Iron Boulder Deck
0.0% of the meta · Updated September 8, 2026
Signature card
Iron Boulder
Art Rare
Strengths
- Modular Axe at 120 damage with a tool attached threatens one-shots on all ex Pokemon below 120 HP.
- Basic attacker with no evolution requirement means full damage output is available from turn two onward.
- Future Booster Energy Capsule doubles as an energy accelerator and the tool activation trigger for 120-damage attacks.
Weaknesses
- Retreat cost of 3 is extremely high; Iron Boulder is nearly immovable without X Speed or switching effects.Deckbuilding
- Field Blower counters the opponent's tools but also risks disrupting your own Future Booster Energy Capsule if mistimed.Other
- Cinderace (27%) and Kingambit (29%) matchups reveal hard counters to the psychic typing and heavy retreat.Matchup
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Est. 240 packs to collect all core cardsdetails
Core Cards
Key Moves & Abilities
Strategy Guide
Auto-generatedIron Boulder is a tool-boosted psychic attacker: Modular Axe hits 80 normally but reaches 120 with any Pokemon Tool attached. The win condition is attaching Future Booster Energy Capsule early and sniping high-value targets with consistent 120-damage strikes.
Open by placing two Iron Boulder basics immediately — Poké Ball helps grab them since they are Basic Pokemon. Load Future Booster Energy Capsule onto the active Iron Boulder early so Modular Axe hits 120 rather than 80. Copycat and Professor's Research cycle through the deck for energy, while Peculiar Plaza helps manage the energy Zone. Mid-game, Iron Crown and Iron Valiant on the bench provide backup pressure and prevent opponents from freely targeting benched Pokemon. Cyrus bounces a retreated target into the Active Spot for Iron Boulder to swing into. Sabrina pulls a damaged high-value target forward for the lethal hit.
Damage Math
Opponent's Active Pokemon
Modular Axe 80 base + 40 with any Tool attached = 120 total
Requires a Pokemon Tool such as Future Booster Energy Capsule or Rocky Helmet on Iron Boulder.
How to Play
Attach Future Booster Energy Capsule Immediately
Modular Axe at 80 damage is insufficient to one-shot most relevant targets. Attaching Future Booster Energy Capsule on turn one or two raises the ceiling to 120 and also provides energy acceleration. Run two copies to ensure at least one is available early. Peculiar Plaza helps manage the energy zone to power Modular Axe's four-energy cost.
Use Iron Valiant and Iron Crown as Backup Threats
Two Iron Valiant and two Iron Crown on the bench create spread threat that prevents opponents from freely building. Cyrus disrupts a retreating opponent, and Sabrina brings a wounded target into the Active Spot. Rocky Helmet and Field Blower protect the board from opposing tool-based strategies.
How to Beat This Deck
Remove the Pokemon Tool with Field Blower
Without a tool, Modular Axe drops from 120 to 80 damage. Field Blower strips the Future Booster Energy Capsule from Iron Boulder, permanently disabling the damage bonus unless you have a second copy. The deck carries only one Field Blower, so mirroring this disruption repeatedly neutralizes the 120-damage threat.
Exploit the Retreat Cost of 3
Iron Boulder cannot retreat without three energy or a switching effect. Force it to stay in the Active Spot by building board state around it — if Iron Boulder is active against an unfavorable matchup and cannot retreat, it eats damage every turn. Cyrus or Guzma forcing Iron Boulder active against a bad target is particularly punishing.
Stack Fire-Type Attackers
Psychic-type Iron Boulder takes increased damage from fire attacks. Cinderace's 27% win rate for this deck proves fire dominance. Fire-type attackers can race to 3 points faster by applying type-effective damage to Iron Boulder before Modular Axe accumulates enough damage to respond.
Common Substitutions
Pokemon Tool
- Future Booster Energy Capsule:Primary tool; activates Modular Axe's 40 bonus damage and provides energy.
- Rocky Helmet:Secondary tool option that activates the bonus while also dealing passive retaliation damage.
Matchups
Threats — Weak Against
Based on type weakness analysis of core cards. View full matchup matrix →