How to Beat Sandy Shocks and Iron Thorns in Tera Raid Battles in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
The next Tera Raid Battles in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have been annnounced.
Sandy Shocks and Iron Thorns are the next 5-Star Tera Raid Battle Pokémon, bringing some tough and exciting challenges to trainers. Now is your chance to add these powerful 'mon to your team.
5-Star Tera Raid Battles are opportunities to capture Paradox Pokémon that are a bit stronger than the usual monsters you come across in the game. If you have Scarlet, you'll be able to encounter Sandy Shocks while Iron Thorns is ready to fight you in Violet. These Pokémon will have varying Tera Types to create an extra challenge so be ready for some tough battles no matter which version you have.
When are the Tera Raid Battles in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?
You will be able to take on these tough battle challenges from Thursday, May 23 5 PM PST to Sunday, May 26 at 5 PM PST.
How to Join a Tera Raid Battle in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
If you're ready to take on the challenges ahead, you can head to a sparkling pillar of light from a Tera Raid Crystal to begin. Make sure you have the latest Poke Portal news downloaded to access these battles. Here's how:
- Select Poké Portal in the X menu
- Select Mystery Gift
- Select Check Poké Portal News
If you want to fight the Pokémon in the other version of the game, you can join a Tera Raid Battle hosted by a trainer who owns the other game!
How to Beat Sandy Shocks and Iron Thorns
Sandy Shocks is weak to Ground-type so have some Ground Pokémon on your squad before you head into battle. Pick more aggressive and fast Ground types so you can outpace Sandy Shocks while dealing a ton of damage. Bulldoze lowers Sandy Shocks' speed even more, Meowscarada can resist Electric-type attacks, and Brute Bonnet has a lot of defense against Electric moves. Using Tera Fire and checks are another great strategy against this Pokémon. For faster checks that revenge kill consider Gengar, Pawmot, and Greninja.
Similarly, Iron Thorns is also weak to Ground-type moves. At the same time, your team will be immune to Iron Thorns' Electric attacks. Tera Flying and Tera Fairy are also great choices. Use Sword Dance before attacking with Stone Edge or Dragon Claw for some powerful strategies against Iron Thorns. Garchomp and Swampert are popular choices for countering Iron Thorns.
OLIVIA RICHMAN
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!