How to Beat Great Tusk, the Quaking Earth Titan (Scarlet)

Learn the best strategies, Pokémon types, and moves to defeat the powerful Ground/Fighting-type Great Tusk Titan in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Alright, let's talk about taking down the Great Tusk Titan in Pokémon Scarlet! This big guy is a real challenge, but with the right approach, you'll have it beat in no time. Think of it like this: it's a massive, ancient Donphan, so we need to use its weaknesses against it.

Where to Find It: You'll find Great Tusk chilling in the Asado Desert, which is that huge sandy area west of Cascarrafa. If you're coming from the west, it's between West Province (Area One) and West Province (Area Two). Honestly, it's so huge, you'll probably see it before you even get close!

Getting There: The easiest way to start your journey to Great Tusk is by heading to Cascarrafa, the water-themed town. If you're not there yet, you can travel there from Cortondo (the Grass Gym town) by heading northwest. There are a couple of Pokémon Centers along the way that are perfect for a quick heal-up. Once you reach Cascarrafa, just head west into the Asado Desert, and you can't miss it.

Best Pokémon and Types:

• Recommended Level: Aim to have your Pokémon around Level 45 or higher.
• Great Tusk's Typing: It's a Ground and Fighting type.
• Offensive Weaknesses (What to hit it with): Water, Grass, Flying, Psychic, and Fairy types are your best bet for dealing super-effective damage.
• Defensive Strengths (What resists its attacks): Fairy types are excellent defensively, as they resist Fighting-type moves like Brick Break. While Psychic types can hit it hard, be careful because Great Tusk can use Knock Off, which is super-effective against them.
• Starter Tip: If you chose Quaxly and evolved it, your Water-type starter will be fantastic here. If you chose Sprigatito, be extra cautious, as its Grass typing makes it weak to Fighting moves.
• Other Great Options:
  • Gyarados: A Water/Flying type, great for hitting hard and resisting Ground if it had Ground moves (which it doesn't!).
  • Azumarill: Water/Fairy typing makes it a powerhouse offensively and defensively.
  • Scovillain: Grass/Fire typing offers good offensive coverage.
  • Lilligant: Pure Grass type, good for hitting its Ground weakness.
  • Dachsbund: A pure Fairy type, excellent for resisting its Fighting attacks.
  • Tinkatink Line: Fairy/Steel typing is great, resisting Fighting and even the Ground-type moves it *doesn't* have.

Strategies for the Fight:

You'll actually fight Great Tusk twice, with a short break in between if you need to regroup. Don't let its size fool you; it's got some key weaknesses.

• Stats: Great Tusk has really high Attack and Defense, but its special stats are pretty low. This means it hits hard physically but doesn't take special hits well.
• Key Moves to Watch Out For:
  • Rapid Spin: While it used to be weak, this move now does decent damage and boosts Great Tusk's Speed. It also clears status effects and entry hazards.
  • Brick Break: A strong Fighting-type move that can break through Reflect and Light Screen, so don't rely on those too much.
  • Knock Off: This Dark-type move is sneaky! It removes your held item and hits harder if it does. This is especially dangerous for your Psychic-types.
• What it *Doesn't* Have: Strangely, Great Tusk doesn't seem to use any Ground-type moves itself, which is a bit of a surprise!
• Your Best Bets:
  • Lower its Attack: Great Tusk doesn't have any moves to boost its own Attack. So, use moves like Growl or Baby-Doll Eyes to lower its Attack stat. If your Pokémon is faster, Baby-Doll Eyes is great because it also lowers the target's Speed. Switching in Pokémon with the Intimidate ability can also help a lot. Keep in mind that critical hits will ignore these stat drops, but they aren't too common.
  • Poison it: Unlike its Violet counterpart, Iron Treads, Great Tusk is susceptible to poison! If you can land a poison status effect, it will lose a good chunk of health each turn. You can then focus on healing and chipping away at its health.
  • Fairy Types are King: Seriously, Fairy types are amazing here. They hit super-effectively, resist Brick Break and Knock Off, and while Rapid Spin will still hurt, you're in a much better position defensively. The Tinkatink line is also a solid choice for similar reasons.

You've got this! Just remember to exploit its physical focus, watch out for Knock Off, and leverage those Fairy and Poison options. Good luck!