[overview]
Draft order: Early round 1
Price range: 18-19 points
Overview: Great Tusk puts the “Great” in its name. Believed to be one of the best Draft Pokemon of all time, Great Tusk is extremely versatile, able to fit on almost any team and partner well with virtually every Pokemon. Great Tusk can be built to accomplish anything you might ever need from it. Enormous physical bulk allows it to function as a respectable tank. Access to two of the strongest STAB options, broad coverage, Booster Energy to raise its Speed or Attack, and a sky-high Attack stat allows it to be a fearsome wallbreaker or late-game cleaner. It is the best entry hazard control option in the tier with access to Rapid Spin while also having access to Stealth Rock and Knock Off, making it difficult for Ghost-type Pokemon to switch in and spinblock against it. Great Tusk is excellent at enabling other Pokemon to shine and should be drafted with that ability in mind.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
* Offensive utility: Stealth Rock makes Great Tusk a nice pick for a utility option. Rapid Spin pairs nicely with its large bulk, and threatening offensive stats make it easy to switch in and out of battle, soaking up hits and looking for opportunities to remove entry hazards.
* Tank: Maximizing its excellent defenses makes Great Tusk a very potent tank. High natural Attack requires little investment to be threatening to the Pokemon it is looking to check. This Great Tusk set typically focuses on halting the progress of certain threats on an opposing team.
* Setup sweeper: In this set, Great Tusk is typically held back until mid- or late-game, waiting for the right opportunity to switch in. Booster Energy raises its Speed immediately, allowing it to outspeed all unboosted Pokemon and using Bulk Up to raise its Attack and Defence, making a deadly late-game cleaner.
* Wallbreaker: Leveraging its large, diverse movepool to target specific weaknesses, this set lacks the cleaning potential of a setup sweeper but makes up for it by being more splashable and not sacrificing as much defensive utility, as it can switch in numerous times throughout the battle. This set is primarily employed to remove key defensive pieces in the early- or mid-game to enable other teammates to clean up. This set usually runs 4 attacks to maximize its coverage options.
Common Moves
========
* Primary STAB moves: Headlong Rush, Earthquake, Stomping Tantrum, Close Combat, Body Press
* Setup moves: Rapid Spin, Bulk Up
* Utility moves: Taunt, Rapid Spin, Knock Off, Roar, Stealth Rock
* Coverage: Heavy Slam, Head Smash, Ice Spinner, Iron Head, Knock Off, Megahorn, Play Rough, Stone Edge, Supercell Slam, Temper Flare, Throat Chop, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
* Substitute: Substitute is useful on pivot sets to scout for moves or to hit a target with coverage that it is weak to.
* Rest: Partnered with a Chesto Berry, this set is very nice on defensive Great Tusk sets that might be anticipating a faster-paced battle and may not get the full benefit of passive Leftovers recovery.
* Smack Down: Smack Down is useful for forcing progress against Levitate users or Flying-type Pokemon that want to pivot in on it. It is particularly useful against Corviknight and Skarmory, as they are immediately forced out or risk falling to Headlong Rush. It's a very handy move for gaining or taking back momentum.
Common Items
========
* Booster Energy: Booster Energy is a potent tool for raising Speed or Attack to enable a late-game sweep.
* Heavy-Duty Boots: Immunity to entry hazards is highly valuable on sets primarily aimed around controlling hazards with Rapid Spin.
* Leftovers: Leftovers is a catch-all item that is almost always useful. Great Tusk has excellent bulk and the passive recovery can provide the difference between succumbing to a potential 2HKO or making it a 3HKO instead.
* Resistance Berry: Using a resistance Berry is useful for luring opposing threats and taking a hit an opponent isn't expecting.
* Rocky Helmet: It's an excellent tool for making passive progress on tankier sets.
Niche Items
========
* Assault Vest: Assault Vest allows Great Tusk to survive moves it typically wouldn't due to its poor special bulk. It's useful as a lure for Pokemon like Zapdos that otherwise might force it out.
* Choice Scarf: While Choice Scarf is mostly outclassed by Speed Booster Energy, it has niche use on teams that want to utilize Great Tusk's defensive profile more.
* Choice Band: Similar to Choice Scarf, it's useful on teams that don't want to commit to the one time use of Booster Energy while still maintaining fearsome breaking power.
* Custap Berry: Custap Berry is only ever used with a predetermined plan on checking one specific Pokemon in your opponent's draft.
Tera
========
Great Tusk is not typically drafted with the intent of being a Tera Captain. While it can function well as a Tera Captain, it is not reliant on what Tera offers. Its defensive typing is already solid, and it doesn’t need the additional coverage that Tera Blast provides due to a wealth of coverage moves it possesses. For this reason, you’d get better value out of making one of its teammates your Tera Captain on a majority of drafts. In the event that you do make it your Tera Captain, it will run distinctly different types depending on the role you need it to fulfill. On offensive sets, Tera Ice and Fairy are reliable choices. Tera Fairy boosts Play Rough, and Tera Ice powers up Ice Spinner. Tera Flying provides Tera Blast coverage for Slither Wing. Tera Poison, Water, and Fairy are common on defensive builds due to their desirable defensive profiles. Tera Fire is an option to remove the possibility of being burned and resisting Fairy.
Draft Strategy
========
Great Tusk fills a few very essential roles in a draft. A result of this is that there are very few teams that don’t benefit from its presence. As a Pokemon that is typically drafted in the first draft rotation, options for following picks are plenty.
* Entry hazard setters: It’s recommended to pick up a second Stealth Rock setter later on in the draft to alleviate the necessity to run Stealth Rock on Great Tusk, opening up more creative build paths. Typically, Stealth Rock setters that don't share the same weaknesses to Great Tusk are preferable. Scream Tail, Uxie, and Clefable are a few examples of this.
* Wincons: These are important, as they alleviate the burden on Great Tusk to win games. Great Tusk also performs extremely well at being a supportive piece, providing strong defensive capabilities and also powerful breaking potential in the early- or mid-game to open up room for a sweeper to clean up. Strong cleaners like Latias, Greninja, and Enamorus are excellent for taking advantage of the defensive holes broken open by Great Tusk, for example.
* Special bulk: Great Tusk is threatened by fast special attackers like Chi-Yu and Iron Valiant, so a Pokemon with defensive capabilities on the special side is appreciated to give it an option to pivot into. Galarian Slowking and Heatran are good partners, as they are able to switch into many of the attacks Great Tusk is weak to.
* Special attackers: As a strong physical presence, it would be recommended to draft a potent special attacker as well to diversify offensive outputs. Gholdengo is a great option with no overlapping weaknesses, and Great Tusk has the ability to set up Stealth Rock, which Gholdengo can then deny the removal of.
Checks and Counters
========
* Ground immunities: They are difficult for Great Tusk to remove, resisting its Fighting-type STAB move and being immune to its Ground-type move. Great Tusk drafts need to play aggressively when aiming to tackle these threats, double switching into checks. Zapdos, Latias, and Skarmory are Pokemon it has difficulty removing, and it may also struggle with Pokemon that have the potential to use Tera Flying. Great Tusk can run Head Smash or Ice Spinner, paired with a Coba Berry, to lure in checks and threaten an OHKO.
* Ghost-type Pokemon: Ghost-type Pokemon are immune to Rapid Spin and Close Combat, two of its most common moves. This makes it very difficult for Great Tusk to navigate a battle. Knock Off is an excellent coverage option for these Pokemon, hitting them super effectively. Annihilape, with its respectable bulk and lack of weakness to Knock Off, is threatening to Great Tusk, which instead may want to run Play Rough to get around this. Many of the strongest Ghost-types available possess a Ground weakness, such as Gengar and Gholdengo, so it is important to always be wary of Air Balloon as potential counterplay.
* Special attackers: They can exploit Great Tusk's poor special bulk, revenge killing it or forcing it out. Iron Valiant, Iron Bundle, and Serperior are all very difficult for Great Tusk to get through without any Speed boosts, so creative use of Rapid Spin or Speed Booster Energy are great tools to circumvent this.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia7.620359/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Draft order: Early round 1
Price range: 18-19 points
Overview: Great Tusk puts the “Great” in its name. Believed to be one of the best Draft Pokemon of all time, Great Tusk is extremely versatile, able to fit on almost any team and partner well with virtually every Pokemon. Great Tusk can be built to accomplish anything you might ever need from it. Enormous physical bulk allows it to function as a respectable tank. Access to two of the strongest STAB options, broad coverage, Booster Energy to raise its Speed or Attack, and a sky-high Attack stat allows it to be a fearsome wallbreaker or late-game cleaner. It is the best entry hazard control option in the tier with access to Rapid Spin while also having access to Stealth Rock and Knock Off, making it difficult for Ghost-type Pokemon to switch in and spinblock against it. Great Tusk is excellent at enabling other Pokemon to shine and should be drafted with that ability in mind.
[strategy comments]
Common Roles
========
* Offensive utility: Stealth Rock makes Great Tusk a nice pick for a utility option. Rapid Spin pairs nicely with its large bulk, and threatening offensive stats make it easy to switch in and out of battle, soaking up hits and looking for opportunities to remove entry hazards.
* Tank: Maximizing its excellent defenses makes Great Tusk a very potent tank. High natural Attack requires little investment to be threatening to the Pokemon it is looking to check. This Great Tusk set typically focuses on halting the progress of certain threats on an opposing team.
* Setup sweeper: In this set, Great Tusk is typically held back until mid- or late-game, waiting for the right opportunity to switch in. Booster Energy raises its Speed immediately, allowing it to outspeed all unboosted Pokemon and using Bulk Up to raise its Attack and Defence, making a deadly late-game cleaner.
* Wallbreaker: Leveraging its large, diverse movepool to target specific weaknesses, this set lacks the cleaning potential of a setup sweeper but makes up for it by being more splashable and not sacrificing as much defensive utility, as it can switch in numerous times throughout the battle. This set is primarily employed to remove key defensive pieces in the early- or mid-game to enable other teammates to clean up. This set usually runs 4 attacks to maximize its coverage options.
Common Moves
========
* Primary STAB moves: Headlong Rush, Earthquake, Stomping Tantrum, Close Combat, Body Press
* Setup moves: Rapid Spin, Bulk Up
* Utility moves: Taunt, Rapid Spin, Knock Off, Roar, Stealth Rock
* Coverage: Heavy Slam, Head Smash, Ice Spinner, Iron Head, Knock Off, Megahorn, Play Rough, Stone Edge, Supercell Slam, Temper Flare, Throat Chop, Zen Headbutt
Niche Moves
========
* Substitute: Substitute is useful on pivot sets to scout for moves or to hit a target with coverage that it is weak to.
* Rest: Partnered with a Chesto Berry, this set is very nice on defensive Great Tusk sets that might be anticipating a faster-paced battle and may not get the full benefit of passive Leftovers recovery.
* Smack Down: Smack Down is useful for forcing progress against Levitate users or Flying-type Pokemon that want to pivot in on it. It is particularly useful against Corviknight and Skarmory, as they are immediately forced out or risk falling to Headlong Rush. It's a very handy move for gaining or taking back momentum.
Common Items
========
* Booster Energy: Booster Energy is a potent tool for raising Speed or Attack to enable a late-game sweep.
* Heavy-Duty Boots: Immunity to entry hazards is highly valuable on sets primarily aimed around controlling hazards with Rapid Spin.
* Leftovers: Leftovers is a catch-all item that is almost always useful. Great Tusk has excellent bulk and the passive recovery can provide the difference between succumbing to a potential 2HKO or making it a 3HKO instead.
* Resistance Berry: Using a resistance Berry is useful for luring opposing threats and taking a hit an opponent isn't expecting.
* Rocky Helmet: It's an excellent tool for making passive progress on tankier sets.
Niche Items
========
* Assault Vest: Assault Vest allows Great Tusk to survive moves it typically wouldn't due to its poor special bulk. It's useful as a lure for Pokemon like Zapdos that otherwise might force it out.
* Choice Scarf: While Choice Scarf is mostly outclassed by Speed Booster Energy, it has niche use on teams that want to utilize Great Tusk's defensive profile more.
* Choice Band: Similar to Choice Scarf, it's useful on teams that don't want to commit to the one time use of Booster Energy while still maintaining fearsome breaking power.
* Custap Berry: Custap Berry is only ever used with a predetermined plan on checking one specific Pokemon in your opponent's draft.
Tera
========
Great Tusk is not typically drafted with the intent of being a Tera Captain. While it can function well as a Tera Captain, it is not reliant on what Tera offers. Its defensive typing is already solid, and it doesn’t need the additional coverage that Tera Blast provides due to a wealth of coverage moves it possesses. For this reason, you’d get better value out of making one of its teammates your Tera Captain on a majority of drafts. In the event that you do make it your Tera Captain, it will run distinctly different types depending on the role you need it to fulfill. On offensive sets, Tera Ice and Fairy are reliable choices. Tera Fairy boosts Play Rough, and Tera Ice powers up Ice Spinner. Tera Flying provides Tera Blast coverage for Slither Wing. Tera Poison, Water, and Fairy are common on defensive builds due to their desirable defensive profiles. Tera Fire is an option to remove the possibility of being burned and resisting Fairy.
Draft Strategy
========
Great Tusk fills a few very essential roles in a draft. A result of this is that there are very few teams that don’t benefit from its presence. As a Pokemon that is typically drafted in the first draft rotation, options for following picks are plenty.
* Entry hazard setters: It’s recommended to pick up a second Stealth Rock setter later on in the draft to alleviate the necessity to run Stealth Rock on Great Tusk, opening up more creative build paths. Typically, Stealth Rock setters that don't share the same weaknesses to Great Tusk are preferable. Scream Tail, Uxie, and Clefable are a few examples of this.
* Wincons: These are important, as they alleviate the burden on Great Tusk to win games. Great Tusk also performs extremely well at being a supportive piece, providing strong defensive capabilities and also powerful breaking potential in the early- or mid-game to open up room for a sweeper to clean up. Strong cleaners like Latias, Greninja, and Enamorus are excellent for taking advantage of the defensive holes broken open by Great Tusk, for example.
* Special bulk: Great Tusk is threatened by fast special attackers like Chi-Yu and Iron Valiant, so a Pokemon with defensive capabilities on the special side is appreciated to give it an option to pivot into. Galarian Slowking and Heatran are good partners, as they are able to switch into many of the attacks Great Tusk is weak to.
* Special attackers: As a strong physical presence, it would be recommended to draft a potent special attacker as well to diversify offensive outputs. Gholdengo is a great option with no overlapping weaknesses, and Great Tusk has the ability to set up Stealth Rock, which Gholdengo can then deny the removal of.
Checks and Counters
========
* Ground immunities: They are difficult for Great Tusk to remove, resisting its Fighting-type STAB move and being immune to its Ground-type move. Great Tusk drafts need to play aggressively when aiming to tackle these threats, double switching into checks. Zapdos, Latias, and Skarmory are Pokemon it has difficulty removing, and it may also struggle with Pokemon that have the potential to use Tera Flying. Great Tusk can run Head Smash or Ice Spinner, paired with a Coba Berry, to lure in checks and threaten an OHKO.
* Ghost-type Pokemon: Ghost-type Pokemon are immune to Rapid Spin and Close Combat, two of its most common moves. This makes it very difficult for Great Tusk to navigate a battle. Knock Off is an excellent coverage option for these Pokemon, hitting them super effectively. Annihilape, with its respectable bulk and lack of weakness to Knock Off, is threatening to Great Tusk, which instead may want to run Play Rough to get around this. Many of the strongest Ghost-types available possess a Ground weakness, such as Gengar and Gholdengo, so it is important to always be wary of Air Balloon as potential counterplay.
* Special attackers: They can exploit Great Tusk's poor special bulk, revenge killing it or forcing it out. Iron Valiant, Iron Bundle, and Serperior are all very difficult for Great Tusk to get through without any Speed boosts, so creative use of Rapid Spin or Speed Booster Energy are great tools to circumvent this.
[credits]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/olivia7.620359/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/abriel.473082/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/nyx.564960/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/hacker.387847/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/ken.594478/
Last edited: