Misdreavus Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Will-O-Wisp can be used to cripple the physical attackers that Misdreavus switches into, such as Tauros and Kabutops, while also inflicting chip damage and boosting Hex's power to respectable levels. Hex inflicts decent damage to most Pokemon that are not Normal-types if they have been burned or inflicted with status by a teammate or Toxic Spikes; it does enough damage to prevent Misdreavus from being too passive. Foul Play is a good option to hit Normal-types such as Tauros directly, giving Misdreavus a better matchup against some of the specific targets it can check. It also does good damage to physical setup sweepers, such as Swords Dance Samurott and Shell Smash Barbaracle, dissuading these faster threats that could avoid a Taunt from setting up if necessary. Pain Split is Misdreavus's best recovery move and can also inflict chip damage on foes, being most effective against targets with high HP, such as Lanturn, Audino, and Aurorus. Taunt can be used to stop setup attempts from slower threats such as Mega Audino, block entry hazard moves from Steelix and defensive Omastar, and protect Misdreavus against status attacks such as Steelix's and Quagsire's Toxic. Thunder Wave can also be used to punish Fire-types that try to switch into Will-O-Wisp, as well as special attackers that don't mind a burn and faster targets such as Archeops in general. Set Details 56 Speed EVs are used to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured Pawniard, Torterra, and Aurorus, while the remaining EVs are invested in HP and Defense to improve Misdreavus's physical bulk as much as possible, emphasizing its niche over Mismagius as a bulky spinblocker. An EV spread of 252 HP / 240 Def / 16 Spe with a Timid nature can be used to outspeed maximum Speed Adamant Sandslash as well as positive-natured Golurk and Omastar, while 96 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Misdreavus to outspeed maximum Speed neutral-natured Samurott, Hitmonchan, Garbodor, and most Skuntank and Xatu variants. Outspeeding Skuntank will generally allow Misdreavus to win against it one-on-one even if it runs a Lum Berry, so consider whether the loss in bulk is worth the opportunity to outspeed and Taunt or inflict status on a wider range of targets before they can move. Levitate is useful for dodging Earthquakes from Rhydon, Steelix, and Torterra and lets Misdreavus ignore Spikes and Toxic Spikes; the latter gives Misdreavus a solid niche over Gourgeist-XL. Eviolite is mandatory for the extra bulk it provides Misdreavus with and also allows it to tank strong special attacks such as Life Orb Haunter's Shadow Ball after Stealth Rock despite a lack of investment in Special Defense. Usage Tips Misdreavus should switch into Rapid Spin users, such as Hitmonchan and Kabutops, whenever they try to remove entry hazards, as well as physical attackers such as Tauros and Primeape that struggle to hit it hard. While Rotom and Mismagius take significant amounts of damage from a Life Orb-boosted Ice Punch from Hitmonchan or Waterfall from Kabutops, Misdreavus can tank those hits, making it a more consistent spinblocker than most other fast Ghost-types. It can then use Will-O-Wisp to burn them or another foe if they switch out or use Pain Split to heal up if it's significantly weakened. Misdreavus can switch in and Taunt threats such as Calm Mind Musharna and Mega Audino to stop them from setting up; it can also make for a good lead against slower entry hazard setters, such as defensive Omastar and Garbodor, by outspeeding them and using Taunt, thus forcing them to attack or switch out. Misdreavus can also use Taunt to block Defog from slow users, such as Pelipper and Mantine, giving it even more utility in keeping its team's entry hazards up. Even Lum Berry Skuntank can be beat with Taunt unless it runs Crunch, as Pursuit inflicts minimal damage to Misdreavus if it stays in and Sucker Punch can easily be bypassed by using Will-O-Wisp or Pain Split. Knock Off users, such as Hariyama and Zangoose, should be avoided at all costs, as the move will deal significant damage even from a burned target and will severely hinder Misdreavus's ability to take hits for the rest of the match. Team Options As Misdreavus is one of the most consistent spinblockers around, teammates that use Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes highly appreciate its support. Toxic Spikes users such as Garbodor and Omastar synergize particularly well with it, as they appreciate Misdreavus's immunities to Ground- and Fighting-type moves, respectively, while Misdreavus enjoys the boosted Hex damage on poisoned targets. These two Pokemon can also provide Spikes support to wear down offensive Pokemon that Misdreavus can switch into repeatedly, such as Tauros and Primeape. Meanwhile, Omastar, Steelix, and Rhydon can use Stealth Rock and similarly appreciate Misdreavus's immunities. Strong cleaners, such as Kangaskhan and Swellow, appreciate Misdreavus's ability to spread residual damage, both through status and through the entry hazards it protects, and they can both beat opposing Ghost-types with their Scrappy STAB attacks. They can also reduce the opponent's opportunities for using Defog through the offensive pressure they provide. Fire-types, such as Pyroar, Magmortar, and Charizard, can usually switch into Misdreavus without fear, so packing a solid Pokemon that resists Fire-type moves, such as Hariyama, Grumpig, or Lanturn, is highly recommended, with the latter also potentially providing Heal Bell support to remove crippling status from Misdreavus. These Pokemon can also check other special attackers such as Floatzel and Manectric, which aren't too bothered by a burn from Misdreavus. Finally, having a dedicated switch-in to Knock Off is highly beneficial given Misdreavus's huge weakness to the move; Mega Audino can fill the role while also providing Wish and Heal Bell support, while bulky itemless Charizard is another option.

With a Nasty Plot set, Misdreavus can function well on offensive teams in need of a spinblocker with some endurance that doesn't give up any offensive momentum. Thanks to its good Speed, Misdreavus can be used to break down bulky walls with its fast Taunt or cripple offensive threats with its fast Will-O-Wisp. Nasty Plot Misdreavus is also capable of defeating or at least severely denting most of its normal counters. For these reasons, this set is viable, and it's surprisingly threatening as well, with Nasty Plot boosting Misdreavus's below-average Special Attack of 269 all the way up to 538 in a single turn. Shadow Ball is Misdreavus's strongest and most reliable STAB, with good power, perfect accuracy and a decent chance to lower the opposing Pokemon's Special Defense. The main coverage move, Thunderbolt, is probably the biggest surprise to the opponent when they see it; it OHKOes Swellow with no boosts, and with a single boost and Stealth Rock support, it OHKOes and 2HKOes Mandibuzz and Skuntank respectively, something Misdreavus would never dream of doing otherwise. Finally, the two moves in the fourth slot are down to your team's needs; Taunt eases setup, protects Misdreavus from status, and lets it break down special walls such as Lickilicky and Altaria, but Will-O-Wisp provides a much more reliable way for breaking down Skuntank and helps Misdreavus provide support against offensive teams. This variant of Misdreavus appreciates Wish support, as it loses out on a lot of bulk and longevity with an offensive set. Lickilicky and Audino prove to be great candidates with Wish and Heal Bell, and they provide great type synergy with Misdreavus. Swords Dance Lickilicky can even come together with it to make an effective offensive core, although it can't provide Wish support. The EV spread outspeeds positive-natured base 80s, maximizes power, and the rest just goes into bulk, as Misdreavus's excellent typing and passable bulk helps it set up. Maximum Speed investment can be used, but Misdreavus isn't really outspeeding anything notable with it, as the most common Pokemon that hits Misdreavus's Speed tier is Sawk, which usually runs an Adamant nature. A bulkier spread can be used as well, but Misdreavus really appreciates being able to outspeed non-Choice Scarf Braviary, Gardevoir and Drifblim. Substitute is a viable move in the last slot to ease setup in a similar fashion to Taunt but causes Misdreavus to wear itself down much too quickly. Pain Split is another option to recover lost health, but Misdreavus rarely gets an opportunity to do this and would usually like to spend that time doing something else. Hidden Power Fighting can be used over Thunderbolt to hit Sawsbuck, Shiftry, and Cacturne, but missing super effective coverage against Mandibuzz and Swellow isn't usually worth it. This set supports its team in a much different way than the defensive set; it punches holes in the opposing team for another sweeper to come in and clean up. Do note that this set is not meant to sweep entire teams— it just softens them up.

This is the most common Misdreavus set you'll see in the metagame, and for good reason. With the moves above, Misdreavus can put a stop to some of the biggest threats in the tier, including Sawk, Primeape, Musharna, and Swords Dance Samurott. This Misdreavus can perform several roles on a team at once, from a wall to a supporter to a stallbreaker, freeing up room for extra teammates. Its typing and Levitate really benefit this set as well, as it really appreciates an immunity to Spikes and a neutrality to Stealth Rock when switching in. Even so, Misdreavus can't switch in excessively as its lack of reliable recovery make it prone to being worn down, and cannot take too much pressure from the opposing team as a result. Nevertheless, Misdreavus still gets the job done as long as you play it conservatively. Will-O-Wisp is a great move for Misdreavus, shutting down nearly every physical attacker in the tier and further enhancing its defensive capabilities. Shadow Ball is a reliable STAB attack with decent power and a nice potential Special Defense drop, which makes it the main option for the second slot. Foul Play, on the other hand, punishes Swords Dance users as well as Pokemon that would normally get a free switch into Misdreavus, such as Swellow and Zangoose. This makes it an option for the attacking move on this set, but do note that it's not nearly as reliable as Shadow Ball. Pain Split, the third move, is Misdreavus's only form of recovery outside of the undesirable Rest, and it works decently with its relatively low HP stat. The last moveslot depends on your team's needs; Taunt is an excellent move for shutting down setup Pokemon and walls, and protecting Misdreavus against status. Heal Bell also provides protection against status, and unlike Taunt, it even provides insurance against things like Scald burns; Heal Bell also supports Misdreavus's team. Do note that the best partners for Misdreavus have access to Heal Bell anyway, so it's generally not preferred. Finally, Perish Song gets a mention on full stall teams as it can be invaluable for dealing with the last Pokemon on the field when you can't shuffle around your opponent's team anymore. The EV spread allows Misdreavus to outspeed Adamant Rampardos, and focuses on physical bulk, both because Misdreavus's typing is much more suited for tanking physical hits due to its immunities and because it gives it good all-around defenses. A specially defensive spread is viable, but there are better Pokemon suited for this role and it doesn't bring out Misdreavus's best potential. With a physically defensive spread, Misdreavus is also capable of easily beating anything slower than it that hates being burned or Taunted, including the various Stealth Rock leads inhabiting the tier such as Golem, Piloswine, Regirock and Metang. Misdreavus can also use various other moves in the first slot such as Toxic or Thunder Wave, but Will-O-Wisp has the most utility overall and really helps it take more hits. Because Misdreavus lacks reliable recovery, a Wish passer is highly recommended to help make up for that. Lickilicky and Audino are outstanding partners that fill this role, as they both carry Wish and Heal Bell (freeing Misdreavus up to use another move in the fourth slot) and they have excellent defensive synergy with it. This set tends to force many switches, and when that's combined with the ability to spinblock, entry hazards work extremely well with Misdreavus. Ironically, some of the best entry hazard setters for Misdreavus are the ones it scares out; Golem, Piloswine, Regirock and Metang can set up Stealth Rock, they all have decent synergy with it, and can beat many of Misdreavus's counters, such as Skuntank, Swellow and Zangoose (provided it doesn't run Foul Play for the latter two). This Misdreavus works well on many different teams due to the prevalence of the threats it's able to stop, and will always do well if played correctly.

Thanks to its plethora of immunities, many Pokemon rely on Hidden Power to hit Misdreavus. Imprison therefore prevents them from touching it, and can prove very frustrating. With Thunder Wave on the set, Misdreavus can't be paralyzed bar Stun Spore. It also works nicely alongside Hidden Power Ice--which forces Ground-types to switch--to help spread paralysis.

A cool set, to tell you the truth. Taunt prevents Blissey from using Soft-Boiled and Thunder Wave. Misdreavus can then proceed to set up with Calm Mind and lay the smack down with Thunderbolt.

The old Perish Trapper from GSC is back for more in ADV; however, it faces significant competition from Gengar. The latter's faster Taunt makes it possibly a better option, but Misdreavus's advantages lie in its slightly higher Special Defense and its lack of weakness to Psychic. Nonetheless, Perish trapping is just as--if not more--effective in ADV thanks to Taunt. Trap the foe, Protect to regain health from Leftovers, then use Perish Song or Taunt depending on who is on the field. Stall with Protect and Taunt until it falls, then switch out. Use Destiny Bond if you are sure Misdreavus isn't going to survive the three-turn setup Perish Song needs. This set works best when partnered with Jirachi, who can provide Wish support. Jirachi can also take Explosion, which the opponent will likely use on the last turn of Perish Song to hit the switch-in.

Set Description This set aims to use Misdreavus's typing and movepool to their full potential by making it a spinblocker, a check to mono-attacking and all-out attacking variants of Snorlax, and a general annoyance due to its myriad of moves with which to cripple the foe. Thunder is Misdreavus's main attack and hits Cloyster, Starmie, and Forretress hard, making it a much more reliable spinblocker as well as an occasional paralysis spreader. Toxic is Misdreavus's best way to hinder the foe by putting it on a timer, eventually forcing it to heal with Rest—if it even carries it. Moreover, it can be spammed more freely than Thief and Hypnosis throughout the match, since it is not hindered by having an item or by Sleep Clause. Toxic can also stack with the loss of Leftovers and gives Misdreavus some bite. Thief is great at opening a hole in the opponent's gameplan because, unlike status moves, it will permanently hinder RestTalk users like Zapdos and Raikou. It will also cripple just about any Pokemon that isn't a Thief user itself by stealing its Leftovers or power-boosting item like Thick Club in the case of Marowak. It's especially effective when used alongside Toxic, since it will wear down the foe even quicker. Just make sure Misdreavus isn't carrying any item when using it. Alternatively, Protect lets Misdreavus slowly regain its health with Leftovers and allows you to scout your opponent's moves while the foe's health keeps decreasing because of Toxic. This is especially effective against threats like Pursuit Tyranitar and Roar Raikou. Another option is Hypnosis, which can put unsuspecting Pokemon to sleep. This can be very rewarding, since RestTalk users are generally not initial switch-ins to Misdreavus due to the fear of being trapped. Keep in mind that the move's low accuracy can ruin the surprise factor, though. Confuse Ray is also very threatening for a poisoned foe to deal with, and confusion cripples just about any Pokemon, making Misdreavus potentially very annoying to deal with and to eliminate. In the last moveslot, Pain Split gives Misdreavus instant recovery and potentially another way to cut down the opposing Pokemon's HP, but it's unreliable and can be played around. Rest, on the other hand, cures Toxic that Misdreavus is likely to take when switching into Cloyster and Forretress, at the cost of putting it to sleep for two turns. There are also some alternative options available depending on what you need or want to do with Misdreavus. Psychic, which is sometimes used over Thunder, allows it to check Machamp and—to a lesser extent—Heracross more easily, as well as punishing Nidoking, which would switch into Misdreavus almost fearlessly otherwise. Destiny Bond, on the other hand, forgoes recovery options and tries to trick the opponent into giving up a key Pokemon of theirs for what appeared to be a free KO. It can also serve as an emergency button against threats like Belly Drum Snorlax and Vaporeon. Team Options Misdreavus fits extremely well on Spikes-focused teams alongside Cloyster or Forretress due to its ability to spinblock and to wear down the foe further with Thief and Toxic. These forms of residual damage are even more effective when exploited by a phazer like Skarmory, which fares well against Earthquake variants of Curse and Belly Drum Snorlax, as well as Raikou, which is also offensively threatening on its own. Furthermore, both of these Pokemon are suited to deal with hard hitters that give trouble to Misdreavus; Marowak can be handled by Skarmory and Zapdos can be handled by Raikou. Misdreavus itself is especially susceptible to Pursuit users like Tyranitar, Umbreon, and Houndoom. Thus, Pokemon that can take advantage of Pursuit users like Machamp, Heracross, and Vaporeon make for good teammates; the last two in particular are sometimes able to use the likes of Nidoking, as well as Steelix in the case of Vaporeon, as setup fodder, two Pokemon that Misdreavus may be unable to threaten significantly depending on its moveset. This Misdreavus variant has the potential to mess with just about any Pokemon, but it is lacking in ways to eliminate Rest users by itself. That's why packing a teammate that appreciates common Rest users being asleep like Belly Drum Snorlax or Tentacruel is a good idea. Finally, Misdreavus's effectiveness is hampered if it is poisoned, paralyzed, or asleep. Therefore, clerics like Miltank and Blissey are welcome, especially if Misdreavus lacks Rest.

Set Description This set sees Misdreavus trading most of its disrupting and defensive capabilities as well as its reliability as a spinblocker for a more immediately threatening approach. Mean Look and Perish Song used in tandem will put the opposing Pokemon on an inescapable timer, unless said Pokemon happens to be a phazer or can eliminate Misdreavus quickly enough. Protect stalls out the opponent's attempts to get rid of Misdreavus or to phaze it while the countdown gets closer to zero. There are plenty of options for the last moveslot, but Confuse Ray is recommended, since it's Misdreavus's best bet against phazers and most hard hitters in general, although Thunder is still something to consider, since it invalidates Skarmory as an answer and allows Misdreavus to remain as an effective spinblocker. On the final turn of Perish Song, Misdreavus can choose to either switch out and give the opposing Pokemon one shot at your team or stay in and trade one-for-one once it has outlived its usefulness. Team Options Despite the presence of Confuse Ray, phazers like Tyranitar, Steelix, Skarmory, Raikou, and Suicune remain answers to this set. Therefore, Pokemon that can cripple them like Lovely Kiss or all-out attacking variants of Snorlax make for good partners. In return, Misdreavus will most likely find opportunities against opposing Snorlax, Machamp, and Miltank, something that your own Snorlax will appreciate. Although its effectiveness as a spinblocker is significantly reduced if it lacks Thunder, Misdreavus can still exploit its Ghost typing if paired with Cloyster or Forretress. Paralysis in conjunction with Confuse Ray can further frustrate attempts to phaze Misdreavus, so teammates such as Raikou, Zapdos, Stun Spore Exeggutor, and Body Slam Snorlax can be useful for the paralysis they can inflict on various targets. Toxic users like Forretress, Skarmory, and Suicune are essential alongside Thunder variants, as being poisoned will force Roar Raikou to use Rest and give Misdreavus a crucial opportunity. Additionally, Misdreavus fears Pursuit users and status ailments, so Machamp, Heracross, Vaporeon, Miltank, and Blissey are effective teammates.