Ubers Mega Gengar

Minority

Numquam Vincar
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QC Checks: Nayrz / Fireburn / zf
GP Checks: P Squared


Stay trapped in this endless maze... forever!


[OVERVIEW]

* Shadow Tag is what makes Mega Gengar so potent, allowing it to choose its matchups and eliminate threats.
* All three sets have about equal viability and are each threatening in their own right.
* It is a stallbreaker, wallbreaker, and revenge killer wrapped in a single product.
* It synergizes well with a wide variety of offensive threats.
* It checks Extreme Killer Arceus.
* Very high Special Attack and a strong Speed tier aid in its ability to revenge kill and break foes.
* Useful Normal- and Fighting-type immunities and a handy Toxic immunity allow it to come in more easily.
* It absorbs Toxic Spikes and can spinblock.
* It is susceptible to Pursuit, although this can be mitigated through move selection.
* Mega Gengar has low bulk and is rather easy for offensive threats to OHKO.
* The reduced potency of Thunder Wave and burns indirectly makes Hex a bit worse.
* The Destiny Bond nerf hurts a bit, but Taunt and good play make it mostly a non-issue.
* Cursed Body is virtually useless.

[SET]
name: Utility Trapper
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Destiny Bond
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball / Sludge Wave
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* This set is bit more offensively inclined than the Hex set.
* Taunt prevents trapped foes from being able to recover, Defog, set up, or status Mega Gengar. This also forces Pokemon to directly damage it.
* Destiny Bond allows Gengar to force a trade against an opposing Pokemon, perhaps a key defensive threat or a troublesome offensive one.
* Focus Blast is for Dark-, Normal-, and Steel-types, which resist or are immune to Mega Gengar's STAB types.
* Shadow Ball hits opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types.
* Sludge Wave is the best option for hitting Fairy-types and has a higher overall damage output than Shadow Ball against neutral targets.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Speed is key for outspeeding Arceus and below. It beats out Darkrai and Shaymin-S and is also optimal for ties against base 130 Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Tapu Koko, and opposing Mega Gengar.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize damage output for revenge killing and breaking potency.

Usage Tips
========

* The earlier you can Mega Evolve Gengar, the sooner you can trap foes.
* Usually there are four ways to get it in: to revenge kill something; on a predicted Toxic or Normal- or Fighting-type attack; with a double switch; or via U-turn or Volt Switch.
* Take note of what Mega Gengar needs to eliminate for your team and whether you need to keep it intact to check or revenge kill certain opposing threats.
* Use Taunt early to prevent foes from being able to restore health, Defog, or set up. Be aware that most Pokemon that hit Gengar directly will OHKO or 2HKO it.
* Destiny Bond is best used when the foe is trapped by Shadow Tag and forced to attack. Do not reveal Destiny Bond until the best opportunity arises. For threats that can instantly OHKO Mega Gengar and don't have anything to gain from not attacking other than baiting the Destiny Bond, it is usually best to use Destiny Bond. If they don't attack you, you can always switch Mega Gengar out next turn and have a strong sense of what they'll do anyway.

Team Options
========

* Primal Groudon is bulky enough to handle most fast attackers that threaten Mega Gengar, and checks Ho-Oh and Primal Kyogre; two bulky attackers that Mega Gengar struggles to remove.
* Xerneas is the setup sweeper that has the best offensive synergy with Mega Gengar, as most Xerneas checks can be eliminated or forced to trade with it.
* Yveltal provides a Ghost-type switch-in, can U-turn into Mega Gengar, and benefits from the removal of Fairy-types and special walls.
* VoltTurn support is nice to get Mega Gengar into play more often, via users such as Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko.
* Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Extreme Killer are two of the best offensive Arceus variants, and they synergize well with Mega Gengar.
* Arceus-Dark provides a Ghost-type switch-in and benefits from the removal of Pokemon such as Fairy-types and special walls.
* Rayquaza and Palkia benefit from this set's ability to eliminate defensive threats that can otherwise prevent their potency.

[SET]
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Focus Blast
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Wave
move 4: Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* The premise here is to be able to hit as many foes as possible for the highest immediate damage available, allowing for flexibility and swiftness in threat removal.
* Focus Blast is for Dark-, Normal-, and Steel-types, which resist or are immune to Mega Gengar's STAB types.
* Shadow Ball hits opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types.
* Sludge Wave is the best option for hitting Fairy-types and has a higher overall damage output than Shadow Ball against neutral targets.
* Substitute helps ease prediction, punishes threats that don't have a way to hit Mega Gengar hard, blocks status, and can be used to stall for residual damage.
* Thunder is for high damage output versus Arceus-Water, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh.
* Icy Wind OHKOes some Mega Salamence spreads, smacks Zygarde-C hard, and allows Mega Gengar to anti-lead certain Pokemon such as Deoxys-S that lack an attacking move.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Speed is key for outspeeding Arceus and below; it also beats out Darkrai and Shaymin-S and is optimal for ties against base 130 Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Tapu Koko, and opposing Mega Gengar.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize damage output for revenge killing and breaking potency.

Usage Tips
========

* The earlier you can Mega Evolve Gengar, the sooner you can trap foes.
* Usually there are four ways to get it in: to revenge kill something; on a predicted Toxic or Normal- or Fighting-type attack; with a double switch; or via U-turn or Volt Switch.
* Take note of what Mega Gengar needs to eliminate for your team and whether you need to keep it intact to check or revenge kill certain opposing threats.
* Substitute is best used when Gengar forces a switch before attaining Shadow Tag, which gives Mega Gengar two turns to attack the incoming threat, thus reducing reliance on prediction.
* Use Icy Wind against Deoxys-S to limit it to a single layer of hazards. It is also good for slowing down a particular offensive threat so that a teammate that is normally too slow can revenge kill it.
* Understand calcs well so you can minimize the number of times you have to rely on the shaky accuracy of Focus Blast and Thunder.

Team Options
========

* Primal Groudon checks bulky attackers such as Primal Kyogre and Ho-Oh, which Mega Gengar struggles to take down on its own.
* Xerneas is the setup sweeper that has the best offensive synergy with Mega Gengar, as most Xerneas checks can be eliminated or forced to trade with it.
* Yveltal provides a Ghost-type switch-in, can U-turn into Mega Gengar, and benefits from the removal of Fairy-types and special walls.
* U-turn and Volt Switch are nice to get Mega Gengar into play more often, via users such as Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko.
* Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Extreme Killer are two of the best offensive Arceus variants, and they synergize well with Mega Gengar.
* Arceus-Dark provides a Ghost-type switch-in and benefits from the removal of foes such as Fairy-types and special walls.


[SET]
name: Hex Trapper
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hex
move 4: Sludge Wave / Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

* This set is used to spread burns and benefits from the use of other status-inflicting Pokemon.
* Will-O-Wisp is used to allow Hex to deal twice as much damage and reduces the potency of Pursuit trappers.
* Focus Blast covers Dark- and Normal-types, which resist Hex.
* Status + Hex allows Gengar to inflict high amounts of damage.
* Sludge Wave is used for trapping and eliminating Fairy-types such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, and Clefable. It also offers a STAB move with immediate high power in place of Hex.
* Substitute eases prediction on the turn Gengar Mega Evolves, is used to scout moves or stall foes, and bypasses Sucker Punch.

Set Details
========

* Maximum Speed is key for outspeeding Arceus and below, beats out Darkrai and Shaymin-S, and is also optimal for ties against base 130 Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Tapu Koko, and opposing Mega Gengar.
* 252 Special Attack EVs maximize damage output for revenge killing and breaking potency.

Usage Tips
========

* The earlier you can Mega Evolve Gengar, the sooner you can trap foes.
* Usually there are four ways to get it in: to revenge kill something; on a predicted Toxic or Normal- or Fighting-type attack; with a double switch; or via U-turn or Volt Switch.
* Take note of what Mega Gengar needs to eliminate for your team and whether you need to keep it intact to check or revenge kill certain opposing threats.
* Will-O-Wisp should be used on foes that have the potential to Pursuit trap Gengar or rely on unneutered physical attacks to deal substantial damage to Mega Gengar.
* Trap and use Hex to revenge kill statused threats such as support Arceus, poisoned Primal Groudon, and paralyzed Mega Salamence.
* Hex also punishes Rest Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre and Zygarde-C, allowing you to dent them hard.
* A Substitute should be set when forcing an initial switch, or when Gengar is faster than something that cannot inflict immedate damage to it.
* Be wary of Sucker Punch; Substitute and Will-O-Wisp cause this to fail and allow you to circumvent them.

Team Options
========

* Status Pokemon, such as Ho-Oh, Klefki, Primal Groudon, support Arceus, and other Steel-types, synergize best with this set, increasing Hex's potency and providing necessary support roles for these styles of builds.
* Xerneas is the setup sweeper that has the best offensive synergy with Mega Gengar, as most Xerneas checks can be eliminated or forced to trade with it.
* Yveltal provides a Ghost-type switch-in, can U-turn into Mega Gengar, and benefits from the removal of Fairy-types and special walls.
* U-turn and Volt Switch are nice to get Mega Gengar into play more often, via users such as Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko.
* Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Extreme Killer are two of the best offensive Arceus variants, and they synergize well with Mega Gengar.
* Arceus-Dark provides Ghost-type switch-in and benefits from the removal of Pokemon such as Fairy-types an special walls.
* Giratina-O is the other viable Hex user in the tier, stacks well with Mega Gengar, and can be used alongside it to help cover Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus while providing Defog support.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

* A Perish Trap set with Substitute, Disable, and Perish Song can be used to eliminate Pokemon that only have a single way to hit Mega Gengar, but it is clunky to use and often more matchup reliant than the other sets.
* Energy Ball can be used on a set with 3 other attacks to hit bulky Water-types and Arceus-Ground harder than Gengar's STAB moves.
* Sucker Punch picks off Deoxys-A, but it has little other use.
* Reflect Type can make it difficult for certain defensive Pokemon to hit Mega Gengar.
* Mega Gengar doesn't have the bulk or recovery necessary to stall with Toxic, but it could be used alongside Hex and as a last-ditch move on Toxic-vulnerable Pokemon.
* Disable on its own can shut down Choice-locked threats or Pokemon that only have one way to hit Mega Gengar.

Checks and Counters
===================

Mega Gengar is hard to check or counter conventionally, since Shadow Tag eliminates switching. Mega Gengar can also pick its moveset to get around a number of its checks.

**Pursuit**: Pursuit users such as Deoxys-A, Alolan Muk, Tyranitar, and Aegislash can prevent Mega Gengar from switching and win even if it decides to stay in.

**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Giratina-O, Aegislash, Mega Sableye, and opposing Mega Gengar can't be trapped and have a way to smack Mega Gengar.

**Fast Pokemon**: Pokemon with higher than base 130 Speed can revenge kill Mega Gengar.

**Priority**: Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak are strong enough to OHKO or deal significant damage to Mega Gengar before it can attack.

**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: Choice Scarf users such as Lunala, Yveltal, Xerneas, Landorus-T, and Genesect can outspeed Mega Gengar, either OHKOing it or severely damaging it.

**Bulky Attackers**: Pokemon with substantial bulk and power such as Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Arceus-Ground can often tank an attack from Mega Gengar and OHKO it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Six Trails

formerly Analytic_
Would Toxic be worth mentioning over Sub or Sludge Wave on the Hex set? I've used it to decent success as it lets Gengar use 130 BP Hexes on Primal Groudon and Ho-Oh if it Toxics them on the switch-in.
 

Minority

Numquam Vincar
is a Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Tutor Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Ready for QC checks. Team options for second and third sets are kinda lame, set details are bare but there's just nothing to say about that for Gengar.
 
Is there a way to compress this into fewer sets? Seems like the last set is just full of niche options that could be used on any set really. This probably needs more consideration with the hypnosis ban and burn nerf. I will ask for replays or extensive reasoning to the more underused options having slashes. For now I can't stamp it but good job so far.
 
I'd change the last slash on 4 Attacks to just Substitute + 3 attacks, and put Thunder/Icy Wind in moves for said set. It should probably be noted in the overview that all of Gengar's sets are equally as scary and the set ordering isn't so much of an ordering as it is a listing. I'd personally have Wisp + Hex as the last set if we were to go by "viability" but see if other QC agree first. Good job otherwise.

QC 1/3
 

Fireburn

BARN ALL
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnus
GP is gonna want complete sentences so Team Options on all sets should be fleshed out a bit more

I'll give it a stamp once this is done
 

Freeroamer

The greatest story of them all.
is a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributor
Arc Ghost shouldn't be mentioned in C&C as every set carries Ghost coverage as at least a primary slash, Lunala is mentioned twice and should be specified only Scarf sets, likewise Gira-O should be specfied only Sneak. Granted I know Gengar might not outright OHKO these Pokémon with shadow ball but listing them as checks doesn't seem right to me unless they can hit gar first considering how much damage they take.
 
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On Hex Trapper, slash Sludge Wave before Substitute because hitting Xern is more important than stalling to status dmg and avoiding Sucker Punch.

Mention Disable in OO, it's niche and a bit gimmicky but not worse than other stuff listed there.

QC 3/3
 

P Squared

a great unrecorded history
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
GP 1/1

make sure every line ends with a period
[OVERVIEW]
- Shadow Tag is what makes Mega Gengar so potent, allowing it to choose its matchups and eliminate threats.
- All three sets have about equal viability, (RC) and are each threatening in their own right.
- It is a stallbreaker, wallbreaker, and revenge killer wrapped in a single product.
- It synergizes well with a wide variety of offensive threats.
- It checks Extreme Killer Arceus.
- Very high Special Attack, (RC) and a strong Speed tier aids in its ability to revenge kill and break things foes.
- Useful Normal- and Fighting-type immunities, (RC) and a useful (pick a different word) Toxic immunity, (RC) allows it to come in more easily.
- It absorbs Toxic Spikes and can spinblock.
- It is susceptible to Pursuit, although this can be mitigated through move selection.
- Mega Gengar has low bulk and is rather easy for offensive threats to OHKO.
- The reduced potency of Thunder Wave and burns indirectly makes Hex a bit worse
- The Destiny Bond nerf hurts a bit, but Taunt and good play make it mostly a non-issue.
- Cursed Body is virtually useless.

[SET]
name: Utility Trapper
move 1: Taunt
move 2: Destiny Bond
move 3: Focus Blast
move 4: Shadow Ball / Sludge Wave
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- This set is bit more offensively inclined than the Hex set.
- Taunt prevents trapped foes from being able to recover, Defog, set up, or status Mega Gengar. This also forces Pokemon to directly damage it.
- Destiny Bond allows Gengar to force a trade against an opposing Pokemon, perhaps a key defensive threat or a troublesome offensive one.
- Focus Blast is for Dark-, Normal-, and Steel-types, which resist or are immune to Mega Gengar's STAB types.
- Shadow Ball hits opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types.
- Sludge Wave is the best option for hitting Fairy-types and has a higher overall damage output than Shadow Ball against neutral targets.

Set Details
========

- Maximum Speed is key for outspeeding Arceus and below. It beats out Darkrai and Shaymin-S and is also optimal for ties against base 130 Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Tapu Koko, and opposing Mega Gengar.
- 252 Special Attack EVs maximizes damage output for revenge killing and breaking potency.

Usage Tips
========

- The earlier you can Mega Evolve Gengar, the sooner you can trap things foes.
- Usually there are four ways to get it in: to revenge kill something; on a predicted Toxic, (RC) or Normal-, (RC) or Fighting-type attack; with a double switch; or via U-turn or Volt Switch.
- Take note of what Mega Gengar needs to eliminate for your team, (RC) and whether you need to keep it intact to check or revenge kill certain opposing threats.
- Use Taunt early to prevent things foes from being able to restore health, Defog, or set up. Be aware that most things Pokemon that hit Gengar directly will OHKO or 2HKO it.
- Destiny Bond is best used when the opponent foe is trapped by Shadow Tag and forced to attack. Do not reveal Destiny Bond until the best opportunity arises. For threats that can instantly OHKO Mega Gengar and don't have anything to gain from not attacking other than baiting the Destiny Bond, it is usually best to use Destiny Bond. If they don't attack you, you can always switch Mega Gengar out next turn and have a strong sense of what they'll do anyway.

Team Options
========

- Primal Groudon (lol. please write a sentence though :( )
- Xerneas is the setup sweeper that has the best offensive synergy with Mega Gengar, as most Xerneas checks can be eliminated or forced to trade with it.
- Yveltal provides a Ghost-type switch-in resist, can U-turn into Mega Gengar, and benefits from the removal of Fairy-types and special walls.
- VoltTurn support is U-turn / Volt Switch are nice to get Mega Gengar into play more often, via users such as Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko.
- Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Extreme Killer are two of the best offensive Arceus variants, and they synergize well with Mega Gengar.
- Arceus-Dark provides a Ghost-type switch-in and resist, benefits from the removal of Pokemon things such as Fairy-types and special walls.
- Rayquaza and Palkia benefit from this set's ability to eliminate defensive threats that can otherwise prevent their potency.

[SET]
name: Substitute + 3 Attacks
move 1: Focus Blast
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Wave
move 4: Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- The premise here is to be able to hit as many foes as possible for the highest immediate damage available, allowing for flexibility and swiftness in threat removal.
- Focus Blast is for Dark-, Normal-, and Steel-types, which resist or are immune to Mega Gengar's STAB types.
- Shadow Ball hits opposing Ghost- and Psychic-types.
- Sludge Wave is the best option for hitting Fairy-types and has a higher overall damage output than Shadow Ball against neutral targets.
- Substitute helps ease prediction, punishes threats that don't have a way to hit Mega Gengar hard, blocks status, and can be used to stall for residual damage.
- Thunder is for high damage output versus Arceus-Water, Primal Kyogre, and Ho-Oh.
- Icy Wind OHKOes some Mega Salamence spreads, smacks Zygarde-C hard, and allows Mega Gengar to anti-lead certain Pokemon such as Deoxys-S that lack an attacking move.

Set Details
========

- Maximum Speed is key for outspeeding Arceus and below; it also beats out Darkrai and Shaymin-S, also and is optimal for ties against base 130 Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Tapu Koko, and opposing Mega Gengar.
- 252 Special Attack EVs maximizes damage output for revenge killing and breaking potency.

Usage Tips
========

- The earlier you can Mega Evolve Gengar, the sooner you can trap foes.
- Usually there are four ways to get it in: to revenge kill something; on a predicted Toxic or Normal-, (RC) or Fighting-type attack; with a double switch; or via U-turn or Volt Switch.
- Take note of what Mega Gengar needs to eliminate for your team, (RC) and whether you need to keep it intact to check or revenge kill certain opposing threats.
- Substitute is most notable (kinda weird word choice here) on that first switch Gengar can force before attaining Shadow Tag, which can give Mega Gengar two turns to consciously (same here) attack the incoming threat, thus reducing reliance on prediction.
- Use Icy Wind against Deoxys-S to limit it to a single layer of hazards. It is also good for slowing down a particular offensive threat so that a teammate that is normally too slow can revenge kill it.
- Understand calcs well so you can minimize the number of times you have to rely on the shaky accuracy of Focus Blast and Thunder.

Team Options
========

- Primal Groudon (sentence)
- Xerneas is the setup sweeper that has the best offensive synergy with Mega Gengar, as most Xerneas checks can be eliminated or forced to trade with it.
- Yveltal provides a Ghost-type switch-in, can U-turn into Mega Gengar, and benefits from the removal of Fairy-types and special walls.
- U-turn and Volt Switch are nice to get Mega Gengar into play more often, via users such as Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko.
- Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Extreme Killer are two of the best offensive Arceus variants, and they synergize well with Mega Gengar.
- Arceus-Dark provides a Ghost-type switch-in and benefits from the removal of foes such as Fairy-types and special walls.


[SET]
name: Hex Trapper
move 1: Will-O-Wisp
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Hex
move 4: Sludge Wave / Substitute
item: Gengarite
ability: Cursed Body
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========

- This set is used to spread burns and benefits from the use of other status-inflicting Pokemon. (hope i interpreted that correctly)
- Will-O-Wisp is used to allow Hex to deal twice as much damage and reduces the potency of Pursuit trappers.
- Focus Blast covers Dark- and Normal-types, which resist Hex.
- Status + Hex allows Gengar to inflict high amounts of damage.
- Sludge Wave is used for trapping and eliminating Fairy-types such as Xerneas, Arceus-Fairy, and Clefable. It also offers a STAB move with immediate high power in place of Hex.
- Substitute eases prediction on the Mega turn Gengar Mega Evolves, is used to scout moves or stall foes, and bypasses Sucker Punch.

Set Details
========

- Maximum Speed is key for outspeeding Arceus and below, beats out Darkrai and Shaymin-S, and is also optimal for ties against base 130 Pokemon such as Mewtwo, Tapu Koko, and opposing Mega Gengar.
- 252 Special Attack EVs maximizes damage output for revenge killing and breaking potency.

Usage Tips
========

- The earlier you can Mega Evolve Gengar, the sooner you can trap foes.
- Usually there are four ways to get it in: to revenge kill something; on a predicted Toxic or Normal- or Fighting-type attack; with a double switch; or via U-turn or Volt Switch.
- Take note of what Mega Gengar needs to eliminate for your team and whether you need to keep it intact to check or revenge kill certain opposing threats.
- Will-O-Wisp should be used on foes that have the potential to Pursuit trap Gengar or rely on unneutered physical attacks to deal substantial damage to Mega Gengar.
- Trap and use Hex to revenge kill statused threats such as support Arceus, poisoned Primal Groudon, and paralyzed Mega Salamence.
- Hex also punishes Rest Pokemon such as Primal Kyogre and Zygarde-C, allowing you to dent them hard.
- A Substitute should be set when forcing an initial switch, or when Gengar is faster than something that cannot inflict immedate damage to it.
- Be wary of Sucker Punch; Substitute and Will-O-Wisp cause this to fail and allow you to circumvent them.

Team Options
========

- Status Pokemon, such as Ho-Oh, Klefki, Primal Groudon, support Arceus, and other Steel-types, synergize best with this set, increasing Hex's potency and providing necessary support roles for these styles of builds.
- Primal Groudon is a mandatory partner.
- Xerneas is the setup sweeper that has the best offensive synergy with Mega Gengar, as most Xerneas checks can be eliminated or forced to trade with it.
- Yveltal provides a Ghost-type switch-in, can U-turn into Mega Gengar, and benefits from the removal of Fairy-types and special walls.
- U-turn and Volt Switch are nice to get Mega Gengar into play more often, via users such as Pheromosa, Landorus-T, and Tapu Koko.
- Swords Dance Arceus-Ground and Extreme Killer are two of the best offensive Arceus variants, and they synergize well with Mega Gengar.
- Arceus-Dark provides Ghost-type switch-in and benefits from the removal of Pokemon such as Fairy-types an special walls.
- Giratina-O is the other viable Hex user in the tier, stacks well with Mega Gengar, and can be used alongside it to help cover Primal Groudon and Swords Dance Arceus while providing Defog support.

[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============

- A Perish Trap set with Substitute, Disable, and Perish Song can be used to eliminate Pokemon that only have a single way to hit Mega Gengar strong, but it is clunky to use and often more matchup reliant than the other sets.
- Energy Ball as 4 Attacks (idk what this means. as a fourth attack on one of the above sets? on a theoretical 4 Attacks set that is not previously mentioned?) hits bulky Water-types and Arceus-Ground harder than Gengar's STAB moves.
- Sucker Punch as 4 Attacks (see above) picks off Deoxys-A, but it has little other use.
- Reflect Type can make it difficult for certain defensive Pokemon to hit Mega Gengar.
- Mega Gengar doesn't have the bulk or recovery necessary to stall things with Toxic, but it could be used alongside Hex and as a last-ditch move on Toxic-vulnerable Pokemon.
- Disable on its own can shut down Choice-locked threats or Pokemon that only have one way to hit Mega Gengar.

Checks and Counters
===================

Mega Gengar is hard to check or counter conventionally, since Shadow Tag eliminates switching. Mega Gengar can also pick its moveset to get around a number of its checks.

**Pursuit**: Pursuit users such as Deoxys-A, Alolan Muk, Tyranitar, and Aegislash can prevent Mega Gengar from switching and win even if it decides to stay in.

**Ghost-types**: Ghost-types such as Lunala, Arceus-Ghost, Giratina-O, Aegislash, Mega Sableye, and opposing Mega Gengar can't be trapped and have a way to smack Mega Gengar.

**Fast Pokemon**: Pokemon with higher than base 130 Speed can revenge kill Mega Gengar.

**Priority**: Sucker Punch and Shadow Sneak are strong enough to OHKO or deal significant damage to Mega Gengar before it can attack.

**Choice Scarf Pokemon**: Choice Scarf users such as Lunala, Yveltal, Xerneas, Landorus-T, and Genesect can outspeed Mega Gengar, either OHKOing it or several severely damaging it.

**Bulky Attackers**: Pokemon with substantial bulk and power such as Ho-Oh, Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Arceus-Ground can often tank an attack from Mega Gengar and OHKO it.
 
Last edited:
shoutouts to minority for making me convert 2 long ass skeletons into markdown because he forgot the new format! i mean come on dude thats 5 mins i'll never get back

uploaded
 

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