Scarlet and Violet players are cheesing Ditto raids with their worst Pokemon

Pokemon anime Magikarp
(Image credit: The Pokemon Company)

Continuing their war on game balance, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players are now steamrolling Ditto raids by giving the copycat monster the worst moves in the book.

Redditor Old-Ostrich6865 posted a PSA on the topic earlier today, and they're far from the only one spreading the good word. The plan is simple, and will feel familiar to Elden Ring players who cheesed the Mimic boss fight earlier this year by going into it with, like, a butter knife equipped. When going into a raid with the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Tera types and Terastallizing mechanics, just have the host of the Ditto raid use the worst Pokemon they have – something along the lines of a Magikarp that only knows Splash. 

Ditto, being the doppelganger that it is, will always copy the host's Pokemon. So the host can technically use whatever Pokemon they want as long as it's absolutely worthless in a fight. Rather than cracking out the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Legendaries, find the lowest-level creature you have and give it the weakest and fewest moves possible. Its purpose in life is now to sabotage Ditto raids while your teammates do all the heavy lifting with actual battle-ready Pokemon.  

"Those raids are so rare already and people are happy to join one. Failing one feels really bad. Don‘t make them harder than they need to be by using your EV-trained Miraidon as a lead," as Old-Ostrich puts it. 

The newest Pokemon games have been total head-scratchers when it comes to balance. One of its strongest Pokemon has been a total joke for the last 23 years, and now it's been banned from some competitive events. 

The Scarlet and Violet community has worked out slightly more complex, but often equally easy ways to cheese other raids, too. All you need is four very angry cats

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with 12DOVE since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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