Oh hey, I finally got this written up. All can say is that the GP team will have fun checking the first set for sure ^_^. If you guys want to concise it, that's fine, but uh, I'm really not sure what to remove since I feel that all of it is relevant to the set. Oh, and uh, it's been a while since I've played Gen 4 UU and used Spiritomb, so if you find any content errors, do say what's wrong and such so it can be fixed.
Credit to Eo Ut Mortus for getting this through QC, and Xia for writing some of it.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/spiritomb/
[Overview]
<p>One of the most prominent and useful Pokemon in the Underused metagame, Spiritomb should by no means be underestimated. He is arguably the best counter to Ghost-, Psychic-, and Fighting-type Pokemon in the metagame, and he is the only one who can successfully check all of them at the same time. Additionally, he is a fantastic spinblocker; while Mismagius and Rotom have an arguably better ability in Levitate, he more than makes up for this detriment with his better overall defenses, wide array of immunities, and access to priority moves. Unfortunately, this collection of spirits has his fair share of faults. His lack of an instant recovery move and Levitate makes him somewhat easy to wear down, and though he has a plethora of immunities, he has no other resistances to switch in on. Furthermore, Spiritomb's offensive coverage is depressingly small; other than Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, which offer rather redundant coverage, he has very few attacking options. All in all, Spiritomb is undoubtedly one of the most useful defensive Pokemon in the metagame, as his ability to single-handedly counter most Ghost-, Psychic-, and Fighting-type Pokemon in the metagame is undeniably appreciated by many teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Dark Pulse / Rest / Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Taking advantage of Spiritomb's various immunities and fantastic defenses, this set is arguably the best check to Ghost- and Psychic-types in the metagame. With Pursuit to trap the aforementioned Pokemon in addition to Shadow Sneak to quickly dispatch them should they stay in, Spiritomb forces opponents into a dangerous guessing game. Furthermore, Spiritomb isn't limited to checking Ghost- and Psychic-types; depending on the move used in the third slot, Spiritomb can check even more Pokemon thanks to his lack of weaknesses. This set is even usable in the lead position due to its ability to trap common leads such as Ambipom, Uxie, Mesprit, and Alakazam. Despite the poor type coverage this set possesses, Spiritomb isn't really hindered much, because this set is simply designed to check a variety of Pokemon rather than attempt to severely damage teams.</p>
<p>Shadow Sneak gives Spiritomb priority and is useful for finishing off faster Pokemon who are weak to it. However, Sucker Punch is a viable option if Shadow Sneak ends up doing too little damage for your tastes; note, however, that Sucker Punch is much easier to set up on than Shadow Sneak should you predict poorly. Pursuit traps and removes Ghost- and Psychic-types; the former is especially important, since removing Ghost-types makes it much easier to spin away entry hazards. With Psychic, Spiritomb can also counter Fighting-types, as they typically lack a means of damaging Spiritomb severely. In particular, it nails Toxicroak, who is usually bulky enough to take Shadow Sneak and Dark Pulse, as well as Blaziken, who tends to attempt to switch into Dark Pulse. Spiritomb is also capable of beating weakened Life Orb Venusaur one-on-one with Psychic and Shadow Sneak (assuming Sleep Clause is active). Dark Pulse is a reliable attack to hit Ghost- and Psychic-types harder than Shadow Sneak or Pursuit, should they stay in, and Ghost-types with Will-O-Wisp can't cut its power by burning Spiritomb. However, should you use an attack other than Psychic in the third slot, Shadow Ball becomes a better option to retain the ability to hit Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon for super effective damage while simultaneously striking Fighting-types for neutral damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since most Ghost- and Psychic-types are specially based, Spiritomb's EVs are focused on his Special Defense stat. A Sassy nature keeps both Spiritomb's physical and special attacks reasonably strong, at the cost of Spiritomb's already poor Speed. Furthermore, investment in Special Defense allows Spiritomb to take on some strong special attackers such as Blaziken and Venusaur with reasonable success, though it should be noted that Spiritomb shouldn't be your only check to these Pokemon, as his lack of instant recovery makes him easy to weaken. You may also shift some EVs from Special Defense to Defense should you want Spiritomb to be able to take on physical Fighting-types and some other Pokemon more easily; however, this will cause Spiritomb to be much easier to wear down on the special side.</p>
<p>There are a few options that this set can use to check some other threats that you might find deadly for your team. Instead of Dark Pulse, you may opt to use Rest to give Spiritomb a form of recovery. Rest is also necessary should you use Spiritomb on a stall team, as Spiritomb needs it to survive throughout the match to continually spinblock. However, if Rest is used, a cleric is necessary, as Spiritomb is otherwise a veritable sitting duck for two turns whenever he uses it. Pain Split another option for recovery, but it's extremely unreliable, which makes it a lesser choice. Will-O-Wisp is also an option to cripple Pokemon and make the opponent wary of attacking Spiritomb from the physical side. Spiritomb can also use Hidden Power to prevent Dark-types from setting up on him; Hidden Power Ground nails Toxicroak, Drapion, and Houndoom for reasonable damage, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Absol and Houndoom but misses out on Drapion and Toxicroak.</p>
<p>When using this Spiritomb, prediction is key to prevent him from being inflicted with unwanted statuses and taking tons of damage. Ideally, scouting before recklessly sending Spiritomb out is ideal; even simply setting up Stealth Rock to see if the opposing Pokemon have Leftovers or not can determine if they have Substitute or Will-O-Wisp. If a lack of Leftovers shows, it is usually safe to switch Spiritomb in to trap and KO the Ghost-type. However, should the Ghost-type carry Substitute or Will-O-Wisp, choosing between Dark Pulse, Shadow Sneak, and Pursuit is an important decision. It should be noted that Pursuit will only do approximately 50% to frail Rotom and Mismagius if they stay in, and Shadow Sneak the same, making Shadow Sneak a poor choice when the opponent is above 50%. Dark Pulse should be used if you feel that the opponent will stay in while they're above the mentioned 50% mark, or if you predict that they will use Will-O-Wisp. On the other hand, Pursuit is usually a good choice to guarantee that the Ghost-type Pokemon will be removed, but against healthy opponents, it might not be optimal to spam since if they stay in and attack, Spiritomb will take plenty of damage and you'll be forced to make another choice between Pursuit and Shadow Sneak on the following turn.</p>
<p>Spiritomb's main counters tend to be Dark- and Fighting-types; the former only fear the rare Hidden Power Fighting and Will-O-Wisp. However, should Spiritomb use either of those, he will often lack Psychic, making him weak against Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Blaziken, and Substitute Toxicroak. Hitmontop makes a great partner, as he can take out most Dark-types with few issues, and he deals with Clefable who can give Spiritomb some major issues. Weezing can make an excellent counter against troublesome Fighting-types thanks to his enormous Defense stat; he also has the ability to beat Torterra and Rhyperior, who pose a huge threat should Spiritomb lack Will-O-Wisp. Arcanine can be used for a similar purpose with an added ability to absorb Will-O-Wisps that opponents fire at Spiritomb. Milotic has merits in checking the likes of Rhyperior and various other threats, in addition to boasting a way to defeat boosting sweepers and other bulky Pokemon. These two Pokemon also form a part of the Fire / Water / Grass core that Spiritomb works well with. The Water / Grass part of the core is also extremely useful in dealing with Rain Dance teams, who Spiritomb is often a hindrance against. Dugtrio can also be an issue if Spiritomb is weakened; however, Dugtrio himself is so frail that Spiritomb should be able to dispose of him with priority attacks if Dugtrio has taken some prior damage. Clefable and Chansey can supply Spiritomb with cleric and Wish support, which helps alleviate Spiritomb's lack of recovery, while Spiritomb is immune to the Fighting-type attacks that pose huge annoyances to them. Rapid Spinners are also useful to remove troublesome entry hazards that can eat away at Spiritomb's health. Furthermore, these Pokemon can help Spiritomb deal with stall teams, which he has issues with due to his and lack of reliable recovery or offensive competence.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Shadow Sneak
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Spiritomb packs quite a bit of power while still serving as as a decent revenge killer and a marvelous check to frail Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Alakazam, Mismagius, and Rotom. Furthermore, put heavy pressure on the opponent to predict perfectly, as each of Spiritomb's moves can be devastating if they make the wrong choice.</p>
<p>Pursuit and Shadow Sneak form the crux of Spiritomb's revenge-killing abilities. With both of these moves in tandem, Spiritomb can put the opponent in a pinch, as they must choose between switching out and risk taking a powerful Pursuit, or staying in and risk getting smashed by Shadow Sneak. Furthermore, with Sucker Punch in Spiritomb's arsenal, it's even harder for the opponent to attempt to stay in and attack. However, it should be noted that Sucker Punch must be used sparingly unless Spiritomb has already Tricked away his Choice Band; Sucker Punch is one of the worst attacks to be locked into, and every set-up sweeper can take advantage of it with ease. Trick allows Spiritomb to remove his Choice Band if necessary, while simultaneously crippling one of the opponent's defensive Pokemon. Spiritomb may also use Return over one of the moves on this set, as it's his strongest move outside of Sucker Punch, and it can hit switch-ins such as Milotic and Fighting-types harder than any of Spiritomb's other moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EVs, Spiritomb becomes as strong as possible, while gaining some extra bulk to ease switch-ins. Due to Spiritomb's pathetic Speed stat, Speed investment is simply unnecessary and pointless. You may opt to use a more defensive spread to give Spiritomb some extra bulk, but Spiritomb usually needs all the power he can muster to make his low Base Power moves as strong as possible. Despite this, a bulkier spread goes a long way in giving Spiritomb more opportunities to switch in and destroy Pokemon who are weak to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks. Should you opt for a bulkier spread, making Spiritomb more specially defensive is generally the better option, as Spiritomb can take on most specially oriented Pokemon more easily than physical ones.</p>
<p>Spiritomb is a fantastic partner to Rapid Spinners such as Donphan, Kabutops, and Hitmontop; these Pokemon lure in Ghost-type Pokemon who Spiritomb can dispatch with ease, allowing the Rapid Spinners to remove entry hazards without many issues. Pokemon who benefit from the removal of entry hazards and Stealth Rock, such as Scyther and Moltres, work well alongside this combination, as both Pokemon are significantly more proficient with a clear field. This makes Spiritomb extremely effective on offensive teams, as his ability to make Rapid Spinning significantly easier is appreciated on these types of teams, where most Pokemon are frail and cannot afford entry hazards chipping away at their health. Furthermore, Spiritomb can trap frail revenge-killers on the opposing team, which helps prevent Spiritomb's partners from having their attempted sweeps stopped right in their tracks.</p>
<p>Spiritomb tends to have issues with bulky Pokemon who don't really mind a Choice Band. Rhyperior, Hariyama, and Torterra are examples of such Pokemon, though it should be noted that it isn't likely that these Pokemon will switch into Spiritomb often, as they all fear Will-O-Wisp. To deal with these Pokemon, physically bulky Pokemon work well to weather the hits that they may fire back after being Tricked a Choice Band. The aforementioned Rapid Spinners, Hitmontop and Donphan, work well in dealing with these Pokemon since their physical bulk is extraordinary. Physically defensive Venusaur also works well thanks to his resistance to Fighting- and Grass-type attacks and ability to retaliate with a strong Grass Knot. Walls such as Registeel and Clefable will have no problem taking Spiritomb's attacks, but they won't really like being Tricked a Choice Band.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker (Lead)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Pursuit / Sucker Punch
item: Spooky Plate
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 48 Atk / 204 SpA / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As a lead, Spiritomb is a superb choice, as he matches up well against common leads such as Ambipom, Uxie, Mesprit, Alakazam, and Mismagius. Spiritomb has the ability to 2HKO many Spikes leads, though since he's so slow, they will often get at least two layers of entry hazards up. This set is slightly more aggressive than the other sets because its main purpose is to deal immediate damage early in the match. Spiritomb is quite versatile in terms of attacking with both physical and special attacks, meaning he will usually pose a huge problem for the opposing team early in the match. Furthermore, Spiritomb boasts great typing and good bulk, making him a difficult Pokemon to take down.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball hits remarkably hard and can 2HKO many common leads in UU. Hidden Power Fighting gives Spiritomb perfect coverage, as it hits Normal- and Steel-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Rock could replace Hidden Power Fighting in order to hit common leads such as Swellow and Moltres. Shadow Sneak is an absolute must in the third slot, as it prevents Alakazam and Mismagius from having an easy sweep. The final slot is a toss up between Pursuit and Sucker Punch. Pursuit lets Spiritomb trap and OHKO Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as the aforementioned Alakazam and Mismagius. However, Sucker Punch is decent alternative in order to strike faster Pokemon in tight situations for much more damage than Shadow Sneak could muster. With either Sucker Punch or Pursuit, Ambipom and Uxie will have to think twice before using U-turn on Spiritomb.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Uxie: 58.19% - 69.49%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Alakazam: 95.54% - 112.7%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Omastar: 50.87% - 60.17%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 96 Cloyster: 67.11% - 79.28%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Spiritomb: 40.46 - 47.70%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 192 / 0 Arcanine: 42.55% - 50.41%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Donphan: 51.04% - 60.42%</li>
</ul>
<p>The EVs are tailored to provide strong damage output physically and specially. With 244 HP EVs, Spiritomb will always survive Moltres's Life Orb Fire Blast at full health. 12 Speed EVs allow Spiritomb to outpace Steelix and Slowbro. Spooky Plate is required over Expert Belt because Spiritomb will use Shadow Ball on the common leads and needs the consistent 20% boost.</p>
<p>Chansey, Registeel, and Clefable can handle hits from Spiritomb without breaking a sweat. As such, Blaziken and Hitmontop make great partners, since both have access to super effective STAB attacks to take them down. Additionally, Hitmontop can use Rapid Spin, which Spiritomb appreciates since he can't stop entry hazard leads from setting up. Without Hidden Power Rock Spiritomb will also have his share of difficulties with Swellow. Defensively, Steelix and Regirock make excellent partners to provide Flying-type resistance and Stealth Rock support. Entry hazard users of your own will be appreciated, as Spiritomb will not set up hazards for your team. Furthermore, Spiritomb can block Rapid Spin from removing those hazards, and he can hit the common Rapid Spinners, Hitmontop, Blastoise, and Donphan, on their less invested defensive stat for plenty of damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb's lack of recovery can often be a massive thorn in his side, as it makes it so much easier to wear him down. However, the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk remedies this problem to some degree. Unfortunately, Rest and Sleep Talk do take up two moveslots, which limits Spiritomb's coverage and makes it much easier for opposing Pokemon to deal with him. Will-O-Wisp does help in this regard to cripple most physical attackers, but with only it and Dark Pulse, as well as the overall unreliability of Sleep Talk, Spiritomb can become a liability against sweepers such as Houndoom. Nonetheless, should you wish to use Spiritomb on a dedicated stall team, this set fits perfectly to allow Spiritomb to keep spinblocking and weathering hits throughout a match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EVs, Spiritomb has excellent overall bulk, with a slight emphasis on Special Defense. With Will-O-Wisp to further weaken attacks that threaten Spiritomb physically, he can be a tough Pokemon to break. If you wish, swapping all those Defense EVs into Special Defense is a alternative to maximize Spiritomb's special bulk; this is useful should you find that Spiritomb needs to be as specially bulky as possible, or if he can find enough opportunities to patch up his Defense with Will-O-Wisp. However, for the most part, the recommended EV spread is more useful, as Spiritomb's poor Speed makes it difficult to use Will-O-Wisp before the opponent attacks him, and many Rapid Spinners are physically based, which makes having no investment in Defense unwise.</p>
<p>Since many stall teams focus primarily on status, entry hazards, and phazing in order to win, taking down that last Pokemon may be difficult for your team. A Pokemon such as Curse + Rest Registeel can be a nightmare for stall teams, since it takes negligible damage from entry hazards, cannot be infected with Toxic poison—or any other status for very long, due to Rest— and cannot be phazed out, since it is the last Pokemon your opponent has. Taking down Registeel may seem impossible for such a team, but by replacing Sleep Talk with Curse, Spiritomb can create a secondary status effect that will soundly KO Registeel. While this does force Spiritomb to be essentially useless for two turns when he uses Rest, this issue can be alleviated by having a cleric on your team. You can also replace Sleep Talk with Psychic to deal with Toxicroak and other Fighting-types, or you can replace Dark Pulse and either Sleep Talk or Will-O-Wisp for Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting for perfect coverage.</p>
<p>Due to this set's defensive nature, other defensive teammates such as Milotic, Weezing, Arcanine, and Venusaur work well. As usual, the Fire / Water / Grass core meshes well with Spiritomb, due to its excellent type synergy with him. As far as Water-types go, Omastar and Cloyster are particularly good for their ability to set up entry hazards, which Spiritomb can prevent from being removed. Chansey and Clefable also work well, being able to take on specially offensive threats, while Spiritomb can defeat troublesome Fighting-types in return. Chansey and Clefable are also able to cure Spiritomb of his sleep status when the need arises, and they can also provide Wish support to heal him when he didn't have the opportunity to Rest. Opposite to these Pokemon, Weezing can take on physically offensive threats, but struggles with specially oriented Psychic-types who Spiritomb has no issues dealing with. These three aforementioned Pokemon have great synergy with Spiritomb on stall teams, and they can form an extremely difficult core to beat on such teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Mono-Attacker
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Dark Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Spiritomb's lack of weaknesses to target, in addition to a STAB move that nothing is completely immune to, he makes a surprisingly good boosting sweeper that becomes difficult to counter with anything other than specialized counters such as Haze Milotic and Curse Registeel. Furthermore, after a single Calm Mind, Spiritomb has absurd defenses that become extremely difficult to break as more and more boosts are accumulated, barring an unlucky critical hit. Additionally, because of Spiritomb's slew of immunities, setting up a ton of Calm Minds isn't a difficult task. This set works extremely well as a late game sweeper, as once you've removed the opponent's specialized counters, Spiritomb will become exceedingly difficult to stop.</p>
<p>Rest and Sleep Talk form an excellent means of recovery for Spiritomb, allowing him to cure himself of status and damage while not being a liability as he sleeps. With Spiritomb's bulk, Pressure, and Rest, it's also possible to stall out some low PP attacks that could severely harm Spiritomb. Calm Mind boosts Spiritomb's Special Defense to extraordinary levels after just one boost, and can quickly make him quite a threat after a few boosts. Dark Pulse acts as Spiritomb's reliable offensive attack, as nothing is fully immune to it, and it has decent neutral coverage. However, Shadow Ball is also an option over Dark Pulse should you find bulky Fighting-types troublesome, but this will cause Spiritomb to be utterly walled by every Normal-type in the tier. Hidden Power Fighting is also an option over Sleep Talk should you find the added coverage necessary, but this isn't really recommended since leaving Spiritomb completely useless for two turns is not desirable.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set is tailored to be physically defensive at first, as Calm Mind will patch up Spiritomb's uninvested Special Defense as he boosts up. As Spiritomb continues to accumulate boosts, the opponent will likely attempt to attack Spiritomb's stat that isn't being continually boosted—his Defense—therefore making a physically defensive EV investment useful. Furthermore, this also allows Spiritomb to take on some physically offensive Pokemon earlier in the match, which gives him some extra use outside of a late game sweeper. However, a slight shift of Defense EVs into Special Defense is viable to make it slightly easier for Spiritomb to set up on special attackers immediately; just keep in mind that the more EVs you take away from Defense, the easier it is to take down Spiritomb with attacks on his unboosted Defense stat.</p>
<p>Entry hazards, particularly Toxic Spikes, are useful to wear down many of this set's counters. Pokemon such as Haze Milotic will eventually succumb to the effects of poison, giving Spiritomb the opportunity to sweep. Other hazards, such as Stealth Rock and Spikes, are also useful to wear down walls who lack reliable recovery. Omastar is a fantastic Pokemon to set up entry hazards with, having access to all three forms of hazards and possessing great Defense. Fortunately, due to his Ghost typing, Spiritomb himself can serve as the necessary spin blocker to keep these hazards on the field. However, you may wish to employ another Ghost-type to be certain that foes such as Foresight Hitmontop will fail to remove your entry hazards. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop Poison-types from removing your Toxic Spikes as they switch in. Therefore, Dugtrio makes a good partner to trap and KO these troublesome Pokemon. Moltres and Arcanine can also deal with the most common Poison-type, Venusaur, with ease. Furthermore, the can take on annoying Fighting- and Steel-type Pokemon who resist Spiritomb's Dark Pulse.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Spiritomb's movepool is pitifully precise, and as such, there are few other options that he can use. Spiritomb has a variety of PP draining moves, such as Grudge and Spite, and can quickly stall out an opposing Pokemon's PP alongside Pressure. However, these are usually a gimmicky option, as draining the opponent of PP is not really an optimal way to take down a Pokemon. Spiritomb also has self-sacrifice moves such as Destiny Bond, Memento, and the aforementioned Grudge, but Spiritomb doesn't make a good user of these moves due to his poor Speed and good defenses. Alternative status-inducing moves such as Hypnosis and Confuse Ray are interesting, but they're typically worse than Will-O-Wisp in the long run. Spiritomb does have Nasty Plot to boost his Special Attack and sweep, but his pathetic Speed undermines this attempt.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Spiritomb's varied sets can make him somewhat difficult to counter, but all the same, the general idea against him is to slowly wear him down, whether via status or simply by moderately strong attacks. Since Spiritomb does not have reliable recovery, only immunities and no resistances, and is prone to every type of entry hazard, he can be worn down more easily than you might expect. Eventually, unless Spiritomb possesses Rest, he will faint. In the occasional case that Spiritomb does carry Rest, Pokemon with Taunt or Substitute will usually do well, as Spiritomb will usually have only one fairly weak offensive move in these cases. For example, Substitute Aggron can easily set up a Substitute against him and proceed to demolish opposing Pokemon with Head Smash. RestTalkers can also take advantage of Spiritomb's tendency to lack offensive power to proceed to set up and rip through the opposing team. Entry hazards are also useful, and Pokemon who can set them up, such as Omastar, Cacturne, and Roselia, will have no problems setting them up against him.</p>
<p>As far as specific Pokemon go, Houndoom and Blaziken are by far the best counters. Houndoom is resistant to both of Spiritomb's STAB moves, benefits from Will-O-Wisp, can strike Spiritomb hard with Fire Blasts, and only has to fear the rare Hidden Power Fighting or Ground. Blaziken has a resistance to Dark-type attacks and is immune to Will-O-Wisp, which gives him plenty of opportunities to switch in and hit Spiritomb hard. However, it should be noted that Blaziken must be wary of switching into Psychic, as it will easily take a fairly large chunk out of his health. Similarly, other Dark-types such as Drapion and Absol work well, though they must be wary of switching into Will-O-Wisp. On the flip side, bulky Fire-types do decently, being immune to Will-O-Wisp and taking neutral damage from the rest of Spiritomb's attacks bar Hidden Power Ground. Arcanine is the best option out of these, with access to Morning Sun to heal himself and Flare Blitz to strike Spiritomb with. Bulky Pokemon in general, such as Registeel, Clefable, Chansey, and Milotic, also tend to wall Spiritomb, as he tends to lack enough power to beat them, and they can simply stall him out with Toxic or boost up alongside him.</p>
Credit to Eo Ut Mortus for getting this through QC, and Xia for writing some of it.
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/spiritomb/
[Overview]
<p>One of the most prominent and useful Pokemon in the Underused metagame, Spiritomb should by no means be underestimated. He is arguably the best counter to Ghost-, Psychic-, and Fighting-type Pokemon in the metagame, and he is the only one who can successfully check all of them at the same time. Additionally, he is a fantastic spinblocker; while Mismagius and Rotom have an arguably better ability in Levitate, he more than makes up for this detriment with his better overall defenses, wide array of immunities, and access to priority moves. Unfortunately, this collection of spirits has his fair share of faults. His lack of an instant recovery move and Levitate makes him somewhat easy to wear down, and though he has a plethora of immunities, he has no other resistances to switch in on. Furthermore, Spiritomb's offensive coverage is depressingly small; other than Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, which offer rather redundant coverage, he has very few attacking options. All in all, Spiritomb is undoubtedly one of the most useful defensive Pokemon in the metagame, as his ability to single-handedly counter most Ghost-, Psychic-, and Fighting-type Pokemon in the metagame is undeniably appreciated by many teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Specially Defensive
move 1: Shadow Sneak / Sucker Punch
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Psychic
move 4: Dark Pulse / Rest / Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers
nature: Sassy
evs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Taking advantage of Spiritomb's various immunities and fantastic defenses, this set is arguably the best check to Ghost- and Psychic-types in the metagame. With Pursuit to trap the aforementioned Pokemon in addition to Shadow Sneak to quickly dispatch them should they stay in, Spiritomb forces opponents into a dangerous guessing game. Furthermore, Spiritomb isn't limited to checking Ghost- and Psychic-types; depending on the move used in the third slot, Spiritomb can check even more Pokemon thanks to his lack of weaknesses. This set is even usable in the lead position due to its ability to trap common leads such as Ambipom, Uxie, Mesprit, and Alakazam. Despite the poor type coverage this set possesses, Spiritomb isn't really hindered much, because this set is simply designed to check a variety of Pokemon rather than attempt to severely damage teams.</p>
<p>Shadow Sneak gives Spiritomb priority and is useful for finishing off faster Pokemon who are weak to it. However, Sucker Punch is a viable option if Shadow Sneak ends up doing too little damage for your tastes; note, however, that Sucker Punch is much easier to set up on than Shadow Sneak should you predict poorly. Pursuit traps and removes Ghost- and Psychic-types; the former is especially important, since removing Ghost-types makes it much easier to spin away entry hazards. With Psychic, Spiritomb can also counter Fighting-types, as they typically lack a means of damaging Spiritomb severely. In particular, it nails Toxicroak, who is usually bulky enough to take Shadow Sneak and Dark Pulse, as well as Blaziken, who tends to attempt to switch into Dark Pulse. Spiritomb is also capable of beating weakened Life Orb Venusaur one-on-one with Psychic and Shadow Sneak (assuming Sleep Clause is active). Dark Pulse is a reliable attack to hit Ghost- and Psychic-types harder than Shadow Sneak or Pursuit, should they stay in, and Ghost-types with Will-O-Wisp can't cut its power by burning Spiritomb. However, should you use an attack other than Psychic in the third slot, Shadow Ball becomes a better option to retain the ability to hit Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon for super effective damage while simultaneously striking Fighting-types for neutral damage.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Since most Ghost- and Psychic-types are specially based, Spiritomb's EVs are focused on his Special Defense stat. A Sassy nature keeps both Spiritomb's physical and special attacks reasonably strong, at the cost of Spiritomb's already poor Speed. Furthermore, investment in Special Defense allows Spiritomb to take on some strong special attackers such as Blaziken and Venusaur with reasonable success, though it should be noted that Spiritomb shouldn't be your only check to these Pokemon, as his lack of instant recovery makes him easy to weaken. You may also shift some EVs from Special Defense to Defense should you want Spiritomb to be able to take on physical Fighting-types and some other Pokemon more easily; however, this will cause Spiritomb to be much easier to wear down on the special side.</p>
<p>There are a few options that this set can use to check some other threats that you might find deadly for your team. Instead of Dark Pulse, you may opt to use Rest to give Spiritomb a form of recovery. Rest is also necessary should you use Spiritomb on a stall team, as Spiritomb needs it to survive throughout the match to continually spinblock. However, if Rest is used, a cleric is necessary, as Spiritomb is otherwise a veritable sitting duck for two turns whenever he uses it. Pain Split another option for recovery, but it's extremely unreliable, which makes it a lesser choice. Will-O-Wisp is also an option to cripple Pokemon and make the opponent wary of attacking Spiritomb from the physical side. Spiritomb can also use Hidden Power to prevent Dark-types from setting up on him; Hidden Power Ground nails Toxicroak, Drapion, and Houndoom for reasonable damage, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Absol and Houndoom but misses out on Drapion and Toxicroak.</p>
<p>When using this Spiritomb, prediction is key to prevent him from being inflicted with unwanted statuses and taking tons of damage. Ideally, scouting before recklessly sending Spiritomb out is ideal; even simply setting up Stealth Rock to see if the opposing Pokemon have Leftovers or not can determine if they have Substitute or Will-O-Wisp. If a lack of Leftovers shows, it is usually safe to switch Spiritomb in to trap and KO the Ghost-type. However, should the Ghost-type carry Substitute or Will-O-Wisp, choosing between Dark Pulse, Shadow Sneak, and Pursuit is an important decision. It should be noted that Pursuit will only do approximately 50% to frail Rotom and Mismagius if they stay in, and Shadow Sneak the same, making Shadow Sneak a poor choice when the opponent is above 50%. Dark Pulse should be used if you feel that the opponent will stay in while they're above the mentioned 50% mark, or if you predict that they will use Will-O-Wisp. On the other hand, Pursuit is usually a good choice to guarantee that the Ghost-type Pokemon will be removed, but against healthy opponents, it might not be optimal to spam since if they stay in and attack, Spiritomb will take plenty of damage and you'll be forced to make another choice between Pursuit and Shadow Sneak on the following turn.</p>
<p>Spiritomb's main counters tend to be Dark- and Fighting-types; the former only fear the rare Hidden Power Fighting and Will-O-Wisp. However, should Spiritomb use either of those, he will often lack Psychic, making him weak against Fighting-types such as Hariyama, Blaziken, and Substitute Toxicroak. Hitmontop makes a great partner, as he can take out most Dark-types with few issues, and he deals with Clefable who can give Spiritomb some major issues. Weezing can make an excellent counter against troublesome Fighting-types thanks to his enormous Defense stat; he also has the ability to beat Torterra and Rhyperior, who pose a huge threat should Spiritomb lack Will-O-Wisp. Arcanine can be used for a similar purpose with an added ability to absorb Will-O-Wisps that opponents fire at Spiritomb. Milotic has merits in checking the likes of Rhyperior and various other threats, in addition to boasting a way to defeat boosting sweepers and other bulky Pokemon. These two Pokemon also form a part of the Fire / Water / Grass core that Spiritomb works well with. The Water / Grass part of the core is also extremely useful in dealing with Rain Dance teams, who Spiritomb is often a hindrance against. Dugtrio can also be an issue if Spiritomb is weakened; however, Dugtrio himself is so frail that Spiritomb should be able to dispose of him with priority attacks if Dugtrio has taken some prior damage. Clefable and Chansey can supply Spiritomb with cleric and Wish support, which helps alleviate Spiritomb's lack of recovery, while Spiritomb is immune to the Fighting-type attacks that pose huge annoyances to them. Rapid Spinners are also useful to remove troublesome entry hazards that can eat away at Spiritomb's health. Furthermore, these Pokemon can help Spiritomb deal with stall teams, which he has issues with due to his and lack of reliable recovery or offensive competence.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Shadow Sneak
move 2: Pursuit
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Spiritomb packs quite a bit of power while still serving as as a decent revenge killer and a marvelous check to frail Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokemon such as Alakazam, Mismagius, and Rotom. Furthermore, put heavy pressure on the opponent to predict perfectly, as each of Spiritomb's moves can be devastating if they make the wrong choice.</p>
<p>Pursuit and Shadow Sneak form the crux of Spiritomb's revenge-killing abilities. With both of these moves in tandem, Spiritomb can put the opponent in a pinch, as they must choose between switching out and risk taking a powerful Pursuit, or staying in and risk getting smashed by Shadow Sneak. Furthermore, with Sucker Punch in Spiritomb's arsenal, it's even harder for the opponent to attempt to stay in and attack. However, it should be noted that Sucker Punch must be used sparingly unless Spiritomb has already Tricked away his Choice Band; Sucker Punch is one of the worst attacks to be locked into, and every set-up sweeper can take advantage of it with ease. Trick allows Spiritomb to remove his Choice Band if necessary, while simultaneously crippling one of the opponent's defensive Pokemon. Spiritomb may also use Return over one of the moves on this set, as it's his strongest move outside of Sucker Punch, and it can hit switch-ins such as Milotic and Fighting-types harder than any of Spiritomb's other moves.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EVs, Spiritomb becomes as strong as possible, while gaining some extra bulk to ease switch-ins. Due to Spiritomb's pathetic Speed stat, Speed investment is simply unnecessary and pointless. You may opt to use a more defensive spread to give Spiritomb some extra bulk, but Spiritomb usually needs all the power he can muster to make his low Base Power moves as strong as possible. Despite this, a bulkier spread goes a long way in giving Spiritomb more opportunities to switch in and destroy Pokemon who are weak to Dark- and Ghost-type attacks. Should you opt for a bulkier spread, making Spiritomb more specially defensive is generally the better option, as Spiritomb can take on most specially oriented Pokemon more easily than physical ones.</p>
<p>Spiritomb is a fantastic partner to Rapid Spinners such as Donphan, Kabutops, and Hitmontop; these Pokemon lure in Ghost-type Pokemon who Spiritomb can dispatch with ease, allowing the Rapid Spinners to remove entry hazards without many issues. Pokemon who benefit from the removal of entry hazards and Stealth Rock, such as Scyther and Moltres, work well alongside this combination, as both Pokemon are significantly more proficient with a clear field. This makes Spiritomb extremely effective on offensive teams, as his ability to make Rapid Spinning significantly easier is appreciated on these types of teams, where most Pokemon are frail and cannot afford entry hazards chipping away at their health. Furthermore, Spiritomb can trap frail revenge-killers on the opposing team, which helps prevent Spiritomb's partners from having their attempted sweeps stopped right in their tracks.</p>
<p>Spiritomb tends to have issues with bulky Pokemon who don't really mind a Choice Band. Rhyperior, Hariyama, and Torterra are examples of such Pokemon, though it should be noted that it isn't likely that these Pokemon will switch into Spiritomb often, as they all fear Will-O-Wisp. To deal with these Pokemon, physically bulky Pokemon work well to weather the hits that they may fire back after being Tricked a Choice Band. The aforementioned Rapid Spinners, Hitmontop and Donphan, work well in dealing with these Pokemon since their physical bulk is extraordinary. Physically defensive Venusaur also works well thanks to his resistance to Fighting- and Grass-type attacks and ability to retaliate with a strong Grass Knot. Walls such as Registeel and Clefable will have no problem taking Spiritomb's attacks, but they won't really like being Tricked a Choice Band.</p>
[SET]
name: All-Out Attacker (Lead)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Pursuit / Sucker Punch
item: Spooky Plate
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 48 Atk / 204 SpA / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>As a lead, Spiritomb is a superb choice, as he matches up well against common leads such as Ambipom, Uxie, Mesprit, Alakazam, and Mismagius. Spiritomb has the ability to 2HKO many Spikes leads, though since he's so slow, they will often get at least two layers of entry hazards up. This set is slightly more aggressive than the other sets because its main purpose is to deal immediate damage early in the match. Spiritomb is quite versatile in terms of attacking with both physical and special attacks, meaning he will usually pose a huge problem for the opposing team early in the match. Furthermore, Spiritomb boasts great typing and good bulk, making him a difficult Pokemon to take down.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball hits remarkably hard and can 2HKO many common leads in UU. Hidden Power Fighting gives Spiritomb perfect coverage, as it hits Normal- and Steel-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Rock could replace Hidden Power Fighting in order to hit common leads such as Swellow and Moltres. Shadow Sneak is an absolute must in the third slot, as it prevents Alakazam and Mismagius from having an easy sweep. The final slot is a toss up between Pursuit and Sucker Punch. Pursuit lets Spiritomb trap and OHKO Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as the aforementioned Alakazam and Mismagius. However, Sucker Punch is decent alternative in order to strike faster Pokemon in tight situations for much more damage than Shadow Sneak could muster. With either Sucker Punch or Pursuit, Ambipom and Uxie will have to think twice before using U-turn on Spiritomb.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Uxie: 58.19% - 69.49%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Alakazam: 95.54% - 112.7%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Omastar: 50.87% - 60.17%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 96 Cloyster: 67.11% - 79.28%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Spiritomb: 40.46 - 47.70%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 192 / 0 Arcanine: 42.55% - 50.41%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Donphan: 51.04% - 60.42%</li>
</ul>
<p>The EVs are tailored to provide strong damage output physically and specially. With 244 HP EVs, Spiritomb will always survive Moltres's Life Orb Fire Blast at full health. 12 Speed EVs allow Spiritomb to outpace Steelix and Slowbro. Spooky Plate is required over Expert Belt because Spiritomb will use Shadow Ball on the common leads and needs the consistent 20% boost.</p>
<p>Chansey, Registeel, and Clefable can handle hits from Spiritomb without breaking a sweat. As such, Blaziken and Hitmontop make great partners, since both have access to super effective STAB attacks to take them down. Additionally, Hitmontop can use Rapid Spin, which Spiritomb appreciates since he can't stop entry hazard leads from setting up. Without Hidden Power Rock Spiritomb will also have his share of difficulties with Swellow. Defensively, Steelix and Regirock make excellent partners to provide Flying-type resistance and Stealth Rock support. Entry hazard users of your own will be appreciated, as Spiritomb will not set up hazards for your team. Furthermore, Spiritomb can block Rapid Spin from removing those hazards, and he can hit the common Rapid Spinners, Hitmontop, Blastoise, and Donphan, on their less invested defensive stat for plenty of damage.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive
move 1: Dark Pulse
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Rest
move 4: Sleep Talk
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb's lack of recovery can often be a massive thorn in his side, as it makes it so much easier to wear him down. However, the combination of Rest and Sleep Talk remedies this problem to some degree. Unfortunately, Rest and Sleep Talk do take up two moveslots, which limits Spiritomb's coverage and makes it much easier for opposing Pokemon to deal with him. Will-O-Wisp does help in this regard to cripple most physical attackers, but with only it and Dark Pulse, as well as the overall unreliability of Sleep Talk, Spiritomb can become a liability against sweepers such as Houndoom. Nonetheless, should you wish to use Spiritomb on a dedicated stall team, this set fits perfectly to allow Spiritomb to keep spinblocking and weathering hits throughout a match.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>With the given EVs, Spiritomb has excellent overall bulk, with a slight emphasis on Special Defense. With Will-O-Wisp to further weaken attacks that threaten Spiritomb physically, he can be a tough Pokemon to break. If you wish, swapping all those Defense EVs into Special Defense is a alternative to maximize Spiritomb's special bulk; this is useful should you find that Spiritomb needs to be as specially bulky as possible, or if he can find enough opportunities to patch up his Defense with Will-O-Wisp. However, for the most part, the recommended EV spread is more useful, as Spiritomb's poor Speed makes it difficult to use Will-O-Wisp before the opponent attacks him, and many Rapid Spinners are physically based, which makes having no investment in Defense unwise.</p>
<p>Since many stall teams focus primarily on status, entry hazards, and phazing in order to win, taking down that last Pokemon may be difficult for your team. A Pokemon such as Curse + Rest Registeel can be a nightmare for stall teams, since it takes negligible damage from entry hazards, cannot be infected with Toxic poison—or any other status for very long, due to Rest— and cannot be phazed out, since it is the last Pokemon your opponent has. Taking down Registeel may seem impossible for such a team, but by replacing Sleep Talk with Curse, Spiritomb can create a secondary status effect that will soundly KO Registeel. While this does force Spiritomb to be essentially useless for two turns when he uses Rest, this issue can be alleviated by having a cleric on your team. You can also replace Sleep Talk with Psychic to deal with Toxicroak and other Fighting-types, or you can replace Dark Pulse and either Sleep Talk or Will-O-Wisp for Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting for perfect coverage.</p>
<p>Due to this set's defensive nature, other defensive teammates such as Milotic, Weezing, Arcanine, and Venusaur work well. As usual, the Fire / Water / Grass core meshes well with Spiritomb, due to its excellent type synergy with him. As far as Water-types go, Omastar and Cloyster are particularly good for their ability to set up entry hazards, which Spiritomb can prevent from being removed. Chansey and Clefable also work well, being able to take on specially offensive threats, while Spiritomb can defeat troublesome Fighting-types in return. Chansey and Clefable are also able to cure Spiritomb of his sleep status when the need arises, and they can also provide Wish support to heal him when he didn't have the opportunity to Rest. Opposite to these Pokemon, Weezing can take on physically offensive threats, but struggles with specially oriented Psychic-types who Spiritomb has no issues dealing with. These three aforementioned Pokemon have great synergy with Spiritomb on stall teams, and they can form an extremely difficult core to beat on such teams.</p>
[SET]
name: Mono-Attacker
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Dark Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Thanks to Spiritomb's lack of weaknesses to target, in addition to a STAB move that nothing is completely immune to, he makes a surprisingly good boosting sweeper that becomes difficult to counter with anything other than specialized counters such as Haze Milotic and Curse Registeel. Furthermore, after a single Calm Mind, Spiritomb has absurd defenses that become extremely difficult to break as more and more boosts are accumulated, barring an unlucky critical hit. Additionally, because of Spiritomb's slew of immunities, setting up a ton of Calm Minds isn't a difficult task. This set works extremely well as a late game sweeper, as once you've removed the opponent's specialized counters, Spiritomb will become exceedingly difficult to stop.</p>
<p>Rest and Sleep Talk form an excellent means of recovery for Spiritomb, allowing him to cure himself of status and damage while not being a liability as he sleeps. With Spiritomb's bulk, Pressure, and Rest, it's also possible to stall out some low PP attacks that could severely harm Spiritomb. Calm Mind boosts Spiritomb's Special Defense to extraordinary levels after just one boost, and can quickly make him quite a threat after a few boosts. Dark Pulse acts as Spiritomb's reliable offensive attack, as nothing is fully immune to it, and it has decent neutral coverage. However, Shadow Ball is also an option over Dark Pulse should you find bulky Fighting-types troublesome, but this will cause Spiritomb to be utterly walled by every Normal-type in the tier. Hidden Power Fighting is also an option over Sleep Talk should you find the added coverage necessary, but this isn't really recommended since leaving Spiritomb completely useless for two turns is not desirable.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>This set is tailored to be physically defensive at first, as Calm Mind will patch up Spiritomb's uninvested Special Defense as he boosts up. As Spiritomb continues to accumulate boosts, the opponent will likely attempt to attack Spiritomb's stat that isn't being continually boosted—his Defense—therefore making a physically defensive EV investment useful. Furthermore, this also allows Spiritomb to take on some physically offensive Pokemon earlier in the match, which gives him some extra use outside of a late game sweeper. However, a slight shift of Defense EVs into Special Defense is viable to make it slightly easier for Spiritomb to set up on special attackers immediately; just keep in mind that the more EVs you take away from Defense, the easier it is to take down Spiritomb with attacks on his unboosted Defense stat.</p>
<p>Entry hazards, particularly Toxic Spikes, are useful to wear down many of this set's counters. Pokemon such as Haze Milotic will eventually succumb to the effects of poison, giving Spiritomb the opportunity to sweep. Other hazards, such as Stealth Rock and Spikes, are also useful to wear down walls who lack reliable recovery. Omastar is a fantastic Pokemon to set up entry hazards with, having access to all three forms of hazards and possessing great Defense. Fortunately, due to his Ghost typing, Spiritomb himself can serve as the necessary spin blocker to keep these hazards on the field. However, you may wish to employ another Ghost-type to be certain that foes such as Foresight Hitmontop will fail to remove your entry hazards. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop Poison-types from removing your Toxic Spikes as they switch in. Therefore, Dugtrio makes a good partner to trap and KO these troublesome Pokemon. Moltres and Arcanine can also deal with the most common Poison-type, Venusaur, with ease. Furthermore, the can take on annoying Fighting- and Steel-type Pokemon who resist Spiritomb's Dark Pulse.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Spiritomb's movepool is pitifully precise, and as such, there are few other options that he can use. Spiritomb has a variety of PP draining moves, such as Grudge and Spite, and can quickly stall out an opposing Pokemon's PP alongside Pressure. However, these are usually a gimmicky option, as draining the opponent of PP is not really an optimal way to take down a Pokemon. Spiritomb also has self-sacrifice moves such as Destiny Bond, Memento, and the aforementioned Grudge, but Spiritomb doesn't make a good user of these moves due to his poor Speed and good defenses. Alternative status-inducing moves such as Hypnosis and Confuse Ray are interesting, but they're typically worse than Will-O-Wisp in the long run. Spiritomb does have Nasty Plot to boost his Special Attack and sweep, but his pathetic Speed undermines this attempt.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Spiritomb's varied sets can make him somewhat difficult to counter, but all the same, the general idea against him is to slowly wear him down, whether via status or simply by moderately strong attacks. Since Spiritomb does not have reliable recovery, only immunities and no resistances, and is prone to every type of entry hazard, he can be worn down more easily than you might expect. Eventually, unless Spiritomb possesses Rest, he will faint. In the occasional case that Spiritomb does carry Rest, Pokemon with Taunt or Substitute will usually do well, as Spiritomb will usually have only one fairly weak offensive move in these cases. For example, Substitute Aggron can easily set up a Substitute against him and proceed to demolish opposing Pokemon with Head Smash. RestTalkers can also take advantage of Spiritomb's tendency to lack offensive power to proceed to set up and rip through the opposing team. Entry hazards are also useful, and Pokemon who can set them up, such as Omastar, Cacturne, and Roselia, will have no problems setting them up against him.</p>
<p>As far as specific Pokemon go, Houndoom and Blaziken are by far the best counters. Houndoom is resistant to both of Spiritomb's STAB moves, benefits from Will-O-Wisp, can strike Spiritomb hard with Fire Blasts, and only has to fear the rare Hidden Power Fighting or Ground. Blaziken has a resistance to Dark-type attacks and is immune to Will-O-Wisp, which gives him plenty of opportunities to switch in and hit Spiritomb hard. However, it should be noted that Blaziken must be wary of switching into Psychic, as it will easily take a fairly large chunk out of his health. Similarly, other Dark-types such as Drapion and Absol work well, though they must be wary of switching into Will-O-Wisp. On the flip side, bulky Fire-types do decently, being immune to Will-O-Wisp and taking neutral damage from the rest of Spiritomb's attacks bar Hidden Power Ground. Arcanine is the best option out of these, with access to Morning Sun to heal himself and Flare Blitz to strike Spiritomb with. Bulky Pokemon in general, such as Registeel, Clefable, Chansey, and Milotic, also tend to wall Spiritomb, as he tends to lack enough power to beat them, and they can simply stall him out with Toxic or boost up alongside him.</p>
