What it does
Spell Tag multiplies Ghost-type move damage by ×1.2, every turn, unconditionally. Shadow Ball, Phantom Force, Shadow Sneak, Shadow Claw — all benefit directly, with no HP cost and no move lock.
Ghost has one notable offensive quirk: Normal-type Pokémon are completely immune to Ghost moves. That's a more punishing move lock than most types face — if you're locked into Phantom Force and the opponent pivots to a Normal-type, you're stuck. Spell Tag avoids the lock entirely, keeping coverage moves available whenever a Ghost-immune shows up.
Compared to Life Orb: Orb is ×1.3 across all moves but drains HP each attack. For Aegislash, which needs to stay healthy across multiple turns to cycle between Attack and Shield Forme via King’s Shield, the HP drain actively works against its design. For Decidueye, which isn't particularly fast or bulky, each 10% HP drain brings it into KO range faster. Spell Tag fits better on both.
Who runs it
Decidueye (66% of its sets) is the clearest Spell Tag carrier in Champions data — a highly concentrated adoption rate. It relies on Shadow Sneak as a priority Ghost move for cleanup. Spell Tag boosts each Shadow Sneak without costing HP, which is important: Decidueye's offensive stats aren't top-tier, so staying healthy long enough to repeatedly use priority is central to how it plays.
Aegislash (50%) is the Ghost-type attacker built around forme cycling. It attacks with Shadow Ball or Shadow Claw in Blade Forme, then returns to Shield Forme with King’s Shield. Spell Tag raises the damage ceiling on its Ghost output without disrupting the forme-switching cycle or draining the HP it needs to survive.
Mimikyu (19%) uses Shadow Sneak as a priority move for finishing hits. Spell Tag pushes the Shadow Sneak KO threshold higher — on a Pokémon that's already at a health disadvantage due to its Disguise taking a hit, every bit of extra Ghost damage matters for cleanly ending a target.
Ceruledge (7%) and Dragapult (3%) have smaller shares. Dragapult typically has other item options; its 3% Spell Tag rate reflects specific builds that lean into Ghost coverage.
How to use it
Ghost moves primarily threaten Psychic-types and opposing Ghost-types. In the Champions meta, Ghost's offensive value often comes from the fact that only Dark-types and other Ghost-types can hit Ghost-type moves back effectively — it pressures a wide range without creating clean immunities on either side (except Normal).
With Aegislash, the rhythm is: attack in Blade Forme with Shadow Ball or Iron Head, then use King’s Shield to return to Shield Forme and wall physical hits. Spell Tag makes each Blade Forme Ghost move more threatening without touching the forme-cycling pace.
With Decidueye and Mimikyu, timing Shadow Sneak correctly is the whole game. Once the opponent's Pokémon is around 40–50% HP, Spell Tag-boosted Shadow Sneak often crosses the KO threshold it wouldn't otherwise reach. At Team Preview, note the Psychic-type and Ghost-type targets that Shadow Sneak can realistically pick off.
Tips & strategy
Normal-type immunity is the biggest passive risk. Common Normal-type users in the meta — Snorlax, Porygon2 — are completely immune to Ghost moves. On those matchups, Spell Tag contributes zero. Have a non-Ghost move in your attacker's kit to handle those targets, or plan to pivot to a teammate.
Shadow Sneak KO math with Spell Tag. Mimikyu's Shadow Sneak has base 40 power, priority, with Spell Tag ×1.2. Whether it picks off a target at a given HP percentage is extremely tight math. Run the damage calculator and confirm the minimum damage roll (×0.85) still crosses the KO line before you commit to clicking it — an incomplete Shadow Sneak that leaves the target at 1% HP means the opponent gets a free KO on your Mimikyu next turn.
Dark-types threaten Ghost moves and resist them. Incineroar, Kingambit, and similar Dark-type staples take super-effective damage from Ghost moves and deal super-effective damage back with Dark moves. Spell Tag helps your Ghost output but doesn't change that type matchup. Against Dark-types, pivot to a different attacker or your coverage moves — don't try to push Ghost moves through.