[OVERVIEW]
With its strong offensive potential along with Shadow Tag, Mega Gengar stands out as one of the most disruptive offensive Pokemon in DOU. Shadow Tag lets Mega Gengar and its teammates reliably take out or significantly whittle down foes at select points in a match, as disallowing switching robs them of the ability to escape. Mega Gengar by itself is quite an offensive force in its own right as well; with high Special Attack and a Speed stat that lets it outrun nearly the whole unboosted metagame, Mega Gengar is capable of disposing the threats it traps itself, while its offensive typing lets it slam notable threats like Shaymin-S, Aegislash, and Psychic- and Fairy-types such as Mega Metagross, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Lele. Still, though Mega Gengar can take some hits, its frailty and poor defensive typing prevent from safely switching in and leave it prey to most reasonably strong attackers. Mega Gengar is also quite reliant on its Speed to be a threat, as it's easily taken out otherwise, meaning it fares poorly against faster foes and unfavorable speed control.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Protect
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are both simply STAB attacks, with the former more powerful and better against neutral targets and the latter used in more specific situations such as hitting super effectively and covering switch-ins. Taunt prevents foes from doing any kind of setup such as Tailwind, Trick Room, and Calm Mind. Protect shields Mega Gengar from any kind of damage, stalling field conditions and allowing its team to more freely and safely dictate matchups in conjunction with Shadow Tag.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack with Timid are used in order to simply maximize Mega Gengar's offensive potential while outrunning Shaymin-S. If desired, a bulkier spread of 24 HP / 60 Def / 104 SpA / 68 SpD / 252 Spe, still with a Timid nature, can be used in order to take a Life Orb Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko or a Thousand Arrows from Zygarde, stabilizing the matchup against these threats immensely.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Gengar should try to apply as much pressure as it can using its ability, Shadow Tag, to trap by dictating specific matchups. With Shadow Tag, it is recommended to eliminate or significantly chunk specific foes early on, as this can aid the matchups of teammates in the long run; in particular, taking out annoying foes for setup sweeper teammates, such as Shaymin-S or Tapu Bulu for Calm Mind Tapu Fini, is recommended in order for them to boost and sweep unhampered. Mega Gengar should Mega Evolve as soon as it can in order to start capitalizing on the pressure Shadow Tag provides, as simply the threat of Mega Gengar coming in, either through a hard switch or after a KO, is enough to deter or change certain plays; leading with Gengar is often a decent play, as its high Speed and power grant it a decent matchup against majority of the metagame.
Deft use of Protect is key when using Mega Gengar, as, aside from shielding it from hits, this also gives room for teammates to come in on favorable matchups while keeping Shadow Tag in play; this can then allow said teammates to capitalize by setting up on or picking off foes, giving one a notable material advantage or a momentum boost. One should also keep in mind that Mega Gengar itself is capable of being an advantage threat that can eliminate or weaken trapped threats on its own. Even while not deliberately taking advantage of Shadow tag, Mega Gengar's trapping ability still functions well enough for it, as this prevents foes from freely going to specific combinations that can counter Mega Gengar and its team, forcing sacrifices and favorable compromises.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can take on Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Hoopa-U work wonders; Zygarde in particular works well, as it can maul Tyranitar super effectively and hit Hoopa-U on its paper-thin Defense, while Tapu Fini can also take on both with its high bulk and favorable type matchup. Teammates such as Genesect, Milotic, and Kyurem-B that can deal with Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde are also appreciated. As they are capable of making plays with achieving favorable matchups, Pokemon with a pivot move such as U-turn or Volt Switch are handy to have; Tapu Koko, Landorus-T, and (again) Genesect are good in this regard, as their ability to cover multiple threats and keep momentum up is a boon. Lastly, Pokemon that can set up such as Calm Mind Tapu Fini, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Belly Drum Azumarill all appreciate the removal of specific foes and setup opportunities that Mega Gengar's trapping can provide; similarly, Substitute users such as Heatran and Celesteela appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to lock in favorable matchups for them to freely set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Ice allows Mega Gengar to snipe various notable Ice-weak threats such as Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Focus Blast lets Mega Gengar significantly dent Mega Kangaskhan and Tyranitar in addition to giving it a stronger yet inaccurate answer to Steel-types. Disable is nifty for causing matchup problems to foes, as preventing a certain attack lets Mega Gengar and a partner capitalize on the position much more freely; even more, a foe with a Disabled move cannot switch out, leaving the opponent with potentially dead weight on the field. Will-O-Wisp is ever handy for neutering physical attackers. Substitute allows Mega Gengar to be a bigger threat behind the safety of a defensive crutch, shielding it from strong attacks that would otherwise put a dent in it; Substitute can also be used to maintain field position against slower foes, letting it keep Shadow Tag in effect rather than switch out in some cases. Skill Swap is nifty for passing Shadow Tag to a preferably bulky teammate, which can then keep the trapping in effect for much longer and capitalize on any mismatches that come.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Tyranitar and Hoopa-U can reliably take any attack from Mega Gengar and KO with their respective STAB moves.
**Ghost-types**: Though it can be beaten down by a super effective Shadow Ball from Mega Gengar, Aegislash can take one from full health. Ghost-type Pokemon in general can also avoid being trapped by Shadow Tag.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Zygarde, and Gastrodon are all bulky enough to tank a hit and KO in return.
**Strong Attackers**: Generally speaking, attackers that can take a hit from Mega Gengar, such as Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and Mega Salamence, can simply just deal strong damage in return through Mega Gengar's low defenses.
**Faster Pokemon**: Choice Scarf users such as Landorus-T, Genesect, and Tapu Lele can hit through Mega Gengar's paper-thin defenses without even allowing it to react. Deoxys-A also just simply takes it out with Psycho Boost while naturally outrunning it.
**Paralysis, Tailwind, and Trick Room**: Without the Speed advantage, Mega Gengar loses its effectiveness, as it becomes notably easy to pick off. Tailwind from the likes of Zapdos and Mega Salamence and Trick Room from threats such as Hoopa-U and Porygon2 can annoy Mega Gengar to no end.
With its strong offensive potential along with Shadow Tag, Mega Gengar stands out as one of the most disruptive offensive Pokemon in DOU. Shadow Tag lets Mega Gengar and its teammates reliably take out or significantly whittle down foes at select points in a match, as disallowing switching robs them of the ability to escape. Mega Gengar by itself is quite an offensive force in its own right as well; with high Special Attack and a Speed stat that lets it outrun nearly the whole unboosted metagame, Mega Gengar is capable of disposing the threats it traps itself, while its offensive typing lets it slam notable threats like Shaymin-S, Aegislash, and Psychic- and Fairy-types such as Mega Metagross, Tapu Fini, and Tapu Lele. Still, though Mega Gengar can take some hits, its frailty and poor defensive typing prevent from safely switching in and leave it prey to most reasonably strong attackers. Mega Gengar is also quite reliant on its Speed to be a threat, as it's easily taken out otherwise, meaning it fares poorly against faster foes and unfavorable speed control.
[SET]
name: Special Attacker
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Taunt
move 4: Protect
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spd
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are both simply STAB attacks, with the former more powerful and better against neutral targets and the latter used in more specific situations such as hitting super effectively and covering switch-ins. Taunt prevents foes from doing any kind of setup such as Tailwind, Trick Room, and Calm Mind. Protect shields Mega Gengar from any kind of damage, stalling field conditions and allowing its team to more freely and safely dictate matchups in conjunction with Shadow Tag.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed and Special Attack with Timid are used in order to simply maximize Mega Gengar's offensive potential while outrunning Shaymin-S. If desired, a bulkier spread of 24 HP / 60 Def / 104 SpA / 68 SpD / 252 Spe, still with a Timid nature, can be used in order to take a Life Orb Thunderbolt from Tapu Koko or a Thousand Arrows from Zygarde, stabilizing the matchup against these threats immensely.
Usage Tips
========
Mega Gengar should try to apply as much pressure as it can using its ability, Shadow Tag, to trap by dictating specific matchups. With Shadow Tag, it is recommended to eliminate or significantly chunk specific foes early on, as this can aid the matchups of teammates in the long run; in particular, taking out annoying foes for setup sweeper teammates, such as Shaymin-S or Tapu Bulu for Calm Mind Tapu Fini, is recommended in order for them to boost and sweep unhampered. Mega Gengar should Mega Evolve as soon as it can in order to start capitalizing on the pressure Shadow Tag provides, as simply the threat of Mega Gengar coming in, either through a hard switch or after a KO, is enough to deter or change certain plays; leading with Gengar is often a decent play, as its high Speed and power grant it a decent matchup against majority of the metagame.
Deft use of Protect is key when using Mega Gengar, as, aside from shielding it from hits, this also gives room for teammates to come in on favorable matchups while keeping Shadow Tag in play; this can then allow said teammates to capitalize by setting up on or picking off foes, giving one a notable material advantage or a momentum boost. One should also keep in mind that Mega Gengar itself is capable of being an advantage threat that can eliminate or weaken trapped threats on its own. Even while not deliberately taking advantage of Shadow tag, Mega Gengar's trapping ability still functions well enough for it, as this prevents foes from freely going to specific combinations that can counter Mega Gengar and its team, forcing sacrifices and favorable compromises.
Team Options
========
Pokemon that can take on Dark-types such as Tyranitar and Hoopa-U work wonders; Zygarde in particular works well, as it can maul Tyranitar super effectively and hit Hoopa-U on its paper-thin Defense, while Tapu Fini can also take on both with its high bulk and favorable type matchup. Teammates such as Genesect, Milotic, and Kyurem-B that can deal with Ground-types such as Landorus-T and Zygarde are also appreciated. As they are capable of making plays with achieving favorable matchups, Pokemon with a pivot move such as U-turn or Volt Switch are handy to have; Tapu Koko, Landorus-T, and (again) Genesect are good in this regard, as their ability to cover multiple threats and keep momentum up is a boon. Lastly, Pokemon that can set up such as Calm Mind Tapu Fini, Dragon Dance Zygarde, and Belly Drum Azumarill all appreciate the removal of specific foes and setup opportunities that Mega Gengar's trapping can provide; similarly, Substitute users such as Heatran and Celesteela appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to lock in favorable matchups for them to freely set up.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Hidden Power Ice allows Mega Gengar to snipe various notable Ice-weak threats such as Mega Salamence, Landorus-T, and Zygarde. Focus Blast lets Mega Gengar significantly dent Mega Kangaskhan and Tyranitar in addition to giving it a stronger yet inaccurate answer to Steel-types. Disable is nifty for causing matchup problems to foes, as preventing a certain attack lets Mega Gengar and a partner capitalize on the position much more freely; even more, a foe with a Disabled move cannot switch out, leaving the opponent with potentially dead weight on the field. Will-O-Wisp is ever handy for neutering physical attackers. Substitute allows Mega Gengar to be a bigger threat behind the safety of a defensive crutch, shielding it from strong attacks that would otherwise put a dent in it; Substitute can also be used to maintain field position against slower foes, letting it keep Shadow Tag in effect rather than switch out in some cases. Skill Swap is nifty for passing Shadow Tag to a preferably bulky teammate, which can then keep the trapping in effect for much longer and capitalize on any mismatches that come.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Tyranitar and Hoopa-U can reliably take any attack from Mega Gengar and KO with their respective STAB moves.
**Ghost-types**: Though it can be beaten down by a super effective Shadow Ball from Mega Gengar, Aegislash can take one from full health. Ghost-type Pokemon in general can also avoid being trapped by Shadow Tag.
**Ground-types**: Landorus-T, Zygarde, and Gastrodon are all bulky enough to tank a hit and KO in return.
**Strong Attackers**: Generally speaking, attackers that can take a hit from Mega Gengar, such as Mega Charizard Y, Heatran, and Mega Salamence, can simply just deal strong damage in return through Mega Gengar's low defenses.
**Faster Pokemon**: Choice Scarf users such as Landorus-T, Genesect, and Tapu Lele can hit through Mega Gengar's paper-thin defenses without even allowing it to react. Deoxys-A also just simply takes it out with Psycho Boost while naturally outrunning it.
**Paralysis, Tailwind, and Trick Room**: Without the Speed advantage, Mega Gengar loses its effectiveness, as it becomes notably easy to pick off. Tailwind from the likes of Zapdos and Mega Salamence and Trick Room from threats such as Hoopa-U and Porygon2 can annoy Mega Gengar to no end.
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