shrang
General Kenobi
Here's Haunter. Firstly, props to MetaGross66 for bringing Haunter to UU by using it, and I kind of caught on and thought it was really cool too. If anyone else is writing a UU Update on Haunter, I apologise, I haven't see anything to suggest that you've reserved it. If you want to add anything, just post in this thread.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/haunter
Haunter (UU Update): 2/2 QC Checks, 2/2 GP Checks
[Overview]
<p>Despite being largely outclassed by Mismagius, access to toys that Mismagius lacks makes Haunter a solid addition to any UU team. Hypnosis and Explosion are important moves in Haunter's repertoire that Mismagius would love to learn, but what sets Haunter apart from Mismagius is his higher Special Attack stat and good secondary STAB in the form of Sludge Bomb. However, one must not forget Haunter's downsides. His defenses makes Sharpedo look bulky, and his Speed is good but often not good enough. Do not play Haunter like a down-sized Mismagius and he will be happy.</p>
[SET]
name: Sub + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Hypnosis
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Thunderbolt / Explosion
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to make full use of Haunter's advantages over Mismagius. With a Life Orb attached, Haunter's Shadow Ball hits almost as hard as +1 Mismagius, making him very difficult to wall without resorting to Registeel. This set is relatively simple to use. Come in on a Pokemon that Haunter can force out and set up a Substitute. From there, proceed to smack the opponent with STAB attacks coming from a base 115 Special Attack. Sludge Bomb is a huge selling point for this set, since it allows Haunter to hit Normal-types that are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Miltank and Clefable, very hard. However, if one wishes to take a chance, Hypnosis is always a reasonable option to incapacitate a counter.</p>
<p>The last move is the most variable. Hidden Power Ground is preferred since it allows Haunter to hit Drapion and Skuntank (two of Haunter's biggest counters) for super effective damage. It can also hit Registeel on the switch for more damage than any of its other moves. Thunderbolt is generally a good move, since it has good coverage alongside Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb, while having the added bonus of being able to 2HKO Milotic and Blastoise. It also allows Haunter to revenge kill Moltres should the need arise. Finally, Explosion can be used to allow Haunter to go out with a bang and potentially remove a counter, thus allowing a teammate to sweep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Max Speed and Special attack is crucial; Haunter likes to outspeed or at worst tie with as many opponents as possible, because any attack will take a very big chunk out of Haunter's health, if not KO it outright. A Naive nature should be used should Haunter be running Explosion, as it allows him to OHKO Chansey after Stealth Rock, something that is not achieved with a Timid nature. Hasty is chosen over Naive to make the most of Haunter's resistances to Poison- and Grass-type attacks, which are predominantly special. While many priority attacks are physical, Haunter is either immune or weak to the vast majority, meaning a marginal difference in defense is inconsequential. Life Orb is used to give Haunter as much power as possible without locking him into a move.</p>
<p>Life Orb Haunter is best used either early game to soften up counters for a teammate to sweep or late game to clean up when his own counters have been incapacitated. Like all offensively minded Pokemon, he appreciates entry hazards, especially Spikes. With a layer or two of Spikes up, even Registeel will start to get whittled down quickly by Haunter's attacks. Of course, Stealth Rock is also helpful to wear down all opponents. Omastar is a great entry hazard user who can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes, while allowing Haunter to switch into the Fighting- and Ground-type attacks that Omastar attracts. Cloyster is similar to Omastar, but he cannot set up Stealth Rock. Both can set up Toxic Spikes which can allow Haunter to stall out Chansey. Haunter can act as a temporary spin blocker if necessary due to his Ghost typing, but should one want an additional spin blocker, Spiritomb is probably the best choice to run alongside Haunter due to its lack of shared weaknesses with Haunter.</p>
<p>Specially defensive Skuntank, Drapion and Spiritomb are some of the best counters to this set. Registeel also walls Haunter as long as he is at reasonable health. Specially defensive Clefable can also give Haunter troubles. Thus, it is best to pair Haunter up with Pokemon that can either trap or set up on these Pokemon. Dugtrio is an excellent partner to run alongside Haunter; it can trap and KO Drapion and Registeel without much problem at all, while using a combination of Substitute (to dodge Sucker Punch) and Earthquake to remove Skuntank. Houndoom can set up on Spiritomb while having decent synergy with Haunter, since Haunter can switch into Fighting and Ground-type attacks aimed at Houndoom while Houndoom can shrug off Ghost-, Dark- and Psychic-type attacks aimed at Haunter. Bulky Swords Dance Drapion is also a good Pokemon to run alongside Haunter, since he can Taunt Spiritomb to avoid status and set up Swords Dance for a sweep. Hitmonlee and other powerful Fighting-types can easily dispatch Clefable.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Pain Split
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Thunderbolt
move 4: Pain Split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims for Haunter to sustain a longer sweep by using Pain Split. While Mismagius mostly does this better, Haunter still has some notable advantages over his Ghost-type relative. Haunter's higher base Special Attack makes him much harder to wall. Haunter's lower HP stat also allows him to heal more from Pain Split than Mismagius does. The idea of this set is Substitute on an opponent that cannot hurt Haunter. After this, proceed to bombard with your opponent with powerful attacks. When Haunter's health becomes low, use Pain Split and steal HP from the opponent. Shadow Ball is Haunter's bread-and-butter STAB move, and hits anything that does not resist it for a lot of damage. Hidden Power Ground is the preferred option for Haunter's coverage move, since it hits more of his counters like Drapion and Registeel for super effective damage. On the topic of Registeel, it has a much harder time defeating Pain Split Haunter, since Haunter can Substitute down to low health and Pain Split Registeel down to the Hidden Power Ground 2HKO range. Thunderbolt offers greater neutral coverage than Hidden Power Ground and is a better attack to KO Milotic and other bulky Water-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs are, again, very simple. Max Speed and a Timid nature allow Haunter to outspeed as many opponents as possible, while max Special Attack allows Haunter to hit as hard as possible.</p>
<p>Pain Split Haunter should be paired with the same teammates that the Substitute + 3 Attacks set uses. Drapion, Skuntank and Registeel are best trapped and KOed by Dugtrio, while Spiritomb can be set up on by Houndoom and Drapion. Spikes and Stealth Rock will also help Haunter out greatly. Omastar can set up Stealth Rock and Spikes while providing Haunter oppotunities to switch in.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As alluded to above, Haunter appreciates Pokemon who can remove its counters and set up entry hazards. Dugtrio can remove most of Haunter's main counters, namely Registeel, Drapion, and Skuntank. Hitmonlee, Hariyama and other powerful Fighting-type Pokemon can easily switch into Clefable and destroy her with powerful STAB attacks. Houndoom can easily switch into Spiritomb and set up Nasty Plot for a sweep. Haunter also appreciates teammates that can switch into moves to which he is weak. Houndoom and Drapion can both switch into Psychic-, Ghost- and Dark-type moves and set up Nasty Plot or Swords Dance, respectively. Fighting-type Pokemon like Hitmonlee and Hariyama can switch into Dark-type attacks.</p>
<p>Omastar works well alongside Haunter since he can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock while baiting Grass-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks for Haunter to switch into. Cloyster works in a similar vein to Omastar, and although he lacks Stealth Rock, he is able to use Rapid Spin. So, if Haunter's team is littered with Stealth Rock weak Pokemon, Cloyster is certainly a reasonable option to use.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Haunter has plenty of special attacks in his arsenal. Energy Ball can be used to hit Lanturn. Icy Wind is an interesting option, as it allows Haunter to hit some faster switch-ins and lower their speed, allowing for a KO on the next turn. Different Hidden Power types such as Fire and Fighting can be used, but are generally not as effective as Hidden Power Ground. Haunter also has access to various support moves like Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Curse, but is much too frail to put them to good use.</p>
<p>Haunter can also make decent use of Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, being able to cripple many of its switch-ins with Trick, but is generally too frail and cannot find time to switch in. Also, Mismagius tends to use Choice sets better.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Specially defensive Spiritomb, Registeel, Clefable, Drapion and Skuntank are by far the best counters available to combat Haunter, but all need to be wary of being put to sleep by Hypnosis. Registeel also needs to watch out for Substitute + Pain Split. If Toxic Spikes are not up, Chansey can Life Orb stall the Substitute + 3 Attacks set so long as Haunter is not carrying Explosion. Otherwise, Haunter is not very difficult to revenge kill. Should Haunter not have a Substitute up, Alakazam can outspeed and OHKO with Psychic. Swellow, Ambipom and Tauros can switch into any attack not named Sludge Bomb or Thunderbolt and OHKO with Pursuit, regardless of whether Haunter stays in or not. Mismagius can outspeed and OHKO with Shadow Ball so long as she avoids Haunter's Shadow Ball.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/haunter
Haunter (UU Update): 2/2 QC Checks, 2/2 GP Checks
[Overview]
<p>Despite being largely outclassed by Mismagius, access to toys that Mismagius lacks makes Haunter a solid addition to any UU team. Hypnosis and Explosion are important moves in Haunter's repertoire that Mismagius would love to learn, but what sets Haunter apart from Mismagius is his higher Special Attack stat and good secondary STAB in the form of Sludge Bomb. However, one must not forget Haunter's downsides. His defenses makes Sharpedo look bulky, and his Speed is good but often not good enough. Do not play Haunter like a down-sized Mismagius and he will be happy.</p>
[SET]
name: Sub + 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Hypnosis
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Thunderbolt / Explosion
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid / Naive
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims to make full use of Haunter's advantages over Mismagius. With a Life Orb attached, Haunter's Shadow Ball hits almost as hard as +1 Mismagius, making him very difficult to wall without resorting to Registeel. This set is relatively simple to use. Come in on a Pokemon that Haunter can force out and set up a Substitute. From there, proceed to smack the opponent with STAB attacks coming from a base 115 Special Attack. Sludge Bomb is a huge selling point for this set, since it allows Haunter to hit Normal-types that are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Miltank and Clefable, very hard. However, if one wishes to take a chance, Hypnosis is always a reasonable option to incapacitate a counter.</p>
<p>The last move is the most variable. Hidden Power Ground is preferred since it allows Haunter to hit Drapion and Skuntank (two of Haunter's biggest counters) for super effective damage. It can also hit Registeel on the switch for more damage than any of its other moves. Thunderbolt is generally a good move, since it has good coverage alongside Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb, while having the added bonus of being able to 2HKO Milotic and Blastoise. It also allows Haunter to revenge kill Moltres should the need arise. Finally, Explosion can be used to allow Haunter to go out with a bang and potentially remove a counter, thus allowing a teammate to sweep.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Max Speed and Special attack is crucial; Haunter likes to outspeed or at worst tie with as many opponents as possible, because any attack will take a very big chunk out of Haunter's health, if not KO it outright. A Naive nature should be used should Haunter be running Explosion, as it allows him to OHKO Chansey after Stealth Rock, something that is not achieved with a Timid nature. Hasty is chosen over Naive to make the most of Haunter's resistances to Poison- and Grass-type attacks, which are predominantly special. While many priority attacks are physical, Haunter is either immune or weak to the vast majority, meaning a marginal difference in defense is inconsequential. Life Orb is used to give Haunter as much power as possible without locking him into a move.</p>
<p>Life Orb Haunter is best used either early game to soften up counters for a teammate to sweep or late game to clean up when his own counters have been incapacitated. Like all offensively minded Pokemon, he appreciates entry hazards, especially Spikes. With a layer or two of Spikes up, even Registeel will start to get whittled down quickly by Haunter's attacks. Of course, Stealth Rock is also helpful to wear down all opponents. Omastar is a great entry hazard user who can set up both Stealth Rock and Spikes, while allowing Haunter to switch into the Fighting- and Ground-type attacks that Omastar attracts. Cloyster is similar to Omastar, but he cannot set up Stealth Rock. Both can set up Toxic Spikes which can allow Haunter to stall out Chansey. Haunter can act as a temporary spin blocker if necessary due to his Ghost typing, but should one want an additional spin blocker, Spiritomb is probably the best choice to run alongside Haunter due to its lack of shared weaknesses with Haunter.</p>
<p>Specially defensive Skuntank, Drapion and Spiritomb are some of the best counters to this set. Registeel also walls Haunter as long as he is at reasonable health. Specially defensive Clefable can also give Haunter troubles. Thus, it is best to pair Haunter up with Pokemon that can either trap or set up on these Pokemon. Dugtrio is an excellent partner to run alongside Haunter; it can trap and KO Drapion and Registeel without much problem at all, while using a combination of Substitute (to dodge Sucker Punch) and Earthquake to remove Skuntank. Houndoom can set up on Spiritomb while having decent synergy with Haunter, since Haunter can switch into Fighting and Ground-type attacks aimed at Houndoom while Houndoom can shrug off Ghost-, Dark- and Psychic-type attacks aimed at Haunter. Bulky Swords Dance Drapion is also a good Pokemon to run alongside Haunter, since he can Taunt Spiritomb to avoid status and set up Swords Dance for a sweep. Hitmonlee and other powerful Fighting-types can easily dispatch Clefable.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute + Pain Split
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Thunderbolt
move 4: Pain Split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set aims for Haunter to sustain a longer sweep by using Pain Split. While Mismagius mostly does this better, Haunter still has some notable advantages over his Ghost-type relative. Haunter's higher base Special Attack makes him much harder to wall. Haunter's lower HP stat also allows him to heal more from Pain Split than Mismagius does. The idea of this set is Substitute on an opponent that cannot hurt Haunter. After this, proceed to bombard with your opponent with powerful attacks. When Haunter's health becomes low, use Pain Split and steal HP from the opponent. Shadow Ball is Haunter's bread-and-butter STAB move, and hits anything that does not resist it for a lot of damage. Hidden Power Ground is the preferred option for Haunter's coverage move, since it hits more of his counters like Drapion and Registeel for super effective damage. On the topic of Registeel, it has a much harder time defeating Pain Split Haunter, since Haunter can Substitute down to low health and Pain Split Registeel down to the Hidden Power Ground 2HKO range. Thunderbolt offers greater neutral coverage than Hidden Power Ground and is a better attack to KO Milotic and other bulky Water-types.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs are, again, very simple. Max Speed and a Timid nature allow Haunter to outspeed as many opponents as possible, while max Special Attack allows Haunter to hit as hard as possible.</p>
<p>Pain Split Haunter should be paired with the same teammates that the Substitute + 3 Attacks set uses. Drapion, Skuntank and Registeel are best trapped and KOed by Dugtrio, while Spiritomb can be set up on by Houndoom and Drapion. Spikes and Stealth Rock will also help Haunter out greatly. Omastar can set up Stealth Rock and Spikes while providing Haunter oppotunities to switch in.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As alluded to above, Haunter appreciates Pokemon who can remove its counters and set up entry hazards. Dugtrio can remove most of Haunter's main counters, namely Registeel, Drapion, and Skuntank. Hitmonlee, Hariyama and other powerful Fighting-type Pokemon can easily switch into Clefable and destroy her with powerful STAB attacks. Houndoom can easily switch into Spiritomb and set up Nasty Plot for a sweep. Haunter also appreciates teammates that can switch into moves to which he is weak. Houndoom and Drapion can both switch into Psychic-, Ghost- and Dark-type moves and set up Nasty Plot or Swords Dance, respectively. Fighting-type Pokemon like Hitmonlee and Hariyama can switch into Dark-type attacks.</p>
<p>Omastar works well alongside Haunter since he can set up both Spikes and Stealth Rock while baiting Grass-, Fighting-, and Ground-type attacks for Haunter to switch into. Cloyster works in a similar vein to Omastar, and although he lacks Stealth Rock, he is able to use Rapid Spin. So, if Haunter's team is littered with Stealth Rock weak Pokemon, Cloyster is certainly a reasonable option to use.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Haunter has plenty of special attacks in his arsenal. Energy Ball can be used to hit Lanturn. Icy Wind is an interesting option, as it allows Haunter to hit some faster switch-ins and lower their speed, allowing for a KO on the next turn. Different Hidden Power types such as Fire and Fighting can be used, but are generally not as effective as Hidden Power Ground. Haunter also has access to various support moves like Taunt, Will-O-Wisp, and Curse, but is much too frail to put them to good use.</p>
<p>Haunter can also make decent use of Choice Specs or Choice Scarf, being able to cripple many of its switch-ins with Trick, but is generally too frail and cannot find time to switch in. Also, Mismagius tends to use Choice sets better.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Specially defensive Spiritomb, Registeel, Clefable, Drapion and Skuntank are by far the best counters available to combat Haunter, but all need to be wary of being put to sleep by Hypnosis. Registeel also needs to watch out for Substitute + Pain Split. If Toxic Spikes are not up, Chansey can Life Orb stall the Substitute + 3 Attacks set so long as Haunter is not carrying Explosion. Otherwise, Haunter is not very difficult to revenge kill. Should Haunter not have a Substitute up, Alakazam can outspeed and OHKO with Psychic. Swellow, Ambipom and Tauros can switch into any attack not named Sludge Bomb or Thunderbolt and OHKO with Pursuit, regardless of whether Haunter stays in or not. Mismagius can outspeed and OHKO with Shadow Ball so long as she avoids Haunter's Shadow Ball.</p>