Steelix Movesets & Competitive Sets

Heavy Slam lets Steelix immediately threaten Fairy-types, OHKOing Gardevoir and Mimikyu, and 2HKOing Togekiss. Toxic puts common switch-ins to Steelix, like Milotic and Bewear, under pressure. The last moveslot is fairly flexible. Body Press, for example, allows Steelix to potentially 2HKO Umbreon and OHKO Pangoro. Head Smash coupled with Rock Head can catch Crobat and Noivern off guard and force them to use Roost. Steelix is forced out by numerous threats, including Ground-types like Rhyperior and Flygon. Because of this, teammates like Milotic and Gastrodon are appreciated. Common Water-types like Milotic, Gastrodon, and Suicune force Steelix out or cripple it. Xurkitree, Raikou,and Roserade work as answers to them. Roserade can also provide Spikes support, put more pressure on Togekiss, and check Raikou, while Xurkitree can threaten other Ground-types with Energy Ball. Fire-types like Chandelure and Entei also offensively pressure Steelix, so partners like Incineroar and Noivern are greatly appreciated. Fighting-types like Heracross and Pangoro appreciate Steelix checking Fairy-types that they struggle with. Fairy-type partners like Togekiss and Galarian Weezing are appreciated, since they check Fighting-types. A teammate like Crobat or Tornadus can scare off Grass-types like Celebi and Roserade, which Steelix is not a reliable switch-in or check to.

Moves Steelix is a great Stealth Rock setter due to its bulk giving it multiple opportunities to set it up. Heavy Slam targets Fairy-types such as Comfey and Whimsicott and does decent damage to neutral targets due to Steelix's great weight. Earthquake hits Fire-types such as Incineroar, Delphox, and Magmortar that may try to switch into Steelix as well as Heliolisk. Toxic cripples common switch-ins like Slowking, Dhelmise, and Palossand, while Protect helps Steelix rack up Leftovers recovery and scout Choice item users such as Passimian and Heliolisk. Alternatively, Steelix can forgo Earthquake to run both Toxic and Protect, although Earthquake is usually preferred to better punish Fire-types. Curse is an option that helps Steelix beat Dhelmise, Xatu, and Braviary, although Toxic and Protect provide more utility overall. Set Details Maximum HP and Special Defense investment with a Careful nature improves Steelix's overall bulk and helps it better take on Pokemon such as Heliolisk, Comfey, and Whimsicott. Leftovers provides Steelix with a source of recovery. Sturdy is fairly situational but prevents Steelix from being OHKOed by attacks like Magmortar and Delphox's Fire Blast, letting it retaliate with Earthquake or set Stealth Rock. Usage Tips Thanks to Steelix's great defenses, it finds many opportunities to switch into Pokemon such as Sneasel and Garbodor. Take advantage of these Pokemon being forced out by setting Stealth Rock. Steelix commonly draws in forms of entry hazard control, particularly Xatu, Blastoise, and Rotom. While Steelix can badly poison Rotom, it is rather useless against the former two, so it's usually best to simply double switch out if expecting one of them to switch in. If running Protect, use it to scout Choice item Pokemon such as Passimian and Heliolisk that may predict Steelix to switch out and not use the proper coverage move. Thanks to Sturdy, Steelix will never be threatened with an OHKO even when faced with Pokemon such as Delphox and Magmortar; use this to your advantage if Steelix is expendable by retaliating with Earthquake or setting Stealth Rock. Team Options Steelix can easily slot onto any balance team by virtue of the great role compression it offers. Pokemon such as Heliolisk, Dhelmise, and Sceptile pair great with Steelix due to their ability to reliably deal with bulky Water-types. In return, Steelix provides the latter two with a good switch-in to Flying-types, and Steelix's Stealth Rock support helps all three wallbreak more effectively. Bulky Water-types such as Slowking, Blastoise, and Vaporeon are ideal partners for their ability to manage Fire-types for Steelix. Slowking also provides a switch-in to Fighting-types, while Blastoise and Vaporeon provide extra utility in Rapid Spin, Wish, and Heal Bell support. Steelix helps check Electric-types in return. Steelix appreciates Fighting-resistant and -immune Pokemon such as Garbodor, Rotom, and Sigilyph, particularly if running Protect. Garbodor can switch into Fighting-type attacks and set Spikes and Toxic Spikes, Rotom can remove opposing entry hazards, and Sigilyph can wallbreak or set up with Calm Mind and Cosmic Power.

Moves Steelix is one of the best Stealth Rock setters in the tier. Heavy Slam has high Base Power against most targets thanks to Steelix's high weight. Earthquake is a powerful and reliable Ground-type STAB move. Toxic cripples switch-ins such as Pelipper, Gastrodon, and Rotom and most notably lets Steelix counter Musharna. Protect can be used to snag some Leftovers recovery, which also has the nifty use of restoring Sturdy after a switching into Stealth Rock, and lets Steelix scout Choice-locked attackers such as Charizard and Pyroar. Gyro Ball, with 0 Speed IVs and a Brave nature, is an alternate Steel-type STAB move that hits anything faster than fully invested, positive-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon harder than Heavy Slam but loses damage against anything slower than that, most notably Mega Audino. Roar can be used in the fourth moveslot, especially on hazard-stacking teams; it also lets Steelix phaze boosting threats such as Musharna and Malamar, the latter in an emergency situation. For more offensive variants, especially those using Sheer Force and Life Orb, Toxic can be replaced by Crunch for Rotom or Rock Slide for Mantine, Rotom-S, and Pelipper. Set Details The HP investment gives Steelix a Leftovers number, the Special Defense investment lets Steelix avoid the 2HKO from Tauros's Fire Blast, and the rest of the EVs are dumped into Attack with an Adamant nature to give Steelix much-needed power. A simple spread with maximum Attack also works fine for more power if Tauros isn't a concern. Leftovers gives Steelix much-needed passive recovery. Sturdy is this set's most useful ability, as it doesn't use any Sheer Force-boosted moves, and letting Steelix survive moves such as Pyroar's Fire Blast and Samurott's Hydro Pump from full health in a pinch. Sheer Force with Life Orb, Iron Head, and a coverage option in the fourth moveslot is an option to make Steelix more offensively threatening. Usage Tips Use Steelix's great typing and good bulk to switch into the likes of Archeops, Kangaskhan, and Mesprit. Usually, set up Stealth Rock as soon as possible. However, if the opponent has Pelipper or Mantine, which can use Defog freely against Steelix, hit them with Toxic on the switch to gradually wear them down. After that, switch Steelix in and out as necessary, and dish out some damage to any switch-ins with its powerful STAB moves, or use Toxic against Pokemon that can handle Steelix's attacks, such as Gastrodon and Ludicolo. Be mindful of switching Steelix into threats such as Swellow, Tauros, and Mega Audino, as being hit by a coverage move will leave Steelix unable to check them or their partners. Normal spam in particular is a potent strategy to be mindful of, as it quickly weakens Steelix and leaves it unable to check the Normal-types, so sacrificing a teammate or pivoting around is the best move if it is necessary to keep Steelix around. Keeping Sturdy intact can be useful in emergency situations to KO Pokemon such as Pyroar, Combusken, and Barbaracle. Team Options Steelix fits well in almost all archetypes, though it's most useful on balance and bulky offense. Water-types, such as Samurott and Lanturn, handle the Fire- and Water-types Steelix struggles with. Pelipper and Mantine in particular also check Fighting-types. Poison-types such as Vileplume, Weezing, and Garbodor check Grass- and Fighting-types, and the former three also handle Ground-types. Any of the last three can also form an entry hazard-stacking core with Steelix, and Weezing paired with Steelix is a notable core for balance. General special sponges such as Assault Vest Hariyama and Magmortar, which also check Fire-types, complement Steelix well, and in return Steelix takes care of most physical attackers, in addition to Psychic-types for the former. Ghost-types such as the Gourgeist formes and Rotom can spinblock for Steelix if it's used on entry hazard-stacking teams. Fast revenge killers such as Floatzel and Swellow make up for Steelix's low Speed, and Steelix's Stealth Rock support helps to weaken their checks and counters.

The gold standard for Steelix; it takes resisted physical hits like a boss while getting the most desired entry hazard up easily. Stealth Rock is right at home in the RU tier, as it wreaks the myriad of Bug-, Flying-, and Fire-types that await. From there, Steelix wants to retaliate with a semblance of force. Earthquake grants this as its primary STAB move, putting a dent on anything it hits super effectively. Gyro Ball is its secondary STAB move that is useful against frail foes that are speedier than Steelix. It OHKOes Archeops and deals 78.59 - 92.25% damage to Primeape, a guaranteed OHKO with Stealth Rock and two layers of Spikes. Gyro Ball also does a decent number against Rotom, should it lack a super effective Hidden Power or Will-O-Wisp. The final move is quite a fickle one, though. Because Steelix attracts unwanted attention from Pokemon wanting to set up on it, particularly those who resist or have no problem taking on its STAB moves, a phazing move is desired. The benefit is twofold, as the forced switch also racks up entry hazard damage. With access to two phazing moves, Steelix must make a choice; Roar has been a mainstay in Steelix's arsenal since GSC. Accuracy and the ability to phaze through an opponent's Substitute still make it the primary choice. However, Taunt ruins the chance of a Roar to be bellowed, so Steelix has the option of turning to a secondary phazing move. Dragon Tail deals damage while forcing out the opponent, meaning that damage is caused to both shifted Pokemon when in lieu with entry hazards. However, there are two downsides to Dragon Tail; it doesn't phaze through a Substitute, and the 90% accuracy may result in a costly miss. The given EV spread ensures that Choice Band Archeops and Choice Scarf Primeape 3HKO Steelix with Earthquake and Close Combat, respectively, factoring in Stealth Rock on the field. The remaining EVs bolster Steelix's underwhelming Special Defense. If you prefer to take special attacks a bit better, an alternate EV spread of 252 HP / 96 Def / 160 SpD can be used. Though you trade in the 3HKO guaranteed with the standard spread (a 5.86% chance of being 2HKOed by Choice Band Archeops and Choice Scarf Primeape without Stealth Rock), the additional special bulk ensures that only a 3HKO occurs from unboosted special attackers such as Life Orb Rotom. If Stealth Rock or phazing is left to another Pokemon, Steelix has other options to take on its checks. Toxic can be used against bulkier walls such as Tangrowth, bulky Water-types, and defensive Ghost-types such as Dusknoir and Spiritomb. Stone Edge nails Moltres and Scyther on the switch in. However, because Stealth Rock already robs them of half of their health, it should really be considered only if you have another teammate setting up Stealth Rock. In any case, recall that with no EV investment, the only things Stone Edge will be dealing any meaningful damage to is frail foes weak to Rock-type attacks. Finally, Rest is an option to keep Steelix around longer; against physical attackers who can barely scratch Steelix, it is the perfect way to recover its health. However, the sleep mechanics this generation make sleep undesirable, so the importance of a cleric becomes clear in the case that Steelix is forced out. Because Steelix is weak to some very common types in the metagame, it appreciates Pokemon who can absorb Ground-, Water-, Fighting-, and Fire-type attacks. It therefore has perfect synergy with Rotom, Slowking, and Poliwrath, who, in return, appreciate Steelix's resistances and immunities. Cleric support is appreciated, as Steelix hates being burned and will love being healed if it carries Rest. Misdreavus carries Heal Bell, so if Steelix packs Rest, it can easily wake it up. Much like Rotom, it also provides anti-spin support. Alomomola is another bulky Water-type with good synergy, with the added benefit of providing Wish support. Gardevoir is also a decent package, carrying both Wish and Heal Bell alongside good special bulk to complement Steelix's natural physical bulk. If its counters are eliminated, Steelix is very difficult to take down, phazing away boosting sweepers and wearing down opponents. Therefore, Steelix adores entry hazards alongside the Stealth Rock it lays.

Steelix's niche in RU is being able to tank most physical attacks like a boss, set up Stealth Rock, and phaze the opponent out. With this set, Steelix retains the ability to counter physical attackers like Cinccino and check Druddigon, lures in its common checks, and poses a significant offensive threat to the opponent, meaning it is best suited for balanced teams. Earthquake is Steelix's main STAB move of choice despite revealing its Life Orb. Iron Tail, despite its horrible accuracy, is chosen as the Steel STAB because it hits like an absolute nuke with Sheer Force and Life Orb. However, it should only be used when the power is absolutely needed due to its terrible accuracy. Iron Head is a good alternative to Iron Tail and won't miss, but it misses out on a few KOs: the guaranteed 2HKO on Amoonguss, the OHKO on bulky Swords Dance Gallade after Stealth Rock, a high chance to OHKO Kabutops after Stealth Rock, the OHKO on Lilligant, a small chance to 2HKO Uxie after Stealth Rock, and a high chance to OHKO Sigilyph. However, with Life Orb, the move retains many of the same 2HKOs, so depending on how you want to play with Steelix and the team it's on, Iron Head can still be a great move choice. Crunch takes the last slot to annihilate Rotom and easily 2HKO Slowking and other Psychic-types without needing to rely on Iron Tail. 44 Speed EVs are used to outpace minimum Speed Spiritomb and, more importantly, Amoonguss and Slowking. Rock Slide gets the Sheer Force boost and is a great tool to lure in and destroy Fire-types like Moltres. Leftovers is usable over Life Orb to better bluff the standard defensive set, and Steelix is still decently strong thanks to Sheer Force. This set is a great lure for common switch-ins to Steelix, particularly those that like to use it as setup bait, such as Qwilfish. This set always 2HKOes Qwilfish with Earthquake after Stealth Rock and Intimidate, and easily 2HKOes Amoonguss with Iron Tail. This set also survives Life Orb Durant's Superpower, and can OHKO in return with Earthquake (only after the Defense drop from Superpower, though). The luring aspect of this set is what makes it work as well as it does, and it makes a great alternative to Golurk, which is not as physically bulky. Good teammates include Slowking, which has exceptionally good type synergy with Steelix and loves the removal of Pokemon like Amoonguss. Magmortar is another great teammate to take out Tangrowth with and make great use of the holes that Steelix punches into the opponent's team. Pokemon that enjoy Qwilfish being removed or maimed by this set make good teammates too, Escavalier and Emboar in particular.

Looking for a way to counter Choice Band Druddigon, set up Stealth Rock, and keep momentum all in one Pokemon? Boy, do I have the answer for you. This Custap Berry set is about the only way Steelix will fit on an offensive team without giving up momentum by being weak and slow as hell. Switch into a Pokemon that Steelix checks, such as Druddigon, Durant, or Escavalier, set up Stealth Rock, throw around an Earthquake or two, and then once Steelix is in Custap Berry range, use Explosion to get Steelix out of the way and bring in a teammate safely. This Steelix is meant to be played hard and fast, so you should ultimately not feel too bad about losing it in the long run. Heavy Slam is chosen over Gyro Ball as the Steel STAB move due to its greater damage across the board to a varied amount of Pokemon, particularly against other slow Pokemon like Amoonguss. Attack is maxed, and 44 Speed EVs are run to outpace minimum Speed Spiritomb. The rest of the EVs are dumped into HP to increase overall bulk. Rock Blast can be used over Heavy Slam since Moltres can otherwise come into this set and set up a Substitute without issue. Getting Stealth Rock set up quickly and getting a teammate in for free is a huge draw for using this set, so frail setup sweepers make excellent teammates, particularly Lilligant, Sigilyph, and Sceptile. Neither Kabutops nor Cryogonal like switching into Steelix, meaning Stealth Rock is unlikely to get blown away while it's in. Once Steelix Explodes out, offensive pressure can then keep those two from spinning away the hazards. This Steelix likes switching into Rotom and other Volt Switch users as it immediately captures momentum from them and allows itself to set up Stealth Rock; however, defensive Will-O-Wisp Rotom will give Steelix a bit of trouble and probably force it to Explode. If you're worried about Rotom you can run Crunch in place of Heavy Slam, though Heavy Slam should be enough to ward off most Rotom.

This set is much harder to use than the other sets, as the Pokemon who can interrupt its sweep attempts are numerous. However, the benefits cannot be ignored in comparison to the other sets. By using Curse, you have the advantage of powering up all of Steelix's moves, while strengthening its already massive Defense, and after a couple of Curses, Steelix can surpass the damage capacity of the other sets easily. Naturally, you'll want to start Steelix's sweep later in the match, when all Fire-, Water-, and Grass-types on the opposing team have been taken care of. Gyro Ball is the main attack this time, as the synergy between it and Curse comes naturally. As Steelix's Speed lowers, the number of targets Gyro Ball can hit at peak damage increases. With just two Curses, Steelix's Speed becomes 29, which allows Steelix to nail foes with a Speed stat of 174 or higher with full-powered Gyro Balls. Earthquake is still Steelix's most reliable STAB move though, and gets decent coverage with Gyro Ball. Either of these attacks can be replaced with Stone Edge if you need Steelix to take on Moltres, but that's a job that would be done better by another Pokemon on your team. Explosion lets Steelix take its hard-earned boosts and go out with a bang, but Rest gives Steelix greater longevity and prevents status from getting in the way of its sweep. If using Rest, Chesto Berry can be used to give Steelix a one-time full health regeneration at no cost. You could also use type-resist Berries on this set, namely Passho Berry or Occa Berry, to protect Steelix against specific threats that the rest of your team may not be able to remove. The EVs are designed to reinforce Steelix's vulnerable Special Defense, as its monstrous Defense will already be boosted to tremendous heights by Curse. Unfortunately, this Steelix isn't much of a team player, and needs a lot of support in order to effectively sweep. Stealth Rock works wonders for its sweeping potential, keeping Moltres off its back if Steelix is not running Stone Edge. Clefable and Chansey can absorb special attacks aimed at Steelix, lay down Stealth Rock, and provide Wish support so that Steelix can attempt multiple sweeps. Claydol and Uxie synergize well with this Steelix set in numerous ways: they resist or are immune to Steelix's Ground and Fighting weaknesses, can set up Stealth Rock, and can provide Light Screen support to give Steelix a much easier time setting up.

With Fire- and Water-types rising in dominance, Steelix's role as a Normal-type resister is constantly put into question. This set runs type-resist Berries that help mitigate its inherent weaknesses by taking advantage of the two assets that Registeel doesn't have: a good Attack stat, and STAB Earthquake. The purpose of this set is to lure in some of Steelix's usual counters, bulky Waters such as Milotic and Slowbro or Fire-types like Houndoom, and then use Explosion or Earthquake to clear the path for a sweeper, such as Dragon Dance Feraligatr or Swords Dance Venusaur, who are normally troubled by them. Stealth Rock should be used early-game when your opponent is still playing conservatively with weak attacks such as Fake Out and U-turn. The last slot is up to preference; Stone Edge hits Flying-types the hardest and allows Steelix to check Moltres (if Steelix still has or even has an Occa Berry, of course) and Altaria, but Iron Head is more reliable and does more damage to Ghost- and Grass-types. Roar can scout for counters so you can better assess what Pokemon your team needs to eliminate. The EVs are geared to give Steelix a good amount of Special Defense, while also giving its Explosion the power to significantly damage or take out most foes. Steelix can survive even a Life Orb Milotic's Hydro Pump or a Blaziken's Fire Blast with the EV investment, provided it's holding the appropriate type-resist Berry, and then act accordingly to take the foe out. A Passho Berry is for Water-types such as Azumarill and offensive Milotic, while Occa Berry is for Fire-types such as Blaziken, Magmortar, and Houndoom. The type-resist Berry of choice should be specific to your team's needs, so choose with that in mind. Be wary, as BaitLix is less physically-defensive than the Standard Wall Steelix, which can often lead to it not fulfilling its commonly perceived role of a physical wall as well as one might expect. It is often a good idea to have some other physically-bulky Pokemon, such as Donphan or Milotic, in reserve if you're running this Steelix set.

This is a rather unique Steelix set that utilizes Torment in conjunction with Substitute to halt the enemy's attacks. By doing this, Steelix can stall the foe with Toxic or attack freely with Earthquake and Gyro Ball. Steelix should first use Substitute to scout the switch-in; beware of overusing Substitute, however, since Steelix's HP stat is fairly low. If the switch-in is a Pokemon who carries only one super effective attack or you know is Choiced, use Torment, which allows Steelix to stop foes from using the same move twice in a row. This is especially useful if the foe has only one super effective attack or is Choiced because it is forced to use an ineffective move or Struggle. Afterward, if Steelix's Substitute has been broken, set up another one while the foe either stays in and uses an ineffective attack or switches out. Depending on the switch-in, use Toxic if the foe can take Steelix's attacks relatively well, or Earthquake or Gyro Ball if it will devastate the opposing Pokemon. The choice between Earthquake and Gyro Ball depends on what Pokemon your team can handle. Earthquake is preferred since it can strike Poison- and Steel-types who are immune to Toxic. However, if your team employs Toxic Spikes from supporters such as Omastar, Drapion, and Cloyster, it may be better to attack Flying-types and Levitators, such as Swellow, Mismagius, and Scyther, with Gyro Ball. Some potential options to use on this set are Protect and Roar. Protect helps Steelix stall the opponent with Torment, gain HP from Leftovers, and better stall for increasing poison damage on the foe. Roar can shuffle the opponent's team around so you can identify key threats and take them out beforehand. Steelix is strapped for moveslots as it is, however, and it needs all of the listed moves to work as effectively as possible. The nature and defensive EVs allow Steelix to take less than 25% damage from 0 Special Attack Milotic's Ice Beam, which means Steelix's Substitute will never break. The remaining EVs are placed in Attack to deal as much damage as possible with Earthquake or Gyro Ball. Note that if Steelix is using Gyro Ball, you should choose Sassy over Careful and set the Speed IVs to 0 to increase Gyro Ball's damage output. Also, with Gyro Ball, you can use an alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 48 Atk / 208 SpD so Houndoom's Dark Pulse doesn't break Steelix's Substitute; this is important since Steelix lacks a way to OHKO Houndoom. Sandstorm support from Hippopotas is welcome to increase the residual damage done to the opponent over time. Walls who are immune to or take little damage from Earthquake and Gyro Ball, and are also immune to poison or carry Rest, such as Milotic and Weezing, are huge threats to this Steelix. Against these Pokemon, Electric-type special attackers, such as Manectric and Rotom, can switch in on a weak attack and then strike back with STAB Thunderbolt. Watch out, however, as repeated attacks from these walls will eventually KO these fragile Electric-types. Wish support is appreciated from Chansey and Leafeon to keep these relatively frail Pokemon healthy. Wish can also help Steelix regenerate more HP if Substitute is taking its toll on Steelix's health. Moltres, Taunt users such as Mismagius, and Encore users such as Clefable and Poliwrath are also major pains to this set. Using specially defensive Hariyama can help remove Clefable and Mismagius with Close Combat and Payback, respectively. Against Poliwrath and Moltres, Rotom can use Thunderbolt, but beware of switching into both Waterfall and Fire Blast. Alternatively, Lanturn is a much safer option due to its Water typing and bulk; however, using Lanturn comes at the cost of fewer immunities and mediocre offensive stats.

Steelix's basic walling set returns for another round in the UU tier. Its great resistances cause many switches, which it can exploit by laying down Stealth Rock while the opposing Pokemon flees. Due to an uninvested Attack stat, the residual damage will probably do more harm than any direct attacks that Steelix can dish out, so you'll want Stealth Rock set up as soon as possible. STAB Earthquake deals respectable damage, and no Steelix should walk out the door without it. The third slot depends on whether you want coverage with Stone Edge, or STAB and accuracy in Gyro Ball. Both hit Flying-types and frail Ghosts; Stone Edge does better against Moltres, while Gyro Ball does better against Mismagius. A Sassy or Relaxed nature with 0 Speed IVs should be used with Gyro Ball in order to increase its Base Power. The fourth slot provides additional support. Roar works well after you've eliminated the opponent's Taunt user, as it scouts the opponent's team and racks up Stealth Rock damage. Toxic can wear down Steelix's usual counters gradually, making it harder for them to stall, but Explosion can leave a lasting dent on them or even OHKO them outright. Unfortunately, Steelix will then no longer be able to supply its valuable resistances to the team. The EVs are designed to give Steelix as much Special Defense as possible. The reason for this is that Steelix's Defense is already so monstrous even without any investment, and most opponents will be preying on its weaker Special Defense stat anyway. If you feel that Steelix's physical walling capabilities are diminished too greatly by this, then an alternative EV spread of 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def can be used. Be warned, however, as now almost any special attacker will have no problem dealing with Steelix. Steelix can run Payback in the third slot to nail Rotom for super effective damage, as it resists Gyro Ball and is immune to Earthquake. It is also useful for hitting other Levitators, such as Mismagius, Uxie, and Mesprit, harder than Steelix's other moves. Steelix's resistances create a solid defensive pivot, especially for teams that rely on a powerful special attacker to clean up. With Stealth Rock weakening the opponent's team and priority sweepers kept at bay, Pokemon such as Ludicolo and Ninetales can breathe easier and sweep more reliably. Slowking makes an excellent partner for Steelix in many aspects. While Slowking provides the same Water-, Fire-, and Fighting-type resistances that Slowbro does, Slowking is better suited as a partner since its higher Special Defense complements Steelix's lower Defense stat much better, making it a great check for many threats who like to switch into Steelix - from Moltres and Milotic to Hitmontop and Hariyama - and can support Steelix with paralysis to make up for its low Speed. It's worth noting that running Thunder Wave on Slowking when Steelix is running Gyro Ball is a conflicting strategy; it is better then to run a neutral Speed nature on Steelix and use Iron Head to make the most of its flinch chance while the opposing Pokemon is paralyzed.

A Choice Band set somewhat patches up Steelix's low Attack, but it's still slow and unable to hurt common Water-type switch-ins; it also greatly misses Leftovers recovery. Still, Steelix is easy enough to switch in and can punch holes in the opponent's team with some prediction. Earthquake is Steelix's most powerful STAB attack. Iron Tail and Hidden Power Steel are both options for its Steel-type STAB, and the choice between them comes down to a simple power vs. accuracy argument; the former is preferred as it is Steelix's most powerful option against Gengar, Aerodactyl, and Regice. There are three options for the third moveslot: Double-Edge is a powerful move with good neutral coverage, while Hidden Power Rock and Rock Slide deal heavy damage to Zapdos. Finally, Explosion provides one last powerful hit when Steelix has been weakened.

Steelix can easily switch into Normal- and Flying-type attacks, most Electric-types, Metagross, and Snorlax, and then attack accordingly. Earthquake is Steelix's most reliable STAB move, while Toxic cripples Water-types and other bulky Pokemon it cannot otherwise hurt. Hidden Power Rock hits Flying-types, which are immune to Earthquake, but Toxic is generally the preferred option in the second moveslot. With cleric support, Steelix can gain a new lease of life with Rest; alternatively, Explosion allows it to go out with a bang when its job is done. However, the greatest flaw with Steelix as a wall is its lack of instant attacking power.

Unlike other Ground-types, Steelix plays more as a defensive pivot than an offensive powerhouse thanks to its combination of great defensive typing and woefully mediocre Attack. STAB Earthquake is, aside from the Electric immunity, one of the biggest perks to being a Ground-type, so it's a must on Steelix to allow it to threaten relevant damage against foes. Curse is also required, as it allows Steelix to bolster its Attack to levels at which neutral Earthquakes actually threaten significant damage. Curse is the main way Steelix manages to create offensive pressure, especially in conjunction with Roar. Roar allows Steelix to prevent itself from being phazed by Pokemon such as Skarmory while it is setting up Curses, and furthermore can be used to shuffle the opponent's team to either scout or accumulate Spikes damage. Roar is also fantastic defensively, as Steelix is capable of countering several threats such as Curse Snorlax, Perish trap Misdreavus, and Baton Pass Jolteon, Espeon, and Umbreon. The last move depends on what you want out of Steelix. Explosion allows Steelix to break walls instead of simply applying offensive pressure. After a Curse, a full-health Steelix can survive Suicune's Surf and guarantee an OHKO in return with Explosion. Other threats, such as Zapdos and Miltank, are guaranteed to fall to a +1 Explosion, and Zapdos in particular is likely to be OHKOed and takes at least 93% damage from an unboosted Explosion. Explosion can also come in handy against Snorlax, even Fire Blast variants that Steelix otherwise struggles to beat. An unboosted Explosion does 80-94% to Snorlax, so you will need a little bit of residual damage to make this into an OHKO. Skarmory can also be KOed by Explosion if Steelix is able to set up enough Curses beforehand--at least 4 Curses are needed to guarantee an OHKO against an unboosted Skarmory, whereas 6 are needed to have a roughly 70% chance of OHKOing a +1 Skarmory. On the other hand, Rock Slide is a more conservative option that allows Steelix to 3HKO Zapdos after a Curse without needing to Explode. Furthermore, Rock Slide allows Steelix to sweep late-game when none of the opposing Pokemon can hurt it, even if the opponent has an Earthquake-immune Zapdos or Skarmory. Rock Slide can also severely punish Charizard switch-ins without the risk involved with Explosion. However, it's important to note that outside of trying to catch Charizard, Rock Slide is useless without Curses behind it, as it fails to even 3HKO Zapdos without a boost. Finally, Body Slam is an option for Steelix's last moveslot. Body Slam does not threaten to outright KO a wall the way Explosion can, and since it only does 24-28% to Skarmory when Steelix is at +6 Attack, it does not allow Steelix to sweep, either. However, Body Slam allows Steelix to spread paralysis, thereby allowing it to support its team much more effectively than it would have been able to otherwise. Steelix is best used on offensive teams as a defensive pivot to switch into Snorlax and Electric-types. It's immune to Thunder and takes only neutral damage from Ice moves, giving it "perfect" defensive coverage against the vaunted BoltBeam coverage touted by Zapdos, Raikou, and Gengar. Its high Defense and Steel typing allow it to tank Snorlax Double-Edges better than any other non-Ghost-type Pokemon, and furthermore its Defense is high enough to take merely 27-31% from Snorlax's unboosted Earthquake. These are the match-ups that make Steelix great, so it's best to use Steelix to either attempt to mount pressure against an opposing Snorlax or to chain-switch around Hidden Power Zapdos to get your own Snorlax or Tyranitar in on an innocuous Hidden Power instead of a powerful Thunder. However, always be wary of Fire Blast on Snorlax and Hidden Power Water on Zapdos or Raikou, as these can ruin Steelix's strong match-up against these foes. The possibility of these moves is part of what makes Explosion the standard fourth move over Rock Slide; at least with Explosion you can salvage the situation when unable to sweep against a non-standard Snorlax or Zapdos set and take something down with Steelix. Steelix tends to work best with Spikes support so it can use Roar to accumulate damage against the opposing team. Typically, Cloyster is the Spiker of choice to pair with Steelix. Defensively, Steelix synergizes well with Exeggutor, which can switch in against and torment Raikou and Zapdos that opt for Hidden Power Water over Hidden Power Ice. Misdreavus is also a good partner since it can handle Fire Blast Snorlax while spinblocking to keep Spikes down for Steelix. As for offensive support to pair with Steelix, this depends on whether Steelix is running Explosion, Body Slam, or Rock Slide. Steelix with Explosion helps break walls for the team, so Pokemon that struggle with its common Explosion targets are good teammates. Vaporeon, Machamp, and Charizard are a few teammates that appreciate Explosion Steelix's ability to take Suicune and Zapdos out of the game. If Steelix runs Body Slam, it isn't breaking walls but rather afflicting them with status to allow other attackers to beat them. Nidoking and Marowak are absolutely thrilled by Steelix's ability to paralyze Zapdos and Suicune for them, whereas Belly Drum Snorlax and Machamp can capitalize off of Steelix's ability to paralyze Skarmory. However, if Steelix uses Rock Slide, it aims to be a more effective Spikes shuffler by threatening damage against Zapdos, while also looking for a potential late-game sweep. Thus, Steelix will need to receive support rather than supply it. Steelix's common counters include Suicune and Growl Miltank, so teammates that can KO or paralyze these threats so Steelix can sweep will help it immensely. In particular, mixed Snorlax with Self-Destruct or Body Slam can threaten to KO or paralyze Miltank and Suicune.