Honestly, Gengar is a bit of a nightmare. Not because he’s a Ghost-type—though the creepy grin doesn't help—but because picking the right gengar pokemon go moveset feels like trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces keep changing. One minute you think you've got the highest DPS (Damage Per Second) build for a raid, and the next, you’re getting absolutely deleted in the Great League because you didn't have the right "shield bait" move.
It’s frustrating.
He’s the ultimate glass cannon. You’ve probably noticed that if Gengar even looks at a Psychic-type the wrong way, he faints. But if you land his hits? It’s game over for the opponent. To make this work in 2026, you have to stop thinking about "best" as a single thing and start looking at what you're actually trying to do: win a raid, climb the PvP ranks, or just show off a rare legacy mon.
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The Raid King: Maximizing Raw Power
If you’re standing outside a gym ready to take down a massive Psychic or Ghost raid boss, you don’t care about "strategy" as much as you care about melting that HP bar. For PvE (Raids and Gyms), Gengar is basically there to do as much damage as possible before he inevitably goes down.
Shadow Claw is the gold standard for your Fast Move. It’s fast, it hits hard, and it generates energy like crazy. Some people swear by Lick, which is a legacy move you can only get with an Elite Fast TM (or from special events). Lick is actually a tiny bit better for dodging because it’s so fast, but honestly? The difference between Shadow Claw and Lick is so small that unless you’re a hardcore min-maxer, Shadow Claw is just fine.
For your Charged Move, there is no debate: Shadow Ball.
It’s one of the best moves in the entire game. It hits like a truck. If you have a Mega Gengar, this combo—Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball—makes him the highest DPS Ghost attacker in the game, period. You might see people running Sludge Bomb as a secondary move. It's okay for Fairy-type coverage, but 99% of the time, you’re just going to spam Shadow Ball until Gengar faints.
The PvP Problem: Why You Need Shadow Punch
Everything changes when you step into the GO Battle League. If you take your raid Gengar into PvP with just Shadow Ball, you are going to lose. A lot.
Why? Because Shadow Ball takes forever to charge. Your opponent will see it coming from a mile away and just use a shield.
This is where Shadow Punch becomes mandatory. Shadow Punch is a legacy move (Community Day), so you’ll need an Elite Charged TM if your Gengar doesn't already have it. It doesn't do a lot of damage, but it’s incredibly "spammy." You use it to force your opponent to waste their shields.
A competitive PvP gengar pokemon go moveset usually looks like this:
- Fast Move: Shadow Claw
- Charged Move 1: Shadow Punch (The Bait)
- Charged Move 2: Shadow Ball (The Nuke) or Sludge Bomb (for those pesky Fairies)
In the Ultra League, Gengar is a high-risk, high-reward pick. You basically have to save your shields for him. If you can keep him alive long enough to get a Shadow Ball off after the opponent's shields are gone, he can sweep entire teams. But if you miss that timing? He’s gone in three hits.
What Most People Get Wrong About Hex
You’ll see Hex listed in a lot of guides. It’s not a bad move, but it’s definitely the "budget" option. Hex generates energy slightly faster than Shadow Claw, but the damage output is significantly lower.
In a game where Gengar’s only real job is to kill things before they kill him, lowering your damage output is a weird choice. If you’re a new player and you don't have the TMs to get Shadow Claw, Hex will get you by, but don't settle for it long-term.
The Weird Stuff: Focus Blast and Sludge Wave
Sometimes you’ll run into a Gengar running Focus Blast. It’s a hilarious surprise for anyone who switches in a Snorlax or a Tyranitar thinking they’re safe because they resist Ghost moves. Suddenly—BAM—one-shot. It’s a "meme" build, but in the higher ranks of PvP, that kind of unpredictability can actually win you games.
Then there’s Sludge Wave. It’s another legacy move, but frankly, it’s just a worse version of Sludge Bomb for Gengar. It takes too much energy. Skip it.
Actionable Steps for Your Gengar
Don't just leave your Gengar sitting there with a random moveset. Here is exactly what you should do right now:
- Check the Fast Move: If it’s Sucker Punch or Hex, use a regular Fast TM to get Shadow Claw. It’s a massive upgrade.
- Evaluate for PvP: If you want to use Gengar in the Great or Ultra League, you must have Shadow Punch. If you don't have an Elite TM, you’re probably better off using a different Ghost-type like Trevenant or Skeledirge until you get one.
- Mega Evolve: If you have the Mega Energy, do it. Mega Gengar with Shadow Ball is a cheat code for raids against Mewtwo, Cresselia, or any other Psychic legendaries.
- Second Charged Move: If you have the stardust, unlock that second move. Gengar is one of the few Pokémon where having two moves (Punch + Ball) isn't just a "nice to have"—it's the difference between being a threat and being a liability.
Gengar is never going to be "tanky." You have to play him like a glass sword. Sharpen that sword with the right moves, and you'll see why he's stayed relevant in the meta for years.