Hex
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name: Hex
move 1: Hex
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Sludge Wave / Substitute
ability: Levitate
item: Black Sludge
evs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Hex allows Gengar to deal a good amount of damage to specially defensive Gliscor without having to take Life Orb recoil. Its 130 Base Power against Pokemon with status makes up for the poor power on Pokemon without status, and can turn Gengar into an unstoppable sweeper against stall teams, as well as a decent late-game cleaner if the enemy's team has been weakened by status. Will-O-Wisp is Gengar's own method of spreading status, and is good to spam early- to mid-game if Gengar can't sweep yet, in order to weaken the enemy's team. It's also Gengar's best way to wear down Chansey with residual damage, as Chansey is immune to Hex. Taunt prevents walls from recovering from the residual damage Gengar spreads. Sludge Wave is a more flexible option if you prefer a coverage move over Substitute; it is especially useful against Calm Mind Clefable, because, it can eat a Hex and boost to avoid the 2HKO even if it has been statused. Substitute enables Gengar to set up on switches or on Pokemon that can't touch it, such as Chansey and Diggersby. It eases prediction a lot, but it is more suited to very defensive teams that apply low amounts of pressure. The choice between Substitute and Sludge Wave depends on your team. Sludge Wave is more suited to teams leaning toward a balanced style, whereas Substitute usually works best on stall.
Set Details
========
Gengar needs to use a Timid nature with maximum investment in Speed to Speed tie with Latios and Latias and outspeed the likes of Keldeo, Terrakion, and Mega Pinsir. Maximum investment in Special Attack provides Gengar with the highest chance to 2HKO specially defensive Gliscor, even after the Poison Heal recovery. If you decide to go with Substitute over Sludge Wave, you may need to try a bulkier spread such as 144 HP / 108 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe. The defensive investment would increase Gengar's longevity significantly, which can be crucial for this set to perform well. The EVs make sure Clefable's Moonblast does not break Gengar's Substitute, and allows Gengar to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice after Black Sludge recovery. The Special Attack investment ensures that Gengar will always 2HKO Gliscor after Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
Be careful, as Gengar is probably your main win condition against stall teams, so you have to be patient. It can be better to let a teammate faint to let Gengar set up safely instead of switching it in recklessly, given the way it threatens this team archetype. On the other hand, you will probably not have a lot of chances to bring in Gengar, so your planning must be on point to never miss an opportunity and at the same time, never overcommit with Gengar. As this set's utility is greatly reduced against more offensive teams, it is important to make good use of Gengar against these teams as well. Burning a threat at the risk of Gengar's health is usually better than saving it for an unlikely late-game sweep. Inflicting status on annoying special sponges such as Heatran and setting up entry hazards are usually the only requirements securing a good Hex sweep. Hiding the set is really important, because this set carries a surprise factor. If your opponent knows that your sweep relies on Hex, they'll try to make spreading status harder, and will be possibly less afraid of your Gengar early- to mid-game.
Team Options
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Since spreading status is key, Pokemon that are able to paralyse, burn, or poison enemies are needed. In addition, teammates that can take care of Pokemon that are immune to status such as Heatran, which has great special bulk and can't be burned nor poisoned, deserve a special mention. Ferrothorn or Clefable with Thunder Wave can effectively lure Heatran, and even possibly Knock Off its Leftovers. In addition, Pokemon that can use Knock Off are appreciated, given how important residual damage is for Gengar. Mew can spread status, Knock Off items, and handle faster special threats such as Greninja, Latios, and Latias. Gliscor makes for another great teammate because it can spread status, use Knock Off, and stall burned or poisoned Pokemon. Pivoting skills are important in order to unlock Gengar's potential by providing it possible free switches. Rotom-W and Mega Manectric are good at baiting Chansey in order to create a safe setup opportunity and gear your team toward a faster pace. Electric-types are great teammates as well because they can attract Ground-types; Landorus-T locked into Earthquake can sometimes mean an instant win. Knowing that, your opponent will probably not opt for that move, which gives Electric-types a clear edge during mindgames. When teambuilding with this set, you need to cover the other matchups because Gengar's usefulness will be reduced greatly if it's not maneuvering around defensive cores, especially when it has to face fast Pokemon that don't need to set up such as Talonflame, Greninja, and Thundurus. This set is usually present in defensive teams because they provide Gengar with teammates that are able to stall these sweepers.
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name: Hex
move 1: Hex
move 2: Taunt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Sludge Wave / Substitute
ability: Levitate
item: Black Sludge
evs: 8 HP / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Timid
Moves
========
Hex allows Gengar to deal a good amount of damage to specially defensive Gliscor without having to take Life Orb recoil. Its 130 Base Power against Pokemon with status makes up for the poor power on Pokemon without status, and can turn Gengar into an unstoppable sweeper against stall teams, as well as a decent late-game cleaner if the enemy's team has been weakened by status. Will-O-Wisp is Gengar's own method of spreading status, and is good to spam early- to mid-game if Gengar can't sweep yet, in order to weaken the enemy's team. It's also Gengar's best way to wear down Chansey with residual damage, as Chansey is immune to Hex. Taunt prevents walls from recovering from the residual damage Gengar spreads. Sludge Wave is a more flexible option if you prefer a coverage move over Substitute; it is especially useful against Calm Mind Clefable, because, it can eat a Hex and boost to avoid the 2HKO even if it has been statused. Substitute enables Gengar to set up on switches or on Pokemon that can't touch it, such as Chansey and Diggersby. It eases prediction a lot, but it is more suited to very defensive teams that apply low amounts of pressure. The choice between Substitute and Sludge Wave depends on your team. Sludge Wave is more suited to teams leaning toward a balanced style, whereas Substitute usually works best on stall.
Set Details
========
Gengar needs to use a Timid nature with maximum investment in Speed to Speed tie with Latios and Latias and outspeed the likes of Keldeo, Terrakion, and Mega Pinsir. Maximum investment in Special Attack provides Gengar with the highest chance to 2HKO specially defensive Gliscor, even after the Poison Heal recovery. If you decide to go with Substitute over Sludge Wave, you may need to try a bulkier spread such as 144 HP / 108 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe. The defensive investment would increase Gengar's longevity significantly, which can be crucial for this set to perform well. The EVs make sure Clefable's Moonblast does not break Gengar's Substitute, and allows Gengar to avoid the 2HKO from Mega Gardevoir's Hyper Voice after Black Sludge recovery. The Special Attack investment ensures that Gengar will always 2HKO Gliscor after Stealth Rock.
Usage Tips
========
Be careful, as Gengar is probably your main win condition against stall teams, so you have to be patient. It can be better to let a teammate faint to let Gengar set up safely instead of switching it in recklessly, given the way it threatens this team archetype. On the other hand, you will probably not have a lot of chances to bring in Gengar, so your planning must be on point to never miss an opportunity and at the same time, never overcommit with Gengar. As this set's utility is greatly reduced against more offensive teams, it is important to make good use of Gengar against these teams as well. Burning a threat at the risk of Gengar's health is usually better than saving it for an unlikely late-game sweep. Inflicting status on annoying special sponges such as Heatran and setting up entry hazards are usually the only requirements securing a good Hex sweep. Hiding the set is really important, because this set carries a surprise factor. If your opponent knows that your sweep relies on Hex, they'll try to make spreading status harder, and will be possibly less afraid of your Gengar early- to mid-game.
Team Options
########
Since spreading status is key, Pokemon that are able to paralyse, burn, or poison enemies are needed. In addition, teammates that can take care of Pokemon that are immune to status such as Heatran, which has great special bulk and can't be burned nor poisoned, deserve a special mention. Ferrothorn or Clefable with Thunder Wave can effectively lure Heatran, and even possibly Knock Off its Leftovers. In addition, Pokemon that can use Knock Off are appreciated, given how important residual damage is for Gengar. Mew can spread status, Knock Off items, and handle faster special threats such as Greninja, Latios, and Latias. Gliscor makes for another great teammate because it can spread status, use Knock Off, and stall burned or poisoned Pokemon. Pivoting skills are important in order to unlock Gengar's potential by providing it possible free switches. Rotom-W and Mega Manectric are good at baiting Chansey in order to create a safe setup opportunity and gear your team toward a faster pace. Electric-types are great teammates as well because they can attract Ground-types; Landorus-T locked into Earthquake can sometimes mean an instant win. Knowing that, your opponent will probably not opt for that move, which gives Electric-types a clear edge during mindgames. When teambuilding with this set, you need to cover the other matchups because Gengar's usefulness will be reduced greatly if it's not maneuvering around defensive cores, especially when it has to face fast Pokemon that don't need to set up such as Talonflame, Greninja, and Thundurus. This set is usually present in defensive teams because they provide Gengar with teammates that are able to stall these sweepers.
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