OMotM/LCotM Spotlight: Nature Swap and Follow the Leader

By nv. Art by anundeadboy.
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What is an OMotM/LCotM?

OMotM/LCotM Spotlight art

The OMotM, or Other Metagame of the Month, is the metagame that is voted by the players to be showcased on the main server for a specific month. The LCotM, or Leader's Choice of the Month, is one that is chosen specifically by Eevee General and The Immortal. For the most part, the LCotM is a metagame that needs more love, as it may not be able to compete with the metagames that get nominated for the OMotM voting.

Introduction to Nature Swap

Nature Swap, this month's OMotM, is an unique metagame that swaps a Pokémon's stats that are affected by a specific nature. Take a Relaxed nature for example, which normally increases Defense and lowers Speed; in Nature Swap, it also swaps a Pokémon's base Defense and Speed stat. This allows Pokémon with weird stat spreads to optimize their offensive or defensive capabilities. It also can allow the player to surprise the opponent by using a standard offensive Pokémon and making it a defensive threat in the metagame.

Threats in Nature Swap

Nature Swap is a diverse and balanced metagame; as any Pokémon, such as Chansey and Azumarill, can become a better defensive or offensive threat, respectively, and this particular effect has allowed them, along with a few other Pokémon, to become meta-defining threats.

Defensive threats

Salamence

Salamence can take advantage of its excellent ability, Intimidate, and its new 95 / 135 / 80 bulk to become a very good physical wall, checking the likes of Medicham and Diggersby. It also serves as one of the better Defoggers for more defensive teams thanks to its nice resistances and reliable recovery in Roost.

Blissey

Blissey is the go-to pink blob to use after Chansey's ban, as it gains a pretty massive Defense boost, making it one of the most potent defensive threats in the current metagame. A Relaxed nature can be used to allow Blissey to make use of its Special Attack, but the 20 extra Defense points can make a big difference in its physical bulk.

Offensive threats

Mega Camerupt

Mega Camerupt really appreciates Nature Swap's mechanic, as it can make use of its unused Attack stat to spam Sheer Force-boosted Fire Blast and Earth Power. It also has quite a bit of natural bulk to survive some neutral priority moves, making it a nice option for most offensive teams.

Azumarill

Azumarill gains a massive power boost by swapping its hefty Special Defense stat with its Attack stat. It can now have an easier time wallbreaking with a Choice Band or sweeping with its standard Belly Drum set.

Introduction to Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader, this month's LCotM, is a crazy metagame where the whole team gains access to ALL moves and abilities of the Pokémon in the first team slot at the cost of losing their own abilities and moves. This allows Pokémon that may lack a colorful movepool or have a bad ability to become massive threats by gaining the right coverage or a powerful ability.

Threats in Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader is a really restrictive metagame, as the whole team has to rely on their leader for their abilities and moves. While this may seem like a downside, it actually makes a player think what route they want to take with the team, and therefore plenty of playstyles are viable in the metagame. Offensive teams appreciate leaders such as Kecleon that offer a very good offensive movepool coupled with a great offensive ability, while more defensive teams appreciate leaders such as Sableye thanks to its access to Prankster and good status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Recover.

Clefable

Clefable

Clefable is a very viable leader, as it provides a vast array of moves and two fantastic abilities for a plethora of Pokémon. Its unique array of both physical and special moves means physical and special attackers alike appreciate Clefable as their leader. Magic Guard can be used offensively and defensively alike, as it can avoid status, potential Life Orb recoil, and residual damage, while Unaware allows powerful walls or setup sweepers to not worry about opposing setup sweepers.

Potential teammates

Mega Metagross Mega Metagross is a fantastic partner for Clefable, as not only does it take care of Clefable's weaknesses, but it also still has access to a STAB move in Meteor Mash while gaining reliable recovery, better coverage moves, and the ability to set up with Belly Drum. Furthermore, since Mega Evolutions keep their own abilities, Mega Metagross can bypass the new abilities to hit hard with Tough Claws.

Victini Victini can aid Clefable in taking on Poison- and Steel-types with its STAB moves, which Clefable has access to. Victini also appreciates being able to avoid entry hazard damage or Life Orb recoil thanks to Magic Guard, making it very powerful. Furthermore, it has bulk to tank hits while dishing out damage.

Kecleon

Kecleon

Kecleon's main draw as a leader is the fact that it is the only legal Pokémon with the ability Protean, which can make a lot of powerful attackers even more potent thanks to essentially giving them STAB on every move. It also has a decent enough movepool, mainly for special attackers, with options like Fire Blast and Nasty Plot despite it being a physical attacker itself. That isn't to say it doesn't have good physical moves, as it has access to two priority attacks and decent coverage. Its status moves are a bit lacking, but the point of a team led by Kecleon is to blast through the opponent's team with STAB on every move a Pokémon uses.

Potential teammates

Kyurem-B Kyurem-B has the best stats to benefit from partnering with Kecleon, as it has solid bulk and amazing physical prowess. With the ability to gain STAB on every move it uses, Kyurem-B becomes a serious threat to any defensive team, as it can surprise the opponent with the amount of coverage Kecleon has to offer.

Keldeo Keldeo is an offensive threat that benefits from the ability to boost with Nasty Plot, since it is geared to be more of a special attacker. Keldeo also appreciates the boost in coverage, since it normally lacks the right moves to hit everything it needs to. Furthermore, the ability to gain STAB on every move is so invaluable to an offensive Pokémon like Keldeo, as it can even break down Pokémon that resist its moves after a Nasty Plot boost.

Sableye

Sableye

Sableye is one of the more popular defensive leaders, as its Prankster ability, coupled with its nice status moves such as Will-O-Wisp and Recover, makes it hard to break down most teams led by Sableye. Sadly, it lacks a way to place or get rid of hazards, which can be a big issue for more defensively inclined teams, but overall, Sableye has everything it needs to be a very effective leader in this metagame. However, you can run Mega Sableye to remedy any issue with hazards thanks to its ability, Magic Bounce.

Potential teammates

Chansey Chansey appreciates being able to burn the physical attackers trying to take advantage of its weaker defensive stat while also gaining access to Metal Burst to take out powerful Pokémon thanks to its high base HP. Chansey also gains access to Taunt, allowing it to avoid status or being Taunted itself.

Cresselia Cresselia is another good teammate for Sableye, as it provides a huge amount of both physical and special bulk while also appreciating its newfound access to a better recovery move, access to a STAB move in Psychic, and the ability to use Toxic on Pokémon that may switch into Will-O-Wisp such as Fire-types.

Conclusion

Nature Swap and Follow the Leader have a ton of possibilities, making an appealing OMotM and LCotM to all, and are bound to make the month of August one to remember.

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