Let’s talk about Pokemon GO’s Combat Power: the re-balance and rework needed

Pokemon GO’s CP (Combat Power) system has been controversial since the launch of the game. Main series games fans weren’t pleased with this system and despite the first CP rebalance, there are things that make absolutely no sense like Suicune being weaker than Gyarados, Vaporeon or Milotic as water attacker (and a ton of other Pokémon), but in the end, CP is with us to this very day.

With games like Pokemon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee adopting the Combat Power system, we were curious to see how could Niantic change / fix / adapt the Combat Power to tell a better, more comprehensive story about every Pokemon in the game. Let’s explore the possibilities together.

How can Niantic fix this?

1. Changing the CP formula to scale down from Mewtwo

Maybe that won’t happen anytime soon, but if it does (with the introducing of PVP, fingers crossed), this could be the simplest way to fix it. The problem is: without a battle rework, this change would only be visual.

Just look at Latias, Regice or Lugia. Despite being cool that they break the 3000+ CP barrier, it’s bittersweet, since their utility is very deficient. So, changing the formula would only hide the problem, rather than actually fixing.

Anyway, we think you should know how the CP’s could look like if this kind of “rebalance” was made. Assuming the CP from Mewtwo as the base CP to calculate all of the others (which would mean that Mewtwo would be the strongest Pokémon available), here’s all the CP’s if they were purely based on base stats from the main series games and how the Pokémon would rank.

Rank	Pokémon	Current CP	Realistic CP	Change
1.	Mewtwo Psychic	3982	3982	0
2.	Lugia Psychic Flying	3598	3982	+384
3.	Ho-Oh Fire Flying	3889	3982	+93
4.	Rayquaza DragonFlying	3645	3982	+337
5.	Slaking Normal	4548	3923	-635
6.	Kyogre Water	4074	3923	-151
7.	Groudon Ground	4074	3923	-151
8.	Dragonite DragonFlying	3581	3514	-67
9.	Mew Psychic	3090	3514	+424
10.	Tyranitar RockDark	3670	3514	-156
11.	Salamence DragonFlying	3532	3514	-18
12.	Metagross SteelPsychic	3644	3514	-130
13.	Latias DragonPsychic	3377	3514	+137
14.	Latios DragonPsychic	3644	3514	-130
15.	Jirachi SteelPsychic	3090	3514	+424
16.	Deoxys Psychic	2244	3514	+1270
17.	Articuno IceFlying	2933	3396	+463
18.	Zapdos ElectricFlying	3330	3396	+66
19.	Moltres FireFlying	3272	3396	+124
20.	Raikou Electric	3349	3396	+47
21.	Entei Fire	3377	3396	+19
22.	Suicune Water	2823	3396	+573
23.	Regirock Rock	3087	3396	+309
24.	Regice Ice	3087	3396	+309
25.	Registeel Steel	2261	3396	+1135
26.	Arcanine Fire	2839	3250	+411
27.	Gyarados WaterFlying	3281	3162	-119
28.	Snorlax Normal	3355	3162	-193
29.	Kingdra WaterDragon	2424	3162	+738
30.	Blissey Normal	3219	3162	-57
31.	Milotic Water	2967	3162	+195
32.	Lapras WaterIce	2603	3133	+530
33.	Crobat PoisonFlying	2466	3133	+667
34.	Swampert WaterGround	2815	3133	+318
35.	Charizard FireFlying	2686	3127	+441
36.	Typhlosion Fire	2686	3127	+441
37.	Blastoise Water	2291	3104	+813
38.	Feraligatr Water	2721	3104	+383
39.	Sceptile Grass	2584	3104	+473
40.	Blaziken FireFighting	2631	3104	+473
41.	Aggron SteelRock	3004	3104	+100
42.	Walrein IceWater	2606	3104	+498
43.	Venusaur GrassPoison	2568	3074	+506
44.	Cloyster WaterIce	2475	3074	+599
45.	Vaporeon Water	3157	3074	-83
46.	Jolteon Electric	2730	3074	+344
47.	Flareon Fire	2904	3074	+170
48.	Meganium Grass	2227	3074	+847
49.	Espeon Psychic	3000	3074	+74
50.	Umbreon Dark	2052	3074	+1022
51.	Exeggutor GrassPsychic	2916	3045	+129
52.	Starmie WaterPsychic	2303	3045	+742
53.	Flygon GroundDragon	2458	3045	+587
54.	Gardevoir PsychicFairy	2964	3033	+69
55.	Tentacruel WaterPoison	2374	3016	+642
56.	Aerodactyl RockFlying	2608	3016	+408
57.	Porygon2 Normal	2546	3016	+470
58.	Steelix SteelGround	2439	2987	+548
59.	Ninetales Fire	2157	2957	+800
60.	Machamp Fighting	2889	2957	+68
61.	Shuckle BugRock	300	2957	+2657
62.	Golduck Water	2270	2928	+658
63.	Poliwrath WaterFighting	2441	2928	+487
64.	Rapidash Fire	2252	2928	+676
65.	Muk Poison	2709	2928	+219
66.	Gengar GhostPoison	2619	2928	+309
67.	Scyther BugFlying	2464	2928	+464
68.	Pinsir Bug	2770	2928	+158
69.	Ampharos Electric	2695	2928	+233
70.	Politoed Water	2371	2928	+557
71.	Scizor BugSteel	2801	2928	+127
72.	Heracross BugFighting	2938	2928	-10
73.	Ursaring Normal	2760	2928	+168
74.	Houndoom DarkFire	2529	2928	+399
75.	Donphan Ground	3022	2928	-94
76.	Wailord Water	2258	2928	+670
77.	Claydol GroundPsychic	1782	2928	+1146
78.	Nidoqueen PoisonGround	2338	2899	+561
79.	Nidoking PoisonGround	2386	2899	+513
80.	Magmar Fire	2254	2899	+645
81.	Omastar RockWater	2685	2899	+214
82.	Kabutops RockWater	2517	2899	+382
83.	Cradily RockGrass	2081	2899	+818
84.	Armaldo RockBug	2675	2899	+224
85.	Alakazam Psychic	2887	2869	-18
86.	Slowbro WaterPsychic	2482	2869	+387
87.	Weezing Poison	2183	2869	+686
88.	Kangaskhan Normal	2463	2869	+406
89.	Electabuzz Electric	2196	2869	+673
90.	Tauros Normal	2488	2869	+381
91.	Slowking WaterPsychic	2482	2869	+387
92.	Miltank Normal	2312	2869	+557
93.	Altaria DragonFlying	1868	2869	+1001
94.	Golem RockGround	2916	2840	-76
95.	Rhydon GroundRock	3300	2840	-460
96.	Huntail Water	2140	2840	+700
97.	Gorebyss Water	2281	2840	+559
98.	Relicanth WaterRock	2557	2840	+283
99.	Hypno Psychic	2048	2828	+780
100.	Vileplume GrassPoison	2367	2811	+444

*Victreebel, Electrode, Bellossom, Octillery, Ludicolo, Shiftry, Exploud & Glalie all follow Vileplume.

2. Without changing the formula

The same way Mewtwo, Ho-Oh or Rayquaza got nerfed (-9%) in order to balance the game, Niantic could simply change the base stats values in order to fix the utility of Pokémon like Suicune, Articuno or even Lugia, but mainly the Regi trio (players worst nightmare since the Legendary Raids were released).

That could be done in several ways:

1. Swapping points from the Defense to the Attack
2. Adding some points to the Attack
3. Adding a different mapping between core and GO games
4. Based on the final CP desired, calculate how much the attack value should be.

The problem is that this change would only work with the legendaries, due to prohibition to place them as gym defenders. But alas, a bit of a change goes a long way.

3. Making Pokémon GO a little bit more strategic

It’s well known that Niantic always wanted to Pokémon Go being a simple game, giving a valid argument to the present battle system. The problem is that it got so simple (after the removal of the Prestige System and changing the Charge Attack Dynamics from the well timed long press to a simple random tap) that the current system is mockingly called “tap tap win” in the hardcore circles. In a nutshell: it’s repetitive and boring.

Luckily, the core games have a feature in place that can easily fix this: effects and abilities.

Current “abilities” in GO

We had to wait some time for Ditto. The struggle got even more real to release Delibird (that came as a let down, even considering the creativity with the stardust bonus per catch) and no word on Smeargle.

Gen 3 got released, there’s rumours about how soon Gen 4 may be coming to the game and adding to that Smeargle problem, we have a Shedinja problem and a stranger Huntail and Gorebyss problem (still missing from our Pokedex, even with the recent flood of evolution items).

So similar with this strand that Niantic is exploring, they could use this to make some broken Pokémon useful by introducing simplified passive abilities:

• Imagine giving a ice charge attack to Suicune that adding to the damage dealt, it would have an frozen effect on the opponent, slowing it down.
• Or adding a fast attack to Registeel that with each strike it would boost his attack stat for that battle.
• Or with the simple presence of Lugia or Hypno in the field, it would confuse the Raid boss, making him hit itself in confusion.
• Or with Flygon on the field, all the ground attackers would be boosted by sandstorm (the same with Milotic, making rain fall in the middle of clear weather).
• Or having Venomoth poisoning the opponent, or Magcargo burning it, taking a piece from its HP, every time the opponent attacks.

This way, the game would be more complex, but not that hard to understand nor to follow.

This way it would make us to start giving attention to the defenders, making them a valuable asset to any team. An improvement in the way we battle and a game changer to the Raid System! Groups of people would join and define strategies to defeat a raid boss wisely.