Value of DB/DC Dragonite dropped?
In current meta, I think the value of DB/DC has significantly dropped. Firstly, Dragonite has been nerfed because of the buff of specialists. Secondly, as raid bosses are now the most part of attacking, dodging is not as important as it was. In fact, in most cases (bosses) it is better not to dodge. Thus, DB/DC is clearly inferior to DT/OR beacause raw tapping DPS is so much lower (~10% depending on site and calculation style).
So the question is: Is there any use of DB/DC Dragonite at the moment?
Of course the value will be back if gym scene change so that dodging matter or PvP is introduced.
Answers
Yes, it has dropped.
Right now my gym taking down procedure is:
First round, specialists up (6 for 6). Second round, depending on the defending Pokemon, I might not bring the same all specialists (don't bother to switch). For example, if there's a Rhydon (or even Vaporeon) behind a Blissey, I'll just use Machamp to kill that. Third round, sweeping round, I'll use a DT/O Dragonite to take down all the six. During the whole process, I normally only need one DT/O.
As for a raid, since time is the issue but no KD, you'll need as many specialists as you can. But normally I'll have two empty slots. Then I'll fill my DT/O and DB/O there, but not DB/DC.
So, unfortunately, tho I'm a DB/DC lover, my DB/DC Dragonite barely joins my battles now.
But you'll be a fool to TM a DB/DC since both moves are legacy moves, and still, who knows there'll be a case where you need to dodge like crazy? For instance, if you join a raid at the last minute, you cannot faint all your Pokemon (you won't be able to join again). So to maintain relatively high DPS (don't be an FREE-RIDER) and stay alive, DB/DC will be the way to go.
Depending on the mon that are in the gym you could use DB/DC Dragonite on the second and third round and only spend a revive and a potion to heal him aftewards, the other way you have to heal more mon and as revives now come in bulks and I have to delete them anyway I just use a mon until it faints instead of switching.
I don't have a DB/DC one but I find myself using DB/OR a lot to just kill fast the second and the last round of the gym, saving more potions that way than if I choose a mon that has advantage only over some of the gym defenders but not all of them.
I find that generalists are great for second and thirds rounds, I think it is true that DB/DC has been devaluated but because of raids more than because of gyms.
Yes, but for me, time is my priority when taking down gyms, not potions/revives. SOLO the gym at 2nd and 3rd with Dragonite could be both time-efficient and potion-efficient but, in most of the cases, bringing up specialists still saves me more time, such as a 2k CP Blissey at 2nd Round.
DB/O serves best for this purpose. You don't need DC to dodge efficiently (unless you want perfect dodge). DB would do just fine.
I love the experiential diversity of specialists, but there are times I just want to get a gym over with, and I'll pull out my DB/DC or DB/O and sweep through the entire thing. With the one-mon-per-gym rule, a high-level Dragonite can clear a whole round without fainting. I can take down a full gym now using less than three Hyper Potions. Dragonite still has great value in that regard. DB/O is more powerful, but DB/DC also gets the job done.
