SS OU Gengar Sub Nasty Plot

[LudwigFrog]

I made a team around Gengars sub nasty plot set. I will explain how it works in this thread.

TEAM BUILDING PROCESS:



I wanted to make a team around Gengar because I enjoy using it, and it's actually quite a threat. Not many mons can handle it on the switch in, and it's good speed tier allows it to threaten many opposing mons.



First off, I needed a physical wall do compensate for Gengars low physical defense. Corviknight is amazing. Super bulky and clears hazards. It also deals with alot of multi hits that can threaten Gengar, and knock it out through it's subsitute, such as 's Double Iron Bash, or 's Rock Blast.



Blissey can pretty much be thrown into any team and do her job amazingly well. Stupid mon lol. It provides a special wall for pokemon like and . It's normal typing is amazing as you're not using any attacks (besides Seismic Toss) so no need to worry about STAB. Having only one weakness is great, and Gengar can switch in on fighting types aswell, creating good synergy.



Tapu Fini is amazing, especially the Calm Mind set. This thing is a monster. Having Corviknight on the team helps aswell, to deal with the grass types it struggles with. Tapu Fini has amazing phys def, and spdef. It can switch in on and can even beat in the 1v1 if I have one Calm Mind set up. But most importantly, it hard beats , Gengar's biggest counter.



With the defensive core set, now we need some speed control. Zeraora is an amazing pivot. Being able to outspeed every RELEVANT mon (Besides Regieleki) is very good for this team. Having Tapu Fini also helps a lot, because if there are no ground types on the opposing team, this mon just shreds (Unless they have like Tangrowth). Close Combat helps hit mons like and too, and having Volt Switch helps it pivot around. It's aswell insanely annoying to switch into as it has Knock Off which will remove the opposing mon's item. It also threatens Dragapult too with Knock Off.



The last member of the team. Mixed attacker Garchomp. I was originally going to have Swords Dance Garchomp with Stealth Rock and Stone Edge, mostly to deal with things like but I decided on something else. If you can land a Toxic as Blissey, or even beat it with Calm Mind Fini, it's not really that big of a threat. I decided on using Fire Blast + Draco so I can hit the things like , and . Draco does a lot of damage on some of Swords Dance Garchomps biggest threats, like or . Lastly, it still sets up Stealth Rock, which you pretty much want on every team.

Gengar @ Black Sludge
Ability: Cursed Body
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Shadow Ball
- Focus Blast
- Nasty Plot
Gengars main goal is to get out a subsitute, and stack up on nasty plots so it can break through the other team. It has access to Shadow Ball, a solid STAB move and complemented by its 130 base Special Attack allows it to deal damage. You run focus blast over sludge bomb, as you need to hit targets like Bisharp and Ferrothorn. The other 5 mons will help deal with Gengars weaknesses, so it can reliably sweep.

Corviknight @ Rocky Helmet
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- Defog
- Roost
- U-turn
Phys def Corviknight. A great wall that can succesfully wall threats that will outspeed Gengar (Scarf Kartana, Grassy Glide). It removes the hazards like stealth rocks and spikes so Gengar can switch in safely. It has U turn to keep momentum and allow safe switch ins to your teamates.

Blissey (F) @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Seismic Toss
- Toxic
- Soft-Boiled
- Teleport
Blissey is the specially defensive mon on the team. It walls mons like Volcarona, Kyurem and Dragapult. It has toxic to prevent setups and put opposing pokemon on timer, making it annoiying to switch in to. It has soft boiled for quick recovery and teleport to keep momentum. Basically basic Blissey stuff.

Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 252 HP / 68 Def / 172 SpA / 16 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Surf
- Draining Kiss
- Calm Mind
- Taunt
Calm Mind Tapu Fini. I put it on the team as it can switch in to all the Dark Types Gengar struggles with like Mandibuzz and Hydreigon. It also eats up Surging Strikes, which breaks Gengars Subsitute and knocks it out. If the opposing team dosen't have Grass types alive, or Zeraora, once you have Tapu Fini set up, its really hard to break. These evs help beat Galarian Slowking.

Zeraora @ Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability: Volt Absorb
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Plasma Fists
- Close Combat
- Knock Off
- Volt Switch
Zeraora is the speed control and pivot on the team. It outspeeds every relevant mon (Besides Regieleki, Accelgor and Ninjask don't count), allowing it to pivot around and check many things. It has knock off to remove items such as boots on Blissey or specs on Kyurem. It has close combat to be able to hit and check mons like Ferrothorn and Heatran.

Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Fire Blast
- Draco Meteor
Mixed attacker Garchomp. Provides a solid check for mons like Ferrothorn and Tangrowth. Considering this is the least popular "main" Garchomp set, its hard to expect coming. Draco also does a lot to Hippowdon and Landorus T. Of course it keeps its STAB Earthquake to hit targets like Heatran. It also sets up rocks.

Here is the pokepaste for easy conversion. https://pokepast.es/3e96035b94665ccb

 

[HISELOISOVER9000]

IMO tyranitar isn’t a great kyurem/dragapult check since dragapult can slowly wear it down with draco due to its lack of recover and kyurem runs focus blasts (and can also chip it down). Blissey would be a good replacement since it checks drag and kyurem, can set rocks, and has high spdef

 

[LudwigFrog]

IMO tyranitar isn’t a great kyurem/dragapult check since dragapult can slowly wear it down with draco due to its lack of recover and kyurem runs focus blasts (and can also chip it down). Blissey would be a good replacement since it checks drag and kyurem, can set rocks, and has high spdef

I don't usually set rocks on Blissey as then Volcarona just sweeps the team. I would probably set Rocks on the Garchomp then.

 

[LudwigFrog]

I don't usually set rocks on Blissey as then Volcarona just sweeps the team. I would probably set Rocks on the Garchomp then.

Yeah I put Blissey and put rocks on Chomp

 

[Wildfiree]

Your team looks solid however there is a small change I would suggest

Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
I feel this set is more consistent as you can hit tang,ferrothorn, corviknight, and Landorus etc in one slot. Draco chunks landos trying to switch in. Lastly stealth rock as you originally had. I feel this set will fit better with your team. You will already be able to wear down zapdos if you can toxic it with blissey. I hope you like this change.

 

[HISELOISOVER9000]

I don't usually set rocks on Blissey as then Volcarona just sweeps the team. I would probably set Rocks on the Garchomp then.

You can rocks and toxic (cripples volcarona on blissey. And volcarona needs a lotttt of quiver dances to kill blissey, plus setup garchomp should use scale shot

 

[LudwigFrog]

Your team looks solid however there is a small change I would suggest

View attachment 347023
Garchomp @ Life Orb
Ability: Rough Skin
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Fire Blast
- Earthquake
- Stealth Rock
I feel this set is more consistent as you can hit tang,ferrothorn, corviknight, and Landorus etc in one slot. Draco chunks landos trying to switch in. Lastly stealth rock as you originally had. I feel this set will fit better with your team. You will already be able to wear down zapdos if you can toxic it with blissey. I hope you like this change.

I will give this a shot, thank you. :)

 

[Wildfiree]

I will give this a shot, thank you. :)

Anytime brother :)

 

[LudwigFrog]

Anytime brother :)

Its way better, thanks

 

[Wildfiree]

Its way better, thanks

Glad to hear that :)

 

[PKS Khaos]

I stole this team and have been playing some games with it, gengar is my fav mon. First off this garchomp is absolutely beastly, i dont know how many times ive dropped a draco, the opponents think im special and am going switch out, for me to click earthquake and ruin something on the switch, this mon alone blows huge holes in teams. Overall i really enjoy this team, my only real complaint would be specs lele, that thing wreaks havoc as it 2hkos blissey easily, and psychic does a ton to corv. Other than that great team, i am def enjoying it.

 

[Talneir]

I've also tried playing this team a bit, and a lot of the time it felt like Gengar just was a non-pokemon. So many teams had Knock Off I didn't want to switch into, or even just offensive threats that immediately break substitute before you can get up Nasty Plot. The only times I could really get it on the field was with a soul-read prediction or on pokemon that are choice-locked or Blissey. Switch moves weren't even really getting it in because of how often Corviknight and Blissey would invite in the kind of pokemon that Gengar wants to see after they've set up. I fully admit that it's likely more due to my lack of experience with the mon, but I feel like it needs to be said.

This makes me curious if running a third attacking move on Gengar for coverage would be better than Sub as I can't even imagine the dream scenario where you can get up Plot + Sub before something scary switches in and forces you out because you didn't get an attack in on the switch. I would probably run Sludge Bomb/Wave as it gives you something SE to hit Fairys with, which this team currently doesn't have, but I could also see Dazzling Gleam being useful to hit Dark types with without relying on Focus Blast. It's entirely possible that with 3 moves you could drop Focus Blast so that you don't have to rely on it's inaccuracies. A moveset with Shadow Ball, Dazzling Gleam, and a third coverage move or a cheaky Explosion would probably be worth testing, assuming you also are having problems getting up Plot + Sub.

It also felt like running both Blissey and Tapu Fini was largely overkill on the Speciall wall side of things and made the team too passive, replacing one of those with a solid wallbreaker for Garchomp and Gengar to take advantage of could be incredibly helpful, but I haven't tested anything myself. Weavile provides a Dark type, has a priority move, forces progress on a lot of Garchomp and Gengar's checks, and gives out Knock Off support. I've personally only used Swords Dance Weavile in the past, but this team probably would prefer Choice Band Weavile, as you're probably going to be clicking Knock Off and then switching out quite frequently. I would personally swap out the Blissey for this, as Fini provides crucial offensive pressure and has resistances that the team can use, but it's possible that Blissey providing Teleport is more useful.

Weavile @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Low Kick

 

[LudwigFrog]

I stole this team and have been playing some games with it, gengar is my fav mon. First off this garchomp is absolutely beastly, i dont know how many times ive dropped a draco, the opponents think im special and am going switch out, for me to click earthquake and ruin something on the switch, this mon alone blows huge holes in teams. Overall i really enjoy this team, my only real complaint would be specs lele, that thing wreaks havoc as it 2hkos blissey easily, and psychic does a ton to corv. Other than that great team, i am def enjoying it.

Thank you. Glad you like it.

 

[LudwigFrog]

I've also tried playing this team a bit, and a lot of the time it felt like Gengar just was a non-pokemon. So many teams had Knock Off I didn't want to switch into, or even just offensive threats that immediately break substitute before you can get up Nasty Plot. The only times I could really get it on the field was with a soul-read prediction or on pokemon that are choice-locked or Blissey. Switch moves weren't even really getting it in because of how often Corviknight and Blissey would invite in the kind of pokemon that Gengar wants to see after they've set up. I fully admit that it's likely more due to my lack of experience with the mon, but I feel like it needs to be said.

This makes me curious if running a third attacking move on Gengar for coverage would be better than Sub as I can't even imagine the dream scenario where you can get up Plot + Sub before something scary switches in and forces you out because you didn't get an attack in on the switch. I would probably run Sludge Bomb/Wave as it gives you something SE to hit Fairys with, which this team currently doesn't have, but I could also see Dazzling Gleam being useful to hit Dark types with without relying on Focus Blast. It's entirely possible that with 3 moves you could drop Focus Blast so that you don't have to rely on it's inaccuracies. A moveset with Shadow Ball, Dazzling Gleam, and a third coverage move or a cheaky Explosion would probably be worth testing, assuming you also are having problems getting up Plot + Sub.

It also felt like running both Blissey and Tapu Fini was largely overkill on the Speciall wall side of things and made the team too passive, replacing one of those with a solid wallbreaker for Garchomp and Gengar to take advantage of could be incredibly helpful, but I haven't tested anything myself. Weavile provides a Dark type, has a priority move, forces progress on a lot of Garchomp and Gengar's checks, and gives out Knock Off support. I've personally only used Swords Dance Weavile in the past, but this team probably would prefer Choice Band Weavile, as you're probably going to be clicking Knock Off and then switching out quite frequently. I would personally swap out the Blissey for this, as Fini provides crucial offensive pressure and has resistances that the team can use, but it's possible that Blissey providing Teleport is more useful.

Weavile @ Choice Band
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Icicle Crash
- Knock Off
- Ice Shard
- Low Kick

I appreciate the feedback. A way I can get it up with a sub is calling out choice locked items like Urshifu's Close Combat, or Kyurems Focus Blast. Gengar and Blissey create amazing synergy. The reason I like having both Fini and Blissey, is because I need to be able to deal with Nidoking and Kyurem etc. This team would just get run over by Volcarona and Kyurem, Nidoking too if I didn't have Blissey.