Rock/Steel Type

Rock/Steel and Steel/Rock are the same defensive pairing; this page uses rock-steel as the canonical URL. Rock/Steel blocks Poison and resists many physical lanes, but Fighting and Ground pressure define the matchup. Representative Pokémon include Aron, Lairon, Aggron, Shieldon, Bastiodon. The standard type chart gives this combination 4× weak to Fighting, Ground and 2× weak to Water. It is immune to Poison. Its main defensive value comes from ¼× resists Normal, Flying; ½× resists Ice, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Fairy, but stats, ability, item, and format still decide whether a real Pokémon can use those entries repeatedly.

Offensive plan

Rock STAB threatens Flying, Fire, Ice, and Bug targets, while Steel STAB pressures Fairy, Ice, and Rock targets. Fighting and Ground both hit for 4×, Water hits for 2×, and Poison has no effect. The typing needs dedicated support against common physical coverage.

Counterplay and defensive risks

To counter Rock/Steel, start with the chart pressure: Fighting, Ground, Water. If a 4× weakness is listed, preserve that attack type before revealing it; if there is no 4× weakness, repeated 2× pressure and hazard chip usually matter more than a single surprise hit. Scout for abilities, Terastallization, weather, recovery, and pivot moves before assuming the visible multiplier ends the exchange.

Team-building advice

Rock/Steel needs Fighting and Ground answers first, plus Water support. Flying, Ghost, Grass, and bulky Water partners can cover those lanes while Rock/Steel provides Poison immunity and strong resistances. Use the Team Calculator to check whether the rest of the six stacks the same Fighting, Ground problem, then compare the full defensive chart before choosing moves or teammates.

Read the best Pokémon type combinations guide for a side-by-side defensive comparison.

Continue with Type Chart, Dual Type Calculator, Ground/Rock guide, and Poison/Steel guide.

Frequently asked questions