Brainstorming how to use Delta Amoonguss

General Discussion Team Discussions
1

I traded for a Delta Amoonguss, and I’m interested in brainstorming how to use it, including movesets, nature/EVs, and tactics. I’ll record some thoughts, and I’d really like to start a discussion.

What is really striking about it is that it has the same ability and typing as Sableye (Prankster and Ghost/Dark), but with Amoonguss’s far superior stats. Any good use of it would seem to need to revolve around Prankster. The wiki doesn’t have a learnset for it, so I leveled mine up to 62 and here’s what I got:

Start - Lick 6 - Leer 8 - Astonish 12 - Fake Tears 15 - Night Shade 18 - Disable 20 - Feint Attack 24 - Scary Face 28 - Shadow Sneak 32 - Rain Dance 35 - Mean Look 39 - Brine 43 - Dark Pulse 54 - Destiny Bond 62 - Curse

It learns the following TM moves that are useful with Prankster: Rest, Sleep Talk, Substitute, Thunder Wave, Will-o-wisp, New Moon, Protect (it can’t learn Calm Mind). I can’t test Taunt, since the Taunt TM seems to have disappeared and doesn’t exist in my game.

It learns the following move tutor moves that are useful with Prankster: Pain Split, and I’m assuming (haven’t checked because I’m not there yet) the Dark moves knock off, foul play, sucker punch, nasty plot. (It can’t learn soft-boiled, morning sun, synthesis, or baton pass.)

So, what to do with it? Some things jump out at me:

  • Destiny Bond looks like a great move to have in any moveset; as long as you keep Amoonguss alive, even with low hp, it can take out a sweeper that might otherwise kill you.
  • Its recovery options are limited, which is normally a good combo with Prankster. You are limited to Rest and Pain Split. Pain Split is pretty good, but not as good as it is on Sableye because of Amoonguss’s much bigger hp stat.
  • You could do a Rest/Sleep Talk set, with Foul Play and Dark Pulse/Shadow Ball as the other moves. Prankster makes most of those moves have priority, so even the attack is priority when triggered by Sleep Talk.
  • You could do basically the Sableye set on Smogon: Taunt, Will-o-wisp, Pain Split (instead of Recover), Knock Off. EVs in HP and Special Defense, since Will-o-wisp protects from physical attackers.
  • Looks like a great secondary New Moon setter for a New Moon team (and maybe even a rain setter for a rain team). New Moon/Destiny Bond/Will-o-wisp/Taunt lead?

Can you all think of other movesets? A good way to use Curse? What to use with Destiny Bond?

2

Gimmicky but fun set would be
mean look
destiny bond
pain split
taunt (hopefully)/toxic/curse/foul play/will o wisp

With Msableye in ubers, taunt becomes incredibly powerful vs stall but Damoonguss doesn’t have to rely on it by necessity. It functions outstandingly as a stallbreaker vs teams without talonflame, clefable, or another bulky fairy. However, it can be traded for a clefable KO with taunt and destiny bond. It pairs well with 'mons that can handle clefable and talonflame while gaining switch momentum. Scizor, delta weezing, and delta typhlosion fit the bill and additionally make it appear to be a rain team or new moon team at first glance. Interesting 'mon.

Edit: you sure it doesn’t get torment? That could also be fun.

3

I don’t have the Torment TM, so I didn’t test it. I forgot that would be a Prankster-relevant TM. I’ll bet it does get it.

4

How would you use that set? Trap the foe, wait for it to hurt you, and pain split over and over?

5

As a stallbreaker, its job is to break stall. It traps on one turn and uses taunt on the next. Pain split might even be skipped entirely in favor of toxic or will o wisp. Depending on your team, it could have some use. I met a player on the server who used exclusively stall so it’s not crazy to think that you’d face stall at some point on the sim. Other than that, trapping something that can’t do much to you and then toxic stalling or going kamikaze on it is about all it does. Gimmicky but fun.