Why are Steel-types so good in Pokemon GO PvP?

When it comes to Pokemon GO PvP, no type sees as much consistent use and success as the Steel element. The likes of Dialga, Heatran, Galarian Stunfisk, and Registeel are dominant in their own respective fields of competitive play. What they all have in common is decent bulk and the Steel typing. With this in mind, many new players may want to know why using creatures of this element offer such a huge advantage.

The answer to why Steel-type creatures are so oppressive lies within the transition of the battle system between the main series and Niantic's spin-off. Knowing how the seemingly small change can make such a big difference in the mobile title can also greatly assist any beginner's understanding of what to expect going into their first battle.

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Analyzing Steel-type creatures in Pokemon GO: A blend of attack and defense

Excadrill, a Ground and Steel-type, as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As those experienced with the franchise will know, the Steel typing is considered the best in the franchise, thanks to its ability to resist 10 other elements, which is more than half of the roster of available typings. In the main series, this is slightly evened out by most Steel-type creatures’ focus on defense and utility rather than all-out offense.

In Pokemon GO, this limitation does barely anything for a majority of Pocket Monsters, thanks to its transition to a live-action battle system. This is why defensive tanks always make up the higher rings of tier lists.

As those who have played fighting games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat will know, chip damage adds up over time. As such, players do not need to deal strategic damage to be victorious in Niantic's spin-off; they only need to outlast their opponent.

This method of stalling out one's opponent may seem boring, but this is a very effective way for players to farm wins in Pokemon GO's Great and Ultra League tiers of play. This is due to how much frailer and damage-focused a lot of the other participants in those tiers are.

This also makes Steel-type creatures the safest switch-in option. Opponents without a move that can hit a Steel-type Pocket Monster super-effectively can get stuck in a 1v1 battle with one if it is caught out without a swap available. This sort of tactic happens way more often than newbies would think, so it always pays off to have a Ground or Fire-type pick on standby.

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Pokemon GO's best Steel-types

Registeel as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Thanks to its pure Steel typing and access to the hyper-charging fast attack, Lock-On, Registeel is easily one of the biggest threats in Great and Ultra League despite being painfully bad in the main series. Due to its ability to fire off rapid bursts of charged damage, players without a fast counter for Registeel could lose half of their battle party.

Metagross as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Metagross is a solid contender for all sorts of battles in Pokemon GO, from gym defenses to Raid Battles. It possesses a high base stat total and a great offensive secondary typing in Psychic. This allows the creature to go toe-to-toe with Legendaries in the game's Master League.

Heatran as seen in Pokemon Generations (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Heatran is notorious for being one of the best Fire-type creatures in all of Pokemon GO, and a large part of these claims are attributed to its secondary Steel typing. Having balanced stats and the Steel typing take Heatran from being a well-balanced Legendary to a brick house of a tank with access to potent Fire-type attacks.