Group size estimator

How many trainers do I need to invite?

The Estimator is already "trainers of this attacker needed to finish inside the timer", so this page does not invent a number: it reads it off the boss's own ranked counter list for three realistic parties and re-simulates each of them at every level from 20 to 50.

Raid bossTierIVsWeatherFriendshipDodgingShadow attackersMega attackersLegendary attackers

Invite 1 to be safe — 1 if everyone is prepared

At level 40, a party of Houndstone's top six counters needs 0.74 trainers (round up: 1), and a mixed lobby of ranks 13-24 needs 0.85 (round up: 1). The raid timer is 180 seconds and one prepared trainer alone would take 2:10. A prepared solo becomes possible at level 25. A duo works from level 20.

Houndstone · Tier 3

ghost

Weak to

ghostdark

Boss CP: 17,476
Boss HP: 3,600
Raid timer: 180s
Party used: 6

Trainers needed, by attacker level

Scroll sideways for the mixed-lobby column.

Trainers needed to beat Houndstone at each attacker level
Attacker level	Six of the best counter	A prepared party	A mixed local group	Prepared solo time	Faints per timer
Level 20	1(0.98)	2(1.15)	2(1.23)	3:21	5.3
Level 25	1(0.86)	1(0.98)	2(1.06)	2:53	4.7
Level 30	1(0.64)	1(0.83)	1(0.95)	2:26	4.0
Level 35	1(0.64)	1(0.80)	1(0.89)	2:21	3.6
Level 40	1(0.62)	1(0.74)	1(0.85)	2:10	3.4
Level 45	1(0.57)	1(0.71)	1(0.82)	2:05	3.1
Level 50	1(0.55)	1(0.69)	1(0.79)	2:01	2.9

Whole trainers in bold, the raw estimator in brackets — 2.04 means two trainers is right on the line and three is comfortable.

Six of the best counter

Every trainer brings six copies of the single best counter — the theoretical floor.

1 trainer at level 40

Necrozma (Dawn Wings)0.62

A prepared party

Each trainer brings the boss's top six counters, powered up and correctly TM'd.

1 trainer at level 40

Necrozma (Dawn Wings)0.62
Darkrai0.73
Blacephalon0.75
Kyurem (Black)0.78
Lunala0.78
Hydreigon0.78

A mixed local group

Ranks 13-24: reasonable but unoptimised parties, which is what a public lobby usually is.

1 trainer at level 40

Dragapult0.82
Hisuian Zoroark0.84
Zacian (Crowned Sword)0.84
Gholdengo0.85
Zamazenta (Crowned Shield)0.84
Necrozma (Dusk Mane)0.84

The party these numbers assume

1. Necrozma (Dawn Wings)

Psycho Cut + Moongeist Beam

2. Darkrai

Snarl + Foul Play

3. Blacephalon

Astonish + Shadow Ball

4. Kyurem (Black)

Shadow Claw + Freeze Shock

5. Lunala

Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball

6. Hydreigon

Bite + Brutal Swing

See the full ranked counter list for Houndstone · check a real lobby (win chance, who brings what) · make a share card of the top six

How this is worked out

The boss is ranked once at level 40 with rankCached (the same memoised call /raids makes), then the three bands — rank 1, ranks 1-6, ranks 13-24 — are re-simulated at each attacker level with an 8-run Monte Carlo each. Holding the party fixed and moving only its level is deliberate: it answers "what if my party were level 20" rather than "what would a level-20 player's completely different party be", and it is about ten times cheaper than re-ranking every attacker seven times. The Estimator itself is Pokebattler's definition, time to win including rejoin time divided by the raid timer.