Sawsbuck
Quick take
- Illustration rare from Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces, illustrated by Susumu Maeya
- Art connects with the Deerling illustration rare (165/162) from the same set to form one scene
- Shows Sawsbuck in a fall forest with autumn-leaf antlers
- Affordable, art-led pickup rather than a high-value chase
Collector's readWhat it means for your master set
Set landscapeWhere this card sits in Temporal Forces
VariantsCard variants
Holofoil 166/162 · $53.19 — the only variant this card was printed in (no reverse holo or special pattern), so a master set needs just this one copy.
The storyOne half of a two-card seasonal scene
Sawsbuck is the evolved form of Deerling, the deer whose coat changes with the seasons. Susumu Maeya leaned into that. The illustration rare shows Sawsbuck in a fall forest, antlers full of red and orange leaves.
“Illustration rare from Scarlet & Violet Temporal Forces, illustrated by Susumu Maeya”
The detail that matters to collectors is the pairing. The art continues straight into the Deerling illustration rare from the same set. Set the two cards side by side and the background reads as one continuous forest, with the seasonal theme carrying across both. Temporal Forces ran several linked-art IRs, and the Deerling and Sawsbuck duo is one of the cleaner pairings.
On its own it is a mid-pack illustration rare, not a chase card. The appeal is the art and the set-completion angle, not scarcity or a famous Pokemon.
By the numbersMarket analysis
Sawsbuck sits in the lower band of Temporal Forces illustration rares. It is one of the more accessible IRs in the set, well below the headline names and the special illustration rares. The live market price is shown elsewhere on this page.
Pricing has stayed soft and stable since release. No Pokemon-popularity spike is pushing it, so it tends to track the broader Temporal Forces singles market rather than move on its own.
Treat this as a collector piece, not an investment. Sawsbuck is not a fan favorite, and the print is common as IRs go, so the upside is limited. Buy it because you want the art or the set. Buy it paired with the Deerling IR so the scene reads correctly.
Graded copies carry a premium over raw, but on a low-base card the dollar gain rarely covers grading and shipping unless you can lock a gem-mint grade. Most copies are worth keeping raw in a sleeve.
In Scarlet & Violet sets you pull some illustration rare roughly once every 12 packs on average. That is the rate for any IR, not this one specifically. Temporal Forces has many illustration rares, so hitting Sawsbuck in particular runs much longer than 1 in 12 and stretches into the hundreds of packs if you are pack-hunting a single card. For most builders, buying the single is faster and cheaper than chasing it in product. For reference, the deeper hits in S&V run far steeper: double rares around 1 in 5 packs, ultra rares around 1 in 15, special illustration rares around 1 in 90, and hyper rares anywhere from 1 in 300 to 1 in 700.
As illustration rares go, Sawsbuck is on the common and affordable end of the Temporal Forces lineup. It is the kind of IR you can usually find loose and cheap, unlike the set's marquee illustration rares that command real premiums.
ArtworkWhy the art matters
Susumu Maeya has illustrated cards across the Scarlet & Violet era. The work tends toward clean, saturated Pokemon-in-habitat scenes rather than abstract or action-heavy compositions, which suits a seasonal subject like Sawsbuck.
Sawsbuck stands in a forest mid-fall, antlers crowned with autumn leaves that echo the red, orange, and yellow canopy behind it. The palette is warm, the lighting soft. It reads as a calm daytime portrait of the Pokemon in its element, not a battle moment.
Full-art illustration rare with the standard Scarlet & Violet IR holo treatment and a textured foil surface. The number 166/162 sits past the set's printed total of 162, which marks it as a secret-rare slot in the numbering.
The art is built to be seen next to its partner. The Deerling illustration rare from the same set continues the forest, and the seasonal theme runs across the pair. Owning just one tells half the story, which is why collectors chase both.
BackgroundAbout Sawsbuck
Sawsbuck debuted in Generation V (Black & White) as the evolution of Deerling. Its whole identity is seasonal change. Deerling and Sawsbuck shift coat colors across Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter forms, and the antler foliage is the most recognizable part of the design.
- ›Strong, simple seasonal-deer concept that artists can play with
- ›The four-form gimmick gives it built-in theme variety
- ›Autumn Form is the most visually striking of the four
- ›Appeals to nature and animal-design collectors more than competitive players
- ›Generation V (Black & White) debut as Deerling's evolution
- ›Recurring seasonal-form appearances across the main series games
Own it wellCollector guide
The flat, textured IR foil shows edge wear and whitening easily, and corner dings stand out against the lighter autumn background. Check the surface under angled light for print lines and scratches before buying.
Grading rarely pays off on a low-base card unless you are confident in a top grade. If you want it for a display set, a clean raw copy in a sleeve and toploader is plenty. Save the grading budget for the set's higher-value cards. Read the grading guide →
Sleeve and toploader for singles, or run it in a side-loading binder page if you are building the Temporal Forces master set. Keep it out of direct light and away from heat and humidity to protect the foil. See the storage guide →
Buy the Deerling illustration rare at the same time so you can display the combined scene. Both are inexpensive, so prioritize centering and clean corners over chasing the absolute lowest price. Raw is the right call here for almost everyone. See the singles buying guide →
Modern S&V IRs are faked far less than vintage chase cards, but still check the holo pattern, the texture you can feel on the foil, and the back swirl and color. If a listing photo looks too flat or the texture is missing, ask for more pictures.
Protect your card
Low Chase Score — basic protection is plenty. · Amazon affiliate links · Storage guideWord on the streetCommunity sentiment
Well liked for the art and the linked-scene gimmick, without being a card anyone calls a must-own chase. It shows up in posts about underrated or affordable Temporal Forces IRs more than in high-end pull threads.
Most of the chatter centers on the Deerling and Sawsbuck pairing, with people sharing the combined image once both cards are lined up. It is a quietly appreciated art card rather than a hype piece.
Good to knowFrequently asked questions
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