Ice type
Pokémon.
Worst defensive type, best Dragon-counter — high risk, high reward.
Ice stats
What defines the Ice type
Ice has the worst defensive profile of any type — 4 weaknesses (Fire, Fighting, Rock, Steel), 1 resistance (Ice). But it has the best Dragon-counter coverage in the game (Ice hits Dragon, Ground, Flying, and Grass super-effective — the 'BoltBeam' staple of competitive special attackers). Most great Ice Pokémon are dual-typed to mitigate the defensive nightmare: Ice/Water (Cetitan, Lapras), Ice/Ground (Mamoswine), Ice/Dragon (Kyurem, Baxcalibur), Ice/Ghost (Froslass), and Ice/Fairy (Alolan Ninetales) all see competitive play. Snow Warning sets snow weather which now (since Gen 9) gives Ice-types +50% Defense.
Best Ice-type Pokémon
Top 12 by Base Stat Total across all generations
Kyurem
Baxcalibur
Articuno
Regice
Glastrier
Iron Bundle
Chien Pao
Lapras
Vanilluxe
Walrein
Mamoswine
Cloyster
Ice offensive analysis
Ice hits Grass, Ground, Flying, and Dragon super-effective — the best 4-type spread for revenge-killing setup sweepers. Ice Beam from special attackers and Ice Punch / Icicle Crash from physical attackers are coverage staples on non-Ice Pokémon. Slush Rush + Snow doubles a Pokémon's Speed under Snow.
What Ice attacks hit super-effective
What resists Ice attacks
Strongest Ice moves
Top 12 attacking moves by base power (Gen 9)
| Move | Cat | BP | Acc | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blizzard | special | 110 | 70 | A howling blizzard is summoned to strike opposing Pok�mon. This may also leave t… |
| Ice Hammer | physical | 100 | 90 | The user swings its strong, heavy fist at the target to inflict damage. This als… |
| Ice Beam | special | 90 | 100 | The target is struck with an icy-cold beam of energy. This may also leave the ta… |
| Icicle Crash | physical | 85 | 90 | The user attacks by crashing large icicles onto the target. This may also make t… |
| Ice Spinner | physical | 80 | 100 | The user covers its feet in thin ice and twirls around, slamming into the target… |
| Ice Punch | physical | 75 | 100 | The target is attacked with an icy punch. This may also leave the target frozen. |
| Freeze-Dry | special | 70 | 100 | The user rapidly cools the target. This may also leave the target frozen. This m… |
| Ice Fang | physical | 65 | 95 | The user bites with cold-infused fangs. This may also make the target flinch or … |
| Avalanche | physical | 60 | 100 | This move's power is doubled if the target has inflicted damage on the user in t… |
| Icy Wind | special | 55 | 95 | The user attacks with a gust of chilled air. This also lowers opposing Pok�mon's… |
| Ice Shard | physical | 40 | 100 | The user flash-freezes chunks of ice and hurls them at the target. This move alw… |
| Powder Snow | special | 40 | 100 | The user attacks with a chilling gust of powdery snow. This may also leave oppos… |
Ice defensive analysis
Awful. 4 weaknesses and only 1 resistance (mirror Ice). Snow (Gen 9 change) gives Ice-types +50% Def, which actually flips Cetitan and Baxcalibur into respectable tanks. Snow Cloak grants +20% evasion. Ice Body heals 1/16 HP per turn under snow. Pair Ice with a defensive secondary type (Water, Ground, Fairy) to mitigate.
Ice's weaknesses, resistances, and immunities
Weak to (2×)
Resists (½×)
Best Ice dual-type combos
Ice / Water
Examples: Cetitan, Lapras, Cloyster
Water resistances mitigate the 4 Ice weaknesses; Shell Smash / Belly Drum setups
Ice / Ground
Examples: Mamoswine
Earthquake + Ice STAB = best 2-move coverage in the game
Ice / Dragon
Examples: Kyurem, Baxcalibur
Dragon STAB hits other Dragons; Ice Beam slays Garchomp
Ice / Ghost
Examples: Froslass
Spikes + Destiny Bond suicide lead
Ice type history & meta shifts
Snow replaced Hail in Gen 9 — instead of chip damage, Ice-types now get a Defense boost. This was the biggest single rebalance to a weather effect in the franchise's history. Ice/Dragon (Kyurem, Baxcalibur) and Ice/Fairy (Galarian Mr. Mime, Galarian Mr. Rime) added defensive options to a type that desperately needed them.
Vibe in one line
Glass cannon with the best Dragon-counter coverage in the game.