[OVERVIEW]
Ghost is an uncommon but potent attacking type, and Mismagius's Speed and access to Nasty Plot make it a premier offensive Ghost-type in the tier. Coupled with solid neutral coverage and a Z-Move of its choice, this combination lets Mismagius take advantage of the tier's shortage of Pokemon resistant or immune to Ghost to pick apart common balance cores. Its ability Levitate allows it to avoid entry hazards such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web as well as handily check Nidoqueen and certain variants of Curse Snorlax. Unfortunately, Mismagius's raw strength is rather low, and it is reliant on Nasty Plot-boosted attacks or Z-Moves to do effective damage. Its effectiveness is also compromised by a mediocre defensive stat spread, with low physical bulk and basically zero special resistances, which can make setup or even survival difficult, as it risks being 2HKOed at worst by every invested neutral attack, rendering it especially vulnerable to faster attackers. Furthermore, Mismagius must compete with other setup attackers such as Virizion, Bewear, Meloetta, and Toxicroak, which boast stallbreaking ability while possessing either comparable Speed, greater immediate power, or better defensive utility. However, Mismagius can still make use of its immunities and type coverage to harass most bulky Pokemon such as U-turn Gligar, Registeel, Milotic, physically defensive Mandibuzz, and Mantine.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Ghostium Z / Electrium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 8 Def / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot doubles Mismagius's Special Attack, allowing its attacks to sting that much harder. Shadow Ball is Mismagius's primary attacking move, hitting a large majority of the tier for at least neutral damage. Thunderbolt makes for a great coverage option, smacking Mandibuzz and Milotic hard, and it also has enough power to OHKO Mega Blastoise and even the most specially defensive Mantine variants after a Nasty Plot boost. It is notable that +2 Thunderbolt followed by +0 Thunderbolt is capable of 2HKOing physically defensive Milotic, meaning Milotic's Haze won't save it. Taunt shuts down recovery and status moves, giving Mismagius an easier time breaking defensive teams and turning mono-attacking Pokemon such as Gligar, Registeel, and RestTalk Snorlax into complete setup fodder. It also stops Stealth Rock and Defog, which can sometimes come in handy for entry hazard control when combined with Mismagius's spinblocking capability. Substitute is another way to take advantage of Pokemon that are reliant on status or have ineffective attacks, exchanging the ability to prevent the use of non-attacking moves for a safety buffer against revenge killing or Pursuit attempts, as well as heavily punishing Pokemon Choice-locked into attacks that Mismagius is immune to.
Set Details
========
Full Speed investment alongside a Timid nature lets Mismagius outspeed as many threats as possible, such as Yanmega, Adamant Zygarde-10%, Shaymin, and Ninetales, as well as Speed tie with opposing Mismagius. 8 Defense EVs allow Mismagius to never get OHKOed by Adamant Donphan's Knock Off. The remaining EVs go into Special Attack to maximize Mismagius's damage output. Ghostium Z grants Mismagius access to Never-Ending Nightmare, providing an immediate source of raw STAB damage. At +2, Never-Ending Nightmare has enough power to OHKO Mega Steelix and bulky Escavalier (though Protect must be scouted), while an unboosted Never-Ending Nightmare can OHKO the likes of Cresselia, Bronzong, Roserade, and bulky Arcanine after Stealth Rock damage roughly half of the time, as well as secure the OHKO on Ninetales after Stealth Rock damage. Electrium Z is another alternative, as it allows Mismagius the potential to OHKO Mega Blastoise, as well as set up directly in front of Milotic and specially defensive Mandibuzz to then OHKO them with +2 Gigavolt Havoc. It also allows Mismagius to OHKO Meloetta and Bewear at +2. Both item options weaken Knock Off as a bonus, though keep in mind that neither will save Mismagius from the stronger Knock Offs coming from Drapion, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Colbur Berry is a fine alternative item choice should the team's Z-Crystal slot be used up. Colbur Berry allows Mismagius to either switch into Mega Blastoise's Dark Pulse and do a chunk with Thunderbolt, making it easier to revenge kill and thus preventing it from using Rapid Spin, or win against Mega Blastoise one-on-one. It also enables Mismagius to better withstand Mandibuzz's Foul Play and helps reduce the threat of Pursuit.
Usage Tips
========
Mismagius's best chance to set up Nasty Plot usually comes in the form of walls that it can scare out or Pokemon that cannot threaten it as it sets up, such as Bronzong, Cresselia, Registeel, Mantine, Gligar, and RestTalk Snorlax. Mismagius can use either Taunt or Substitute to neutralize most of the aforementioned Pokemon to begin breaking through the opponent's defensive backbone. Mismagius is also one of the few offensive Pokemon that can set up on Nidoqueen. Because Mismagius's longevity can be lacking, it would be unwise to hold on to its Z-Move for longer than necessary, and using it at the right moment can be crucial in softening up a threat or forcing a switch while racking up entry hazard damage. While Mismagius doesn't have too much to fear from most Pursuit users due to the threat of its +2 Z-Move, it would be ideal to remove them before Mismagius sets up so that Mismagius doesn't have to use its Z-Move prematurely.
Team Options
========
Mismagius is a great fit on offensive hazard stacking teams where its aforementioned qualities of preserving entry hazards can be a useful asset and it can keep up the pressure with Nasty Plot as well as disrupt the opposition with Taunt or Substitute. Powerful entry hazard setters such as Roserade, Rhyperior, Nidoqueen, Mega Steelix, Golisopod, Mega Glalie, and Araquanid are appealing teammates, as they can help maintain offensive momentum. Mismagius appreciates having teammates that can dispose of bulky Pokemon that withstand Ghost-type attacks such as non-RestTalk Snorlax, Porygon2, Mandibuzz, and Meloetta. Fighting-types such as Bewear, Virizion, and Toxicroak make terrific teammates, as they can put major pressure on bulky Normal-types as well as Mandibuzz and they especially appreciate any entry hazards on the field to make punching holes into the opponent's team easier on them. Opposing Meloetta, on the other hand, warrant a Pursuit user, with Drapion and Escavalier being especially useful for this role. Mismagius is also vulnerable to most faster attackers such as Zygarde-10%, Noivern, and Choice Scarf users like Tyrantrum and Gardevoir, though it should be noted that faster special attackers can't revenge kill a healthy Mismagius and may be susceptible to a boosted attack. Setup sweepers and late-game cleaners, such as Barbaracle, Virizion, Speed Boost Yanmega, Zygarde-10%, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, Z-Celebrate Meloetta, and Z-Celebrate Shaymin, greatly appreciate Mismagius breaking the opponent's cores, with some of them even potentially taking advantage of some of the faster attackers that threaten Mismagius.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Mismagius can consider a bulkier Will-O-Wisp + Hex set that takes a slower but still effective approach to wallbreaking while being less vulnerable to slower physical attackers, but it loses much of its worth against more offensive teams compared to Nasty Plot variants. Dazzling Gleam could be used to handle specific targets such as Bewear and Pangoro better than its other moves, but it is relatively unnecessary, as both of them get OHKOed by a +2 Gigavolt Havoc or get chipped into +2 Thunderbolt range after an initial Thunderbolt. Memento is an appealing option to give its teammates such as Barbaracle and Linoone prime setup opportunities, keeping up heavy offensive pressure.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a huge thorn in Mismagius's side, as Mismagius can be prematurely removed from the game should it make a misstep. Pursuit Snorlax is one of the most reliable trappers against Mismagius, while Sneasel's Choice Band-boosted Pursuit has a chance to OHKO Mismagius even if it stays in. Drapion and Escavalier can trap an unboosted Mismagius or one that has already expended its Z-Move but must tread carefully against a +2 Z-Move. While Escavalier can use Protect to help bear the brunt of the +2 Z-Move, it likely still won't be able to Pursuit trap Mismagius, as it risks getting beaten one-on-one. Honchkrow can corner Mismagius with Pursuit and Sucker Punch mind games. Bear in mind, however, that all these Pursuit users bar Snorlax do risk getting tripped up by Colbur Berry sets.
**Bulky Normal-type Pokemon**: Meloetta is a huge annoyance to Mismagius, easily beating non-Electrium Z variants, and Z-Celebrate Meloetta still wins against Electrium Z Mismagius even if it switches into Nasty Plot, as it can survive +2 Gigavolt Havoc, set up, and proceed to outspeed and KO with +1 Psyshock or Shadow Ball. Any Snorlax set that isn't helpless against Ghost-types can be a big roadblock for Mismagius. Porygon2 can usually beat down Mismagius one-on-one, as it outdamages and beats non-Electrium Z Mismagius fairly comfortably while it Recovers and thwarts Mismagius's efforts. It can also cripple Mismagius with status ailments, but the threat of Taunt or Substitute makes this a less reliable response. However, Porygon2 variants that lack Foul Play may risk getting overpowered by Electrium Z Mismagius, especially if it gets Taunted at the wrong moment.
**Faster Attackers**: Mismagius is highly vulnerable to almost every Pokemon faster than it, as it doesn't resist most of their attacks. The likes of Aerodactyl, Zygarde-10%, Swellow, Virizion, and various physical Choice Scarf users such as Tyrantrum and Flygon have little trouble taking down Mismagius, with Swellow receiving special mention for being able to penetrate Mismagius's Substitute with Scrappy Boomburst, as well as boasting an immunity to Shadow Ball. However, Mismagius does have enough special bulk to survive blows from some special attackers such as Noivern, Salazzle, and Choice Scarf Gardevoir, although without Never-Ending Nightmare or those attackers being weakened beforehand, Mismagius still usually loses this matchup anyway. Priority moves such as Toxicroak's Sucker Punch, Doublade's Shadow Sneak, Golisopod's First Impression, Feraligatr's Aqua Jet, and Mega Abomasnow's Ice Shard can do a large number to Mismagius or outright KO it, but these Pokemon do risk getting KOed by the appropriate Z-Move should they fail to KO, and Toxicroak must also be cautious of the potential Substitute or Colbur Berry.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Punchshroom, 169054]]
- Quality checked by: [[roman, 396169], [teachable, 242277], [Eternally, 295647]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Electrolyte, 148071], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
Ghost is an uncommon but potent attacking type, and Mismagius's Speed and access to Nasty Plot make it a premier offensive Ghost-type in the tier. Coupled with solid neutral coverage and a Z-Move of its choice, this combination lets Mismagius take advantage of the tier's shortage of Pokemon resistant or immune to Ghost to pick apart common balance cores. Its ability Levitate allows it to avoid entry hazards such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web as well as handily check Nidoqueen and certain variants of Curse Snorlax. Unfortunately, Mismagius's raw strength is rather low, and it is reliant on Nasty Plot-boosted attacks or Z-Moves to do effective damage. Its effectiveness is also compromised by a mediocre defensive stat spread, with low physical bulk and basically zero special resistances, which can make setup or even survival difficult, as it risks being 2HKOed at worst by every invested neutral attack, rendering it especially vulnerable to faster attackers. Furthermore, Mismagius must compete with other setup attackers such as Virizion, Bewear, Meloetta, and Toxicroak, which boast stallbreaking ability while possessing either comparable Speed, greater immediate power, or better defensive utility. However, Mismagius can still make use of its immunities and type coverage to harass most bulky Pokemon such as U-turn Gligar, Registeel, Milotic, physically defensive Mandibuzz, and Mantine.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Thunderbolt
move 4: Taunt / Substitute
item: Ghostium Z / Electrium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 8 Def / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot doubles Mismagius's Special Attack, allowing its attacks to sting that much harder. Shadow Ball is Mismagius's primary attacking move, hitting a large majority of the tier for at least neutral damage. Thunderbolt makes for a great coverage option, smacking Mandibuzz and Milotic hard, and it also has enough power to OHKO Mega Blastoise and even the most specially defensive Mantine variants after a Nasty Plot boost. It is notable that +2 Thunderbolt followed by +0 Thunderbolt is capable of 2HKOing physically defensive Milotic, meaning Milotic's Haze won't save it. Taunt shuts down recovery and status moves, giving Mismagius an easier time breaking defensive teams and turning mono-attacking Pokemon such as Gligar, Registeel, and RestTalk Snorlax into complete setup fodder. It also stops Stealth Rock and Defog, which can sometimes come in handy for entry hazard control when combined with Mismagius's spinblocking capability. Substitute is another way to take advantage of Pokemon that are reliant on status or have ineffective attacks, exchanging the ability to prevent the use of non-attacking moves for a safety buffer against revenge killing or Pursuit attempts, as well as heavily punishing Pokemon Choice-locked into attacks that Mismagius is immune to.
Set Details
========
Full Speed investment alongside a Timid nature lets Mismagius outspeed as many threats as possible, such as Yanmega, Adamant Zygarde-10%, Shaymin, and Ninetales, as well as Speed tie with opposing Mismagius. 8 Defense EVs allow Mismagius to never get OHKOed by Adamant Donphan's Knock Off. The remaining EVs go into Special Attack to maximize Mismagius's damage output. Ghostium Z grants Mismagius access to Never-Ending Nightmare, providing an immediate source of raw STAB damage. At +2, Never-Ending Nightmare has enough power to OHKO Mega Steelix and bulky Escavalier (though Protect must be scouted), while an unboosted Never-Ending Nightmare can OHKO the likes of Cresselia, Bronzong, Roserade, and bulky Arcanine after Stealth Rock damage roughly half of the time, as well as secure the OHKO on Ninetales after Stealth Rock damage. Electrium Z is another alternative, as it allows Mismagius the potential to OHKO Mega Blastoise, as well as set up directly in front of Milotic and specially defensive Mandibuzz to then OHKO them with +2 Gigavolt Havoc. It also allows Mismagius to OHKO Meloetta and Bewear at +2. Both item options weaken Knock Off as a bonus, though keep in mind that neither will save Mismagius from the stronger Knock Offs coming from Drapion, Sneasel, and Pangoro. Colbur Berry is a fine alternative item choice should the team's Z-Crystal slot be used up. Colbur Berry allows Mismagius to either switch into Mega Blastoise's Dark Pulse and do a chunk with Thunderbolt, making it easier to revenge kill and thus preventing it from using Rapid Spin, or win against Mega Blastoise one-on-one. It also enables Mismagius to better withstand Mandibuzz's Foul Play and helps reduce the threat of Pursuit.
Usage Tips
========
Mismagius's best chance to set up Nasty Plot usually comes in the form of walls that it can scare out or Pokemon that cannot threaten it as it sets up, such as Bronzong, Cresselia, Registeel, Mantine, Gligar, and RestTalk Snorlax. Mismagius can use either Taunt or Substitute to neutralize most of the aforementioned Pokemon to begin breaking through the opponent's defensive backbone. Mismagius is also one of the few offensive Pokemon that can set up on Nidoqueen. Because Mismagius's longevity can be lacking, it would be unwise to hold on to its Z-Move for longer than necessary, and using it at the right moment can be crucial in softening up a threat or forcing a switch while racking up entry hazard damage. While Mismagius doesn't have too much to fear from most Pursuit users due to the threat of its +2 Z-Move, it would be ideal to remove them before Mismagius sets up so that Mismagius doesn't have to use its Z-Move prematurely.
Team Options
========
Mismagius is a great fit on offensive hazard stacking teams where its aforementioned qualities of preserving entry hazards can be a useful asset and it can keep up the pressure with Nasty Plot as well as disrupt the opposition with Taunt or Substitute. Powerful entry hazard setters such as Roserade, Rhyperior, Nidoqueen, Mega Steelix, Golisopod, Mega Glalie, and Araquanid are appealing teammates, as they can help maintain offensive momentum. Mismagius appreciates having teammates that can dispose of bulky Pokemon that withstand Ghost-type attacks such as non-RestTalk Snorlax, Porygon2, Mandibuzz, and Meloetta. Fighting-types such as Bewear, Virizion, and Toxicroak make terrific teammates, as they can put major pressure on bulky Normal-types as well as Mandibuzz and they especially appreciate any entry hazards on the field to make punching holes into the opponent's team easier on them. Opposing Meloetta, on the other hand, warrant a Pursuit user, with Drapion and Escavalier being especially useful for this role. Mismagius is also vulnerable to most faster attackers such as Zygarde-10%, Noivern, and Choice Scarf users like Tyrantrum and Gardevoir, though it should be noted that faster special attackers can't revenge kill a healthy Mismagius and may be susceptible to a boosted attack. Setup sweepers and late-game cleaners, such as Barbaracle, Virizion, Speed Boost Yanmega, Zygarde-10%, Choice Scarf Gardevoir, Z-Celebrate Meloetta, and Z-Celebrate Shaymin, greatly appreciate Mismagius breaking the opponent's cores, with some of them even potentially taking advantage of some of the faster attackers that threaten Mismagius.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Mismagius can consider a bulkier Will-O-Wisp + Hex set that takes a slower but still effective approach to wallbreaking while being less vulnerable to slower physical attackers, but it loses much of its worth against more offensive teams compared to Nasty Plot variants. Dazzling Gleam could be used to handle specific targets such as Bewear and Pangoro better than its other moves, but it is relatively unnecessary, as both of them get OHKOed by a +2 Gigavolt Havoc or get chipped into +2 Thunderbolt range after an initial Thunderbolt. Memento is an appealing option to give its teammates such as Barbaracle and Linoone prime setup opportunities, keeping up heavy offensive pressure.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a huge thorn in Mismagius's side, as Mismagius can be prematurely removed from the game should it make a misstep. Pursuit Snorlax is one of the most reliable trappers against Mismagius, while Sneasel's Choice Band-boosted Pursuit has a chance to OHKO Mismagius even if it stays in. Drapion and Escavalier can trap an unboosted Mismagius or one that has already expended its Z-Move but must tread carefully against a +2 Z-Move. While Escavalier can use Protect to help bear the brunt of the +2 Z-Move, it likely still won't be able to Pursuit trap Mismagius, as it risks getting beaten one-on-one. Honchkrow can corner Mismagius with Pursuit and Sucker Punch mind games. Bear in mind, however, that all these Pursuit users bar Snorlax do risk getting tripped up by Colbur Berry sets.
**Bulky Normal-type Pokemon**: Meloetta is a huge annoyance to Mismagius, easily beating non-Electrium Z variants, and Z-Celebrate Meloetta still wins against Electrium Z Mismagius even if it switches into Nasty Plot, as it can survive +2 Gigavolt Havoc, set up, and proceed to outspeed and KO with +1 Psyshock or Shadow Ball. Any Snorlax set that isn't helpless against Ghost-types can be a big roadblock for Mismagius. Porygon2 can usually beat down Mismagius one-on-one, as it outdamages and beats non-Electrium Z Mismagius fairly comfortably while it Recovers and thwarts Mismagius's efforts. It can also cripple Mismagius with status ailments, but the threat of Taunt or Substitute makes this a less reliable response. However, Porygon2 variants that lack Foul Play may risk getting overpowered by Electrium Z Mismagius, especially if it gets Taunted at the wrong moment.
**Faster Attackers**: Mismagius is highly vulnerable to almost every Pokemon faster than it, as it doesn't resist most of their attacks. The likes of Aerodactyl, Zygarde-10%, Swellow, Virizion, and various physical Choice Scarf users such as Tyrantrum and Flygon have little trouble taking down Mismagius, with Swellow receiving special mention for being able to penetrate Mismagius's Substitute with Scrappy Boomburst, as well as boasting an immunity to Shadow Ball. However, Mismagius does have enough special bulk to survive blows from some special attackers such as Noivern, Salazzle, and Choice Scarf Gardevoir, although without Never-Ending Nightmare or those attackers being weakened beforehand, Mismagius still usually loses this matchup anyway. Priority moves such as Toxicroak's Sucker Punch, Doublade's Shadow Sneak, Golisopod's First Impression, Feraligatr's Aqua Jet, and Mega Abomasnow's Ice Shard can do a large number to Mismagius or outright KO it, but these Pokemon do risk getting KOed by the appropriate Z-Move should they fail to KO, and Toxicroak must also be cautious of the potential Substitute or Colbur Berry.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Punchshroom, 169054]]
- Quality checked by: [[roman, 396169], [teachable, 242277], [Eternally, 295647]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Electrolyte, 148071], [The Dutch Plumberjack, 232216]]
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