Ghost visibility, type immunity and armor
Ghost sight and attack compatibility are separate checks. Against armor, compare damage per hit and effects that bypass armor.
Diagnose visibility, immunity and armor separately
The first table uses no items; the armor comparison uses a Normal target.
| Pokémon | Situation | Result |
|---|---|---|
 Charmander | Hidden Ghost, unrevealed | Single-target DPS: 0 |
 Blissey | Revealed Ghost, Normal attack | Single-target DPS: 0 |
 Gengar | Normal target, default Ghost attack | Single-target DPS: 0 |
| Gengar | Normal target, Night Shade | Single-target DPS: 71.43 |
Same target: ordinary hits, no items
Try it in this order
- If the enemy is hidden, add native sight or a revelation source.
- If damage is still zero, change to a compatible attack; sight does not remove immunity.
- Against armor, compare heavy hits or a compatible burn/pool; inspect Suicune’s Hydro Pump armor break.
A revealed target can remain immune. The armor rows show ordinary single-target hits, not splash uptime or a full battle.
Reveal the Ghost, then check your attack
Hidden Ghost enemies require native Ghost sight or a teammate that reveals them. Current Ghost types, including Misdreavus, have sight. The Gastly line reveals Ghosts inside its range so nearby attackers can target them too. An eligible Silph Scope holder gains its own sight. Revelation still leaves attack-type rules in place: Normal and Fighting attacks ordinarily cannot hurt Ghosts. Check visibility and the chosen move's type separately when a unit seems to ignore an approaching wave.
Compare heavy hits with armor-bypassing effects
Armored enemies subtract armor from each ordinary hit after the relevant multipliers. Repeated weak hits lose more potential damage than fewer heavy hits. Burn, poison and damaging ground pools follow separate damage paths that bypass armor; Suicune's Hydro Pump can break it permanently for the team. Compare the same target with armor enabled and disabled, then inspect the damage-over-time contribution. A theoretical DPS lead against an unarmored target may disappear against Steelix or Onix.
Avoid trading one immunity for another
A Ghost attack can answer Ghost enemies yet fail against Normal targets. Electric does nothing to Ground, and Ground cannot damage Flying through ordinary type rules. Dual defensive types multiply their effects: Water against Rock/Ground can reach 4×, while any immunity remains zero. Some signature moves explicitly ignore matchups, but that belongs to the chosen move rather than every attack from its line. Check the actual enemy and keep at least one compatible damage source covering its route.