Spectrier Movesets & Competitive Sets

Spectrier is an exceptional setup sweeper on Ghost teams due to its great Speed tier, incredible ability, and access to various utility options, allowing it to snowball through Poison, Ground, and Flying teams. Spectrier's combination of Calm Mind and Will-O-Wisp is notably important, as it allows Spectrier to be an annoyance to both physical and special attackers. Hex in conjunction with Will-O-Wisp deals immense damage versus threats like Corviknight, Toxapex, and Hisuian Goodra as well as takes advantage of Pokemon reliant on status ailments to function such as Poison Heal Gliscor and Guts Heracross. Substitute protects Spectrier from status ailments inflicted by passive Pokemon like Toxapex, Amoonguss, and Quagsire. Furthermore, Substitute provides more opportunities to set up Calm Mind boosts and denies the opponent of a chance to revenge kill Spectrier. The given EV spread allows Spectrier to outpace non-Choice Scarf Meowscarada, prevents Spectrier's Substitute from being broken by burned Assault Vest Iron Hands. Choice Scarf Flutter Mane is incredibly valued as a teammate due to its ability to threaten Dark- and Dragon-type Pokemon like Choice Scarf Greninja, Galarian Moltres, and Choice Scarf Roaring Moon as well as faster Ghost-types such as Swift Swim Basculegion, Dragapult, and Choice Scarf Gholdengo. In return, Spectrier threatens special walls like Hisuian Goodra, Clodsire, and Gliscor. Focus Sash Ceruledge threatens special walls like Articuno and Heatran as well as takes on faster Ghost-types such as Flutter Mane and Dragapult with Shadow Sneak, appreciating Spectrier's ability to burn walls. Air Balloon Gholdengo is a great asset in the Fairy and Ice matchups, beating Pokemon like Iron Valiant, Kyurem, and Alolan Ninetales as well as Ursaluna and Empoleon. Hex Dragapult spreads even more status ailments to set up Spectrier for success late-game and threatens Kommo-o, Hydreigon, and Kyurem. Additionally, Choice Band Dragapult 2HKOes Alolan Muk with Dragon Darts, threatens opposing Dragapult and Choice Scarf Gholdengo with Sucker Punch, and OHKOes Hoopa-U with U-turn, also offering pivoting. Choice Scarf Dragapult also provides U-turn and can outpace Choice Scarf users like Roaring Moon and Walking Wake. Brambleghast and Froslass wear down defensive switch-ins such as Heatran, Ting-Lu, and Alolan Muk with Spikes, while Brambleghast also removes Toxic Spikes using Rapid Spin. Hisuian Zoroark offers a Ghost-type immunity and can spread burn with Will-O-Wisp, easing Spectrier's time setting up. Skeledirge checks Ogerpon-H, Choice Scarf Infernape, and Heatran using Earth Power and takes on setup sweepers such as Volcarona and Frosmoth. Mimikyu checks Dark-types like Hoopa-U, Choice Scarf Meowscarada, and Hydreigon while also offering a one-time check to Weavile, Greninja, and Bisharp due to Disguise. Sinistcha beats Water-types like Barraskewda and Urshifu-R as well as Ground-types such as Ursaluna and Landorus. Gengar offers Toxic Spikes to accumulate chip damage via Spectrier's Substitute and enhance the power of Hex.

Spectrier is a deadly special attacker that is able to quickly snowball against teams thanks to its high Speed, outrunning some of the metagame's fastest threats like Greninja and Iron Valiant. Spectrier utilizes Draining Kiss to hit Dark-type Pokemon that would otherwise resist its STAB Shadow Ball like the aforementioned Greninja as well as non-Choice Scarf Meowscarada and Roaring Moon. Draining Kiss also serves as a secondary recovery option to help heal off the damage taken by setting up a Substitute. Nasty Plot is used to elevate Spectrier's Special Attack to incredible heights without having to KO foes beforehand. Spectrier shines best when it is able to set up a Substitute, and subsequently a Nasty Plot, in the face of a more passive foe like Toxapex, then begin spamming its scarcely resisted Shadow Ball + Draining Kiss combination. Leftovers is used to provide more substantial recovery than Draining Kiss, but Colbur Berry is an option to take a Dark-type attack from Pokemon like Choice Scarf Great Tusk, Roaring Moon, and Barraskewda. Will-O-Wisp should be used instead of Substitute if Colbur Berry is the item of choice, as it allows Spectrier to capitalize on surviving an attack from these extremely potent physical threats. If Will-O-Wisp is preferred over Substitute, Hex can also be used to deal more damage to burned threats. Skeledirge can switch into strong physical attacks from Pokemon that threaten Spectrier such as Choice Scarf Gallade, Scizor, Ceruledge, and Mimikyu lacking Shadow Claw, then scare them with Will-O-Wisp. Mimikyu is also a great teammate, as it can help Spectrier deal with Pokemon that may not go down to a single Draining Kiss, such as Ting-Lu, as well as Bisharp and Darkrai if Disguise is in tact. Mimikyu is also able to finish off threats such as Flutter Mane and Dragapult with Shadow Sneak. Froslass and Brambleghast are teammates that work well with Spectrier, setting up Spikes for Spectrier to nab easier KOs and snowball with Grim Neigh. Froslass is also able to use Thunder Wave to slow down faster Pokemon, while Brambleghast is able to remove entry hazards via Rapid Spin, allowing Spectrier to pivot more freely. Choice Scarf Flutter Mane is a great teammate thanks to its incredible Speed and ablility to deal with common Choice Scarf users that give Spectrier trouble such as Gholdengo, Hisuian Samurott and Great Tusk. STAB Moonblast can also damage or remove Dark-type Pokemon to make Spectrier's job easier. Finally, Hisuian Zoroark is a solid teammate due to its ability to switch into Ghost-type attacks that would otherwise threaten Spectrier and all of its other teammates. Hisuian Zoroark can also apply utility support by wearing down opposing teams with Will-O-Wisp and Knock Off. Dragapult is a great teammate, as it can burn and force damage on common walls like Quagsire, Clodsire, Alolan Muk and Ting-Lu, and forcing damage on them to make sweeping easier. It is also important to note that burned Quagsire and Clodsire cannot break Spectrier's Substitute in one hit, making setting up a lot easier. Finally, bulky Nasty Plot Gholdengo is a great teammate for Spectrier. Gholdengo can wear down Dark- and Poison-type Pokemon like Choice Scarf Meowscarada and Clodsire, which Spectrier struggles with, while Spectrier can help with faster threats like Dragon- and Fighting-type Pokemon, such as Hydreigon and Great Tusk.

Choice Specs helps Spectrier take full advantage of its phenomenal Special Attack stat by making sure it is able to repeatedly OHKO any Pokemon after they have been damaged by chip damage or entry hazards, allowing Spectrier to sweep easily with the assist of Grim Neigh. Shadow Ball destroys Ghost-types like Sinistcha and Gholdengo with ease and breaks bulky threats like Toxapex, Archaludon, and physically defensive Corviknight. Draining Kiss is a great coverage move for hitting Dark-types such as non-Choice Scarf Roaring Moon, Hydreigon, and non-Choice Scarf Meowscarada. With the help of status spreading from Gholdengo and Pecharunt, Hex effectively breaks Poison Heal Gliscor and decimates statused special walls like Clodsire and Articuno. Will-O-Wisp also burns Alolan Muk, Ting-Lu, and Hisuian Goodra to cripple them severely before breaking them despite the type resistances. Psychic can check Poison- and Fighting-types like Iron Moth, the aforementioned Clodsire, and defensive Great Tusk while also being the strongest move to threaten Normal-types. Hyper Beam cleanly OHKOes Ogerpon-H and Ogerpon-W after chip damage. Physical Dragapult is a phenomenal teammate, pressuring foes that Spectrier struggles to break, such as Assault Vest Iron Hands, Hoopa-U, and Hisuian Goodra, all of which would otherwise threaten Spectrier in the long run. Choice Scarf Flutter Mane destroys Dark-types such as Roaring Moon and Choice Specs Dragapult with Moonblast while being able to use coverage options such as Thunderbolt to eliminate Barraskewda outside of rain. Swords Dance Hisuian Zoroark grants its allies an immunity to Ghost-type moves and can disguise itself as Spectrier with Illusion to trick opponents. After a foe fallsfor the bait, then threatens physically frail checks to Spectrier such as Ting-Lu, Blissey, and Heatran with a +2 Low Kick. Bulky Gholdengo can weaken numerous foes such as Garganacl and Alolan Muk that Spectrier can’t OHKO while also being able to absorb status moves from status spreaders using its infamous ability Good as Gold. Pecharunt pivots Spectrier in with Parting Shot to let it come in on a foe that it cannot beat while also checking physical attackers such as Azumarill with Malignant Chain. Brambleghast can set entry hazards to make it easier for Spectrier to KO its respective Fire-type checks in Heatran and opposing Ceruledge. Brambleghast can also act as a spinner to allow Spectrier safer entry from entry hazards. Focus Sash Ceruledge is an amazing physical wallbreaker that can easily set up a Swords Dance before attacking with its priority, picking off opposing Flutter Mane in the event of a Ghost mirror matchup. It's also a great check against Alolan Muk and Articuno, which can both be dangerous special walls if not handled quickly. Finally, Skeledirge not only checks Scizor, Lokix, and Weavile but also spreads Will-O-Wisp burns to Dragonite and Azumarill to guarantee a safer sweep late-game.

The Special Defense allows Spectrier to survive Gholdengo's Shadow Ball or Torkoal's Eruption. The Special Attack investment allows it to OHKO zero bulk Ogerpon Formes with a Nasty Plot boost, and the speed investment lets it outspeed Adamant Chien-Pao.