Pokémon GO

I can imagine the weather boost being annoying if you just want to grind for stardust, with a PoGo Plus for instance.

Speaking of the Plus device, just ordered one for cheap. I really need it for the stardust grind...
 

Blitz

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Dodge bug hasn't even existed throughout all the game's lifespan... I believe it was introduced only some months after release, so it's pretty annoying. Hopefully they fix it eventually, it's what makes Solar Beam bosses like Groudon and Ho-Oh MUCH more impossibly difficult than they should be - the upcoming Latios, who also has Solar Beam, is also going to be pretty annoying with it.

Upside of weather is massive in stardust savings, I 100% welcome that over losing a few more Pokemon manually / to the Go+ to fleeing or whatever. Raid Bosses, while even more difficult to capture at level 25, still enjoy that savings in dust you accrue. Weather has evened the playing field when it comes to spawns and I'm glad it exists... just wish more people could experience different types of weathers, but alas.
 
Is there any way to check how many candies of a certain species you have when you don't have any of those species in your storage?

I just transferred my last Seedot but I want to know how many Seedot candies I have...
 

Blitz

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No. You need to get another specimen (Seedot or Nuzleaf since Shiftry isn't in the wild) in order to check candy count.
 
So opinions. Should I be willing to use Rare Candy to power up multiple Groudon despite some imperfect ones (say 90% ones compared to 95% ones)? or should I reserve them for other legendaries and use "normal" mons like Exeggutor or Rhydon to cover my Grass or Ground offense?

One of my frequented locations also seems to be a Mudkip nest. Any value in Swampert?
 
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So opinions. Should I be willing to use Rare Candy to power up multiple Groudon despite some imperfect ones? or should I reserve them for other legendaries and use "normal" mons like Exeggutor or Rhydon to cover my Grass or Ground offense?

One of my frequented locations also seems to be a Mudkip nest. Any value in Swampert?
In my opinion, power up the ones that are perfect and near perfect. Rare Candies are kind of hard to rack up, so I wouldn't spend them too much. Also, Kyogre is very close to being released and that thing is going to be a literal beast.
 

Blitz

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Rare Candies should p much just go to legends (not normal mons), but this depends on how you want to play it:

If you can get high level Rhyhorn/Rhydon, just use those over Groudon and save your dust and candy. Groudon is superior in every way -but- Rhydon is much more friendly in those costs and still covers what Groudon does (Electrics). If you want Mud Shot / Solar Beam Groudon for Grass needs, you might want to go for that as you mentioned earlier you lack Exeggutor, otherwise catch high level Exeggcute/Exeggutor and use those as your Grassies.

If you can afford to get some Groudon up to par (til 30 is fine), do so. Groudon has a multitude of uses such as being a great generalist, and great counter to certain threats - Mud Shot / Solar Beam answers other Groudon well, as well as deal with Kyogre reasonably well (esp Thunder variants), oddly enough. Its stats are so elite with that amazing movepool that it is that flexible. Bonus points if it gets Precipice Blades (1.7 seconds and 130 Power, 1 bar move iirc) later on as that completely makes it a king of DPS.

Re: Swampert

This thing is outclassed, straight up. Balanced stats just don't work in Go.

In the Water department, I believe Gyarados, Vaporeon, and Milotic (in that order) deal more damage than it does while also providing other utility (Gyarados for DPS, Vaporeon's longevity, and Milotic as the king of defensive Water-types). Later on, Kyogre literally dethrones every single Water-type (and Ice-type!) by a huge margin. In the Ground department, we have our new legendary Groudon and old Rhydon here to outclass it.

It has good moves, and it will work just fine as a dedicated Water or Ground, it's just inferior to those options above. It can also try to go mixed (Mud Shot / Surf) as that's a unique moveset (this is what I use mine for, since I maxed it to pair it with Blaze and Scept). With new battle mechanics / Mega Swampert in the future, it might be worth it though.
 

Blitz

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The catch rate is lower in general, or under weather? Or is it lower the higher the level of the Pokemon (incorporating the 5 level boost)?
Or is the catch rate lower on all non-weather boosted Pokemon, or all weather boosted Pokemon, or simply all Pokemon, period?

No catch rates were changed. Simply, since weather boosts the level / IV of affected Pokemon, those Pokemon will then be harder to catch. For Raid Bosses, a level 25 Raid Boss is harder to catch than a level 20 Raid Boss. Anything not affected by weather has the same catch rate as before. That's it!

How is Vaporeon for Longevity and Milotic as the king of Defensive Water types? Do you mean as a Defender in gyms (better movepool?)? Also, what is the cut-off for CP draining in gyms, I thought they removed it draining slower under 3000 CP, what is the new #?

Vaporeon as an attacker has longevity over any Water-type, so its prowess there is very high (only outmatched currently by Gyarados). Milotic's defensive prowess in gyms is #4 overall (behind Blissey, Chansey, and Snorlax iirc) thanks to its lovely movepool - it's also a bit behind Vaporeon as an attacker, but still solid there (#3 overall Water-type attacker).

CP Decay I believe hasn't been fully figured out, but the general gist is that it decays really quickly up to 2400~ CP, then it's a ~10% decay rate per hour (which is still a lot). I think 1000~ CP or below is a little lower, so stuff like Chansey / Azu decays slower than you would think, but it's minor.

Don't forget Regice! Especially, if Latios has Solar Beam for Kyogre.

This is true! I just hope Regice comes before the Latis in order to abuse this.. (Latias has Thunder which also murks Kyogre lol).
Everything in bold!
 
Don't want to watch multiple 10+ minute videos for something that can be a few sentences. Also, I can't help but cringe all the time with these PokeTubers. Some are cool, though.
 

Blitz

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Honestly a defender viability isn't worth shit anymore with this system. It's literally Blissey, and Snorlax / Chansey / Slaking for Ex Raid stalling.

VR for Raids and General Gym Killers should just be combined, not sure where to rank the temporarily situationally useful ones though (e.g. Golem was big during the Bird Raids and decent for Entei and Raikou, hasn't seen use otherwise), as well as the values of tanks: I know Lugia is either seen as amazing or poor depending on one's playstyle.
 
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Champion Leon

Banned deucer.
——
Please review the determinants in how each Pokémon is ranked: 5 Viability Factors:
1. Movesets - (Legacy OR current, OR combinations of both) and which Movesets are specialized for specific Gym or Raid Offense / Defense. Are some movesets better overall and others better at specific things?

2. Battle- the value and versatility they bring to multiple types of battles: Generalist Dragon Moves Dragonite vs niche Ice Moves Lapras. (Gym Offense, Defense, Raids)

2 A. Offense: Are they Gym Attackers - OR Raiders (OR both)?
Raiders may be more valuable, but you can’t gaurantee a preferred Raid is local to you at any given time, while gyms have likely Defenders you can expect to face and thus it is relevant power up their counters (Machamp for Blissey, Tyranitar, etc.)

2 B. Defenders: Stalling for Raids, and coins means Defending does has its place, as it is basically part of the Raiding process itself for additional Premier Balls. Further, Defending Gyms bring Gym Points, which adds up to more items per spin. Also: You can earn Candy and Stardust from Berry feeding defenders. *Feed that Tyranitar and hope for some Larvitar candy!

3. Weather - (if someone has a more frequent weather in their locale that boosts certain types, then a moveset or Pokémon may be better than a normally higher ranking one (picking a Solar Beam user over a Thunder user for facing Kyogre depending on the weather and vice versa. Or if a weather boosts Kyogre’s Attacks, you may need to switch to something that can take it better).

4. Availability / Commonality - Vaporeon is easier to power up and find Eevees, but Kyogre will still simply be #1 for Water Move Water Types. Gen 1 & 2 also naturally have an advantage here because we would have already maxed them out (especially if we caught it before TMs and Rare Candies were released so we didn’t have to “waste them”, as we would power up the perfect moveset and strong IV Pokémon and dump the bad ones). How many of us have powered up our Vaporeons to a high level by now?

4 B. Locality: Nest changes, Egg hatch rates and Pokémon changes, theme / event or Generation Commonality: I find Pidgey less than I find Wurmple. Delibird was common for the Winter event, Heracross was local for Pokémon Go in Chicago for a short time, Shiny and costumed Pokemon and even special moves (Quick Move: Present on Santa Hat (Any) Pikachu).

4 C. Is it currently Raidable Pokémon, or even a legacy Raidable Pokémon? (Higher likelihood of catching one with High IVs and collecting candy to accumulate). Vaporeon was also previously raidable, but as now a legacy, it won’t be as common.

5. Powering up:

5 A. Item Efficiency (TMs, Rare Candy) Efficiency. Do you plan to take it to just the damage breakpoint? Do you have to rely on Rare Candies (Mewtwo) because you cannot be guaranteed to catch more, or ever again (Legacy Legends like Raikou), or is Evolving (400 candy Gyarados, 20 KM Milotic) too much of a hassle? Also, putting more legends on the “Rare Candy Investment Waitlist” can feel frustrating, even if just 97% IV Groudon waiting on the 100% Groudon to be powered up. Having many movepool options can also waste TMs.

5 B. Long-term. Does a Pokémon evolve in a later generation, or will it have a better form change such as Porygon-Z, Togekiss, Alolan Marowak, Mega, Primal, or even Necromoza with its many forms (Dusk Mane, Dawn Wings, Ultra Necromoza, etc).

5 C. Preferred types of catch: Want to catch a weather boosted Pokémon in the wild for level 35, catch it in a weather boosted Raid for an easier time finding it at level 25, or wait for an egg to hatch, etc? Are some only available via hatching such as Baby Pokémon?

5 D. Potion Efficiency. Item droughts are real, don’t waste Potions when you could send in a different Pokémon and use less. Adding in defenders to a gym requires 100% HP, and thus Potions. Healing Pokémon to Full HP allows your top Pokémon to be default selected prior to Raids and Gyms, which saves time and helps you know what moveset the Raid or Gym may have- and switch to your best saved team.
Anyways I condensed an accurate Viability Attacker Rankings based on the best Raids and most likely Gym Defenders to defeat:
Analysis: Supreme Breakpoints (#1 DPS & TDO)
Analysis: Damage Breakpoints.
Tool: Breakpoints Calculator

Analysis: Charge Move Bulkpoints
Tool: Bulkpoints Calculator

——Current Worthwhile Tier 3-5 Raids——
Tier 2: Exeggutor (Best current Grass)
Tier 3: Machamp, Gengar, Piloswine (For Mamoswine AKA best Ice)
Tier 4: Tyranitar,
Tier 5: Mewtwo, Lati@s
——
Gym/Raids- Low, Medium, and High Density Metas:
Part 1: Low number of Gyms and Low Player Base - Key Takeaways
Raids: Tier 4 and 5 Raids require more players to defeat, but as raids are timed and opportunities for getting enough people to show up at the right gyms, and at the right times are nigh, it can prove unreasonable. Next, factoring in the Low catch rates of Legendaries, or the movement (think Kyogre pre-AR+ update) and that you could just encounter a low IV Pokémon may discourage players from trying and thus decrease the playerbase for your next raid. Lastly, with the new Weather mechanics, the number of people required to defeat the same raid boss elsewhere, may suddenly demand even more players, especially for difficult bosses like Kyogre in the rain. Overall, the chance to capture even one good legendary may be impossible.
Gyms- Having to compete for a sparce amount of gyms may mean no one will get enough coins, or worse, leaving your Pokémon in a gym with not enough active players to kick it out could mean getting no coins for several days, all while your own Pokémon cannot be used for Gym or Raid battles.
Pokestops: Lack of Pokestops leads Item Drought, from Pokeballs to Potions, and Pokémon nearby listings based off Pokestops are rare. With lack of Revives for defeated Gym Defenders and lack of Revives from defeated Raid Attackers, the Meta encourages just using whatever you catch rather than optimal choices for each use.
Part 2: Medium number of Gyms and Medium Player Base - Key Takeaways
Raids: While easier, coordination will be key for Tier 4 & 5 Raids, so use of local player groups through Discord or Facebook will make it easier to catch worthwhile Pokémon. For the more casual player timing is everything- Focus on mornings and evenings, occasionally lunch times, and always the weekends so busy players can fit it in their day rather than the hardcore players who fit their day in Pokémon Go.
Gyms: Same timing, which means you have the right amount of putting a Pokémon in over night to earn coins for the following morning, putting Pokémon in during the short lunch hour timeframe so you can collect for the same day if you forgot the night before, and of course kicking out opposing gyms if you coordinate with others on 8 hour and 20 minute intervals in easy access but low playerbase areas (such your local public library).
Pokestops: Plan to go on sprees to collect Revives, potions, and Pokeballs. It’s not that the Pokestops are rare, it’s that the players are active during specific hours so you will need to have enough Potions and Revives when the iron is hot to defeat Raids with others, and join your teammates in taking down gyms. Doing raids also rewards Golden Razz Berries, so if you are studying in a library and casually berrying up your Defenders during a Raid off the good WiFi connection, you will want to have stocked up. If you get the best of not being defeated too soon, or too late, for coins, don’t forget that the balance is based off timing more than anything.
Part 3: High number of Gyms and High Player Base- Key Takeaways
Raids: No coordination necessary, just show up and you will have enough people, with 20 maximum players filling the waiting lobby in seconds. You won’t have as many guaranteed Premier Balls because Teams will be mixed, and thus taking over gyms and Team contributions during a raid will be hit or miss. Private Raid codes can encourage team contribution Premier Balls, but if you say the code or share it online, passing trainers of other teams may join anyway.
Gyms: Basically, unlike Medium gyms where you thrive off of high playerbase intervals, the sheer number of players in proximity to gyms deters any kind of coordination especially in touristy areas where visitors may not be aware of waiting to kick out players at certain times. So the best option is to Attack a gym when people are sleeping, working or during holidays where people play less. By reducing competition you can defeat a gym with less Golden Razz Berry feeders, and insert your own Pokemon, (for example just after lunch hour ends). Now suddenly the gym you thought you could never defeat us begging to be defeated because you know when others attack you will have collected at least some coins. The key strategy being that you need to insert defenders in multiple gyms so when people get out of work at 5 after you put Pokémon in gyms at 1 pm, both of your Defenders will add up to the 8 + hours combined for getting all 50 coins.
Pokestop: Stock up because you have more opportunities to succeed in Raids, and thus more likelihood of actually needing Revives, and Berries.
Best Gym Defenders (Rank = Overall bulk in stats, and/or counter-coverage, and/or useful Typing) -
Meta-Analysis- Gym Defense: BlissLax VS ChanKing

March 2018 Defense Meta Tier List
Strategy-How to Order Your Gym Defenders

S Rank: Blissey, Chansey (Worthy of slots 1-2)
A Rank: Snorlax, Milotic (Worthy of slots 3-4)
B Rank: Dragonite, Slaking (Worthy of slots 5-6)

C Rank: Lapras, Steelix, Metagross (Top Niche Slot 6 Bulky Counters VS Dragonite, Tyranitar, or Machamp threats)

D Rank: Exeggutor, *Venusaur, *Gardevoir (Secondary Niche Slot 6 Semi-Bulky Counters VS Machamp, Tyranitar, and/or Dragonite threats; *only work when at high motivation CP).

Measurements:
Raids: Total DPS (Glass Cannon) > Survivability (Walls) to maximize the number of Premier Balls, and to finish in time. Successful Raids replenish Potions and Revives, so item consumption is still worth it if Raids are defeated.

Gyms: Survivability is balanced with Total DPS to conserve Potions, and because CP decay makes defeating Gyms easier, you won’t have to rely on Glass Cannons to beat the timer. This is why Lugia and Ho-Oh are statistically the top 2 choices to challenge gyms, rather than say Mewtwo. Use this up to date (Gen 3) Potion Efficiency Guide for guidance.

Factors: While the assumption is the Pokémon in the rankings are perfect (45/45 IVs), and possibly level 40, movesets do contribute to one of the 5 enduring factors.

Moveset suggestions from Gamepress.

Additional Articles for Reference:

Best Pokemon per Type, Best Move per Type of all Generations [Spreadsheet]
Best DPS Per Type Now VS Future
Non-Legendary Best DPS Per Type Now VS Future (For Low Density Alternatives list)
Top Quick and Charge Move Damage

Analysis: Battle Parties
Analysis: How to Maximize Premier Balls- Contribution Factors9AFF8878-BEC2-4837-BAD1-AFA81749F526.pngKey Takeaways:
Basically, you will get at 4 balls guaranteed if you enter a Raid with 5 people if you are the only team member of a Blue/Yellow/Red Team.

And you will get 5 Balls guaranteed If you enter a Raid with 3 people and are the only member of a team.


Legend:

* = Legacy Move no longer offered.

OR = Interchangable in relevance for Type coverage I.e. Fury Cutter Sceptile VS Bullet Seed Sceptile.
Alternatively it could mean:
OR = Interchangeable in utility (Higher DPS VS EPS VS Faster Quick/Charge Move to Dodge while Attacking or it is a Harder Quick/Charge Move to Dodge while Defending). I.e. Faster Dragon Breath vs Higher DPS Dragon Tail on Dragonite.

OTHERWISE = A clear second, basically as a replacement for legacy moves. I.e. *Shadow Claw vs Hex on Gengar, *Body Slam vs Hyper Beam on Snorlax. Legacy moves are winners, but secondary moves keep current versions of these Pokémon in use.

Ultimate Tool: DAMAGE DPS, TDO, & DPS x TDO CALCULATOR: Moveset by Type, Species, and Weather Boost

S Rank: Explanation
Best “Generalist”, Best of their type, or are the most common “Counter” to the highest number of raids and gym match-ups. (Machamp vs Tyranitar, Snorlax, Blissey, Chansey, Slaking, Steelix, Lapras)
List
(DPS = Best overall, and good Super Effective movepools)

S + : Kyogre (Waterfall/Hydro Pump), Mewtwo (Confusion OR Psycho Cutter/Shadow Ball *Raids* OR Focus Blast *Gyms*), Rayquaza (Dragon Tail/Outrage), Machamp (Counter/Dynamic Punch)

S: Dragonite (*Dragon Breath OR Dragon Tail/Outrage), Tyranitar (Bite/Crunch OR Stone Edge), Hariyama (Counter/Dynamic Punch), Groudon (Mud Shot/Solar Beam)

S - : Raikou (Thundershock/Wild Charge), Entei (Fire Spin/Overheat), Salamence (Dragon Tail/Draco Meteor)
A Rank: Explanation
Best Alternative “Generalist”, Best Alternative of their type, and Best Alternative “Counter” overall.
Note: Some A Rank > S Rank as “Niche Counters” in specific matchups, but are weaker otherwise. I.e. Gengar in Raid and Gym battles vs Machamp, Blissey, Snorlax, Slaking, & Focus Blast Mewtwo, Alakazam, and Gengar.
List
(DPS = Best overall in specific matchups, or Second Best overall with good Super Effective movepools).

A + : Latios (Dragon Breathe/Dragon Claw), Gyarados (Waterfall/Hydro Pump), Moltres (Fire Spin/Overheat)

A: Exeggutor (Confusion OR Bullet Seed/Solar Beam), Zapdos (Charge Beam/Thunderbolt),

A - : Gengar (*Shadow Claw OTHERWISE Hex/Shadow Ball), Gardevoir (Confusion/Dazzling Gleam), Alakazam (Psycho Cutter/Future Sight), Golem (Rock Throw/Stone Edge OR Rock Blast)
B Rank: Explanation
The Honorable Mention Tier: Best “Niche Counter” for less frequent match-ups in Raids and Gyms. (Lapras vs Steel Wing Dragonite), or Best of their type for weaker types (Metagross = best Steel). Lower DPS gives them preference to mostly Gyms rather than Raids or both.
List
DPS = Average. Above Average Survivability in HP/Defense (or less weaknesses like Donphan vs Rhydon), which forces them to function better at attacking Gyms rather than Raids, where S and A ranks can function well in both.
**Please be advised Articuno is a Legendary Pokemon and cannot Defend Gyms, so Ice Beam and Blizzard are listed as OR because the opponent cannot Dodge while you are Attacking, and their animation time/Damage are basically equal. Lapras has OTHERWISE because Ice Shard and Ice Beam have an advantage while Defending, which breaks the tie they share with Frost Breath and Blizzard while Attacking. Further, Walrein is only ranked lower than Lapras due to the lack of Ice Shard and Ice Beam moves, since Ranking is based off of Best Moveset possible, giving Lapras an advantage while Defending.*

B + : Metagross (Bullet Punch/Flash Cannon), Latias (Dragon Breathe/Outrage), Articuno (Frost Breathe/Ice Beam OR Blizzard), Lapras (*Ice Shard OTHERWISE Frost Breath/*Ice Beam OTHERWISE Blizzard), Venusaur (*Razor Leaf/Frenzy Plant OTHERWISE Solar Beam), Espeon (Confusion/Future Sight)

B: Walrein (Frost Breath/Blizzard), Lugia (Extrasensory/Future Sight), Sceptile (Fury Cutter OR Bullet Seed/Leaf Blade), Omastar (Rock Throw OTHERWISE Water Gun/Rock Slide OTHERWISE Rock Blast)

B - : Mew (Shadow Claw/Ice Beam), Rhydon (Mud Slap/Earthquake), Ho-Oh (Extrasensory/Brave Bird), Vaporeon (Water Gun/Hydro Pump), Milotic (Waterfall/Surf)
C Rank: Explanation
Unique Niche: Fighting against Gyms getting Golden Razz Berried (except Chansey, and Slaking), rematching better than S thru B ranked Pokémon, as well as surviving as “Niche Walls” (not “Anchors” or “Counters”) in Raids. (Dazzling Gleam Blissey can handle Gym Dragonite, Tyranitar, and any Blissey can Absorb hits from Raid Shadow Ball Mewtwo, Alakazam, Gengar).
Note: You will rely on many Co-Raiders to increase your odds of completing a Raid, and will need to be high levels (30) to defeat Gyms that are Golden Razz Berried, so you can deal decent damage to beat the clock before CP decay. However, they cannot be used to face any fellow C ranked (listed below) Pokémon in a Gym, because the timer will clock out.
**The Best use these have will be Defending a Gym before a Raid begins, so you can Golden Razz Berry them and claim additional Pokecoins and even Premier Balls for the Gym being under your Team’s control.
List
The Last Resort Tier: DPS = Low. Max Survivability, “Anchor” attackers in Gyms and Raids to minimize wasting Revives (but will use up Potions).
**Please Note: I don’t normally separate Offense and Defense roles, but Snorlax needs multi-hit moves for Defending Gyms to maximize Damage- the only advantage over Blissey, and Attack Gyms/Raids needs Hyper Beam if it doesn’t have Body Slam to deal any real damage).

C + : Blissey (Zen Headbutt/Dazzling Gleam)

C: Snorlax: Raids/Gym Offense- (Lick/*Body Slam OR Hyper Beam)
Gym Defense - (Zen Headbutt/*Body Slam OTHERWISE Heavy Slam)

C - : Chansey (Zen Headbutt/Dazzling Gleam), Slaking (Yawn/Play Rough)

Please be advised of 2 factors that make Chansey and Slaking exceptional:
** Chansey has a lower max CP that makes it better than Blissey after a 4 hours, as the CP decay is less on > 2400 CP Pokémon, and thus having her will mean she will last longer than Blissey in the long run.**

**Slaking has a max CP of over 4500 CP that helps raise the average CP of Pokémon in a gym to over 8000 CP, which allows Pokémon like Chansey to stay in a gym and still make the Gym Tower look tall, which deters attackers and increases the likelihood they will attack a “shorter” Gym.**
Blitzamirin please confirm if you feel this warrants being added to the OP.
I feel like in the least it can be updated casually as things change, and it could promote discussion if someone finds a niche or wants to suggest a change where a new or existing Pokémon is placed on the list.
The list also serves to advise what is the best Stardust / Rare Candy investment, and the best way to use Pokémon (Gym, Raids, or both).
 
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For Ex-raid stalling do you mean for absorbing Mewtwo Shadow Ball Charge Moves?
I think he meant the gym color stalling before the EX raid starts. You know, when the gym is the color of your team you'll get more balls. So there will be teams fighting over the gym color right before the EX raid starts.

Also, I think it's indeed a good idea to have what OM! said in the OP.
 
Well I know several people who didn't catch Mewtwo... They strictly threw Excellent + Curve + Golden Razz. An extra ball (or two) would've been crucial at that moment
 
Yes, I know. But still there are people that fail to capture Groudon.

By the way, I have a few questions about the Pokemon GO Plus:

What is the maximum speed limit the Plus can handle?

Is there a way to turn off the vibration?

Is there a way to force the Plus to spin PokéStops when I’m out of Poke Balls? It often happens that it keeps trying to catch Pokémon even when I don’t have balls, while there are several unspinned stops in range.

Why does it try to spin stops that are still purple? Often times it gives me the message: “The PokéStop is almost ready for a spin. Please try again later.”

How do I turn off the Plus device? Or is it automatically turned off when I disconnect it from my device?

What happens if I hold the button for a long period? Can’t find anywhere what it does.
 
Yes, I know. But still there are people that fail to capture Groudon.

By the way, I have a few questions about the Pokemon GO Plus:

What is the maximum speed limit the Plus can handle?

Is there a way to turn off the vibration?

Is there a way to force the Plus to spin PokéStops when I’m out of Poke Balls? It often happens that it keeps trying to catch Pokémon even when I don’t have balls, while there are several unspinned stops in range.

Why does it try to spin stops that are still purple? Often times it gives me the message: “The PokéStop is almost ready for a spin. Please try again later.”

How do I turn off the Plus device? Or is it automatically turned off when I disconnect it from my device?

What happens if I hold the button for a long period? Can’t find anywhere what it does.
I can answer one of these at least.

You can go into Settings and tell the game whether or not the GO Plus should react to Pokemon, stops, or both. I turned off Pokemon personally since I need the Curve Ball bonuses to stay efficient with my Pokeballs and I want to catch good things manually.

You can shut it off I believe by tapping the Icon in the app to disconnect it, and closing the app SHOULD turn it off. Otherwise you can turn off your device's Bluetooth.
 

Blitz

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Fighting over the gym is pointless due to Mewtwo's catchrate, why waste time and pokemon for that
This is... naive. Yea, Mewtwo has a good catch rate. Many people STILL fight for the gym because getting a Mewtwo is so damn rare that every ball counts. You can flub a throw because your hands are frozen, or it attacks at an unopportunistic time. As Fluke said, people HAVE had theirs flee.

Ex Raid stalling is huge (if you've ever done an Ex Raid, or seen videos, you'll know) and deserves probably the biggest commendation of any defender list period. This is where Blissey, Chansey, Snorlax, and Slaking shine: wasting time and Golden Razzes as the timer ticks down.

For Ex-raid stalling do you mean for absorbing Mewtwo Shadow Ball Charge Moves?
——
Anyways I condensed an accurate Viability Attacker Rankings based on the best Raids and most likely Gym Defenders to defeat:
Raid Damage Breakpoints:
——Current Worthwhile Tier 3-5 Raids——
Tier 3: Machamp, Gengar, Alakazam.
Tier 4: Tyranitar, Lapras, Snorlax, Golem.
Tier 5: Mewtwo and Groudon (soon to be Kyogre).
——
Common Gym Defenders (Rank = likelihood, so you know which ones to counter)
S Rank: Blissey, Chansey, Snorlax
A Rank: Tyranitar, Dragonite
B Rank: Vaporeon, Gyarados, Rhydon, Milotic, Slaking
C Rank: Gardevoir, Machamp, Golem
D Rank: Hariyama, Walrein, Lapras

Measurements:
Raids: Total DPS (Glass Cannon) > Survivability (Walls) to maximize the number of Premier Balls, and to finish in time. Successful Raids replenish Potions and Revives, so item consumption is still worth it if Raids are defeated.

Gyms: Survivability is balanced with Total DPS to conserve Potions, and because CP decay makes defeating Gyms easier, you won’t have to rely on Glass Cannons to beat the timer. This is why Lugia and Ho-Oh are statistically the top 2 choices to challenge gyms, rather than say Mewtwo. Use this up to date (Gen 3) Potion Efficiency Guide for guidance.

S Rank: Explanation
Best “Generalist”, Best of their type, or are the most common “Counter” to the highest number of raids and gym match-ups. (Machamp vs Tyranitar, Snorlax, Blissey, Chansey, Rhydon, Golem, Slaking, Walrein, Lapras)
List
(DPS = Best overall, and good Super Effective movepools)

S + : Groudon, Kyogre, Mewtwo
S: Dragonite, Gyarados, Tyranitar
S - : Raikou, Machamp, Entei, Gardevoir
A Rank: Explanation
Best Alternative “Generalist”, Best Alternative of their type, and Best Alternative “Counter” overall.
Note: Some A Rank > S Rank as “Niche Counters” in specific matchups, but are weaker otherwise. I.e. Gengar in Raid and Gym battles vs Machamp, Blissey, Snorlax, Slaking, & Focus Blast Mewtwo, Alakazam, and Gengar.
List
(DPS = Best overall in specific matchups, or Second Best overall with good Super Effective movepools).

A + : Vaporeon, Zapdos, Moltres
A: Rhydon, Heracross, Alakazam
A - : Milotic, Gengar, Golem
B Rank: Explanation
The Honorable Mention Tier: Best “Niche Counter” for less frequent match-ups in Raids and Gyms. (Lapras vs Steel Wing Dragonite), or Best of their type for weaker types (Exeggutor = best Grass). Lower DPS gives them preference to mostly Gyms rather than Raids or both.
List
DPS = Average. Above Average Survivability in HP/Defense (or less weaknesses like Donphan vs Rhydon), which forces them to function better at attacking Gyms rather than Raids, where S and A ranks can function well in both.

B + : Articuno, Lapras, Exeggutor, Lugia
B: Walrein, Ho-Oh, Espeon, Hariyama
B - : Donphan, Blaziken
C Rank: Explanation
Unique Niche: Fighting against Gyms getting Golden Razz Berried, rematching better than S thru B ranked Pokémon, as well as surviving as “Niche Walls” (not “Counters”) in Raids. (Dazzling Gleam Blissey can handle Gym Dragonite, Tyranitar, and any Blissey can Absorb hits from Raid Shadow Ball Mewtwo, Alakazam, Gengar).
Note: You will rely on many Co-Raiders to increase your odds of completing a Raid, and will need to be high levels (30) to defeat Gyms that are Golden Razz Berried, so you can deal decent damage to beat the clock before CP decay. However, they cannot be used to face any fellow C ranked (listed below) Pokémon in a Gym, because the timer will clock out.
List
The Last Resort Tier: DPS = Low. Max Survivability, “Anchor” attackers in Gyms and Raids to minimize wasting Revives (but will use up Potions).

C + : Blissey
C: Snorlax
C - : Chansey, Slaking
Blitzamirin please confirm if you feel this warrants being added to the OP.
I feel like in the least it can be updated casually as things change, and it could promote discussion if someone finds a niche or wants to suggest a change where a new or existing Pokémon is placed on the list.
The list also serves to advise what is the best Stardust / Rare Candy investment, and the best way to use Pokémon (Gym, Raids, or both).
Bar a few qualms (Hariyama is way too damn low, it's literally the same as Machamp and has some matchups where it's flat out better. One subrank below. Where's Sceptile, it's a better Eggy in a lot of cases!!! Legacy Oma too), this is honestly a really solid initial list. I'll work on making this tidy with some images and put this in the OP. Solid work tbh

EDIT: I would probably emphasize moveset choice in some cases too (e.g. Entei with Flamethrower cleans gyms better than Moltres does, else both are relatively similar; legacy Lapras with Ice Beam is a better Walrein).
 

Champion Leon

Banned deucer.
This is... naive. Yea, Mewtwo has a good catch rate. Many people STILL fight for the gym because getting a Mewtwo is so damn rare that every ball counts. You can flub a throw because your hands are frozen, or it attacks at an unopportunistic time. As Fluke said, people HAVE had theirs flee.

Ex Raid stalling is huge (if you've ever done an Ex Raid, or seen videos, you'll know) and deserves probably the biggest commendation of any defender list period. This is where Blissey, Chansey, Snorlax, and Slaking shine: wasting time and Golden Razzes as the timer ticks down.



Bar a few qualms (Hariyama is way too damn low, it's literally the same as Machamp and has some matchups where it's flat out better. One subrank below. Where's Sceptile, it's a better Eggy in a lot of cases!!! Legacy Oma too), this is honestly a really solid initial list. I'll work on making this tidy with some images and put this in the OP. Solid work tbh

EDIT: I would probably emphasize moveset choice in some cases too (e.g. Entei with Flamethrower cleans gyms better than Moltres does, else both are relatively similar; legacy Lapras with Ice Beam is a better Walrein).
Yeah, I didn’t want it to be too long, and didn’t want to invest too much effort if it wasn’t going to be OP’d. But yeah, I agree, it should be updated with the edits you suggested.

Go ahead! I was thinking of sceptile myself, and I even mentioned Legacy as an example on my previous post before the list, but I thought it would require me to dig through each Pokémon, but I think it may as well be complete so let’s all contribute since I know it will be put in the OP.

I initially marked Hariyama low because it was statistically worse than a Gardevoir vs Blissey, (see my last posts article link) a main reason to use a Fighting Type, but I agree, it can be situationally better, especially if a foe has higher Attack or longer drawn out battles, that will wear Machamp down. (Hariyama can defeat a Chansey and a Blissey, while you would need 2 Machamps, but it takes longer and Machamp are easy to get during a raid, and earn 20 candy with a Pinap).

Thank you for recognizing my list as accurate, and I appreciate any feedback.
———
I think we should focus on 5 Viability factors:
1. Movesets - (Legacy OR current, OR combinations of both) and which Movesets are specialized for specific Gym or Raid Offense / Defense (Dragon Tail Blizzard Kyogre vs pure Water Kyogre vs Thunder Kyogre). Are some movesets better overall and others better at specific things? A General Attack set may do better overall Damage, but not in specific matchups, and if those matchups are common, it may not be easy to decide what move to give it (Kyogre is a good Dragon Slayer, but also packs the strongest Water moves: you have to choose what matters more if you only have 1, or if you plan to capture enough of each).

2. Battle- the value and versatility they bring to multiple types of battles: Generalist Dragonite vs niche Lapras

2 A. Offense: Are they Gym Attackers - OR Raiders (OR both)?
Raiders may be more valuable, but you can’t gaurantee a preferred Raid is local to you at any given time, while gyms have likely Defenders you can expect to face and thus it is relevant power up their counters (Machamp for Blissey, Tyranitar, etc.)

2 B. Defenders: know you said to ignore Defenders earlier, but you brought up a great point about stalling for Mewtwo Raids, and with other Legendaries primed to be just as useful (Rayquaza, Kyogre, and currently Groudon), Defending does has its place, as it is basically part of the Raiding process itself, and it does bring Gym Points, which adds up to more items per spin, and if just before a Raid begins: more guaranteed coins over time. Also: You can earn Candy and Stardust from Berry feeding defenders.

3. Weather - (if someone has a more frequent weather in their locale that boosts certain types then a moveset or Pokémon may be better than a normally higher ranking one (picking a Solar Beam user over a Thunder user for facing Kyogre and vice versa. Or if a weather boosts Kyogre’s Attacks, you may need to switch to something that can take it better).

4. Availability / Commonality - Vaporeon is easier to power up and find Eevees, but Kyogre will still simply be #1. Gen 1 & 2 also naturally have an advantage here because we would have already maxed them out (especially if we caught it before TMs and Rare Candies were released so we didn’t have to “waste them”, as we would power up perfect moveset and strong IV Pokémon and dump the bad ones). How many of us have powered up our Vaporeons to a high level by now?

4 B. Locality: Nest changes, Egg hatch rates and Pokémon changes, theme / event or Generation Commonality: I find Pidgey less than I find Wurmple. Delibird is currently common for the Winter event, Heracross was local for Pokémon Go in Chicago for a short time, Shiny and costumed Pokemon and even special moves (Quick Move: Present on Santa Hat (Any) Pikachu).

4 C. Is it raidable, or a legacy raidable? (Higher likelihood of catching one with High IVs and collecting candy to accumulate). Vaporeon was also previously raidable, but as now a legacy, it won’t be as common.

5. Powering up:

5 A. Item Efficiency (TMs, Rare Candy) Efficiency. Do you plan to take it to just the damage breakpoint? Do you have to rely on Rare Candies (Mewtwo) because you cannot be guaranteed to catch more, or ever again (Legacy Legends like Raikou), or is Evolving (400 candy Gyarados, 20 KM Milotic) too much of a hassle? Also, putting more legends on the “Rare Candy Investment Waitlist” can feel frustrating, even if just 97% IV Groudon waiting on the 100% Groudon to be powered up. Having many movepool options can also waste TMs.

5 B. Long-term. Does a Pokémon evolve in a later generation, or will it have a better form change such as Porygon-Z, Togekiss, Alolan Marowak, Mega, Primal, or even Necromoza with its many forms (Dusk Mane, Dawn Wings, Ultra Necromoza, etc).

5 C. Preferred types of catch: Want to catch a weather boosted Pokémon in the wild for level 35, catch it in a weather boosted Raid for an easier time finding it at level 25, or wait for an egg to hatch, etc?

5 D. Potion Efficiency. Item droughts are real, don’t waste Potions when you could send in a different Pokémon and use less. Adding in defenders to a gym requires 100% HP, and allows Pokémon to be default selected prior to Raids and Gyms.
 
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only time I have seen people hogging the EX raid gym was when spoofers commandeered the gym for their own greed at the raid, booting out anyone they didn't know just so they can golden razz. didn't matter what was in there, was just golden razzed infinatly by 6 people.
 

Champion Leon

Banned deucer.
only time I have seen people hogging the EX raid gym was when spoofers commandeered the gym for their own greed at the raid, booting out anyone they didn't know just so they can golden razz. didn't matter what was in there, was just golden razzed infinatly by 6 people.
Same happened to a Groudon raid yesterday, 40 minutes before a raid, they had a Blissey and venusaur holding the gym, and then just adding more as the 10 minute timeout wore off as they Berried up. Venusaur was only at 1900 ish CP.

Anyways, if people spoof often enough, and do it for even non-Ex Raid Gyms, then it must be common.
 

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