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Haunter (update) [GP 2/2]
- Thread starter Vintage Books
- Start date
Yeah that was weird, it randomly just deleted spaces last time I edited it, I skimmed through and I thought I got them all but I'll go through it again
bumping for another GP
wow i forgot about this, err if another gp wants to do this or w/e it would be nice.
Amateur GP Check, take what you want from it
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in DarkGreen
I've also included a copy of what you have now with all the random black color tags in the comment source removed:
Edit: You might also want to mention Sludge Wave somewhere in the analysis. Gastly gets it as a Dreamworld exclusive move and the only move it's illegal with on any of the three sets is Disable, as it's a breeding move whereas all the other ones come from either TMs or BW2 Tutors. Sludge Wave has the same PP as Sludge Bomb along with 5 more power, and, while it does only have a 10% chance of Poisoning instead of Sludge Bomb's 30%, this can sometimes be a good thing when you don't want to Poison things.
Additions in Blue
Subtractions in Red
Comments in DarkGreen
[Overview]
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-Types (types should be lowercase) in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening opportunities to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and along with many other tricks, which include including Taunt, Trick, and Disable, (comma) give Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, (comma shouldn't be here) and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. However, eEven with its these drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, (comma shouldn't be here) and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances to slowly drive them insane, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug (I don't think listing its resistances and immunities is necessary, but I'm not going to say I know that for certain). As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it Haunter, between the combination of Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the stops many opponents from damaging unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack and then use Disable to render the opponent useless helpless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has Disable at its disposal.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB move as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb does. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally, (comma) the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU (since no Normal/Ghost Pokemon has been released, it gets perfect coverage period). Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting for considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put set up a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, (this comma shouldn't be here) and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p>
<p>However, even Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does still appreciates Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set SubDisable Haunter is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn with a single Rock Blast (Haunter is immune to Tail Slap and resists Bullet Seed, though admittedly I haven't ran calcs on the latter). Accordingly, Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammates. Skuntank is also quite a problematic as it can trap and KO Haunter with Night Slash, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter lacks Hidden Power Ground to damage it (it might be good to either remove this bit about Hidden Power Ground or explain why running it is bad, as otherwise it might imply that doing so could be a good idea when in reality it means you can't hit any airborn Normal-type and have much worse coverage). Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock are all good partners for Haunter for this reason all do a good job in taking Skuntank down. Similarly, Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, who can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as well, as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon Haunter is easily able to take out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain sSplit
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use, aiming. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that which would otherwise render it useless, and also insures protects it against from priority moves and powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities, (comma) force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunters most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; however, while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types can be problematic might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable for increased longevity possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is preferable in most situations the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. (you mention this here, but earlier you said that running Pain Split over Hidden Power Ground would leave you without coverage on steels; I think it would be good to fix that inconsistency if possible) Thunderbolt is an other another coverage possibility option over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samurott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is also a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it with a single Rock Blast in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they comes in at the right time, though Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and, if Haunter has a Substitute up, (commas) it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, (comma shouldn't be here) and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boasts of being one of the fastest highest speed stats amongst common Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, make it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack make it hard to switch in to and allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is largely comes down to general personal preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle who would otherwise be able to tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S with and the leftovers be remainder(just to avoid confusion with the item; it shouldn't be a big deal, but it threw me for a second) put into HP, but Haunter will not only be able to take any the weakest of hits either way, so the defensive investment is often usually useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake (maybe mention Drain Punch and Dynamic Punch here too) and KO Golurk take it out. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter very much appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, because of this so Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are also excellent teammates, as they resist Haunter's weaknesses and Haunter is immune to the Fighting- and Ground-type moves that plague them that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys support and defensive moves to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, (remove this comma) and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to can outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, though the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly especially Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. By the same token, pPriority moves, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another of Haunter's huge fears; therefore, threaten Haunter. Carracosta is a great check to Haunter for this reason, able to KO it with Aqua Jet after Stealth Rock damage priority user who can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter as it that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter (does SubDisable beat it however? because it wouldn't be a counter to this set if it does). Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks coverage moves other than its STABs.</p>
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-Types (types should be lowercase) in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening opportunities to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and along with many other tricks, which include including Taunt, Trick, and Disable, (comma) give Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, (comma shouldn't be here) and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. However, eEven with its these drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, (comma shouldn't be here) and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances to slowly drive them insane, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug (I don't think listing its resistances and immunities is necessary, but I'm not going to say I know that for certain). As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it Haunter, between the combination of Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the stops many opponents from damaging unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack and then use Disable to render the opponent useless helpless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has Disable at its disposal.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB move as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb does. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally, (comma) the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU (since no Normal/Ghost Pokemon has been released, it gets perfect coverage period). Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting for considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put set up a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, (this comma shouldn't be here) and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p>
<p>However, even Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does still appreciates Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set SubDisable Haunter is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn with a single Rock Blast (Haunter is immune to Tail Slap and resists Bullet Seed, though admittedly I haven't ran calcs on the latter). Accordingly, Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammates. Skuntank is also quite a problematic as it can trap and KO Haunter with Night Slash, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter lacks Hidden Power Ground to damage it (it might be good to either remove this bit about Hidden Power Ground or explain why running it is bad, as otherwise it might imply that doing so could be a good idea when in reality it means you can't hit any airborn Normal-type and have much worse coverage). Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock are all good partners for Haunter for this reason all do a good job in taking Skuntank down. Similarly, Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, who can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as well, as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon Haunter is easily able to take out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain sSplit
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use, aiming. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that which would otherwise render it useless, and also insures protects it against from priority moves and powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities, (comma) force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunters most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; however, while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types can be problematic might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable for increased longevity possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is preferable in most situations the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. (you mention this here, but earlier you said that running Pain Split over Hidden Power Ground would leave you without coverage on steels; I think it would be good to fix that inconsistency if possible) Thunderbolt is an other another coverage possibility option over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samurott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is also a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it with a single Rock Blast in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they comes in at the right time, though Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and, if Haunter has a Substitute up, (commas) it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, (comma shouldn't be here) and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boasts of being one of the fastest highest speed stats amongst common Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, make it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack make it hard to switch in to and allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is largely comes down to general personal preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle who would otherwise be able to tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S with and the leftovers be remainder(just to avoid confusion with the item; it shouldn't be a big deal, but it threw me for a second) put into HP, but Haunter will not only be able to take any the weakest of hits either way, so the defensive investment is often usually useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake (maybe mention Drain Punch and Dynamic Punch here too) and KO Golurk take it out. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter very much appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, because of this so Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are also excellent teammates, as they resist Haunter's weaknesses and Haunter is immune to the Fighting- and Ground-type moves that plague them that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys support and defensive moves to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, (remove this comma) and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to can outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, though the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly especially Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. By the same token, pPriority moves, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another of Haunter's huge fears; therefore, threaten Haunter. Carracosta is a great check to Haunter for this reason, able to KO it with Aqua Jet after Stealth Rock damage priority user who can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter as it that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter (does SubDisable beat it however? because it wouldn't be a counter to this set if it does). Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks coverage moves other than its STABs.</p>
I've also included a copy of what you have now with all the random black color tags in the comment source removed:
[Overview]
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-Types in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and many other tricks, which include Taunt, Trick, and Disable give Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. Even with its drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug. As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it, between Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the opponent unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack then use Disable to render the opponent useless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has Disable at its disposal.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB move as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb does. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU. Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting for considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p>
<p>Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does appreciate Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammate. Skuntank is also quite a problem as it can trap and KO Haunter with Night Slash, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter lacks Hidden Power Ground to damage it. Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock all do a good job in taking Skuntank down. Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, who can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon Haunter is easily able to take out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that would otherwise render it useless, and also insures it against priority moves and powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunters most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is in most situations the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. Thunderbolt is an other coverage possibility over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samuott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they comes in at the right time, though Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and if Haunter has a Substitute up it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boast of being one of the fastest Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, make it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is down to general preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle who would otherwise be able to tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S and the leftovers be put into HP, but Haunter will not be able to take any hits, so the defensive investment is often useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake and KO Golurk. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter very much appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, because of this Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are excellent teammates that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, though the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. Priority moves, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another of Haunter's huge fears; therefore, threaten Haunter. Carracosta is a great priority user who can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter. Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks coverage moves other than its STABs.</p>
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-Types in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and many other tricks, which include Taunt, Trick, and Disable give Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. Even with its drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug. As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it, between Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the opponent unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack then use Disable to render the opponent useless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has Disable at its disposal.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB move as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb does. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU. Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting for considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p>
<p>Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does appreciate Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammate. Skuntank is also quite a problem as it can trap and KO Haunter with Night Slash, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter lacks Hidden Power Ground to damage it. Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock all do a good job in taking Skuntank down. Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, who can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon Haunter is easily able to take out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that would otherwise render it useless, and also insures it against priority moves and powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunters most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is in most situations the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. Thunderbolt is an other coverage possibility over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samuott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they comes in at the right time, though Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and if Haunter has a Substitute up it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boast of being one of the fastest Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, make it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is down to general preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle who would otherwise be able to tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S and the leftovers be put into HP, but Haunter will not be able to take any hits, so the defensive investment is often useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake and KO Golurk. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter very much appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, because of this Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are excellent teammates that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, though the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. Priority moves, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another of Haunter's huge fears; therefore, threaten Haunter. Carracosta is a great priority user who can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter. Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks coverage moves other than its STABs.</p>
Edit: You might also want to mention Sludge Wave somewhere in the analysis. Gastly gets it as a Dreamworld exclusive move and the only move it's illegal with on any of the three sets is Disable, as it's a breeding move whereas all the other ones come from either TMs or BW2 Tutors. Sludge Wave has the same PP as Sludge Bomb along with 5 more power, and, while it does only have a 10% chance of Poisoning instead of Sludge Bomb's 30%, this can sometimes be a good thing when you don't want to Poison things.
Working over melvni's check.
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Nice analysis Vintage! Nice checks everyone!
[gp]2/2[/gp]
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[Overview]
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-Ttypes Pokemon in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and many other tricks, which include Taunt, Trick, and Disable gives Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. Even with its drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug. As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it, between Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the opponent unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack, then use Disable to render the opponent useless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has used Disable at its disposal.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB move attack as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb does. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU. Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting as a secondary STAB option with for considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p
<p>Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does appreciate Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammates. Skuntank is also quite a problem as it can trap and KO Haunter with Night Slash Crunch, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter that lacks Hidden Power Ground fails to damage it. Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock all do a good fine job in taking Skuntank down. Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, who which can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon that Haunter is easily able to takes out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that would otherwise render it useless, and also insures it against priority moves and as well as powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities and force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is in most situations the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. Thunderbolt is an other coverage possibility over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samuott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they comes in at the right time, although Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and if Haunter has a Substitute up it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boast of being one of the fastest Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, makes it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is down to general preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle who that would otherwise be able to tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S and the leftovers be put into HP, but Haunter will not be able to take any hits, so the defensive investment is often useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake and KO Golurk. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter very much appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, because of this therefore Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are excellent teammates that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, although the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, so Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. Priority moves attacks, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another one of Haunter's huge fears; therefore, threaten Haunter. Carracosta is a great priority user who that can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter. Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks Hidden Power Ground alongside its coverage moves other than its STABs.</p>
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-Ttypes Pokemon in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and many other tricks, which include Taunt, Trick, and Disable gives Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. Even with its drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug. As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it, between Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the opponent unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack, then use Disable to render the opponent useless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has used Disable at its disposal.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB move attack as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb does. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU. Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting as a secondary STAB option with for considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p
<p>Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does appreciate Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammates. Skuntank is also quite a problem as it can trap and KO Haunter with Night Slash Crunch, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter that lacks Hidden Power Ground fails to damage it. Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock all do a good fine job in taking Skuntank down. Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, who which can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon that Haunter is easily able to takes out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that would otherwise render it useless, and also insures it against priority moves and as well as powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities and force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is in most situations the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. Thunderbolt is an other coverage possibility over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samuott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they comes in at the right time, although Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and if Haunter has a Substitute up it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boast of being one of the fastest Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, makes it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is down to general preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle who that would otherwise be able to tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S and the leftovers be put into HP, but Haunter will not be able to take any hits, so the defensive investment is often useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake and KO Golurk. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter very much appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, because of this therefore Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are excellent teammates that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, although the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, so Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. Priority moves attacks, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another one of Haunter's huge fears; therefore, threaten Haunter. Carracosta is a great priority user who that can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter. Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks Hidden Power Ground alongside its coverage moves other than its STABs.</p>
[Overview]
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-type Pokemon in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and many other tricks, which include Taunt, Trick, and Disable gives Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. Even with its drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug. As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it, between Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the opponent unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack, then use Disable to render the opponent useless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has used Disable.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB attack as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU. Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting as a secondary STAB option with considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p
<p>Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does appreciate Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammates. Skuntank is also quite a problem as it can trap and KO Haunter with Crunch, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter that lacks Hidden Power Ground fails to damage it. Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock all do a fine job taking Skuntank down. Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, which can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon that Haunter easily takes out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that would otherwise render it useless, and also insures it against priority move as well as powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities and force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. Thunderbolt is an other coverage possibility over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samuott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they come in at the right time, although Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and if Haunter has a Substitute up it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boast of being one of the fastest Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, makes it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is down to general preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle that would otherwise tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S and the leftovers be put into HP, but Haunter will not be able to take any hits, so the defensive investment is often useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake and KO Golurk. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, therefore Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are excellent teammates that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, although the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, so Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. Priority attacks, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another one of Haunter's fears. Carracosta is a great priority user that can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter. Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks Hidden Power Ground alongside its STABs.</p>
<p>In a tier riddled with bulky Eviolite-wielding NFE's, Haunter stands out as one of the only common pre-evolutions to have no use for the item. With its great Special Attack and relatively good Speed, Haunter is one of the best offensive Ghost-type Pokemon in the tier. Furthermore, thanks to three common immunities and two 4x resistances, Haunter has no trouble finding an opening to switch in. Its excellent offensive movepool and many other tricks, which include Taunt, Trick, and Disable gives Haunter a variety of ways to mess with the opponent.</p>
<p>However, courtesy of its horrid defensive stats, Haunter can rarely take an unresisted hit, and is often forced to rely on a Substitute if it wishes to do anything other than attack. In addition, despite being a Ghost-type, Haunter is easily shut down by the only decent spinner in the tier, Armaldo. Even with its drawbacks, though, Haunter is an unpredictable threat, and is a great choice for teams of many different playstyles.</p>
[SET]
name: SubDisable
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Disable
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Sludge Bomb
item: Leftovers
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is perfect for people who take pride in making their opponents as frustrated as possible, by taking advantage of Haunter's three immunities and two 4x resistances, namely to Ground, Fighting, Normal, as well as Poison and Bug. As a large portion of the metagame carries only one move that can hit it, between Substitute and Disable Haunter is able to make the opponent unable to damage it at all. The idea is to set up a Substitute while the opponent tries to attack, then use Disable to render the opponent useless. Many Pokemon will be unable to hit Haunter at all if it is behind a Substitute and has used Disable.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball is the preferred STAB attack as it has better coverage than Sludge Bomb. Hidden Power Fighting hits Pokemon that resist or are immune to Shadow Ball, such as Bastiodon, Probopass, and Miltank; additionally the combination of Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting gets perfect coverage in NU. Sludge Bomb can be used over Hidden Power Fighting as a secondary STAB option with considerably more power, but this leaves Haunter walled by many Pokemon, such as Bastiodon and Probopass.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter should aim to outspeed as many Pokemon as possible so it can successfully put a Substitute up against them. In particular, a Timid nature ensures that Haunter can outrun Choice Band Sawk. Leftovers is necessary because it enables Haunter to heal off Substitute damage, and possibly grants it an extra Substitute in the long run.</p
<p>Even with Leftovers recovery, however, Haunter does appreciate Wish support from the likes of Alomomola, Lickilicky, and Audino. As with all sets that rely on Substitute, this set is completely destroyed by Cinccino, who can break Haunter's Substitute and easily KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of Cinccino's attacks such as Probopass and Bastiodon, are excellent teammates. Skuntank is also quite a problem as it can trap and KO Haunter with Crunch, Sucker Punch or Pursuit, and Haunter that lacks Hidden Power Ground fails to damage it. Your best chance is to switch to a teammate that can take out Skuntank while Haunter's Substitute is still up; Torterra, Golem and Regirock all do a fine job taking Skuntank down. Golem, Regirock, and Probopass are good teammates as they wall Swellow, which can be problematic as it is able to outspeed and KO Haunter. Gurdurr is a great partner as it can take advantage of the removal of Pokemon that Haunter easily takes out.</p>
[SET]
name: Substitute
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb
move 4: Hidden Power Ground / Pain split
item: Life Orb
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This is probably Haunter's simplest and easiest set to use. This set aims to give Haunter a bit more longevity to do some decent damage. Substitute protects Haunter from status, particularly paralysis, that would otherwise render it useless, and also insures it against priority move as well as powerful attacks from faster Pokemon. Haunter can easily come in on one of its three common immunities and force out a Choice-locked opponent, such as Sawk or Emboar, and set up a Substitute. Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's most powerful STAB options, while Hidden Power Ground, gives it coverage on all the Pokemon that resist these two moves, most importantly Bastiodon, Probopass, and Skuntank. Pain Split is an option over Hidden Power Ground; while it grants Haunter some much needed recovery, the lack of coverage on Steel-types might put Haunter in an even worse position.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature let Haunter outspeed as many Pokemon as possible while hitting as hard as possible. Life Orb grants Haunter the much needed power, and makes up for the lack of a nature boost. Although Leftovers is a usable possibility to provide recovery, especially if not using Pain Split, Life Orb is the preferred item.</p>
<p>If using Pain Split, Hidden Power Fighting is a better option than Sludge Bomb for perfect coverage and super effective coverage on Steel-types. Thunderbolt is an other coverage possibility over Hidden Power Ground to hit bulky Water-types, such as Alomomola, Lapras, Wartortle, and Samuott.</p>
<p>Cinccino is a huge problem for this set as it can break Haunter's Substitute and KO it in the same turn. Pokemon that can take most of what Cinccino can dish out, such as Bastiodon and Probopass, therefore make good partners. Skuntank and Absol are potential threats if they come in at the right time, although Hidden Power Ground easily 2HKOes Skuntank, and if Haunter has a Substitute up it can switch out without fear of Pursuit. Regirock and Sawk are both nice checks to Absol and Skuntank, and consequently pair well with Haunter. Gurdurr is also an excellent partner as it can sweep after Haunter takes out physical walls such as Tangela.</p>
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground
move 4: Trick / Thunderbolt
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Timid
evs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Haunter can boast of being one of the fastest Choice Scarf users in the tier; with the item boost, it can outspeed Rotom-S, Sawk, Braviary, and Emboar. Haunter's excellent coverage and great Special Attack stat, which is higher than that of even Rotom-S, makes it difficult to switch into. Furthermore, the combination of good Speed and Special Attack allows Haunter to revenge kill a large portion of the tier, such as Serperior and Kadabra.</p>
<p>The first three moves are there for coverage purposes: Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball are Haunter's best STAB moves, and Hidden Power Ground provides it with perfect coverage. The fourth move is down to general preference. Trick messes with walls, stall Pokemon, and setup sweepers in the tier, and effectively renders them useless for the rest of the game if you predict correctly, while Thunderbolt hits bulky Water-types such as Alomomola and Wartortle that would otherwise tank Haunter's other moves. Thunderbolt also lets Haunter easily revenge kill Gorebyss, even when it is at +2 Speed.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EV spread—maximum Speed and Special Attack—is obvious for a Choice Scarf-equipped sweeper whose main role in the battle should be to outspeed everything and hit as hard as possible. The Speed investment can be lowered to 184 EVs simply to outrun Choice Scarf Rotom-S and the leftovers be put into HP, but Haunter will not be able to take any hits, so the defensive investment is often useless either way. Destiny Bond can be used in the last slot to take out a final Pokemon that Haunter might not be able to directly KO.</p>
<p>Haunter is a great Golurk check, as it is able to switch in on Earthquake and KO Golurk. Absol and Skuntank are especially big threats to this Haunter set because it won't have a Substitute to protect it against Pursuit. Gurdurr is thus a great teammate to check these threats. Haunter appreciates hazard support to get extra KOs and to negate the effects of Sturdy and Focus Sash, therefore Garbodor is a nice partner as it is able to set up Spikes. Albeit uncommon, faster Choice Scarf users such as Raichu and Cinccino can revenge kill Haunter, so Pokemon that can tank their hits and take them out are handy for Haunter. Probopass and Bastiodon are excellent teammates that can take all the moves that would be super effective against Haunter.</p>
[Other Options]
<p>Haunter has a large number of toys to play with in terms of support and defensive moves—such as Haze, Hypnosis, Perish Song, and Taunt—but simply does not have the bulk to use them to their full extent. Destiny Bond is a great move that can easily take out a Pokemon that Haunter would otherwise be unable to KO. Will-O-Wisp is handy to render many threats useless, but it is difficult to fit onto a set. Nonetheless, a bulky Eviolite set with Will-O-Wisp and Taunt could possibly work by playing off Haunter's resistances and immunities. Giga Drain provides HP recovery that can be useful, and can in particular take out bulky Water-types. A Choice Specs wallbreaking set is very powerful, and even without a Choice Scarf, Haunter would be able to outspeed a great portion of the tier.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Absol and Skuntank are the main threats to Haunter as both can KO it with either Pursuit or Sucker Punch, although the former does struggle to beat SubDisable Haunter. As all of Haunter's sets rely on Speed, so Pokemon that can outspeed and KO it are huge threats. Faster Choice Scarf users, such as Cinccino, Electabuzz, and Raichu, are all nice checks to all three sets, but mainly Choice Scarf, as they can easily revenge kill Haunter. Priority attacks, such as Bullet Punch, Aqua Jet, and Sucker Punch, are naturally another one of Haunter's fears. Carracosta is a great priority user that can use Aqua Jet and KO a Stealth Rock weakened Haunter. Lickilicky is a great counter to Haunter that can take all of Haunter's attacks, although it hates SubDisable Haunter. Steel-type Pokemon, such as Probopass and Bastiodon, completely wall Haunter if it lacks Hidden Power Ground alongside its STABs.</p>
Nice analysis Vintage! Nice checks everyone!
[gp]2/2[/gp]
