Quauval Tera Raid guide: the best Water-starter build in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Zackerie Fairfax
pokemon scarlet violet quaquaval

Many players will continue to use their starter Pokemon long after the credits roll, and here is how you can turn the Water-type Quaquaval into a viable Tera Raid option.

Pokemon Scarlet & Violet introduced three more starter lines following the tradition of each being a Grass-, Water-, and Fire type. And while these are strong during the main game, players will need to build them correctly to be viable in the post-game.

More specifically, Five-, Six-, and Seven-star Tera Raids require much more effort than Four-star Raids and below. Players will have to be more conscious about type matchups, movesets, and stats. And while there are many better options out there, starter Pokemon can still be great in Tera Raids.

This guide will focus specifically on the Water-type starter Quaquaval. It is a physical attacker that can clear out terrain set by the boss and has great type coverage, but it doesn’t offer much in terms of raw damage.

Best Quaquaval Tera Raid build

Unlike the other two starters, Quaquaval is ditching its signature move for the harder-hitting Liquidation. Players can also use Close Combat – a Fighting-type move – on Tera Raid bosses that aren’t weak to Water-type moves.

However, before ever attacking, players will want to use Swords Dance three times to maximize their attack stat. And don’t worry about stat-lowering moves; the Clear Amulet held item will render Quaquaval immune to all stat-reducing moves and abilities. Once Swords Dance is set, players can switch to attacking.

And if Quaquaval’s health falls below 1/3, its Torrent ability will activate, increasing the damage dealt by Liquidation. The final move in Quaquaval’s kit can be swapped out for a trainer’s preferred move, but we like to use Feather Dance to lower the Attack stat of the boss if needed.

PokemonLevelMovesetHeld ItemAbilityNatureEVs & IVs
100-Liquidation
-Swords Dance
-Feather Dance
-Close Combat
Clear AmuletTorrentAdamantHP & Attack

Best Quqauval Moveset

  • Liquidation – learned at level 47
  • Swords Dance – learned via TM
  • Feather Dance – learned at level 52
  • Close Combat – learned at level 58

That’s everything you need to know about Quaquaval in Tera Raids! Check out more Pokemon Scarlet & Violet guides below:

Paldea Pokedex | Best starter Pokemon | How to get Marks in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Are Pokemon Scarlet & Violet compatible with Pokemon Home? | Unlocking 5 & 6-star Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to unlock Rotom Phone cases in Scarlet & Violet | How to change clothes in Scarlet & Violet | How to co-op with friends in Scarlet & Violet | All Shiny forms in Scarlet & Violet | Sandwich recipes in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | Pokemon Scarlet & Violet egg breeding guide | How to get Rare Candy in Scarlet & Violet

About The Author

Zackerie is a former Senior Writer for Dexerto who covered a wide variety of games and entertainment. He has a degree in Creative Writing and was previously the editor of The LaRue County News. Zackerie switched to games media in 2020 writing for outlets such as Screen Rant, Fortnite INTEL, and Charlie INTEL.