Mega Steelix is a dual Ground- and Steel-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Johto region. Steelix’s body has been compressed for burrowing deep underground, so it’s even harder than a diamond. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Mega Steelix, how to catch Steelix after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Iron Snake Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Mega Steelix Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Ground- and Steel-type Pokémon, Mega Steelix is vulnerable to Fire-, Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks. When selecting six Pokémon for your Mega Steelix Raid Battle lineup, it’s important to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack with these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Fire-, Water-, Fighting-, and Ground-type Pokémon, but a Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that meet those criteria, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed is one of the factors that determine how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so be sure to bring your strongest Pokémon to defeat Mega Steelix as quickly as you can.

When you challenge a Raid Boss while you’re in a party, the ability Party Power can give your Charged Attacks a boost. When you have more party members in a raid, your Party Power charges more quickly—when you activate it, your next Charged Attack will deal even more damage! To get the most out of Party Power, it’s a great idea to take on Raid Battles with friends.

• Kyogre / Primal Kyogre (Water)

  • Fast Attack: Waterfall (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Hydro Pump (Water), Origin Pulse (Water)*, Surf (Water)

• Swampert / Mega Swampert (Water/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground), Water Gun (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground), Hydro Cannon (Water)*, Muddy Water (Water), Surf (Water)

• Primal Groudon (Ground/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Fire Punch (Fire)*, Earthquake (Ground), Precipice Blades (Ground)*

• Garchomp / Shadow Garchomp / Mega Garchomp (Dragon/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earth Power (Ground)*, Earthquake (Ground), Sand Tomb (Ground)

• Excadrill / Shadow Excadrill (Ground/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground), Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Drill Run (Ground), Earthquake (Ground)

• Groudon (Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Fire Punch (Fire)*, Earthquake (Ground), Precipice Blades (Ground)*

• Charizard / Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Ember (Fire)*, Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire)*, Flamethrower (Fire)*, Fire Blast (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Blaziken / Shadow Blaziken / Mega Blaziken (Fire/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Counter (Fighting), Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire)*, Blaze Kick (Fire), Focus Blast (Fighting), Overheat (Fire)

• Moltres / Shadow Moltres (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fire Blast (Fire), Heat Wave (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Reshiram (Dragon/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Fang (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Fusion Flare (Fire)*, Overheat (Fire)

• Terrakion (Rock/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Double Kick (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Close Combat (Fighting), Earthquake (Ground), Sacred Sword (Fighting)*

• Machamp / Shadow Machamp (Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Counter (Fighting), Karate Chop (Fighting)*

  • Charged Attack: Close Combat (Fighting), Cross Chop (Fighting), Dynamic Punch (Fighting), Submission (Fighting)*

* An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a Mega Steelix raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Steelix, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Mega Steelix more quickly.

In an encounter with Steelix, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don't think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Steelix isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Steelix to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can also help you catch Steelix. A Razz Berry will make Steelix easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Steelix, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Onix Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Steelix easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Steelix is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What to Do with Steelix Once You’ve Caught It

After defeating Mega Steelix, it will revert to its regular Steelix form for you to catch. Using Mega Energy will allow you to Mega Evolve Steelix. As a Ground- and Steel-type Pokémon, Steelix is resistant to an incredible 10 different types of attack, including Normal-, Electric-, Poison-, Flying-, Psychic, Bug-, Rock-, Dragon-, Steel-, and Fairy-type damage. Thanks to all these resistances and its wide variety of available attacks, Steelix is considered a solid choice for the GO Battle League’s Great League and Ultra League.

Steel-type tanks are quite popular in the GO Battle League, as they resist many types of damage. Steelix’s diverse pool of available Charged Attacks allows it to provide coverage against a broad range of Pokémon based on your team composition. In addition to the heavy-hitting Ground-type Charged Attack Earthquake, Steelix is now able to learn two Charged Attacks that can debuff opponents. The Dragon-type Breaking Swipe has a chance of lowering an opponent’s Attack, while the Psychic-type Psychic Fangs decreases an opponent’s Defense.

With the combination of Breaking Swipe and Steelix’s bulk, it can hold its own against Pokémon that would otherwise have a type advantage against it by repeatedly debuffing their Attack. Steelix does require XL Candy to achieve 2,500 CP, so it’s important to participate in as many Mega Steelix raids as possible to acquire the necessary Onix Candy and Onix Candy XL to get it into fighting shape.

While Mega Steelix isn’t necessarily the most effective Pokémon in raids, it can be a useful Steel-type attacker against Pokémon like Kyurem, Xerneas, Nihilego, and Zacian. And sending it into raids will give an Attack boost to other Ground- and Steel-type Pokémon, so it can assist a team of Steel-type attackers. Unfortunately, as a Ground-type attacker, Mega Steelix is significantly outclassed by Primal Groudon and Mega Garchomp.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle—and remember that you can refer back to Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.