Best moveset for Gengar in Pokemon GO (October 2021)

The fan-favorite and original Ghost-type Pokemon, Gengar, has come to the attention of Pokemon GO players once again following the announcement of its Mega Evolution being added to the Raid Battle roster in October 2021.

Players looking to use either Gengar or its Mega Evolution in Raids, Gym Battles, or Pokemon GO's Battle League may not know what moves are the best to use with Gengar. This article will aim to help those players and point them in the right direction.

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Moves to run on Gengar in Pokemon GO

Gengar as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Gengar has a nice variety of different moves to choose from in terms of type coverage, but Ghost-type moves tend to perform the best with Gengar due to its Ghost typing boosting the power of those attacks. Ghost-type attacks are great offensively because they only deal less damage against Dark and Normal-type Pokemon.

Gengar's stats in Pokemon GO indicate that it is best suited for an all-out offensive role. With an outstanding attack stat of 261, Gengar can quickly sweep through opponents, especially those that have taken damage previously in the battle. Gengar sadly lacks in its other stats. With a frail defense of 149 and a stamina stat of 155, Gengar will not be in the fight for a very long time against bulky targets with full HP.

Gengar is one of the few Pokemon in Pokemon GO, with a wide variety of fast attacks to choose from. Gengar can run one of three Ghost-type fast attacks with the option of running a Dark-type attack, this attack being Sucker Punch. There is also no definitive "best" fast attack for Gengar as they each bring different strengths and weaknesses. Shadow Claw is the best attack for players looking to maximize Gengar's damage output as this attack deals the most damage per second by far compared to the rest of Gengar's fast attacks.

Gengar can also run two other Ghost-type fast attacks in Pokemon GO. Hex and Lick are two other great options for Gengar as they each have their usages and purpose. Hex is grand for players who want to maximize Gengar's energy production; however, it lacks damage compared to the other fast attacks.

Lick is the option most players prefer to run in Pokemon GO. Due to the attack being the fastest and generating the second most energy per second, Lick provides players with an outstanding balance between the two attributes. The only downside of Lick is that it is exclusive to the Elite Fast TM item.

Gengar is a glass-cannon in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

While Gengar has an extensive catalog of charged attacks to choose from, most of them are not practical. While Dark Pulse is useless to run as Gengar already covers the types vulnerable to it with its Ghost-type attacks. Focus Blast is good for getting rid of Dark types, but Gengar lacks the bulk to stay in long enough to generate the energy against them. Psychic would be great if Gengar did not resist every type it is super effective against. Gengar's best-charged attack is either Sludge Bomb or Shadow Ball, as they provide substantial damage with neutral type coverage.

Gengar has a lot of utility in its moveset; however, Gengar lacks the bulk to be used as a utility Pokemon. Gengar is best used for its nuclear attack stat, and its best moves reflect this. Lick and Shadow Ball are the best moves it can operate in Pokemon GO.