The Ruinous Legendary Pokémon Wo-Chien provides stalwart defenses during Tera Raids with the right build that utilizes it bulk and health drain moves.
Tera Raids are challenging encounters for any trainer of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but Legendary Pokémon such as Wo-Chien support a player’s team through high Special Defense and Defense stats supported by an appropriate build. Available as a hidden encounter to players who complete the three main narrative quests, Wo-Chien is a Grass-/Dark-type whose specialties lie in its abnormal bulk that befits its status as a Legendary. Although the attacking power of this member of the four Ruinous Pokémon in Paldea may not be its strongest element, players that build Wo-Chien toward dealing damage progressively while staying up in battle will find the best success in Tera Raids.
Wo-Chien may be caught at level 60, but players should consider adjusting the Pokémon’s move list to create the best build possible. Attention also could be drawn to the Ability of this Legendary, named Tablets of Ruin, which lowers the attack of all Pokémon on the field by 25%. Albeit a bit risky when tackling a Tera Raid with allies, Tablets of Ruin does contribute to the overall strategy behind Wo-Chien’s survivability, especially against strong attackers like Tera Raid Cinderace in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Other factors involving Wo-Chien’s held item, Nature, and typing are part of the discussion when players attempt to optimize their build.
The Best Moves, Items, & Nature for Wo-Chien in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
The essential moves that Wo-Chien should have in preparation for Tera Raids are Giga Drain, Grassy Terrain, Dark Pulse, and either Light Screen or Reflect. Grassy Terrain and Giga Drain let Wo-Chien heal, either by draining the HP of the Tera Raid Pokémon or at the end of every turn, respectfully. If players are united with others online, Grassy Terrain also gives health to their Pokémon, providing a support structure that helps weather the strong attacks of higher star Raids that combines well with Chansey or Blissey in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet.
Dark Pulse and Giga Drain get boosted through Wo-Chien’s Dark-/Grass-types, using the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) to inflict more damage. Light Screen or Reflect gives an entire squad of Pokémon extra Defense or Special Defense, one of the best strengths of Wo-Chien already. When used in tandem with a Calm Nature that boosts Special Defense, Wo-Chien can become a strong defender that tanks various Fire-type moves that would otherwise cause it to faint.
Obviously, not even the best Wo-Chien build would keep it viable against Pokémon that have a natural advantage against it, Bug-types being a chief example as they inflict 4x super effective damage. Wo-Chien works best against not only Water, Ghost, and Psychic-type Pokémon in Tera Raids through super effective damage but also Electric-types due to a resistance to their attacks. Tera types in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may pose a threat to Wo-Chien if they take a type that does well against the Legendary, but players that use the best build will still be able to find victory more often than not.
Source: YouTube/Nintendo of America