The best moveset for Phantump in Pokemon GO

Phantump, a Ghost/Grass-type Pokemon from Generation VI (Pokemon X/Y), has been popping up in Pokemon GO lately due to the spooky October festivities.

Phantump isn't much use in battle, but its evolution into Trevenant makes it a much more capable fighter. However, some Pokemon GO trainers may opt to fine-tune Phantump's moveset precisely. This may be due to forecasting an impending PvP Battle League cup that limits Pokemon somehow, or maybe they're just fans of the cute Stump Pokemon and want to use it regardless of its capability. All the same, Phantump benefits from using the right moves, improving its damage and energy returns.

---

Pokemon GO: Picking the best moves for Phantump

Trevenant, Phantump's evolution, is much more capable in battle, but some players may not want to evolve it (Image via Niantic)

If some Pokemon GO trainers do decide to stick with Phantump, they'll want to make sure it has its best moveset available to provide some modicum of ability if it's called into battle. At the moment, Phantump is capable of learning the next moves in Pokemon GO:

Fast Moves

• Astonish (Ghost-type)
• Tackle (Normal-type)

Charge Moves

• Seed Bomb (Grass-type)
• Shadow Ball (Ghost-type)
• Foul Play (Dark-type)

In most situations, an optimal moveset for Phantump in Pokemon GO will call for it to learn Tackle and Shadow Ball. Although Astonish provides a damage boost due to the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) for matching Phantump's type, it doesn't offer the damage or energy returns that Tackle does, and it also has a longer cooldown. Many trainers know Shadow Ball as one of the best Ghost-type Charge Moves in the game, if not the best overall. This move does provide STAB for Phantump and provides the best damage per energy of its collective Charge Moves. Seed Bomb benefits from STAB at a cheaper energy cost, but its damage potential (26.19 damage per second) is almost lower than Shadow Ball's (33.33 damage per second) by double digits.

It's likely more prudent for Pokemon GO players to save their TMs and/or candy for Trevenant instead of Phantump, but if trainers are dedicated to the little ghostly Pokemon, then Tackle, and Shadow Ball will provide them with the best returns. This may change over time based on Niantic's tweaking or introduction of new moves to Pokemon GO's attacks, but for the moment, Phantump benefits from these moves the most. If players are feeling particularly spendy, they can even pick up an additional Charge Move such as Seed Bomb to provide the Stump Pokemon with a faster-charging attack that can apply some pressure and deal super-effective damage opponents that Shadow Ball can't.