Lucario

Pokemon GO Lucario is a Fighting Steel type Pokémon. It evolves from Riolu, its Generation 4 baby form.

Updated as of 10/28/2018 to reflect Lucario’s addition to the game and the CP rebalance. 

Lucario stands out with its interesting typing, as it will no longer take super effective damage from Flying, Fairy, and Psychic, and instead only take super effective damage from Fighting, Ground, and Fire types. Not to mention it boasts 8 resistances, Lucario can resist a lot of what is thrown at it, which helps as it is not the bulkiest fighter out there.

Lucario Max CP of 2703 is decent, and its 236 attack is impressive, but it does not have much for bulk with only 144 defense and 172 stamina.

In the main series, Riolu evolves when its friendship is high with its trainer in the daytime, but since this is not a mechanic in Pokémon GO, it takes a mere 50 candies to evolve.

Comparisons

Let’s take a look on how Lucario performs in the meta, when compared to existing Steel and Fighting-type Pokémon.

Steel Types:

Pokemon Type Max CP Attack Defense Stamina Original Generation
Lucario Fighting Steel 2703 236 144 172 IV
Scizor Bug Steel 2801 236 191 140 II
Steelix Steel Ground 2439 148 333 150 II
Aggron Steel Rock 3004 198 314 140 III
Metagross Steel Psychic 3637 257 247 160 III
Registeel Steel 2261 143 285 160 III
Magnezone Electric Steel 3205 238 205 172 IV
Dialga Steel Dragon 4038 275 211 205 IV
Heatran Fire Steel 3521 251 213 182 IV
Cobalion Steel Fighting 3009 192 260 182 V
Genesect (Normal) Bug Steel 3056 252 199 142 V

Fighting Types:

This is a condensed list as there are too many amazing fighting types to come, for more view this!

Pokemon Type Max CP Attack Defense Stamina Original Generation
Lucario Fighting Steel 2703 236 144 172 IV
Machamp Fighting 2889 234 162 180 I
Hariyama Fighting 2765 209 114 288 III
Breloom Grass Fighting 2407 241 153 120 III
Blaziken Fighting Fire 2631 240 141 160 III
Gallade Fighting Psychic 3093 237 195 169 IV
Toxicroak Poison Fighting 2488 211 133 195 IV
Conkeldurr Fighting 3305 243 172 210 V
Cobalion Fighting Steel 3009 192 260 182 V
Keldeo Fighting Water 3468 260 192 182 V
Terrakion Fighting Rock 3468 260 192 182 V
Pangoro Fighting Dark 2759 226 149 190 VI

Possible Movesets

Based on main game level-up and TM moves that Lucario has available. Bold indicates Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB).

Lucario has been added to the game, with the following predicted moves in the movepool:

  • Fast moves: Counter Fighting and Bullet Punch Steel
  • Charge Moves: Close Combat Fighting, Flash Cannon Steel and Shadow Ball Ghost.
Fast Moves Charge Moves
Metal Claw Steel Aura Sphere Fighting Would have to be added, but possible as it is a move Lucario is known for.
Flash Cannon Steel
Hidden Power Close Combat Fighting
Focus Blast Fighting
Bullet Punch Steel Low Sweep Fighting
Cross Chop Fighting
Counter Fighting Brick Break Fighting
Hyper Beam Normal
Low Kick Fighting Thunder Punch Electric
Water Pulse Water
Iron Tail Steel Ice Punch Ice
Dragon Pulse Dragon
Shadow Claw Ghost Shadow Ball Ghost
Earthquake Ground
Quick Attack Normal Dark Pulse Dark
Bulldoze Ground
Poison Jab Poison Psychic Psychic
Rock Tomb Rock
Bite Dark Stone Edge Rock
Rock Slide Rock
Zen Headbutt Psychic Crunch Dark

Lucario in the Meta

Lucario will not be dethroning the king of fighters (heh), Machamp, as that right goes to possibly Gallade or the bevy of Gen 5 fighting types that will hit the scene (Update: Even this won’t happen, as Machamp received a boost in the Stat Rework, and both Lucario and Gallade’s Move pool are hot garbage). Lucario can still make its mark in the ring however. As previously mentioned, it boasts several resistances, as well as taking reduced damage from several normal fighting counters due to the regular damage taken from Flying, Fairy, and Psychic. It might not make the best gym defender because of this, as that weakness to Fighting will let Machamp pound the Anubis-mon with the likes of Slaking, Blissey, and Chansey in gyms regularly.

However, consider that the resistance will play in its favor to allow it to survive longer, and with its semi-decent movepool, might allow it to perform great in certain situations. Like a Aggron raid for example, where instead of Machamp that only resists a Aggron’s Stone Edge, a Lucario could resist all of Aggron’s movesets, save Thunder. And when one takes into consideration the cost of evolving a Lucario is less than the 125 needed to fully evolve Machop to Machamp, it might be a worthwhile Pokémon to consider as a Glass Cannon pick.

As for its Steel typing, (more on the overlook of Steel types here) it is not the bulky defensive type that most Steel type Pokémon are, as well as being outclassed stat wise by current mainstays Scizor and Metagross, who improves on it in every way stat wise. Not to mention Meteor Mash Metagross controls the Steel type meta game for the foreseeable future, even with considering Dialga’s rather good Steel move pool. It could have maybe done better with Metal Claw, but it still would not have been terribly relevant, a unfortunate fate for this rather popular Pokémon.

Weather Influences:

Weather Pros and Cons
Sunny No Pros Boosts Super Effective Fire and Ground types
Partly Cloudy No Pros or Cons
Cloudy Boosts expected Fighting moves Boosts Super Effective Fighting moves
Rainy No Pros or Cons
Fog No Pros or Cons
Windy No Pros or Cons
Snow Boosts expected Steel moves No Cons

Shiny Lucario

There is no expectation on when/if shiny Lucario will see its way into the game, however if it were to, here is its regular 3D sprite versus its shiny. Its primary blue is instead a yellow, its black accents become a dark blue, and its chest because a light blue, slightly lighter than its normal blue fur.

Regular Lucario Shiny Lucario

Sprite Credits go to pokestadium, who in turns credits the Smogon community and Pkparaiso. 


Fun Facts

  • Lucario can actually understand Human Speech!
  • A fun tidbit from its Platnium Pokédex entry states, “A well-trained one can sense auras to identify and take in the feelings of creatures over half a mile away.”

Author & tags

ProHitman002
ProHitman002
Level 40 Dedicated Mystic Player, Small town player, loves writing and burning other gyms with Charizard. Age 20

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Lucario may fit some niches when it comes to the attacking and raiding scene as a Glass Cannon Fighting type, but it simply does not have any bulk to make it a viable defender, as well as its weakness to fighting makes it yet another prime target for a Machamp beat down with the likes of other normal type defenders. As for its steel typing, its outclassed by all current Steel types and it is not going to get better for the foreseeable future. It might not be the most metal Pokémon, but it can certainly throw a punch. Lucario