Best Samurott Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Best Samurott Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Images via Game Freak | The Pokemon Company

Written by 

Ben Williams

Published 

6th Apr 2023 17:27

Contents

The second round of the Samurott Tera Raid in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is underway from Friday, 7 April. So, let's get into the full list of Scarlet and Violet Samurott Tera Raid counters and their full builds.

Best Samurott Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

samurott tera raid counters
Click to enlarge

As confirmed on the official Pokemon community post, this Samurott will appear in black crystal Tera Raid battles found across the map.

Although normally a Water-type, the Samurott in this Tera Raid will have a Bug Tera-type. This means that not only will your chosen Pokemon need to be strong enough to combat a level 100 boss with the Mightiest Mark, but also be able to withstand a move set comprising of both types.

With a moveset including attacks like Megahorn, Swords Dance, Aqua Cutter, Night Slash, Drill Run, Focus Energy, and Bulldoze, Samurott is quite the versatile attacker you'll need to prepare for. 

Altogether, the best types to go for would be variations of Water and/or Flying types - each boasting varied resistances to Samurott's Water and Bug-type moves, along with most other types in its potential move pool.

Corviknight

samurott tera raid counters corviknight
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If you're looking for the most durable among Samurott Tera Raid counters, Corviknight is the way to go. Not only high-Defense tank already, but its dual Steel and Flying typing makes it 4 x resistant to Samurott's Bug-type attacks, along with a 2 x resistance to Flying and Steel moves.

The best Corviknight Samurott Tera Raid build is as follows:

  • Ability: Mirror Armor
  • Nature: Adamant
  • Tera Type: Flying
  • Hold Item: Leftovers
  • EVs: 252 Atk, 252 HP, 4 Def
  • Moveset: Bulk Up, Drill Peck, Iron Defense, Screech

This build is all about bolstering your Corviknight's Attack and Defense stats with Bulk Up and Iron Defense whilst lowering Samurott's Defense to eventually hit hard with a STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) and Terastallize-boosted Drill Peck. 

The unique trait of Corviknight that will come in handy here is, of course, its ability: Mirror Armor. Debuffing moves are common against Tera Raid bosses, but in Corviknight's case, Mirror Armor will just reflect the stat drops right back onto Samurott instead. 

Gyarados

samurott tera raid counters gyarados
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This time more of a speedy attacker, Gyrados' dual Water and Flying typing also offer 2x resistance to Samurott's Water and Bug-type moves. As a bonus, Gyarados' Intimidate ability will give you the edge from the start of the battle, lowering Samurott's Attack stats by one stage. 

The best Gyarados Samurott Tera Raid build is as follows: 

  • Ability: Intimidate
  • Nature: Adamant
  • Tera Type: Flying
  • Hold Item: Leftovers/Shell Bell
  • EVs: 252 Atk, 252 Speed, 4 Def
  • Moveset: Dragon Dance, Tera Blast, Thunder Wave, Waterfall

The aim of this build is to quickly slow down Samurott with Thunder Wave, bolster Gyarados' Attack and Speed with Dragon Dance, and hit hard with either Waterfall or Tera Blast for STAB damage - the latter only if Gyarados is Terastallized. 

Thanks to Intimidate and Thunder Wave, Samurott's ability to deliver damage will be lowered a fair bit. In the meantime, whilst bolstering your own stats, Leftovers will help recover any damage it does get through. Alternatively, the Shell Bell can recover HP in bigger chunks after boosting Gyarados' Attack. 

Azumarill 

samurott tera raid counters azumarill
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Another bulky Samurott Tera Raid counter, Azumarill also brings 2 x resistance to the boss' Water and Bug moves with its dual Water and Fairy typing. Along with naturally high HP, Defense, and SP. Defense, Azuamarill's moveset makes it quite the Attack behemoth.

The best Azumarill Samurott Tera Raid build is quite similar to our general best Azumarill Tera Raid build, but with a couple of tweaks: 

  • Ability: Huge Power
  • Nature: Adamant
  • Tera Type: Flying
  • Hold Item: Shell Bell
  • EVs: 252 Attack, 252 HP, 4 Def
  • Moveset: Belly Drum, Bounce, Charm, Tera Blast

This Azumarill build is a beast in not only maximising its Attack with Belly Drum but also doubling it thanks to its Huge Power ability - along with the Shell Bell recovering tons of HP as a bonus.

Although the main move to use afterwards is Bounce for super-effective Flying damage, Charm is also an optional go-to for lowering Samurott's Attack by two stages in the likely event it mostly uses physical moves. 

Since Bounce only has a max PP of 8, Tera Blast is a great backup if you've run out by the time your Azumarill can Terastallize and if you want to use a move more accurately. Only slightly weaker than Bounce, Tera Blast in this build will still inflict massive super-effective damage thanks to Azumarill's Flying-type when Terastallized.

That's all you need to know about the best Samurott Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

For more essentials of the latest on the game, here is when Pokemon HOME will add Scarlet and Violet support

For even more Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guides, you can be sure to find them right here at GGRecon.  

Ben Williams
About the author
Ben Williams
Ben is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. Alongside his BA (Hons) in Business Management is a wealth of gaming and entertainment writing experience, having previously occupied roles as a Copywriter in e-commerce at Overclockers and Guides & SEO Writer at GameByte and FragHero. When not whipping up guides and reviews, Ben’ll be off playing the latest Pokemon games, Overwatch 2, Spider-Man, The Witcher, and Final Fantasy - all before reading manga and listening to Ice Nine Kills.
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