[qc]1/3[/qc]
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Gengar (3 Attacks) [QC 3/3] [GP 2/2]
- Thread starter Katakiri
- Start date
The phrase in red needs more elaboration. What sort of mistake can happen with Protect, a move that eases prediction? A good example would be Scizor setting up Swords Dance
Add Skarmory with Jirachi / Bronzong - no need to risk with Focus Miss
Specify Tentacruel, since it can easily outlast Gengar with Rain Dish + Protect, plus it can Rapid Spin. Gengar that can heavily maim Tentacruel is a major appeal for using Thunder(bolt)
~ No mention of specially-defensive Jirachi / Bronzong in the rain? you'd want a teammate for these mons. A strong Ground-type like Landorus-I/T and Garchomp can deal with Jirachi comfortably. Rotom-W / Magnezone / Scizor all work, too. Ferrothorn can set up Spikes. Sunny Day Heatran / Chandelure / Ninetales
I'll (or somebody else) will stamp after you make these corrections.
GP check. Good job on writing this.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple
[gp]1/2[/gp]
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in Purple
[SET]
name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute / Protect
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By giving up a status move, Gengar can obtain better super effective coverage than the tried and true Shadow Ball + Focus Blast. The choice between Substitute and Protect is heavily influenced by the needs of Gengar's team (add comma) but each option has its own advantages. The primary difference between Substitute and Protect is that Substitute Gengar is a set-up setup variant that takes advantage of an opponent being forced to switch while Protect Gengar can scout against Pokemon that are already in front of Gengar it. Substitute gives Gengar free turns to attack behind the safety of his its Substitute but leaves it is very open to priority and faster Pokemon if the Substitute is not up; additionally, the Substitute can be broken via Volt Switch (add comma) which can leave Gengar completely open next turn against trappers and faster Pokemon. Protect gives Gengar immediate safety and lets it safely check the moves of Choice-locked switch-ins, easing prediction, but it will always be a glass cannon. A key factor in choosing between Protect and Substitute is longevity. Substitute Gengar's life-span lifespan can be short with Stealth Rock, passive effects, and the cost of each Substitute eating away at it. Protect Gengar does not need to rip away 25% of its HP just to keep safe, however but this is high risk high reward; Protect ensures Gengar sticks around for as long as you need it as you almost always know what your opposition is planning no matter how fast they are and you can make the correct choice next turn (add comma) but due to Gengar's fragile defenses, if you do make a mistake such as staying it on leaving it in against a Pokemon that was bluffing a Choice item or scouting a Pokemon's move only to have it set-up set up on the Protect, Gengar will likely pay with its life. As for the attacking options, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast's unrivaled coverage may might go without saying (add comma) but Hidden Power Fire gives Gengar added super effective coverage (add comma) allowing it to OHKO Scizor, Breloom, and Ferrothorn while dealing hefty chunks to Jirachi and Bronzong as well as letting Gengar take on Skarmory without risking a Focus Blast miss. (you might want to add an explanation of the pros and or cons of Life Orb here since its the primary option) Black Sludge trades power for extended longevity; (change to comma) namely allowing it Gengar to survive in Sandstorm and against the constant entry hazard damage it takes from switching, making it nearly ideal for Substitute variants if you can stand the attack power loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>3 Attacks attacks Gengar is a forced force to be reckoned with in the metagame. Scizor, Forretress, Blissey, and Chansey are the only common Pokemon in OU that resist Shadow Ball and aren't deathly afraid of Focus Blast; in fact, most OU Pokemon can be OHKOed or 2HKOed by Life Orb Gengar after Stealth Rock. If using Black Sludge, keep in mind that some Specially Defensive specially defensive Pokemon like Jirachi will not mind taking a few attacks even at only moderate HP due to the drop in power. Additionally, if (unless this is saying that this is in addition to the other disadvantages of Black Sludge (the power drop you mentioned in the previous sentence); if that's what you meant, leave this as is) If running Substitute, it is best to choose options that set it this set apart from SubDisable and SubSplit. Thunderbolt, or Thunder on Rain rain teams, can be used for different super effective coverage should Water-types like the ever-troublesome Rain Dish Tentacruel hassle your team (add comma) but remember that Gengar cannot OHKO Scizor or Forretress without Hidden Power Fire. If you pair Gengar with Magnezone or you feel like your team has no issue with Steel- or Water-types, you can replace Hidden Power Fire with Destiny Bond to get the last laugh against foes like Garchomp and Calm Mind Keldeo; (change to comma) Pokemon Gengar cannot beat normally without prior damage. Destiny Bond can even be used as a last resort against a Scizor that got around your Magnezone or whatever you use; take him down with you Gengar as he Pursuits (you obviously have more experience with this set than me, but would a mention of Scizor possibly using Bullet Punch before Gengar can Destiny Bond be worth it?). In fact, while not the primary use of the option, Gengar with Destiny Bond can act as a martyr of sorts for weather teams as Politoed, Ninetales, and some variants of Tyranitar aren't too afraid of Gengar and will attempt to KO it, winning the weather ware war for you.</p>
<p>As for teammates, you really want a Pokemon that can deal significant damage to Steel-types in Rain rain; (change to comma) specifically specially defensive Jirachi and Bronzong. Either of the Landorus formes or Garchomp are excellent choices for taking on Jirachi. Bronzong is a little trickier due to Levitate (add comma) but a few good weather-independent check weather independent checks to Bronzong are Keldeo, Swords Dance Scizor, and Rotom-W (add comma) who which all resists resist Gyro Ball and Hidden Power Ice while not minding an Earthquake. Ninetales and Sunny Day Heatran can help combat not only rain Steel-types but rain in general while providing a power buff to Gengar's Hidden Power Fire. Ferrothorn can turn Jirachi & and Bronzong into set-up setup fodder with your choice of Spikes, Thunder Wave, or Leech Seed each turn.</p>
name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute / Protect
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By giving up a status move, Gengar can obtain better super effective coverage than the tried and true Shadow Ball + Focus Blast. The choice between Substitute and Protect is heavily influenced by the needs of Gengar's team (add comma) but each option has its own advantages. The primary difference between Substitute and Protect is that Substitute Gengar is a set-up setup variant that takes advantage of an opponent being forced to switch while Protect Gengar can scout against Pokemon that are already in front of Gengar it. Substitute gives Gengar free turns to attack behind the safety of his its Substitute but leaves it is very open to priority and faster Pokemon if the Substitute is not up; additionally, the Substitute can be broken via Volt Switch (add comma) which can leave Gengar completely open next turn against trappers and faster Pokemon. Protect gives Gengar immediate safety and lets it safely check the moves of Choice-locked switch-ins, easing prediction, but it will always be a glass cannon. A key factor in choosing between Protect and Substitute is longevity. Substitute Gengar's life-span lifespan can be short with Stealth Rock, passive effects, and the cost of each Substitute eating away at it. Protect Gengar does not need to rip away 25% of its HP just to keep safe, however but this is high risk high reward; Protect ensures Gengar sticks around for as long as you need it as you almost always know what your opposition is planning no matter how fast they are and you can make the correct choice next turn (add comma) but due to Gengar's fragile defenses, if you do make a mistake such as staying it on leaving it in against a Pokemon that was bluffing a Choice item or scouting a Pokemon's move only to have it set-up set up on the Protect, Gengar will likely pay with its life. As for the attacking options, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast's unrivaled coverage may might go without saying (add comma) but Hidden Power Fire gives Gengar added super effective coverage (add comma) allowing it to OHKO Scizor, Breloom, and Ferrothorn while dealing hefty chunks to Jirachi and Bronzong as well as letting Gengar take on Skarmory without risking a Focus Blast miss. (you might want to add an explanation of the pros and or cons of Life Orb here since its the primary option) Black Sludge trades power for extended longevity; (change to comma) namely allowing it Gengar to survive in Sandstorm and against the constant entry hazard damage it takes from switching, making it nearly ideal for Substitute variants if you can stand the attack power loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>3 Attacks attacks Gengar is a forced force to be reckoned with in the metagame. Scizor, Forretress, Blissey, and Chansey are the only common Pokemon in OU that resist Shadow Ball and aren't deathly afraid of Focus Blast; in fact, most OU Pokemon can be OHKOed or 2HKOed by Life Orb Gengar after Stealth Rock. If using Black Sludge, keep in mind that some Specially Defensive specially defensive Pokemon like Jirachi will not mind taking a few attacks even at only moderate HP due to the drop in power. Additionally, if (unless this is saying that this is in addition to the other disadvantages of Black Sludge (the power drop you mentioned in the previous sentence); if that's what you meant, leave this as is) If running Substitute, it is best to choose options that set it this set apart from SubDisable and SubSplit. Thunderbolt, or Thunder on Rain rain teams, can be used for different super effective coverage should Water-types like the ever-troublesome Rain Dish Tentacruel hassle your team (add comma) but remember that Gengar cannot OHKO Scizor or Forretress without Hidden Power Fire. If you pair Gengar with Magnezone or you feel like your team has no issue with Steel- or Water-types, you can replace Hidden Power Fire with Destiny Bond to get the last laugh against foes like Garchomp and Calm Mind Keldeo; (change to comma) Pokemon Gengar cannot beat normally without prior damage. Destiny Bond can even be used as a last resort against a Scizor that got around your Magnezone or whatever you use; take him down with you Gengar as he Pursuits (you obviously have more experience with this set than me, but would a mention of Scizor possibly using Bullet Punch before Gengar can Destiny Bond be worth it?). In fact, while not the primary use of the option, Gengar with Destiny Bond can act as a martyr of sorts for weather teams as Politoed, Ninetales, and some variants of Tyranitar aren't too afraid of Gengar and will attempt to KO it, winning the weather ware war for you.</p>
<p>As for teammates, you really want a Pokemon that can deal significant damage to Steel-types in Rain rain; (change to comma) specifically specially defensive Jirachi and Bronzong. Either of the Landorus formes or Garchomp are excellent choices for taking on Jirachi. Bronzong is a little trickier due to Levitate (add comma) but a few good weather-independent check weather independent checks to Bronzong are Keldeo, Swords Dance Scizor, and Rotom-W (add comma) who which all resists resist Gyro Ball and Hidden Power Ice while not minding an Earthquake. Ninetales and Sunny Day Heatran can help combat not only rain Steel-types but rain in general while providing a power buff to Gengar's Hidden Power Fire. Ferrothorn can turn Jirachi & and Bronzong into set-up setup fodder with your choice of Spikes, Thunder Wave, or Leech Seed each turn.</p>
[gp]1/2[/gp]
[SET]
name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute / Protect
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By giving up a status move, Gengar can obtain better super effective coverage than the tried and true Shadow Ball + Focus Blast. The choice between Substitute and Protect is heavily influenced by the needs of Gengar's team, but each option has its own advantages. The primary difference between Substitute and Protect is that Substitute Gengar is a setup variant that takes advantage of an opponent being forced to switch, while Protect Gengar can scout against Pokemon that are already in front of it. Substitute gives Gengar free turns to attack behind the safety of its Substitute, but leaves it very open to priority and faster Pokemon if the Substitute is not up; additionally, the Substitute can be broken via Volt Switch, which can leave Gengar completely open next turn against trappers and faster Pokemon. Protect gives Gengar immediate safety and lets it safely check the moves of Choice-locked switch-ins, easing prediction, but it will always be a glass cannon. A key factor in choosing between Protect and Substitute is longevity. Substitute Gengar's lifespan can be short with Stealth Rock, passive effects, and the cost of each Substitute eating away at it. Protect Gengar does not need to rip away 25% of its HP just to keep safe, but this is high risk high reward; Protect ensures Gengar sticks around for as long as you need it, as you almost always know what your opposition is planning no matter how fast they are and you can make the correct choice next turn, but due to Gengar's fragile defenses, if you do make a mistake such as leaving it in against a Pokemon that was bluffing a Choice item or scouting a Pokemon's move only to have it set up on the Protect, Gengar will likely pay with its life. As for the attacking options, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast's unrivaled coverage might go without saying, but Hidden Power Fire gives Gengar added super effective coverage, allowing it to OHKO Scizor, Breloom, and Ferrothorn while dealing hefty chunks to Jirachi and Bronzong as well as letting Gengar take on Skarmory without risking a Focus Blast miss. Life Orb is preferred for the power increase that makes Gengar hard to switch in on. Black Sludge trades power for extended longevity, allowing Gengar to survive in Sandstorm and against the constant entry hazard damage it takes from switching, making it nearly ideal for Substitute variants if you can stand the attack power loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>3 attacks Gengar is a force to be reckoned with in the metagame. Scizor, Forretress, Blissey, and Chansey are the only common Pokemon in OU that resist Shadow Ball and aren't deathly afraid of Focus Blast; in fact, most OU Pokemon can be OHKOed or 2HKOed by Life Orb Gengar after Stealth Rock. If using Black Sludge, keep in mind that some specially defensive Pokemon like Jirachi will not mind taking a few attacks even at only moderate HP due to the drop in power. If running Substitute, it is best to choose options that set this set apart from SubDisable and SubSplit. Thunderbolt, —or Thunder on rain teams, %mdash;can be used for different super effective coverage should Water-types like the ever-troublesome Rain Dish Tentacruel hassle your team, but remember that Gengar cannot OHKO Scizor or Forretress without Hidden Power Fire. If you pair Gengar with Magnezone or you feel like your team has no issue with Steel- or Water-types, you can replace Hidden Power Fire with Destiny Bond to get the last laugh against foes likesuch as Garchomp and Calm Mind Keldeo, Pokemon Gengar cannot beat normally without prior damage. Destiny Bond can even be used as a last resort against a Scizor that got around your Magnezone or whatever you use; take him down with Gengar if he Pursuits on Gengar's Protect. In fact, while not the primary use of the option, Gengar with Destiny Bond can act as a martyr of sorts for weather teams as Politoed, Ninetales, and some variants of Tyranitar aren't too afraid of Gengar and will attempt to KO it, winning the weather war for you.</p>
<p>As for teammates, you really want a Pokemon that can deal significant damage to Steel-types in rain, specifically specially defensive Jirachi and Bronzong. Either of the Landorus formes or Garchomp are excellent choices for taking on Jirachi. Bronzong is a little trickier due to Levitate, but a few good weather independent checks to Bronzong are Keldeo, Swords Dance Scizor, and Rotom-W, which all resist Gyro Ball and Hidden Power Ice while not minding an Earthquake. Ninetales and Sunny Day Heatran can help combat not onlyrain Steel-types butused in rain in general while providing a power buff to, but also give Gengar's Hidden Power Fire a boost. Ferrothorn can turn Jirachi and Bronzong into setup fodder with your choice of Spikes, Thunder Wave, or Leech Seed each turn.</p>
name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute / Protect
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By giving up a status move, Gengar can obtain better super effective coverage than the tried and true Shadow Ball + Focus Blast. The choice between Substitute and Protect is heavily influenced by the needs of Gengar's team, but each option has its own advantages. The primary difference between Substitute and Protect is that Substitute Gengar is a setup variant that takes advantage of an opponent being forced to switch, while Protect Gengar can scout against Pokemon that are already in front of it. Substitute gives Gengar free turns to attack behind the safety of its Substitute, but leaves it very open to priority and faster Pokemon if the Substitute is not up; additionally, the Substitute can be broken via Volt Switch, which can leave Gengar completely open next turn against trappers and faster Pokemon. Protect gives Gengar immediate safety and lets it safely check the moves of Choice-locked switch-ins, easing prediction, but it will always be a glass cannon. A key factor in choosing between Protect and Substitute is longevity. Substitute Gengar's lifespan can be short with Stealth Rock, passive effects, and the cost of each Substitute eating away at it. Protect Gengar does not need to rip away 25% of its HP just to keep safe, but this is high risk high reward; Protect ensures Gengar sticks around for as long as you need it, as you almost always know what your opposition is planning no matter how fast they are and you can make the correct choice next turn, but due to Gengar's fragile defenses, if you do make a mistake such as leaving it in against a Pokemon that was bluffing a Choice item or scouting a Pokemon's move only to have it set up on the Protect, Gengar will likely pay with its life. As for the attacking options, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast's unrivaled coverage might go without saying, but Hidden Power Fire gives Gengar added super effective coverage, allowing it to OHKO Scizor, Breloom, and Ferrothorn while dealing hefty chunks to Jirachi and Bronzong as well as letting Gengar take on Skarmory without risking a Focus Blast miss. Life Orb is preferred for the power increase that makes Gengar hard to switch in on. Black Sludge trades power for extended longevity, allowing Gengar to survive in Sandstorm and against the constant entry hazard damage it takes from switching, making it nearly ideal for Substitute variants if you can stand the attack power loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>3 attacks Gengar is a force to be reckoned with in the metagame. Scizor, Forretress, Blissey, and Chansey are the only common Pokemon in OU that resist Shadow Ball and aren't deathly afraid of Focus Blast; in fact, most OU Pokemon can be OHKOed or 2HKOed by Life Orb Gengar after Stealth Rock. If using Black Sludge, keep in mind that some specially defensive Pokemon like Jirachi will not mind taking a few attacks even at only moderate HP due to the drop in power. If running Substitute, it is best to choose options that set this set apart from SubDisable and SubSplit. Thunderbolt
<p>As for teammates, you really want a Pokemon that can deal significant damage to Steel-types in rain, specifically specially defensive Jirachi and Bronzong. Either of the Landorus formes or Garchomp are excellent choices for taking on Jirachi. Bronzong is a little trickier due to Levitate, but a few good weather independent checks to Bronzong are Keldeo, Swords Dance Scizor, and Rotom-W, which all resist Gyro Ball and Hidden Power Ice while not minding an Earthquake. Ninetales and Sunny Day Heatran can help combat not only
[SET]
name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute / Protect
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By giving up a status move, Gengar can obtain better super effective coverage than the tried and true Shadow Ball + Focus Blast. The choice between Substitute and Protect is heavily influenced by the needs of Gengar's team, but each option has its own advantages. The primary difference between Substitute and Protect is that Substitute Gengar is a setup variant that takes advantage of an opponent being forced to switch, while Protect Gengar can scout against Pokemon that are already in front of it. Substitute gives Gengar free turns to attack behind the safety of its Substitute, but leaves it very open to priority and faster Pokemon if the Substitute is not up; additionally, the Substitute can be broken via Volt Switch, which can leave Gengar completely open next turn against trappers and faster Pokemon. Protect gives Gengar immediate safety and lets it safely check the moves of Choice-locked switch-ins, easing prediction, but it will always be a glass cannon. A key factor in choosing between Protect and Substitute is longevity. Substitute Gengar's lifespan can be short with Stealth Rock, passive effects, and the cost of each Substitute eating away at it. Protect Gengar does not need to rip away 25% of its HP just to keep safe, but this is high risk high reward; Protect ensures Gengar sticks around for as long as you need it, as you almost always know what your opposition is planning no matter how fast they are and you can make the correct choice next turn, but due to Gengar's fragile defenses, if you do make a mistake such as leaving it in against a Pokemon that was bluffing a Choice item or scouting a Pokemon's move only to have it set up on the Protect, Gengar will likely pay with its life. As for the attacking options, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast's unrivaled coverage might go without saying, but Hidden Power Fire gives Gengar added super effective coverage, allowing it to OHKO Scizor, Breloom, and Ferrothorn while dealing hefty chunks to Jirachi and Bronzong as well as letting Gengar take on Skarmory without risking a Focus Blast miss. Life Orb is preferred for the power increase that makes Gengar hard to switch in on. Black Sludge trades power for extended longevity, allowing Gengar to survive in Sandstorm and against the constant entry hazard damage it takes from switching, making it nearly ideal for Substitute variants if you can stand the attack power loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>3 attacks Gengar is a force to be reckoned with in the metagame. Scizor, Forretress, Blissey, and Chansey are the only common Pokemon in OU that resist Shadow Ball and aren't deathly afraid of Focus Blast; in fact, most OU Pokemon can be OHKOed or 2HKOed by Life Orb Gengar after Stealth Rock. If using Black Sludge, keep in mind that some specially defensive Pokemon like Jirachi will not mind taking a few attacks even at only moderate HP due to the drop in power. If running Substitute, it is best to choose options that set this set apart from SubDisable and SubSplit. Thunderbolt—or Thunder on rain teams%mdash;can be used for different super effective coverage should Water-types like the ever-troublesome Rain Dish Tentacruel hassle your team, but remember that Gengar cannot OHKO Scizor or Forretress without Hidden Power Fire. If you pair Gengar with Magnezone or you feel like your team has no issue with Steel- or Water-types, you can replace Hidden Power Fire with Destiny Bond to get the last laugh against foes such as Garchomp and Calm Mind Keldeo, Pokemon Gengar cannot beat normally without prior damage. Destiny Bond can even be used as a last resort against a Scizor that got around your Magnezone or whatever you use; take him down with Gengar if he Pursuits on Gengar's Protect. In fact, while not the primary use of the option, Gengar with Destiny Bond can act as a martyr of sorts for weather teams as Politoed, Ninetales, and some variants of Tyranitar aren't too afraid of Gengar and will attempt to KO it, winning the weather war for you.</p>
<p>As for teammates, you really want a Pokemon that can deal significant damage to Steel-types in rain, specifically specially defensive Jirachi and Bronzong. Either of the Landorus formes or Garchomp are excellent choices for taking on Jirachi. Bronzong is a little trickier due to Levitate, but a few good weather independent checks to Bronzong are Keldeo, Swords Dance Scizor, and Rotom-W, which all resist Gyro Ball and Hidden Power Ice while not minding an Earthquake. Ninetales and Sunny Day Heatran can help combat not only Steel-types used in rain, but also give Gengar's Hidden Power Fire a boost. Ferrothorn can turn Jirachi and Bronzong into setup fodder with your choice of Spikes, Thunder Wave, or Leech Seed each turn.</p>
name: 3 Attacks
move 1: Substitute / Protect
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb / Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>By giving up a status move, Gengar can obtain better super effective coverage than the tried and true Shadow Ball + Focus Blast. The choice between Substitute and Protect is heavily influenced by the needs of Gengar's team, but each option has its own advantages. The primary difference between Substitute and Protect is that Substitute Gengar is a setup variant that takes advantage of an opponent being forced to switch, while Protect Gengar can scout against Pokemon that are already in front of it. Substitute gives Gengar free turns to attack behind the safety of its Substitute, but leaves it very open to priority and faster Pokemon if the Substitute is not up; additionally, the Substitute can be broken via Volt Switch, which can leave Gengar completely open next turn against trappers and faster Pokemon. Protect gives Gengar immediate safety and lets it safely check the moves of Choice-locked switch-ins, easing prediction, but it will always be a glass cannon. A key factor in choosing between Protect and Substitute is longevity. Substitute Gengar's lifespan can be short with Stealth Rock, passive effects, and the cost of each Substitute eating away at it. Protect Gengar does not need to rip away 25% of its HP just to keep safe, but this is high risk high reward; Protect ensures Gengar sticks around for as long as you need it, as you almost always know what your opposition is planning no matter how fast they are and you can make the correct choice next turn, but due to Gengar's fragile defenses, if you do make a mistake such as leaving it in against a Pokemon that was bluffing a Choice item or scouting a Pokemon's move only to have it set up on the Protect, Gengar will likely pay with its life. As for the attacking options, Shadow Ball and Focus Blast's unrivaled coverage might go without saying, but Hidden Power Fire gives Gengar added super effective coverage, allowing it to OHKO Scizor, Breloom, and Ferrothorn while dealing hefty chunks to Jirachi and Bronzong as well as letting Gengar take on Skarmory without risking a Focus Blast miss. Life Orb is preferred for the power increase that makes Gengar hard to switch in on. Black Sludge trades power for extended longevity, allowing Gengar to survive in Sandstorm and against the constant entry hazard damage it takes from switching, making it nearly ideal for Substitute variants if you can stand the attack power loss.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>3 attacks Gengar is a force to be reckoned with in the metagame. Scizor, Forretress, Blissey, and Chansey are the only common Pokemon in OU that resist Shadow Ball and aren't deathly afraid of Focus Blast; in fact, most OU Pokemon can be OHKOed or 2HKOed by Life Orb Gengar after Stealth Rock. If using Black Sludge, keep in mind that some specially defensive Pokemon like Jirachi will not mind taking a few attacks even at only moderate HP due to the drop in power. If running Substitute, it is best to choose options that set this set apart from SubDisable and SubSplit. Thunderbolt—or Thunder on rain teams%mdash;can be used for different super effective coverage should Water-types like the ever-troublesome Rain Dish Tentacruel hassle your team, but remember that Gengar cannot OHKO Scizor or Forretress without Hidden Power Fire. If you pair Gengar with Magnezone or you feel like your team has no issue with Steel- or Water-types, you can replace Hidden Power Fire with Destiny Bond to get the last laugh against foes such as Garchomp and Calm Mind Keldeo, Pokemon Gengar cannot beat normally without prior damage. Destiny Bond can even be used as a last resort against a Scizor that got around your Magnezone or whatever you use; take him down with Gengar if he Pursuits on Gengar's Protect. In fact, while not the primary use of the option, Gengar with Destiny Bond can act as a martyr of sorts for weather teams as Politoed, Ninetales, and some variants of Tyranitar aren't too afraid of Gengar and will attempt to KO it, winning the weather war for you.</p>
<p>As for teammates, you really want a Pokemon that can deal significant damage to Steel-types in rain, specifically specially defensive Jirachi and Bronzong. Either of the Landorus formes or Garchomp are excellent choices for taking on Jirachi. Bronzong is a little trickier due to Levitate, but a few good weather independent checks to Bronzong are Keldeo, Swords Dance Scizor, and Rotom-W, which all resist Gyro Ball and Hidden Power Ice while not minding an Earthquake. Ninetales and Sunny Day Heatran can help combat not only Steel-types used in rain, but also give Gengar's Hidden Power Fire a boost. Ferrothorn can turn Jirachi and Bronzong into setup fodder with your choice of Spikes, Thunder Wave, or Leech Seed each turn.</p>
[gp]2/2[/gp]
I'd could be generic and go with "MYSTICgar BW2" but screw it, Gengar always has a new original name for one of its sets each generation so since its calling card is HP Fire, my vote goes to "Geng-o'-lantern"; based on the ghostly fire or light which is sometimes called jack-o'-lantern, not directly referring to the pumpkin adaptation of course.
