Best Steel-type Attackers in Pokémon GO

The best Steel attacker in Pokémon GO is Crowned Sword Zacian using Metal Claw and Behemoth Blade, with 33.19 eDPS, 35.42 DPS and 1,069.5 TDO.

The best Mega or Primal Pokémon for Steel-type damage is Mega Metagross with Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash *, dealing 27.64 eDPS (29.27 DPS). This measures its own damage; bonuses to teammates are not included.

The best Shadow Pokémon for Steel-type damage is Shadow Metagross using Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash *, dealing 27.29 eDPS (29.94 DPS). Shadow Pokémon deal more damage but also take more damage.

Crowned Sword Zacian is our highest-ranked option excluding Mega, Primal and Shadow forms. Build around Pokémon you already own, the required moves and your next raid boss. This category can still include Legendary and Mythical Pokémon.

Use the power-up calculator to compare costs and the rankings by type to fill gaps in your team.

Crowned Sword Zacian’s best moveset for this ranking is Metal Claw (Fast Attack) and Behemoth Blade (Charged Attack).

This list compares attackers with at least one Steel-type move, so it can include Pokémon of other types and mixed movesets. Use the table settings to exclude off-type attackers or mixed movesets. Rankings describe PvE damage and do not predict performance in Trainer Battles.

The best Steel-type attacker without legacy moves is Crowned Sword Zacian using Metal Claw and Behemoth Blade, with 33.19 eDPS.

It delivers 100% of the default leader’s eDPS under the same default battle settings.

We recalculate every eligible Pokémon’s best moveset with legacy moves excluded. This avoids assuming you already own event-exclusive attacks. Special items, Mega Energy or other requirements may still apply.

Our strongest regular attacker for Steel-type damage is Metagross using Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash *, with 23.17 eDPS.

It delivers 69.8% of the default leader’s eDPS under the same default battle settings.

This recommendation excludes Mega, Primal, Shadow, Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, plus Ultra Beasts. It keeps legacy moves eligible, so check the listed moves before investing. Being in this category does not guarantee that a Pokémon is common or cheap to build.

A move marked * is a legacy move and may require a special event or an Elite TM.

If you already own this Pokémon with the recommended moves, it is a strong candidate for a regular raid team. Compare your current level and available resources in the power-up calculator, and prioritize attackers that exploit your next raid boss’s weaknesses.

Rankings use effective damage per second (eDPS). For each Pokémon, we select the eligible moveset with the highest eDPS under the current settings. DPS measures damage per second while attacking; TDO estimates damage dealt before fainting.

eDPS adjusts DPS for time lost to fainting and rejoining with a team of six copies of the same Pokémon.

Tiers group attackers by similar scores, emphasizing differences near the top. We use eight groups, labelled SS, S, A, B, C, D, E and F, when there are enough distinct scores; otherwise, fewer tiers are used. Group sizes are determined by the scores, not fixed rank cutoffs. Tiers update with the simulation settings and stay the same when you sort or change pages.

Scores attackers against the configured T4+ raid boss pool, including Mega, Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. Outgoing damage reflects how effective each move type is against the bosses; incoming damage reflects the attacker’s resistances to their moves. Per-type rankings use bosses weak to that type. Types without super-effective matchups use the full pool. Unavailable Pokémon are excluded from the boss pool.

The dummy boss uses neutral effectiveness (1.0×) for every move, with incoming damage based on Defense alone. This can favor attackers whose moves the raid pool resists, or whose weaknesses make them take more damage in raids. The dummy has a fixed 25,000 HP, regardless of raid tier.

Time to return after a team of six faints. Applies to eDPS and estimated battle time.

We compare eligible Steel-type movesets using Pokémon GO stats and move data, selecting each attacker’s best effective damage per second under the chosen settings. The table exposes damage and survival estimates so you can check why it ranks higher. Opponent choice, level and rejoin time can change the result; the recommended moveset matters as much as the Pokémon.

• [Analysis] Improving PvE Overall Theoretical Metric: Modification to Equivalent Rating (ER) by u/Elastic_Space
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