Category:Type
Techniques and monsters have one or two types (also called elements), reflecting their nature, behavior and structure. Tuxemon has thirteen types, although older versions of the game were limited to just five.
See also Monster design space, Technique design space
Thirteen Elements[edit | edit source]
Monsters have one or two elements, but techniques would have a maximum of one element (except as a special feature, perhaps).
| Target | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | Fire | Frost | Heroic | Lightning | Cosmic | Metal | Normal | Shadow | Sky | Venom | Water | Wood | ||
| Technique | Cosmic  |
2 | 0.5 | 2 | ||||||||||
Earth  |
2 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | ||||||||||
Fire  |
0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | 0.5 | 2 | |||||||
Frost  |
2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.5 | 2 | |||||||
Heroic  |
2 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | 0.5 | |||||||||
Lightning  |
0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0.5 | ||||||||
Metal  |
2 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | |||||||||
Normal  |
0.5 | |||||||||||||
Shadow  |
0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
Sky  |
2 | 0.5 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||
Venom  |
0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | ||||||||
Water  |
2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | ||||||||||
Wood  |
2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.5 |
Icons[edit | edit source]
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Physical and Energy Sides to Elements[edit | edit source]
The element system allows for thematic variation, meaning techniques of the same element may draw from different power sources. For example, two Wood techniques might differ in style—one rooted in physical plant growth, the other in magical nature manipulation.
Below is a breakdown of each element's physical and magical interpretations:
| Element | Physical Theme | Magical Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Earth | Ground | Rock |
| Heroic | Martial Arts | Light |
| Sky | Bird | Wind |
| Water | Fish | Flowing Water |
| Frost | Ice | Cold |
| Cosmic | Energy | Psychic |
| Wood | Plant | Nature Magic |
| Normal | Physical Force | Sound |
| Shadow | Trickery | Shadow Magic / Specter |
Note: These themes are conceptual and can guide technique design, monster aesthetics, and elemental lore without affecting core mechanics.
Type Cycles[edit | edit source]
The elemental system includes strategic relationships between types, organized into cycles that define strengths and weaknesses. These cycles help determine how techniques interact with monsters of different elements.
There are eight type triangles, where type A is strong against type B, type B is strong against type C, and type C is strong against type A. These form closed loops of advantage.
Reciprocal Triangles[edit | edit source]
Four of these triangles are reciprocal, meaning the reverse direction consistently results in a weakness (x0.5 damage). These cycles are symmetrical and easy to memorize:
- Fire → Water → Wood: Each element deals x2 damage to the next. In reverse, each deals x0.5 damage.
- Fire → Earth → Wood: Each element deals x2 damage to the next. In reverse, each deals x0.5 damage.
- Shadow → Cosmic → Heroic: Each element deals x2 damage to the next. In reverse, each deals x0.5 damage.
- Sky → Heroic → Frost: Each element deals x2 damage to the next. In reverse, all interactions are neutral (x1).
These cycles reflect thematic contrasts drawn from each element’s physical and magical sides:
- Fire → Water → Wood transitions from destructive flame (Fire) to fluid adaptability (Water) to organic growth (Wood).
- Shadow → Cosmic → Heroic contrasts deception and trickery (Shadow) with psychic energy (Cosmic) and radiant martial prowess (Heroic).
- Sky → Heroic → Frost blends aerial agility (Bird/Wind), valor (Martial Arts/Light), and elemental chill (Ice/Cold).
Non-Reciprocal Triangles[edit | edit source]
The remaining four triangles are non-reciprocal: each element deals x2 damage to the next, but the reverse direction does not consistently result in x0.5 damage. These are directional and asymmetrical:
- Metal → Earth → Fire
- Lightning → Metal → Earth
- Lightning → Sky → Earth
- Shadow → Sky → Heroic
These cycles emphasize tactical flow rather than mirrored weakness. For example:
- Lightning → Metal → Earth reflects the progression from raw energy (Lightning), to forged strength (Metal), to grounded resilience (Earth).
- Shadow → Sky → Heroic contrasts illusion and stealth (Shadow), aerial movement (Sky), and disciplined power (Heroic).
Type Squares[edit | edit source]
There are also three type squares, where four elements form a loop of advantage. Each element deals x2 damage to the next in the sequence:
- Venom → Wood → Earth → Fire
- Venom → Wood → Water → Fire
- Lightning → Sky → Wood → Earth
These squares offer more complex strategic layering. For example:
- Venom → Wood → Water → Fire blends toxic disruption (Venom), natural growth (Wood), fluid motion (Water), and destructive force (Fire).
- Lightning → Sky → Wood → Earth transitions from raw energy (Lightning), to aerial finesse (Sky), to organic strength (Wood), to grounded defense (Earth).
Note: These cycles do not affect technique composition directly, but they define elemental effectiveness in combat. Combined with the physical vs magical themes of each element, they offer rich tactical and aesthetic diversity.
The Five-Type System[edit | edit source]
Originally, Tuxemon had five types - Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood, with a "sixth" type (Aether) to represent the absence of a type.
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Background[edit | edit source]
The five types are based on the five-element/five-agent theory of Wu Xing. The doctrine of five phases describes this:
Overcoming Cycle[edit | edit source]
- Wood parts Earth (such as roots; or, Trees can prevent soil erosion)
- Earth dams (or muddles or absorbs) Water
- Water extinguishes Fire
- Fire melts Metal
- Metal chops Wood
Generating Cycle[edit | edit source]
- Wood fuels Fire
- Fire leaves behind Earth (ash)
- Earth produces Metal
- Metal fortifies Water (minerals in water)
- Water nourishes Wood
Associations[edit | edit source]
- Fire: Includes creatures associated with energy, like electricity, light and heat, dragons and other legendary beings, and poison.
- Water: Includes creatures associated with the sea, lakes and swamps, ice and snow, the weather, liquids like blood, and fish and amphibians.
- Wood: Includes creatures associated with plants, lichen and fungi, poison and venom, forests, the natural environment, the wind and flying, and the wilderness.
- Earth: Includes creatures associated with the ground and underground, dirt and soil, mountains and rocks, caves, and ancient and buried things.
- Metal: Includes creatures associated with steel, light and darkness, mechanical and robotic things, psychic powers and other unnatural things, humankind, and the undead.
How it works[edit | edit source]
An attack is weak against the element that it Generates and strong against the element that it Overcomes.
| tech/target | Wood | Earth | Water | Fire | Metal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | 2 | 0.5 | |||
| Earth | 2 | 0.5 | |||
| Water | 0.5 | 2 | |||
| Fire | 0.5 | 2 | |||
| Metal | 2 | 0.5 |
Dual types/Pseudo-types[edit | edit source]
While the game only has five types, the existence of two-type monsters and techniques allows for different vulnerability and resistance profiles. We can therefore represent other "types".
For example, Earth-Fire techniques do half damage to Earth monsters and double damage to Water monsters. Electricity-themed techniques like Electrical Storm can be given the types Earth and Fire, to reflect the idea that water conducts electricity well, but it is earthed when it hits the ground.
Earth-Fire[edit | edit source]
Earth-Fire ("Lightning") techniques do half damage to Earth monsters and double damage to Water monsters.
Earth-Fire monsters take half damage from Fire techniques and double damage from Water techniques.
Example Earth-Fire monsters:
Example Earth-Fire techniques:
Earth-Water[edit | edit source]
Earth-Water ("Frost") techniques do half damage to Wood and Metal monsters and double damage to Fire and Water monsters.
Earth-Water monsters take half damage from Fire and Metal techniques and double damage from Wood and Earth techniques.
Example Earth-Water monsters:
Example Earth-Water techniques:
Earth-Wood[edit | edit source]
Earth-Wood ("Toxin/Fungus") techniques do half damage to Fire and Metal monsters and double damage to Earth and Water monsters.
Earth-Wood monsters take half damage from Fire and Water techniques and double damage from Wood and Metal techniques.
Example Earth-Wood monsters:
Example Earth-Wood techniques:
Earth-Metal[edit | edit source]
Earth-Metal ("Vermin") techniques do half damage to Metal monsters and double damage to Wood monsters.
Earth-Metal monsters take half damage from Earth techniques and double damage from Wood techniques.
Example Earth-Metal monsters:
Fire-Water[edit | edit source]
Fire-Water ("Cosmic") techniques do half damage to Earth and Wood monsters and double damage to Fire and Water monsters.
Fire-Water monsters take half damage from Metal and Wood techniques and double damage from Water and Earth techniques.
Example Fire-Water monsters:
Fire-Wood[edit | edit source]
Fire-Wood ("Battle") techniques do half damage to Fire monsters and double damage to Metal monsters.
Fire-Wood monsters take half damage from Wood techniques and double damage from Metal techniques.
Example Fire-Wood monsters:
Fire-Metal[edit | edit source]
Fire-Metal ("Psionic") techniques do half damage to Earth and Water monsters and double damage to Wood and Metal monsters.
Fire-Metal monsters take half damage from Earth techniques and double damage from Fire techniques.
Example Fire-Metal monsters:
Example Earth-Fire techniques:
Water-Wood[edit | edit source]
Water-Wood techniques do half damage to Wood monsters and double damage to Earth monsters
Water-Wood monsters take half damage from Water techniques and double damage from Earth techniques.
Example Water-Wood monsters:
Water-Metal[edit | edit source]
Water-Metal ("Darkness") techniques do half damage to Water monsters and double damage to Fire monsters.
Water-Metal monsters take half damage from Metal techniques and double damage from Fire techniques.
Example Water-Metal monsters:
Wood-Metal[edit | edit source]
Wood-Metal ("Heaven") techniques do half damage to Fire and Water monsters and double damage to Earth and Wood monsters.
Wood-Metal monsters take half damage from Water and Earth techniques and double damage from Metal and Fire techniques.
Example Wood-Metal monsters:
Alternative systems[edit | edit source]
List[edit | edit source]
This category uses the form Type.