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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Iron Hands Raid build and how to get it

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How to make the overpowered Iron Hands build and how to learn the Belly Drum move in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

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The Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Iron Hands Raid Build based on the Belly Drum attack is incredibly powerful, capable of very high damage and health regen by combining it with the move Drain Punch. Iron Hands, a Hariyama Paradox Pokemon found in Pokemon Violet, is fantastic for raid battles, so we'll show you how to get the Iron Hands Pokemon and the best Raid build for it in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet below, as well as if it's possible to get a Belly Drum TM.

Best Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Iron Hands Raid build

Pokemon Scarlet Violet iron hands

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The best Iron Hands Raid Build in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is dependent on you having an Iron Hands with the following moves:

  • Belly Drum (learned at level 84): Cuts the user's HP in half and maximises the attack stat
  • Drain Punch (must be learned from a TM): Fighting-type attack move that restores health equal to half the damage inflicted

The other two moves can be whatever you want, and the best option will vary depending on what you're going up against. Here's some good options, all of which Iron Hands can learn naturally:

  • Close Combat (for pure damage output)
  • Thunder Punch (in case enemies are resistant to Fighting attacks)
  • Electric Terrain (To boost Thunder Punch and make you immune to sleep effects)

Beyond that, here's some advice on making sure your Iron Hands is as effective as possible. The goal is to ensure maximum damage on the Drain Punch, to hurt the enemy and restore health, and to ensure that you can't be taken out after using Belly Drum but before landing the Drain Punch.

  • Buy the Punching Glove held item from Zapapico and give it to Iron Hands
  • Use the Montenevera Hyper Training to boost all of Iron Hands' stats except Sp.Atk and Speed
  • Use Vitamins and feathers to boost attack and all defensive EV stats
  • Use the Adamant Mint to ensure Iron Hands has the Adamant nature (raises attack, lowers sp.atk)
  • Train Iron Hands to level 100
  • Change Iron Hands' Tera type to Fighting (as laid out in our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Tera types and Terastallizing guide)

At this point you should have a powerhouse Pokemon, ready for all but the toughest tera raid battles!

How to win Raid Battles with Iron Hands and Belly Drum

Pokemon Scarlet Violet iron hands

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Once you've set up Iron Hands with the Raid Build above, here's what you should do when actually entering most Raid Battles:

  1. Immediately use the Belly Drum move to cut your HP in half and maximise your attack
  2. Use Drain Punch to do massive and restore the lost health
  3. From that point on, keep using either Drain Punch or another attack until the Raid Pokemon negates all stat changes for your team. 
  4. If that happens, ensure you're at full health or close to it, then repeat this process. 
  5. If you're at full health at any point and the Belly Drum attack bonus is active, use Close Combat for even more damage.

If you have allies, the best thing they can do is use Cheers to keep your Iron Hands' defensive stats up and restore health, as your damage output - especially when you have the type advantage - is ridiculous, easily making up for your allies' burning their turns to support you. As laid out in our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet type chart, you're doing mainly Fighting-type damage with this build, so you'll be especially dangerous against Dark, Steel, Normal, Rock and Ice Pokemon - so Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Kingambit better watch out.

How to get the Iron Hands Pokemon

Pokemon Scarlet Violet iron hands

(Image credit: Nintendo)
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Find all the Academy Pokemon Scarlet and Violet class answers here and become a straight-A student!

(Some plot spoilers to follow)

To get the Iron Hands Pokemon, players likely need to be playing Pokemon Violet, as Iron Hands is unobtainable in Pokemon Scarlet unless via a trade. If you are playing Violet, you'll need to complete all three plot lines - the Titans, the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gym leaders, and Team Star - until you can access Area Zero in the Great Crater of Paldea as part of the storyline. 

In this region you'll find wild Iron Hands that you can catch - as many as you like - and start the process of training them into the Belly Drum boxers mentioned above.

Can you get a Belly Drum TM?

Pokemon Scarlet Violet iron hands

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Because Belly Drum is the cornerstone of this raid build, many have been wondering if it's possible to get TM of Belly Drum to teach it to any Pokemon. Unfortunately, that's not the case at time of writing - there is no Belly Drum TM, with no way to build or find one in game. 

That's why Iron Hands is so important - it's one of only a few Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet that can actually learn Belly Drum organically through levelling.

Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.

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