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

If only its ghostly powers could stay.

Finally, another seven-star Tera Raid that actually makes sense. This time players will be facing a Tera Ghost Type Typhlosion in an event running from April 14 to 16 that marks the first time players can catch the Gen II start in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

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As always, seven-star Tera Raid events are purposefully designed to be the most challenging content players can face after finishing the main story (if you don’t play competitively). Whether you end up playing on your own, with friends, or teaming with Scarlet and Violet strangers online, going in unprepared will be your downfall.

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

The main challenge with these seven-star Tera Raid events is the raid boss being set to level 100 and getting additional boosts. That, along with the appeal of catching a Pokémon that wasn’t previously available draws all kinds of players to take on the Unrivaled event.

With that maxed level cap and other bonuses, you will want to only bring Pokémon that are level 100 to avoid potential early knockouts, since those can easily ruin raid attempts. You will also need to adapt to Typhlosion being a Ghost Tera Type.

During this event, Typhlosion will only appear with that Ghost typing but will have coverage to play into its original Fire-type nature and cover for other types too. You will likely want to focus on bringing a strong Dark-type and avoid anything that can be hit hard by Fire and Ghost moves.

Related: Players are destroying Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raids by spamming this Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet

Typhlosion has slightly better coverage than Samurott did, though that all depends on if it will be a mixed attacker or purely focus on Special Attacks. A sun-based strategy around Eruption and Solar Beam to pair with attacks like Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, and another gimmicky move is the most likely approach unless we see that more varied physical coverage—though we will only know for sure when the raid goes live.

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

Best Iron Jugulis build for the Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Even if Typhlosion does run Focus Blast or another Fighting-type move to cover for its acquired Dark-type weakness, Iron Jugulis counters that thanks to being part Flying. This allows it to shrug off most of what the Gen II starter wants to do outside of a powerful Fire-type attack. 

Tera Type: Dark

Ability: Quark Drive

  • Increases the user’s highest stat by 30% (or 50% for Speed) while Electric Terrain is activated or if the Booster Energy is attached.

Nature: Modest (+ Special Attack, – Attack)

Held Item: Assault Vest

  • When held by a Pokémon, it increases the Sp. Defense stat by 50% but requires the Pokémon to only use damaging attacks.

EV spread

  • 252 HP
  • 252 Special Attack
  • The remaining four can be placed into a defensive stat or Speed.

Moves

  • Snarl
  • Dark Pulse
  • Charge Beam
  • Dragon Breath/Hurricane

Best Goodra build for the Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

If you are more worried about the gimmicks and sun potential, there are several Dragon-types that make for great counters thanks to their bulky nature and access to beneficial moves in the rain. 

Goodra is the best all-around option since you can lower Typhlosion’s Special Attack and Special Defense using Chilling Water and Acid Spray respectively to support yourself and your team. You can also set up the rain as needed or use Life Dew to help heal up damaged Pokémon.

Tera Type: Dragon or Dark

Ability: Hydration

  • All status problems: Burn, Paralysis, Sleep, Frozen, and Poison, are healed when raining.

Nature: Calm (+ Special Defense, – Attack)

Held Item: Sitrus Berry/Leftovers/Healing item

  • All you want here is something to give you some sort of healing as the battle goes on. Since you won’t always be attacking, a Sitrus Berry or Leftovers is the most reliable way to guarantee some passive HP gain at least a few times. 

EV spread

  • 252 HP
  • 252 Special Attack
  • The remaining four can be placed into a defensive stat.

Moves

  • Chilling Water and Acid Spray
  • Rain Dance
  • Life Dew/Dragon Breath/Tearful Look

Best Chi-Yu build for the Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Another good Dark-type option that allows you to limit the damage from Fire-type moves. Pairing Snarl and Dark Pulse with Light Screen and Nasty Plot make for an easy time, as long as you can take a hit or two.

Tera Type: Dark

Ability: Beads of Ruin

  • The power of the Pokémon’s ruinous beads lowers the Sp. Def stats of all Pokémon except itself by 25%. It is also not affected by other Beads of Ruin abilities.

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
  • 252 Special Attack
  • The remaining four can be placed into a defensive stat or Speed.

Moves

  • Snarl
  • Dark Pulse
  • Light Screen
  • Nasty Plot

Best Hisuian Zoroark build for the Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

This is a bit of a mess since you can currently only get Hisuian Zoroark by pre-ordering the Scarlet and Violet DLC or trading with other players who have done so already and bred the Normal/Ghost-type. But that typing makes it a perfect counter to Typhlosion, even if its ability doesn’t doo much. 

Just use Snarl, followed by Fake Tears, and start blasting away with Shadow Ball. You can set up a Nasty Plot if you need to or even bring Rain Dance to deal with the sun if that becomes an issue during the raid. Just make sure to only Terastallize when you are really ready to focus on damage and take a hit.

Tera Type: Ghost

Ability: Illusion

  • This won’t matter in the raid at all since you can’t take the form of another Pokémon as you only bring one to the raid. 

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
  • 252 Special Attack
  • The remaining four can be placed into a defensive stat or Speed.

Moves

  • Snarl
  • Shadow Ball
  • Fake Tears
  • Nasty Plot/Rain Dance

Best Honchkrow build for the Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Support builds are very important for seven-star raids, so coming with a Pokémon like Honchkrow that can really help swing a bad situation is a good call, especially if you are planning to play with a group.

Swagger will let you confuse Typhlosion while Screech will lower its defenses for yourself and your teammates. Both will boost Foul Play’s damage and you can also use Rain Dance as needed. You could even put Chilling Water on Honchkrow too if you want to go a bulky build without taking away Special Attack.

Tera Type: Dark

Ability: Super Luck

  • Raises the critical-hit ratio of moves by one level.

Nature: Careful (+ Special Defense, – Special Attack)

Held Item: Sitrus Berry/Leftovers

  • Just like Goodra, you want to guarantee healing here since you won’t always be attacking, so going with a Sitrus Berry or Leftovers should be good.

EV spread

  • 252 HP
  • 252 Special Defense
  • The remaining four can be placed into Speed.

Moves

  • Foul Play
  • Screech and Swagger
  • Rain Dance
  • Other options: Chilling Water/Snarl/Taunt/Helping Hand

Best Girafarig build for the Unrivaled Typhlosion Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Just like Hisuian Zoroark, Girafarig is completely unaffected by Typhlosion’s Shadow Ball. Pairing the Normal/Psychic type with Rain Dance makes it a good all-around counter to neutralize part of the raid boss’ strategy. 

The reason you go with Girafarig is the move instead of Farigiraf is because you can give it an Eviolite to boost its defenses in hopes of living for longer.  

Tera Type: Normal

Ability: Inner Focus

  • This Pokémon will not flinch. Does not prevent flinching with Focus Punch. Also prevents stats from being lowered by the ability Intimidate.

Nature: Modest (+ Special Attack, – Attack)

Held Item: Eviolite

  • This item, when attached to a Pokémon that is capable of evolution, will boost the Pokémon’s Defense and Special Defense by 50%.

EV spread

  • 252 HP
  • 252 Special Attack
  • The remaining four can be placed into a defensive stat or Speed.

Moves

  • Shadow Ball
  • Rain Dance
  • Helping Hand
  • Nasty Plot/Light Screen/Reflect

Dot will add more Unrivaled Typhlosion counters as more info becomes available.


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Author
Image of Cale Michael
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.