Steel-type Pokemon tend to favor defense, opting for a rock-solid defensive prowess over the ability to hit hard offensively. That doesn't mean Steel-type Pokemon just sit by and take blows, though, with the Steel-type having quite a few very useful attacks.

Related: Pokemon: The Strongest Dragon-Type Moves, Ranked

If you're looking to utilize a Steel-type Pokemon on your team and need a few pointers for the best moves you should teach it, consider some of these. Here are some of the best Steel-type moves in the games.

Updated August 21, 2022 by Doruk Kaptan: With the critically acclaimed Pokemon Legends: Arceus in our rear window and Generation 9 coming out with titles Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the Pokemon craze is at an all-time high. Steel types have been one of the fan favorites throughout the years and that seems not likely to change soon, especially with one of the new cover legendaries Miraidon speculated to be one. However, Steel-type Pokemon have changed with time and so have Steel-type moves. Once paragons of defense, steely types recently became more formidable in the offense and utility department as well. With tons of resistances and some truly broken moves, Steel-types are way stronger than they once were.

20 Steel Wing

Talonflame using Steel Wing flying over water

Once the signature move of Skarmory, Steel Wing is now (luckily) available to many more Pokemon. It's a decent move that blends elements of other great Steel-type moves. Namely, it has a 10 percent chance to raise the user's defense by a stage.

As mentioned, anything raising a Steel-type's defense is a good move. But, it also inflicts damage. That damage comes with a base power of 70 and an accuracy of 90 percent. Sure, those aren't perfect, but the defense boosting effect applied on top of the damage is a nice bonus.

19 Steel Roller

Steel Roller being used on grassy terrain in competitive battle

Manipulating the battlefield has always played a huge role in Pokemon battles. Weather, entry hazards, and screens have all played a role in many team compositions. Another aspect added in Gen 7 was terrain, which creates all sorts of weird effects depending on what terrain is down. There aren't too many reliable ways of clearing terrain aside from changing it, but there are options.

Added in the Isle of Armor DLC, Steel Roller is exactly that option. The attack boasts an incredibly 130 base power, but can only be used while terrain is active. It then proceeds to clear the terrain from the field, returning it to a neutral state. Considering how some teams are reliant on terrain, being able to destroy it is a blessing. A variety of different Pokemon can learn it through tutoring, so give it a try in competitive battles. This move could especially shine in double battles where you can set up your own Steel Roller with a teammate.

18 Autotomize

Registeel using Autotomize anime with green background

Speaking of Steel-type weaknesses, ridiculously slow speed is a trademark for most Steel Pokemon. They're also heavy Pokemon, which is situationally both good and bad depending on the match-up. To solve these two problems, Game Freak added Autotomize in Gen 5.

Autotomize raises the speed stat of a Steel-type by two stages, giving even the slowest Pokemon a much more respectable speed stat. It also reduces the weight of the user, which has its uses but is much more niche. Steel-types like Aegislash and Celesteela can use Autotomize to set up and become dangerous sweepers. Going fast is always a good thing in the Pokemon series, and Autotomize lets you do just that.

17 Iron Tail

Iron Tail used by Pikachu in air with electric bursting out of its cheeks

Iron Tail is a move that has caused a bit of confusion among fans, because it's learned by many Pokemon that notably do not have tails. Regardless, it's a great move that is worth considering on many teams, even those without Steel-types.

Related: Pokemon: The Strongest Flying-type Moves, Ranked

It has a fantastic 100 power, diluted only by its somewhat lower accuracy: 75 percent. Luckily, though, it also has a 30 percent chance of lowering the target's defense by a stage. It's a good move to have if you lack other, more reliable options but should not be your initial choice as it is a bit of a gamble.

16 Shift Gear

Klinklang using Shift Gear in competitive battle

Some specialty moves seem to only exist to make weak Pokemon slightly less terrible. These moves then eventually find their way onto much better Pokemon, allowing it to really shine. Shift Gear, originally a staple of Klinklang's only viable movesets, now allows other much better Pokemon to really wreck shop.

Related: Status Moves In Pokemon Actually Worth Using

Shift Gear boosts the speed of the user by two stages, similarly to Automotize. As an added bonus, it also boosts attack by one stage. Being able to increase two stats in one move is always a great help for sweepers to setup, and Shift Gear is a really good status move. Magearna runs it well, and Toxtricity in Gen 8 can use it for some strange reason. The Pokemon that can use it should absolutely abuse it.

15 Steel Beam

Duraludon using Steel Beam from the anime

High-risk, high-reward moves exist in many different flavors. Attacks like Flare Blitz, Double-Edge, and other recoil inflicting moves are staples of various movesets. Interestingly enough, the new high-risk Steel-type move in Gen 8 is potentially the most dangerous one for both the opponent and the user: Steel Beam.

Steel Beam has 95 accuracy and 140 base power. That's an absurdly powerful move, but one that comes at a cost. The move, whether it succeeds or fails, costs the user one-half of its maximum HP. That sort of downside makes it ideal for Pokemon who are just trying to take down one opponent with them. It's a tough call to make, but a well-timed Steel Beam holds incredible potential.

14 Iron Defense

Bastiodon using Iron Defence in anime with red background

It can be difficult to take down a Steel-type Pokemon due to their extremely-high defenses. The Steel-type overall has an average of almost 113, which is very impressive. You'll have to chip away at them pretty hard to get their health down as they hide behind the wall of defense they use.

Related: Pokemon: The Best Shiny Steel-Types, Ranked

This is what makes Iron Defense so great for Steel-types. The move increases your defense by two stages. As if it wasn't hard enough to take down your Steel-type Pokemon, they have now added a significant boost to those defenses.

13 King's Shield

Aegislash using King's Shield in the anime

King's Shield is the signature move of the extremely strong Aegislash. It acts pretty much the same as Protect, preventing any damage or effect to be inflicted on the user for a turn. However, there is a side effect. If the opponent uses a move that would make contact, their attack stat is decreased by one stage.

It may not be as flashy as other strong Steel-type moves, but it's surely a useful option. It was especially strong back in Gen 7 and before as it decreased the attack by two stages instead of one. However, despite the nerf, King's Shield is still an amazing move. It's especially desirable in VGC and double battles as almost all Pokemon run Protect in those formats, and King's Shield is just a better Protect.

12 Smart Strike

Kartana in the air from the anime floating

Introduced in Generation 7, Smart Strike, for some reason, is only learned by Rapidash through level-up. Rapidash is notably not a Steel-type Pokemon. The move can be learned via TM by a whole host of other Pokemon though. Which is great because the move is not bad at all.

It will always hit, bypassing accuracy checks (with some exceptions) to do a nice amount of damage, since the move has 70 power. That power is boosted by the Same-Type Attack Bonus, too, when actually taught to a Steel-type (not you, Rapidash!).

11 Gear Grind

Klinklang from the anime looking surprised

Gear Grind is the second signature move of the Klinklang line besides Shift Gear. However, unlike Shift Gear, this move has not been distributed to more Pokemon and thus is usually overlooked.

Despite its rarity however, Gear Grind is a pretty decent move. It has 85% accuracy which could obviously be better, and has 50 base power but is a double-strike move. Multi-hit moves are really useful to overcome certain defensive strategies and thus Gear Grind sits idly as a strong but exclusive move for the time being.

10 Anchor Shot

Dhelmise Anchor Shot in the sea from the anime

Anchor Shot, another base 80 power move is a unique one. The signature move of Dhelmise, an honorary steel type at best, Anchor Shot is a pretty strong steel type move. Sitting at a reliable 100 percent accuracy, Anchor Shot is special thanks to its effect more than its damage output.

When you use Anchor Shot, the opposing Pokemon is not allowed to switch out. Trapping in competitive Pokemon has always been a deadly strategy, with the likes of Shadow Tag and Arena Trap taking names. So trapping capabilities in a damaging move is pretty strong. It's held back by only being available to Dhelmise, but it's worth mentioning when talking about strong steel type moves.

9 Gyro Ball

Baltoy using Gyro Ball in the air from the anime

Steel-type Pokemon have a little under 61 base speed in average. They are typically pretty slow, usually, because they're well, made of metal. This can be used as a benefit with the move Gyro Ball, though. This is a great way to turn a weakness into a strength that's built-in.

This move, introduced in Generation 4, uses speed stats to calculate its damage. It does more damage the slower its user is than its target. If the user is six times slower than its target, the base power will reach a whopping 150.

8 Heavy Slam

Makuhita using Heavy Slam from the anime

Imagine a giant Mega Aggron throwing its entire weight down on your poor Clefairy. Sounds terrifying, right? Of course it does! And this move can be terrifyingly strong in the right context. Like Gyro Ball using speed stats to calculate damage, Heavy Slam calculates its damage based on the weight difference between the user and the target.

Given the fact that Steel-types are, on average, pretty heavy, this can be devastating. It also does double-damage to a Minimized target, which doesn't come up in competitive battling but is still hilarious and horrifying at the same time.

7 Meteor Mash

Shiny Metagross using Meteor Mash on Mega Charizard X

Pokemon GO players will instantly recognize this move, as it reigns supreme in the mobile game on Metagross. It's also a great move in the main series, being introduced in Generation II and slightly changing in Generation VI.

Currently, it has a base power of 90 and an accuracy of 90 percent. This is a very respectable and reliable option for a wide variety of Pokemon. To make it even better, Meteor Mash has a 20 percent chance to raise the user's attack stat by a stage, so there's a real possibility of snowballing.

6 Bullet Punch

Lucario using Bullet Punch from the anime

A priority move always goes first if no other priority move is used, so here's Bullet Punch. This 40-power attack serves the function of steel-type Quick Attack, allowing Steel-types to overcome their slow speed stats and get the first hit in. In practice, there actually aren't too many Steel-type Pokemon that learn Bullet Punch, but the ones that do absolutely make use of it.

Consider Scizor, a Pokemon that spent some time at the top of the table in terms of competitive usage. Bullet Punch, due to its low base power, is even more effective for Scizor's that have the Technician ability. This ability boosts the power of moves that have less than 60 base power. Every single set for Scizor utilizes this option. Metagross and Lucario use it as well, but not as commonly.

5 Flash Cannon

Meltan using Flash Cannon from the anime with Rowlet in the background

There aren't very many special attacks within the Steel-type, as most are physical. But Flash Cannon is a powerful move in the special category. It's a nice, reliable, and solid 80-power move with full accuracy. Additionally, it has a ten percent chance to lower the target's special defense, meaning the next Flash Cannon they're hit with will do even more damage.

There are a ton of Pokemon that can learn this move, which is great because it's a good move. It's also always available as a TM or TR. Make sure to check if your non-steel type Pokemon can learn this if you need the coverage.

4 Iron Head

Tauros using Iron Head from the anime looking angry

Iron Head is a damaging move with a power of 80 and 100 percent accuracy. It's a reliable enough move with just those stats, doing high-damage with perfect accuracy, but it's improved by its bonus effect. It has a 30 percent chance to cause the opponent to flinch, which is always appreciated.

Earning a free turn without being damaged or afflicted by an opponent's move can be game-changing. Pokemon such as Jirachi who can abuse this flinch chance are especially dangerous. It is also converted to Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash on the Crowned forms of Zacian and Zamazenta. Speaking of...

3 Sunsteel Strike

Solgaleo Using Sunsteel Strike

Sunsteel Strike is one of the best Steel-type moves outside of Dynamax and Z-Moves. However, it loses the top spot because it is a signature move only available to two Pokemon. The two that can learn it are Solgaleo and Dusk-Mane Necrozma.

Related: Pokemon: The Strongest Ice-Type Moves, Ranked

What makes this move so great is that it has 100 power and 100 percent accuracy. Think Earthquake but steel type. Furthermore, it ignores relevant abilities that could change its success to land or deal damage. It's a fantastic move, but it's locked behind signature status. Be sure that you'll be seeing this steel type move way more if it ever gets distributed to other Pokemon in the future.

2 Behemoth Blade And Behemoth Bash

Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash used by Zacian and Zamazenta respectively

The signature moves of the Gen 8 cover legendaries Zamazenta and Zacian absolutely live up to the status of legendary signatures. Both are basically the same move with different names, exclusive to Zacian and Zamazenta's Crowned Form respectively, are 100 Base Power attacks with perfect accuracy.

That is good enough already, but it also deals double damage to Dynamax or Gygantamax Pokemon. This is especially useful in formats where that's the strategy everybody uses. Considering how impactful Dynamaxing can be in a battle, keeping this ace in the hole ready is a pretty good idea. The Pokemon that learn this move are also some of the strongest steel types of all time so that helps the reputation of these moves.

1 Double Iron Bash

Melmetal Using Double Iron Bash on an Onix

Double Iron Bash, the signature move of the mythical Pokemon Melmetal, is without a doubt the strongest Steel-type move ever released. It's reliable, strong and has great utility. To begin with, it has a 100 percent accurate so missing is not an issue. It is a 60 base power move but is also a double-hit move. That means the true base power of Double Iron Bash is 120 in practice.

The fact that it's a multi-hit move is also amazing. This allows you to hit through abilities such as Sturdy and Multiscale as well as items like Focus Sash and damage reduction berries. As if that was not enough, Double Iron Bash also has a 30% chance to flinch the target, twice! Yep, you heard that right, you have a 30% chance to flinch on each separate hit. Double Iron Bash is by far the strongest Steel-type move and the only drawback it has is its rarity, only being available to Melmetal for the time being.

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