Generation 2 Potential Best Attackers and Offensive Threats

Generation 2 Potential Best Attackers and Offensive Threats

As there are currently no new moves added to the game, it’s pretty easy to see which Gen 2 Pokemon have the potential to be a good or even must pick for your attacking team. The requirements are simple:

  • Base attack stat of at least 190 (matches Snorlax’s defense, who will continue to be a common gym defender)
  • Access to a Fast Attack move that matches the attacker’s type (for STAB bonus)
  • Must be able to come close to Vaporeon’s effectiveness as an attacker

Tyranitar

Potential Quick Move: Bite
Potential Charge Move: Stone Edge

No surprise here. With a 251 attack stat and stab on bite (bite being identical to Water Gun except Dark-type), Tyranitar will hit harder then Vaporeon in all neutral match ups (5 to 6 damage per hit) and tie with it when Vaporeon has the super effective advantage. For a small reduction in attack to gain a considerable amount of HP, Tyranitar is the new Dragonite. Although, his weakness to Water, Ground, and Fight could hold him back a little against common gym defenders Vaporeon and Rhydon. But! Tyranitar does resist the ever present Psychic-damage many common gym defenders use, particularly Zen Headbutt.

Donphan

Potential Quick Move: Mud Shot
Potential Charge Move: Earthquake

Donphan is a slight variation on Vaporeon, the only difference between Mud Slap and Water Gun being type and an extra 0.05 delay. It trades HP for higher defense, which in certain match-ups means dodging results in 1 damage when Vaporeon would take 2. It also means slightly less damage when tanking hits, like when using a charge move. Without dodging at all, Vaporeon will still slightly outpace Donphan, but in most continuous dodging scenarios, the two will pump out about the same damage.

Unfortunately, Donphan’s match-ups are a little worse than Vaporeon’s because of its weakness to water and ice (while Vaporeon resists). It can make up for it by not being resisted itself, however, because finishing the fight sooner is the best kind of damage reduction you can get.

Heracross

Potential Quick Move: Bug Bite
Potential Charge Move: Megahorn, Cross Chop, Brick Break

Bug Bite is currently one of the highest potential DPS moves in the game and the highest for energy per second. The 0.45 duration often allows for 1 extra hit against slow moves, like confusion, compared to Water Gun. Despite being 1 damage less then water gun, Heracross’ high attack (234) should keep the damage competitive. Even in high defense match-ups where Bug Bite may suffer, the faster energy generation should make up for it.

Megahorn will be the best damage per energy. Cross Chop and Brick Break are both excellent moves because of their very fast duration, allow Heracross to use them without missing a dodge. This is important since its HP is average.

Why no fighting quick moves? Rock Smash doesn’t allow dodging, and Heracross doesn’t have the bulk to tank. Karate Chop and Low Kick are seriously underpowered right now. Even with Stab + Super effective they barely match Water Gun’s damage but with much worse energy gain.

Scizor

Potential Quick Move: Bug Bite / Metal Claw
Potential Charge Move: Bug Buzz, X-Scissor

For Bug Bite, just see Heracross above. Metal Claw. This move will be absolutely stupid good on Scizor.

Base damage per hit before Attack/Defense is considered is 5 + 1. You start with 6 damage every 0.63 seconds (9.52 damage per second) and comparable energy gain to Vine Whip (slightly slower than Water Gun)

Scizor ha a potential 251 base attack with perfect IV, Metal Claw’s damage will increase by 1 against any target with a defense of 209 or less on a neutral hit, 224 if weak to steel, and 200 if resistant. Here are some potential defenders with perfect defense IV’s to show how plausible this really is:

  • 244 Golem (weak to steel)
  • 242 Omastar
  • 227 Tyranitar (weak to steel)
  • 221 Rhydon (weak to steel)
  • 216 Dragonite
  • 211 Gyarados (resists steel)
  • 209 Alakazam
  • 205 Lapras
  • 204 Snorlax
  • 192 Vaporeon (resists steel)
  • 172 Exeggutor

Again, those are base defense with perfect IV. That will be pretty rare, and if those Pokemon are lower level than Scizor, the odds of picking up that extra 1 damage per Metal Claw will be pretty good. Metal Claw has so much potential damage that using the charge move Iron Head may actually cost you a small amount of damage.

Speaking of charge moves: Bug Buzz does great damage for a long duration (4.2 seconds) while X-scissor is a small boost to damage over metal claw that can be used between most defender quick moves.

Unfortunately… Scizor’s type doesn’t help it against Dark, Water, and Ground moves which are all common defending types (Dark from Tyranitar). The resistance to the common Psychic-typing on defenders will be noticeable, however.

Ursaring

Potential Quick Move: Scratch
Potential Charge Move: Body Slam

A slightly discount Vaporeon (lower defense and HP) with a few niche potentials for a gaining an extra damage per Scratch. Scratch is exactly like Water Gun, but only worries about resists against Rock, Steel, and Ghost, making Ursaring a solid option with good dodging.

Because of Ursaring’s terrible base defense (144 base), Body Slam would be ideal because it can be used between defender quick moves, meaning Ursaring doesn’t need to miss a dodge to get a small damage boost.

Honorable Mentions

These Pokemon either don’t quite make the cut because they’re not as effective as Vaporeon, or simply don’t have access to a good quick move.

  • Feraligatr – Same attack as Vaporeon but worse bulk means even with Water Gun, it just can’t compete
  • Espeon – Psycho Cut / Psychic would make it a slightly more durable Alakazam… except Espeon can’t get Psycho Cut in the core games, so the odds of it picking up this move in Go seem pretty low.
  • Kingdra – Dragon Breath / Dragon Pulse. What do you call a discount Dragonite? Vaporeon. With only 194 in attack, Kingdra won’t be able to reach the 5 damage per hit mark with Dragon Breath that Vaporeon can on common defenders like Snorlax.
  • Crobat – Wing Attack / ??? Not as good of a wing attack user as Charizard, but at least more accessible with a higher attack stat than Pidgeot. No access to Hurricane in core games means it needs to rely on poison for its charge move, and most of the poison charge moves are mediocre.
  • Granbull – Solid attack stat, terrible defense, but more importantly… no Fairy-type quick attack. If there was a Fairy move similar to Water Gun, Granbull would have a few niche uses like wrecking Dragonites. Unfortunately, Granbull will like be just decent but forgettable Bite user.

Special Mention

Ampharos with Spark/Thunder

Spark is easier to use for constant dodging against Vaporeon and Gyarados, though it builds energy slower then Thundershock. Compared to Jolteon, Ampharos has less attack and defense, but manages 30-40 more HP around level 30. In a game where HP is king and good dodge rotations supplement that, Ampharos will be a solid survivable choice against some of the bulkier Water-type gym defenders.

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Zeroghan
Zeroghanhttps://pokemongohub.net/
Zeroghan started the Hub in July 2016 and hasn't had much sleep since. A lover of all things Pokémon, web development, and writing.

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