This is a guide for the new Tera Raid Battles in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. We go into detail about what Tera Raid battles actually are, how to start one and what events there are.
What are Tera Raid Battles?¶
Tera Raid Battles are a type of co-operative battles, where up to four Pokémon trainers can team up to battle a powerful Tera Pokémon. They are similar to Max Raid Battles in Pokémon Sword & Shield, but more fast-paced.
How to Start a Tera Battle¶
(1 of 2) Look for Tera Raid crystals to enter a Tera Raid Battle. (Credit: The Pokémon Company)
Look for Tera Raid crystals to enter a Tera Raid Battle. (Credit: The Pokémon Company) (left), You can battle together with other trainers. (Credit: The Pokémon Company) (right)
While exploring Paldea, you may come across shining Tera Raid crystals on the field. A bright pillar of light will also appear above them, making them easy to spot. If you inspect these crystals, you can enter Tera Raid Battles. If you played Pokémon Sword & Shield, they are similar to the raid dens.
A window will pop up showing the silhouette of the Tera Pokémon, as well as the star rating, which indicates how difficult the Tera Raid Battle is. You can only take one Pokémon with you in a Tera Raid Battle–this can be from your party or your Pokémon Boxes.
Next, you can choose to challenge the raid by yourself or with other people. If you choose other people, the game will search nearby if you have local communication enabled or online if you have Internet communication enabled.
You can also join a friend’s Tera Raid Battle by inputting the Link Code for that raid. Or you can search for raids hosted by other players via the Tera Raid Battle menu.
How do Tera Battles Work?¶
(1 of 2) You cannot swap Pokémon or use items. (Credit: Serebii)
You cannot swap Pokémon or use items. (Credit: Serebii) (left), Other trainers’ moves will show along the left side of the screen. (Credit: Serebii) (right)
After starting a Tera Battle, you can perform the following actions:
- Battle: Select a move for your Pokémon, like normal.
- Cheer: Choose from one of three cheers, which boost your offensive stats, defensive stats or provide healing.
- Run: Give up.
After selecting an action, the action will be performed without having to wait for other Pokémon trainers to choose theirs. This is different to Max Raid Battles in Pokémon Sword & Shield where you must wait for all trainers to select an action for that turn.
Your goal is to deplete the Tera Pokémon’s HP before the time limit is up and without your entire team losing all of their Pokémon.
If you succeed in defeating the Tera Pokémon, you will have the opportunity to catch them. These Pokémon often have rare Tera Types, so it’s usually a good idea to try. Besides that, you can earn items from winning as well.
Tera Raid Battle Events¶
(1 of 5) A Tera Raid crystal housing a battle event. (Credit: The Pokémon Company)
From time to time, special Tera Raid Battle Events may appear on the overworld. You can challenge these battle events by searching for Tera Raid Crystals with a mysterious aura around them. These crystals will also sparkle on the map.
Tera Raid Battle Events often contain rare Pokémon and/or Pokémon with a higher frequency of certain Tera Types. For example, from 24th to 27th November 2022, you can encounter 
Eevee with a variety of Tera Types.
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