Polteageist

[AstilCodex]

Polteageist
Type:

Base Stats: 60 HP / 65 Atk / 65 Def / 134 SpA / 114 SpD / 70 Spe
Abilities: Weak Armor | Cursed Body

Notable moves:

• Psyshock
• Shadow Ball
• Giga Drain
• Hex
• Stored Power
• Memento
• Shell Smash
• Strength Sap
• Trick
• Will-O-Wisp

Pros:

• Amazing base 134 SpA combined with good typing and access to Shell Smash makes it a very dangerous and efficient setup sweeper.
• Good overall coverage, allowing to narrow its counters paired with STAB Shadow Ball to make use of its special sweeping capabilities
• Good utility moves in Strength Sap, Will-O-Wisp, and Memento can be used for either setup comfortably or help a partner.
• Phenomenal user of Terastallization, allowing it to switch its type offensively when needed to take on potential answers.
• Useful abilities which can help on its chances to enable a Shell Smash sweep
• Rather easy to support and position. Polteageist appreciates the offensive playstyle so, hazards, screens and voltturn are easygoing with it.

Cons:

• Very predictable on what it will do and how it will play out.
• Even if its easy to support, it needs proper positioning and skill as you would most likely get in on the field at the proper time to sweep your opponent.
• Relies heavily on Terastallization to perform in SV meta.

Terastalizing Potential:
One of the best offensive terastallize users in the metagame, would 9/10 tera into

alongside Tera Blast to destroy dark types such as Bisharp, Hydreigon, Umbreon and Wo-Chien which would otherwise counter its regular set.

is a good option as well for the same reasons, though, Fighting provides unresisted coverage with Shadow Ball, hitting both Dark and Normal types such as Blissey, so its initially better.

Potential Sets:

Shell Smash
Polteageist @ White Herb
Ability: Weak Armor / Cursed Body
Tera Type: Fighting
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Shell Smash
- Shadow Ball
- Tera Blast
- Stored Power / Strength Sap

The main and only set you will be using on Polteageist. Shell Smash turns this into a monster sweeping machine, +2 Shadow Ball hits extremely hard to everything that doesn't resist it, Fighting Tera Blast destroys Dark and Normal types whereas Stored Power can boost even further than its STAB when Shell Smash + Weak Armor activates. Weak Armor can allow Stored Power to hit the hardest and outspeed even the fastest threats in the metagame such as Adamant Barraskewda in Rain. On the other hand, Cursed Body can come in handy to disable a move and cripple a potential answer, though this is harder to play around.


Polteageist is one of the scariest sweepers in the metagame with the huge advantage that Terastallization provides to it. Have you tried Polteageist yet? Feel free to leave comments, suggestions and discussion! ^^

 

[PrincessGardevoir]

Polteageist definitely suffers from Espathra's mere existence, since the two have similar answers to stop their sweeps. Sucker Punches are still aimed at you, but Polteageist at least has the benefit of ExtremeSpeed and Mach Punch immunity. SpDef Tinkaton eats it for breakfast, Haze SpDef Quagsire or Clear Smog Gastrodon can serve as emergency stopgaps, and most unfortunately of all, Scarfed 110 base Speed Pokemon get the jump on you, even if you're going Timid after one boost.

I personally haven't run into any overly problematic Polteageist, but that's more so because of how difficult it is to set up one turn without an extensive team backbone (multiple hazard layers, Dual Screens, Aurora Veil, etc) andd that multiple Stored Power resists and spdef walls are incredibly useful right now. Once Espathra inevitably goes from the tier, Polteageist will take up its mantle as the premier special attacking nuclear bomb that teams have to have one check to.

 

[Sulo]

Polteageist definitely suffers from Espathra's mere existence, since the two have similar answers to stop their sweeps. Sucker Punches are still aimed at you, but Polteageist at least has the benefit of ExtremeSpeed and Mach Punch immunity. SpDef Tinkaton eats it for breakfast, Haze SpDef Quagsire or Clear Smog Gastrodon can serve as emergency stopgaps, and most unfortunately of all, Scarfed 110 base Speed Pokemon get the jump on you, even if you're going Timid after one boost.

I personally haven't run into any overly problematic Polteageist, but that's more so because of how difficult it is to set up one turn without an extensive team backbone (multiple hazard layers, Dual Screens, Aurora Veil, etc) andd that multiple Stored Power resists and spdef walls are incredibly useful right now. Once Espathra inevitably goes from the tier, Polteageist will take up its mantle as the premier special attacking nuclear bomb that teams have to have one check to.

I think regarding priority, that can be easily solved by running Psychic Terrain alongside it. This is mandatory anyways IMO, as not only does it provide a powerful priority immunity, but it also makes Stored Power stronger, making it easier to break through specially defensive walls like Chansey and Florges.

 

[PrincessGardevoir]

I think regarding priority, that can be easily solved by running Psychic Terrain alongside it. This is mandatory anyways IMO, as not only does it provide a powerful priority immunity, but it also makes Stored Power stronger, making it easier to break through specially defensive walls like Chansey and Florges.

That's actually a really good point I just never thought about since I forgot Indeedee was even in the dex, whoops! That's definitely a good way to bypass problems related to Poltergeist and Shell Smashers in general, and I need to experiment with Drednaw for that!

 

[STEELDRAGON]

Polteageist is literally close to unstoppable once it get shell smash off. It's moveset and it's Tera Type can allow it to beat pretty much anything. Luckily Scarf Gengar, Swift swimmers and priority can snipe it a lot of the time but other than that there's not really anything that can save you from its wrath. Pair it with screens/Shed Tail or even Psychic Terrain and it becomes even more ridiculous. One of the most threatening sweepers in UU.