QC: Megazard / Rip Yogi / Drum
GP: The Dutch PlumberJack / CyroGyro
[OVERVIEW]
Haunter is an overall decent offensive threat, being able to serve as a wallbreaker with its Life Orb set or as a revenge killer with its Choice Scarf set. This is mostly thanks to its good base 95 Speed tier, which allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Lilligant and Zangoose and Speed tie with Pokemon such as Jynx and Primeape. Base 115 Special Attack allows Haunter to even more reliably revenge kill such Pokemon or break through bulkier Pokemon such as Weezing and Tangela. Furthermore, Haunter’s good Ghost / Poison typing allows it to hit almost the entire metagame neutrally with STAB attacks and combines with Levitate to give Haunter three useful immunities in Ground, Normal, and Fighting. Haunter also has a vast utility movepool that includes moves such as Destiny Bond, Trick, Will-O-Wisp, and Substitute, which allows it to better handle its checks and support its teammates. Despite this, Dark-types are always a large problem for Haunter, as Skuntank resists both of its STAB moves while Spiritomb can bypass Substitute, and both can Pursuit trap Haunter or threaten it with Sucker Punch, although they do fear certain utility or coverage moves. Haunter's abysmal defenses leave it unable to switch into even most resisted hits, and it can be easily revenge killed by faster threats and priority users assuming it does not have a Substitute up. This also makes it tricky to use as a spinblocker, as it fears moves such as Hitmonchan's Ice Punch. Finally, Haunter faces competition from Oricorio-G, which boasts access to Calm Mind, better bulk, reliable recovery in Roost, and Dancer to give it an even better matchup against Lilligant.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Destiny Bond / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball is Haunter’s main STAB move, hitting Pokemon such as Mesprit, Golurk, and Weezing for good damage. Sludge Bomb serves as Haunter’s secondary STAB move, which can hit Pokemon such as Clefairy and Alolan Exeggutor super effectively and supplies neutral coverage for certain Pokemon that do not mind Shadow Ball like Zangoose. Hidden Power Ground is specifically used to 2HKO Skutank on the switch. It can also hit foes such as Pawniard and Probopass for super effective damage. Dazzling Gleam provides coverage for other Dark-types like Spiritomb and Alolan Raticate, although it can still deal decent damage to Skuntank, especially if it's caught on the switch. Destiny Bond allows Haunter to take a foe down with it if it is KOed, ideally after it has been weakened a reasonable amount through means such as its Life Orb. It can also be used to eliminate Dark-types trying to Pursuit trap Haunter such as Spiritomb. Substitute is an alternative that allows Haunter to better take on faster foes that could otherwise come in to revenge kill it. It can also create mind games when facing Sucker Punch users such as Skuntank, but not Spiritomb. Will-O-Wisp is another option for the last slot, as it can be used to cripple physical foes such as Kingler. It is also another way for Haunter to play around Skuntank and Spiritomb, as it bypasses Sucker Punch and cripples them both, even allowing Haunter to barely take non-Black Glasses Jolly Skuntank’s Pursuit when switching out and potentially survive Spiritomb's too.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and a Life Orb allow Haunter to hit as hard as it can at the cost of taking some chip damage after each attack. 252 EVs in Speed alongside a Timid nature let Haunter outspeed Pokemon such as Zangoose and Calm Mind Oricorio-G while also Speed tying with other Pokemon with base 95 Speed like non-Choice Scarf Primeape and Leafeon. Levitate is Haunter’s only ability, giving it an immunity to Ground-type attacks, which can make Pokemon like Choice Band Mudsdale think twice before they lock themselves into Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Haunter can utilize its good STAB coverage to serve as a wallbreaker against foes such as Clefairy and Weezing. Furthermore, due to its high Speed, it can also serve as a revenge killer for foes such as Choice Specs Mesprit and unboosted Lilligant. However, if the opponent has a threat such as Skuntank or Spiritomb ready to switch in, Haunter can predict the switch and go for Hidden Power Ground or Dazzling Gleam instead to 2HKO it. However, stay aware that both cause mind games with their combination of Sucker Punch and Pursuit, although Spiritomb is less affected due to the fact that it can bypass Substitute. Therefore, another option is to make a double switch and have teammates weaken these foes until Haunter can KO. If they are brought in, Destiny Bond is an option that can take them down with Haunter if they are a threat to the rest of the team or if you predict them to take out Haunter with Pursuit. Destiny Bond can be similarly used against any other threat, ideally when Haunter is at low health. Substitute can be set up against passive Pokemon such as Clefairy or upon a forced switch like against Primeape Choice-locked into Close Combat. It can also be used to take advantage of attacks like Skuntank’s Sucker Punch or to scout for what move slower Choice item Pokemon such as Drampa will lock themselves into. Haunter should not be brought in expecting to take an attack due to its low defenses. However, it can switch into a predicted utility move, such as Golurk’s Stealth Rock, or a move it's immune to such as Zangoose's Facade, though it has to watch out for coverage from both. It can also be brought in through a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Lanturn.
Team Options
========
Fast Pokemon such as Floatzel and Lycanroc benefit from Haunter’s ability to weaken the opposing team, particularly bulkier foes such as Clefairy and Tangela, as it allows them to more easily clean up. Physical wallbreakers such as Aggron can break through special walls that Haunter can struggle against such as Audino and Articuno, while Haunter can help against physical walls such as Weezing and Torterra. Haunter most benefits from checks to Dark-types, especially Pokemon such as Calm Mind Clefairy, which can beat RestTalk Spiritomb one-on-one. Other Dark checks include Primeape and Hitmonchan, both of which can also lure in Pokemon such as Mesprit for Haunter. These Fighting-types appreciate Haunter’s ability to weaken or KO Spiritomb with Dazzling Gleam or Destiny Bond as well. Entry hazard setters such as Ferroseed, Crustle, Smeargle, and Shuckle appreciate Haunter’s immunity to Rapid Spin, which helps keep their hazards on the field. In return, Haunter benefits from the hazards, as Stealth Rock and Spikes can weaken foes while Sticky Web can slow down faster foes. Many of these hazard setters also appreciate Haunter’s ability to lure and weaken or potentially eliminate Skuntank, which is a common Defogger. Other Pokemon that are threatened by Dark-types such as Jynx and Alolan Raichu also benefit from this. Slow pivots such as Mesprit and Lanturn can help bring Haunter onto the field safely. Mesprit, on top of being another Pokemon that benefits from Skuntank being taken out, can also support Haunter with Stealth Rock and Healing Wish. Lanturn can also cripple foes with Toxic and serve as a check to Haunter revenge killers like Togedemaru and Swanna.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Destiny Bond
move 4: Trick / Will-O-Wisp
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball, which can hit Pokemon like Oricorio-G and Alolan Raichu for super effective damage, serves as Haunter’s main STAB move. It can also hit Steel-types such as Alolan Dugtrio, which are immune to Sludge Wave. Sludge Wave is Haunter’s secondary STAB move, supplying super effective coverage for Pokemon such as Lilligant and Silvally-Fairy as well as hitting Pokemon that do not mind Shadow Ball such as Pyroar. Destiny Bond is for when Haunter is greatly weakened, as it allows Haunter to potentially take a threat down with it. However, Haunter does not appreciate being locked into it, especially since foes can use it as setup fodder. Trick is used to cripple bulky Pokemon that may try to switch in on Haunter, like Audino and Ferroseed, and gives Haunter potentially useful items such as Leftovers and Eviolite. Will-O-Wisp is an alternative that can cripple offensive Pokemon that may try to switch in against Haunter such as Kangaskhan and Togedemaru. It even allows Haunter to take a Pursuit from a non-Black Glasses Jolly Skuntank, and potentially Spiritomb, if switching out at full health.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed, along with a Timid nature, allow Haunter to hit as fast and hard as it can. This Speed combined with a Choice Scarf allows Haunter to outspeed foes such as +1 Lilligant and Choice Scarf Mesprit while Speed tying with Pokemon like +1 Jynx and Choice Scarf Primeape. Levitate makes Haunter immune to all Ground-type attacks and Spikes.
Usage Tips
========
Haunter is best used as a revenge killer or late-game cleaner. However, Haunter can also utilize its good offensive typing to serve as an offensive check to various Pokemon such as Golurk, Alolan Raichu, and Tangela throughout the game. Haunter should be brought in after a teammate has been KOed or through a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Eelektross; due to its low bulk, Haunter should rarely be switched directly into an attack, even resisted ones. If switching into an immunity, it should still watch out for coverage such as Gurdurr’s Knock Off. Haunter similarly can be switched into a predicted harmless status move such as Clefairy’s Stealth Rock or Soft-Boiled, but it still has to watch out for moves like Thunder Wave. Lilligant is a Pokemon Haunter will often have to directly switch into on a predicted Quiver Dance, since +2 Lilligant is faster than Choice Scarf Haunter. Even then, however, Haunter has to watch out for Sleep Powder or even unboosted Giga Drain. When Haunter is brought in, stay aware of what checks the opponent has for it, as it will be locked into the same move until it is switched out. This is especially important if their switch-ins include Pursuit users such as Skuntank and Spiritomb, which can Pursuit trap Haunter with ease if they manage to come in when it is locked into a resisted move. If Dark-types pose a threat to the rest of your team, Haunter can use Destiny Bond in such situations. Destiny Bond can also be used to take out any other potential threats to the team or pick off a foe late-game if Haunter is weakened or has no more use. On the other hand, be careful when using Destiny Bond, as it can be exploited by the opponent and be a huge momentum drain. Watch out for any potential Choice Scarf users with naturally higher Speed such as Pyroar and Swanna, as they could otherwise lure Haunter in, thinking it can outspeed. If facing bulkier teams, in which case Haunter’s Choice Scarf is not needed, Haunter can use Trick to switch between moves and potentially cripple a foe in the process.
Team Options
========
Haunter works well on offensive and balance teams in need of a way to keep faster foes in check. Wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Kangaskhan can help weaken the opposing team before Haunter comes in to clean. They can also help against some walls that give Haunter trouble, such as Articuno and Audino, while in return Haunter can cripple Pokemon that wall them such as Munchlax and Regirock with Trick. Haunter also struggles against Dark-types, so checks to them such as Silvally-Fairy, Gurdurr, and Hitmonchan are vital. The latter two also appreciate Haunter’s ability to offensively check Psychic-, Fairy- and Ghost-types such as Mesprit, Mr. Mime, and Oricorio-G. Similarly, Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Carracosta, Golem, and Mudsdale benefit from Haunter’s ability to check Grass-types such as Lilligant and Tangela. All three can serve as wallbreakers or provide Stealth Rock to weaken foes, depending on their set. The former two also value Haunter’s immunity to Fighting and Ground, although due to Haunter’s poor bulk, more reliable checks such as Mesprit are recommended. Mesprit can also support Haunter with Stealth Rock, Healing Wish, and a slow U-turn to help get Haunter onto the field safely. Other slow pivots include Eelektross and Probopass. Eelektross also has access to Knock Off, which can cripple Eviolite and Assault Vest users such as Ferroseed and Hitmonchan. Probopass also provides Stealth Rock and can help against Steel-types that Haunter potentially struggles against such as Pawniard and Ferroseed. Finally, Haunter can be run alongside other Pokemon that often use Choice Scarf such as Swanna, as this can create mind games for the opponent.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Specs set supplies Haunter with more power as a wallbreaker, although this set is much easier to Pursuit trap and this role is overall generally better performed by Life Orb variants, which also provide utility. A combination of Life Orb, Substitute, and Pain Split can be run as a means to weaken bulkier foes, giving Haunter a good matchup against bulkier teams while also supplying it with a form of recovery, which can especially useful due to Haunter's low HP stat. However, it is overall unreliable, as it leaves Haunter dependent on the amount of health the foe has remaining. Substitute can also be run alongside Disable to potentially stop Skuntank from using Pursuit or simply to immobilize Choice-locked Pokemon, although it is situational compared Haunter's other utility options. Disable can also be run with Protect for a similar effect while allowing Haunter to also switch out against Spiritomb, but it is even more situational otherwise. Reflect Type ideally removes Haunter’s weakness to Dark, serving as another way for Haunter to switch out against Pursuit users such as Skuntank. Despite this, Haunter still takes decent damage from Pursuit due to its low bulk, and it is still OHKOed by Black Glasses Spiritomb on the switch. Hex can be run over Shadow Ball on the Life Orb set, as it benefits from Will-O-Wisp and the potential poison from Sludge Bomb, which allows it to hit harder, although at the cost of less immediate damage. Haunter has access to various coverage options, such as Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire, which allow it to hit Pokemon like Carracosta and Ferroseed. However, they have little usage outside of those select Pokemon, and Haunter prefers utility. Taunt allows Haunter to better handle certain bulky Pokemon such as Type: Null but is much more situational compared to its other utility options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Skuntank and Spiritomb threaten Haunter with their priority in Sucker Punch and ability to trap it with Pursuit. Spiritomb also bypasses Substitute, while Skuntank, along with Pawniard, resists both of Haunter’s STAB moves. Other Dark-types include Alolan Raticate, Absol, Shiftry, and Liepard. However, all of these do fear switching into coverage from Haunter or being burned by Will-O-Wisp.
**Faster Pokemon**: Due to Haunter’s low defenses, it can be revenge killed relatively easily by Pokemon that outspeed it like Pyroar, Floatzel, Swanna, and Togedemaru. However, these Pokemon have to watch out for Choice Scarf Haunter if they are not holding a Choice Scarf themselves. They can also struggle to revenge kill Haunter if it manages to keep a Substitute up.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Kangaskhan, Abomasnow, and Kabutops bypass Haunter’s high Speed and can pick it off after some previous damage. Sucker Punch users such as Golem and Mawile are notable, as the move can OHKO Haunter, but they must be wary of Substitute or Will-O-Wisp.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Audino, Eelektross, and Kecleon can take a hit from Haunter while dealing a good amount of damage in return. Pokemon like Type: Null can be brought in to take a hit before using U-turn for a better matchup. However, all of these Pokemon can be crippled through Trick or Haunter’s other utility moves.
GP: The Dutch PlumberJack / CyroGyro
[OVERVIEW]
Haunter is an overall decent offensive threat, being able to serve as a wallbreaker with its Life Orb set or as a revenge killer with its Choice Scarf set. This is mostly thanks to its good base 95 Speed tier, which allows it to outspeed Pokemon such as Lilligant and Zangoose and Speed tie with Pokemon such as Jynx and Primeape. Base 115 Special Attack allows Haunter to even more reliably revenge kill such Pokemon or break through bulkier Pokemon such as Weezing and Tangela. Furthermore, Haunter’s good Ghost / Poison typing allows it to hit almost the entire metagame neutrally with STAB attacks and combines with Levitate to give Haunter three useful immunities in Ground, Normal, and Fighting. Haunter also has a vast utility movepool that includes moves such as Destiny Bond, Trick, Will-O-Wisp, and Substitute, which allows it to better handle its checks and support its teammates. Despite this, Dark-types are always a large problem for Haunter, as Skuntank resists both of its STAB moves while Spiritomb can bypass Substitute, and both can Pursuit trap Haunter or threaten it with Sucker Punch, although they do fear certain utility or coverage moves. Haunter's abysmal defenses leave it unable to switch into even most resisted hits, and it can be easily revenge killed by faster threats and priority users assuming it does not have a Substitute up. This also makes it tricky to use as a spinblocker, as it fears moves such as Hitmonchan's Ice Punch. Finally, Haunter faces competition from Oricorio-G, which boasts access to Calm Mind, better bulk, reliable recovery in Roost, and Dancer to give it an even better matchup against Lilligant.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Hidden Power Ground / Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Destiny Bond / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball is Haunter’s main STAB move, hitting Pokemon such as Mesprit, Golurk, and Weezing for good damage. Sludge Bomb serves as Haunter’s secondary STAB move, which can hit Pokemon such as Clefairy and Alolan Exeggutor super effectively and supplies neutral coverage for certain Pokemon that do not mind Shadow Ball like Zangoose. Hidden Power Ground is specifically used to 2HKO Skutank on the switch. It can also hit foes such as Pawniard and Probopass for super effective damage. Dazzling Gleam provides coverage for other Dark-types like Spiritomb and Alolan Raticate, although it can still deal decent damage to Skuntank, especially if it's caught on the switch. Destiny Bond allows Haunter to take a foe down with it if it is KOed, ideally after it has been weakened a reasonable amount through means such as its Life Orb. It can also be used to eliminate Dark-types trying to Pursuit trap Haunter such as Spiritomb. Substitute is an alternative that allows Haunter to better take on faster foes that could otherwise come in to revenge kill it. It can also create mind games when facing Sucker Punch users such as Skuntank, but not Spiritomb. Will-O-Wisp is another option for the last slot, as it can be used to cripple physical foes such as Kingler. It is also another way for Haunter to play around Skuntank and Spiritomb, as it bypasses Sucker Punch and cripples them both, even allowing Haunter to barely take non-Black Glasses Jolly Skuntank’s Pursuit when switching out and potentially survive Spiritomb's too.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and a Life Orb allow Haunter to hit as hard as it can at the cost of taking some chip damage after each attack. 252 EVs in Speed alongside a Timid nature let Haunter outspeed Pokemon such as Zangoose and Calm Mind Oricorio-G while also Speed tying with other Pokemon with base 95 Speed like non-Choice Scarf Primeape and Leafeon. Levitate is Haunter’s only ability, giving it an immunity to Ground-type attacks, which can make Pokemon like Choice Band Mudsdale think twice before they lock themselves into Earthquake.
Usage Tips
========
Haunter can utilize its good STAB coverage to serve as a wallbreaker against foes such as Clefairy and Weezing. Furthermore, due to its high Speed, it can also serve as a revenge killer for foes such as Choice Specs Mesprit and unboosted Lilligant. However, if the opponent has a threat such as Skuntank or Spiritomb ready to switch in, Haunter can predict the switch and go for Hidden Power Ground or Dazzling Gleam instead to 2HKO it. However, stay aware that both cause mind games with their combination of Sucker Punch and Pursuit, although Spiritomb is less affected due to the fact that it can bypass Substitute. Therefore, another option is to make a double switch and have teammates weaken these foes until Haunter can KO. If they are brought in, Destiny Bond is an option that can take them down with Haunter if they are a threat to the rest of the team or if you predict them to take out Haunter with Pursuit. Destiny Bond can be similarly used against any other threat, ideally when Haunter is at low health. Substitute can be set up against passive Pokemon such as Clefairy or upon a forced switch like against Primeape Choice-locked into Close Combat. It can also be used to take advantage of attacks like Skuntank’s Sucker Punch or to scout for what move slower Choice item Pokemon such as Drampa will lock themselves into. Haunter should not be brought in expecting to take an attack due to its low defenses. However, it can switch into a predicted utility move, such as Golurk’s Stealth Rock, or a move it's immune to such as Zangoose's Facade, though it has to watch out for coverage from both. It can also be brought in through a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Lanturn.
Team Options
========
Fast Pokemon such as Floatzel and Lycanroc benefit from Haunter’s ability to weaken the opposing team, particularly bulkier foes such as Clefairy and Tangela, as it allows them to more easily clean up. Physical wallbreakers such as Aggron can break through special walls that Haunter can struggle against such as Audino and Articuno, while Haunter can help against physical walls such as Weezing and Torterra. Haunter most benefits from checks to Dark-types, especially Pokemon such as Calm Mind Clefairy, which can beat RestTalk Spiritomb one-on-one. Other Dark checks include Primeape and Hitmonchan, both of which can also lure in Pokemon such as Mesprit for Haunter. These Fighting-types appreciate Haunter’s ability to weaken or KO Spiritomb with Dazzling Gleam or Destiny Bond as well. Entry hazard setters such as Ferroseed, Crustle, Smeargle, and Shuckle appreciate Haunter’s immunity to Rapid Spin, which helps keep their hazards on the field. In return, Haunter benefits from the hazards, as Stealth Rock and Spikes can weaken foes while Sticky Web can slow down faster foes. Many of these hazard setters also appreciate Haunter’s ability to lure and weaken or potentially eliminate Skuntank, which is a common Defogger. Other Pokemon that are threatened by Dark-types such as Jynx and Alolan Raichu also benefit from this. Slow pivots such as Mesprit and Lanturn can help bring Haunter onto the field safely. Mesprit, on top of being another Pokemon that benefits from Skuntank being taken out, can also support Haunter with Stealth Rock and Healing Wish. Lanturn can also cripple foes with Toxic and serve as a check to Haunter revenge killers like Togedemaru and Swanna.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Wave
move 3: Destiny Bond
move 4: Trick / Will-O-Wisp
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Shadow Ball, which can hit Pokemon like Oricorio-G and Alolan Raichu for super effective damage, serves as Haunter’s main STAB move. It can also hit Steel-types such as Alolan Dugtrio, which are immune to Sludge Wave. Sludge Wave is Haunter’s secondary STAB move, supplying super effective coverage for Pokemon such as Lilligant and Silvally-Fairy as well as hitting Pokemon that do not mind Shadow Ball such as Pyroar. Destiny Bond is for when Haunter is greatly weakened, as it allows Haunter to potentially take a threat down with it. However, Haunter does not appreciate being locked into it, especially since foes can use it as setup fodder. Trick is used to cripple bulky Pokemon that may try to switch in on Haunter, like Audino and Ferroseed, and gives Haunter potentially useful items such as Leftovers and Eviolite. Will-O-Wisp is an alternative that can cripple offensive Pokemon that may try to switch in against Haunter such as Kangaskhan and Togedemaru. It even allows Haunter to take a Pursuit from a non-Black Glasses Jolly Skuntank, and potentially Spiritomb, if switching out at full health.
Set Details
========
252 EVs in Special Attack and Speed, along with a Timid nature, allow Haunter to hit as fast and hard as it can. This Speed combined with a Choice Scarf allows Haunter to outspeed foes such as +1 Lilligant and Choice Scarf Mesprit while Speed tying with Pokemon like +1 Jynx and Choice Scarf Primeape. Levitate makes Haunter immune to all Ground-type attacks and Spikes.
Usage Tips
========
Haunter is best used as a revenge killer or late-game cleaner. However, Haunter can also utilize its good offensive typing to serve as an offensive check to various Pokemon such as Golurk, Alolan Raichu, and Tangela throughout the game. Haunter should be brought in after a teammate has been KOed or through a slow pivot such as Mesprit or Eelektross; due to its low bulk, Haunter should rarely be switched directly into an attack, even resisted ones. If switching into an immunity, it should still watch out for coverage such as Gurdurr’s Knock Off. Haunter similarly can be switched into a predicted harmless status move such as Clefairy’s Stealth Rock or Soft-Boiled, but it still has to watch out for moves like Thunder Wave. Lilligant is a Pokemon Haunter will often have to directly switch into on a predicted Quiver Dance, since +2 Lilligant is faster than Choice Scarf Haunter. Even then, however, Haunter has to watch out for Sleep Powder or even unboosted Giga Drain. When Haunter is brought in, stay aware of what checks the opponent has for it, as it will be locked into the same move until it is switched out. This is especially important if their switch-ins include Pursuit users such as Skuntank and Spiritomb, which can Pursuit trap Haunter with ease if they manage to come in when it is locked into a resisted move. If Dark-types pose a threat to the rest of your team, Haunter can use Destiny Bond in such situations. Destiny Bond can also be used to take out any other potential threats to the team or pick off a foe late-game if Haunter is weakened or has no more use. On the other hand, be careful when using Destiny Bond, as it can be exploited by the opponent and be a huge momentum drain. Watch out for any potential Choice Scarf users with naturally higher Speed such as Pyroar and Swanna, as they could otherwise lure Haunter in, thinking it can outspeed. If facing bulkier teams, in which case Haunter’s Choice Scarf is not needed, Haunter can use Trick to switch between moves and potentially cripple a foe in the process.
Team Options
========
Haunter works well on offensive and balance teams in need of a way to keep faster foes in check. Wallbreakers such as Aurorus and Kangaskhan can help weaken the opposing team before Haunter comes in to clean. They can also help against some walls that give Haunter trouble, such as Articuno and Audino, while in return Haunter can cripple Pokemon that wall them such as Munchlax and Regirock with Trick. Haunter also struggles against Dark-types, so checks to them such as Silvally-Fairy, Gurdurr, and Hitmonchan are vital. The latter two also appreciate Haunter’s ability to offensively check Psychic-, Fairy- and Ghost-types such as Mesprit, Mr. Mime, and Oricorio-G. Similarly, Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types such as Carracosta, Golem, and Mudsdale benefit from Haunter’s ability to check Grass-types such as Lilligant and Tangela. All three can serve as wallbreakers or provide Stealth Rock to weaken foes, depending on their set. The former two also value Haunter’s immunity to Fighting and Ground, although due to Haunter’s poor bulk, more reliable checks such as Mesprit are recommended. Mesprit can also support Haunter with Stealth Rock, Healing Wish, and a slow U-turn to help get Haunter onto the field safely. Other slow pivots include Eelektross and Probopass. Eelektross also has access to Knock Off, which can cripple Eviolite and Assault Vest users such as Ferroseed and Hitmonchan. Probopass also provides Stealth Rock and can help against Steel-types that Haunter potentially struggles against such as Pawniard and Ferroseed. Finally, Haunter can be run alongside other Pokemon that often use Choice Scarf such as Swanna, as this can create mind games for the opponent.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A Choice Specs set supplies Haunter with more power as a wallbreaker, although this set is much easier to Pursuit trap and this role is overall generally better performed by Life Orb variants, which also provide utility. A combination of Life Orb, Substitute, and Pain Split can be run as a means to weaken bulkier foes, giving Haunter a good matchup against bulkier teams while also supplying it with a form of recovery, which can especially useful due to Haunter's low HP stat. However, it is overall unreliable, as it leaves Haunter dependent on the amount of health the foe has remaining. Substitute can also be run alongside Disable to potentially stop Skuntank from using Pursuit or simply to immobilize Choice-locked Pokemon, although it is situational compared Haunter's other utility options. Disable can also be run with Protect for a similar effect while allowing Haunter to also switch out against Spiritomb, but it is even more situational otherwise. Reflect Type ideally removes Haunter’s weakness to Dark, serving as another way for Haunter to switch out against Pursuit users such as Skuntank. Despite this, Haunter still takes decent damage from Pursuit due to its low bulk, and it is still OHKOed by Black Glasses Spiritomb on the switch. Hex can be run over Shadow Ball on the Life Orb set, as it benefits from Will-O-Wisp and the potential poison from Sludge Bomb, which allows it to hit harder, although at the cost of less immediate damage. Haunter has access to various coverage options, such as Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire, which allow it to hit Pokemon like Carracosta and Ferroseed. However, they have little usage outside of those select Pokemon, and Haunter prefers utility. Taunt allows Haunter to better handle certain bulky Pokemon such as Type: Null but is much more situational compared to its other utility options.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Dark-types such as Skuntank and Spiritomb threaten Haunter with their priority in Sucker Punch and ability to trap it with Pursuit. Spiritomb also bypasses Substitute, while Skuntank, along with Pawniard, resists both of Haunter’s STAB moves. Other Dark-types include Alolan Raticate, Absol, Shiftry, and Liepard. However, all of these do fear switching into coverage from Haunter or being burned by Will-O-Wisp.
**Faster Pokemon**: Due to Haunter’s low defenses, it can be revenge killed relatively easily by Pokemon that outspeed it like Pyroar, Floatzel, Swanna, and Togedemaru. However, these Pokemon have to watch out for Choice Scarf Haunter if they are not holding a Choice Scarf themselves. They can also struggle to revenge kill Haunter if it manages to keep a Substitute up.
**Priority Users**: Priority users such as Kangaskhan, Abomasnow, and Kabutops bypass Haunter’s high Speed and can pick it off after some previous damage. Sucker Punch users such as Golem and Mawile are notable, as the move can OHKO Haunter, but they must be wary of Substitute or Will-O-Wisp.
**Specially Defensive Pokemon**: Specially bulky Pokemon such as Ferroseed, Audino, Eelektross, and Kecleon can take a hit from Haunter while dealing a good amount of damage in return. Pokemon like Type: Null can be brought in to take a hit before using U-turn for a better matchup. However, all of these Pokemon can be crippled through Trick or Haunter’s other utility moves.
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