Pokémon Scarlet and Violet 7-star Feraligatr Tera Raid: Dates, location, and best counters

Feraligatr is taking over Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s next seven-star Tera Raid event, and this may be your only chance to challenge and catch it.

The seven-star Unrivaled Tera Raids have almost cycled through every Starter Pokémon at this point, making Feraligatr one of the last ones to get its time in the spotlight. And with its ferocious aura, this alligator will be a tough boss to take down.

Here’s everything you need to know about Feraligatr and the seven-star Unrivaled Tera Raid event in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

When is the seven-star Feraligatr Tera Raid event in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

Intentional or not, Feraligatr’s seven-star Tera Raid event comes right around spooky season (and the end of daylight saving time in the United States).

• Unrivaled Feraligatr Tera Raids will first appear from Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7:00pm CT to Sunday, Nov. 3 at 5:59pm CT.
• They will appear once more the following week from Thursday, Nov. 7 at 6:00pm CT until Sunday, Nov. 10 at 5:59pm CT.

How to find seven-star Feraligatr Tera Raids in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

To find the Unrivaled Feraligatr Tera Raids, you must unlock seven-star Tera Raids first and have internet access. Then follow these steps: 

• During the event period, connect to the internet. Make sure your Poké Portal News is updated.
• Open your Paldea map and look for a black Tera Raid icon with the Dark Tera Type symbol. Set that as your destination.
• Fly to the nearest landmark or Pokémon Center.
• Hop on Koraidon or Miraidon and head toward the orange flag on your mini-map.
• When you reach your destination, interact with the black crystal Tera Raid den and make sure it’s a seven-star raid with Feraligatr’s silhouette.
• Use the Tera Raid Battle Search function in the Poké Portal to participate in online group Tera Raids with fellow players. This method requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Can you catch more than one Feraligatr in the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Unrivaled Tera Raid event?

You are limited to catching one Feraligatr with the Mightiest Mark from this Unrivaled Tera Raid event. You can still rechallenge the raid as much as you want during the event, but the game will not allow you to throw another Poké Ball at the Feraligatr once you’ve caught it.

If you need an additional Feraligatr in Scarlet and Violet, you may use another method outside of the seven-star raid event.

How to catch Feraligatr in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Other than the seven-star Tera Raid event, there are a few different ways to obtain Feraligatr. The easiest way would be to catch its first pre-evolution, Totodile, in Blueberry Academy’s Terarium from The Indigo Disk DLC. Wild Totodile can be found in the Savanna Biome after you upgrade the area. Once you get your hands on one, evolve it into Croconaw, who evolves into Feraligatr.

If you don’t have the DLC, you still have the option to trade with another player for a Feraligatr or you may transfer one over from another game via Pokémon HOME.

Beating the Unrivaled Feraligatr Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

This Feraligatr is a strong physical attacker boosted by its Sheer Force ability, so the key to defeating it is reducing its damage output. If you’re soloing the raid, it helps to have at least one NPC with an Intimidate user like Arcanine, Staraptor, or Tauros to keep lowering Feraligatr’s Attack throughout the battle.

You’ll also need a solid counter to stay alive and hit the gator for super-effective damage. To help us identify the best counters, we’ll go through its typing and moveset.

What type is Unrivaled Feraligatr?

Feraligatr is a pure Water-type Pokémon, and it will have the Dark Tera Type for the seven-star Tera Raid event. This gives it three defensive weaknesses to Fighting, Fairy, and Bug attacks.

What moves does Unrivaled Feraligatr know?

Feraligatr’s moveset consists of five physical attacks with good type coverage and two setup moves, making it a dangerous threat if left unchecked.

The gator opens up the raid with Swords Dance to immediately boost its Attack stat by two stages. Later in the battle, it’ll use Dragon Dance to further boost its Attack and Speed. Other than those two instances, it just goes on the offensive with Liquidation, Crunch, Psychic Fangs, Ice Punch, and Earthquake.

Best counters for the Unrivaled Feraligatr Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

As tough as this Feraligatr is, it’s not invincible. In fact, you can solo the raid easily with two different Fighting-type options: Koraidon and Iron Hands. Koraidon is a Scarlet-exclusive Legendary Pokémon, while Iron Hands is exclusive to Violet, so it’s nice to have options available regardless of which version you’re playing.

In both cases, however, you’ll want to have NPCs with access to the Intimidate ability to constantly reduce Feraligatr’s Attack. Otherwise, it will be harder for Koraidon and Iron Hands to stay alive against the raid boss’ powerful offense.

Best Koraidon Tera Raid build in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

As Scarlet’s Legendary mascot, Koraidon is naturally one of the strongest Fighting-type Pokémon in the game, making it perfect for squaring off against Dark Tera Type Feraligatr.

Here’s a general idea of how to use Koraidon:

• Set up with either Swords Dance or Bulk Up.
• Use Collision Course for maximum damage.
• Use Drain Punch for HP recovery.

Best Iron Hands Tera Raid build in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Iron Hands is known to be a great Pokémon to bring to Tera Raids thanks to its ability to set up quickly with Belly Drum, and it just so happens to have the type advantage over Feraligatr.

With Iron Hands, you only use two moves: Belly Drum and Drain Punch. Belly Drum maximizes Iron Hands’ Attack stat in exchange for half its HP, while Drain Punch dishes out damage and restores its health. It might be tempting to set up with Belly Drum on the first turn, but I’ve found that it’s safer to wait until after Feraligatr resets your Pokémon’s stats. Just make sure your Iron Hands will be able to survive after giving up half its HP for Belly Drum.

In other words, you just need to follow these steps:

• Spam Drain Punch until Iron Hand’s stats are reset.
• Use Belly Drum when it is safe.
• Continue spamming Drain Punch until you win.

What is the best Nature for Totodile, Croconaw, and Feraligatr in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?

Totodile, Croconaw, and Feraligatr have mediocre stats, but they’re designed to be physical attackers with a great Hidden Ability and setup potential. That’s why Adamant (+ Attack, – Special Attack) would be the best Nature for them.

With an Adamant Feraligatr, the idea is to take advantage of its Sheer Force ability, which increases the damage output of attacks with additional effects. Liquidation, Crunch, and Ice Punch are examples of strong physical attacks that are boosted by Sheer Force. The ability also goes hand in hand with the Life Orb item for an additional power boost without taking the usual recoil damage.

When you combine Sheer Force, Life Orb, and an Adamant nature, Feraligatr becomes quite threatening despite its unimpressive stats. And if you can set up with a Dragon Dance, the gator will be even faster and stronger to help you win the battle.