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01/15/25, 12:01

Gengar Analysis

#093

Haunter

Pokédex Strategy Moves Database

Onix

#095

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This article gives you ideas of how to use Gengar in battle in the Pokémon Black, Pokémon White and Pokemon B2W2 Games. It lists popular movesets used by competitive battlers, as well as a description on how to use each set to help you understand why the moves were chosen. These popular sets are usually the best to use in battle and so reading this guide will help you in your team building.

Gen 5: Overview

Gengar, Starmie and Zapdos (poor Snorlax left this gen). The three pokemon that have survived the nick of time and have been on the OU tier for the five generations and for a good reason. Gengar didn´t really gain anything gigantic this gen. he good news that Disable is now 100% accurate, which is incredibly effective. Abilitywise, Gengar still has his awesome and trustworthy Levitate ability. As you can see from his stats, Gengar is a frail sweeper with amazing 130 Special Attack and some amazing 110 Speed (being one of the fastest non-scarfed pokemon on the tier). Sadly, its fraility stops him from taking a lot of hits. It basically will get 2HKOed or OHKOed by everything. Keep in mind that Gengar has a whooping 3 immunities so you can switch in on two of the most common STAB´s (fighting and ground) of the whole OU metagame.

Substitute

Disable

Shadow Ball

Focus Blast


Ability	Nature	Item	HP	Atk.	Def.	SpAtk.	SpDef.	Speed
Levitate	Timid	leftovers	4	0	0	252	0	252
There are no current set statistics analysed

Since Disable has gotten some more accuracy (100% accuracy) this gen, why not a sub-disable set? Basically, you first use Substitute to scout on what move the opponent is going to use/what pokemon the opponent will switch out to. Then you use Disable to stop the opponent from using that move (if the opponent swithed out, then use an attacking move and then use disable). Normally, thanks to Gengar´s incredible defensive typing, the opponent will only have one move to attack Gengar neutrally, so if you diable that certain move, your opponent can´t do anyhting and is forced to switch out. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast get perfect coverage and are the best attacking moves that Gengar has to offer. Shadow Ball is your main STAB move and hits opposing Gengar, Latios, Jellicent, Reuniclus and Starmie sper effecitvely, plus hitting a lot of pokemon for a lot of damage, thanks to Gengar´s incredible 130 Special Attack. Focus Blast hits the very important Ferrothorn and Tyranitar, Excadrill, Heatran, Blissey and Lucario. As for the item, you want to use Leftovers, since you are already losing HP from Substitute, so that you can recover it up. The EV´s are simple: You want max Special Attack and Speed so you can outspeed threats and to do as much damage as possible. You use a Timid nature to outspeed therats like Infernape, Terrakion ar Zoroark and to not get outsped by the pokemon that I just said plus opossing Gengar, Latios or Latias.

Substitute

Pain Split

Shadow Ball

Focus Blast


Ability	Nature	Item	HP	Atk.	Def.	SpAtk.	SpDef.	Speed
Levitate	Timid	life orb	4	0	0	252	0	252
There are no current set statistics analysed

This set is supposed to bring Pokemon down using the move Pain Split. Pain Split basically shares the HP that you and your opponent have. Since you are going to take damage from Substitute and Life Orb anyway, chances are that you are goint to recover some HP while the opponent loses HP. This strategy works incredibly well, and is especialy useful on walls like Blissey. Life Orb and Substitute should be used since, the whole objective of this set is to lose HP to then recover it back. EV and Nature wise, you have the same situation as the previous set. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast get amazing neutral coverage and hit a lot of threats for super-effective damage.

Shadow Ball

Focus Blast

Thunderbolt

Hidden Power Fire / Hidden Power Ice


Ability	Nature	Item	HP	Atk.	Def.	SpAtk.	SpDef.	Speed
Levitate	Timid	life orb / choice scarf	4	0	0	252	0	252
There are no current set statistics analysed

Unlike the previous sets, this set has no gimmick. It is just all-out attacking. Item wise, you want to use Life Orb so that you can do more damage (30% more). You can also use Choice Scarf so that Gengar can outspeed nearly the whole metagame (mainly Latios, Thundurus, Choice Scarf Heatran, Tyranitar and Garchomp and Volcarona, Dragonite and Salamence with a Dragon Dace boost) plus acting as an incredible revenge killer. The EV´s and Nature are the same deal as the previous sets. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast get amazing neutral coverage and hit super-effectively the Pokemon that I mentioned on the first set. Now, since you don´t have any gimmick, the last two slots can be filled fith numerous attacking options: For the third slot, you can use Thunderbolt, which hits Gyarados, Jellicent, Vaporeon and Politoed super-effectively. For the last slot, you can either use Hidden Power Fire or Ice. Hidden Power Fire hits Ferrothorn, Scizor, Excadrill, Skarmory, Metagross and Foretress. Hidden Power Ice Hits Gliscor, Garchomp, Landorus, Hippowdon, Hidregion and Salamence.

Team Mates

Excadrill and Scizor are great teammates to Gengar; they cover Gengar´s weaknesses and they both counter Blissey and Tyranitar (Excadrill also counters Tentacruel, Heatran and opposing Excadrill (again, speed tie) plus doing a lot of damage to everything else while Scizor counters Latios, Reniclus, Starmie and again, doing a lot of damage to everything else at the risk of not changing moves). Ferrothorn is another great partner to Gengar. Ferrothorn resists Gengar´s weaknesses, he can wall a lot of things and can counter Tyrantar, Scizor, Blissey, Dragonite and sometimes Garchomp. Just any good physical sweeper/wall that can cover at least one weakness and counter have or more of Gengar´s counters is a good teammate.

Other Options

Sludge Bomb: For Breloom and Whimscott/Erufunn.

Thunder: Power over Accuracy, use it on a rain team.

Hypnosis: This is a good status aliment, but it isn´t particularly accurate and the sleep clause can hinder how many are asleep.

Expert Belt: This is an alternative to Life Orb without recoil but remember, it has to be a super-effective move and it will do 10% less.

Choice Specs: If you want to do more damage but you don´t have the liberty of changing moves.

Protect: This is similar to Disable with priority but you can only use it one turn, then in the next turn you can´t use it.

Psychic: To hit Conkeldurr harder.

Usual Counters

Blissey, Tentacruel and Vaporeon can take Gengar´s hits all day with their amazing special bulk. Take note that on the Pain Split set, you can take down Blissey with the combination of Pain Split and Substitute. Scarf Tyranitar is a huge problem since it can outspeed Gengar and OHKO it with Pursuit. Scizor can be a giant problem if you don´t have Hidden Power Fire. It can either Bullet Punch to get priority and get an approximate 50% chance of OHKOing or it can use Pursuit to OHKO but not having the priority (letting you OHKO). Starmie can outspeed and OHKO with Hydro Pump. Same is said for Excadrill, Scarf Heatran, Kingdra, Latios and opposing Gengar (if they win the speed tie). Garchomp and Dragonite are pretty big threats if you don´t have Hidden Power Ice. Finally, Reniclus can OHKO Gengar if it has a Calm Mind boost.

Opinion

Gengar is an amazing Pokemon and totally deserves its #6 spot on PO. With amazing movepool and great offensive stats, Gengar is a welcome edition to any team and can totally do a lot of damage.

Credit to Bulbapedia for info.

Credit to Smogon for some ideas.

Credit to Eos, Eevee, MikeDecIsHere, Dimes, Steel Dragons and Ciele for edits.

-Lapras6666

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