5 best defenders in Pokemon GO's current meta

The act of challenging and dominating Gym Battles is a time-honored tradition in the Pokemon franchise and has even found its way into Pokemon GO. However, Gym Battles have changed drastically from what experienced trainers are used to.

Rather than having a designated Gym Leader like other gyms in the franchise, Pokemon GO opts for more of a stronghold type of gym.

In Niantic's mobile game, gyms are controlled by one of the three teams rather than individual players. If players approach a gym controlled by their team, they can choose to deposit a creature to help defend it from attacking players.

Many hardcore trainers who invest themselves heavily in the metagame may be inclined to find the best possible creatures to use to defend their team's base in Pokemon GO.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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Metagross, Chansey, and 3 other great gym defenders in Pokemon GO

1) Milotic

Milotic as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Milotic provides a solid balance of defense and stamina, which can come in handy for players who may not be too familiar with the opposing trainers in their area.

With great Dragon, Water, and Ice-type attacks, Milotic is a true jack of all trades when it comes to generalized defense for any trainer's gym.

However, with Kartana and Xurkitree running rampant in Pokemon GO, many players may be hesitant to send a Water-type to defend a gym. For this reason, players may start to see fewer Milotic guarding gyms. However, it is still a viable option.

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2) Metagross

Metagross as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Metagross is a notorious pocket monster in Pokemon GO. Its high defense, Steel typing, and great movepool make it an oppressive defensive pick as well as a threatening attacker.

Metagross also provides great offensive utility. It can deal with any creature that steps foot into its trainer's territory, courtesy of its access to powerful Steel and Psychic-type attacks.

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3) Snorlax

Snorlax as it appears in Pokemon Origins (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Snorlax is a tried and true defensive pick, thanks to its monstrous stamina. While the pure Normal typing it wields is not as sturdy as Metagross' Steel typing, it only has one weakness: Fighting-type attacks. This greatly decreases the list of creatures that enemy trainers can use against it.

In typical Normal-type fashion, Snorlax possesses a layer of unpredictability when it comes to its movepool. Normal-type Pokemon have always been the swiss army knife of creatures due to the sheer variety of moves they can learn.

Heavy Slam and Zen Headbutt are the best choices for Snorlax in Pokemon GO.

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4) Chansey

Chansey as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

While Chansey is an unevolved Pokemon, it still possesses an excellent stamina stat. This makes it a defender that players will need to run through multiple times before they can claim the gym.

Much like Snorlax, Chansey has an unmatched level of utility, thanks to its pure Normal typing. This means the Pokemon only has one weakness and a unique movepool.

Zen Headbutt and Dazzling Gleam are the best defensive moves for Chansey.

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5) Blissey

Blissey as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Blissey is Chansey's evolution. It only has a slight increase in its stamina stat when evolving. However, this leaves the rest of the stat total to be transferred to its defense and attack.

Blissey is arguably the best possible defender a trainer can use in Niantic's mobile game, especially when used with Zen Headbutt and Dazzling Gleam.