The Pokemon VGC challenges fans worldwide to participate in tournaments and matches every year. Each season has a new format and Pokemon selection, and certain Pokemon stay popular by excelling in their roles. While offensive Pokemon are important, having dedicated support to prop them up can be vital.

Support Pokemon typically come in a few different roles or varities. These Pokemon can take charge of the battlefield with status conditions, use stat-boosting moves, excel in recovery, or create weather conditions. Sometimes players want a support Pokemon that can take more damage and use their abilities longer, while others can be used to set up an ally's moves. Here are some common supports used in Pokemon VGC.

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Incineroar

Best Support Moves:

• Fake Out
• Taunt
• Torment
• Toxic
• Will-O-Wisp

Incineroar is a solid Pokemon in any battle format. Its Defense stats hold up, but its Attack stat is undeniably good. However, in double battles, Incineroar shines. It has access to a good variety of support moves, and its Ability gives players an immediate advantage. Intimidate cuts its opponents' Attack, which allows it and its allies to KO Pokemon they wouldn't usually be able to.

In the VGC, players can use it well offensively and defensively. Fake Out hits Pokemon with damage but will also make them flinch unless they have a counteractive Ability. Meanwhile, Will-O-Wisp grants passive damage to its target by causing burns. All in all, Incineroar is an excellent support Pokemon because of its versatility.

Whimsicott

Best Support Moves:

• Taunt
• Light Screen
• Tailwind
• Stun Spore

Whimsicott seems like it was made to be a support Pokemon because it has so many support moves to choose from. Most of its stats are average, but its Speed stat is a nice 116. Additionally, its Prankster Ability grants its status-changing moves priority in battle, so it is almost always guaranteed to go first.

Of all Whimsicott's available moves, Taunt and Tailwind stand out the most. Taunt protects Whimsicott and its allies from status moves by temporarily disabling the target's ability to use them. Tailwind is another speed booster, but it affects all ally Pokemon on the field. It doubles Speed stats, so it's useful for speed-based strategies.

Grimmsnarl

Best Support Moves:

• Thunder Wave
• Taunt
• Light Screen
• Reflect

Grimmsnarl is another tricky support Pokemon. Offensively, its stats sit pretty high, so players have Same-Type Attack Bonus (STAB) options with some actual bite behind them. It's another Pokemon with the Prankster Ability, so it has the defensive turn order advantage. Pair this Ability with moves that set up screens, and Grimmsnarl is invaluable.

Light Screen and Reflect are two moves that fit perfectly. Light Screen halves the damage from Special Moves, and Reflect halves the damage from physical moves for all allies on the user's side — so, all bases are covered with their effects active. Thunder Wave is a good stall option, but since it lacks recovery moves, Grimmsnarl's help with managing damage is its strong suit as support.

Clefairy

Best Support Moves:

• Stealth Rock
• Thunder Wave
• Helping Hand
• Follow Me

Clefairy's Abilities and movepool work best in a stall-based strategy. For example, both of its Abilities — Magic Guard and Friend Guard — protect it and its allies from indirect damage. Players shouldn't hope to get too much offensively from it, but it does offer passive damage with the entry hazards set up from Stealth Rock.

Clefairy with the Eviolite bulk is strong enough to withstand enough damage that it can survive long enough to help its team. Follow Me redirects all attacks to it, making it helpful on teams with Glass Cannons, too.

Amoonguss

Best Support Moves:

• Stun Spore
• Spore
• Toxic
• Clear Smog

Amoonguss is one of the best support Pokemon from Generation V in competitive Pokemon. Its Ability, Effect Spore, gives it a chance of dealing passive damage; its opponent has a 10% of contracting paralysis, sleep, or poison when landing a physical attack on Amoonguss. Better than that is its Hidden Ability Regenerator, which restores up to 33.3% of its HP when it leaves the field.

Recovery, plus a high HP stat of 114, means it's not getting KO'd for a while and can use its Grass/Poison typing effectively. STAB moves are where most of its damage output will come from, so players can use great offensive moves like Solar Beam and Venoshock to take a good chunk out of opponents.

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