How to Build a Monotype Team

This page explains everything you need to know about Monotype teams in Pokemon Sword & Shield. Read on to learn what a monotype team is, what strategies to use with one, and what countermeasures to use against one.

What is a Monotype Team?

One Type Teams

Monotype teams are what the competitive battle community refers to a team composed of Pokemon that share a single type. This is reminiscent of the teams Gym Leaders in-game use, as well the Elite Four of past generations.

What About Dual Type Pokemon?

Dual-type Pokemon are still allowed in Monotype Teams, so long as it shares the same type with the rest of the team.

Pokemon	Type 1	Type 2
Terrakion
Abilities
Justified	Raises Attack when hit by a Dark-type move.

Terrakion is a dual-type Rock/Fighting Pokemon. As such, you can use it on both a Mono-Rock or Mono-Fighting team.

The Best Types to Use

Although there are is no best type to use when creating a Monotype Team, some types boast more offenve or defensive capabilities than others.

Offensive Monotype

When building an offensive monotype team, you want to choose the type that can hit the most types for super effective damage.

	Defending Pokemon
Move Type	Super Effective	Not Very Effective	No Effect
Fighting
Ground
Rock			-
Ice			-

Fighting and Ground hit the most types for super effective damage, followed by Rock and Ice.

Additionally, Rock and Ice hit types that are among the most used in the competitive battling scene, such as Flying, Fire, Flying, and Dragon.

All four types make great options if you're looking for an offensive-oriented Monotype team.

Defensive Monotype

Similarly, you'll want to choose a type that has the least amount of type weaknesses or the most type resistances if you're looking to build a more defensive-oriented monotype team.

	Defending Pokemon
Move Type	Super Effective	Not Very Effective	No Effect
Steel			-
Water			-
Electric

Steel boasts the most resistances of any typing, with a total of eleven resistances. Water and Electric are also great defensive types - Water is only weak to Electric and Grass, while Electric is only weak to Ground.

Monotype Team Building

Similar to other competitive teams, Monotype Types require Pokemon to fill in specific roles such as Physical Sweepers and Walls.

Because of the type restriction of Monotypes, it's important to have to have good offensive coverage and dual-type defense.

Offensive Coverage

Because of the type restriction of Monotypes, it's important to have to have good offensive coverage through an individual Pokemon's moves.

Pokemon	Description
Azumarill	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Dual Water/Fairy STAB has great offensive coverage ・A fearsome sweeper thanks to Belly Drum and Aqua Jet
Starmie	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・A part from its main STAB moves, it has the coveted BoltBeam coverage through Thunderbolt and Ice Beam ・
Heat Rotom	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・ It's dual Fire/Electric STAB moves give it great offensive coverage, covering each type's main resistances ・A great offensive pivot thanks to Volt Switch

Dual-Type Defense

Defensive types excel not by quantity of resistances but by quality. While Steel has the most resistances, it's weak to three very common offensive types - Fire, Fighting, and Ground.

As a result, Pokemon with a secondary type that lessens or nullifies their type weaknesses excel the most defensively.

Water-type Pokemon are well-known in the competitive battling scene as among the best defensively - hence the commonly used term: bulky water.

Pokemon	Description
Gastrodon	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・4x Weak to Grass ・Immune to Electric ・4x Resistant to Poison, Rock, Steel, and Fire
Toxapex	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・2x Weak to Ground, Electric, and Psychic ・2x Resistant to Fighting, Poison, Bug, Steel, Fire, Water, Ice, and Fairy
Jellicent	Ranking: ★★★☆☆ ・ 2x Weak to Ghost, Grass, Electric, and Dark ・ Immune to Normal and Fighting ・ 2x Resistant to Poison, Bug, Steel, Fire, Water, and Ice

How to Win with a Monotype Team

Monotype + Weather

Most Monotype Teams incorporate weather mechanics in team building to boost their offensive presence or defensive utility. Many Mono-Water and Mono-Fire types employ Rain and Sun teams respectively, while Rock-type Pokemon benefit greatly from the Special Defense increase in Sandstorm.

To learn more about Weather Team Building, take a look at our guide below:

How to Build a Weather Team

Overcome Type Resistances

The main challenge for Monotype Teams is overcoming a type's main resistances. An offensive Mono-Dragon Team, for example, boasts great neutral coverage but is instantly stopped by a Steel and Fairy-type Pokemon.

Pokemon	Description
Haxorus	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Has Earthquake and Iron Tail to cover Dragon's main type resistances ・High attack and access to Dragon Dance make it a formidable late-game sweeper
Duraludon	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Steel/Dragon typing make Fairy-type moves hit neutral instead of super effective ・High special attack and great movepool make it an excellent choice for a bulky special attacker
Turtonator	Ranking: ★★★★★ ・Fire/Dragon typing make Fairy-type moves hit neutral instead of super effective ・It's dual STAB moves give it great offensive coverage, allowing it to hit Steel-type Pokemon with super effective damage

How to Counter a Monotype Team

Learn the Type's Shortcomings

Facing a Monotype team with great defensive synergy and offensive presence is intimidating, but you can overcome it by knowing a type's resistances, weakenesses, and immunities.

A Mono-Fighting type may have the move coverage and dual-typing to cover its shortcomings, but you can still overcome it if you know each Pokemon's individual weaknesses.

To learn more about type effectiveness and weaknesses, take a look at our article below.

Type Effectiveness and Damage Output

Related Links

All Competitive Battling Guides
Battle Formats
Basics of Competitive Singles Team Building	Basics of Competitive Doubles Team Building
Types of Teams
Offensive Teams	Defensive Teams
Weather Teams	Trick Room Teams
Monotype Teams	Doubles Teams