Please don’t use Azumarill this time

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have introduced its third 7-Star Tera Raid battle into the sport, and with it comes a change of tempo. The earlier Charizard and Cinderace raids favored Pokemon who might tank Fireplace-Kind hits like a champ, however many of those monsters received’t essentially excel in opposition to Greninja. There may be one returning champion, however we’ll get to that later.

As has been custom with the 7-Star Raids up to now, you’ll be able to solely catch one Greninja whereas the occasion is stay. That mentioned, you’ll be able to freely grind this raid for larger drop charges of uncommon gadgets like Skill Patches and Bottle Caps. Extra importantly, since Greninja will at all times sport the identical strikes and Poison Tera-Kind, you’ll be able to repeat a successful technique as usually as your teammates are prepared to cooperate. Right here’s the way to take this frog ninja down.

Greninja’s strikes

Not like the earlier raids, Greninja is a combined attacker. It’ll use Gunk Shot and Night time Slash to deal Bodily Poison and Darkish-Kind harm respectively. Conversely, it’s going to use Ice Beam and Hydro Pump to inflict Ice and Water-Kind harm that scales off of its Particular Assault. Its assault sample in the end is dependent upon your Pokemon’s stats and Kind. No matter does probably the most harm to you, Greninja will typically spam that transfer.

Having mentioned that, it’s clear that Greninja’s Particular Assault stat is way larger than its Bodily Assault. This enables for methods that appear outright silly at first look. Relying in your Pokemon’s stats, Greninja might choose to make use of strikes that you simply resist over strikes that may in any other case inflict impartial harm to you. Hold this in thoughts as you determine whether or not to construct Pokemon that prioritize their Protection or Particular Protection stats.

Greninja’s further mechanics

In the beginning of the struggle, Greninja will use Poisonous Spikes and Double Workforce. Poisonous Spikes will poison your Pokemon if it returns to the sphere after getting knocked out. The apparent answer right here is “don’t die,” however that’s simpler mentioned than accomplished. Double Workforce is scripted for use as Greninja’s well being falls, so it received’t essentially spam this transfer whereas your staff units up its buffs. That mentioned, as soon as Greninja’s evasion rises sufficient, it turns into a serious ache to land any assaults on. Happily, choose Pokemon can counter this.

Past that, Greninja has comparable mechanics to the opposite 7-Star Tera Raids. It’ll erase your stat boosts at flip 3 of the encounter. This can weaken your occasion’s capability to fortify itself early within the struggle, although luckily, your stat boosts after this may stick. Greninja may even clear its stat debuffs throughout or after its defend part, so be sure that Greninja doesn’t sneak in a KO after this occurs. In any other case, the same old guidelines of the defend part stay right here. Standing strikes and debuffs received’t land, although assaults which have a secondary impact like Chilling Water stay viable.

Due to Greninja’s mechanics, the most effective counterplay is dependent upon which Pokemon you’ll convey to the sphere. That mentioned, as a common rule of thumb, completely prioritize your protection first. Even when Greninja clears your stat boosts early, it’s nonetheless price fortifying your self to resist its preliminary assaults. That mentioned, do not forget that Cheers or strikes like Gentle Display will nonetheless persist after Greninja clears your stat boosts.

The most effective Pokemon to convey

After some preliminary confusion, the meta for countering Greninja has revolved round a well-known pal returning to reign havoc. No, it’s not Azumarill; in reality, a stomach drum Azumarill shouldn’t be anyplace close to this encounter. That mentioned, keep in mind to max the EVs and IVs of no matter Pokemon you convey as we advisable within the Azumarill construct information.

DPS MVP: Slowbro

Because it seems, the Saved Energy technique from Cinderace is so good that even Greninja can’t face up to it. Contemplating Slowbro takes Tremendous Efficient harm from Greninja’s Night time Slash, it’s truthfully unbelievable it does so effectively on this struggle.

Identical to earlier than, your technique revolves round boosting your stats to the moon. Start the encounter with Iron Protection to bolster Slowbro’s respectable Protection stat. Even when Greninja clears your stats early, your objective within the early sport is to simply survive. Use Slack Off as wanted for useful self-healing, and segue into Nasty Plot as soon as your Protection is maxed. Lastly, with maxed Protection and Particular Assault, you’ll functionally enhance the bottom energy of Saved Energy to a whopping 260. This received’t nuke Greninja as laborious because it did to Cinderace by itself, however these are nonetheless insanely heavy hits.

That mentioned, do be conscious that Greninja is dealing Tremendous Efficient harm to you. Whereas Slowbro is viable for solo clearing the struggle, I like to recommend two help Pokemon in a celebration to assist Slowbro survive and arrange. Even a celebration member who can handle a Protection Cheer goes a good distance in serving to Slowbro’s early sport. Greninja is cumbersome sufficient that two Slowbros are viable, however three or 4 are a bit pointless.

Assault and Help MVP: Gastrodon

Anecdotally, Slowbro is probably the most constant pressure popping up in rooms on-line. Gastrodon hasn’t seen as a lot utilization in my testing, however when performed effectively, this monster might help this struggle go very easily.

Gastrodon can both be run as a static help Pokemon or as a combined attacker and supporter. The flexibility Storm Drain is important. This can utterly nullify Greninja’s Hydro Pump and switch it right into a Particular Assault enhance. This has a enjoyable interplay with one other technique, however we’ll get to that in a bit. Moreover, Gastrodon can study Clear Smog as an Egg Transfer, which is past useful for countering Double Workforce. This transfer will revert all of Greninja’s stat boosts to their impartial state, that means that is optimally used in the beginning of the encounter and after Greninja clears its stat illnesses later.

Get well is a should for Gastrodon, however from there you’ve got a couple of decisions. Stockpile can be utilized to bolster Gastrodon’s defenses, which can be useful if you happen to discover you’re taking extra harm than you’ll be able to deal with. Mud-Slap and Mud Shot harass Greninja’s Accuracy and Pace respectively, which might help bolster your occasion’s survivability. Yawn is one other potential Egg Transfer that may put Greninja to sleep if its defend isn’t up, giving your staff a free flip or two to benefit from.

Lastly, if you happen to’re trying to deal harm with Gastrodon, Earth Energy is your key right here. It’s much less highly effective than Earthquake, however it advantages from these boosts you’ll be able to accrue through Storm Drain. This brings us to our subsequent possibility.

Healer Possibility: Cloyster

That is my private construct for this encounter. Because of Cloyster’s monstrous Protection, Greninja might be goaded into spamming Hydro Pump. That is primarily based on a common HP/Protection construct, so allocate factors into Particular Protection or undertake a Cautious Nature to make this construct comfier on this struggle. Use Gentle Display to guard your self and occasion members susceptible to Particular Assaults, and throw in a Protection Cheer for good measure. Bear in mind, these received’t expire when Greninja clears your stat boosts. Have Cloyster maintain Gentle Clay to increase the length of Gentle Display.

From right here, spam Life Dew as a lot as you or your occasion wants it. Right here’s the enjoyable synergy: Life Dew triggers Gastrodon’s Storm Drain capability in lieu of receiving therapeutic. This makes it simple to get Gastrodon to +6 Particular Assault and shine in offensive builds. You received’t essentially capitalize on this technique, particularly given Slowbro’s dominance as a DPS possibility. However when it really works, it actually works.

Hydro Pump is barely 80% correct, so relying on RNG it’s possible you’ll get some free turns. Use this chance to make use of Chilling Water to assist occasion members like Slowbro who’re taking bodily assaults. Lastly, if you happen to see Saved Energy launching, use Serving to Hand in case your occasion is wholesome to tear down Greninja rapidly. Do not forget that Greninja could also be working with evasion boosts, so don’t neglect therapeutic the occasion to spice up a Saved Energy that may not join.

The one weak point with this construct is you can get caught in a foul spot when Gentle Display wears off. To deal with this, press Y to maintain monitor of Gentle Display’s flip length. Hold your self wholesome because the depend reaches 0, and contemplate a Protection Cheer the flip earlier than it expires.

Slowbro’s Bro: Qwilfish

If you would like the return of Slowbro’s Saved Energy defeating the boss in a single hit, convey a Qwilfish to play pure help.

First off, Qwilfish can study Intimidate as a hidden capability. This can make a big impression on the occasion’s early survivability, particularly for Slowbro because it takes Night time Slashes. As soon as Greninja clears your stats, use Haze to write down off its evasion boosts. From there, use Chilling Water till Greninja’s harm output is at a suitable stage, and use a mixture of Acupressure and Acid Spray. The thought with Acupressure is to offer Slowbro as many stat boosts as potential to bolster Saved Energy even additional, and Acid Spray will assist Slowbro hit means, means tougher. If one other occasion member will not be utilizing Yawn, Thunder Wave can work right here as effectively.

Qwilfish can change a second DPS in a celebration, and it completely does make the struggle go smoother when performed proper. That mentioned, whether or not or not it’s price investing in for this encounter is as much as you.

Honorable point out 1: Clodsire

From right here, only a fast overview of different viable choices. Clodsire matches the same area of interest as Gastrodon, particularly given its Water immunity through Water Level. Your construct choices are comparable, although you’ll be able to go for Acid Spray as help right here as effectively. Clodsire can run Curse and Earthquake, so if you happen to aren’t a fan of Slowbro, there’s an possibility there.

Honorable Point out 2: Vaporeon

Vaporeon can be price a fast shout since it might run a Saved Energy set like Slowbro. Whereas it’s extra favorable defensively, it does lack Slowbro’s STAB enhance to the transfer in addition to a constant therapeutic possibility. Vaporeon does get Want, however you’ll should play across the transfer’s delayed impact.

There are various viable methods

As per typical, the Pokemon listed below are not the one counters to Greninja. The truth is, synergetic groups can defeat Greninja in a single flip with out utilizing any of the above Pokemon! These suggestions are primarily based on their efficacy in your random pickup teams, however you can be on the mercy of your staff irrespective of who you convey. It at all times helps to construct two or three counters to the struggle so you’ll be able to match no matter area of interest your staff wants, although there’s no saving a celebration that has Koraidon or Garchomp in it.

Ultimately, discover the technique that brings you probably the most constant outcomes and keep it up. As soon as you’ll be able to commonly clear the encounter, you’ll be swimming in gadgets that will help you construct your subsequent excellent Pokemon. Completely satisfied farming!