How would you improve the ice-type?

[shoz999]

So the ice-type is considered often by fans as the worst typing due to a number of weaknesses but very few advantages. It's however also still considered a type worth looking into since most pseudo-legendaries has 4x weakness to this typing. Still for some, that's not enough to justify the ice-type as a worthwhile type to look into.

So one thing I always thought was odd is why isn't ice-type in-general supereffective against water-type Pokemon? So hear me out, in the Pokemon Adventures manga there is this absurdly strong pre-evolution ice-type Pokemon and one thing I notice is that if your in or near any body of water, even so much as a puddle or in humid air, your pretty much in huge trouble because this Pokemon has great manipulation over ice which has a huge advantage in any form of water. So it got me thinking, considering how terrifying this ice-manipulative Pokemon can be near forms of water, why isn't ice-type in general just supereffective against water? I know there is the move freeze-dry but I don't think one move alone can justify the ice-type not crossing into this super effective mark outside of power-creeping one move that most people would probably not notice.

 

[Lord Godwin]

I think the problem is not with the number of types it's super-effective against (Ground, Flying, Grass, Dragon) but rather the fact it resists only itself making it a glass canon.

Give it both Ground and Water resistance and it's good to go. Being resistant towards Earthquake will give it a lot.

 

[RedJirachi]

I would give it a Water type resistance. Water is just liquid ice, and Ice resists Ice. Grass type as well, since plants have a very hard time growing in ice. Here's the weakness chart with these modifications

• Dewgong, Cloyster, Lapras, Spheal line: Fighting, Rock, Electric
• Swinub line: Fighting, Steel, Fire
• Amaura line: Fighting, Steel(x4), Ground, Rock(x2)

 

[Luthor]

An ice type recovery move that works like Synthesis but is boosted in hail.
A few more ice type attacks that have secondary effects that has additional effects outside of freezing,
More non-ice types to get abilities that encourage their usage in hail (eg Slush Rush which boosts speed in hail and would theoretically render non ice types immune to hail)
A special attacking priority ice type move.
Ice types that get abilities that make them more effective defensive pokemon.

 

[TwilightBlade]

I'd reduce the number of weaknesses that Ice-types have because it seems excessive for them to be weak to four different types. I'd also add more strong Ice-type moves.

 

[AgentKallus]

I posted an idea on how to buff the ice type in another thread and I've quoted it below.

Most of us can agree that ice type needs a buff, yeah?

Well I had a cool idea, now I'm sure one of the more competitive players might notice some flaw or whatever with this idea but as far as I can tell it's not all that overpowered.

Now the idea was to make ice types immune to priority moves, regardless of their ability. This would buff ice types without messing with the type chart and also makes some sense as motion generates heat and cooling a motion slows it down, and the idea is that ice types slow down priority moves enough to be able to avoid being hit by them. It wouldn't make ice the new best type or anything (unless there's some exploit I haven't considered) but it would help the ice type be slightly less pathetic.

 

[EmeraldArcanine]

Make it resistant to water and also super effective against Water.
Cold subzero temperatures freezes water so I don't get why this wasn't a thing from the start. The only move to really do damage to Water types is Freeze Dry and that's only available to a selective few 'mons.

Giving Ice a full edge over one of the most common types in the game would help it a lot. Actually yeah do the same with Ground, make it resistant to that too. That'd give it more of an edge because that's also a common type in battles with all the Earthquakes and similar moves going around. That way it's not defensive but not a glass canon too, it'll just be more balanced as a whole.

 

[Missingno.Fan]

It needs more resistances.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I actually could see Ice and Water acting like how Bug and Fighting behave, where both resist the other. Since theoretically, an ice type move can potentially freeze water but a water type move could potentially melt ice. It’s all dependence on the quantity of the element and their respective temperatures after all.

Freeze-dry allows Ice types to hit Water types for super effective stab damage, so maybe you could create an water equivalent that is super effective against Ice types or rework an older move like Scald.

As far as other resistances...maybe any combination of Dragon, Grass, Flying or Ground? These are types that the Ice type is super effective against and it’s common for a type to resist something it can hit really hard.

You could even make a very flimsy argument that Ice could resist Fairy type. It’s often portrayed in literature and other media that “Cold” Iron/Steel is the bane of Fae folk, weakening and injuring them. I wouldn’t go so far as to make Ice super effective against Fairy types, however it’s a thought that I had.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

I don't think it needs too much, just a couple of small adjustments. Freezing is an incredibly potent status condition as long as you keep sunlight off the field and Ice is arguably the best offensive typing around with how much popular pokémon it hits for super effective damage (like Landorus, Salamence, and Rayquaza). I'd say, give it an extra resistance or two, like to Water and Ghost, spread Aurora Veil a bit wider (give it to Lapras, Aurorus, Dewgong, Abomasnow, Avalugg, Vanilluxe, and Weavile), spread Freeze-Dry a bit wider (give it to Jynx, Glaceon, Kyurem, Dewgong, Regice, Walrein, Abomasnow, and Froslass), and give some individual pokémon a small adjustment, like giving Avalugg and Kyurem access to Icicle Crash.

 

[shoz999]

I don't think it needs too much, just a couple of small adjustments. Freezing is an incredibly potent status condition as long as you keep sunlight off the field and Ice is arguably the best offensive typing around with how much popular pokémon it hits for super effective damage (like Landorus, Salamence, and Rayquaza). I'd say, give it an extra resistance or two, like to Water and Ghost, spread Aurora Veil a bit wider (give it to Lapras, Aurorus, Dewgong, Abomasnow, Avalugg, Vanilluxe, and Weavile), spread Freeze-Dry a bit wider (give it to Jynx, Glaceon, Kyurem, Dewgong, Regice, Walrein, Abomasnow, and Froslass), and give some individual pokémon a small adjustment, like giving Avalugg and Kyurem access to Icicle Crash.

What do you think of a "Wet" status effect that lasts for 1-2 turns? Basically the 30% chance of a Freeze and Paralysis effect are heightened to 60% if targeted towards a Pokemon with the "wet" status effect but also they have temporary immunity to the burn status effect.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

What do you think of a "Wet" status effect that lasts for 1-2 turns? Basically the 30% chance of a Freeze and Paralysis effect are heightened to 60% if targeted towards a Pokemon with the "wet" status effect but also they have temporary immunity to the burn status effect.

Depends on how you implement it, but on the surface I don't like it much. One of the primary problems of Ice types is that while their offensive moves are amazingly good, almost every single Water type out there also gets Ice Beam and/or Ice Punch. If being "wet" is caused by water moves, then such a change would primarily benefit the Water types that already often use both a water move like Surf or Hydro Pump and Ice Beam for coverage, over the Ice types that usually don't run water moves.

I'd also rather try and see if things can get balanced better without making things more complicated with new circumstantial mechanics.

 

[Ignition]

Stop making slow and defensive Ice Types so often would be a start

 

[ThroughTheIris56]

Stop making slow and defensive Ice Types so often would be a start

Yep, if Ice is meant to be a glass cannon type, at least let the stats reflect that. Also, if Ice types are going to have higher attack, usable physical moves would be helpful.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

I’d make the type resistant to Water attacks and Super Effective against Water and Bug types. Several types of bugs die when it gets too cold.

 

[Aduro]

Stop making slow and defensive Ice Types so often would be a start

Definitely, Weavile and A-Ninetales prove that they can get past their defensive limitations with the right stats and gimmicks,

But most ice types are defensive and the type chart should reflect that. They should gain a resistance to ground, and grass. In exchange, Steel loses its resistance to grass because its still way too good defensively.

 

[Emboar_Rulez]

I would’ve made ice good against fairy feel like it would balance out the typings a bit more