Let's GO Gym Defender's Tier List - Gen 2

Greetings Trainers!

There's a new mon in town

This article is going to be updated as lower rungs of the tier list solidify, but I think that some Pokemon have made a very definite name for themselves in gyms since the release of Gen 2, and so today I'll be releasing this tier list with the intention of sorting the lower-tiered Pokemon later. For now, I'll just be including ideal movesets, and will work on write-ups for each Pokemon shortly. This article will be updating daily to explain some of the choices. Overall, a greater diversity of Pokemon types are now viable defenders, which is what you'd have hoped given 80 new Pokemon.

For instance, Gyarados massively improved as a defender in the latest update, but only because of new access to Dragon Tail / Crunch or Outrage. All old Gyarados are still middling, but new Gyarados with Dragon Tail make for much better defenders.

Table of Contents

*List last updated March 8th 2017

• Let's GO: Gym Defender's Tier List
• Summary Tier List
• Fast facts you should know
• Honourable Mentions
• Good, but not-yet-tiered

Summary Tier List

Nanab and Pinap, berry cool additions

Greetings trainers!

The release of generation 2 brought with it two new berries: the Pinap berry and Nanab berry. These two have unique effects that should make the catching game a lot more enjoyable. Pinap berries increase the candies you receive upon catches, while Nanab berries make Pokemon slow down and dodge less. These are both useful effects, but exactly how should trainers make the most of these two new effects? For instance, say a Snorlax shows up. Which berry do you use? Razz, to increase the catch chance? Or Pinap, to increase the candy yield? Here are some thoughts, feel free to post yours in the comments!

Pinap Berry (double candy received upon catching)

Gen 2 is live! -This post is updating with new info constantly

Greetings Trainers!

Folks weren't expecting the release of Generation 2 until some time later this week, but Niantic surprised us by releasing Generation 2 Pokemon this afternoon at approx. 3pm PST! If you hadn't heard, the Valentine's Day 6-hour Lure event was also extended until Saturday, so you have time to use your Lures to try and lure up some Gen 2 Pokemon! New berries have also been released, which includes Nanab berries, which make a Pokemon less likely to run, and Pinap berries, which grant the trainer double candies upon capture.


Be on the lookout for prevolutions of new powerful Pokemon like Larvitar, Phanpy, Teddiursa, and Mareep! Also be on the lookout for strong Pokemon like Heracross. And if you have candies available, you can now evolve new Pokemon like Blissey, Scizor, Porygon2, and many more! Maybe pop a Lucky Egg before you do and go on an evolving spree while reaping the benefits of all these new Pokedex entries!


UPDATE 3:30pm PST: Apparently moves have also been re-balanced. More on this as we learn the details, but moves like Psychic, Flamethrower, Dazzling Gleam etc... have been given new damage outputs. For now, catch everything you can and try not to transfer too much!


e.g. Confusion now has 20 base damage, and Psychic is a 100-energy 100 base damage move.




How to make the most of the Valentine's Day event

Greetings Trainers!

Pokemon GO's latest event has folks catching pink Pokemon, with a touch of sweetness; yes, it's double-candy season again! This applies to catches, hatches, and buddy candies, making now the prime time to stock up. Lure Modules also last for 6 whole hours while the event is going, to paint the town pink. Today's article will go over some basic tips to let you know how to best take advantage of this event, regardless of your goals. Maximize your EXP, get the most return on your coins, and of course, catch the most relevant seasonal Pokemon available! This includes considerations for the upcoming 2nd generation of Pokemon, which will be releasing some time in the not-so-distant future!

Table of Contents

• Event Details
• Pokemon you should stock up on right now
• Getting the most out of double candy
• Spending coins wisely
• Conclusion

A look at Gamepress' Gym Defender Tier List

Greetings trainers!

We're still waiting on Gen 2, and the gym metagame has settled since the major CP update, so I thought I'd give the current gym metagame a look-over while we wait.

When the CP update came out, the first place I'd recommend anyone look would be Gamepress' tiering system. The guys there do a great job of analyzing things thoroughly, and I always learn a lot about directions I can explore regarding effective attackers and defenders. I don't always 100% agree with their placings, but I mostly agree, and they justify themselves very well.

Their current gym defender tier list looks like this:
(as a reminder, here's our post-update Defenders Tier List)

Link here: https://pokemongo.gamepress.gg/gym-defenders-tier-list