Tier 2.5 Defender rankings?
So judging by the gamepress list:
The tier 2.5 is comprised of Gyarados, Rhydon, Dragonite and Tyranitar. But who is the best? The worst?
Gyarados:
Pros:
Attack it with anything but electric, it's going to wreck you, high CP, easy to obtain
Dragonite deterrent with dragon moves
Hydro pump still kills Jolteon even when dodged now that it is so powerful
Electrics are useless against everything else in the gym (perhaps bar Dragonite&Vaporeon, but still not good)
Cons:
Attack it with electric, then it gets wrecked, and lack of STAB in quick moves.
Rhydon:
Pros:
Best counter (Vaporeon) gets hit with full damage and stab with both quick moves and charge moves
Stone edge is mega hard to dodge
Cons:
Vaporeon still kills it given that stone edge doesn't connect, and vaporeon can be applied to tyranitar.
Dragonite, while not a direct counter, resists mud slap or rock smash.
Dragonite:
Pros:
Powerful stab moves (DT/Outrage), unresisted by best counters (All ice types), and heavily punishes the pokemon that does the most damage to it (Dragonite)
Ice types are also useless against everything else in the gym
Cons:
Still not going to survive anyone with 6 attacking dragonites
all moves, with the exception of legacy Dragon claw, is very easy to dodge
Tyranitar:
Pros:
Highest CP in the game
Cons:
Strongest charge (correction: quick) move (irontail) lacks stab and does ineffective damage to vaporeon
As mentioned above vaporeon can be used against both rhydon and tyranitar so forcing a vaporeon selection likely does no favours.
So given this, I'd rank it as Dragonite>Gyarados>Tyranitar>Rhydon