Pokémon Unite - Gengar build: Best items and moves for Gengar explained

Gengar build: Our recommendations for the best Gengar moveset in Pokémon Unite

Gengar falls into the Speedster class of Pokémon Unite, so, stat wise, its highest are mobility and offense. It's also classified as being an expert level Pokémon, so it's worth practicing with Gengar before using it in a Ranked match.

One of Gengar's greatest strengths is its ability to inflict status conditions upon its foes. Be it poisoning an enemy or putting them to sleep, Gengar can put its opponent at a disadvantage with one quick move. For this reason, you'll want to incorporate at least one move which includes a status condition into your Gengar build.

The downside to Gengar is that, like Gardevoir and Greninja, it's only able to unleash its full potential in the later stages of a match when it's fully evolved and has a complete moveset. Due to this, you should spend the first part of the match focusing on attacking wild Pokémon, so you can level it up and unlock its moveset.

Try to stay within the middle sections of the map, because there should be an ample number of wild Pokémon and it's easier to avoid the opposing team here. Remember - you can also see the wild Pokémon locations on your mini-map.

For more information about Gengar's evolution line, visit the next section.

Once Gengar is fully evolved, it's a good idea to stick with your teammates rather than soloing. Gengar may be categorized as a melee fighter, but you can easily use it to range opponents as long as you have backup. If, however, you prefer to go alone, focus on 1v1 fights or else you could be overwhelmed.

Gengar's ability, Levitate, thankfully increases its movement speed outside of combat, so you can catch up with your teammates if you're knocked out. It's also quite useful for quickly sneaking up to a goal!

When the match begins, you need to choose between Will-O-Wisp and Lick.

We recommend choosing Will-O-Wisp, because it provides you with the required fire power for levelling up quickly in the first stage of the match. A well placed Will-O-Wisp attack also has the ability to target multiple opponents and, since it burns enemies, you can easily use it to tackle any wild Pokémon you encounter.

At Level 5, you'll have the choice between Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb.

Here we recommend choosing Sludge Bomb, because it allows you to poison enemies. This passive damage is increased once Sludge Bomb upgrades, which makes it a very powerful attack. It's a good idea to use Sludge Bomb as your opening attack, because then you can fully capitalize on this status effect.

Finally, at Level 7, you can select either Dream Eater or Hex.

For this choice, we recommend Dream Eater, due to the multiple advantages it offers. Firstly, it will cause the opposing Pokémon to fall asleep, which is very useful if you're fighting a number of foes alongside your teammate. Gengar will then appear behind the targeted Pokémon to attack and, in doing so, restore some of its health and the attack's cooldown rate for either Shadow Ball or Sludge Bomb.

For this reason, you should always begin combat with either Sludge Bomb or Shadow Ball. Once you've upgraded this attack, Gengar will become even more dangerous and, if you've selected Sludge Bomb, you'll be able to take full advantage of the status effects this Pokémon offers.

Gengar's Unite Move, Phantom Ambush, unlocks at Level 9.

Unleashing the full potential of this move requires careful placement and practise, because, if used properly, it can help Gengar drastically cut down an opponent's health metre. It's perfect for battling opposing Pokémon alongside your teammates, because it will allow you to perform sneak attacks and quickly manoeuvre a chaotic fight.

Gengar's evolution line in Pokémon Unite explained

Gengar, like Cinderace and Gardevoir, is the final evolution in a third stage line, which means, in Pokémon Unite, you'll begin the match as its stage one evolution, Gastly.

Gastly will evolve into Haunter at Level 5, which will then evolve into Gengar at Level 9.

Best held items for Gengar in Pokémon Unite explained

When it comes to selecting held items for Gengar in Pokémon Unite, you'll want to choose items which will increase its attack power and offer a healing boost.

For the attack boosts, we suggest choosing the Wise Glasses, which increases special attack, and Scope Lens, which increases your critical-hit damage. This is because Gengar's most powerful attacks are it's main attacks, like Sludge Bomb, so you'll want to capitalize on the damage they cause. You could also choose the Sp. Attack Specs, but this will only provide a boost after you've scored a goal.

For a healing item, we recommend choosing either the Leftovers or a Shell Bell. The difference between them is that while Leftovers restores health outside of combat, the Shell Bell will restore health every time you land a hit, so your preference comes to your style of play.

Shell Bell is perfect for those who like to jump into combat, while Leftovers is ideal for players who prefer the stealth approach.

Best battle items for Gengar in Pokémon Unite explained

Despite being the first battle item you unlock in Pokémon Unite, Potion is still a good choice for Gengar. The ability to quickly heal some of your health offsets Gengar's low endurance level, which is especially helpful in the opening stages of the match.

The Eject Button is also a good choice, because it helps you capitalize on Gengar's movement speed. It also helps you escape from dangerous situations, which might result in Gengar's death.

Finally, you may want to experiment with the Fluffy Tail, even though it only works on wild Pokémon. This is because it will help you tackle tougher wild Pokémon, especially in the early stages of the match when your focus should be levelling up Gastly.

Need help deciding which Pokémon to choose? Check out our Pokémon Unite tier list and build guides for - Pikachu, Snorlax, Gardevoir, Cinderace, Greninja, Gengar, Blissey, Lucario, Espeon, Delphox, Glaceon, Buzzwole and Absol. You can also learn more about the Ranked system, Fair-Play Points and how to surrender a match.

How to unlock Gengar in Pokémon Unite

To unlock Gengar in Pokémon Unite, you need to purchase its Pokémon license from the Unite Battle Committee.

Gengar's Pokémon license costs either 10,000 Aeos Coins or 575 Aeos Gems.

Have fun playing as Gengar in Pokémon Unite!