Tera Raids are an exciting new feature in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that allow you to team up with friends to take on powerful Tera Pokemon. The raids come in 1 to 5 star difficulties, with 5 star raids containing the rarest and most formidable foes. Unlocking the ability to find 5 star Tera Raids is a major milestone for late game players seeking the biggest challenges and best rewards. In this guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know to start encountering 5 star Tera Raids in Scarlet and Violet.
What are Tera Raids?
Tera Raids are instanced battles where you and up to three other players work together to defeat a powerful Tera Pokemon. These raid boss Pokemon are supercharged with the Terastral power, making them tougher than normal. Each raid has a star rating from 1 to 5 indicating its difficulty. Higher star raids feature stronger Tera Pokemon that require highly leveled teams and coordinated strategies to defeat.
The rewards for successfully completing a Tera Raid also scale with star rating. At 5 stars, you get the most precious items, Tera Shards, and experience. You also have a chance to catch the powerful Tera Pokemon you defeated, which are often rare species. However, the catch chance is low, especially for 5 star raids.
Why Unlock 5 Star Raids?
5 star Tera Raids represent the pinnacle of the endgame challenge in Scarlet and Violet. They feature legendary and pseudo-legendary Tera Pokemon that cannot be encountered anywhere else. Some examples include Tera Charizard, Tera Salamence, Tera Metagross, and even Tera Gyarados or Tyranitar on rare occasions.
The rewards are also exceptional from 5 star raids. You get valuable items for upgrading your team, loads of experience to level up, and Tera Shards to construct specialized Tera Types. Defeating these challenging raids also provides a major sense of accomplishment for testing your battle skills.
Furthermore, 5 star raids offer the only way to catch certain rare and powerful Pokemon. Pokemon like Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Hydreigon can have Tera Types that normally aren‘t available through regular encounters or breeding. Catching these lets you obtain unique battle advantages.
How to Unlock 5 Star Tera Raids
Here are the steps to gain access to 5 star Tera Raids:
1. Complete the storyline and postgame – 5 star Tera Raids won‘t spawn at all until you beat the main story and the credits roll. This includes becoming Champion by defeating the Elite 4 and Team Star. Make sure to also complete the post game Path of Legends.
2. Explore the maps looking for crystals – Once the story is finished, crystals will begin appearing around Paldea that indicate Tera Raid dens. Check every area but focus your search in late game locations like Casseroya Lake, Tagtree Thicket, and Glaseado Mountain.
3. Keep checking until a 5 star crystal spawns – Most crystals will be 1-4 stars so you need perseverance. Keep traveling and reloading areas when crystals aren‘t 5 stars. Eventually you‘ll get lucky with a 5 star, signaling the raids are unlocked.
4. Join raids hosted by other players – Even if you personally can‘t find a 5 star crystal, you can join someone else‘s 5 star raid. This still counts toward unlocking the ability to find your own.
5. Change the Switch date to reroll dens – You can reset the Tera Raid crystals by changing your Nintendo Switch‘s date. Roll forward a day or more to reshuffle dens until a 5 star appears.
With persistence, you‘ll eventually find and complete a 5 star raid to permanently unlock the ability to discover them. Now let‘s discuss strategies to actually defeat these epic battles.
Tips for Defeating 5 Star Tera Raids
Here are some tips to overcome the intense challenge of 5 star Tera Raids:
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Come prepared with a team of level 70+ Pokemon – Lower levels will really struggle against the tanky raid bosses. Make sure to level up your top Pokemon before attempting 5 star raids.
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Bring Pokemon with type advantage against the Tera boss – Matching type advantages is critical to maximize damage. Look at what the Tera Type is before joining and pick proper counters.
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Use Tera Raids to set your own Tera Type – Setting your Tera Type to something strong against the boss bolsters your attacks. STAB bonus also helps.
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Equip your Pokemon with helpful held items – Items like Gems, Seeds, Power Herb, and Choice items can give you an edge in battle.
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Make sure to use buffs like X Attack and dire hits – Buffing up your team before the timed battle begins is extremely useful. Bring these items.
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Coordinate strategies with teammates in co-op – Communicate with other players in multiplayer to have a balanced team and target the boss together.
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Learn to dodge major attacks from the Tera Pokemon – When you see it charging up, time your dodges to mitigate damage.
With the right preparation and battle tactics, you can overcome anything the 5 star Tera Raids throw at you.
Rewards and Benefits of 5 Star Raids
Here are some of the awesome rewards you can look forward to from conquering 5 star Tera Raids:
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Rare Tera Pokemon – A chance to catch exclusive Pokemon species and Tera Types.
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Powerful held items – Items like Gold Bottle Caps, Ability Capsules, Rare Candy, and more.
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Tons of XP and Pokemon levels – Massive experience gain for quickly leveling up Pokemon.
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Useful resources – PP ups, Tera Shards, Armorite Ore, treasures, and berries.
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Bragging rights – Prove your skill by taking on the hardest challenges in the game.
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Fun and replayability – Tera Raids are dynamic battles that stay fresh with limitless team combinations.
Unlocking 5 star Tera Raids opens up a whole new tier of late game potential in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. You gain access to the most difficult battles along with chances to obtain rare Pokemon and great rewards. Just be ready for intense strategic showdowns on your journey to become the Champion of Paldea!
