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New gym defender theory

So given what we know:
.
A. 6 pokemon slots
B. each must be unique
C. Each fights alone
.
Therefore we will now most likely have a Big-6 defender list that almost always hold those slots. So the real question is simply, which are the top 6 stand alone pokemon defenders?
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Blissey
Snorlax
Vaporeon
Chansey ( if not considered a Blissey double)
?
?
?
.
Double weeknesses are most likely gone, so no gyrados, rhydon, tyranitar or dragonite. Although draginite might still be tough enough for the list. But who else?

Asked by 2Crom7 years 10 months ago
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Answers

Canidates

1.Steelix
2.Lapras
3.Slowbro
4.Cloyster
5.Espeon
6.Alakazam
7.Hypno
8.Umbreon
9.Donphan
10.Ampharos

In no particular order.

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lantern is also pretty bulky
wiggly might make a comeback
clefable is fairly tough.
most of the steel pokemon have good resistances and high defensive values, so fortress and skarmory might even be ok. Tried prestiging against a skarmory once (underneath a blissey) wasn't a lot of fun.

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Managed to catch a level 30 high IV skarmory with air slash/sky attack. Didn't even think of him until this post. Fire would probably wipe him out in short order but might give him a try.

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by 2Crom 7 years 10 months ago

I think:
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1.Lapras
2.Steelix
3.Slowbro
4.Sloking
5.Espeon
6.Donphan
7.Ampharos
8.Cloyster
9.Clefable
10.Hypno
11.Umbrion
.
Are the main candidates based on current defender list, minus double weaknesses.

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We will see lots of steelix, lapras, slowbro and cloyster and I'm sure some will use hypno and umbreon as well since they actually have petty good defensive stats. I figure those will gain popularity. Me personally, I'm itching to use my 90 IV miltank with ZH/BS. Because who wouldn't want to see that cow in a gym surrounded by fearless defenders.

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Surprised no one has mentioned Poliwrath or Muk. Always hated prestiging against them, not much more fun battling them either...

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Agree. I think Poliwrath will be a beast... early on him and Slowbro were annoying as hell to prestige against.

Don't have experience battling Muk but can see him being a good option as well.

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So my question is: what do you spend dust on at this time, do you still power up elite attackers but now past level 30 to max for raids or still keep mostly at 30 and now power up things like steelix slowbro etc others mentioned or are people just going to put cp 1300 mons in gyms now even with crap iv if they have ideal moves?

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As far as we know right now, nothing. Except maybe raid mons but we aren't yet really sure if that is necasary especially if you have groups to play with. Until we see the real function of gyms and raids we won't know.

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by SphiNx 7 years 10 months ago

IMO it's not likely to have new big 6 since choice of defender will not take direct impact on you like in CP system.
I guess there will be 10-20 most common mons with only lax and blissey mandatory.

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I think trainers will still want to select their pokemon that is most likely to make challengers walk away. A high CP that keeps you off the bottom tier is just not a factor anymore.

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Sure, but there is no such a big difference between defenders except of blissey/lax. And it'll be hard to remember best counters to every pokemon, so a bit worse in theory but uncommon defender could be better.
I'm pretty sure that most trainers don't know which pokemons are best defenders, and they just will not case since there will be no direct consequences for them.
Also I expect plenty of low level trainers in gyms; in my area they appears in short period of turnover, but can't stay in high gyms long because of shaving, so they don't bother to prestige. Now they could put whatever crap in gyms because it's better to be presented in weak gym than in no gym at all.

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A thing that will also be critical is how long will it take a regular 30+ trainer to tear the whole thing down? If it's 15 minutes or less, then most gyms will probably never stay standing...

Until we know how fast motivation drops, speculating the defenders make very little difference...

Also, quick moves might have been slowed down (that Blastoise video), but it's too early to say either way...

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It will mostly depend if a gyms team member is sitting there feeing berries as you attack it.

That being said it will be curious to see how many coins you can generate switching gyms back and forth between two colors all day

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Well, given that legendaries are coming soon, I'd go with:

  1. Mewtwo (obviously)
  2. Ho-Oh (despite double weakness to Rock, that 4500 CP is a game changer).
  3. Lugia (no double weakness, very strong).
  4. Entei
  5. Raikou
  6. Zapdos
  7. Celebi (double weak to Bug, but no strong Bug foes.)
  8. Mew

Moltres and Arcanine don't make the cut because of being double weak to rock, and not super strong like Ho-Oh.

A really tough gym would have, in random order, Blissey, Snorlax, Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, and two other from my list.

Unless, of course, the captured normal boss monsters are tougher than usual, in which case, any of them would be a good gym monster too, so then we'll get a ton of variety. CP 3800 Butterfree, anyone? Surprise!

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Lugia is double resistant to fighting. Maybe double weakness doesnt matter if you put a mon last in the gym, because from what i understand, they have to kick the others before.
Moltress has also only 1 bar slow charge moves, so probably very bad as defender

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Yes, I read the chart backwards for Lugia. My bad.

We don't know how the new gym dynamics will play out for moves. Maybe the attack every 1.5 secs, 50% charge move if available, no dodge double hit points model will change. If so, everything we know about defending is not too useful.

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I've been throwing all my dust from this event into a 95% Steelix. Just capped him out. Next up: Miltank! It should be noted that Slowqueen already was capped for my level. I have an 86% S/FP umbreon. I might go for a higher stat one though.

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I don't agree with this. I'm going to do my best to find multiple teams of 6 that perform well together on defence. There's just to manny pokemon I want to try out now :)

Though, I'm sure that all of these will at least include Blissey or Snorlax :p

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