Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How to beat 7-star Swampert Tera Raid guide

Nathan Ellingsworth
The Pokemon Swampert appears in a Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid

Generation 9 is far from over, and anyone exploring the lands of Paldea can look forward to the latest round of Tera Raids to test their strongest Pokemon.

Game Freak has revealed the next Raid boss for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet is the mighty Swampert, the Water/Ground-type Pokemon from Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. Swampert even has a Mega Evolution, a feature set to return next year in Pokemon Legends Z-A.

For anyone hoping to beat 7-star Swampert in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid battles, here’s a guide of Pokemon and some handy information you will need to bring down this watery warrior and put the Ground-type creature in the ground.

When will Swampert appear in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids?

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet will host 7-star Swampert in Tera Raids from May 31, 2024, at 0:00 UTC, until June 2, 2024, at 23:59 UTC. Then it will return on June 7, 2024, at 0:00 UTC, until June 9, 2024, at 23:59 UTC.

Swampert the Unrivalled can only be caught once per save file, and any successful attempts to defeat it in Raids after capturing one will only reward the player with regular Tera Raid rewards such as items and Tera Shards.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet 7-star Swampert moves, Tera-type, and Ability

The Pokemon Swampert appears in a Tera Raid

A tricky opponent with a potent dual typing, Swampert is both Water and Ground-type and also has solid stats to back up an arsenal of great moves. 7-star Swampert with the Mightiest Mark has the Poison Tera-type, adding another layer of strategy to your battle.

Swampert stats

PokemonAbilityHPAttackDefenseSp. AttackSp. DefenseSpeed
SwampertDamp (Hidden Ability)10011090859060

Swampert moves

Swampert with the Mightiest Mark has access to the following moves:

  • Earthquake (Ground)
  • Sludge Wave (Poison)
  • Hydro Pump (Water)
  • Liquidation (Water)
  • Muddy Water (Water)
  • Yawn (Status)

Swampert is a balanced attacker but with an edge in Physical moves. Two of the most important things to consider here are Earthquake and Yawn. Earthquake can be a devastating Physical attack, so either bring a Pokemon that resists it or one that is immune entirely such as a Pokemon with the ability Levitate.

Similarly, Yawn can be very frustrating, so Pokemon immune to Sleep such as those with the ability Insomnia will be very helpful.

Otherwise, watch out for STAB damage not just from Earthquake, but also from any Water-type attacks and the Poison-type move Sludge Wave. Steel-type Pokemon resist Poison but are weak to Ground, so they aren’t going to be useful.

The best course of action is bulky Water-type Pokemon that can stay in the Raid for longer, especially any Pokemon with a Psychic-type move to take advantage of Swampert’s Poison Tera-type. A Pokemon with Levitate or a Ground immunity, and the Psychic-type or at least Psychic Tera-type, is the best bet.

Best Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Swampert 7-star Tera Raid counters

A team of Pokemon take on Swampert in a Tera Raid

Here are some of the best Pokemon to counter Swampert with the Mightiest Mark in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raid battles:

Slowbro

The unassuming Pokemon Slowbro is fast becoming a mainstay in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids, thanks to its huge bulk and defensive capabilities, as well as the ability to build some truly impressive power thanks to moves like Calm Mind and Stored Power, which work in tandem to build Special Attack.

If trainers give Slowbro the Psychic Tera-type, this not only helps with resisting Sludge Wave but also adds even more Attack power to the already impressive Stored Power, after a few rounds of Calm Mind and Iron Defense to change up Stored Power’s capabilities.

Finally, while using a Water-type move against Swampert might not feel like the best idea, Chilling Water actually lowers the opponent’s Physical Attack by one stage, making it another useful way to keep Slowbro in the battle.

POKEMONLEVELMOVESABILITYNATUREHELD ITEMTERA TYPE
100– Iron Defense
– Stored Power
– Calm Mind
– Chilling Water
ObliviousModestShell BellPsychic

Vaporeon

Similarly to Slowbro, this Vaporeon build relies heavily on the combined power of Calm Mind and Stored Power, to build up Attack power and then unleash a huge Psychic attack alongside the Psychic Tera-type STAB boost for massive damage.

Vaporeon is a bulky Water-type Pokemon anyway, but the ability Water Absorb actually negates any damage from Water-type moves, and instead heals Vaporeon, which alongside the Shell Bell item really helps to keep Vaporeon in the battle and survive even hits from Earthquake.

A team of Pokemon take on Swampert in a Tera Raid

It’s worth using Acid Armor immediately, as Swampert begins with Muddy Water, so with Water Absorb Vaporeon has at least one free turn to start building its Defense.

Finally, while Shell Bell may be the best held item to work alongside Vaporeon’s huge Defense, if you want to try and defeat Swampert quickly, Metronome can work well alongside Calm Mind and Stored Power, adding even more Attack to moves used repeatedly, so if you’re spamming Stored Power this will help.

POKEMONLEVELMOVESABILITYNATUREHELD ITEMTERA TYPE
100– Acid Armor
– Stored Power
– Calm Mind
– Fake Tears
Water AbsorbModestShell Bell/MetronomePsychic

Galarian Articuno

While Galarian Articuno might be harder to get your hands on – though you can find the Galarian birds in Pokemon Go – this is a great option thanks to the dual Psychic and Flying-type combination.

Flying lets you avoid Earthquake completely, and Psychic adds STAB damage to powerful moves like Stored Power. In fact, using Agility to act faster even helps build up Stored Power, alongside other stat-boosting moves like Calm Mind.

Finally, Reflect will just help you and the team take some major hits and is a great choice if your teammates keep fainting and costing you the raid.

POKEMONLEVELMOVESABILITYNATUREHELD ITEMTERA TYPE
Galarian Articuno100– Calm Mind
– Stored Power
– Reflect
– Agility
CompetitiveModestShell BellPsychic

Latios

Latios works almost exactly the same as Galarian Articuno, utilizing STAB to add some power to an already reliable move like Stored Power, and the Ability Levitate to sidestep the move Earthquake entirely.

One major difference, however, is that the move Luster Purge has the chance to lower the opponent’s Sp. Def, meaning if you have a team full of Sp. Attack specialists on your side, this could be a fantastic way to finally finish this Raid.

POKEMONLEVELMOVESABILITYNATUREHELD ITEMTERA TYPE
Latios Pokemon Go100– Luster Purge
– Stored Power
– Calm Mind
– Reflect
LevitateModestShell BellPsychic

Mewtwo

If you still have your Mewtwo from the previous Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids, then good news, this is another fantastic choice to take down Swampert with the Mightiest Mark.

Clearly, Mewtwo is a great Sp. Attack user, and just like others on this list, the key here is using Calm Mind to power up Mewtwo’s already amazing strength, then unleash a Stored Power for huge damage.

POKEMONLEVELMOVESABILITYNATUREHELD ITEMTERA TYPE
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Mewtwo profile image100– Stored Power
– Calm Mind
– Reflect
– Agility
PressureModestShell BellPsychic

Pokemon Scarlet Violet Swampert Tera Raid rewards

A menu shows the rewards for beating Swampert in tera Raids

Trainers that defeat Swampert the Unrivalled from Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids can capture one Swampert per save file. After the first catch, all subsequent Raids where you defeat Swampert will only offer the regular Raid rewards.

Defeating Swampert the Unrivalled gives Trainers the chance to earn some (item rarity varies) of the following rewards:

Can 7-star Tera Raid Swampert be Shiny in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet?

Sadly for Shiny hunters, Swampert with the Mightiest Mark can not be Shiny. However, players can breed Swampert and earn a Shiny Mudkip through traditional Egg hatching methods.

That’s everything we have to help trainers defeat Swampert with the Mightiest Mark in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Tera Raids.

If you’re diving back into Paldea to defeat this beast, be sure to also check out our guides covering all Legendary Pokemon in the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet The Indigo Disk DLC, especially if you want to get your hands on a Latios.