Amoonguss, the Mushroom Pokémon. Be wary of the poisonous spores it releases. Mushrooms resembling Amoonguss's caps will grow out of anywhere the spores touch. Amoonguss mimics Poké Balls. It is not yet clear whether this mimicry is effective against other Pokémon.
Overview
The fifth generation Mushroom, Amoonguss is by far one of the most successful mushroom Pokémon famed for its seeming immortality. Which would seem odd if you look at Amoonguss’ defense stats. Base 70 Defense and 80 Special Defense are average at best. This all changes when looking at Amoonguss’ HP. 114 is well above average and with proper EV investment, makes Amoonguss quite a durable hit taker. Grass-Poison typing adds a lot to the table as well, with invaluable resistances to many common attacking types and an immunity to Toxic as well gives Amoonguss numerous opportunities to switch in and soak devastating attacks. What pushes Amoonguss over the edge is its healing capabilities. Not just the usual Grass suite of STAB Giga Drain and Synthesis, though both are quite excellent, but access to Regenerator, healing Amoonguss every time it switches out, truly making the most of its bulk. Moreover, Amoonguss also has the signature mushroom attack in Spore. The only guaranteed Sleep move in the game, Spore is game warping, generating free turns, opening setup opportunities for allies or for Amoonguss to just chip down itself with its decent offenses. Amoonguss’ Poison subtyping comes in handy here as well, making any Grass types thinking to switch into Spore think twice lest they eat a crippling Sludge Bomb.
Successful does not mean without flaw. Amoonguss is incredibly slow, even by defensive Pokémon standards and will almost always be moving last. This leaves Amoonguss reliant on its bulk, bulk that can be circumvented due to the common Fire and Ice weaknesses granted by its Grass typing. Amoonguss also more or less revolves around Spore and Toxic and is much less threatening if it can’t exercise its status shenanigans. This is in part due to its base 85 offenses being usable at best, and even that is held back by the poor coverage of both STABs. While Amoonguss does have enough tools like Clear Smog, Toxic and Foul Play that prevent it from being complete setup fodder, it is a huge sink in momentum for both sides. Amoonguss’s lack of direct damage can be aggravating, but its longevity and disruption make this mushroom infestation impossible to remove.
Positives
114 HP with decent defenses gives Amoonguss a respectable degree of hit taking.
Regenerator is an absurd ability that pushes Amoonguss’ durability over the edge, enabling it to tank throughout the match.
Grass Poison offers a plethora of valuable resistances in Fighting, Fairy, Water, Electric and Grass, giving Amoonguss no lack of opportunities to switch in.
Spore is one of the best disruptive moves in the game.
Negatives
Base 30 Speed is abysmal. Amoonguss is going to be hit before acting.
85 offenses and poor STAB coverage prevent Amoonguss from exerting much direct pressure.
Movesets
Amoonguss Among Us
-Spore
-Sludge Bomb
-Giga Drain
-Synthesis
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Black Sludge
EVs and Nature:
252 HP / 252 Def / 4 SDef
Bold Nature
Amoonguss’ tried and true Spore set sends the opposing team to dreamland, opening up free switches, and allowing Amoonguss to act as a pseudo-slow pivot like Slowking, weaponizing Amoonguss’ low speed for the guaranteed lost turn to sleep. With the endless amount of recovery Amoonguss has access to between Regenerator and its healing options, it suddenly becomes very difficult to make any progress until Amoonguss is dealt with. Sludge Bomb compliments Spore incredibly well; brutalizing Grass types looking to absorb it and prevent them or Tera Grass users from being a safe answer. The high Poison chance can run counter to putting everything to Sleep, though the significant chip from the Poison can be enough for Amoonguss to pick up a knockout. Giga Drain is both Grass STAB and recovery, allowing Amoonguss to recover damage and threatens many Grass weak staples like Ting-Lu, Dondozo, Urshifu-Rapid, Garganacl (one of the few Spore immune targets not weak to Sludge Bomb) and Kyogre allowing Amoonguss to act as a more solid check to such Pokémon. Synthesis is pure recovery, keeping Amoonguss’ health high so it isn’t completely reliant on Regenerator or Giga Drain for the task.
Tera Types:
As a passive pseudo-pivot one does not want to Terastalize Amoonguss. Due to Regenerator, it is often better to pivot Amoonguss out as it still gains value from the healing incurred. This is especially true if running Black Sludge as the item as Terastalizing has nasty anti-synergy with it, ruining Amoonguss’ bulk if it Terastalizes to a non-Poison type. Not that Tera Poison is entirely bad, removing Amoonguss’ weaknesses to Flying Fire and Ice and restoring the lost resistances to Bug and Poison, while the extra bump to Sludge Bomb never hurts. If not running Black Sludge, other Tera types can be considered. Tera Water is a solid defensive Tera type, giving Amoonguss valuable resistances to Fire and Ice, while maintaining its excellent anti-Water matchup. If in a restricted format with Calyrex, Tera Dark becomes an attractive option, resisting both of Shadow Rider’s STABs (including Amoonguss’ base Psychic weakness), while turning Foul Play into a near guaranteed OHKO.
EVs and Items:
The given EVs are to maximize Amoonguss’ physical bulk, addressing the lower of Amoonguss’ defenses, and capitalizing on its great matchup into the oft physical Ground and Fighting types as well as Dondozo. Bold Nature is recommended as Amoonguss normally doesn’t use its attack at all, though if in restricted formats, Relaxed’s Speed drop is important to outslow Calyrex-Ice Rider in Trick Room, though the difference can be made up with a lower Speed IV. Black Sludge or Leftovers are recommended as the item for the passive healing they provide, off setting Hazard damage and granting Amoonguss even more recovery when it sticks around. Rocky Helmet is also a great option for punishing physical attackers, especially multi-hit ones like Urshifu-Rapid, or breaking Focus Sashes, like on Chien-Pao as well as punishing Rapid Spin users like Great Tusk. If running Leaf Storm, Eject Pack is worth considering, allowing Amoonguss to act as a one time more offensive pivot while synergizing nicely with Regenerator.
Partners:
:
As a pseudo-Slow pivot, Spore Amoonguss excels on a large variety of teams thanks to the positioning value it provides. However, answers to Steel types that resist or are immune to all of Amoonguss’ tricks not named Spore are heavily recommended. Ting-Lu is a great example, its Earthquakes wrecking most Steel types with ease while the hazards it sets with Spikes and Stealth Rocks pair well with Amoonguss’ pivoting to slowly grind the opposing team down. Water types like Walking Wake, Dondozo and Alomomla love Amoonguss’ fantastic matchup into opposing Grass types as well as pseudo-lure them with its own Spore while these Water types excel at cleaning up the Fire and Ice types that give Amoonguss trouble.
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Other Options:
Foul Play is a powerful offensive option against most physical attackers, leaving Amoonguss less passive against them.
Leaf Storm is great in conjunction with Eject Pack for a one-time pivot.
Clear Smog prevents Amoonguss from being setup fodder against non-Steel types, wiping away setup sweeper’s precious boosts.
Toxic pairs poorly with Spore but it is persistent passive damage that places opponents on a timer Amoonguss can easily outlast..
Doubles and VGC Options
Ever since its introduction in generation 5, Amoonguss has been a staple in VGC. Its absurdly low speed and great makes it a staple on and as a counter pick for Trick Room teams, leaving opponentn’s strategies in shambles as valuable Trick Room turns are lost to sleep. However, in Doubles Amoonguss can weaponize its bulk even further thanks to its access to Rage Powder. One of the bulkiest redirectors in VGC, Amoonguss is more than capable of enduring repeated assaults even from restricted Pokémon, keeping its partners safe as they perform their own roles. Add in Regenerator keeping Amoonguss healthy and it is amazing at sapping an opposing team’s momentum into nothing. Rage Powder and Spore are far from the only way Amoonguss keeps its allies alive, with Pollen Puff being both allied healing and anti-Grass coverage all in one, or Clear Smog as a silver bullet against setup sweepers like Commander Dondozo and Clam Mind Terapagos. However, Amoonguss is very much a Pokémon that suffers from its success, with many teams packing Safety Goggles and Tera Grass to put a stop to Amoonguss’ Spore and Rage Powder support. The Grass type slot has been a contested one this generation and with Ogerpon directly challenging Amoonguss for one of its key roles as a redirector, as well as its primeval counterpart in Brute Bonnet, the pressure is on more than ever. Further complicating matters is the popularity of Miraidon, whose Electric Terrain prevents Sleep, Amoonguss’ main niche.
Rage Inducing Mushroom
-Spore
-Rage Powder
-Pollen Puff
-Protect
Ability: Regenerator
Item: Rocky Helmet
Tera Type: Water
EVs and Nature:
236 HP / 236 Def/ 36 SDef
Bold Nature
Amoonguss’ flagship doubles support set is everything one would expect from it. Spore is brutal in fast paced doubles matches where every turn matters, to the point where a 3 turn sleep can easily be game determinative. Rage Powder is vital redirection, especially in conjunction with Rocky Helmet, allowing Amoonguss to play offense while on defense and protecting its partners, chipping down such attackers into easy knock out range, especially Urshifu-Rapid. Pollen Puff is the other side of Amoonguss supporting its allies, keeping them healthy and attacking while being decent coverage into opposing Grass types. Protect rounds out the set as the best move in Doubles, punishing attempts to focus down Amoonguss with Fake Out to deny Spore, stalling for allied Trick Room setup, scouting for Terastalizations like Grass to avoid unnecessary damage and more.
The given HP EVs are to maximize recovery from Regenerator, while placing enough into Defense to survive Jolly Chien-Pao’s Icicle Crash and turns Max Attack Brave Ice Rider’s Glacial Lance into a less than likely OHKO. Rocky Helmet is preferred for its synergies with Rage Powder and Amoonguss’ excellent bulk, though Covert Cloak is another popular option for preventing Fake Out from denying Amoonguss’ Spore or Rage Powder. Tera Water is preferred thanks to the prominence of Ice and Fire attackers like Chien-Pao, Calyrex-Ice Rider, Koraidon, Incineroar, and Volcarona, while keeping Amoonguss’ amazing matchup into Urshifu-Rapid.
Preferred Partners:
While Incineroar works fantastically with just about every Pokémon in VGC, that is especially true of Amoonguss, who loves Incineroar’s Knock Off removing Safety Goggles and Intimidate making its walling duties easier while Incineroar loves Amoonguss warding off dangerous Water and Fighting attacks and making a solid pivot core.
Calyrex-Ice Rider is a common partner in crime with Amoonguss, loving Rage Powder for facilitating Trick Room setup and Pollen Puff keeping it healthy while Amoonguss flourishes under Trick Room as its Spores become much more proactive in their disruption.
Sludge Bomb is a potent anti Grass option and far more efficient in dispatching most Ogerpon forms as well as Whimsicott and Rillaboom as opposed to the non-STAB Pollen Puff.
Clear Smog is a great check into setup sweepers like Terapagos and Commander Dondozo.
Foul Play can check the Calyrex-Riders, especially in conjunction with Tera Dark.
Mental Herb is fantastic given how much Taunt ruins Amoonguss, allowing it to guarantee that next Rage Powder or Spore.
Countering Amoonguss
Amoonguss is rarely threatening with direct damage, instead the difficulty in handling it comes in the sheer disruption of Spore and its other status moves.
Pokémon that are immune to Spore are in theory the biggest checks to Amoonguss given how it can’t directly disrupt them. However, most Grass types want nothing to do with Amoonguss due to its access to STAB Sludge Bomb threatening them in turn on top of their own difficulties with damaging Amoonguss in the first place. Instead, we must look elsewhere for status immunity. Gholdengo is by far the cleanest check to Amoonguss as it resists or is immune to everything that Amoonguss can throw at it including Spore, turning Amoonguss into complete setup fodder as even Tera Dark Foul Play is only a 3HKO at best. Gliscor is also a nightmare for Amoonguss, getting healed from Poison and that same Poison blocking Amoonguss’ vaunted Spore, while Gliscor can easily outlast Amoonguss with Toxic Heal and overwhelm it with its own Swords Dances irrespective of Clear Smog. Garganacl needs to Terastalize out of its Grass weakness but otherwise is a massive headache as well, with Purifying Salt wrecking Amoonguss’ treasured bulk and forcing it to run.
More than other Pokémon, Amoonguss is vulnerable to surprise Tera Grass, as the one free turn can be all it takes for Amoonguss to be unable to check the Pokémon in front of it, or the next Pokémon the next time it comes in. If in Doubles, Safety Goggles also prevents Amoonguss from utilizing most of its support, greatly weakening its impact. Fast Taunt users are also invaluable in stopping Spore or future Rage Powders, making Amoonguss that much easier to handle.
Overwhelming Amoonguss with power is another option, as Regenerator means a lot less if Amoonguss is just OHKO’d from the outset. Chi-Yu, Choice Banded Weavile, Adamant Chien-Pao, Iron Jugulis, the Calyrex-Riders, Specs Bundle, Koraidon’s Flare Blitz are all capable of OHKOing Amoonguss. Do note that all of these Pokémon are relying on exploiting Amoonguss’ weaknesses to do so, and that a Terastalization can flip the script on its head.
Locations in Games
Red/Blue/Yellow:
Not in game
Gold/Silver/Crystal:
Not in game
Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald:
Not in game
FireRed/LeafGreen:
Not in game
Colosseum/XD:
Not in game
Diamond/Pearl/Platinum:
Not in game
HeartGold/SoulSilver:
Not in game
Black/White:
Route 10, 11
Black 2/White 2:
Route 11, 22, 23
Hidden Grotto - Pinwheel Forest, Abdundant Shrine, Route 22
X/Y:
Route 20, Pokémon Village
Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire:
Trade from X & Y
Sun/Moon:
Transfer Required
Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon:
Transfer required
Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee!:
Not in game
Sword/Shield:
Forest of Focus
Max Raid Battles: Fields of Honor, Soothing Wetlands, Forest of Focus, Training Lowlands, Stepping-Stone Sea, Insular Sea
Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl:
Not in game
Legends: Arceus:
Not in game
Scarlet/Violet:
North Province Area Two, Socarrat Trail
Tera Raid Battles: 5 Star Raid Battles, 6 Star Raid Battles
Anime Appearences
