How do you all choose which defensive pokemon to power up? Personally, I like diversity in my squad, but based on the gyms in my area it appears most just power up the same top tier mons / highest CP mons. I understand why, but makes the gyms pretty boring. When I prestige gyms and add a pokemon, I like to think of what would make the gym better, so I'll add a level 30 Poliwrath with B/HP to switch it up even though it has a lower CP even though I can put another high CP vape in there to get higher standing. But then those that follow will put just their highest CP mon. I'll end up seeing multiple vapes, eggs or Arcanines in the same gym, with maybe a Dragonite or Snortlax at top. My poor Poliwrath gets booted first.
It's like I am better off just powering up the same Defensive mon with high CP (i.e. vapes, eggs, etc.) since I have multiple and screw my Muk, Poliwrath, Omastar, Venusaur, etc. I mean Arcanine is no longer a top tier defensive mon, but everybody has high CP of them in my area, so u get gyms with 4 arcanines in a row, which makes the gym weaker overall Any of this making sense? Just trying to decide how to power up my defenders moving forward, leaning towards only top tier high CP mons and forget diversity bc no one else cares.
Me and my poliwrath, machamp, slowbro, and tentacruel care. You're not alone. Keep it up.
The worst is when people put in unpowered snorlax(1600ish cp) just because it's snorlax. they sit at the bottom making prestiging too hard.
Also I'm assuming after all these months many players are steamrolling gyms with dragonites so mons like ice jynx, blizzard tentacruel, ice poli, etc would catch them off guard.
I was so happy when I got some of those Tier 3 Defensive mons with perfect movesets, but hesitant now to power any of them up bc some have low max CP. My poor Wigglytuff I powered up has such low CP, it will always be in bottom and first one out. Better off just evolving and powering more eggs, vapes, and arcs...
Wiggly took it on the chin pretty hard with the changes. If you're in an area where you get kicked off the bottom fast you could find a middle ground and power up lesser used mons with high cp? Muk, omastar, machamp, aerodactyl all can be 2500+. At least it would be more fun than looking at a team of vaporeons:)
Players like me appreciate it so much! I don't do a lot of gym battling but when I see diverse Pokemon in a gym it makes me smile.
Maybe you could find some middle ground with Pokemon that have relatively high CP but not the ones everyone puts in ( vap, dragonite, Snorlax etc). I put my perfect IV Muk in gyms just to make it more interesting :)
While I have a couple of Vaporeons (2917 & 2831, both with WP) which I often put in gyms, especially if there are already strong defenders present, as well as a Snorlax or two (2770 L/BS & 2619 ZH/HB), my main go to for defenders are my 6 Exeggutors (2361 to 2565 without ZH/SB because those are saved for attack). I used to use my Poliwraths before they got nerfed. I also have a 2068 Slowbro (C/P) which I sometime use, as well as a 2904 Rhydon (RS/SE). What I don't use are my 3098 Dragonite (DB/DP), 2863 & 2750 Gyarados (B/BP), 2489 Lapras (IS/IB), and 2804 Vaporeon because those are only for attack.I'd love to diversify more, but I'm not yet sure with what as I generally don't like to use weak defenders.
I think they should just change the CP gym rankings to use Pokemon level instead....That will prevent the high CP of things like Dragonite / Rhydon / Arcanine (pre-nerf) to sit in gyms that often...
That change alone would make all Pokemon useful to defend so things like Poliwrath, Wiggly, etc...will be put more often/all the time then...
Maybe gyms should not be allowed to have two of the same Pokemon. Just one Dragonite, one Vaporeon and one Snorlax is enough. Would make it more interesting. Tried to level up a gym from 9 to 10 with Snorlax, Dragonite, Lapras, Snorlax, Dragonite, Lapras at the bottom and more Dragonites on top. Took so long I defeated my phone battery before I defeated that lot enough times for levelling up.
