[OVERVIEW]
Poison
========
Gengar's high Speed and Special Attack make it an effective revenge killer and late-game cleaner, especially for Poison teams seeking an edge in the Psychic matchup. Its varied movepool gives it good offensive coverage and options to hit most switch-ins for significant damage, such as Focus Blast to hit Heatran. It can also cripple checks such as Chansey and Zapdos with Trick. However, Gengar's moves are individually easy to check, so locking it into one with Choice Scarf can give opponents undue momentum, and Gengar's frailty means it has few opportunities to switch in and leaves it vulnerable to any attacker that it cannot KO first, although a Normal immunity can be useful to force Diggersby into mind games. In addition, Gengar faces competition as a revenge killer from Nihilego, which offers useful defensive utility with a unique Flying resistance as well as handy STAB coverage for pressuring Flying teams.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball is Gengar's most spammable STAB move and allows it to apply enormous pressure in the Psychic matchup. Sludge Wave is Gengar's most powerful STAB attack and its best option for neutral damage. Focus Blast provides handy Fighting-type coverage that hits threats such as Excadrill, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Trick allows Gengar to cripple threats that would otherwise easily wall it, such as Gliscor.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf maximizes Gengar's Speed, allowing it to outpace the entire unboosted metagame and most of the boosted metagame. Maximum Special Attack investment gives Gengar as much damage output as possible. Cursed Body is Gengar's only ability and gives it a 30% chance to cripple opposing attackers.
Usage Tips
========
Gengar should primarily be used as a revenge killer and cleaner, picking off fast and weak threats with its superior Speed without taking damage. Utilize Gengar carefully in matchups where it is needed to check threats such as Mega Lopunny or where its STAB moves are particularly useful, such as in the Psychic matchup. Trick should be used to cripple threatening walls such as Gliscor and Zapdos. However, take care not to use Trick until threats such as Mega Lopunny, which Choice Scarf is needed to check, have been removed. Be careful using Gengar as a revenge killer while Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Mega Aerodactyl are healthy enough to check it. When picking a move to lock Gengar into, take into consideration that all of its attacks have types immune to them, granting free switches for certain Pokemon and affording the opponent undue momentum.
Team Options
========
Alolan Muk forms a strong Psychic breaker core with Gengar, as between the two of them, they can offensively and defensively check most Psychic-types; Alolan Muk traps Meloetta and Choice Scarf Latios and provides Knock Off support, while Gengar cleans weakened teams. Mega Venusaur and Toxapex form a powerful defensive backbone to support Gengar and whittle down its checks with Toxic Spikes, Leech Seed, and other sources of chip damage while also managing Gengar's offensive checks such as Greninja, Mega Charizard Y, and Azumarill. Crobat provides a handy Ground immunity and entry hazard remover that can support Gengar by minimizing the hazard damage it takes and by safely bringing it in with U-turn. Nidoking and Nihilego are complementary special attackers that can set Stealth Rock to punish the switches Gengar forces as a revenge killer. Nidoking also serves as a powerful special wallbreaker and helps apply severe pressure in the Flying and Steel matchups, where Gengar can struggle.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poison
--------
Thunderbolt is a useful coverage option that can be run over Trick to threaten switch-ins such as Mantine and Toxapex. However, Thunderbolt's utility is generally limited compared to Trick, and Poison has other means of addressing these threats. A Life Orb all-out attacker set can be used should Choice Scarf Nihilego be run, but this set is a generally worse wallbreaker than Nidoking and is more easily checked. Destiny Bond is an option over Trick so that Gengar can act as an emergency check to setup sweepers such as Suicune and Z-Move Calm Mind Keldeo that can't be checked otherwise.
Checks and Counters
===================
Poison
--------
**Alolan Muk**: Alolan Muk hard counters Gengar and can easily switch into any of its attacks and remove it from the battle using Pursuit.
**Pursuit Trappers**: Other Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Mega Aerodactyl have an easy time trapping Gengar by taking advantage of it locking itself into Shadow Ball or Sludge Wave, and they can prevent it from confidently checking offensive threats.
**Immunities**: All of Gengar's attacks have Pokemon immune to them: Steel-types are immune to Sludge Wave, Normal-types are immune to Shadow Ball, and Ghost-types are immune to Focus Blast. Thus, the presence of any of these immunities on a team can make Gengar very prediction heavy and easy to take advantage of.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types resist Sludge Wave and are generally bulky enough to survive Shadow Ball easily, making it easy for threats such as Hippowdon, Landorus, and Garchomp to KO Gengar in return with super effective STAB moves.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Gengar's mediocre damage output leaves it easily walled by common special walls such as Zapdos and Chansey, although Gengar can cripple these threats with Trick.
**Priority**: Due to Gengar's frailty, powerful priority attackers such as Azumarill, Scizor, and Bisharp can easily KO it and force Poison on the defensive.
Poison
========
Gengar's high Speed and Special Attack make it an effective revenge killer and late-game cleaner, especially for Poison teams seeking an edge in the Psychic matchup. Its varied movepool gives it good offensive coverage and options to hit most switch-ins for significant damage, such as Focus Blast to hit Heatran. It can also cripple checks such as Chansey and Zapdos with Trick. However, Gengar's moves are individually easy to check, so locking it into one with Choice Scarf can give opponents undue momentum, and Gengar's frailty means it has few opportunities to switch in and leaves it vulnerable to any attacker that it cannot KO first, although a Normal immunity can be useful to force Diggersby into mind games. In addition, Gengar faces competition as a revenge killer from Nihilego, which offers useful defensive utility with a unique Flying resistance as well as handy STAB coverage for pressuring Flying teams.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf Attacker
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball is Gengar's most spammable STAB move and allows it to apply enormous pressure in the Psychic matchup. Sludge Wave is Gengar's most powerful STAB attack and its best option for neutral damage. Focus Blast provides handy Fighting-type coverage that hits threats such as Excadrill, Heatran, and Tyranitar. Trick allows Gengar to cripple threats that would otherwise easily wall it, such as Gliscor.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature and a Choice Scarf maximizes Gengar's Speed, allowing it to outpace the entire unboosted metagame and most of the boosted metagame. Maximum Special Attack investment gives Gengar as much damage output as possible. Cursed Body is Gengar's only ability and gives it a 30% chance to cripple opposing attackers.
Usage Tips
========
Gengar should primarily be used as a revenge killer and cleaner, picking off fast and weak threats with its superior Speed without taking damage. Utilize Gengar carefully in matchups where it is needed to check threats such as Mega Lopunny or where its STAB moves are particularly useful, such as in the Psychic matchup. Trick should be used to cripple threatening walls such as Gliscor and Zapdos. However, take care not to use Trick until threats such as Mega Lopunny, which Choice Scarf is needed to check, have been removed. Be careful using Gengar as a revenge killer while Pursuit trappers such as Alolan Muk and Mega Aerodactyl are healthy enough to check it. When picking a move to lock Gengar into, take into consideration that all of its attacks have types immune to them, granting free switches for certain Pokemon and affording the opponent undue momentum.
Team Options
========
Alolan Muk forms a strong Psychic breaker core with Gengar, as between the two of them, they can offensively and defensively check most Psychic-types; Alolan Muk traps Meloetta and Choice Scarf Latios and provides Knock Off support, while Gengar cleans weakened teams. Mega Venusaur and Toxapex form a powerful defensive backbone to support Gengar and whittle down its checks with Toxic Spikes, Leech Seed, and other sources of chip damage while also managing Gengar's offensive checks such as Greninja, Mega Charizard Y, and Azumarill. Crobat provides a handy Ground immunity and entry hazard remover that can support Gengar by minimizing the hazard damage it takes and by safely bringing it in with U-turn. Nidoking and Nihilego are complementary special attackers that can set Stealth Rock to punish the switches Gengar forces as a revenge killer. Nidoking also serves as a powerful special wallbreaker and helps apply severe pressure in the Flying and Steel matchups, where Gengar can struggle.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Poison
--------
Thunderbolt is a useful coverage option that can be run over Trick to threaten switch-ins such as Mantine and Toxapex. However, Thunderbolt's utility is generally limited compared to Trick, and Poison has other means of addressing these threats. A Life Orb all-out attacker set can be used should Choice Scarf Nihilego be run, but this set is a generally worse wallbreaker than Nidoking and is more easily checked. Destiny Bond is an option over Trick so that Gengar can act as an emergency check to setup sweepers such as Suicune and Z-Move Calm Mind Keldeo that can't be checked otherwise.
Checks and Counters
===================
Poison
--------
**Alolan Muk**: Alolan Muk hard counters Gengar and can easily switch into any of its attacks and remove it from the battle using Pursuit.
**Pursuit Trappers**: Other Pursuit trappers such as Tyranitar and Mega Aerodactyl have an easy time trapping Gengar by taking advantage of it locking itself into Shadow Ball or Sludge Wave, and they can prevent it from confidently checking offensive threats.
**Immunities**: All of Gengar's attacks have Pokemon immune to them: Steel-types are immune to Sludge Wave, Normal-types are immune to Shadow Ball, and Ghost-types are immune to Focus Blast. Thus, the presence of any of these immunities on a team can make Gengar very prediction heavy and easy to take advantage of.
**Ground-types**: Ground-types resist Sludge Wave and are generally bulky enough to survive Shadow Ball easily, making it easy for threats such as Hippowdon, Landorus, and Garchomp to KO Gengar in return with super effective STAB moves.
**Specially Defensive Walls**: Gengar's mediocre damage output leaves it easily walled by common special walls such as Zapdos and Chansey, although Gengar can cripple these threats with Trick.
**Priority**: Due to Gengar's frailty, powerful priority attackers such as Azumarill, Scizor, and Bisharp can easily KO it and force Poison on the defensive.
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