What are Spiritomb's weaknesses in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl?

Whether players are looking to use one of their own or need to come up with a strategy to stop one, Spiritomb is a unique Pokemon players may need some information to effectively use or take it out.

Being found after talking to 32 unique NPCs in Sinnoh's grand Underground after placing an Odd Keystone in the small tower by the river south of Solaceon Town, Spiritomb has interested players since its debut in the original Pokemon Diamond and Pearl games.

---

An in-depth look at Spiritomb in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Spiritomb as it appears in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (image via The Pokemon Company)

Spiritomb boasts a unique typing of Dark and Ghost. This typing was only shared with Sableye at the time of Spiritomb's debut, but it was quickly overlooked due to Sableye's lack of good stats and usage. Many players considered Spiritomb to be one of the best Pokemon at the time as it had no weaknesses; at least it did not until the release of Pokemon X and Y.

With the Fairy typing introduced into the game, Spiritomb finally had a weakness. Due to its convoluted means of obtaining as well as it absolutely crumbling under every Fairy type Pokemon introduced in the sixth generation of main series games, Spiritomb quickly faded into obscurity; that is until Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl was released.

Spiritomb quickly shot up on players' radars once again due to the realization that Cynthia's notorious Spiritomb would be reappearing on her team for her battle after the player beats the Elite Four. Spiritomb can be a formidable opponent if the player is not prepared for it or knows how to deal with defensive Pokemon of this nature effectively.

Spiritomb's Tower as it appears in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Looking at Spiritomb's stats, it has a solid defence and special defence stat of 108 as well as solid attack and special attack at a respectable 92. Spiritomb also wields the powerful ability Pressure, which increases the power point cost of moves the opponent uses against it. Spiritomb also has the Hidden Ability, Infiltrator, which allows it to hit through an opponent's Substitute, Light Screen, Reflect, and Aurora Veil; however, Spiritomb is better used as a tank, so it will rarely use this ability.

There is a multitude of different strategies players can consider when encountering a Spiritomb when battling. Which strategy the player chooses to use will depend on their choice and the resources they have at their disposal at the time.

---

Out-stalling Spiritomb

While not recommended and far from optimal, players can choose to simply outlast a Spiritomb. For players that choose to do this, Snorlax is going to be the best option. While the metagame for Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl is far from defined, it can be inferred by looking at the metagame from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl that Spiritomb will be designated to the role of a purely defensive tank.

Snorlax is the best option due to its Normal typing, high special defence, and recovery sets like Rest-Sleep Talk with Leftovers. Snorlax also has access to the move Toxic, making outlasting Spiritomb even quicker so long as Snorlax stays healthy.

Using Snorlax this way also completely bypasses all of Spiritomb's physical attacking options as long as Snorlax uses status moves. Spiritomb's viable physical attacks are Shadow Sneak and Sucker Punch; Sucker Punch only lands if the opponent attacks that turn. Shadow Sneak is a Ghost-type attack that fails on Normal-type Pokemon.

---

Specially defensive Fairy-types

Fairy-type Pokemon with exceptional special defence like Clefable and Togekiss are great choices for overpowering Spiritomb. Due to its low HP stat of 50, Spiritomb's defences can easily be overpowered. Spiritomb also lacks reliable recovery options, which contribute greatly to its low usage.

Togekiss also has the potential to stop Spiritomb from attacking entirely due to the combination of Air Slash and Serene Grace, which ups Air Slash's chance to cause the target to flinch. Clefable also has the added benefit of Magic Guard, which only lets it take damage from attacks instead of taking passive damage from entry hazards or status effects like burn and poison.

While Spiritomb was a lot scarier in its debut generation before Fairy-types, Spiritomb still has the potential to do some work against a trainer's team. However, Spiritomb lacks the defensive properties to be a reliable tank for a long period and is only made worse by the existence of Fairy-type Pokemon. In short, Spiritomb is ranked Untiered for a reason.