Let's GO's Gym Defender Tier List

Want to jump to a Pokemon? Click on their name here:

Snorlax, Lapras, Dragonite, Exeggutor, Slowbro, Poliwrath, Venusaur, Wigglytuff, Vaporeon, Muk, Hypno, Victreebel, Vileplume, Clefable, Nidoqueen, Dewgong, Gyarados, Arcanine, Omastar, Charizard, Tentacruel, Nidoking, Blastoise, Golduck, Kangaskhan.
Honourable mentions: Rhydon, Golem, and Machamp.

Greetings trainers!

There are a number of sites out there with great quality of analysis tackling this very subject. A lot of that information is wonderful, but not everyone agrees on exactly where each Pokemon should get ranked. One great tier list can be found on pokemongo.gamepress.gg, which has a very strong list of Pokemon, and good justifications for each position. These guys are great, and you should definitely see their site for all sorts of Pokemon GO information.

However, one thing I find lacking from others' ranking systems is the logic of being an attacker vs. a defender. Obviously, very few people would attack into an Arcanine with a grass Pokemon. The folks at gamepress recognizes this, saying: "No grass shall pass." But what makes a good defender, a good defender? Is Arcanine a good defender because "no grass shall pass?" Or do Water types, which are extremely abundant, dampen Arcanine's potential? For instance, Pokemon like Vaporeon and Dragonite are likely to attack Arcanine, and Arcanine has a lot of trouble even denting these capable attackers.

Indeed, I feel that the one thing that is ignored in tier lists like these is the Pokemon's performance against its likely attackers. By taking into account the Pokemon's stats, useful moveset(s), and its performance against its likely attackers, I hope to strike a balance between simply having good stats, and being able to put those good stats to use. Most important to me is: how much relative damage does a defender do to its likely attacker(s)?

If you're interested in gym battle mechanics, you can scroll to the bottom of this page for an explanation of the main points, and any acronyms used.

S-Tier

Featured Moveset: Water Gun + Hydro Pump (aka: Golduck, Omastar, Starmie, Seadra, ... Blastoise, Vaporeon)

This is AWESOMEEEE

Greetings trainers!

Today's article is a bit of a highlight on a very special moveset. Water Gun + Hydro Pump is devestatingly powerful as Water Gun's quick cooldown (allowing you to dodge) and solid damage output make it possibly the best attacking move in the game. Water Gun also gets to hit so many things for neutral or super effective damage. Unlike its siblings Bite and Dragon Breath, Water Gun is often paired with the fantastic move Hydro Pump, which gives Vaporeon any Pokemon with this moveset the ability to really hammer it home against Water-weak Pokemon.

But this article isn't titled "Vaporeon is good" for a reason! There are a number of Pokemon in the game with this fantastic moveset, and the idea behind today's article is to highlight these Pokemon specifically for gym-building purposes. The moveset is fantastic, the only question that remains is who should you use to raise a friendly gym's prestige, and in what situation(s)? That's what we'll be discussing today.

Why should I care about this article? I have a 2000+ CP Vaporeon that wrecks everything.

Featured Pokemon: Poliwrath

Hi. Name's Bubba. S'up?

Greetings trainers!

There's no Pokemon in Pokemon GO that leaves me feeling more bubbly than Poliwrath. It's just so adorabubble! What with its bubbly fists and its bubbly swirls. Did I mention it gets Bubble? Bubble is fantastic. Seriously, Bubble is like... the best quick attack in the game for defenders. It's a full 10 base power stronger than the next strongest quick attack, but Poliwrath is the only fully-evolved Pokemon with access to Bubble's amazing damage output. Like... have you ever faced a Poliwrath with Bubble? That thing'll mess you up.

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Nidoqueen

God save the queen

Greetings trainers!

Perhaps one of the best Pokemon you can easily obtain, Nidoqueen actually makes for quite a solid defender. Nidoking also comes to mind of course, but for reasons I'll explain below, Nidoqueen is superior in most every way imaginable. Also, while Nidoking is cool, Nidoqueen is classy. Like... seriously... she just has this sleek and elegant design that Nidoking tossed away just for some token spikes. The Nido-Pokemon also have great attacks that are resisted by few.

Sleek and elegant design: +1 Nidoqueen

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Slowbro

I do love how angry the shell is at all times.
Is this really a symbiosis? Or does Slowbro
just not give a flip about being eaten?

Greetings trainers!

Slowbro is a curious case of Pokemon evolution. Slowbro's tail shell is supposedly a Shellder that has evolved upon biting onto Slowpoke's tail (can't blame it, such tasty, tasty tail). But it sure doesn't look like it. That's my major issue with Slowbro, because otherwise it's kind of great and definitely one of the better Pokemon in the game currently. It's got both Water and Psychic typing, and I don't know if you've noticed, but Water typing is good... and Psychic typing is stupid good... so Slowbro is somewhere between good and stupid good. How good is that? Well...

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Snorlax

So contented. Just wait until Sun and Moon!

Greetings trainers!

Snorlax is the envy of every trainer out there. Not only is it stupidly bulky, it's adorably pudgy and makes a great bean bag chair. Everyone knows Snorlax is great, but what is it great at? Attacking? Defending? Both? Is there anything this gargantuan, 800lb-a-day food guzzling creature can't do? Short answer: yeah.. no it really is absolutely fantastic. But what is your Snorlax best at? Find out below!

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Rhydon and Golem

This is an incredibly unfair matchup...

Greetings trainers!

Today we've got an exciting double feature for you! Golem and Rhydon are two of the only worthwhile Rock-type Pokemon in the game (the other being Omastar). Both have a dual Rock/Ground typing, and both have similar movesets involving Rock and Ground quick attacks and charge moves. The differences between these two Pokemon lie in their base stats, and what alternate movesets they get to run. Which is better? Well, that's what today's article is going to talk about! I will preface this by saying that both are solid Pokemon, but to get the most out of Golem and Rhydon, it's good to know where their specialties lie.

Typing

Rock types stole my heart, maybe
you can help me get it back?

Rock/Ground typing provides Golem and Rhydon with a unique set of resistances that few other Pokemon can take advantage of. Here's the full list of move types that these two resist:

• Normal
• Fire
• Rock
• Flying
• Poison
• Electric

Featured Pokemon: Gyarados

Plus it just looks so cool. Seriously,
look at this thing!

Greetings trainers!

Magikarp's pokedex entry literally reads: "Magikarp is a pathetic excuse for a Pokémon that is only capable of flopping and splashing. ..." But its evolved form, Gyarados, is a fantastic Pokemon with great base stats and solid typing. Gyarados is the kind of Pokemon that inspires you to get out of bed every morning and strive for greatness. What's so great about Gyarados? Well...

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Magneton

ohm man, there are a lot of good
electromagnetism puns

Greetings trainers!

Today we'll be talking about an often-overlooked Pokemon: Magneton. Magneton is the polar opposite of a strong Pokemon. While it isn't remarkable in the Pokemon GO metagame, it does have a few niche uses that make it one of my current favourites. Simply put, Magneton is a fantastic low-CP Pokemon for the purposes of levelling up a gym's prestige, and you'll find ample opportunity to use Magneton for this role. Watt's my reasoning? Read on!

Recommended movesets

Pokemon GO Buddy System: Who's worth walking with?

A throwback to gen 4's
buddy Pokemon!

Greetings trainers!

The buddy system has been released (more info here), which means grindable candies for the Pokemon of your choice! But who should you make your buddy!? Which Pokemon are most worth walking with, and which Pokemon are more trouble than they're worth? Should you really walk with ________ just to evolve it for the Pokedex? Not to worry, here are our picks for the top Pokemon to walk with and why:

Turn your Puff into Tuff

1km walkables

• Jigglypuff
• Geodude
• Pikachu

The most worthwhile Pokemon in the 1km range list is definitely Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff tends to be pretty rare, and it's actually one of the best low-CP defenders for gyms, as Wigglytuff boasts incredibly high Stamina. A Wigglytuff with Dazzling Gleam functions like a mini-Snorlax that constantly spams a base 55 power STAB move.

Featured Pokemon: Lapras

The very first ferry-type Pokemon

Greetings trainers!

Lapras is a beastly boat of a Pokemon capable of scaring off would-be attackers and taking down defending Dragonites. Its massive Stamina coupled with great Defence and solid Attack make Lapras a truly elite Pokemon in the current Pokemon GO metagame. Its rarity makes it a prized posession, and any Lapras is worth racing for, if nothing more, for the candies. For those lucky enough to posess a Lapras, hopefully this article can help you make the most of your ferry Pokemon.

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Dewgong

Dewgong earns the Let's GO
Seel of approval

Greetings trainers!

Dewgong, the poor man's Lapras. Lapras, Dewgong, and Cloyster all share exactly the same typing, and even have access to overlapping movepools, importantly all having the same quick moves and access to Blizzard. So, if you're not lucky enough to have a good Lapras or two at your disposal, one of Dewgong or Cloyster is likely to be your answer to opposing Dragonites. Which is it? Spoiler alert: it's Dewgong. Dewgong's stats are simply superior to Cloyster's, and importantly its Stamina is solid. That makes this blubber buddy one of the better readily-obtained Pokemon in the game.

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Jolteon

Jolteon: the hair gel Pokemon

Greetings trainers!

Watts up with all the Jolteon hate!? You might be shocked to hear that the buzz in town is: Jolteon is the most disappointing Eeveelution to get. But don't despair, while Jolteon's CP and defences are vastly inferior to its sibling Vaporeon, Jolteon's typing at least helps cover for its shortcomings; particularly so for the purpose of leveling up gyms. While Jolteon isn't going to make for a great defending Pokemon, it can serve as a solid addition to any team in the right circumstances.

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Flareon

Certainly adds flair to any gym!

Greetings trainers!

Flareon was never very good in the video games because it lacked access to any good moves, and its poor speed held it back. In Pokemon GO, neither of these traits carry over, which gives Flareon a chance to finally become relevant! In everyone's search for Vaporeon, you're bound to come across a Flareon here or there. Is it good for anything? Well, here's the cold hard truth: it is! It's just not good for... the right reasons... While it has a fantastic Attack stat, it doesn't have the Defence or Stamina to back it up. This sounds like a problem, but it actually makes Flareon incredibly useful for one niche purpose. Let's go through why.

Recommended movesets

Featured Pokemon: Vaporeon

But... vapor is gaseous, not liquid

Greetings trainers!

Just an Eevee-named-Rainer away, Vaporeon is perhaps the easiest "strong" Pokemon to obtain. It has incredible bulk, a great attack for taking down Gyms, and a diversity of Charge Moves to help out with either attacking Gyms or defending your own Gym. Water typing leaves Vaporeon with weaknesses to only Grass and Electric, which is made all the more powerful by the lack of strong Electric Pokemon capable of trading favourably with Vaporeon.

Recommended movesets

Greetings trainers!

Welcome to Let's GO! This blog is set up to provide you with regular content highlighting the various tips and tricks of Pokemon GO. Check out our Pokemon highlights to see what your favourite 'mon is best at, or if you're new to the game be sure to see all of our tips and tricks for getting started!

Whatever level of experience you have with Pokemon GO, we've got something just for you.

Cheers,
Let's GO