How to Play Team Magma's Aron in Control Decks

Team Magma's Aron card art from Double Crisis

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

How to Play Team Magma's Aron in Control Decks

If you’ve been carving your way through the Double Crisis era, you’ve noticed that Team Magma’s Aron is more than a cute starter. In a control-oriented build, this unassuming Basic Fighting Pokémon can anchor your strategy by slowing the tempo, buying time to set up the real late-game threats, and offering a dependable bench presence. Its modest 60 HP and a single, economical attack might make it look like a paper shield, but in the right deck, Aron becomes a thematic and tactical glue that holds the whole plan together ⚡.

Card snapshot — what you’re getting on paper

Name: Team Magma's Aron
Set: Double Crisis (dc1)
Rarity: Common
Type: Fighting
Stage: Basic
HP: 60
Attack: Gnaw — cost: Fighting, 10 damage
Weakness: Grass ×2
Retreat: 2
Illustrator: Akira Komayama
Evolution: A base in its line, with potential to evolve into Team Magma's Lairon as you progress your setup—perfect for a patience-driven control plan.

Why Aron belongs in a control-focused strategy

Control decks thrive on tempo denial—stopping the opponent from accelerating their plan while you assemble a robust late-game board. Aron’s real value isn’t about dealing heavy damage; it’s about occupying bench space, triggering trainer effects, and letting you leverage your longer-term engines. Its Fighting typing and 60 HP demand craftier play: you’ll retreat when necessary, protect it behind a stronger wall, and use its evolution line to threaten bigger wins down the road.

In practice, Aron acts as a patient starter. You attach energy to your core defensive Pokémon, stall with disruption—or simply outlast—until you can drop a more threatening Team Magma lineup onto the bench. The Double Crisis era’s Team Magma flavor rewards decks that pivot between defense and a controlled meltdown of the opponent’s resources; Aron is the quiet, stubborn anchor you can rely on while you search for its evolutions and pocket the strategic advantages from your trainer lineup.

Strategic play: early, mid, and late game with Aron

Early game: Aim to place Aron on the bench quickly and protect it as you begin to assemble your control engine. Since Gnaw deals just 10 damage, you’re not looking for knockouts here—you're looking to stall, draw into support, and set up your next piece. Use this window to fetch a Lairon or other key control components if your deck can search for them. Keeping Aron alive long enough to reach its evolution line can pay dividends later in the match.

Mid game: With Aron in place, your objective is to keep the opponent’s pressure in check while you leverage items and supporters that disrupt their tempo. A common thread in control builds is to force the opponent to invest extra resources on your board—while you counter with controlled, reliable responses. Aron can serve as a sacrificial but necessary bench piece to ensure your prized control engines stay online and ready to deploy when the right moment arrives.

Late game: If you’ve managed to evolve Aron into a sturdier partner (such as Team Magma’s Lairon and beyond, depending on your available cards), you gain a more durable frontline to absorb hits and threaten a decisive finish. The combination of Aron’s evolution path and a disciplined control plan allows you to flip the board state in your favor as you limit the opponent’s options and draw to your closing plays. The key is to keep your energy management tight and to time your evolutions so that your bigger threats come down exactly when your opponent has exhausted answers.

Practical deck-building notes for Aron in control shells

Energy resilience: Because Aron’s attack is light, you’ll rely on a steady energy base for your evolving lines and to fuel mid-game disruption. Build around simple energy acceleration and energy-dense turns that keep you in command of the pace.
Bench management: Protect Aron by layering your bench with supportive Pokémon that can absorb damage while you set up. A robust bench is essential in control decks, and Aron’s role as a bench anchor becomes critical when you’re staring down aggressive lines.
Evolution timing: Prioritize finding Lairon and other key evolutions at the right moment. Even if Aron is your starting point, the real payoff comes from the evolution chain that unlocks more durable defense and stronger board presence.
Weakness awareness: Grass-type attacks pose a 2× threat on Aron. Position Aron with this in mind, and consider defensive supporters or items that help shield it from grass-weak back-to-back strikes.
Collector value: As a Common, Team Magma's Aron is accessible for budget-minded players and collectors alike. Its value isn't just in-game; it also carries nostalgic charm for fans drawn to the Double Crisis era and Akira Komayama’s artwork.

Artistically, Akira Komayama’s depiction lends a distinctive charm to Aron—an element that resonates with nostalgia fans and newer players alike. The card’s simple line work and bold colors capture the grit of Team Magma’s mining-rooted theme, a reminder that even the smallest Pokémon can play pivotal roles in a thoughtfully constructed control strategy. Collectors will appreciate the card’s Common rarity for quick, affordable adds to a display of the Double Crisis lineup. And for modern players, Aron’s value lies in the control engine it helps you assemble, rather than raw damage output.

Market context and collectibility notes

From a pricing perspective, Team Magma’s Aron sits in an approachable space. Cardmarket’s updated EUR pricing places the non–holo normal around a modest range, with holo figures climbing based on demand. In the U.S. market via TCGPlayer, the normal print sits around 0.6–2.09 USD depending on condition and print run, with reverse holo foils fetching higher numbers. For players chasing a budget control shell, Aron offers practical access while your deck grows to include its evolution line and complementary disruption tools. 🔎💎

Whether you’re a long-time collector or a strategist chasing tournament-ready control builds, Aron stays true to the spirit of the era: patience, precise setups, and the thrill of turning a careful plan into a win. Its art, lineage, and practical role in a control deck make it a delight to feature in your Pokémon TCG journey, especially for fans who appreciate the storytelling of the Double Crisis era. 🎴🎨

Ready to upgrade your carry—both in-game and in real life? Explore the stable, glossy protection of the Magsafe Card Holder Phone Case and keep your gear safe on the go while you study your next matchups. The card’s restrained power pairs nicely with a modern, resilient carry-all that respects both form and function.

Magsafe Card Holder Phone Case - Polycarbonate Glossy or Matte