What are the best moveset of Steelix?

The best moveset for Steelix is Iron Tail or Dragon Tail as Fast Attacks (14 damage) and Earthquake as a Charged Attack (140 damage).

Mega Steelix Raid Guide — Counters, Moves & Strategy

This guide is created for educational and informational purposes to help Pokémon GO players understand raid mechanics and improve gameplay strategy.

Stats Weakness Moves Best Counters Catch CP Weather Boost Raid Strategy Shiny Shadow vs Mega

Introduction

The Mega Evolution of Steelix, Mega Steelix is a Steel and Ground-type Pokémon that appears in Mega Raids in Pokémon GO. Known for its incredible durability and high defense stat, Mega Steelix can withstand many attacks and may take longer to defeat compared to other Mega raid bosses.

Despite its impressive defensive power, Mega Steelix has several weaknesses that trainers can exploit. Fire, Water, Fighting, and Ground-type Pokémon are particularly effective, allowing coordinated raid teams to defeat it efficiently.

Mega Steelix has very high defense, so battles may take longer. Using strong Water-type attackers like Kyogre can significantly reduce raid time, especially in rainy weather.

This guide will help trainers understand Mega Steelix’s strengths and weaknesses, the best Pokémon to use as counters, recommended raid strategies, and how to maximize rewards after the battle. Whether you are raiding with friends or joining a public raid group, this guide will help you prepare the perfect team.

🧠 Mega Steelix Raid Strategy

Mega Steelix is a Steel and Rock‑type Pokémon with extremely high Defense. This makes the battle longer, but it also means Steelix doesn’t hit very hard compared to its bulk.

Focus on high DPS counters that exploit its weaknesses — especially Fire and Water types. Dodging charged attacks like Earthquake and Iron Tail can help your team stay alive longer.

🔥 Use Fire‑type Pokémon for maximum damage vs Steel
💧 Use Water and Ground types to counter Rock
⚔️ Dodge strong charged moves when possible
👥 Coordinate team Mega boosts for extra DPS

Related guides: Mega Malamar | Mega Victreebel

💡 Expert Insight

Mega Steelix is a highly defensive raid boss with strong resistances, making it feel bulkier than most Mega raids. However, its double weakness to Ground-type attacks provides a clear strategy for defeating it quickly.

Trainers should focus on high DPS Ground-type attackers while maintaining enough bulk to survive longer battles. Weather boosts can significantly impact the outcome of this raid.

Mega Steelix Stats

Type	Steel / Ground
Max CP	4149
Weather Boost	Snowy, Sunny
Shiny	Yes
Base Attack	212
Base Defence	327
Base Stamina	181

🧬 About Mega Steelix in Pokémon GO

Mega Steelix is a Steel and Ground type Pokémon in Pokémon GO. Because of its typing, it has extremely high defense and many resistances. However, it also has several important weaknesses that trainers can exploit during raids.

Mega Steelix raids reward trainers with Steelix Mega Energy and give a chance to catch Steelix afterward.

Mega Steelix is useful because:

It boosts Steel-type and Ground-type Pokémon in raids
It has extremely high defense and survives for a long time
It is good against Fairy, Rock, Electric, and Poison-type raid bosses

⚠️ Mega Steelix Weaknesses

Mega Steelix is weak to the following types:

Category	Details
❌ Weak To:	Water • Fighting • Ground • Fire
✅ Resistant To:	Normal • Flying • Poison • Rock • Bug • Steel • Electric • Psychic • Dragon • Fairy

Notes: Mega Steelix is extremely tanky, but Fighting and Water-types will melt its HP faster than others.

Double Weakness?

Mega Steelix does NOT have a double weakness. All weaknesses deal standard 1.6× super-effective damage.

Understanding the Real Challenge

The difficulty of Mega Steelix is not its damage output — it’s its bulk. It has one of the highest Defense stats among Mega raid bosses.

This means:

Low DPS teams may time out
Glass-cannon attackers are often preferred
Team coordination matters heavily in small groups

🗡️ Best Counters for Mega Steelix

The best way to defeat Mega Steelix is to use strong Water, Fighting, Fire, and Ground-type Pokémon.

🔥 Best Fire-type Counters

Fire Spin + Blast Burn
Fire Fang + Overheat

Mega Charizard Y (Fire Spin + Blast Burn)
Reshiram (Fire Fang + Fusion Flare)
Mega Blaziken (Fire Spin + Blast Burn)

Mega Blaziken combines Fighting and Fire coverage, both super effective. It also boosts other Fire and Fighting Pokémon in the lobby. One of the strongest overall choices.

Chandelure (Fire Spin + Overheat)

Fire-types deal solid super-effective damage against Steel typing but must watch out for Ground-type charged moves.

💧Water-type Counters

Waterfall + Hydro Pump
Water Gun + Surf
Mega Water Pokémon for team-wide boost

Primal Kyogre (Waterfall + Origin Pulse)

Water-type damage performs consistently well, especially in Rainy weather. Kyogre provides strong DPS and decent survivability.

Swampert (Water Gun + Hydro Cannon)
Gyarados (Waterfall + Hydro Pump)

Water-type Pokémon exploit Mega Steelix’s weakness, making them the fastest and most reliable option in this raid.

🥊 Fighting-Type Counters

Counter + Dynamic Punch
Counter + Aura Sphere

Lucario — (Counter + Aura Sphere)
Conkeldurr — (Counter + Dynamic Punch)

Fighting Pokémon provide consistent damage but are not as powerful as Water counters due to the lack of double weakness.

🌍 Ground-Type Attackers (Highest Priority)

Groudon — Mud Shot + Precipice Blades

Primal Groudon delivers massive Ground-type damage while boosting Fire and Ground attackers. It excels due to raw power and synergy.

Garchomp — Mud Shot + Earth Power

Ground-type damage is highly effective. Garchomp performs especially well in Sunny weather.

Excadrill — Mud-Slap + Drill Run

🔥 Why These Counters Are Effective

Mega Steelix’s Steel/Rock typing gives it several weaknesses that can be exploited.

🔥 Fire‑type moves deal super‑effective damage against Steel
💧 Water‑type attacks hit Rock for super‑effective damage
🥊 Fighting‑type counters both Steel and Rock weaknesses
🌍 Ground‑type counters Rock and resists Earthquake

Pokémon like Blaziken, Groudon, and Conkeldurr are top choices because they capitalize on these weaknesses.

Best Regular Counters

Regular pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Regular counters with short notes on why they excel.

Pokémon	🗡️ Fast Moves	💥 Charged Moves	🔄 Elite Moves	🏆 Best Moves	🧪 Why This Counter Works
Primal Groudon	Mud Shot / Dragon Tail	Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam	Precipice Blades / Fire Punch	Fire Punch and Solar Beam	Deals powerful Ground-type damage that hits Mega Steelix super-effectively. Its high bulk allows it to survive Earthquake while maintaining consistent DPS.
Primal Kyogre	Waterfall	Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard	Origin Pulse	Waterfall and Hydro Pump	Exploits Steelix’s Water weakness with extremely high Water-type DPS. Origin Pulse and Waterfall melt its HP quickly.
Lucario	Counter / Bullet Punch	Close Combat / Power-Up Punch / Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Meteor Mash / Blaze Kick / Thunder Punch	Force Palm	Counter and Close Combat	Counter and Aura Sphere deal super-effective Fighting damage. Lucario’s high attack stat makes it one of the strongest non-Mega options.
Keldeo(Original)	Low Kick / Poison Jab	Close Combat / Sacred Sword / X-Scissor / Aqua Jet / Hydro Pump	None	Poison Jab and Hydro Pump	Fighting-type STAB attacks hit Steelix super-effectively, while Water typing helps resist Steel-type moves.
Terrakion	Double Kick / Smack Down / Zen Headbutt	Close Combat / Earthquake / Rock Slide	Sacred Sword	Smack Down and Earthquake	Double Kick and Sacred Sword provide strong Fighting-type damage, efficiently exploiting Steelix’s weakness.
Reshiram	Fire Fang / Dragon Breath	Stone Edge / Overheat / Draco Meteor / Crunch	Fusion Flare	Fire Fang and Overheat	Fire Fang and Fusion Flare deal super-effective Fire damage against Steel typing, making it a powerful ranged attacker.
Landorus	Mud Shot / Extrasensory	Superpower / Earthquake / Bulldoze / Stone Edge	Sandsear Storm	Extrasensory and Sandsear Storm	Mud Shot combined with Earthquake or Sandsear Storm delivers strong Ground-type damage that hits Steelix for super-effective damage
Keldeo(Resolute)	Low Kick / Poison Jab	Close Combat / Sacred Sword / X-Scissor / Aqua Jet / Hydro Pump	None	Poison Jab and Hydro Pump	Fighting-type STAB moves consistently pressure Steelix while Water typing improves survivability.
Blacephalon	Astonish / Incinerate	Shadow Ball / Mystical Fire / Overheat	Mind Blown	Incinerate and Overheat	Incinerate and Overheat deal strong Fire-type damage, taking advantage of Steelix’s Fire weakness.

Best Shadow Counters

Shadow pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Shadow counters with short notes on why they excel.

Pokémon	🗡️ Fast Moves	💥 Charged Moves	🔄 Elite Moves	🏆 Best Moves	🧪 Why This Counter Works
Shadow Kyogre	Waterfall	Hydro Pump / Surf / Thunder / Blizzard	Origin Pulse	Waterfall and Hydro Pump	Shadow boost increases Water-type DPS significantly, making it one of the fastest ways to defeat Mega Steelix.
Shadow Groudon	Mud Shot / Dragon Tail	Earthquake / Fire Blast / Solar Beam	Precipice Blades / Fire Punch	Dragon Tail and Solar Beam	Shadow boost enhances Ground-type damage output, overwhelming Steelix’s defenses quickly.
Shadow Blaziken	Counter / Fire Spin / Ember	Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick	Stone Edge / Blast Burn	Counter / Fire Spin and Overheat	Combines Fighting and Fire-type super-effective damage with Shadow bonus for very high DPS.
Shadow Moltres	Wing Attack / Fire Spin	Ancient Power / Fire Blast / Heat Wave / Overheat	Sky Attack	Fire Spin and Overheat	Fire Spin and Overheat deal heavy Fire-type damage, amplified by Shadow attack boost.
Shadow Conkeldurr	Counter / Poison Jab	Dynamic Punch / Focus Blast / Stone Edge	Brutal Swing	Counter / Poison Jab and Focus Blast	Counter and Dynamic Punch deal powerful super-effective Fighting damage with increased Shadow DPS.
Shadow Charizard	Air Slash / Fire Spin	Air Cutter / Fire Blast / Overheat / Dragon Claw	Wing Attack / Ember / Dragon Breath / Blast Burn / Flamethrower	Fire Spin and Overheat	Fire Spin and Blast Burn/Overheat exploit Steel typing while Shadow bonus increases burst damage.
Shadow Ho-Oh	Hidden Power / Steel Wing / Incinerate / Extrasensory	Brave Bird / Fire Blast / Solar Beam	Earthquake / Sacred Fire	Incinerate and Solar Beam	Incinerate and Sacred Fire apply strong Fire-type pressure, enhanced by Shadow attack bonus.
Shadow Heatran	Bug Bite / Fire Spin	Earth Power / Stone Edge / Iron Head / Fire Blast / Flamethrower	Magma Storm	Fire Spin and Fire Blast	Fire-type attacks hit Steel typing effectively while Heatran resists many Steelix moves.
Shadow Garchomp	Mud Shot / Dragon Tail	Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe	Earth Power	Dragon Tail and Fire Blast / Earthquake	Earth Power or Earthquake deal strong Ground-type damage, and Shadow boost maximizes DPS output.
Shadow Darmanitan	Tackle / Fire Fang / Incinerate	Focus Blast / Rock Slide / Overheat / Psychic	None	Incinerate and Overheat	Pure Fire-type damage with Shadow boost makes it a high-risk, high-reward attacker.
Shadow Kingler	Metal Claw / Bubble	Vise Grip / X-Scissor / Water Pulse / Crabhammer / Razor Shell	Mud Shot	Bubble and Crabhammer	Crabhammer delivers powerful Water-type damage, boosted further by Shadow attack increase.
Shadow Chandelure	Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate	Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball	Poltergeist	Incinerate and Overheat	Overheat provides heavy Fire-type burst damage enhanced by Shadow boost.
Shadow Emboar	Low Kick / Ember	Focus Blast / Rock Slide / Heat Wave / Flame Charge	Blast Burn	Ember and Focus Blast	Fighting and Fire coverage allow consistent super-effective damage with Shadow bonus.

Best Mega Counters

Mega pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Mega counters with short notes on why they excel.

Pokémon	🗡️ Fast Moves	💥 Charged Moves	🔄 Elite Moves	🏆 Best Moves	🧪 Why This Counter Works
Mega Heracross	Counter / Struggle Bug	Close Combat / Upper Hand / Earthquake / Rock Blast / Megahorn	None	Struggle Bug and Earthquake	Provides Fighting-type team boost while dealing strong super-effective damage with Counter and Close Combat.
Mega Blastoise	Rollout / Water Gun / Bite	Skull Bash / Flash Cannon / Hydro Pump / Ice Beam	Hydro Cannon	Rollout and Hydro Pump	Boosts all Water-type teammates while delivering steady Water-type super-effective damage.
Mega Charizard X	Air Slash / Fire Spin	Dragon Claw / Fire Blast / Air Cutter / Overheat	Dragon Breath / Ember / Wing Attack / Flamethrower / Blast Burn	Fire Spin and Overheat	Fire-type attacks hit Steelix super-effectively while boosting Fire-type teammates.
Mega Swampert	Mud Shot / Water Gun	Sludge / Sludge Wave / Earthquake / Surf / Muddy Water	Hydro Cannon	Water Gun and Earthquake	Water-type attacks hit Steelix for super-effective damage and boost team Water attackers.
Mega Garchomp	Mud Shot / Dragon Tail	Earthquake / Sand Tomb / Fire Blast / Outrage / Breaking Swipe	Earth Power	Dragon Tail and Fire Blast / Earthquake	Ground-type attacks deal consistent super-effective damage while boosting Ground-type teammates.
Mega Charizard Y	Air Slash / Fire Spin	Dragon Claw / Fire Blast / Air Cutter / Overheat	Dragon Breath / Ember / Wing Attack / Flamethrower / Blast Burn	Fire Spin and Overheat	High Fire-type DPS combined with Mega boost increases total team damage significantly.
Mega Blaziken	Counter / Fire Spin / Ember	Focus Blast / Aura Sphere / Brave Bird / Overheat / Blaze Kick	Stone Edge / Blast Burn	Counter / Fire Spin and Overheat	Combines Fighting and Fire coverage while boosting both types for teammates.
Mega Lucario	Counter / Bullet Punch	Close Combat / Power-Up Punch / Aura Sphere / Shadow Ball / Flash Cannon / Meteor Mash / Blaze Kick / Thunder Punch	Force Palm	Counter and Close Combat	One of the strongest Fighting-type Megas, providing team-wide boost and extremely high DPS.

👥 Raid Difficulty & Recommended Team Size

Mega Steelix is a moderate to hard raid due to its very high bulk. Battles last longer than typical Mega raids unless you bring strong counters.

Player Level	Recommended Trainers
Beginner	6–8 players
Intermediate	4–6 players
High‑Level	2–3 players (with optimized counters)

🌀 Mega Steelix Moveset

The best moveset for Mega Steelix in Pokémon GO is:

🗡️ Fast Moves

Iron Tail
Dragon Tail
Thunder Fang

💥 Charged Moves

Earthquake
Heavy Slam
Psychic Fangs
Breaking Swipe
Crunch

Threat: Earthquake + Heavy Slam can deal massive damage to unprepared counters.

Tip: Avoid using Poison and Normal-types—they deal minimal damage.

🎯 Catch CP & 100% IV

After defeating Mega Steelix, you will catch a normal Steelix.

CP Range:

No Weather Boost: 2,010-2,097 CP
Weather Boost: 2,512-2,622 CP

100% IV:

2097 (Normal)
2622 (Weather Boosted)

Use:

Golden Razz Berry
Curveball Excellent Throws

Keep in mind that weather-boosted Mega Steelix is significantly harder to defeat, so always prepare strong Water, Fire, Fighting or Ground-type counters.

🎯 How to Catch Mega Steelix

🟡 Use Golden Razz Berry for higher catch rates
🎯 Aim for Excellent Throws for bonus catch chance
🌀 Use Curveball Throws to increase catch odds
⏱️ Time your throw after its attack animation

🌦️ Weather Boost

Weather conditions can affect both the power of the raid boss and the CP of the Pokémon you catch afterward:

☀️ Sunny / Clear Weather

Boosts Steelix Ground-type moves
Boosts Fire and Ground type attackers on your team

☁️ Cloudy Weather

Boosts Fighting-type counters

🌨️ Snowy Weather

Boosts Steelix Steel-type moves

🌧️ Rainy Weather

Boosts Water-type counters
Second-best option

These conditions can make the raid boss stronger but also boost some of your counters.

Common Raid Mistakes

Using Electric-types
Underestimating bulk
Ignoring weather boosts
Relobbying slowly

Recommended Group Size

2 Trainers: Possible with strong Water counters
3 Trainers: Reliable clear
4+ Trainers: Very comfortable win

Due to Mega Steelix’s high Defense, smaller groups should prioritize high-DPS Water-type teams.

Recommended Team Compositions

Best Team (3–5 Trainers)

Mega Lucario (Counter + Aura Sphere)
Primal Kyogre (Waterfall + Origin Pulse)
Primal Groudon (Ground)
Mega Blaziken (Fire)
Keldeo (Fighting)

Balanced Team (5–7 Trainers)

Mega Lucario (Counter + Aura Sphere)
Reshiram (Fire Fang + Fusion Flare)
Mega Charizard Y
Mega Swampert (Water Gun + Hydro Cannon)
Terrakion
Shadow Conkeldurr

Budget-friendly options include:

Swampert
Blaziken
Excadrill
Machamp

Even if your squad lacks perfect counters, mixing Fighting, Water, Fire, and Ground types will steadily wear down Mega Steelix’s HP.

👥 How Many Trainers Are Needed?

2–3 strong trainers with Fire or Water-types → Possible
4–5 average trainers → Comfortable clear
Lower-level groups → 6+ recommended

Mega Steelix does not have a double weakness, but Water and Fighting are typically the most consistent damage options.

Revive & Potion Cost

Average revives used: 8–14
Average potions used: 10–18
Dodging significantly reduces resource usage
Using Mega Pokémon reduces total relobbies

🧠 Best Strategy to Defeat Mega Steelix

Focus on Water Damage

Build your team around powerful Water Pokémon to maximize consistent super-effective damage.

Avoid Electric-Type Attackers

Electric-type attacks are completely ineffective against Ground typing.

Use Mega Boosts Early

Activating a Mega Water Pokémon at the start boosts team-wide Water damage significantly.

Can Mega Steelix Be Soloed?

Short answer: Extremely difficult and generally not recommended.

Even with perfect counters and level 50 Pokémon, Mega Steelix’s bulk makes solo clears unrealistic for most players. Timer becomes the main issue.

High-level trainers with Primal Groudon and ideal weather may attempt experimental solos, but success is rare.

Duo Strategy (Advanced Section)

Duo is realistic under the right conditions:

Both players Level 40+
Top-tier counters only
Sunny weather preferred
Minimal relobby time

Ideal Duo Composition

Player 1: Primal Groudon lead
Player 2: Mega Blaziken lead
Both players follow with high DPS Ground/Fire attackers

Communication is key. Relobby simultaneously to avoid losing Mega boosts.

Beginner Strategy Guide

If you are new to raids:

Join groups of 4–6 players
Use Water, Fire, or Ground Pokémon
Avoid Electric Pokémon completely
Power up a few strong counters rather than many weak ones

Can Mega Steelix Be Shiny in Pokémon GO?

Yes, trainers can encounter a Shiny Steelix after defeating Mega Steelix in a raid battle. While the Mega form itself cannot be caught, players will encounter the regular Steelix after the raid, which has a chance of being shiny.

Shiny Steelix has a distinctive golden body compared to the normal grey color of the regular version, making it one of the more visually striking shiny Pokémon in Pokémon GO.

Mega Raids typically offer higher shiny encounter chances compared to wild encounters, so completing multiple Mega Steelix raids increases the chances of finding a shiny Steelix.

Evolution, Mega Details & Buddy Distance

Evolution Line	Base(Onix) → Final(Steelix) → Mega(Steelix)
Mega Energy (First)	200
Subsequent Cost	40
Buddy Distance	5 km
Mega Energy via Buddy	Yes
Mega Boost Bonus(Walking)	Extra Candy
Mega Boost Bonus(Catch)	Extra Steel/Ground-type Candy
Mega Boost Bonus(Buddy^)	25 Mega Energy per candy

(^ denotes first mega evolved)

Buddy Distance

3 km (per Pokémon GO buddy distance)

Shadow & Mega Comparison

Best Mega Evolutions

Recommended Megas to use against Mega Steelix:

Lucario, Blaziken, Heracross – 🥊 Fighting boost
Swampert, Blastoise – 💧Water boost
Garchomp – 🌍 Ground boost
Blaziken, Charizard Y, Charizard X – 🔥Fire boost

🎁 Rewards

Chance to catch Shiny Mega Steelix (with boosted IVs)
Rare Candy & XL Candy

Is Mega Steelix Worth Powering Up?

Raid Utility

Mega Steelix is not a top-tier raid attacker but provides useful Steel-type Mega boosts.

PvP Utility

In certain PvP formats, Mega Steelix’s bulk can be interesting, though Megas are limited in most competitive leagues.

Mega Energy Farming

Farming energy is recommended for Pokédex and occasional event use.

Is Mega Steelix Good in PvP?

Mega Steelix is not allowed in most PvP leagues but can be powerful in Mega Evolution battle formats.

Is Mega Steelix Good in PvE?

Mega Steelix is primarily useful for boosting Steel and Ground type Pokémon during raids rather than acting as a top attacker.

How to Catch Steelix

Use Golden Razz Berries
Aim for Excellent throws
Use curveball throws

📌 Is Mega Steelix Worth Raiding?

Mega Steelix is worth raiding mainly for its Mega boost to Steel and Ground-type Pokémon. It is not a top-tier Mega attacker, but it is useful for specific raid teams and for completing your Mega Pokédex.

Regular vs Shiny Mega Steelix Forms

Shiny Steelix has a distinctive golden body compared to the normal grey color of the regular version.