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5th Gen Who was the hardest Gym Leader in B/W?

Hardest Gym Leader in B/W?


  • Total voters
    74
50,218
Posts
13
Years
Come again?

I believe they also appear on Route 2. Which is before the first Gym.

Cyclone

Nope, shaking grass does not activate until after getting the first Badge.

Clay's Excadrill can be kinda tough but it's not too difficult if you started with Oshawott or if you have any decent Water-type on your team. Fighting-types also do great against it.
 

Ho-Oh

used Sacred Fire!
35,992
Posts
18
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  • Age 31
  • Seen Jul 1, 2023
I'm pretty sure I just used Emboar against Excadrill tbh. I didn't find Clay really hard to face because my Emboar was so high in level, even though I had a bad moveset lmao.
 
67
Posts
11
Years
Incorrect, completely. You can find Vanillite in Cold Storage. The area is missing in B2/W2, but this forum is B/W, and it still exists here. :D

Additionally, if it's winter, you'll have a 15% chance of finding Vanillite around Route 6. They are missing in other seasons. The reason they appear in Cold Storage year-round is because it's so darn cold there.

Cyclone

I was wrong. But I've never met a Vanillite near the Cold Storage. ;)

Plus, on my first approach, I didn't considerate Vanillite as a real ice pokemon. I thought he's bad (in front of cryogonal...). But since I read your post, I caught a Vanillite on road 6 ;) and I'm happy to have him in my team (he's not too bad).

Thanks for your advice ;) I'll win easily against Iris now.


Clay is not really hard. A good water pokemon or ground. And his badge is our. I did it with my Foongus level 31. (I have also used Darmanitan to achieve his excadrill but just because my Darmanitan held the rune coin to double my money).
 

Cyclone

Eye of the Storm
3,331
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11
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  • Seen Oct 3, 2016
Don't forget to look for Cubchoo in Twist Mountain as well! And if you're lucky, you'll find a Cryogonal too - but the chance of encounter goes down again on Sept. 1 when Spring thaws through!

Cyclone
 
67
Posts
11
Years
I caught Vanillite and he's efficient. More than I could think of it.

So, I keep him in my team. Compound with Larvesta, Throh, Druddigon, Joltik, Frillish, Vanilluxe. I have Amoonguss, Seismitoad and Darmanitan in reinforcements in the pc.

I beat Iris easily. Now, I pull my pokemons on the victory road to be ready for the league and N.

But I always think that the most difficult gym leader are Iris and Draydon. Because is needed really either a Dragon or Ice type pokemon.
 

Superjub

Pokémon Aureolin
2,288
Posts
16
Years
Clay gave me a lot of trouble for some reason. Then again, I'm fairly sure at that point I had a lot of Pokemon that were weak to him- I remember having an Emboar, Exadrill (might have been a Drillbur) and Zebstrika at that point, for instance. I did also have a Whimsicott or Cottonee too though, haha. XD I think Clay might have been the only gym leader that I lost against on my first time. :s
 
67
Posts
11
Years
Your pokemon weren't strong enough ?

With the Whimsicott (Cottonee) for his water/ground pokemon
Emboar (fight type) for the dark/ground
Emboar (fire type) for his Excadrill

It's true that clay could be a surprise as gym leader.

In the fact, when I come in a gym's town I go to the gym to talk with the guide (he gives me some good advices ;) ).
 

Cyclone

Eye of the Storm
3,331
Posts
11
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  • Seen Oct 3, 2016
In the fact, when I come in a gym's town I go to the gym to talk with the guide (he gives me some good advices ;) ).
At times, the advice can be questionable at best. For instance, if you go to Goldenrod City in the course of SoulSilver, you find advice to get a Fighting type to combat the Normal Pokémon.

...the catch is that the first Fighting type isn't found until you get to Mt. Mortar east of Ecruteak City. To get there, it's necessary to take out the Sudowoodo from the three-way fork. To do that, you need the Squirt Bottle. To get that, you must beat the Goldenrod Gym.

Au contraire. I ended up taking my Geodude to go to town on Whitney.

Cyclone
 
7,741
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17
Years
  • Seen Sep 18, 2020
Lenora because holy crap superpowered second gym I haven't seen this since Misty's Starmie.
I even had a (traded) Mienfoo to deal with it.


At times, the advice can be questionable at best. For instance, if you go to Goldenrod City in the course of SoulSilver, you find advice to get a Fighting type to combat the Normal Pokémon.

...the catch is that the first Fighting type isn't found until you get to Mt. Mortar east of Ecruteak City. To get there, it's necessary to take out the Sudowoodo from the three-way fork. To do that, you need the Squirt Bottle. To get that, you must beat the Goldenrod Gym.

Au contraire. I ended up taking my Geodude to go to town on Whitney.

Cyclone
You can trade Drowzee (from Routes 34 & 35) for a Machop in Goldenrod.
 
Last edited:

FrostPheonix

Eternity.
449
Posts
13
Years
first one because of type disadvantage really; lenora wasn't too bad, except it took a heck of a long time. other than that, the gyms were disappointingly easy. No real grinding had been needed.
 
17,600
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19
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  • Age 31
  • Seen Jan 1, 2024
I felt obliged to pick two, so I picked Lenora because of retaliate and Elesa because of type disadvantages.
 

Superjub

Pokémon Aureolin
2,288
Posts
16
Years
Your pokemon weren't strong enough ?

With the Whimsicott (Cottonee) for his water/ground pokemon
Emboar (fight type) for the dark/ground
Emboar (fire type) for his Excadrill

It's true that clay could be a surprise as gym leader.

In the fact, when I come in a gym's town I go to the gym to talk with the guide (he gives me some good advices ;) ).

Haha, I don't know why is struggled so much. XD It probably was due to my Pokemon being under-leveled at that point, but I can't remember. I do know that I beat him with relative ease on my second attempt though. ^^
 

Atomic Pirate

I always win.
930
Posts
12
Years
I didn't really have too much trouble with any of the leaders, but on my most recent playthrough, Clay gave my team hell. His Excadrill was insane, as I didn't have anything good to counter it with.
 

Bounsweet

Fruit Pokémon
2,103
Posts
16
Years
  • Seen Sep 17, 2018
I voted for Drayden/Iris before I remembered Lenora and her freaking Watchog orz

The trio was hard too, but they were manageable if you got the monkey in the Dreamyard.
 
2,377
Posts
12
Years
  • Seen Aug 25, 2015
Lenora definately. I hear a lot of people say Elesa is difficult and they get frustrated by her Emolgas' Volt Switching, but I found having a Gigalith stops that. Lenora's Watchog was definately the biggest challenge I faced in B/W.
 
24
Posts
13
Years
I actually found Burgh to be the hardest, because I couldn't keep my Pokemon from being poisoned. Bug Pokemon really got a boost in this game and it really took me by surprise.
 
13
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Nov 15, 2013
On my first playthrough, Burgh was the only gym leader to take more than two or three tries. Not only because I didn't want to raise a Darumaka due to its annoying hustle ability (although I raised one this time and found Darmanitan to be worth it), but all of my Pokemon were weak to his Leavanny's moves too.

I was at least 3 levels over-levelled for every gym after that, since I fought every single trainer I could find. After Clay, there was no challenge at all until the elite four.
 
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