Yeah, so this is the first Ubers sets Gengar has had, so this is all completely new!
[SET]
name: Ubers Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Ice
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Gengar’s high Speed and useful typing make it a great Choice Scarfer in OU as well as Ubers. Gengar functions very well in Ubers because of its ability to check many common threats while holding a Choice Scarf and its immunities to types like Fighting, Normal, and Ground.</p>
<p>Hidden Power Ice is extremely effective, and can be used to eliminate threats such as Rayquaza, Garchomp, Shaymin-S, or even Jumpluff (when there is no sun). Shadow Ball, however, will be your main attacking move, as it hits a huge amount of the tier for super effective damage (Pokémon like Mewtwo, Latios, Latias, Giratina, and more) plus it gains STAB. This works out to 240 Base Power, compared to 210 Base Power from a STAB Draco Meteor (albeit Gengar has 20 less base Special Attack than Dialga or Palkia); it also does not cause your Special Attack to drop by two stages.</p>
<p>Focus Blast can hurt a few leftover Pokémon, such as Darkrai and Lucario. Choice Scarf Gengar outspeeds both of these Pokémon (unless Darkrai has a Choice Scarf), so Gengar can easily come in on a free turn, or after one of your Pokémon has fainted, to stop their sweep. However, you must always be wary of Focus Blast’s rather lackluster 70% accuracy, so it should be used only when necessary. Trick can be used as a last ditch effort, and only should be considered when Gengar is low on HP or if it is truly imperative to cripple an opponent, as Gengar will mostly be dead weight without its Speed-boosting item. Trick can cripple walls, such as Lugia, Giratina, or Blissey (who gives Gengar massive problems in particular); stat-boosting sweepers or sweepers reliant on wide coverage, by preventing them from using their stat-boosting moves or switching moves; or, possibly most importantly, Wobbuffet.</p>
<p>Gengar does not need much support itself, since, as a revenge killer, it will mainly be picking off already weakened enemies. However, it will be as good as dead if you do not take precautions by eliminating your opponent’s Pursuit-users. The most common users of Pursuit in Ubers are Scizor, Tyranitar, and, to a lesser extent, Metagross. Scizor, who is the most common of the lot, can be handled by a luring Mewtwo who has Fire Blast. Many Scizor will normally switch into Mewtwo, as it is normally quite vulnerable to Scizor, only to be met with a Fire Blast, which will OHKO it. Metagross can be dealt with in a similar way. Tyranitar is also always 2HKOed by an Aura Sphere from Mewtwo (assuming that Tyranitar has maximum HP and Special Defense EVs with a Careful Nature). Another Pokémon who can deal with these threats is Calm Mind + Rest/Sleep Talk Kyogre. With Kyogre’s large bulk, access to Rest + Sleep Talk, and resistance to Steel-type, it can Calm Mind in the face of these threats and Rest when necessary. Then, it can use its boosted Surf to eliminate these threats. The only Pokémon of Scizor, Metagross, and Tyranitar who can threaten Kyogre is Metagross’s Explosion. While this will end up with Kyogre being defeated, it is also a way (albeit slightly perverse) of getting rid of Metagross.</p>
<p>Gengar’s biggest ways of helping its teammates are by freeing up positions on the team and by crippling Wobbuffet. By having Gengar as a revenge killer who can revenge kill many of the Uber metagame’s most deadly sweepers, you can let other would-be revenge killers, such as Palkia or Dialga, take on other roles on your team, such as mixed sets, which help your team fight stall. Also, by crippling Wobbuffet with Trick, you can prevent it from using its Encore + Counter/Mirror Coat combo, or stop it from setting up a sweeper. Furthermore, because it is locked into one move, it becomes much easier to predict around its Mirror Coat or Counter. Similarly, by crippling a wall, such as Blissey, with its Choice Scarf, Gengar can prevent it from doing its duties properly, therefore making it easier for Pokémon to sweep. In the example of Blissey, it becomes much easier for Pokémon like Calm Mind + Rest / Sleep Talk Kyogre to sweep if Blissey can only do one thing before switching out. Gengar can also revenge kill Dragon-types who are locked into Outrage, more specifically, Garchomp and Rayquaza. If you eliminate these threats, it will be much easier for a Dialga or a Rayquaza or Garchomp of your own to sweep, as they become much harder to revenge kill.</p>
[SET]
name: Ubers Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Icy Wind
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Hidden Power Fire
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
<p>This Gengar’s function is twofold: it is a revenge killer who can switch moves, and it is a lure. While this set may seem inferior to the Choice Scarf set, the power boost from Life Orb and the ability to switch moves, without switching out, should not be underestimated.</p>
<p>With the power boosted granted from Life Orb, Gengar can OHKO Rayquaza 100% of the time with Icy Wind, as long as Stealth Rock is down (about 80% of the time without). Because of this, Gengar can now use a Hidden Power that is not Ice-type. Furthermore, Icy Wind has the beneficial side effect of lowering your opponent's Pokémon's Speed by 1 stage. This allows Gengar to outspeed (and therefore KO) all Pokémon who reach a Speed stat of 525; this includes all base 110s with a +Speed nature and a Choice Scarf. By using Hidden Power Fire, Gengar can eliminate its biggest counter: Scizor. Choice Band Scizor (and therefore Trapper Scizor as well) is OHKOed by Hidden Power Fire even when the sun is not out; however, it is only a 2HKO in the rain. Make sure you hit it on the switch in though, or make your opponent think that you will switch, since Bullet Punch will OHKO after LO and Stealth Rock damage. Metagross, on the other hand, is 2HKOed by a Hidden Power Fire with no weather (in the sun it has a small chance to OHKO, but its only a 3HKO in the rain). Tyranitar is also handled more easily, as now Gengar can simply use Focus Blast without switching out (theres a 100% of an OHKO even when Tyranitar has maximum HP and Special Defense and a +SpD nature, as long as there is Stealth Rock and a layer of Spikes up).</p>
<p>Protect and Explosion are other possibilities for the set. Protect allows you to scout whether Metagross or Scizor are using Bullet Punch or Pursuit; this allows you to predict correctly as to whether or not to stay in and use Hidden Power Fire. Protect also just aids prediction in general. Explosion can be used as well, and it serves as a “last ditch” attempt to KO one of your opponent’s Pokémon; make sure to use a Hasty nature though. It will do tremendous damage to any Pokémon who is not immune or resistant to it (Blissey will be OHKOed, and max HP Kyogre and Ho-oh will be OHKOed after they take Stealth Rock damage). Explosion does, however, come with the obvious drawback of causing Gengar to faint as well. Both Protect and Explosion are hard to fit on this set because of each move’s importance.</p>
<p>Since Gengar will be eliminating mainly Scizor and Tyranitar, it will be much easier for certain Pokémon to sweep or wall. Some Pokémon who will benefit from this are Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Lugia. A Calm Mind Mewtwo is normally stuck when facing Scizor, as Scizor resists Ice Beam and takes neutral damage from Aura Sphere (the two most common attacks) and can hit back for super effective damage with U-turn or Pursuit. Likewise, Nasty Plot Darkrai is usually in a pickle against Scizor, unless the Sleep Clause is not activated, or if Darkrai has near full health. Scizor can use U-turn or Superpower on it for super effective damage or Bullet Punch it for priority, as it is only truly threatened by a +2 Focus Blast (which also has a large chance of missing). Lugia can also play a much larger role in teams, whether it be sweeping or walling, after Tyranitar has been eliminated. Not only does Tyranitar deal huge amounts of damage to Lugia with Crunch, Stone Edge, or Pursuit, but it also brings the sandstorm, which chips away at Lugia’s health and boosts its own Special Defense (then Lugia’s Ice Beam will only deal about 9%). Since Gengar deals with both Scizor and Tyranitar, it will be much easier to use Mewtwo, Darkrai, and Lugia after Gengar has done its job.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Thunder or Energy Ball can be used to hit Kyogre and/or Groudon harder. However, Latias or Palkia can generally deal with Kyogre and Groudon better, although it still can be handy if your team does not have one of these two. Explosion is another possibility on the Choice Scarf set, as it provides a fast way to almost instantly take out a Pokémon (remember to use a Hasty nature in this case). Destiny Bond is a possibility, as it can prevent some Pokémon from KOing you, or else they will die too. By strategically using Destiny Bond, you can eliminate more counters to your other Pokémon, as well as threaten any would-be counters to Gengar. The drawback to this, however, is obviously that it involves Gengar dying in the process. Finally, Substitute is a possibility on the Life Orb set. Substitute aids in prediction, like Protect, however it allows you to take out Pokémon, such as Scizor, who would otherwise destroy you with priority moves. The only drawback of this is that Gengar will be losing a lot of health from Substitute + Life Orb recoil alone.</p>
<p>A Choice Specs set is also possible, as Gengar has very good Special Attack and Speed stats. However, Gengar loses its ability to revenge kill as effectively (which is really its niche), and the role of Choice Specs user is better filled by by Mewtwo, Kyogre, Palkia, or Dialga.</p>
[EVs]
<p>Gengar’s Special Attack and Speed EVs should always be maximized so it can hit hard and fast. Its defenses are sub par (especially by Ubers standards), so it will be unable to take any hits anyway.</p>
[Team Options]
<p>As with all offensive Pokémon, Gengar appreciates the additions of entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock and Spikes. They do immediate damage, and Gengar cannot afford to wait for its opponent to die to mounting poison damage from Toxic Spikes. The most notable Pokémon who can set this up are Deoxys-S, Deoxys-A, Forretress, Dialga, and Groudon. All of these Pokémon can work excellently as leads, and Groudon or Forretress can work well as general supporters throughout the match. However, if you choose a Deoxys forme, then you must be especially careful, as both Deoxys and Gengar are weak to Dark-type moves (Pursuit in particular); this goes especially for Deoxys-A, who has horrible defenses (although if Deoxys-A has a Focus Sash it can KO Scizor with Fire Punch). If you are using a Fire-type move then you should consider including Groudon on your team. If you decide to stay in on Scizor to kill it with Hidden Power Fire, you should make sure that it will KO it, or else Gengar will be taken out by Pursuit. Furthermore, Groudon’s sun will cancel out the possible sandstorm (or the rare hail), which will only add to Gengar’s recoil per turn. This even further weakens an already weak Pokémon.</p>
<p>Like many Pokémon who use special attacks, Gengar will have problems facing special walls, such as Blissey (unless it has Explosion). Not only does Blissey take very little damage from most of Gengar’s moves, but also she is immune to Shadow Ball, Gengar’s most powerful move. Therefore, be sure to use a Pokémon who can break Blissey with powerful physical attacks. Dialga or Palkia are both good choices, as they are normally thought of as special attackers, so mixed versions can surprise Blissey with physical attacks. Groudon is also a good choice, as it can hit Blissey with Earthquake, as well as absorbing Thunder Waves that are aimed at Gengar, which would ruin its effectiveness; Gengar can also absorb Toxics in return. Another possibility is to use the combination of Tickle Wobbuffet and a Pursuit-user, such as Scizor or Tyranitar. By using Tickle four times, an Adamant Scizor with 100 Attack EVs and a Life Orb will OHKO Blissey as she switches out; Blissey must be Tickled twice for a Tyranitar with 56 Attack and a neutral nature to KO her while she switches out. Since now your team has a Dragon Dance / Swords Dance Rayquaza counter in Gengar, it is possible for Palkia or Dialga, respectively, to use a set other than Choice Scarf. By using mixed sets, they can not only help Gengar (as mentioned above), but they can also obliterate stall teams, which give many sweepers, such as Rayquaza, Darkrai, or Lucario, problems. Finally, defensive Kyogre sets can pose problems, as Kyogre's base HP and Special Defense stats are deceptively large. Without Thunder or Explosion, Gengar will struggle to deal damage with Kyogre, while Kyogre can just Surf it to death, or set up Calm Minds while Resting off any damage that it might attain. Any Palkia version with Outrage or Thunder can deal with Kyogre because of its 4x resistance to Water-type moves. Likewise, Latias with Soul Dew and Grass Knot or Recover can deal with Kyogre by switching in and dealing heavy damage (or Recovering).</p>
<p>Gengar has extremely poor defenses, especially by Ubers standards, so it will need a lot of defensive support. Gengar has weaknesses to Dark-, Ghost-, and Psychic-type moves, but many other types of attacks will be used on it as well (since it really can’t take any attack). It is important that you have Pokémon who have resistances or can take attacks, as Gengar will add no defensive aspects to your team. Since Gengar will be primarily used on offensive teams, Pokémon like Dialga, Palkia, Scizor, and Groudon can all provide for a strong defensive core, while also maintaining a threatening offensive presence. Pursuit users, such as Scizor, Metagross, and Tyranitar, can kill Gengar before you have the chance to switch out to a suitable counter, so it is important that you find a way to eliminate them first. Scizor can be dealt with by a Mewtwo who has a Fire-type move. Scizor will normally switch in on it to Pursuit or U-turn it, only to be met with an OHKO. If your Gengar has the ability to switch moves, it can use Hidden Power Fire; however, this is risky, as you will have to predict well, or else Gengar will be taken out by Bullet Punch. In this case, it is best to have a Groudon and also a check to Kyogre, since when Kyogre switches in it brings the rain, which causes Scizor not to be OHKOed. Metagross is tricky, as Gengar itself cannot reliably take it out, even when it has a Life Orb. A luring Mewtwo can work similarly with Metagross as well, however, Dialga and Palkia are also potential helpers, as they resist Bullet Punch, can outspeed Metagross, and OHKO it with Fire Blast. Finally, there’s Tyranitar, who can be handled by Kyogre, who can come in with its bulk, change the weather, and take out Tyranitar with Surf. If Gengar can switch moves, then a well-placed Focus Blast can take it out. Calm Mind Rest + Sleep Talk versions of Kyogre can also handle all three of these threats (unless Metagross uses Explosion).</p>
<p>The Pokémon who are most commonly paired with Tyranitar, Metagross, and Scizor are Garchomp, Lugia, Dialga, Kyogre, Palkia, and Darkrai. Lugia can completely stop Garchomp in its tracks by using Reflect and Ice Beam; it is also immune to one of Garchomp’s STAB attacks. Jirachi can also use Body Slam to paralyze Garchomp, which totally destroys its usefulness, especially when it’s a Choice Scarf user. Lugia can be tormented by Wobbuffet, who will trap it with Shadow Tag and then proceed to Mirror Coat it to death, or use it to set up a sweeper. Whirlwind won’t even work, as its negative priority will allow Wobbuffet to Encore its last-used move. Dialga can be revenge killed with Wobbuffet via Mirror Coat as well, however Choice Specs sets would have to be handled by either a special wall, or a bulky Steel-type, such as Jirachi or Scizor. Kyogre is a fearsome monster, and the only two Pokémon who can reliable check it are Palkia and Latias. They can both switch into even a full-power Water Spout, and then attack Kyogre to weaken the Base Power of the move (Latias can also Recover). There is no true counter to Palkia, and it must either be revenge killed, or taken on a set-by-set basis; the most common set, the Choice Scarf, can be revenge killed by Wobbuffet. Finally, Darkrai can be dealt with by Scizor, who can use U-turn or Superpower, or Bullet Punch if Darkrai is weakened. However, Scizor can only truly counter Darkrai if Sleep Clause is activated, and even then it must be wary of a +2 Focus Blast.</p>
[Opinion]
<p>Although Gengar is normally thought of as an “OU only” Pokémon, it actually has an important niche in the Ubers Metagame: revenge killing. While Gengar has terrible defenses, it has extremely useful immunities to Fighting-, Normal-, and Ground-type moves. These, plus its high Special Attack and Speed stats, and its great movepool, make it a great revenge killer who can check a large portion of the metagame’s ferocious sweepers.</p>
[Counters]
<p>Pursuit users give Gengar a lot of problems, especially Choice Scarf users, as they can OHKO Gengar even if it doesn’t switch out. The common Pursuit users in Ubers are Tyranitar, Scizor, and Metagross. Of these, Metagross is probably the most threatening, as it has a humongous Attack stat, and it is also extremely bulky.</p>
<p>Steel-types are also problematic, as they resist a good portion of Gengar’s moves, especially its most common one, Shadow Ball. Metagross and Scizor come up again, as they are also able of using Pursuit. Jirachi (and Metagross) is also worth mentioning, as, while it does not resist Shadow Ball, it still resists Hidden Power Ice, and it is neutral to Focus Blast. Jirachi also has great bulk with its 100 / 100 / 100 base defenses, and it also generally carries status moves, such as Thunder Wave, which will leave Gengar totally useless.</p>
<p>Kyogre can be a problem for Gengar, since it actually has base HP and Special Defense stats that are quite large. Without Explosion or Thunder, Gengar will not be able to do with a Kyogre who has Calm Mind + Rest / Sleep Talk. In return, Kyogre can alternate between Calm Minding and Resting (and using Sleep Talk) until it gets the boosts it needs. Then, it can sweep your team with Surf. In a similar manner to Kyogre, Ho-oh will take little damage from Gengar that lack Thunder or Explosion, and then OHKO Gengar with Brave Bird or Sacred Fire. Furthermore, Pokémon who are faster than Gengar will generally force Gengar to switch out, because of its terrible defensive stats.</p>
<p>Finally, Blissey will pose a large problem for Gengar, unless it carries Explosion. Blissey is immune to Gengar’s STAB Shadow Ball, and it also takes pitiful damage from its other moves. Also, even when Gengar uses Explosion, it can be predicted with a switch to a Ghost-type. This will cause Gengar to basically kill itself while doing absolutely no damage.</p>
