[OVERVIEW]
Gastly has one of the highest Special Attack stats in the entire metagame, making it one of the strongest breakers in the tier with its wide movepool. Furthermore, its typing allows it to switch in on and counter common pokemon like Mienfoo, and check a variety of sets from pokemon like Timburr, without getting trapped by Diglett due to its Levitate ability. Gastly also has the option to run both offensive sets and defensive sets, depending on the team structure, without losing all of its offensive presence due to its naturally high speed stat allowing it to outpace and threaten KOs or burns on strong and fast pokemon like Archen, Natu, Snover, Drifloon and Mienfoo. Its versatility in sets without compromising on its key qualities makes it an excellent choice for most teams, and a pokemon every team needs an answer to.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power [Fighting]
move 4: Sucker Punch / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Hasty
evs: 76 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Gastlys typing allows it to switch in on Mienfoo and counter it, while its high SpA leaves it difficult to switch in on itself. Shadow Ball is a strong STAB that hits Natu, Abra, Slowpoke, Drifloon and Frillish super effectively, while Sludge Bomb threatens a 2HKO on Porygon and an OHKO on Snover. Thunderbolt threatens various Vullaby sets and hits Pawniard neutral, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Pawniard and Ferroseed hard. Sucker Punch makes Gastly more difficult to revengekill with faster threats like Abra Choice Scarf Smoochum, leaving it difficult to check even on a free switch. Substitute is a safer option against opposing Sucker Punch pokemon, as well as slower pokemon trying to cripple Gastly with status moves.
[SET]
name: Black Sludge
move 1: Trick
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Substitute / Will-O-Wisp
item: Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 36 Def / 196 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Black Sludge Gastly aims to cripple common switch-ins like Porygon, Ferroseed, Bronzor, Lileep and Vullaby with a tricked Black Sludge. Black Sludge also gives Gastly more longevity during Hail or Sandstorm if kept for a longer duration. Trick Gastly also takes advantage of being a common target for the move Knock Off, allowing it to use Trick to regain an Eviolite from a switch-in. Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb provides it with good enough coverage against common switch-ins and threaten out common pokemon like Snover and Natu, while Will-O-Wisp allows it to cripple Mienfoo as well as said switch-ins. Substitute is a good safety measure as Gastly is often a pokemon you want to keep alive for the duration of the game.
[SET]
name: Eviolite
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Shadow Bomb / Pain Split
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Pain Split
item: Eviolite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 116 HP / 36 Def / 116 SpA / 196 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Eviolite Gastly is the safest option to counter Mienfoo due to its Ghost and Poison typing, speed and utility moves. 116 HP allows its substitutes to tank a Knock Off from Mienfoo, giving Gastly a free hit or Will-O-Wisp on either a switch-in or on Mienfoo attempting to break the substitute. Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb provides it with good enough coverage against common switch-ins, while also threatening out common pokemon like Snover and Natu. Due to the added bulk from Eviolite, Gastly is also unlikely to be OHKOd by any neutral hit from faster leads, granting Gastly
staying power in most turn 1 matchups, making it an easy lead in most games. Pain Split acts as a form of healing, while allowing Gastly to break Porygon and Lileep for its teammates if needed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
Gastly has a wide array of viable options available, with Psychic, Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire standing out to for Life Orb Gastly to hit Mienfoo, Timburr, Diglett, Hippopotas, Ferroseed and Bronzor for super effective damage. For the two defensive sets, Knock Off stands out amongst the rest as a good option to cripple its many switch-ins, whereas Taunt is another effective option to shut down healing, status or hazard stacking from notable switch-ins like Porygon, Ferroseed and Bronzor. Choice Scarf is also a usable item with Gastlys high speed stat, allowing it to outspeed Shell Smash pokemon like Clamperl, Shellder, Omanyte and Tirtouga at +2 speed. With Trick it also leaves Gastly with a chance to cripple any common switch-ins significantly, but also leaves Gastly both weaker and frailer than its other common sets.
Checks and Counters
Pokemon with naturally high SpD like Porygon, Ferroseed, Vullaby and Bronzor can switch in on most Gastly sets and threaten to either status it with Thunder Wave or OHKO it with coverage move like Psychic or Dark Pulse. Lileep also has a naturally high SpD, and while it can not threaten status or an OHKO, it still beats Gastly one on one under sandstorm provided it's not Pain Split Gastly. Pokemon like Abra, Diglett, Staryu, Ponyta, Choice Scarf Smoochum and Choice Scarf Frillish can threaten to outspeed and OHKO Gastly with a strong STAB move or a super effective coverage move. Pawniard and Diglett can threaten to Pursuit trap Gastly.
Gastly has one of the highest Special Attack stats in the entire metagame, making it one of the strongest breakers in the tier with its wide movepool. Furthermore, its typing allows it to switch in on and counter common pokemon like Mienfoo, and check a variety of sets from pokemon like Timburr, without getting trapped by Diglett due to its Levitate ability. Gastly also has the option to run both offensive sets and defensive sets, depending on the team structure, without losing all of its offensive presence due to its naturally high speed stat allowing it to outpace and threaten KOs or burns on strong and fast pokemon like Archen, Natu, Snover, Drifloon and Mienfoo. Its versatility in sets without compromising on its key qualities makes it an excellent choice for most teams, and a pokemon every team needs an answer to.
[SET]
name: Life Orb
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Sludge Bomb
move 3: Thunderbolt / Hidden Power [Fighting]
move 4: Sucker Punch / Substitute
item: Life Orb
ability: Levitate
nature: Hasty
evs: 76 Atk / 36 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Gastlys typing allows it to switch in on Mienfoo and counter it, while its high SpA leaves it difficult to switch in on itself. Shadow Ball is a strong STAB that hits Natu, Abra, Slowpoke, Drifloon and Frillish super effectively, while Sludge Bomb threatens a 2HKO on Porygon and an OHKO on Snover. Thunderbolt threatens various Vullaby sets and hits Pawniard neutral, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Pawniard and Ferroseed hard. Sucker Punch makes Gastly more difficult to revengekill with faster threats like Abra Choice Scarf Smoochum, leaving it difficult to check even on a free switch. Substitute is a safer option against opposing Sucker Punch pokemon, as well as slower pokemon trying to cripple Gastly with status moves.
[SET]
name: Black Sludge
move 1: Trick
move 2: Shadow Ball
move 3: Sludge Bomb / Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Substitute / Will-O-Wisp
item: Black Sludge
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 36 Def / 196 SpA / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Black Sludge Gastly aims to cripple common switch-ins like Porygon, Ferroseed, Bronzor, Lileep and Vullaby with a tricked Black Sludge. Black Sludge also gives Gastly more longevity during Hail or Sandstorm if kept for a longer duration. Trick Gastly also takes advantage of being a common target for the move Knock Off, allowing it to use Trick to regain an Eviolite from a switch-in. Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb provides it with good enough coverage against common switch-ins and threaten out common pokemon like Snover and Natu, while Will-O-Wisp allows it to cripple Mienfoo as well as said switch-ins. Substitute is a good safety measure as Gastly is often a pokemon you want to keep alive for the duration of the game.
[SET]
name: Eviolite
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Shadow Bomb / Pain Split
move 4: Sludge Bomb / Pain Split
item: Eviolite
ability: Levitate
nature: Timid
evs: 116 HP / 36 Def / 116 SpA / 196 Spe
ivs: 0 Atk
[SET COMMENTS]
Eviolite Gastly is the safest option to counter Mienfoo due to its Ghost and Poison typing, speed and utility moves. 116 HP allows its substitutes to tank a Knock Off from Mienfoo, giving Gastly a free hit or Will-O-Wisp on either a switch-in or on Mienfoo attempting to break the substitute. Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb provides it with good enough coverage against common switch-ins, while also threatening out common pokemon like Snover and Natu. Due to the added bulk from Eviolite, Gastly is also unlikely to be OHKOd by any neutral hit from faster leads, granting Gastly
staying power in most turn 1 matchups, making it an easy lead in most games. Pain Split acts as a form of healing, while allowing Gastly to break Porygon and Lileep for its teammates if needed.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
Gastly has a wide array of viable options available, with Psychic, Energy Ball and Hidden Power Fire standing out to for Life Orb Gastly to hit Mienfoo, Timburr, Diglett, Hippopotas, Ferroseed and Bronzor for super effective damage. For the two defensive sets, Knock Off stands out amongst the rest as a good option to cripple its many switch-ins, whereas Taunt is another effective option to shut down healing, status or hazard stacking from notable switch-ins like Porygon, Ferroseed and Bronzor. Choice Scarf is also a usable item with Gastlys high speed stat, allowing it to outspeed Shell Smash pokemon like Clamperl, Shellder, Omanyte and Tirtouga at +2 speed. With Trick it also leaves Gastly with a chance to cripple any common switch-ins significantly, but also leaves Gastly both weaker and frailer than its other common sets.
Checks and Counters
Pokemon with naturally high SpD like Porygon, Ferroseed, Vullaby and Bronzor can switch in on most Gastly sets and threaten to either status it with Thunder Wave or OHKO it with coverage move like Psychic or Dark Pulse. Lileep also has a naturally high SpD, and while it can not threaten status or an OHKO, it still beats Gastly one on one under sandstorm provided it's not Pain Split Gastly. Pokemon like Abra, Diglett, Staryu, Ponyta, Choice Scarf Smoochum and Choice Scarf Frillish can threaten to outspeed and OHKO Gastly with a strong STAB move or a super effective coverage move. Pawniard and Diglett can threaten to Pursuit trap Gastly.
Last edited: