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This analysis was produced prior to the December 2024 NU Viability Rankings. As such, it is likely to contain outdated information. Gastly is generally considered decent in current PU.
Overview
Gastly is one of the most defining Pokemon in the PU metagame, being the fastest viable sleeper in the tier. Gastly is threatening even aside from sleep thanks to its high Special and combination of Psychic and Thunderbolt, which has perfect coverage and hits top threats such as Fearow and Nidoqueen super effectively. Gastly also has Explosion to deny setup sweepers and put many foes into KO range from Gastly's teammates. These traits make Gastly a powerhouse in the back, as it can put most foes to sleep and then threaten switch-ins with powerful attacks. Gastly can also switch into Normal-type moves such as Scyther's Slash and Arcanine's Hyper Beam without taking damage, something no other Pokemon in the tier can do. Gastly is also one of PU's best Seaking switch-ins, as it is only 3HKOed by Surf and can generate momentum for its team with the threat of Hypnosis and Thunderbolt, which lets it switch in once per game with minimal concern. However, Gastly is not flawless. Despite its unique defensive capabilities, it still suffers from bad physical bulk and a weak Poison typing. Its terrible physical bulk allows most neutral physical attacks such as Fearow's Drill Peck to 2HKO it. Additionally, Gastly's terrible Ground- and Psychic-type weaknesses leave it OHKOed and 2HKOed, respectively, by most common Earthquake and Psychic in the tier from the likes of Nidoqueen and Gastly. These issues are compounded by Gastly's reliance on the inaccurate Hypnosis, as a miss could mean Gastly faints without doing anything.
Offensive Sleeper
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Set Description
Hypnosis is one of Gastly's most powerful tools, as its good Speed stat allows it to outspeed and put foes such as Seaking and Porygon to sleep. However, Gastly usually does not want to risk trying to land Hypnosis against foes that can KO it if it misses, such as Nidoqueen. Gastly will only want to use Hypnosis against these foes if it needs to put them to sleep to win later in the game, such as if it needs to beat Fearow Nidoqueen one-on-one, or if it can't afford to take too much damage against certain foes, such as Magneton. If Gastly can afford to, it will much rather just attack rather than try to land Hypnosis, as attacking is far more consistent due to Gastly being too frail to be able to afford to fumble a turn without doing anything, as if it misses, it can end up achieving nothing. Psychic hits Pokemon such as Nidoqueen and opposing Gastly super effectively. Its high chance to inflict a Special drop on the opponent also makes it Gastly's best move against Fire-types and neutral targets. Thunderbolt deals super effective damage to Flying- and Water-types, 2HKOing Fearow, Scyther, and Staryu and 3HKOes Seaking. Substitute enables Gastly to become even more threatening offensively after landing Hypnosis, punishing opponents that stay in to attempt to wake up or sacrifice whatever has been put to sleep. Substitute also has the benefit of the fact that very few Pokemon have access to paralysis-spreading moves, letting Gastly be completely safe behind a Substitute. Explosion lets Gastly sacrifice itself to put a frailer foe into range of a strong revenge killer such as Fearow or Scyther. Explosion comes with the benefit of ending the turn, preventing slower foes such as Porygon and Seaking from healing or setting up. It also allows for win-win scenarios when paired with Hypnosis, as Gastly can explode in front of a sleeping foe to either give its teammates such as Scyther or Seaking free setup turns if the opponent stays in, or if they switch, Explosion will heavily chip whatever has switched in.
Gastly's main role in a team is as a sleeper and Seaking check; it can put a key foe to sleep to clear the way for its teammates while remaining offensively potent even after landing Hypnosis. Gastly can also switch in to Seaking's Surf once and threaten it with Hypnosis and Thunderbolt or use Explosion on it to deny the chance for it to set up an Agility. Gastly can also switch into Scyther with little risk, as it is immune to its Normal-type coverage and is only 4HKOed by Wing Attack while it threatens Scyther in return with Hypnosis and a 2HKO from Thunderbolt; however, Gastly must be wary of Scyther using Swords Dance on the turn it switches in, as a boosted Scyther 2HKOes it with Wing Attack, forcing Gastly to either attempt to land Hypnosis or fish for a critical hit with Thunderbolt. Gastly tends to get overwhelmed by faster threats, so it appreciates partners that can switch into them; Omanyte and Graveler check Rapidash, Fearow, and Arcanine. Gastly is also checked by Graveler and Drowzee and thus enjoys the support of wallbreakers such as Seaking and Arcanine. Gastly's combination of high Special and immunity to Body Slam makes it the best switch-in to Omanyte, making it a great partner to Rapidash and Arcanine. Gastly's good Seaking matchup also makes it a good teammate for these Pokemon.
Other Options
Night Shade can be used as a midground option to deal consistent damage to Gastly's switch-ins. It is also Gastly's strongest attack against Psychic- and Fire- types, though Explosion and Psychic are usually better moves against Psychic- and Fire-types, respectively. The utility of Gastly's other attacking moves are also generally superior, and Psychic is already a consistent midground option. Psychic also has the chance to drop the opponent's Special and land a critical hit, which Night Shade cannot do. Gastly can be used as a lead, as it outspeeds lead Porygon and Nidoqueen and is 3HKOed by Arcanine's Fire Blast, which always gives it at least one opportunity to use Hypnosis; Arcanine'sFire Blast puts Gastly into KO range of Fearow's Drill Peck, however, meaning it is easily revenge killed. Given Hypnosis's poor accuracy and Gastly's inability to substantially threaten these foes outside of Hypnosis, lead Gastly is extremely inconsistent.
Checks and Counters
Faster Attackers: Fearow, Rapidash, Arcanine, and Magmar all outspeed Gastly. Fearow 2HKOes Gastly with Drill Peck and is only 2HKOed in return by Thunderbolt, while Rapidash, Arcanine, and Magmar 3HKO Gastly and comfortably take any damage it can throw out in return. These Fire-types can also burn Gastly, making its already middling Explosion even weaker. Magmar deserves a special mention, as it has access to Psychic, which 2HKOes Gastly after a Special drop and isn't prone to missing, unlike Rapidash and Arcanine's Fire Blast. Rapidash can also use Fire Spin to chip Gastly into KO range and can be used to pivot around it. However, these Pokemon must be wary of Hypnosis.
Psychic-types: Although both are uncommon, Abra and Drowzee 2HKO Gastly with Psychic and can cripple it with Thunder Wave. The former outspeeds Gastly and is only 3HKOed by Night Shade, while the latter is only 4HKOed; both take negligible damage from Gastly's other attacks. However, both must watch out for Explosion, which OHKOes Abra and does a minimum of 67% to Drowzee. Due to it being outsped, Drowzee must be wary of Hypnosis.
Magneton: Thanks to its high Special and good bulk, Magneton can switch into Gastly's attacks, taking only 22.4% at maximum from Psychic, and threaten it back with Thunder Wave and a strong STAB Thunderbolt, which has a 19.2% chance to 2HKO. However, Magneton must be wary of Psychic Special drops and Explosion. Magneton is also slower than Gastly, meaning it is susceptible to Hypnosis.
Earthquake Users: Even if Gastly can threaten Pokemon such as Nidoqueen, Machamp, and Graveler with Psychic, these foes can tank a hit and OHKO Gastly in return with Earthquake. However, there is no viable Earthquake user in PU that is faster than Gastly, so the majority of them must be wary of Hypnosis and being in Gastly's KO range.
Credits
- Written by NotVeryCake and Gangsta Spongebob
- Quality checked by gastlies, Sabelette, and Gangsta Spongebob
- Grammar checked by Sabelette, P Squared, and sunny004
