Hello from the Future! This is your resident Pokémon TCG writer, Zach Lesage, and I’m here to share my thoughts on a new archetype since the release of Scarlet and Violet: Temporal Forces. That deck is Future Box: Turbo Iron Hands ex [Temporal Forces].

This deck utilizes the powerful toolbox of Future cards, like Techno Radar [Paradox Rift], available from both Paradox Rift and Temporal Forces to efficiently attack as early as turn one! Iron Crown ex [Temporal Forces] allows you to do extra damage, Miraidon [Temporal Forces] allows you to accelerate Energy, and your usual main attacker is going to be Iron Hands ex! This exciting deck is what this whole article is going to be about, so be sure to continue reading more about my take on Future Box!

Future Box Decklist | Pokémon

While you might want to experiment with all of the different Future Pokémon that have been released thus far, my take on the deck is almost solely a Turbo Iron Hands ex deck, similar to the previously successful Turbo Miraidon ex [Scarlet and Violet] deck. We are still early in our Temporal Forces metagame, but let’s check out my list before I dive into the strategy, and some individual cards. Let’s get it!

This text version of the decklist is importable to Pokémon TCG Live by copying it, and selecting import when creating a new deck online:

If you are searching for a great deck box to store your new Future Box deck, I love how the Purple 80+ Sidewinder Xenoskin matches the futuristic aesthetic of this archetype! Learn more about it here!

Future Box Deck: Strategy and Key Cards | Pokémon

The strategy of this deck is as simple as the preconstructed Pokémon TCG Pre-Release Build and Battle Kit that you might find it in, and that is usually a good thing. Simple strategies often lead to you doing the same thing over and over again, otherwise known as consistency. You’ll want to go second with this deck to be able to attack on your first turn with Miraidon to power up a Future Pokémon, which will usually be Iron Hands ex. You can scale up your damage output from Peak Acceleration by slapping on a Future Booster Energy Capsule [Paradox Rift], or by getting up to four Iron Crown ex in play!

That could be the difference between an opposing Comfey [Lost Origin] surviving an attack, or you getting an extra Prize Card. Between Electric Generator [Scarlet and Violet] and Peak Acceleration, you should be able to attack with Iron Hands ex fairly early in the game, and you’ll want to attach a Heavy Baton [Temporal Forces] on that Pokémon just in case you get Knocked Out! If you do get KO'd, you can move those Energy from your Iron Hands ex to another one, and keep those Amp You Very Much attacks flowing! There are a few other Pokémon techs in this deck, so let’s go over them!

Miraidon ex: While many lists have opted to include either Iron Boulder ex [Temporal Forces] or Iron Treads [Temporal Forces] for the Fighting / Metal type advantages in the current metagame, I have faith that Miraidon ex [Temporal Forces] might be the better option. Not only are you able to have a two-toned Energy typing in the deck of Lightning Energy and Psychic Energy, but it can also attack for an impressive amount of damage. Repulsion Bolt can swing for a solid 160 damage if your opponent’s Active already has any damage counters on it from Miraidon, and we can always scale that damage up with Future Booster Energy Capsule, and / or Iron Crown. Similarly, Cyber Drive hits for a base 220, but you can always push that to 320 damage to OHKO almost any Pokémon in the game. Who needs a type advantage if you can score an OHKO normally? 

Iron Bundle: Iron Bundle [Paradox Rift] isn’t going to be an attacker at all, but instead can force our opponent to send up a Pokémon that will face the wrath of Amp You Very Much. This could be as simple as them sending up a Pokémon with a large amount of HP that you can’t OHKO with Amp You Very Much, and then having to send that Pokémon to the Bench to send up a new sacrifice. It's usually easier to use Boss’s Orders [Paldea Evolved] or Prime Catcher [Temporal Forces] to grab the Pokémon you want, but those cards aren’t searchable by Techno Radar.

Mew ex: I often get asked by my friends why I’ve included Mew ex [Pokémon 151] in my list, and the answer is simple, I only use Mew ex for its Restart Ability. Future Box: Turbo Iron Hands is a deck that can often thin its hand down to a small size, and Mew ex allows you to draw until you have three cards in your hand. This truly gives you the flexibility, and consistency necessary to see success in this format! On top of that, there is some nice synergy when your Active Iron Hands ex is KO'd by damage with a Heavy Baton attached because Mew ex can acquire those Energy if you find a reason for it. As a further added bonus, having a free Retreat Cost can be a huge plus from time to time.

Are you looking for some sleeves to protect your Future Box deck? I’m a huge fan of matching the Yellow Katana Sleeves with the Lightning-typing of Iron Hands ex. You can learn more about them here!

Futuristic Testing

Well, I’m off to London, UK to play in the 2024 European International Championships, and this is one of the decks that certainly lives in my head rent free. After watching a similar Miraidon ex build take down the 2024 Latin American International Championships, I can’t help but think that this is my opportunity to do the same thing! Whether you are playing in an International Championships or not, this is going to be one of the best decks available in our new post rotation Temporal Forces Pokémon TCG metagame, so be sure to give it a try!

Even though I am nonstop testing for the final few major events in our 2024 Pokémon TCG season, I’ll still have enough time to keep up with a few Ultimate Guard articles per month to keep our community up-to-date on everything that is going on! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article, and I can’t wait to share my ideas with you for my next blog! Thanks for reading, and I hope to meet many readers at future events.