7-Star Raids - Strategies, Speculation & Discussion Thread

[WishIhadaManafi5]

My finals thoughts on this "debate" is I wish people would stop trying to equate this to them pushing competitive on casuals. Hate the difficulty and limitations but this isn't anything that groundbreaking in terms of strategy and most of the talk about EVs and IVs isn't necessary at all.


With that being said, I am liking that there's some level of strategy here in terms of countering them even if I agree somewhat about not fully liking the execution. Definitely better than SwSh's.


The 2 I've fought with were using Bulk Up so they were tanks to take hits and deal damage.

I think it's more of a having to use certain Pokemon thing, more than anything else.

The strategy reminds me more of regular rpg's. Having a healer, defender and so on.

 

[Ignition]

I think it's more of a having to use certain Pokemon thing, more than anything else.

The strategy reminds me more of regular rpg's. Having a healer, defender and so on.

It's fine that people don't want to use a specific pool of Pokémon but saying that's making GF push competitive on casuals is what's my issue since the strategy or preparing for it isn't anything demanding.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

It's fine that people don't want to use a specific pool of Pokémon but saying that's making GF push competitive on casuals is what's my issue since the strategy or preparing for it isn't anything demanding.

That's fair enough. I wasn't going from the stats side, just from the builds, as in the move sets.

 

[Ignition]

That's fair enough. I wasn't going from the stats side, just from the builds, as in the move sets.

I still don't think the movesets are anything crazy. It's just stat boosting moves. But that's just an agree to disagree

 

[Sham]

Scratch that. I just lost my fourth one trying to help people catch one and just testing the waters again and just lost. I think I got lucky

 

[Mr.Munchlax]

My group beat Cinderace on the first try & then I just joined tons of raids for item drops (I now have 258 Fighting Tera shards). I’ve been using an Espathra with high speed & physical defense & it acts as both an attacker and a support pokémon due to its movepool (Lumina Crash, Featherdance, Reflect, Stored Power)

 

[Copley Hill Gym]

I think on the whole Sword/Shield were far more polished for their online play than Scarlet/Violet feel to me. The Tera raid is infinitely less fun to me - the bugs are real and really game breaking. The one which has really got to me is when you think you're winning a tera raid and then suddenly the timer literally disappears and the energy gets released.

Sword/Shield's gigantamax raids were slow moving but they were solidly built. Tera raids feel like a mess by comparison.

If Scarlet/Violet had the polish of sword/shield we wouldn't be complaining, IMO.

 

[Tsukuyomi56]

I think on the whole Sword/Shield were far more polished for their online play than Scarlet/Violet feel to me. The Tera raid is infinitely less fun to me - the bugs are real and really game breaking. The one which has really got to me is when you think you're winning a tera raid and then suddenly the timer literally disappears and the energy gets released.

Sword/Shield's gigantamax raids were slow moving but they were solidly built. Tera raids feel like a mess by comparison.

If Scarlet/Violet had the polish of sword/shield we wouldn't be complaining, IMO.

One thing I like about Scarlet/Violet is the AI partners are a lot better than Sword/Shield, no longer you have to contend with stuff like Martin's Solrock, Wobbuffet or NFEs. Also you are not penalized for AI partners fainting, in SWSH anything with AoE moves is basically praying your teammates don't rack up the 4 KO count that boots you out of the den.

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

The 2 I've fought with were using Bulk Up so they were tanks to take hits and deal damage.

I've tried bulk up and it wasn't performing as I wanted.

I'm currently using an Armorouge with Iron Defense. It works better, specially when you get good teammates.

What makes Cinderace's raid so hard is the bulk up spam. And with how the game is programmed for this things, sometimes we get it using the move more than once before the player could do anything.

At least with Charizard, all he did was setting up sun late game. Cinderace should've been the same

 

[Ignition]

I've tried bulk up and it wasn't performing as I wanted.

I'm currently using an Armorouge with Iron Defense. It works better, specially when you get good teammates.

What makes Cinderace's raid so hard is the bulk up spam. And with how the game is programmed for this things, sometimes we get it using the move more than once before the player could do anything.

At least with Charizard, all he did was setting up sun late game. Cinderace should've been the same

I've seen mixed results with even Slowbro so I don't blame you and I'm definitely not a fan of how often Cinderace (or Tera Raid 'mons in general) gets to move before you can. I wouldn't mind the Bulk Up strategy if you actually had time to counter it lol

 

[Spider-Phoenix]

I've seen some success with defensive Armorouge.

I use max EVs on health and defense with the moves Reflect, Will-o-wisp, Iron Defense, Stored Power while holding a Light Clay. Still depends on teammates but at least it survives to not compromise the rest of the team.

I've seen some interesting plays with Toxapex (chilling water + acid spray) and Qwilfish (intimidate)

Anyway, took a break from them. Right now I have over 250 proteins which is enough for my planned DLC team lol

 

[Det. Viper]

Myself and a group of friend came up with a strategy earlier today and beat 3 raids no problem. One person brings an Arcanine with Will-o-wisp, Charm and Play Rough; another has Pelipper setting the rain and using Chilling Water and hurricane; the third used Espathra hitting Feather dance and Lumina Crash; and I brought Slowbro with Nasty Plot, Iron Defense & Stored Power.

Arcanine starts with wisp then charms, Espathra starts with feather dance then goes with crash, Pelipper only chills water & Slowbro uses iron defense then 3 nasty plots before using a spoon boosted stored power. The burn and chilling water keeps damage to a minimum and Espathra cuts Cinderace defense down to -6. After 4 +2 boosts the spoon boosted Stored Power is enough to completely KO Cinderace before it has a chance to put up its shield.

Very fun strategy we used. Took some thought but it was very effective.

 

[Wulava]

Originally created for the 7-Star Cinderace Tera Raid, I have decided to rename and make this a dedicated thread for 7-Star Raids.

Anyway, the 7-Star Mightiest Mark Greninja is available now and with the help of some people, I was able to solo it using Slowbro.

Slowbro w/ Zoom Lens
- Do nothing until Greninja debuffs your team
- Iron Defense x3
- Nasty Plot x3
- Cheer 'Go all out!'
- Stored Power until it faints (2+ times)

The key to this raid is patience and taking things slow. I just healed with Slack Off in between everytime my HP goes below half which kept me alive. My AI teammates even managed to break the shield for me while my Stored Power kept missing.

Of course, others might find more efficient methods for doing this quickly. But this worked. So I'm happy with that.

 

[Tsukuyomi56]

Double Team and crit hax is annoying but I got the job done using the same Slowbro I used against Cinderace (swapping its Life Orb for the Zoom Lens). Knowing when to use Slack Off seems to be key, funny how a Dark weak Pokemon ends up making it through in the end.

Rerolling until you get the Intimidate users and/or Arboliva can make survival a bit easier.

 

[Copley Hill Gym]

So I have tried espathra today and got absolutely tanked. The strategy feels good, you use opportunist to get the same double team benefit, you use baby doll eyes which reduces attack, lumina crash is super effective and you can, if you get three shots off, manage to kill its shield quite easily.

What I wasn't prepared for was hydro pump, which seems to be a 100% accurate move now. Greninja has flattened every raid I've been in with this, including an absurd moment where a Vaporeon was tanked by a single hydro pump. Must have been a critical hit?

I'm back in the camp of "I can't stand tera raids" again after a few pretty awful days, even before the Greninja event. Constant issues and no, it's not my online connection!

Originally created for the 7-Star Cinderace Tera Raid, I have decided to rename and make this a dedicated thread for 7-Star Raids.

Anyway, the 7-Star Mightiest Mark Greninja is available now and with the help of some people, I was able to solo it using Slowbro.

Slowbro w/ Zoom Lens
- Do nothing until Greninja debuffs your team
- Iron Defense x3
- Nasty Plot x3
- Cheer 'Go all out!'
- Stored Power until it faints (2+ times)

The key to this raid is patience and taking things slow. I just healed with Slack Off in between everytime my HP goes below half which kept me alive. My AI teammates even managed to break the shield for me while my Stored Power kept missing.

Of course, others might find more efficient methods for doing this quickly. But this worked. So I'm happy with that.

I am going to try this. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Smeargle-Sketch]

Originally created for the 7-Star Cinderace Tera Raid, I have decided to rename and make this a dedicated thread for 7-Star Raids.

Anyway, the 7-Star Mightiest Mark Greninja is available now and with the help of some people, I was able to solo it using Slowbro.

Slowbro w/ Zoom Lens
- Do nothing until Greninja debuffs your team
- Iron Defense x3
- Nasty Plot x3
- Cheer 'Go all out!'
- Stored Power until it faints (2+ times)

The key to this raid is patience and taking things slow. I just healed with Slack Off in between everytime my HP goes below half which kept me alive. My AI teammates even managed to break the shield for me while my Stored Power kept missing.

Of course, others might find more efficient methods for doing this quickly. But this worked. So I'm happy with that.

Ya Slowbro is the way to go

2 iron defenses
1 slack off during stat erasing
3 iron defenses
3 nasty plots
1 slack off again if need it
Stored Powers till it faints, terastilize when you can.

Really helped though that I had the Staraptor and Tauros on my team which kept lowering its attack stat with it having no way to buff.

 

[Copley Hill Gym]

So I actually just won one - using water absorb Clodsire, black sludge item, and paired up with a Slowbro and two Vaporeons.

I basically spammed amnesia and earthquake. My EV spread was 252/def/252/hp/6/attack and used earthquake. Did not terastalise as I needed to retain the poison typing. Ice beam does little after a few amnesias, provided you do this after the greninja does his stat/ability reset thing.

 

[Dared3v0]

I just won my Greninja raid with storm drain gastrodon. Two of my team mates had a Slowbro and slowking and the last used Lucario. I used chilling water to lower his attack and kept using helping hand while they used the stored power method. I did use an earth power to break the shield then they finished him

 

[Smeargle-Sketch]

I am finding it really funny how many people are thinking GF messed with Greninja's design or are unnerved about the fact it stands and has its neutral frog eyes when out of battle.

Can tell who never played Pokemon Amie or seen the anime.

Opened eyes/ninja crouching pose in battle
Slanted frog eyes/lanky standing pose when passive

 

[Beloberto]

What actually bothers me is that its tongue scarf was turned into a regular scarf, since nothing is sticking out in the animations you can see its mouth.

Anyways, thankfully another 7-star raid doable in solo player - and without even needing to train a different Pokémon. Hopefully for the next ones Home will be available so it doesn’t really matter if they will be doable in solo.