Pokemon GO: Best moveset for Phanpy

Phanpy, the Long Nose Pokemon, was added to Pokemon GO along with many of its Johto counterparts in February of 2017 and has seen its share of attention in the following years.

A mono Ground-type Pokemon, Phanpy evolves into Donphan when fed 50 candies. Although it is pretty diminutive on its own before evolving, Phanpy has seen some use in Pokemon GO during specific PvP cups where evolutions are restricted, or CP caps are imposed.

Its stamina stat gives it some surprising bulk in these situations, and it can take some decent punishment before fainting. Regardless, if trainers are suiting Phanpy up for battle, they'll want to give it its best moveset.

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Pokemon GO: Making Phanpy battle-ready

Phanpy's battle potential is limited, but its best moveset can allow it to reach its pre-evolution potential (Image via Niantic)

Overall, Phanpy is capable of learning five different moves between its Fast Moves and Charge Moves. These include Tackle and Rock Smash as its Fast Moves and Rock Slide, Body Slam, and Bulldoze as its Charge Moves.

If Phanpy will be used in battle, players will want to zero in on its best moveset to get the most of what there is to work with. If it battles with a subpar moveset, it isn't likely to last long in any form of fight.

When it comes to picking a preferred Fast Move for Phanpy in Pokemon GO, Tackle is the way to go due to its energy generation despite dealing one and a half points less damage per second. Since Phanpy will need to lean on its Charge Moves to do any damage worth mentioning, energy economy is vital to its battle viability.

For Charge Moves, Pokemon GO trainers have some options. Many opt for Rock Slide, as it deals higher damage per second and sports a lower cooldown than Bulldoze.

However, suppose users want to go all-in on damage from one hit. In that case, Bulldoze is likely the better option due to its improved base damage and the ability to receive enhanced damage potential from a Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB). It takes longer to cool down, but it can hit harder in a single use than Rock Slide Can.

If trainers prefer, they can even pick up both Charge Moves and provide Phanpy with the best of both worlds and improved type matchup capability due to the moves being Rock and Ground-type, respectively.

Note: This article reflects the author’s views.