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Choice Specs Gengar is a potent pick as a wallbreaker on Ghost teams thanks to its high Special Attack and Speed stat along with excellent coverage options and a good typing. Sludge Wave threatens Grass- and Fairy-types such as Rillaboom, Togekiss, Primarina, and Clefable. It also massively damages any unresisted foe such as Hydreigon or Indeedee, both of which can otherwise take or ignore Shadow Ball. Focus Blast provides very important coverage against Tyranitar, Diggersby, and Incineroar. Thunderbolt pressures Water-types such as Keldeo and Toxapex, as well as Flying-types such as Corviknight, Mandibuzz, and Mantine. Trick can cripple bulky walls such as Chansey, which is otherwise hard to wear down. Gengar's Special Attack and Speed EVs alongside a Timid nature and Choice Specs allow it to hit as hard and be as fast as possible. It's also very frail, so it should be brought in against resisted attacks or predicted switches. Dragapult serves as an efficient late-game cleaner with Dragon Dance, being able to clean teams easily and outspeed almost the entire metagame after a boost. Choice Scarf Dragapult can also be used to revenge kill fast threats such as Zeraora, Sand Rush Excadrill, and Swift Swim Kingdra. Mimikyu is a great late-game cleaner, as its ability Disguise allows it to blanket check many Pokemon and pick off weakened foes in tandem with Swords Dance and Shadow Sneak. Its unique Ghost / Fairy typing also helps it play a crucial role in revenge killing Dark-types for the team. Galarian Corsola provides a defensive backbone for the team thanks to its good bulk, which allows it to annoy physical attackers with the combination of Will-O-Wisp and Strength Sap. In addition, its access to Stealth Rock makes Gengar a more consistent wallbreaker. Aegislash is incredibly versatile, as it can be a specially defensive wall with SubToxic, wearing down special attackers such as Jirachi and Celebi, or a Swords Dance wallbreaker. Additionally, it can check other Fairy-types that Choice Specs Gengar has trouble revenge killing, such as Choice Scarf Gardevoir. Jellicent provides a useful Water immunity for Ghost teams, keeping Dracovish, Keldeo, and Barraskewda in check. Alolan Marowak and SubCM Chandelure are powerful wallbreakers that easily handle Ice, Grass, and Steel teams. Alolan Marowak provides a useful Electric immunity for Ghost teams thanks to its ability Lightning Rod. Chandelure can also punish Sucker Punch users such as Bisharp and Skuntank, which are huge threats to Ghost teams. Froslass acts as a fast Spikes setter on hyper offensive teams that can prevent entry hazards from the opposing team thanks to Taunt.

Gengar has great Speed and Special Attack, which allows it to function as a potent revenge killer that can also sweep a weakened team late-game. Its STAB Shadow Ball allows it to beat Ghost-type teams. Gengar has great coverage in the form of Focus Blast to hit Pokemon that resist its STAB like Tyranitar, and Dazzling Gleam for Dragon-types like Kommo-o and Hydreigon that tend to be difficult for Poison-types to take down. Gengar is a frail Pokemon, so Toxapex is an incredible teammate, as it absorbs hits for it. It is particularly useful against threats with priority like Mimikyu and Bisharp. Drapion is able to switch into the super effective Psychic-, Dark-, and Ghost-type attacks that are used against Gengar. Roserade helps it handle Ground-type Pokemon while also setting Spikes, which makes Gengar's late-game cleaning easier. Toxtricity can bring Gengar in with Volt Switch and beat Pokemon like Corviknight and Toxapex that would otherwise come in and wall Gengar. Toxicroak breaks the special walls, like Snorlax, that would otherwise hinder Gengar's sweep. Galarian Weezing provides a Ground immunity and can remove entry hazards with Defog, allowing Gengar to come in more freely during the game. Moreover, it serves as another Dark-resistant teammate to support Gengar. Vileplume helps Gengar by checking Excadrill, which greatly threatens Poison-type teams. Salazzle also aids Gengar by threatening Steel-type teams and withering down other types with a Substitute + Toxic set.

Gengar is a powerful revenge killer on Ghost teams due to its high Special Attack and potent movepool. Sludge Bomb picks off weakened Fairy- and Grass-types such as Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and Zarude. Focus Blast takes down Steel- and Dark-types, such as Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Dazzling Gleam is also a more accurate way to nail Dark-types, and it hits certain ones like Hydreigon and Galarian Moltres better. A Choice Scarf allows it to outspeed threats such as Choice Scarf Zarude, Choice Scarf Hydreigon, and Dragon Dance Tyranitar, making it one of the best revenge killers for Ghost-type teams. Gengar has a unique role in absorbing Toxic Spikes, as Ghost teams don't have reliable entry hazard removal to prevent teammates like Galarian Corsola and Mimikyu from being worn down. Galarian Corsola takes on and burns physical attackers such as Excadrill and Zeraora, and it softens up the opposing team for Gengar by setting Stealth Rock. Bulky foes such as Toxapex and Gastrodon can be pressured by Calm Mind Spectrier, which can also spread burns with Will-O-Wisp, wearing down special walls like Drapion and Celesteela. Swords Dance Aegislash deals with Hatterene and Clefable, and it appreciates Gengar removing fast threats such as Zarude and Hydreigon for it. Mimikyu can beat Sucker Punch users like Bisharp and removes Dark-types such as Galarian Moltres, which pose a threat to Gengar and its teammates. Setting Spikes, Froslass helps wear down Pokemon like Toxapex and Heatran to allow Gengar to sweep late-game. Dragapult can handle troublesome Dragon-types like Kyurem and Garchomp, as well as pressuring Volcarona, which can use Gengar as setup fodder.

Gengar is a powerful wallbreaker thanks to its high Special Attack and Speed stats combined with access to strong STAB moves, such as Moongeist Beam, which allows Gengar to 2HKO walls like non-Assault Vest Toxapex and Seismitoad. Sludge Wave hits threatening Fairy- and Grass-types such as Clefable and Rillaboom super effectively. Nasty Plot can be used instead of Sludge Wave to set up on walls crippled through Trick, such as Blissey, since Ghost- and Fighting-type coverage take care of almost all threats. Focus Blast gives Gengar an option to hit Ghost-resistant foes like Tyranitar, Chansey, and Porygon2. Gengar fits well on offensive teams that appreciate its ability to quickly remove threats and hinder opposing walls with Trick. Bulkier Pokemon such as Clefable and Seismitoad particularly enjoy having it knock out Pokemon that they are too passive to remove themselves. Pokemon like Thundurus-T and Rotom-H who are threatened by Tyranitar also benefit from Gengar's ability to 2HKO it. Due to its frailty, Gengar appreciates defensive teammates like Ferrothorn and Buzzwole that can take strong hits from threatening Pokemon like Aerodactyl, Cinderace, and Weavile, as well as pivots such as Corviknight, Toxapex, and Tornadus-T that can safely bring it in.

Gengar is a fearsome wallbreaker thanks to its high Special Attack and Speed as well as access to Nasty Plot. Its immunity to Toxic and Seismic Toss also makes it a potent stallbreaker. Nasty Plot allows Gengar to deal massive damage with its attacks and open up holes for the rest of its teammates. When used with the Ghostium Z, Shadow Ball becomes a strong Never-Ending Nightmare that OHKOes key checks to Gengar, most notably Unaware Clefable, Landorus-T, and Garchomp after minor chip damage. Focus Blast is Gengar’s preferred coverage move to hit Pokemon that Shadow Ball cannot such as Chansey, Blissey, and Tyranitar. Substitute allows Gengar to freely fire off attacks or set up with Nasty Plot to pressure defensive Pokemon and exploit Pokemon that rely on status, like Thunder Wave Blissey and Sleep Powder Tangrowth. Gengar fits best on offensive and hyper offensive teams, as they allow Gengar to utilize its offensive prowess well. Due to Gengar's frailty, it is important to switch it in safely, so pivots such as Tapu Koko, Landorus-T, and Rillaboom are key teammates. Landorus-T can also provide entry hazard support for Gengar, helping it punish switch-ins and securing OHKOs on bulkier Pokemon like Garchomp, and gives it a crucial Ground immunity to switch into. Pursuit trappers like Weavile and Tyranitar threaten Gengar heavily, so it pairs well with Pokemon like Mega Lopunny that can take them on. Gengar also likes Mega Lopunny's ability to pressure and take out offensive Pokemon that threaten it like Garchomp and Greninja, and Gengar helps pressure Fairy-types in return. Setup sweepers like Mega Gyarados and Rillaboom appreciate Gengar’s ability to tear massive holes into teams for them to clean up, and, in turn, Gengar appreciates their ability to get rid of threats such as Tyranitar and Choice Scarf Landorus-T.

Mega Gengar is also capable of running a utility set in order to trap Pokemon in a more secure fashion. Perish Song always allows Mega Gengar to remove its targets after three turns. This is particularly useful for trapping Normal-types such as Chansey and Arceus, sleeping Tyranitar, Primal Groudon, and Zygarde-C, and Pokemon forced into using their recovery move. Alternatively, Shadow Ball may be run in order to eliminate targets by means of direct damage instead. Destiny Bond is an option that always allows Mega Gengar to force a trade with slower foes, which is very useful if it isn’t needed anymore or direly needs remove a Pokemon for a teammate. It also works very well with Encore, as Pokemon that may attempt to escape Destiny Bond by using status moves are locked into them by Encore regardless. However, Dynamax ignores the effects of Destiny Bond, and phazing moves from the likes of Ho-Oh also shut down this strategy. Disable is another option that, in tandem with Substitute, allows Mega Gengar to more securely trap Pokemon that only have one way of harming it, such as Ferrothorn and certain Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, and support Arceus variants. In combination with Encore, it also lets Mega Gengar force the target into using Struggle. However, Pokemon with more than one attack, such as defensive Dragon Tail Zygarde-C and Brave Bird Ho-Oh, can simply alternate between them in order to avoid the effects of Disable. Moreover, Disable's effects are ignored by Dynamax and Z-Moves, and it also cannot prevent Mega Gengar from being phazed. The given EV spread optimizes Mega Gengar's Speed in order to quickly use Encore on as many targets as possible while improving its general bulk. A 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe EV spread is to be run with Shadow Ball in order to maximize damage output. This Mega Gengar set also fits best on balance and bulky offensive teams that benefit from its ability to trap key Pokemon and provide it with a defensive backbone it can fall back on. Generally, it's safer to use Substitute first with this set after switching into a status move in order to scout for the target Dynamaxing immediately, should it predict Encore. Thanks to Destiny Bond or Disable, the opportunity to trap it won't be lost if it simply attacks without Dynamaxing instead. However, if running Disable over Destiny Bond, Mega Gengar should be more aggressive with using Encore first whenever it comes in on a status move from Pokemon with more than one attack, as otherwise, the opportunity to trap its target will be lost. This set always forces the opponent into sacrificing their Pokemon or using Dynamax at worst if Mega Gengar has Mega Evolved and is brought in on a status move. Thus, Pokemon that appreciate the opponent’s Dynamax gone, such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, remain ideal partners. Mega Gengar still cannot deal with faster threats such as Zacian-C and Pokemon that have boosted their Speed such as Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza and Ultra Necrozma. Therefore, Pokemon that can check these threats, such as Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon for the former and defensive Zygarde-C and Lunala for the latter two, remain very useful teammates. Mega Gengar also has an abysmal matchup against Yveltal, which does not fear even Destiny Bond due to Dynamax blocking it. Thus, Tyranitar and specially defensive Ho-Oh continue to be great teammates. If running Perish Song, this set has a much easier time trapping defensive Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Zygarde-C, and Primal Groudon while they are asleep, as it can be hard switched into them on the turn after they use Rest and proceed to use Perish Song. Therefore, it is better tailored to status inducers such as Ho-Oh, defensive Necrozma-DM, and defensive Primal Kyogre, which often tend to force Rest on Mega Gengar's aforementioned targets.

Mega Gengar is a very potent pick in AG due to its ability to trap every Pokemon slower than it with careful predictions and force the opponent into using Dynamax in order to escape its clutches. Therefore, it is able to simultaneously fill the roles of offensive support, wallbreaker, stallbreaker, and revenge killer. Shadow Ball is its most consistent STAB move, having few resistances and allowing it to dispose of Pokemon it has successfully trapped. Encore is its main tool in order to put foes in a checkmate position, as Mega Gengar can utilize it to force Pokemon into using a non-damaging and non-phazing move such as Toxic, Defog, Stealth Rock, or Recover, thus creating free turns for itself that it can use to gradually damage and take out the trapped Pokemon. Encore's sheer presence also discourages the opponent from using status moves, in general, after Gengar has Mega Evolved, which Mega Gengar's team can take advantage of. However, keep in mind that Dynamax and Z-Moves bypass Encore. Substitute is mandatory in order to safely Mega Evolve against slower threats, escape Pursuit from Tyranitar, provide insurance against faster threats attempting to revenge kill Mega Gengar such as Zacian-C and Ditto, and most importantly, to secure itself against Max Moves should its target attempt to catch it off guard with Dynamax. Focus Blast along with Substitute drastically improves the matchup against Tyranitar, allowing Mega Gengar to discourage Tyranitar from switching in as well as trap it if it is slightly weakened. Sludge Wave may be run if trapping Tyranitar is not necessary, as it provides Mega Gengar with a more reliable move in order to take care of trapped Normal-types such as Smeargle, Chansey, and Arceus. It also enables Mega Gengar to trap Xerneas with a careful double switch. Nasty Plot is another option that turns Mega Gengar into a potent wincon and pairs nicely with the abundance of free turns it is able to provide itself with Encore. It also allows Mega Gengar to overwhelm targets trapped into a recovery move in a more reliable fashion than relying on Shadow Ball drops. Mega Gengar fits best on balance and bulky offensive teams that benefit from its trapping prowess and provide it with a sturdy defensive backbone. In a worst-case scenario, Mega Gengar always forces the opponent into sacrificing their Pokemon or using Dynamax, provided it has Mega Evolved and is brought in on a status move. Therefore, Pokemon that appreciate the opponent’s Dynamax gone, such as Xerneas, Yveltal, and Dragon Dance Zygarde-C, are extremely potent partners. Moreover, Mega Gengar can also remove their checks in Necrozma-DM, Ho-Oh, Tyranitar, and support Arceus formes. Mega Gengar cannot deal with faster Pokemon such as Zacian-C and Pokemon that have boosted their Speed such as Dragon Dance Mega Rayquaza and Ultra Necrozma. Therefore, Pokemon that can check these threats, such as Ditto, Necrozma-DM, and Primal Groudon for the former and defensive Zygarde-C and Lunala for the latter two, are very useful teammates. Mega Gengar also has an abysmal matchup against Yveltal. Thus, Tyranitar and specially defensive Ho-Oh are great teammates. Tyranitar is also capable of Pursuit trapping a transformed Ditto as well as Lunala, which Mega Gengar cannot trap. Furthermore, Mega Gengar heavily discourages entry hazard removal. Thus, harnessing this ability with an entry hazard-stacking core consisting of Ferrothorn and Necrozma-DM is a sensible choice.

Moves Substitute is very useful against Pursuit trappers like Krookodile, Bisharp, and Mega Aerodactyl, which are often used as counterplay to Gengar. Shadow Ball can be turned into a powerful Never-Ending Nightmare, which allows Gengar to better remove the likes of Gligar, Tentacruel, and Hippowdon. Focus Blast is necessary to OHKO Dark-types such as Hydreigon, Krookodile, and Bisharp. It can also be used with Fightinium Z to have a powerful, perfectly accurate Fighting-type move. Set Details Ghostium Z turns Shadow Ball into a strong Never-Ending Nightmare, which allows it to break past many most bulky walls and still does a sizeable amount of damage to Steel-types like Mega Aggron and Empoleon, and in the case of Scizor OHKO it after Stealth Rock. Fightinium Z turns Focus Blast into a perfectly accurate 190-Base Power All-Out Pummeling, which can reliably OHKO Dark-types as well as other threats like Terrakion and Cobalion as well as Empoleon after some chip damage. Life Orb can be used instead, if another member values the Z-Move more, to give a significant power boost to all of Gengar's moves, but it makes Focus Blast rather unreliable and wears Gengar down. Black Sludge is an option to increase the number of times Gengar can use Substitute and improve its longevity overall. Usage Tips Gengar is too frail to switch directly into most attacks, so it needs to be brought in after a teammate has been KOed, by an aggressive double switch, or by Volt Switch or U-turn. Gengar's typing and high Special Attack allow it to force out common Pokemon such as Mega Altaria, Togekiss, and Slowbro, which means it usually gets several opportunities in a game to set up a Substitute. Gengar can switch into passive foes whose STAB moves it resists like Sylveon, Amoonguss, and Florges often to gain free turns. In general, it's best to use Substitute quite often, but against teams with Pursuit trappers such as Mega Aerodactyl and Choice Scarf Krookodile or priority users in Scizor and Crawdaunt, use Substitute as much as possible, as this eliminates the risk of predicting wrong with its coverage moves and can put the opponent in a very bad spot. For example, Substitute can be used when you expect the opponent to sacrifice something to Gengar; in this situation, you can turn Gengar potentially getting Pursuit trapped after a sacrifice into Gengar picking up two KOs. It can also be used when a foe that resists Shadow Ball, like Choice Scarf Hydreigon, is expected to come in to take the blow as well as play mind games around Sucker Punch and Pursuit from Bisharp. Don't let Gengar get too worn down by residual damage, as it needs to be able to use Substitute often and survive attacking moves. For this reason, make sure there aren't too many entry hazards on the field before sending Gengar out. Ghostium Z should primarily be used behind the safety of Substitute in order to 2HKO the likes of Gligar and Hippowdon after Stealth Rock safely, without the fear of being OHKOed by Earthquake. Fightinium Z is best used to secure an OHKO against Dark-types like Krookodile and Bisharp on the switch or while behind a Substitute, as using it any other time means Gengar must risk missing. If using Black Sludge, Gengar can afford to use Substitute more often, as it gets many more chances to use Substitute with Black Sludge than with any other item on the set. Team Options Gengar fits best on offensive teams, as it's powerful and fast, being able to check threats such as Terrakion and Togekiss in a pinch. Teams often rely on threats like Choice Scarf Hydreigon and Choice Scarf Krookodile to check Gengar, so Justified users like Cobalion, Terrakion, and Lucario are able to take advantage of these threats to gain a free turn. Setup sweepers like Scizor, Mega Altaria, and Suicune also appreciate the setup opportunities Gengar can naturally give them by baiting Choice-locked Pokemon such as Krookodile and Scizor to use Pursuit. Entry hazard setters like Cobalion, Krookodile, and Klefki are able to help put threats like Hippowdon and Empoleon in range of Never-Ending Nightmare or All-Out Pummeling. Additionally, Toxic Spikes from Tentacruel and Nidoqueen pairs nicely with Substitute Gengar, as it can rack up chip damage on threats like Hippowdon and Blissey that would normally give Gengar a hard time. Gengar hates hazards, as they wear it down into range of attacks and limit the number of times it can use Substitute. Entry hazard removers like Starmie and Hydreigon fit well on offensive teams next to Gengar, and Starmie can check and spin on Ground-types like Hippowdon and Gligar, which threaten Gengar. Other Pokemon such as Tsareena, Primarina, and Mega Slowbro can also check Ground-types. If Gengar isn't behind a Substitute, priority users like Scizor, Crawdaunt, and Mamoswine can pick off Gengar after some chip damage. Therefore, Pokemon such as Moltres, Hydreigon, and Infernape make for good teammates. Without a boosting item, Gengar struggles against most walls, so wallbreakers like Terrakion, Mamoswine, and Lucario make for good teammates. Volt Switch and U-turn users like Rotom-H, Mega Manectric, Scizor, and Hydreigon can bring Gengar in so it doesn't have to take too much damage. Hydreigon in particular pairs extremely well with Gengar, as it invites in Fairy-types like Primarina and Mega Altaria, which Gengar can take advantage of to get a free Susbtitute against.

Moves Hex does massive damage to foes with a status ailment, capable of 2HKOing statused Arceus formes and Magearna. However, bear in mind that unboosted Hex cannot outright OHKO Ultra Necrozma. Will-O-Wisp cripples various physical attackers, such as Necrozma-DM, Arceus, and Pursuit trappers. It also hinders certain defensive Pokemon like Toxapex and Ferrothorn and works well with Hex, which will do doubled damage to burnt foes. Mega Gengar can forgo Will-O-Wisp for another move like Focus Blast or Destiny Bond on teams that have numerous ways to status foes, but bear in mind that this worsens Mega Gengar's matchup against Necrozma-DM and other foes it can otherwise better handle with Will-O-Wisp. Sludge Bomb is a STAB move that has a relatively high chance to poison a foe, letting Mega Gengar potentially punish switch-ins like Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and support Arceus formes. Sludge Wave is a STAB move that isn't as reliant on status and allows Mega Gengar to trap and dispose of Fairy-types, namely Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Its better chance to OHKO Xerneas with Stealth Rock damage makes Sludge Wave the generally preferred option. Substitute lets Mega Gengar Mega Evolve safely early-game, avoid status moves, take advantage of forced switches and evade Pursuit trappers on Mega Evolution, punish passive foes, and evade Yveltal's Sucker Punch. Taunt shuts down passive foes like Chansey, Toxapex, and certain support Arceus formes, preventing them from recovering or using status moves. Thanks to Shadow Tag, Taunted passive Pokemon that carry no attacks or do not have a feasible way to damage Mega Gengar can be effectively eliminated. Focus Blast is an alternative option that hits Arceus-Dark and Steel-types like Dialga and Ferrothorn, which are immune or resistant to at least one of Mega Gengar's STAB moves. Focus Blast is especially valuable for OHKOing Tyranitar, as this set is helpless against Tyranitar holding a Lum Berry. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Mega Gengar to hit as hard as possible while taking advantage of its great Speed tier by outspeeding all Arceus formes, Shaymin-S, and Darkrai and Speed tying with opposing Mega Gengar and Mewtwo. Gengarite allows Gengar to Mega Evolve, gaining Shadow Tag upon Mega Evolution. Usage Tips Though it will be hard to do so, Mega Gengar should Mega Evolve as soon as possible so it can effectively utilize Shadow Tag and start pressuring foes that are vulnerable to it. You can bring in Mega Gengar on the field by switching it into Toxic from passive foes or predicted Normal- and Fighting-type moves from the likes of Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Lucario, though this involves a huge risk. Safer ways include U-turn and Volt Switch from a teammate and sending Gengar in to revenge kill a foe. Will-O-Wisp is best used to soften physical attackers like Necrozma-DM and Extreme Killer Arceus as well as Pursuit trappers like Tyranitar. It is also handy against most foes that cannot threaten Mega Gengar in a significant way due to how powerful Hex becomes against burnt foes. Mega Gengar can also aggressively attempt to create a matchup with threatening physical attackers like Necrozma-DM to ensure that they are left crippled. Hex also benefits from status ailments induced by teammates, such as paralysis and poison, so try inflicting status ailments on as many foes as possible so Mega Gengar can freely use boosted Hex. Hex also powers up against sleeping Rest users like Zygarde-C and Primal Kyogre. Mega Gengar opting for Substitute can ease predictions, take advantage of forced switches, stall out residual damage, and safely Mega Evolve against offensive foes and teams with Pursuit trappers. Team Options Various teammates that can inflict all non-volatile status are very helpful to this set, as they provide better conditions for Mega Gengar to utilize boosted Hex. Many Pokemon that can fulfill this role are rather passive, and they therefore appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to trap and revenge kill a statused foe and remove all relevant clerics apart from Magearna. Zygarde-C is one of the best teammates to Mega Gengar for various reasons. Offensive variants can check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and Mega Gengar can provide a better setup condition by crippling a foe with Will-O-Wisp or Taunt. Defensive Zygarde-C can paralyze almost every relevant Pokemon in the tier with Glare, which boosts Mega Gengar's Hex and also occasionally buys free turns for it to attack or set up Substitute. In general, Mega Gengar can take advantage of Fairy-types' tendencies to switch into Zygarde-C to offensively check it. Ho-Oh excels at inflicting status ailments on many foes using Sacred Fire and Toxic. It checks support Arceus-Ground and Primal Groudon lacking Rock-type moves while also handling boosted Xerneas, which Mega Gengar cannot revenge kill reliably. Support Primal Groudon can effectively poison various foes with Toxic the same way as Ho-Oh due to its ability to threaten every Toxic-immune Pokemon. Its defensive strengths are generally appreciated, as Mega Gengar is unable to stop boosted Xerneas and reliably face Primal Kyogre. Primal Groudon also provides Stealth Rock support, which punishes Yveltal and Ho-Oh should they attempt taking on Mega Gengar. Other entry hazard setters can be used alongside Mega Gengar. Defensive Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Arceus-Fairy can draw in Defog users and set them on a timer. Spikes from Ferrothorn and Skarmory are especially appreciated, as they quickly wear down Mega Gengar's checks like Primal Groudon and Tyranitar. Mega Gengar can use Taunt to prevent Defog. Mega Gengar also benefits from Toxic Spikes from Cloyster and Toxapex poisoning foes and thus making Hex a much better of an attack. Various support Arceus formes, such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Ground, can effectively handle Primal Groudon, status foes with Toxic, and take advantage of Tyranitar. They all appreciate the removal of Chansey; some of them also enjoy Mega Gengar eliminating Toxapex. Yveltal can fit alongside Mega Gengar as an offensive teammate thanks to its ability to safely bring in Mega Gengar with U-turn, heavily check opposing Ghost-types, and provide a Ground immunity. In return, Mega Gengar removes Fairy-types and passive special walls like Chansey, which would otherwise require Yveltal to dedicate running Taunt to surmount it. Xerneas also benefits from the removal of various special walls. It can take advantage of burnt foes to more reliably set up Geomancy while offensively checking Marshadow, Yveltal, and other Dark-types for Mega Gengar. Calm Mind Arceus formes, such as Arceus-Dark and Arceus-Fairy, appreciate the removal of their traditional checks like Toxapex and Chansey. Arceus-Dark also appreciates the removal of Fairy-types. Both of them are solid switch-ins for Dark-types, and Arceus-Fairy can check Marshadow in addition. Ho-Oh, Yveltal, support Arceus formes, and Giratina-O can provide Defog support, which is always helpful, especially for Mega Gengar with Substitute.

Moves Taunt prevents setup, recovery, status moves, and the use of Defog from a trapped foe. It also synergizes well with Destiny Bond, as taunted foes are forced to attack Mega Gengar. Destiny Bond takes down the foe that KOes Mega Gengar, allowing Mega Gengar to force an elimination of a threat that it cannot deal with otherwise. Thanks to Shadow Tag and Mega Gengar's frailty, a well-timed Destiny Bond can force a trade. Substitute allows Mega Gengar to safely Mega Evolve, ease predictions, and punish passive foes or foes that attempt to play around Destiny Bond. Sludge Wave is the strongest STAB attack that lets Mega Gengar trap and eliminate Fairy-types. Shadow Ball hits Psychic-types like Necrozma-DM and Mewtwo for super effective damage. Unlike unboosted Hex, Shadow Ball is capable of OHKOing Ultra Necrozma most of the time. Focus Blast hits Arceus-Dark, Dialga, and Ferrothorn hard while scoring OHKOs on Mega Lucario and Tyranitar, but its general coverage is inferior to Shadow Ball's. Set Details Maximized Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allow Mega Gengar to be as potent of an offensive threat as possible while outspeeding any foe that is under base 130 Speed. Usage Tips It is crucial to Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as possible in order for it to trap foes and force a trade with Destiny Bond when needed. As Mega Gengar needs to be KOed in order to take down its foe with Destiny Bond, draft plans early-game to decide what foes Mega Gengar has to trap and eliminate and what foe Mega Gengar will have to be traded with. This also means that Mega Gengar should not mindlessly force a trade early-game when a prominent threat that has to be dealt with by Mega Gengar is still alive. Mega Gengar can utilize Taunt or Destiny Bond depending on what foe it traps. Taunt can be used to shut down passive Pokemon or prevent utility moves like Defog. Bear in mind that Mega Gengar's frailty means using Taunt involves a risk against most foes, so use it with extreme caution unless prevention of opposing use of status moves outweighs the consequence of potentially sacrificing Mega Gengar. Destiny Bond, although it can be easily utilized due to Mega Gengar's horrid bulk, should be kept unrevealed for as long as possible, as foes that have the upper hand against Mega Gengar will not always outright proceed to OHKO Mega Gengar for various reasons. They may attempt to predict Mega Gengar switching out of a bad matchup and use status or setup moves or refrain from landing a fatal hit on Mega Gengar due to their fear of falling victim to Destiny Bond. Destiny Bond cannot be used consecutively; therefore, one should not mindlessly use it, as failing to make a right prediction will force out Mega Gengar and cause a loss of momentum. Substitute in tandem with Taunt can be effectively utilized to anti-lead the likes of Smeargle, which carries a dedicated move like Nuzzle to deal with Taunt users. Substitute also is effective against foes that intentionally do not KO Mega Gengar to avoid a potential Destiny Bond by letting Mega Gengar safely attack for two turns. Team Options Setup sweepers appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to remove defensive roadblocks with Destiny Bond and Taunt. Geomancy Xerneas and Arceus formes using Swords Dance or Calm Mind can provide their defensive utility to protect Mega Gengar from troublesome foes like Yveltal and Marshadow while taking advantage of it removing their checks. Yveltal is one of the notable offensive partners for this set, as it checks Marshadow, pivots into Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, and brings Mega Gengar in safely with U-turn. It appreciates Mega Gengar's ability to lure Tyranitar and remove it with Focus Blast and to eliminate Fairy-types. Defensive Primal Groudon blanket checks a majority of the threats that Mega Gengar is generally forced out against, a few of them being Ho-Oh, Marshadow, and Primal Kyogre. Stealth Rock support from defensive Primal Groudon is also useful to pressure Yveltal and Ho-Oh. Setup variants can also be used alongside Mega Gengar; Rock Polish variants can remove faster threats, while Swords Dance variants can cause serious damage to defensive cores. Mega Gengar can get rid of problematic foes like Lugia, Arceus-Water, and Skarmory, which would prevent Primal Groudon from effectively dishing out damage depending on what moveset it opts for. Magearna can pivot into Dark-types, check boosted Xerneas, and use Volt Switch to safely let Mega Gengar switch in. Assuming Mega Gengar successfully forces a trade with Primal Groudon or Arceus-Ground, Magearna can effectively generate momentum for its team afterwards. Various wallbreakers, such as Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Palkia, and Zekrom, appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to eliminate or at least force a trade with a problematic defensive foe of its choice, as many teams often do not possess multiple checks for them. For instance, Primal Kyogre, Palkia, and Zekrom desire the removal of Primal Groudon so they can freely use their powerful STAB attacks, while Rayquaza enjoys the removal of Arceus-Fairy and physically defensive foes so it does not have to be overly reliant on prior damage or its Z-Move.

Moves STAB Shadow Ball hits Ghost- and Psychic-types super effectively and hits a good portion of the tier for at least neutral damage. Sludge Wave is a stronger STAB move that lets Mega Gengar reliably remove Fairy-types. Icy Wind OHKOes offensive Mega Salamence and Rayquaza and KOes untransformed Zygarde after it has switched into any other attack after Stealth Rock damage. The utility from the drop in Speed is also handy against the aforementioned foes, should they attempt setting up on Mega Gengar. Hidden Power Ice can be considered due to its higher damage output against Mega Salamence and untransformed Zygarde, however. Focus Blast rounds off Mega Gengar's already good STAB coverage by hitting Dark-types like Tyranitar and Arceus-Dark super effectively. It also scores 2HKOs on Extreme Killer Arceus and Dialga, which none of Mega Gengar's other attacks can accomplish. Thunder lets Mega Gengar 2HKO Pokemon it otherwise cannot, such as Primal Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Water. It also has a chance to OHKO Naive Yveltal. Its unreliable accuracy can be detrimental, however. Taunt prevents the use of non-attacking moves, letting Mega Gengar effectively take down passive foes and avoid becoming fodder against a foe it cannot defeat. Substitute, especially with this set, is effective at punishing forced switches on the turn Gengar Mega Evolves, as it buys Mega Gengar a turn to freely attack a foe with an appropriate move. Substitute is also handy for preventing Mega Gengar from getting revenge killed, letting it take advantage of passive foes that cannot break its Substitute, and avoiding Pursuit trappers on the turn it Mega Evolves. Any combination of moves from the third and fourth slots can be considered based on the needs of the team at large. Set Details An EV spread that maximizes Special Attack and Speed lets Mega Gengar effectively fulfill its role as an offensive threat while outspeeding any Pokemon with base Speed lower than 130. Usage Tips Unlike other sets, this set aims to maximize Mega Gengar's coverage and thus the number of foes Mega Gengar can trap and remove. Before Gengar has Mega Evolved and gained Shadow Tag, predict what foe will switch into it so it can effectively hit them with appropriate moves or switch out if they're a Pursuit trapper. Safely gaining a chance to attack foes becomes easier when Mega Gengar has Substitute, so use it to ease predictions. After Gengar has successfully Mega Evolved, it will compress roles as a stallbreaker, offensive threat, and revenge killer. Unlike sets with Will-O-Wisp or Destiny Bond, this set by no means benefits from staying in against foes that it cannot beat, so keep Mega Gengar in pristine condition, especially if there are threats like Ultra Necrozma and Extreme Killer Arceus that Mega Gengar can effectively deal with. As Mega Gengar relies on KOing foes with its great coverage rather than brute force, it is ideal to use Mega Gengar as a revenge killer in most cases. It is usually best for Mega Gengar to switch into a foe that has an unfavorable matchup or is weakened enough to be picked off. Entry hazards and offensive pressure can be useful strategies in this regard. Substitute can be used to stall out residual damage against a foe afflicted with status that Mega Gengar can otherwise not KO. Unless absolutely needed or Mega Gengar is behind a Substitute, refrain from heavily relying on Focus Blast and Thunder to combat a foe, as they are somewhat unreliable and missing them will likely result in Mega Gengar's KO. Team Options This set is best fit into offensive teams that desire to employ a Pokemon that can compress the roles of a revenge killer, stallbreaker, and trapper. Offensive teams are typically capable of netting sufficient prior damage on foes for Mega Gengar to pick them off later and appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to trap and guarantee the demise of dangerous foes like Ultra Necrozma and weakened Extreme Killer Arceus. In order for Mega Gengar to trap and take down as many foes as possible, it will have to remain safe, which means it should be brought to the field safely. Pivoting from the likes of Choice Scarf Yveltal and Magearna can provide more opportunities for Mega Gengar to switch in reliably. The former especially draws in Fairy-types and special walls that Mega Gengar can easily dispose of. Xerneas is a solid check to all relevant Dark-types in the tier and has a variety of sets to support Mega Gengar. Geomancy variants appreciate the removal of special walls and can take advantage of Mega Gengar's ability to potentially weaken Steel-types with Focus Blast. Choice Scarf variants can revenge kill foes that outspeed Mega Gengar and potentially provide Defog support, which is always useful. Yveltal can also handle special walls with Taunt or Knock Off if Mega Gengar lacks a reliable way to deal with them. Both of them appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to effectively deal with Ultra Necrozma, as there will be less of a necessity for them to use Choice Scarf to deal with said threat. Swords Dance Arceus formes synergize well with this set. Arceus-Ground can offensively handle Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, while Extreme Killer Arceus can take down faster foes such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Deoxys-A. Both of them can take advantage of Mega Gengar's ability to run Icy Wind and dispose of Zygarde, which would otherwise be an infuriating foe to deal with. Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support, pivot into Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre, and run offensive sets to take down Mega Gengar's checks. Defensive variants of Primal Groudon especially value Mega Gengar to dispose of Zygarde with Icy Wind as well. Primal Kyogre can pressure Mega Gengar's checks like Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and various Arceus formes. Both physical and special variants are capable of fitting alongside Mega Gengar to take down each others' checks. Ho-Oh and Rayquaza appreciate Mega Gengar luring Tyranitar, a common switch-in on defensive teams, and eliminating it with Focus Blast. Ho-Oh provides a valuable defensive presence for Mega Gengar against various foes, while Rayquaza can take advantage of the removal of Fairy-types and proceed to clean up late-game once Mega Gengar has weakened its checks.

Moves Sludge Bomb is used for reliable, strong STAB coverage, especially on Fairy-types. Its higher damage output than Shadow Ball coupled with its 30% chance to inflict poison means this is the move that will be used in most scenarios. Shadow Ball to provide a consistent secondary STAB move that can hit Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon for super effective damage as well as hitting Steel-types neutrally. Fast Taunt makes Gengar an excellent utility Pokemon, especially when a lot of the Pokemon that enjoys to use Taunt against are at the forefront of the metagame, such as Porygon2. Will-O-Wisp has a niche in crippling physical attackers, which usually ends up helping the team out more than Gengar itself. With this increased utility, Gengar is great for supporting certain teams that need ways to halt physical attackers. It's worth it to note that Will-O-Wisp will be rendered useless in Misty Terrain, unless the target is a Flying-type or Levitate Pokemon. Protect is for capitalizing on turns where Gengar puts pressure on the opponent. With a Focus Sash, Gengar is very likely to be attacked twice in one turn. Using Protect to potentially make the opponent waste an entire turn in such a fast-paced metagame can be absolutely crucial. Set Details Focus Sash is to ensure at least one move goes off, and patches up Gengar's low bulk. It also makes Gengar very open to double targets, which is why Protect can be seen as a useful move choice. Cursed Body has a 30% chance to disable crucial attacks from the opponent, which can occasionally win games. The EV spread maximizes both Gengar's Speed and attacking potential. Without the Speed investment, Gengar falls behind both Alolan Ninetales and Kartana, and even Garchomp if you sacrifice more Speed or choose to play with a Modest nature. In addition, there's no reason to sacrifice attacking power for more bulk, as the Focus Sash ensures that Gengar will be, at worst, 2HKOed. Usage Tips Scout for teams that have Pokemon faster than Gengar such as Tapu Koko, as they'll be able to easily bring Gengar down to its Focus Sash. Gengar is a good pick to bring against Trick Room teams, where they usually don't have checks to a Taunt user like Gengar that is immune to Fake Out. Use Gengar's utility moves to support your team, in ways like burning strong physical attackers. Team Options Use other fast Pokemon, such as Tapu Koko, to follow up on Gengar's fast attacks with an additional fast attack. This offensive momentum makes it more likely that Gengar and its partner can KO threats and Gengar can stay around longer. Pheromosa is another fast Pokemon that can eliminate Pokemon that Gengar has a bad matchup against, such as Garchomp with Ice Beam and Porygon2 with High Jump Kick, or even All-Out Pummeling if a Z-crystal hasn't already been taken. Pelipper and Golduck can cover up Gengar's Ground-type weakness with strong Water- and Ice-type moves; just note that a lot of common Pokemon in the format have prepared for this combination. Snorlax and Gigalith are good Trick Room checks, which Gengar struggles under if the opponent manages to get a Trick Room up. They're both slower than almost all common Trick Room attackers, and Snorlax can become the slowest viable Pokemon in the format after one Curse. Porygon2 packs a strong Ice Beam that can OHKO Garchomp and 2HKO Krookodile with the right investment, and has bulk that any Pokemon in the format appreciates. Araquanid and Celesteela can use to Wide Guard to block out Earthquakes, but keep in mind this does not block Tectonic Rage and will make your opponent more likely to use Tectonic Rage over Earthquake. Mandibuzz has Tailwind support and covers Gengar's and Ground-type weaknesses very well. Vikavolt also does this, trading a Psychic immunity for the ability to do lots of damage to Celesteela and Kartana.

Sludge Bomb lets Mega Gengar threaten Xerneas and prevent it from setting up a Geomancy. Even though Sludge Bomb won't KO a full HP Xerneas, having Sludge Bomb's poison chance proc will secure the KO on even bulky variants. Teams that struggle with Lunala and Necrozma can use Shadow Ball as their second move, although Lunala's Shadow Shield will need to be broken to KO it. Perish Song can be used otherwise, even on teams that aren't dedicated to using Perish Song, since it provides an extra win condition at very little cost. Substitute is a very strong move on Gengar, since it forces the opponent to double target Gengar if they want to KO it, which helps cover up its lack of bulk. This becomes especially powerful when the opponent has a Pokemon that provides very little offensive pressure, like Tapu Fini or Amoonguss, trapped, since you can be certain that Gengar won't be KOed that turn. Having a Substitute set up can let Gengar take a hit while still putting on offensive pressure with Sludge Bomb. Additionally, Substitute can also stall for turns with Perish Song. Protect is an essential move on any Shadow Tag user, as it lets the Shadow Tag user stay on the field longer and let its partner either set up in a favorable position or deal with the opposing Pokemon that can't switch out. With 140 HP and 68 Special Defense EVs, Mega Gengar can live an Origin Pulse from a Modest maximum Special Attack Kyogre outside of rain, which can be helpful in the RayOgre matchup. When using Gengar, it's ideal to Mega Evolve as soon as it's on the field to gain access to Shadow Tag right away. Even if you lead Gengar into something unfavorable, Mega Evolving and using Protect first is worth considering rather than just switching it out right away, as this gives you the option to switch Mega Gengar into a favorable position and have Shadow Tag active right away instead of having one turn where Gengar needs to Mega Evolve, allowing the opponent to reposition. Incineroar is an absolute must-run with Mega Gengar as, the combination of Fake Out, Intimidate, and slow U-turn enhance Mega Gengar's trapping game tremendously. An Incineroar and Gengar lead can set up for a potentially free Substitute or let you reposition to something more favorable. Incineroar can also help Mega Gengar keep its trapping active, since you can switch Mega Gengar out and U-turn back into it while Incineroar soaks up any incoming attacks. Mega Gengar also pairs extremely well with both Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, as Shadow Tag enables better control of the weather. Another Pokemon that pairs well with Mega Gengar is Landorus-T, as Landorus-T can threaten opposing Primal Groudon and Incineroar with a Ground-type Z-Move with very little risk, since Shadow Tag prevents them from switching into a Pokemon with a Ground immunity.

Set Information Shadow Ball is Gengar's main STAB move, being resisted by very few Pokemon and capable of 2HKOing common Pokemon such as Mew and Rhydon. Sludge Bomb is Gengar's strongest STAB move, capable of 2HKOing Zapdos after Stealth Rock and dealing respectable damage to many Pokemon that are immune to Shadow Ball such as Snorlax, Eevee-S, and Mega Kangaskhan. Thunderbolt rounds off Gengar's coverage, allowing it to hit Alolan Muk harder and deal super effective damage to common Water-types such as Poliwrath and Mega Gyarados. Will-O-Wisp can be used to cripple solid checks to Gengar such as Alolan Muk and Mega Gyarados. Substitute eases prediction and can be used against sacrificial switch-ins to hinder future revenge killing attempts. Substitute also allows Gengar to deal with Mega Venusaur much more easily. Mega Drain can be considered as a coverage option, landing a surprise OHKO on Rhydon and Golem while also 2HKOing Sandslash and providing Gengar with some form of recovery to increase its longevity. A Timid nature is crucial for Gengar to outspeed Mew, Charizard, and Zapdos and function most effectively in its wallbreaker role. Usage Tips Gengar is rather frail and can be somewhat difficult to bring in safely; the best ways to get Gengar in are through predicted double switches, teammates fainting, passive foes, attacks that Gengar resists or is immune to, and momentum gained from U-turn and Teleport. Gengar is usually best utilized early- or mid-game to wallbreak and open up the door for your wincons. Gengar is best used to fire off attacks to maximize its wallbreaking capabilities, denting the opposing team and taking advantage of its limited switch-in options. Use Will-O-Wisp if you anticipate the opponent switching into one of Gengar's main checks, such as Alolan Muk, to cripple it. It is advised for Gengar to switch out of stronger physical attackers instead of trying to burn them head-on; examples include Nidoqueen and Snorlax, which can still easily 2HKO Gengar with Earthquake even after a burn. Team Options Due to Gengar's role as a wallbreaker, it usually finds itself on offensively oriented teams with dedicated wincons; Agility Dragonite is a great example, as it appreciates Gengar's ability to threaten and weaken common checks to it such as support Mew and Melmetal. Mega Gyarados can also function as a late-game cleaner and provide a crucial check to Mega Alakazam. Zapdos provides great utility for Gengar, being able to set Reflect to help mitigate its frailty and pivot it in safely with U-turn. Zapdos is also a check to Mega Gyarados and Melmetal. Poliwrath stands out as a partner with good defensive synergy, being one of the best Mega Gyarados checks available while also checking Ground-types, Melmetal, and Snorlax for Gengar; in return, Gengar is able to offensively deal with Mew and switch into Pokemon such as Mega Venusaur that Poliwrath naturally struggles against. Mew sets Stealth Rock early-game and provides safe switches in via U-turn to increase Gengar's effectiveness as a wallbreaker; Scald Mew supports Gengar particularly well because it can threaten Ground-types, notably OHKOing Rhydon and Golem. Melmetal is able to provide Thunder Wave support, making it easier for Gengar to pick off frail Pokemon that would usually be faster than it, and checks Mega Beedrill and Mega Aerodactyl. In return, Gengar is able to offensively deal with Mew and Zapdos. Alolan Muk provides a much-needed check to Mega Alakazam and deals with Rhydon and Golem due to Mega Drain; however, it and Gengar are both vulnerable to Ground-types, so additional support against them is strongly appreciated.

Moves Shadow Ball is Gengar's most spammable STAB move with excellent coverage for checking offensive threats. Sludge Wave is Gengar's most powerful STAB attack and is useful for hitting key threats such as Tapu Koko, but it comes with the downside of having more resistant targets than Shadow Ball. Focus Blast is useful Fighting-type coverage for hitting important Steel-, Normal-, and Dark-types such as Tyranitar, Mega Lopunny, and Heatran. Trick is handy utility for disabling specially defensive walls that Gengar cannot break such as Zapdos and Chansey. Set Details Maximum Special Attack investment is used so that Gengar hits as hard as possible, while maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf allow Gengar to outspeed the entire unboosted metagame as well as the majority of opposing Choice Scarf users. Cursed Body is Gengar's only ability and gives contact moves used against Gengar a 30% chance of being disabled. Usage Tips Gengar should be used to revenge kill offensive threats that Ghost's defensive core cannot manage, such as Life Orb Greninja and Mega Diancie, or to clean late-game. Be careful to preserve Gengar in matchups where it is necessary to check threats to the team such as Mega Lopunny or where its STAB moves are particularly useful, such as against Fairy. Use Trick to disable threatening walls to the team such as Gliscor and Chansey. However, take care not to use Trick until threats like Tapu Koko, which Gengar needs Choice Scarf to check, have been removed. Be careful leaving Gengar in while Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Mega Aerodactyl are in play. Likewise, be careful when picking a move to lock into, as all of Gengar's attacks have types immune to them. Avoid Thunder Wave because the Speed reduction severely diminishes Gengar's capacity to check offensive threats. Team Options Mega Sableye is a defensive staple of Ghost and part of the defensive backbone that supports Gengar, removing opposing Pokemon's items and spreading burns. In return, Gengar manages threats that beat Mega Sableye such as Tapu Koko and Clefable. Jellicent is a specially defensive wall that helps the defensive backbone Ghost falls back on for threats Gengar cannot manage. Decidueye and Gourgeist can also support the defensive backbone as a switch-in for powerful Ground-types such as Excadrill and Landorus. Mimikyu is an excellent blanket check for offensive threats that threaten Gengar and Ghost in general, such as Bisharp, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Lopunny. Choice Specs Blacephalon is a complementary special attacker that supports Gengar by breaking through special walls such as Zapdos and Toxapex. Alolan Marowak and Golurk serve as powerful physical attackers that can also set Stealth Rock to chip Gengar's checks as they switch in. In return, Gengar does an excellent job taking on faster foes for these slow attackers.

Moves Shadow Ball is Gengar's most spammable STAB move, having excellent offensive coverage for wallbreaking. Sludge Wave is Gengar's most powerful STAB attack, hitting useful targets such as Zapdos and Volcarona, but it comes with the downside of having more resistant targets. Focus Blast is excellent coverage that hits important threats such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Taunt is handy utility for disabling specially defensive walls such as Zapdos and Mantine, which might otherwise stall Gengar out with Life Orb recoil. Thunderbolt is an option over Taunt for hitting Water- and Flying-types such as Toxapex, Mantine, and Celesteela harder as well as OHKOing threats such as Mega Charizard Y after some chip damage. However, it comes with the cost of not being able to wear down threats such as Zapdos and Chansey. Destiny Bond is an option over Taunt for luring and removing certain threats to Ghost such as Alolan Muk and Bisharp. Set Details Maximum Special Attack investment with a Life Orb is used so that Gengar hits as hard as possible. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Gengar to tie with the crowded base 110 Speed tier and outrun most of the unboosted metagame, including key threats such as Keldeo and Volcarona. Cursed Body is Gengar's only ability, giving contact moves used against Gengar a 30% chance of being disabled. Usage Tips Gengar should be used as a speedy wallbreaker, checking slower offensive Pokemon such as Keldeo and Diggersby and punishing switch-ins. However, be careful about leaving Gengar in if there are Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk on the field. Taunt should be utilized to keep walls such as Zapdos and Chansey from recovering health and stalling out Gengar with recoil damage. However, make sure that such walls don't use the opportunity to launch an attack, as Gengar cannot take much punishment from even weak attackers. Preserve Gengar in matchups where it is necessary to check threats to the team such as Toxapex and Celesteela. When using Destiny Bond, take care not to reveal the move until the opportunity presents itself to lure a key threat such as Alolan Muk. Destiny Bond can also be used against Sucker Punch users such as Bisharp to keep them from using Sucker Punch on the subsequent turn at the risk of being KOed. Team Options Mega Sableye is the lifeblood of Ghost teams and part of the defensive backbone that Gengar falls back on against opposing offense. In return, Gengar can check Pokemon that threaten Mega Sableye such as Toxapex and Clefable. Jellicent is a specially defensive wall that takes on for threats Gengar cannot manage, such as bulky Water-types like Gastrodon and Seismitoad, and can spread status with Toxic and Scald. Grass-types such as Decidueye and Gourgeist can also support this defensive backbone by managing dangerous Ground-types such as Excadrill. Mimikyu is an excellent blanket check for attackers such as Bisharp, Mega Sharpedo, and Mega Lopunny. Mimikyu appreciates Gengar taking out defensive walls that check it such as Toxapex and Mega Venusaur so it can clean late-game. Blacephalon is a complementary special attacker that can serve as a Choice Scarf revenge killer and cleaner for Ghost, taking advantage of the holes left by Gengar in opposing teams' defensive cores. Alolan Marowak and Golurk serve as physical attackers and Stealth Rock setters that can chip some of Gengar's checks, such as Celesteela and Mantine, on their switch in.

Moves Shadow Ball is Gengar's most spammable STAB move and allows it to apply enormous pressure in the Psychic matchup. Sludge Wave is Gengar's most powerful STAB attack and its best option for neutral damage. Focus Blast provides handy Fighting-type coverage that hits threats such as Excadrill, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Trick allows Gengar to cripple threats that would otherwise easily wall it, such as Gliscor. Set Details Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf maximizes Gengar's Speed, allowing it to outpace the entire unboosted metagame and most of the boosted metagame. Maximum Special Attack investment gives Gengar as much damage output as possible. Cursed Body is Gengar's only ability and gives it a 30% chance to cripple opposing attackers. Usage Tips Gengar should primarily be used as a revenge killer and cleaner, picking off fast and weak threats with its superior Speed without taking damage. Utilize Gengar carefully in matchups where it is needed to check threats such as Mega Lopunny or where its STAB moves are particularly useful, such as in the Psychic matchup. Trick should be used to cripple threatening walls such as Gliscor and Zapdos. However, take care not to use Trick until threats such as Mega Lopunny, which Choice Scarf is needed to check, have been removed. Be careful using Gengar as a revenge killer while Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Mega Aerodactyl are healthy enough to check it. When picking a move to lock Gengar into, take into consideration that all of its attacks have types immune to them, granting free switches for certain Pokemon and affording the opponent undue momentum. Team Options Alolan Muk forms a strong Psychic breaker core with Gengar, as between the two of them, they can offensively and defensively check most Psychic-types; Alolan Muk traps Meloetta and Choice Scarf Latios and provides Knock Off support, while Gengar cleans weakened teams. Mega Venusaur and Toxapex form a powerful defensive backbone to support Gengar and whittle down its checks with Toxic Spikes, Leech Seed, and other sources of chip damage while also managing Gengar's offensive checks such as Greninja, Mega Charizard Y, and Azumarill. Crobat provides a handy Ground immunity and entry hazard remover that can support Gengar by minimizing the hazard damage it takes and by safely bringing it in with U-turn. Nidoking and Nihilego are complementary special attackers that can set Stealth Rock to punish the switches Gengar forces as a revenge killer. Nidoking also serves as a powerful special wallbreaker and helps apply severe pressure in the Flying and Steel matchups, where Gengar can struggle.

Moves Perish Song synergizes with Shadow Tag to guarantee the removal of a passive foe. It can also put problematic sweepers or the last member of a team on a timer, preventing them from otherwise winning in some instances. Substitute helps stall for Perish Song turns and shields Mega Gengar from status. It can also be used to waste a predicted Z-Move. Disable prevents the foe from accessing its most recently used move and, in conjunction with Substitute, allows Mega Gengar to easily remove slower mono-attackers such as certain support Arceus formes and Choice-locked Pokemon. It may also provide a setup opportunity for a teammate by locking a trapped foe out of a threatening move. Shadow Ball allows Mega Gengar to revenge kill certain dangerous offensive threats that are difficult to stall out with Perish Song, such as Ultra Necrozma. Sludge Bomb can be used in its place to immediately eliminate Fairy-types like Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy, preventing Defog from the latter. Set Details Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment allow Mega Gengar to outspeed and nearly always OHKO Ultra Necrozma. Shadow Tag prevents the foe from switching out, thereby allowing Mega Gengar to remove threats that it can stall out for the duration of Perish Song. Usage Tips This Mega Gengar variant has the ability to easily overcome Arceus-Dark and defensive Yveltal, which are normally able to check it. When using this set, luring them in and setting a Substitute against a target typically forced out by Mega Gengar can prove effective. Note that Yveltal often carries Choice Scarf or Life Orb, which should be scouted for prior to attempting to trap it. Against slower Choice item users, use Disable immediately. Against foes that have only one way to significantly damage Mega Gengar, set a Substitute prior to the use of Disable to force the use of the appropriate move. Afterwards, it is generally safe to use Perish Song unless you suspect the foe is a Z-Move user. Note that early-game, Mega Gengar will typically want to switch out on the turn prior to the Perish Song counter expiring in order to avoid fainting. This must be done with some care, as the trapped target can cripple the switch-in with a status affliction or by other means and then freely go to a check upon fainting, leading to a massive loss in momentum. When choosing to switch Mega Gengar out on the turn the Perish Song counter reaches zero, make a careful analysis to determine whether this is in fact worthwhile, or whether trading Mega Gengar with the immediate threat instead will better preserve momentum. Take care in scouting for potential coverage options on otherwise easily trappable targets, such as Earth Power on Arceus-Poison, phazing moves on support Arceus formes and Ho-Oh, and Earthquake on Necrozma-DM. In particular, be very careful of potential Z-Move users, as Z-Moves ignore their base move being disabled. The most common targets for this set that often run a Z-Move are Arceus-Water and support Necrozma-DM—telltale signs of this are Liquidation on Arceus-Water and a lack of Leftovers recovery on Necrozma-DM. These threats can be handled by setting an extra Substitute after their base attacking move has been disabled. If Mega Gengar's set has been scouted beforehand, these threats may even predict Disable and immediately use their Z-Move, so exercise caution in these situations. Additionally, this set can remove most variants of Ferrothorn, but it will likely accumulate multiple layers of entry hazards in the process, usually necessitating Defog support from a partner. One should note that the lack of Taunt on this set means that phazers like Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Skarmory cannot be stalled out with Perish Song, though the latter two take heavy damage from Shadow Ball. It is also important to keep in mind that if Disable is used prior to Perish Song, the foe will not be disabled on the last turn of the counter and can therefore proceed to hit the switch-in hard on the turn it faints. Team Options Entry hazard setters such as Primal Groudon and Ferrothorn appreciate the removal of almost every common Defogger in the tier. One of these, Arceus-Water, is often employed as the primary check to offensive Primal Groudon sets as well. The removal of Ferrothorn enables Primal Kyogre to more easily dismantle the defensive core of balance teams. Zygarde-C appreciates the elimination of its usual checks in Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Water. Ultra Necrozma benefits from the removal of its common checks in defensive Yveltal and Arceus-Dark. These particular threats are very easily lured in and KOed by Mega Gengar, leading to excellent synergy between Ultra Necrozma and this set. Offensive Lunala also appreciates the removal of these two threats as well, as they are often the primary checks to it on a typical team. This set easily eliminates Arceus-Poison and support Necrozma-DM, two common checks to Geomancy Xerneas. This aids greatly in facilitating a Xerneas sweep late-game.

Moves Hex doubles in Base Power against statused foes and is capable of 2HKOing statused support Arceus formes, Ferrothorn, and offensive Zygarde-C. It should be noted that unboosted Hex falls short of an OHKO on Ultra Necrozma. Sludge Bomb complements Hex well with a significant chance to poison foes while maintaining Mega Gengar's ability to remove Fairy-types and deal greater damage to unstatused foes. Will-O-Wisp cripples prominent physical attackers and gives Mega Gengar a reliable method to boost the power of Hex. It also allows for the removal of Arceus-Poison and specially defensive Necrozma-DM, both of which are 2HKOed by boosted Hex and can't OHKO Mega Gengar once burned. Taunt shuts down passive Pokemon and is particularly useful against clerics such as Blissey. Substitute, in addition to its usual roles of helping Mega Gengar scout switch-ins and avoid Pursuit trapping, allows it to capitalize on status support such as free turns created by full paralysis. Set Details Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment are required to make full use of Mega Gengar's offensive potential. Shadow Tag prevents the foe from switching out, thereby allowing for the removal of a sufficiently weakened threat. Usage Tips Sludge Bomb can be used in an attempt to poison foes like Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Zygarde-C in situations where this is safe, such as when Mega Gengar is behind a Substitute. Mega Gengar's teammates should aggressively inflict status on enemy Pokemon to allow for liberal use of boosted Hex. Specific support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Poison and Arceus-Water are prime targets for this set and are easily eliminated upon being statused. Besides directly boosting the power of Hex, Will-O-Wisp significantly reduces the damage Mega Gengar takes from some weaker physical hits, allowing it to stay in on certain threats it would otherwise be unable to handle. These hits include support Necrozma-DM's Sunsteel Strike and Ferrothorn's Power Whip—the latter move will not break Mega Gengar's Substitute after a burn. While this Mega Gengar variant has room to play more aggressively with attempting to directly trap support Necrozma-DM, one should be careful of Earthquake in this specific matchup. One can also pivot Mega Gengar into foes that utilize Rest for recovery, notably Zygarde-C and Primal Kyogre, and inflict massive damage with Hex. In certain matchups, Will-O-Wisp can be used to attempt to burn Pursuit trappers on the switch when Gengar Mega Evolves. Team Options Defensive Zygarde is a premier partner for Mega Gengar; it spreads status of its own via Glare or Toxic, thus boosting the power of Hex, and appreciates the removal of Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas. In return, Mega Gengar appreciates a switch-in for the likes of Primal Groudon and Marshadow. Dragon Dance Zygarde can paralyze foes as well and finds it easier to set up on targets that have been burned or otherwise crippled. Similarly, Ho-Oh has a significant chance to inflict burns through Sacred Fire and walls support Arceus-Ground and Calm Mind Arceus-Steel, which are otherwise able to eliminate Mega Gengar if unstatused. Marshadow appreciates the removal of its common checks in Arceus-Poison and Arceus-Fairy. The Marshadium Z set may also find additional setup opportunities on targets that have been burned by Will-O-Wisp. Geomancy Xerneas is another example of a sweeper for which Will-O-Wisp support can possibly provide a more favorable setup condition. Mega Gengar is also capable of outright eliminating some of the common checks to Xerneas, namely Arceus-Poison and support Necrozma-DM. Spikes support from the likes of Ferrothorn and Skarmory in conjunction with potential Sludge Bomb poisoning can accumulate considerable chip damage on foes. Likewise, Stealth Rock support from Primal Groudon and Arceus formes inflicts significant damage to Yveltal that attempt to revenge kill Mega Gengar. Miscellaneous status users such as various support Arceus formes and support Primal Groudon prove useful in supporting this Mega Gengar variant as well. The latter is also capable of checking boosted Xerneas and Primal Kyogre, both of which can break through Mega Gengar. Offensive Primal Groudon variants can lure in support Arceus-Water for Mega Gengar as well.

Moves Shadow Ball eliminates Ultra Necrozma and deals significant damage to the likes of Necrozma-DM, Lugia, and Primal Groudon. Sludge Wave eliminates Fairy-types, most notably Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas, and is Mega Gengar's strongest STAB move. Taunt prevents Mega Gengar from being used as setup fodder, allows it to have a positive matchup against passive Pokemon, and prevents it from being phazed by Roar or Whirlwind from Pokemon like Lugia. It is also required to successfully eliminate the common Arceus-Poison. Substitute allows Mega Gengar to scout the opponent's initial switch-in to it on the turn it Mega Evolves and forces Choice item users to lock into a move. It also allows Mega Gengar to escape from Pursuit users, play around a weakened Yveltal's Sucker Punch, and avoid debilitating status such as Nuzzle from Smeargle. Focus Blast removes Tyranitar and improves the matchup against Extreme Killer Arceus, Arceus-Dark, and Ferrothorn. Destiny Bond can allow for a trade with a problematic Pokemon and is generally easy to utilize owing to Mega Gengar's frailty, though the move is somewhat reliant on prediction. It is also Mega Gengar's best tool against would-be checks such as Yveltal and Primal Kyogre that it cannot otherwise threaten. Finally, it allows Mega Gengar to situationally serve as a check to certain setup sweepers such as Calm Mind Arceus formes. Set Details Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature allows Mega Gengar to outspeed Ultra Necrozma and anything slower. Maximum Special Attack investment in tandem with a potent STAB combination in Shadow Ball and Sludge Wave allows it to OHKO threats like Ultra Necrozma and unboosted Xerneas while dealing massive damage to support Arceus-Fairy. Likewise, support Tyranitar is always OHKOed by Focus Blast. Shadow Tag prevents the foe from switching out, thereby allowing for the removal of a sufficiently weakened threat. Usage Tips Owing to its fragility, Mega Gengar should usually not be switched into attacks, excluding weak resisted hits like support Arceus-Fairy's Judgment and Arceus-Poison's Poison Jab. Rely on free switches, double switches, or, rarely, support from pivots such as Magearna and Yveltal to get it into play. It can also be brought in on a predicted use of Toxic from support Arceus formes or walls, but this is risky. Mega Gengar should use its positive matchup against several common support Arceus formes, most notably Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Poison, to break the defensive backbone of teams that lack other answers to threatening sweepers such as Zygarde-C and Marshadow. If using Destiny Bond, assess early-game which problematic member of the opponent's team should be removed by Destiny Bond and what can be eliminated by coverage. Try to preserve Mega Gengar to check the former, as Destiny Bond can potentially remove a threat that has a strongly positive matchup against Mega Gengar's team as a whole. Be very careful in revealing Destiny Bond and err on the side of delaying its use, as often enough, unsuspecting opponents will assume that Mega Gengar will not stay in against a check and are thus inclined to set up, set entry hazards, or use other status moves. Taunt in conjunction with Destiny Bond can remedy this, but requires a risky prediction. Use Substitute to stall out residual damage, such as from Toxic or Leech Seed, and also to rack up Life Orb recoil and Special Defense drops on Mega Rayquaza. Mega Gengar's efficacy increases dramatically upon scouting the opponent's sets. For example, while Ferrothorn is normally able to check Mega Gengar due to Gyro Ball 2HKOing it, sets that have been shown to forego this move for Grass-type coverage or otherwise can be trapped and eliminated by Focus Blast. Conversely, coverage moves such as Earth Power and Roar on support Arceus formes result in a losing matchup; be sure to have teammates that take advantage of the loss in utility that these Pokemon trade for the ability to handle Mega Gengar. For example, Earth Power variants of Arceus-Poison typically cannot fit Stealth Rock, which is advantageous for Defog users that are threatened by it such as Arceus-Fairy. It is important to be extremely cautious in the use of Mega Gengar if the opponent has a Pursuit trapper such as Tyranitar, as a single well-timed double switch can immediately result in Mega Gengar's removal. If the opponent makes a move that is seemingly a mistake against a team utilizing Mega Gengar, it is likely a lure and should not be capitalized on immediately. Substitute can be used on the turn Gengar Mega Evolves to ensure safety in such a matchup. Note that Focus Blast variants of Mega Gengar can be used effectively to lure and KO one of its common Pursuit trappers in Tyranitar. Team Options Mega Gengar can be tailored to support almost every sweeper in the tier depending on the team's need. Defensive Zygarde has excellent defensive synergy with Mega Gengar, providing a switch-in for the likes of Ho-Oh and Primal Groudon while appreciating the removal of Fairy-types. Mega Gengar can also handle Choice Band and mixed variants of Mega Rayquaza, which threaten to break through Zygarde. In a similar vein, Dragon Dance Zygarde appreciates the removal of its primary checks in support Arceus-Fairy and Arceus-Water lacking Judgment. Taunt from Mega Gengar also enables it to set up on targets like support Arceus-Poison that would otherwise cripple it with status. Zygarde may also use Thousand Waves to trap support Arceus-Fairy on the switch, thereby allowing Mega Gengar to safely eliminate it without fearing a potential double switch. Marshadow appreciates the removal of support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Poison and Arceus-Fairy. Yveltal checks Marshadow and appreciates the removal of its Fairy-type checks, which it effectively lures. It may also provide U-turn support to safely bring Mega Gengar into play. Entry hazard setters such as Ferrothorn appreciate this set's ability to prevent Defog via Taunt and its good matchup against several common Defoggers such as support Arceus formes. Ferrothorn and Celesteela can also situationally provide Leech Seed support for Mega Gengar, thereby allowing it to stall out certain threats such as Calm Mind Arceus formes in conjunction with Taunt and Substitute. Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas can check problematic Pokemon such as Yveltal, Arceus-Dark, and Marshadow for Mega Gengar. Geomancy Xerneas also appreciates one of its common checks in Arceus-Poison being disposed of. Mega Gengar can also lure and use Taunt on Arceus-Dark, thereby allowing Xerneas to set up on it without fear of Toxic or Perish Song. Ho-Oh walls support Arceus-Ground and Calm Mind Arceus-Steel, both of which are difficult for Mega Gengar to take on.

Mega Gengar's bulk may leave a lot to be desired, but when combined with Will-O-Wisp, it increases its trapping capabilities tremendously, putting many physical attackers in a very uncomfortable situation. Hex takes advantage of Will-O-Wisp and lets Mega Gengar check Gliscor better, but Shadow Ball will deal more damage to non-statused foes. Destiny Bond allows Mega Gengar to easily take down slower offensive threats with it, but Taunt is extremely useful against defensive Pokemon such as Toxapex and Chansey. Focus Blast is Mega Gengar's best chance of dealing damage to Tyranitar, while Perish Song can be useful against defensive threats.

This Mega Gengar is an extraordinarily effective wall breaker, being able to trap and stall most defensive Pokemon until they succumb to Perish Song. There are plenty of options for the last move. Shadow Ball lets Mega Gengar deal good damage to opposing Ghost-types, which are impossible to trap, while Sludge Bomb lets Mega Gengar deal massive damage to Fairy-types such as Tapu Fini without needing to trap them. Also of note, pairing this Mega Gengar with an Eject Button user can be especially devious, since switching said Pokemon into a predicted attack allows you to go straight back to Mega Gengar and re-trap the foe without Gengar being affected by Perish Song. Eject Button also prevents Volt Switch and U-turn's switching effect.

If Will-O-Wisp has no use for the team, a more offensive Mega Gengar is a viable alternative. While Sludge Wave is actually the best Poison-type STAB move, it requires an obscure event from Pokemon X and Y, so Sludge Bomb is a fine alternative if you don't have it. Icy Wind lets Mega Gengar hit Mega Salamence and Landorus-T harder, in addition to providing valuable speed control. Focus Blast is Mega Gengar's best chance of hitting Tyranitar, in case using Destiny Bond on it won't work. Hidden Power Fire can allow Mega Gengar to effectively trap Ferrothorn, while Thunderbolt hits Celesteela the hardest out of all of Mega Gengar's options.

This Mega Gengar is more heavily reliant on luck than the other sets, hence the name, since Hypnosis has a shaky 40% chance to miss. When it hits though, Mega Gengar can easily set up Substitute and threaten to KO the trapped foe with a boosted Hex. With a Substitute up, Mega Gengar becomes extremely difficult to revenge kill. Focus Blast usually fits the last slot best due to hitting Tyranitar hard and fits the casino theme of the set, but Sludge Bomb can be used if Fairy-types are especially worrisome. This Mega Gengar can also be paired with Gravity users such as Landorus-T and Ferrothorn to make Hypnosis much more reliable.

Moves This set takes advantage of the large amount of status in the ORAS Ubers metagame and is even capable of spreading status itself. Hex allows Mega Gengar to do severe damage, as it reaches 130 Base Power after an opposing Pokemon has been afflicted with a status condition. On top of this, Ghost is an effective offensive typing in this metagame, so most Pokemon will be hit extremely hard by a boosted Hex. Focus Blast provides Mega Gengar with solid coverage, allowing it to quickly KO Pokemon such as Extreme Killer Arceus and Darkrai. Protect allows Gengar to safely Mega Evolve, and reliably trap the aforementioned threats. Protect also racks up chip damage on the foe if it is already burned or poisoned. The final move slot is usually dedicated to Will-O-Wisp, which powers up Hex and allows Mega Gengar to deal with Pursuit trappers such as Aegislash and Tyranitar far more easily. However, Mega Gengar can opt to run Sludge Bomb for trapping Fairies such as Xerneas and Clefable. Finally, Destiny Bond can potentially take out one of your opponent's Pokemon, but it is difficult to find room for it on this set. Set Details As this set handles Pursuit trappers well, Gengar has an easier time removing intended targets than standard Mega Gengar. However, due to the loss of coverage from not running Sludge Bomb, it has less targets to trap; if you opt for Sludge Bomb, though, this set functions the same way the standard set does, although it will require more team support to spread status ailments. Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs optimize damage output. Usage Tips Make sure you play Mega Gengar carefully, as the lack of Destiny Bond on this set means that it cannot simply sacrifice itself to remove a member of your opponent's team. If you misplay there's a chance it will accomplish absolutely nothing. Against offensive teams, Mega Gengar usually won't use Will-O-Wisp at all (assuming it has it), so it plays like standard Mega Gengar, only trading the ability to use Destiny Bond for the potential boosted Hexes. Hex can allow Mega Gengar to OHKO Pokemon it wouldn't have been able to otherwise, such as Mega Salamence after prior Stealth Rock damage. Against defensive teams, it can PP stall Pokemon such as Blissey (assuming it lacks an attack that can hit Gengar) despite not having Taunt. It can also cripple walls such as support Arceus formes and Lugia before hitting them extremely hard with Hex. Will-O-Wisp is mainly for burning Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Aegislash on the switch, although if Mega Gengar is healthy it can survive a hit and then burn certain support Arceus formes, such as Arceus-Water, before attacking them with boosted Hexes. In general, Mega Gengar greatly appreciates its teammates spreading status ailments instead of being forced to use its valuable turns spreading ailments itself. U-turn and Volt Switch can help give Mega Gengar some opportunities to come in and remove certain threats with either Hex or a coverage move. Team Options Pokemon that can spread status ailments easily, such as Klefki and support Primal Groudon, make for excellent partners, as they can help boost of power of Mega Gengar's Hex. Thunder Wave can also slow down Pokemon that can outrun or Speed tie Mega Gengar, such as Mewtwo and its Mega Evolutions. Swords Dance Arceus-Ground can take advantage of Mega Gengar's ability to remove Skarmory and Bronzong while checking Primal Groudon in return. Similarly, Extreme Killer Arceus appreciates the removal of Pokemon such as Skarmory and Arceus-Rock. Ho-Oh checks a large portion of the metagame, including some Steel-types such as Klefki that Mega Gengar might have trouble trapping or might not want to risk removing while spreading burns with Sacred Fire. Hex Giratina-O is a cool partner, despite sharing Mega Gengar's Ghost typing, as it can spread status ailments of its own. Together, Mega Gengar and Giratina-O can break down certain Pokemon and help each other check certain threats such as Extreme Killer Arceus. Choice Scarf Landorus-T can provide much appreciated U-turn support to potentially get Mega Gengar in for free on Pokemon such as Lugia and Skarmory, and it can also check Primal Groudon adequately. Xerneas is a reasonable alternative to Klefki on a more offensively inclined team, as it can destroy Yveltal and Arceus-Dark for Mega Gengar. Finally, bulky support Arceus formes such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Dragon can provide defensive synergy by checking Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh. If a support Arceus forme can hinder Primal Groudon's staying power with Toxic, Mega Gengar can potentially remove it later on in the match.

Moves Destiny Bond is an indispensable support move that goes hand-in-glove with Shadow Tag, allowing Mega Gengar to force trades with a number of offensive and defensive threats alike. Sludge Wave is Mega Gengar's strongest Poison-type STAB move and conveniently hits Fairy-types super effectively, allowing it to eliminate them from high health. Shadow Ball is Mega Gengar's most consistent STAB move and hits slower Psychic-types such as Latias, Latios, Lugia, and Aegislash super effectively while dealing respectable damage to other Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Diancie. Focus Blast allows Mega Gengar to dispatch Tyranitar and Ferrothorn along with a few other Pokemon. Taunt complements Destiny Bond and Shadow Tag by forcing a trapped opponent to use an attacking move, in turn letting Mega Gengar use a risk-free Destiny Bond the following turn. Protect guarantees Gengar's Mega Evolution and can be used to scout and lock uncommon Choice item users. It is also a good choice for teams that struggle against Jolly Extreme Killer Arceus to let Mega Gengar safely gain the Speed advantage. Substitute helps grant Gengar a safe Mega Evolution and eases prediction, notably against users of Thunder Wave that can also deal hefty damage to Gengar. Thunder is Gengar's strongest option for hitting such relevant threats as Ho-Oh, Yveltal, and Primal Kyogre. Icy Wind is the safest option against a healthy Mega Salamence or Rayquaza. Hidden Power Fire hits Mega Scizor, which commonly runs Pursuit, and Ferrothorn for heavy damage. Set Details 252 Speed EVs along with a Timid nature make the best use of Mega Gengar's base 130 Speed by allowing it to outrun threats such as Arceus, Darkrai, and Shaymin-S. 252 Special Attack EVs let Mega Gengar hit as hard as possible and allow it to usually OHKO standard Geomancy Xerneas with Sludge Wave. Siphoning 88 EVs from Special Attack into HP lets Mega Gengar survive Geomancy Xerneas's +2 Moonblast, but the loss in power is generally not worth it. Usage Tips Actively bringing Gengar in via double switching is key to using it effectively. Double switch Gengar in on bulky Pokemon you can remove, as dry switching Gengar in exposes it to getting slapped with a status affliction. Gengar can also be double switched into weakened offensive threats that you predict will switch in to throw out a final blow. A timely double switch can grant Gengar a safe Mega Evolution, as it has three immunities and resists Fairy-type moves. Mega Gengar can also be brought in for free against a target of its choice if you sacrifice one of your Pokemon against the foe you want to trap. Be wary of Choice Scarf users, notably Xerneas, that can surprise and 2HKO Gengar. From Team Preview, assess what Pokemon Gengar should best take down (if any) to benefit its teammates, and plan your game accordingly, as opposed to blindly making trades with Destiny Bond. Team Options Gengar appreciates teammates that handle the common Ghost-types in the tier, as these can bypass Shadow Tag. Ho-Oh pressures Arceus-Ghost and deals hefty damage to Giratina-O with Brave Bird, while Yveltal checks Ghost-types in general. Switch-ins for Dark-types such as Yveltal and Arceus-Dark are also required, as these can otherwise force a Destiny Bond that might be better saved for late-game; accordingly, Fairy-types such as Xerneas and Klefki make good teammates. Setup sweepers such as Extreme Killer Arceus and a Calm Mind Arceus forme can exploit Mega Gengar's trapping capabilities and blow through weakened teams. It is effective to pair Mega Gengar with another wallbreaker to pick apart defensive cores for a sweeper to tear through late-game; Ho-Oh is a good teammate, as are other hard hitters such as Primal Kyogre. Users of U-turn, especially Yveltal, can allow Mega Gengar to successfully pivot into the very Fairy-types it wants to trap.

Moves Mega Gengar can make use of the combination of Perish Song and Shadow Tag to trap and eliminate opposing defensive Pokemon, mono attackers, and users of a Choice item. Protect is used to guarantee Mega Evolution and allows Mega Gengar to prevent damage every other turn as it stalls for Perish Song turns. Taunt is used to prevent the use of Roar or Whirlwind, and it also prevents moves such as Thunder Wave and Spikes, which can respectively cripple Mega Gengar or otherwise harm its team. Substitute can ease the use of Perish Song after an opponent switches out their Gengar-weak Pokemon. It can also be used repeatedly against slower foes to stall for Perish Song turns; this is particularly effective against threats that have multiple moves that can KO Mega Gengar. Disable forces Choice-locked Pokemon to use Struggle and can rob attackers of the means to hit Mega Gengar, making it easier to stall for Perish Song turns. Set Details 248 HP EVs are used to mitigate the mediocrity of Mega Gengar's bulk and aid in its ability to survive until Perish Song activates. 176 Speed EVs with a Timid nature allow Mega Gengar to be faster than maximum Speed Arceus formes after Mega Evolution. The remaining 84 EVs are allocated to Special Defense; this allows Mega Gengar to better take arbitrary special attacks. Specifically, they allow it to always survive a +2 Moonblast from Xerneas after Stealth Rock and frequently survive +2 Thunder. Usage Tips Mega Gengar cannot trap anything until it has Mega Evolved safely; do this by getting Mega Gengar into play early in the match. Make smart double switches or sacrifice an unneeded Pokemon to get Mega Gengar in for free against a target of choice. Against a defensive Pokemon such as Lugia, support Arceus, or defensive Xerneas, use Taunt first to prevent Mega Gengar from being phazed or crippled by status. If the foe only has one good method of dealing damage to Mega Gengar and has just used the move, Disable it. Slower Choice users that have already locked themselves into a move can be Disabled immediately; otherwise, use Protect after trapping them, and then use Disable. Once threats have been neutered, Perish Song can be set. Subsequently, use Protect to stall until the Perish Count reaches 1. Switch out after the Perish Count reaches 1 to prevent Mega Gengar from fainting alongside its trapped foe. Team Options Due to this set's ability to trap and eliminate many common Defoggers, Spikes users such as Deoxys-A, Deoxys-S, Forretress, Scolipede, Greninja, and Klefki can make the entry hazard game difficult for the opponent. Offensive Stealth Rock setters such as Primal Groudon, Dialga, and Deoxys-S also greatly benefit from Mega Gengar's ability to eliminate foes that can Defog away entry hazards. Setup sweepers such as Xerneas, Primal Groudon, and Rayquaza benefit from the pressure Mega Gengar can place on defensive support Pokemon such as support Arceus formes, Clefable, Blissey, and Klefki. Primal Kyogre is a teammate that appreciates Mega Gengar's ability to remove Ferrothorn.

Moves Shadow Ball hits most of the metagame for neutral damage. Will-O-Wisp allows Gengar to burn opposing Mega Kangaskhan as well as Garchomp and Mega Mawile. Protect is very important to stall out burn damage on opponents and allows Gengar to survive longer when a Choice Scarf Pokemon or a priority attacker is trying to chip at its Focus Sash. Taunt is recommended in the last spot to fully assist Mega Kangaskhan: it prevents Tailwind from Zapdos and, more importantly, Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-W and Rotom-H. Alternatively, Sludge Bomb does more damage to neutral opponents than Shadow Ball does and allows Gengar to actually hit opposing Mega Kangaskhan instead of just burning it. Set Details Max out Speed and power to Speed tie other Gengar if necessary and do as much possible damage with Shadow Ball. Common moves such as Rotom-W's Hydro Pump easily 2HKO Gengar, making any bulk on Gengar fairly irrelevant, and Gengar is carrying a Focus Sash anyway. Usage Tips Despite its poor defenses, Gengar is relatively easy to bring in due its three immunities. Gengar easily switches in on Mega Kangaskhan, the most popular Mega Evolution in the tier, and Gengar works fantastically to weaken or burn slower Pokemon that threaten one's own Mega Kangaskhan such as Mega Mawile and Garchomp. With that being said, Gengar is mainly good in VGC 2014 because it partners so well with Mega Kangaskhan, and if not using Mega Kangaskhan it loses a huge niche because Gengar is great at burning Mega Mawile and stopping Will-O-Wisp from Rotom-A. Team Options Mega Kangaskhan is practically a staple as a partner because of how well it is assisted by Gengar. Gengar has great offensive synergy with Garchomp, and it can KO Fairy-type Pokemon for Salamence as well. Quick Guard users such as Scrafty and Talonflame make for good teammates to prevent priority from blowing through Gengar. Furthermore, Talonflame can provide Tailwind support for Mega Kangaskhan and KO opposing priority users before they touch Gengar.

Moves Mega Gengar utilizes Shadow Tag to trap Pokemon, uses Perish Song, and then switches out before it KOes itself. Substitute helps stall turns of Perish Song, and it works really well with Mega Gengar's incredible base Speed. Protect is another move that helps Mega Gengar stall turns of Perish Song, and it has the added advantage of not lowering Gengar's health. Shadow Ball is the first choice in last spot because of its fantastic offensive coverage. Shadow Ball lets Mega Gengar finish off an enemy before using Perish Song against an opponent's last two remaining Pokemon, and it helps Gengar defeat a weakened enemy trying to double target it. Disable, on the other hand, can completely ruin Choiced Pokemon and works very well with Prankster + Encore users such as Liepard to make an enemy Pokemon completely useless. Set Details The EVs are incredibly standard to maximize the niche of the set, which is to Perish Trap and effectively annoy opponents. Special Attack EVs are not necessary because Shadow Ball does enough to kill almost any neutral-damaged Pokemon under 25 percent health. Usage Tips Mega Gengar is the fastest and therefore most deadly Perish trapper in VGC. Mega Gengar works great as a lead against Mega Kangaskhan to use Perish Song immediately because most Kangaskhan cannot KO it. If you’re using Perish trap Mega Gengar the whole team should revolve around it. Mega Gengar is not meant to be slapped on other teams because unlike Mega Kangaskhan, it needs a ton of support to be used at its best. Team Options Gothitelle is the most obvious partner because it allows Mega Gengar to switch out after Perish Song while keeping the opponent trapped. Gothorita with Eviolite is another option but is inferior to Gothitelle. Politoed has access to Perish Song and also helps against sun teams, which is important because Heat Waves are very problematic for Perish trap teams. Furthermore, Politoed can get rid of sand, which Mega Gengar very much appreciates so it's not being chipped at behind a Substitute. Because Politoed is a popular partner, other Swift Swim users such as Kingdra work well so one's team is not completely reliant on Perish Song. Eject Button Amoonguss is a popular partner because it can use Spore and Rage Powder to protect Mega Gengar or get in Gothitelle for free after it is hit. Liepard has great base Speed and access to Fake Out, Prankster, and Encore, which can make trapping very easy for Gengar. Liepard can use Encore before Mega Gengar can use Disable, forcing an opponent to Struggle.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on ORAS Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out ORAS Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

Moves Shadow Ball provides Gengar with good neutral coverage and gives it the ability to KO Mega Slowbro, Celebi, Espeon, and opposing Gengar. Sludge Wave, when used in tandem with Shadow Ball, gives Gengar solid neutral coverage and lets it KO opposing Fairy- and Grass-types such as Clefable and Serperior. Focus Blast lets Gengar hit Steel-, Dark-, Ice-, Rock-, and Normal-types such as Heatran, Bisharp, Weavile, Terrakion, and Porygon-Z super effectively, and it also covers the Pokemon that resist both Sludge Wave and Shadow Ball, such as Bisharp. Taunt prevents setup sweepers and entry hazard setters from doing their jobs successfully, whereas Will-O-Wisp lets Gengar cripple physical attackers. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed EVs, along with a Timid nature, let Gengar hit as hard and move as fast as possible. Life Orb makes up for the lack of a Modest nature and further boosts Gengar's damage output. Levitate lets Gengar switch into Ground-type Pokemon, except for Excadrill. 29 HP IVs minimize Life Orb recoil. Usage Tips Switch Gengar in on Fake Out + Extreme Speed users such as Porygon-Z, Porygon2, and Ursaring. However, try to avoid Scrappy Fake Out + Extreme Speed users such as Mega Lopunny and Stoutland, though, as they easily KO Gengar with those moves. Use Shadow Ball on the predicted switch in from Latios, Latias, and opposing Gengar. Avoid Choice Scarf users such as Terrakion, as they can easily KO Gengar with their STAB moves. Try to bring Gengar in on a safe switch because of how frail it is. Use Taunt to cripple defensive Pokemon such as Chansey and to prevent Pokemon such as Ferrothorn from setting up entry hazards. Use Will-O-Wisp on the predicted switches in from Choice Scarf Terrakion and Landorus-T, as well as from faster physical attackers such as Mega Lopunny, or just to cripple unboosted Kyurem-B and non-Choice Scarf Terrakion and Landorus-T. Spreading burns is also very helpful if you don't know what move to attack with on Gengar. If the opponent has a Pursuit trapper, don't leave Gengar on the field for too long until it has been taken care of, or else Gengar has to continuously pivot out to avoid it. Team Options Physical walls such as Landorus-T, Hippowdon, and Heatran are able to switch into Scrappy Fake Out + Extreme Speed users such as Mega Lopunny and Stoutland, and Gengar can switch into non-Scrappy Fake Out + Extreme Speed in return. Entry hazard clearers such as Landorus-T, Excadrill, Latias, and Starmie help Gengar stay on the field longer. Conversely, entry hazard setters such as Klefki, Garchomp, and Ferrothorn give Gengar an easier time with KOing foes. Dark- and Bug-types such as Bisharp, Tyranitar, Weavile, Mega Beedrill, and Mega Scizor help Gengar take care of Psychic-types such as Latios and Latias, as well as opposing Gengar. Fighting- and Fairy-types such as Terrakion and Mega Diancie take care of Dark-types such as Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Weavile; Terrakion can also be used to take care of non-Scrappy Fake Out + Extreme Speed users such as Porygon-Z and Porygon2. Fake Out + Extreme Speed users such as Porygon-Z, Porygon2, Mega Lopunny, and Stoutland take care of Choice Scarf users such as Tyranitar; Mega Lopunny also takes care of Mega Sableye with its Scrappy Fighting-type STAB moves. U-turn, Volt Switch, and Parting Shot users such as Mega Scizor, Magnezone, and Sableye help get Gengar in safely.

Moves Both Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are simply STAB attacks, the former more powerful and able deal a significant amount of damage to non-resisted targets and the latter boasting better neutral and super effective coverage, capable of hitting Ghost- and Psychic-types such as Aegislash and Cresselia super effectively. Will-O-Wisp can neuter physical attackers such as Mega Kangaskhan and Landorus-T, while Taunt can stop foes from setting up or supporting with moves such as Trick Room, Tailwind, or Follow Me; in conjunction with Shadow Tag, Mega Gengar can also render certain foes into unswitchable liabilities with either move. Substitute can also be useful to shield Mega Gengar from status moves such as Thunder Wave and strong attacks. These three options can also be used to play around Sucker Punch, with Will-O-Wisp even neutering would-be threats. Protect lets Mega Gengar shield itself from attacks while a partner takes out a threat, stalls field conditions such as Trick Room, and punishes double-targeting. Set Details Maximum Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature lets Mega Gengar go as fast as possbile while still having high damage output. Pre-Mega Evolution, the EV investment lets Gengar Speed tie with threats such as Latios and Mega Diancie. Usage Tips Mega Gengar should generally aim to make most use of its trapping ability by using it to deny switching, pressuring foes. Mega Gengar's trapping is particularly effective from early- to mid-game, when it can trap and weaken or KO specific foes so that a teammate has an easier time doing its job due to having one less check; for example, Belly Drum Azumarill can smash through a team with ease once Amoonguss is sufficiently weakened or removed through Mega Gengar's ability to guarantee damage. Mega Gengar can also work late-game, when it can clean up opposing teams with its high Speed and excellent Special Attack, but one needs to make sure any faster threats or those with powerful priority have already been removed. Generally speaking, Mega Gengar works well as a lead thanks to its nifty immunity to Fake Out and high Speed; leading Mega Gengar also lets it Mega Evolve quickly, which it should do as soon as possible in order to fully take advantage of its ability. When against certain foes, using Mega Gengar's disruption move can work wonders, as it turns them into liabilities without any chance of escape; for example, burning a Mega Kangaskhan can leave it a liability on the field due to being neutered and unable to switch out. Team Options Partners that rely on setting up such as Belly Drum Azumarill and Calm Mind Cresselia appreciate Mega Gengar's trapping abilities, as it can help remove key threats, making smashing through the opposing team easier. Pokemon that can take out Dark-types with ease also serve as good teammates; Fairy-types such as Azumarill and Sylveon and Fighting-types such as Keldeo and Terrakion all can take out most Dark-types in the metagame such as Hydreigon and Scrafty. Wide Guard support from the likes of Conkeldurr can be nifty as well, as it can block Landorus-T's Earthquake. Quick Guard from partners such as Scrafty and Keldeo is also appreciated for blocking any strong priority attack, such as Sucker Punch and Brave Bird from Talonflame. Talonflame checks are appreciated as well, as it can simply blast through Mega Gengar's paper-thin defenses while bypassing its Speed with strong priority; the likes of Landorus-T, Thundurus, and Rotom-W all work well for the job. Intimidate from the likes of Scrafty and Landorus-T also work as well because, aside from backing up Mega Gengar's paltry Defense, it can work well in conjunction with Shadow Tag by leaving weakened physical attackers unable to switch out.

Moves Sludge Bomb is Gengar's most powerful STAB move and its main attacking move on this set. It has a decent chance to poison the foe, which essentially gives it a chance to break through Focus Sash. Shadow Ball can be used in the second slot to prevent Gengar from being walled by Steel-types. While a set with dual STAB moves can be used, Icy Wind is an option to provide speed control on some teams; sitting at an impressive base 110 Speed, it can outspeed and lower the Speed of other threats that may be initially faster than Gengar's ally. When using only one STAB move, you should consider what coverage your team needs most when debating which one to use. Shadow Ball should not be used when the rest of your team is vulnerable to Dark-types, for instance. Will-O-Wisp makes Gengar a rather reliable Mega Kangaskhan check by allowing it to avoid Sucker Punch and burning it in the same turn. For the fourth slot, Taunt is the best choice, as it allows Gengar to hinder teams that rely on Trick Room or Tailwind while also halting other shenanigans that may hinder the offensive potency of rest of your team, such as an opposing Thunder Wave or Will-O-Wisp. It also allows Gengar to slow down opposing setup sweepers such as Azumarill and Calm Mind Cresselia. Set Details Focus Sash helps compensate for Gengar's frailty and increases its overall staying power. Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment allows Gengar to hit as hard and fast as possible. Usage Tips When against Mega Kangaskhan, you shouldn't try to attack it because of the threat of Parental Bond Sucker Punch. Therefore, Will-O-Wisp is the go-to play against Mega Kangaskhan. Gengar shouldn't be directly switched in very often in order to keep its Focus Sash intact, but it can still switch in on Choice-locked Landorus-T's Earthquake or Mega Kangaskhan very easily. Keep in mind that non-Mega Gengar's main purpose is to perform an offensive support role, so you should try to support the offensive powerhouses of your teams with Icy Wind and Will-O-Wisp rather than solely attacking with Gengar. Be wary of using Icy Wind when facing Bisharp, as it will gain a free Attack boost from Defiant and can safely switch in thanks to its resistance or immunity to both of Gengar's STAB moves. Team Options Both Mega Kangaskhan and Mega Charizard Y greatly appreciate Icy Wind support to outspeed most of the speedy threats that would otherwise threaten them to a large degree, such as offensive Thundurus, Keldeo, Terrakion, and Latios. Hydreigon not only takes advantage of Gengar's use of speed control but is also able to switch into Psychic-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks for Gengar. As Gengar is typically crippled by Thunder Wave and Taunt, Quick Guard users such as Keldeo and Terrakion can prevent Prankster Taunt and Thunder Wave from the likes of Thundurus and Klefki from hitting Gengar. Fighting-types such as these two can also threaten Tyranitar, which breaks Gengar's Focus Sash with Sand Stream. Gengar works well with Fighting-types such as Keldeo or Conkeldurr due to its ability to beat Fairy-, Ghost-, and Psychic-types. Hydreigon, Latios, and other Dragon-types also appreciate Gengar's ability to cripple opposing physical attackers with Will-O-Wisp. Latios in particular benefits from Gengar being able to turn Mega Kangaskhan into dead weight.

Moves Perish Song facilitates the removal of even extremely bulky walls, such as Lugia, Arceus, and Chansey. It is passed by Baton Pass and goes through Substitute and Magic Bounce, allowing Mega Gengar to force a sacrifice against any Pokemon that cannot avoid Shadow Tag. Protect lets Gengar safely Mega Evolve as well as allowing it to stall out Perish Song and scout for threatening moves. Taunt prevents phazing with Roar or Whirlwind and stops the foe from doing anything useful like setting Stealth Rock before fainting, while Disable stops the opposing Pokemon from using their most recently used move, making it invaluable versus Choice-locked Pokemon or when combined with Protect. Substitute blocks both status moves and attacks and allows Mega Gengar to stall out Perish Song turns. Set Details 216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Mega Gengar to outspeed maximum Speed Darkrai, as well as anything slower. 248 HP and 32 Defense EVs allow Mega Gengar to survive a Lum Berry Arceus's Earthquake after Stealth Rock. 12 Special Defense EVs in conjunction with the HP allows Mega Gengar to survive an Earth Power from Mega Diancie after Stealth Rock damage or +2 Thunder from Xerneas. Shadow Tag allows Mega Gengar to trap any Pokemon that is not a Ghost-type, a Shadow Tag user, or carrying a Shed Shell. Usage Tips Gengar cannot trap anything until it Mega Evolves, so do so as early in the match as is safe. Due to its low bulk, aggressive double switches and pivot moves are very helpful to get Mega Gengar in safely. Don't attempt to Disable Pokemon with multiple effective attacking moves such as Calm Mind Arceus, as even after a Disable they can still heavily damage Mega Gengar. Anything that lacks multiple moves that can OHKO Mega Gengar is a valid option for trapping, but trapping defensive, passive walls gives the lowest risk vs. reward ratio, as they usually can't do anything to stop Mega Gengar. When deciding on which Pokemon to remove, focus on removing answers to your wincon, such as Arceus-Water for Primal Groudon. Against defensive Pokemon that commonly use Roar such as support Arceus and Giratina, use Taunt on the first turn to prevent them from phazing Mega Gengar, and then Protect to scout for super effective coverage, Disabling it if necessary. Perish Song should be used as quickly as feasible to avoid racking up chip damage, but against some targets it can be useful to click another move first. While you can stall out the Perish Song counter with Protect, Substitute, and Disable, if the foe phazes Mega Gengar they can switch out and remove the countdown. On the turn before the Perish Song counter reaches zero, you almost always switch Mega Gengar out. There's rarely a reason to let it get KOed. Team Options Setup sweepers such as Arceus, Xerneas, and Primal Groudon appreciate the ability of Mega Gengar to remove their counters, as do those such as Klefki with a very select number of viable answers. Defensively, Pokemon that do not mind taking Ghost-, Dark-, and Psychic-type attacks, like Yveltal and support Arceus, are helpful to avoid Mega Gengar getting unnecessarily damaged. Pivot Pokemon like Zekrom, Yveltal, and Genesect are also useful to bring Mega Gengar in safely against their would-be counters. As Shadow Tag does not affect Ghost-types, answers to them such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal are beneficial. In particular, the latter also deals with the occasional Shed Shell user such as Blissey with Knock Off, either by KOing them outright or leaving them vulnerable to trapping.

Moves Sludge Wave is Mega Gengar’s hardest-hitting option, dealing heavy damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it, particularly Fairy-type Pokemon such as Xerneas. Sludge Bomb does similar damage, but sacrifices a bit of power for a decent chance of poison. Shadow Ball still deals large amounts of damage while having the ability to hit Ghost-types such as Giratina and being the best move on the set to hit Primal Groudon. Focus Blast is a nice coverage option for Mega Gengar, with perfect neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball and the ability to hit troublesome Pokemon like Darkrai, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Arceus-Steel. Destiny Bond is another option that allows Mega Gengar to trade with Pokemon that it cannot otherwise beat such as Primal Groudon, going well with its ability to force Pokemon to stay in and take it on. Protect allows Gengar to safely Mega Evolve, gain its new Speed tier, and scout the foe's moveset, while Taunt cripples support Pokemon like Arceus-Water and Lugia and stops them from avoiding Destiny Bond, recovering, or phazing Mega Gengar. Set Details 252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allows Mega Gengar to Speed tie with Mewtwo and outspeed anything slower, including Arceus, Darkrai, and Mega Rayquaza. 252 Special Attack EVs allows Mega Gengar to do as much damage as possible, notably enabling it to always OHKO Xerneas after Stealth Rock. Levitate allows Gengar to avoid Earthquake and pivot into users such as Extreme Killer Arceus, but keeping it is generally inferior to immediately Mega Evolving to get Shadow Tag, which prevents the foe from switching out and allows Mega Gengar to effectively revenge KO threats. Usage Tips This set's primary goal is trap and KO any Pokemon that threatens your team strategy, particularly those weak to Gengar's attacks. Be cautious when attempting this on Xerneas, however, as with a Choice Scarf it outspeeds Mega Gengar and can 2HKO it. Double switching or pivot support is important in order to properly utilize Mega Gengar, as it cannot directly switch in to most attacks. It’s possible to wait until the opponent KOes a Pokemon for a free switch, but in many cases you cannot afford to lose a Pokemon. In most battles, you should Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as feasible because regular Gengar lacks the ability to trap and has far lower stats, particularly its Special Attack and Speed. It's often a good idea to keep Mega Gengar around to check Extreme Killer Arceus late-game, as Mega Gengar is faster and immune to Extreme Speed. Not Mega Evolving is mostly only useful here, as it makes Gengar a better switch-in to Arceus. When revenge KOing, attempt to get chip damage via entry hazards or prior attacks, as Mega Gengar often falls just short of an OHKO. Team Options Switch-ins for Yveltal are crucial, as Mega Gengar can do little to it. Arceus-Fairy and Xerneas do this well, but they can be beaten by offensive sets if low on HP. Ghost-types such as Giratina-O and Aegislash cannot be trapped and threaten Mega Gengar with their super effective STAB priority moves, so Pokemon that can take them on like Yveltal and Ho-Oh are useful. Pokemon that can take on Ground-types, such as Giratina, Yveltal, and Arceus-Water, are useful to have, as Mega Gengar cannot effectively deal with Arceus-Ground or Primal Groudon. Pokemon that can take on Klefki such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Diancie are extremely useful to keep Mega Gengar from being crippled. Checks to Ho-Oh such as Arceus-Water, Arceus-Rock, and Zekrom are also appreciated due to Ho-Oh's high Special Defense and ability to OHKO Mega Gengar. Wallbreakers that can take advantage of opened holes in opposing teams, like Ho-Oh and Mewtwo, pair well with Mega Gengar due to the latter's ability to selectively remove troublesome Pokemon. Setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Geomancy Xerneas also benefit from Mega Gengar removing their checks and counters. Pivot Pokemon like Jirachi, Yveltal, and Genesect are also handy to bring Mega Gengar in safely by removing the risk of the foe switching to an unfavorable matchup. Entry hazard setters like Deoxys-A, Klefki, and Primal Groudon are useful to allow Mega Gengar to take out bulky attackers such as Arceus, while Mega Gengar pressures Defoggers and the rare Rapid Spin user.

Moves Skill Swap gives the foe Normalize, turning all of its moves into Normal-type so that it is unable to touch Gengar. Mean Look traps the Pokemon that the opponent switches into Gengar and can let Gengar take it out for the rest of the match. Substitute is an option over Mean Look, as it lets Gengar take advantage of the free turn provided by Skill Swap to create a shield to hide behind and thus be able to safely attack without having to predict the Pokemon coming in. Shadow Ball is Gengar's best STAB attack and hits opposing Ghost-types such as Doublade for super effective damage. Focus Blast hits Dark- and Steel-types such as Tyranitar and Heatran and has perfect neutral coverage together with Shadow Ball. Sludge Bomb can be used over Focus Blast as a secondary STAB attack that also has good neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball. However, the most relevant Fairy-type, Diancie, is not hit for super effective damage by Sludge Bomb and, without Focus Blast, Gengar becomes much more vulnerable to Pursuit trappers. Set Details The given EV spread combined with a Timid nature optimizes Gengar's Speed so it will be faster than the foe the majority of the time, allowing Gengar to use Skill Swap without taking damage while hitting as hard as possible. Normalize works together with Skill Swap to prevent the foe from touching Gengar as long as Gengar is faster. Black Sludge is the item of choice because, without it, Substitute wears Gengar down way too fast, and this set does not need a power boost. Usage Tips Use Skill Swap against slower foes to make them unable to touch Gengar, set up a Substitute as the opponent switches in something to handle Gengar, and then use the appropriate attack, depending on the Pokemon sent out. If you suspect the opponent is going to switch into another Pokemon, you can use Substitute as the foe switches out and then use Skill Swap, creating another free turn for Gengar to attack. Skill Swap can also be used to stop slower sweepers such as Snorlax and Suicune cold in their tracks. It is most of the time wise not to switch Gengar into any Pokemon with an offensive presence, as Gengar's low bulk results in it disliking even strong resisted hits. However, you can make use of Gengar's two immunities to switch into Normal- and Fighting-type attacks if you really must. Rapid Spin is a move you should especially try to prevent if there are entry hazards up on the opponent's side. Due to Gengar's low bulk, it is ill-advised to stay in against any remotely strong priority user or faster Pokemon unless you're trying to make a prediction. This set does very well against teams with just one Gengar check because, if that one check gets hit by Skill Swap, the opponent is forced to switch to a Pokemon that does not take Gengar on well. Even after you have already used Skill Swap, Gengar checks that rely on Poison Heal can still be screwed by just using Skill Swap again. Team Options Pokemon that can take on priority users such as Doublade and Staraptor are good teammates because those foes can easily OHKO Gengar. Steel-types such as Skarmory and Mega Metagross work particularly well thanks to their resistances to most priority moves. Flash Fire Doublade deserves a special mention because it can switch into every priority move except Shadow Sneak and can Pursuit trap the priority users or use Skarmory without Taunt or Whirlwind as setup fodder. If you're using Mean Look on Gengar, fast special attackers such as Shaymin-S and Thundurus appreciate Gengar luring in and trapping special walls such as Chansey and Goodra. Entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Ferrothorn are great teammates because this set forces a lot of switches, causing foes to take a lot of residual damage, and Gengar's Ghost typing allows it to block Rapid Spin, preserving the entry hazards on the opponent's side. Slow U-turn, Volt Switch, and Baton Pass users such as Scizor, Mega Ampharos, and Togekiss grant Gengar free switches in without the risk of taking heavy damage. Because Gengar is vulnerable to Pursuit, Pokemon that take advantage of Dark-types, especially setup sweepers such as Lucario and Togekiss, are great teammates. Choice Band Adaptability Tyranitar traps most of Gengar's counters, barring Assault Vest + Focus Blast Meloetta, with Pursuit.

Moves Shadow Ball hits most types for neutral damage and opposing Ghost-types for super effective damage. Sludge Wave is a secondary STAB move and has good neutral coverage with Shadow Ball. Focus Blast hits Dark-, Normal-, and Steel-types such as Tyranitar, Chansey, and Ferrothorn for super effective damage. Taunt allows Gengar to prevent any status move from being used, which is mostly helpful against special walls that would otherwise be able to use status and recovery moves freely against Gengar, such as Porygon2, but also helps against entry hazard setters such as Garchomp and Hippowdon. Substitute also protects Gengar from status and can act as a shield against priority, but it cannot prevent the foe from healing up with recovery moves. Set Details The given EV spread optimizes Gengar's ability to break through walls while allowing it to outspeed the majority of Almost Any Ability. A Timid nature is mandatory because Gengar is frail and thus needs to move before the foe if it does not want to faint. Sheer Force grants Gengar a 1.3x boost to all of its attacks with secondary effects, which is all of them. It should, however, be noted that the secondary effects disappear. Life Orb boosts the power of all of Gengar's attacks and works very well with Sheer Force, as the ability negates the recoil damage on all attacks with secondary effects. Usage Tips Gengar works best early- or mid-game to break through defensive cores for teammates or outright sweep bulkier teams itself. If you suspect the opponent is planning on sacrificing a Pokemon against Gengar and you have Substitute, Gengar can use it on the predicted switch, get rid of the sacrificed Pokemon, and come out of it behind a Substitute, forcing the opponent to sacrifice another Pokemon to break it. It is usually a very bad idea to switch Gengar into even neutral attacks because of its low bulk. If you really must, you can, however, make use of Gengar's immunities and switch it into Normal- and Fighting-type moves. You should especially try switching Gengar in against Rapid Spin if entry hazards are up on the opponent's side. Watch out for priority attacks because even weaker users such as Zygarde can KO Gengar with just a little prior damage. Finally, note that Gengar can stall out the PP of walls late-game. Team Options Other special attackers such as Goodra and Diancie appreciate Gengar, as it softens or outright breaks through special walls for them. Pokemon that can take on common priority users such as Braviary and Entei are great teammates because of Gengar's weakness to priority. Steel-types such as Doublade and Flash Fire Skarmory are especially good because they resist all priority moves barring Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch, and they can take on Doublade anyway, while Sucker Punch is almost nonexistent in the metagame. Entry hazard setters such as Deoxys-S and Garchomp help Gengar get some extra KOs such as the guaranteed OHKO with Focus Blast on standard Ferrothorn. In return, Gengar's Ghost typing allows it to block Rapid Spin so the entry hazards that its teammates set are not removed. Slow Volt Switch, U-turn, and Baton Pass users such as Magnezone, Scizor, and Sylveon help with bringing Gengar in safely so it can wreak havoc without risking taking damage. Pokemon such as Lucario and Mega Altaria can take advantage of Dark-types that can trap Gengar with Pursuit such as Krookodile.

Moves Shadow Ball is Gengar's main STAB move and deals respectable damage to most Pokemon, especially Aegislash. Sludge Bomb is used to deal massive damage to Grass- and Fairy-types. Icy Wind, however, can be helpful for providing speed control for your team as well as 2HKOing Landorus-T and Mega Salamence. Will-O-Wisp allows Gengar to cripple most physical attackers and completely shut down Mega Kangaskhan. Protect allows Gengar to survive an extra turn. Taunt is good for shutting down non-attacking moves, but Gengar usually doesn't last long enough to do it more than once. Set Details The given spread allows Gengar to hit as hard as possible while also outspeeding most threats in Battle Spot Doubles, such as Mega Charizard Y, Mega Kangaskhan, and Terrakion. Focus Sash allows Gengar to survive an extra turn to get off another move. Life Orb can also be used if you want more offensive pressure, as it allows Gengar to KO threats such as Latios, Azumarill, and Mega Gardevoir. Usage Tips This set works best as a lead to immediately start firing off its STAB moves or spreading burns around. Try to play safe around a Kangaskhan that has not Mega Evolved yet, as it can break Gengar's Focus Sash with a Scrappy Fake Out. Even with maximum Special Attack investment, Gengar is still not that strong, so don't expect it to get OHKOs against bulkier Pokemon or Pokemon not weak to its attacks. If you're using Icy Wind, use it carefully, as you wouldn't want to invite in Pokemon with Defiant or Competitive. Team Options Terrakion appreciates having Ghost- and Fairy-types weakened as well as the opposing team being slowed down by Icy Wind. Terrakion also destroys most Dark-types that Gengar has issues with. Kangaskhan is another solid partner, as it can grant Gengar a free turn with Fake Out to attack or burn a target. Gengar can help out Kangaskhan in return by burning Fighting-types. Clefable can redirect Dark-type moves and keep Gengar completely safe from Sucker Punch, and it appreciates having targets burned.

Moves Shadow Ball is notable for punishing Ghost-types that try to disrupt the Perish trap by switching out. Perish Song allows Mega Gengar to KO both of your opponent's Pokemon at once while Mega Gengar and its partner switch out. Substitute helps stall out Perish Song turns. Disable can be viable for disabling moves that could potentially knock out Mega Gengar and ruin the Perish trap. Protect is crucial for keeping Mega Gengar from being double targeted and KOed as it stalls out Perish Song turns. Set Details The EV spread is designed to make Mega Gengar as bulky as possible. 252 HP and 28 Defense EVs allow Mega Gengar to stomach a Double-Edge from 4 Atk mixed Mega Salamence. The Speed EVs give non-Mega Gengar the jump on maximum Speed base 105 Speed Pokemon, such as Mega Pinsir and Mienshao, before Mega Evolving and let it outspeed Weavile after Mega Evolving. The 4 SpA and 4 SpD are leftover EVs that increase Gengar's durability and power by a tiny bit. Gengarite allows Mega Gengar to fully function as a Perish Song trapper. Usage Tips Try to Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as possible to get the most out of its trapping ability. Make sure to Perish Song as soon as possible and then work to preserve Mega Gengar from taking serious damage. Having a secondary Shadow Tag Pokemon such as Gothitelle is essential, as it allows Mega Gengar to switch out while still having the opponent's Pokemon trapped as Gothitelle comes in. Make sure to KO any Ghost-types that the opponent has brought whenever possible, as they can switch out of Shadow Tag. Switch out Mega Gengar on the last turn of the Perish Song countdown so that it can come back and Perish Song again safely. If you have a healthy Perish Song user in the back, don't feel obligated to keep Mega Gengar around after the opponent's first two Pokemon have fainted. Team Options Gothitelle is a staple on Perish trap teams, as it is able to trap Pokemon alongside Mega Gengar. It is also able to set up Reflect or Light Screen to buff Mega Gengar's defenses. Politoed is also a good partner, as it is able to Perish Song the remaining Pokemon on the opponent's team, after Mega Gengar has already trapped and KOed two Pokemon. Politoed can also utilize Encore and Scald to mess with the opposing team. Scrafty's Intimidate helps Mega Gengar tank hits, and Scrafty can use Fake Out to allow for free Perish Songs. Amoonguss is also a good partner for Mega Gengar on Perish trap teams, as it can provide free turns with Spore. Another notable aspect about Amoonguss is that it being a slow Pokemon means that it will faint last if everything on the field faints to Perish Song, giving you the victory. Other redirection support Pokemon such as Clefable and Togekiss are also usable to keep Mega Gengar and other Shadow Tag Pokemon alive.

Moves Shadow Ball can punish Ghost-types that try to threaten Mega Gengar. Sludge Bomb allows Mega Gengar to deal massive damage to any Fairy- and Grass-types it traps. Will-O-Wisp is excellent for burning physical attackers and rendering them trapped and completely useless. Disable can be used over Will-O-Wisp if you plan on utilizing the Encore + Disable strategy. Protect lets Gengar safely Mega Evolve to get the Speed boost. Set Details The given EV spread allows Mega Gengar to tank a -1 Earthquake from Adamant Landorus-T or a Heat Wave from Modest Mega Charizard Y. Gengarite allows Mega Gengar to trap Pokemon that it has a favorable matchup against and take them out. If you don't want the extra bulk, then 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe can be used just fine. Usage Tips Mega Gengar is able to trap and appropriately deal with foes to support its team. Try to Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as possible to get the most out of its trapping ability. Don't leave Mega Gengar against two Pokemon that can easily OHKO it, because its partner cannot handle both threats at once. Bring in Mega Gengar against Pokemon that can't do too much damage to it, such as Mega Kangaskhan and Sylveon, so that it can trap them and give its partner an easier time. If you're using the Disable + Encore strategy, make sure to Disable a move that Mega Gengar doesn't mind too much and then Encore the move right afterwards. This leaves the opponent with nothing else to do but Struggle. Team Options Liepard is an excellent partner to Mega Gengar, as it can Fake Out a target and give Gengar a free turn to Mega Evolve. It can also Encore a Pokemon into a move so that Gengar can Disable it. Liepard can also use Fake Tears to allow Mega Gengar to get some clutch OHKOs, such as on Cresselia, bulky Thundurus, and 4 HP / 0 SpD Mega Kangaskhan. Whimsicott can do the same thing as Liepard and has better defensive typing with more bulk, but it lacks Fake Out. Terrakion is a solid partner for Mega Gengar, as it is able to OHKO the Dark-types that Gengar has issues with, such as Hydreigon, Bisharp, and Tyranitar. Terrakion also appreciates Mega Gengar being able to trap and KO Grass-, Psychic-, and Fairy-types.

Moves Hypnosis is always a bit of a dice roll because of its accuracy, but since the odds are in your favor, it's still a viable choice. Although 60% accuracy might look very unappealing, the benefits of putting a foe to sleep are so strong that it can be worth the risk. Hex is the Ghost-type STAB move of choice because it gets a boost when used against a sleeping Pokemon. Destiny Bond is great when you're looking to take out a big threat, such as Mega Mawile or Mega Kangaskhan. Thanks to Shadow Tag, it can be very difficult for your opponent to play around Destiny Bond, especially if the opposing Pokemon is Choice-locked or only carries attacks. Focus Blast offers perfect coverage alongside Hex. It can surprise Pokemon such as Tyranitar, Porygon2, and specially defensive Heatran, which are otherwise good checks to Mega Gengar. Sludge Bomb can be used for more consistency and coverage against Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Azumarill, and can pick up an OHKO on Serperior. The last moveslot should be decided based on what coverage your team needs. Set Details Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is used to at least Speed tie with other Mega Gengar while outspeeding some threats such as Greninja, Latios, and Latias. With 12 Special Attack EVs, Hex is a guaranteed OHKO on Aegislash under status. The remaining EVs are dumped into HP so Mega Gengar can take hits better. The remaining 8 EVs are placed in Defense and Special Defense; this is more efficient than adding 8 EVs in HP because it gives an extra stat point. Bulk is important on this set for the turns when Hypnosis misses. The more turns Mega Gengar is active, the more chances you'll have to hit Hypnosis. Levitate is Gengar's only ability before Mega Evolving but can be useful before Mega Evolving against some Ground-types to avoid being OHKOed. In most cases, though, you will want to Mega Evolve Gengar right away to get the huge benefits of Shadow Tag and the extra Speed. An alternate spread of 188 HP / 116 Def / 4 SpA / 4 SpD / 196 Spe can be used if you find that maximum Speed investment isn't necessary. 196 Speed EVs allow Mega Gengar to outspeed Pokemon up to maximum Speed Timid Greninja, while the defensive investment allows it to take strong moves such as Choice Band Talonflame's Brave Bird, Mega Blaziken's Flare Blitz, and Garchomp's Outrage before Gengar Mega Evolves. Usage Tips Use Hypnosis when Mega Gengar is in a favorable position. It is especially good if you expect your opponent to switch out on the turn you haven't Mega Evolved Gengar, as you'll have a second chance to try to hit Hypnosis if you didn't already on their switch. If you do hit the incoming Pokemon, this gives Mega Gengar a guaranteed free turn to get off an attack. This set can work well as a lead to try to heavily weaken some of your opponent's team. If the opponent doesn't have many or any Pokemon faster than Mega Gengar, it can be very difficult for them to take it down if Hypnosis is hitting consistently. Hypnosis can also put a stop to common lead strategies that involve getting Stealth Rock up. If you can stop Stealth Rock from getting up, you'll disrupt your opponent's game plan quite a bit, putting you in a good position. You can also use Mega Gengar to take on defensive Pokemon, as with Mega Gengar's investment in HP, it can take some hits from their weaker attacks, giving it plenty of turns to hit Hypnosis and start dishing out a lot of damage with Hex. If Mega Gengar is against a big threat to your team, it might be better to attempt to go for a trade with Destiny Bond rather than risking Hypnosis missing. Focus Blast is a niche move that most opponents won't expect, so try to catch switch-ins such as Tyranitar when you see them during Team Preview. Team Options This set is not always reliable, so it is best used as a backup Mega Pokemon, such as on teams with Mega Kangaskhan. It can deal with Pokemon that Mega Kangaskhan struggles with such as Cresselia and Mega Slowbro. It can also work well with Mega Blaziken for similar reasons. Mega Gengar works well alongside other status spreaders so Mega Gengar can immediately use Hex on Pokemon that you don't need to put to sleep. Thunder Wave Thundurus, Toxic Suicune, and Will-O-Wisp Talonflame are all good examples. Suicune also appreciates Mega Gengar's ability to trap and deal with Grass-types such as Mega Venusaur and Serperior. Choice Scarf Garchomp appreciates Mega Gengar's ability to deal with bulky threats such as Cresselia and Porygon2, while Garchomp can handle offensive Pokemon more consistently. Belly Drum Azumarill works well with Mega Gengar thanks to the support it provides with Shadow Tag; Mega Gengar can trap threats to Azumarill such as Mega Venusaur and defensive Rotom-W. Other setup sweepers such as Talonflame and Volcarona can also work well with Mega Gengar. Mega Gengar can use Destiny Bond to take out big threats to these two such as Garchomp and can utilize its coverage with Focus Blast to take out other troublesome Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Heatran. Fire-types in general, such as Talonflame, Volcarona, and Mega Charizard Y, also make good teammates to help deal with Steel- and Ghost-types such as Ferrothorn, Aegislash, and Mega Sableye more consistently so Mega Gengar doesn't have to risk missing Focus Blast or Hypnosis against them. Ghost-types can be hard for Mega Gengar to beat, since they can hit Mega Gengar super effectively and are able to switch out of Shadow Tag if they decide to. Dragonite appreciates Mega Gengar's ability to trap and take out physical walls such as Clefable, Cresselia, and Porygon2 so Dragonite can have a much easier time sweeping.

Moves Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb are Gengar's STAB moves, covering a large number of targets for neutral damage. Focus Blast rounds out this coverage by allowing Gengar to break switch-ins such as Porygon2, Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Heatran. Destiny Bond lets Gengar take an attacker down with itself, which can be useful in situations where eliminating a key threat Gengar can't immediately beat is vital to succeeding. Though Icy Wind has a very low Base Power, do not write it off completely, as a Life Orb-boosted Icy Wind can OHKO Landorus-T, Mega Salamence, and Garchomp. Dazzling Gleam hits Fighting-types and Dragon-types not named Garchomp or Salamence harder than any of Gengar's other moves, and it is Focus Sash Gengar's only means of OHKOing Hydreigon and Life Orb Gengar's only way of 2HKOing Conkeldurr. Dazzling Gleam also hits Chesnaught much harder than Icy Wind, which is useful because Chesnaught is immune to all of Gengar's other moves. Will-O-Wisp allows Gengar to provide some support to its team by spreading burns to physical attackers, though the primary target of this is Mega Kangaskhan, which Gengar can easily cripple after a burn. Taunt can be used to hamper defensive Pokemon such as Clefable, Porygon2, and Chansey if your team has issues with them. Set Details The nature and EVs listed maximize Gengar's Speed, making it as fast as possible, while giving it maximum Special Attack to maintain an offensive presence. Life Orb allows Gengar to take its offensive prowess a step further, making Gengar hit as hard as possible while being able to switch moves. Focus Sash ensures Gengar will survive any hit with at least 1 HP and be able to strike back after, allowing Gengar to function as a lead or a revenge killer. Focus Sash also pairs very nicely with Destiny Bond, almost guaranteeing Gengar can nab at least one KO per game. Usage Tips With Focus Sash, Gengar can serve as a lead, matching up favorably against most offensive Pokemon from the first turn. Gengar can also function as a revenge killer with Focus Sash, picking off weakened foes and threats in an emergency. Take advantage of Gengar's great offensive presence, especially if using Life Orb, as the added power from Life Orb on top of Gengar's great Speed and coverage allows it to act as a battering ram that can be a pain for many Pokemon to switch into. Use Focus Blast to take out targets weak to it, such as Tyranitar, Heatran, and Bisharp. After successfully nabbing a KO or using up Gengar's Focus Sash, use Destiny Bond to take the foe down with Gengar if it is unable to immediately dispose of the opposing Pokemon. Take advantage of Levitate to freely switch into predicted Ground-type moves from Pokemon such as Landorus-T, Garchomp, Gliscor, and Mamoswine. If Gengar is carrying Icy Wind, these Pokemon can be subsequently dealt with after switching in. Due to its ability to lower the foe's Speed, Icy Wind can also be useful against fast offensive Pokemon such as Greninja and Raikou, especially if Gengar is holding Focus Sash. Team Options This Gengar set lacks its own Mega Stone, thus freeing up your team to run a different Pokemon as a Mega Evolution, which can throw your opponent off. While nearly any Mega Evolution can be paired with Gengar, ones such as Lopunny, Kangaskhan, Lucario, and Gyarados most notably have solid defensive synergy with Gengar, as they all cover each other's weaknesses in some way while fending off each other's checks. Take advantage of Gengar's Levitate ability by pairing Gengar with partners that appreciate Gengar's immunity to Ground-type moves, such as Bisharp, Blaziken, Excadrill, Heatran, Manectric, Metagross, and Raikou. Bisharp is noteworthy, as it covers both Gengar's Ghost- and Dark-type weaknesses, handling threats such as Aegislash for Gengar, while Gengar is immune to Bisharp's weaknesses to Ground- and Fighting-type moves. Offensive threats such as Talonflame, Greninja, Garchomp, Azumarill, and Thundurus pair well with Gengar, as they can clean up teams much more easily after Gengar has punched holes in them either by attacking or by using Destiny Bond.

Moves Substitute lets Gengar avoid status moves and gives it a means of playing around Sucker Punch users, while Disable allows Gengar to prevent a Pokemon from using the last move it used. This is useful, as most Pokemon often carry only one move that can hit Gengar, making it especially troublesome after Gengar has used Substitute to scout the move and Disable to keep them from using it for a few turns. Disable also keeps Choice-locked Pokemon from using their moves, forcing them to helplessly use Struggle or switch out. Shadow Ball is Gengar's most reliable Ghost-type STAB move, while Focus Blast rounds out its coverage perfectly, letting Gengar hit everything for at least neutral damage. Set Details The given EVs and nature make Gengar as fast as possible while maximizing Special Attack to capitalize on its offensive presence. Black Sludge is the best item for Gengar to hold, as it gives Gengar passive HP recovery, allowing it to use Substitute numerous times. Though it costs Gengar some longevity compared to Black Sludge and requires an open team slot for Mega Evolution, Gengarite can be used to allow Gengar to gain Shadow Tag, becoming a major nuisance for trapped Pokemon that are unable to hit it, especially Choice-locked Pokemon affected by Disable. A Sitrus Berry can be used, as it gives Gengar 25% of its HP back within a single turn once activated. If this item is chosen, move the 4 EVs from Special Defense to HP in order to give Gengar an HP stat divisible by four, which allows Gengar to use Sitrus Berry after using Substitute twice. If offensive presence is a must, a Life Orb can also be used to make Gengar's attacks as strong as possible, though Gengar's ability to stick around will be cut drastically short. Usage Tips Use Substitute on a predicted attack or status move, and use Disable on the next turn if Gengar's Substitute is broken. From there, feel free to capitalize on the situation by either attacking or using Substitute again followed by the appropriate attacks. Be wary, however, of the opponent predicting Disable and using a different move to still hit Gengar, as most of the time Gengar's frailness ensures its Substitute can still be easily broken. Make use of Gengar's typing by switching in on the Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves it's immune to. This makes Gengar a hassle for Pokemon such as Gliscor, Landorus-T, and Garchomp to deal with once it gets a Substitute up. Team Options Rotom-W is a solid partner for Gengar, as it checks Aegislash, Azumarill, Mamoswine, Scizor, and Talonflame, all problematic Pokemon for Gengar due to their bulk and access to priority moves. In return, Gengar is able to switch in on Grass-type moves directed at Rotom-W. In a similar vein, Heatran synergizes well with Gengar, functioning as a solid check to Aegislash, Bisharp, and Talonflame, while Gengar's immunity to Ground- and Fighting-type moves for Heatran is vastly appreciated. Offensive Pokemon such as Garchomp, Greninja, Lopunny, Salamence, and Talonflame can wear down the bulkier Pokemon that Gengar has trouble breaking through, such as Azumarill, Porygon2, and Zapdos. Pokemon such as Azumarill, Bisharp, Conkeldurr, Lucario, and Sylveon pair well with Gengar, as they can switch into Dark-type moves directed at it. Bisharp is a noteworthy partner, as it is immune to Gengar's Psychic weakness and resists Ghost-type moves, while Gengar is immune to the Fighting- and Ground-type moves Bisharp is weak to. Porygon2 also is an excellent partner, as it checks Pokemon faster than Gengar, such as Greninja, Mega Salamence, and Starmie; Porygon2 is also immune to Ghost-type moves, while Gengar is immune to Fighting-type moves Porygon2 is weak to.

Moves Destiny Bond allows Gengar to fulfill its role as a trapper by taking the opposing Pokemon down with it upon being KOed, leaving a hole in the opponent's team by removing a threat for Gengar's teammates. Will-O-Wisp allows Gengar to neuter physical attackers such as Azumarill, Bisharp, Garchomp, and Kangaskhan, which can also benefit Gengar's teammates. Taunt lets Gengar hinder supportive Pokemon such as Chansey and Skarmory, preventing them from using status moves; it also forces Pokemon to attack Gengar, making it easier to take down an attacker with Destiny Bond. Shadow Ball is the more reliable of Gengar's Ghost-type STAB moves, though Hex can be used, as it becomes a hard-hitting 130 Base Power STAB move against targets afflicted by status, which compensates for this set's lack of Special Attack investment. Thus, Hex should be used strictly in conjunction with Will-O-Wisp, but bear in mind it can be somewhat situational because a target isn't always guaranteed to be burned when needed. Sludge Bomb is Gengar's best Poison-type STAB move and attains decent neutral coverage with Gengar's Ghost-type STAB move, though Focus Blast offers the absolute best coverage, allowing Gengar to hit as many Pokemon as possible for super effective damage. Set Details With maximum HP investment, Gengar is as bulky as possible, making it able to sponge a variety of hits, especially when running Will-O-Wisp, as physical attackers will generally fail to KO Gengar after being burned. Specifically, with maximum HP, Gengar avoids the 2HKO from Rotom-W's Hydro Pump and Zapdos's Thunderbolt, avoids the OHKO from Garchomp's Outrage, and can survive any move followed by an Aqua Jet from Azumarill after it has been burned. Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature is used to make the most out of Gengar's base 130 Speed after Mega Evolution, outpacing even +1 base 80 Speed Pokemon with a neutral nature, such as Altaria, Dragonite, and Gyarados after a Dragon Dance. Usage Tips Mega Evolving immediately is usually the best way to go, as Gengar gains notable increases to its Special Attack and Speed stats, outpacing Pokemon that it couldn't otherwise the following turn, such as Greninja, Raikou, Mega Lucario, and Mega Salamence. Gaining Shadow Tag allows Gengar to trap and eliminate Pokemon such as Skarmory, Chansey, and Cresselia for its teammates, as well as ensuring that Gengar can revenge kill most weakened Pokemon. Refrain from Mega Evolving only in cases where Levitate will be more useful, such as when facing Pokemon with Ground-type moves, such as Garchomp, Gliscor, and Landorus-T. Mega Kangaskhan is also a noteworthy mention here, as it often has trouble hitting non-Mega Gengar due to Levitate and Gengar's immunity to Normal-type moves, allowing Gengar to serve as an emergency check to it. Even though this set lacks Special Attack investment and relies more on teammates to secure KOs on Pokemon, Gengar still boasts a base 170 Special Attack after Mega Evolving, which allows it to deal good damage. Make use of this and its offensive moves to hit Pokemon, using Destiny Bond to take an attacker down once Gengar has run out of steam. It might even be feasible to sacrifice Gengar by using Destiny Bond while it is still healthy if taking down the opposing Pokemon will allow Gengar's teammates to succeed. Use Will-O-Wisp to cripple physical attackers, and use Taunt to hinder defensive Pokemon and force Pokemon to attack Gengar, making it impossible for them to play around Destiny Bond. Also bear in mind that Ghost-types and Pokemon with access to U-turn, Volt Switch, or Baton Pass can escape from Gengar, making them more difficult to trap, even with Shadow Tag. Team Options This Gengar set functions as a supporter for offensive teams, as it excels at trapping and removing most defensive Pokemon for its teammates. Pair it with offensive Pokemon, such as Blaziken, Breloom, Greninja, Garchomp, Azumarill, Conkeldurr, Talonflame, and Bisharp, as they all can deal serious damage to the opposing team, which compensates for Gengar's own lack of offensive presence. Blaziken is especially noteworthy, as checks to it such as Cresselia, Slowbro, Altaria, and Azumarill can be easily handled by Gengar, while Blaziken can take on Dark-types such as Tyranitar, Bisharp, and Greninja in return. Wobbuffet is also an excellent partner for Mega Gengar, as together they can regulate absolute control over a single Pokemon thanks their shared Shadow Tag ability. Wobbuffet can either use Encore to lock a foe into a useless move for Gengar or a teammate to switch into or take down a foe with Counter or Mirror Coat. U-turn and Volt Switch users, such as Landorus-T, Scizor, Talonflame, Rotom-W, Manectric, and Magnezone, can be a problem for Gengar, as they are able to escape from Shadow Tag. Pokemon such as Breloom, Excadrill, Latias, Latios, and Conkeldurr can be used to offensively check Volt Switch users, while Pokemon such as Zapdos, Air Balloon Heatran, and Rotom-W are able to check most of these U-turn users; Rotom-W also checks Aegislash, Azumarill, and Bisharp for Gengar. Fairy-types such as Sylveon, Klefki, Azumarill, and Togekiss can switch into Dark-type moves aimed at Gengar, while Gengar covers their Poison-type weakness nicely. Porygon2, Bisharp, Tyranitar, and Weavile can switch into Ghost-type moves for Gengar, while Gengar is immune to their Fighting-type weakness.

Moves Perish Song causes Gengar and the opposing Pokemon to faint within three turns of using the move, essentially guaranteeing the foe faints thanks to Shadow Tag keeping it from switching. Protect shields Gengar from any damage, allowing it to stall for a turn after using Perish Song. Substitute also allows Gengar to stall for a turn after using Perish Song and blocks status moves while working with Gengar's incredible Speed, which allows Gengar to move first most of the time. Disable can also be used along with Protect, as most Pokemon, especially supportive Pokemon, carry only one move that can hit Gengar, making it much more annoying to deal with after factoring in Shadow Tag and Perish Song. Choice-locked Pokemon afflicted by Disable are also forced to use Struggle, rendering them useless for three turns. Shadow Ball gives Gengar some offensive presence, allowing it to deal some damage, while Taunt can be used to keep defensive Pokemon from using status moves. While a set lacking any attacking moves may seem odd, this set's aim is to trap and eliminate Pokemon with Perish Song, so attacking moves aren't fully necessary and should only be considered if certain supportive Pokemon are more troublesome for your team to deal with. Other attacking moves such as Sludge Bomb, Icy Wind, and Focus Blast can also be used here to pick off their desired targets, such as Azumarill, Mega Salamence, and Tyranitar, respectively, if your team needs more leverage against them. Set Details With maximum HP investment, Gengar maintains as much bulk as possible, allowing it to avoid being 2HKOed by Pokemon such as Rotom-W and Zapdos and survive Garchomp's Outrage. This in turn makes it much easier for Gengar to safely use Perish Song against even offensive Pokemon that have been trapped by Shadow Tag. A Timid nature and maximum Speed investment make the most of Gengar's major Speed increase after Mega Evolution, allowing it to outpace even neutral-natured base 80 Speed Pokemon at +1, such as Altaria, Dragonite, and Gyarados after a Dragon Dance. Gengarite allows Gengar to Mega Evolve, which is necessary for this set to succeed, as it relies on Shadow Tag to ensure Pokemon are trapped and inevitably taken out after using Perish Song. Usage Tips In most cases, the best course of action is to Mega Evolve immediately once Gengar is out, using Perish Song as Gengar takes a hit, followed by Protect and either Substitute or Disable to stall for two turns. Once Perish Song's count reaches 1, switch Gengar out to a Pokemon that can comfortably switch into the opposing Pokemon, as the foe will subsequently faint while Gengar is preserved, allowing it to be brought back out later to finish something else off if needed. If running an attacking move, use it to deal damage to Pokemon weak to the move, but don't rely on it to deal significant damage, due this set's lack of Special Attack investment. If running Taunt, use it to keep defensive Pokemon from hindering Gengar with status moves, making it easier to stall them out with Perish Song. When used alongside Disable, Taunt lets Gengar cripple several defensive Pokemon by itself, such as Chansey, Cresselia, Ferrothorn, Gliscor, and even Porygon2. Team Options Wobbuffet is this set's best partner in crime, as its presence makes Gengar much deadlier due to both of them having Shadow Tag to keep foes from switching. This allows Wobbuffet to help Gengar stall with Perish Song and is on top of Wobbuffet's superior bulk, access to Encore, and ability to take down Choice Scarf users that Gengar would struggle against, such as Excadrill and Garchomp. Porygon2 not only has great defensive synergy with Gengar but also excels at checking faster threats to Gengar, such as Greninja, Starmie, and Mega Salamence. Rotom-W checks offensive threats to Gengar, such as Aegislash, Bisharp, Scizor, Talonflame, and Tyranitar, and can use Volt Switch to bring in Gengar safely. Talonflame is able to break down Pokemon Gengar might struggle with, such as Blaziken, Conkeldurr, Magnezone, and Mega Sableye. Pokemon that can handle Dark-types, such as Conkeldurr, Terrakion, Azumarill, Sylveon, and Klefki, are also vastly appreciated by Gengar.

Moves Destiny Bond ensures that, after Mega Evolution, Gengar is able to remove a trapped Pokemon if it manages to knock Gengar out, possibly taking out a key threat on the opponent's team. Substitute allows Gengar to dodge status moves and play around Pokemon that rely on Sucker Punch to hit it, such as Bisharp, Kangaskhan, and Mawile, while making it much harder to deal with if it manages to KO something with a Substitute up. Shadow Ball is a reliable Ghost-type STAB move, attaining solid neutral coverage alongside STAB Sludge Bomb, which hits Fairy-types such as Sylveon and Mega Altaria much harder than Shadow Ball. While Sludge Wave is a usable attacking option for its higher Base Power than Sludge Bomb, on top of being Gengar's strongest move to hit the rare Chesnaught with, it unfortunately is incredibly hard to find a usable Gengar with Sludge Wave, as it is an event-exclusive move. Though its accuracy can be off-putting, Focus Blast has supreme coverage with Shadow Ball, hitting the Dark- and Normal-types that don't mind Shadow Ball while also hammering Steel-types such as Ferrothorn and Heatran harder than any of Gengar's other moves. Taunt allows Gengar to hinder defensive Pokemon that rely on support moves, such as Chansey, Clefable, and Cresselia, after trapping them, and it forces Pokemon to attack Gengar, easing prediction with Destiny Bond. Lastly, Icy Wind is also an option for Gengar to dispatch threats such as Garchomp, Landorus-T, and Salamence, and it has the utility of reducing an opposing Pokemon's Speed. Set Details With maximum Special Attack and Speed investment and a Timid nature, Gengar is able to be as fast as possible while boasting an offensive presence, hitting as hard as possible. Gengarite is necessary to allow Gengar to Mega Evolve, gaining the ability Shadow Tag to trap Pokemon, notable boosts to its Special Attack and Speed stats, and a slight increase in bulk. Usage Tips Gengar's boosted Special Attack and Speed stats aren't just for show; take advantage of them, using its excellent coverage to deal damage to their respective targets, using Destiny Bond once Gengar is dangerously low on HP or unable to KO the opposing Pokemon before going down itself in hopes of taking an attacker down with it. Shadow Tag keeps all non-Ghost type Pokemon from switching, making Gengar an excellent revenge killer once a teammate has fallen, so be sure to Mega Evolve relatively early in the match once Gengar comes out, even leading with Gengar to do so if it is plausible. Mega Gengar's offensive presence and high Speed are also effective late-game, allowing it to secure a necessary KO on a weakened Pokemon for its teammates. If running Substitute, take advantage of Gengar's ability to block predicted status moves or attempts at using Sucker Punch; also opt for Focus Blast over Taunt to give Gengar absolute coverage while letting it deal serious damage back to Sucker Punch users. If using Taunt, use it to harass supportive Pokemon that rely on status moves, such as Chansey and Skarmory; also take advantage of Taunt's utility in forcing these Pokemon to attack Gengar, making Destiny Bond much easier to predict with even against offensive Pokemon that might not be running four attacking moves. Team Options This Gengar set can fit very easily onto nearly any offensive team due to its own attacking power and ability to trap and revenge kill Pokemon for its teammates, so Pokemon such as Azumarill, Breloom, Garchomp, Greninja, and Talonflame all appreciate their respective checks being weakened or eliminated. Porygon2 synergizes nicely with Gengar, being immune to its Ghost weakness while Gengar is immune to Porygon2's Fighting weakness; Porygon2 is also able to check offensive threats to Gengar, such as Aegislash, Garchomp, and Talonflame, while Gengar can shut down defensive Pokemon that Porygon2 struggles against, such as Chansey, Cresselia, and Ferrothorn. Wobbuffet, despite the shared Dark- and Ghost-type weaknesses, partners well with Gengar, as it also has Shadow Tag, allowing them to switch interchangeably while keeping an opposing Pokemon trapped. Wobbuffet's bulk allows it to sponge some hits for Gengar and retaliate with Counter or Mirror Coat, or it can even use Encore to hinder a Pokemon for Gengar. Rotom-W and Talonflame are also excellent partners to Gengar, as both are immune to the Ground moves Gengar is vulnerable to after Mega Evolution and have access to Volt Switch and U-turn, respectively, to get momentum on a forced switch to bring Gengar in. Rotom-W is able to threaten Aegislash, Bisharp, Mawile, Scizor, and Talonflame for Gengar, while Talonflame itself has priority Brave Bird to threaten offensive checks to Gengar, such as Blaziken and Conkeldurr. Other users of Volt Switch and U-turn, such as Rotom-H, Landorus-T, and Scizor, can allow Gengar a safe switch in while dealing some damage, making it easier for Gengar to deal with the foe. Lastly, Fairy-types such as Azumarill, Klefki, and Sylveon can switch into Dark-type moves and check the Dark-types that threaten Gengar.

This set aims to counter common Pokemon while also dealing massive damage without support. Shadow Ball is Gengar's most important STAB dealing massive damage to anything that doesn't resist it, while tearing through Pokemon it hits super effectively. Thunderbolt is useful for countering common Water-types, often 2HKOing them due to Gengar's fantastic Special Attack stat. Depending on your team, Sludge Bomb can be used instead of Thunderbolt if Electric-type coverage isn't needed, giving Gengar a second STAB move as well as a way to OHKO 4 / 0 Ludicolo and Breloom. Hidden Power Ice not only provides excellent type coverage alongside Thunderbolt, but it also 2HKOes common threats such as Garchomp, Tornadus, and Thundurus. However, remember that Tornadus and Thundurus are faster than Gengar, so Tailwind support is crucial. Focus Blast deals damage to Tyranitar, although the accuracy leaves something to be desired. Protect is considered a staple in VGC, allowing you to shield your Pokemon for a turn and potentially eliminate the threat. The item choice comes down to personal preference. A Ghost Gem allows Gengar to OHKO Latios and 2HKO Dusclops and any Cresselia that have little Special Defense investment. However, a Focus Sash can be used if you're worried about Gengar's flaky defenses, as most Psychic- or Ghost-type attacks will OHKO it. Gengar needs as much Speed and Special Attack as possible to tie and OHKO Latios, while dealing as much damage as possible to Cresselia. In addition those listed above, Gengar can use a few other moves to counter specific Pokemon. Disable can be used instead of either Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice to shut down some of Gengar's counters. With good prediction, Gengar can also disable Hitmontop and Toxicroak's Sucker Punch, leaving both Pokemon unable to KO Gengar. If Focus Blast's accuracy isn't appealing, Hidden Power Fighting can be used instead, but the drop in power is noticeable. Gengar benefits greatly with Infernape as a teammate since Infernape can use Fake Out to assure Gengar will beat Latios and deal massive damage to Tyranitar with Close Combat.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.

This is a sample set. We aren't working on BW Monotype analyses at the moment, but check out BW Monotype resources for more information about the metagame.