Rhydon is not a good defender
This is my qualitative assessment, but I really don't get Rhydon's appeal as a defender. I'm happy when I see one in a gym because it's so easy to attack and prestige against.
1. Even 2nd tier water types like starmie defeat it at ~70%CP
2. It's so weak to Vaporeon that it leaves it with enough HP to weaken the next defender, so that that next stronger defender doesn't take an extra attacker to kill. For example, my 1900 Vaporeon will dispose off a 2800CP Rhydon, leaving it strong enough to weaken a 2800CP Snorlax that can be finished off by a ~1800CP Golem or Omastar.
3. Electric counters to Gyarados are weaker so that they are not useful against the next attacker, and Jolteon doesn't usually have that much HP left anyways after that fight
4. Psychic Exeggs hit harder and I find them more difficult to dodge. Their counters are stronger than Jolteon (but weaker than Vaporeon).
5. Water attackers are so common... I think I could attack a level 10 gym full of Rhydons with 6 Vaporeon a and Omastars but I don't have enough good electric, ice or bug Pokemons to beat a level 10 Gyarados, Dragonite (even at lower CP) or Exeggutors with 6 attackers. OK this will never happen anyways but you get my point. But for that reason, I don't put my own high CP Rhydon above another one in a gym, it's just too easy for attackers.
The only good thing about it is it's high CP (I use mine because of this), but that only shows the problem with gyms where high CP is more beneficial than damage done to attackers.
Can anyone convince me that Rhydon is a good defender?
Answers
Well not sure I could convince you Rhydon is a good defender, since I'm never fully convinced myself, but I can at least debate some points.
- Yeah I agree anyone who is decent at dodging should be able to defeat a Rhydon with a half cp or higher Water or grass type.
- Again I agree, however, it also works with most attackers into Rhydon as it's moves are fairly easy to dodge.
- Well electric types that are useful are Jolteon and Ampharos and Magneton if you're desperate. My 2336 Jolteon is more than enough to deal with any Gyarados, and usually can deal with 2 or 3.
- I'd argue Psychic Exeggutors shouldn't be difficult to dodge because of how mainstay Psychic has been as a defending move (Exeggutor, Slowbro, Hypno, Blissey) since the start of the game, but it depends on the person. Not only only that, but the best Exeggutor counters are bug types and the good bug types are rare/hard to get. Especially in comparison to Jolteon (apparently Ampharos seems to be as difficult as Dnite and Ttar to get)
- Yeah Water attackers are common, and some grass type acckers, but Ice type attackers have always been very common for me with Cloyster and Jynx and now also Piloswine and Sneasel even. Plus Jolteons are the best and easiest elec type to get.
Tbh for anyone with a good amount of end-game mons they should be able to easily solo a Lv10 gym, even if it does take ages. The only thing I'm missing is a machamp for Blissey, but I can use Dragonite in the meantime
I agree, I wanted to see and assessment of good defenders on the tier list, I, like you celebrate when I see Rhydons on opposite team gyms, I know I'll be taking it down faster without taking that much damage...
I think the defender's tier list should ignore CP, some of us, specially those of us who work with a team who just want to make it harder for spoofers from other teams, just want to build good gyms and don't care much about who's above who...
I asked Gopress to reconsider these mons on their tier list, I hope Niantic makes and update where people's placing on gyms according to their time of arrival, this would be perfect and spoofers from the same team who take out the weakest link and enter themselves would get their proper placing at the bottom
I'd recommend re-reading their reasoning on the tier list then. If you do so, you'll see that most of the list's entirety is based off of the existence of Blissey, the unmatched most annoying gym defender there is.
Because of Blissey's CP potential, the only way to optimize her as a defender is to have her on/near the bottom of a gym to make it even harder for incoming attackers. How do you do this when he/she can reach 3k CP? By having everyone else place higher CP mons on top.
Now, out of all the mons available who can pass Blissey's CP, which ones are more note-worthy (solid stats, typing, OR maximum CP)? There, you have your tier list. This is the main reason Rhydon's there. Although he has his cursed typing, he satisfies the other two criteria--solid stats and maximum CP.
You DO NOT want Blissey near the middle or top of a gym. Having him/her there would mean (most likely) everyone else below are weak or too low level to make much of a difference. Other teams can knock off those weak links and troll because of how much tougher or a hassle it is to prestige against. Yes, it's doable, but you'd need to be at a certain point in the game to be able to.
In my own perspective, Rhydon is a good pokemon to place in a gym because first it has a high cp and rock smash and its other attack for me it is more difficult to dodge thand vaporeons water gun, bite from gyarados, dragon breath and steel wing from dragonite and besides I do not see tyranitar very often, it is very easy to defeat with a heracross with counter. Also Rhydons attacks do more damage that some defenders and it has a lot of defense.
If you see the list of best defenders, you will see that there are two normal pokemons (blissey and snorlax) and the next four are Tyranitar, Dragonite, Rhydon and Gyarados. This four pokemon have double weakness to some attacks, Tyranitar fighting, Dragonite Ice, Gyarados electric and Rhydon water and grass. But among this four pokemon which is the easier to get? Of course Rhydon. I think is a very good option in the beginning for controlling gyms and get coins and dust. But afterwards, if you have a lot of Blisseys, snorlax, dragonites and tyranitars, there is no necessity to place a Rhydon because they normally do not last.
For me Rhydon is one of the best defenders, and it is mainly because of my local meta, where gym shaving is everywhere. Rhydon allows me tu place him in the 6th or 7th place in a gym and therefore stay there for a couple of weeks, until a spoofer with multiple accounts kicks him to place their mon.
Around here, it doesn't really matter if the pokemon is tough to beat or not, all that matters is high CP, and Rhydon has a very high one.
Another stupid assessment. Sorry for being blunt and rude. Only defender that's not easy to beat is Blissey and maybe snorlax. Every other single moms are easy as f@ck to destroy with counters. Rhydon is no different than any mons not named blissey and Snorlax. It's easy to beat just like the rest. BUT, it has high CP. If Flareon had a 3300 CP I would put him in gyms too. Does Flareon suck as a defender? Yeah and so are every mon except for you know who.
