Gengar builds, abilities & special moves in Pokemon UNITE

Gengar builds, abilities & special moves in Pokemon UNITE
Images: Nintendo

Written by 

Jason Fanelli

Published 

13th Aug 2021 14:40

The best Pokemon UNITE Gengar builds are perfect for anyone who wants to be a Speedster, because of all the classes in Pokemon UNITE, the Speedster holds the highest learning curve. These agile allies can zip around the map with ease, making them perfect for jungling or assisting in either lane when needed. Gengar is no exception, with a moveset that can drop wild Pokemon with ease while also serving as a major threat to the opposing team...so long as he's not left alone. Here's a taste of what Gengar has to offer, including two of the best Pokemon UNITE Gengar builds.

Gengar abilities, moveset & special moves

Abilities

Role: Speedster
Style: Melee
Difficulty: Expert

Stats

  • Offense - 7
  • Endurance - 4
  • Mobility - 8
  • Scoring - 6
  • Support - 1

Evolution levels

Gastly Start 
Haunter at Lvl. 5
Gengar at Lvl. 9

Special Moves

Passive Skill: Levitate - Gengar moves faster when not actively fighting another Pokemon.

Unite Move: Phantom Ambush - Gengar moves to a spot on the map chosen by the player and becomes invisible. On the second button press Gengar jumps out and attacks, dealing area-of-effect damage to opponents in the area. The move also increases Gengar's movement speed.

Will-O-Wisp - A burst of flames inflicts a burn on an opposing Pokemon. Cooldown is 5 seconds. At Lvl. 5, the move upgrades to one of the following: 

  • Shadow Ball - Gengar fires a projectile made of dark energy, dealing damage while also lowering the opponent's movement speed and special defense on hit. 4.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 damage dealt is increased.
  • Sludge Bomb - Gengar throws a pool of sludge onto the ground, damaging any opponents inside and poisoning them. 8 second cooldown. At Lvl. 11 the poison status effect lasts longer.

Lick - Gengar extends its tongue at an opponent, damaging it and pulling it next to Gengar. Cooldown is 7 seconds. At Lvl. 7, the move upgrades to one of the following:

  • Dream Eater - Psychic energy puts opponents to sleep, and Gengar immediately appears behind them for an attack that also restores its HP. The move will also reduce the cooldown of Gengar's other special attack. 7 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 damage dealt and HP restored are increased.
  • Hex - Gengar quickly disappears and reappears in a spot marked by the player for quick damage. If the opponent has a status effect (poison, burn, etc) when attacked, Hex's damage is increased. 7.5 second cooldown. At Lvl. 13 damage dealt is increased.

With the list of Gengar's arsenal out of the way, here are the two best builds for battling with this paranormal powerhouse.

Pokemon UNITE Gengar builds: Stats and abilities
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Gengar Build: Pocket Monster Mash

  • Focus: Jungling
  • Area: Mid Lane
  • Move 1 Upgrade: Sludge Bomb
  • Move 2 Upgrade: Hex
  • Battle Item: Fluffy Tail
  • Held Items
    • Shell Bell
    • Special Attack Specs
    • Wise Glasses

This build is essentially a sentient verison of the classic Guns n' Roses line "you're in the jungle baby, you're gonna diiiiiiiie!" Both of Gengar's moves are powerful Special Attacks (non-physical) in their own right, but the one-two punch combo of Special Attack Specs and Wise Glasses boost Gengar's special attack power to the moon. In the case of the Special Attack Specs that boost is even higher when Gengar scores goals, and since this is a jungle-based build that's going to be happening a lot

Stay in that middle lane and clean up every wild Pokemon you see when using this build. The Shell Bell will heal Gengar with every successful attack, which will allow you to stay in the fight in the early going and max out your power quickly. After scoring a goal and getting that extra Special Attack power, grab a teammate and head over to Drednaw in the bottom lane or Rotom in the top to score that extra advantage for your team. 

As powerful as you may feel in the mid-lane jungle, be warned: do not venture into the top or bottom lanes unprotected. This Gengar build should only go into those parts of the map in one of two situations: when no opponents are around (to score a goal with no resistance) or when there are more teammates than opponents (to help knock those opponents out). Gengar will get overpowered quickly if an enemy team gangs up on it, and Gengar getting knocked out means gifting some of that energy it's collected through its jungling jaunts to the opponents, and that obviously is not ideal.

Gengar Build: Gengar's Got Your Back

  • Focus: Jungling/Attack Support
  • Area: Mid Lane
  • Move 1 Upgrade: Sludge Bomb
  • Move 2 Upgrade: Dream Eater
  • Battle Item: Eject Button
  • Held Items
    • Leftovers
    • Scope Lens
    • Wise Glasses

This build isn't too different from the previous one--Gengar's strengths are pretty straightforward--however since this build focuses on supporting teammates in the top and bottom lanes there are a few key differences. The first replaces Hex for Dream Eater, as Dream Eater can hold an opponent in place for a few seconds and allow a teammate to score some big hits. Dream Eater also doesn't fall prey to Hex's biggest weakness--being completely neutralized when an opponent is hiding in tall grass--so it's a more consistent move for damaging opposing team members. 

The second difference is in the item loadout, starting with the Eject Button Battle Item. Gengar will still get easily overpowered by the enemy team, but the Eject Button gives it an extra option for escaping if needed. The Held Items are less focused on a massive Special Attack boost and more about spreading out the buffs. The Wise Glasses are still here, but Scope Lens offers a boost to Critical Hit Damage while Leftovers heal Gengar when it's not engaged in battle. As Gengar's passive ability increases its speed when not fighting, Gengar can retreat with the Eject Button, move to a safe place quickly with the passive boost to speed, and heal damage more quickly with the Leftovers. 

The strategy for this build remains the same as the previous one--staying in the jungle and building energy for the occasional goal in an empty lane--however here Gengar is a more well-rounded attacker when the time comes to emerge from the jungle and help teammates in need. If you're the kind of player that likes to help their teammates out, this is the kind of Gengar you should play.

Now you know the best Pokemon UNITE Gengar builds, check out the rest of our UNITE guides below:

Pokemon UNITE best Pokemon tier list | Pokemon UNITE Physical vs Special Attacks | Pokemon UNITE Buddy Barrier | Pokemon UNITE Greninja builds

 

Jason Fanelli is a freelance games journalist hailing from Philadelphia, PA, USA. Recent bylines include GameSpot, MMORPG.com, Esports.GG, and more. He is also the host of Cheesesteaks and Controllers, an esports and video game-themed podcast and radio show for Fox Sports Radio Philadelphia.

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