How type damage works
- Super effective: ×1.5 damage.
- Not very effective: ×0.67 damage.
- No immunities. You always deal some damage, though a weak hit can occasionally show Resisted and deal none.
- Both directions. Effectiveness applies to your shots and to the hits you take, so your current Pokémon’s type is also your defensive type.
Because the team shares health and items, switching Pokémon with 1–3 is free. Switch to the type that hits the room hardest, and away from a type the boss hits hard.
Shot effects and matchups
Each type also changes how your shots behave. Five types add a status effect.
| Type | Shot effect | Strong against | Weak to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | No special effect | — | Fighting |
| Fire | Burn | Grass, Bug, Ice, Steel | Water, Rock, Ground |
| Water | Knocks enemies back | Fire, Rock, Ground | Electric, Grass |
| Grass | Pierces through enemies | Water, Rock, Ground | Fire, Poison, Bug, Flying, Ice |
| Electric | Lightning chains between enemies | Water, Flying | Ground |
| Ice | Slow | Grass, Ground, Flying, Dragon | Fire, Rock, Fighting, Steel |
| Fighting | More critical hits | Normal, Rock, Dark, Ice, Steel | Psychic, Flying, Fairy |
| Poison | Poison | Grass, Fairy | Psychic, Ground |
| Ground | Bigger shots that can knock back | Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Flying | Very fast shots | Grass, Bug, Fighting | Electric, Rock, Ice |
| Psychic | Some shots home in | Poison, Fighting | Ghost, Bug, Dark |
| Bug | Faster fire rate | Grass, Psychic, Dark | Fire, Rock, Flying |
| Rock | Bigger shots that can knock back | Fire, Bug, Flying, Ice | Water, Grass, Ground, Fighting, Steel |
| Ghost | Shots pass through rocks | Psychic, Ghost | Ghost, Dark |
| Dragon | No special effect | Dragon | Dragon, Ice, Fairy |
| Dark | More critical hits | Psychic, Ghost | Bug, Fighting, Fairy |
| Steel | Stun | Rock, Ice, Fairy | Fire, Ground, Fighting |
| Fairy | Charm (enemy freezes for a moment) | Fighting, Dark, Dragon | Poison, Steel |
The matchups follow the main Pokémon games, without immunities. Shot effects are the part that is unique to PokéIsaac: Grass piercing and Electric chaining shine in crowded rooms, while Ghost shots ignore the rocks enemies hide behind.
Which types to bring to each floor
The first five floors each have a clear theme, and floors 6–29 repeat the same five areas. The enemy types below are the top three from the game’s own team coverage screen. These picks hit them hardest:
| Floor | Area | Main enemy types | Good attacking types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viridian Forest | Bug, Poison, Grass, Normal, Flying | Fire, Flying, Rock |
| 2 | Mt. Moon | Rock, Ground | Water, Grass |
| 3 | Pokémon Tower | Ghost, Fairy, Dark | Ghost, Dark, Steel |
| 4 | Cinnabar Mansion | Fire, Poison, Electric | Water, Ground |
| 5 | Cerulean Cave | Poison, Fighting, Psychic | Psychic, Ground, Flying; Ghost, Bug or Dark for Mewtwo |
A team of Fire + Water + a Ghost or Dark Pokémon covers all five areas well. The first two are free starters (Charmander from the start, Squirtle after floor 2); the Ghost or Dark slot has to come from the Gacha, and until then Pikachu fills it. For boss-by-boss weaknesses, see the bosses guide.
How much extra damage does a super effective hit deal in PokéIsaac?
×1.5. A not very effective hit deals ×0.67. No type is immune, although a weak hit can sometimes deal nothing and show Resisted.
Do types affect the damage I take?
Yes. Effectiveness works both ways, so enemies of a type your current Pokémon is weak to hit you harder. Switching Pokémon with 1-3 changes your defensive type too.
Which types cause status effects?
Fire shots can burn, Poison shots can poison, Ice shots can slow, Steel shots can stun and Fairy shots can charm, which makes the enemy stand still for a moment.