[OVERVIEW]
* Great Special Attack, a high Speed tier, and most importantly, a near-exclusive ability in Shadow Tag leave Mega Gengar as one of the most dreaded threats in the tier that can selectively eliminate foes it desires to trap.
* A wide movepool and access to many utility moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Taunt, and Destiny Bond allow Mega Gengar to threaten a variety of foes and fulfill many roles by providing excellent utility options.
* Mega Gengar's unique typing provides it with a number of perks over other offensive threats. A Ghost typing lets Mega Gengar block Rapid Spin and, in tandem with its high Speed tier, check Extreme Killer Arceus. A Poison typing lets Mega Gengar easily switch into passive walls that rely on Toxic and remove Toxic Spikes.
* While Mega Gengar can synergize with many Pokemon in the tier thanks to its aforementioned traits, it should be used with caution, as Gengar's pitiful bulk means it folds to any strong attacks and therefore a single misprediction will usually lead to its KO. This tends to limit Mega Gengar's ability to effectively trap foes and safely undergo Mega Evolution to gain Shadow Tag without relying on Substitute.
* Defensive teams are well aware of Mega Gengar's presence in the tier and employ dedicated Pursuit trappers or equip their Pokemon with Shed Shell, and these strategies can limit Mega Gengar's effectiveness to a degree.
[SET]
name: Hex
move 1: Hex
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
move 4: Taunt
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Hex does massive damage to foes with a status ailment, capable of 2HKOing statused Arceus formes and Magearna. However, bear in mind that unboosted Hex cannot outright OHKO Ultra Necrozma.
* Will-O-Wisp cripples various physical attackers, such as Necrozma-DM, Arceus, and Pursuit trappers. It also hinders certain defensive Pokemon like Toxapex and Ferrothorn and works well with Hex, which will do doubled damage to burnt foes.
* Sludge Wave is a STAB move that isn't as reliant on status and allows Mega Gengar to trap and dispose of Fairy-types, namely Xerneas and Arceus-Fairy. Its better chance to OHKO Xerneas with Stealth Rock damage makes Sludge Wave the generally preferred option.
* Sludge Bomb is an alternative Poison-type STAB move that has a relatively high chance to poison a foe, letting Mega Gengar potentially punish switch-ins like Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and support Arceus formes.
* Taunt shuts down passive foes like Chansey, Toxapex, and certain support Arceus formes, preventing them from recovering or using status moves. Thanks to Shadow Tag, Taunted passive Pokemon that carry no attacks or do not have a feasible way to damage Mega Gengar can be effectively eliminated.
* Focus Blast is an alternative option that hits Arceus-Dark and Steel-types like Dialga and Ferrothorn, which are immune or resistant to at least one of Mega Gengar's STAB moves. Focus Blast is especially valuable for OHKOing Tyranitar, as this set is helpless against Tyranitar holding a Lum Berry.
* Substitute is a considerable option over Taunt to let Mega Gengar Mega Evolve safely early-game, avoid status moves, take advantage of forced switches on Mega Evolution, punish passive foes, and evade Yveltal's Sucker Punch.
* Mega Gengar can forgo Will-O-Wisp for another move like Focus Blast or Destiny Bond on teams that have numerous ways to status foes, but bear in mind that this worsens Mega Gengar's matchup against Necrozma-DM and other foes it can otherwise better handle with Will-O-Wisp.
Set Details
========
* Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Mega Gengar to hit as hard as possible while taking advantage of its great Speed tier by outspeeding all Arceus formes, Shaymin-S, and Darkrai and Speed tying with opposing Mega Gengar and Mewtwo.
* Gengarite allows Gengar to Mega Evolve, gaining Shadow Tag upon Mega Evolution.
Usage Tips
========
* Though it will be hard to do so, Mega Gengar should Mega Evolve as soon as possible so it can effectively utilize Shadow Tag and start pressuring foes that are vulnerable to it.
* You can bringing Mega Gengar on the field by switching it into Toxic from passive foes or predicted Normal- and Fighting-type moves from the likes of Extreme Killer Arceus and Mega Lucario, though this involves a huge risk. Safer ways include U-turn and Volt Switch from a teammate and sending Gengar in to revenge kill a foe.
* Status as many foes as possible. Mega Gengar's boosted Hex is immensely powerful, and it will let Mega Gengar pick up KOs on foes it otherwise cannot.
* Will-O-Wisp is best used to soften physical attackers like Necrozma-DM and Extreme Killer Arceus as well as Pursuit trappers like Tyranitar. It is also handy against most foes that cannot threaten Mega Gengar in a significant way due to how powerful Hex becomes against burnt foes. Mega Gengar can also aggressively attempt to create a matchup with threatening physical attackers like Necrozma-DM to ensure that they are left crippled.
* Hex also benefits from status ailments induced by teammates, such as paralysis and poison, so try inflicting status ailments on as many foes as possible so Mega Gengar can freely use boosted Hex. Hex also powers up against sleeping Rest users like Zygarde-C and Primal Kyogre.
* Mega Gengar opting for Substitute can ease predictions, take advantage of forced switches, stall out residual damage, and safely Mega Evolve against offensive foes.
Team Options
========
* Various teammates that can inflict all non-volatile status are very helpful to this set, as they provide better conditions for Mega Gengar to utilize boosted Hex. Many Pokemon that can fulfill this role are rather passive, and they therefore appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to trap and revenge kill a statused foe and remove all relevant clerics apart from Magearna.
* Zygarde-C is one of the best teammates to Mega Gengar for various reasons. Offensive variants can check Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, and Mega Gengar can provide a better setup condition by crippling a foe with Will-O-Wisp or Taunt. Defensive Zygarde-C can paralyze almost every relevant Pokemon in the tier with Glare, which boosts Mega Gengar's Hex and also occasionally buys free turns for it to attack or set up Substitute. In general, Mega Gengar can take advantage of Fairy-types' tendencies to switch into Zygarde-C to offensively check it.
* Ho-Oh excels at inflicting status ailments on many foes using Sacred Fire and Toxic. It checks support Arceus-Ground and Primal Groudon lacking Rock-type moves while also handling boosted Xerneas, which Mega Gengar cannot revenge kill reliably. Support Primal Groudon can effectively poison various foes with Toxic the same way as Ho-Oh due to its ability to threaten every Toxic-immune Pokemon. Its defensive strengths are generally appreciated, as Mega Gengar is unable to stop boosted Xerneas and reliably face Primal Kyogre. Primal Groudon also provides Stealth Rock support, which punishes Yveltal and Ho-Oh should they attempt taking on Mega Gengar.
* Other entry hazard setters can be used alongside Mega Gengar. Defensive Necrozma-DM, Ferrothorn, Skarmory, and Arceus-Fairy can draw in Defog users and set them on a timer. Spikes from Ferrothorn and Skarmory are especially appreciated, as they quickly wear down Mega Gengar's checks like Primal Groudon and Tyranitar. Mega Gengar can use Taunt to prevent Defog. Mega Gengar also benefits from Toxic Spikes from Cloyster and Toxapex poisoning foes and thus making Hex a much better of an attack.
* Various support Arceus formes, such as Arceus-Water and Arceus-Ground, can effectively handle Primal Groudon, status foes with Toxic, and take advantage of Tyranitar. They all appreciate the removal of Chansey; some of them also enjoy Mega Gengar eliminating Toxapex.
* Yveltal can fit alongside Mega Gengar as an offensive teammate thanks to its ability to safely bring in Mega Gengar with U-turn, heavily check opposing Ghost-types, and provide a Ground immunity. In return, Mega Gengar removes Fairy-types and passive special walls like Chansey, which would otherwise require Yveltal to dedicate running Taunt to surmount it.
* Xerneas also benefits from the removal of various special walls. It can take advantage of burnt foes to more reliably set up Geomancy while offensively checking Marshadow, Yveltal, and other Dark-types for Mega Gengar.
* Calm Mind Arceus formes, such as Arceus-Dark and Arceus-Fairy, appreciate the removal of their traditional checks like Toxapex and Chansey. Arceus-Dark also appreciates the removal of Fairy-types. Both of them are solid switch-ins for Dark-types, and Arceus-Fairy can check Marshadow in addition.
* Ho-Oh, Yveltal, support Arceus formes, and Giratina-O can provide Defog support, which is always helpful, especially for Mega Gengar with Substitute.
[SET]
name: Utility Trapper
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Destiny Bond / Substitute
move 3: Sludge Wave
move 4: Shadow Ball
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* Taunt prevents setup, recovery, status moves, and the use of Defog from a trapped foe. It also synergizes well with Destiny Bond, as taunted foes are forced to attack Mega Gengar.
* Destiny Bond takes down the foe that KOes Mega Gengar, allowing Mega Gengar to force an elimination of a threat that it cannot deal with otherwise. Thanks to Shadow Tag and Mega Gengar's frailty, a well-timed Destiny Bond can force a trade.
* Substitute allows Mega Gengar to safely Mega Evolve, ease predictions, and punish passive foes or foes that attempt to play around Destiny Bond.
* Sludge Wave is the strongest STAB attack that lets Mega Gengar trap and eliminate Fairy-types.
* Shadow Ball hits Psychic-types like Necrozma-DM and Mewtwo for super effective damage. Unlike unboosted Hex, Shadow Ball is capable of OHKOing Ultra Necrozma most of the time.
* Focus Blast hits Arceus-Dark, Dialga, and Ferrothorn hard while scoring OHKOs on Mega Lucario and Tyranitar, but its general coverage is inferior to Shadow Ball's.
Set Details
========
* Maximized Special Attack and Speed investment with a Timid nature allow Mega Gengar to be as potent of an offensive threat as possible while outspeeding any foe that is under base 130 Speed.
* Gengarite is required for Mega Gengar to Mega Evolve and gain Shadow Tag.
Usage Tips
========
* It is crucial to Mega Evolve Gengar as soon as possible in order for it to trap foes and force a trade with Destiny Bond when needed.
* As Mega Gengar needs to be KOed in order to take down its foe with Destiny Bond, draft plans early-game to decide what foes Mega Gengar has to trap and eliminate and what foe Mega Gengar will have to be traded with. This also means that Mega Gengar should not mindlessly force a trade early-game when a prominent threat that has to be dealt with by Mega Gengar is still alive.
* Mega Gengar can utilize Taunt or Destiny Bond depending on what foe it traps. Taunt can be used to shut down passive Pokemon or prevent utility moves like Defog. Bear in mind that Mega Gengar's frailty means using Taunt involves a risk against most foes, so use it with extreme caution unless prevention of opposing use of status moves outweighs the consequence of potentially sacrificing Mega Gengar.
* Destiny Bond, although it can be easily utilized due to Mega Gengar's horrid bulk, should be kept unrevealed for as long as possible, as foes that have the upper hand against Mega Gengar will not always outright proceed to OHKO Mega Gengar for various reasons. They may attempt to predict Mega Gengar switching out of a bad matchup and use status or setup moves or refrain from landing a fatal hit on Mega Gengar due to their fear of falling victim to Destiny Bond.
* Destiny Bond cannot be used consecutively; therefore, one should not mindlessly use it, as failing to make a right prediction will force out Mega Gengar and cause a loss of momentum.
* Substitute in tandem with Taunt can be effectively utilized to anti-lead the likes of Smeargle, which carries a dedicated move like Nuzzle to deal with Taunt users. Substitute also is effective against foes that intentionally do not KO Mega Gengar to avoid a potential Destiny Bond by letting Mega Gengar safely attack for two turns.
Team Options
========
* Setup sweepers appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to remove defensive roadblocks with Destiny Bond and Taunt. Geomancy Xerneas and Arceus formes using Swords Dance or Calm Mind can provide their defensive utility to protect Mega Gengar from troublesome foes like Yveltal and Marshadow while taking advantage of it removing their checks.
* Yveltal is one of the notable offensive partners for this set, as it checks Marshadow, pivots into Dark- and Ghost-type attacks, and brings Mega Gengar in safely with U-turn. It appreciates Mega Gengar's ability to lure Tyranitar and remove it with Focus Blast and to eliminate Fairy-types.
* Defensive Primal Groudon blanket checks a majority of the threats that Mega Gengar is generally forced out against, a few of them being Ho-Oh, Marshadow, and Primal Kyogre. Stealth Rock support from defensive Primal Groudon is also useful to pressure Yveltal and Ho-Oh. Setup variants can also be used alongside Mega Gengar; Rock Polish variants can remove faster threats, while Swords Dance variants can cause serious damage to defensive cores. Mega Gengar can get rid of problematic foes like Lugia, Arceus-Water, and Skarmory, which would prevent Primal Groudon from effectively dishing out damage depending on what moveset it opts for.
* Magearna can pivot into Dark-types, check boosted Xerneas, and use Volt Switch to safely let Mega Gengar switch in. Assuming Mega Gengar successfully forces a trade with Primal Groudon or Arceus-Ground, Magearna can effectively generate momentum for its team afterwards.
* Various wallbreakers, such as Primal Kyogre, Rayquaza, Palkia, and Zekrom, appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to eliminate or at least force a trade with a problematic defensive foe of its choice, as many teams often do not possess multiple checks for them. For instance, Primal Kyogre, Palkia, and Zekrom desire the removal of Primal Groudon so they can freely use their powerful STAB attacks, while Rayquaza enjoys the removal of Arceus-Fairy and physically defensive foes so it does not have to be overly reliant on prior damage or its Z-Move.
[SET]
name: Offensive Trapper
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Icy Wind / Thunder / Focus Blast
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
* STAB Shadow Ball hits Ghost- and Psychic-types super effectively and hits a good portion of the tier for at least neutral damage.
* Sludge Wave is a stronger STAB move that lets Mega Gengar reliably remove Fairy-types.
* Icy Wind OHKOes offensive Mega Salamence and Rayquaza and KOes untranformed Zygarde after it has switched into any other attack after Stealth Rock damage. The utility from the drop in Speed is also handy against the aforementioned foes, should they attempt setting up on Mega Gengar.
* Thunder lets Mega Gengar 2HKO Pokemon it otherwise cannot, such as Primal Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Water. It also has a chance to OHKO Naive Yveltal. Its unreliable accuracy can be detrimental, however.
* Focus Blast rounds off Mega Gengar's already good STAB coverage by hitting Dark-types like Tyranitar and Arceus-Dark super effectively. It also scores 2HKOs on Extreme Killer Arceus and Dialga, which none of Mega Gengar's other attacks can accomplish.
* Taunt prevents the use of non-attacking moves, letting Mega Gengar effectively take down passive foes and avoid becoming fodder against a foe it cannot defeat.
* Substitute, especially with this set, is effective at punishing forced switches on the turn Gengar Mega Evolves, as it buys Mega Gengar a turn to freely attack a foe with an appropriate move. Substitute is also handy for preventing Mega Gengar from getting revenge killed and letting it take advantage of passive foes that cannot break its Substitute.
* If maximized coverage is desired, one of the coverage moves can replace Taunt or Substitute at the cost of worsening Mega Gengar's ability to handle passive special walls like Chansey.
Set Details
========
* An EV spread that maximizes Special Attack and Speed lets Mega Gengar effectively fulfill its role as an offensive threat while outspeeding any Pokemon with base Speed lower than 130.
* Gengarite is required for Mega Evolution.
Usage Tips
========
* Unlike other sets, this set aims to maximize Mega Gengar's coverage and thus the number of foes Mega Gengar can trap and remove.
* Before Gengar has Mega Evolved and gained Shadow Tag, predict what foe will switch into it so it can effectively hit them with appropriate moves. Safely gaining a chance to attack foes becomes easier when Mega Gengar has Substitute, so use it to ease predictions.
* After Gengar has successfully Mega Evolved, it will compress roles as a stallbreaker, offensive threat, and revenge killer. Unlike sets with Will-O-Wisp or Destiny Bond, this set by no means benefits from staying in against foes that it cannot beat, so keep Mega Gengar in pristine condition, especially if there are threats like Ultra Necrozma and Extreme Killer Arceus that Mega Gengar can effectively deal with.
* As Mega Gengar relies on KOing foes with its great coverage rather than brute force, it is ideal to use Mega Gengar as a revenge killer in most cases. It is usually best for Mega Gengar to switch into a foe that has an unfavorable matchup or is weakened enough to be picked off. Entry hazards and offensive pressure can be useful strategies in this regard.
* Substitute can be used to stall out residual damage against a foe afflicted with status that Mega Gengar can otherwise not KO.
* Unless absolutely needed or Mega Gengar is behind a Substitute, refrain from heavily relying on Focus Blast and Thunder to combat a foe, as they are somewhat unreliable and missing them will likely result in Mega Gengar's KO.
Team Options
========
* This set is best fit into offensive teams that desire to employ a Pokemon that can compress the roles of a revenge killer, stallbreaker, and trapper. Offensive teams are typically capable of netting sufficient prior damage on foes for Mega Gengar to pick them off later and appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to trap and guarantee the demise of dangerous foes like Ultra Necrozma and weakened Extreme Killer Arceus.
* In order for Mega Gengar to trap and take down as many foes as possible, it will have to remain safe, which means it should be brought to the field safely. Pivoting from the likes of Choice Scarf Yveltal and Magearna can provide more opportunities for Mega Gengar to switch in reliably. The former especially draws in Fairy-types and special walls that Mega Gengar can easily dispose of.
* Xerneas is a solid check to all relevant Dark-types in the tier and has a variety of sets to support Mega Gengar. Geomancy variants appreciate the removal of special walls and can take advantage of Mega Gengar's ability to potentially weaken Steel-types with Focus Blast. Choice Scarf variants can revenge kill foes that outspeed Mega Gengar and potentially provide Defog support, which is always useful. Yveltal can also handle special walls with Taunt or Knock Off if Mega Gengar lacks a reliable way to deal with them. Both of them appreciate Mega Gengar's ability to effectively deal with Ultra Necrozma, as there will be less of a necessity for them to use Choice Scarf to deal with said threat.
* Swords Dance Arceus formes synergize well with this set. Arceus-Ground can offensively handle Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh, while Extreme Killer Arceus can take down faster foes such as Mega Mewtwo Y and Deoxys-A. Both of them can take advantage of Mega Gengar's ability to run Icy Wind and dispose of Zygarde, which would otherwise be an infuriating foe to deal with.
* Primal Groudon can provide Stealth Rock support, pivot into Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre, and run offensive sets to take down Mega Gengar's checks. Defensive variants of Primal Groudon especially value Mega Gengar to dispose of Zygarde with Icy Wind as well.
* Primal Kyogre can pressure Mega Gengar's checks like Primal Groudon, Ho-Oh, and various Arceus formes. Both physical and special variants are capable of fitting alongside Mega Gengar to take down each others' checks.
* Ho-Oh and Rayquaza appreciate Mega Gengar luring Tyranitar, a common switch-in on defensive teams, and eliminating it with Focus Blast. Ho-Oh provides a valuable defensive presence for Mega Gengar against various foes, while Rayquaza can take advantage of the removal of Fairy-types and proceed to clean up late-game once Mega Gengar has weakened its checks.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
* Disable can be used in tandem with Substitute to shut down a foe that has a Choice item or has only one way to damage Mega Gengar.
* A set using Perish Song can be used to eliminate passive foes, but this set has to dedicate at least three moves, namely Perish Song, Substitute, and Disable or Protect, to effectively stall out three turns. Running this set significantly hampers Mega Gengar's offensive presence, leaving it matchup dependent and somewhat unreliable to use.
* Protect guarantees Gengar's safe Mega Evolution, but this can potentially give an opponent a free turn to set up or even switch into a Pursuit trapper.
* Reflect Type prevents Tyranitar from Pursuit trapping Mega Gengar and allows it to have the upper hand against Arceus-Dark and Steel-types like Ferrothorn, but it is generally not worth forgoing a utility move.
* Sucker Punch allows Mega Gengar to eliminate Deoxys-A, but it has little use outside of this.
Checks and Counters
===================
Mega Gengar can choose its matchups and prevent its foe from switching out thanks to Shadow Tag. Some checks and counters can be bypassed with different movesets and can be traded with due to Destiny Bond. Thus, it is quite difficult to conventionally counter Mega Gengar in an effective way.
**Bulky Offensive Foes**: Mega Gengar is reliant on KOing its foes due to its extreme frailty, and this leads to its unfavorable matchup against bulky foes such as Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, Ho-Oh, and Arceus-Ground, all of which tend to switch into Gengar before it gains Shadow Tag. Mega Gengar can't KO these foes without relying on prior damage, status ailments, or Destiny Bond, while they can easily OHKO Mega Gengar in return.
**Pursuit Trapping**: Tyranitar easily walls any Mega Gengar lacking Focus Blast and can guarantee its removal with Pursuit trapping, though this may be unsuccessful if Tyranitar lacks Lum Berry and is burnt on the switch by Will-O-Wisp. Marshadow and Deoxys-A can also Pursuit trap Mega Gengar on a forced switch, but this involves a risk.
**Faster Foes**: Mega Gengar's frailty leaves it susceptible to faster foes like Mega Mewtwo Y and Deoxys-A. Choice Scarf users like Yveltal and Tapu Lele can easily revenge kill Mega Gengar.
**Priority Moves**: While Mega Gengar is immune to Extreme Speed, Sucker Punch from Yveltal and Shadow Sneak from Marshadow and Giratina-O can bypass Mega Gengar's high Speed and pick it off or OHKO it in many instances.
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