Pokémon counters guide

Best Counters for Iron Hands

Find practical counter Pokémon, attacking types, and defensive matchup notes for Iron Hands.

FightingElectric
Iron Hands Pokémon sprite

Iron Hands

#0992

Quick answer

Iron Hands is best pressured by Ground, Psychic, and Fairy-type attacks at 2x damage. Because there is no 4x weakness, defensive safety, Speed, and raw stats matter more.

Best move types

Ground×2Psychic×2Fairy×2

Top weaknesses (3)

Ground×2Psychic×2Fairy×2

Type matchup table

Ground type iconGround2x
Psychic type iconPsychic2x
Fairy type iconFairy2x
Normal type iconNormal1x
Fire type iconFire1x
Water type iconWater1x
Grass type iconGrass1x
Ice type iconIce1x
Fighting type iconFighting1x
Poison type iconPoison1x
Flying type iconFlying1x
Ghost type iconGhost1x
Dragon type iconDragon1x
Electric type iconElectric0.5x
Bug type iconBug0.5x
Rock type iconRock0.5x
Dark type iconDark0.5x
Steel type iconSteel0.5x

Recommended practical counters

Strong theoretical counters

Best move types to use

Ground×2Psychic×2Fairy×2

Move availability depends on game version and learnset data, so this page recommends move types rather than guaranteed moves.

Ground type pagePsychic type pageFairy type page

Counter notes for Iron Hands

  • Iron Hands is a Fighting / Electric Pokémon with 50 base Speed and stronger physical attack (140 Attack). Ground, Psychic, and Fairy attacks all work offensively, but safer counters are usually the ones that reduce risk from its own STAB types.
  • Iron Hands has several 2x weaknesses rather than a single 4x weakness, so the best counters are the ones that can hit it super-effectively while also reducing the risk from Fighting / Electric STAB.
  • Known abilities include Quark Drive. This page does not assume ability-specific battle effects, so verify the format before relying on a single counter.
  • Avoid counters that are weak to Fighting / Electric unless they are fast enough to pressure immediately or bulky enough to survive the exchange.
  • Iron Hands does not need a separate alternate-form note for the standard National Dex matchup shown here.

What not to use

Electric×0.5Bug×0.5Rock×0.5Dark×0.5Steel×0.5

These attacking types are resisted or blocked by the defender's typing, so they are usually lower-priority choices unless they provide a special battle role.

Battle caveats

  • This ranking uses modern Gen 6+ type matchups, STAB value, defensive switch-in safety, and base stats.
  • Abilities, held items, Terastallization, weather, terrain, and format rules can change real battle outcomes.
  • Coverage moves can punish obvious counters, so treat this as type-based guidance rather than a full matchup simulator.
  • Move availability depends on game version and learnset data; this page recommends attacking types rather than guaranteed moves.

Related pages

Iron Hands weakness chartIron Hands PokédexFighting / Electric countersGround type pagePsychic type pageFairy type pagePokémon type chartSpeed tiers

FAQ

What is the best counter for Iron Hands?

Iron Hands is best countered by Pokémon that can use Ground, Psychic, and Fairy (2x) attacks while avoiding bad defensive matchups into Fighting / Electric STAB attacks. Because there is no 4x weakness, Speed, bulk, and offensive stats matter more when choosing the actual Pokémon.

What type is best against Iron Hands?

Ground, Psychic, and Fairy are the strongest attacking types against Iron Hands, dealing 2x damage under the modern Gen 6+ type chart.

How many useful attacking types hit Iron Hands super-effectively?

Iron Hands has 3 super-effective attacking options: Ground, Psychic, and Fairy. Use the highest multiplier first, then choose a Pokémon that is not exposed to Fighting / Electric STAB attacks.

Are abilities included in this counter ranking?

No. The ranking uses base typing and base stats. Abilities, items, Terastallization, weather, terrain, and special move rules can change the real matchup.

Does Terastallization change Iron Hands counters?

Yes. Terastallization can replace the defensive typing used here, so the recommended counter types may change completely in formats where Tera is active.

What should I avoid using against Iron Hands?

Avoid relying on Electric, Bug, Rock, Dark, and Steel attacks unless they have a special role or unusually high power.

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