Level 100 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
64
|
- |
269 |
332 |
- |
| Atk |
115
|
239 |
266 |
329 |
361 |
| Def |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
| SpA |
83
|
181 |
202 |
265 |
291 |
| SpD |
63
|
145 |
162 |
225 |
247 |
| Spe |
65
|
149 |
166 |
229 |
251 |
Overview
Banette is an extremely overlooked Ghost-type, mainly because of its limited movepool, pathetic defenses, and pitiful Speed. Mismagius is always a better sweeper than Banette, while Dusclops is better at walling. In fact, Banette is only used because of its great base 115 Attack stat and Trick Room. It's one of the best suicide Trick Room leads in the UU metagame, and its ability, Insomnia, helps it better accomplish that role.
Combine Banette's horrible Speed, Insomnia, Trick Room, and Destiny Bond, and you get yourself one of the best suicide Trick Room users in the UU metagame. This combination of traits is what makes Banette stand out from other Ghost-types and other Trick Room users in general, as none of them are capable of pulling off this combination of moves. Taunt is useful in allowing Destiny Bond to work properly, as the opponent is no longer able to avoid it with indirect attacks. Shadow Claw is a basic STAB move to use in emergencies.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
Depending on the opposing lead, there are simple strategies to use this set effectively. If you are up against a lead who doesn't use Taunt, such as Omastar, set up Trick Room on the first turn and use Taunt the turn after. That way, the opposing lead will have to attack Banette directly, leaving them vulnerable to Destiny Bond. If you do happen to Taunt the opponent, try to avoid using Destiny Bond and go directly to one of your Trick Room sweepers, as your opponent will likely switch out due to the fear of Destiny Bond.
Since Banette is setting up Trick Room, it's obviously a good idea to use Trick Room sweepers and supporters. Excellent Trick Room sweepers to look into are Marowak, Rhyperior, and Rampardos, all of whom pack massive Attack, fairly low Speed, and powerful STAB moves. Other viable Trick Room sweepers you can use include Hariyama and Aggron, both of whom resist Banette's Dark-type weakness, and in Aggron's case, Ghost-type weakness, too. Pokemon who can keep Trick Room on the field include Slowbro, Claydol, and Porygon2. It's strongly recommended to read through the Trick Room guide to gain a better understanding of how Trick Room teams work and perform.
Other Options
Many of the moves Banette can use are usually utilized much better by other Ghost-types. Banette can use a support set with Will-O-Wisp, but Dusclops is usually a better fit for that role due to its much higher defenses. Calm Mind can be used, but Drifblim and Mismagius pull it off better. Since Banette has such low Speed, Sucker Punch can be used to accommodate that and give Banette a strong priority move to use. Using Thunder or Thunderbolt off of Banette's decent base 83 Special Attack are useful against bulky Water-types, such as Milotic. Banette can PP stall the opponent with a combination of Spite and Pain Split, but it's usually better used by a Ghost-type with better defenses, like Dusclops. Trick can be used on the suicide Trick Room set in the place of Taunt with Choice Scarf instead of Focus Sash, but since Banette is already very slow, Tricking the Choice Scarf to the opponent won't really help it move first in Trick Room. Finally, a Choice Band set can be used to take advantage of Banette's high Attack, but with such a pathetic movepool, it's pretty underwhelming.
Checks and Counters
Banette doesn't necessarily have any counters, as it's basically meant to kill itself once it has set up Trick Room. The best thing you can do to stop Banette from setting up is by utilizing a Taunt lead, particularly Ambipom as it's immune to Banette's Shadow Claw. Another thing you should prepare for is Destiny Bond. Since Banette will most likely use this move after using Trick Room, avoiding attacking it directly will stall out Trick Room time and save your Pokemon's life; however, you must be careful of Taunt, as it will force you to use an attacking move. The easiest way to avoid Destiny Bond is by constantly switching around until Banette uses another move or switches out itself, or by crippling it with Toxic or Will-O-Wisp so you aren't affected by Destiny Bond.
