You've been there. It’s late. You’re deep in the Great Crater of Paldea, staring down a Paradox Pokémon that looks like a robotic nightmare, and you click "Flower Trick" because it’s usually a one-shot. Then? "It's not very effective." Your Meowscarada gets flattened. Honestly, even if you’ve been playing since Red and Blue, the Pokemon Scarlet type chart is a beast that bites back because Paldea changed the rules of engagement.
It isn't just about Fire beating Grass anymore.
Terastallization happened. This mechanic took the traditional 18-type elemental grid and turned it into a shell game where a Coalossal—traditionally weak to Water—suddenly turns into a pure Water-type and laughs at your Surf. If you want to master the Paldean meta, you have to stop thinking about types as static identities and start seeing them as fluid tactical shifts.
The Basic Math Everyone Forgets
The fundamentals haven't shifted, but our brains often glitch during a tense Tera Raid. You’ve got 18 types. That creates 324 possible pure-type matchups. When you factor in dual types, the math gets messy fast. Basically, a 2x weakness is scary, but a 4x weakness is a death sentence. Take Garchomp. It’s Ground/Dragon. One Ice Beam and it’s over. Gone.
But wait.
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In Pokémon Scarlet, that Garchomp might have a Steel Tera Type. Suddenly, that 4x Ice weakness becomes a resistance. This is why the Pokemon Scarlet type chart is more relevant now than it was in Galar or Alola. You aren't just memorizing a static table; you're predicting a transformation.
The core resistances remain your best friend. Steel is still the king of defense, resisting a staggering ten different types. If you aren't carrying a Fighting, Ground, or Fire move, you're going to have a bad time against the likes of Kingambit or Gholdengo. Fairies still ruin a Dragon's day. If you bring a Koraidon into a fight against a Flutter Mane, you're basically asking for a quick trip back to the Pokémon Center.
Why Dual Typing in Paldea is a Trap
Dual types are a double-edged sword. While they give you better STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), they often open up glaring holes in your defense. Look at the Paradox Pokémon. Iron Valiant is Fairy/Fighting. It sounds incredible. It is. But it’s also weak to Poison, Steel, Psychic, and Fairy.
You've got to be careful.
Most players focus on what they can hit for "Super Effective" damage. That's a mistake. Expert players look at what they can switch into. If you see an Arcanine, you don't just think "Water move." You think "What can survive an Extreme Speed?" This is where the Pokemon Scarlet type chart becomes a defensive tool.
Ground types are the unsung heroes of Scarlet and Violet. Why? Electric moves are everywhere because of Miraidon and Pawmot. Ground is the only type with a total immunity to Electric. Having a Clodsire on your team isn't just about having a bulky wall; it’s about shutting down a Regieleki or a Bellibolt before they can even start their momentum.
The Terastal Factor: Breaking the Chart
Terastallization is the biggest shake-up to the type chart since the introduction of Fairies in Generation VI. When a Pokémon Teras, it adopts a single type. This overrides its original typing for defensive calculations but keeps its original STAB.
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Think about that.
A Tera-Electric Shedinja (if it were in the game) with Air Balloon would have zero weaknesses. In the actual Scarlet meta, we see things like Tera-Normal Dragonite. Why? Because Extreme Speed becomes a tactical nuke when it gets that STAB boost on top of a priority move. The Pokemon Scarlet type chart tells you Normal is weak to Fighting, but Dragonite's Multiscale ability means it survives the hit anyway.
It's about layers.
Common Tera Defensive Pivots
- Tera Steel: The go-to for turning a squishy Fairy or Psychic type into a tank.
- Tera Water: Excellent for Fire types who want to flip the script on their counters.
- Tera Ghost: Used almost exclusively to dodge a predicted Close Combat or High Jump Kick.
- Tera Grass: Surprisingly popular for stopping Spore or Sleep Powder from Amoonguss.
The Most Misunderstood Matchups
People still struggle with the "lesser" types. Poison and Bug get no respect, yet they are pivotal in the current Paldean landscape. Poison resists Fairy. In a game where Flutter Mane and Iron Valiant run the streets, Poison-type moves and resistances are literally life-saving.
And then there's U-turn.
Bug-type moves are everywhere because of the pivoting meta. The Pokemon Scarlet type chart says Bug is weak to Fire, Flying, and Rock. But since almost every competitive team runs a fast U-turner, you have to account for that chip damage.
Ghost vs. Psychic is another one that trips people up. It's not a mutual weakness. Ghost is super effective against Psychic, and Ghost resists nothing from Psychic. But Psychic doesn't resist Ghost. It's a one-way street of pain. Dark types remain the hard counter to the "Prankster" ability, which is vital when you're facing a Murkrow or Grimmsnarl trying to set up screens or Taunt. If you aren't using a Dark type to block those status moves, you're playing at a disadvantage.
How to Internalize the Chart Without a Cheat Sheet
You shouldn't have to Google a chart every time you enter a Tera Raid. The best way to learn is by categorization. Group types by their "roles."
- The Bulks: Steel, Poison, Water. These are your anchors.
- The Glass Cannons: Ice, Electric, Psychic. Great offense, terrible defense.
- The Disruptors: Ghost, Dark, Fairy. They mess with the flow of battle.
When you see a Pokémon, don't just see a character. See a puzzle of weaknesses. If you see a Tinkaton, you should immediately think: "Steel/Fairy. Immune to Dragon and Poison. Weak to Ground and Fire." If you don't have a Ground or Fire move, you're going to spend twenty turns trying to chip away at its health while it sets up Stealth Rocks.
The Pokemon Scarlet type chart is also influenced by weather and terrain. These aren't "types" per se, but they modify the chart's effectiveness. Sun boosts Fire by 50% and nerfs Water by 50%. Rain does the opposite. If you're fighting in the Snow (which replaced Hail in Gen 9), Ice types get a 50% Defense boost. This makes a Pokémon like Cetitan or Abomasnow way harder to kill with physical moves than the base chart suggests.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
Stop guessing. If you want to actually win consistently in the post-game or on the ladder, you need to apply these chart-based tactics immediately.
First, look at your current party. Do you have a "Type Core"? A classic example is the Fire-Water-Grass core. These three types cover each other's weaknesses perfectly. If your Fire type is threatened by a Water move, you switch to Grass. If your Grass type is threatened by Ice, you switch to Fire.
Second, check your coverage. Does every member of your team have a move that hits a different type? If your entire team is loaded with Normal and Electric moves, a single Garchomp or Great Tusk will sweep you. You need "coverage moves"—like giving a Fighting type a "Stone Edge" to deal with Flying types.
Third, respect the Tera Type. Before you commit to an attack, ask yourself: "If they Tera right now, will this move still work?" If the answer is no, and they haven't used their Tera yet, maybe go for a neutral hit or a status move instead.
Mastering the Pokemon Scarlet type chart isn't about memorization; it's about anticipation.
- Check for 4x weaknesses in your own team and fill those holes with Tera Types that resist the offending element.
- Prioritize Ground and Fighting moves in your builds, as Steel and Electric types are rampant in Paldea's endgame.
- Utilize "Immunity Switching." Switching a Flying type into an expected Earthquake is a pro move that costs your opponent a turn and gives you the momentum.
- Watch the weather. Don't try to use a Water-type sweep in the middle of a sun-boosted battle unless you have a way to change the climate.
The Paldea region is unforgiving. Whether you're hunting for Shiny Pokémon in a Mass Outbreak or trying to climb the Ranked Battle Stadium, the type chart is your map. Learn the shortcuts, avoid the dead ends, and you'll stop seeing that "not very effective" text for good.