You're staring down a Dragonite. It’s terrifying. You’ve got a Blastoise out, but it doesn't quite have the offensive punch to secure a one-hit KO with its standard movepool. Then you remember that specific subset of ice and water pokemon sitting in your PC—monsters like Lapras or Cloyster that basically laugh in the face of the meta's most dangerous dragons. There is something fundamentally "comfy" about the Water-type, but when you freeze it, things get complicated.
Water is arguably the best defensive type in the game. It only has two weaknesses: Grass and Electric. Ice, on the other hand, is famously a "glass cannon" type. It resists itself—and that's it. It’s a defensive nightmare. When you mash them together, you get a dual-typing that’s been around since Generation I, yet people still argue about whether it’s actually a buff or a massive liability.
Honestly? It's both.
The weird math of the Ice/Water defensive profile
If you look at the type chart, adding Ice to a Water-type is a bit like adding a spicy kick to a mild soup. It changes the flavor entirely, but it might make your eyes water. Ice and water pokemon lose that glorious resistance to Fire and Steel. Well, let's be more precise: they don't lose them entirely, but the resistances become "neutral." A pure Water-type resists Fire. An Ice/Water type takes neutral damage from Fire because the Ice half is weak to it.
Think about that for a second. You’re a Water-type that can get burned. Kinda sucks, right?
But you gain something massive in return. You get a 4x resistance to Ice moves. While that sounds niche, it's a godsend when you're switching into a Sub-Zero Slam or a stray Blizzard. The real kicker is the offensive synergy. Traditionally, Water-types use Ice-type moves (like Ice Beam) to cover their weakness to Grass. When you have a Pokemon that gets STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) on both, you’re hitting like a truck.
Why Cloyster is the king of the "Wait, it's over?" moment
Let's talk about Cloyster. This thing has a base Defense of 180. That is astronomical. It’s basically a sentient, spike-covered vault. But Cloyster isn't used as a wall. Not really. Most competitive players use it as a "Shell Smash" sweeper.
You use Shell Smash, lower your defenses (which are high enough to take the hit anyway), and double your Attack, Special Attack, and Speed. Because Cloyster is one of those rare ice and water pokemon with the Skill Link ability, its Icicle Spear hits five times every single time. It breaks Focus Sashes. It breaks Multiscale. It breaks spirits.
It’s the perfect example of how the Ice typing takes a defensive Water-type and turns it into a relentless predator. Without that Ice STAB, Cloyster is just a high-defense clam that sits there and does nothing.
The Lapras problem and the nostalgia trap
Everyone loves Lapras. It’s the "transport" Pokemon. It’s beautiful. It’s iconic. But if we’re being real, Lapras has struggled in recent generations. It has a massive HP pool, but its actual defensive stats are just okay. In the modern game, where power creep is rampant, being an ice and water pokemon with middling speed is a death sentence.
You’re weak to Rock. You’re weak to Fighting. You’re weak to Grass and Electric.
That’s four very common offensive types. If you aren't outspeeding your opponent, you're getting chunked for 50% of your health before you can even breathe. This is why you see Lapras relegated to specific niches, like its Gigantamax form in Gen 8 which could set up Aurora Veil while attacking. Without a "gimmick" to boost its survivability, the Ice/Water combo can feel like a ball and chain.
Dewgong and the forgotten middle child syndrome
Is anyone actually using Dewgong? Probably not. Dewgong is the poster child for why the ice and water pokemon category needs more than just a cool design to survive. It has nearly identical stats across the board, which sounds "balanced" but actually means it’s a master of none.
Compare Dewgong to something like Arctovish. Arctovish is a weird, fossilized mess from the Galar region. It has Fishious Rend. If Arctovish moves first, Fishious Rend doubles in power. Even though Arctovish has the same typing as Dewgong, it's infinitely more terrifying because it has a specialized "win condition."
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This is the lesson for anyone building a team: the typing is just the foundation. If the Pokemon doesn't have a signature move or a broken ability, being Ice/Water is usually worse than being pure Water.
What about the "Cold Water" movepool?
One thing people overlook is the move Freeze-Dry.
This move is a game-changer. It’s an Ice-type move that is super effective against Water-types. This is huge. Usually, a Water-type would resist Ice. But Freeze-Dry flips the script. Many ice and water pokemon, like Lapras and Cryogonal (well, not Water-type, but you get the point), use this to dismantle opposing bulky waters.
If you're running a mono-Water team, a single Lapras with Freeze-Dry can sweep your entire squad. It’s the ultimate "traitor" move.
Navigating the competitive landscape with Ice/Water types
If you're looking to actually win games, you have to play these Pokemon with a certain level of paranoia. You can't just switch them into a neutral hit. You have to account for the Stealth Rock damage.
Since Ice-types take 25% damage from Stealth Rocks, your ice and water pokemon are going to lose a quarter of their health just by entering the battlefield. That’s painful.
- Use Heavy-Duty Boots. It’s non-negotiable for these guys.
- Pair them with a Ground-type. Ground covers the Electric and Rock weaknesses perfectly.
- Don't be afraid to Terastallize.
In the current generation (Scarlet and Violet), Terastallization has changed everything. If your Cloyster is about to get hit by a Thunderbolt, you can Tera-Ground and suddenly you're immune. This makes the dual typing much more viable because you can keep the offensive benefits of Ice STAB while ditching the defensive baggage whenever you want.
The lore versus the reality
In the anime and the Pokedex, these creatures are depicted as masters of the arctic seas. We see them gracefully gliding through ice floes. But in the actual games, they often feel like they're struggling against the environment.
Walrein is a great example. It looks like a tank. It feels like a tank. With the ability Thick Fat, it actually regains its resistance to Fire and Ice moves. This makes Walrein one of the few ice and water pokemon that actually feels like the "ultimate" version of the type. It takes the flaws of the Ice typing and just... ignores them.
However, even Walrein falls prey to the "slow bulky" archetype. In a game that increasingly favors "Hyper Offense," being a slow walrus is a tough sell. You're basically waiting to get hit by a Close Combat or a Leaf Storm.
How to actually use these Pokemon in 2026
If you want to make these types work, you have to lean into their specific niches. Don't try to make them do everything.
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- Iron Bundle: This is the Paradox version of Delibird, and it’s a monster. It’s incredibly fast and hits like a nuke. It’s probably the most successful ice and water pokemon ever designed because it ignores the "defensive" side of the typing and just focuses on being a speed demon.
- Arctovish: Use it in a Trick Room or with Sand Rush (if you can somehow make that work). It needs to move first. If it doesn't move first, it’s useless.
- Urshifu-Rapid-Strike (with a caveat): While not an Ice-type, it often runs Ice Spinner. It’s worth noting that the "Water + Ice coverage" is so good that even non-Ice types prioritize it.
The secret to mastering these Pokemon is understanding that you are playing with fire—or, well, ice. You have the tools to destroy some of the strongest threats in the game, but you are also fragile. You are a glass sword.
Practical steps for your next playthrough or ladder climb
Stop treating your Water/Ice types like tanks. They aren't tanks. Even the ones with high Defense are usually one "Super Effective" hit away from fainting.
Instead, use them as wallbreakers. Their job is to come in, click a STAB-boosted Ice Beam or Icicle Spear, and force the opponent to switch. If they have Freeze-Dry, use it to bait in Pelipper or Gastrodon and delete them.
Also, pay attention to the weather. In Snow (which replaced Hail), Ice-types get a 50% boost to their physical Defense. This is a massive buff for someone like Cloyster. If you can set up snow, your ice and water pokemon suddenly become much harder to kill with physical moves, giving you the window you need to set up and sweep.
Forget the old "balanced team" logic. If you're using these types, you're playing an aggressive, high-stakes game. Embrace the fragility. Focus on the coverage. And for the love of Arceus, keep them away from Stealth Rocks.
The Ice and Water combo is a relic of a simpler time in Pokemon, but with the right items and a bit of "Tera" magic, it’s still one of the most satisfying ways to play the game. You just have to be okay with the fact that your favorite walrus might get knocked out by a single punch.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Equip Heavy-Duty Boots on any dual-type Ice Pokemon to negate the 25% Stealth Rock entry hazard.
- Prioritize Speed or priority moves (like Ice Shard or Jet Punch) because these types cannot afford to take multiple hits.
- Abuse the Snow weather mechanic to gain that 1.5x Defense boost, which helps mitigate the typing's inherent defensive weaknesses.
- Look for the Skill Link ability on Pokemon like Cloyster to ensure multi-hit moves reach their maximum damage potential every turn.