Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Greninja 7-star raid — best counters

Greninja has been added to Pokémon Scarlet And Violet roster via seven-star Tera Raids. This event-exclusive raid is a higher difficulty, just like the last ones, so you’ll need to be properly prepared before diving in.

Greninja’s seven-star Tera Raids will run from January 26th at 7:59 pm. Jan. 30th at 6:59 PM. AndFrom February 9, 2007 at 7 PM, to February 13, 2006 at 6:59 P.M. EST, so if you miss it the first time around, you’ll have a second chance. If you completely miss the event, tons of players will be breeding Froakie, so you can always get one via trade, though it won’t have the event Mightiest Mark.

These raids are tough and you won’t even have access to them until you unlock six-star raids, which requires you to clear the Academy Ace Tournament and do a handful of four- and five-star raids. Jacq will give you a call once you’ve hit the requirements, warning you to stay away from these powerful raid dens.

Greninja Tera Raid rewards

When you beat Greninja, you’ll be able to catch it, but you can only catch one. After you catch the Greninja, you won’t be able to get another one, even if you successfully clear the raid again. However, you can still beat Greninja to earn additional rewards once it is caught.

Greninja is just like seven-star raid targets before it. Hidden Ability, ProteanIt changes the type of the move to which it will be used. This only works once per switch in, but it has no effect while the Pokémon is Terastillized, so you won’t have to worry about it during the raid. The special Greninja is also included. Ideal IVsAnd the Mightiest Mark.

Like other Tera Raids you will also be able to get Exp. Complete the raid to get Tera Shards (Candy), Tera Shards (Tera Shards), and Bottle Caps. On the first clear, you’ll get TM91 (Toxic Spikes) and an Ability Patch. Greninja does not drop Herba Mystica. Serebii.net has the entire loot list.

Greninja Tera Raid best counters

As of this writing, there are a few successful builds that we’ve been seeing: Clodsire, GastrodonAnd Slowbro (The exact same one as the Cinderace raids).

Greninja can be level 100 and has the poison Tera Type. It is proficient in Hydro Pump, Ice Beam and Night Slash. It will use Toxic Spikes right away at the beginning the match, poisoning your Pokémon only if they faint and get thrown back into battle.

There are many builds that can take out Greninja, or even solo it completely. While we’ve seen clears with Pokémon like Kingambit and Toxapex across the internet, the Pokémon we list below are ones we had first-hand experience with and give our stamp of approval.

Greninja Slowbro Tera Raid build

• Nature: Moderation
• Ability: doesn’t matter
• Tera Type:Psychic
• EVs: 4 HP/252 Defense/252 Special Attack
• IVs: Maxed HP, Defense, Special Attack
• This item is currently in storageLeftovers or Twisted Spoon
• Moveset: The Stored Power, Iron Defense and Nasty Plan (TM41) are all available.

Similar to Cinderace’s Slowbro, it will stack Iron Defense and Nasty Plot before using Stored Power.

Turn one: Make sure to setup Iron Defense. Greninja is familiar with Night Slash which is a powerful dark-type move against Slowbro. It should not kill your Slowbro, as long as it’s been trained correctly. Night Slash damage is negligible after you have used Iron Defense at least once.

Your team may not have the support it needs, so make sure you keep Slowbro happy. This can be done by giving it Heal Pulse, or just using the healing cheers. To keep every pink-round friend alive, we had all Slowbros in a team that alternated buffing, cheering and using Stored Power.

Image: Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo via Polygon

Greninja Gastrodon Tera Raid build

• Nature: Moderation
• Ability: Storm Drain
• Tera Type:Ground
• EVs: 4 Defense/252 HP/252 Special Attack
• IVs: Maxed HP, Defense, Special Attack
• Holding itemSoft Sand
• Moveset: Clear Smog (Mirror Herb Move), Recover, Earth Power

To give Gastrodon Clear Smog, delete a move from its repertoire, give it a Mirror Herb to hold, and set up a picnic with only the Gastrodon and another Pokémon that knows Clear Smog. Foongus, Torkoal and Torkoal all learn it by leveling up. Within a matter of minutes, the Gastrodon should be able to learn Clear Smog from its picnic companion.

Clear Smog can be used to neutralize Greninja’s Double Team and spam Earth Power. This is Gastrodon’s strategy. You can Terastillize once you have power-up and continue spamming Earth Power. Keep healing and debuffing.

The prize here with Gastrodon is its Storm Drain ability, which not only makes it immune to water-type moves, but it sucks up all the water-type moves, so no other Pokémon in your raid will get hit with it either. The Gastrodon also gains a higher Special Attack by absorbing the moves. This makes it a formidable hard-hitter. You won’t have to worry about a health-depleting Hydro Pump if you have a Gastrodon in your party!

Greninja Clodsire Tera Raid build

• Nature: Moderation
• Ability: Water Absorb
• Tera Type:Ground
• EVs: 4 Special Defense/252 HP/252 Special Attack
• IVs: Maxed HP, Defense, Special Attack
• This item is currently in storage Leftovers
• Moveset: Earth Power, pH Spray, Earth Power, Helping Hand

The Clodsire build we recommend is more supportive, so don’t expect to one-shot the Greninja, but you will be able to beef up your buddies who are using Gastrodon, Slowbro, or another offensive Pokémon.

Spam Chilling Water to lower Greninja’s attack and Acid Spray to lower its Special Defense. It will be open to attacks and increase its damage, as well as decreasing its damage output. Use Helping Hand to beef up your allies a bit more and you can use Earth Power to help deal damage, especially once Greninja’s Special Defense has been lowered.

Water Absorb, similarly to Gastrodon’s Storm Drain ability, will render Clodsire immune to water-type moves. Greninja’s Hydro Pump will instead heal Clodsire. It’ll still take damage from Ice Beam, but it shouldn’t one-shot it. You should use cheers as appropriate to heal.