Steel-type Pokémon are immune to damage from the sandstorm weather condition.
In Generation II, Steel-type Pokémon cannot be poisoned by Poison-type moves. Starting in Generation III, Steel-type Pokémon cannot be poisoned.
Offensive
Defensive
Power
Types
Power
Types
2×
½×
½×
2×
0×
None
0×
Generation VI onwards
Steel-type Pokémon are immune to damage from the sandstorm weather condition.
Steel-type Pokémon cannot be poisoned, except by a Pokémon with Corrosion.
Offensive
Defensive
Power
Types
Power
Types
2×
½×
½×
2×
0×
None
0×
Characteristics
Defense
In Generation II, the Steel type was created to balance out the previously overpowered Normal and Psychic types, as both types are resisted by Steel. Although the number of Steel's resistances decreased from 11 to 10 in Generation VI, Steel remains the most resistant type. Steel types also cannot be poisoned (except by Twineedle in Generation II or if poisoned by a Pokémon with Corrosion) or damaged by a sandstorm.
Pure Steel-type Pokémon have the second-greatest amount of resistances of all type combinations. Electric/Steel is the most resistant dual type, having 11 resistances plus an immunity to Poison.
Steel-type Pokémon, on average, have the highest physical Defense among all Pokémon and among fully evolved Pokémon.
Offense
While some Pokémon resist Steel-type attacks, many of these Pokémon are weak to Ground, so combinations of Steel and Ground attacks tend to work well.
Contest properties
In Contests, Steel-type moves are typically Cool moves.
Pokémon
As of Generation VII, there are 53 Steel-type Pokémon or 6.6% of all Pokémon (counting those that are Steel-type in at least one of their forms, including Alola Forms), making it the 6th rarest type.
The user takes a defensive stance while it protects itself from damage. It also harshly lowers the Attack stat of any attacker who makes direct contact.
The user slams into the target with the force of a meteor. This move can be used on the target regardless of its Abilities.
All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.
Introduced in the Neo Genesis set, Metal-type Pokémon in the TCG are generally weak to Fire and Fighting with resistances to Grass and Psychic. Metal-type Pokémon can be strong against Water and Fairy, whilst some Water and Lightning Pokémon can resist this type.
Trivia
Generation V introduced the most Steel-type Pokémon of any generation, with 12, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Steel-type Pokémon since the type was created, with four.
Generation IV introduced the most Steel-type moves of any generation, with seven, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Steel-type moves since the type was created, with one.
In Generation II, the Steel type saw one type change in a Pokémon family (Magnemite and Magneton), but no change in moves. The opposite is true for the Dark type, which saw one type change in a move (Bite), but no change in a Pokémon.
Prior to Generation VI, Steel was the only type that had a non-neutral type match-up with all of the seventeen existing types, considering both the offense and defense of both types. In Generation VI, it was changed so that Steel no longer resisted Dark- or Ghost-type moves.
Each of the three starter types have a different effectiveness when attacking a pure Steel-type Pokémon (Grass does ½× damage, Water does 1× damage, and Fire does 2× damage).
More Pokémon gain the Steel type upon evolving than any other type, with a total of 9.