One of the things that makes Gym Leader Challenge so fun is that each type has its own unique qualities that you can formulate a strategy around. You really get into the characteristics of each type, which makes deck building and gameplay fun and rewarding. Gym Leader Challenge isn’t just about winning the most games, its about trying to win using your favorite type of Pokémon, and that openness is something that you simply cannot get in other formats right now. Metal type Pokémon are known for their defenses, and let me tell you, they do not disappoint in Gym Leader Challenge. What’s your opponent gonna do when they encounter a 190 HP Copperajah with a Metal Frying Pan swinging for 220 damage? Cry. Whether you’ve been working on growing a beard since 2006 like Byron or fancy yourself as the Steel Clad Defense Girl, Jasmine, you’re in the right place!

Support Pokémon

Playing into Metal’s bulky strategy, Aegislash makes your big dudes even bigger with its Big Shield Ability, decreasing damage done to your Pokémon by 30. With Big Shield and a damage reduction Tool like Metal Goggles or Metal Frying Pan, your Pokémon will be taking -60 damage from the opponent’s attacks! If Aegislash‘s buff isn’t crazy enough, Galarian Perrserker‘s Steely Spirit also boosts all your Pokémon’s attacks by 20. Buffs aren’t much if you can’t power up attackers, though. Fortunately, you can accelerate Energy from the discard pile with Bronzong‘s Metal Links and from the hand with Magnezone‘s Magnetic Circuit allowing you to charge the board with Energy and launch huge attacks with ease!

Attackers

Dialga from Celebrations was a total Godsend for Metal decks. Not only is it a great lead with its Temporal Backflow attack, which allows you to recover any card from your discard pile, it also has an infinite damage ceiling with its Metal Blast attack, which does more damage for each Metal Energy attached to it! Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room, Copperajah. This thing is a total beast and great for checkmating at the end of the game. A well timed Copperajah (SSH) with Metal Core Barrier can allow you to fire off multiple Muscular Nose attacks, absolutely decimating anything in your path! Magearna and Cobalion are both solid low maintenance attackers while Melmetal and Orthworm are bigger, Energy hungry options.

Decklists

Metalzone

Credit: lucarin

Scarlet & Violet gave Metal its best draw support Pokémon yet. Revavroom has opened up the type to utilize Magnezone’s energy acceleration more consistently. Power up attackers like Dialga and Orthworm with ease once Magnezone is on the board, and recover your energy with Mt. Coronet and Superior Energy Retrieval. With an Escape Board on Jirachi, you have one of the best pivots in the format to be able to find the cards you need after a knockout from your opponent. Once Metalzone gets going, it’s quite hard to stop!

Last Update: August 2024

  • 1 Bronzor TEU 100

    1 Bronzong PHF 61

    1 Dialga CEL 20

    1 Heatran BRS 100

    1 Jirachi TEU 99

    1 Magnemite UPR 80

    1 Magneton ASR 106

    1 Magnezone UPR 83

    1 Orthworm undefined 151

    1 Varoom undefined 64

    1 Revavroom undefined 142

    1 Zamazenta CRZ 97

    1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144

    1 Earthen Vessel undefined 163

    1 Energy Reset FCO 98

    1 Escape Rope BST 125

    1 Evolution Incense SSH 163

    1 Evosoda GEN 62

    1 Field Blower GRI 125

    1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146

    1 Level Ball BST 129

    1 Metal Saucer SSH 170

    1 Nest Ball undefined 181

    1 Ordinary Rod SSH 171

    1 Professor's Letter BKT 146

    1 Quick Ball FST 237

    1 Rare Candy undefined 191

    1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130

    1 Super Rod undefined 188

    1 Superior Energy Retrieval PAL 189

    1 Ultra Ball undefined 196

    1 VS Seeker PHF 109

    1 Escape Board UPR 122

    1 Float Stone BKT 137

    1 Luxurious Cape undefined 166

    1 Mt. Coronet UPR 130

    1 Parallel City BKT 145

    1 Adaman ASR 135

    1 Arven undefined 166

    1 Ball Guy SHF 65

    1 Boss's Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172

    1 Gloria BRS 141

    1 Guzma BUS 115

    1 Iono undefined 80

    1 Klara CRE 145

    1 Lusamine CIN 96

    1 Marnie CPA 56

    1 Penny undefined 183

    1 Peonia CRE 149

    1 Raihan CRZ 140

    1 Sonia CPA 65

    9 Basic Metal Energy SVE 8

Tank Metal

Credit: JD “cheesewizz”

Description coming soon!

Last Update: August 2024

  • 1 Beldum SIT 117

    1 Metang TEF 114

    1 Bronzor TEU 100

    1 Bronzong PHF 61

    1 Cobalion STS 74

    1 Cufant PAL 149

    1 Copperajah SFA 42

    1 Heatran BRS 100

    1 Jirachi TEU 99

    1 Varoom OBF 154

    1 Revavroom PAF 65

    1 Zamazenta CRZ 97

    1 Buddy-Buddy Poffin TEF 144

    1 Escape Rope BST 125

    1 Evolution Incense SSH 163

    1 Field Blower GRI 125

    1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146

    1 Level Ball BST 129

    1 Metal Saucer SSH 170

    1 Nest Ball PAF 84

    1 Ordinary Rod SSH 171

    1 Pokégear 3.0 SVI 186

    1 Professor's Letter BKT 146

    1 Quick Ball FST 237

    1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130

    1 Super Rod PAL 188

    1 Ultra Ball PAF 91

    1 VS Seeker PHF 109

    1 Cape of Toughness DAA 160

    1 Escape Board UPR 122

    1 Float Stone BKT 137

    1 Metal Frying Pan FLI 112

    1 Metal Goggles TEU 148

    1 Technical Machine: Turbo Energize PAR 179

    1 Crystal Cave EVS 144

    1 Mt. Coronet UPR 130

    1 Parallel City BKT 145

    1 Arven OBF 186

    1 Bill's Analysis HIF 51

    1 Cynthia UPR 119

    1 Gloria BRS 141

    1 Guzma BUS 115

    1 Hex Maniac AOR 75

    1 Lusamine CIN 96

    1 Mallow & Lana CEC 198

    1 Marnie CPA 56

    1 N FCO 105

    1 Professor's Research PAF 87

    1 Raihan CRZ 140

    1 Tate & Liza CES 148

    2 Basic Fire Energy SVE 2

    8 Basic Metal Energy SVE 8

Light Metal

Credit: d34d m4n14c

This low(er) maintenance Metal deck utilizes low investment attacks like Bisharp’s Single Lunge and Zacian’s Battle Legion in combination with Perrserker’s Steely Spirit Ability to deal quick and efficient damage. Try using Mallow or Switching Cups to stack Metagross on top of your deck and leave your opponent stunned with a perfect Top Entry play!

Last Update: December 2023

  • 1 Bronzor TEU 100
    1 Bronzong PHF 61
    1 Cobalion STS 74
    1 Galarian Meowth RCL 126
    1 Galarian Perrserker SSH 128
    1 Jirachi TEU 99
    1 Pawniard CRZ 92
    1 Bisharp TEU 105
    1 Zacian CRZ 94
    1 Zamazenta CRZ 97
    1 Metagross SIT 119
    1 Acro Bike CES 123
    1 Battle Compressor Team Flare Gear PHF 92
    1 Battle VIP Pass FST 225
    1 Bicycle PLS 117
    1 Escape Rope BST 125
    1 Evolution Incense SSH 163
    1 Field Blower GRI 125
    1 Hisuian Heavy Ball ASR 146
    1 Lana's Fishing Rod CEC 195
    1 Level Ball BST 129
    1 Max Revive GEN 65
    1 Metal Saucer SSH 170
    1 Nest Ball SVI 181
    1 Pal Pad SVI 182
    1 Professor's Letter BKT 146
    1 Quick Ball SSH 179
    1 Rescue Stretcher GRI 130
    1 Scoop Up Net RCL 165
    1 Switch SVI 194
    1 Switching Cups EVS 162
    1 Trainers' Mail ROS 92
    1 Ultra Ball SVI 196
    1 VS Seeker PHF 109
    1 Escape Board UPR 122
    1 Float Stone BKT 137
    1 Metal Goggles TEU 148
    1 Muscle Band XY 121
    1 Artazon PAL 171
    1 PokéStop PGO 68
    1 Arven SVI 166
    1 Bird Keeper DAA 159
    1 Boss's Orders (Ghetsis) PAL 172
    1 Colress PLS 118
    1 Cynthia UPR 119
    1 Guzma BUS 115
    1 Guzma & Hala CEC 193
    1 Klara CRE 145
    1 Mallow GRI 127
    1 N FCO 105
    1 Professor's Research (Professor Sada) SVI 189
    1 Raihan CRZ 140
    6 Metal Energy XY 139
    1 Coating Metal Energy VIV 163
    1 Shield Energy PRC 143

Looking for more ideas or feedback on your deck?

Head over to Tricky Gym Discord’s glc-decklists channel for threads on every archetype to discuss strategy, get suggestions, and browse decklists!