What is a good moveset for Gengar?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Gengar, 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.

Gengar Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Answer 1

Gengar (M) @ Big Root
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hypnosis
- Hex
- Dream Eater
- Smog

Hypnosis (I have no idea, this is certainly not for sleeping)
Hex (STAB and good for after hypnosis and covers weakness to psychic, ghost and dark)
Dream Eater (Heals and good pair w/ hypnosis)
Smog (STAB and good for use before Hex)

Comments

Hex does not cover Dark :|

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SMOG??? use sludge bomb, it still has a great 30% chance of poisoning and at least deals a good damage and has good accuracy

Answer 2

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Confuse Ray
- Hypnosis

Shadow Ball- Most powerful special Ghost move Gengar gets.
Focus Blast- Coverage on Dark.
Confuse Ray- Chance of opponent damaging itself. Works good with Shadow Tag.
Hypnosis- Puts the opponent to sleep. Works well with Shadow Tag.

Answer 3

Hex (Gengar) @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD
Timid Nature
- Substitute
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

A lot of Gengar use Substitute + Disable, so this will catch some people off guard. Substitute to soak up statuses and if you predict a switchout, and the rest are just attacking moves. Shadow Ball + Sludge Wave (or Sludge Bomb) for powerful STABs, and Focus Blast deals with anything that resists it's STAB moves.

Answer 4

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Dazzling Gleam / Taunt / Thunderbolt
- Destiny Bond

This set uses Shadow Ball as Primary STAB. Focus Blast hits Dark Types hard. Dazzling Gleam is for Dragons. But if you're fine without Dragon coverage Thunderbolt is the better option as your SE coverage increases and it has more power. Taunt is to cripple those nasty hazard setters. When you're at low health you'll outspeed almost everything at 0 Speed increase. Use Destiny Bond and you've taken down one more of your opponents Pokes. This set is really successful. Please test it out.

Answer 5

"Nightmare" Gengar moveset

(Gengar-Mega) (M) @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hypnosis
- Hex
- Sludge Bomb
- Dream Eater/Dazzling Gleam/Focus Blast

(This is my first moveset I created ever) This set heavily revolves around hypnosis. I realize that Hypnosis, with its 60% accuracy is unreliable at times, but when you do put your opponent to sleep, this set for Gengar proves to be an effective sweeper.

Hypnosis-Put the opponent to sleep and let the magic happen.

Hex- STAB Base power is doubled when the opponent has a status condition. (Asleep from Hypnosis and poisoned from Sludge Bomb

Sludge Bomb- STAB For pure special attack power and a 30% of poisoning enemies

Dream Eater- Recover HP and deal a good amount of damage to those opponents who are Normal typed.

I really appreciate feedback on this moveset. I have been testing it out, and when it works it proves to be very effective :)

Answer 6

Gengar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Dazzling Gleam
- Destiny Bond

Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb provide Gengar with great STAB and effective moves. Dazzling Gleam is good coverage, and Destiny Bond with Focus Sash is a good combination.

Answer 7

Gengar (F) @ Wise Glasses
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Dazzling Gleam
- Thunderbolt
- Sludge Bomb

• Shadow Ball (STAB)
• Dazzling Gleam (Coverage and good move overall)
• Thunderbolt (Common for Gengar, but useful against things like Starmie)
• Sludge Bomb (STAB and coverage against Grass)

Basic sweeper set, but still useful.

Answer 8

I have one and it SWEEPS. This is its set:

Gengar-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam

• Shadow ball: Used to deal with psychic and ghost types.
• Sludge bomb: Why not? This move has fairy killing machine written all over it!
• Thunderbolt: Used to deal with greninjas and other water types.
• Dazzling gleam: Kills dark, Fighting, (Although its not needed because fighting doesn't affect ghost,) and Dragon types.

Comments

That is impressive Mega+Sweeper very interesting moveset

Answer 9

Gengar @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate / Cursed Body
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Dazzling Gleam
- Energy Ball

• Shadow Ball (STAB)
• Sludge Bomb (STAB)
• Dazzling Gleam (Dark Coverage)
• Energy Ball (Ground types? Gone!)

Weeeeeell... Switch in, hit hard, switch out. 'Nuff said.

Answer 10

Gengar (M) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Hypnosis
- Nightmare
- Dream Eater
- Destiny Bond

This is obviously a Hypnosis combo. Put the opponent to sleep, Nightmare him, then spam Dream Eater. If Hypnosis misses and the opponent one-shots you, there the Focus Sash and Destiny Bond come in handy. A perfect combo in my opinion. It has 1 weakness: Hypnosis doesn't affect Dark-Types. But Destiny Bond covers that. A pretty neat combo. Can be used both for sweeping and taking out one problematic target.

Answer 11

I have a level 100 Gengar with these traits:

Gengar (M) @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Mean Look
- Perish Song

The idea is to Mean Look your opponents so they can't switch out. Then, you Perish Song and beat them up with Shadow Ball while the Perish Song counts down. On the final turn, you switch out Gengar for another party member while your opponent falls to the Perish Song. If you're fighting a Dark Type, Focus Blast covers nicely, even if it is inaccurate and isn't STAB. I've found this set to work nicely for my Gengar!

Comments

If you're using Mega Gengar, mean look is useless since its ability (shadow tag) already prevents the opponent from switching. You could do either sludge wave if you want more STAB, or protect to add on to the misery.

Answer 12

If you don't care of fighting with annoying people using OP legends, you might use this:

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hex
- Thunderbolt
- Focus Blast

Will-O-Wisp (burns the foe, taking care of it's physical attack. gengar special defense is nice anyways, so it may make it a bit bulkier)

Hex (482 SpA. + 130 BP STAB move = OHKO. don't need to say anything more, eh?)

Thunderbolt (coverage, nice power, almost always hits, plus it can paralize, making it such as even faster)

Focus Blast (Excellent power, not the best accuracy, but shadow tag traps the opponent making it unable to flee even if you miss. and if it avoids shadow tag by being a ghost type, why in the world would you use focus blast?)

Answer 13

I guess nobldy will come this far down for a good move set but I found one that dominates in the Battle Maison!

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 142 Def / 116 Spe
Bold Nature
- Snatch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Giga Drain
- Shadow Ball

Snatch is criminally underrated in competitive battles, you can steal a foes stat boosts and healing moves (RIP Vespiquen). Once you've memorised the AI's moves you can predict a stat boost and steal it. Plus since they're boost or heal failed, they'll use it again and again. Boost up Gengar with stolen Calm Mind, Stockpile or Double Team, then sweep with shadow ball and giga drain (which cover all types except Sap Sipper Miltank/Bouffalant). Will-O-Wisp is in case they're purely physical.

Answer 14

Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hex
- Confuse Ray
- Brick Break / Mega Drain
- Toxic

Using Toxic and Confuse ray means that your opponent are getting hurt every turn with a chance of you being untouched as well as doubling the power of Hex from 60 to 120, through brick break or Mega Drain to deal with Gengar's Dark or Ground weakness.

Answer 15

Gengar can actually be really good for a team because of it's fantastic sp atk. This is my best set for it

Koszmar (Gengar) (F) @ Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Toxic
- Venoshock
- Destiny Bond
- Dark Pulse

• Toxic (Poison)
• Venoshock (STAB, does amazing dmg after the Toxic)
• Destiny Bond (You know why)
• Dark pulse (Coverage, Psychic types can be annoying. For instance, Gardevoir with Hypnosis and Dream Eater)

Answer 16

Gengar-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body
Timid Nature
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
- Hex
- Sludge Wave
- Hidden Power [Fighting] / Energy Ball
- Destiny Bond / Any High Power SpAtk move

• Hex: Power doubles if the target is crippled, for this reason, get a Pokémon to set up Poison Barbs
• Sludge Wave: STAB, good for single battles
• HP Fighting / Energy Ball: Cover weakness
• Destiny Bond / Any High Power SpAtk move: Last Trick to Pokemon you can't kill or further coverage

Comments

Energy ball doesn't cover weaknesses. Also thunderbolt civers more stuff. I get the hex gimmik, but toxic spikes can be removed by any grounded poison type so shadow ball is more reliable. I don't think High Power special attack move is a good enough description for a move. I doubt destiny bond if good on gengar, but it serves a purpose.

Sludge wave is a spread move, so why is it better for singles? Gengar is better for singles, but sludge wave is better in doubles. Not saying sludge wave is bad in singles, but it's just better in doubles because of spread.

Answer 17

Wallbreaker

Gengar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Taunt

Nasty Plot boosts Special Attack. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast hit every Pokemon for at least neutral damage. Taunt prevents OU threats from recovering health like Roosts from Mandibuzz, Corviknight, and Togekiss, Wish/Soft-Boiled from Clefable, Slack Off from Hippowdon, and Recover from Toxapex.

Answer 18

SubPlot

Gengar @ Black Sludge / Life Orb / Spell Tag / Air Balloon
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Nasty Plot
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

Sub up, Nasty Plot, and start breaking things. Shadow Ball and Focus Blast give perfect coverage against all Pokemon with at least neutral damage.

Answer 19

Gen VI

Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball / Focus Blast
- Sludge Bomb
- Hex
- Pain Split

Black Sludge obviously for healing
Shadow Ball/Focus Blast - Shadow Ball is STAB with reliable power, Focus Blast for Dark coverage
Sludge Bomb - STAB, with 30% Poison chance
Hex - STAB, for after a target is poisoned to give boosted power over Shadow Ball
Pain Split - Personally, I just didn’t like his other healing options and this helps against Steel/Poison types

Comments

Gengar is way too frail to abuse Pain Split

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I was planning on using this in Doubles or Triples, using his speed to take some HP to leave the target more vulnerable for cleanup from your partner

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Pain split splits your hp. If gengar is at full hp, you will be healing the opponent

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Gengar at full HP with this set would be lower than most Pokemon so I think using pain split, it would come out with a higher percentage of HP than the target

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I don't think that's how it works

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If both Pokémon are at full HP, Gengar with this set has 136 at Lvl 50, if the target has say 160 HP, they would be averaged (136+160)/2=148 HP for both, so the higher the difference in their overall HP, the more the target loses

Answer 20

SubDisable

Gen 8 NU
Haunter @ Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Disable
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Wave

A SubDisable set. Substitute to see what move your opponent uses, and then on the next turn, you use Disable if your opponent doesn't switch. Shadow Ball and Sludge Wave are STAB moves.