[2024] Lunar New Year Raids

[Dandelazy]

An infothread with all info I got by solo queuing in Lunar New Year raids. Gonna keep editing.

 

In a raid, four players have to beat an Alpha Pokémon in a 4v3. To enter a raid, simply interact with one of its correspondent portals. Players may enter as part of a link of 4 people or queue up alone (the game will find 3 other players). You cannot, however, queue up as a link of 2 or 3 people. A new raid becomes available everyday at 00:00 UTC and you can complete raids that became available in previous days. Beating a raid awards players the Alpha they just defeated (which may be holding an item) and a Dead Flower. Collecting Dead Flowers is necessary to obtain Shaymin. You cannot beat the same raid twice.

 

An Alpha in a raid is assisted by two Pokémon. Other Pokémon are summoned in case one or both of these two die. Generally, the Alpha Pokémon has four moves that it constantly spams, but also has other modified moves that will be occasionally activated, such as an AoE Thunder Wave or Hypnosis. The Alpha Pokémon gets to attack three times in a round. The Alpha Pokémon takes reduced damage from burns, poisoning and leech seed. It will remove stats reductions and ailments from time to time. It will also reacquire its ability from time to time in case it's lost. The Alpha can break through Protect. If the Alpha faints, the Pokémon assisting it will also faint at the end of the round.

 

Moves that hit everyone, like Earthquake and Surf, only hit enemies in Alpha raids.

 

1st Alpha: Lopunny.

Rating: 2* (LVL 55)

Locations: Berry Forest in Kanto, Dreamyard in Sinnoh.

Moves: Double Edge, Acrobatics, Drain Punch, Thunder Punch.

Ability: Klutz.

Helpers: Lopunny, Plusle, Minun, Azumarill, Spinda.

Head Start: Alpha Lopunny uses Cosmic Power before the battle.

Recommendations: The most popular strategy is to set up Iron Defense or Curse with a Pokémon with a good Defense stat. Setting up Reflect is very good here. Ghost-types with Will-o-Wisp, such as Sableye and Cofagrigus are great, especially if they also bring in Reflect. Offensive Ghost-types, such as Golurk with Drain Punch, aren't bad either. Lopunny can heal a lot with Drain Punch if you let it, so avoid Pokémon with a weakness to it.

 

2nd Alpha: Purugly.

Rating: 2* (LVL 55)

Locations: Route 7 in Kanto.

Moves: Body Slam, Super Fang, Bulldoze, Shadow Claw.

Ability: Defiant.

Helpers: Zangoose, Luxray, Espeon, Liepard.

Head Start: Alpha Purugly uses Torment before the battle.

Recommendations: Do not use moves that reduce stats. It's very common to lose this fight because someone forgot about Defiant and used moves like Icy Wind, Bulldoze or Snarl. Purugly will get too much attack and sweep everyone if you do so. Other than that, this raid is similar to Lopunny's. Some Steel- and Ghost-types who were good against Lopunny have a somewhat harder time here due to Purugly having Bulldoze and Shadow Claw for coverage. However, this fight is really good for Ferrothorn and, to a lesser extent, Skarmory. Sableye with Will-o-Wisp and Reflect is still really, really good, with Spiritomb as a possible, but weaker, replacement. Fighting-types have a good chance to hit Purugly for huge amounts of damage, but they often don't last long so don't be too greedy with them.

 

3rd Alpha: Grumpig.

Rating: 3* (LVL 65)

Locations: Mt. Ember in Kanto, Route 225 in Sinnoh, Great Chasm in Unova.

Moves: Psyshock, Energy Ball, Earth Power and Shadow Ball.

Ability:

Helpers: Grumpig, Emboar, Mamoswine, Slowking.

Head Start: Alpha Grumpig uses Light Screen before the battle.

Recommendations: Dark-types; as many as possible. Kill Emboar and Mamoswine whenever they're summoned because they have Fighting-type moves, but Grumpig and Slowking lack coverage. Hydreigon, Honchkrow and Mandibuzz are the kings and queens of this fight, resisting or being immune to all of Alpha Grumpig's moves and retaliating with strong super effective STAB moves. Umbreon and, once again, Sableye, can set up Light Screen, poison the Alpha with Toxic and do some surprising damage with Swagger + Foul Play. Some people bring a Pokémon with Brick Break or Defog to get rid of the Light Screen. Other than Dark-types, bulky Pokémon in general can stall this fight.

 

4th Alpha: Zebstrika.

Rating: 3* (LVL 65)

Locations: Route 16 in Kanto, Route 2 in Unova.

Moves: Wild Charge, Discharge, Overheat, Low Kick.

Item: White Herb.

Ability: Sap Sipper.

Helpers: Zebstrika, Rapidash, Girafarig, Stantler.

Head Start: Alpha Zebstrika uses Substitute and Charge before the battle.

Recommendations: Earthquake. Probably the easiest raid. Zebstrika will eventually use Magnet Rise, but it wears off soon enough so players can go back to spamming Ground-type moves. Avoid Grass-type moves due to Sap Sipper. Once again setting up screens is recommended. Be careful with the Fighting-type and Fire-type coverage that Zebstrika brings.

Edited February 17 by Dandelazy
Adding more info to Zebstrika

[DarylDixon]

4 hours ago, Dandelazy said:

 

 

4th Alpha: Zebstrika.

Rating: 3* (LVL 65)

Locations: Route 16 in Kanto, Route 2 in Unova.

Moves: Wild Charge, Discharge, Overheat, Low Kick.

Item: White Herb.

Ability:

Helpers: Zebstrika, Rapidash, Girafarig, Stantler.

Head Start: Alpha Zebstrika uses Substitute and Charge before the battle.

Recommendations: Earthquake. Probably the easiest raid. Zebstrika will eventually use Magnet Rise, but it wears off soon enough so players can go back to spamming Ground-type moves.

id suggest an espeon with both screens, plus a suicide lead aerodactyl with wide guard (to no get para on espeon for discharge) then 1 flygon set up dragon dance and another offensive mon (id suggest gliscor) that can earthquake directly. don't play krookodile because of low kick of course. and also please avoid to use grass moves on it cause of sap sipper  try to set up dragon dance x2 times and start to attack, also gliscor is cool to that cover the moves from zebstrika.

 

also if you can add : charge and magnet rise as moves on it 🙂

Edited February 17 by DarylDixon

[TohnR]

Thanks for the heads up, so at least I don't bring random useless mons to the battle 🙂 

[Dandelazy]

6 hours ago, DarylDixon said:

id suggest an espeon with both screens, plus a suicide lead aerodactyl with wide guard (to no get para on espeon for discharge) then 1 flygon set up dragon dance and another offensive mon (id suggest gliscor) that can earthquake directly. don't play krookodile because of low kick of course. and also please avoid to use grass moves on it cause of sap sipper  try to set up dragon dance x2 times and start to attack, also gliscor is cool to that cover the moves from zebstrika.

 

also if you can add : charge and magnet rise as moves on it 🙂

Added Sap Sipper as Zebstrika's ability and the recommendation of setting up screens against it. Thanks.

 

Charge and Magnet Rise are triggered by special conditions and single use afaik (unless someone has seen Zebstrika using it frequently?) and are listed in "Head Start" and "Recommendations".

[caioxlive13]

1 hour ago, Dandelazy said:

Added Sap Sipper as Zebstrika's ability and the recommendation of setting up screens against it. Thanks.

 

Charge and Magnet Rise are triggered by special conditions and single use afaik (unless someone has seen Zebstrika using it frequently?) and are listed in "Head Start" and "Recommendations".

Magnet rise can be avoided by gravity? This force any mon flying/levitating back to the ground, i think it can help.

[DarylDixon]

4 hours ago, caioxlive13 said:

Magnet rise can be avoided by gravity? This force any mon flying/levitating back to the ground, i think it can help.

nah doesnt need so much for 2 dumb turns.