Introduction:
From absurd no drawback moves like the 120 bp Astral Barrage and 100 bp Moongeist Beam to the unique ability to crush the main form of set-up control in Imposter, Ghost types are some of the spookiest threats in BH. So that poses the question, what if one were to spam them? After all, if just one of them is a respected offensive threat, then six should be far more aggressive and leagues more lethal.
Building the team:
The first Pokémon I added was Zoroark-Hisui. Its unique typing allows it to Imposter-Proof the vast majority of Ghost types with ease.
Next, I needed a way to break specially defensive abilities and items like Ice Scales and Assault Vest. Spectrier is thus added as it keeps pace with Eternatus and has a sky-high special stat of 145.
Gholdengo adds some much-needed defensive utility and status resilience.
Arceus Ghost is added as its bulk is useful for spongeing hits and abusing set-up moves.
Lunala’s strong special stat and high HP give it the valuable niche of abusing Final Gambit and high bp STABS to eliminate otherwise unbreakable threats.
Flutter Mane is the fastest Ghost type and has a valuable Fairy STAB to help eliminate Dark types.
The Team (Phantasmagoric Hallucinations):
Virulent Kitsune (Zoroark-Hisui) (F) @ Shell Bell
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk
Lonely Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
- Endeavor
- Leech Seed
- Ice Shard
- Baneful Bunker
Virulent Kitsune (Zoroark-Hisui) (F) @ Shell Bell
Ability: Sturdy
Level: 1
Tera Type: Normal
EVs: 252 Atk
Lonely Nature
IVs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpA / 0 SpD / 0 Spe
- Endeavor
- Leech Seed
- Ice Shard
- Baneful Bunker
Zoroark- Hisui is simultaneously the most vital element and the centerpiece of the structure of the mono-ghost hyper offense. It offers unparalleled role compression in being a universal Imposter-Proof, a check to faster offensive threats, and a win condition. The Imposter-Proofing properties come from Zoroark’s typing as Ghost and Normal grants an immunity to Fighting and Ghost, which enables it to be fully immune to the most effective STAB and coverage combination for Ghost: Ghost STAB and Fighting coverage. This means if an Imposter transforms into most members of the team Zoroark-H can simply switch into to hard counter and sap all their offensive momentum. Since most faster offensive threats don’t carry status moves or moves that go through abilities, any level 1 pokemon with Sturdy in tandem with the item Shell Bell and moves to heal to full HP in one turn like Endeavor or Leech Seed and a Priority move like Ice Shard will always win the 1 v 1 so Zoroark does exactly that to win the 1 v 1. Furthermore, if an opponent ends up losing all their Pokémon with status moves, Zoroark just instantly wins the game. Baneful Bunker rounds out the strategy by giving Zoroark a way to scout for status-inflicting moves like Mortal Spin, while also punishing common contact moves with a Poison.
Midnight Rider (Spectrier) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Simple
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 160 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moongeist Beam
- Nasty Plot
- Taunt
- Secret Sword
Now that Imposter is fully reigned by Zoroark’s unique typing, the rest team is free to spam as many broken set-up Ghosts as it desires without the fear of an Imposter counter-sweep. That consequently allows Spectrier to use a Simple set with Moongeist Beam, Nasty Plot and Taunt, and Secret Sword to cleave through most walls in the game. Moongeist Beam is a 100 bp Ghost move, but it more importantly bypasses abilities. This means even if an opponent has Unaware or Ice Scales, the abilities will be of no help to absorb the +4 boost Specterier gets from Nasty Plot. Likewise, Secret Sword complements this ability to cleave through most special walls by being a good fighting coverage that hits Regenerator Pokémon and Chansey on their weaker defensive stat. Since Unaware, Ice Scales, and Regenerator won’t work to stop Spectrier, that leaves one last option for an opponent: Topsy Turvy and Haze. However, that is where Taunt comes in. Taunt stops those moves cold and has the additional upside of shutting down Recovery on passive walls.
Steelskin Amalgam (Gholdengo) @ Focus Sash
Ability: Prankster
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Steel
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 0 SpD
- Nasty Plot
- Moongeist Beam
- Focus Blast
- Destiny Bond
Following in Specterier’s footsteps, Gholdengo seeks to do much of the same thing: set-up a Nasty Plot and crush Unaware and Ice Scales with Moongeist Beam and a complementary Fighting move: Focus Blast. However, instead of Simple Gholdengo uses a Prankster set. The reasoning for Prankster is that the team needs a secondary way to beat faster threats. Note that I mentioned Zoroark beats most faster threats. Most isn’t all, and there are some threats like Sniper Ash Greninja, Gyrados, and Pixelate Population Bomb Zacian, that beat Zoroark with Multi-Hit moves. So Gholdengo uses the combination of Prankster and Destiny Bond to stop those threats from outpacing the entire team and winning the game on the spot. In addition, Gholdengo gives the team a secondary way to Imposter-Proof Arceus Ghost in the event it is low on HP and an Imposter finishes it off with Gunk Shot. It does this in two ways: 1) If Gholdengo uses its Sash, then it has no item, meaning Poltergeist does no damage, and so Arceus Ghost is hard-walled. 2) It trades with Destiny Bond in the event it can’t activate Focus Sash, bringing down the Imposter with it.
Distention (Arceus-Ghost)
Ability: Good as Gold
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Tidy Up
- Poltergeist
- Strength Sap
- Gunk Shot
While Zoroark-H can 1 v 1 almost anything, it comes with a catch: it only works if there aren’t hazards up to break Sturdy. Also, since most of the team is built with Zoroark as the intended Imposter proof, Zoroark can just sit there and drain HP via Leech Seed, which is never a good position to be in. Thus, Arceus Ghost’s set is tailored to solve these issues, while also itself being a massive threat to teams. Tidy Up reliably clears hazards for Zoroark-H while also boosting Arceus ' Ghost's attack to sweep opposing teams. Poltergeist and Gunk Shot are the main moves used to deal damage while also remaining resilient to Imposter. You’ll notice Arceus has no item, which means Poltergeist hits Imposters, but Imposters can’t hit back except with a resisted Gunk Shot. Arceus’s ability: Good as Gold blocks Leech Seed from Zoroark, which then transforms its Imposter from a pest into set-up fodder. The utility from Good as Gold doesn’t stop there, as it also blocks common anti-physical set-up moves like Strength Sap, Parting Shot, and Topsy Turvy, which makes Arceus difficult to stop once it gets rolling.
Nightmare Catcher (Lunala) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Adaptability
Shiny: Yes
Tera Type: Psychic
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 200 SpD / 252 Spe
Rash Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Astral Barrage
- Volt Switch
- Psycho Boost
- Final Gambit
As with any hyper offense, getting an advantage with the lead match-up is imperative as switching can be ruinous. Lunala is thus tailored to almost always put an opponent on the back foot from turn 1. In BH, the most common leads are Imposter to scout, some sort of wall-breaker for damage, or a Regen-Vest to set hazards. Lunala has an advantageous match-up against all the common leads listed above. VS Imposter it just outspeeds it with a Choice Scarf and OHKO’s with Astral Barrage, vs Regen-Vest it can use Final Gambit to eliminate it right away to clear the path for teammates and preventing hazards from going up, and vs most faster wallbreakers it can either trade with Final Gambit or just one shot them with a surprise Astral Barrage, Psycho Boost. Lunala also shines against more aggressive teams as it can always be preserved as a revenge killer for faster Pokémon like Mega Alakazam and Flutter Mane, and even functions as a late-game cleaner once the opposing offensive team in question has been sufficiently weakened.
Fevered Visions (Flutter Mane) @ Pixie Plate
Ability: Simple
Tera Type: Ghost
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Nasty Plot
- Judgment
- Focus Blast
- Burning Bulwark
Flutter Mane is among the fastest and most lethal ghost types due to its 135 base speed and fantastic fairy same-type attack bonus. This makes Flutter Mane one of the best last game cleaners and dark destroyers for mono-ghost. Simple and Nasty Plot in tandem with Fairy Judgement crushes opposing Dark types with brutal +4 super effective damage. In addition, Flutter Mane is also completely self-imposter-proofed with the combination of Pixie Plate and Judgment to create a situation where Flutter Mane can hit Imposter, but the Imposter can’t touch it back. Since Flutter Mane already has all the offensive power and coverage it needs with Judgment for STAB and Focus Blast to hit Steel types, the optimal final move is Burning Bulwark. Burning Bulwark allows Flutter Mane to punish physical attackers and priority users for attempting to exploit Flutter Mane’s low defense stat and cripple regen-vest pokemon for its teammates.
Proof of Peak:
For the ladder run, I used the alt: WORSTPLAYERONTEAM, which accurately depicts my presence in any tournament I’m involved in. As can be observed by the above screenshot, I got to rank 1 on the ladder. My gxe, unfortunately, is subpar. However, that is because I incurred a myriad losses on my alt previously to test teams for the randpoke challenge and to goof off with City’s full unranked teams from the BH secret santa.
Here’s proof that this is the case:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2284408338-f4u7y8rispflerixibny2aal5rytkthpw
The team itself is very consistent on the ladder. Over the 50-ish games I’ve played with it on the alt I used to get to rank 1 and a couple others, I’ve only lost a single time, and that was to a Paralysis spam team with three Normal types ft. Pikachu.
Importable:
https://pokepast.es/9a5338e4014db8d3
Replays / Commentary:
VS Jermaine Cole Goat:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2311307221-7dti3cn2dsap9u74aefqansx1ipltvppw
Arceus Ghost harasses Jermaine's team, and Spectrier crushes their special wall, allowing Scarf Lunala to easily eliminate the rest of their team with powerful Astral Barrages.
Vs Saltator:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2309916116-dyh7sko32t7y868ti9yt41taatvp6ncpw
Fortunately, Saltator’s team was even worse than it was for the Eeveelution challenge, which gave me a straightforward win with Spectrier.
Vs Slightly Angry Kevin:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...10694867-wtqtq6js0my14pq41hutq1ua26s1wk8pw?p2
Slightly Angry Kevin brought a sample by Chessking: https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/balanced-hackmons.3710859/. Fortunately, it isn’t much of a threat. I dispatch Yveltal with Destiny Bond, and then Spectrier crushes the defensive core, leading to a win.
Vs Geneku:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen9balancedhackmons-2313307607-42h6thf9x8phlu1360qsahpdxivaikgpw
Admittedly, I was lucky and dodged a Thunder Cage. I also go on a borderline schizophrenic rant on a Pokémon that wouldn’t exist and interactions that don’t matter. No wonder I have no friends. Regardless, Zoroark-H comes in clutch to weaken the Arceus Poison with Endeavor, giving me the win. Also, this game gets me to 1684, which is enough for rank 1 on the ladder.
Other Miscellaneous Replays:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...34820385-9gulwirxbv2p5uh6h9fyx7jx2hd3m55pw?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...32223988-0mpjtj0johywnws7p4im7ij0cco2695pw?p2
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/...49854880-v2osmwkd061vuisuuns3wxalw4llt6spw?p2
Conclusion:
As was anticipated, with some shrewd team building, spamming ghost types creates a viable Hyper Offense structure with the capability to crush the vast majority of teams on the ladder. While it hasn't seen much tournament play, it remains a promising archetype of hyper offense and absolutely operates well at the high levels of play. Furthermore, most of the sample teams and teams I faced on the ladder are woefully unprepared for the onslaught of set-up, making it that much more effective.
Artworks:
Hisuian Zoroark by Scorbunnyvllgr:
https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/94084798
Specterier by Mentagon:
https://www.deviantart.com/metanagon/art/Inktober-day-18-Saddle-989528137
Gholdengo by Hungry for Hearts:
https://www.deviantart.com/spam-cat/art/Hungry-for-Hearts-1139289036
Arceus Ghost by Autobot Telsa:
https://www.deviantart.com/autobottesla/art/Day-305-Arceus-Ghost-518885247
Lunala by Invidiata: check out their artwork here:
https://alphacoders.com/author/view/22983
Flutter Mane by ririri893 check out their artworks here:
https://www.zerochan.net/ririri893
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