The Strongest Pokemon In Pokemon Go Got Nerfed

ComicBook.com reported earlier today that Pokemon Go recently updated its battling system to provide some balance to attacks and move players away from the popular strategy of "rapidly tap your screen until the other Pokemon faints". Unfortunately, like any adjustment to a game's battling system, the new changes mean that some of your strongest Pokemon might have gotten nerfed.

Pokemon Go's original battling system placed a high premium on quick attacks, which players could fire off at a rate of about 2 attacks per second. If your Pokemon had an attack like Water Pulse or Xcissor, they could dish out tons of damage per second, giving them a big advantage in battle.

However, the new battle system dramatically weakened quick attacks, effectively nerfing the most powerful quick attack moves. Moves like Water Gun, Psycho Cut, Lick, Metal Claw, and Mud Shot were nerfed by the update, as their effective damage per second rates were cut by half or more.

It appears that you'll no longer be able to clear a Pokemon Gym using only a Vaporeon with Water Gun or a Hypno with Psycho Cut, regardless of which Pokemon was guarding the gym. STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus, which gives players a 25% damage bonus if their attack type matches the Pokemon's type) and type advantages are now a lot more important moving forward. Players should also check out what charge attack their Pokemon now have. While a Vaporeon's Water Gun may be a lot weaker, its Hydro Pump attack got a big boost with yesterday's update.