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Best Pokémon to counter the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid event in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Please, prepare responsibly.

The next seven-star Tera Raid event is here, which means it is time for players worldwide to challenge one of the hardest raid bosses in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

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The challenge this time is the Unrivaled Decidueye, which will provide an obstacle players will need to prepare for, whether they are coordinating with friends in a group or playing with random trainers online. A balanced team of attackers and supporters will help you claim your prize—finally being able to catch Decidueye in Gen IX.

This is also the first seven-star Tera Raid event running with some improvements for the game mode added in recent patches. So if you plan on tackling this ghostly archer’s Pokémon raid, here is how you can do it.

How to beat the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

The Unrivaled Decidueye follows the usual trend of these seven-star Tera Raid events by featuring a maxed-out boss that sits at level 100 and gets additional boosts thanks to the raid mechanics. 

To start, players will want to ensure they are only bringing Pokémon that are also level 100. Going in with under-leveled Pokémon is dangerous and could easily leave your teammates wiping out alongside you due to multiple early knockouts. 

Thankfully, the Decidueye featured in these raids will only be Tera Type Flying, which will free you up to focus on its moveset and coverage without thinking about other variables. It will know Flying, Grass, and Ghost-type moves to pair with its Tera Type and original typing, so keep that in mind. 

Related: All moves of Decidueye in Tera Raid Battle event in Scarlet and Violet

This will be a bit more challenging than the previous Unrivaled Pikachu event, but there are fewer gimmicks. Here are some of the best counters you can use to challenge the Unrivalved Decidueye—playing solo or with others during the Pokémon’s second run in this event.

Best counters for the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Best Magnezone build for the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Electric types will be your best friend in this matchup, and Magnezone is a great option for a support Pokémon because it resists two of Decidueye’s main options and opens the door for some nice flex picks in its moveset.

With access to Metal Sound, you can help your teammates hit harder with their Special Attack-oriented Pokémon, and boost your own Discharge. Light Screen and Reflect are good here too since Decidueye does hit hard and you can set your choice of screen up to counter Decidueye’s most powerful attacks.

Tera Type: Electric

Ability: Analytic

  • Attack power increases by 30 percent if the Pokémon is the last Pokémon to attack this turn.

Nature: Sassy (+ Special Defense, – Speed) or Quiet (+ Special Attack, – Speed)

Held Item: Light Clay

  • When this item is held by a Pokémon, if the holder uses the attacks Reflect or Light Screen, the effects of those attacks last eight turns as opposed to five.

EV spread

  • 252 Special Attack
  • The other 256 can be placed in whatever stat you want, just don’t put it in Speed because you want to try and make the most out of Analytic. 

Moves

  • Discharge
  • Metal Sound
  • Reflect/Light Screen
  • Eerie Impulse/Magnetic Flux

Best Bellibolt build for the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Finally, it is time for Bellibolt to shine with its ability to double down on what Magnezone does well and simply boost everyone’s damage output.

With its natural bulk and access to Parabolic Charge, Bellibolt can take hits and live through prolonged fights. Pair that with Acid Spray and Chilling Water to get teammates in better positions to knock Decidueye out, you really can’t go wrong here.

You can even flex in your screen of choice if you feel like it is necessary. 

Electric types will be your best friend in this matchup, and Magnezone is a great option for a support Pokémon because it resists two of Decidueye’s main options and opens the door for some nice flex picks in its moveset. 

With access to Metal Sound, you can help your teammates hit harder with their Special Attack-oriented Pokémon, and boost your own Discharge. Light Screen and Reflect are good here too since Decidueye does hit hard and you can set your choice of screen up to counter Decidueye’s most powerful attacks.

Tera Type: Electric

Ability: Electromorphosis

  • The Pokémon becomes charged when it takes damage, boosting the power of the next Electric-type move the Pokémon uses.

Nature: Modest (+ Special Attack, – Attack)

Held Item: Big Root

  • When this item is held by a Pokémon, if it uses the moves Absorb, Aqua Ring, Drain Punch, Draining Kiss, Dream Eater, Giga Drain, Horn Leech, Ingrain, Leech Life, Leech Seed, Mega Drain, Oblivion Wing or Parabolic Charge, the HP it recovers is increased by 30 percent.

EV spread

  • 252 HP
  • The other 256 should be split between Special Attack and your choice of Defense or Special Defense depending on Decidueye’s moveset. 

Moves

  • Parabolic Charge
  • Acid Spray
  • Chilling Water
  • Reflect/Light Screen/Electric Terrain

Best Toxtricity build for the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

This is probably the most annoying build you can use for the raid—for the raid boss. Nuzzle will paralyze Decidueye even through its shield, it has been tested, and Taunt can stop it from setting up or using any other weird status moves.

With those options and access to Charm or Snarl if you want to lower offensive stats, just click Acid Spray and Thunderbolt to your heart’s desire. Toxtricity is a bad, bad ‘mon.

Tera Type: Electric

Ability: Punk Rock

  • Increases the damage of Sound based moves by 30 percent. Reduces damage taken by this Pokémon by Sound-based moves by 50 percent.

Nature: Modest (+ Special Attack, – Attack)

Held Item: Shell Bell

  • When this item is held, the holder recovers 1/8th of the damage it inflicts on its opponents.

EV spread

  • 252 HP
  • The other 256 should be split between Special Attack and your choice of Defense or Special Defense depending on Decidueye’s moveset. 

Moves

  • Thunderbolt
  • Acid Spray
  • Nuzzle
  • Taunt/Charm/Snarl

Best Iron Hands build for the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Related: This Pokémon will guarantee an easy victory in Decidueye Tera Raid

While Iron Hands is part Fighting-type, its Electric typing allows its massive defensive bulk to shine through. Thus, you can expect many players to be running the usual Belly Drum variant just without the staple Fighting-type moves—since they won’t do much here.

  • Tera Type: Electric
  • Ability: Quark Drive
    • If Electric Terrain is active or if it’s holding Booster Energy, the Pokemon’s highest stat is boosted by 30 percent if the stat is Attack, Defense, Special Attack, or Special Defense or 50 percent if the stat is Speed.
  • Nature: Adamant (+ Attack, – Special Attack)
  • Held Item: Booster Energy
    • An item to be held by a Paradox Pokémon. Activates the Protosynthesis or Quark Drive Ability of a Paradox Pokemon which boosts its highest stat.
  • EV spread
    • 252 Attack
    • 252 HP or a Defense
    • The remaining four can go into the stat you don’t max out.
  • Moves
    • Thunder Punch/Wild Charge
    • Belly Drum
    • Rock Tomb/Rock Slide
    • Electric Terrain

Best Azumarill build for the Unrivaled Decidueye Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Do you really hate trying new things or making other players you queue up with online more likely to exit out and make you look for another raid? Then yes, there is a Belly Drum Azumarill set that is viable here.

Replace Huge Power with Sap Sipper to gain an immunity to Grass moves and then swap around your own moveset to focus on Ice Spinner or Ice Punch depending on what teammates you are running with since the former destroys Terrain. Just note this will make you no friends and you will be mentioned in an event Reddit thread.

  • Tera Type: Ice
  • Ability:  Sap Sipper
    • Attack is raised by one stage when the Pokémon is hit by a Grass-type move. The user receives no damage from Grass-type attacks.
  • Nature: Adamant (+ Attack, – Special Attack)
  • Held Item: Shell Bell
    • When this item is held, the holder recovers 1/8th of the damage it inflicts on its opponents.
  • EV spread
    • 252 Attack
    • 252 HP
    • The remaining four can go into Defense.
  • Moves
    • Ice Spinner/Ice Punch
    • Belly Drum
    • Helping Hand
    • Snowscape/Tickle/Reflect

Dot Esports will add more Unrivaled Decidueye counters as they emerge.


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Author
Cale Michael
Lead Staff Writer for Dota 2, the FGC, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and more who has been writing for Dot Esports since 2018. Graduated with a degree in Journalism from Oklahoma Christian University and also previously covered the NBA. You can usually find him writing, reading, or watching an FGC tournament.