[OVERVIEW]
High Special Attack backed by decent Speed and a potent Ghost / Poison STAB type combination allows Haunter to adequately perform the role of either a stallbreaker or a revenge killer. All of Haunter's sets make use of its solid utility movepool, with options like Substitute, Trick, Pain Split, and Destiny Bond allowing it to take advantage of defensive teams or score a last-ditch KO. Haunter's ability to break through defensive Pokemon like Mega Audino, Slowbro, and Xatu makes its SubSplit set a solid stallbreaker. Haunter's typing and ability grant it a useful set of Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type immunities, allowing it to take on Pokemon like Type: Null and Choice-locked Passimian as well as periodically switch into Ground-type attacks. However, Haunter is terribly frail, making it easy to break through and revenge kill if it's not behind a Substitute. This is furthered with a weakness to Pursuit trappers like Sneasel and Houndoom, which can take advantage of Haunter if it's Choice-locked into an undesirable move or is otherwise vulnerable. Choice Scarf sets struggle with being locked into any one move, as Haunter can invite powerful attackers like Incineroar and Klinklang depending on what it's locked into and can be turned into setup fodder. Finally, Haunter faces competition with Rotom and Mismagius as a Choice Scarf user and stallbreaker, respectively. The former is able to generate momentum with Volt Switch, while the latter is able to similarly power through stall teams with options like Substitute, Taunt, and Nasty Plot and has passable special bulk to improve its matchups against Pokemon such as Slowbro.
[SET]
name: SubSplit
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Pain Split
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Bomb is Haunter's most powerful STAB attack that deals good damage to targets such as Mega Audino and also has a 30% chance to poison, aiding Haunter in wearing down foes. Shadow Ball is Haunter's secondary STAB move, hitting Pokemon like Assault Vest Slowbro and Rotom harder than Sludge Bomb. Substitute is a shield from status and provides Haunter with a safe opportunity to fire off its attacks or use Pain Split. Substitute also has use to play around Pursuit users such as Sneasel and Houndoom, enabling Haunter to safely OHKO both with Sludge Wave after Stealth Rock damage. Pain Split allows Haunter to quickly recover off damage and weaken healthy Pokemon with high HP such as Vaporeon and Hariyama.
Set Details
========
Full investment in Special Attack and Speed with a Timid nature enables Haunter to be as much of an offensive threat as possible, outspeeding foes such as Vivillon and non-Choice Scarf Rotom. Life Orb provides a 30% boost to all of Haunter's attacks, and the 10% recoil works well in conjunction with Pain Split, reducing the opponent's HP even further. Levitate is Haunter's sole ability that grants it an immunity to Ground-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
SubSplit Haunter's main objective is to weaken bulky teams and break cores with Substitute and its powerful STAB moves. Bring Haunter in through pivots, as the conservation of its HP is crucial for using Substitute. Substitute can be utilized to scout for Pokemon with Choice items and win Sucker Punch mind games with the likes of Decidueye and Houndoom. It also prevents Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel from coming in and KOing Haunter if it's behind a Substitute, enabling it to switch out for free. It's also best to use Substitute on a predicted switch, against Choice-locked Pokemon such as Passimian, or against the aforementioned Sucker Punch users; due to its poor bulk, Haunter has very few opportunities set up Substitute elsewhere. Pokemon like Slowbro, Xatu, and Comfey are naturally threatened out by Haunter's attacks, which can be used to set up Substitute. Pain Split can be used to recover off HP if Haunter is too weakened to use Substitute and is especially effective against high-HP targets like Vaporeon, Hariyama, and Guzzlord.
Team Options
========
Fighting-types such as Passimian and Hariyama are able to threaten Dark-types like Incineroar and Guzzlord. Passimian in particular is a great partner due to its ability to provide momentum with U-turn (RC) as well as weaken bulky Pokemon like Golbat with Knock Off. Fairy-types like Diancie and Whimsicott are similarly able to deal with Dark-types like Sneasel and Absol with their STAB moves. Both of these types are able to naturally threaten users of Pursuit such as Sneasel. Entry hazard setters such as Diancie and Piloswine are great to pair with Haunter, as the chip damage can aid in quickly wearing down teams in tandem with Haunter's powerful moves and ability to force switches. Haunter also acts as a spinblocker against Pokemon like Blastoise. Slow pivots such as Xatu and Probopass allow Haunter to be brought in safely and keep it from taking attacks, thus conserving its HP for the use of Substitute. Late-game cleaners like Klinklang and Vivillon greatly appreciate Haunter being able to weaken defensive cores, opening the way for a potential sweep.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sludge Wave
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Destiny Bond / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Wave is Haunter's main STAB move, dealing high amounts of damage to Pokemon such as Whimsicott, Comfey, and Sceptile. This is also Haunter's strongest option against neutral targets like Vanilluxe and Samurott. Shadow Ball is an additional STAB move, able to target Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Medicham and Rotom as well as hit Pokemon immune to Sludge Wave like Steelix and Ferroseed. Dazzling Gleam rounds off Haunter's coverage with its ability to deal heavy damage to Guzzlord and OHKO Scrafty, acting as a sufficient revenge killer to Dragon Dance variants. Destiny Bond allows Haunter to nab a surprise KO against targets it can't beat before going down. Trick can be used instead to cripple walls like Steelix and Pyukumuku by permanently Choice-locking them, as well as Pokemon reliant on Eviolite such as Rhydon and Golbat. Sludge Bomb is an alternative option to Sludge Wave that can poison more often, but it should be noted that Sludge Wave has around a 30% better chance at KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage, which can alleviate the pressure of being Choice-locked into Dazzling Gleam.
Set Details
========
Maximum EVs in Attack and Speed are necessary to maximize Haunter's offensive presence. Choice Scarf with a Timid natures puts Haunter in a significant Speed tier, letting it outspeed boosted foes such as Vivillon and Scrafty and other Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Rotom. Levitate is Haunter's only ability option, providing a handy immunity to Ground-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Haunter's primary role is that of a revenge killer able to stop fast threats such as Whimsicott, Sceptile, and boosted Scrafty. Only bring Haunter into weak attacks or through pivots like Passimian and Heliolisk, as its horrendous bulk can often result in it being KOed. Be wary of what move Haunter locks itself into, as each of them are able to be exploited; Shadow Ball invites Pokemon such as Incineroar and Braviary in, while Sludge Wave and Dazzling Gleam allow Steelix and Klinklang to easily switch in. Being locked into Shadow Ball also opens up the door for Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel and Absol. Using Trick against a target with a Z-Crystal can render Haunter unable to do anything besides switch out. Use Destiny Bond if you feel that your opponent is going to KO Haunter and none of its moves are strong enough to take an opposing Pokemon down. However, avoid reckless use, as Haunter can be taken advantage of if properly scouted for. Use Trick against defensive Pokemon or walls like Miltank and Ferroseed to permanently cripple them, which is especially useful in situations where Haunter's Choice Scarf isn't necessary for the remainder of the match. This can then be exploited by a teammate, which can use these crippled walls as setup fodder.
Team Options
========
Wallbreakers such as Vanilluxe, Sceptile, and Guzzlord are able to weaken bulky walls like Golbat and Diancie and pave the way for Haunter to clean late-game. Haunter has amazing offensive synergy with Fighting-types such as Passimian and Hariyama, which are able to take on Steel- and Dark-types such as Klinklang and Incineroar and are solid answers to Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel, while Haunter targets Psychic- and Fairy-types such as Slowbro and Aromatisse. Passimian is additionally able to provide momentum with U-turn. By extension, Fairy-types like Comfey and Diancie are also able to take on Dark-type Pursuit trappers. Pivots like Heliolisk and Incineroar are able to bring Haunter in more reliably through their respective uses of Volt Switch and U-turn. Haunter's ability to spinblock is appreciated by entry hazard setters such as Steelix, Diancie, and Omastar, which are able to provide chip damage for Haunter in order to more safely secure a sweep. Setup sweepers like Swords Dance Incineroar and Calm Mind Diancie are able to take advantage of Pursuit users such as Sneasel and Houndoom that may try to trap Haunter.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A set consisting of Taunt + 3 Attacks enhances Haunter's role as a stallbreaker while also being able to viably run a coverage move. However, this sacrifices Substitute's ability to block Pursuit, making Haunter much more vulnerable to the move. Energy Ball deals super effective damage to Diancie and Rhydon but otherwise does little else. Hidden Power Fighting is able to OHKO Sneasel without the need of Stealth Rock damage, but this is generally inferior to Dazzling Gleam due to its ability to deal higher amounts of damage to Guzzlord and Scrafty. Choice Specs strengthens Haunter's wallbreaking power, but this sacrifices either its revenge killing potential or its selection of utility moves like Substitute and Pain Split. This also suffers similarly to Choice Scarf with each of its moves being difficult to stay locked into. Poisonium Z or Ghostium Z is able to score an OHKO on bulkier targets like Incineroar, Passimian, and Assault Vest Slowbro after slight chip damage. Will-O-Wisp + Hex allows Haunter to burn and cripple physical attackers and proceed to fire off a strong Hex. However, finding time to safely use Will-O-Wisp is difficult, as even burned attackers do high amounts of damage to Haunter. Moreover, such a set competes heavily with Rotom due to the latter's additional utility in Defog. Disable on Substitute sets allows Haunter to restrict moves, which can potentially be useful for stopping the repeated use of recovery or Choice-locked Pokemon like Diancie and Vanilluxe. Finally, Protect can be used to scout for users of Choice items such as Passimian and Braviary, allowing Haunter to play accordingly. This lacks any useful utility in other places, however.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Sneasel, Guzzlord, Houndoom, and Absol are able to heavily pressure Haunter with their respective super effective STAB moves. All of these Pokemon are able to come in on Choice Scarf Haunter if it's locked into Shadow Ball, while Sneasel can outspeed SubSplit variants. Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom's ability to trap Haunter with Pursuit are especially annoying for it, as it makes Haunter's typing a liability, but can be played around if Haunter was able to safely get a Substitute up beforehand.
**Faster Attackers**: Due to Haunter's general frailty, faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Delphox and +2 Klinklang are able to outspeed and OHKO Choice Scarf variants, whereas Pokemon like Heliolisk and Choice Scarf Vanilluxe outpace SubSplit sets. Priority users like Decidueye and Piloswine are able to hit Haunter first.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest users such as Hariyama and Magmortar are able to avoid being 2HKOed by Haunter's moves. Depending on what Choice Scarf Haunter is locked into, Pokemon that resist Haunter's individual attacks like Mega Audino and Silvally-Steel are able to come in on it safely. Specially defensive Diancie takes little from Haunter's attacks and threatens to fire off a powerful Diamond Storm in return. Cryogonal is never 2HKOed by any of Haunter's attacks and can use Recover to continually keep itself healthy, though it does not like potentially being poisoned by Sludge Bomb.
High Special Attack backed by decent Speed and a potent Ghost / Poison STAB type combination allows Haunter to adequately perform the role of either a stallbreaker or a revenge killer. All of Haunter's sets make use of its solid utility movepool, with options like Substitute, Trick, Pain Split, and Destiny Bond allowing it to take advantage of defensive teams or score a last-ditch KO. Haunter's ability to break through defensive Pokemon like Mega Audino, Slowbro, and Xatu makes its SubSplit set a solid stallbreaker. Haunter's typing and ability grant it a useful set of Normal-, Fighting-, and Ground-type immunities, allowing it to take on Pokemon like Type: Null and Choice-locked Passimian as well as periodically switch into Ground-type attacks. However, Haunter is terribly frail, making it easy to break through and revenge kill if it's not behind a Substitute. This is furthered with a weakness to Pursuit trappers like Sneasel and Houndoom, which can take advantage of Haunter if it's Choice-locked into an undesirable move or is otherwise vulnerable. Choice Scarf sets struggle with being locked into any one move, as Haunter can invite powerful attackers like Incineroar and Klinklang depending on what it's locked into and can be turned into setup fodder. Finally, Haunter faces competition with Rotom and Mismagius as a Choice Scarf user and stallbreaker, respectively. The former is able to generate momentum with Volt Switch, while the latter is able to similarly power through stall teams with options like Substitute, Taunt, and Nasty Plot and has passable special bulk to improve its matchups against Pokemon such as Slowbro.
[SET]
name: SubSplit
move 1: Sludge Bomb
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Substitute
move 4: Pain Split
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Bomb is Haunter's most powerful STAB attack that deals good damage to targets such as Mega Audino and also has a 30% chance to poison, aiding Haunter in wearing down foes. Shadow Ball is Haunter's secondary STAB move, hitting Pokemon like Assault Vest Slowbro and Rotom harder than Sludge Bomb. Substitute is a shield from status and provides Haunter with a safe opportunity to fire off its attacks or use Pain Split. Substitute also has use to play around Pursuit users such as Sneasel and Houndoom, enabling Haunter to safely OHKO both with Sludge Wave after Stealth Rock damage. Pain Split allows Haunter to quickly recover off damage and weaken healthy Pokemon with high HP such as Vaporeon and Hariyama.
Set Details
========
Full investment in Special Attack and Speed with a Timid nature enables Haunter to be as much of an offensive threat as possible, outspeeding foes such as Vivillon and non-Choice Scarf Rotom. Life Orb provides a 30% boost to all of Haunter's attacks, and the 10% recoil works well in conjunction with Pain Split, reducing the opponent's HP even further. Levitate is Haunter's sole ability that grants it an immunity to Ground-type moves.
Usage Tips
========
SubSplit Haunter's main objective is to weaken bulky teams and break cores with Substitute and its powerful STAB moves. Bring Haunter in through pivots, as the conservation of its HP is crucial for using Substitute. Substitute can be utilized to scout for Pokemon with Choice items and win Sucker Punch mind games with the likes of Decidueye and Houndoom. It also prevents Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel from coming in and KOing Haunter if it's behind a Substitute, enabling it to switch out for free. It's also best to use Substitute on a predicted switch, against Choice-locked Pokemon such as Passimian, or against the aforementioned Sucker Punch users; due to its poor bulk, Haunter has very few opportunities set up Substitute elsewhere. Pokemon like Slowbro, Xatu, and Comfey are naturally threatened out by Haunter's attacks, which can be used to set up Substitute. Pain Split can be used to recover off HP if Haunter is too weakened to use Substitute and is especially effective against high-HP targets like Vaporeon, Hariyama, and Guzzlord.
Team Options
========
Fighting-types such as Passimian and Hariyama are able to threaten Dark-types like Incineroar and Guzzlord. Passimian in particular is a great partner due to its ability to provide momentum with U-turn (RC) as well as weaken bulky Pokemon like Golbat with Knock Off. Fairy-types like Diancie and Whimsicott are similarly able to deal with Dark-types like Sneasel and Absol with their STAB moves. Both of these types are able to naturally threaten users of Pursuit such as Sneasel. Entry hazard setters such as Diancie and Piloswine are great to pair with Haunter, as the chip damage can aid in quickly wearing down teams in tandem with Haunter's powerful moves and ability to force switches. Haunter also acts as a spinblocker against Pokemon like Blastoise. Slow pivots such as Xatu and Probopass allow Haunter to be brought in safely and keep it from taking attacks, thus conserving its HP for the use of Substitute. Late-game cleaners like Klinklang and Vivillon greatly appreciate Haunter being able to weaken defensive cores, opening the way for a potential sweep.
[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: Sludge Wave
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Destiny Bond / Trick
item: Choice Scarf
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Sludge Wave is Haunter's main STAB move, dealing high amounts of damage to Pokemon such as Whimsicott, Comfey, and Sceptile. This is also Haunter's strongest option against neutral targets like Vanilluxe and Samurott. Shadow Ball is an additional STAB move, able to target Ghost- and Psychic-type Pokemon like Medicham and Rotom as well as hit Pokemon immune to Sludge Wave like Steelix and Ferroseed. Dazzling Gleam rounds off Haunter's coverage with its ability to deal heavy damage to Guzzlord and OHKO Scrafty, acting as a sufficient revenge killer to Dragon Dance variants. Destiny Bond allows Haunter to nab a surprise KO against targets it can't beat before going down. Trick can be used instead to cripple walls like Steelix and Pyukumuku by permanently Choice-locking them, as well as Pokemon reliant on Eviolite such as Rhydon and Golbat. Sludge Bomb is an alternative option to Sludge Wave that can poison more often, but it should be noted that Sludge Wave has around a 30% better chance at KOing Sneasel after Stealth Rock damage, which can alleviate the pressure of being Choice-locked into Dazzling Gleam.
Set Details
========
Maximum EVs in Attack and Speed are necessary to maximize Haunter's offensive presence. Choice Scarf with a Timid natures puts Haunter in a significant Speed tier, letting it outspeed boosted foes such as Vivillon and Scrafty and other Choice Scarf users like Passimian and Rotom. Levitate is Haunter's only ability option, providing a handy immunity to Ground-type attacks.
Usage Tips
========
Choice Scarf Haunter's primary role is that of a revenge killer able to stop fast threats such as Whimsicott, Sceptile, and boosted Scrafty. Only bring Haunter into weak attacks or through pivots like Passimian and Heliolisk, as its horrendous bulk can often result in it being KOed. Be wary of what move Haunter locks itself into, as each of them are able to be exploited; Shadow Ball invites Pokemon such as Incineroar and Braviary in, while Sludge Wave and Dazzling Gleam allow Steelix and Klinklang to easily switch in. Being locked into Shadow Ball also opens up the door for Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel and Absol. Using Trick against a target with a Z-Crystal can render Haunter unable to do anything besides switch out. Use Destiny Bond if you feel that your opponent is going to KO Haunter and none of its moves are strong enough to take an opposing Pokemon down. However, avoid reckless use, as Haunter can be taken advantage of if properly scouted for. Use Trick against defensive Pokemon or walls like Miltank and Ferroseed to permanently cripple them, which is especially useful in situations where Haunter's Choice Scarf isn't necessary for the remainder of the match. This can then be exploited by a teammate, which can use these crippled walls as setup fodder.
Team Options
========
Wallbreakers such as Vanilluxe, Sceptile, and Guzzlord are able to weaken bulky walls like Golbat and Diancie and pave the way for Haunter to clean late-game. Haunter has amazing offensive synergy with Fighting-types such as Passimian and Hariyama, which are able to take on Steel- and Dark-types such as Klinklang and Incineroar and are solid answers to Pursuit trappers such as Sneasel, while Haunter targets Psychic- and Fairy-types such as Slowbro and Aromatisse. Passimian is additionally able to provide momentum with U-turn. By extension, Fairy-types like Comfey and Diancie are also able to take on Dark-type Pursuit trappers. Pivots like Heliolisk and Incineroar are able to bring Haunter in more reliably through their respective uses of Volt Switch and U-turn. Haunter's ability to spinblock is appreciated by entry hazard setters such as Steelix, Diancie, and Omastar, which are able to provide chip damage for Haunter in order to more safely secure a sweep. Setup sweepers like Swords Dance Incineroar and Calm Mind Diancie are able to take advantage of Pursuit users such as Sneasel and Houndoom that may try to trap Haunter.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
A set consisting of Taunt + 3 Attacks enhances Haunter's role as a stallbreaker while also being able to viably run a coverage move. However, this sacrifices Substitute's ability to block Pursuit, making Haunter much more vulnerable to the move. Energy Ball deals super effective damage to Diancie and Rhydon but otherwise does little else. Hidden Power Fighting is able to OHKO Sneasel without the need of Stealth Rock damage, but this is generally inferior to Dazzling Gleam due to its ability to deal higher amounts of damage to Guzzlord and Scrafty. Choice Specs strengthens Haunter's wallbreaking power, but this sacrifices either its revenge killing potential or its selection of utility moves like Substitute and Pain Split. This also suffers similarly to Choice Scarf with each of its moves being difficult to stay locked into. Poisonium Z or Ghostium Z is able to score an OHKO on bulkier targets like Incineroar, Passimian, and Assault Vest Slowbro after slight chip damage. Will-O-Wisp + Hex allows Haunter to burn and cripple physical attackers and proceed to fire off a strong Hex. However, finding time to safely use Will-O-Wisp is difficult, as even burned attackers do high amounts of damage to Haunter. Moreover, such a set competes heavily with Rotom due to the latter's additional utility in Defog. Disable on Substitute sets allows Haunter to restrict moves, which can potentially be useful for stopping the repeated use of recovery or Choice-locked Pokemon like Diancie and Vanilluxe. Finally, Protect can be used to scout for users of Choice items such as Passimian and Braviary, allowing Haunter to play accordingly. This lacks any useful utility in other places, however.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Dark-types**: Sneasel, Guzzlord, Houndoom, and Absol are able to heavily pressure Haunter with their respective super effective STAB moves. All of these Pokemon are able to come in on Choice Scarf Haunter if it's locked into Shadow Ball, while Sneasel can outspeed SubSplit variants. Sneasel, Absol, and Houndoom's ability to trap Haunter with Pursuit are especially annoying for it, as it makes Haunter's typing a liability, but can be played around if Haunter was able to safely get a Substitute up beforehand.
**Faster Attackers**: Due to Haunter's general frailty, faster Pokemon such as Choice Scarf Delphox and +2 Klinklang are able to outspeed and OHKO Choice Scarf variants, whereas Pokemon like Heliolisk and Choice Scarf Vanilluxe outpace SubSplit sets. Priority users like Decidueye and Piloswine are able to hit Haunter first.
**Specially Bulky Pokemon**: Assault Vest users such as Hariyama and Magmortar are able to avoid being 2HKOed by Haunter's moves. Depending on what Choice Scarf Haunter is locked into, Pokemon that resist Haunter's individual attacks like Mega Audino and Silvally-Steel are able to come in on it safely. Specially defensive Diancie takes little from Haunter's attacks and threatens to fire off a powerful Diamond Storm in return. Cryogonal is never 2HKOed by any of Haunter's attacks and can use Recover to continually keep itself healthy, though it does not like potentially being poisoned by Sludge Bomb.
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