How to beat Iron Thorns Tera Raid: Best counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have announced the next Tera Raid event will focus on the Paradox Pokemon Iron Thorns and Sandy Shocks.

While normally exclusive to the opposite version, Scarlet players will be able to battle the futuristic-looking Iron Thorns, while Violet players will have access to the prehistoric-appearing Sandy Shocks.

With this special Tera Raid being a rare opportunity to get your hands on these version-exclusive Paradox Pokemon without trading, here’s what to know about taking down Iron Thorns.

Contents

• When will Iron Thorns appear in Tera Raids?
• Iron Thorns moveset & type
• How to counter Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

When will Iron Thorns appear in Tera Raids?

The Pokemon Company

The 5-Star Tera Raid for Iron Thorns will be available from Friday, May 24, 2024, at 00:00 UTC through Sunday, May 26, 2024, at 23:59 UTC.

This raid will be exclusive to Pokemon Scarlet, with Sandy Shocks being available to Pokemon Violet players. However, you’ll be able to access both via online play.

Iron Thorns moveset & type

While this Paradox Pokemon is normally a Rock/Electric-type, like other similar Raids, this Iron Thorns will have a random Tera type.

Iron Thorns’ moveset takes advantage of its strong Physical Attack with STAB moves like Wild Charge, Stone Edge, and/or Supercell Slam.

It can also set up Electric Terrain to boost its Electric-type moves, as its Quark Drive ability will further increase Iron Thorn’s Attack stat while the effect is active.

Pokemon	Level	Moves	Ability	Nature	Tera Type
	75	– Stone Edge – Supercell Slam – Earthquake – Pin Missile – Electric Terrain – Curse	Quark Drive	Any	Any

How to counter Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Since Iron Thorns’ Tera type will be random, which Pokemon and moves that work best against it will vary from battle to battle.

Since Iron Thorns uses Electric Terrain, your best bet is bringing a strong Ground type to counter Iron Thorns. The Pokemon is normally 4x weak to Ground moves, and while type effectiveness will depend on its Tera type, Ground is completely immune to Electric.

The best options include Garchomp, who can easily outspeed Iron Thorns, and Swampert, whose Water/Ground typing means it’s only weak to Grass – a type Iron Thorns generally has no access to.

Another good pick is Venusaur, who resists Electric, takes neutral damage from the rest of Iron Thorns’ attacks, and has access to Acid Spray, which will lower Iron Thorns’ Special Defense. Other Grass/Poison-types like Victreebel will also do the trick.

That’s everything you need to know about the Tera Raid encounter against Iron Thorns in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. For more game content, check our other guides below:

Paldea Pokedex | Best starter Pokemon | How to get Marks in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Sandwich recipes in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet egg breeding guide