Cufant: When to Retreat or Push for Knockout in Scarlet & Violet

Cufant card art from Darkness Ablaze (swsh3-131)

Image courtesy of TCGdex.net

Mastering Cufant on the Scarlet & Violet Battlefield: Retreat Timing and Knockout Potential

In the expansive world of the Pokémon TCG, small but sturdy creatures often teach the art of patience. Cufant, a basic Metal-type Pokémon from Darkness Ablaze (swsh3), embodies that lesson. With 100 HP, a single solid attack, and a retreat cost of 3, this little digger asks you to think a few moves ahead. Its flavor text—“It digs up the ground with its trunk. It’s also very strong, being able to carry loads of over five tons without any problem at all.”—reads like battle wisdom translated into card form: strength comes from careful positioning and timing as much as raw power. This article explores when to retreat and when to press for a knockout, weaving in the card’s stats and the broader Scarlet & Violet environment for players who want to optimize every decision. ⚡🔥

Understanding the fundamentals: energy, attack, and risk

Cufant’s lone attack, Strength, costs Metal, Colorless, and Colorless, and delivers 60 damage. That means you’ll typically need at least one Metal energy attached and two additional Colorless energies to land it. In practice, that energy requirement makes Timing a premium: if you’re unable to reliably fuel the attack, you’ll quickly find yourself sitting on the bench while your opponent accelerates into stronger threats. The retreat cost of 3 compounds the dilemma—pulling Cufant off the active line can be expensive in terms of energy and tempo, so you want a clear plan for what comes next on your bench. The card’s Fire weakness ×2 and Grass resistance −30 also shape how you read your opponent’s board: Fire types hitting you hard means you might want to retreat before you’re overwhelmed, while Grass resistances encourage you to stay put against certain Grass-focused lists that can be more content to trade rather than press for heavy KO swings. This is a quintessentially “positioning” Pokémon: it rewards planning, not just raw damage output. 🎯

When to retreat: preserve the board and set up Copperajah

Low health on the active and a dangerous bench threat looming. If your opponent has a heavy-hitting attacker on the bench about to come online, retreat Cufant to prevent a big one-hit swing that would swing the game in their favor. With a retreat cost of 3, you’ll want to avoid losing a prize or giving up tempo unless you’re sure you can recover on the next turn.
Energy alignment issues. If you’re stuck with a half-filled hand that won’t meet Strength’s cost anytime soon, retreat to a more energy-efficient attacker or to Copperajah (the natural evolution line) once you’ve hit a solid energy setup. Copperajah typically presents a more threatening threat with higher HP and bigger attacks, making the transition worth planning in advance.
Facing a predictable Fire-heavy opponent. Because Fire types deal double damage to Cufant, a well-timed retreat helps you dodge a brutal exchange and keeps your bench stock fresh for later—where Copperajah can come online with stronger back-up support.

When to push for a knockout: seize the momentum

Opportune targets on the active. If the foe leaves an opponent’s active with a vulnerable HP window and you’ve staged enough energy, pressing for a knockout with Strength becomes the cleanest path to a prize lead. It’s not about a dramatic sweep every time; it’s about choosing battles you can win and denying your opponent the chance to rebuild momentum on the bench.
Energy-rich turns. When you’ve consistently attached Energy, and you have a clear line to a knockout with the right board state, you can press forward. Even if you don’t KO outright, forcing your opponent to retreat or reconfigure their active card pool buys you crucial tempo on subsequent turns.
Bartering for a stronger late-game finish. Cufant is part of a line that can grow into Copperajah—an attacker with more staying power and significantly higher impact. Pushing for early or mid-game knockouts buys space to evolve and leverage Copperajah’s larger threat later in the game. ⚡

Deck-building and format considerations

In Darkness Ablaze, Cufant is listed as Common, with a straightforward evolution path to Copperajah. Its set, designation, and illustrator—Akira Komayama—bring a classic, grounded metal theme to the table. The card’s regulation mark is D, making it legal in Expanded formats but not Standard. For Scarlet & Violet-era decks that aim to blend classic Metal-type resilience with new mechanics, Cufant can slot in as a stabilizing early-game wall or a stepping stone to a heavier, more explosive Copperajah engine. When constructing the deck, consider pacing: how many Metal Energy accelerants can you reliably attach by turn two? Do you have Switch, Escape Rope, or other retreat-alleviating tools to counter that three-energy retreat cost? And do you have a back-end plan that leverages Cufant’s 60-damage output while you work toward Copperajah’s bigger threat? These questions help you balance durability with the occasional knockout opportunity. For collectors, the non-holo, common print from Darkness Ablaze offers a cost-effective way to populate the metal-focused portion of your binder while you chase rarer variants. 🪙

Art, flavor, and lore all add texture to a practical decision tree. Akira Komayama’s illustration grounds Cufant in a sturdy, earth-toned world where strength comes from steady, patient work—exactly the mindset you want on the battlefield when deciding whether to retreat or push for a KO. The card’s “It digs up the ground” line translates into gameplay: sometimes the best move is to dig deeper in your energy pool and plan the evolution to Copperajah, rather than forcing a premature clash with a fragile, high-risk active. The result is a timeless dance of risk and reward, where even a Common can become a linchpin in a well-timed victory. 💎

Collector’s corner: rarity, pricing, and value cues

As a Common in Darkness Ablaze (swsh3), Cufant is accessible for new trainers and seasoned collectors alike. The card’s value isn’t driven by scarcity but by its role in Metal-themed decks and its place in the Copperajah evolution chain. Pricing data from card marketplaces shows a wide spread for non-foil copies, with holo and reverse-holo variants typically commanding higher interest. For players, the practical takeaway is to harness Cufant’s solidity in games while keeping eyes on Copperajah’s future payoff. The market tends to reward completion of the evolution line, so consider how Cufant fits into your broader collection goals—especially if you’re chasing a fully fleshed-out Dark Blaze-era metal engine. 🔍

Prize-worthy figures and a quick price snapshot

TCG market overview: common price trends for non-holo Cufant and its copper evolution line.
Deck-building impact: how a sturdy, retreat-cost-heavy base trades off against higher-variance attackers.
Artwork and collectability: Akira Komayama’s contribution remains a highlight for many fans.
Rarity and set context: Darkness Ablaze contributes a well-loved palette to Metal-focused builds.
Format legality: Expanded only, with Standard exclusions—an important note for event planning.

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Neon Desk Mouse Pad – Customizable One-Sided Print (3mm Thick)