Taken over from Spirit
solid snake
Overview
########
Steelix has a very unique typing that allows it to check or counter many threats in RU such as Magneton, Doublade, Exploud, Jolteon, Drapion, and Meloetta. Steelix has a respectable offensive presence for a defensive Pokemon, as well as access to Roar, making it harder to exploit than other walls. Steelix's Steel / Ground typing also gives it an immunity to Toxic and Volt Switch, making it a great pivot switch-in against VoltTurn teams. Unfortunately, Steelix has no reliable form of recovery, making it dependent on Wish support. Steelix also faces competition for a team slot from the likes of Doublade, Bronzong, and Registeel on defensive teams.
Specially Defensive
########
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Roar / Toxic
move 3: Heavy Slam
move 4: Stealth Rock
ability: Sturdy
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Earthquake is a powerful STAB move that smashes the Pokemon Steelix checks, including Doublade, Drapion, and Magneton. Roar allows Steelix to phaze out setup sweepers such as Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary and Substitute + Calm Mind Meloetta, and Baton Pass users such as Togetic and Gligar, as well as racking up entry hazard damage. Toxic can be used to cripple the likes of Moltres, Alomomola, Defog Gligar, and Rotom-C as opposed to giving them a free switch-in. Heavy Slam is used due to its high Base Power against light Pokemon such as Meloetta and Shiftry. Heavy Slam also has significantly more PP than Gyro Ball, making it a more optimal choice on stall teams. Iron Head with Sheer Force can be used over Heavy Slam to deal more damage to heavier foes such as Druddigon and Mega Abomasnow. Stealth Rock provides entry hazard support, wearing down the foe when it switches in. Fire Fang can be used in conjunction with Sheer Force to better handle threats such as Escavalier, Mega Abomasnow, and Durant. Protect can be used to scout for attackers running Choice items, gain Leftovers recovery, and possibly block a High Jump Kick from Hitmonlee.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Defense investment and a Careful nature is used to handle Electric- and Psychic-types, and avoids the 2HKO from Choice Specs Exploud's Boomburst. A physically defensive EV spread is not used due to Steelix's lack of useful physical resistances and Steelix's weaknesses to common physically attacking types. Sheer Force should be used in conjunction with Iron Head and Fire Fang, but Sturdy is more useful otherwise.
Usage Tips
========
Steelix is best used as a pivot switch into Pokemon that it can wall, such as Magneton, Doublade, and Meloetta, to take a hit and phaze them out or hit back with a powerful STAB move. Steelix is also a good switch-in to passive walls such as Cresselia and Aromatisse, as it is able to set up Stealth Rock on them. However, if Steelix lacks Roar, it is set up bait for Calm Mind Cresselia. It is important to scout for coverage moves from Pokemon that Steelix typically walls, such as Focus Blast on Meloetta and Fire Blast and Surf on Exploud.
Team Options
========
Wish support from the likes of Alomomola and Aromatisse is very useful, as it allows Steelix to wall the threats it is meant to handle. Alomomola is helpful to take on Fire-types such as Delphox and Emboar, whearas Aromatisse handles Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee and Virizion. Weezing is a great partner to deal with offensive Ground-types such as Rhyperior and Fighting-types while providing Toxic Spikes support. Lanturn is another good teammate to handle Fire-types, provide cleric support, and gain momentum with Volt Switch. Cresselia also works well with Steelix, as Steelix takes on Drapion and Doublade, which are troublesome for Cresselia, while in return, Cresselia can deal with most Fighting- and Fire-types.
Other Options
########
An offensive set with Sheer Force and moves such as Iron Tail, Fire Fang, and Ice Fang is viable. Taunt can be used to prevent opposing walls from using support moves, but Steelix's terrible Speed stat makes it hard to use Taunt effectively. Dragon Tail can be used over Roar for some chip damage, but it does not break Braviary's or Meloetta's Substitutes. Crunch hits Psychic-types such as Slowking, Cresselia, and Bronzong, and Aqua Tail hits Rhyperior harder than any of Steelix's other moves. Explosion can be used on an offensive set as a surprise factor to deal massive damage to an opponent. Rock Slide OHKOes Fletchinder and Moltres on the switch.
Checks & Counters
########
**Moltres**: Moltres resists Heavy Slam and is immune to Earthquake, and can threaten Steelix with a powerful Fire Blast. However, it must watch out for Rock Slide and Toxic.
**Alomomola**: Alomomola resists Heavy Slam, and takes very little damage from Earthquake thanks to its great physical bulk, though it must watch out for Toxic.
**Eelektross**: Eelektross resists Heavy Slam and is immune to Earthquake thanks to Levitate, and can hit Steelix hard with Flamethrower.
**Gligar**: Gligar is immune to Earthquake and takes very little damage from Heavy Slam thanks to its high Defense stat in conjunction with Eviolite. Gligar can also Defog away the Stealth Rock set up by Steelix. However, it must beware of Toxic.
**Other Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Emboar and Delphox can threaten Steelix and force it with their STAB moves, but cannot switch in safely on Earthquake.
**Fighting-types**: While Pokemon such as Virizion and Hitmonlee can't switch in safely due to their low Defense stats, they can deal massive damage to Steelix with their STAB moves.
solid snake
Overview
########
Steelix has a very unique typing that allows it to check or counter many threats in RU such as Magneton, Doublade, Exploud, Jolteon, Drapion, and Meloetta. Steelix has a respectable offensive presence for a defensive Pokemon, as well as access to Roar, making it harder to exploit than other walls. Steelix's Steel / Ground typing also gives it an immunity to Toxic and Volt Switch, making it a great pivot switch-in against VoltTurn teams. Unfortunately, Steelix has no reliable form of recovery, making it dependent on Wish support. Steelix also faces competition for a team slot from the likes of Doublade, Bronzong, and Registeel on defensive teams.
Specially Defensive
########
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Earthquake
move 2: Roar / Toxic
move 3: Heavy Slam
move 4: Stealth Rock
ability: Sturdy
item: Leftovers
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
nature: Careful
Moves
========
Earthquake is a powerful STAB move that smashes the Pokemon Steelix checks, including Doublade, Drapion, and Magneton. Roar allows Steelix to phaze out setup sweepers such as Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary and Substitute + Calm Mind Meloetta, and Baton Pass users such as Togetic and Gligar, as well as racking up entry hazard damage. Toxic can be used to cripple the likes of Moltres, Alomomola, Defog Gligar, and Rotom-C as opposed to giving them a free switch-in. Heavy Slam is used due to its high Base Power against light Pokemon such as Meloetta and Shiftry. Heavy Slam also has significantly more PP than Gyro Ball, making it a more optimal choice on stall teams. Iron Head with Sheer Force can be used over Heavy Slam to deal more damage to heavier foes such as Druddigon and Mega Abomasnow. Stealth Rock provides entry hazard support, wearing down the foe when it switches in. Fire Fang can be used in conjunction with Sheer Force to better handle threats such as Escavalier, Mega Abomasnow, and Durant. Protect can be used to scout for attackers running Choice items, gain Leftovers recovery, and possibly block a High Jump Kick from Hitmonlee.
Set Details
========
Maximum Special Defense investment and a Careful nature is used to handle Electric- and Psychic-types, and avoids the 2HKO from Choice Specs Exploud's Boomburst. A physically defensive EV spread is not used due to Steelix's lack of useful physical resistances and Steelix's weaknesses to common physically attacking types. Sheer Force should be used in conjunction with Iron Head and Fire Fang, but Sturdy is more useful otherwise.
Usage Tips
========
Steelix is best used as a pivot switch into Pokemon that it can wall, such as Magneton, Doublade, and Meloetta, to take a hit and phaze them out or hit back with a powerful STAB move. Steelix is also a good switch-in to passive walls such as Cresselia and Aromatisse, as it is able to set up Stealth Rock on them. However, if Steelix lacks Roar, it is set up bait for Calm Mind Cresselia. It is important to scout for coverage moves from Pokemon that Steelix typically walls, such as Focus Blast on Meloetta and Fire Blast and Surf on Exploud.
Team Options
========
Wish support from the likes of Alomomola and Aromatisse is very useful, as it allows Steelix to wall the threats it is meant to handle. Alomomola is helpful to take on Fire-types such as Delphox and Emboar, whearas Aromatisse handles Fighting-types such as Hitmonlee and Virizion. Weezing is a great partner to deal with offensive Ground-types such as Rhyperior and Fighting-types while providing Toxic Spikes support. Lanturn is another good teammate to handle Fire-types, provide cleric support, and gain momentum with Volt Switch. Cresselia also works well with Steelix, as Steelix takes on Drapion and Doublade, which are troublesome for Cresselia, while in return, Cresselia can deal with most Fighting- and Fire-types.
Other Options
########
An offensive set with Sheer Force and moves such as Iron Tail, Fire Fang, and Ice Fang is viable. Taunt can be used to prevent opposing walls from using support moves, but Steelix's terrible Speed stat makes it hard to use Taunt effectively. Dragon Tail can be used over Roar for some chip damage, but it does not break Braviary's or Meloetta's Substitutes. Crunch hits Psychic-types such as Slowking, Cresselia, and Bronzong, and Aqua Tail hits Rhyperior harder than any of Steelix's other moves. Explosion can be used on an offensive set as a surprise factor to deal massive damage to an opponent. Rock Slide OHKOes Fletchinder and Moltres on the switch.
Checks & Counters
########
**Moltres**: Moltres resists Heavy Slam and is immune to Earthquake, and can threaten Steelix with a powerful Fire Blast. However, it must watch out for Rock Slide and Toxic.
**Alomomola**: Alomomola resists Heavy Slam, and takes very little damage from Earthquake thanks to its great physical bulk, though it must watch out for Toxic.
**Eelektross**: Eelektross resists Heavy Slam and is immune to Earthquake thanks to Levitate, and can hit Steelix hard with Flamethrower.
**Gligar**: Gligar is immune to Earthquake and takes very little damage from Heavy Slam thanks to its high Defense stat in conjunction with Eviolite. Gligar can also Defog away the Stealth Rock set up by Steelix. However, it must beware of Toxic.
**Other Fire-types**: Pokemon such as Emboar and Delphox can threaten Steelix and force it with their STAB moves, but cannot switch in safely on Earthquake.
**Fighting-types**: While Pokemon such as Virizion and Hitmonlee can't switch in safely due to their low Defense stats, they can deal massive damage to Steelix with their STAB moves.
Last edited:
