Gyarados
Is a DT/O Gyarados worth bringing to level 30?
I have powered it to level 26.5. Just don't really know if it is worth going any further. It has 93.3% IV's.
I already have a level 30 B/HP and candies are scarce for me.
Answers
I don't think he was injecting any personal bias. Gyrados unfortunately doesn't do anything very well in the current meta. He's a decent attacker, but there are better options. His high stats are somewhat offset by his lack of stab on all his quick moves and all but one charge move. As for as a defender, he's just awful. A sufficient jolteon can take him out before he gets off a charge move. If CP gets thrown out of gym placements in the rework, you won't see him in any gyms.
1st) Jolteon won't take out Gary before he gets off Crunch or 90% of time Outrage
2nd) Most people don't power thier attackers past 30. So if your willing to get a Gary to 35+, you won't get him before HP either.
3rd) Dragontail with Gary's High Attack hurts a Jolteon. This means that in the worst match up, Gary isn't that far behind a Slowbro. My jolteon beats Slowbros almost as easily as Gary, but everyone exaggerates the difference.
4th) If a Gary is placed well and especially high, you won't have much left on Jolteon. If your going into a 6 on 10 tower, with 1 or 2 garys mixed in between snorlax/rhysons. The attacker isn't going to devote that many pokemon to electric.
I would agree dt/c Gary is an elite defender. I would also argue that a Gary with bite is basically worthless. I have 2 Jolteons around 2200 cp (I'm guessing level 30) with discharge, one with ts and one with vs. If I wait and shoot all 3 discharges at once, a crunch is the only thing that has a chance to get off. A dt/o MIGHT build up enough energy to get an outrage off, but even that is close, and easy enough to dodge.
I disagree on outrage going off 90% of the time. If it is for you then you need to level up or you are doing something wrong. I live in a water biome so all the gyms here are stacked with gyarados. The only gyarados charge attack that goes off is crunch and is easy enough to dodge. Plus it's long cool down allows extra thunder shocks in or my own charge. Outrage and hydropump never go off. Additionally dragon tail is a slow attack so it's very easy to dodge. Gyrados is simply not a good defender. CP is the only reason he goes into gyms.
Being bias is saying a pokemon is better than it really is. I said I am not a fan of Gyarados. I also said if in need of an attacker, power it up. I was giving my honest opinion. Some things are just a matter of fact. Look at the articles on this site about besting the big 7. There are 2 measures, speed and power. Calling Machamp the best Blissey counter is a matter of fact, if going by speed. Gyarados is neither the quickest or most powerful in any case. Against Blissey he preforms about as well as Donphan. That is not my bias. If someone has an example of when Gyarados is the best option, lets hear it! He is a fine generalist attacker and anything more than that is bias over their feelings about Gyarados.
