Competitive Information for Haunter [Black/White]


Ghost / Poison
Abilities:
This Pokemon is immune to Ground; Gravity/Ingrain/Smack Down/Iron Ball nullify it.


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Note: Pokemon with the Levitate ability are immune to Ground attacks.
Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Haunter? These builds are optimized for Black/White Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Black/White metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Prepare for battle with Haunter, a brilliant Pokémon boasting Ghost and Poison attributes. Haunter is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. Don't underestimate it; it can be a hidden gem in the meta. It is weak to Dark, Ghost, Ground, and Psychic-typed attacks. Delve into Haunter's movesets below and strategize for victory!
Item: Focus Sash / Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 64 Hp / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball / Ominous Wind
- Foul Play / Dark Pulse
- Thunderbolt
In single battles, Haunter is known as a sensational Special Sweeper. The intention of this moveset is to overwhelm foes with powerful special attacks. Focus Sash helps protect Haunter from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out (usually Ominous Wind to boost Haunter for the following turns). Choice Specs will increase the damage of Haunter's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. With Levitate, Haunter is immune to damaging Ground-typed moves. Levitate also makes Haunter unaffected by the effects of Spikes, Arena Trap or Toxic Spikes. Keep in mind that Ingrain, Gravity, Smack down and the Iron ball item will nullify Levitate's effect.
◆ Sludge Bomb is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Poison-type move (30% chance to poison the target).
◆ Shadow Ball is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Ghost-type move (20% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Ominous Wind is a special STAB-boosted 60-base power Ghost-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
◆ Foul Play is a physical 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Dark Pulse is a special 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Thunderbolt is a special 95-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gaa5d
Item: Black Sludge
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Def / 252 SpA
Moveset:
- Mean Look
- Perish Song
- Sludge Bomb
- Thunderbolt / Dark Pulse
Dominating single battles, Haunter is a high-quality Special Tank. It's primary goal is to handle special hits and respond with decent damage. With Levitate, Haunter is immune to damaging Ground-typed moves. Levitate also makes Haunter unaffected by the effects of Spikes, Arena Trap or Toxic Spikes. Keep in mind that Ingrain, Gravity, Smack down and the Iron ball item will nullify Levitate's effect. With a Black Sludge equipped to it, each turn, if Haunter is a poison type, restores 1/16 max hp; loses 1/8 if not.
◆ Perish Song is a status move (all active pokemon will faint in 3 turns).
◆ Sludge Bomb is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Poison-type move (30% chance to poison the target).
◆ Thunderbolt is a special 95-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Dark Pulse is a special 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/gba5d
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Haunter? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Black/White Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Black/White metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Focus Sash / Choice Specs
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Timid (+Spe, -Atk)
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 64 Hp / 12 Def / 252 SpA / 180 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball / Ominous Wind
- Foul Play / Dark Pulse
- Icy Wind
Ready for double battles? Haunter is a high-quality Special Sweeper. It's designed to crush rivals using powerful special moves. Focus Sash helps protect Haunter from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out (usually Ominous Wind to boost Haunter for the following turns). Choice Specs will increase the damage of Haunter's special moves by 1.5x but will lock you into the first move you pick. With Levitate, Haunter is immune to damaging Ground-typed moves. Levitate also makes Haunter unaffected by the effects of Spikes, Arena Trap or Toxic Spikes. Keep in mind that Ingrain, Gravity, Smack down and the Iron ball item will nullify Levitate's effect.
◆ Sludge Bomb is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Poison-type move (30% chance to poison the target).
◆ Shadow Ball is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Ghost-type move (20% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Ominous Wind is a special STAB-boosted 60-base power Ghost-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
◆ Foul Play is a physical 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Dark Pulse is a special 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Icy Wind is a special 55-base power Ice-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/haa5d
Item: Focus Sash / Poison Barb
Ability: Levitate
Nature: Quiet (+SpA, -Spe)
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 196 Hp / 60 Def / 252 SpA
Moveset:
- Sludge Wave / Sludge Bomb
- Shadow Ball / Ominous Wind
- Foul Play / Dark Pulse
- Trick Room
Haunter makes an a pretty decent Offensive Trick Roomer in single battles. Focus Sash helps protect Haunter from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out (usually Ominous Wind to boost Haunter for the following turns). With Levitate, Haunter is immune to damaging Ground-typed moves. Levitate also makes Haunter unaffected by the effects of Spikes, Arena Trap or Toxic Spikes. Keep in mind that Ingrain, Gravity, Smack down and the Iron ball item will nullify Levitate's effect. With a Poison Barb equipped to it, Haunter's poison-type attacks have 1.2x power.
◆ Sludge Bomb is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Poison-type move (30% chance to poison the target).
◆ Shadow Ball is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Ghost-type move (20% chance to lower the target's special defense by 1 stage).
◆ Ominous Wind is a special STAB-boosted 60-base power Ghost-type move (10% chance to raise all stats by 1 stage (not acc/eva)).
◆ Foul Play is a physical 95-base power Dark-type move (uses target's attack stat in damage calculation).
◆ Dark Pulse is a special 80-base power Dark-type move (20% chance to make the target flinch).
◆ Trick Room is a status move (goes last. For 5 turns, turn order is reversed).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/hba5d
Movepool
Want to know what moves Haunter can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Black/White generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Haunter.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Haunter can perform in Black/White. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive BW Move and Ability Combos for Haunter
- Moves: Swagger + Foul play
- Moves: Swagger + Psych up
- Moves: Psych up + Haze
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Perish song + Protect
- Moves: Pain split + Toxic
- Moves: Pain split + Will-o-wisp
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Protect, Snatch, Sucker Punch
- Moves that inflict status (and combo with the move Hex): Hypnosis, Will-O-Wisp, Toxic
Moves that boost Haunter's stats
- Curse
- Ominous Wind
Most notable and possible best moves for Haunter
- Destiny Bond
- Knock Off
- Protect
- Rest
- Taunt
- Toxic
Common Effort Values for Haunter in Black and White
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.

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