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The Mightiest Mark Cinderace Tera Raid event is a big challenge for Pokemon Scarlet & Violet players. It’s not an impossible task, however, with Slowbro, Armarouge, and Espathra all standing as strong counters to this tricky Cinderace.
Game Freak has done a great job of differentiating this Cinderace challenge from the previous Charizard event in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. While Charizard was a special attacker that looked to overwhelm opponents with a mix of Fire, Flying, and Dragon STAB moves, this Cinderace is a physical attacker that becomes progressively more difficult thanks to its frequent stat boosts.
Thankfully, this isn’t an impossible challenge. Slowbro, Armarouge, and Espathra are all viable counters to Cinderace who can help to deal with the rabbit starter both in online play and solo, assuming they have a proper build. Each of these options are best-served using a level 100 Pokemon that has received Hyper Training in HP, Defense, and Sp. Attack, and has an appropriate nature.
Slowbro Build to Counter Mightiest Mark Cinderace
Slowbro is a great option to take down Cinderace thanks to its great stats, typing, and moveset. It’s also a very good option for players of both Pokemon Scarlet & Violet due to its availability in both games.
Slowbro can be approached in a few different ways in terms of its moveset, but its ideal stats are going to be the same either way. Here are the main components of a good Slowbro build to counter Cinderace:
- Nature: Bold or Modest
- EVs: 252 HP, 252 Sp. Atk, 6 Defense
- Item: Shell Bell
- Tera Type: Psychic
Shell Bell helps Slowbro’s tankiness further by healing Slowbro as it deals damage. In terms of its moveset, Slowbro is best served by having two Psychic-type offensive moves as well as two stat-boosting moves. There’s a degree of flexibility, but the best option in most situations will be:
- Psychic
- Iron Defense
- Nasty Plot
- Stored Power
Iron Defense and Nasty Plot sharply raise the user’s defense, and Sp. Atk stats, respectively. Iron Defense helps to offset the Cinderace’s stat boosts, while Nasty Plot ups Slowbro’s firepower.
Stored Power starts off as a relatively weak 20 base power move but gains 40 more points of power with each stack of Iron Defense and Nasty Plot the user adds. Once Cinderace starts purging stat boosts, Slowbro can still threaten damage with Psychic. Do note that while Slowbro is a great option, its alternative evolution, Slowking, isn’t ideal for this raid.
Best Armarouge Build to Counter Cinderace
Armarouge is conceptually similar to Slowbro with its multiple resistances, respectable bulk, and psychic typing. What sets it apart from Slowbro is how it deals with Cinderace’s Bulk Up stacking. Here are the basics of the set:
- Nature: Bold or Modest
- EVs: 6 HP, 252 Defense, 252 Sp. Atk
- Held Item: Shell Bell
- Tera Type: Psychic
Armarouge’s optimal EV spread to counter Cinderace is similar to Slowbro’s, albeit favoring defense over HP. It also shares the same nature, item, and Tera Type. What really sets it apart is its moveset which includes the following:
- Psychic
- Clear Smog
- Expanding Force
- Psychic Terrain
Armarouge takes on something of a hybrid role, with both strong damage options and support tools. Expanding Force is one of Armarouge’s signature moves, which is boosted further when Psychic Terrain is active.
Clear Smog is a poison-type move that removes Cinderace’s stat boosts, something that helps the entire team to stay alive. The one big issue is that Armarouge is effectively a Pokemon Scarlet exclusive, which makes it less viable for Pokemon Violet players.
Espathra Build for Tera Raids
Espathra isn’t as defensive as Armarouge or Slowbro but still has the tools needed to succeed in this particular raid. A Modest nature, which can be had using Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s mints, and EV distribution focused on its HP and Sp. Atk stats is key.
- Nature: Modest
- EVs: 252 HP, 252 Sp. Atk, 6 Defense
- Held Item: Shell Bell
- Tera Type: Psychic
Past that, Espathra is helpful based on two moves that make it particularly troublesome for Cinderace to deal with.
- Feather Dance
- Lumina Crash
- Helping Hand
- Roost
Its signature attack, Lumina Crash, does a respectable 80 damage and sharply drops the opponent’s Sp. Def stat. This improves both its own damage-dealing potential and bolsters the rest of the team as well. It also has Feather Dance which sharply drops the opponent’s attack stat, letting Espathra counter Cinderace and its regular use of Bulk Up.
Helping Hand is a staple support move that lets Espathra bolster the attacks of boosted allies, which is quite helpful in Tera Raid battles. Roost is the ideal fourth move option thanks to its ability to let Espathra heal itself if things start going sideways or when time starts ticking down, but other options like Psychic or Calm Mind can also work.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.
