Community POTW #95

[Ilan]

In the ever-growing non-Smogon battle circuit, Magical Leaf is a viable move. Our Pokémon of the Weeks aren't based on Smogon tiers, we cover everything, including VGC where evasion editing things are not banned

Isn't celebi banned in VGCs?

[jesusfreak94]

Espeon and xatu are both 0HKOed by gengar.. a timid espeon only speed ties with gengar so 50/50 chance to beat when facing 1 vs. 1 (none can switch into the other though) what does psychic hits? why not use subtitute instead?

I wonder if blue harvest really wrote celebis' POTW there were some off points.. magical leaf? why not tackle then really.. just no.

Lol, Magical Leaf is kinda worth it when you're not playing with Evasion Clause and you've got to deal with random Double Team and Minimize spam. The way I see it, the POTW should be based on the competitive metagame but should be able to extend into more casual play as well. Maybe it's not a prime move, but the Other Options mention that it got is fine.

I might come back and talk about Gengar more later, but let me just say that SubDisable is deadly, and you'd be surprised at just how many teams are weak to it.

[YourPermanentRecord631]

Isn't celebi banned in VGCs?

Yes, along with the other legendaries and Chatot I believe.

[Blue Harvest]

In the ever-growing non-Smogon battle circuit, Magical Leaf is a viable move. Our Pokémon of the Weeks aren't based on Smogon tiers, we cover everything, including VGC where evasion editing things are not banned

Magical Leaf is not viable on any Celebi, anywhere. The only time Magical Leaf is almost usable is on Technician Roserade.


Regardless this thread is for Gengar. Focus on its sets.

[SwordsDanceStruggle]

Gengar @ Black Sludge / Life Orb
252 SpAtk 252 Speed 4 HP
Timid
Shadow Ball
Focus Miss
Protect
Hidden Power Fire/Destiny Bond
This set plays defensively, like the Substitute variants, but it does very different things. Worried about (choiced) Scizor and his Bullet Punch - Pursuit conundrum? Just protect and act accordingly the next turn. This set is gaining in popularity, and is honestly really annoying. The last slot is wide open. HP Fire is of course for Scizor. This is the best set for Gengar to run DB on because Protect lets you hide your move until you are sure you can use it. Many other HPs are usable, along with maybe Giga Drain and Disable, if you like.

[Phoenix_85x]

A SubDisable Gengar is my favorite set (btw, gengar is my favorite pokemon, so i am looking forward to the article).

Gengar@Leftovers/Black sludge
Timid nature
252 SpAtk, 252 Spe.
-Substitute
-Disable
-Shadow ball
-Focus blast/Hidden power [fire]

It is simple, substitute to scout and disable the next attack.
This thing beats all choiced pokemons (as long as they are slower or if Gengar already has a sub up).
It also stops stuff like volcarona (lol at bug buzz), conkeldurr, toxicroak and even non-choiced terrakion (stone miss is so awesome).
Be careful though, as some pokemons might time in their priority attacks on the same turn as you disable, effectively tricking you into disabling something like mach punch.
Substitute and disable are obvious moves.
Shadow ball hits hard and is for STAB.
HP fire can be used instead of focus blast/miss. It can beat scizor one-on-one but leaves you helpless against some pokemons (tyranitar, heatran and i don't need to mention the pink blobs).
This gengar forces lots of switches, so hazard support can be useful.

Gengar isn't a very good in double or triple battles. If you want a good ghost, use stuff like jellicent, chandelure or even dusclops.
If you want a levitating poison type, for whatever odd reason you have, then just give toxicroak a balloon (and some rain support).

[2406Blackbird]

Gengar was an awesome looking pokemon, due to my noobish friends (who had Ruby and Emerald) not getting the National Dex, I was forced to wait until 4th gen, which introduced the GTS, where I acquired my first Gengar! I overused that powerful mofo, and used it to defeat the post-game-ending Lucian without taking a single scratch! Gengar FTW! Just look out for those annoying mold breaking EQers though...

No GENius or GARchomp can defeat me!
Leftovers
Timid
252 Speed 252Spec Def 4HP?
-Disable
-Substitute/Protect
-Destiny Bond/Perish Song
-Shadow Ball

It's a classic protect/substitute first turn in order to scout, then with your amazing speed use disable. Lefties so you can eventually put up more subs, destiny bond if you want to take the opponent down with you, Perish song in order to force switch, and shadow ball to let them know that taunt means absolutely nothing if you they have **** defenses.

Gaspar the Mean Ghost
Leftovers
Timid/Calm
252 Speed and split between Def., Spec. Def and/or HP
-Mean Look
-Toxic
-Perish Song/Protect
-Shadow Ball/Destiny Bond/Substitute/filler move

Another stalling set. After Mean Look, toxic stall them, and set up subs to prevent getting hit. Switch between Protect and Subs for extra stalling. Toxic too slow? Well just perish song them, and switch out before the final turn. Shadow ball to prevent you from being taunt bait, destiny bond for u know wut, or just some other move.

5th Gen-gar abusers
Life Orb/Specs/Scarf
Modest/Timid
(This is a noob set, noobs don't use EVS you silly goose!)
-Shadow Ball
-Sludge Bomb
-Focus Blast
-Energy Ball/Dark Pulse/Psychic/T-bolt/Physical move

If you've somehow acquired a Gengar while playing in-game, you must have used a set similar to this one. Absolutely wrecks through anything that is weak to its moves!

Trouble Sleeping?
Leftovers
Timid
252 Speed 252Spe 4HP?
-Hypnosis
-Dream Eater
-Hex
-Nightmare

Gengar can become a look a-like Darkrai, putting foes to sleep then tormenting them like hell.

Keep in mind that all these are slightly or fully gimmicky sets
-Shadow Ball

[KingTorterraXIV]

Misdreavus > Gastly

That is all

[gandaf]

Gengar:

-Shadowball
-Focus Blast
-Icy Wind
-Counter
-Foucus Band

Great for surprsing Physical Attacker (counter) and makes a good lead. Icy Wind slows down speedy pokemon, ShadowBall STAB, and Focus Balst for normal/steel. Ev in speed and special attack for best results

[grantholomew]

Thank Arceus, Gengar is and always has been my favorite Pokemon. I always use him and he almost always guarantees KO's.

Let's Put a Smile on That Face
Gengar w/ Focus Sash
Levitate
252 SAtk/252 Spd/4 HP
Timid (+Spd, -Atk)
-Shadow Ball
-Focus Blast
-Thunderbolt
-Destiny Bond
Focus Sash and Destiny Bond work like a charm with Gengar. Let's hope a better Special Fighting move will be released in 6th Gen...
Guys don't ruin Gengar's week with posts that just come up with puns...

[Ilan]

Gengar:

-Shadowball
-Focus Blast
-Icy Wind
-Counter
-Foucus Band

Great for surprsing Physical Attacker (counter) and makes a good lead. Icy Wind slows down speedy pokemon, ShadowBall STAB, and Focus Balst for normal/steel. Ev in speed and special attack for best results

Haunter is still great in NU.

@Choice Scarf
252 sp.attack, 252 speed, 4 HP
Timid/Modest
Levitate
-Shadow Ball
-Sludge Bomb
-HP ground/fighting
-Trick/Thunderbolt

This set is similar to the gengar set but here haunter outspeed the entire unboosted tier nothing to explain really.

Hunter can run a sub disable in NU with HP fighting or Sludge bomb instead of focus blast cause Hunter sadly doesn't learn focus miss.

Also Black Sludge>Leftovers Jesus freak already explained it once you want to hurt rotom-S (in NU) not give him leftovers and you are quicker than it anyway so.. it also loses a turn to give it back.

[Zachmac]

Gengar:

-Shadowball
-Focus Blast
-Icy Wind
-Counter
-Foucus Band

Great for surprsing Physical Attacker (counter) and makes a good lead. Icy Wind slows down speedy pokemon, ShadowBall STAB, and Focus Balst for normal/steel. Ev in speed and special attack for best results

Meh, a bit of a gimmick, but I guess Counter is worth mentioning under other options with focus sash. Then it could make a decent lead and hopefully get rid of a Scizor early in the battle.

Focus Band only has a 10% chance to activate, though. I really oppose to use that.

[StreetFlare]

Ok, I consulted with my Ghost-expert friend, and here's his set. I've made a few alterations, because he had Flame Orb and Trick as options, mostly because he doesn't run Trick on anything and forgot about the lack of Klutz.

The Brin-Gengar of Peace!
Gengar w/Black Sludge
EVs - 20 hp/ 252 Satk/ 36 spd
OR
220 hp/ 36 S Atk/ 252 spd
-Toxic/Will-o-wisp
-Venoshock/Sludge Bomb
-Shadow Ball/Ominous Wind
-Clear Smog/Focus Blast

Set premise is simple enough, make the most of Gengar's impressive speed to set up your status of choice. After that, it gets a little gimmicky. Venoshock and Toxic are the biggest status-gimmick around, and give reasonable coverage if you poison a wall not named Blissey. Sludge Bomb works better with WoW, and racks up massive damage. Again, the gimmick of the two is Ominous Wind, with the low-chance for an overall boost. Shadow Ball is the more likely move here, and again, gives decent coverage. Finally, your choice of either Focus Miss, for coverage, or Clear Smog to ruin a baton chain. Not that it's the best strategy, most players would likely attack Gengar in the middle of their chain, rather than go for another Shell Smash/Agility/Nasty Plot/Swords Dance/etc.

Be VERY careful of Mold Breaker EQ. Haxorus, Excadrill, any Mold Breaker abuser can potentially feast on Gengar with ground moves.

[Rayofquazar]

Gengar's family line concludes my top 3 favorite ghost types of all times: Gengar being #3, Gastly #2 and haunter #1 and for me the best ghost type since gen 1. Despite their secondary poison typing, rendering them weak to psychic type attacks, it gives a key resistance to grass types that other ghosts don't have. It's ability levitate, saves these pokemon from another common weakness to the ever present ground type attacks turning it into an immunity! This pokemon stats are very odd! So high in Sp ATT and SPEED but rather average to low in every other aspect, meaning that using gengar in some kind of manner other than a special sweeper will be a loss in it's true potential! Gengar's movepool is full of powerful special attacks, but also is full of fun and frustrating attacks such as disable, will-O-wisp and substitute. Gengar is one of few pokemon that can successfully use destiny bond to bring down a healthy pokemon with it!

A possible set for gengar
Gengar@Leftovers/ Choice scarf/specs
Ability levitate
Evs: 252 Sp ATT/ 252 Spd/ 4 HP
Nature +Sp ATT/ - ATT
Moveset:
-Shadow ball
-Sludge bomb
-Focus blast
-Substitute/ will-O-wisp/ pain split/ Thunderbolt/ Giga drain.

A standard sweeping set for the coiced gengar. Shadow ball and sludge bomb provide some decently strong stab attacks while focus blast rounds out the coverage by hitting dark and steel types hard! Thunderbolt is strong and hits flying types and especially bulky water types but giga drain can recover some needed HP! Substitute, and pain split on the other hand can allow you to last longer on the battlefield while will-O-wisp can cripple a physical attacker coming out to get rid of you!

[tomjames1966]

Blood Sucker
Giga Drain
Toxic
Substitute
Disable
@Black Sludge
252 HP/100 Sp.Atk/156 Spd

Genger is speedy, so he should be able to get a Sub up, After that just toxic, then disable and Giga Drain to heal up.

Counters: Steels, but the won't like Disable so hopefully you can force a switch. When faced with Scizor, try to Disable Bullet Punch (can't go to see if you will survive as the Damage calculator is down) and just switch out (or just try to stall and heal (slightly) with Giga Drain

[Ghosts of the Forums]

.................

that is a horrible set.



i know this is just to toss ideas around and talk about the pokemon, but that's just bad.

[Chess Zoroark]

Perish song:
Item: Choice Scarf.
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 speed. Spread the rest out as you like, it just has to be fast.
Nature: Timid (+speed, -attack)
Attacks: Perish Song
Mean Look
Poison Jab
Shadow Claw

Maxmize on speed.
Get in, get out. Not for Double/Triple battles

[KingTorterraXIV]

why would you give it physical moves, when Gengar's Base Special Attack is much higher?

And don't use Mean Look. Locking yourself into Mean Look is just...bad

[Eliteknight]

Suicide/Icywind Lead
Gengar (F) @ Focus Sash
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Icy Wind
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Destiny Bond

A very effective lead gengar. It is a huge pain for dragons to deal with expecting they can easily take down gengar first turn using icy wind second Koing with shadow ball and should you feel your unable to defeat the opposing mon just use destiny bond and take out the opposing mon

Sub Disable
Gengar (M) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

A very effective set but i can explain it as well as smogon:
    Spoiler:- Smogon:

Show Spoiler

 
This is one of Gengar's deadliest sets to use with the proper timing. With Disable being upgraded to perfect accuracy in Black and White, Gengar can take advantage of this to great effect with its useful immunities combined with Substitute. The simple premise of this set is to hide behind a Substitute to overcome Pursuit users, avoid paralysis, and to make Disable easier to pull off. Common walls such as Ferrothorn and Blissey, who rely on one attacking move to deal with Gengar, find themselves in a very tight position after their move has been Disabled. Even sweepers that use two coverage moves find themselves in very tight situations; prime examples include Substitute Landorus, Conkeldurr without Stone Edge, and Gliscor. Gengar's great neutral coverage lets it batter many Pokemon for high damage, making it difficult to wall.
 

Sub-Painsplit
Gengar@life orb
Gengar (M) @ Black Sludge
Trait: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spd
Timid Nature (+Spd, -Atk)
- Substitute
- Pain split
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

I have never personally tried this set but i have battled it and it was a small annoyance
    Spoiler:- Smogon:

Show Spoiler

 
The Pain Split set is akin to the Disable set, but the approach to this set is much more offensive. Pain Split acts like a third attacking move capable of muscling through typical counters with massive HP stats such as Blissey, Chansey, and Snorlax. Furthermore, Pain Split works perfectly in conjunction with Substitute and Life Orb, and even benefits from the residual damage from sandstorm and hail. The closer Gengar's health bar gets to zero, the more HP Gengar can suck away from its opponents. Gengar's coverage is impressive, and it can act as a fail-safe sweeper at any given time even with the absence of an extra coverage move.
 

[Blue Harvest]

.................

that is a horrible set.



i know this is just to toss ideas around and talk about the pokemon, but that's just bad.

I know how to play this game, you don't need to waste time insulting others because they are new. I assure you, any POTW I write will not include any nonviable sets. People can post any set they want here.

[Zachmac]

...And if you tell someone that their set sucks, that doesn't mean you can't attempt to be polite about it. At least explain why it's bad....

And don't use Mean Look. Locking yourself into Mean Look is just...bad

Mean look has no effect on the user, just the enemy.

I can tell that the set is an attempt to try and make sure your opponent can't swap out of Perish Song, and have the Gengar swap out at the last moment, but sadly, Gengar is too frail for the job.

[Kraleck]

Counters
Faster Pokemon with access to Psychic, Ghost, or Dark Type Moves (there are many) or Mold Breaker and Ground Type Moves (Haxorus after a Dragon Dance or two) will wreck Gengar due to its frail defenses. Walling Gengar comes down to three things - Resistance or Immunity to Ghost Type Moves, High HP, and Good Sp.Def. Chans-Eviolite, Snorlax, and Blissey are prime examples, plus Snorlax has access to Crunch and Zen Headbutt. During a Sand- or Hailstorm, Mandi-Overcoat can do some stalling against a Burned or Leech Seeded Gengar unless it's flinging Toxic at you. Excadrill has bulk and Steel Type to deal with both of Gengar's STABs and can easily take it down with Shadow Claw, but, without Sand Rush active, it's not doing so unscathed. If Paralyzed, Gengar has issues with Togekiss, too.

[philzone]

Mean look has no effect on the user, just the enemy.

What she ment was, if you looked at the set, the item was a choice scarf, meaning then you would be locked into mean look, so would have to switch, and would then be a waste of time, as the mean look wouldn't stay.

[Patri25]

Gaspar, the red eyes in the Darkness
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Modest
Item: Balck Sludge
Ev´s: 252Att./252 Speed/4Hp
Moves:
~Shadow Ball
~Thunder Bolt
~Substitute/Pain Split
~Focus Blast
This is a very good special sweeper and with the Black Sludge he recorver the HP that we spent on the subtitute. Shadow ball is a move for STAB. Substitute is for move resistence and enduring hits. Focus Blast is a powerful move that cover some weakness like dark type. Thunderbolt is a move for more coverage.

[ninijatt]

Okay, let's see. I'll try my hand at this one.
Gengar, The Shadow Pokemon
Gengar is great! He has a great special attack and speed. He can take a light damage though, overall, he is frail. Shadow Clefable hasn't moved from his place in OU and for a good reason. He's good.

YOU'RE NOT ME!
Nature:Timid
Ability:Levitate
Evs:252 Sattk 252 Spd 4 HP
Item:Life orb/Black Sludge
Moves:
Hypnosis
Dream Eater/Mean Look
Nightmare
Hex

First off, that item. You could go for Black Sludge but, you've got a healing move. Life Orb can do more damage and Dream Eater keeps your HP from going too low.If you use Mean look go Black sludge, Life orb for Dream Eater. This set is revolves around sleep. Hyponosis sadly, to my knowledge, is Gengar's only sleeping move. 60 Accuracy is risky but, you can't have a sleep set without sleep. Once alseep, you can apply Nightmare for a nice DoT. Dream Eater or Mean Look. Once, you put your enemy to sleep, there's a good chance that they'll switch out. Mean Look stops that from happening. With Dream Eater however, you can do some nice damage, get some yummy healing and rest easy using life orb. Hex can do quite a bit of damage though, don't even think about using it while your enemy is awake.

Counters
Dark types. Steel types. Psyshock Alakazam. Insomnia. Etc. Etc.