With the recent changes I want to shake up my core attcker list, but want to be sure it's a smart decision.
I have a 93% IV executor with BS SoB. Is that the new #1 vaporian slayer? I know BS isn't a great quick move, but on a high attacker like eggy it should out dps venasaur?
Also I have a 100% IV Gengar. With shadow claw shadow ball. The new changes make this a high dps move set. Do I power him up to 30? Or keep him on my prestige team?
Even with the bonus of being super effective against Vaporeon, Exeggutor's other psychic fast attacks will do more DPS (it's about the same DPS when double super effective like on Rhydon). However, it does have a higher EPS than the psychic attacks, and Solar Beam is where you do most of your damage.
I find Gengar to be extremely overrated, wouldn't use any stardust on him.
I would definitely power up the Gengar, because he's an absolutely perfect pokemon. Highest theoretical DPS moveset in the game, and he's 100% IV so I'd go at least to 30.
Some like Sludge Bomb more because of the type coverage despite slightly lower DPS, but shadow Claw Gengar is awesome. I love using mine, don't regret powering up to 30 one bit (93 IV). One caveat is that if you aren't proficient with dodging, then you might find Gengar a bit squishy.
Gengar isn't exactly "optimal" in any particular matchup, but he's a fun pokemon to use -- and in matchups where he gets at least neutral damage he's good. But he really shines against Psychic mons, which we'll be seeing more of now with the advent of Espeon.
One of the coolest looking pokemon, 100% IV, best moveset currently, and at least usable against everything but Blissey and Snorlax. He may not be a super good mon in the current gym meta, but he's fun.
Psychic is super-effective against poison, so it still doesn't shine there. Umbreon works a lot better. Gyarados with Bite and Hydropump also wrecks it pretty quickly, dodging fast attacks optional.
I've got a 98% one around level 34 with Shadow Claw/Sludge Bomb, and literally never use it. It was a nice novelty early on in the game, but after the Halloween event, it didn't even have that anymore.
I'm completely in agreement with you that going off theoretical DPS alone is a horrible strategy. If you did that you'd be using teams of SC-SB Gengars and C-FS Alakazam, and you'd be getting destroyed in gyms.
There's a lot more to it, but Gengar does possess a lot more qualities than just "highest DPS" or whatever. He can dodge very effectively with Shadow Claw, as dodging is absolutely crucial with him. His type coverage may not be the best in this meta, but hes a good pokemon.
When they decide to "revamp" the battle system, who knows what will be good. So I assume you mean the current state of the game.
That Gengar is a glass cannon. It is the highest DPS Pokemon and moveset in the game right now. So why isn't everybody gushing over Gengar? Because this doesn't account for dodging or effective HP (HP and Defense). Gengar's effective HP is garbage, so you would have to spend all your time dodging just to stay alive, and then if you're dodging all the time you're not able to utilize that incredible damage. Even if somebody was capable of perfect dodging (and nobody is), effective HP has to be considered.
Defense is a lot easier to rank than offense, because on offense you can dodge and you also can control the type matchups, so It's hard to give a best in all situations list. Generally, Blissey, Snorlax, Tyranitar, Vaporeon, Dragonite, Rhydon, Gyarados will still do the most damage before they're KO'd, but that's without considering typing matchups.
For example, to answer your question about who the best Vaporeon slayer is, extremely tanky Blissey and Snorlax and resistant Dragonite do very well. Exeggutor, Venusar, and even Meganium have really great matchups with Vaporeon, especially those with Solar Beam. As somebody else mentioned, Extrasensory and Confusion are still slightly better then Bullet Seed. Even though they aren't super effective, they are just much better DPS moves to compensate for it.
