The [discussion] of Fairy-types in Pokemon

[Flare]

The Fairy type was introduced in the 6th Generation of Pokemon to balance the metagame that was primarily centralized with Dragon and Fighting Pokemon. It's common thematically within the type to see average HP and Defense while having less than average Attack and Speed and lastly excelling in Special Attack and Special Defense.


Attack Effectiveness:

Super-Effective: Dark, Dragon, Fighting
Not Very Effective: Fire, Poison, Steel


Defense Effectiveness:

Resistances: Bug, Dark, Fighting
Super-Effective: Poison, Steel
Immune: Dragon


With these traits, this makes Fairy types a prime type for being defensive, for the most part. This is a common thematic of the type, but this doesn't reflect every Fairy Pokemon, rather just making a common expectation within this type. Much like carrying the expectation for Steel types to be defensive. Certain Pokemon like Xerneas, Slurpuff, Azumarill, and Tapu Bulu which share the Fairy type but strafe from the theme expectation such as mostly being based on attacking.

As far as what I think of the type, I think it a type that was welcomed from a meta-game's perspective being that it was made for stopping the over-centralization of Dragons and Fighters. Making the overall metagame more balanced and giving types like Poison and Steel become much more prominent typings since the Fairy types origin. Being that it is the newest type introduced, hopefully Gamefreak will give it more support that's reasonable.

[α27theDemonKnight]

Fairy types were created with the very intention of the destroyers of Dragons.
Unfortunately. Practical use does not usually live up to intentions.

My speciality lies in Smogon Monotype and so usually end up studying the individual typings instead of individual Pokemon most of the time.

Like almost every fantasy game has bias towards Dragons as godlike entities, so does Pokemon towards Dragon types in general.
Born with natural pseudo-legendary-ish stats and a wide movepool to counter all that may oppose them.
Dragon types are your ultimate no-effort put easy to win button. ESPECIALLY if you play Dragon mono.

What relation does this have to Fairy types you ask?
Well Fairies are easily countered by what they were created to combat.
Fairies even though they hit really hard and are generally bulky, are usually slow.
Dragons are faster, bulkier and hit really really hard. Most Dragons have access to Steel and/or Poison type moves.
Heck, even a lot of fighting Pokemon have access to Poison and Steel type moves.
Making what is seemingly weak to Fairy types, easy to counter Fairy types.

Unless of course you're miraculously bulky as hell, the opponent forgets to balance his movepool to counter weaknesses or you run Trick Room to make up for the usual lack of speed or something. (or a combination of all 3)

Fairy types however can excel in locking down Outrage spammers since Fairy is immune to Dragon type moves.
They are better employed to ohko the ever common Dark types rather than Dragon types, as almost all Fairies excel as wallbreakers and tankers. Dark types are usually glass or walls/stalls.

[Flare]

I don't think Fairies as a type are as fragile as that. Pulling up calcs from the past, coverage Steel and Poison moves from Dragons will do around 40%-50% on average to Fairies such as Sylveon or Florges.

https://mada.canadian-forum.com/t2794-rate-mah-uu-team

To pull up one more calc, Flash Cannon from Hydreigon will 3HKO Sylveon if carrying Leftovers.

252 SpA Life Orb Hydreigon Flash Cannon vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Sylveon: 177-208 (44.9 - 52.7%) -- guaranteed 3HKO after Leftovers recovery

While on the opposite end of the spectrum, Hyper Voice from Sylveon will always OHKO Hydreigon, even with 0 Special Attack investment.

0 SpA Pixilate Sylveon Hyper Voice vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Hydreigon: 552-652 (169.8 - 200.6%) -- guaranteed OHKO

STAB is an important element to attacking Fairies which is why (without boosts), the best Dragon to not only take a hit but to deal hits to Fairies is Dragalge. On top of the Poison type, it also gains Adaptability which makes STAB double the damage rather than x1.5.

252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Dragalge Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Sylveon: 444-524 (112.6 - 132.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO

And this is from usage of Choice Specs on Dragalge with 4 Special Defense on Sylveon. If using Life Orb with previously mentioned stats on Sylveon, there is still a small percentage chance of Sylveon living the hit.

252+ SpA Life Orb Adaptability Dragalge Sludge Wave vs. 252 HP / 4 SpD Sylveon: 385-458 (97.7 - 116.2%) -- 87.5% chance to OHKO

And there doesn't exist a Steel/Dragon type Pokemon yet that isn't Dialga, so I'll refrain from the calc since the Pokemon is in Ubers. Fairies are much bulkier than to be easily countered by a Dragon pokemon carrying a coverage move with no STAB. This is not assume that Dragons are useless, 40-50% is still a huge chunk of health, but they do don't have the tools to deal with Fairies on their own. Which is why Steel and Poison have gained more prominence with the introduction to this type.

Sure, Fairies do not 100% counter Dragons since how the term "Counter" is defined is that it can switch in on the worst possible scenario and still defeat the Pokemon, which isn't the case here because coverage moves since it will 2HKO with a Dragon's speed and the Fairy having to eat the hit from switching. But I think this is a good attribute, gives it an added importance to good team composition. The same can be said about Dragons, they can't "Counter" Fairies, but that's to be expected since Fairies were designed to balance out the Dragon type.

[Flint]

I think the Fairy-types were a great addition to the Pokemon Universe. Gen 5's metagame was too centric with the Dragon-type. Even as a person who loves the Dragon-type, they did need to be taken down a notch. Just like the Psychic-type with the invention of Dark-type in Gen 2. As a joke, you'd hear people say that Mono-Dragon was viable in Gen 5. Which it was since there weren't a lot of Pokemons that can fight against it.

My only complaint is that 'Play Rough' is the only Physical Fairy-type move at the moment. Hopefully they can make another Physical Fairy move with 100% accuracy although is balanced so it doesn't outclass 'Play Rough' and gives future players options to which one would they rather run. Like with 'Meteor Mash' and 'Iron Head'.

[Flare]

I am looking forward to seeing many combinations with the type. One that I look forward to is possibly a Fire/Fairy type. And possibly more Physical Fairy-types.

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