“Tricky” Pokemon Go Steel-type dominates Great League after secret buff
Niantic/The Pokemon CompanyGen 2 icon Steelix has always been tough to use in Pokemon Go Battle League but the new updates in the Shared Skies Season have turned it into a formidable PvP monster.
The Shared Skies Season in Pokemon Go didn’t bring too many updates to the Go Battle League but with the little it had to offer, the meta has been shaken with several PvP favorites getting secretly buffed.
One such Pokemon is the popular Steel/Ground-type Steelix, a defensive behemoth with a great moveset held back in the Great League due to many exploitable weaknesses. With some core threats being weaker because of moveset nerfs, Steelix is now winning big!
After Reddit user ‘bulbavisual’ shared a post showing the shift in the Great League meta based on the usage of Pokemon, many trainers were surprised to see Steelix rising to the top.
A fan wrote, “Steelix struggles a lot with waters and if the main waters are weaker and less common, Steelix is thus stronger.” They further added that the nerf to Scald hurt Lanturn and Whiscash, and Steelix does not need to worry anymore, with these two being less common.
Also, a player who recently faced this new threat in the GBL added: “Man, I saw a Steelix in my placement matches, and even with counters it was not a fun fight. I was so confused how that boi was cooking so hard with his Steelix.”
Others piped in that Steelix has always been a “tricky” opponent to face in Pokemon Go PvP since it already has only a few checks and is a dominant force in the Ultra League.
“Even if you have something that can deal SE damage to it AND resists Dragon Tails, you’re still left weaker with a bunch of Psychic Fangs de-buffing your defense,” they explained.
More players vouched for the Defense debuffs from Psychic Fangs and the occasional Attack debuff from Breaking Swipe, either of which could easily throw your opponent’s strategies out of the window.
The current best GBL moveset for Steelix is Dragon Tail combined with Psychic Fangs and Crunch, and PvP veterans swear it would become “mainstream” this Season.
To get Steelix in Pokemon Go, use a Metal Coat to evolve it from Onix. You can also Mega Evolve your Steelix when it is in Raids and take advantage of its insane Defense stat.