[OVERVIEW]
Ghost
========
With high Speed and Special Attack, Gengar serves as an effective revenge killer, wallbreaker, and cleaner for Ghost. Choice Scarf Gengar's excellent Speed tier allows to outrun most of the unboosted metagame as well as most other Choice Scarf users. Gengar's Poison typing also comes in handy for absorbing Toxic Spikes against Poison and Water teams as well as putting heavy pressure on types such as Fairy. Gengar has a colorful movepool with coverage options such as Thunderbolt for Mantine, Trick for disabling walls such as Chansey and Zapdos, and Destiny Bond to lure and remove certain targets that threaten Ghost, such as Alolan Muk and Bisharp. Gengar is very, very frail, however, and is easily taken out by Pokemon that it cannot KO first. Its low defenses also leave it checked by strong priority users such as Scizor and Azumarill. Gengar is very vulnerable to Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Mega Aerodactyl, the former of which can switch in on any of Gengar's attacks and take it out consistently. Despite high Special Attack, the relatively low power of Shadow Ball and poor coverage of Sludge Wave as STAB attacks limit what Gengar can check effectively.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf (Ghost)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
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 Blacephelon 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.
[SET]
name: All-out Attacker (Ghost)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Taunt / Thunderbolt
item: Life Orb
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
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. Blacephelon 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.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Ghost
--------
Destiny Bond can be used over Trick on Choice Scarf Gengar as an emergency button against offensive threats that it cannot KO reliably such as Mega Gyarados and Volcarona. It can also be used over Focus Blast alongside Trick to form a lure set for Alolan Muk. However, outside of this niche and the added utility of Choice Scarf Destiny Bond, there isn't much reason to use it over Focus Blast. Ghostium Z or Electrium Z offers Gengar a one-time nuke to remove certain defensive threats such as Toxapex and Celesteela. However, the Z-Move is generally preferable on other team members.
Checks and Counters
===================
Ghost
--------
**Alolan Muk**: Alolan Muk can easily switch into any of Gengar's attacks with its excellent typing and bulk and remove it from the battle using Pursuit.
**Pursuit**: Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Mega Aerodactyl have an easy time trapping Gengar by taking advantage of it locking itself into Shadow Ball or Sludge Wave, preventing it from confidently checking offensive threats.
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Mega Sableye and Mandibuzz can easily shrug off Choice Scarf Gengar's attacks and KO it in return with Dark-type attacks.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types resist Sludge Wave and usually are bulky enough to take Shadow Ball easily, making it easy for threats such as Hippowdon, Landorus, and Garchomp to KO it in return with super effective STAB moves.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Gengar's mediocre damage output leaves it comfortably walled by common special walls such as Zapdos and Chansey, although Gengar can cripple these Pokemon using Trick.
**Priority**: Due to Gengar's frailty, powerful priority attackers such as Azumarill, Scizor, and Bisharp can easily KO it and force Gengar's team on the defensive.
**Faster Revenge Killers**: Non-Choice Scarf Gengar can easily be KOed by opposing revenge killers that outspeed it such as Mega Lopunny, Tapu Koko, and Greninja.
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