Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon. To steal the life of its target, it slips into the prey's shadow and silently waits for an opportunity. Hiding in people's shadows at night, it absorbs their heat. The chill it causes makes the victims shake.
Overview
The Original Ghost Pokémon, Gengar’s ghost story is a long one. Its fantastic Special Attack and wide offensive coverage make Gengar a terrifying attacker, especially with the fantastic Ghost STAB that few Pokémon can resist. That is not the end of Gengar’s movepool, for it also possesses a huge bevy of tricks apropos for a ghost, crippling would be checks like Kingambit, Crawdaunt, Overqwil, and Mimikyu with Will-O-Wisp, stymying setup sweepers with Haze, and toppling tanks like Deoxys Defense, Forretress, and Blissey with Taunt or Trick. Gengar’s bag of tricks keeps getting bigger too, receiving Encore in the generational shift alongside the new Psychic Noise, making Gengar even more unpredictable. All of this is backed up by a fantastic base 110 Speed, getting the jump on every defensive Pokémon and even many offensive ones.
However, Gengar’s ghastly tale has long since run its course. Generational speed creep has left base 110 Speed less impressive than ever, with numerous threats like Dragapult, Greninja, Meowscarada, Roaring Moon, and Weavile all easily outstripping Gengar. Which leads to Gengar’s second problem, its non-existent bulk. While Ghost Poison does provide two valuable immunities, Gengar is so frail that it faces getting exorcised by any neutral attacker, let alone STAB super effective attackers. Gengar has barely any defensive utility and thanks to the loss of Levitate, it is ravaged by non-Toxic Spikes entry hazards. Fierce competition from Dragapult and Gholdengo hurts, especially in a generation so saturated with Dark types that either outspeed Gengar or can tank Dazzling Gleam without any issue. Gengar’s long history commands respect, especially when so many of its peers fell to the wayside before it, but like all Ghosts, Gengar too is a relic of the past.
Positives
Base 130 Special Attack is fantastic, with the amazing Ghost STAB backed by both Dazzling Gleam for Dark types and Nasty Plot turns Gengar into a Special Sweeper par Excellence.
Fantastic disruptive movepool, giving Gengar a move for just about every opponent imaginable
Great Base 110 Speed enabling Gengar to provide a lot of pressure by eliminating or disabling an opponent before they can act.
Negatives
60/60/75 defenses are horrid, giving Gengar next to no defensive utility and have it struggle to switch in safely.
Base 110 Speed, while good is no longer as impressive, with many threats reliably outspeeding Gengar.
Stiff competition from many other Ghost types and hostile format further make it difficult to justify Gengar.
Movesets
Insidious
-Nasty Plot
-Shadow Ball
-Sludge Wave
-Dazzling Gleam
Ability: Cursed Body
Item: Focus Sash
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Nasty Plot Gengar is a terrifying sweeper after a single, blasting most targets to dust with its boosted STABs and coverage, with its high Speed and immunity to common priority in Extreme Speed and Mach Punch warding off potential revenge killers. Shadow Ball is an amazing STAB move with only Normal and Dark types resisting it, leaving scarce few safe switch ins once Gengar sets up. Sludge Wave is secondary STAB, primarily for its ability to hit Normal and Fairy types hard, as well as have a STAB option for any Pokémon with the Bulletproof ability such as Chesnaught as opposed to Sludge Bomb. Dazzling Gleam is highly recommended for coverage, slamming Dark types like Crawdaunt, Hydreigon, Zarude, and Mandibuzz hard with the coverage against Dragons is nice. Gengar also stands out compared to most setup sweepers thanks to its ability to natively handle some Unaware tanks. Skeledirge and Clefable need to Terastalize to avoid being ripped to shreds by Gengar's STABs, making Gengar's Sweep even harder to stop.
Tera Types:
Gengar isn't beholden to Terastalizing given its already insane base coverage and being so frail that it prefers the immunities granted by its base Ghost typing. If Gengar does Terastalize, it is often to push even more damage. Tera Ghost is highly recommended given it maintains Gengar's immunities and pushes its already very spammable Ghost STAB to terrifying new heights. Tera Fairy is another recommendation, giving Gengar a super charged Dazzling Gleam alongside the Dark resistance, all around improving Gengar's matchup against Dark types. Tera Fighting is fantastic if running Focus Blast (or Tera Blast if Focus Blast's miss chance is not to your liking), Gengar's most powerful answer into opposing Fighting and Dark types, while possessing the same Dark resistance that is helpful in warding off Knock Off and Sucker Punch.
EVs and Items:
Standard sweeper allotment of Max Speed and Special Attack are recommended. Base 110 Speed is incredibly crowded speed tier with Ogerpon, Latios/Latias, Zoroark-Hisui and Iron Moth, so ensuring you at least speed tie with all these threats is of the utmost importance, and this is not even counting all the Pokémon ever so slightly slower or faster. Max Special Attack is so that Gengar gets the most out of Nasty Plot, or potentially revenge kill in the early match to bluff another Gengar set until later. Focus Sash is great for helping to guarantee Nasty Plot setup but requires very tight entry hazard control. Air Balloon is another great option, giving Gengar another immunity, increasing the number of opportunities it can pivot in. Life Orb, as always is great for any offensive Pokémon, providing a solid power boost and is vital for nabbing OHKOs after Nasty Plot on Arcanine, Gouging Fire, Hippowdon, Iron Moth, Landorus-Therian, Galarian Slowking, defensive Zapdos, Dragalge after Stealth Rocks, most Moltres, as well as guaranteeing the 2HKO on Dondozo with STAB. Tera Ghost + Life Orb is the only way Gengar can OHKO Skeledirge from full.
Partners:
Allies that can preemptively eliminate Dark types greatly facilitate Gengar's sweeping attempts. Fighting types make for an obvious partner, trashing both the Fighting and Normal types that trouble Gengar while appreciating Gengar threatening the Psychic and Fairy types that give them issues, as well as opening up Gengar's moveset so it isn't beholden to such coverage. Scarf Galarian Zapdos is a mostly typical example, though given its ability to checks targets normally faster than Gengar as well as being a pivot into predicted Ground attacks do give it some additional merit. Using Psychic types as a lure to draw in Dark types for elimination with Tera Fighting/Fairy is another option, with their ability to handle bulky Poison types that may cause Gengar trouble like Toxapex, Tentacruel and Fezandipiti a bonus. Iron Leaves is a fantastic example, being a rare physical Psychic type that compliment's Gengar's special offenses, while having the reliable Close Combat to reliably eliminate opposing sponges.
Other Options:
Destiny Bond is great if running Focus Sash, enabling reliable prediction when Gengar is going to be KO'd and turn the tables on your opponent.
Focus Blast's accuracy is aggravating, but more than makes up for it in power and coverage.
Energy Ball annihilates two of the other popular Unaware tanks in Quagsire and Dondozo, but their Special Defense is already rather poor to begin with.
Sludge Bomb is slightly weaker than Sludge Wave and is blocked by Bulletproof, but makes up for it with a meaty Poison chance that can help reach KOs on bulkier targets.
Encore is great for setup, especially if switching Gengar into a move it is immune to, guaranteeing free setup as the opponent is forced to switch out.
Insidious
-Shadow Ball
-Sludge Bomb
-Trick
-Destiny Bond
Ability: Cursed Body
Item: Choice Scarf
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
With Choice Scarf, Gengar reduces its weakest point, breaking the confines of its crowded Speed Tier to pick off weakened opponents and disable others, directly and indirectly knocking out the opposition to the benefit of its team. Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb are here for STAB; while their coverage is decent, the reason both are run is so that no one type is immune to Gengar’s strongest attacks, giving it the widest range of targets to pick off with the highest HP thresholds. Shadow Ball is great as always due to the very few types that resist Ghost while Sludge Bomb offers important Fairy coverage and has an meaty chance to Poison, causing considerable chip damage for Gengar or its teammates. Trick is amazing for defensive targets that this Gengar set is simply not equipped to handle. Walls like Blissey, Alomomola, Corviknight, Garganacl, Clodsire and Dondozo struggle if not outright incapable of performing their role when locked into a single move, even before Gengar deprives them of the Leftovers or Heavy Duty Boots that was giving them their own offense. Destiny Bond is akin to exploding; when Gengar has no use left, have it come in, ideally surprise an opponent with its faster Speed (or play mind games post Trick) and take them down with Gengar when they attack. Especially effective against bulky setup attackers like Curse Dondozo, and IronPress Zamazenta that can be hard to remove otherwise as well Choice and all out attackers like Hisuian Samurott, Assault Vest Primarina, and Iron Crown, though good prediction is required to get the most out of Destiny Bond.
Tera Types:
Scarf Gengar is rather apathetic to Terastalization, given its role is to pick off weakened targets, potentially disable part of the opponent’s defensive backbone with Trick and then die and ideally take out an opponent with it with Destiny Bond, all of which its base traits are sufficient for. Offensive Teras in Ghost and Poison are recommended for boosting STABs in niche scenarios for getting over damage thresholds to remove a particularly dangerous threat.
EVs and Items:
Max Speed and Special Attack are the name of the game. Gengar needs to outspeed as many targets as possible to be effective, and as much Special Attack as possible to easily reach knock outs. Everything else is secondary. Choice Scarf is the namesake of the set and as such the crux for its functioning.
Partners:
As this set will be constantly switching in and out, hazard control is paramount. Cinccino and Maushold are excellent examples, able to clear hazards with Tidy Up and maintain offensive momentum while appreciating Gengar for its ability to readily handle opposing Ghost types.
Fighting types again make for great partners given their ability to handle the Dark, Normal and Steel types that will switch into Gengar’s STABs while appreciating Gengar handling Fairy types and threatening Psychic types. Quaquaval is particular appreciative of Gengar’s services as a tricked wall is prime setup fodder for Quaquaval in the late game.
Other Options:
Scarf Thunder Wave is a great way to surprise a super speedy opponent and all but neuter them for the rest of the match, though often at the cost of Gengar being KOd.
Will-O-Wisp is also fantastic for use on a Scarf Pokémon for pre-emptively defanging a physical threat and opening setup opportunities for Gengar’s team, though the loss in momentum does hurt.
Doubles and VGC Options
Gengar’s haunted by the competition even worse in the doubles format thanks to public enemy number one in Flutter Mane, that is essentially a better Gengar in every way. Slightly stronger, much faster and actual defensive utility thanks to its absurd Special Defense and sub-Fairy typing providing extra defensive utility. All Gengar has to show against Flutter Mane is Will-O-Wisp, Encore, Haze, and a Sub Poison typing that matches well against most Grass and non-Flutter Mane Fairy types, none of which make up for everything else Flutter Mane brings to the table. If you are using Gengar, you are using it in place of Flutter Mane, or as a back up Flutter Mane and even then, must question if it is worth it, given Gengar’s frailty and the large number of foes that outspeed it.
Ghost from the Past
-Sludge Bomb
-Shadow Ball
-Will-O-Wisp
-Protect
Ability: Cursed Body
Item: Poison Barb
Tera Type: Poison
EVs and Nature:
28 HP / 228 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
Based on Gengar sets back in Gen 6 VGC, Gengar exercises its combination of offense and disruption to actively threaten the opposing team and shutdown select targets while being difficult to disrupt thanks to its own high speed and Ghost typing. Sludge Bomb is the preferred STAB amazingly enough, the huge influx of Grass types (non-Cornerstone Ogerpon, Rillaboom, Whimsicott, Tsareena), and some Fairies (Primarina, Sylveon, Whimsicott) and with both types being popular Tera options, Sludge Bomb is invaluable to have. With Ogerpon being such a popular redirector, Sludge Bomb further excels, punishing redirection attempts from Ogerpon but outright eliminating it. Shadow Ball is still heavily recommended given how spammable the Ghost typing is and prevents Gengar from being walled by Steel and Tera Steel types, while slamming Flutter Mane and Gholdengo hard. Will-O-Wisp is recommended, shutting down opposing physical attackers, especially Sucker Punch abusers like Kingambit, Urshifu-Single and to a lesser extent, Chien-Pao. Protect is all but requisite in doubles given the sheer utility it provides, stalling for both allied setup and out opposing field conditions, scouting for switches and Teras, and punishing doubling up on a slot. Pokémon without Protect are noticeably less durable and it shows.
Gengar's bulk is abysmal, so focusing almost everything on offense is recommended, as well as being able to disrupt opponents before they can move. The 28 HP is to guarantee surviving Specs Flutter Mane Shadow Balls (with 60 SAtk EVs) with a neutral Tera. Tera Poison is recommended, giving Gengar a significant offensive boost while removing its weakness to Ghost, helping survive against Flutter Mane.
Other Options & Partners:
Iron Valiant works well with Gengar, appreciating Gengar's ability to threaten opposing Psychic and Fairy types, while destroying opposing Dark types with its own STABs, and having higher base Speed and booster energy to help threaten the many faster Pokémon that threaten Gengar. Gengar's disruptive movepool also shines here, making both bulkier with Will-O-Wisp, wiping Intimidate with Haze, etc.
Given Gengar’s biggest pain point is its Speed, Speed control is paramount for Gengar. Whimsicott is a great partner for Gengar, given its Tailwind patches up Gengar’s speed, while Fake Tears is amazing in getting Gengar to OHKO a target out of nowhere.
Thunder Wave is Gengar’s own Speed control option, and is persistent, which can be amazing in crippling frailer Pokémon for the rest of the match.
Encore is absurd in doubles given the large number of moves that do nothing when repeated.
Taunt is great for stopping opposing setup as well as Protect.
Haze ruins Commander Dondozo and wipes allies’ Attack drops from Intimidate.
Countering Gengar
While Gengar is in many ways a conventional Special Sweeper, its large disruptive movepool makes it near anathema to traditional walls. While Blissey and Chansey may utterly wall Gengar, a surprise Encore, Taunt, Trick or more can cripple them in the short or long term, making checks that can’t take down Gengar quickly especially vulnerable, and even those that can be wary of Destiny Bond.
Gengar cannot fit every move in its moveset, and there will always be gaps. Ting-Lu, Alolan Muk and Clodsire tank even Nasty Plot boosted moves (bar the unreliable Focus Blast for Ting-Lu) and easily threaten back with STAB Earthquake/Knock Off, but dislike Will-O-Wisp. Skeledirge can’t switch into Gengar at all, but barring Ghost Tera + Life Orb, Gengar can’t OHKO Skeledirge back and is OHKOd by Shadow Ball. Kingambit is also a huge problem, tanking every move except Focus Blast well and able to bypass Gengar’s speed with Sucker Punch, but loathes Will-O-Wisp.
Gengar’s true achilles heel are faster Pokémon, those that can outspeed it and exploit Gengar’s horrid bulk before it can do anything to ruin their day. Dragapult, Greninja, Meowscarada, Roaring Moon, Cincinno, Azelf, and Weavile all naturally outspeed and are more than capable of shutting down Gengar before it can start. Boosted Pokémon like Booster Energy Iron Crown, and Iron Jugulis, Scarf Basculegion and Galarian Zapdos also can subvert Gengar before it can start, though do note no faster threat can switch in safely and Gengar’s Focus Sash must be broken for them to have a chance.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Evolve Haunter
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Evolve Haunter
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Evolve Haunter
Colosseum/XD:
Trade from FireRed/LeafGreen
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Old Chateau
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Evolve Haunter
Black/White:
Evolve Haunter (White)
Black 2/White 2:
Trade from White
X/Y:
Evolve Haunter
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X/Y
Sun/Moon:
Thrifty Megamart
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Thrifty Megamart
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Evolve Haunter
Sword/Shield:
Giant's Cap
Max Raid Battles: Giant's Mirror, South Lake Miloch, Stony Wilderness, Slippery Slope, Old Cemetery, Giant's Foot, Frigid Sea, Ballimere Lake
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Evolve Haunter
Legends: Arceus:
Obsidian Fieldlands: Space-time Distortion in Obsidian Fieldlands or nearby
Crimson Mirelands: Massive Mass Outbreak
Coronet Highlands: Massive Mass Outbreak
Alabaster Icelands: Massive Mass Outbreak
Scarlet/Violet:
Mossfell Confluence
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles, 6 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
