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 3 to be safe — 3 if everyone is prepared

At level 40, a party of Houndstone's top six counters needs 2.17 trainers (round up: 3), and a mixed lobby of ranks 13-24 needs 2.50 (round up: 3). The raid timer is 300 seconds and one prepared trainer alone would take 9:59. No level in this range makes it soloable with a prepared party.

Houndstone · Tier 5

ghost

Weak to

ghostdark

Boss CP: 35,673
Boss HP: 15,000
Raid timer: 300s
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	4(3.06)	4(3.31)	4(3.76)	15:15	5.7
Level 25	3(2.88)	3(2.82)	4(3.08)	13:00	5.5
Level 30	2(1.94)	3(2.43)	3(2.72)	11:12	5.3
Level 35	2(1.81)	3(2.25)	3(2.61)	10:22	5.2
Level 40	2(1.69)	3(2.17)	3(2.50)	9:59	5.2
Level 45	2(1.64)	3(2.11)	3(2.40)	9:44	5.2
Level 50	2(1.60)	3(2.06)	3(2.30)	9:27	5.1

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.

2 trainers at level 40

Necrozma (Dawn Wings)1.69

A prepared party

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

3 trainers at level 40

Necrozma (Dawn Wings)1.69
Darkrai2.11
Kyurem (Black)2.27
Tyranitar2.29
Hydreigon2.30
Lunala2.33

A mixed local group

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

3 trainers at level 40

Zamazenta (Crowned Shield)2.45
Zacian (Crowned Sword)2.49
Dragapult2.47
Gholdengo2.48
Kingambit2.49
Polteageist2.49

The party these numbers assume

1. Necrozma (Dawn Wings)

Shadow Claw + Moongeist Beam

2. Darkrai

Snarl + Foul Play

3. Kyurem (Black)

Shadow Claw + Freeze Shock

4. Tyranitar

Bite + Brutal Swing

5. Hydreigon

Bite + Brutal Swing

6. Lunala

Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball

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.