inkstone: small blue flowers resting on a wooden board (PokeGo)
V ([personal profile] inkstone) wrote in [community profile] pokestop2016-08-16 06:56 pm
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Tuesday Tips: Gym Battles

So, after playing this game for a while, you've probably noticed that it doesn't come with complete instructions. In fact, it seems like it was pretty much designed for you to figure things out on your own or by talking to other people. (Hence why this community was created!)

One of the things that keeps coming up in the free chats are gym battles. And yes, this is definitely one area where some instructions probably would have been useful. Since that's clearly not the case, I thought it'd be helpful to share tips & advice re: gym battles here!

The main thing to know about gym battles in PokeGo is that they're not turn-based. Once you see "Go!" on the screen, start hitting right away. Last pokémon standing wins.

The other thing to remember is don't be intimidated! With practice, persistence, and patience, you can still knock down that high level gym with strong defenders. Promise!

  • Learn how to dodge! It'll take some practice to get the timing down but there is always an indicator when the defender is going to attack. Different people visually process the marker in different ways, but the two major ways are either a flash on the screen or anime action lines around the defender. (I personally see the latter.) When you see the indicator, you have a small window of time in which you can swipe to dodge.

  • In general, stick with the basic attack. Using the charge attack will leave you vulnerable for a few seconds after its use.

  • That said, you can use this vulnerability against the defender. If you successfully dodge their charge attack, you can use your charge attack (if your bar is full) against them.

  • If your pokémon is about to faint, use your charge attack then.

  • If the defender seems like it should be fainting but just doesn't seem to want to, you'll have to use your charge attack to knock them out.

  • Learn the combat strengths and weaknesses of the various pokémon. If your brain can handle it, there are many charts online that you can memorize. For those of us who don't have this capability (it's okay if you don't; I don't!), I think of it in terms of elements. Water is strong against fire. Fire burns grass. Electricity does bad things to water. And so forth. Once you have these traits down, combined with dodging ability, you'll be able to take down pokémon several hundred CP stronger than yours!


What other tips and advice do you have?
tyger: Eevee.  Text: イーブィ (pokémon - eevee)

[personal profile] tyger 2016-08-17 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm currently dispairing of ever having a pokémon even vaguely close to strong enough to take on a gym - the closest one to my house's *weakest* defender is over 12K CP, and my strongest pokémon is... um... 255 - but these seem like good tips for if I ever get there! :D
healingmirth: Glitch from Tin Man: "o.O" (Glitch)

[personal profile] healingmirth 2016-08-17 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Whoa. My area is just now routinely hitting 2k CP defenders. You have my sympathies!
tyger: Axel, Roxas, and Xion, on the clocktower. (Default)

[personal profile] tyger 2016-08-18 12:52 am (UTC)(link)

Hopefully once I'm able to, you know, actually take walks around and shit I'll be able to catch up, but WE WILL SEE hahahaha. (More or less housebound atm because broken ankle.) On the plus side I'm able to walk around enough that I have a pretty good chance at hatching an egg today or tomorrow, so maybe that will have something with higher CP!

monanotlisa: symbol, image, ttrpg, party, pun about rolling dice and getting rolling (Default)

[personal profile] monanotlisa 2016-08-18 05:35 am (UTC)(link)
My area is approaching 3k mons (especially those bothersome 2900 Dragonites and Snorlaces), but 12k? Jeeesus.
tyger: Axel, Roxas, and Xion, on the clocktower. (Default)

[personal profile] tyger 2016-08-19 01:45 am (UTC)(link)

Wait, you're right, it's probably 1200. Sorry, my brains are pretty scrambled at the moment.