Defending Gyms
What is This?
This page is full of information specifically for defending gyms in #PokemonGO. Unlike Attacking Gyms the strategy for defending is quite different. You ideally want to Use Mid-Range CP Pokemon, focus on the Gym Composition, and a carefully picked #Move Selection. You can also see the Top Gym Defenders below.
Why Use Mid-Range CP Pokemon
High-CP Pokémon lose motivation faster, meaning they drop to low CP quickly and become easy one-tap clears. Mid-range defenders hit the sweet spot: they decay slowly, still take multiple passes to remove, and force attackers to spend more time, revives, and potions. The goal isn’t raw strength—it’s time efficiency denial. You want defenders that are bulky, annoying, and inefficient to clear.
Ideal CP Range
The Ideal CP range is 1,200–2,400 CP. Anything above ~2,700 CP: motivation decays too fast. Things below ~1,000 CP: are too easy to clear in one pass. The Pokemon's bulk (HP + Defense), Move Selection, and Gym Composition matters more than Attack IV when it comes to defending gyms.
Top Gym Defenders
The top gym defenders all bring an immense bulk, have favorable type matchups, and make the attack switch up their team or waste additional time. You can see a list of top tier gym defenders here and see my favorite pokemon that bring something different to the table below.
Here are some of my personal favorite flavor picks based on the Gym Composition.
| Pokémon | Ideal CP Range | Why / Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Drifblim | 1600 - 2100 | HP wall that resists fighting |
| Florges | 1800 - 2300 | Counters fighting and large hp pool |
| Wobbuffet | 900 - 1300 | Absolute time waster with psychic moves |
Gym Composition
A strong gym isn’t six Blisseys (you can’t anyway), it’s type and role variety:
- Chansey / Blissey (HP wall)
- Snorlax / Slaking (neutral bulk)
- Fairy type (anti-Fighting)
- Steel type (resist spam)
- Wildcard (Milotic, Gyarados, etc.)
This forces attackers to swap teams repeatedly, slowing them down.
Move Selection
For defenders the move selection matters more than you think. You want to prioritize short animation fast-moves (for more chip damage) charged moves that fill quickly > nukes. The goal is forcing dodges or damage, not KO'ing attackers.
Good examples include:
- Blissey: Zen Headbutt + Dazzling Gleam
- Snorlax: Lick + Body Slam
- Chansey: Zen Headbutt + Psychic
More Pokemon Content
This page is full of information specifically for #PokemonGO, you can also see the Pokemon Resources page or other pages tagged with #Pokemon for additional information.