There are multiple aspects to what makes an attacking move in Pokemon good. While one might expect an all-out 150 base power move to be useful in a competitive match, that’s not necessarily the case.
Power certainly helps, but the combination of that and its other effects determine if a move is viable or not. Some effects add to its usefulness, while others hinder the user to an extent. Part of the art of picking moves is finding the balance that works best with your strategies. This list will look at that spectrum of moves for every type, and determine which type has it the best and worst in terms of attacking moves.
Note: Signature moves and generally unviable moves (i.e. Tackle) will not be considered.
18 Rock
Good thing the Rock-type has Stealth Rock to its name because its pool of attacking moves is easily the worst among all the types.
It’s pretty limited on the physical end, with most having to rely on Stone Edge or Rock Slide despite their respective drawbacks. That’s a far cry from its absolutely putrid special movepool though, with the only decent options being the mediocre Power Gem, the two-turn Meteor Beam, and the RNG-reliant Ancient Power.
17 Poison
Speaking of garbage; while the Poison-type has a few solid staples like Gunk Shot on the physical end and Sludge Bomb on the special end, there isn’t a lot of variety with attacking moves.
That’s especially true when it comes to secondary effects. Aside from poisoning the target, the only real secondary effect worth taking note of is Clear Smog hazing out the target’s stat modifiers. Other than that, it’s the typical 20-something percent chance to poison the target.
16 Fairy
It’s a true less-is-more case with the Fairy-type, considering how well it fares in the overall type chart. Rough and Moonblast (or Dazzling Gleam) for the physical and special side respectively are more than enough if you’re just looking for some good damage.
It wouldn’t hurt having some variety when it comes to secondary effects, though. The Fairy-type’s pretty new, so that’ll come in due time.
15 Bug
Aside from Megahorn and Bug Buzz, the Bug-type doesn’t have a ton of strong moves when it comes to base power. However, there are some interesting secondary effects that come with most Bug-type moves.
There’s, of course, the quintessential pivoting move, U-Turn. Other moves with welcome secondary effects include First Impression’s priority, Leech Life’s healing, and Infestation’s constant chip damage.
14 Dark
It’s a similar case with the Dark-type, where there isn’t much to speak of in terms of raw power. That’s especially true with its special moves, with Dark Pulse being the only reliable move of that kind.
At least, the physical side has a lot of moves with great secondary effects and utility, such as Foul Play, Knock Off, Sucker Punch, and even Pursuit before it was removed.
13 Ground
This is another less-is-more case, and Ground might be the epitome of that when looking at all available types. Especially for physical attackers, there are a few nice options, such as Drill Run and Bone Club, but all you really need is the 100 base power, 100% accuracy Earthquake.
The special end isn’t too shabby either, with Earth Power holding its own at a close-enough 90 base power.
12 Steel
The Steel-type is a similar case to its cousin, the Rock-type. While the special attackers can only really rely on Flash Cannon to deal good damage, the physical attackers have a good variety of attacks to work with.
While none of them aside from the 75% accuracy Iron Tail boast 100 base power, the interesting quirks Iron Head, Bullet Punch, Gyro Ball, and Smart Strike provide are more than enough considering how good the Steel-type is matchup-wise.
11 Ghost
There’s no fat on the Ghost-type’s attacking movepool. There aren’t a ton of options, but the ones you’re free to select from are remarkably solid.
Poltergeist and Hex are good options for the physical and special end respectively despite their requirements. Most competitive players have held items for Poltergeist to work, and it’s relatively easy to inflict status conditions to maximize Hex’s power. Other moves like Shadow Sneak, Shadow Claw, and Night Shade are key for certain Ghost-type arsenals.
10 Flying
In terms of attacking moves, the Flying-type is one of the more reliable ones. Acrobatics, Dual Wingbeat, and Air Slash can deal good-to-great damage. If you want some more raw power, Brave Bird and Hurricane can bring it at the cost of some HP and accuracy respectively.
Where the type lacks is in the secondary effects. Aside from Air Slash’s flinching, you don’t really expect any significant secondary effects from a Flying-type attack.
9 Electric
The Electric-type’s capabilities on the special end are second-to-none. Not only do they have a plethora of excellent special attackers, but they also have a great movepool. Thunder and Thunderbolt are there for straightforward power, while Discharge, Volt Switch, Electro Ball, and Rising Voltage bring some decent variety.
The physical end is admittedly a bit lacking, however. While Thunder Punch and Wild Charge are solid, those being the only good physical Electric moves make physical attackers from that type very predictable.
8 Dragon
Most competitive players point to the Dragon-type having the best distinction between more conservative attacking moves and higher-risk, higher-reward moves. That works for both physical and special moves, too.
The weaker but more reliable end of the spectrum comprises moves like Dragon Claw, Scale Shot, Dragon Tail, and Dragon Pulse. Conversely, the more balls-to-the-wall, high-power end consists of Outrage, Dragon Rush, and Draco Meteor.
7 Grass
It’s a similar case with the Grass-type; there’s room for either reliable damage or huge power. There’s Giga Drain and Horn Leech that can heal the user at the cost of lower base power. Then, there are the big-power moves with drawbacks such as inaccuracy (Power Whip), stat drops (Leaf Storm), or taking two turns (Solar Beam).
What puts the Grass-type above the Dragon-type is that sweet spot of moves that have both solid base power and 100% accuracy, such as Leaf Blade and Energy Ball.
6 Normal
It’s difficult to gauge how useful the Normal-type is offensively. With regards to moves, there’s a ton of variety when it comes to power and secondary effects, especially on the physical end. However, you can’t help but question their effectiveness when Normal isn’t super-effective against anything.
They’re excellent for Pokemon with abilities such as Galvanize or Pixilate, but otherwise, the oversaturated pool of Normal-type attacking moves doesn’t amount to much competitively.
5 Psychic
Unsurprisingly, the Psychic-type works best on the special side, and that includes the learnsets. Psychic is an absolute go-to, but other moves such as Extrasensory, Future Sight, Psyshock, Expanding Force, and Stored Power can be just as good or better.
That said, the physical movepool isn’t barren by any means. In fact, moves like Zen Headbutt, Psycho Cut, and Psychic Fangs work excellently for Psychic-type physical attackers.
4 Ice
For the woes the Ice-type may have defensively, it has the potential to be an unsung hero on the offensive end. The moves only validate that fact.
Most moves on the physical end have a wide pool of secondary effects, such as Ice Shard’s priority, Icicle Spear and Triple Axel’s multiple hits, and Icicle Crash’s chance to flinch. The raw power went to the special moves Ice Beam and Blizzard, along with Freeze-Dry providing extra coverage for Water-types.
3 Fighting
The Fighting-type is a directly inverse case to the Psychic-type. There’s a whole ocean of good physical moves, but unlike the almost exclusively physical types such as Rock and Steel, the Fighting-type’s special pool isn’t too shabby either.
Aura Sphere is a great all-rounder, and Vacuum Wave is a one-to-one equivalent of Mach Punch for special attackers. There’s also Focus Blast, which, while infamous for missing at the worst times, can be a game-changer when it does hit.
2 Fire
The Fire-type’s movepool is the icing on the cake that makes it one of the best types in Pokemon. It’s got the widest spectrum of totally viable moves.
The physical end has Flame Charge, Fire Punch, Blaze Kick, and Flare Blitz. The special end has Mystical Fire, Lava Plume, Flamethrower, Heat Wave, Fire Blast, and Overheat. That’s an all-star team of moves if there ever was one.
1 Water
The Water-type’s learnsets just add to the type’s reliability. Whatever you need, they got it.
There’s a wide array of secondary effects to fit whatever strategy, such as Aqua Jet’s priority, Waterfall’s flinching, Flip Turn’s pivoting, Scald’s burn, Muddy Water’s accuracy drop, and Whirlpool’s continuous chip damage. If those don’t suit your fancy, you could have Liquidation and Surf for reliable damage, or just go for a straightforward Hydro Pump.
NEXT: 10 Diamond & Pearl Pokemon Who Need A New Form
