The Dragon types are often regarded as some of the most powerful, coveted and fascinating Pokémon out there. Most of the legendary and pseudo legendary Pokémon are Dragon type, and naturally, their average stats are the best of any type. In Pokémon Go, these draconic beasts absolutely dominate the meta and almost every single one of them plays a significant role in the game.
This typing, by essence, is super-effective only against their own kind. Dragon beats a dragon. As simple as that. Therefore, from a defensive point of view, using dragons may not be your wisest option as such. There are moveset variations. For instance, a Latios has superior overall stats to a Dragonite. But due to the lack of Outrage in Latios’ movepool and the relatively lower raw power in Dragon Claw, Dragonite gets the edge.
The Ice types are probably the biggest weakness of the Dragon types. However, this works only if the said dragon has a 4x weakness to Ice type attacks. At the same time, however, an Ice type Pokémon won’t be standing tall after a charge move from a powerful Dragon type. This is because Ice type does not resist Dragon types.
In fact, out of the 18 different Pokémon types, 16 of them do not resist Dragon type attacks.
Which leaves just 2 types…
Yes, the Steel and Fairy types are the only two that shrug off Dragon type attacks like they’re in a pillow fight. Dragons have a tough time causing damage to Pokémon from these two types. The future will bring in some really powerful dragons and with the possibility of various updates coming to the PvP scene in Pokémon Go, it is undoubtedly a wise decision to get yourselves prepared for arguably the strongest type of Pokémon in the game.
This write-up aims to give you a clear cut picture regarding the viability of Steel and Fairy types against the Dragon types, and highlight the best Pokémon from these two types currently in the game that you should keep in your arsenal.
It should be noted that the Pokémon which have been listed here may or may not be the best in their types. It is merely a representation of the Pokémon which are the most effective to be used against or alongside dragons. In other words, these are the best steel and fairy type Pokémon with regard to dragon type Pokémon.
Steel
The Steel type is the undisputed best defensive type in the game. The pure Steel type alone has 11 resistances that include the Dragon type. But most of these Pokémon have a dual typing which furthers their viability and coverage. This is also an ‘irony’ (pun intended) as these metal beasts are fantastic teammates for the dragons. Not only do they resist and deal neutral damage to other dragons, but they also deal super-effective damage to the Fairy and Ice types, which the Dragon type fears. In fact, this excellent synergy has led to the famed trio of Steel, Dragon and Fairy in a team, as steel also covers up for fairy’s weakness to Poison. The possibilities are truly endless. With that being said, let us check out the best from the metal mayhem:
Metagross
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Max CP 3791 | |||||
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ATK 257 | DEF 228 | HP 190 | |||
Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
Fire Ground DarkGhost | Fairy Ice Rock Fighting Poison |
This brutal pseudo legendary from Gen 3 not only has steel’s inherent defenses but also has a massive ATK stat. It has what it takes to withstand a direct Draco Meteor (that can totally nuke most Pokémon) and hit back with a ‘meteor’ of its own: the fearsome Meteor Mash.
Metagross couples its attacking prowess with one of the hardest-hitting charge moves of the game in Meteor Mash to literally mash through any Dragon type. This move dishes out a lot of damage even when resisted, so imagine what the dragons have to go through when facing a Metagross. Due to its raw power and the fact that its supreme moveset makes it the best Steel type Pokémon in the game, a Dragon type enthusiast would love to have this tank on their team. Kyurem is one of the most anticipated legendary raid bosses from Gen 5 and Metagross is the best counter for it as it is not only super-effective against it but also resists every single move from Kyurem. With a possible mega evolution in Pokémon Go on the horizon, things would only get better for Metagross.
Dialga
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Max CP 4038 | |||||
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ATK 275 | DEF 211 | HP 205 | |||
Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
Fighting Ground | Dragon Ice Fairy Rock |
The combination of Steel and Dragon type in one Pokémon can only be described as, well, legendary. And that’s exactly what you get from this legendary Pokémon from Sinnoh. Dialga is the ruler of time and no matter how cliché it sounds, dragons know that their time is up when facing off against it.
It is the only dragon in the game to not take super-effective damage from Dragon type attacks. If that wasn’t enough already, it boasts of an incredible distribution of stats that makes it all the more dangerous. Furthermore, it is very bulky and its Steel typing gives this dragon a total of 10 resistances, which is the most of any Dragon type. Dialga is often regarded as the best PvP Pokémon in the Master League, a meta dominated by many dragons. It is the Steel typing of this powerful dragon which gives it that position. With the future addition of its signature move, Roar of Time, Dialga is all set for even better times.
Steelix
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Max CP 2414 | |||||
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ATK 148 | DEF 272 | HP 181 | |||
Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
Fighting Ground Fire Water | Fairy Ice Rock Fire Electric Poison Steel |
Didn’t expect this behemoth, did you? Steelix is a force to be reckoned with in the Great and Ultra League, and the meta in these leagues have prominent Dragon types in Altaria and both forms of Giratina. Steelix has one of the highest DEF stat of all Steel types in the game. This Pokémon is built to absorb damage and needless to say, Dragon type attacks are merely a scratch to it. While it does lack considerably in offense when compared to the other two Steel types mentioned, it makes up for that with its stellar movepool.
Steelix comes with the ever deadly Dragon Tail which leaves a serious dent to the usability of Dragon types against it. It charges up Crunch and Iron Tail pretty quickly, thereby troubling the dragons even further. In terms of team placement, where a Dragon type fulfills the offensive role, Steelix amazes in the defensive one. To make matters more difficult for the dragons, this thing also has a mega evolution. The concept of a giant metal snake is a scary thing, even for dragons.
Fairy
The Fairy type is among the most interesting in Pokémon Go. In the main series games, this type was released to literally put a check to the overpowered Dragon types just like the Dark types were introduced to counter the Psychic types. This gets more fascinating with the fact that the fairies are basically immune to the dragons.
However, immunities don’t work in Pokémon Go and as such, the Fairy types take highly resisted damage from the dragons. It took time for the fairies to be regarded as a worthy counter to the dragons as it took 3 years since the inception of the game to add a Fairy type fast move. However, when it did, it did in great proportions. Charm hits like a truck and many dragons go down just by the usage of this fast move. That’s how powerful it is.
Despite this, the Fairy types in the game currently do not house the raw strength and stats which the Steel type has. Still, the Fairy type makes up for that with the fact that at the end of the day, they are still dealing super-effective damage to Dragon types while heavily resisting them. The entrants under the typing are:
Gardevoir
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Max CP 3093 | |||||
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ATK 237 | DEF 195 | HP 169 | |||
Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
Steel Ghost Poison | Dragon Dark Fighting Poison |
Arguably the best Fairy type in the game currently, Gardevoir combines an impressive ATK stat with average bulk to be a ‘charming’ addition to your anti-dragon line-up. Charm and Dazzling Gleam are the best Fairy type moves in the game and Gardevoir makes the best out of them by slaying powerful dragons in no time. Dialga obviously is the only exception to this.
On the PvP scene, Charm is a heavy-hitting but is the slowest charging move. Hence, against dragons, you would mostly have to rely on Charm alone to take them down as Dazzling Gleam takes a lot of time to charge. Coming to PvE however, Gardevoir is a beautiful nightmare for dragons. Gardevoir is touted to be even more of a dazzling performer with its mega evolution.
Togekiss
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Max CP 3332 | |||||
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ATK 225 | DEF 217 | HP 198 | |||
Weak to | Strong Against | ||||
Steel Rock Poison Electric Ice | Dragon Dark Fighting Grass Bug |
In the Fairy type meta, while Gardevoir occupies more of an offensive role, Togekiss adopts a defensive role. With the moveset of Charm and Dazzling Gleam, and good bulk, Togekiss may not deal out too much damage but it is still very useful.
It functions as a pretty good Fairy type gym defender and attackers using a Dragon type would be prompted to switch out. In PvP, Togekiss performs substantially better than Gardevoir and can trouble all the dragons in the meta. Plus, it also works as a counter to both forms of Giratina. This is one ‘kiss’ that dragons would never want.
Conclusion
Pokémon Go has become a very dynamic game. With additions and updates with regards to moveset, battle mechanics and the meta, having innovative and well-crafted strategies are very important. These things definitely come to play when the focus is on adopting smart ideas to counter a type that many believe to be the best.
Both the Steel and the Fairy types are ideal to tame the Dragon type. Their moveset and stats earn them a lot of bragging rights against the draconic force of Pokémon Go. Add the fact that the future looks amazing for both of these types.
It takes something special to stand up against the might of the dragons. Something that can not only slay the dragon, but also live to tell the tale. Talking about tales, remember all those fairy tales wherein a dragon gets slaughtered by a steel sword? This is a reality in the world of Pokémon Go.