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CARD INFORMATION

  • SUBTYPES:
    • Stage 2
  • HP: 180
  • TYPES:
    • Fighting
  • EVOLVES FROM: Graveler
  • WEAKNESSES:
    • TYPE: Grass
    • VALUE: ×2
  • RETREATCOST:
    • Colorless
    • Colorless
    • Colorless
    • Colorless
  • RETREAT COST: 4
  • RARITY: Rare
  • FLAVOR TEXT: It detonates its own body. The power from that explosion can propel it up steep mountain paths with amazing speed.
  • REGULATIONMARK: E

CARD ABILITIES

  • NAME: Desperate Blast
  • DETAILS: If this Pokémon is in the Active Spot and is Knocked Out by damage from an attack from your opponent's Pokémon, put 10 damage counters on the Attacking Pokémon.
  • TYPE: Ability

CARD ATTACKS

  • NAME: Double-Edge
  • COST:
    • Fighting
    • Colorless
    • Colorless
  • ENERGY COST: 3
  • DAMAGE: 160
  • DETAILS: This Pokémon also does 30 damage to itself.

MARKET PRICES FOR GOLEM 💰

Last updated: 2025/10/11
HIGH

4.99

USD
MID

0.17

USDTREND
LOW

0.04

USD

Check the latest prices on:
Tcgplayer
(link)
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Golem crashes into the Fusion Strike set as a heavy-hitting Stage 2 Fighting Pokémon that doesn't go down without a fight.

With its Desperate Blast ability and a punishing Double-Edge attack, this rocky powerhouse aims to make opponents think twice about knocking it out.

But does this boulder have what it takes to roll over the competition in today's fast-paced meta?




Offensive Score Image Offensive rating: 7/10

Golem's Double-Edge attack delivers a substantial 160 damage for three energy (one Fighting, two Colorless), giving it enough power to threaten most Basic Pokémon and many evolved Pokémon with a one-hit KO.

The damage-to-energy ratio is quite efficient at approximately 53 damage per energy.

However, the 30 self-damage drawback is a significant disadvantage that accumulates quickly over multiple attacks.

Without any innate ways to bypass resistances or target benched Pokémon, Golem's offensive capabilities are straightforward but limited.

The lack of secondary effects on its attack also means it can't disrupt opponent strategies beyond dealing raw damage.




Survival Score Image Survival rating: 6/10

With 180 HP, Golem stands as a relatively sturdy Stage 2 Pokémon that can absorb multiple hits from average attackers.

Its Desperate Blast ability adds a unique defensive layer, placing 10 damage counters (100 damage) on any Pokémon that knocks it out from the Active position.

This revenge effect can significantly swing the prize trade in your favor.

However, several critical weaknesses undermine Golem's durability: a punishing x2 Grass weakness makes it vulnerable in many matchups, a hefty 4 retreat cost severely limits mobility, and the 30 self-damage from its own attack effectively reduces its functional HP.

Without any healing or damage reduction mechanisms, Golem's survival capabilities are compromised.




Versatility Score Image Versatility rating: 5/10

Golem struggles significantly in the versatility department.

As a Stage 2 Pokémon, it requires two prior evolutions to reach its final form, making it inherently less flexible than Basic or Stage 1 Pokémon.

Its single attack option limits tactical choices during gameplay, while the high retreat cost restricts pivoting strategies.

The Fighting typing provides favorable matchups against Dark, Lightning, and Metal Pokémon but leaves it vulnerable to popular Grass and Psychic strategies.

Desperate Blast offers some utility as a deterrent against KOs, but this passive ability can't be leveraged proactively.

Golem primarily functions as a straightforward attacker without the tech options or role flexibility seen in more versatile cards.




setup Score Image Speed/Setup rating: 4/10

Golem faces significant setup challenges that severely impact its competitive viability.

As a Stage 2 Pokémon, it requires evolving through Geodude and Graveler, demanding multiple turns and cards to reach the board.

This evolution chain makes it vulnerable to disruption strategies and often too slow for the current metagame.

The three-energy attack cost further delays its offensive capability, typically requiring at least one additional turn after evolution.

While Fighting energy acceleration exists in the format, Golem competes with more efficient Fighting-type attackers for these resources.

Without any innate abilities to accelerate its own evolution or energy attachment, Golem's setup speed is painfully slow by modern standards.




Golem benefits most from cards that address its core weaknesses: evolution consistency, energy acceleration, and damage mitigation.

Evolution support like Rare Candy bypasses the Graveler stage, while Medicham V can search for crucial evolution pieces.

Energy acceleration from Bea or Kabu helps power up its attack faster.

Healing options like Cheryl or Milo can offset Double-Edge's self-damage, extending Golem's longevity in battle.

Perfect Partners examples:

Essential for accelerating Golem's evolution, allowing you to skip the Graveler stage and evolve directly from Geodude. This drastically improves setup speed, addressing one of Golem's biggest weaknesses in competitive play.

This Supporter card attaches up to two Fighting energy from your discard pile to your Pokémon, significantly reducing the time needed to power up Golem's attack. The additional damage boost when you have fewer prize cards adds valuable late-game pressure.

Helps counteract Golem's self-damage issue by healing all damage from your evolved Pokémon (at the cost of attached energy). This extends Golem's staying power and maximizes the threat of its Desperate Blast ability.




Golem presents an interesting package of high damage output and revenge capabilities, but struggles with too many fundamental weaknesses to be consistently competitive.

Its 160-damage attack hits hard enough to threaten KOs, while Desperate Blast ensures opponents pay a price for taking it down.

However, the combination of a slow three-stage evolution, high energy requirements, self-damage drawback, and crippling retreat cost create significant barriers to success.

In today's fast-paced meta, Golem simply takes too long to set up for too little reward.

Its best application would be in more casual Fighting-type decks with strong evolution support and energy acceleration, where its damage output and revenge ability might occasionally catch opponents off-guard.

For serious tournament play, you'll likely find more efficient options that don't require navigating so many disadvantages to achieve similar results.



POWER INDEX

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