Foongus Movesets & Competitive Sets

Foongus is one of the best walls in LC, being able to take on dangerous threats like Mienfoo, Diglett, and Grookey with its combination of decent bulk, amazing typing, and Spore. Spore cripples a non-Grass-type foe, preventing setup sweepers like Tyrunt from performing their role, and it gives Foongus's teammates a chance to switch in safely. Giga Drain and Synthesis provide recovery and both increase Foongus's longevity. Regenerator lets it pivot into opposing threats like Mienfoo and Mareanie repeatedly. The given EV spread denies Porygon from getting a Special Attack boost from Download. Foongus forms a great defensive core with bulky Water-types such as Frillish and Staryu, as it checks physical threats like Grookey for them; in return, they check Fire-types like Ponyta and Vulpix. Mienfoo forms a great Regenerator core with Foongus, and it can eliminate annoying Steel-types like Pawniard and Ferroseed. Fire-types like Ponyta are also a solid choice for dealing with Steel-types. Trapinch and Ponyta are both reliable partners to deal with the troublesome Ferroseed; Ponyta punishes it clicking entry hazards and can click its STAB moves to cook Ferroseed, while Trapinch can trap and eliminate it. Foongus struggles against Psychic-types like Abra, so Pawniard makes a great teammate for it. Pawniard in return benefits from Foongus's ability to deal with Fighting-types.

Moves Spore is almost guaranteed to temporarily eliminate an enemy Pokemon from the match. Sludge Bomb is a fairly threatening STAB move with a handy chance to poison, notably heavily damaging Fairy-types. Giga Drain further increases Foongus's longevity and hits Water-, Rock-, and Ground-types hard. Synthesis grants Foongus absurd amounts of staying power against anything that doesn't hit it super effectively, and allows it to win most Foongus mirrors. Hidden Powers can prevent Foongus from being walled by certain Steel-types; Hidden Power Fire 2HKOes Ferroseed, a notable switchin to Spore, while Hidden Power Fighting hits Pawniard hard. Clear Smog deters various setup sweepers such as Dragon Dance Scraggy and Bulk Up Timburr from boosting. Hidden Power Psychic can also be used to surprise Croagunk. Set Details The given EVs and nature grant Foongus solid 25 / 21 / 21 bulk after Eviolite; 14 Defense and Special Defense let Foongus gain an extra point from Eviolite. Regenerator is what gives Foongus its niche, making it extremely difficult to wear down. Eviolite is used over other defensive items like Berry Juice because Foongus has access to recovery already with Regenerator. An EV spread of 44 HP / 160 Def / 80 SpA / 160 SpD can also be used, as it still allows Foongus to heal 8 HP with Regenerator and gives it a decent chance to OHKO Doduo with Sludge Bomb after Stealth Rock damage. If Clear Smog is run and the IVs are not reduced by Hidden Power, you can include an extra Speed point as well with a spread of 44 HP / 156 Def / 76 SpA / 156 SpD / 76 Spe. Usage Tips Try to use Spore on something important. If Foongus is within KO range of a +1 Knock Off from Dragon Dance Scraggy, it may be worth sacrificing Foongus by continuing to use Clear Smog so that Scraggy does not come out of the bout with a Speed boost, unless you have means to deal with a boosted Scraggy. If the opponent has a Vullaby not yet on the field and you're not sure if it has Overcoat, which blocks Spore, Sludge Bomb is the safest move to use, as Vullaby does not appreciate being poisoned; however, if your team is about to be swept by a +2 Nasty Plot or Z-Mirror Move Vullaby, you can sacrifice Foongus by repeatedly using Clear Smog instead. If the opponent allows Staryu to be put to sleep with Spore, there is a good chance that they plan to immediately switch Staryu out afterwards to activate Natural Cure, so using Spore again is an option. If Doduo or Houndour directly switches into Spore, chances are it has Early Bird as its ability, so Foongus should immediately switch out to your check afterward. If a bulky Pokemon such as Skrelp, Munchlax, or Mudbray switches into Spore, it might be a RestTalk variant. Team Options Though it can fit into offensive teams as well, Foongus is a staple on bulkier teams for its defensive utility and ability to absorb Toxic Spikes while not being weak to Diglett. Due to its typing, Foongus synergizes well with a huge number of other defensive Pokemon, such as Chinchou, Munchlax, Ponyta, and Staryu; they are bulky Pokemon that appreciate Foongus handling some of their checks, while Foongus also likes them dealing with its checks. Foongus can be paired with Slowpoke and Mienfoo to form a Regenerator core that can be incredibly difficult for unprepared teams to break.