Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Seven-Star Tera Raids return October 2-12 with Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon. First raid events in nearly three months with version-exclusive Paradox Pokemon.
Finally, New Seven-Star Content After a Three-Month Gap
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players are getting their first Seven-Star Tera Raid events since July’s Kommo-o challenge, with Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon arriving October 2-12. The three-month gap between major raid events represents an unusually quiet period for endgame content that typically rotates monthly.
These version-exclusive Paradox Pokemon battles offer legitimate challenges for competitive players while providing access to powerful team members with the coveted Mightiest Mark. Whether this signals a return to regular raid schedules or just a one-off October event remains to be seen.
The Essential Details
Event Timeline:
- Start: October 2, 8:00 PM ET
- End: October 12, 7:59 PM ET
- Duration: Just over 10 days
Version-Exclusive Encounters:
- Pokemon Scarlet: Roaring Moon (Dragon Tera-type)
- Pokemon Violet: Iron Valiant (Fairy Tera-type)
Rewards:
- Mightiest Mark for defeated bosses
- Standard Seven-Star raid rewards (items, experience, materials)
Concurrent Events:
- Five-Star raids featuring version-exclusive Paradox Pokemon (Great Tusk, Iron Treads, others)
Why These Specific Paradox Pokemon Matter
Roaring Moon (Past Paradox Salamence):
- High physical attack and speed stats make it a sweeper threat
- Dragon Tera-type doubles down on offensive power
- Likely carries coverage moves like Iron Head (counters Fairy) and Earthquake
- Competitive viability in both casual and ranked battles
Iron Valiant (Future Paradox Gallade/Gardevoir):
- Balanced physical and special attack stats offer flexibility
- Fairy Tera-type provides defensive utility and offensive coverage
- Mixed attacking potential makes predicting movesets difficult
- Strong presence in competitive formats
The competitive context: Both Pokemon see regular use in ranked battles, making these raids valuable for players building serious teams rather than just collecting rare encounters.
Strategic Preparation That Actually Helps
Countering Roaring Moon (Dragon Tera-type):
- Primary weakness: Fairy, Ice, Dragon
- Expected coverage: Iron Head (Fairy counter), Earthquake (Steel counter)
- Recommended counters: Bulky Fairy-types with physical defense, Ice-type attackers with priority moves
- Strategy: Expect high-speed physical attacks; bring defensive answers rather than trying to outspeed
Countering Iron Valiant (Fairy Tera-type):
- Primary weakness: Poison, Steel
- Expected coverage: Likely mixed attacking movepool covering weaknesses
- Recommended counters: Steel-types with high special defense, Poison attackers with good bulk
- Strategy: The mixed attacking capability means both physical and special defense matter
General Seven-Star raid advice:
- Coordinate with online players for consistent clears
- Use support Pokemon to boost team damage rather than solo sweeping
- Bring healing items and status condition counters
- Don’t assume type advantage guarantees success at this difficulty tier
The Three-Month Content Drought Context
July’s Kommo-o raid marked the last Seven-Star event, creating the longest gap between major raid content since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s endgame content cycle began.
Why this matters:
- Engagement pressure: Players focused on endgame content had limited reasons to log in regularly
- Community activity: Raid-focused players may have drifted to other games during the drought
- Resource accumulation: Long gaps allow stockpiling raid preparation materials
- Anticipation building: Extended waits can either increase excitement or reduce engagement momentum
Simultaneous Five-Star Paradox Raids
The concurrent Five-Star raids featuring version-exclusive Paradox Pokemon create tiered engagement:
For newer players: Five-Star raids provide stepping stone challenges before attempting Seven-Star content.
For completionists: Multiple Paradox Pokemon available simultaneously enables efficient roster building.
For shiny hunters: More raid encounters increase odds of finding rare variants.
October’s Packed Pokemon Schedule
These raids arrive alongside other major October Pokemon events:
Recent/ongoing:
- Controversial Shiny Koraidon/Miraidon GameStop distribution (ending October 15)
- Regular seasonal events and rotations
- Competitive season transitions
The scheduling creates pressure: Players juggling multiple limited-time events may feel overwhelmed by participation requirements across different game modes and distribution methods.
Realistic Difficulty Expectations
Seven-Star Tera Raids represent genuine challenges, not casual content clearable with random online partners.
Success factors:
- Coordinated team composition rather than four random attackers
- Understanding boss movesets to avoid surprises
- Proper type coverage accounting for likely coverage moves
- Defensive planning since both bosses hit hard
For solo players: Finding competent online partners can be hit-or-miss. Consider joining Discord communities or coordinating with friends for consistent clears.
The Mightiest Mark and Competitive Implications
The Mightiest Mark serves as proof of defeating Seven-Star raid bosses, functioning as a status symbol in competitive and casual play.
Practical value:
- Visual bragging rights in online battles
- Demonstrates raid completion achievement
- No mechanical advantages in actual battles
Collection perspective: For players who care about mark collection, these raids represent limited-time acquisition opportunities rather than permanent availability.
What This Doesn’t Tell Us About Future Content
This announcement confirms October raids but provides no information about:
- November and beyond raid schedules
- Whether three-month gaps will become standard
- Plans for rotating previous Seven-Star bosses
- New raid mechanics or difficulty tiers
The silence on future plans suggests: Either Game Freak hasn’t finalized schedules, or they’re maintaining flexibility rather than committing to long-term content roadmaps.
Bottom Line
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s return to Seven-Star Tera Raids after three months offers legitimate endgame challenges for players seeking competitive-viable Pokemon and difficult PvE content. Both Iron Valiant and Roaring Moon justify the effort with strong competitive presence and the satisfaction of overcoming difficult raid encounters.
For competitive players: These raids provide access to powerful team members with proper marks and potentially optimal stats through repeated attempts.
For casual players: The version-exclusive nature and limited-time availability create FOMO pressure, but missing these raids won’t fundamentally impact your gameplay experience.
For completionists: Mark your calendar and prepare proper counter teams, because 10 days passes quickly when coordinating online raid attempts.
The real question: Whether October’s raids signal a return to regular monthly content or represent another isolated event before another extended gap. Until Game Freak communicates long-term plans, endgame players should enjoy this content while remaining uncertain about future schedules.
October 2 can’t come soon enough for players starving for new Seven-Star challenges.
