Pokémon Go: Terrakion Guide

Until November 24, 2020, Terrakion has returned to Legendary Raids, alongside Cobalion and Virizion. Their availability will overlap with the Pokémon GO Pokémon HOME celebration event. Easily the most useful of the Swords of Justice, you're not going to want to miss out on a chance at another one. With the introduction of Mega Evolution, this Raid will look a little different. Fortunately, we're here to walk you through building the perfect team for taking on this Legendary Pokémon!

Who is Terrakion, and what are the Swords of Justice?

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Like most Legendary Pokémon, Terrakion is one of a set. This particular set is known as the Swords of Justice, and they are loosely based on The Three Musketeers. Cobalion represents Athos, the oldest and de facto leader of the group, Terrakion represents Porthos, the strongest member of the group, Virizion represents Aramis, the feminine and romantic member of the group, and Keldeo represents d'Artagnan, the young new addition to the group.

While these four form a quartet in both the core games and their own Pokémon movie, only the three original members have been introduced so far. Given that Keldeo is a Mythical Pokémon, not a Legendary like the other Swords of Justice, it will probably be introduced in a different way later.

What are the best counters?

As a Rock and Fighting type, Terrakion can deal Rock, Fighting, Ground, and Psychic type damage. Its weaknesses include Water, Grass, Fighting, Ground, Psychic, Steel, and Fairy, leaving room for a wide variety of counters.

Mewtwo

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Mewtwo is simply put the best of the best - even without its Mega Evolved formes. If you can manage a team of Mewtwo, you can easily beat Terrakion with two high level players. Mewtwo has been available many times, including as the most powerful Shadow Pokémon in the game, so most players have at least one or two by now. As a pure Psychic type, Mewtwo takes half damage from both Fighting and Psychic type attacks. The best move set for this Raid is Confusion and Psystrike. Psystrike is a Legacy move, so if you don't already have it, you may want to invest an Elite TM to get it; however, the charged move Psychic also works well.

Mega Blastoise

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A close second to Mewtwo, Mega Blastoise does incredible damage to Terrakion all alone, but if you can coordinate with your fellow Trainers, it boosts the damage of other Water types. Mega Evolution is a little expensive, but it's well worth the stat boost if you can afford it. Mega Blastoise brings no notable resistances or weaknesses to this Raid. Water Gun and Hydro Cannon are the moves you'll want your Mega Blastoise to know.

Mega Venusaur

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In a vacuum, the Grass and Poison type starter of Gen I doesn't perform quite as well as Blastoise. However, Mega Venusaur is still an excellent choice to fight Terrakion. It takes half damage from Fighting and double from Psychic. I would give preferent to Mega Blastoise, but if your fellow Trainers have more viable Grass type counters, or if you just already have Mega Venusaur ready, it will serve you well. You'll want Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant for the moveset.

Metagross

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Another excellent counter for Terrakion, Metagross is much more readily available. Many players have at least one, if not a few, thanks to the Beldum Community Day and other events featuring Beldum. As a Steel and Psychic type, Metagross takes quarter damage from Psychic and half damage from Rock, but double damage from Ground. Bullet Punch and Meteor Mash is the moveset you want to bring into this fight; however, Meteor Mash is also a Legacy move. If you don't have it or the Elite TM to spare, you can opt for Psychic as well though it won't be nearly as effective.

Latios

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Another Legendary Pokémon with limited availability, Latios is a Psychic and Flying type introduced in Gen III. Latios has been featured multiple times so most players have at least one or two powered up already. It takes half damage from Fighting and Psychic, and quarter damage from Ground, meaning it will last a lot longer. You'll want your Latios to know Zen Headbutt and Psychic.

Jirachi

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On the plus side, Jirachi is a Mythical Pokémon obtained by completing the Special Research, A Thousand-Year Slumber, meaning every player can catch one without having to win a difficult raid or track it down in the wild. Unfortunately, this means you can only ever have one, and getting enough candies to power it up means either walking a lot or spending many Rare Candies on it. Still, a Jirachi with Confusion and Doom Desire makes a great addition to the team.

Conkeldurr

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Originally encountered in the Gen V Unova Region, Conkeldurr performs well in this raid. Although its first stage, Timburr isn't super common, it does benefit from Trade Evolution, leaving more Candies for powering up. As a Fighting type, it takes half damage from Rock, but double from Psychic. Counter and Dynamic Punch is the moveset you want your Conkeldurr to know.

Kyogre

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The Legendary mascot of Pokémon Sapphire, Kyogre performs very well against Terrakion. Although it is a Legendary Pokémon, it has been available multiple times in a few different ways so you probably have at least one to add to your team. As a Water type, it has no weaknesses that Terrakion can exploit and it benefits from Mega Blastoise's boost. You'll want your Kyogre to know Waterfall and Surf, but Hydro Pump is also viable.

Machamp

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The final evolution of the Gen I Machop, Machamp has been readily available since the start of the game, featured in events, Raids, and Eggs. On top of that, thanks to Trade Evolution, you'll have even more Candies for powering up your Machamp. Like Conkeldurr, it takes half damage from Rock type attacks and double damage from Psychic. If you're bringing Machamp to this Raid, you'll want it to know Counter and Dynamic Punch.

Dialga

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Another Legendary Pokémon, Dialga was first encountered in the Sinnoh region of Gen IV. It's been in Raids a couple times now, so most players have had a chance to add it to their roster. As a Steel and Dragon type, it takes half damage from Rock and Psychic type moves, but double from Ground and Fighting type moves, so moveset will be important. If you are bringing Dialga along, Metal Claw and Iron Head are the moves you'll want it to know.

Back ups

Because Terrakion has so many weaknesses, there are many other Pokémon that make for good backups:

• Espeon with Confusion and Psychic
• Mega Gengar with Lick and Psychic
• Gallade with Confusion and Psychic
• Landorus with Mud Shot and Earth Power
• Gardevoir with Confusion and Psychic
• Alakazam with Confusion and Psychic
• Exeggutor with Confusion and Psychic
• Hariyama with Counter and Dynamic Punch
• Swampert with Water Gun and Hydro Cannon

Shadow Pokémon

The rebalance of Shadow Pokémon rescued from Team GO Rocket make them excellent glass cannons. Not only are their stats boosted, but during special events, it's possible to change their moves with TMs. If you happen to have Shadow versions of the following Pokémon with the right moveset, they will work very well in this Raid:

• Shadow Mewtwo
• Shadow Metagross
• Shadow Machamp
• Shadow Swampert
• Shadow Gallade
• Shadow Exeggutor
• Shadow Alakazam
• Shadow Gardevoir
• Shadow Torterra
• Shadow Gyarados
• Shadow Venusaur

Note: Shadow Mewtwo outperforms every other counter - it is a class of its own. the rest, save for Shadow Venusaur, perform on the same level as the other best counters in a vacuum; however, when combined with a Mega Pokémon, the added boost to similar attacks mean that many of these will perform much better. If you are able to coordinate the use of either Mega Blastoise or Mega Venusaur, focusing on Water or Grass types should be your priority.

How many players does it take to beat Terrakion

With the right counters, two top level Trainers can take on Terrakion alone. However, if you're lower level or cannot coordinate with other players, you may want to aim for at least four. Weather Conditions that could impact this Raid include:

• Sunny/Clear Weather will boost Terrakion's Ground type attack, as well as your Grass and Ground type Counters.
• Windy Weather will boost Terrakion's Zen Headbutt, as well as your Psychic type counters.
• Partly Cloudy Weather will boost Terrakion's Rock type attacks.
• Cloudy Weather will boost Terrakion's Fighting type move, as well as your Fighting and Fairy type counters.
• Snow will boost your Steel type counters.
• Rain will boost your Water type counters.

Questions about taking on Terrakion?

There you have it. With these Pokémon, Virizion should be an easy addition to your Pokédex. Do you have any questions? Drop them in the comments below and be sure to check out our Best Portable Battery Packs guide so you can keep your phone charged while you're out Raiding!