How to beat Zapdos with 11 people and getting full damage bonus?
This is how!
(As much as people like to complain about Blissey in legendary raids, other people using Blissey allows you to inflict more damage yourself so you will get the full credit)
I'd much rather fight with 11 with 6 using blissey than 11 with 11 using golem, as that would mean a 0 or 1 ball damage bonus for me.
Battle done, 3 team balls and 3 personal damage balls while the blissey dudes probably got 1 and 1.
Answers
I can totally appreciate using Blissey as an anchor at the very end (in this particular case Zapdos I think a maxed Rhydon tanks better than Blissey), but at the start of the battle with 250s? Lol
But then again I know that Zapdos can be 3 manned so as long as 3 people can each take around a quarter of the damage away from Zapdos the blissey dudes can help mop up the rest...it definitely works in the favor of those 3 whole used those rock throw stone edge golems
Like you, I like people to use Blisseys since too many people and you lose balls...Maybe this is the new strategy/meta/competition now...Raid with small groups to max Legendaries...but then again, I'm sorta happy with just 1 Legendary currently so I think I just stopped caring too much and just play to collect them without much thinking.
I really think people should just let people use whatever they want unless they ask for help...
Unless you are failing the raid constantly, there has been enough interest in my area to always win pretty much on the 1st try.
Lugia is harder, esp if it has Hydropump, but with enough, you won't faint neither.
Solar Beam Ho-Oh will be fun with everyone getting knocked out constantly.
Sure, people should use what they want and certainly shouldn't be ridiculed for using their Gyarados against Zapdos (usually kids who think Gyarados is cool and have no idea about typing).
But I have found that most people at raids enjoy being educated. I am sort of the "leader" of our Facebood raid group (since I started it) and the highest level player in my town (36), so I get a ton of questions at raids, which I am happy to answer. In my town and in my neighboring town I have found that the majority of players are in the 20's or have JUST reached level 30. Most of them only have a select few quality mons around level 30, while the rest are level 20 or so. This has led me to a few conclusions:
1) Raids have really íncreased the popularity of the game.
2) There really aren't very many high level players around - or maybe those that were there in the past were mainly spoofers?
You've accurately described how to be a jerk at a raid.
Blissey doesn't allow you to do more damage at a raid, it allows you to collect a damage bonus because you're using high HP/low contribution mons that allow your A-team to stay in the fight when others move on to their B team. So in the end you're doing almost nothing in a raid compared to others except look out for yourself.
We call that a "d@ck move" in our circles.
But if the groups you raid with are okay with you collecting bonus balls for their work then I guess it doesn't matter.
Battle done, 3 team balls, 3 personal damage balls, and going to the person that did the least. Gratz.
Yesterday a tripple-zapdos raid started in my part of town. Started during 20 minutes. Around 600-700m walk (that is about 0,4 miles) to do them all. Ofc 20+ showing up. I didn't check the levels of players (a lot pushing 40) so I started with golem tyranitar golem. My second golem saw no action, if others players would have used blissey I would have helped me.
And some people may call you the jerk for forcing people to use stuff they want if they don't care to get max DPS...(if even possible...)...In a Zap raid with 14 people, tons of 37+, etc...Got 1 ball...
Ultimately, people should be allowed to play the way they want...Unless you are in raids where it constantly fails and people ask/talk want help to beat it...
Zapdos is not a hard raid boss...If people want to use their best Vap or Girafarig, let them. I've noticed not everyone wants to be told what to do.
I see these posts on SR having some adult swearing out loud: "Who the F*ck brought a Blissey or Snorlax in this fight?" that just makes you wince...esp when little kids are there happy to use their Caterpie.
Not everyone cares to get 6 balls and at times, with enough players, it honestly doesn't matter or impossible...
Also, if a trainer is < 20...they will get one shot probably with a powerful quick move...Blisseys can at least make you not switch every other attack...
I am level 38. I have two level 39.5 golems. A level 39.5 Pilloswine. A bunch of other high level mons for raids. I can take a zapdos with a few other high level guys.
And nobody is "forcing" you to use specific pokemon. Don't be so dramatic. People are asking you to contribute in a fair manner. Is that really asking much?
I have been in a number of raids with people who use whatever they want. There's a few of us at level 38 in my area. We see each other often at the raids in the past few weeks. When we see a >30 lvl player using Blisseys in a raid and we are doing the work we all just back out and watch the "I can use whatever I want" player fail. I'm not burning revives and losing balls so some leech doesnt have to. As you so aptly said, not everyone wants just six balls. Being high level with maxed mons allows you to be selective about the groups you raid with. Maybe playing fair and getting six balls was better than trying to leech and ending up not beating the raid boss to begin with.
If a trainer is <20 then he is a non-factor. Actually <29. Likely nothing he uses will change things much. I don't mind carrying those players at all. I think it's cool that they're trying. If we see low level player using blisseys/snorlax then it's pretty obvious that the player is just using the best he has. I have zero problem with that. But when you see level 33+ players using a blissey? It's a leech.
We then go in with a private group and do it the right way. So...use whatever you want. Just be prepared to wait for the next group.
Ultimately you can use whatever you want. Just be aware that it's considered unethical. It is in our area anyway. The bonus balls you receive by sandbagging are the bonus balls that should have gone to someone else. It's as simple as that. Defend it any way you want. But it is what it is.
If you don't have enough players in your area to do raids and can't win in the first round and you alone are getting knocked out, then I really think YOU need to plan a team that won't get knocked out or swap early...
I've posted this tons before, if you KNOW you will get knocked out (only Lugia poses this threat really), swap after 2 or 3 mons with glass cannons...and go in again with your best DPS guys.
I guess I don't see what your issue really is. You have maxed out mons at level 39.5. You will get your more bonus balls than the fool using the Blissey, If you choose to exclude these real players because you feel they aren't contributing, that's you I feel...Maybe you have no potions or revives or whatever, but with gyms not being a thing anymore, I'm sitting on near 700+. Near all the raid bosses are easy and not everyone is dumb/stupid enough to use Blisseys since they know they won't get bonus balls...(I certainly don't use Blisseys since I want max damage and more balls).
People who CHOOSE to contribute less with Blisseys to survive are actually guaranteed worst damage and less balls. If they want to screw themselves over, then so be it...and just let them...
I guess I don't get why you'd even care if they contribute less since if anything, they contributing more HURTS YOU and your crew that you raid a lot with since they take away your balls...
Again, the system is what it is and we play however we wish, but get in a raid with other high level people with maxed golems and you using maxed golem, they using maxed golem, you all have less balls.
TL:DR - Don't see why the hate if people want to use their Blisseys or whatever. They help you get more balls since they do less damage...Raid bosses are generally easy with even 4 decent level folks vs. Zapdos...
If anything, the best is to break out to same team and the minimum players needed to beat the boss and leave it at that (everyone gets the most balls...).
what about a 7-8 ppl Lugia raid, 3-4 ppl zapdos raid? Still welcome others to use blisseys? Like others said, it's about playing fair contributions. I am sure no one cares who uses what in any 20 ppl raid as the boss will go down anyway. Sure ppl are allowed to use what they want, but with brain please.
Again, as I stated, if you can't beat the boss, then YES, having everyone contribute makes more sense and is important...This is where swapping early is a benefit for everyone.
I'm totally NOT AGAINST those cases...and this is NOT NOT NOT what I am advocating...Most cases, however, aren't like that where it's barely beating it...All the Zapdos raids I've been in wins with near 200+ seconds.
My raids usually don't end up with either too little people...More likely total fail or too many...Usually, it's not that close...If it's 3-4 vs. Zapdos, unless people know exactly what they are doing (people who read here or SR), you will simply fail.
This is the problem with raids to begin with...Get enough people, easy...
All this said, my comments are more about the Blissey hate when the raid clearly has more than enough people...11+ vs. Zapdos should be easy when it has been trioed?
Even with the crappy Blisseys...
