The Ghost of IceCream
[Overview]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Destiny Bond
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 3 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Black Sludge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Destiny Bond
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
[Other Options]
[Checks and Counters]
- hits an important speed tier
- good offensive spin blocker in nu
- its good movepool grants versatility
- awesome immunities and usable resistances
- really frail
- weak to priority and pursuit
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Destiny Bond
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 3 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
- strong, fast, decent stabs makes a good special attacker
- shadow ball targets the plethora of psychic-types in the tier
- sludge bomb give near perfect coverage with shadow ball
- it even has that useful poison chance to wear down Haunter's counters such as Lickilicky, Regice, Audino so they have a harder time taking its attacks the next time around
- hp ground rounds out the coverage by hitting Steel-types and Skuntank
- Destiny Bond lets Haunter take something down with it after it has gotten a kill, and is especially useful to lure in Skuntank so that Haunter's teammates have an easier time
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- Thundebolt is another option to allow Haunter to OHKO Samurott, Mantine, and CB Braviary, as well as 2HKO SubBU Braviary and standard Golbat.
- benefits with the support of fighting-types such as Primeape and Sawk as they can demolish Steel-types, Regice, and Skuntank
- Seismitoad also makes a good partner for the above reasons, it can even take out Regirock while Haunter can threaten Grass-types that Seismitoad dislikes
- Eelektross is also a good partner is it can destroy Mandibuzz with its STAB moves and deal with most Ground-types
- Golurk and Piloswine can set up Stealth Rock to help haunter sweep and deal with Regirock and Regice, respectively. Haunter can help the two out by taking down Alomomola
- Haunter can take out Pokemon like Skuntank with Destiny Bond, this benefits pokemon such as Gardevoir, Musharna, and Jynx
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Black Sludge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- stops choice-locked attackers cold and pokemon such as Seismitoad that are dependent on a single move to hit Haunter
- Substitute allows Haunter to avoid priority attacks, avoid being pursuit trapped, and revenge killed
- Disable is where the magic happens; thanks to haunter's plentiful immunities, it can use the sub-disable strategy to set up on walls or choiced attackers
- Shadow Ball targets the likes of Golurk and Misdreavus, both of which resist haunter's other STAB
- Sludge Bomb is the stronger STAB and can destroy normal types such as Kangaskhan and Zangoose
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- This set forces a lot of switches so using it along side entry hazard support is most optimal
- not only does haunter benefit from the support of entry hazards it can also keep your own from being spun away
- Golem and Seismitoad in particular can set up Stealth Rocks while handling Haunter's main enemies- Mandibuzz and Skuntank
- Scolipede and Roselia can set up Spikes/Toxic Spikes to wear down special defensive Pokemon such as Lickilicky, Audino, and Regice
- Fighting-types such as Sawk and Gurdurr can generally switch in on Dark-type moves and special walls and threaten them out.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Destiny Bond
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- its solid base 95 speed tier makes it an decent revenge killer, as it is capable of revenge killing the likes of Swellow and gorebyss
- though it has only decent power, its access to destiny bond and trick make it worth using
- Shadow Ball is capable of OHKOing Jynx
- Sludge Bomb on the other hand can destroy Ludicolo and slow chlorophyll users such as exeggutor
- Destiny Bond works quite well in stopping bulky set up sweepers such as musharna
- Trick can be used to cripple walls such as Mandibuzz and Munchlax
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- The removal of priority and Pursuit users is advised as this haunter is extremely vulnerable to them
- Sawk and Gurdurr can deal with Skuntank and Kangaskhan pretty well
- Entry hazard support from piloswine helps haunter sweep late-game, it can also deal with Regirock and skuntank, two annoying pokemon for haunter
- Powerful wallbreakers works well with any scarf user, Samurott and Eelektross in particular can deal with haunter's counters such as Regice, Lickilicky, and Audino
[Other Options]
- Hidden Power Fighting
- Substitute and Pain Split and Substitute and Will-O-Wisp are decent options
- Protect
- Taunt
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Wave
- Bulky Eviolite set
- Choice Specs
- Hypnosis
- Thunderbolt
[Checks and Counters]
- Mandibuzz
- Skuntank
- Golbat
- Regice and Regirock
- Munchlax
- Steel-types should it lack HP Ground
- Pursuit Scolipede and Tauros
- Mult-hit attackers such as Golem and Piloswine
- Priority moves from Kangaskhan, Samurott, and Metang can make quick work of it
- Fast Choice Scarf users with moderately strong attacks
[Overview]
<p>Despite being an NFE, Haunter is a great offensive spinblocker in the Neverused tier. It has good offensive presence and hits an important Speed tier. This ties in well with its great movepool, making Haunter an unpredictable Pokemon to face. While it is incredibly frail, Haunter has excellent immunities to Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type moves that allow it to switch in safely. Unfortunately, that frailty is still Haunter's downfall, as it is terribly weak to common Pursuit and priority users. Haunter's Speed might hit a great benchmark, but there are many Pokemon that can still outspeed it; Haunter also hates risking a Speed tie due to its frailty. Before using Haunter, make sure your team can make use of its combination of power and Speed.</p>
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Destiny Bond
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
ivs: 3 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With decent coverage and good Speed, Haunter makes for a very potent offensive Pokemon. Shadow Ball is a powerful STAB move and hits the common Psychic- and Ghost-types of the tier super effectively. Sludge Bomb is a slightly stronger STAB and has great neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball. Its decent poison chance can also help Haunter wear down its counters, such as Lickilicky, Audino, and Regice, so they have a harder time repeatedly switching in against it. Hidden Power Ground rounds out this set's coverage, hitting Steel-types and Skuntank hard. Destiny Bond is the final move on this set and is especially useful to lure in Skuntank so that Haunter's teammates have an easier time sweeping.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The IVs provide a fully powered Hidden Power Ground while also minimizing Foul Play and confusion damage. Thunderbolt is the most notable other option for the set, as it allows Haunter to OHKO Samurott, Mantine, and Choice Band Braviary and also 2HKO Substitute + Bulk Up Braviary and standard Golbat. Fighting-types, such as Sawk and Primeape, are very useful teammates as they can demolish Steel-types, Regice, and Skuntank, all of which threaten Haunter. Seismitoad is also a decent partner for similar reasons, and it can take out Regirock and set up Stealth Rock as well. In return, Haunter can threaten the Grass-types that Seismitoad dislikes facing. Eelektross partners well with Haunter because it can defeat Mandibuzz and most Ground-types with little trouble. As Haunter can lure and defeat Pokemon such as Skuntank with Destiny Bond, Psychic-types such as Jynx, Gardevoir, and Musharna are good partners to take advantage of this.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Sludge Bomb
item: Black Sludge
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter has some excellent immunities and resistances to common attacking types, and many Pokemon only have one move that can effectively damage it; this set takes advantage of that fact. Due to its good Speed and high offensive presence, Haunter can easily force switches and set up a Substitute to act as a buffer against attacks and status. Even if the opponent breaks its Substitute, Haunter can simply Disable the move and possibly block the opponent's only means to hurt it. When Haunter has successfully Disabled a move and kept a Substitute intact, it is free to start inflicting damage upon the opposing team. Shadow Ball provides coverage against the Psychic- and Ghost-types that would otherwise threaten it. Sludge Bomb is a stronger STAB move that provides good neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball; its poison chance is also very useful to wear down Pokemon that Haunter cannot defeat with brute force and allows it to stall out opposing Pokemon with Substitute.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Because set forces many switches, entry hazard support is very beneficial to punish your opponent; Toxic Spikes is particularly useful against Pokemon that do have a second move to damage Haunter, as Haunter can stall them out with Substitute to the point where it can successfully KO them. Scolipede and Roselia are options for setting up both Spikes and Toxic Spikes, but their Poison typing clashes with Haunter's. Stealth Rock support from Rock- or Ground-types such as Golem and Seismitoad is very useful as it allows Haunter to OHKO Charizard with Sludge Bomb. Both Rock- and Ground-types can also assist Haunter in handling counters such as Mandibuzz and Skuntank, and Haunter can prevent opposing Rapid Spin users from removing entry hazards. Fighting-types, most notably Sawk and Gurdurr, can generally switch in against Dark-types and threaten them as well as specially bulky Pokemon such as Regice, Lickilicky, and Audino, threatening them. This set particularly enjoys the removal of Steel-types, so Magnet Pull Probopass is a great teammate to handle them. As Haunter appreciates switching in safely, a slow Volt Switch from Eelektross can be quite valuable.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Destiny Bond
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>With its important Speed benchmark, Haunter can act as a decent Choice Scarf user as it is capable of revenge killing threats such as Swellow and boosted Gorebyss. Shadow Ball is Haunter's most important STAB move on this set, as it is the only move that provides decent super effective coverage. Sludge Bomb threatens slower Chlorophyll users such as Exeggutor in the sun, and it also provides decent neutral coverage. While Haunter's power is only decent, it has Trick and Destiny Bond to be more of a threat. Haunter's Speed makes Destiny Bond a great move against offensive Pokemon that it has trouble taking out in one hit, such as Samurott and Kangaskhan. Trick is extremely useful for crippling defensive Pokemon, such as Mandibuzz and Munchlax, as well as bulky setup sweepers such as Musharna.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Thunderbolt is a viable third offensive move to make it easier for Haunter to revenge kill Pokemon such as Samurott and Braviary. As this set utilizes Choice Scarf, the removal of priority and Pursuit users is advised as Haunter is quite vulnerable to them. Fighting-types such as Sawk and Gurdurr handle most users of these moves well, most notably Skuntank and Kangaskhan. Wallbreakers, such as Eelektross and Samurott, are invaluable as they can weaken Haunter's counters enough that it can power through them. Eelektross can also provide a slow Volt Switch to give Haunter a free switch-in. This set enjoys having opposing Steel-types removed as Trick is its only way of crippling them, which makes Magnet Pull Probopass a great teammate. Stealth Rock support from Ground-types such as Piloswine and Seismitoad is helpful, as the damage allows Haunter to 2HKO even standard bulky Samurott with Sludge Bomb.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>A set utilizing both Substitute and Pain Split is viable to allow Haunter to wear down bulkier Pokemon, but it isn't an extraordinary option otherwise. The combination of Substitute and Will-O-Wisp can catch physical threats, such as Skuntank and Golem, off guard but doesn't possess as much utility as the main sets. Hidden Power Fighting is a viable alternative Hidden Power type as it has near perfect neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball, but it fails to damage Skuntank and Metang as effectively as Hidden Power Ground. Protect is another method to scout for Pursuit users, but it doesn't provide enough utility to be worth a moveslot. Giga Drain is a possible coverage move that provides some recovery and can take down Seismitoad and Golem. Sludge Wave is slightly stronger than Sludge Bomb, but it doesn't gain any notable KOs and the lower poison chance makes it an inferior choice. Haunter can use Eviolite to enhance its poor bulk, but it is still frail and the item doesn't particularly help any of its sets. Choice Specs can enhance Haunter's power, but its STAB moves aren't great moves to be locked into without the Speed provided by Choice Scarf to make use of its utility moves. Hypnosis can be very helpful in removing one of Haunter's counters, but it is very unreliable and can only affect one Pokemon at a time.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Mandibuzz is one of the best counters to Haunter, only fearing Trick, Thunderbolt, and a possible poison from Sludge Bomb. It can then retaliate with Taunt, Whirlwind, or Foul Play, and Roost allows it to outlast Haunter most of the time. Golbat, similarly to Mandibuzz, only fears Trick and the rare Thunderbolt, and it can retaliate with Brave Bird, Taunt, or Whirlwind. If Haunter lacks Hidden Power Ground, most Steel-types can reliably wall Haunter even when they are Tricked a Choice Scarf. Munchlax walls Haunter but dislikes Trick. Skuntank is a decent check, as it threatens Haunter with its Dark-type moves, most notably Pursuit. However, many of Haunter's sets have a way to at least cripple Skuntank in the process. Specially defensive Pokemon such as Regice, Lickilicky, and Audino can wall Haunter, but they hate being Tricked. Specially defensive Regirock can take a couple of hits from Haunter and threaten it back with its STAB move, but it has trouble dealing with the SubDisable set as Haunter isn't threatened by most of its other moves. Faster Pursuit users, such as Scolipede and Tauros, can trap and OHKO Haunter easily; Choice Scarf Tauros is notable because it can even outspeed Choice Scarf Haunter. Pokemon with multi-hit moves, such as Piloswine and Golem, can threaten Haunter even with a Substitute up. Priority moves from threats such as Kangaskhan and Samurott can threaten Haunter despite its great Speed. Any Choice Scarf user that us faster than Haunter can threaten it due to its poor bulk.</p>
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