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Strongest Defense - Tier List & Ranking

Pokemon Go | Strongest Defense - Tier List & Ranking

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Pokemon Go | Strongest Defense - Tier List & Ranking - GameWith

Learn which Pokemon are the best at defending gyms! Use this tier list & ranking to find out which Pokemon will help defend your gyms well!

Rankings are based on statistics before the 2018 balance changes. This article will be updated as soon as more information regarding defense stats is confirmed.

Pokemon Go, Strongest Defense - Tier List & Ranking
Check Out The All Pokemon List Here

Table of Contents

Gym Defense Per Rank List

S Rank Pokemon

Criteria Per Rank

RankCriteria
SHighly recommended Pokemon to defend Gyms. These Pokemon have few weak points, and have high durability. Will prove to be very hard opponents when fighting in gyms.
AGreat Pokemon for Gym defense. May not be as good as S Rank Pokemon, but still have have high HP and few weaknesses.
BPokemon that will do a great job at defending your Gyms. Compared to A Rank Pokemon, they have lower durability, and have more weaknesses, making them easier to defeat.

High HP & CP

HP and CP are two very big factors when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of a Pokemon's Gym defense. Their HP must be high to increase their survivability while having high CP ensures they can hit back hard!

Strong Moveset Required To Defeat Attackers

Having high defense is only one part of the story. Having good moves that deal lots of damage to attackers will make your Pokemon defend Gyms for longer since it takes out the competition easily!

Few Weaknesses Against Other Types

A Pokemon with few weaknesses will be very valuable as a strong Defense Pokemon. It will be hard for other Trainers to beat your Pokemon if their attacks are not that effective!

Check Out Pokemon Types Here

S Rank Pokemon

Blissey

Blissey
Recommended Moveset
Zen Headbutt / Dazzling Gleam

Strong Defense

Blissey has very strong defense against enemies due to its very high HP. It is a great defender unless an effective Pokemon is used against it.

Can Counter Effective Pokemon

Blissey also has the ability to learn moves which are effective against Pokemon that are strong against it. This will make Blissey an even harder target to bring down!

Check Out Blissey's Moves & Stats Here!

A Rank Pokemon

Chansey

Chansey
Recommended Moveset
Zen Headbutt / Dazzling Gleam

High Durability But Low Attack

Like Blissey, Chansey has high defense, and can win a gym battle by using up the time. However, Chansey cannot learn moves which are strong against effective Pokemon which is why it is not ranked higher.

Check Out Chansey's Moves & Stats Here!

Gardevoir

Gardevoir
Recommended Moveset
Confusion / Dazzling Gleam

Can Force Attackers To Use Different Pokemon

Gardevoir is a strong defender that can use Psychic type moves. Due to its few weak points, it may force attacking Players to change Pokemon types, making it harder for them to beat the gym!

Check Out Gardevoir's Moves & Stats Here!

Snorlax

Snorlax
Recommended Moveset
Zen Headbutt / Hyper Beam

Very High HP

Snorlax is a Pokemon that has veru high HP and Defense giving you a chance to win by making attackers run out of time. However, since it is a normal type, it may be easily beaten by fighting and psychic types.

Check Out Snorlax's Moves & Stats Here!

B Rank Pokemon

Slaking

Slaking
Recommended Moveset
Yawn / Play Rough

High Defense And Great Charged Attack

Slaking does not have great attack prowess, but more than makes up for it by having really good defense stats. It also has a great charged attack in Play Rough that will help it deal good damage to attackers.

Check Out Slaking's Moves & Stats Here!

Hariyama

Hariyama
Recommended Moveset
Counter / Dynamic Punch

Very Effective Against Tyranitar

Hariyama has good defense stats helping it win in defense by using up time. What separates Hariyama from other Pokemon is that its moves are very effective against Tyranitar, a very powerful attacking Pokemon.

Check Out Hariyama's Moves & Stats Here!

Lapras

Lapras
Recommended Moveset
Frost Breath / Petal Blizzard

Effective Against Machamp & Dragons

Lapras is an effective defender against a strong attacker in Machamp. Lapras is also a great defender when going up against Dragon-type Pokemon which other players often use to attack.

Check Out Lapras's Moves & Stats Here!

Muk

Muk
Recommended Moveset
Poison Jab / Gunk Shot

Highly Effective Against Fighting Types

Since Muk is a Poison-Type Pokemon, it can be very effective against Fighting-Type attackers like Machamp. However be careful as Muk does not do well against Psychic-Type attackers!

Check Out Muk's Moves & Stats Here!

Clefable

Clefable
Recommended Moveset
Zen Headbutt / Dazzling Gleam

Effective Against Dragons

Clefable is an effective defender against Dragons because it's a Fairy-Type Pokemon. Clefable's order in the gym can also disrupt a battle, and make an attacker change Pokemon.

Check Out Clefable's Moves & Stats Here!

Espeon

Espeon
Recommended Moveset
Confusion / Future Sight

Can Force Players To Change Pokemon

Espeon is a Psychic-Type Pokemon which is effective against several types of Pokemon. This may force players to change Pokemon mid-battle. Other than its good defense, it also has a high attack stat which can make quick work of attackers.

Check Out Clefable's Moves & Stats Here!
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Pokemon Go Strategy Team

Pokemon Go Strategy Team

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