Trick-or-Treat

[Loudo]

This move looks very interesting to me. Adding the Ghost type to one of your allies is a very interesting strategy.

Some interesting combinations include:

Normal/Ghost
Weak (2x): Dark.
Resists (0.5x): Bug, Poison.
Immune (0x): Fighting, Ghost, Normal.

Offensively Normal/Ghost has nearly perfect coverage (it's resisted only by Bisharp). Defensively, it has only one weakness and plenty of useful immunities.

Dark/Steel/Ghost
Weak (2x): Fire, Ground.
Resists (0.5x): Bug, Dragon, Flying, Grass, Ice, Rock, Steel.
Immune (0x): Fighting, Normal, Poison, Psychic.

Bisharp is 4x weak to Fighting, so it greatly appreciates Ghost's immunity to it. Its Dark typing also neutralizes the two new weaknesses provided by the Ghost type.


So far Gourgeist is the only Pokémon I know that can learn this move (but there's still hope someone will learn it as an Egg Move). Could Gourgeist be worth using for this?
Gourgeist can also learn Trick Room which is useful for the Pokémon mentioned above and Explosion which is useful to go out with a boom after Gourgeist's work is done (and since your ally is now a Ghost-type, it doesn't need to Protect itself).

Thoughts?

 

[Celever]

I'm pretty sure Trick-Or-Treat is a ghost-type version of Soak - it makes the target pure ghost type, not adding it.

 

[Silver Scrapes]

I'm pretty sure Trick-Or-Treat is a ghost-type version of Soak - it makes the target pure ghost type, not adding it.

Nope, it adds Ghost to the target.

 

[Nozzle]

Um sorry i don't think this is how it works. Ever heard of the move Soak? I think that is how it works. It just changes the types and doesn't add. Correct me if im wrong though.

Even if this works i don't think its enough of a reason to waste a teamslot for Gourgeist who doesn't really have any other traits in doubles that warrant use (it saddens me to say this as it is my fav mon to use in singles). A stab boost for some added weaknesses and immunities isnt worth a team slot imo.

Edit: It apparently works as the OP said.

 

[Silver Scrapes]

You could add Ghost to M-Lucario and allow him to abuse Adaptability Shadow Ball/Claw.

 

[Loudo]

You could add Ghost to M-Lucario and allow him to abuse Adaptability Shadow Ball/Claw.

That's another good idea, especially since the Fighting/Ghost combination is really unresisted.

However, I wonder if a Pokémon with better defenses and fewer weaknesses like Snorlax or Exploud isn't a better choice. After all, you're giving up a slot for Gourgeist, so you don't want to use a Pokémon that is going to die in one/two rounds.

 

[Nozzle]

That's another good idea, especially since the Fighting/Ghost combination is really unresisted.

However, I wonder if a Pokémon with better defenses and fewer weaknesses like Snorlax or Exploud isn't a better choice. After all, you're giving up a slot for Gourgeist, so you don't want to use a Pokémon that is going to die in one/two rounds.

Exploud is pretty frail and WILL die in 1 or 2 turns :/.
Snorlax doesn't but does he even have any ghost moves to take advantages of?
He has Shadow Ball and his SpAtk is quite horrible and on the physical side he has.... Lick...
I personally think it won't be worth it on anything but Mega-Lucario and even then it's only an average gimmick.
Not worth the teamslot imo.

 

[Loudo]

Well, I was assuming Trick Room conditions, since Gourgeist learns Trick Room. Exploud has a powerful spread move, Lucario doesn't. So before you calculate how many hits are required to take Exploud down, you have to assume the opponent is still alive to deliver them.
With Lucario, all it takes is for your opponent to Protect with the right Pokémon and you're screwed.

Unfortunately you're right about Snorlax, I didn't remember it couldn't learn any physical Ghost move but Lick. :S

 

[TGL-00]

With Snorlax, I think the best way to use it is to make use of acquiring a Fighting immunity whilst in TR to potentially evade two SE attacks to get the chance to set up with Curse or Belly Drum - the real problem is you have to bring 'Lax in on the TR, then spend another turn setting up ToT and making sure Gourgeist doesn't die or get taunted as you're spending 2 turns not attacking your opponent at all. As far as Exploud goes, Scrappy Boomburst is nice and all, but again, you're spending a lot of time setting up TR and Tot, but not actually attacking your opponent. I'm sure it will catch many people off guard though it seems far too high risk with not enough reward.

It's a pretty gimmicky strategy imo but if you have a team where many members can benefit from a fighting immunity or gaining ghost STAB without worrying about gaining a dark weakness e.g. Lucario, Hydreigon, T-tar etc, I suppose it's only one moveslot on one pokemon and gives Gourgeist a niche beyond being a slightly worse Trevenant with Fire Blast. Will-o-wisp, Leech Seed, Pain Split and STAB attacks all seem like better options. Amusingly, Gourgeist learns this move four times whilst levelling up so GF clearly want us to use it somehow! Could it work more offensively? Giving an opponent a Ghost/Dark weakness to force a switch, for example.

 

[UnboundChaotic]

I personally think it won't be worth it on anything but Mega-Lucario and even then it's only an average gimmick.
Not worth the teamslot imo.

I think you're forgetting a few things: (Granted, only one of which is available pre-bank)

Mega Kangaskhan, Regigigas, and Slaking.

Regigigas caught my eye, at least. With a sub up, you can stall out with confuse rays or t-waves, laughing off most dark attacks (especially Foul Play while waiting for Slow Start).

 

[Manwich4u]

With Snorlax, I think the best way to use it is to make use of acquiring a Fighting immunity whilst in TR to potentially evade two SE attacks to get the chance to set up with Curse or Belly Drum - the real problem is you have to bring 'Lax in on the TR, then spend another turn setting up ToT and making sure Gourgeist doesn't die or get taunted as you're spending 2 turns not attacking your opponent at all. As far as Exploud goes, Scrappy Boomburst is nice and all, but again, you're spending a lot of time setting up TR and Tot, but not actually attacking your opponent. I'm sure it will catch many people off guard though it seems far too high risk with not enough reward.

It's a pretty gimmicky strategy imo but if you have a team where many members can benefit from a fighting immunity or gaining ghost STAB without worrying about gaining a dark weakness e.g. Lucario, Hydreigon, T-tar etc, I suppose it's only one moveslot on one pokemon and gives Gourgeist a niche beyond being a slightly worse Trevenant with Fire Blast. Will-o-wisp, Leech Seed, Pain Split and STAB attacks all seem like better options. Amusingly, Gourgeist learns this move four times whilst levelling up so GF clearly want us to use it somehow! Could it work more offensively? Giving an opponent a Ghost/Dark weakness to force a switch, for example.

Giving Snorlax Ghost will make curse not do what u want it to. might not be bad though

 

[Baldafor]

If I were going to try and use Trick-or-Treat, I would try and use it offensively. Trick-or-Treat an opponent before a Ghost/Dark move hits and double your damage without the risks of Swagger, Screech or Sword's Dance. It can also be used on a team mate before you use Explosion to save them, but obviously an opponent would likely double-protect that next turn, which is so predictable you might not explode at all. Good mind games to be had.

 

[BlankZero]

You could Trick or Treat an enemy on a turn, then threaten it with Aegislash's Priority.

 

[LordRandomness]

On a Trick Room team (or with a smaller, faster Gourgeist), the immediate thing that comes to mind is using Trick-or-Treat to cause an opposing attack in that turn to fail (for instance, if you predict Focus Blast against your Tyranitar you can Trick-or-Treat it to nullify the opposing hit). This can in particular cause what your opponent thought was a counter or check to end up being completely useless against your threat.

EDIT: There's also the whole "build your own Spiritomb" thing. Even if it is weak to Fairy nowadays, a Ghost/Dark Umbreon is still gonna be a pain in the butt to take down.

 

[cxinlee]

Apparently trick-o-treat adds ghost to your type

But ps doesn't acknowledge it and just changes your type to pure ghost

First off Trick or Treat is so prone to Taunt, Follow Me, and Rage Powder which are really common.

Trick or Treat is also quite predictable.

And heck, giving your teammate a Ghost type isn’t going to turn your Snorlax into some unbreakable wall or powerful sweeper.

Using it defensively is like using Gastro Acid Serperior with Slaking or Beat up Dugtrio with Terrakion imo.

Not so sure about it offensively. Why hit for se effective damage (Assuming it doesn’t have resistances) when you can theoretically do the same amount of damage with another attacking teammate (which seems like a more flexible option since you can attack the other opponent)?

And switching is actually a thing.

The only damn reason I can see Tot being used is too screw up Aron, which otherwise is a fucking beast.
Edit: oh cool

 

[Arcticblast]

But ps doesn't acknowledge it and just changes your type to pure ghost

iirc this was very recently fixed.

 

[Expulso]

If used on a pure-Dark type (Absol, for example), it has no weaknesses.

 

[youngjake93]

If used on a pure-Dark type (Absol, for example), it has no weaknesses.

Fairy says hi?

 

[Expulso]

Derp. Thought since Spiritomb (Dark/Ghost) in DPP had none, that'd have none too.

Well, 1 weakness is still impressive, but is it worth that turn?

 

[BlankZero]

Derp. Thought since Spiritomb (Dark/Ghost) in DPP had none, that'd have none too.

Well, 1 weakness is still impressive, but is it worth that turn?

Mach Punch can't say hi anymore...

 

[LordRandomness]

Apparently trick-o-treat adds ghost to your type

But ps doesn't acknowledge it and just changes your type to pure ghost

First off Trick or Treat is so prone to Taunt, Follow Me, and Rage Powder which are really common.

Trick or Treat is also quite predictable.

And heck, giving your teammate a Ghost type isn’t going to turn your Snorlax into some unbreakable wall or powerful sweeper.

Using it defensively is like using Gastro Acid Serperior with Slaking or Beat up Dugtrio with Terrakion imo.

Not so sure about it offensively. Why hit for se effective damage (Assuming it doesn’t have resistances) when you can theoretically do the same amount of damage with another attacking teammate (which seems like a more flexible option since you can attack the other opponent)?

And switching is actually a thing.

The only damn reason I can see Tot being used is too screw up Aron, which otherwise is a fucking beast.
Edit: oh cool

With regards to Follow Me/Rage Powder, if you're using it on a Dark-type it's entirely possible to hedge your bets by using a Dark-type STAB attack on the suspected FM/RP user. This does require that you're not dodging an OHKO though, which is a pity.

 

[980ben]

Using trick-or-treat of mega-t-tar words wonders for its defense and using on an opponent is great for t-tars STAB crunch.

 

[FearTheTree]

If I were to use it, I would slap a Trick or Treat on a Zangoose, with Return, Shadow Claw, Brick Break, and another move of choice. This can make a super-effective Fighting move non-effective, and now that Goose is only weak to Dark, he can fire back with a super-effective (and screen-breaking) Brick Break, or a newly-found STAB Shadow Claw.
Trick or Treat's sister move, Forest's Curse, is identical, just swapping out the Ghost type with the Grass type. Lead with a MegaZardY, get drought to proc your Harvest Trevenant's Sitrus berry over and over, and Spam Forest's Curse and Heat Wave until everything dies. ForestWave strategy creds to WiFi battler Felipe.

 

[MalamarIsTheNewMagmar]

Here's an Idea... If used on Tyranitar, He would lose the X4 to fighting type. That's worth a mention.

 

[Agonist]

Here's an Idea... If used on Tyranitar, He would lose the X4 to fighting type. That's worth a mention.

And it loses its resistance to Ghost and Dark.