As an avid Ghost enjoyer from day 1 of playing the tier, I felt like making an analysis of it in SV Monotype as it has cemented itself to be one of the main driving forces in the metagame.
Ghost is a very unique type in Monotype in virtue of the typing in itself, having a nice combination of characteristics that includes being completely immune to Brick Break and Rapid Spin in a tier that is focused on hazards offense. With a combination of great offensive juggernauts and a decent defensive backbone, even with Annihilape banned Ghost is a threat to be reckoned with in the tournament scene. Despite being fairly limited in terms of team slots, it can be built in many different ways thanks to the flexibility that slot compression offers it.
Here is a personal viability ranking I made of the Pokemon on the type:
Here are some nice templates for Ghost teams that I've been exploring/planning on exploring.
1. Bulky Offense
(
/
) (
/
/
/
)
The 4 S ranked Pokemon in Dragapult + Flutter Mane, Mimikyu, and Brambleghast pretty much provide a solid foundation to take on any type in the metagame. Brambleghast in particular is very nice for holding ground for the team with its hazard manipulation, but it's not bulky enough to provide a solid defensive foundation by itself which is why Palossand or Spiritomb are needed. The last slot can go to offensive Pokemon like Gholdengo, Gengar, Ceruledge, or Skeledirge. This structure should have a good chance of winning against anything, with the main flexibility being in Dragapult's set, Flutter Mane's item, as well as the last slot. Gholdengo is probably the best bet for the last slot thanks to its splashability in terms of covering matchups.
2. Spikes Hyper Offense
(
/
/
/
/
)
I have not tried out Spikes hyper offense yet, but it seems cool on paper due to Ghost's unique hazard stacking ability. Gholdengo would probably be Air Balloon on this team, with Choice Scarf Memento Flutter Mane or Choice Scarf Destiny Bond Mimikyu with status. Dragapult would probably be Dragon Dance with Metronome or Life Orb with the last slot being depending on what you would like to cover. Sableye seems shaky though and would probably fit better on Brambleghast teams for more defensive backboning as a screens setter.
3. Screens Offense
(
/
/
)
Screens hyper offense seems interesting but I haven't tried it yet either. I feel like Brambleghast would be great on this type of team though, since it offers Spikes which are pretty much mandatory in this metagame while using Sableye's screens to serve as an offensive presence when its fragility is blocked. The rest of the team should be fairly based on setup with maybe a Choice Scarf user somewhere. Ceruledge and Goldengo seem like good candidates for the last slot, with Poltegeist also being a decent option to really cteam Ground.
I haven't tried out the other types extensively; I mainly wanted to express my interest on Ghost as a tournament type since it's always been a personal favorite of mine. I'm happy it's still good this generation as it was last generation especially with Flutter Mane balancing out. It would be nice to hear other people's thoughts on what they have been trying out with Ghost and the tier in general.
Ghost is a very unique type in Monotype in virtue of the typing in itself, having a nice combination of characteristics that includes being completely immune to Brick Break and Rapid Spin in a tier that is focused on hazards offense. With a combination of great offensive juggernauts and a decent defensive backbone, even with Annihilape banned Ghost is a threat to be reckoned with in the tournament scene. Despite being fairly limited in terms of team slots, it can be built in many different ways thanks to the flexibility that slot compression offers it.
Here is a personal viability ranking I made of the Pokemon on the type:
S Rank

Dragapult is pretty much the sole reason why Ghost has been viable for the past two generations. It is the definition of an offensive wildcard and compresses a ton in one slot. It has over 10 viable sets, depending on what you would like for it to do on your team. Dragon Dance, Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, Choice Band, and a combination of utility, berries, and other items can all be run on the offensive juggernaut. Weakness berries like Colbur, Kasib, and Yache can all be pretty interesting too with a mix of Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and U-turn. Generally speaking, Dragapult is amazing for offensive role compression with its amazing speed and access to great utility and U-turn, it can reverse momentum extremely easily. Even when it's not outright sweeping, it's bringing other stronger Pokemon in so that they can effectively punch holes, of which Ghost has many, especially with the addition of Flutter Mane. Dragapult's flexibility is especially useful in the tournament scene where certain sets can be ran to prepare against expected archetypes due to the vast arsenal of flexibility it has.

Flutter Mane is by far the strongest wallbreaker in Monotype right now and is the main firepower of Ghost teams. I personally have found Choice Specs and Choice Scarf to be its two best sets; it doesn't have the bulk to pull off setup without screens support due to how physically frail it is but on the other hand it's just amazing at straight up nuking shit. Many Ghost teams can be built around winning Flutter Mane sack wars in combination with Mimikyu's Disguise due to just how strong it is. Choice Scarf is severely underrated and can easily pick off Pokemon late game after the opposing team has been racked up through Spikes damage.

Mimikyu has been doing what it has always done best: serve as a soft check for any offensive Pokemon in the tier- a role that is extremely useful for an offensive type that lacks defensive synergy such as Ghost. Aside from the traditional Swords Dance set, it can run other sets like Choice Scarf that is particularly interesting for spreading Thunder Wave and crippling Clodsire. Together with Flutter Mane and Dragapult, Mimikyu completes Ghost's offensive core with its defensive presence while the former punches holes and the latter compresses offensive roles.

Brambleghast is an excellent addition to Ghost in a metagame full of Spikes offense. Ghost is notoriously infamous for being hazards weak, with hazard control being a role that Pokemon like Mega Sableye and Dhelmise would fulfill in previous generations. A Grass typing is also great in a metagame where Ground is at its prime, which nobody on the type really likes switching into Power Whip. Spikes + Rapid Spin + Power Whip + Filler is a pretty decent set, with the filler being either Strength Sap or Shadow Sneak. Without Brambleghast Ghost's offensive powerhouses would easily falter against hazards, making the type much more vulnerable to losing to the main archetype of the generation. Spikes also gives Ghost a way to break through fat types like Ground and Poison.
A Rank

Gholdengo is a unique breaker with a nice typing and ability. Good as Gold is a nice ability for deflecting Grimmsnarl's Parting Shot in particular, making the Pokemon very useful against Dark. It can run sets like Nasty Plot, Air Balloon, Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, and others, but my favorite set by far is Substitute + 3 attacks with Metronome that allows it to break fatter types and take advantage Kingambit and Klefki in those respective matchups. Both Dark and Fairy are pretty good right now so Gholdengo thrives, and Colbur Berry can be interesting for Chien Pao as well.

Gengar has struggled to find a place on Ghost more than previous generations, but at the end of the day it's still Gengar. It's got decent offensive stats with a good movepool, and similar to Dragapult it can run many sets depending on what you'd like it to do. Ranging from Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, to even Substitute or Brick Break sets, the poison shadow Pokemon is still good in SV Monotype. Brick Break is surprisingly decent in a tier that is so centered around screens.

Spiritomb and Palossand form Ghost's defensive backbone. I personally feel like you need one of these Pokemon on each Ghost team that isn't strictly hyper offense, just so you don't instantly lose to some random Choice Scarf user like Iron Treads. Spiritomb is a Pokemon that hasn't really been seen before in Monotype, but it's surprisingly decent as it provides the team with a Ghost neutrality for the mirror matchup as well as a Dark neutrality to take on Pokemon like Ting-Lu and Krookodile. Palossand's main niche is Stealth Rock, but it's more prone to losing to Dark-type Pokemon, leaving Mimikyu and Flutter Mane to check them.
B Rank

Ceruledge looks cool as shit but is fairly one dimensional compared to the other Pokemon Ghost has to offer. The role it fills has a lot of overlap compared to other Pokemon like Flutter Mane, Mimikyu and Dragapult. Most of the time when I put this Pokemon on a team I think about how much swag it gives the team due to its sick design rather than the fact that it actually is useful. However, I've tried Colbur Berry with Swords Dance + Bitter Blade + Brick Break + Shadow Sneak and it's not entirely bad.

Skeledirge is nice for Unaware to check Pokemon like Volcarona and Mimikyu. However, it can be hard to fit on an offensive type like Ghost because it's just not that great as an anchor. Other defensive staples like Spiritomb and Palossand are more useful than it because they can check Pokemon like Iron Treads and Garchomp. Skeledirge is left with an awkward equilibrium between being purely offensive and defensive, but something with Torch Song doesn't sound bad on paper.
C Rank

Froslass, Polteageist, Rotom, Sableye are all Pokemon found on hyper offense teams. Froslass, Rotom, and Sableye set hazards and screens respectively, while Polteageist is a nice sweeper that's capable of dealing with types like Ground. However, the low ranking is because I don't feel like hyper offense is as good as bulky offense due to the playstyle being so frail and prone to hazards.
D Rank

Drifblim is okay for Defog, but otherwise it sucks.

Dragapult is pretty much the sole reason why Ghost has been viable for the past two generations. It is the definition of an offensive wildcard and compresses a ton in one slot. It has over 10 viable sets, depending on what you would like for it to do on your team. Dragon Dance, Choice Specs, Choice Scarf, Choice Band, and a combination of utility, berries, and other items can all be run on the offensive juggernaut. Weakness berries like Colbur, Kasib, and Yache can all be pretty interesting too with a mix of Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and U-turn. Generally speaking, Dragapult is amazing for offensive role compression with its amazing speed and access to great utility and U-turn, it can reverse momentum extremely easily. Even when it's not outright sweeping, it's bringing other stronger Pokemon in so that they can effectively punch holes, of which Ghost has many, especially with the addition of Flutter Mane. Dragapult's flexibility is especially useful in the tournament scene where certain sets can be ran to prepare against expected archetypes due to the vast arsenal of flexibility it has.

Flutter Mane is by far the strongest wallbreaker in Monotype right now and is the main firepower of Ghost teams. I personally have found Choice Specs and Choice Scarf to be its two best sets; it doesn't have the bulk to pull off setup without screens support due to how physically frail it is but on the other hand it's just amazing at straight up nuking shit. Many Ghost teams can be built around winning Flutter Mane sack wars in combination with Mimikyu's Disguise due to just how strong it is. Choice Scarf is severely underrated and can easily pick off Pokemon late game after the opposing team has been racked up through Spikes damage.

Mimikyu has been doing what it has always done best: serve as a soft check for any offensive Pokemon in the tier- a role that is extremely useful for an offensive type that lacks defensive synergy such as Ghost. Aside from the traditional Swords Dance set, it can run other sets like Choice Scarf that is particularly interesting for spreading Thunder Wave and crippling Clodsire. Together with Flutter Mane and Dragapult, Mimikyu completes Ghost's offensive core with its defensive presence while the former punches holes and the latter compresses offensive roles.

Brambleghast is an excellent addition to Ghost in a metagame full of Spikes offense. Ghost is notoriously infamous for being hazards weak, with hazard control being a role that Pokemon like Mega Sableye and Dhelmise would fulfill in previous generations. A Grass typing is also great in a metagame where Ground is at its prime, which nobody on the type really likes switching into Power Whip. Spikes + Rapid Spin + Power Whip + Filler is a pretty decent set, with the filler being either Strength Sap or Shadow Sneak. Without Brambleghast Ghost's offensive powerhouses would easily falter against hazards, making the type much more vulnerable to losing to the main archetype of the generation. Spikes also gives Ghost a way to break through fat types like Ground and Poison.
A Rank

Gholdengo is a unique breaker with a nice typing and ability. Good as Gold is a nice ability for deflecting Grimmsnarl's Parting Shot in particular, making the Pokemon very useful against Dark. It can run sets like Nasty Plot, Air Balloon, Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, and others, but my favorite set by far is Substitute + 3 attacks with Metronome that allows it to break fatter types and take advantage Kingambit and Klefki in those respective matchups. Both Dark and Fairy are pretty good right now so Gholdengo thrives, and Colbur Berry can be interesting for Chien Pao as well.

Gengar has struggled to find a place on Ghost more than previous generations, but at the end of the day it's still Gengar. It's got decent offensive stats with a good movepool, and similar to Dragapult it can run many sets depending on what you'd like it to do. Ranging from Choice Scarf, Choice Specs, to even Substitute or Brick Break sets, the poison shadow Pokemon is still good in SV Monotype. Brick Break is surprisingly decent in a tier that is so centered around screens.


Spiritomb and Palossand form Ghost's defensive backbone. I personally feel like you need one of these Pokemon on each Ghost team that isn't strictly hyper offense, just so you don't instantly lose to some random Choice Scarf user like Iron Treads. Spiritomb is a Pokemon that hasn't really been seen before in Monotype, but it's surprisingly decent as it provides the team with a Ghost neutrality for the mirror matchup as well as a Dark neutrality to take on Pokemon like Ting-Lu and Krookodile. Palossand's main niche is Stealth Rock, but it's more prone to losing to Dark-type Pokemon, leaving Mimikyu and Flutter Mane to check them.
B Rank

Ceruledge looks cool as shit but is fairly one dimensional compared to the other Pokemon Ghost has to offer. The role it fills has a lot of overlap compared to other Pokemon like Flutter Mane, Mimikyu and Dragapult. Most of the time when I put this Pokemon on a team I think about how much swag it gives the team due to its sick design rather than the fact that it actually is useful. However, I've tried Colbur Berry with Swords Dance + Bitter Blade + Brick Break + Shadow Sneak and it's not entirely bad.

Skeledirge is nice for Unaware to check Pokemon like Volcarona and Mimikyu. However, it can be hard to fit on an offensive type like Ghost because it's just not that great as an anchor. Other defensive staples like Spiritomb and Palossand are more useful than it because they can check Pokemon like Iron Treads and Garchomp. Skeledirge is left with an awkward equilibrium between being purely offensive and defensive, but something with Torch Song doesn't sound bad on paper.
C Rank




Froslass, Polteageist, Rotom, Sableye are all Pokemon found on hyper offense teams. Froslass, Rotom, and Sableye set hazards and screens respectively, while Polteageist is a nice sweeper that's capable of dealing with types like Ground. However, the low ranking is because I don't feel like hyper offense is as good as bulky offense due to the playstyle being so frail and prone to hazards.
D Rank

Drifblim is okay for Defog, but otherwise it sucks.
Here are some nice templates for Ghost teams that I've been exploring/planning on exploring.
1. Bulky Offense







The 4 S ranked Pokemon in Dragapult + Flutter Mane, Mimikyu, and Brambleghast pretty much provide a solid foundation to take on any type in the metagame. Brambleghast in particular is very nice for holding ground for the team with its hazard manipulation, but it's not bulky enough to provide a solid defensive foundation by itself which is why Palossand or Spiritomb are needed. The last slot can go to offensive Pokemon like Gholdengo, Gengar, Ceruledge, or Skeledirge. This structure should have a good chance of winning against anything, with the main flexibility being in Dragapult's set, Flutter Mane's item, as well as the last slot. Gholdengo is probably the best bet for the last slot thanks to its splashability in terms of covering matchups.
2. Spikes Hyper Offense






I have not tried out Spikes hyper offense yet, but it seems cool on paper due to Ghost's unique hazard stacking ability. Gholdengo would probably be Air Balloon on this team, with Choice Scarf Memento Flutter Mane or Choice Scarf Destiny Bond Mimikyu with status. Dragapult would probably be Dragon Dance with Metronome or Life Orb with the last slot being depending on what you would like to cover. Sableye seems shaky though and would probably fit better on Brambleghast teams for more defensive backboning as a screens setter.
3. Screens Offense




Screens hyper offense seems interesting but I haven't tried it yet either. I feel like Brambleghast would be great on this type of team though, since it offers Spikes which are pretty much mandatory in this metagame while using Sableye's screens to serve as an offensive presence when its fragility is blocked. The rest of the team should be fairly based on setup with maybe a Choice Scarf user somewhere. Ceruledge and Goldengo seem like good candidates for the last slot, with Poltegeist also being a decent option to really cteam Ground.
I haven't tried out the other types extensively; I mainly wanted to express my interest on Ghost as a tournament type since it's always been a personal favorite of mine. I'm happy it's still good this generation as it was last generation especially with Flutter Mane balancing out. It would be nice to hear other people's thoughts on what they have been trying out with Ghost and the tier in general.