Mastering the art of crushing three-star Battle Raids is an important skill for Pokemon GO trainers. Experienced players who do their homework are often able to solo these Battle Raids, which helps speed up the process by not waiting for groups and can lead to more Premier Balls for encounter rewards in some cases.
In order to successfully solo a three-star Battle Raid, Pokemon GO trainers need to understand the boss' weaknesses and assemble a roster that can exploit then. When it comes to defeating a Water/Poison dual type like Tentacruel, that means pulling together the best Electric-, Ground-, and Psychic-types available.
Higher level players who stick to that strategy and take the time and resources to optimize their roster should be able to take down Tentacruel without any help. Remember that getting the perfect move sets in place is very effective, so don't hesitate to burn through some Elite TMs if needed. That said, players who aren't feeling as confident (or at still a lower level) should be able to secure the win by entering the battle with just one or two friends.
Tentacruel Weaknesses
This Battle Raid boss is a Water- and Poison-type, which means that Tentacruel is weak to Electric-, Ground-, and Psychic-type moves.
Best Tentacruel Counters
Alakazam (Mega)
Psycho Cut/Psychic
Latios (Mega) - Zen Headbutt/Psychic
Latias (Mega) - Zen Headbutt/Psychic
Manectric (Mega) - Thunder Fang/Wild Charge
Ampharos (Mega) - Charge Beam/Zap Cannon
Mewtwo - Confusion/Psystrike
Gengar (Mega) - Shadow Claw/Psychic
Slowbro (Mega) - Confusion/ Psychic
Hoopa (Unbound) - Confusion/Psychic
Xurkitree - Spark/Discharge
Zekrom - Charge Beam/Wild Charge
Metagross - Zen Headbutt/Psychic
Hoopa (Confined) - Confusion/Psychic
Thundurus (Therian) - Volt Switch/Thunderbolt
Landorus (Therian) - Extrasensory/Earthquake
Trainers who stick to those counters could have no issue powering through this Battle Raid quickly without any help. Three-star Batte Raids may not be quite as excitng as Legendary and Mega Battle Raids, but there are still some decent rewards up for grabs that can be hard to pass up if players have the extra Raid Passes to spare when an interesting one pops up at a nearby Gym. Battle Raids, even down at the three-star level, are a solid way to gain a lot of Candy, valuable items, and a decent amount of experience.
Be sure to check back in the near future for lots more Pokemon GO strategy guides, news, and updates. Until then, good luck out there, trainers!
Pokemon GO is available now in select regions on Android and iOS devices.