Quantum Tesseract
Lazy Fuck
[OVERVIEW]
Thanks to the incredible ability Shadow Tag, Mega Gengar is the best trapper in the metagame. It has high Special Attack and Speed stats, allowing offensive sets to outspeed and revenge KO common offensive Pokemon such as Darkrai, Arceus, and Mega Rayquaza while stopping them from switching out. Gengar's large movepool includes powerful offensive options such as Shadow Ball and Focus Blast for perfect coverage alongside support moves such as Destiny Bond, and sets with Taunt or Perish Song destroy stall and balance, particularly passive Pokemon such as Clefable and support Arceus. It is incredibly effective at supporting sweepers by removing their answers, such as Fairy Arceus for Mega Rayquaza. Mega Gengar also has an excellent offensive typing that allows it to take on common metagame picks such as Xerneas, Lugia, Fairy Arceus, and Mega Diancie without being a slouch defensively either thanks to its immunity to Normal-type moves allowing it to revenge KO Arceus and Mega Rayquaza without worrying about Extreme Speed.
However, Mega Gengar cannot be run alongside other Mega Pokemon such as Mega Rayquaza, making it much harder to fit onto a team. Its paltry bulk prevents it from taking any non-resisted hits from nearly any offensive Pokemon, and it has a decent number of solid checks, forcing it to play as a hit-and-run trapper
[SET]
name: Offensive Trapper
move 1: Sludge Wave
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast / Destiny Bond
move 4: Protect / Taunt / Destiny Bond
item: Gengarite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Wave is Mega Gengar’s hardest-hitting option, dealing heavy damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it, particularly Fairy-type Pokemon such as Xerneas. Sludge Bomb does similar damage, but sacrifices a bit of power for a decent chance of poison. Shadow Ball still deals large amounts of damage while having the ability to hit Ghost-types such as Giratina and being the best move on the set to hit Primal Groudon. Focus Blast is a nice coverage option for Mega Gengar, with perfect neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball and the ability to hit troublesome Pokemon like Darkrai, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Steel Arceus. Destiny Bond is another option that allows Mega Gengar to trade with Pokemon that it cannot otherwise beat such as Primal Groudon, going well with its ability to force Pokemon to stay in and take it on. Protect allows Gengar to safely Mega Evolve, gain its new Speed tier, and scout the foe's moveset, while Taunt cripples support Pokemon like Water Arceus and Lugia and stops them from avoiding Destiny Bond, recovering, or phazing Mega Gengar.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allows Mega Gengar to Speed tie with Mewtwo and outspeed anything slower, including Arceus, Darkrai, and Mega Rayquaza. 252 Special Attack EVs allows Mega Gengar to do as much damage as possible,notably enabling it to always OHKO Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock. Levitate allows Gengar to avoid Earthquake and pivot into users such as Extreme Killer Arceus, but keeping it is generally inferior to immediately Mega Evolving to get Shadow Tag, which prevents the foe from switching out and allows Mega Gengar to effectively revenge KO threats.
Usage Tips
========
This set's primary goal is trap and KO any Pokemon that threatens your team strategy, particularly those weak to Gengar's attacks. Be cautious when attempting this on Xerneas, however, as with a Choice Scarf it outspeeds Mega Gengar and can 2HKO it. Double switching or pivot support is important in order to properly utilize Mega Gengar, as it cannot directly switch in to most attacks. It’s possible to wait until the opponent KOes a Pokemon for a free switch, but in many cases you cannot afford to lose a Pokemon.
In most battles, you should Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as feasible because regular Gengar lacks the ability to trap and has far lower stats, particularly its Special Attack and Speed. It's often a good idea to keep Mega Gengar around to check Extreme Killer Arceus late-game, as Mega Gengar is faster and immune to Extreme Speed. Not Mega Evolving is mostly only useful here, as it makes Gengar a better switch-in to Arceus. When revenge KOing, attempt to get chip damage via entry hazards or prior attacks, as Mega Gengar often falls just short of an OHKO.
Team Options
========
Switch-ins for Yveltal are crucial, as Mega Gengar can do little to it. Fairy Arceus and Xerneas do this well, but they can be beaten by offensive sets if low on HP. Ghost-types such as Giratina-O and Aegislash cannot be trapped and threaten Mega Gengar with their super effective STAB priority moves, so Pokemon that can take them on like Yveltal and Ho-Oh are useful. Pokemon that can take on Ground-types, such as Giratina, Yveltal, and Water Arceus, are useful to have, as Mega Gengar cannot effectively deal with Ground Arceus or Primal Groudon. Pokemon that can take on Klefki such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Diancie are extremely useful to keep Mega Gengar from being crippled. Checks to Ho-Oh such as Water Arceus, Rock Arceus, and Zekrom are also appreciated due to Ho-Oh's high Special Defense and ability to OHKO Mega Gengar.
Wallbreakers that can take advantage of opened holes in opposing teams, like Mega Rayquaza and Mewtwo, pair well with Mega Gengar due to the latter's ability to selectively remove troublesome Pokemon. Setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Geomancy Xerneas also benefit from Mega Gengar removing their checks and counters.
Pivot Pokemon like Jirachi, Yveltal, and Genesect are also handy to bring Mega Gengar in safely by removing the risk of the foe switching to an unfavorable matchup. Entry hazard setters like Deoxys-A, Klefki, and Primal Groudon are useful to allow Mega Gengar to take out bulky attackers such as Arceus, while Mega Gengar pressures Defoggers and the rare Rapid Spin user.
[SET]
Name: Perish Trapper
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Protect
move 3: Taunt / Disable
move 4: Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 12 SpD / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Perish Song facilitates the removal of even extremely bulky walls, such as Lugia, Arceus, and Chansey. It is passed by Baton Pass and goes through Substitute and Magic Bounce, allowing Mega Gengar to force a sacrifice against any Pokemon that cannot avoid Shadow Tag. Protect lets Gengar safely Mega Evolve as well as allowing it to stall out Perish Song and scout for threatening moves. Taunt prevents phazing with Roar or Whirlwind and stops the foe from doing anything useful like setting Stealth Rock before fainting, while Disable stops the opposing Pokemon from using their most recently used move, making it invaluable versus Choice-locked Pokemon or when combined with Protect. Substitute blocks both status moves and attacks and allows Mega Gengar to stall out Perish Song turns.
Set Details
========
216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Mega Gengar to outspeed maximum Speed Darkrai, as well as anything slower. 248 HP and 32 Defense EVs allow Mega Gengar to survive a Lum Berry Arceus's Earthquake after Stealth Rock. 12 Special Defense EVs in conjunction with the HP allows Mega Gengar to survive a Darkrai's Dark Pulse or a +2 Moonblast from Xerneas after Stealth Rock. Shadow Tag allows Mega Gengar to trap any Pokemon that is not a Ghost-type, a Shadow Tag user, or carrying a Shed Shell.
Usage Tips
========
Gengar cannot trap anything until it Mega Evolves, so do so as early in the match as is safe. Due to its low bulk, aggressive double switches and pivot moves are very helpful to get Mega Gengar in safely. Don't attempt to Disable Pokemon with multiple effective attacking moves such as Calm Mind Arceus, as even after a Disable they can still heavily damage Mega Gengar.
Anything that lacks multiple moves that can OHKO Mega Gengar is a valid option for trapping, but trapping defensive, passive walls gives the lowest risk vs. reward ratio, as they usually can't do anything to stop Mega Gengar. When deciding on which Pokemon to remove, focus on removing answers to your wincon, such as Water Arceus for Primal Groudon.
Against defensive Pokemon that commonly use Roar such as support Arceus and Giratina, use Taunt on the first turn to prevent them from phazing Mega Gengar, and then Protect to scout for super effective coverage, Disabling it if necessary.
Perish Song should be used as quickly as feasible to avoid racking up chip damage, but against some targets it can be useful to click another move first. While you can stall out the Perish Song counter with Protect, Substitute, and Disable, if the foe phazes Mega Gengar they can switch out and remove the countdown. On the turn before the Perish Song counter reaches zero, you almost always switch Mega Gengar out. There's rarely a reason to let it get KOed.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Arceus, Xerneas, and Primal Groudon appreciate the ability of Mega Gengar to remove their counters, as do those such as Klefki with a very select number of viable answers. Defensively, Pokemon that do not mind taking Ghost-, Dark-, and Psychic-type attacks, like Yveltal and support Arceus, are helpful to avoid Mega Gengar getting unnecessarily damaged. Pivot Pokemon like Zekrom, Yveltal, and Genesect are also useful to bring Mega Gengar in safely against their would-be counters. As Shadow Tag does not affect Ghost-types, answers to them such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal are beneficial. In particular, the latter also deals with the occasional Shed Shell user such as Blissey with Knock Off, either by KOing them outright or leaving them vulnerable to trapping.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Disable on offensive sets allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO Choice-locked Pokemon that it cannot otherwise touch, such as Ho-Oh, or Pokemon with only one effective move, such as Magic Coat Arceus. Will-O-Wisp can guarantee a burn on any given Pokemon, but is usually a waste of Mega Gengar's time compared to removing them outright. Hypnosis is an option that can make trapping effortless, turning battles around in an instant. However, it has an abysmal accuracy that makes relying on it a questionable decision.
Meanwhile, Hex in combination with Toxic Spikes support, Hypnosis, or Will-O-Wisp deals much heavier damage, but it requires more team support and is ineffective against Lum Berry Arceus. Attacking moves can be used on the Perish Trap set to remove some particular target, but all the moves listed are required for maximum effectiveness.
Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Gengar cannot be countered in the ordinary sense because it can pick and choose what it wants to battle with Shadow Tag.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo Y, Deoxys-A, Choice Scarf Genesect, and Deoxys-S can effectively revenge KO Mega Gengar. None of them can come in safely, however, so often the best they can do is force Mega Gengar out.
**Yveltal**: Thanks to its excellent typing and bulk, both offensive and defensive Yveltal can take on Mega Gengar, either by avoiding the 2HKO and OHKOing back or simply eliminating it with Sucker Punch. Mega Gengar requires significant chip damage on Yveltal to have even a shot at winning.
**Super Effective Priority**: Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak from Pokemon such as Aegislash and Giratina-O hit super effectively before Mega Gengar can act, usually OHKOing it. However, all users with the exception of Yveltal are quite rare, and Sucker Punch can be freely switched out of.
**Tanks**: Bulky Pokemon not weak to Mega Gengar's attacks such as Ho-Oh, Mega Sableye, Klefki, and Primal Groudon can take an attack and proceed to cripple or KO Mega Gengar. However, all of these bar Klefki can be Perish Trapped or defeated with enough chip damage.
Thanks to the incredible ability Shadow Tag, Mega Gengar is the best trapper in the metagame. It has high Special Attack and Speed stats, allowing offensive sets to outspeed and revenge KO common offensive Pokemon such as Darkrai, Arceus, and Mega Rayquaza while stopping them from switching out. Gengar's large movepool includes powerful offensive options such as Shadow Ball and Focus Blast for perfect coverage alongside support moves such as Destiny Bond, and sets with Taunt or Perish Song destroy stall and balance, particularly passive Pokemon such as Clefable and support Arceus. It is incredibly effective at supporting sweepers by removing their answers, such as Fairy Arceus for Mega Rayquaza. Mega Gengar also has an excellent offensive typing that allows it to take on common metagame picks such as Xerneas, Lugia, Fairy Arceus, and Mega Diancie without being a slouch defensively either thanks to its immunity to Normal-type moves allowing it to revenge KO Arceus and Mega Rayquaza without worrying about Extreme Speed.
However, Mega Gengar cannot be run alongside other Mega Pokemon such as Mega Rayquaza, making it much harder to fit onto a team. Its paltry bulk prevents it from taking any non-resisted hits from nearly any offensive Pokemon, and it has a decent number of solid checks, forcing it to play as a hit-and-run trapper
[SET]
name: Offensive Trapper
move 1: Sludge Wave
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast / Destiny Bond
move 4: Protect / Taunt / Destiny Bond
item: Gengarite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Wave is Mega Gengar’s hardest-hitting option, dealing heavy damage to any Pokemon that doesn't resist it, particularly Fairy-type Pokemon such as Xerneas. Sludge Bomb does similar damage, but sacrifices a bit of power for a decent chance of poison. Shadow Ball still deals large amounts of damage while having the ability to hit Ghost-types such as Giratina and being the best move on the set to hit Primal Groudon. Focus Blast is a nice coverage option for Mega Gengar, with perfect neutral coverage alongside Shadow Ball and the ability to hit troublesome Pokemon like Darkrai, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Steel Arceus. Destiny Bond is another option that allows Mega Gengar to trade with Pokemon that it cannot otherwise beat such as Primal Groudon, going well with its ability to force Pokemon to stay in and take it on. Protect allows Gengar to safely Mega Evolve, gain its new Speed tier, and scout the foe's moveset, while Taunt cripples support Pokemon like Water Arceus and Lugia and stops them from avoiding Destiny Bond, recovering, or phazing Mega Gengar.
Set Details
========
252 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allows Mega Gengar to Speed tie with Mewtwo and outspeed anything slower, including Arceus, Darkrai, and Mega Rayquaza. 252 Special Attack EVs allows Mega Gengar to do as much damage as possible,notably enabling it to always OHKO Geomancy Xerneas after Stealth Rock. Levitate allows Gengar to avoid Earthquake and pivot into users such as Extreme Killer Arceus, but keeping it is generally inferior to immediately Mega Evolving to get Shadow Tag, which prevents the foe from switching out and allows Mega Gengar to effectively revenge KO threats.
Usage Tips
========
This set's primary goal is trap and KO any Pokemon that threatens your team strategy, particularly those weak to Gengar's attacks. Be cautious when attempting this on Xerneas, however, as with a Choice Scarf it outspeeds Mega Gengar and can 2HKO it. Double switching or pivot support is important in order to properly utilize Mega Gengar, as it cannot directly switch in to most attacks. It’s possible to wait until the opponent KOes a Pokemon for a free switch, but in many cases you cannot afford to lose a Pokemon.
In most battles, you should Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as feasible because regular Gengar lacks the ability to trap and has far lower stats, particularly its Special Attack and Speed. It's often a good idea to keep Mega Gengar around to check Extreme Killer Arceus late-game, as Mega Gengar is faster and immune to Extreme Speed. Not Mega Evolving is mostly only useful here, as it makes Gengar a better switch-in to Arceus. When revenge KOing, attempt to get chip damage via entry hazards or prior attacks, as Mega Gengar often falls just short of an OHKO.
Team Options
========
Switch-ins for Yveltal are crucial, as Mega Gengar can do little to it. Fairy Arceus and Xerneas do this well, but they can be beaten by offensive sets if low on HP. Ghost-types such as Giratina-O and Aegislash cannot be trapped and threaten Mega Gengar with their super effective STAB priority moves, so Pokemon that can take them on like Yveltal and Ho-Oh are useful. Pokemon that can take on Ground-types, such as Giratina, Yveltal, and Water Arceus, are useful to have, as Mega Gengar cannot effectively deal with Ground Arceus or Primal Groudon. Pokemon that can take on Klefki such as Primal Groudon, Extreme Killer Arceus, and Mega Diancie are extremely useful to keep Mega Gengar from being crippled. Checks to Ho-Oh such as Water Arceus, Rock Arceus, and Zekrom are also appreciated due to Ho-Oh's high Special Defense and ability to OHKO Mega Gengar.
Wallbreakers that can take advantage of opened holes in opposing teams, like Mega Rayquaza and Mewtwo, pair well with Mega Gengar due to the latter's ability to selectively remove troublesome Pokemon. Setup sweepers like Extreme Killer Arceus and Geomancy Xerneas also benefit from Mega Gengar removing their checks and counters.
Pivot Pokemon like Jirachi, Yveltal, and Genesect are also handy to bring Mega Gengar in safely by removing the risk of the foe switching to an unfavorable matchup. Entry hazard setters like Deoxys-A, Klefki, and Primal Groudon are useful to allow Mega Gengar to take out bulky attackers such as Arceus, while Mega Gengar pressures Defoggers and the rare Rapid Spin user.
[SET]
Name: Perish Trapper
move 1: Perish Song
move 2: Protect
move 3: Taunt / Disable
move 4: Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 248 HP / 32 Def / 12 SpD / 216 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Perish Song facilitates the removal of even extremely bulky walls, such as Lugia, Arceus, and Chansey. It is passed by Baton Pass and goes through Substitute and Magic Bounce, allowing Mega Gengar to force a sacrifice against any Pokemon that cannot avoid Shadow Tag. Protect lets Gengar safely Mega Evolve as well as allowing it to stall out Perish Song and scout for threatening moves. Taunt prevents phazing with Roar or Whirlwind and stops the foe from doing anything useful like setting Stealth Rock before fainting, while Disable stops the opposing Pokemon from using their most recently used move, making it invaluable versus Choice-locked Pokemon or when combined with Protect. Substitute blocks both status moves and attacks and allows Mega Gengar to stall out Perish Song turns.
Set Details
========
216 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Mega Gengar to outspeed maximum Speed Darkrai, as well as anything slower. 248 HP and 32 Defense EVs allow Mega Gengar to survive a Lum Berry Arceus's Earthquake after Stealth Rock. 12 Special Defense EVs in conjunction with the HP allows Mega Gengar to survive a Darkrai's Dark Pulse or a +2 Moonblast from Xerneas after Stealth Rock. Shadow Tag allows Mega Gengar to trap any Pokemon that is not a Ghost-type, a Shadow Tag user, or carrying a Shed Shell.
Usage Tips
========
Gengar cannot trap anything until it Mega Evolves, so do so as early in the match as is safe. Due to its low bulk, aggressive double switches and pivot moves are very helpful to get Mega Gengar in safely. Don't attempt to Disable Pokemon with multiple effective attacking moves such as Calm Mind Arceus, as even after a Disable they can still heavily damage Mega Gengar.
Anything that lacks multiple moves that can OHKO Mega Gengar is a valid option for trapping, but trapping defensive, passive walls gives the lowest risk vs. reward ratio, as they usually can't do anything to stop Mega Gengar. When deciding on which Pokemon to remove, focus on removing answers to your wincon, such as Water Arceus for Primal Groudon.
Against defensive Pokemon that commonly use Roar such as support Arceus and Giratina, use Taunt on the first turn to prevent them from phazing Mega Gengar, and then Protect to scout for super effective coverage, Disabling it if necessary.
Perish Song should be used as quickly as feasible to avoid racking up chip damage, but against some targets it can be useful to click another move first. While you can stall out the Perish Song counter with Protect, Substitute, and Disable, if the foe phazes Mega Gengar they can switch out and remove the countdown. On the turn before the Perish Song counter reaches zero, you almost always switch Mega Gengar out. There's rarely a reason to let it get KOed.
Team Options
========
Setup sweepers such as Arceus, Xerneas, and Primal Groudon appreciate the ability of Mega Gengar to remove their counters, as do those such as Klefki with a very select number of viable answers. Defensively, Pokemon that do not mind taking Ghost-, Dark-, and Psychic-type attacks, like Yveltal and support Arceus, are helpful to avoid Mega Gengar getting unnecessarily damaged. Pivot Pokemon like Zekrom, Yveltal, and Genesect are also useful to bring Mega Gengar in safely against their would-be counters. As Shadow Tag does not affect Ghost-types, answers to them such as Ho-Oh and Yveltal are beneficial. In particular, the latter also deals with the occasional Shed Shell user such as Blissey with Knock Off, either by KOing them outright or leaving them vulnerable to trapping.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Disable on offensive sets allows Mega Gengar to trap and KO Choice-locked Pokemon that it cannot otherwise touch, such as Ho-Oh, or Pokemon with only one effective move, such as Magic Coat Arceus. Will-O-Wisp can guarantee a burn on any given Pokemon, but is usually a waste of Mega Gengar's time compared to removing them outright. Hypnosis is an option that can make trapping effortless, turning battles around in an instant. However, it has an abysmal accuracy that makes relying on it a questionable decision.
Meanwhile, Hex in combination with Toxic Spikes support, Hypnosis, or Will-O-Wisp deals much heavier damage, but it requires more team support and is ineffective against Lum Berry Arceus. Attacking moves can be used on the Perish Trap set to remove some particular target, but all the moves listed are required for maximum effectiveness.
Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Gengar cannot be countered in the ordinary sense because it can pick and choose what it wants to battle with Shadow Tag.
**Faster Pokemon**: Faster Pokemon such as Mega Mewtwo Y, Deoxys-A, Choice Scarf Genesect, and Deoxys-S can effectively revenge KO Mega Gengar. None of them can come in safely, however, so often the best they can do is force Mega Gengar out.
**Yveltal**: Thanks to its excellent typing and bulk, both offensive and defensive Yveltal can take on Mega Gengar, either by avoiding the 2HKO and OHKOing back or simply eliminating it with Sucker Punch. Mega Gengar requires significant chip damage on Yveltal to have even a shot at winning.
**Super Effective Priority**: Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak from Pokemon such as Aegislash and Giratina-O hit super effectively before Mega Gengar can act, usually OHKOing it. However, all users with the exception of Yveltal are quite rare, and Sucker Punch can be freely switched out of.
**Tanks**: Bulky Pokemon not weak to Mega Gengar's attacks such as Ho-Oh, Mega Sableye, Klefki, and Primal Groudon can take an attack and proceed to cripple or KO Mega Gengar. However, all of these bar Klefki can be Perish Trapped or defeated with enough chip damage.
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