Should you convert your Exeggutor into an attacker?
I imagine that a lot of players are struggling with the decision of what to do with Exeggutor come the new gym system. While most players have access to 1-3 of these guys, I think we should take a closer look at the utility as an attacker as the new gym system and raid system comes into play.
Gym system:
The double weakness does hinder it, but it is able to pull off huge amounts of damage due to Solar Beam or Seed Bomb. If placed in the right gym, it can really be devastating to a Pokemon Master without the most optimal Pokemon (which, let's face it, most people do not) A good gym it could thrive it might be the following:
Lapras
Snorlax
Vaporeon
Blissey
Exeggutor
Donphan
Exeggutor would have to be considered a Tier 2 defender at best in this new system. It needs a properly fortified gym and great typing for it to flourish. However, it's use as an attacker is considered elite, Tier 1.
Raid system:
In the Raid system, Exeggutor with double grass moves can be super effective into 3 raid bosses (Vaporeon, Rhydon, and Lapras) with the STAB moveset Bullet Seed/Solar Beam. Combine this with your Jolteon's and you can deal plenty of damage to raid bosses Vaporeon and Lapras. Comebine this with Venusaur to take out all 3 including high level raid bosses Rhydom and Lapras.
This brings me to the last point I was going to make on Exeggutor. If you have any from 2000+, I think you should definitely consider using a TM (Fast preferred) to change the moves to make your Exeggutor a Bullet Seed/Solar Beam Raid attacker (as well as Gym attacker). Remember, just thinking for your average player.
Answers
Disagree. Bullet Seed has the highest energy gain of all of Exeggutor's quick moves. The increased super effective multiplier also brings Bullet Seed's damage to the point where it would do one point less if not the same as ZH or Extrasensory against something weak to grass, and more damage against something double weak to grass.
Here is the thing to think about...at the end of the day, does it really make a difference? Unless you are a team of 3 players that are trying to do level 4 raids, that little bit of extra damage isn't going to matter. Let me give you an example...
There were 3 of us trying to take out a Charizard boss. We tried 3 times with 3 people and never really got close before timing out. We were finally able to get a 4th player (just an average level player) and we beat it easily with over 20 seconds left.
When it comes to the bosses, that extra player is more important than that little bit of extra damage.
On top of that, all of Eggy's quick moves are good. Rhydon is actually the only pokemon that bullet seed is better against. There is no reason to waste a perfectly good quick TM on an Eggy. Now if you wanted to try and get solar beam, that is a different discussion.
Is that really the average, 1-3 for the causal player?
Because I was able to get over 19 Exeggutors (with 8 having SB) just by stopping at a nest ( same park twice) on my way home. Mainly due to I consider it one of the better pokemon due to lots of A-B rated movesets and only needing 50 candy to evolve.
4 months into the game and playing everyday back then I remember longing for an Exeggutor. Only was able to get my hand on some after finding a nest. Even after the grass event, I only have like 4 I would say I regularly use for gym/raids. And that's being an active player. So I say it's pretty fair the causal player may have 1-3. All depends where you live!
Good discussion. I really think there is a valid point to using TM's on this pokemon to make him super effective. I think he can save you stardust instead of pumping up something else (maybe it's a Jolteon or Venusaur or something and you can now just change your Eggy over).
As for the casual player comment, I will define 1-3 like this:
1-3 Exeggutors that are 2100ish+ and capable of becoming Confusion or Bullet Seed/Solar Beam moveset. I see the perk of Conf, but I also wonder if the STAB of Bullet Seed for a raid boss make it better in that scenario? I just think this all comes down to the game being mostly about raids now. I mean gyms are fun and I will make a post about the tiers I predict and different effective Pokemons I think are out there, but raids are where it's at lol.
