Although the goal of each Pokemon game is to train your🍨 team to kick some butt, nobody can beat the league on offense alone. Depending on your play style, defense might be the last thing on your mind, so long as your team can hit hard.
But these gym leaders stand behind teams that can take that hit. You won’t be surprised that rock and steel types are the driving forces here, but a couple of careful choices cinched some of these leaders their spots on this list, too. to calculate the average base defense stat for each leader’s team during their respective battles, we've pinned down the ten teams that have us running to our PCs for our heaviest hitters.
10 🌼 Roxie Rules In Black 2 And White 2 (Normal Mode) ꦇ
When Lenora stepped down from the Nacrene City Gym in the two years between Black and White and Black 2 and White 2, Roxie and her underground music club in Virbank City took over as Unova’s second gym, and not undeservedly so.
In the Normal Mode version, you’ll be facing her Koffing and Whirpede. Koffing is the lower of the two at an already high 95, and Whirlipede follows with a 99. It’s worth noting that, while Roxie does have a third Pokemon in the Challenge Mode, Grimer’s base defense of only 50 lowers the team’s average down to 81.33.
Between Koffing and Whirlipede in Normal Mode, though, Roxie's team has a mean 97 base defense.
9 Winona Reaches New Heights in Ruby And Sapphire 🦄
Flying types are usually easy eno🍌ugh, but Winona’s team sure proves a challenge💛.
While Skarmory, with a base defense of 140, drives the team’s average skyward, it’s hardly the monster you’ll have to be most careful against. Pelipper flies in with an impressive 100, and Swellow is lower at 90. But her Altaria, with its 90 base defense, is the best-known sweeper on her team. Not only are its offensive moves tough to fend off, its Natural Cure ability heals all status 𓆉ailm꧃ents if Winona calls it back at any point, and can prevent you from making some meaningful moves.
While her team is a bit lower on defensive average in Emerald, her average in Ruby, Sapphire, and their remakes, OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire, is a mean 97.5 base defense.
8 Roark Stays Firm In Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum 🍌
🧸 Though he may be the first gym you’re up against in the fourth generation games Diamond and Pearl, and their rem𒁏akes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Roark certainly holds his own.
His team of rock-type Pokemon have great natural defense, but certain choices keep him lower on this list than other rock-type trainers. His Geodude has a base defense of 100, and Onix is even tougher at a base defense of 160. But Cranidos, while offensively sound, tanks the team’s collective defense with its dismal base stat of only 40.
Teams with similar Pokemon will appear later in the list, but Roark earns his place in the top ten, regardless. Between his trio, you’re up against an average of 100 base defense.
7 Jasmine's Not So Shy In Gold, Silver, And Crystal
Though her gym battle requires a tender-hearted fetch-quest to get to, don’t mistake Jasmine's softness for her and her team being pushovers.
The first of the steel-type trainers in the series, her two Magnemites hold steady at a cool 70 base defense, but Steelix, one of the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:best 🌟defenders of the second generation with a base defense of 200, is responsible for the team’s score. In Steelix’s Pokedex entries, it says that “Exposure to underground heat and pressure… has made its body harder than diamonds.”
With that extreme spike from Steelix, you’re looking at a mean base defense of 112.33 for The Steel-Clad Defense Girl.
6 ⭕ Clay Stands His Ground In Black 2 And White 2 (Challenge Mode) ꦆ
Though a strong opponent both offensively and defensively, it’s Clay’s wide score range across his three teams 💮that keeps him below the other leaderꦜ who tied his defense score.
In Challenge Mode of Black 2 and White 2, his team consists of Krokorok with a low 45, Sandslash at a much better 110, Excadrill holding strong at 135, and Onix bringing up the rear with a 160 base defense.
In the Normal Mode of Black 2 and White 2, he uses a team with a combined 71.67, and his team in Black and White has a significantly lower 53.30. Neither of these are particularly impressive, but in Challenge Mode 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Clay stands firm with a combined 112.5 base defense.
5 ꦬ Raihan Proves Tough In Sword And Shield
Raihan’s defensive score may be identical to Clay’s, but we gave him higher billing because, although he’s only got one team, their scores are consistently good and closer in range.
Your battle in Hammerlocke Stadium won’t be an easy one. Flygon is the easiest of the bunch with an 80, while the other three remain in the triple-digits. Duraludon has a base defense of 115, and Sandaconda has 125. However, his Gigalith edges them out just a bit with its 130 base defense.
Between these four rough dragon-types, you’re up against an average 112.5 base defense.
4 Roxanne&rsquℱo;s Rock-Types Really Rock In Ruby And Sapphire
Another early-game battle, Roxanne’s team when you face her in the Rustboro Gym, will require some work.
In Ruby and Sapphire, as well as their remakes, she’ll come at you with one Geodude who has a 100 base defense stat, and a Nosepass with a slightly higher 135. In Emerald, she has an additional Geodude, but when it comes to the averages, more isn’t always better. Geodude&rsquo𒐪;s individual stat is lowe🌜r than her Ruby and Sapphire team’s, bringing them down a few points in Emerald.
In Ruby and Sapphire, though, she kicks off your Hoenn adventure with a team boasting a combined 117.5 base defense.
3 Brock Flirts With Good Stats In Red And Blue🦂 ℱ
If you’ve seen the Pokemon anime, you know Brock as 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a hopeless romantic, doting brother, or chef extraordinaire. But you should know him as one ot⛎her thing, too – a steadfast defender.
A rock-type leader at the Pewter City Gym, Brock only has two Pokemon, but defensively, they mean business. He starts your very first gym battle with yet another Geodude that has a 100 base defense, and follows it with Onix, who's tough with a 160 base defense.
The Rhyhorn he has when you see him again in the second generation lowers the team’s average a bit. However, in his debut appearance in Red/Blue/Yellow, his team of two has a combined 130 base defense.
2 Gordie And His Surp🔥rise Defender In Swor🦩d
Gordie and his rock team are who you’ll face off against at Circhester Stadium in Pokemon Sword (while his mom, ice-type gym leader Melony,✨ will battle you in Shield). And, as we’ve already learned, rock-types mean business.
Barbaracle at 115, Stonjourner at 135, and Coalossal at 120 require some work to take down, but, of all things, Shuckle is the shocker with its 230 base defense, the highest of any Pokemon. Additionally, it’s got the Contrary ability: if you try to use a move to lower that defense, you’ll be raising it instead.
With Shuckle’s stat so high, Gordie’s team averages out to an imposing 150 base defense.
1 Byron’s "Steel🔯s" First Place In Platinum
Roark's not the only powerhouse in his family - his dad is the sturdiest guy you'll face.
Byron doesn’t keep a single poorly-defended Pokemon on his steel-type team in the Platinum version of the fourth generation games – his Magneton has the lowest base defense, and even that’s 95. His Bastiodon carrying a 168 into the fight at 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the Canalave Gym for the Mine Badge certainly doesn’t hurt, either. But it’s Steelix once again with a 200 base defense stat that really boosts the team.
When all is said and done, Byron and his iron-clad team take the top spot with an incredible 154.33 base defense.
