Is dynamic punch THAT much better than close combat?
In every thing I have read, it always says dynamic punch makes worlds of a difference. I am hesitant about evolving my only machoke (if it was not already implied, I have no machamp) because I have a 33.3 percent chance of getting the optimal attack. And then there is the massive fear of getting heavy slam.
Answers
Nests change every Wednesday, 8 PM EST. Any park can be a nest, so it’s very likely that there are at least a few nests somewhere in your area. Same goes for gyms. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere there’s got to be at least one gym in your town. If there are no available gyms then you don’t have any use for Machamp anyway. Machop are also research encounters, and spawn more often in cloudy weather.
Weather ruined incense. Raid days ruined all previously caught legendaries.
New gen and shinies is nothing special, we all expected "new pokemon" to appear eventually..
Community days is also another of the few good things implemented, and even those have their ups and downs.
So yeah, TMs is one of the few things that were implemented with no cons whatsoever.
Edit: forgot research missions, the best thing that happened to pogo since its beggining.
I wouldn't say that weather ruined incense. Sure, your incense is more likely to attract weather-boosted Mons instead of biome-specific Mons, but that's about it. Maybe it's just me, but I view incense as a means to acquring more dust, as good spawns rarely come from incense.
As for raid days ruining "all previously caught legendaries," that's yet to be seen. The only one who got the shaft in that regard was Zapdos (who was already outclassed by Raikou). Moltres will learn Sky Attack for Moltres Day, which means it will not be strictly better than Moltres with Overheat. So any investment in an OH Moltres will not have been a waste. These are the only two instances we have as a reference for now, so let's see how Niantic handles other legendaries for their raid days.
In short, yes. It's a two bar move that does almost as much damage per bar.
You need to gain 100 energy to launch one close combat attack, which has 100 base damage. Counter punch does 90 base damage but only needs 50 energy.
It's not just that it does more damage per energy. That it's a two bar move means that you have a chance to launch another attack before you faint or time runs out when you wouldn't have had a full bar for close combat.
There's more -- apart from your own quick moves, you gain energy when you take damage. Energy is capped at 100 (i.e., when you energy bar or bars is/are full), everything beyond that it's lost. This means that, when you have a two bar move and get hit by a charge move that fills your first bar, the remainder starts filling up your second bar, instead of getting lost when you had a one bar move instead. So, it's a more efficient use of energy.
Yes, Dynamic Punch is way better than Close Combat. That being said, even in the worst case scenario where you don't have TMs, a Close Combat Machamp is better than no Machamp at all. I have 3 CC Machamps and only 1 DP Machamp (very few charge TMs here) and all serve me well.
Other fighting type pokemon candidates, if you're lacking:
* Hariyama with counter/dynamic punch or eventually counter/close combat
* Mewtwo with psycho cut/focus blast (I suggest PC instead of C because it allows to charge FB faster, thus allowing more damage with the fighting move at the price of less damage with the psychic move, which is what you want against an enemy weak to fighting)
* Alakazam with psycho cut/focus blast
* Poliwrath with rock smash/dynamic punch
* Ursaring with counter/close combat
* Gengar with sucker punch/focus blast (against normal) or shadow claw/focus blast or hex/focus blast (against other types)
* Mew with fighting moves?
