|
-
Levitate
- The wielder is immune to Ground-type moves.
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Level 5 Statistics (see level 5, 50, 100)
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
30
|
- |
19 |
22 |
- |
| Atk |
35
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| Def |
30
|
8 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
| SpA |
100
|
14 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
| SpD |
35
|
9 |
10 |
13 |
14 |
| Spe |
80
|
12 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
Overview
Gastly used to be one of the most feared Pokemon in Little Cup; in particular, its nasty Substitute + Hypnosis set had users of all backgrounds screaming and ripping their hair out. Unfortunately for Gastly, Misdreavus—arguably a perfected version of Gastly—was unbanned. Misdreavus sports a superior movepool, higher Speed, and the highest base stat total in Little Cup. With Misdreavus ruling the tier, why, one might ask, would you ever use Gastly?
One of the highest Special Attack stats in Little Cup means that, unlike Misdreavus, Gastly doesn't have to rely on Nasty Plot to hit hard. Additionally, especially if running a Modest nature, Gastly has the potential to beat Porygon, one of the most popular counters to Misdreavus. Unfortunately for the gas bubble, its pros stop here. When you are considering Gastly for a spot on your team, remember to play it to its strengths, most notably its ability to hit hard immediately. Although Gastly is outclassed by Misdreavus in numerous aspects, you'd be foolish not to consider it on your team.
This is Gastly's most dangerous and well-known set. As Gastly is able to force switches easily, it makes for a great Substitute user; furthermore, Substitute is incredibly useful as it helps mitigate Gastly's mediocre bulk. Shadow Ball is the main STAB move, as it severely dents most opponents that don't resist it. Sludge Bomb allows Gastly to possibly 2HKO Porygon without Stealth Rock damage, and always 2HKO it if Stealth Rock is in play. Hypnosis is useful for shutting down threats on the switch, especially Stunky, Gastly's largest counter. Hidden Power Fighting is an alternative option to hit Ferroseed and Magnemite, both of which otherwise wall this set.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
The EVs are rather self-explanatory: maximize Gastly's Special Attack and Speed stats, and dump the rest of the EVs into HP and Defense to increase its bulk. A Timid nature is preferred, as it enables Gastly to outrun Modest Gastly and all Natu, but a Modest nature is useful for hitting incredibly hard right off the bat. Specifically, Modest Gastly will 2HKO all Porygon with Sludge Bomb. An Oran Berry can be used in conjunction with Substitute to increase Gastly's longevity. If you really want raw power, Life Orb is the item of choice; use Life Orb at your own risk, though, as Gastly won't be surviving for very long without an Oran Berry.
Pokemon that can deal with Stunky make for ideal partners. Diglett can survive a Sucker Punch to trap and eliminate Stunky, while Timburr can set up with Bulk Up to the point where Explosion does minuscule damage and proceed to sweep. Scraggy can set up freely on Stunky and sweep a weakened team. Both Eviolite and Life Orb variants of Drilbur can take a Sucker Punch and OHKO Stunky with Earthquake. Gastly's ability to hit hard right off the bat makes it a great fit for offensive teams. Entry hazards are highly recommended to ease Gastly's sweeping job; Dwebble can reliably set up Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes, which benefits not only Gastly, but also the rest of your offensively based team. Ferroseed is arguably one of the best Gastly partners, as Gastly is immune to the Fighting-type attacks that plague it. Ferroseed is also able to set up Stealth Rock and Spikes, which all offensive teams will find useful.
When equipped with a Choice Scarf, Gastly becomes a potent revenge killer. Shadow Ball is the STAB move of choice, as it hits most opponents hard. Sludge Bomb nets a 2HKO on Porygon and is a powerful secondary STAB move. Hidden Power Fighting garners perfect neutral type coverage alongside Shadow Ball and puts huge dents in Ferroseed, Houndour, and Magnemite. Trick cripples walls such as Ferroseed, Munchlax, and Porygon, but Destiny Bond is an alternative as it gets rid of a Pokemon that might be troublesome for your team.
Team Options & Additional Comments >>>
This EV spread is quite simple; maximize Speed and Special Attack to hit as hard and as fast as possible, and put the rest in HP and Defense to increase bulk. Stunky beats this Gastly with ease, so Pokemon such as Timburr, Scraggy, and Drilbur, all of which can take advantage of Stunky, make for good teammates. Timburr and Scraggy can set up with Bulk Up and Dragon Dance, respectively, while Drilbur takes little from Stunky's attacks and can OHKO it with Earthquake. With this in mind, Misdreavus makes for an exceptional teammate. Gastly will lure out Stunky and weaken it, allowing it to be picked off by another teammate or just rendering it incapable of stopping Misdreavus, who can then run over the rest of the opposition. Choice Scarf Gastly is best used on offensive teams due to its minuscule defensive stats and its large offensive prowess. As with all offensive Pokemon, Gastly appreciates entry hazards, as they let it sweep with more ease; as a bonus, Gastly blocks Rapid Spin. Dwebble is a fine partner for setting up Stealth Rock and multiple layers of Spikes, while Ferroseed has decent defensive synergy with Gastly and can also set up Stealth Rock and Spikes.
Other Options
As with most RBY Pokemon, Gastly has an enormous movepool. It has access to Rain Dance, but it has difficulty setting it up multiple times in a match. Thunderbolt is a fine option to hit fast Water-types, such as Staryu, before they can OHKO Gastly. Toxic is useful for walls, namely Lileep, while Will-O-Wisp cripples physical attackers such as Munchlax. Disable helps Gastly combat Pokemon that only carry one move that can hit it, such as Porygon. Many of Gastly's other options are useless physical attacks, such as Fire Punch, and should not ever be considered.
Checks and Counters
As Gastly has a very narrow list of counters, one needs to first scout its moveset. Sets not running Hidden Power Fighting are easily walled by Ferroseed, which can set up entry hazards, as well as Scraggy, which can gain Dragon Dance boosts. Houndour deserves a special mention because it can trap and KO Gastly with Pursuit. If Gastly is using Hidden Power Fighting, however, it is very difficult to take down outside of Stunky. Faster threats that resist one of Gastly's STAB moves are often good switch-ins; Murkrow can switch into a predicted Shadow Ball and OHKO with Brave Bird, set up a Substitute on a predicted switch, or Sucker Punch Choice Scarf variants. Other examples include Misdreavus, Abra, Staryu, and Choice Scarf Mienfoo.
