Skip to main content

Try a free month of being a Eurogamer Supporter

Get ad-free browsing and exclusive content. Use code "EGMay24" at checkout.

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Pokémon Go Mega Steelix counters, weaknesses and moveset explained

How to defeat the mega evolved Steel and Ground-type Pokémon.

Mega Steelix is the Mega Evolved form of the Iron Snake Pokémon, Steelix, is available Pokémon Go.

While it was once exciting as one of the first Steel-type Mega, it has quickly been superseded by Mega Aggron and Mega Scizor... and when Mega Metagross enters the fray we'll have a whole new category of awesome to talk about. But, these days, Mega Steelix is simply a Dex filler.

Like all Mega Evolutions, Mega Steelix can’t be caught directly in Pokémon Go. Instead, you need to keep defeating it in Mega Raids until you’ve collected enough Mega Steelix Energy for its temporary evolution.

Below you’ll find Mega Steelix’s counters and weaknesses to help you succeed in Pokémon Go - just remember you need to have an Steelix in your Pokémon storage to perform its Mega Evolution.

On this page:

Watch as battle Guzzlord - one of the Ultra Beasts in Pokémon GoWatch on YouTube

Mega Steelix counters and weaknesses in Pokémon Go

The fastest way to collect Mega Steelix Energy is to defeat one in a Mega Raid. Below you’ll find the counters and weaknesses for Mega Steelix to help you achieve this:

Steelix
  • Mega Steelix types - Steel and Ground-type
  • Mega Steelix is weak against - Fire, Fighting, Ground and Water-type attacks
  • Mega Steelix is resistant to - Poison, Electric, Rock, Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Normal, Psychic and Steel-type attacks
  • Mega Steelix Mega counters - Primal Groudon with Mud Shot and Precipice Blades is your best Mega option, followed by Primal Kyogre, Mega Blaziken, Mega Charizard Y, Mega Swampert, Mega Garchomp and Mega Blastoise. Lots of options here!
  • Mega Steelix non-Mega counters - Shadow Excadrill, if you have it, will help you a lot. Failing that, you’re looking at Terrakion. Shadow Blaziken, Reshiram, Shadow Swampert and Shadow Garchomp. Failing absolutely all else, an army of Machamp will do the job, but you’ll need a lot of players if that's what you're doing!
  • Shadow Excadrill and Terrakion are your top two counters
  • Number of players to beat Mega Steelix - You're looking at four Trainers with fully optimal Level 40 counters at the bare minimum. Aim for 7–11 and you should be fine.
  • Tactics - There’s no double weaknesses here, so focusing on your strongest Ground and Fighting-types is the way to go, as they will deal the most damage if you have the strongest possible counters. Otherwise, bring your strongest Fire, Fighting, Ground and Water-type attackers and hope for the best!

Mega Steelix CP in Pokémon Go

Below you’ll find the CP levels for battling for Mega Steelix and, if defeated, catching an Steelix after the fight in Pokémon Go:

  • Mega Steelix Raid CP - 39,825 CP
  • CP range for catching Steelix - 2010 to 2097 CP
  • Weather (Snow/Sunny) when being caught - 2512 to 2622 CP

The World of Wonders Season is coming to an end in Pokémon Go. Make a start on the Masterwork Research: Catching Wonders quest for a Master Ball, Glitz and Glam quest for a Diancie and catch up on the World of Wonders quest before it ends! Don't forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you're hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.


Best Mega Steelix moveset in Pokémon Go

Mega Steelix is a slightly underwhelming Steel and Ground-type attacker in the world of Pokémon Go. It is simply overshadowed by everything else in the Steel and Ground categories - pretty impressive when you consider the size of it.

Mega Steelix.

That said, if you're new to the game, or if you don't have a full roster of Steel-type Mega Pokémon, it doesn’t hurt to have a Mega Steelix on hand - especially once you learn that the best Mega Steelix moves in Pokémon Go are Iron Tail (Fast) and Heavy Slam (Charged)

Since you primarily want Mega Steelix as either a Raid attacker or to help you hoover up extra candy when you see an abundance of Ground/Steel-type Pokémon, you can skip adding a second move.

Here are all the Fast and Charged moves Mega Steelix can use in Pokémon Go:

Fast Moves:

  • Dragon Tail (Dragon)
  • Iron Tail (Steel)
  • Thunder Fang (Electric)

Charged Moves:

  • Earthquake (Ground)
  • Heavy Slam (Steel)
  • Crunch (Dark)
  • Psychic Fangs (Psychic)
  • Breaking Swipe (Dragon)

Everything we know about Steelix

The Iron Snake Pokémon, Steelix, is pretty cool. What’s not to love about a snake, made of rock, that fuses with its Metal Coat to form an even cooler snake, except this time it's made out of metal?

Ok, sure, it sounds like it was designed by a six-year-old, but that doesn’t make it any less cool!

Everything in the Onix evolution line is a Ground-type, with Onix being favouring Rock and Steelix obviously favouring Steel. (Image via pokemongolive.com)

If you want to learn more about the best snake Pokémon, you can read their official Pokédex entries below:

  • Onix: 'As it digs through the ground, it absorbs many hard objects. This is what makes its body so solid.'
  • Steelix: 'It is said that if an Onix lives for over 100 years, its composition changes to become diamond-like.'
  • Mega Steelix: 'Steelix lives even further underground than Onix. This Pokémon is known to dig toward the Earth’s core. There are records of this Pokémon reaching a depth of over six-tenths of a mile underground.'

Right, numeracy is important - who measures miles in tenths? A mile is 1600m, so that’s 960m - just say 'almost a kilometre'. Also, simplify your fractions, Pokémon Company! Six-tenths is three-fifths. So there you go; you came to learn about Rock Snakes and you tips on passing GCSE maths. Who said games weren’t educational...

For those less interested in maths and more interested in shiny Pokémon (which is at least eighteen twentieths of you), you’ll be pleased to know that shiny Steelix was released in June 2019. As a result, Mega Steelix is also in the game, and it looks absolutely golden!

My perfect shiny lucky double move maxed mega Steelix!
byu/djgeneral inpokemongo

Yep, we meant literally golden, as you can see thanks to Reddit user djgeneral, with their perfect lucky shiny Mega Steelix. We would like some of your luck, please.

Good luck defeating Mega Steelix in Pokémon Go!

Read this next