With great Speed and decent offensive stats, Purugly can be utilized well as a lead. Fake Out deals early damage on the opponent, while also disabling their Focus Sash if they have one. U-turn is useful for causing some damage, and at the same time, switching Purugly out when met with something it cannot deal with. Return is the only reliable means of hitting opposing Pokemon for solid damage, nailing 2HKOes on many common sweepers such as Toxicroak, Blaziken, and Heracross. Body Slam fails to 2HKO Heracross but can be useful in possibly paralyzing other Pokemon. Taunt is what gives Purugly something to smile about. With its great Speed, Purugly can stop opposing leads from setting up entry hazards, giving your team momentum from early on in the match. Taunt is also useful for preventing bulky walls such as Chansey and Registeel from inflicting status on your team. Shadow Claw is not too favorable as it hits a very small amount of Pokemon, most of which won't be OHKOed anyway. However there are some merits to using Shadow Claw; by possessing an immunity to Ghost-type moves, Purugly can function as a check to opposing Ghost-types your team may struggle with.

Trappers such as Spiritomb and Drapion are very beneficial to Purugly as it can U-turn when faced with a Ghost-type and allow them to destroy it. A Jolly nature is recommended as Purugly can outspeed Scyther and other base 105 Speed Pokemon. On the other hand, an Adamant nature gives it a boost in offense while still allowing Purugly to maintain a respectable Speed of 323, outspeeding base 95 Pokemon such as Arcanine and Houndoom.

Purugly appreciates almost any Pokemon that can take hits directed upon it. Weezing and Spiritomb make great teammates as they make fine counters to Fighting-type Pokemon, easily taking any Fighting-type move and retaliating by firing off a Will-O-Wisp, hence causing the opponent to become much less of a threat. Sweepers also enjoy Purugly's company as they can attempt to sweep much easier with the opponent's wall is Taunted. Purugly isn't the type of Pokemon to sweep late-game, so removing Pokemon that counter it isn't vital. However, Steel- and Rock-types in general have a field day with Purugly, taking little damage from any of its attacks. Dugtrio can come in via a switch from U-turn and remove such threats as Registeel and Aggron handily.

Although Purugly is outclassed by Ambipom in every aspect, it still has access to great Speed and Taunt, making it a viable choice for setting up Sunny Day or Rain Dance. Fake Out is great for rendering the opponent's Focus Sash useless as well as dealing some damage. With Taunt, Purugly stops any form of entry hazard entering the field which is vital because weather based teams appreciate coming in on full health to maximize their durability. U-turn can rack up some free damage as well as scout in case your opponent switches Pokemon, making it all the more easier for your fellow teammates to sweep. Damp Rock or Heat Rock should be your primary choice to take advantage of the extended weather.

Entry hazards make it easier for Purugly's weather partners to more comfortably revenge kill and wreak havoc. Although unreliable, Hypnosis can be used instead of Taunt to put the foe to sleep, allowing Purugly to set up, switch, and let a teammate set up or start sweeping right of the bat.