Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid Shields explained: Tips for max damage
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid Battles are some of the most difficult fights in the game, but if you understand how damage is dealt to Tera Raid Shields you can win them with ease.
Whether you’re still working your way through the three main story paths in Scarlet and Violet, or you’re attempting to complete the entire Pokedex, there’s no doubt you’ve encountered Tera Raid Battles.
Tera Raid dens are scattered across the Paldea region. Players can also take advantage of planned Tera Raid Battle Events if they’re looking to catch some powerful Pokemon. While powerful Pokemon are up for grabs, emerging from a Tera Raid Battle victorious is not the simplest of tasks.
The Pokemon you’ll face in a Tera Raid Battle has a Tera Raid Shield which makes weakening it quite difficult. Here’s everything you need to know about Tera Raid Shields including how to deal max damage and wrap up the battle quickly.
What is a Tera Raid Shield in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
A Tera Raid Shield in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is a defensive mechanism that reduces the damage done to the Tera Raid Boss in a Tera Raid Battle.
The Shield activates once the opposing Pokemon reaches a certain HP, making it difficult to complete the Tera Raid Battle. The Shield also protects the Pokemon from status moves like Screech and Hypnosis.
While each Pokemon has a set threshold for when the Shield will activate, it generally tends to appear as the Pokemon is lowered to half its HP.
How to damage Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid Shield
Dataminer Anubis ran damage calculations to determine how much damage is dealt to a Pokemon with an active Tera Raid Shield.
Their findings reveal that Terastallizing your Pokemon plays a major role in the damage you’re dealing to a Tera Raid Boss.
- Not Terastallized: 20%
- Terastallized + different type move: 35%
- Terastallized + same type move: 75%
The best case scenario involves your Terastallized Pokemon using a move that matches their Tera Type. The Shield would only block your damage output by 25%.
Anubis explains that if a Fire-type move would normally deal 666 damage, then a Terastallized Pokemon with the Fire Tera Type using a Fire-type move would deal 500 damage (75%.)
These calculations would suggest that when it comes to planning for Tera Raid Battles, it’s best to have your Pokemon equipped with powerful moves that match their Tera Type.
The numbers prove that it’s always best to Terastallize even if you want to use a move that doesn’t match your Tera Type. Doing so will result in 35% damage, which is an improvement from 20%.
If you’re looking for more Pokemon, we have a ton of other Scarlet & Violet guides for you:
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Image Credit: Game Freak / The Pokemon Company