Meet Bastiodon: The Hybrid Pokémon of Rock and Steel (Pokémon Go Guide)

Bastiodon is known as the most controversial Pokémon in the Great League.

This Pokémon, native to the Sinnoh region and of Rock/Steel type, is renowned for its exceptional defensive capabilities, possessing remarkable bulk and an extensive repertoire of resistances that render it nearly impervious to non-super effective attacks.

Despite its strong points, Bastiodon does have a few opponents in the game, causing us to question whether its exceptional defense and stamina are sufficient to make it a top choice.

We should dive in and determine the answer!

Pokémon GO: Bastiodon – All You Need to Know

Bastiodon, known for its unmatched bulk and exceptional resistance, is a Rock/Steel-type Pokémon that embodies the qualities of a defensive powerhouse.

We will delve into Bastiodon’s attacks, counters, move sets, strengths, and weaknesses in order to accurately assess its worth within the game.

Catching Bastiodon in Pokémon GO

Bastiodon has a 24.03% base catch rate when encountering a Level 20 Pokémon and there are four methods to acquire it:

Catching it in the wild
Winning raids
Evolving a Shieldon
Trading

Moreover, employing a Curved Great Throw raises the catch rate to 50.38%, and incorporating a Razz Berry additionally enhances it to 65.04%.

Bastiodon Attacks And Move Sets

Bastiodon has the ability to learn a diverse range of attacks, such as:

Fast moves: Iron Tail (Steel) and Smack Down (Rock)
Charged moves: Flamethrower (Fire), Flash Cannon (Steel), and Stone Edge (Rock)

To achieve its best results, it is recommended for Bastiodon’s moveset to prioritize dealing heavy damage while utilizing its defensive strengths. The suggested moveset includes Iron Tail and Stone Edge, which have the highest combined DPS and TDO of 6.43 and 228.2, respectively.

Despite this, it is still advisable to teach Bastiodon two distinct sets of attacks due to its adaptability in both PvP and PvE scenarios.

III. Bastiodon Counters

To emerge victorious against Bastiodon, it is recommended to utilize the following top 5 Pokémon:

Terrakion
Pheromosa
Lucario
Urshifu (Rapid Strike)
Keldeo (Ordinary)

These Pokémon can exploit Bastiodon’s vulnerabilities and effectively defeat it.

2. Bastiodon in Pokémon GO PvP

Bastiodon’s balanced stats make it a top performer in Great League, Fossil Cup, and Fantasy Cup. Its 81 attack is accompanied by strong defense and stamina, allowing it to excel in various team compositions. Even with its lower attack, it excels as a reliable closer.

Despite its strengths, this Pokémon is hindered by its double weakness to Fighting and Ground types, as well as its delayed charged attacks, making it difficult to gain shield advantages.

Although this is the case, Bastiodon can still bring value to a team if utilized strategically.

Bastiodon PvP Moveset

Bastiodon’s ideal moveset for PvP battles consists of Smack Down, Stone Edge, and Flamethrower. This combination is highly effective and here’s why:

Smack Down may not generate energy as quickly, but its high damage output is further enhanced by Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB), making it a powerful move.
Stone Edge receives an added advantage from STAB, resulting in a significant increase in damage output, although this comes at the expense of a higher energy cost.
The Flamethrower move offers versatility in coverage, effectively countering Rock-type resistances and proving to be an effective choice against Steel Types.
Despite having STAB, Flash Cannon is not advisable to use due to its high energy requirement and lack of significant impact in the current meta.

This moveset enables Bastiodon to adjust to different battle situations while maximizing its offensive capabilities.

Bastiodon in Pokémon GO PvE

Despite its low DPS of 6.43, Bastiodon is not a recommended choice for raids in Pokémon GO. As an attacker, it does not perform well and is considered ineffective. However, it excels as a gym defender thanks to its exceptional resistance and defensive skills, allowing it to withstand attacks and defend its position effectively.

Bastiodon PvE Moveset

Violation:

Smack Down is a more effective fast move than Iron Tail.
Stone Edge pairs nicely with Smack Down.
Neither Flamethrower nor Flash Cannon have any utility.

Protection:

The Smack Down is a powerful defensive maneuver.
The use of Flamethrower is limited until Bastiodon is knocked out.
Both Flash Cannon and Stone Edge are not effective when used for defense.

4. Bastiodon: Evaluating Its Strengths and Weaknesses

Bastiodon Strengths And Weaknesses | Source: Pokémon Anime

Bastiodon, a Pokémon with a Rock/Steel typing, possesses a distinctive array of advantages and disadvantages.

Strengths	Weaknesses
It is resistant to a wide range of types, including Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Ice, Psychic, Rock, Flying, Normal, and Poison moves.	It is particularly vulnerable to Fighting and Ground moves, with a double weakness, and is also weak against Water moves.
Bastiodon dominates many matchups with Smack Down’s high DPT, shutting down Pokémon like Altaria and Skarmory.	Its double weakness to Fighting and Ground types makes it vulnerable to Pokémon like Swampert and Medicham.

Bastiodon Strengths And Weaknesses

Bastiodon’s capabilities are additionally improved by Partly Cloudy and Snow weather circumstances.

Enhance your Pokémon collection by adding the powerful Bastiodon to your team and embark on an unforgettable adventure alongside this dependable companion!

About Pokemon Go

Pokémon Go is a free-to-play augmented reality (AR) game developed by Niantic and published by Nintendo. It was released in July 2016 for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Tatsuo Nomura directed the game, which makes use of the GPS feature on mobile devices to find, capture, train, and battle Pokémon. In-app purchases are available to acquire in-game currency for purchasing different items. The game was initially released with approximately 150 different Pokémon species, but this number had risen to around 600 by the year 2020.

Despite being released in 2016, the game continued to receive praise from both critics and fans for its innovative concept and user-friendly interface. It proved to be incredibly successful, generating a staggering revenue of 1.92 billion dollars in 2016 alone. Its popularity was evident with over 500 million downloads, solidifying its position as a trailblazer in the world of location-based and AR games.