What is the best strategy - use the best defender, or use an OK, but prestigeable defender? I've never held more than 3 gyms at once, and generally only hold 1-2.
I've typically put my Blissey in if available, since it's my "best defender". However, if thats the only defender in the gym, it makes it hard for others on my team to prestige it. I've found when I do that, my team doesn't hold the gym very long, and I typically only attract 1-2 other defenders.
My top 4 defenders are:
CP2646 Snorlax Lick/BodySlam
CP2463 Vaporeon WaterGun/AquaTail
CP2412 Blissey Pound/DazzlingGleam
CP2338 Exeggutor Confusion/SolarBeam (who I generally use as an attacker - a Vaporeon slammer and my choice when I have to fight Blissey)
All my other Pokemon are sub-2200CP, and would get churned out of a gym in my area if it made it to L10 (although that would take a few days). The gyms I take over typically make it to L3-4, then get taken over by another team.
It's just a crap shoot of hope the next player is smart.
Put in a Strong Defender (Blissey) and hope some low level player or smart player puts something Lower CP to power up a gym with. Flareon is probably the best choice for this.
Put in a Weak Defender easy to prestige against and Hope that the next 2 guys put in Blissey like Defenders.
Either way its a gamble, but at least the first way you don't potentially get sniped or maybe scare off a low level player of other color.
i have a bunch of sub optimal iv but high cp vapes that I use to defend gyms especially if its a fresh takeover. If im adding to a friendly gym I look at the mix and try to add a good defender to complement the gym. but even then cp is always a concern I never want to be at the bottom of the gym. I am level 32 and most times hold ten or more gyms.
When I am by myself, I put something like Vaporeon or Exeggutor, then build up a few levels. Sure two more players can already join, but if I build up 4,000 points then another two can join.
When I take down a large enemy gym and don't expect to hold it too long, then I'll put something more fun like Venusaur or Machamp, but still build up ag least one or more times so it has to be fought more than once to take it down.
just put something fun or rare (to piss off people who dont want their pokedex ratio caught/seen below 1).
i do this all the time since the usual suspects from team instinct take over gyms every half an hour (dont ask me how they do that...just imagine...).
im usually putting a 1300 skarmory now, which is quite rare here. Or a 1400 omastar.
i just dont care and i am sick of seeing rhydons, snorlaxes, gyaradaos, vaporeons and exeggutors.
Let's give some variety to this game
It really depends how long you expect the gym to stay with your team. If it is fairly stable and your team has a decent chance of building it up, I would pick a Gyarados or Rhydon. Easy to prestige but also a high enough CP to end up in a decent spot.
If it's most likely going back to another team soon... it doesn't really matter. These days I pick something new that people may not have like Porygon2 or Granbull.
