Hello fellas! This is Missin here, and I’m going to discuss the 18 different types in Pokémon and how well they fare in pmu. For this list, I’m focusing mainly on the type attributes as well as the Pokémon that are in those types. I will be focusing on the Pokémon as if they are being used as a main runner in a dungeon, so I will not be factoring in support like Altaria, or arena, for a few examples. No legendaries or mythicals will be factored in ethier since three of their moves are always randomized, and they are not permanently recruitable. I will also be factoring in common abilities, common types that their family items absorbs, and the moves that each type uses. Let’s get started!
D TIER: Please, PLEASE don’t rely too much on Electric moves!
18: Electric
As much as I love the electric type itself, it is sadly the worst type to me in all of PMU. All though this type gets some decent moves AoE moves like Discharge, they are completely stopped by Pokémon with the ability Lightningrod. You may think it’s not the worst thing in the world at first, but the problem is is that it exists on Pokémon that spawn outside of electric themed dungeons like Rhydon and Seaking. This makes Electric hard to use even in some dungeons where they are supposed to have a type advantage. If that wasn’t enough, some dungeons have the move mud sport which changes the user and its allies to ground types, causing them to take minimal damage from electric moves! Electric types may be alright if you’re trying to survive with a Thunder Globe equipped due to no weaknesses, but that’s all they’re good for. Everything else about Electric, like being forced to rely on a weather rock in clear for its gems/crystals, cements it as the worst type in PMU, at least in my eyes.
C TIER: This tier is reserved for types that aren’t really good in PMU at all, but are at least more useable than Electric types.
- Rock
In the main series games, most Rock type attacks have always been a bit risky to use due to their imperfect accuracy. In PMU this gets even worse. Missing your mark on an enemy Pokémon does not cause them to get hitstunned, leaving you vulnerable to their attacks. Many rock moves have poor range here, meaning you’d often have to get close to your enemy to hit them with your rock attack, knowing that it could miss and get you punished. Rock types are also weak to Water and Ground attacks, which are two of the worst types to be weak to in the game.
- Fighting
Fighting type moves hit a whopping 5 types for super effective damage alone, and they could have their gems/crystals active all the time if a clear rock is being held by a team member. Sounds like a great type, right? Well, not really in PMU. Many fighting type attacks in this game have an awful range which makes them cumbersome to use. The only widely distributed fighting move that has good range, Focus Blast, can’t hit more than one Pokémon and has bad accuracy, making it not worth using. Aura Sphere is better, but it still only hits one Pokémon and isn’t as widely distributed. Fighting is also resisted by 6 types, and the types that resist fighting are more impactful than the ones that are weak to fighting.
- Normal
Normal has always been an odd type in Pokémon, being the only one of the 18 types being unable to hit for super effective damage. While super effective damage isn’t quite a top priority in PMU, Normal is held back by mostly lackluster moves and gems/crystals that require a cloudy rock to be held in clear weather. While Echoed Voice is a fantastic move, not every normal type is able to learn it. Thrash is another great move, but it’ll be difficult to keep your gems active in dungeons where Pokémon spawns could manipulate the weather. Not every normal type gets Thrash ethier. Every other attack that’s normal type is ethier difficult to use or just really weak. A pure normal type Pokémon without those two moves generally is not worth using. A lack of weaknesses is a great trait, but it needs to be backed up by other great qualities as well to be effective, which Normal types rarely do.
- Psychic
Psychic types were absolutely broken in Pokémon Red and Blue, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. There are a fair number of psychic type attacks with a decent range in PMU like Psybeam and Psychic, which could help Psychic types get the first attack on a good number of Pokemon. If you manage to get a Spectral Spoon from Spectral Thicket, their STAB attacks will do a lot of damage. However, there is one big flaw: they do not have any STAB AoE moves (other than stored power but that’s dependent on setup)! Psychic types need to rely on Slumber orbs most of the time whenever they come across a monster house or crowded floor, which is common in many later dungeons. While many get coverage for this in the form of dazzling gleam, it’s unlikely it will fill the entire room, and they don’t get STAB off of it. There is a Psychic AoE in the form of Expanding Force, but that’s currently limited to Gen 8 Pokemon. Until more Pokémon could learn Expanding Force, Psychic types sit fairly low on the list.
B Tier: This tier is reserved for types that could do some things well, and other things poorly. Some of them pair well with stronger secondary typings, and could do some work in the dungeons where they have the type advantage.
- Steel
Steel has more resistances than any other Pokémon type, with a whopping 11! This makes steel types mostly difficult to take down… if only they had good moves. Just like Psychic, Steel sorely lacks AoE attacks. The only great steel type move is Flash Cannon, but even then, it still leaves the Pokémon quite vulnerable to monster houses. The resistances steel gets can be useful in saving reviver seeds in a good number of dungeons, and it could be a beneficial secondary type to some Pokémon. A pure steel type however, is unable to accomplish much at all due to generally awful STAB moves. Luckily, there aren’t many of them.
- Dark
Like Fighting, Dark types are cursed with moves that have generally poor range. Unlike Fighting, Dark type moves actually have a few smaller AoE attacks that could prove to be quite useful. One of these is Dark Pulse, which could cause the enemy to cringe and become less likely to fight back against you before they defeat you. Unlike Rock Slide, Dark Pulse is perfectly accurate without evasion modifiers, making it quite a reliable move to use. There is also Brutal Swing, although that move is lower power and cannot cringe enemies. Power trip is also notable for having high power, though it requires setup moves, which aren’t very good unless you are underleveled for the dungeon you’re in. Although dark types will mostly have to get close to their target, having Spectral Glasses and cringes from Dark Pulse could make it worth it if you value power.
- Flying
Almost every team in PMU has at least one Flying type Pokémon, though it isn’t because of the Flying type itself. It’s true, that a good chunk of flying types get maximum speed in clear weather, but their STAB moves from this particular side of their typing is quite poor. Gust and Hurricane are the only AoE flying type move, but Gust’s awful range and Hurricane’s bad accuracy outside of rain makes makes them not worth using most of the time. Air Slash and Wing Attack are fine spray moves, though their power is nothing to write home about. Many flying types do receive the move Roost, which could eliminate to need to use the slow rest to recover HP. Overall, Flying is a type that mainly relies on the Pokémon’s other type to succeed, and can’t do much by itself.
- Ghost
The Ghost typing in PMU could be ethier a blessing or a curse to a single Pokémon. For Pokémon with reliable recovery like Decidueye, it is a blessing. Being able to phase through walls and quickly recover HP lost from an empty belly is a fantastic boon. However, if the Pokémon only has Rest for recovery, it becomes a curse, and mandates a trapped scarf if you ever wish to train that Pokémon. This is sadly the case for many ghost types. Some ghost types without reliable recovery could still get away without a Trapped Scarf if they could learn a draining move in conjunction with Rest, however. As for ghost type moves, there is the big Ominous Wind, and Shadow Ball and Shadow Claw aren’t too shabby ethier. Most importantly, Phantom Force is the best form of protection in PMU, as there is nothing that could hit the Pokémon while it is vanished. Overall the Ghost typing is a two edged sword, as it could make a Pokémon ethier excellent or painfully mediocre.
- Grass
As one of the main three starter types, Grass is the worst one, but it is by no means bad. It is one of the couple types to have a large physical AoE in Petal Blizzard, even though most grass attackers who get it are special attackers. There are other fantastic grass type moves like Solar Beam, Leaf Storm, and Petal Dance. These moves are all even faster when used by a Pokémon with Chlorophyll, a common ability that Grass types have. Unlike Electric types, Grass types could actually do their job well in most water-type dungeons. They punish Pokémon that use Mud Sport, and while Azumarill gets sap sipper to nullify grass moves, it only protects Azumarill from the attack and not everything else around it. Many grass types also get Synthesis, which eliminates the need to use the slow Rest. The main flaw of the grass type is their many weaknesses, most of which have decently ranged attacks. Many family items for grass types also absorb fire, which is redundant because fire could also be blocked for grass via soothe globe.
- Poison
Yeah, I know. It would be odd to see a type that has been considered subpar for a long time this high up on this list. Although their offensive coverage and respective weather for gems/crystals are unimpressive, it is balanced out by a few impressive moves. Sludge Wave, Poison Jab, and Gunk Shot are all decent moves in their own right, but Poison’s main claim to fame is Clear Smog. While Clear Smog isn’t the biggest AoE move, it will NEVER miss, even if you’re facing something with evasion boosts! You could use it not only for cleaning monster houses, but for yeeting away those nasty stat boosts too. Pure poison types will have no weaknesses if their family item absorbs Psychic and the Poison Globe, making them quite strong. If only they didn’t have to rely on the cloudy rock to move quickly without setup…
A Tier: These types are quite strong, even going as far to utterly destroy some late-game dungeons. There may be one or two dungeons that they struggle with, however.
- Fairy
The newest type in Pokémon I’d say is a respectable upper-tier type in PMU. There aren’t that many Fairy type moves in the game, but what it has works. Dazzling Gleam is a decent small AoE move, Fairy Wind has great coverage for a Spray move despite its low power, and Moonblast isn’t too bad for sniping enemies. Do note, that my favorite Pokémon, Sylveon, gets many more STAB moves than other fairy types thanks to its ability Pixilate. A few fairy types also have zero weaknesses when they have both their family item and their nymph globe. Fairy types who get weather-based healing moves are in for a treat, as Morning Sun has great synergy with their gems/crystals. If there was a big fairy type AoE attack, it would be ranked even higher, but for now I think it solidly deserves 7th place on this list!
- Ground
Earthquake! It’s all about Earthquake, they say. Just like Fighting, Ground hits a whopping 5 types for super effective damage. Unlike Fighting, Ground is backed up by attacks that have great range and is resisted by only 3 types. Earth Power exists for ground attackers who prefer special attacks over physical attacks. Many ground types hit their stride in sandstorm where they could utilize their sand rush or sand veil abilities, allowing them to attack faster, have a chance to evade dangerous attacks, or sometimes both. Family items could replicate those abilities as well. Levitate could be a problem for ground types, not even getting hitstunned by ground moves. Excadrill is particular though, completely ignores levitate thanks to Mold Breaker. Golurk can’t miss Earthquake thanks to no guard, although it still misses mons with Levitate. Overall, the Ground type is home to some seriously strong Pokémon that could take advantage of its strong moves.
- Fire
When it comes to scorching dungeons, the Fire type is no slouch in that department. Although most physical Fire type moves are pretty awful, the special ones are outstanding. Heat Wave, Lava Plume, Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Overheat, heck, even Ember are all great moves to have. Fire type moves become even more powerful if you are able to set up sun or use a heat rock. Some even get a family item that boosts their attack speed in the sun, making their attacks both fast and powerful! Although flash fire mons don’t take damage from fire attacks, it’s unlikely that they could threaten your own fire type in return, and they can’t protect their teammates from fire moves, ethier. Fire types will have an easy time torching dungeons that are weak to it, although a ground weakness that family items hardly ever block for them is a bit problematic. Do note, that there are a few Pokémon like Volcarona who have zero weaknesses thanks to their globes and family items working well together.
- Water
Water has always been known for being a well balanced type, and it is no stranger to that in PMU. Many water type moves have a lot of range, making them quite useful to use. Like Fire types, Water attacks get stronger in their respective weather, which is rain. In addition to this, Swift Swim or a family item that boosts attack speed in rain is really common on water types, making their moves very spammable. A spam of surfs is going to flood many hordes and monster houses. Like Poison and Fairy types, this type will have zero weaknesses should the Pokémon’s family item block the weakness that its globe doesn’t block. Pokémon with Storm Drain might ruin your Pokémon’s day, but they almost never appear in dungeons where you’d expect water types to excel in. Dry Skin and Water Absorb? Only protects the Pokémon who has it. Water types may freely wreak havoc in dungeons that they are supposed to do so.
- Bug
Bug is often considered one of the worst types in the main series games due to how many Pokémon resist it, and how it doesn’t offer much defensive utility ethier. However, PMU is extremely kind to Bug types. Their gems/crystals will always be active as long as a clear rock is held by a team member. The other two types I previously mentioned with clear boosts are plagued with mediocre to bad moves. Fortunately, this is not the case for Bug. Need a long ranged Line of Sight attack? Go for Signal Beam! A big AoE? Silver Wind has got you covered. Need a satisfactory physical attack? Go with X-Scissor! Once again, the flaw with bug moves is being resisted by many types, though none of these types strongly resist bug on their own or are outright immune to bug (aside from Shedinja). There’s a few bug types that could remedy their neutral coverage issue with Tinted Lens like Yanmega, making them especially powerful. Fire could be a problem for bugs, but a few of them get fire absorbing family items. Overall, Bug deserves a bronze medal in PMU.
S Tier: These types are so strong that you could use them in almost any dungeon and have satisfactory results.
- Ice
Yet another case of a type that’s awful in the main series but excellent in PMU. In fact, there was a time where Ice types pretty much centralized PMU. This was because of the move Blizzard, which was 100% accurate in hail. A large AoE that can’t miss without evasion modifers is so devastating that even physically attacking ice types like Mamoswine would be happy with using this move. Some ice type movesets had Blizzard 3 or even 4 times! Blizzard was so strong that it had to be nerfed to 90% accurate in hail. Even with this nerf though, the ice types remain powerful choices for main runners. Ice Beam is a good long ranged attack, Frost Breath could punish Pokémon that have defense boosts, and Freeze-Dry could put electric types to shame. On top of this, a good amount of stronger dungeons have Pokémon that are vulnerable vulnerable to ice moves. The lack of resistances and 4 weaknesses may look scary, but their globe blocks their scariest weakness in fire, and the rest of their weaknesses are all cursed with poorly ranged attacks, letting ice get the jump on them easily. You could almost never go wrong with using ice types, unless you have a party member who gets annoyed with hail.
- Dragon
The strongest type in PMU is none other than the mighty Dragon type! Just like the bug type, all Dragons need is a clear rock to activate their gems/crystals, and they have moves to serve all of your main runner needs. The most notable of these moves is Outrage, which isn’t too big but has great power and accuracy. The confusion side effect will not exist if you have a dragon gem on you. If getting locked into outrage for dragon damage bothers you, you could also run Dragon Claw alongside it for most dragon types. For special attackers, Dragon Pulse is great. If you’re feeling more risky, you could also opt to use Draco Meteor. These powerful attacks are only resisted by Steel and Fairy types, both of which aren’t too common on enemies in most dungeons. The Ice weakness may sound like a problem, but many Dragon types also get family items that let them absorb Ice moves. The most used Pokémon in the entire game by top players are the Dragon/Flying types, who all have reliable recovery, 4x speed in clear, and STAB on strong attacks. Many other dragon types still excel big time though. You could take a Dragon type to just about any dungeon in the game, and with a good setup, it will not disappoint you.
That’s all 18 types. To be fair, every type has their chance to shine somewhere in pmu, even electric. Do you agree with my order? What do you think I should change? Let me know! I hope you enjoyed reading this type tier list for PMU.
Missin out!
