What is a good moveset for Greninja?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Greninja (or Ash-Greninja), post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Greninja Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

I've been using Greninja at the Battle Masion and competitively, and I developed this moveset and it's done pretty well. Hope you like it!

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Ice Beam
- Extrasensory
- Dark Pulse

Greninja is a great special sweeper. Protean ability makes him unpredictable and gives STAB to all his moves, making it able to OHKO many other Pokémon.

Answer 2

I'm in the mood for changing usual OU stuff into stallers. More of a poison setup lead than staller, but good on stall teams. This set is probably rubbish, but good against common supporter leads (so he isn't KOed):

Greninja @ Poison Barb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Toxic Spikes
- Fling
- Water Shuriken
- Smack Down

What he does is set up Toxic Spikes, and if he hasn't been KOed or put to sleep (Smeargle specialty), he uses Fling. This will poison the opponent due to the poison barb, and has a great base 70 power with it too. Water Shuriken for a good, priority attack, and Smack Down to get flying types on the Toxic Spikes. You could invest the attack into HP if you wanted him to tank an attack.

Comments

Smacked Down Flying-types lose ground immunity temporarily—after switching they are immune to ground again, and a Pokemon doesn't get Poisoned if it gets Smacked in the middle of the match. Only way is Iron Ball, which you can only get into them by Trick/Switcheroo.

Answer 3

This is if you want to surprise your opponent by not running Protean.
Greninja @ Expert Belt
Ability: Torrent
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump- STAB
- Ice Beam - Grass coverage
- Hidden Power [Fire] - Coverage
- Extrasensory - Fighting coverage

Comments

You should never run Greninja with Torrent.

Answer 4

I would run something like this:
Greninja @ Focus Sash / Leftovers
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 HP
Timid Nature
- Spikes
- Toxic Spikes (Can destroy your opponents team)
- Ice beam
- Scald / Hidden Power [Fire] (potential burn)

Let me know what you think with this.

Comments

If you want a spikes setter, Foretress does it better. Stats maxed doesn't help either, you can only max 2 stats.

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That's true. Now I run a typical U-turn, Ice Beam, Grass Knot, Surf. I meant all Greninja's stats at level 100, Standard lv 100 stats for greninja. :)

Answer 5

ORAS

Greninja @ Life Orb / Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 6 Def / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature / Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Shadow Sneak
- Gunk Shot
- Ice Punch

Waterfall (Good power, chance to flinch)
Shadow Sneak (Priority)
Gunk Shot (Great power, chance to poison)
Ice Punch (Coverage, chance to freeze)

With Protean everything becomes STAB and since his Special moveset is kinda predictable now, this is an unexpected physical moveset. I've got Waterfall because to me, its still a Water Pokemon regardless Protean, so it needs a Water attack. Shadow Sneak is priority and gives you Ghost typing that brings alot of resistances. Gunk Shot is my weapon against Fairies that think they can tank a Special Greninja. Ice Punch gives you coverage mainly against Dragons, but also covers Ground, Flying and more importantly: Grass

Answer 6

Lets mix this up:
Physical Greninja:

uNevaSawDisComin (Greninja) @ Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVS: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Rock Slide
- Gunk Shot / Ice Punch
- Waterfall / Water Shuriken
- Night Slash / Power-Up Punch

Rock Slide: Deals with Fire, Flying, Bug, etc, gets STAB
Gunk Shot / Ice Punch: Gunk Shot Fairies, Ice Punch for more coverage (Grass, Ground, etc) STAB
Waterfall / Water Shuriken: STAB, flinch, or priority (coverage: Fire, Rock, etc)
Night Slash / Power-Up Punch: STAB, good power, deals with Ghost and Psychic-types, or STAB, boosts Greninja's Atk stat.

First ever PokeDataBAse response^ Thanks guys and I hope you enjoy your moveset >3<

Answer 7

Greninja @ Expert Belt
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Surf
- Extrasensory
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam

Needless to say, this moveset is self explanatory.

Answer 8

So, here's a set I've been running on Showdown that seems to work fairly well:

Kermit (Greninja) (M) @ Shell Bell
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Bounce
- Scald
- Dark Pulse

I mainly have each of these moves for their secondary effect, making him a jack-of-all-trades for ailments. Plus, I've found Bounce to be a pretty decent scouting move that no one seems to expect.

Answer 9

Greninja @ Expert Belt / Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature / Adamant nature
- Waterfall
- Shadow Sneak
- Ice Punch
- Gunk Shot

Waterfall just because its still a Water starter to me, plus good coverage and chance of flinching
Shadow Sneak is for priority, gaining quick immunities and further coverage
Ice Punch for annoying Dragons and Grass types and chance of freezing
Gunk Shot for Fairies mainly, powerful attack and chance of poisoning

Protean makes everything a STAB move and you can play around with resistances and weaknesses, makihg this Greninja an excellent unexpected physical threat.

Answer 10

I want to share my Greninja moveset.
My Greninja is:
Greninja (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 6 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Shadow Sneak
- Water Shuriken
- U-turn
- Aerial Ace

Shadow Sneak (Don't let Fighting hit us)
Water Shuriken (Last attack when the foe is low health)
U-turn (Swith out when in danger)
Aerial Ace (Deal with Fighting types and Grass type)

As a lot of Fighting-types know Mach Punch, and if their Spe is higher than Greninja, then we will get rekt.

I choose this kind of moveset is because when we meet a Fighting-type, we can use Ghost type to deal some damage to it. Because 99% of them will use mach punch, as our base speed stat is higher then them, they can't hit us but we can, next we use aerial ace to it to kill them. Even the foe's Sturdy or Focus Sash is no use now.

And that's how I troll fighting type Pokemon.

If the foe switch out, we will use U-Turn of course; and the last attack -- WATER SHURIKEN! I love this move because when we hit the foe 5 times, the base power is 75, and it moves first! Good to deal with Talonflame (if you're lucky enough to get 5 hits).

Comments

Why is this flagged?

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Natures.

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The post says it's jolly.

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Whoops, I meant to write ability. But I suppose the description of Shadow Sneak implies it's supposed to be Protean. I will edit.

Answer 11

Role: Mixed Attacker

Greninja (F) @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Hasty Nature
- Scald
- Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot
- Dark Pulse

1. Scald - STAB with Protean + Coverage against Fire, Ground and Rock Types + Chance to Burn.
2. Ice Beam - STAB with Protean + Coverage against Grass, Ground, Dragon and Flying Types + Chance to Freeze.
3. Gunk Shot - STAB with Protean + Coverage against Grass and Fairy Types + Chance to Poison.
4. Dark Pulse - STAB with Protean + Coverage against Psychic and Ghost Types + Chance to Flinch.

All of these moves powered up with Life Orb and having a Spe Nature, this awesome Ninja Frog is also ready to become a Sweeper.

Answer 12

This is one of my favorite movesets using its Ability Protean strategically!
(DOUBLES)

Greninja @ Leftovers
Ability: Protean
EVs: 6 HP / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Careful Nature
- Dark Pulse
- Hydro Cannon
- Ice Beam
- Gunk Shot OR Substitute to protect yourself from from those lucky crit super effective moves!

Hope this helps out!

Answer 13

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 40 Atk / 216 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Gunk Shot
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Low Kick

Answer 14

Fast Special Attacker w/ optional support

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean / Battle Bond
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature / Timid Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Extrasensory / Mat Block / Toxic Spikes / Taunt

A really simple set. A Greninja with 3 special attacks, the 4th Slot is your choice of an extra attacking move to cover your Fighting weakness, or a support move like the ones listed above.

Answer 15

Greninja? More like GreSWEEPER!

Greninja @ Leftovers
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Toxic Spikes (To, well, poison!)
- Scald (May burn, good power.)
- Dark Pulse (Just a good move.)
- Extrasensory (Coverage)

My brother showed me this set, so shout-out to him.

Comments

Boo worst joke ever.

Answer 16

Physical Moveset:
Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- U-turn
- Night Slash
- Acrobatics
- Waterfall

With U-turn and amazing Speed you don't need a lot of type coverage. Focus Sash lets it take out several switch-ins especially as this thing has abyssal Def and SpD. Night Slash is amazing, Acrobatics to kill Grass and extra damage when Focus Sash is gone. Waterfall, STAB, flinching.

Special Moveset:

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Protean
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Blizzard
- Extrasensory

First of all, why not Surf? Scald is better plus burning for switching in Grass types. Dark Pulse is too predictable but it's the best you have. Blizzard, instead of Ice Beam??? First, if Ice Beam hits and freezes: 10% chance. Blilzzard hitting and freezing? 21%. More damage, sure, really bad accuracy and it can fail you but if it hits it ruins Grass-types. Extrasensory wrecks Fighting-types.

Ash-Greninja!!!

Greninja @ Expert Belt
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Bold / Calm Nature
- Scald
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam
- Extrasensory

Answer 17

Greninja can be special or physical, and you want a nature that boosts its Speed stat so you can outspeed your opponents. You also want it to have its Hidden Ability (Protean), not Torrent. For Ash-Greninja (who has the Battle Bond Ability instead), I wouldn't recommend using a physical set as that heavily relies on Protean.

Special Greninja / Ash-Greninja

Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean / Battle Bond
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Scald (Greninja) / Water Shuriken (Ash-Greninja)
- Extrasensory
- Dark Pulse
- Ice Beam

Physical Greninja

Greninja @ Focus Sash
Ability: Protean
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Waterfall
- Power-Up Punch (raises Attack stat)
- Ice Punch / Rock Slide / Acrobatics
- Gunk Shot / Night Slash

In double battles, some good status moves to also consider would be Spikes, Toxic Spikes or Mat Block, although you're better off using Greninja purely as a sweeper and leaving status moves up to its allies.

Comments

Timid Nature lowers attack and raises speed o3o

Answer 18

Greninja @ Focus Sash / Leftovers
Ability: Protean / Battle Bond / Torrent
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid / Modest Nature
- Dark Pulse / Extrasensory
- Surf / Hydro Pump / Scald
- Ice beam
- Grass Knot

Dark Pulse / Extrasensory (Same power, same accuracy but coverage for Gengar who could learn Thunderbolt, either Energy Ball or other Ghost types could learn them as well)
Surf / Hydro Pump / Scald (STAB but use Surf if you can)
Ice Beam (Coverage, kill any Grass-types or Dragon-types or Flying-types, mostly for Grass and Dragons with Thunder Punch)
Grass Knot (Kill another Greninja if they use it or even any Water-types who have moves Greninja's weak to such as Solar Beam or else)

This Greninja is very strong but not strong on Defense and very good Special Attacker.

Answer 19

Physical Greninja

Greninja @ Life Orb
Ability: Torrent / Protean
EVs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Ice Punch
- Shadow Sneak
- Smack Down
- Water Shuriken

Ice Punch is good for grass types and can take down a Garchomp with Ease. Shadow Sneak is for Fake Out users, Kanghaskan users that use Power-Up Punch as well. Smack down is good for Talonflame users, that love Brave Bird Gale Wings, so not only does the Talonflame waste a Brave Bird, you also get 4x damage on Talonflame for easy instant kill. And Water Shuriken for priority and for finishing someone that's faster and low HP.

Answer 20

Hey! I used this Ash-Greninja on Showdown and it worked pretty well, especially against set-ups!

Greninja-Ash @ Chesto Berry
Ability: Battle Bond
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk
Jolly Nature / Adamant Nature
- Rest
- Waterfall
- Work up (Only move that raises Atk)
- Acrobatics