Six-star raids are the most difficult challenges Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have to offer, and while success should be the result of a carefully crafted team and even better teamwork, a single unlikely Pokemon is proving absolutely dominant.
Perrserker was introduced in Pokemon Sword and Shield. A regional evolution of Meowth sporting a beard and a Viking helmet, it failed to gain any particular relevance. According to the unofficial competitive Pokemon hub Smogon, in Gen 8 it sat firmly in pretty much the lowest tier of competition. Now, however, its fortunes have reversed.
As outlined in the video above, the emerging meta for taking down top-level raid bosses involves each player taking a Perrserker into the battle. That's because of its Hidden Ability, Steely Spirit, which increases the power of Steel-type moves that Perrserker and its allies use by 50%. Whether intended or not, that ability stacks four times, allowing every player to benefit from the buff.
Once the battle starts, the raid organiser uses Taunt, to prevent any status moves from disrupting the strategy. Each other Perrserker then uses Screech, dropping their opponents' Defense Stat to -6, the lowest it can go. On the next turn, each player uses the attack-boosting 'Go All Out' cheer, before spamming Iron Head for the rest of the raid. With the boost provided by Steely Spirit, the raid Pokemon's dramatically reduced defenses, and the attack boost provided by the cheers, the raid boss should always faint within a turn or two.
To get the most out of the strategy, you'll want to ensure your Perrserker is holding Metal Coat to boost its Steel-type moves further. A little breeding and EV training are also pretty important - you'll want to max out Speed and Attack (even if that's a little more tricky now), and fetch a 'mon with either an Adamant or Jolly nature.
If everyone's working in tandem, the strategy can not only make raids trivial, but also speed them up significantly. Some players suggest they've seen battles last barely 30 seconds. The strategy is said to be so successful that some players refuse to run anything else, cancelling the raid if anyone turns up without a Perrserker.
In most games, this kind of strategy might emerge early on, only to be patched out later. Nintendo, however, is rarely quite as hot on balance changes as other studios, and it's also worth noting that the mass Perrserker approach is unlikely to be meaningly felt in the wider community - the players using it are likely to be making the absolute most of the game's competitive features, distancing themselves significantly from vast swathes of the player base. Still, it'll be interesting to see what, if any, action is taken against this good Viking lad.
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