Am I Prepared for Soloing Raids?
Just a preface: I'm a level 36 Mystic player and I'm close to 37. I don't know how to set up team raid simulations on PokeBattler, only individual Pokemon "Time-to-win", so I thought I'd ask here. I've never soloed a tier 3 raid before but I want to try it soon. I'm also kind of stingy with my stardust, so I wanted to see how much I'd have to part with in order to get started. I'll post my current teams as well as hypothetical ones that I'd be willing to consider only if necessary. Any Pokemon surrounded in "Quotation Marks" implies that it hasn't yet been powered up. These Pokemon are more often than not between levels 20-28.
----- Arcanine: -----
[Level 30.0] Golem 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,500) [100%]
Rock Throw - Stone Edge
[Level 30.0] Golem 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,500) [100%]
Rock Throw - Stone Edge
[Level 30.0] Golem 15A/15D/14S (CP 2,493) [98%]
Rock Throw - Stone Edge
[Level 34.5] Vaporeon 12A/13D/15S (CP 2,854) [89%]
Water Gun - Hydro Pump
[Level 34.5] Rhydon 15A/15D/15S (CP 3,041) [100%]
Mud Slap - Earthquake
[Level 34.5] Rhydon 15A/14D/12S (CP 3,014) [91%]
Mud Slap - Earthquake
[Level 30] Dragonite 10A/14D/12S (CP 2,985) [80%]
Dragon Tail - Outrage
[Level 29] Dragonite 14A/14D/15S (CP 2,950) [96%]
Dragon Tail - Outrage
[Level 30] "Vaporeon" 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,706) [100%]
Water Gun - Aqua Tail
-------------------------------------------------------------
----- Vaporeon -----
[Level 30.0] Exegg 12A/13D/13S (CP 2,443) [84%]
Bullet Seed - Solar Beam
[Level 30.0] Jolteon 13A/14D/14S (CP 2,307) [91%]
Thunder Shock - Thunderbolt
[Level 29.0] Jolteon 15A/15D/13S (CP 2,246) [96%]
Volt Switch - Thunderbolt
[Level 30.0] "Raikou" 15A/14D/15S (CP 2,864) [98%]
Thunder Shock - Thunderbolt
[Level 30.0] "Exegg" 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,500) [100%]
Bullet Seed - Solar Beam
[Level 30.0] "Zapdos" 15A/15D/11S (CP 2,825) [91%]
Charge Beam - Thunderbolt
[Level 30] Dragonite 10A/14D/12S (CP 2,985) [80%]
Dragon Tail - Outrage
[Level 29] Dragonite 14A/14D/15S (CP 2,950) [96%]
Dragon Tail - Outrage
----------------------------------------------------------
----- Gengar -----
[Level 34.5] Espeon 15A/15D/9S (CP 2,707) [87%]
Confusion - Futuresight
[Level 30.0] Alakazam 10A/12D/14S (CP 2,404) [80%]
Psycho Cut - Futuresight
[Level 29.0] Alakazam 12A/15D/12S (CP 2,338) [87%]
Psycho Cut - Futuresight
[Level 28.0] Al'kazam 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,309) [100%]
Confusion - Futuresight
[Level 28.5] Tyranitar 14A/13D/14S (CP 2,957) [91%]
Bite - Crunch
[Level 28.5] Tyranitar 12A/15D/15S (CP 2,955) [93%]
Bite - Stone Edge
[Level 29] Tyranitar 8A/6D/12S (CP 2,881) [58%]
Bite - Crunch
[Level 30] Tyranitar 3A/1D/7S (CP 2,855) [24%]
Bite - Crunch
[Level 30] "Gengar" 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,245) [100%]
Hex - Shadow Ball
[Level 30] "Mewtwo" 13A/10D/14S (CP 3,340) [82%]
Psycho Cut - Shadow Ball
-----------------------------------------------------------
----- Alakazam -----
[Level 28.5] Tyranitar 14A/13D/14S (CP 2,957) [91%]
Bite - Crunch
[Level 28.5] Tyranitar 12A/15D/15S (CP 2,955) [93%]
Bite - Stone Edge
[Level 29] Tyranitar 8A/6D/12S (CP 2,881) [58%]
Bite - Crunch
[Level 30] Tyranitar 3A/1D/7S (CP 2,855) [24%]
Bite - Crunch
[Level 31.5] Scizor 15A/15D/11S (CP 2,429) [91%]
Fury Cutter - X-Scissor
[Level 37.5] Lugia 13A/14D/15S (CP 3,443) [93%]
Dragon Tail - Sky Attack
[Level 34.5] Gyarados 13A/15D/13S (CP 2,984) [91%]
Bite - Hydro Pump
[Level 30] "Gengar" 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,245) [100%]
Hex - Shadow Ball
[Level 30] "Mewtwo" 13A/10D/14S (CP 3,340) [82%]
Psycho Cut - Shadow Ball
------------------------------------------------------------
----- Machamp -----
[Level 34.5] Espeon 15A/15D/9S (CP 2,707) [87%]
Confusion - Futuresight
[Level 30.0] Alakazam 10A/12D/14S (CP 2,404) [80%]
Psycho Cut - Futuresight
[Level 29.0] Alakazam 12A/15D/12S (CP 2,338) [87%]
Psycho Cut - Futuresight
[Level 28.0] Al'kazam 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,309) [100%]
Confusion - Futuresight
[Level 37.5] Lugia 13A/14D/15S (CP 3,443) [93%]
Dragon Tail - Sky Attack
[Level 31.0] Dragonite 15A/1D/12S (CP 2,995) [62%]
Dragon Tail - Hurricane
[Level 30] "Gengar" 15A/15D/15S (CP 2,245) [100%]
Hex - Shadow Ball
[Level 30] "Mewtwo" 13A/10D/14S (CP 3,340) [82%]
Psycho Cut - Shadow Ball
--------------------------------------------------------------
If you even feel like only addressing one of the bosses that's fine with me. Thanks for any help~
Answers
I mostly agree (Gengar, machamp, arcanine), I think powering up those two legendaries would be a difference maker in the vap raids. Should be fine there.
But the Zam team is weak. The ttars need to be bumped up a few levels and you'll want the gengar and mewtwo as well. Then you could probably do PC/FS and PC/FB when you are lucky. The other movesets would still be a stretch.
Machamp: No problem with any move set.
Gengar: Hex/ShB is the trickiest but I think you can do it. Other move sets are a piece of cake.
Vaporeon: Close call. Eggy with 15 att I would take to lvl 34,5. Can you bring in another Raikou or Eggy/SoB?
Arcanine: Close call here too. Can you find another SE Golem or Rhydon. I also think you need to power them up a little more.
Alakazam: No.
You seem to have a lot of mon at level 30. Note that going from 29-30 costs just as much as going from 30-31, namely 5k dust and 4 candy. I'd bump a lot of your mon to 31. If you're trying to optimize dust/performance and/or candy/performance, levels 29 and 31 are the logical places to stop.
I don't pay a lot of attention to break points, except when the quick attacks are fast and small. Going from 3 to 4 damage on Fury Cutter is huge. Going from 21 to 22 on Confusion, not so huge (that's 33% vs. under 5%). So others are more qualified to talk about break point theory and what you should do than I am.
For Machamp, lead off with the Espeon (that way it can get two future sight attacks off, or three if you're against Close Combat (typically one and two when not leading off), and include the Mewtwo and the Lugia (6th spot) for sure. High CP is always good (although sometimes strong matchups are better). The 'Zams look good for dodging, and you'll have to. You might also consider powering up the perfect Gengar some - he doesn't hit that hard relative to Mewtwo (well, who does?), but he's super tanky against fight moves. The other thing you should consider is what to do when you get steel moves; you get at least one steel move 2/3 of the time, and two 1/6 of the time. Down the line, that will be Metagross's job, but for now, we gotta make do with Gyarados, Entei, Moltres, and maybe Scizor
Arcanine - get your Golems to level 31.5. They will hit their breakpoint there and should make it much more attainable.
Vaporeon - your guys need a little more attention before I'd try it. You can maybe defeat Aqua Tail at this point.
Machamp and Gengar - you're good, it may just take some reordering on champ if you fail.
Alakazam - you're not close at this point. Mewtwo will certainly help but I have 4 maxed Ttars, 3 with crunch, and it's "iffy." I'd put this on the back burner for now.
Have fun with it. Solo'ing T3's is one of the better things in the game.
Good luck
Vaporeon Hydropump team for me today,
2212 Thundershock/Discharge Jolteon
2900 Thundershock/Wild Charge Raikou
2851 Thundershock/Wild Charge Raikou
2907 Charge Beam/Thunder Bolt Zapdos
2554 Confusion/Solar Beam Exeggutor
2400 Bullet Seed/Seed Bomb
Started at 177, finished at 4.
They all got used, and needed the faster seed grass moves to finish it---also, didn't dodge
