Greninja Raid Starts in 'Pokémon Scarlet' and 'Violet' Soon — What Are the Best Counters?

Like any other seven-star Tera raid event in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on Nintendo Switch, players must bring their best Pokémon to battle against the new Greninja raid coming on Jan. 27.

Greninja is a well-known dual Water and Dark-type Pokémon that has been a staple in the franchise since debuting in Pokémon X and Y. With it now coming to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Greninja will become the latest Pokémon from older games to arrive through Tera raids.

Going toe-to-toe with a powerful Greninja will not be easy, though. It will have advantages and weaknesses that you must consider when putting together a team for the battle. To increase your chances, you'll need the best counters.

Greninja will arrive in the upcoming Tera raid as a Poison-type instead of its usual dual Water and Dark-type. That change will make Greninja weak to Ground and Psychic-type attacks. Additionally, it will be resistant to Fighting, Poison, Grass, Bug, and Fairy-type moves, so using those types will not be effective.

The biggest challenge when the raid goes live is adjusting to Greninja's moveset. It's difficult to say what the Pokémon will have under its belt since no one will know until the raids start. Despite not knowing, there are a few Pokémon choices we recommend you bring to the fight.

One of the highest picks to bring is Gastrodon, a Ground and Water-type Pokémon that can tank the moves from Greninja. Gastrodon could act as a support Pokémon with a range of abilities like "Recover," "Helping Hand," "Protect," "Amnesia," and "Yawn" to assist your team.

Toxicroak is another fantastic option that could be a damage dealer in the fight. It's immune to Poison-type moves and has a "Dry Skin" ability that allows Toxicroak to heal from Water-type attacks. By buffing its damage with "Swords Dance," Toxicroak can dish out "Mud Slap" to damage Greninja and lower its accuracy, and you could alternate with "Earthquake" for additional damage.

Similar to Toxicroak, Clodsire is immune to Poison-type moves and has a Water-type healing ability known as "Water Absorb." Clodsire also has pretty high defenses and could likely take some big hits from Greninja, making it a sturdy support option that you could bring with "Curse," "Recover," and other abilities to aid your team.

The Tera raid introducing Greninja is scheduled for Jan. 27 through Jan. 30. During this time is your chance to battle the Pokémon and catch it. If you miss the raid the first time, developer Game Freak will open the Greninja Tera raid again between Feb. 10 and 13 so players can get another chance to catch the Pokémon.