Head or Body? How to Choose the Best Fusion Order
We tested every non-legendary pair in both orders: how order changes BST and typing, and the head score rule that picks the stronger order.
Pokemon Fusion Pro Team
Put the Pokemon with the higher HP, Sp. Atk and Sp. Def as the head, and the one with the higher Attack, Defense and Speed as the body. That one rule picks the higher-BST order in 99.7% of all non-tied pairs. We tested all 404,550 pairs of non-legendary Pokemon in both orders with the Pokemon Infinite Fusion formula.
What the Head and the Body Control
| Head | Body | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks | Face and colors | Shape and pose |
| Type | Type 1 (its first type) | Type 2 (its second type, or its only type) |
| Leads these stats | HP, Sp. Atk, Sp. Def | Attack, Defense, Speed |
"Leads" means that parent counts twice: each stat is (2 × leading parent + other parent) ÷ 3, rounded down.
How Much Does Order Matter?
Order changes the typing in 68.3% of pairs and changes the BST by 21.4 points on average. In 183,716 pairs (45.4%) the 2 orders differ by 20 BST or more.
The biggest swing is Blissey and Stonjourner: Blissey + Stonjourner = Blisourner has 599 BST, but Stonjourner + Blissey = Stonjossey has only 406, a difference of 193.
The Head Score Rule
Head score = HP + Sp. Atk + Sp. Def − Attack − Defense − Speed. The Pokemon with the higher head score should be the head. The reason: swapping the order changes the BST by about one third of the difference between the 2 head scores. The rule is only off in rare cases where rounding down changes the result by 1 or 2 points.
BST is not everything. If the higher-BST order gives a bad typing, the other order can still be the better fusion.
Example 1: Charizard and Gengar
- Charizard + Gengar = Charigar: Fire/Poison, 512 BST, 4× weak to Ground.
- Gengar + Charizard = Genizard: Ghost/Flying, 519 BST, no 4× weakness, immune to Normal, Fighting and Ground.
The second order wins on both BST and typing.
| Stat | Gengar Head | Charizard Body | Calculation | Genizard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 60 | 78 | (2 × 60 + 78) ÷ 3 | 66 |
| Attack | 65 | 84 | (2 × 84 + 65) ÷ 3 | 77 |
| Defense | 60 | 78 | (2 × 78 + 60) ÷ 3 | 72 |
| Sp. Atk | 130 | 109 | (2 × 130 + 109) ÷ 3 | 123 |
| Sp. Def | 75 | 85 | (2 × 75 + 85) ÷ 3 | 78 |
| Speed | 110 | 100 | (2 × 100 + 110) ÷ 3 | 103 |
| Total (BST) | 500 | 534 | 519 |
Example 2: Lucario and Garchomp
- Lucario + Garchomp = Lucahomp: Fighting/Ground, 567 BST, no 4× weakness.
- Garchomp + Lucario = Garcario: Dragon/Steel, 554 BST, no 4× weakness.
Here the order with more BST, Lucahomp, also changes Type 1, so pick the typing your team needs.
A 30-Second Checklist
- Fuse both orders with the Invert button in the Infinite Fusion Calculator.
- Compare BST, or use the head score rule.
- Compare types and 4× weaknesses in the matchup chart.
- Check the role: an attacker needs its best attacking stat led by the right slot.
- Pick the look you like: the head gives the colors, the body the shape.
Common Mistakes
- Putting a fast Pokemon in the head. Speed is led by the body.
- Forgetting Normal/Flying. Pokemon like Pidgeot only give Flying, in either slot.
- Ignoring repeats. If the body would repeat the head's type, it gives its other type instead.
See the full formulas in How Pokemon Fusion Stats Are Calculated.