Steel

Steel Type

Steel-type moves are super effective against Ice, Rock, and Fairy types, with excellent defensive typing.

Steel type across the generations

Direct answer: Steel-type moves are super effective (2×) against Ice, Rock, and Fairy. A Steel Pokémon is weak (2×) to Fire, Fighting, and Ground, resists ten types, and is immune only to Poison.

Gen 2–5 (1999–2013): the original Steel

Steel was added in Generation 2 and arrived as the ultimate wall. It resisted eleven types — including Dark and Ghost — and was immune to Poison, with only Fire, Fighting, and Ground as weaknesses. For a decade, "switch to Steel" meant "shrug off almost anything."

Gen 6 (2013): the Fairy rebalance

Fairy was introduced and the chart was trimmed. Steel lost its resistances to Dark and Ghost (those became neutral 1×), and gained a new weakness to Fairy. Steel still resists ten types and is immune to Poison, but it no longer neutralizes Dark or Ghost attackers.

Gen 9 (2022+): Terastal

The type chart itself did not change, but Terastallization lets a Steel Pokémon change its type mid-battle, trading its resistances for a different defensive profile on demand.

What Steel players most often get wrong

"Steel resists Dark and Ghost." Not since 2013. This is the single most common stale memory: a player who has been competing since Red and Blue told us the tricky ones are "matchups that have changed — mainly steel no longer resisting dark or ghost, or anything related to fairy." Since Gen 6 those two matchups are neutral, not resisted.
"Steel isn't weak to Fairy." Wrong since Gen 6. Fairy was added that generation specifically and hits Steel for 2×, so Sylveon, Tinkaton, and other Fairy attackers are real answers to Steel.
"Steel shrugs off Ground." It never did. Ground has been super effective against Steel since Steel existed (Gen 2). Steel's bulk comes from its many resistances, not from avoiding Ground.

Questions players ask about Steel's resistances

A recurring player question is whether Steel's many resistances make every Steel switch automatically safe.

Why does Steel still lose to Fire, Fighting, and Ground? The resistance count does not remove those three weaknesses from the base chart.
Why do older players remember Steel resisting Dark and Ghost? Those matchups changed when the modern chart was revised in Generation VI.
Why can a Steel Pokémon still be pressured by a neutral attack? A resistance is only one chart factor; power, coverage, hazards, and recovery decide the actual turn.

The discussion is about the tradeoff between Steel's broad resistance profile and its concentrated weaknesses, not about counting resistances alone.

Offensive Matchups

When using Steel-type moves:

Super Effective Against (2×):

Ice Rock Fairy

Not Very Effective Against (0.5×):

Fire Water Electric Steel

Defensive Matchups

When defending as a Steel-type:

Strategy Tips

Offensive Strategy

Use Steel-type moves against Ice, Rock, Fairy types for maximum damage.

Defensive Strategy

Be cautious of Fire, Fighting, Ground type moves. Switch in against Normal, Grass, Ice type moves to take reduced damage.

Steel Type Editorial Analysis

Offensive chart index

-1

A site-created comparison index: super-effective targets − resisted targets − 2 × immune targets. It is not an in-game stat or an official ranking.

Defensive chart index

-6

A site-created comparison index: 2 × weaknesses − resistances − 2 × immunities. low defensive burden describes this formula only; it is not an in-game stat or an official ranking.

Role Fit

Steel is the premier defensive compression type, resisting ten attack types and ignoring Poison damage through immunity.

Original TypeMatchup judgment

Use Steel when a team needs a durable answer to Dragon, Fairy, Ice, Rock, Psychic, and repeated neutral pressure. Its Fire, Fighting, and Ground weaknesses must be actively covered.

Team partners and coverage

Flying or Levitate users cover Ground, Water partners cover Fire, and Fairy or Psychic partners can help reduce Fighting pressure depending on the format.

Data check: Steel attacks are resisted or blocked by Fire, Water, Electric, Steel. Candidate partner attack types that pressure at least one of those answers include Fire, Water, Electric, Grass, Fighting, Ground.

Best use case

Steel is strongest as a defensive anchor, hazard setter, pivot, or Fairy check that gives frailer teammates room to operate.

On defense, Steel is threatened by Fire, Fighting, Ground. Teammate types that can resist or blank at least one of those threats include Fire, Water, Grass, Poison, Flying, Psychic.

Important exception

Do not stack Steel blindly. Many teams already prepare Fire, Fighting, and Ground coverage; a second Steel can make those coverage moves too efficient unless the pair covers each other.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Steel type strong against?

Steel type moves are super effective (2× damage) against Ice, Rock, Fairy types.

What is Steel type weak against?

Steel type is weak to (takes 2× damage from) Fire, Fighting, Ground type moves.

What types resist Steel?

Fire, Water, Electric, Steel types resist Steel type moves (take 0.5× damage).

What does Steel type resist?

Steel type resists (takes 0.5× damage from) Normal, Grass, Ice, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Rock, Dragon, Steel, Fairy type moves.

Immunities

Steel type is immune to Poison type moves.

Explore More

Dual Type Calculator

See how Steel combines with other types

Battle Simulator

Test Steel in battle scenarios