How does CP relate to damage dealt?

In Pokemon GO each Pokemon has 2 moves, with a number next to them indicating what I assume to be the damage dealt by the move.

This damage dealt seems to be independent of the CP of the Pokemon, I have 700 CP Pokemon that do 5 or 6 damage and I have 100 CP Pokemon that do 15 damage on their basic attacks.

Does this mean that the 100 CP Pokemon actually does more damage than the 700 CP Pokemon?

Solution 1:

CP is an aggregate stat based on the Gen VI Pokemon stats and their current level, none of which is shown to players; Silph Road has been datamining this stuff for a while now. So yes, CP will affect an attack's damage in both directions (the attacker's Attk and the defender's Def stats, respectively), but isn't a linear factor.

For example, a 1200 CP Snorlax with a 10 damage attack will do less damage than a 1200 CP Dragonite who also has a 10 damage attack. On the other hand, if the Dragonite attacked the Snorlax and visa versa, the damage would mostly equalize out because of Snorlax's Defense and HP stats, making the fight fairly close.

It's currently unknown if attacks are balanced by DPS, but I believe there's a good chance of it; high damage special attacks have a long attack animation (during which you can't dodge), and a long charge bar; low damage special attacks do not. In my (limited) personal experience, high damage base attacks have a longer attack animation, slowing the attack spam.

The one thing that I view as a major problem is that the Speed stat has no effect on gameplay (that we know of), so Electric types all have very low CP; a 1200 Vaporeon will beat an equivalent level Jolteon (933 CP) as a result.

Solution 2:

If all else is equal the damage dealt is proportional of the Attack stat of the pokémon.

Every pokémon has 3 base stats: stamina, defense and attack. Each of them is multiplied by the same factor. And this factor increases as the pokémon is powered up.

In the CP formula the stamina and the defense are square rooted factors and the attack is a linear factor.

This means doubling all stats results in 4-fold increase in CP.

So if all else is equal an 1200CP pokemon causes twice more damage than a 300CP pokemon does.

Damage formula

CP formula

But keep in mind that damage is not everything. You can have a pokémon with low damage but high defense and stamina which is more successful than a pokémon with high damage but low defense and low stamina.

A pokémon with twice more attack serves twice more damage, so it's twice more powerful.

A pokémon with twice more defense receives half damage, so while it lives it can serve twice more damage, so it's twice more powerful.

A pokémon with twice more stamina has twice more hit points, so it can withstand twice more punishment, so while the hp bar depletes it can cause twice more damage, so it's twice more powerful.

So to compare the true combat potential of a pokémon specy, multiply its base stats.