[OVERVIEW]
Ghost is one of the best neutral attacking types, requiring little coverage to back it up, and Mismagius is one of the premier offensive Ghost-types in the tier thanks to its Speed and access to Nasty Plot. Perhaps more importantly, this also makes Mismagius one of the best offensive spinblockers RU has to offer, and it has enough disruptive moves at its disposal to keep opponents on their toes, such as Taunt and Memento, both of which prevent Defog as well, making Mismagius adept at preserving entry hazards. A neat ability in Levitate also allows it to avoid entry hazards such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web, punish Choice-locked Ground-type attacks, and check Nidoqueen and certain variants of Curse Snorlax. However, Mismagius is not particularly powerful, as it is rather reliant on Nasty Plot-boosted Never-Ending Nightmare for most of its raw damage. It also has a very awkward defensive stat spread, as its physical bulk is low and it has no special resistances to speak of, making setup or even survival difficult at times, as it risks being 2HKOed at worst by every invested attack. Mismagius also competes with Hoopa as a stallbreaker and immediate attacker due to Hoopa's far greater power, better coverage, additional STAB, and lower reliance on Z-Moves.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot Ghostium Z
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Taunt / Memento
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 8 Def / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot doubles Mismagius's Special Attack, allowing its Shadow Balls to sting that much harder. Shadow Ball is Mismagius's primary offensive attack, hitting a large majority of the tier for at least neutral damage, and can be converted into Never-Ending Nightmare for a 160-Base Power Ghost-type nuke. Dazzling Gleam is Mismagius's most useful coverage move, smacking Dark-types such as Pangoro and Umbreon, dispatching Bulletproof Pokemon such as Chesnaught and Kommo-o, and cleanly OHKOing Heracross after a Nasty Plot boost. Taunt shuts down defensive responses such as recovery and status, giving Mismagius an easier time breaking defensive teams, namely invalidating Pyukumuku as an answer. It also stops Defog, furthering Mismagius's role as a Pokemon that prevents entry hazard removal.
Alternatively, Memento can give its teammates prime setup opportunities while sacrificing Mismagius and still denies the foe's Defog at the same time. Mystical Fire is Mismagius's next best coverage move to run over Dazzling Gleam, as it can hit most Pokemon that resist Ghost for at least neutral damage while still nailing Chesnaught and Heracross. Mystical Fire's main quality is its ability to reduce the target's Special Attack, which when combined with Taunt lets Mismagius turns the tables on Porygon2 and to a lesser extent Cryogonal (one of the Pokemon Mismagius has a harder time spinblocking against) while giving slightly more breathing room for setup against bulky Water- or Fairy-types.
Set Details
========
Full Speed investment alongside a Timid nature lets Mismagius outspeed as much as possible as well as Speed tie with the likes of Cryogonal and opposing Mismagius at worst. 8 Defense EVs allow Mismagius to always survive 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, a major source of its raw damage output.
Usage Tips
========
Mismagius has two roles: block Rapid Spin and if possible Defog to preserve entry hazards, and break down the opposing team with boosted Shadow Balls. Mismagius's best chances to set up Nasty Plot usually come in the form of weaker specially offensive walls, which include most bulky Water-, Grass-, and Fairy-types. Mismagius is also one of the few offensive Pokemon that can set up on Nidoqueen. If Mismagius is using Taunt, it can potentially open up a crack in the opponent's defenses and break though cores. If Mismagius has Memento, it should try to break through as much as it can before setting the stage for the team's end-game setup sweeper. Do not be afraid of unleashing Never-Ending Nightmare in times of need or desperation; Mismagius typically doesn't have the longevity to get more opportunities, and at worst, Mismagius is still either forcing switches, thus racking up entry hazard damage, or softening up a threat or two for the end-game sweep.
Team Options
========
Mismagius best fits on offensive hazard stacking teams, where it can easily flow along with the fast-paced nature of such teams due to its spinblocking, Nasty Plot pressure, and disruptive moves in Taunt and Memento. Pokemon such as Aerodactyl, Accelgor, Omastar, Roserade, Nidoqueen, Froslass, Qwilfish, Galvantula, and Shuckle are among the numerous typical lead entry hazard setters that help to set up an explosive start to the match that Mismagius is supposed to help maintain. Froslass deserves special attention, as it can spinblock its own Spikes as it sets them up, while Mismagius can easily take over the role of spinblocker afterward. Mismagius can have issues against bulky Pokemon that can take Ghost-type attacks, such as Snorlax, Porygon2, and Umbreon, as well as various Sucker Punch users such as Honchkrow, Zoroark, and Spiritomb. Thus, Fighting-types such as Heracross, Emboar, Kommo-o, Virizion, and Toxicroak make terrific teammates, as they can all put major pressure on these Pokemon and especially appreciate any entry hazards on the field to make holepunching easier on them. However, all of them should be wary around Honchkrow's Brave Bird, and Snorlax packs a bigger punch than any of them appreciates taking. Diancie makes for an interesting partner as well, fending off Dark-types such as Honchkrow, Umbreon, and Zoroark, as well as being able to check Choice Band Snorlax locked into Crunch or bait in Snorlax's Choice-locked Earthquake for Mismagius to punish. Late-game cleaners or setup sweepers greatly appreciate Mismagius denying entry hazard removal, softening up the opponent's team, and especially providing Memento support if present. The likes of Sharpedo, Flygon, Bruxish, Slurpuff, Cloyster, Durant, Honchkrow, and Linoone are all examples of Pokemon that can threaten to end games with one safe turn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
With its good Speed and decently strong STAB Shadow Ball, Mismagius may make decent use of Choice Specs. This is further complemented by a somewhat diverse offensive movepool in addition to Dazzling Gleam and Mystical Fire, containing moves such as Thunderbolt, Energy Ball, Power Gem, and Icy Wind, as well as access to Trick to cripple bulky Normal-types. However, Choice Specs Mismagius can still lack raw breaking power at times, so it should probably just delegate the role of immediate attacker to the likes of Hoopa while it sweeps the foe with fast, Nasty Plot-boosted Ghost attacks. Mismagius has access to many disruptive moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Hex, Heal Bell, and Mean Look combined with Perish Song, but Mismagius's lack of physical bulk and general resistances do it little favors at executing these moves consistently. Mismagius learns Calm Mind, but the Special Defense boost is not important for it at all due to its lackluster HP and lack of resistances, while the immediate power granted by Nasty Plot is much more crucial for Mismagius's success. Mystical Fire also already artificially boosts its special bulk while being far more efficient by dealing damage at the same time.
Mismagius can use Leftovers to improve its longevity as a spinblocker against the likes of Cryogonal and Blastoise, as well as to aid the Porygon2 matchup, but Mismagius's longevity honestly doesn't improve by much in general, it now gets OHKOed by Donphan's Knock Off, it'd greatly miss the emergency power of Ghostium Z, and Porygon2 is sufficiently pushed back by Taunt plus Mystical Fire as is. Another item Mismagius can consider is Darkinium Z for Z-Memento, but Whimsicott is a far better user of it, and Mismagius does highly prefer Ghostium Z.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a huge thorn in Mismagius's side, as Mismagius can be prematurely ended should it make a misstep. Sneasel is arguably Mismagius's biggest nemesis in this regard, as Sneasel naturally outspeeds Mismagius and a Choice Band-boosted Pursuit OHKOes it after Stealth Rock damage even without the need for Mismagius to switch. Honchkrow, Zoroarkz, and Spiritomb can also catch Mismagius with Pursuit as it tries to flee from their Sucker Punch. Bulkier Pursuit users such as Snorlax and Drapion can just click Pursuit, as they don't take much damage from Mismagius's attacks. Choice Band Escavalier can attempt to corner Mismagius, but only if Mismagius's Z-Move has been expended, as +2 Never-Ending Nightmare easily OHKOes it. Escavalier also has to be wary of the occasional Mystical Fire.
**Bulky Normal-type Pokemon**: Snorlax is a huge obstacle for Mismagius, as any set that doesn't only have a Normal-type STAB move + Earthquake can easily best Mismagius. Meloetta is also a big problem, taking Mismagius's attacks with ease while retaliating with a Psychic-type STAB move or Shadow Ball. Porygon2 can usually beat down Mismagius one-on-one, as it outdamages +2 Mismagius, threatens to Recover and thwart Mismagius's efforts, or can cripple Mismagius with status ailments. However, Porygon2 has to watch out for Mystical Fire turning the damage trade into Mismagius's favor, and Taunt shuts down two of Porygon2's options.
**Faster Pokemon**: Mismagius is highly vulnerable to almost every Pokemon faster than it, as it doesn't resist nearly any of their attacks. The likes of Aerodactyl, Swellow, Virizion, Durant, and various physical Choice Scarf users have little trouble taking down Mismagius. However, Mismagius does have enough special bulk to survive blows from some special attackers, such as Noivern, Salazzle, and Jolteon, although without Never-Ending Nightmare or those attackers being weakened beforehand, Mismagius still usually loses this exchange.
Ghost is one of the best neutral attacking types, requiring little coverage to back it up, and Mismagius is one of the premier offensive Ghost-types in the tier thanks to its Speed and access to Nasty Plot. Perhaps more importantly, this also makes Mismagius one of the best offensive spinblockers RU has to offer, and it has enough disruptive moves at its disposal to keep opponents on their toes, such as Taunt and Memento, both of which prevent Defog as well, making Mismagius adept at preserving entry hazards. A neat ability in Levitate also allows it to avoid entry hazards such as Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Sticky Web, punish Choice-locked Ground-type attacks, and check Nidoqueen and certain variants of Curse Snorlax. However, Mismagius is not particularly powerful, as it is rather reliant on Nasty Plot-boosted Never-Ending Nightmare for most of its raw damage. It also has a very awkward defensive stat spread, as its physical bulk is low and it has no special resistances to speak of, making setup or even survival difficult at times, as it risks being 2HKOed at worst by every invested attack. Mismagius also competes with Hoopa as a stallbreaker and immediate attacker due to Hoopa's far greater power, better coverage, additional STAB, and lower reliance on Z-Moves.
[SET]
name: Nasty Plot Ghostium Z
move 1: Nasty Plot
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Dazzling Gleam
move 4: Taunt / Memento
item: Ghostium Z
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 8 Def / 248 SpA / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Nasty Plot doubles Mismagius's Special Attack, allowing its Shadow Balls to sting that much harder. Shadow Ball is Mismagius's primary offensive attack, hitting a large majority of the tier for at least neutral damage, and can be converted into Never-Ending Nightmare for a 160-Base Power Ghost-type nuke. Dazzling Gleam is Mismagius's most useful coverage move, smacking Dark-types such as Pangoro and Umbreon, dispatching Bulletproof Pokemon such as Chesnaught and Kommo-o, and cleanly OHKOing Heracross after a Nasty Plot boost. Taunt shuts down defensive responses such as recovery and status, giving Mismagius an easier time breaking defensive teams, namely invalidating Pyukumuku as an answer. It also stops Defog, furthering Mismagius's role as a Pokemon that prevents entry hazard removal.
Alternatively, Memento can give its teammates prime setup opportunities while sacrificing Mismagius and still denies the foe's Defog at the same time. Mystical Fire is Mismagius's next best coverage move to run over Dazzling Gleam, as it can hit most Pokemon that resist Ghost for at least neutral damage while still nailing Chesnaught and Heracross. Mystical Fire's main quality is its ability to reduce the target's Special Attack, which when combined with Taunt lets Mismagius turns the tables on Porygon2 and to a lesser extent Cryogonal (one of the Pokemon Mismagius has a harder time spinblocking against) while giving slightly more breathing room for setup against bulky Water- or Fairy-types.
Set Details
========
Full Speed investment alongside a Timid nature lets Mismagius outspeed as much as possible as well as Speed tie with the likes of Cryogonal and opposing Mismagius at worst. 8 Defense EVs allow Mismagius to always survive 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, a major source of its raw damage output.
Usage Tips
========
Mismagius has two roles: block Rapid Spin and if possible Defog to preserve entry hazards, and break down the opposing team with boosted Shadow Balls. Mismagius's best chances to set up Nasty Plot usually come in the form of weaker specially offensive walls, which include most bulky Water-, Grass-, and Fairy-types. Mismagius is also one of the few offensive Pokemon that can set up on Nidoqueen. If Mismagius is using Taunt, it can potentially open up a crack in the opponent's defenses and break though cores. If Mismagius has Memento, it should try to break through as much as it can before setting the stage for the team's end-game setup sweeper. Do not be afraid of unleashing Never-Ending Nightmare in times of need or desperation; Mismagius typically doesn't have the longevity to get more opportunities, and at worst, Mismagius is still either forcing switches, thus racking up entry hazard damage, or softening up a threat or two for the end-game sweep.
Team Options
========
Mismagius best fits on offensive hazard stacking teams, where it can easily flow along with the fast-paced nature of such teams due to its spinblocking, Nasty Plot pressure, and disruptive moves in Taunt and Memento. Pokemon such as Aerodactyl, Accelgor, Omastar, Roserade, Nidoqueen, Froslass, Qwilfish, Galvantula, and Shuckle are among the numerous typical lead entry hazard setters that help to set up an explosive start to the match that Mismagius is supposed to help maintain. Froslass deserves special attention, as it can spinblock its own Spikes as it sets them up, while Mismagius can easily take over the role of spinblocker afterward. Mismagius can have issues against bulky Pokemon that can take Ghost-type attacks, such as Snorlax, Porygon2, and Umbreon, as well as various Sucker Punch users such as Honchkrow, Zoroark, and Spiritomb. Thus, Fighting-types such as Heracross, Emboar, Kommo-o, Virizion, and Toxicroak make terrific teammates, as they can all put major pressure on these Pokemon and especially appreciate any entry hazards on the field to make holepunching easier on them. However, all of them should be wary around Honchkrow's Brave Bird, and Snorlax packs a bigger punch than any of them appreciates taking. Diancie makes for an interesting partner as well, fending off Dark-types such as Honchkrow, Umbreon, and Zoroark, as well as being able to check Choice Band Snorlax locked into Crunch or bait in Snorlax's Choice-locked Earthquake for Mismagius to punish. Late-game cleaners or setup sweepers greatly appreciate Mismagius denying entry hazard removal, softening up the opponent's team, and especially providing Memento support if present. The likes of Sharpedo, Flygon, Bruxish, Slurpuff, Cloyster, Durant, Honchkrow, and Linoone are all examples of Pokemon that can threaten to end games with one safe turn.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
With its good Speed and decently strong STAB Shadow Ball, Mismagius may make decent use of Choice Specs. This is further complemented by a somewhat diverse offensive movepool in addition to Dazzling Gleam and Mystical Fire, containing moves such as Thunderbolt, Energy Ball, Power Gem, and Icy Wind, as well as access to Trick to cripple bulky Normal-types. However, Choice Specs Mismagius can still lack raw breaking power at times, so it should probably just delegate the role of immediate attacker to the likes of Hoopa while it sweeps the foe with fast, Nasty Plot-boosted Ghost attacks. Mismagius has access to many disruptive moves such as Will-O-Wisp, Thunder Wave, Hex, Heal Bell, and Mean Look combined with Perish Song, but Mismagius's lack of physical bulk and general resistances do it little favors at executing these moves consistently. Mismagius learns Calm Mind, but the Special Defense boost is not important for it at all due to its lackluster HP and lack of resistances, while the immediate power granted by Nasty Plot is much more crucial for Mismagius's success. Mystical Fire also already artificially boosts its special bulk while being far more efficient by dealing damage at the same time.
Mismagius can use Leftovers to improve its longevity as a spinblocker against the likes of Cryogonal and Blastoise, as well as to aid the Porygon2 matchup, but Mismagius's longevity honestly doesn't improve by much in general, it now gets OHKOed by Donphan's Knock Off, it'd greatly miss the emergency power of Ghostium Z, and Porygon2 is sufficiently pushed back by Taunt plus Mystical Fire as is. Another item Mismagius can consider is Darkinium Z for Z-Memento, but Whimsicott is a far better user of it, and Mismagius does highly prefer Ghostium Z.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Pursuit**: Pursuit is a huge thorn in Mismagius's side, as Mismagius can be prematurely ended should it make a misstep. Sneasel is arguably Mismagius's biggest nemesis in this regard, as Sneasel naturally outspeeds Mismagius and a Choice Band-boosted Pursuit OHKOes it after Stealth Rock damage even without the need for Mismagius to switch. Honchkrow, Zoroarkz, and Spiritomb can also catch Mismagius with Pursuit as it tries to flee from their Sucker Punch. Bulkier Pursuit users such as Snorlax and Drapion can just click Pursuit, as they don't take much damage from Mismagius's attacks. Choice Band Escavalier can attempt to corner Mismagius, but only if Mismagius's Z-Move has been expended, as +2 Never-Ending Nightmare easily OHKOes it. Escavalier also has to be wary of the occasional Mystical Fire.
**Bulky Normal-type Pokemon**: Snorlax is a huge obstacle for Mismagius, as any set that doesn't only have a Normal-type STAB move + Earthquake can easily best Mismagius. Meloetta is also a big problem, taking Mismagius's attacks with ease while retaliating with a Psychic-type STAB move or Shadow Ball. Porygon2 can usually beat down Mismagius one-on-one, as it outdamages +2 Mismagius, threatens to Recover and thwart Mismagius's efforts, or can cripple Mismagius with status ailments. However, Porygon2 has to watch out for Mystical Fire turning the damage trade into Mismagius's favor, and Taunt shuts down two of Porygon2's options.
**Faster Pokemon**: Mismagius is highly vulnerable to almost every Pokemon faster than it, as it doesn't resist nearly any of their attacks. The likes of Aerodactyl, Swellow, Virizion, Durant, and various physical Choice Scarf users have little trouble taking down Mismagius. However, Mismagius does have enough special bulk to survive blows from some special attackers, such as Noivern, Salazzle, and Jolteon, although without Never-Ending Nightmare or those attackers being weakened beforehand, Mismagius still usually loses this exchange.
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