Overview
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Gengar returns for another bout in OU, still undisputed as the only Pokemon to consistently remain in the tier over the past decade or so. Gengar has always just been that good, and in XY it is no exception. The XY generation shift does little but benefit Gengar; the new Fairy-type gives Gengar another area to excel in, and the Steel-type losing its Ghost-type resistance makes it easier to for Gengar to fit moves into a set, and harder to switch into. Not all is good for Gengar though, as the general power creep in the metagame,(RC) like bringing new priority abusers, former Ubers, Assault Vest users, and powerful Mega Evolutions leaves Gengar struggling to keep up. However, Gengar still remains as useful and unique as days past, as its typing, ability, and support movepool let it act as a powerful stallbreaker, while its offensive stats and very good Speed-tier Speed tier don't let it down as an attacker against offensive teams. A number of other traits, such as acting as a spinblocker,(RC) and being an effective Destiny Bond user makes Gengar a rather consistent,(AC) yet still unpredictable choice for many teams,(RC) and quite unpredictable too. If you want to use Gengar, understand its role, its strengths, and its weaknesses,(AC) Do that, and you will find it very effective.
Utility Attacker
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name: Utility Attacker
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Taunt / Sludge Wave / Disable
ability: Levitate
item: Black Sludge
evs: 28 HP / 148 SAtk SpA / 80 SDef SpD / 252 Spd Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Substitute allows Gengar to play around its poor bulk using its typing's defensive attributes advantageously by forcing to force the opponent to attack to deal with Gengar, this which results in many free Substitutes on Pokemon such as Chansey, Clefable, Gliscor, Venusaur, Ferrothorn,(AC) and Amoonguss. Substitute is also necessary for Disable to function at all, and even against Pokemon that can defeat Gengar with attacks,(AC) Substitute can block status moves, giving Gengar free turns. Substitute also provides counterplay to against Sucker Punch users for Gengar. Shadow Ball is Gengar's STAB of choice, as its autonomous neutral coverage is unrivaled,(RC) and it does pretty solid damage to most Pokemon, letting Gengar keep up the offensive pressure on. Will-O-Wisp is a fantastic move in general, and on Gengar it is very valuable for pressuring defensive Pokemon, as well as severely crippling typical checks and counters, especially Pursuit, Shadow Sneak,(AC) and Sucker Punch users. Will-O-Wisp is almost always a great way to take advantage of a free turn,(AC) and improves Gengar's proficiency utility against offensive teams. Taunt's ability to stop the opponent from phazing out Gengar's Substitutes, healing, setting up entry hazards,(AC) or using Defog turns Gengar is it into a powerful stallbreaker. Against Pokemon Gengar can't really damage that much while behind a Substitute such as Chansey, Sylveon, specially defnesive defensive Hippowdon, specially defensive Heatran,(AC) and other extra resilient special walls Taunt disrupts these Pokemon and makes them easy to switch into, or completely beatable for Gengar Taunt also disrupts and cripples Pokemon that Gengar can't really damage when behind a Substitute, such as Chansey, Sylveon, specially defensive Hippowdon, specially defensive Heatran, and other extra resilient special walls, allowing a teammate to switch in easily, or even letting Gengar beat them outright (rephrased this so it reads a bit better). Sludge Wave forms reasonably good coverage with Shadow Ball,(RC) and gives Gengar a nice power boost against neutral targets, as well as while also letting it acting as a potent Fairy-type slayer. Disable disallows prevents the opposing Pokemon from using the move they last used for 3 turns,(AC) This allows allowing Gengar to prey upon opposing Pokemon that rely on just one move to do significant damage to Gengar, as well as completely shutting down slower Choiced attackers. Dropping Will-O-Wisp decreases Gengar's effectiveness against offensive teams,(AC) however but Taunt and Disable in tandem are a nightmare to stall-based teams,(AC) preventing the opponent from healing,(RC) or clearing entry hazards,(AC) while Disable renders also rendering the opponent unable to damage Gengar at all with mono-attack sets that many stall Pokemon feature use. An alternative option in the last slot is Focus Blast,(AC) which forms perfect neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball and is a very useful tool that lets Gengar patch up a weakness to Dark-types that attempt to beat Gengar with Sucker Punch, Pursuit, or just by virtue of their typing in general. It can be used in the last moveslot. Though Tyranitar and Bisharp are easily burned with WoW Will-O-Wisp,(AC) deterring them, it does not prevent Gengar from getting KOed in the process. If your team values Gengar to the point where sacking sacrificing it is unacceptable,(AC) Focus Blast should be used.
Set Details
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Black Sludge goes excellently with a set that ought to be creating a fair amount of free turns, and it is necessary for Substitute to be as effective as possible. An EV spread of 28 HP / 148 SAtk SpA / 80 SDef SpD / 252 Spe with a Timid nature lets Gengar's Substitutes survive a mininum SpA Mega Venusaur's Giga Drain or Clefable's Moonblast,(AC) which lets Gengar deal with these common threats much more easily. If this is not a massive concern,(AC) a simple Max SpA / Max Spe spread with maximum Special Attack and Speed investment improves offensive capability while still being very proficient effective against defense.
Usage Tips
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Gengar's unpredictability means that a number of moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Taunt will often be a surprise. This lets Gengar act as a solid Taunt lead, as even Magic Coat users will falter. If you see opposing Smeargle or Deoxys-D, leading with Gengar is recommended. Against stall teams,(AC) Gengar is quite effective as it easily makes free Substitutes on stall staples such as Chansey, Hippowdon, Clefable, and Gliscor. This success is exponentially greater with friendly entry hazards, as it often forces the opponent to switch around. Against stall teams,(AC) aggressive Stealth Rock use,(RC) and getting Gengar into the fray is recommended. Against more offensive teams,(AC) Gengar isn't as great, however,(AC) its Speed can still be useful, so Ghost-type weak Pokemon slower than Gengar can be easily checked, so keep that in mind, and Gengar's fast Will-O-Wisp can also be used to shut down slower attackers if necessary. Subsitute + Disable preys well upon opponents that have little to hit Gengar with outside of one coverage move, so scouting for sets with teammates,(RC) or excessive Substitute use may be helpful. Disable prevents slower Choiced attackers from doing anything at all, and again, scouting for these is valuable as it can buy Gengar free turns. Ferrothorn is easy prey,(RC) for substitute disable the Substitute + Disable set as it relies on just one attacking move to beat Gengar. If given a free turn behind a Substitute against a full strength Aegislash,(AC) it is generally advisable to burn it. Although Shadow Ball deals a lot of damage to Aegislash, Gengar will be forced out due to the threat of Shadow Sneak the next turn, so therefore Will-O-Wisp will let you do more damage one on one,(RC) or make Aegislash much easier to deal with later in the match.
Team Options
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When not using Focus Blast,(AC) a strong Fighting- or Fairy-type (remove space) partner to beat up on Dark-types that make life a pain for Gengar is appreciated. Azumarill, Terrakion,(AC) and Keldeo are in general good choices for this in general. Gengar switches in to its immunities the best, so very strong and threatening Pokemon such as Life Orb Terrakion that put sufficient pressure on the opponent to elect use Fighting-, Normal- or Ground-type moves despite Gengar's prescence go well with Gengar it. Life Orb Terrakion, for example. Due to the fact that Gengar can effectively render opponents unable to damage it with Disable or Taunt and Substitute, it often forces the opponent to switch. As such, entry hazard stacking racks up damage very efficiently. A skilled entry hazard setting partner setter, such as Deoxys, Terrakion, Garchomp, or Landorus can really indirectly punch holes in an opposing team indirectly. As damage from entry hazards surmount accumulates,(AC) opponents may attempt to remove thse hazards them. Opponents may not cannot spin on Gengar to remove entry hazards thanks to its Ghost typing, however but they may be able to use Defog if Gengar lacks Taunt. Bisharp is a solid partner to Gengar in this regard,(AC) as thanks to its Defiant ability it can acquire a +2 Attack boost if the opponent uses Defogs and you swap switch in Bisharp, or it can pressure deter the opponent to just not from Defogging at all, both favourable outcomes. On top of this,(AC) Bisharp is a solid answer to answer to the ever present Aegislash who can check Gengar by threatening with its Shadow Sneak. Especially with Taunt This set is very good at stall breaking when using Taunt, so insert it on teams that may struggle against this team archetype. The few viable stall Pokemons that can actually defeat Gengar such as specially defensive Heatran and Knock Off Gliscor need to be dealt with by teammates. Hidden Power Ice Terrakion is a very good Gliscor lure,(AC) and Pokemon that relatively can reliably take advantage of deal with Heatran such as Mega Charizard X,(AC) are also useful to help keep wear Heatran worn down.
Bond, Destiny Bond
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name: Bond, Destiny Bond
move 1: Destiny Bond
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Wave
move 4: Focus Blast / Thunderbolt
ability: Levitate
item: Life Orb
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
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Destiny Bond lets Gengar take on a role of an all-out attacker,(AC) scoring KOs with pure power then taking a defensive check it cannot muscle past down with it. Destiny Bond provides insurance against Sucker Punch users as per turn order, since Gengar will move after their Sucker Punch, it will fail, and next turn they will be trapped in a Destiny Bond,(AC) next turn ensuring at least a trade of Pokemon. Shadow Ball is a choice STAB the STAB move of choice; it has despite its mediocre Base Power, however the amount of types it hits neutrally is fantastic, as well as the resistances to it uncommon and Pokemon that resist it are uncommon. Focus Blast is important coverage for Normal- and Dark-types that resist Shadow Ball,(AC) such as Tyranitar that resist Shadow Ball. Sludge Wave despite poor neutral coverage Despite its poor neutral coverage, Sludge Wave has the most power out of any of Gengar's STAB moves, and thus so it does the most raw damage to a neutral target and it has the utility of getting rid of Fairy-types. Thunderbolt deserves recognition as due to being capable of 2HKOing Manddibuzz who which can sometimes tank 2 two Sludge Waves, and it is also valuable for doing the most damage agaisnt to various targets weak to it,(AC) such as a Gyarados, Azumarill,(AC) and Keldeo. Taunt is something that can be considered in the last slot,(AC) as it is useful for stopping a Pokemon that is trying to play around Destiny Bond with status moves, as well as it can letting Gengar beat some very passive defensive threats like Blissey. Substitute can also be inserted onto into the set, usually over Destiny Bond. It offers the utility of preventing your opponent from safely sacrificing a slower Pokemon to Gengar. Though Although Substitute is useful,(AC) it forfeits either coverage or Destiny Bond's utility and also can cause Gengar to end faint itself through passive damage.
Set Details
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As this Gengar focuses only on its offensive abilities,(AC) maximum Speed and Special Attack investment optimize its effectiveness in this regard. A Life Orb is really the only choice for this Gengar's set,(AC) as it demands the ability to switch moves,(RC) and also a lot of power.
Usage Tips
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Fighting-, Normal-, and Ground-type moves can be switched into of course, but the opponent must be pressured into using them. For example,(AC) if an opposing Terrakion is facing something that does not threaten it at all,(AC) it's unlikely to use Close Combat when Gengar is still alive. Keep this in mind when attempting high-risk switch-ins. The same goes for resisted moves, for example, Landorus can easily eliminate Gengar with Psychic,(AC) but Sludge Wave, Earth Power,(AC) and Focus Blast bounce off it can be switched into easily. Really, This Gengar is a high-risk,(AC) high-reward Pokemon, so use its typing aggressively to get it in and deal damage. Even with bad defenses,(AC) Gengar's typing lets it deal with mono-attacking Fairy-types like Clefable,(RC) and Sylveon, as well as some attackers like Scolipede,(AC) so capitalize on these opportunities. These Pokemon should be capitalized on as hard as possible. With Destiny Bond this set works well early-game, as it can still perform despite its counters being intact, so get it in as soon as you can.
Team Options
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This set is Gengar's best way to fight offense,(AC) thanks to it being nearly impossible to switch into for less than bulky teams, and the threat of Destiny Bond being is quite useful against them as well. Should your team need a better matchup to offense,(AC) this set is Gengar's best bet (first sentence basically says it already). Aegislash really likes it when you remove Ghost counters such as Bisharp and Mandibuzz with Destiny Bond. Gengar tends to be at home on more offensive teams, since its Speed, power, utility,(AC) maverick-like nature, along with being able to spin block and spinblocking capabilities are appreciated. Pair it alongside big powerful attackers like Mega Gardevoir, Keldeo, Terrakion, Mega Medicham, Mega Mawile,(AC) and other juggernauts for maximal maximumhyper offensive power.
Other Options
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Gengar has a couple of miscellaneous coverage options that can beat some specific Pokemon, such as Energy Ball, Psychic, and Dazzling Gleam,(AC) but these moves have limited application compared to the versatility and strength of Gengar's other options. A Choice Specs set thanks to using Gengar's coverage and the lack of resistances to just Ghost-type moves may seem appealing, however but it requires a hell of a lot of support to function. Being hung out to dry against Pursuit and Sucker Punch users, as well as any strong prioirty priority or Choice Scarf users in general makes it quite easy to check or trap (this belongs in the overview). Despite these failings it Gengar can also beat pretty much every counter with coverage,(RC) or Trick,(AC) and the power behind granted by Choice Specs makes it very hard to switch into,(AC) but overall,(AC) it is inefficient compared to the other sets, but still usable. A Choice Scarf set can be used and can to capitalize on Gengar's immunity to Normal-type moves to reliably revenge kill Extreme Speed users,(AC) but however these are not the biggest threats in the metagame and overall it is pretty damn weak overall. Pain Split is an option that can let Substitute Gengar recover health, affording the use of a Life Orb in most situations too. As well It can also hassle some defensive Pokemon like Chansey or Clefable pretty well by discourgaing discouraging healing, but utility Life Orb Gengar fails to be as effective against stall as Black Sludge, nor as effective as all-out Destiny Bond attacker against offense,(AC) so it's a situational middle ground.
Checks & Counters
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**Heatran**: Specially defensive Heatran is immune to burns, takes Shadow Ball quite well, and in retaliation Lava Plume does enough to force Gengar out. However,(AC) it is narrowily narrowly 2HKOed by Life Orb Focus Blast.
**Bulky Pursuit Users**: Bisharp and Tyranitar are both capable of trapping Gengar with Pursuit, which is an issue, though the right coverage moves from on Gengar as well as the threat of Will-O-Wisp can deter them. <- add full stop
**Assault Vest users**: Conkeldurr, Raikou, Escavalier, Tyranitar, Tornadus-T,(AC) and other Assault Vest users really ruin Gengar's day, and unless they can be difused defused with Substitute + Disable,(AC) Gengar is fighting a losing battle. Of However,(AC) all typical Assault Vest users most are crippled by a Will-O-Wisp burn however.
**Strong Choice scarf users**: Choice Scarf Garchomp, Tyranitar,(AC) Terrakion, Excadrill, and Landorus-T,(RC) and what have you are all quite good checks to a Gengar that is not behind a Substitute,(AC) as they all cleanly outspeed and KO it. Tyranitar is especially troubling,(AC) as it effortlessly traps and KOs Gengar if it can get in for free.
**Strong priority moves**: Scizor, Talonflame, and other powerful priority users like these have no trouble checking Gengar due to its frailty. Sucker Punch users may seem like a good check,(AC) but no Gengar set should eschew a countermeasure to this move,(AC) whether it be Substitute, Destiny Bond, or Will-O-Wisp.
**Fast Offensive Checks**: Thundurus, Alakazam, and Greninja can easily check Gengar due to its bad defenses. <- add full stop