What it does
Every time a direct attack connects against the Cursed Body holder, there is a 30% chance the move that was just used gets disabled for 4 turns — the attacker cannot use it again during that window. This is the same effect as Disable.
Some specifics to know:
- Only direct attacks (physical and special moves that hit the holder) can trigger it. Indirect damage like weather, Burn, hazards, or recoil cannot.
- It disables the move that was just used, not the move the opponent wants to use next.
- The opponent can clear the disable by switching out.
- One Pokémon can only have one move disabled at a time.
30% is not a guarantee, but for high-power moves with limited PP — Close Combat, Fleur Cannon, sweeping priority attacks — a single disable during a critical sequence can flip a game. Your opponent just committed resources to hitting through your Gengar, and now their best move is locked for 4 turns.
Who runs it
Gengar runs Cursed Body at 100% adoption. Its Special Attack and Speed are strong; its Special Defense is poor, so opponents will try to hit it early. That is where the 30% trigger lives. When an opponent fires a strong move to remove Gengar and it fires back a disable, the trade becomes much more favorable. Gengar's own STAB Shadow Ball and Sludge Bomb punish opponents that stay in, discouraging the switch that would clear the disable.
Froslass at 80% adoption. Fast enough to move first and apply its own pressure with Blizzard or Icy Wind; Cursed Body activates on the return hit. The moves most likely to get disabled are the opponent's damage spike moves, which is exactly where you want the disruption.
Polteageist (28%) and Dragapult (4%) also carry it in specific builds, though Dragapult usually prefers Clear Body or Infiltrator.
How to use it
Do not build your team plan around Cursed Body triggering. It is a 30% chance — treating it as reliable will get you into trouble. The right framing: it is a passive insurance layer. Your Gengar or Froslass is threatening enough on its own merits; Cursed Body occasionally steals a move and creates extra pressure at no cost.
When a disable does land, use the window:
- Send in a Pokémon that wants to move freely without the disabled threat.
- Set up field conditions (weather, terrain, boosts) while the opponent is limited.
- If they switch to clear the disable, you can read the swap and position accordingly.
Pairing Colbur Berry or Black Sludge keeps Gengar alive for more incoming hits, which means more chances to roll that 30%.
Tips & strategy
The value of a Cursed Body disable scales with the importance of the move it catches. Disabling a Close Combat on an opposing attacker that uses it as its main win condition is massive. Disabling a Earthquake on a Pokémon that has equally threatening alternatives is less impactful.
Switching immediately clears the disable — keep that in mind. You cannot use Cursed Body as a sustained lockdown tool. If the opponent has a free switching slot, they will resolve it. The extra pressure Cursed Body creates is about turn economy in the short window, not permanent shutdown.
In doubles, Gengar's Speed means it often fires first. That matters because if Gengar attacks turn 1 and then gets hit turn 1, the disable triggers before the opponent can act in turn 2. Keeping Gengar moving first maximizes the probability that a disable lands during a moment when the opponent is already committed to an action.