"Your Guide to Soloing Tier 3 Raids - A Write-Up about movesets, Difficulty, and resources Needed for each Raid Boss"

#PokemonGO: Hello TSR! I've recently been reflecting on what makes Pokemon Go a fun experience for me, and nothing in this game gets the blood pumping like tier 3 raid solos do. They're an excellent test to your team strength and battle prowess, and for that reason, I've invested most of my free raid passes as of late trying to take down as many as I can.I answer a lot of my local community's questions about how to start thinking about solo attempts and what kind of teams you should throw together for each one. There are plenty of great resources on TSR that attempt to rank each raid boss by difficulty, but I never came across one cohesive place that talks about many of the other needed facets when preparing for one: moveset, optimal team availability, necessity for dodging, etc.I understand there is a lot of subjective variance between boss difficulty (i.e. one person might find one boss particularly easier than another), but this is my best attempt to rank each boss by an assorted array of criteria through my experience.One important thing to note is that all tier 3 raid bosses are set at 3,000 HP, so I did not include STA in the stats of each Pokemon. Each solo attempt is a DPS race, so it is important to analyze overall raid boss tankiness through a combination of the DEF stat, weaknesses, and the moveset meta. You will almost ALWAYS want to be dealing super effective damage against the boss in question, or you will most likely run out of time. I have included a Top 3 section that I suggest are solid picks given DPS, survivability, and availability.Without further ado, here is my assessment of each of the raid bosses: GengarATK - 261, DEF - 156Overall Difficulty: 2/10If I had to choose one raid boss to dip your feet into the tier 3 pool, Gengar is a great place to start. With the lowest tankiness out of all of the raid bosses along with easy-to-exploit weaknesses, Gengar can be taken down with dozens of seconds to spare given the right team. However, you have to keep on your toes and dodge in certain circumstances; Gengar's Focus Blast and using counters weak to Gengar is a recipe for your team to get wiped out very quickly if you're not careful. Effort to Create Optimal Team: 2/10Suggested Top 3: Tyranitar (B/C), Alakazam (PC/FS), Gengar (SC or H/SB)One word: Tyranitar. Bite/Crunch Tyranitar is an insanely good counter to Gengar, resisting both of Gengar's quick moves and 2 out of 3 charge moves. Luckily, these can be acquired through raids, and Tyranitar is extremely versatile with many applications, so it doesn't feel very bad to invest resources into it. However, it is crucial that you keep an eye out for Gengar's Focus Blast, as that will bring Tyranitar to its knees.One thing to note is that most of the Pokemon that deal super effective damage against Gengar also take super effective damage in return. This is where a lot of high risk, high reward play comes in with the likes of Alakazam, Lugia, Gengar, and Mewtwo (if you're lucky), which are all available from raids as well. Espeon is also included in this group, and it is quite easy to find a level 30 Eevee and evolve it with little effort needed. I highly recommend quick moves with short animations in order to dodge more effectively (i.e. Psycho Cut instead of Confusion on Alakazam), so if you have extra Fast TMs, use them!Some other great counters include Houndoom and Double Dark Gyarados, but these take a bit more resources than your other options (10/24/2017: Utilize the Halloween event to find that perfect Snarl/Foul Play Houndoom!). Given Gengar's relatively low survivability, you should be able to take him down with Pokemon at level 30 if you're worried about resources.Quick Move Difficulty: Hex > Sucker PunchNot much to say here. Given the same type attack bonus (STAB) of 1.2x on Hex, Hex has more DPS and EPS than Sucker Punch. Both share similar resistances/strengths against the team you should be building.Charge Move Difficulty: Shadow Ball > Sludge Bomb > Focus BlastShadow Ball is the most difficult charge move coming from Gengar, sporting a massive 100 damage and being fired off quite regularly. Many of the glass cannons that you want to use against Gengar are weak to Shadow Ball as well. However, where Shadow Ball is quite easy to dodge (2.4 seconds after move text), Sludge Bomb also sports respectable damage and is much harder to dodge (1.1s after text). Focus Blast is fired infrequently, has a 3 second dodge window, and although it can threaten a few top counters, it is easily dodged after some practice. However, it can be devastating if you don't pay attention. MachampATK - 234, DEF - 162Overall Difficulty: 3/10Machamp is another raid boss that intermediate players should feel confident taking on. Machamp has relatively low defense and an easily exploitable Psychic/Flying weakness, allowing some room for suboptimal teams to take him down. What makes Machamp difficult is its Dynamic Punch and Heavy Slam movesets, both being fired off quite regularly and being very difficult to dodge. Effort to Create Optimal Team: 3/10Suggested Top 3: Alakazam (PC/FS), Dragonite (DT/H), Espeon (ZH/FS)Three of Machamp's best counters are awarded through regular raids, and those are Alakazam, Exeggutor, and Lugia. Alakazam is an excellent counter with top tier DPS but low survivability. Lugia is the vice versa with relatively low damage but unsurpassed survivability. Exeggutor is somewhere in the middle with respectable damage and bulk. It is possible to solo Machamp with only Lugia, but you're better off utilizing higher damage, less resource-intensive Pokemon to get the job done. If resources are tight, Exeggutor is a versatile Pokemon that can also be used for Vaporeon given an Extrasensory/Solar Beam moveset. Gengar can also be acquired through raids, but it cannot deal super effective damage and does not have access to Shadow Claw, which makes the DPS race a bit more difficult.Espeon is a great example of a solid counter with little to no resources needed to acquire, as described in Gengar's section. However, if you have enough resources, Hurricane Dragonite is the most well-balanced counter to Machamp IMO. It can tank a few charge moves while dealing strong damage back - highly recommended if you can acquire one.Quick Move Difficulty: Counter > Bullet PunchNot much to say here. Counter, with STAB, deals more damage than Bullet Punch (same CD) even when resisted (10.28 C dmg resisted vs. 9 BP dmg neutral), and the additional EPS from Bullet Punch isn't enough to outweigh the substantial difference in DPS.Charge Move Difficulty: Dynamic Punch >= Heavy Slam >> Close CombatI've seen arguments back and forth between Dynamic Punch and Heavy Slam being more difficult, but I'm siding on Dynamic Punch for a few reasons. Dynamic Punch deals more damage when resisted than a neutral Heavy Slam (77.14 DP vs. 70 HS), and Dynamic Punch is harder to dodge than Heavy Slam (1.2s BP vs. 1.5s HS after text). However, Pokemon like Lugia and Gengar can double resist DP, making Heavy Slam harder given certain teams. Regardless, Close Combat is definitely the easiest charge move due to its one-bar status and comparable damage to Dynamic Punch (100 CC vs. 90 DP). You'll have a substantially easier time with Close Combat than the other two charge moves. VaporeonATK - 205, DEF - 177Overall Difficulty: 5/10Vaporeon is a bit tankier than Gengar and Machamp, and its counters are a little weaker and harder to come by. However, water gun is quite weak on defense, and you can depend on all of its moves to be water type, so it is a bit more consistent in that regard. Effort to Create Optimal Team: 5/10Suggested Top 3: Raikou (TS/WC)/Zapdos (CB/TB), Exeggutor (BS/SB), Venusaur (VW/SB)Depending on your activity during the legendary Pokemon period, Vaporeon could be a cakewalk given a healthy stockpile of Raikou and Zapdos. However, Exeggutor is an eggcelent (who saw that pun coming) raid boss investment due to its versatility between an assortment of raids (Machamp, Blastoise, Suicune, etc.). Venusaur is another easily obtainable counter that can make quick work of Vaporeon given some investment.Other good counters include Jolteon and a wide assortment of grass Pokemon (Vileplume, Victreebel, Tangela). These require some hunting and gathering for enough candies. However, most of these counters are outclassed and are one-dimensional, making the investment feel a bit inefficient.I rated this one a bit higher because most folks will be stuck between investing a bunch of rare candies into legendaries or investing stardust into lackluster grass Pokemon unless given the option of multiple Exeggutor.Quick Move Difficulty: Water Gun…?Water gun is the only available quick move for Vaporeon.Charge Move Difficulty: Hydro Pump > Aqua Tail > Water PulseI usually argue against one-bar charge moves being strong, but Vaporeon's other charge move alternatives are quite lackluster, and Hydro Pump is extremely strong with a very small dodge window (0.9s). You almost have to be lucky to dodge Hydro Pump at times. I chose Aqua Tail over Water Pulse due to it being much harder to dodge (1.2s AT vs. 2.2s WP) and it being fired off more often since it is a three bar charge move. Water Pulse is just awful. ArcanineATK - 227, DEF - 166Overall Difficulty: 6/10Arcanine's wide array of type coverage can prove to be frustrating at times. Its Fire or Dark fast moves and Dark, Fire, or Electric charge moves make it unpredictable and relatively difficult to build a team that always delivers. However, given some good battle strategies and strong counters, Arcanine can be taken down somewhat consistently. You might need to invest a bit more into your attackers to push them over the DPS edge. Effort to Create Optimal Team: 7/10Suggested Top 3: Golem (RT/SE), Vaporeon (WG/HP), Rhydon (MS/SE)Raids offer very little for an optimized Arcanine team other than Vaporeon and sometimes TTar (given heavy investment and Stone Edge). Most of your top counters will need to be farmed through nests/grinding sessions, those being Golem, Vaporeon (given Eevee's abundance), Omastar, and Rhydon. Golem and Rhydon are especially good since they are immune to Arcanine's Wild Charge, which would otherwise give water Pokemon some issues. Golem is a solid and sustainable investment given the lack of strong Rock type users at the moment, and Rhydon, while having somewhat lackluster DPS, has potential through Rhyperior and a moveset shakeup in future generations.Quick Move Difficulty: Snarl > Fire FangSince most of your counters will resist Fire, Snarl is a more difficult matchup given its increased damage and EPS.Charge Move Difficulty: Wild Charge >= Crunch >> Fire BlastWild Charge is a very strong move that fires off frequently and gives lots of problems to your water type counters. However, Golem/Rhydon do quite well against it, so they're deemed the top counters to Arcanine at the moment. Crunch is a moderately strong, annoying move with a relatively small dodge window. The only relevant Pokemon to resist this move is Tyranitar, but there are better counters than him. I would say Crunch could be more difficult than Wild Charge depending on your spread of Ground vs. Water Pokemon. Fire Blast is a one-bar charge move, is resisted most of the time, and is incredibly easy to dodge if necessary (3.1s after text).One thing to note here is that it can be helpful to tank charge moves to get more energy and deal more damage. I find this to be especially important in this matchup, since nearly all of Arcanine's top counters utilize one-bar charge moves (i.e. Hydro Pump, Stone Edge). Knowing when and when not to dodge is extremely important since unutilized energy can mean a loss in crucial DPS. If a dodge means one more charge move, go for it! AlakazamATK - 271, DEF - 194Overall Difficulty: 8/10Alakazam's high defense and attack create a brutal experience for many solo attempts. Lots of investment in top counters is necessary to push your DPS to a point where you can take down Alakazam. Its Confusion fast move is extremely strong, and Shadow Ball can become quite annoying to deal with on a consistent basis. However, some of its counters are relatively easy to acquire (Tyranitar, and more Tyranitar), and Alakazam's other charge moves are somewhat easy to deal with given some skillful dodging. Effort to Create Optimal Team: 5/10Suggested Top 3: Tyranitar (B/C), Gengar (SC or H/SB), Scizor (FC/XS)Getting real tired of sounding like a broken record. Bite/Crunch Tyranitar is easily the number one counter to Alakazam. Once you've got a healthy smattering of those in your inventory, you can aim for other alternatives like Gengar (glass cannon, but excellent against Psycho Cut/Focus Blast), Scizor, Houndoom, Pinsir, and more. These other alternatives are relatively difficult to acquire (especially a Shadow Claw Gengar), but they can be useful in filling in the holes where Tyranitar can't.You may need to invest more stardust this time around though. Some crucial damage breakpoints are set in the high 20s/low 30s for some of your counters (Lvl 35/15 ATK IV for Houndoom's Snarl), and the extra DPS is necessary to beat Alakazam in time. I highly recommend numerous level 30+ Bite/Crunch Tyranitar to get the job done.Quick Move Difficulty: Confusion >> Psycho CutConfusion is miles more difficult than Psycho Cut due to the vast difference in damage.Charge Move Difficulty: Shadow Ball > Focus Blast > Future SightShadow Ball is fired off consistently and is a very strong move in itself. Focus Blast is easily dodged, but it gives a lot of trouble to Tyranitar and other Dark-type alternatives. Future Sight, while strong and somewhat difficult to dodge, is a one-bar charge move and is usually brushed away from your typical counters since it is either resisted or hits Pokemon that are immune to Psychic. I still recommend dodging it however since STAB and Alakazam's high attack can still take down even the strongest of counters. FlareonATK - 246, DEF - 204Overall Difficulty: 10/10Flareon's very high defense and somewhat weak counters make this battle a monumental feat. Very few people have actually come out with evidence that they have completed this battle. Expect to use a fully maxed out team of Golems and a flawless battle execution; otherwise you will not beat it in time. Effort to Create Optimal Team: 10/10Suggested Top 3: Golem (RT/SE) x 34-6 maxed or very high level Rock Throw/Stone Edge Golems. Need I say more?Quick Move Difficulty: Fire Spin > EmberFire Spin outdamages Ember on defense quite consistently, and the small EPS difference does not make up for the DPS difference.Charge Move Difficulty: Flamethrower > Overheat > Fire BlastSince this matchup is heavily reliant on getting the right moveset, I'm quite comfortable saying that Fire Blast is really the only viable moveset able to be conquered. It's a slower, weaker Overheat, and its one-bar charge status makes it easier to work around. However, I've never done this matchup before, so I'm not completely certain of the right formula. JolteonATK - 232, DEF - 201Overall Difficulty: 11/10Jolteon is currently impossible given a lack of strong Ground moves and Jolteon's high defense. For that reason, I will not provide a write-up for this one. Please let me know what you think in the comments below. I'd be happy to make this a living document for reference in the future. I'm sure everyone has their own beliefs on tier 3 rankings, but given the wide variety of Pokemon and possible teams, it is expected. Be civil, and I appreciate your input!Thanks for reading and reflecting!Edit: My first Reddit gold! "Thank you kind stranger!" Really appreciate the gesture :)Edit 2: Added 'Suggested Top 3' section. via /r/TheSilphRoad http://ift.tt/2gEARgH