Gengar Deck
0.0% of the meta · Updated September 14, 2026
Signature card
Gengar
Uncommon
Strengths
- Hypnoblast puts the opponent's Active Pokemon to Sleep, potentially skipping their entire next attack.
- Bother locks the opponent out of Supporter cards for one turn, crippling draw and healing at critical moments.
- Rare Candy bypasses the Haunter stage entirely, reaching either Gengar faster than typical Stage 2 lines.
Weaknesses
- Both Gengar variants are Stage 2 non-ex Pokemon; Poké Ball only finds Gastly, so both Gengar forms rely on draw supporters.Consistency
- Gengar's 140 HP and 130 HP totals are relatively low for a Stage 2, making it vulnerable to one-shot ex attackers.Matchup
- Giratina ex, Melmetal ex, and Mega Gardevoir ex all hold 75% win rates against this archetype.Matchup
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Est. 309 packs to collect all core cardsdetails
Key Moves & Abilities
Strategy Guide
Auto-generatedGengar applies pressure through two distinct Stage 2 variants — one that inflicts Sleep via Hypnoblast for 70 damage and one that blocks opponent Supporter usage via Bother — disrupting the opponent's setup while scoring points through knock outs. The goal is to make the opponent's recovery tools inaccessible while chipping toward 3 points.
Start with Gastly active and use Poké Ball to find a second Gastly or open attacker, then draw aggressively with Professor's Research, Copycat, and Leaf to build toward both Gengar variants via Rare Candy. Darkrai and Igglybuff provide secondary pressure early so the Gengar lines can develop safely. Mid-game, use the 130-HP Gengar's Bother to deny the opponent a Supporter play while dealing 50 damage; follow with the 140-HP Gengar's Hypnoblast to lock the Active Pokemon asleep and deal 70. Cyrus and Lisia handle energy management and card access across the final turns.
How to Play
Chain Disruption with Both Gengar Variants
Use Bother first to deny the opponent a Supporter play, then switch to or bench the Hypnoblast Gengar to inflict Sleep and deal 70 damage the following turn. Keeping Sleep active and blocking Supporters simultaneously prevents the opponent from healing, drawing recovery cards, or evolving to counter. Darkrai and Igglybuff handle early scoring while both Gengars set up via Rare Candy.
Dig to Gengar Quickly with Leaf and Rare Candy
Two copies of Leaf and two copies of Professor's Research give this deck exceptional draw density for a 20-card list. Use Rare Candy to skip Haunter and deploy whichever Gengar variant is needed for the current game state. Copycat mirrors a large opponent hand to accelerate further. Lisia can then recover a key Trainer or Pokemon to close the game.
How to Beat This Deck
Apply Dark-Type Weakness
Gengar is Psychic type, which typically carries Dark or Ghost weaknesses. Running attackers that hit Psychic types for weakness multiplies damage and one-shots Gengar before it can use Bother or Hypnoblast again. Giratina ex and Darkrai-based lists both hold strong win rates against Gengar for exactly this reason.
Hold Supporters Until Sleep is Resolved
Bother blocks Supporter usage for one turn; if your Pokemon is not asleep, you still retain full hand access after that turn. Prioritize playing Supporters like Professor's Research or Copycat before Bother resolves. If asleep, attempt to wake with a coin-flip retreat or wait — Sleep does not persist through the active check on your turn.
Pressure Gastly Before Gengar Evolves
Both Gengar variants require surviving the Gastly stage. Aggressive early attacks that KO Gastly before Rare Candy can be played deny Gengar from reaching the field. The opponent's lack of ex attackers means each KO only scores 1 point, but racing to 3 points through repeated early-stage KOs denies the disruption engine entirely.
Common Substitutions
Secondary attackers
- Darkrai:Psychic-adjacent Dark type that applies damage pressure during Gengar's setup turns
- Igglybuff:Low-cost basic that contests early turns and provides a non-ex body to sacrifice without point loss
Matchups
Threats — Weak Against
Based on type weakness analysis of core cards. View full matchup matrix →