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