I got my first Machamp...
After walking 135 km (yes, goddamn 135) with my buddy Machop, I finally managed to get to 124 candies. I evolved one with 84% IV and I got a 1609 CP Machamp with Bullet Punch + Stone Edge. Yeah.
Machop here is as rare as Snorlax, so it will likely be the only Machamp I'll have for ages. I was wondering if it could be of any use at all with that horrible moveset. Maybe a fun Lapras counter?...
Answers
Against Snorlax you're better off with just a good neutral Pokemon than a Machamp since super effective Karate Chop still gets out DPSed by most neutral STAB moves.
Bullet Punch is also on the weaker side of quick moves, being super effective only counters the lack of STAB with the multipliers being the same, which still isn't enough to make it a good move.
Machamp is a passable Lapras fighter, but even with the nerf, Arcanine does better. They have the same multipliers (Machamp goes 1.25x into Lapras whilst Arcanine resists 0.8x vs Lapras), but Arcanine's moves are much, much better than Machamp (Fire Fang vs Karate Chop).
Machamp will be very exciting for Gen 2 however, it's possibly by far the best Tyranitar counter. However, you still need a double fighting move machamp...
Double weakness doesn't help when there are other types that Tyranitar is weak to, not just fighting.
Currently a Machamp that does SE and STAB has a 1.25x multiplier over a Pokemon that only has STAB, and still gets out DPSed by them.
The same would apply to Tyranitar. A Vaporeon (or basically any other water gun user) having STAB and 1SE has a 1.56x multiplier compared to Machamps 1.95x from STAB and 2SE which is still the same relative 1.25x difference.
Vaporeon doesn't need to resist them anyway because it has 80 stamina over a Machamp so it still has more EHP than a Machamp that resists, which is equivalent to 25% more HP at most, but often much less due to rounding, and doing more DPS means the opponent faints quicker and therefore stops doing damage sooner.
Most damage gets reduced by dodging so the difference between having resistances or not won't always make a difference in damage taken, and also the absolute difference between having resistances and not having them is less.
I used Machop as a buddy too for awhile...and now I regret doin that.
(I wish I had used Dratini, Lapras or Snorlax since then).
Anyway, I evolved like in rush -> 3 Machamp and didn't have the right moveset (karate+cross).
Once I didn't really care anymore and understood it wasn't that good...I hatched 3 machop in a couple days and during mass evolving got my 4th Machamp...with patience and tranquillity. Got Karate+Cross...
I have a karate chop/submission Machamp. He can whittle most snorlax down to a point where the next pokie in my lineup can take out the snorlax, easily. If he had cross chop, or I was better at dodging, I think he could prestige one snorlax by himself. Anyway, MaChamp is kind of a candy-ass with a weak selection of move sets.
You need some luck in the move set draw, and skill to make him useful in gym battles. Even then, he is a specialist.
