How To Get TM23 Iron Tail in Pokémon Platinum

There is only one copy of TM23 Iron Tail in the game, and you’ll find it on Iron Island. Note that you can only get to Iron Island by taking a ship from Canalave City.

As for what this TM move does:

Iron Tail is a damage-dealing Steel-type physical move that also has a 30% chance of lowering the target’s Defense stat by one stage. The move has a high base power, but low accuracy.

TM23 Iron Tail Location (Step-by-Step)

TM23 Iron Tail’s location on the Town Map.

TM23 Iron Tail is found on Iron Island, which lies far north of Canalave City and requires taking a ship to reach it.

Iron Island is full of Rock- and Steel-type Pokémon of levels mostly in the low-30s. So keep this in mind when prepping your party before heading out.

To locate Canalave City’s harbor, first cross the drawbridge to the west of the Canalave Pokémon Center.

Heading west over Canalave City’s drawbridge.

Once you pass the Canalave Gym, turn south.

Turning south at the Canalave City Gym.

Pass the houses going down, and then turn right after you pass Sailor Eldritch’s house.

Speak with Sailor Eldritch at the dock and he will offer to take you to Iron Island.

Sailor Eldritch offering to take you to Iron Island.

Once you arrive on Iron Island, head up the staircase to the east.

Climbing the first staircase on Iron Island.

Pass the blue-roofed house here and take the northern staircase further up the mountain.

Passing the house and heading for the northern staircase.

Head through the entrance to Iron Island’s cave at the top of the staircase.

Climbing the stairs to enter Iron Island’s cave.

Once you’re inside, descend the right-hand staircase.

Taking the stairs to the right.

Then move down a bit and climb the first set of stairs you see that lead up to an elevated rocky platform.

From the top of that platform, head eastward.

Heading up the stairs and to the east.

Head east until you reach a lone red oil drum, and then climb down the nearby staircase and head south.

Taking the staircase and moving south.

Make your way around the Picnicker trainer and climb up the stairs just south of her location.

From there you’ll be able to wrap around a small path & step onto a lift that will lower you down to the next floor.

Stepping onto the lift at the southern edge of the cavern.

Once you’re down on the lower floor, step off the lift and descend the staircase to the east.

Going down the right-hand staircase.

From this floor, wind your way across the path to the direct south, taking two tiny staircases up & down – you’ll also pass a Worker trainer NPC.

Right after you pass the Worker and go down that small staircase, there will be a Poké Ball item on the ground beside a single red oil drum.

Taking the winding route towards TM23.

Pick up this item to get TM23 Iron Tail. Note that this is the only copy of TM23 in the game.

Getting TM23 Iron Tail.

Iron Tail Details and Uses

In-game description of TM23 Iron Tail.

Iron Tail is a damage-dealing Steel-type physical move that has a high base power but low accuracy. It also has a 30% chance of lowering the target’s Defense stat by one stage.

Iron Tail Move Details
Type	Steel
Category	Physical
Power	100
Accuracy	75%
PP	15 (max. 24)

This is yet another move in a long line of moves with impressive power and disappointing accuracy.

A 75% percent accuracy all but guarantees at least one out of four uses of this move will fail – but sometimes it fails much more often.

Plenty of trainers have been left squirming in agony after these kinds of moves failed three or even more times in a row. There is no doubt it can be useful, especially backed by Steel-type STAB damage, but it is highly unreliable.

Iron Tail vs. Iron Head

There is some debate about whether Iron Tail or Iron Head is the better Steel-type move.

Iron Tail has more raw power than Iron Head, sure.

But not only does Iron Head have a 100% accuracy stat, it arguably has a better secondary effect: a 30% chance of making the target flinch with every attack.

A one-in-three chance of preventing your opponent from acting is much more effective than a one-in-three chance of slightly lowering one of its stats. And lowered stats can be easily cured simply by switching the Pokémon out of battle.

Aside from that, Iron Head’s 80 base power isn’t bad, and Iron Tail’s 100 base power isn’t high enough to justify the cut in accuracy.

So Iron Head is generally the better move.

But one of Iron Tail’s upsides is that a vast number of Pokémon of all types can learn it.

So it can be used to expand type coverage to Pokémon who shouldn’t have any business learning Steel-type moves (notably, Ash’s Pikachu learns Iron Tail in the anime).

Miscellaneous Info about Iron Tail

TM23 can be sold for 1,500 PokéDollars.
If Iron Tail is used in a Pokémon Contest, it will earn the user 2 Appeal Points, plus 2 bonus Appeal Points if the user acts last in that turn.

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Chris Haygood

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Chris is an American freelance writer and lifelong gamer. RPGs have been his genre of choice ever since he got Pokémon Blue in 1867, but if he finds a good rhythm game, he will prioritize playing it over both eating and breathing.

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