Steel-Type Pokémon Weaknesses & Resistances

Steel-type Pokémon were introduced in Generation II in order to balance out Psychic and Normal types, both of which Steel resists.

This type of Pokémon has the most resistance of any type in the series, but even so, they can be overcome with the right tactics.

If you’re struggling to take out Steel Pokémon, we’ve got your back.

Here is everything you need to know about Steel-type weaknesses and resistances, as well as how you can beat them.

Steel Type Pokémon Weaknesses

If you’ve found yourself wondering, “what are Steel-type Pokémon weak against?” when fighting a Klink, you’re not the only one.

Sometimes Steel-types can seem resistant to almost everything you throw at them, but fortunately, they do have weak points.

Steel-type Pokémon are weak against:

• Fighting-types
• Fire-types
• Ground-types

Pokémon of these types should be your go-to during every battle against a Steel-type, as they will be able to do the most damage.

Fire types, in particular, like Flareon, one of the best dog Pokémon, can be the perfect counters to Steel enemies.

This is because Fire is resistant to Steel-type attacks, meaning they will do more damage without receiving much in return.

Similarly, dual Fire-types like Camerupt (Fire/Ground) and Infernape (Fire/Fighting) can be good options, since they are also resistant to Steel.

Steel Type Pokémon Resistances

Steel-type Pokémon are the most resistant in the series, though their resistances decreased from 11 to 10 in Generation VI.

This is because they lost their resistance to Ghost and Dark types at this time but gained resistance to Fairy types.

All Steel Pokémon are resistant against:

• Bug
• Dragon
• Fairy
• Flying
• Grass
• Ice
• Normal
• Psychic
• Rock
• Steel

As you can see, this greatly limits the kinds of Pokémon you can toss them in the ring with, so you will have to choose your fighter very carefully.

Don’t expect to simply be able to toss one of the best dragon Pokémon at a Steel-type and call it a day because you’re probably not going to win.

If all of these resistances weren’t enough, Steel Pokémon also have the highest physical defense on average.

This makes it even more important to try to use super-effective moves that will do the most damage against them as possible.

Best Counters For Steel Type Pokémon

If you know you’re going to be going up against a Steel-type, you’ll want to make sure you have the right counters.

We recommend using Pokémon like Emboar, Infernape, and Blaziken, one of the best bird Pokémon since they will resist Steel and do double damage.

However, you can also make use of any Fire, Fighting, or Ground type Pokémon, provided they are set up correctly.

You will also want to make sure that any dual types you use will still be effective based on their primary and secondary type.

For example, Blaziken is a dual Fire/Flying type, but against a Steel opponent, you won’t want to have it using any Flying moves since Steel is resistant.

These are all things you will need to keep in mind when choosing your counters.

What Beats Steel Type Pokémon?

Despite all of their resistance, there are still quite a few Pokémon that are capable of taking out a Steel-type.

However, the exact Pokémon you end up using will depend on what Pokémon game you’re playing, your level, and the region you’re in.

Not all Pokémon are available in every game, and a lot has changed between the best Pokémon games of all time as generations progress.

That said, we can still give you some idea of the best way to set up your team to beat Steel-type Pokémon.

Pokémon To Use Against Steel Types

Some Pokémon work better against Steel types than others, and those are the ones you’ll want to get on your team.

The best Pokémon to use against Steel are:

• Arcanine (Fire)
• Flareon (Fire)
• Blaziken (Fire/Fighting)
• Camerupt (Fire/Ground)
• Primeape (Fighting)
• Donphan (Ground)
• Great Tusk (Ground/Fighting)

If you can add any of these Pokémon to your team, you can put yourself in a good position to overcome any Steel type you meet.

However, as we stated earlier, Fire-types are going to be the most preferable!

Moves To Use Against Steel Types

Which moves you use during battle are just as important as the Pokémon you add to your team.

The best offensive moves to use against Steel types include:

• Cross Chop (Fighting)
• Close Combat (Fighting)
• Rock Smash (Fighting)
• Ember (Fire)
• Fire Fang (Fire)
• Inferno (Fire)
• Bulldoze (Ground)
• Earthquake (Ground)
• Sand Attack (Ground)

All of these moves are super effective against Steel type enemies, and you should try to use them whenever possible.

Moves like this can help you end the battle quicker by doing a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

Summary

Steel-type Pokémon are tough enemies to come across, and they can be very difficult to beat if you don’t know what they’re weak against.

However, now that you know how to use Steel-type weaknesses to your advantage, you can easily exploit them during battle.

Don’t forget to check out our other in-depth guides to learn more about the weaknesses and resistances of other Pokémon so that you can more easily catch ’em all!

What Steel type Pokémon weakness is your favorite? Leave a comment below.