Is Amoonguss broken in Pokemon VGC?

Amoonguss is a Pokemon introduced in Gen V that is often mistaken for a Pokeball. At first glance, the critter does not seem impressive compared to other Pokemon VGC staples like Xerneas or Incineroar. Yet, it has won three World Championships (2013, 2015, and 2023) — the highest by any Pocket Monster so far, indicating just how broken it truly is.

So, what makes the Mushroom Pokemon so good in Pokemon VGC? Let's take a closer look.

Note: This article only considers Amoonguss' competitive history in Pokemon VGC Doubles, not Singles. Parts of it also reflect the personal opinions of the writer.

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Why is Amoonguss so good in Pokemon VGC?

Amoonguss with its pre-evolution Foongus (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Four pillars need to be solid for a Pocket Monster to stand strong in Pokemon VGC:

• Base stats
• Typing
• Ability
• Movepool

Let's see how these factors make Amoonguss good in the competitive scene.

Base stats: Here are the Mushroom Pokemon's base stats:

• HP: 114
• Attack: 85
• Defense: 70
• Special Attack: 85
• Special Defense: 80
• Speed: 30
• BST: 464

At first glance, Amoonguss has only one stat of note: a base 114 HP. However, the high HP stat makes those average defenses much more palatable.

Typing: As a Grass/Poison type, Amoonguss has several defensive niches, like resisting Water and Rock moves and taking neutral damage from Ground moves. The part-Poison typing prevents the Pocket Monster from being poisoned, while the Grass typing keeps it safe from powder moves.

Ability: While Effect Spore's random chance to inflict a random status might be funny, Amoonguss' hidden ability, Regenerator, makes it a top-tier critter in VGC. Regenerator restores the health of a Pokemon switching out by 1/3rd of its total HP. The creature's high HP stat allows it to switch in multiple times and take several attacks in a single game.

Movepool: Amoonguss' success in Pokemon VGC is essentially the result of two moves in its arsenal — Spore and Rage Powder.

Spore is the only 100% accurate sleep move, and thanks to Regenerator, the Pocket Monster has enough bulk to switch in multiple times and put opponents to sleep.

Rage Powder may be even more vital to Amoonguss' continued viability. It is a +2 priority move that forces opponents to target the critter instead of its partner. This lets the partner get their moves off without a hitch.

Redirection is powerful in Pokemon VGC, with only a handful of viable users in the meta at any given moment. Having access to it makes Amoonguss extremely valuable.

While the creature has had access to Spore and Rage Powder since its introduction in Gen V, Gen VIII gave it a new staple move.

Pollen Puff is a 90 BP Bug-type move. If it is used on an ally, it heals them by 50% of their max HP. This lets Amoonguss act as a cleric that heals its teammates regularly.

As for the fourth move slot, it can vary. Protect is the most common move as a staple of Doubles. STAB options like Leaf Storm or Sludge Bomb can be useful to deal damage, while Clear Smog is great for removing any boosts opponents' Pokemon may have acquired.

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How to use Amoonguss in Pokemon VGC: Terastallization, items, and nature

Amoonguss can use Terastallization as a defensive move. Tera Water can stave off Flare Blitz from Incineroar, while Tera Fairy is useful against Urshifu Single Strike's Wicked Blow. Furthermore, Tera Dark gives the critter immunity against status moves from Prankster Pokemon like Grimmsnarl.

As for items, Sitrus Berry is useful to restore health once in a pinch, while Rocky Helmet can hurt physical attackers redirected by Rage Powder.

The Mushroom Pokemon prefers either a Bold (Def+/Atk-) or Calm (SpDef+/Atk-) Nature, adding to the critter's bulk while not using its already underutilized attack stat.