When to Use Piloswine for Maximum Damage in TCG

Piloswine card art (Crimson Invasion SM4-20)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Timing Piloswine for Maximum Impact on the Battlefield

When you’re building a Crimson Invasion-era tempo deck, every decision about timing and positioning matters. Piloswine, a Water-type Stage 1 from the Crimson Invasion set (SM4), may look modest at first glance with its 100 HP and a pair of simple attacks. Yet its pairing of a compact Stampede hit and a stubborn Rest routine unlocks a nuanced playstyle: you can stall, heal, and set up bigger threats while chipping away at your opponent’s plans. This approach—knowing exactly when to push for damage and when to endure—defines how you extract maximum value from Piloswine in Expanded play. ⚡🔥💎

Card snapshot: what makes Piloswine tick

Name: Piloswine
Set: Crimson Invasion (SM4)
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Water
Stage: 1 ( evolves from Swinub )
HP: 100
Attacks:
- Stampede — Cost: Water; Damage: 20
- Rest — Cost: Colorless × 4; Effect: This Pokémon is now Asleep. Heal 90 damage from it.
Weakness: Metal ×2
Retreat cost: 4
Illustrator: Kouki Saitou
Legal in formats: Expanded (not Standard)
Card number: SM4 20

How to maximize damage potential without throwing away board presence

The hallmark of Piloswine is not a colossal damage two-turn finisher, but a deliberate, calculation-heavy approach that blends modest offense with robust sustain. Stampede offers a reliable 20 damage per active turn when you can attach Water energy and keep the board pressure steady. The real tactical edge comes from Rest—a four-energy commitment that lets you flip the table by healing up to 90 damage and forcing a temporary status change to asleep. In practice, that means you can soak hits from opponents while you search for setup pieces, then pivot to a power-dive with a more aggressive ally in your bench.

Strategically, you’ll want to deploy Piloswine when your opponent’s board is vulnerable to a finisher that benefits from a clean, healed slate. Rest buys you precious turns to draw into evolution lines, Rare Candies, Supporters, or crucial Trainers that accelerate your late-game plan. If you’ve stacked your deck with draw and search so you can reach a decisive attacker with synergy—perhaps another Water-type or a complementary energizer—Piloswine’s role shifts from “frontline damage” to “frontline durability and tempo anchor.”

Turn-by-turn planning: a practical framework

Early game: Use Swinub to begin the engine, then attach Water energy and evolve to Piloswine as soon as possible. Your goal is a modest Stampede clock that helps you inch toward the board state you want without overcommitting energy too early.
Mid game (the Rest window): When you anticipate a big threat or heavy retaliation, use Rest to endure the next couple of turns. The Heal 90 can be a lifesaver against decks that try to flood the board with Bulldoze-like effects or high-HP attackers. The Sleep condition is a temporary setback worth trading for survivability and tempo in the longer arc.
Late game cohesion: Bring in a stronger attacker to finish; Piloswine’s role is to stall and maintain the life total while you assemble the win condition. Keep in mind Metal-type weakness; you’ll want backup attackers if you’re facing stacked Steel-types.

“In the right setup, a single Piloswine can buy a full turn’s worth of time to search for that one card that breaks the game plan.” — seasoned TCG players ⚔️

Deck-building notes: synergy and caveats

Because Piloswine leans on low-to-mid damage with a high sustain payoff, it shines in decks that lean on resilience and incremental advantage. Pair it with supportive Water-energy accelerators and draw supporters to reduce the number of turns you spend stalled. If your local meta punishes stall strategies, you’ll want to lean more heavily on the Stampede plan and diversify your bench with complementary attackers who can convert the tempo you gain from Rest into actual knockout pressure.

One practical caveat is its weakness to Metal; that makes facing certain Metal archetypes a challenge unless you time your Rest windows carefully or diversify your plan with fewer exposed attackers. With Rest requiring four Colorless energy, you’ll also be mindful of energy management—don’t overextend in the early turns, or you risk becoming a sitting duck when you can’t heal fast enough.

Collector’s note: price and value trends

In the modern market, non-holo versions of Piloswine SM4-20 tend to be very inexpensive, often a few cents, making it an approachable addition for budget builds and collectors alike. CardMarket’s recent data puts the average price around a modest 0.06 EUR for standard copies, reflecting its Uncommon status and the era’s evolving demand. For holo and reverse-holo variants, the values stay modest but can rise into the low single-digit euro range depending on condition and supply.

CardMarket (EUR): average around 0.06 EUR; holo variants typically higher but still accessible
TCGPlayer (USD): normal copies often hover around 0.11-0.15 USD in market price, with higher values for near-mint copies; high-end or misprint examples can push toward 1.49 USD
Reverse holofoil copies show similar but slightly elevated ranges, with market prices often around 0.28 USD or higher for well-kept examples

Illustrator Kouki Saitou brings a classic older-Pokemon vibe to Piloswine’s art, a contrast to more modern hyper-polished canvases. The visual design complements the card’s function: sturdy, dependable, and a little old-school charm that fans remember from the era of brick-like Stage 1s and straightforward objectives. 🎨

Where to use this card best

In expanded formats, Piloswine can slot into a sturdy, draw-focused Water deck that values staying power and steady pressure over one-turn explosions. The best games exploit Rest as a defensive tempo tool while you deploy a stronger late-game finisher—often another Water-type or a versatile all-rounder—onto the bench. The player who reads the board, times the Rest correctly, and keeps a careful eye on energy and retreat costs will be the one to ride the swelling tide of damage long enough to clinch the win. 🎴

Curious to see more contextual reads on deck archetypes and memorable tournament moments? Explore the linked articles below for broader insights into optimal strategies, pro picks, and the cultural pulse of the TCG scene.

Phone Case with Card Holder MagSafe (Glossy or Matte Finish)