Bit late to the parade on people doing Ghost VR but I'd been using Ghost a ton past few days so thought I'd make a post. Also, gonna say that Ghost certainly isn't S Tier anymore and is more along the likes of a 4-6 in rankings overall. It's still a strong type, A tier in my books, and can be teched to answer different types very easily. That being said, filling the hole that Annihilape left is very difficult. Annihilape was the glue on ghost structures and without it, choosing the last 2 mons on a team I find a bit more irritating and awkward.
S Rank

Dragapult: Tons of different sets to use here. Been running more Scarf now with the Annihilape ban, but especially on a screens team Dragon Dance sets put in work, and a specs is definitely viable as well to shoot off Fire Blasts in the Steel MU or Dracos/Tbolt vs. Dondozo. Mush mentioned a hex set earlier I believe, but when I was building I never thought that such a set would be too beneficial.

Flutter Mane: Specs is what I consider the best here, though Scarf is solid as well. The big seller with Flutter is it's movepool, with coverage options such as Energy Ball/Power Gem/Psyshock/Tbolt. I guess you could do a calm mind or calm mind/taunt set but seems like a bit of a waste of potential with the matchups it helps in.

Brambleghast: Gonna agree with Mushamu here, Brambleghast is S tier in my books. The only team I'd consider doing Ghost without it on is if I was running Screens. With Strength Sap it can be deceivingly difficult to kill, Spin support is much appreciated, and I find it nowhere near difficult to get off hazards vs. types such as Ground and Water. The moves I run are generally Rapid Spin/Spikes/Strength Sap/filler, with the last move being either Power Whip, Giga Drain, or Curse. Curse I'll make note of as really neat on this mon, especially against pokemon such as Clodsire or Toxapex it can be a solid way to pressure them while they try to set tspikes and Brambleghast is trying to spin. Ordinarily Bramble would be Toxic'd and need to try and switch out or accept a layer, but with curse you end up creating alot more free turns and ability to gain momentum.

Mimikyu: In this meta that's shifting a bit bulkier than it was when Annihilape/Chi Yu broke in defensive backbones, Mimikyu is finding itself more frequently on the sidelines when facing the top meta. That being said it's role on a ghost team can't really be replaced. Mimikyu's ability to check Offensive Threats, Dark Types, and Sweep Attempts you couldn't hold back makes it crucial to Ghost structure. I have been able to make somewhat successful teams without it, but the teams I find most consistent and reliable overall would always have Mimikyu.
A Rank

Gholdengo: Contrary to what some people may think, Gholdengo is nowhere near necessary in a build, and is generally a mon that fills the last 2 spots when I put a team together. That being said, Gholdengo is such a good pokemon all around. Free switchins on mons like Toxapex, hazard removal blocker, and setup sweeper or wallbreaker all in one. Considering it's Ghost, the types that it's ability to block hazards comes most in handy for have been Rock/Poison/Flying so far. In general I don't think there are any meta or high viability types that rely on defog/mortal spin instead of Rapid Spin, so the matchups Gholdengo helps with to keep hazards up are generally ones Ghost already handles pretty well. This neat perk works great with Ghost hazard stack strategy. I prefer specs on Gholdengo considering how common Unaware is with mons like Dondozo/Clodsire, but it's Nasty Plot set is a force to be reckoned with. I saw a post about a bulky T-Wave/Recover/Hex set earlier in forums, and after trying it out, generally think that Gholdengo would be more effective with it's more common sets.

Skeledirge Palossand and Spiritomb: If I had to rank the 3 in terms of viability, I'd put Palossand first and Skeledirge third. Mushamu made a good point on
or
being necessary for the defensive backbone, but I'll also agree that
is A tier. The 3 are all extremely effective for this role and will help fit to answer different issues with your team.
is the most viable in my opinion. Reliable recovery, insane physical bulk (this thing took 56% from a +2 Iron Thorns Ice Punch), Rocks support, and important STAB coverage. I have found having Earth Power to be incredibly useful for what it hits. Also, even though Skeledirge resists fire, I by far prefer Palo for that matchup for Rocks.
is surprisingly solid as well, with infiltrator as an ability being super useful in a screens meta, the dark neutral allowing it to answer mons like Chien Pao and Meowscarada, as well as mons that may spam Knock Off like Great Tusk/Iron Treads. Pain split isn't the most reliable recovery but is still useful, and Willo to shut down physical attackers.
I loved far more in the pre Annihilape ban meta, and it's weakness to Ground and Dark are pretty big for a Ghost mono. With Unaware it can completely shut down setup sweepers such as Baxcalibur, and with Torch Song can prove rough to handle for types such as Poison as well. I'm putting it A tier because I have 100% been able to replace the other 2 with it depending on build, and it's phenomenal for what it does as well, but it's definitely the closest to B of the 3 for me.
B Rank

Gengar: Saw people putting this A tier earlier and I just don't see it, it's nowhere near as easy to put on a ghost team as S/A tier mons, and it's role is generally a spot fought for with pokemon I see as B/C tier. T Spikes lead is solid, overall awesome offensive mon as well with choice sets, substitute sets, and an expansive movepool that allows for nasty plot/support options/coverage. I'll experiment with it a bit more to see if I change my mind, but as far as viability goes - it's spot on the team is not one nearly as important as other pokemon. Scarf and specs are neat but 110 is nowhere near the speed tier it used to be, with many people running far faster mons as scarf such as Dragapult/Flutter/Chien Pao/Meowscarada. All the while it's unable to outstep mons such as +1 Roaring Moon. Specs, Sub, and T Spikes I see as the more viable options for it so far. In general Gengar seems a solid mon that is extremely versatile, but if it's not a team built with it in mind as a T Spikes lead it seems like an awkward fit comp wise for many mus.

Ceruledge: Honestly, I love Ceruledge. Cool mon, fun to use, and a combination of Weak Armor + Swords Dance + Bitter Blade can make it incredibly difficult to play around for types weak to fire. The bane of Ceruledge however comes from a simple issue in the teambuilder. It's role almost completely overlaps with Mimikyu. Ceruledge does have plenty of perks. It has an easy time with some of Mimikyu's counter's such as Corviknight, Amoonguss, and Bulk Volc, and when set up right Ceruledge can be devastating for HO teams to try and counter. Ceruledge's reliance on a Sash or Screens is nowhere near as dependable as Disguise, and it needs far more on team support to be put in proper position. Plus if hazards aren't kept off, Ceruledge can find itself having a near impossible time getting a chance vs. types such as Dark. Ghost teams with Ceruledge + Mimikyu will also find itself needing to prep far more for types such as Mono Water, which often has multiple pokemon that can answer both of them. Teams with Dondozo and Toxapex for example both completely wall the two mons. I'll still make teams that have Ceruledge, it's genuinely fun to use and definitely a solid Swords Dance sweeper, but composition wise I definitely find it a bit of a rough trade off.
C Rank

Froslass: Froslass is a solid hazard lead, with a speed tier and perfect movepool to reliably get off spikes and help start the game off with momentum for Ghost. I think everyone knows what Froslass does, though it does do it incredibly well. I considered putting it B, but honestly thought C was a better place for it. My point of view is that it's a solid hazard lead, but is such a complete 1 trick mon that if you want to lead with it, you need to expect the opponent will be trying to counterlead Froslass the best they can. In some cases, this leads to the opponent able to comfortably start the match with a mon up and few consequences. In addition, pure HO I find a bit inconsistent in general. You can definitely make viable teams with a spikes lead like Lass, but I find it tends to be more delicate of a build that isn't super consistent.

Polteageist: Also a bit of a one trick, however it's power in the Ground MU makes it an incredibly viable option. It can also be solid in the Water game, though that depends heavily on the team and situation as it can't touch Dondozo and is easier to counterplay with the likes of Aqua Jet/Swift Swim/Assault Vest Slowking. Even at +2, Scarf 110's and faster will outspeed it, meaning the likes of Scarf Gengar/Chien Pao/Roaring Moon/Flutter/Dragapult, etc, will shut it down immediately. Polteageist is a potent shell smasher for sure, but is not one I'd consider too reliable for most matchups.

Sableye: I personally love Sableye as a screen setter. Screens with either taunt/will o /twave/recover/encore, it's reliable and will consistently be able to get screens up for you. That being said, Sableye worked better with Annihilape. Annihilape's Taunt Bulk up set would allow it to taunt Ting Lu lead's trying to capitalize on Sableye's inability to do anything with it's prankster immunity, plus screens made the monkey all the more threatening. Screens without Annihilape is nowhere near as dangerous in my opinion, though Sableye is still a solid mon for this role and can get screens up multiple times in a match, while also having a decent bit of versatility for utility moves. I would put Sableye more of a C tier compared to Froslass being like C+, but think that the playstyles you get from the 2 of them both aren't as viable as bulky offense.
D Rank

Drifblim: Ground immunity is neat + defog, nobody mentioned
which I haven't tried out but also has these 2 qualities, I'd imagine Drifblim is more reliable overall whereas Oricorio answers Volc.

Rotom: As far as a screen setter goes, I'm not sure how sold I am on Rotom. The ground immunity is neat, and it can get will os off vs. ting lu and dark types unlike Sableye. It also has a better lead matchup vs. some taunt users as it can just volt switch out and bring momentum into your favor, with pivoting being neat to have in general. Rotom doesn't have a great matchup against many leads though, Meowscarada can just go for Knock Off Spam, Rotom can't keep hazards from coming up, it's not immune to prankster taunt like Sableye, and it's pure setup fodder for Shed Tail Dragon. It seems to be like a screens lead that struggles against other leads is why I put it here.

Mismagius: Honestly this mon is loads of fun to use in the right matchup, which is basically just bulky/stall builds. Taunt/Nasty Plot/Shadow Ball/Grass Knot is what I've found to my liking, proving extremely useful lategame vs. Ground, and against Bulky Water can pretty much just sweep some builds so long as you have rocks or a layer of spikes up. I would say it's better than Polteageist in that sense for the water matchup, while also proving useful in the ground and not being a waste against most bulkier teams in general. That being said, it's hard to really justify using it. Polteageist is better for more matchups, and is better in Ground which is a more important mu than bulky water for most Ghosts I've used. Stat wise
is pretty outclassed by
, with Levitate being what gives Mismagius the niche here over a Taunt/Nasty Plot Gengar set. I consider Mismagius better than the other D tier mons, but not anywhere as important as the C tier mons.

Dragapult: Tons of different sets to use here. Been running more Scarf now with the Annihilape ban, but especially on a screens team Dragon Dance sets put in work, and a specs is definitely viable as well to shoot off Fire Blasts in the Steel MU or Dracos/Tbolt vs. Dondozo. Mush mentioned a hex set earlier I believe, but when I was building I never thought that such a set would be too beneficial.

Flutter Mane: Specs is what I consider the best here, though Scarf is solid as well. The big seller with Flutter is it's movepool, with coverage options such as Energy Ball/Power Gem/Psyshock/Tbolt. I guess you could do a calm mind or calm mind/taunt set but seems like a bit of a waste of potential with the matchups it helps in.

Brambleghast: Gonna agree with Mushamu here, Brambleghast is S tier in my books. The only team I'd consider doing Ghost without it on is if I was running Screens. With Strength Sap it can be deceivingly difficult to kill, Spin support is much appreciated, and I find it nowhere near difficult to get off hazards vs. types such as Ground and Water. The moves I run are generally Rapid Spin/Spikes/Strength Sap/filler, with the last move being either Power Whip, Giga Drain, or Curse. Curse I'll make note of as really neat on this mon, especially against pokemon such as Clodsire or Toxapex it can be a solid way to pressure them while they try to set tspikes and Brambleghast is trying to spin. Ordinarily Bramble would be Toxic'd and need to try and switch out or accept a layer, but with curse you end up creating alot more free turns and ability to gain momentum.

Mimikyu: In this meta that's shifting a bit bulkier than it was when Annihilape/Chi Yu broke in defensive backbones, Mimikyu is finding itself more frequently on the sidelines when facing the top meta. That being said it's role on a ghost team can't really be replaced. Mimikyu's ability to check Offensive Threats, Dark Types, and Sweep Attempts you couldn't hold back makes it crucial to Ghost structure. I have been able to make somewhat successful teams without it, but the teams I find most consistent and reliable overall would always have Mimikyu.
A Rank

Gholdengo: Contrary to what some people may think, Gholdengo is nowhere near necessary in a build, and is generally a mon that fills the last 2 spots when I put a team together. That being said, Gholdengo is such a good pokemon all around. Free switchins on mons like Toxapex, hazard removal blocker, and setup sweeper or wallbreaker all in one. Considering it's Ghost, the types that it's ability to block hazards comes most in handy for have been Rock/Poison/Flying so far. In general I don't think there are any meta or high viability types that rely on defog/mortal spin instead of Rapid Spin, so the matchups Gholdengo helps with to keep hazards up are generally ones Ghost already handles pretty well. This neat perk works great with Ghost hazard stack strategy. I prefer specs on Gholdengo considering how common Unaware is with mons like Dondozo/Clodsire, but it's Nasty Plot set is a force to be reckoned with. I saw a post about a bulky T-Wave/Recover/Hex set earlier in forums, and after trying it out, generally think that Gholdengo would be more effective with it's more common sets.



Skeledirge Palossand and Spiritomb: If I had to rank the 3 in terms of viability, I'd put Palossand first and Skeledirge third. Mushamu made a good point on






B Rank

Gengar: Saw people putting this A tier earlier and I just don't see it, it's nowhere near as easy to put on a ghost team as S/A tier mons, and it's role is generally a spot fought for with pokemon I see as B/C tier. T Spikes lead is solid, overall awesome offensive mon as well with choice sets, substitute sets, and an expansive movepool that allows for nasty plot/support options/coverage. I'll experiment with it a bit more to see if I change my mind, but as far as viability goes - it's spot on the team is not one nearly as important as other pokemon. Scarf and specs are neat but 110 is nowhere near the speed tier it used to be, with many people running far faster mons as scarf such as Dragapult/Flutter/Chien Pao/Meowscarada. All the while it's unable to outstep mons such as +1 Roaring Moon. Specs, Sub, and T Spikes I see as the more viable options for it so far. In general Gengar seems a solid mon that is extremely versatile, but if it's not a team built with it in mind as a T Spikes lead it seems like an awkward fit comp wise for many mus.

Ceruledge: Honestly, I love Ceruledge. Cool mon, fun to use, and a combination of Weak Armor + Swords Dance + Bitter Blade can make it incredibly difficult to play around for types weak to fire. The bane of Ceruledge however comes from a simple issue in the teambuilder. It's role almost completely overlaps with Mimikyu. Ceruledge does have plenty of perks. It has an easy time with some of Mimikyu's counter's such as Corviknight, Amoonguss, and Bulk Volc, and when set up right Ceruledge can be devastating for HO teams to try and counter. Ceruledge's reliance on a Sash or Screens is nowhere near as dependable as Disguise, and it needs far more on team support to be put in proper position. Plus if hazards aren't kept off, Ceruledge can find itself having a near impossible time getting a chance vs. types such as Dark. Ghost teams with Ceruledge + Mimikyu will also find itself needing to prep far more for types such as Mono Water, which often has multiple pokemon that can answer both of them. Teams with Dondozo and Toxapex for example both completely wall the two mons. I'll still make teams that have Ceruledge, it's genuinely fun to use and definitely a solid Swords Dance sweeper, but composition wise I definitely find it a bit of a rough trade off.
C Rank

Froslass: Froslass is a solid hazard lead, with a speed tier and perfect movepool to reliably get off spikes and help start the game off with momentum for Ghost. I think everyone knows what Froslass does, though it does do it incredibly well. I considered putting it B, but honestly thought C was a better place for it. My point of view is that it's a solid hazard lead, but is such a complete 1 trick mon that if you want to lead with it, you need to expect the opponent will be trying to counterlead Froslass the best they can. In some cases, this leads to the opponent able to comfortably start the match with a mon up and few consequences. In addition, pure HO I find a bit inconsistent in general. You can definitely make viable teams with a spikes lead like Lass, but I find it tends to be more delicate of a build that isn't super consistent.

Polteageist: Also a bit of a one trick, however it's power in the Ground MU makes it an incredibly viable option. It can also be solid in the Water game, though that depends heavily on the team and situation as it can't touch Dondozo and is easier to counterplay with the likes of Aqua Jet/Swift Swim/Assault Vest Slowking. Even at +2, Scarf 110's and faster will outspeed it, meaning the likes of Scarf Gengar/Chien Pao/Roaring Moon/Flutter/Dragapult, etc, will shut it down immediately. Polteageist is a potent shell smasher for sure, but is not one I'd consider too reliable for most matchups.

Sableye: I personally love Sableye as a screen setter. Screens with either taunt/will o /twave/recover/encore, it's reliable and will consistently be able to get screens up for you. That being said, Sableye worked better with Annihilape. Annihilape's Taunt Bulk up set would allow it to taunt Ting Lu lead's trying to capitalize on Sableye's inability to do anything with it's prankster immunity, plus screens made the monkey all the more threatening. Screens without Annihilape is nowhere near as dangerous in my opinion, though Sableye is still a solid mon for this role and can get screens up multiple times in a match, while also having a decent bit of versatility for utility moves. I would put Sableye more of a C tier compared to Froslass being like C+, but think that the playstyles you get from the 2 of them both aren't as viable as bulky offense.
D Rank

Drifblim: Ground immunity is neat + defog, nobody mentioned


Rotom: As far as a screen setter goes, I'm not sure how sold I am on Rotom. The ground immunity is neat, and it can get will os off vs. ting lu and dark types unlike Sableye. It also has a better lead matchup vs. some taunt users as it can just volt switch out and bring momentum into your favor, with pivoting being neat to have in general. Rotom doesn't have a great matchup against many leads though, Meowscarada can just go for Knock Off Spam, Rotom can't keep hazards from coming up, it's not immune to prankster taunt like Sableye, and it's pure setup fodder for Shed Tail Dragon. It seems to be like a screens lead that struggles against other leads is why I put it here.

Mismagius: Honestly this mon is loads of fun to use in the right matchup, which is basically just bulky/stall builds. Taunt/Nasty Plot/Shadow Ball/Grass Knot is what I've found to my liking, proving extremely useful lategame vs. Ground, and against Bulky Water can pretty much just sweep some builds so long as you have rocks or a layer of spikes up. I would say it's better than Polteageist in that sense for the water matchup, while also proving useful in the ground and not being a waste against most bulkier teams in general. That being said, it's hard to really justify using it. Polteageist is better for more matchups, and is better in Ground which is a more important mu than bulky water for most Ghosts I've used. Stat wise


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