Metal Maxx: Throwing a Wrench in the Plans

I love Maxx. There’s something about his rebellious attitude and tinkerous nature, the way he throws together wild plans, schemes, and sometimes just blows shit up! His story reads like a warehouse rave crashing through a steampunk factory, and that “Boom Town” energy is exactly what makes him such a fun hero to brew with.

With the release of the new Armory Deck and an invasion of sky pirates on their way from the High Seas, I think we’re about to see some explosions in the meta and beyond - and Maxx might just be the one to light the fuse.

Before we get into it, we have to acknowledge the big dog in the scrapyard. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned player, you’ve probably heard of Dash. Both Inventor Extraordinaire and I/O have way more points under their belts from major tournaments than our scrappy underdog from the streets of Metrix City; furthermore, most of Maxx’s competitive success came before the infamous ban of High Octane - but that’s a whole other story.

And if you’ve read the latest Maxx lore - Boom Town Boom, which I highly recommend - you’ll know there’s no love lost between Maxx and Dash right now. Personally, I think they’ll end up as star-crossed (or should I say steam-crossed) lovers someday, but for now, it’s hilarious to hear Maxx sneer “Princess Teklo” and toss out lines like “Suck it up, princess.”

Which, honestly, kind of sums up the whole attitude behind this janky, cranking, rebel-from-the-streets homebrew deck tech I’m about to walk you through. We're not here to compete with Dash, we're here to spite her. This build is perfect for jamming at your local Armory, especially if you just want to have some fun playing a cool deck. It’s also reasonably budget-friendly, and the extra cards you’ll need beyond the Armory Deck should be easy to pick up, whether by cracking packs, grabbing singles, or trading with locals. One more note: we're building "for the people", so this list is fairly budget-friendly by design.

So here we go: a purely Wrench-focused build that is still in need of a good nickname. Right now I’m torn between “Pedal Maxx” and “Metal Maxx.” There are also whispers on Discord of a similar list floating around called “Bonksy”, which, if it’s close, feels pretty damn apt. For now, I’m going with Metal Maxx, because the star of this deck is a classic (and perhaps forgotten) Mechanologist card from Arcane Rising.

The deck runs the maximum nine copies of Pedal to the Metal, and they seriously put in work. You’ll notice this card has an interesting on-hit effect: 

“If Pedal to the Metal hits, your next attack this turn gains dominate.”

And that’s exactly what this build is trying to do: land a Pedal, then slam in with a dominated Banksy.

If Pedal to the Metal is the engine, Clamp Press is the star of the show. With Clamp in play, your Wrench attacks are buffed by +2, turning your end-of-turn Banksy from a modest 3 damage into a threatening 5. Now add in Pedal to the Metal, and suddenly you’re swinging a dominated Banksy for 5.

Banksy’s on-hit effect feeds into this beautifully. It lets you add a steam counter to any item with crank, and in this deck, that’s almost always going to be Clamp Press. Since Clamp loses a steam counter every turn and blows up when it runs out, Banksy essentially keeps it alive, making every successful swing even more valuable.

The goal? Get Banksy to hit every turn. And Pedal helps make that happen. Opponents are often forced to fully block Pedal to avoid giving dominate, which might take two cards; and then they still need to deal with a 5-damage Banksy afterward. That’s another two cards. Suddenly they’re left with nothing, and the pressure builds.

Further, a hand with two Pedals can create really awkward block math. Maybe they use two cards to cover a red, then a third for a blue, and still don’t have enough to cover Banksy. It’s the kind of play pattern that makes your opponent sweat and makes every block feel like a puzzle.

Keep Clamp Press going. Keep Banksy swinging. And if you’re lucky enough to get a second Clamp Press into play? That’s when things get wild! Banksy for 7 is no joke!

As a long-time Mech player, (I’ve been boosting since Crucible of War), it’s honestly refreshing to be running a list where on-hit effects matter. Most Mech builds deal what's known in TCGs as vanilla damage: solid numbers, but nothing that demands a specific block. This version? Your opponent has to think. Every attack forces a decision: “Do I let this Pedal hit and risk a dominated Banksy?” That layer of tension makes the deck more interactive, and way more fun.

Re-Charge! might not look flashy at first, but it’s got serious hidden value. It gives +4 to your next boost attack and adds a steam counter to a Hyper Driver, keeping that engine alive for at least one more turn. The dream line? +4 onto a Pedal to the Metal, forcing your opponent to overblock or eat a dominated Banksy.

High Speed Impact is another unused Mech classic that can go above and beyond in this deck. It might look like an insignificant 2-damage poke, but it opens up two powerful lines of play: swing for 2 with an impactful on-hit: “If this hits, the next attack you boost this combat chain gains dominate.” If they don't block? You get a free dominated follow-up, maybe a Pedal to the Metal. If they do block?  You’ve drained a card anyway. Win-win.

And if nothing lines up? Pitch it for fuel. Even a harmless-looking blue demanding a full block can turn the late game around.

Underdog tech is the theme of this deck, and Gigawatt fits right in. Unlike most Mech buffs that require a boost, Gigawatt gives +4 to any Mechanologist attack, including Banksy. It’s also huge late game, where avoiding boosts (and accidental deck-outs) can win you the match. As this deck runs 13 cards that can give the next attack dominate, Gigawatt either helps those attacks hit or, if played onto a dominated attack, significantly increases the damage you can push through. Or you can just swing with Banksy for 7, or 9, or 11!

Normally, they just sit there clogging up your hand - but with the Breaker Helm Protos, if you’re holding a Hyper Driver you don’t want to play, no worries!

• On Helm’s first use your Hyper Driver essentially becomes a 2 block.
• The Hyper Driver is then discarded, and you draw a new card.
• Want to do it again? The second activation turns the helm into a 1 block — and filters another Hyper Driver for a draw.

What this means is, you can filter out a dead card in hand into something good and get block value too! In a deck that can sometimes get clunky hands, this is a game-changer.

Evo Circuit Breaker is a sleeper bomb in this deck, and one of my favorite pieces of tech. It rewards you for setting up your board with Hyper Drivers - both real and tokens from Maxx’s hero ability.

My absolute favourite play? Tuck it into arsenal. Why? Because it’s basically giving you a defense reaction, something unheard of in Mechanologist.

Even better?  It’s played at instant speed, which means you can play it at literally any point - usually on your opponent’s turn - including in response to arcane damage.

Damage Prevention Breakdown:

• With 1 Hyper Driver, it prevents 2 damage
• With 2, it prevents 4
• With 3, it prevents 6

All for 0 cost. That’s banging.

Not only can Evo Circuit Breaker help with damage prevention, but when you play it with Breaker Protos Helm equipped (your base head equipment), Circuit Breaker goes straight on top of your head piece. All the Hyper Drivers you chose when playing it? They get tucked underneath. And that matters, because it also has this effect:

“Whenever you boost, you may destroy a card under this. If you do, shuffle 2 attack action cards from your banished zone into your deck.”

This can be game-changing, especially if an opponent is expecting you to deck out. Three Hyper Drivers tucked under this gives you four cards in total under your Head equipment. That’s 8 cards you can get back into your deck, or 2 extra turns of full boosting. Not only that, you get to choose which cards you want to return. That’s another reason we’re running 13 cards that can give the next attack dominate. It’s highly likely one or more of these will end up in the banished zone, and they're the perfect target to put back into your deck with Evo Circuit Breaker.

With Twintek Charging Station, any real Hyper Driver you destroy or discard becomes added value.

Twintek actually does four things:

• +3 buff to your next boosted attack - not bad on its own; in a deck built around dominate, this is often a game-swinger.
• Shuffles a Hyper Driver from your graveyard back into your deck - whether you discarded it with the helmet or lost it to boosting, this gives it a second life; or if you’re  decking out, it can enable you to boost one more time.
• Shuffles your deck - which can reset bad pitch stacks, or disrupt your opponent if they’re trying to read your sequencing.
• Gives you 1 resource - always relevant; helps smooth weird hands or lets you sneak in a Banksy after a long chain.

The Maxx Armory deck has only just come out, and I’ve been cooking like a mad scientist, which is why I might be just a little wired and probably in need of a Back Alley Breakline or two. If you’re a seasoned pro, you might be reading this article, or looking at this list, and thinking the only thing either of them is good for is the scrap heap.  You might be right! Which leads me to end with a thought about Maxx and competitive play.

If you’re looking to play the most objectively optimal version of Maxx right now, the one that turns you into a literal giant mechanical robot, then yeah, your best path to competitive success is probably to crib on Dash's notes with Construct Nitro Mechanoid. Sure, it’s literally the Teklo Princess herself on the card art. But hey, if your goal is to win at all costs? Then nothing matters but winning, right?

For the real deal on how to pilot Construct Nitro Mechanoid in Maxx, go check out this fantastic article by Chumsford.

If you enjoyed this article and this way of piloting Maxx, then be on the lookout for more from me down the road. And if you’re liking this deck but want to give it a bit more power, I'll be sure to take this to the maxx next time.

Stay Loud, Stay Free!