Status: Finished
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/spiritomb/
[Overview]
<p>Spiritomb tends to reside in one of two niches: anti-metagame lead or defensive staller. It is capable of threatening many of today's top leads with brute strength and crippling walls who switch in with a Tricked Choice item. On the other side of the coin, Spiritomb's lack of weaknesses and bulk make it an ideal stalling wall; RestTalk is a great strategy for Spiritomb thanks to Pressure. It also makes an excellent Rapid Spin blocker if your team is in need of someone to fill this role. Although its defenses, immunities, and resistances are somewhat lacking, Spiritomb has become quite an unpredictable and useful Pokémon in the Underused metagame.</p>
[SET]
name: Pure Attacker (Lead)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Rock
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Pursuit / Sucker Punch
item: Spooky Plate
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 48 Atk / 204 SpA / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is slightly more aggressive than the other sets because its main purpose is to deal immediate damage early in the match. Spiritomb is quite versatile in terms of attacking from both ends of the spectrum, meaning it will usually pose a huge problem for the opposing team early in the match. Furthermore, Spiritomb boasts great typing and good bulk, making it a difficult Pokemon to take down.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball hits remarkably hard and can 2HKO many common leads in UU. Hidden Power Fighting gives Spiritomb perfect coverage, as it hits Normal- and Steel-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Rock could replace Hidden Power Fighting in order to hit Swellow and Moltres, since both are often seen in the lead slot. Shadow Sneak is an absolute given in the third slot, as it prevents Alakazam and Mismagius from having an easy sweep. The final slot is a toss up between Pursuit and Sucker Punch. Pursuit lets Spiritomb trap and OHKO Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as Froslass and Alakazam. However, Sucker Punch is a good alternative in order to strike faster Pokemon in tight situations. With either Sucker Punch or Pursuit, Ambipom and Uxie will have to think twice before using U-turn on Spiritomb.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Uxie: 58.19% - 69.49%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Alakazam: 95.54% - 100%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 248 / 0 Froslass: 100%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Omastar: 50.87% - 60.17%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 96 Cloyster: 67.11% - 79.28%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Spiritomb: 40.46 - 47.70%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 192 / 0 Arcanine: 42.55% - 50.41%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Donphan: 51.04% - 60.42%</li>
</ul>
<p>The EVs are tailored to provide strong damage output physically and specially. With 244 HP EVs, Spiritomb will always survive Moltres's Life Orb Fire Blast at full health. 12 Speed EVs allow Spiritomb to outpace Steelix and Slowbro. Spooky Plate is required over Expert Belt because Spiritomb will use Shadow Ball on the common leads and needs the consistent 20% boost.</p>
<p>Chansey, Registeel, and Clefable can handle hits from Spiritomb without breaking a sweat. As such, Blaziken and Hitmontop make great partners, since both have access to super effective, STAB attacks to take them down.</p>
<p>Spiritomb will have its share of difficulties with Swellow if it's not packing Hidden Power Rock. Defensively, Steelix and Regirock make excellent partners to provide Flying-type resistance and Stealth Rock support.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick
move 1: Trick
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Pursuit / Will-O-Wisp
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Spiritomb puts your opponent in a pinch thanks to its double strategy; it can either strike with boosted physical attacks or Trick its Choice Band onto one of the opposing Pokemon, rendering them next to useless for the remainder of the match.</p>
<p>The attacks listed are fine attacking choices, but this set really shines as a lead. Shadow Sneak will 2HKO even the bulkiest of Froslass leads, while an Ambipom switching out will be taking more than 90% from a Choiced Pursuit. Sucker Punch will leave big holes in anything trying to attack Spiritomb, while Will-O-Wisp allows you to cripple one of your opponent's physical sweepers (just be wary of locking yourself into a status move or Sucker Punch).</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Due to the nature of this set, Spiritomb will be forced to switch around a lot. For this reason, it is very useful to scout your opponent's team and find out as many of their Pokemon as you can. U-turning Pokemon, such as Uxie and Ambipom, are great teammates to scout with. Uxie's access to status effects, such as Yawn, combined with its stellar defenses makes it a great dedicated scout. Ambipom, on the other hand, is a more offensive scout, since Fake Out, Taunt, and U-turn are all viable options. Both of these Pokemon are weak to attacks that Spiritomb can switch in on with impunity (Dark- and Fighting-type attacks), making it even easier to keep Spiritomb a major threat.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Lead
move 1: Sucker Punch / Taunt
move 2: Pursuit / Taunt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 184 Atk / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb's defenses make it an excellent tank. Sucker Punch is an extremely powerful attack to have in today's metagame due to the prevalence of frail sweepers like Mismagius, Alakazam, Porygon-Z, and Ambipom. Pursuit is another staple of any leading Spiritomb since it severely cripples scout leads, such as Ambipom. Will-O-Wisp deals with physical attackers who may try to switch in on Spiritomb and take advantage of its somewhat lopsided EV spread. Taunt is an option available to Spiritomb if it finds itself being used as set up fodder for sweepers like Calm Mind Raikou or Curse Umbreon. Pain Split gives Spiritomb a somewhat reliable form of recovery.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Attack EVs ensure offensive Mismagius and Rotom are OHKOed by Sucker Punch while still keeping Spiritomb fairly bulky. Drifblim and Froslass are also OHKOed most of the time. A positive Attack nature ensures they are KOed, but the lack of bulk becomes apparent quickly and there are other sets Spiritomb can run if it wants to be offensive.</p>
<p>The lack of attack diversity means that this set is severely walled by any bulky Pokemon who resists Dark-type attacks. This makes Fighting-type attacks, such as Superpower, Close Combat, or Focus Blast, necessary additions to your team. Moltres is another viable teammate, since it is able to do a huge amount of damage to Steel-types with Overheat and Fighting-types with Air Slash. Spiritomb's fellow Dark-types also won't enjoy taking super effective Fighting hits, either.</p>
<p>Status will also ruin this set's strategy, since a burnt Spiritomb is about as threatening as Spinda. Therefore, having an answer to this and other status effects is suggested. Guts Pokemon, such as Hariyama and Swellow, are fine choices, although Swellow's wings are clipped if it's paralyzed. Defensive status absorbers, such as Clefable and the lesser seen Milotic, are also great choices, though Clefable's Fighting-type weakness is more complementary to Spiritomb than Milotic's Grass- and Electric-type weaknesses. Aromatherapy or Heal Bell are also welcome additions, just in case Spiritomb can't avoid being statused.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Shadow Ball / Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb can abuse Rest, Sleep Talk, and Pressure to be an amazing staller. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting provide unresisted type coverage; however, Will-O-Wisp definitely has its uses in such a physically dominated metagame. If using Will-O-Wisp, Dark Pulse keeps Normal-types like Ursaring or Toxic Orb Clefable from walling this set.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic Spikes helps Spiritomb overcome its shabby offenses. Nidoqueen is a fair choice for a Toxic Spiker, as is Drapion. Nidoqueen's access to both Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes make it a great support-only teammate, while Drapion's access to Swords Dance makes it a formidable threat. Both also have access to phazing moves (Roar and Whirlwind, respectively) to spread the status around. Omastar is also a great option; it can set up all three entry hazards, giving you "more bang for your buck".</p>
<p>Spiritomb with Toxic Spikes can stall out just about everything barring Steel- and Poison-types. Unfortunately, these two types are hardly similar (Steel-types tend to be very bulky, while Poison-types are typically speedier and offensive); whomever you choose to battle these Pokemon must be able to take hits and deal them out. Donphan is an excellent team member in this respect, since it has quite respectable physical stats. To handle Steel-types separately, packing a mixed wall breaker, such as Blaziken, is acceptable. While many Poison-types will have a secondary type with a weakness you can exploit, all but Drapion and Skuntank also share a weakness to Psychic-type moves (just watch out for Toxicroak's super effective Sucker Punch).</p>
[SET]
name: Mono Attacker
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Dark Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb's lack of weaknesses makes running a single attack set viable. The idea here is simple: Calm Mind until Spiritomb is in the critical zone, Rest off the damage, and Sleep Talk to either get another boost or to strike with STAB Dark Pulse.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature allow Spiritomb to be as physically bulky as possible - the number of UU physical sweepers outnumbers the special attackers by enough to warrant such a dedicated spread.</p>
<p>Houndoom and Absol are some of the nastiest opponents Spiritomb will face, since they take negligible damage from Dark Pulse and use Spiritomb as set up fodder. Spiritomb will also have troubles against the likes of Clefable (and Alakazam to a lesser extent) due to its tendency to run Encore. Taunters, such as Ambipom, will also cause problems. Non-set up sweepers’ strategies aren't disrupted by either move, making them the best partners for such a defensive Spiritomb. Absol's physical movepool also gives it super effective options for all three of the mentioned Pokemon: Night Slash for Alakazam (and Froslass) and Superpower for Clefable and Ambipom.</p>
[SET]
name: CurseTomb
move 1: Curse
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Rest
move 4: Dark Pulse / Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Spiritomb set is best used on hardcore stall teams. On these teams, this set creates a "win condition", resulting in an inevitable loss for your opponent. Since many stall teams focus primarily on status, entry hazards, and phazing in order to win, taking down that last Pokemon may be difficult for your team. Someone like Curse + Rest Registeel would be a nightmare for stall teams, since it takes negligible damage from entry hazards, cannot be infected with Toxic-esque poison (or any other status for very long, due to Rest), and cannot be phazed out, since it is the last Pokemon your opponent has. Taking down Registeel may seem impossible for such a team, but Spiritomb's somewhat gimmicky move, Curse, creates a secondary status effect that will soundly KO Registeel.</p>
<p>The other moves in this set act as secondary options after Spiritomb's Curse has been inflicted. Will-O-Wisp adds a primary status to complement Curse's damage, while Rest helps bring Spiritomb back to full health after Curse takes half of its total HP. Rest also allows Spiritomb to "stack" Curses; while restoring Spiritomb's health, it will also increase the secondary damage done by 25% for each Curse. Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball are mostly filler options to ensure Taunt doesn't shut down Spiritomb, although both attacks have useful secondary effects (Shadow Ball's Special Defense drop is more useful, although no Pokemon is immune to Dark Pulse)</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As stated previously, this set only has merits as part of a stall team that has problems getting a win condition; on any other team, this Spiritomb will be more dead weight than anything else. Still, there are a few teammates that Spiritomb will enjoy in the late game of a stall match. Heal Bell or Aromatherapy support is almost mandatory on stall teams, making Pokemon like Clefable, Chansey, and Umbreon great partners. All three of these Pokemon can also provide Wish support for your team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Spritomb's other moves tend to be either outclassed or too gimmicky to be used effectively. Confuse Ray is an okay disabling move, especially coming from a Pokémon that has no weaknesses and nice defenses, although relying on hax to KO opponents is typically a bad choice. Spiritomb also learns Psychic, but its type coverage is a bit limited. Dark Pulse's flinch chance is less useful than Shadow Ball's Special Defense drop, especially on a Pokémon as slow as Spiritomb. Ominous Wind, having a 10% chance to boost all its stats, is an option, but its 60 Base Power is disappointing, even though it gets a STAB boost. Still, if the boost in all stats is activated, Spiritomb would become a very hard Pokémon to KO. Snatch and Psych Up could spring surprises if your opponent is not prepared for either, and Spite can be used in combination with Pressure to quickly PP stall your opponent.</p>
<p>Spiritomb's contrasting roles means its EV spread can be quite variable. After maximizing HP (a necessity on a Pokémon with such a low HP Base Stat), trainers tend to focus the rest of the EVs and nature on a single stat, be it the offensive choices or defensive choices. Trying to EV Spiritomb to be a mixed anything will greatly mitigate its usefulness, since none of its Base Stats are that great, especially Speed. In fact, the only time Spiritomb should be investing in Speed EVs is when it's running a Quiet nature to ensure it outspeeds Steelix and Slowbro.</p>
[Counters]
<p>The best way to take down Spiritomb is with status; burn will cripple the physical sets, while poison cuts Spiritomb's time on the field considerably. Taunt and Encore are also very useful, especially against Rest variants. Since Spiritomb can't deal huge damage without boosts, Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel can handle anything Spiritomb throws at them either before it starts accumulating Calm Mind boosts or after it Tricks its Choice Band away. To keep boosts from accumulating, phazers like Steelix, Raikou, and Arcanine are very effective. Flash Fire and Guts Pokemon are great switch-ins against sets featuring Will-O-Wisp, as are any Fire-types who can deal considerable damage. Blaziken and Houndoom in particular can both absorb Will-O-Wisp and sponge Dark-type attacks with ease, and Houndoom can also set up with Nasty Plot.</p>
http://www.smogon.com/dp/pokemon/spiritomb/
[Overview]
<p>Spiritomb tends to reside in one of two niches: anti-metagame lead or defensive staller. It is capable of threatening many of today's top leads with brute strength and crippling walls who switch in with a Tricked Choice item. On the other side of the coin, Spiritomb's lack of weaknesses and bulk make it an ideal stalling wall; RestTalk is a great strategy for Spiritomb thanks to Pressure. It also makes an excellent Rapid Spin blocker if your team is in need of someone to fill this role. Although its defenses, immunities, and resistances are somewhat lacking, Spiritomb has become quite an unpredictable and useful Pokémon in the Underused metagame.</p>
[SET]
name: Pure Attacker (Lead)
move 1: Shadow Ball
move 2: Hidden Power Fighting / Hidden Power Rock
move 3: Shadow Sneak
move 4: Pursuit / Sucker Punch
item: Spooky Plate
nature: Quiet
evs: 244 HP / 48 Atk / 204 SpA / 12 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This set is slightly more aggressive than the other sets because its main purpose is to deal immediate damage early in the match. Spiritomb is quite versatile in terms of attacking from both ends of the spectrum, meaning it will usually pose a huge problem for the opposing team early in the match. Furthermore, Spiritomb boasts great typing and good bulk, making it a difficult Pokemon to take down.</p>
<p>Shadow Ball hits remarkably hard and can 2HKO many common leads in UU. Hidden Power Fighting gives Spiritomb perfect coverage, as it hits Normal- and Steel-types for super effective damage. Hidden Power Rock could replace Hidden Power Fighting in order to hit Swellow and Moltres, since both are often seen in the lead slot. Shadow Sneak is an absolute given in the third slot, as it prevents Alakazam and Mismagius from having an easy sweep. The final slot is a toss up between Pursuit and Sucker Punch. Pursuit lets Spiritomb trap and OHKO Ghost- and Psychic-types, such as Froslass and Alakazam. However, Sucker Punch is a good alternative in order to strike faster Pokemon in tight situations. With either Sucker Punch or Pursuit, Ambipom and Uxie will have to think twice before using U-turn on Spiritomb.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<ul class="damage_calculation">
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Uxie: 58.19% - 69.49%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Alakazam: 95.54% - 100%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 248 / 0 Froslass: 100%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 4 Omastar: 50.87% - 60.17%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 96 Cloyster: 67.11% - 79.28%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Spiritomb: 40.46 - 47.70%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 192 / 0 Arcanine: 42.55% - 50.41%</li>
<li>Shadow Ball vs. 252 / 0 Donphan: 51.04% - 60.42%</li>
</ul>
<p>The EVs are tailored to provide strong damage output physically and specially. With 244 HP EVs, Spiritomb will always survive Moltres's Life Orb Fire Blast at full health. 12 Speed EVs allow Spiritomb to outpace Steelix and Slowbro. Spooky Plate is required over Expert Belt because Spiritomb will use Shadow Ball on the common leads and needs the consistent 20% boost.</p>
<p>Chansey, Registeel, and Clefable can handle hits from Spiritomb without breaking a sweat. As such, Blaziken and Hitmontop make great partners, since both have access to super effective, STAB attacks to take them down.</p>
<p>Spiritomb will have its share of difficulties with Swellow if it's not packing Hidden Power Rock. Defensively, Steelix and Regirock make excellent partners to provide Flying-type resistance and Stealth Rock support.</p>
[SET]
name: Trick
move 1: Trick
move 2: Shadow Sneak
move 3: Sucker Punch
move 4: Pursuit / Will-O-Wisp
item: Choice Band
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 4 Def
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Choice Band Spiritomb puts your opponent in a pinch thanks to its double strategy; it can either strike with boosted physical attacks or Trick its Choice Band onto one of the opposing Pokemon, rendering them next to useless for the remainder of the match.</p>
<p>The attacks listed are fine attacking choices, but this set really shines as a lead. Shadow Sneak will 2HKO even the bulkiest of Froslass leads, while an Ambipom switching out will be taking more than 90% from a Choiced Pursuit. Sucker Punch will leave big holes in anything trying to attack Spiritomb, while Will-O-Wisp allows you to cripple one of your opponent's physical sweepers (just be wary of locking yourself into a status move or Sucker Punch).</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Due to the nature of this set, Spiritomb will be forced to switch around a lot. For this reason, it is very useful to scout your opponent's team and find out as many of their Pokemon as you can. U-turning Pokemon, such as Uxie and Ambipom, are great teammates to scout with. Uxie's access to status effects, such as Yawn, combined with its stellar defenses makes it a great dedicated scout. Ambipom, on the other hand, is a more offensive scout, since Fake Out, Taunt, and U-turn are all viable options. Both of these Pokemon are weak to attacks that Spiritomb can switch in on with impunity (Dark- and Fighting-type attacks), making it even easier to keep Spiritomb a major threat.</p>
[SET]
name: Defensive Lead
move 1: Sucker Punch / Taunt
move 2: Pursuit / Taunt
move 3: Will-O-Wisp
move 4: Pain Split
item: Leftovers
nature: Careful
evs: 208 HP / 184 Atk / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb's defenses make it an excellent tank. Sucker Punch is an extremely powerful attack to have in today's metagame due to the prevalence of frail sweepers like Mismagius, Alakazam, Porygon-Z, and Ambipom. Pursuit is another staple of any leading Spiritomb since it severely cripples scout leads, such as Ambipom. Will-O-Wisp deals with physical attackers who may try to switch in on Spiritomb and take advantage of its somewhat lopsided EV spread. Taunt is an option available to Spiritomb if it finds itself being used as set up fodder for sweepers like Calm Mind Raikou or Curse Umbreon. Pain Split gives Spiritomb a somewhat reliable form of recovery.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The Attack EVs ensure offensive Mismagius and Rotom are OHKOed by Sucker Punch while still keeping Spiritomb fairly bulky. Drifblim and Froslass are also OHKOed most of the time. A positive Attack nature ensures they are KOed, but the lack of bulk becomes apparent quickly and there are other sets Spiritomb can run if it wants to be offensive.</p>
<p>The lack of attack diversity means that this set is severely walled by any bulky Pokemon who resists Dark-type attacks. This makes Fighting-type attacks, such as Superpower, Close Combat, or Focus Blast, necessary additions to your team. Moltres is another viable teammate, since it is able to do a huge amount of damage to Steel-types with Overheat and Fighting-types with Air Slash. Spiritomb's fellow Dark-types also won't enjoy taking super effective Fighting hits, either.</p>
<p>Status will also ruin this set's strategy, since a burnt Spiritomb is about as threatening as Spinda. Therefore, having an answer to this and other status effects is suggested. Guts Pokemon, such as Hariyama and Swellow, are fine choices, although Swellow's wings are clipped if it's paralyzed. Defensive status absorbers, such as Clefable and the lesser seen Milotic, are also great choices, though Clefable's Fighting-type weakness is more complementary to Spiritomb than Milotic's Grass- and Electric-type weaknesses. Aromatherapy or Heal Bell are also welcome additions, just in case Spiritomb can't avoid being statused.</p>
[SET]
name: RestTalk
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Shadow Ball / Dark Pulse
move 4: Hidden Power Fighting / Will-O-Wisp
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb can abuse Rest, Sleep Talk, and Pressure to be an amazing staller. Shadow Ball and Hidden Power Fighting provide unresisted type coverage; however, Will-O-Wisp definitely has its uses in such a physically dominated metagame. If using Will-O-Wisp, Dark Pulse keeps Normal-types like Ursaring or Toxic Orb Clefable from walling this set.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>Toxic Spikes helps Spiritomb overcome its shabby offenses. Nidoqueen is a fair choice for a Toxic Spiker, as is Drapion. Nidoqueen's access to both Stealth Rock and Toxic Spikes make it a great support-only teammate, while Drapion's access to Swords Dance makes it a formidable threat. Both also have access to phazing moves (Roar and Whirlwind, respectively) to spread the status around. Omastar is also a great option; it can set up all three entry hazards, giving you "more bang for your buck".</p>
<p>Spiritomb with Toxic Spikes can stall out just about everything barring Steel- and Poison-types. Unfortunately, these two types are hardly similar (Steel-types tend to be very bulky, while Poison-types are typically speedier and offensive); whomever you choose to battle these Pokemon must be able to take hits and deal them out. Donphan is an excellent team member in this respect, since it has quite respectable physical stats. To handle Steel-types separately, packing a mixed wall breaker, such as Blaziken, is acceptable. While many Poison-types will have a secondary type with a weakness you can exploit, all but Drapion and Skuntank also share a weakness to Psychic-type moves (just watch out for Toxicroak's super effective Sucker Punch).</p>
[SET]
name: Mono Attacker
move 1: Rest
move 2: Sleep Talk
move 3: Calm Mind
move 4: Dark Pulse
item: Leftovers
nature: Bold
evs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>Spiritomb's lack of weaknesses makes running a single attack set viable. The idea here is simple: Calm Mind until Spiritomb is in the critical zone, Rest off the damage, and Sleep Talk to either get another boost or to strike with STAB Dark Pulse.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The EVs and nature allow Spiritomb to be as physically bulky as possible - the number of UU physical sweepers outnumbers the special attackers by enough to warrant such a dedicated spread.</p>
<p>Houndoom and Absol are some of the nastiest opponents Spiritomb will face, since they take negligible damage from Dark Pulse and use Spiritomb as set up fodder. Spiritomb will also have troubles against the likes of Clefable (and Alakazam to a lesser extent) due to its tendency to run Encore. Taunters, such as Ambipom, will also cause problems. Non-set up sweepers’ strategies aren't disrupted by either move, making them the best partners for such a defensive Spiritomb. Absol's physical movepool also gives it super effective options for all three of the mentioned Pokemon: Night Slash for Alakazam (and Froslass) and Superpower for Clefable and Ambipom.</p>
[SET]
name: CurseTomb
move 1: Curse
move 2: Will-O-Wisp
move 3: Rest
move 4: Dark Pulse / Shadow Ball
item: Leftovers
nature: Calm
evs: 252 HP / 140 Def / 116 SpD
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>This Spiritomb set is best used on hardcore stall teams. On these teams, this set creates a "win condition", resulting in an inevitable loss for your opponent. Since many stall teams focus primarily on status, entry hazards, and phazing in order to win, taking down that last Pokemon may be difficult for your team. Someone like Curse + Rest Registeel would be a nightmare for stall teams, since it takes negligible damage from entry hazards, cannot be infected with Toxic-esque poison (or any other status for very long, due to Rest), and cannot be phazed out, since it is the last Pokemon your opponent has. Taking down Registeel may seem impossible for such a team, but Spiritomb's somewhat gimmicky move, Curse, creates a secondary status effect that will soundly KO Registeel.</p>
<p>The other moves in this set act as secondary options after Spiritomb's Curse has been inflicted. Will-O-Wisp adds a primary status to complement Curse's damage, while Rest helps bring Spiritomb back to full health after Curse takes half of its total HP. Rest also allows Spiritomb to "stack" Curses; while restoring Spiritomb's health, it will also increase the secondary damage done by 25% for each Curse. Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball are mostly filler options to ensure Taunt doesn't shut down Spiritomb, although both attacks have useful secondary effects (Shadow Ball's Special Defense drop is more useful, although no Pokemon is immune to Dark Pulse)</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>As stated previously, this set only has merits as part of a stall team that has problems getting a win condition; on any other team, this Spiritomb will be more dead weight than anything else. Still, there are a few teammates that Spiritomb will enjoy in the late game of a stall match. Heal Bell or Aromatherapy support is almost mandatory on stall teams, making Pokemon like Clefable, Chansey, and Umbreon great partners. All three of these Pokemon can also provide Wish support for your team.</p>
[Optional Changes]
<p>Spritomb's other moves tend to be either outclassed or too gimmicky to be used effectively. Confuse Ray is an okay disabling move, especially coming from a Pokémon that has no weaknesses and nice defenses, although relying on hax to KO opponents is typically a bad choice. Spiritomb also learns Psychic, but its type coverage is a bit limited. Dark Pulse's flinch chance is less useful than Shadow Ball's Special Defense drop, especially on a Pokémon as slow as Spiritomb. Ominous Wind, having a 10% chance to boost all its stats, is an option, but its 60 Base Power is disappointing, even though it gets a STAB boost. Still, if the boost in all stats is activated, Spiritomb would become a very hard Pokémon to KO. Snatch and Psych Up could spring surprises if your opponent is not prepared for either, and Spite can be used in combination with Pressure to quickly PP stall your opponent.</p>
<p>Spiritomb's contrasting roles means its EV spread can be quite variable. After maximizing HP (a necessity on a Pokémon with such a low HP Base Stat), trainers tend to focus the rest of the EVs and nature on a single stat, be it the offensive choices or defensive choices. Trying to EV Spiritomb to be a mixed anything will greatly mitigate its usefulness, since none of its Base Stats are that great, especially Speed. In fact, the only time Spiritomb should be investing in Speed EVs is when it's running a Quiet nature to ensure it outspeeds Steelix and Slowbro.</p>
[Counters]
<p>The best way to take down Spiritomb is with status; burn will cripple the physical sets, while poison cuts Spiritomb's time on the field considerably. Taunt and Encore are also very useful, especially against Rest variants. Since Spiritomb can't deal huge damage without boosts, Chansey, Clefable, and Registeel can handle anything Spiritomb throws at them either before it starts accumulating Calm Mind boosts or after it Tricks its Choice Band away. To keep boosts from accumulating, phazers like Steelix, Raikou, and Arcanine are very effective. Flash Fire and Guts Pokemon are great switch-ins against sets featuring Will-O-Wisp, as are any Fire-types who can deal considerable damage. Blaziken and Houndoom in particular can both absorb Will-O-Wisp and sponge Dark-type attacks with ease, and Houndoom can also set up with Nasty Plot.</p>
