Steel-type Pokémon are often the most challenging Pokémon to face since they are strong against a good amount of Pokémon moves. Steel types are resistant against ten Pokémon-types, including strong Pokémon moves like dragon types. Steel Pokémon also have an overall great defense, meaning if you don’t have the right Pokémon on hand, a steel Pokémon can decimate your entire party. Fortunately, steel Pokémon have some key weaknesses you can exploit to take them down.
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Types not to use against Steel Pokémon
Before learning what moves and Pokémon go great against steel types, you need to know what attacks and Pokémon to not use against steel Pokémon. Steel has a strong defense against ten types, meaning those 10 types cause half-damage when striking a steel Pokémon. Steel is the most resistant of the 18 Pokémon types. The 10 types steel is resistant are listed below:
- Bug
- Dragon
- Fairy
- Flying
- Grass
- Ice
- Normal
- Psychic
- Rock
- Steel
When facing a steel Pokémon like Steelix or Metagross, never use any moves with the same types listed above. Poison also can’t do any damage to steel Pokémon unless the poison-type attack comes from a Pokémon with the Corrosion Ability. Steel also causes double the damage toward three specific Pokémon types, so you never should send out one of these Pokémon types against a steel Pokémon:
- Fairy
- Ice
- Rock
Amazing types to use against Steel Pokémon
Luckily, steel Pokémon have some major weaknesses that make them easy to take down, just as long as you have the right Pokémon and movepool at your disposal. Defensively, there are three types of Pokémon moves that deal double the damage to steel. The three types are below:
- Fight
- Fire
- Ground
Fire is especially great to use against steel since plenty of Pokémon can learn fire moves like Flamethrower. Strong ground moves like Earthquake are also easy to teach to a lot of Pokémon. Steel-type also only does half damage against these four Pokémon types:
- Electric
- Fire
- Steel
- Water
The best strategy when facing a steel Pokémon is to face it with a fire-type Pokémon since fire Pokémon can deal extra damage and takes less damage from steel moves. If you don’t have a fire Pokémon on hand, your best bet is summoning a fighting or ground-type. If you don’t have any of the three Pokémon types, send in a Pokémon that doesn’t have a type weakness to steel but knows moves like Flamethrower or Earthquake.
