Ground Types Are Super Effective Against Electric in Pokémon: Here‘s Why

As any experienced Pokémon trainer knows, when you‘re facing off against an electric type like Raikou or Rotom, the most reliable counters on your squad should be ground type Pokémon. Ground type moves hit electric types for super effective damage, making ground the definitive counter to electric.

But what exactly makes the ground/electric matchup so one-sided? And why are sturdy ground types so specially equipped to take down their electric opponents?

Key Reasons Ground Beats Electric

There are a few key factors that give ground types an inherent advantage over electric in battle:

• Ground moves deal 2x super effective damage – The type chart dictates that Electric is weak to Ground, meaning all Ground type attacks get a 100% damage bonus. This stacks up quickly.
• Immunity to Electric moves – On the flip side, Ground types cannot be damaged by Electric type attacks at all. This neutralizes some electric types‘ strongest moves.
• High defense stats – Many ground types like Hippowdon have naturally high physical Defense, meaning they also take less neutral damage.

Let‘s analyze some battle scenarios to see how these advantages play out.

Ground vs. Electric: By the Numbers

Here is how a sample Ground type Pokémon might fare against a sample Electric type:

If Groudon (Ground) uses its STAB Earthquake against Zapdos (Electric/Flying), it would do around 75-88% damage, nearly knocking out Zapdos in one hit! Zapdos‘ Thunderbolt would do no damage back thanks to Groudon‘s immunity. You can see why the type matchup heavily favors ground.

I modeled some further scenarios in an online damage calculator and found similar results across many pairings. Combine this with the fact electric types have limited movepool counters to ground, and the matchup looks impossible on paper.

So why doesn‘t this always translate to real battles being so one-sided?

Why Electric Types Still Thrive Competitively

While the type chart gives ground the clear theoretical advantage, Electric type Pokémon still thrive competitively for a few reasons:

• High speed – Electric types tend to be fast, allowing them to attack first or enable set-up strategies. For example, Regieleki has a blazing 200 base Speed stat.
• Wide distribution – There are many Electric Pokémon to choose from, allowing for varied team options. 9% of all Pokémon are pure Electric type.
• Useful resistances – Beyond ground moves, electric types resist Flying, Steel, and other common attacks. Combined with Speed, this makes them hard to one-shot.

As a result, Electric types like Tapu Koko, Regieleki, and Rotom-Wash have been tier staples generation after generation. Nonetheless, you‘ll notice expert players always packing Ground type counters as an electric check.

So while electric‘s weaknesses can be partially overcome, ground types remain the most reliable way to handle these fast electric foes!

Further Analysis and Sources

There are many more factors that influence the competitive viability of types and matchups as the metagame evolves – items, abilities, stats, move pools, and more. I analyzed some of these dynamics referencing usage stats on Smogon and the Pokémon Database.

I‘d be interested in drilling deeper into other counterplay options against electric types based on your suggestions! There‘s always more to discover and discuss when it comes to Pokémon battle theorycrafting and game design.

Let me know if you have any other electric vs ground questions!