When to Use Great Tusk for Maximum Damage in Scarlet & Violet

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Great Tusk card art from Temporal Forces set (sv05-097) illustrated by GIDORA

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Timing Great Tusk for Maximum Damage in Scarlet & Violet

In the Scarlet & Violet era, Great Tusk strides onto the battlefield as a sturdy Basic Fighting-type with a surprising dual threat: disruption and raw power. Boasting 140 HP and a pair of potent attacks, this card from the Temporal Forces set (sv05) offers both strategic utility and big-damage potential. Illustrated by GIDORA, Great Tusk isn’t just a numbers-ly impressive card—it's a tempo-shaper that can tilt the game in your favor when played at the right moment ⚡. For collectors, it’s a neat piece from an uncommon slot in a beloved modern era, and for players, it’s a reliable anchor in midrange and control-oriented builds 🔥.

Card at a glance

  • Name: Great Tusk
  • Set: Temporal Forces (sv05)
  • Card number: sv05-097
  • Type: Fighting
  • Stage: Basic
  • HP: 140
  • Rarity: Uncommon
  • Illustrator: GIDORA
  • Attacks: Land Collapse (Colorless, Colorless) and Giant Tusk (Fighting, Fighting, Colorless, Colorless)
  • Retreat cost: 3
  • Regulation: Standard & Expanded

Great Tusk’s first attack, Land Collapse, is the quiet disruptor. It asks you to discard the top card of your opponent’s deck. The twist? If you played an Ancient Supporter card from your hand during this turn, you discard 3 more cards in this way. That means you’re not just pushing damage—you’re reshaping the opponent’s draw engine. It’s a carefully choreographed nudge that can swing momentum in a tense matchup, especially against decks that rely on consistent draws to fuel their late-game finish 🎴.

Then comes the lead punch: Giant Tusk, a formidable 160-damage finisher that costs two Fighting and two Colorless energy. Paired with the right setup, this attack can KO a surprising number of threats on a single clean swing. The card’s bulk, 140 HP, and a retreat of 3 make it a solid mid-game threat that doesn’t demand perfect timing to be effective. With Regulation Mark H, it remains widely usable in both Standard and Expanded formats, giving players flexibility in how they craft their lists 🎮.

Strategic timing: when to unleash the damage

The key to peak performance with Great Tusk lies in timing and synergy. Start by establishing a clean energy cadence—attach enough Energy to keep you charging toward Giant Tusk while keeping Land Collapse ready as a turn-ending weapon. The real power spike comes when you can line up Land Collapse with the potential of an Ancient Supporter on the same turn. In those moments, you’re not just chipping away at the opponent’s resources—you’re actively narrowing their options and accelerating your path to a closing blow 💎.

In practice, a typical sequence might look like this: you play a few early turns to load Great Tusk with 2 Fighting Energy and the necessary Colorless to reach your Giant Tusk threshold. If the board state allows, you drop an Ancient Supporter to maximize Land Collapse’s impact by discarding extra cards. On the next turn, you hit with Giant Tusk for 160 damage, often clinching a KO or forcing your opponent to retreat or rebuild with a thinner deck. The high-impact payoff is especially relevant in matchups where your opponent relies on a consistent draw engine to set up their own power spikes.

Remember the retreat cost, too. With a 3-where-you-land, you’ll want to pair Great Tusk with cards that can help you retreat safely or swap it to the bench when needed. A well-timed retreat preserves your momentum and keeps your pressure persistent, which is crucial for forcing mistakes as the game unfolds 🔥.

Deck-building hints and deployment tips

  • Include energy acceleration that suits a two-Fighting/Two-Colorless demand. Tools that accelerate Fighting energy or provide additional energy versatility are especially valuable.
  • Line up Land Collapse usage for mid-to-late game disruption; the more you can stack on that turn, the more you tilt the draw engine in your favor.
  • Consider support cards that help you search for Great Tusk and its required energy—consistency here translates to more consistent Giant Tusk showcases.
  • Include extra draw or disruption to ensure you reach your Giant Tusk window even if your opponent tries to counter-draw you off rhythm.
  • Pair Great Tusk with counterparts that can harbor early pressure or steal tempo, so you can ice the game with a single well-timed Giant Tusk punch.
“Control the tempo, then break through with a clean Giant Tusk—that’s how you maximize Great Tusk’s impact.”

From a collector’s lens, sv05-097 Great Tusk sits as an uncommon gem from Temporal Forces. While non-holo variants remain affordable, the overall card’s utility for competitive play keeps it relevant in modern lists. Pricing data from Card Market shows a micro-market around a few euro cents for non-holo copies, with holo versions commanding higher attention. The value isn’t just monetary—it’s the power of a card that can redefine a game state in a single turn, a thrill that fans love ⚡.

Illustrator GIDORA’s artwork gives life to a prehistoric weight and power, a reminder that this card isn’t just numbers on a page—it’s a narrative of battlefield dominance. The flavor and visuals align with the Fighting type’s rugged, earth-shaking identity, making it a memorable addition to any Scarlet & Violet-era collection 🎨.

Market pulse and collector notes

Great Tusk’s place in Temporal Forces as sv05-097 makes it a practical pickup for players building midrange or disruption-focused decks. With a standard/expanded eligibility and a modest price point, it’s accessible for players updating their lists without a huge budget spike. Cardmarket pricing data (updated late 2025) shows an average around 0.04 EUR for typical copies, with lower values for non-holo prints and higher values for holo variants. For collectors, keeping an eye on print runs and condition is key, since the card’s value tends to react to supply shifts and tournament results that spotlight disruption-based strategies 🪙.

As you plan your Great Tusk centerpiece, remember that the card’s personality lies not just in a single KO, but in the strategic tension you create—how you disrupt, when you strike, and how you pressure the opponent’s resource economy. The Temporal Forces’ flavor and design help you feel that primal charge as you choreograph a sequence of plays that ends games on your terms ⚡💎.

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