Level 37To Dusclops

Trade holding Reaper ClothTo Dusknoir

DusknoirLast stage shown

#0477 · GENERATION 4

Dusknoir Build Guide

Ghost

Physical attacker with burn utility

Build a Dusknoir team ↓

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Custom Pokédex collection.

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMLeftovers

ABILITYFrisk

NATUREAdamant

Shadow Punch

Shadow Sneak

Will-O-Wisp

Pain Split

How to play

Frisk reveals an opposing held item on entry. Use Will-O-Wisp against an eligible physical attacker or Shadow Sneak against a weakened target; Pain Split can alter both Pokémon’s HP.

Watch out for

Key risk. Pain Split is not reliable direct recovery and depends on both current HP values. Will-O-Wisp can miss and fails against protected targets such as Fire types. Ghost and Dark attacks are super effective; Normal types ignore its Ghost attacks.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

BATTLE PLAN

When to attack, set up or switch

Frisk reveals an opposing held item on entry. Use Will-O-Wisp against an eligible physical attacker or Shadow Sneak against a weakened target; Pain Split can alter both Pokémon’s HP.

A physical attacker stays in

Burn it, then remember Ghost and Dark are the two types that hit Dusknoir for 2× — a Fire switch-in is immune to Will-O-Wisp, so the tax does not apply to everything that can wall it.

You want the priority finish

Shadow Sneak is the priority turn, but it is a Ghost move and a Normal-type target ignores it, which also blanks Shadow Punch. Pain Split or a switch is the only remaining option against that typing.

What does a safe pivot mean?

A teammate uses a switching move to bring Dusknoir in. A slower pivot may take the opponent’s hit first. Turn order and the opponent’s move still matter.

ITEM & ABILITY

How this build works

Will-O-Wisp is the tax Dusknoir exists to levy: a burned physical attacker hits for less, and Fire types are immune to the move. Pain Split redistributes HP using both current totals rather than healing on a schedule, and Normal and Fighting moves cannot touch Dusknoir at all.

Watch the tradeoff. Pain Split is not reliable direct recovery and depends on both current HP values. Will-O-Wisp can miss and fails against protected targets such as Fire types. Ghost and Dark attacks are super effective; Normal types ignore its Ghost attacks.

These battle mechanics do not change the builder’s type-and-base-stat score. The tool does not simulate moves, abilities, held items or damage.

COMPARE YOUR OPTIONS

Dusknoir or Gengar?

Gengar offers a much faster special Ghost attacking role instead of this slower utility approach.

Base stats · standard forms in the local Generation 9 dataset
Stat	Dusknoir	Gengar
HP	45	60
Attack	100	65
Defense	135	60
Sp. Attack	65	130
Sp. Defense	135	75
Speed	45	110

Base stats are not final battle stats. Level, nature, IVs, EVs and battle effects affect the result. Check availability in your game before choosing an alternative.

Teammate ideas

A Dark partner can resist Ghost and Dark attacks. A stronger special attacker helps compensate for this set’s limited immediate damage.

Umbreon

Resists Ghost and Dark and provides delayed Wish recovery.

Read Umbreon guide →Compare teammates →

Primarina

Resists Dark and adds stronger special attacks plus Fairy coverage.

Read Primarina guide →Compare teammates →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Gengar

Gengar offers a much faster special Ghost attacking role instead of this slower utility approach.

Read Gengar guide →

Try Gengar →

Type matchups

Weak to

Ghost2×Dark2×

Resistances and immunities

Normal0×Fighting0×Poison0.5×Bug0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP45

Attack100

Defense135

Sp. Attack65

Sp. Defense135

Speed45

Evolution chain

Duskull#355
Level 37
Dusclops#356
Trade holding Reaper Cloth
Dusknoir#477

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Dusknoir team

Start with Dusknoir. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#477

Dusknoir

Ghost

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense79

Defense64

Coverage11

Synergy17

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Dark attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Ghost attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 2 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Dusknoir	Weak	Resist
Normal	0×	0	1
Fire	1×	0	0
Water	1×	0	0
Electric	1×	0	0
Grass	1×	0	0
Ice	1×	0	0
Fighting	0×	0	1
Poison	½×	0	1
Ground	1×	0	0
Flying	1×	0	0
Psychic	1×	0	0
Bug	½×	0	1
Rock	1×	0	0
Ghost	2×	1	0
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	2×	1	0
Steel	1×	0	0
Fairy	1×	0	0

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalImmune target

FireNeutral

WaterNeutral

ElectricNeutral

GrassNeutral

IceNeutral

FightingNeutral

PoisonNeutral

GroundNeutral

FlyingNeutral

Psychic✓ Super effective

BugNeutral

RockNeutral

Ghost✓ Super effective

DragonNeutral

DarkResisted

SteelNeutral

FairyNeutral

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.