LC Type Analysis Thread

.-. Imo poison types arent bad at all anymore. With Gligar gone, more poison types outside of foongus are viable. With the ability to hit one of the best walls in the meta currently (read: Spritzee), wall Fighting types not called Meditite (especially Sticky Holders), and the fact that practically no ground type in viable outside of maybe drilbur, Poison type is a huge boon now in the new meta.
 

Merritt

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What is now arguably the best offensive typing in the game is the Ghost Type. With the new ability to hit steel types for neutral damage, ghost types are only resisted by one type, dark, while only one other type, normal, has an immunity to them. The only other type to have this claim to fame is the vaunted dragon type, which even now can be seen as inferior.

The ghost type, unfortunately, only has a few notable members, including the illustrious Misdreavus and the less used Gastly, while the physically defensive/offensive Honedge languishes as a rarely used Pokemon. However, the few members ghost types have are simply fantastic at what they do. Gastly has one of the highest (special) attacking stats and a secondary poison STAB, along with a fairly good 80 base speed. Misdreavus is one of the largest threats this generation, with great special attack, special defense, and speed, and not underwhelming HP and defense. Honedge has a decent secondary typing in steel, although the nerf that made ghosts better makes it less usable defensively, but great attack, fantastic defense, and has some of the best moves in the entire tier.

Ghost type moves distinguish themselves from dragon type moves, who also have only two types that resist/are immune to it, by the fact that their foes have the common weakness of fighting type moves. As there are no normal/ghost types, the only type that would be immune to both, ghost/fighting has prefect neutral coverage, and ghost types are uniquely suited to wielding their STAB instead of the other way around, due to the fact that although almost all ghost type resistors are weak to fighting, the opposite does not hold true.

The moves available to notable ghost types to take advantage of this fact, however, are disappointing. Misdreavus, arguably the best ghost type, must rely on Hidden Power Fighting for a fighting type move, and while this is an effective move on 4x weak Pokemon like Pawniard and acceptably powerful (120 Base Power, the same as a neutral STAB shadow ball) on 2x weak Pokemon, enemies such as Murkrow, Vullaby, Stunky, Azurill, and the various Normal/Flying types laugh in the face of 60 Base Power. Honedge, on the other hand, has the considerably more powerful Sacred Sword, but has a low speed and a disappointing special defense that prevent it from wielding these moves effectively. Gastly, surprisingly enough, only must worry about the incredibly rare Stunky to both be hit neutrally by Hidden Power Fighting, resist Shadow Ball, and resist Sludge Bomb. However, Gastly's just slightly short of fantastic speed and low defenses leave it underwhelming to most.

In short, ghost type falls just slightly short of great due to its shortage of usable members and reliance of its better members on the weak coverage of hidden power.
 
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