Pokémon Flying Type Strategy Guide and Analysis

Hints, Tips, Strategies, FAQ, and Info on the Flying Pokémon Type

Jul 19, 2009 Bradley Kairis

Flying Pokémon range from tiny moths to mythic dragons. Read this comprehensive Pokémon Flying type guide to learn more about the Flying type.

The Flying Pokémon type is one of the most common in the game. Flying Pokémon abound, giving the type strength in the freedom of choice. Since there's so many Flying Pokémon, finding one to fit a team shouldn't be too difficult. In addition, their immunity to Ground attacks, and their strength against Fighting types, makes Flying Pokémon effective counters against two powerful offensive Pokémon types.

Flying Pokémon Type FAQ

What are Flying attacks strong against?

Super-effective (x2): Bug, Fighting, Grass
Weak (x0.5): Electric, Rock, Steel

What attack types are strong against Flying Pokémon?

Super-Effective (x2): Electric, Ice, Rock
Resistances (x0.5): Bug, Fighting, Grass
Immune (x0): Ground

What are some common characteristics of Flying Pokémon?

No Pokémon is pure Flying; all Flying types are dual types
The most common dual type is Normal/Flying

General Strategies for Flying Pokémon

When playing through the single-player adventure, keeping a Flying type in the party at all times is almost a no-brainer, considering how convenient the Fly move is to get from place to place.

However, Flying Pokémon are also formidable fighters. What's even better, many powerful Flying Pokémon are common and easy to catch. For example, Pidgy and Starly, available from the beginning of the games, eventually evolve into the powerful Pokémon Pidgeot and Staraptor.

The most common typing for Flying Pokémon is Normal/Flying, which cancel's out Flying's resistance to Fighting in exchange for an immunity to Ghost. Unfortunately, losing the resistance to Fighting makes them less effective against that type, especially when strong Flying moves are sometimes hard to come by.

Other typings, however, offer greater strengths against the Fighting type, such as Flying/Poison, Flying/Grass, and Flying/Psychic (all have x4 resistances to Fighting). Flying combines with numerous other types, giving the type more versatility than most, but still, the vast majority of Flying Pokémon are Normal/Flying.

One of Flying's greatest strengths is the immunity to Ground - a powerful offensive type. When predicting Ground moves, switch in a Flying type - the Ground move will miss allowing for a free switch-in. However, remember that Flying type attacks, for whatever reason, are not super-effective against Ground Pokémon.

Flying type Pokémon are typically speedy and offensive-oriented. So make sure to learn some powerful attacks, and possibly even a boost move as well to enhance attack or speed.

Flying Pokémon - Dual Types

As aforementioned, no Pokémon is a pure Flying type. The majority of Flying Pokémon are Flying/Normal, but the rest of the dual types are as follows: Flying/Fire, Flying/Water, Flying/Grass, Flying/Poison, Flying/Psychic, Flying/Bug, Flying/Rock, Flying/Ghost, Flying/Ground, Flying/Dragon, Flying/Steel, Flying/Dark.

Of the numerous type combos, some of the best include: Flying/Dragon (obviously), Flying/Normal, Flying/Steel, and Flying/Poison.

Unfortunately, many, many Flying combo type Pokémon have a x4 weakness, most commonly being Ice (Flying/Dragon, Flying/Ground, Flying/Grass). However, other x4 weaknesses include Rock (Flying/Bug), Electric (Flying/Water).

While certain Pokémon can still work well with a x4 weakness, generally speaking, the x4 weakness will be a huge handicap.

Powerful Flying type Pokémon

Powerful Flying Pokémon are too numerous to count. Powerful Flying/Normal type Pokémon abound, such as Pidgeot, Fearow, Dodrio, Staraptor, Swellow, etc. Non-Flying/Normal types worth mentioning include: Crowbat, Xatu, Drifblim, Charizard, Gyarados, Skarmory, Ninjask, Vespiquen, Honchkrow, and probably even more than that.

And, of course, this is without mentioning any of the Flying Legendary Pokémon, or even any of the epic Flying/Dragon types.

With the Flying type, there are plenty of strong Pokémon to choose from.

Advanced Flying Pokémon Strategies

Strategies differ when using different type combos, however, when using Flying/Normal, make sure to take advantage of Normal's benefits.

Normal attacks cover a wide range of strengths in different situations. Return becomes one of the most powerful moves in the game if the Pokémon is happy, Flail becomes incredibly powerful when at low HP, Endeavor becomes more powerful the less HP the Pokémon has compared to its oppenent. All of these moves are powerful, but become much more-so with the STAB (same attack type bonus) of +50% damage.

Make sure to remember that Flying/Normal does not resist Fighting attacks, and since Flying Pokémon typically have low defenses, switching in on a Fighting type may not be a great idea. Also remember that, while Flying is immune to Ground attacks, Flying is not super-effective against them, so if a Ground Pokémon has other powerful attacks, it still may be a close fight.

While some Flying Pokémon work best as support or baton passers, most Flying Pokémon excel at offense, with typically high attack and speed stats.

Flying Pokémon Conclusion

While not entirely necessary for a Pokémon team, the power and speed of most Flying Pokémon, and the sheer variety of Flying Pokémon, ensures that most teams benefit from a good Flying type.

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Flying/Grass type Pokémon Tropius	Flying/Psychic type Pokémon Xatu	Flying/Poison type Pokémon Crobat
Flying/Normal type Pokémon Dodrio	Flying/Bug type Pokémon Ninjask