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-Mega @ Gengarite
Ability: Shadow Tag
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Encore
- Substitute
- Perish Song
- Shadow Ball

If the opponent is about to set up, use Substitute. Use encore to lock them on to the setup move. Kill them with Shadow Ball or Perish Song.

Comments

if you want to use encore, you should include disable as well in order to force the opponent to struggle and annoy them to the max :)

Answer 2

Gengar (M) @ Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body -- Shadow Tag
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature (+Speed, -Atk)
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Bomb
- Thunderbolt
- Dazzling Gleam

Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb are powerful and STAB. Thunderbolt is good coverage and Dazzling Gleam is excellent coverage.

Answer 3

Gen 1 NU
Gastly
- Explosion
- Hypnosis
- Thunderbolt
- Mega Drain / Psychic
Well this isn't for LC so I'll post it here. Explosion is a nuke when it is at low health, Hypnosis is high risk high reward as it can make the opponent sleep, but it has shaky accuracy, Thunderbolt is coverage for Blastoise, Charizard, Dewgong, Poliwhirl, Fearow, Kabutops, Kingler, Moltres, Seadra, and Aerodactyl, Mega Drain beats Golem, a Pokemon it usually struggles with, while extending its life, while Psychic can beat Nidoking and Venomoth.
Source: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/rby-nu-alpha-viability-ranking-mk-ii.3679758/page-2
I used the source to find out what its coverage moves cover.

Answer 4

Here's mine:

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpD / 252 SpA / 4SpDef
Nature: Timid
- Focus Blast: Coverage
- Dazzling Gleam: Extra Coverage
- Sludge Bomb: Kills fairies + STAB
- Shadow Ball: Further Coverage + STAB

Please tell me if this is good and if this Pokémon needs any improvements:)
Thank You!

Comments

This is a really good set, but Night Shade would do better since it does 100 damage, instead of Shadow Ball’s 80

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Ok thanks FlyinSquirl.

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Night Shade only does 100 HP worth damage, while Shadow Ball's 80 BP. Shadow Ball generally does higher damage at level 100 to other Pokemon.

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Oh I misread the description sorry bout that.

Answer 5

(gengar build I use) Gengar (M) @ Wise Glasses
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Thunderbolt
- Sludge Wave
- Dazzling Gleam
(Rambling overview) - Gengar is one of the most underrated Pokémon as of Gen 8. Like, Gengar has been tampered and nerfed like crazy for the past last generations. we lost levitate! His mega evolution! A freaking faster ghost Pokémon (shadow rider Calyrex )
However this build gives that missing love back to Gengar. (Sadly no levitate )
(Moveset) - Uh hem anyways, Shadow ball for the main stab, I mean come on, it is shadow ball. Thunderbolt for coverage against water types. Sludge wave as another stab and a nice adjacent hit. Dazzling gleam for another coverage move and adjacent hit against dark types.
(Nature + Held item) - His nature boosts his speed in order to aim for a faster hit against enemies while also staying strong in special attack with gengar’s held item; wise glasses. I didn’t choose choice specs (which is also another gold choice) because I’d rather be a sweeper then a choice Pokémon . And a lot of Pokémon are non effective to poison.
Mega gengar build

Gengar (F) @ Gengarite
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 248 HP / 8 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shadow Ball
- Sludge Wave
- Toxic
- Substitute

(Mega gengar rambling overview) - This build is based on Gen 6 and below. Anyways, levitate because… yes. Gengarite for that mega gengar legendary stat boost and shadow tag and the HOLY DESIGN OF GREATNESS!
(Moveset) - Shadow ball for stab and spamming (you’ll see why), substitute for stalling with toxic and greater bulk. Sludge wave for stab and adjacent hit.
(Overview of set) - This build just accommodates the amount of speed and special attack this Pokémon has. Basically go into substitute when you mega evolve gengar, then hit a toxic. Then just either use shadow ball or sludge wave, besides, they can’t even escape :) .
(Nature) - With the nature Modest, I can assure you, you’ll K.O at least a few Pokemon, + special attack, - attack.

(Alr that’s it bye )

Answer 6

Gen VII

Gengar @ Gengarite
Ability: Cursed Body
252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest / Timid Nature
- Shadow Ball
- Perish Song
- Giga Drain
- Sludge Bomb

Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb STAB, Perish song to ONLY be used with Mega Gengar (for those times when you are just trying to bring in a back Pokemon) and Giga Drain for healing and ground weakness coverage.)

Answer 7

Gen 9 NU Nasty Plot

Haunter @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Sludge Bomb / Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast

A Nasty Plot set for Haunter in Gen 9 NU. Haunter gets Nasty Plot and Focus Blast in Gen 9, which allows Haunter to act as a mini Gengar. Nasty Plot is used to boost Haunter's Special Attack to make its attacks scarier to switch into. Sludge Bomb is used for a Poison STAB. Shadow Ball is used for a Ghost STAB. Focus Blast provides coverage against Dark-, Steel-, and Normal-types such as Chansey, Mabosstiff, Umbreon, and Copperajah. Substitute can be used over Sludge Bomb since nothing is immune to Shadow Ball and Focus Blast in the tier. Substitue + Nasty Plot variants work well since Chansey being in the tier gives it the opportunity to setup, as well as there being lots of opportunities for Haunter to setup in general. Life Orb is used to give your attacks more power. Tera Fighting is used to give Focus Blast more power, and it turns Haunter's Dark weakness into a resistance.

Answer 8

Gen 9 Monotype Toxic Spikes Lead (Ghost)

Gengar @ Focus Sash
Ability: Cursed Body
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Taunt
- Destiny Bond
- Sludge Bomb

This is a Toxic Spikes Lead set Gengar can use on Ghost teams in Gen 9 Monotype. Toxic Spikes spreads poison against grounded Pokemon, allowing bulky Pokemon to get worn down by the poison. Taunt allows Gengar to stop opposing leads from setting up hazards or using status moves. Destiny Bond lets Gengar potentially take out a Pokemon should Gengar no longer be needed. Sludge Bomb is used for a Poison STAB to prevent Gengar from being Taunt bait. The 30% poison chance can be nice for opposing leads. Focus Sash is used since this set should be used as the lead so it can set Toxic Spikes more easily.

Answer 9

Shadow Toxin (Gengar) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Cursed Body
Tera Type: Poison
EVs: 96 HP / 236 SpA / 176 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Dazzling Gleam
- Thunderbolt
- Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball

The Ghost Poison type Gengar, aptly named Shadow Toxin, will start the battle doing absolutely whatever he needs to do in terms of moves. Equipped with Black Sludge and Dazzling Gleam, Dark Pulse, Sludge Bomb and Shadow Ball, Gengar has many capabilities. STAB moves, and potential to flinch and hit both opponents in doubles. The Rash Nature boosts his offensive capabilities while also evening out defenses the best he can. Cursed Body is literally it's only ability so not much variety there.

Comments

Can you explain why you use the EV spread you use? Why Black Sludge over a more offensive item? Why in the world would you use Rash nature over something like Timid or Modest?

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Oh yeah Black sludge hurts you when you tera ghost

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Dark moves are kinda useless on Ghost types since they literally don't cover anything. Maybe Thunderbolt or Psychic can replace it.

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@Mr. Fish To be quite honest, I usually try to even out defenses with EVs and Nature.  Just so my pokemon can take hits equally hard early in the battle.  Black Sludge is just a favored Poison item of mine

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@Ferrari Excellent point.  I'll change the Tera around

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@DavidVileplume You make a great point.  I gotta change my Spiritomb and Houndstone now but Gengar first

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Investing in defense is good, but there's very few situations (if any) where you would want to lower your defenses. Gengar is frail enough as it is, it'd be better to invest more in its offenses so it can do as much damage before going down. Trying to even out defenses is dumb, because making it have less defense will only mean it will get taken out easier. No offense meant...

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@Mr. Fish None taken man.  I'll update it right quick

Answer 10

Gengar (M/F) @ gengarite/lens scope/micle berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- hex
- hypnosis
- dream eater
- destiny bond

I made this for my ex gf, but she never used, I use this gengar in every game and hacks, for me, he is really good, I was never disappointed by him