Is Steelix Good in Diamond & Pearl Playthrough?
Iron Island encounters or trade evolution from Onix with Metal Coat. Steel/Ground with AbilityRock Head removing recoil. Steelix handles Volkner, Candice, and Lucian through massive physical Defense. One of the toughest walls in Sinnoh.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Roark's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Gardenia's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Maylene's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Crasher Wake's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Fantina's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Byron's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Candice's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Volkner's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Aaron's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Bertha's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Flint's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Lucian's team.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Mars's team.
Steelix resists most of Jupiter's coverage and hits back hard.
Steelix has the type edge here and should clean up Saturn's team.
Steelix trades roughly evenly with Cynthia's team.
Catch Onix
Catch Onix in Oreburgh Mine (walking, Lv 8, uncommon).
Recommended Moves
- After Gardenia
- TM28GroundDigPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Maniac Tunnel
- TM64NormalExplosionPower 250Accuracy 100%PP 5Given by the coin clerk at the Veilstone Game Corner once you string together ten bonus rounds in a row on the slot machines
- TM06PoisonToxicPower —Accuracy 85%PP 10Route 212
- After Byron
- TM26GroundEarthquakePower 150Accuracy 100%PP 10Wayward Cave (secret entrance under bike path)
- After Candice
- TM80RockRock SlidePower 113Accuracy 90%PP 10Mt. Coronet
- LV 46NormalDouble-EdgePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 49RockStone EdgePower 150Accuracy 80%PP 5
- After Volkner
- TM59DragonDragon PulsePower 90Accuracy 100%PP 10Victory Road
- Post-Game
- TM42NormalFacadePower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Survival Area
How to Get Steelix in Diamond & Pearl
Steelix tunnels through three cave areas, common to rare, with levels running from the low 30s past 55. It is one of the few fully evolved Pokemon you can catch straight out of the wild here.
Wild Steelix may be holding when caught:
Metal Coat (5% chance) An item to be held by a Pokemon. It is a special metallic film that ups the power of Steel-type moves.3 locations to catch Steelix5 locations to catch Onix
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 5
Badge 6
Badge 7
Badge 8Catch Onix at any of the 5 locations below, then trade it — it evolves into Steelix.
Badge 1
Badge 2
Badge 3
Badge 4 Badge 5 Badge 6 Badge 7 Badge 8Where To Catch Steelix in DP
To get Steelix, start by catching Onix through walking encounters at Lv. 8-56. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch OnixOreburgh Mine - B1FLv.8CaveRate 10%Oreburgh Mine - B2FLv.9CaveRate 10%Iron Island - B2F Left CaveLv.31-33GrassRate 30%Iron Island - B2F Right CaveLv.32-33GrassRate 30%Iron Island - B3FLv.32-33GrassRate 30%Iron Island - 1FLv.32-33GrassRate 10%Iron Island - B1F Left CaveLv.32-33GrassRate 10%Iron Island - B1F Right CaveLv.32-33GrassRate 10%Victory Road - 1FLv.44CaveRate 10%Victory Road - 2FLv.45CaveRate 10%Snowpoint Temple - 1FLv.50-52CaveRate 15%Victory Road - Nat Dex AreaLv.50CaveRate 10%Victory Road - Nat Dex Exit AreaLv.50CaveRate 10%Snowpoint Temple - B1FLv.52-53CaveRate 5%Snowpoint Temple - B2FLv.52-53CaveRate 5%Snowpoint Temple - B3FLv.52-53CaveRate 5%Stark Mountain - EntranceLv.54CaveRate 5%Stark Mountain - InteriorLv.56CaveRate 5%
- Step 2Steelix ✓Iron Island - B2F Right CaveLv.33-34GrassRate 10%Iron Island - B3FLv.33-34GrassRate 10%Snowpoint Temple - B4FLv.54-56CaveRate 20%Snowpoint Temple - B5FLv.54-56CaveRate 20%Snowpoint Temple - B1FLv.53-54CaveRate 15%Snowpoint Temple - B2FLv.53-54CaveRate 15%Snowpoint Temple - B3FLv.53-54CaveRate 15%Victory Road - 1FLv.46CaveRate 10%Victory Road - B1FLv.46CaveRate 10%Victory Road - 2FLv.47CaveRate 10%Victory Road - Nat Dex AreaLv.52CaveRate 10%Victory Road - Nat Dex Area B1FLv.52CaveRate 10%Victory Road - Nat Dex Exit AreaLv.52CaveRate 10%Snowpoint Temple - 1FLv.52CaveRate 5%or evolve from Onix (Step 1)
Want the exact numbers? Work out your catch odds in Diamond & Pearl for Steelix.
How to Get Shiny Steelix in Diamond & Pearl
Steelix winds through Iron Island and Victory Road, where keeping a PokeRadar chain going brings its shiny in range. Compare Shiny Steelix odds across every game
Diamond & Pearl Shiny Steelix Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Curious how fast a hunt could go? Work out your Diamond & Pearl shiny odds for Steelix.
Steelix Weakness
Steelix is weak to Fire, Water, Fighting, and Ground. On the flip side, it's immune to Electric and Poison-type moves entirely. With 9 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Steelix's physical bulk (base 200 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Water, Fighting, Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Normal, Flying, Psychic, Bug, Ghost, Dragon, Dark, Steel |
| 0.25x (Resist) | Rock |
| 0x (Immune) | Electric, Poison |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Steelix Weak Against
ExcellentBest Pokemon Against Steelix
 Heracross BugFighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Heracross builds →Focus Punch 2x74-88% Earthquake 2x33-39% | ||
 Breloom GrassFighting | A | |
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Marowak builds →Earthquake 2x36-43% Focus Punch 2x35-41% Fire Blast 2x50-59% | ||
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Torterra builds →Earthquake 2x45-53% Rock Smash 2x12-15% | ||
 Toxicroak PoisonFighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Toxicroak builds →Focus Punch 2x65-78% Earthquake 2x30-35% | ||
 Infernape FireFighting | A | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Chimchar (Lake Verity Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Infernape builds →Focus Punch 2x64-76% Fire Blast 2x131-155%KO Earthquake 2x29-34% | ||
 Hippowdon Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Hippowdon builds →Earthquake 2x46-55% Fire Fang 2x20-24% Rock Smash 2x14-16% Water Pulse 2x32-38% | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Ludicolo builds →Surf 2x92-108%KO Focus Punch 2x31-37% | ||
 Donphan Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Donphan builds →Earthquake 2x48-57% Fire Fang 2x22-26% Rock Smash 2x14-16% | ||
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Gliscor builds →Earthquake 2x39-47% Brick Break 2x20-24% Fire Fang 2x18-22% | ||
 Sandslash Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Sandslash builds →Earthquake 2x41-49% Focus Punch 2x41-49% | ||
 Pelipper Water | C | |
Obtain MethodCanalave City Surfing | ||
 Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x62-73% Earthquake 2x27-33% Fire Blast 2x50-59% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Hearthome City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Steelix View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x109-129%KO Dig 2x16-19% Rock Smash 2x9-11% | ||
Steelix Evolutions
Getting Steelix requires a trade, not just grinding levels. The chain starts at Onix. Breed this form to get Onix eggs (average hatch time). HP grew the most through evolution (+40 over Onix), and Steelix peaks at 510 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Steelix to get Onix eggs easily using 29 partners from the Mineral egg group. Notable egg moves include Block, Defense Curl, Explosion and 4 more.
DP Steelix Best Moveset
200 Defense is the highest in the game, and Steel/Ground typing gives resistances to nearly everything physical. The moveset blocks physical attackers while setting MoveStealth Rock and threatening with MoveEarthquake. 30 Speed and 55 Sp. Atk leave the special side exposed, but nothing physical gets through.
Best Build
Steelix best EVs are HP and Attack
Physical Tank Moveset
- Earthquake
- Explosion
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breeding opens up real options for Steelix. Block and Defense Curl come exclusively from egg moves, and they're worth the effort. The rest of the kit covers basics through Iron Tail and Earthquake and coverage across 8 types.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
41 of 42 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Tempered underground under high pressure and heat, its body is harder than any metal.
It chews its way through boulders with its sturdy jaws. Its eyes can see in the darkness underground.
Steelix Diamond & Pearl Guide
Mega Evolution isn't available in Diamond & Pearl, but Steelix does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Steelix hits 610 BST.
Steelix is obtained by trade-evolving Onix. Catch an Onix first, then trade. The Metal Coat must be held during the trade. Bring one over from a sibling Gen 3 game if needed.
Yes. Wild Steelix in Diamond & Pearl can hold Metal Coat (5%). Use Thief (TM46) or Covet to swipe the held item without affecting your catch chance. Quickest way to farm rare items like Metal Coat.
In Diamond & Pearl, Steelix plays as a trick room. It's slow, so Trick Room or priority moves are key. so pick your spots carefully. Earthquake is the primary attack.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Gold & Silver, Steelix has appeared in 18 titles over 8 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 6, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
Explore
Where to go next after Steelix.
Keep playing · Diamond & PearlDiamond & Pearl Tier ListThe best Pokemon ranked tier by tierSee Diamond & Pearl Tier List