Imposter in Balanced Hackmons
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Art by Kiwi.
Imposter is, without question, the single most defining characteristic of Balanced Hackmons (BH); it always has been, and it likely always will be. Imposter single-handedly dictates teambuilding and battle progression in basically every game it's brought to— in a way that no other tier can replicate. This unfortunately means that many new players who don't understand Imposter and can't put up reasonable counterplay to it find it overbearing, which is why this article will both cover information on Imposter and explain the best ways to beat it.
What is Imposter and how does it work?
Imposter is basically just Transform as an ability: when the user switches in, it will immediately attempt to Transform into the target. If the Transform is unsuccessful (for reasons outlined below), Imposter simply won't activate and the user will stay in its base forme.
Transforming has specific mechanics that define how it's used in BH:
- Transform copies all of the target's stats except HP; the user keeps their original HP stat. This benefits Imposter users with high HP stats.
- Species-specific items work with the Imposter user's base species, not what it transforms into. The exceptions are Quick Powder and Metal Powder, which are hard-coded to lose their effects when Ditto is transformed. This allows for items like Eviolite and Light Ball to work with Imposter.
- Transform fails if the target is already transformed or behind a Substitute. This has specific use cases with protecting your own team from Imposter.
- Transform copies all of the target's moves, but with 5 PP (except for Revival Blessing, which only has one). This 5 PP is refreshed on every switch, so in rare cases, Imposter can be used to infinitely PP stall.
- Transform doesn't copy Terastallization.
- Terastallization overrides Transformation, so if the user is Terastallized, they will Transform into the target but will have their own Tera type. Terastallization can be used while Transformed.
Since Imposter is just Transform as an ability, the mechanics are the same, so the things above apply to Imposter.
What uses Imposter?
There are three Pokémon that use Imposter the best: Chansey, Blissey, and Pikachu. Chansey and Blissey have the 2 highest HP stats in the game, which carries over while Transformed and boosts their bulk to gargantuan levels; additionally, Chansey can use Eviolite to create a mind-boggling defensive profile. For an example of how ridiculously bulky Eviolite Chansey with Imposter is, Eternatus's Choice Specs + Dragon's Maw Dragon Energy isn't even a guaranteed OHKO without a Modest nature when Chansey is transformed into it. It's for this reason that Chansey completely monopolizes Imposter, with Blissey only an alternative option if you want items that aren't Eviolite (essentially trading 5 more base HP for losing the ability to bluff Eviolite).
Here are some sample sets below:
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Chansey (F) @ Eviolite
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Blissey (F) @ Covert Cloak / Shed Shell / Choice ScarfHere are the three main types of Imposter: Eviolite, "other items", and Toxic Orb. Eviolite is as discussed above, where you're after the obscene bulk and want to maximize the amount of time spent disrupting offensive threats. Imposter can also use other items, namely Shed Shell and Covert Cloak, to give defensive Pokémon that rely on status a harder time; Choice Scarf also saw use in earlier generations as a more effective anti-offense option. Additionally, you can still use Chansey when using other items; for a measly 5 base HP, you can bluff holding Eviolite, whereas Blissey immediately removes Eviolite as a possibility. Toxic Orb trades a worse matchup into most of the general meta for a much better matchup into Poison Heal users, with Fling + Jungle Healing allowing Blissey to dispose of the poison if it's not necessary.
Contrary to popular belief, the moves on the Imposter user do matter; there will be situations where the Imposter user can't Transform. By far the most common situation is against opposing Imposter users, since if they are Transformed into one of your Pokémon, your Imposter user will be unable to Transform; this has significant applications in protecting your own team from Imposter. There's no specific "best set" of moves here; it mostly just falls to personal preference, although generic support moves like Heal Bell, Nuzzle, Knock Off, Parting Shot, and Wish are most common.
Pikachu's a little different. Unlike the two above, Pikachu has a paltry base 35 HP, so it will never be bulkier than the foe in front of it. Pikachu's entire niche centers around Light Ball, which doubles Pikachu's Attack and Special Attack and also works when transformed. You'll be most likely to find Pikachu on paraspam structures, where it's usually the main wincon: paralysis helps cover for Pikachu's terrible HP by removing the need to win Speed ties, and Light Ball's damage boost hopefully allows it to reverse-sweep the opposing team through raw damage alone.
Here's a sample set (even though due to Pikachu's pitiful base stats, you're realistically never having it un-Transformed):
Pikachu @ Light Ball- Ability: Imposter
- Tera Type: Fairy / Flying
- EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
- Timid Nature
- IVs: 0 Atk
- - Nuzzle
- - Recover
- - Heal Bell
- - Parting Shot
Pokémon outside of these three are generally not recommended as Imposter users, since they are generally just outclassed by the ones above. The most amount of Imposter users you should ever have is three anyway (which is relegated to hard stall teams), so there'd never be any reason to use something other than the ones above.
What is Imposter useful for?
Thanks to the huge bulk that Imposter users typically offer (Pikachu's role is completely different), they are mostly used as anti-offense options. If an offensive threat is staring down an Imposter user, they are likely to switch out, as Imposter will (in the majority of cases) be winning the one-on-one; this fact is what allows Imposter users to reliably scare out foes over the course of a game, easing the burden on defensive teammates to handle the threat. A major application of this is to shore up matchups against offensive threats that either have no reliable counters or whose counters aren't present on the user's team, most notably Mold Breaker + Shift Gear Kyurem-B in SS BH and the various Mega Mewtwo Y sets in SM BH. The forced switches that Imposter users cause also create ample opportunities for double switches, so Imposter users can also help create opportunities for other offensive teammates.
Imposter users also have applications against defensive Pokémon. Transforming allows Imposter users to turn a Pokémon's own utility against it, most commonly through moves that set entry hazards like Spikes and Ceaseless Edge, although SV's introduction of Covert Cloak potentially allows exploitation of status-inducing moves like Scald and Nuzzle on Imposter sets using it. Imposter users largely aren't in control of their own recovery because they rely on the foe they're Transforming into to have recovery moves, and as such, defensive Pokémon provide a reliable gateway for Imposter users to heal. This is important because defensive Pokémon use "standard" recovery moves, like Recover and Milk Drink, which can't be prevented or limited in the same way that Strength Sap can (which offensive Pokémon prefer). Regenerator also sees use on RegenVest Pokémon, such as Dialga and Ting-Lu, which Imposter users can exploit if in a pinch; trying to gain Regenerator is a huge risk, as RegenVest Pokémon will always carry Nuzzle or Knock Off, usually both. In certain late-game scenarios, where only defensive Pokémon are remaining and both teams' win conditions are PP stalling the opponent, Imposter users can often guarantee a win thanks to the virtually infinite PP offered by repeated transformations.
Imposter can also be used as a scouting tool: Imposter Chansey and Blissey can often switch in on Pokémon to learn the abilities and moves of the target without having to see them used first. This is useful in planning out how to win and prevents losses due to unexpected sets, such as rare coverage or utility moves. Ironically, scouting defensive Pokémon is often more dangerous than scouting offensive Pokémon due to the utility moves generally harming Imposter more and trapping being a very real risk; this is why Shed Shell and Covert Cloak are useful item choices. When you transform into a foe, it might be worth making note of the Pokémon's moves and ability, such as in the battle chat; this allows you to easily reference them later.
Lastly, as alluded to above, Imposter users can be used as counterplay to other Imposter users thanks to not transforming against transformed opponents. This is mostly seen with Eviolite Chansey, whose natural special bulk makes it nigh-impenetrable to common special attackers like Pixilate + Boomburst users, and workable physical bulk allows it to sponge hits from mixed attackers like V-create Xerneas if necessary.
How do I beat Imposter?
Beating Imposter is probably the most interesting thing about BH, since you're the one with full control over how weak your teams are to Imposter. This concept is called Imposter-proofing (or Improofing for short) and is the aspect of Imposter that completely defines BH teambuilding. There's some general criteria which you can use to gauge if something is a good Improof:
- Does the Improofer actually survive against the Pokémon it's trying to Improof?
- Is the Improofer useful outside of Improofing?
- Can the Improofer reliably prevent the foe from healing?
- Can the Improofer reliably deny or offset the foe's utility moves?
- Can the Improofer actually do significant harm to the foe, either through damage or (more likely) with utility moves?
It's mandatory to be able to answer yes for Points 1 and 2. If your Improofer can't reliably switch in (even when moderately chipped) and survive the subsequent attacks, it won't work. If your Improofer does its job but also isn't useful against anything else, you aren't losing to Imposter but likely have a massive structural issue that can be easily exploited. The other criteria aren't mandatory per se, but should be pursued wherever reasonably possible, and at least one should preferably be solid. Imposter-proofing is a complex topic and has a load of intricacies that is best explained through examples:
Self-Imposter-Proofing
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Xerneas @ Toxic Orb
Arceus-Ghost @ Spooky PlateThese two sets are common threats in their respective metas that can reliably beat Imposter users one-on-one. While banned in SV, in SS Balanced Hackmons, Poison Heal allows Xerneas to trap Imposter users with Thunder Cage and then spams Quiver Dance, ensuring that the only reliable option for the foe is to also spam Quiver Dance, racking up residual damage on the foe while Xerneas is either taking no net damage or healing. This setup allows Xerneas to usually exit the interaction with moderate HP, Imposter heavily weakened or fainted, and 5 or 6 Quiver Dances; the only way Xerneas can really lose this interaction is through critical hits, missing Thunder Cage, or Imposter being poisoned (this is what Toxic Orb Imposter is used for). Arceus-Ghost takes this a step further, as unless the Imposter user is carrying a Spooky Plate (which can be removed via Knock Off or Trick, even if Transformed into Arceus), Arceus-Ghost cannot be damaged by it and so will always win the interaction.
Zamazenta-Crowned @ Leftovers- Ability: Fur Coat
- EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
- Jolly Nature
- - Anchor Shot
- - Body Press
- - Topsy-Turvy
- - Recover
Defensive Pokémon are able to trap and PP stall Imposter users lacking trapping immunities (Shed Shell, Tera Ghost, Covert Cloak). This SS BH Zamazenta-C set can trap Imposter users with Anchor Shot, reliably survive Imposter's 5 Body Press PP, and force the Imposter user to Struggle and KO themself. This is commonly used as a way to dissuade Imposter users from exploiting defensive Pokémon as sources of free recovery. Sidenote: Fur Coat doesn't boost Body Press's damage—it's just a Fighting-type move that Zamazenta-C can self-Imposter-proof with (Thunderous Kick removes the ability to self-Imposter-proof and Low Kick doesn't hit Kartana for meaningful damage). Trapping moves are significantly worse in SV BH, as Thousand Waves and Anchor Shot have been removed, and all of the remaining ones have notable flaws (Jaw Lock traps the user, Spirit Shackle is blocked by Covert Cloak, and Mean Look is blocked by Good as Gold / Prankster Pokémon can't trap Dark-types with it).
Necrozma-Dusk-Mane @ Sitrus Berry- Ability: Unburden
- EVs: 252 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Def / 252 SpA / 252 SpD / 252 Spe
- Lonely Nature
- IVs: 6 Def
- - Belly Drum
- - Wicked Blow
- - Photon Geyser
- - Sunsteel Strike
While Belly Drum is banned from the two most recent BH metas (SS and SV), BellyBurden was a common application that would 100% reliably beat Imposter users. When Necrozma-DM uses Belly Drum, it eats its Sitrus Berry and activates Unburden, which ensures that Imposter (which doesn't copy Unburden's activation status) can never outspeed Necrozma-DM, even with Choice Scarf. The reduced Defense allows Necrozma-DM to always OHKO Imposter Chansey with Eviolite with Wicked Blow (this was used in SS, so Wicked Blow existed and was still 80 BP).
The "good Imposter-proof" criteria still apply here but are somewhat less strict. You can usually afford to take a layer of Spikes or give away a Strength Sap if you still come out on top.
Imposter-Proofing with teammates: Offensive Pokémon
Improofing with teammates is the most broad category and the one which the criteria above are catered towards.
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Zacian-Crowned @ Choice BandIn this pairing, the offensive threat being Improofed (Zacian-C) doesn't have any recovery or utility, so Impoofing is simplified in that the Imposter-proofer (Dondozo) only needs to survive and have a way to punish Imposter for staying in.
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Xerneas @ Pixie PlateThis SS BH pairing makes use of the fact that Imposter doesn't activate against Transformed opponents; this allows you to use Chansey to Improof Xerneas. Chansey is well-suited thanks to excellent bulk, which allows it to comfortably survive even V-create from Xerneas, and a miniscule Attack stat which means the opposing Imposter user's Strength Sap heals for a ground-breaking 13 HP (not even 2%). Nuzzle is sufficient to force the opposing Imposter user out (as is the threat of being trapped by Chansey). Rapid Spin is unique in that Pixilate + Rapid Spin is unblockable, so technically while Chansey doesn't fit all the criteria, there just aren't any better options short of bad decisions like Rocky Helmet + Rough Skin Nihilego.
Imposter-Proofing with teammates: Defensive Pokémon
Defensive Pokémon lack damage output, so only only really need to be denied recovery and utility. Preventing an Imposter user from healing is generally difficult, as they don't rely on Strength Sap for recovery as offensive Pokémon do, so their recovery method isn't limited by Magic Bounce, Good as Gold, or a low Attack stat. For this reason, the majority of defensive Pokémon rely on trapping to beat Imposter users, with utility moves as an additional option.
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Eternatus @ Black Sludge
Magearna @ MetronomeIn this example for SS BH, Eternatus with dual STAB attacks and Spectral Thief is unable to meaningfully damage Magearna, which can use Eternatus as a free avenue to heal, clear entry hazards, or trap a greedy Imposter user going for a second Recover. Magearna also self-Imposter-proofs thanks to Anchor Shot.
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Ting-Lu @ Assault Vest
Arceus-Ground @ Earth PlateRegenVest is precarious for both the Imposter and the RegenVest user, as neither wants to deal with the Nuzzle or Knock Off from the other side. Arceus-Ground provides a valuable teammate that can switch in on an Imposter Ting-Lu to blank Nuzzle and Knock Off (Arceus can't have a held Plate removed by any means), as well as clearing any entry hazards with Tidy Up. Arceus-Ground is also strong here as it can make active use of its unremovable item, whereas for some items like Rusted Shield and Griseous Core, the item either does nothing, or the holder can't make much use of its benefits.
What has Imposter been like in past generations, and what's it like now?
In the first "modern" generations of BH (XY and SM), Imposter had much more emphasis on the anti-offense role than others. With offensive tools like Primal Groudon, Mega Diancie, Mega Mewtwo X/Y, and Shell Smash running around, Eviolite and Choice Scarf were the preferred options, as they both provided the most reliable options for coping with the power level. There were occasional sets that could self-Imposter-proof, such as Poison Heal Mega Mewtwo X/Y and Spooky Plate + Judgment Mega Gengar, however these typically faced fierce competition, and the majority of attackers didn't have this benefit. These generations also had an excellent Imposter-proofing tool in Sturdy Shedinja, which simply walled most attackers reliant on direct damage, allowing for an easy choice that completely denied Imposter users any progress against some teams. Other items, like Toxic Orb and Shed Shell, were usable but faced heavily opportunity cost and the threats they dealt with weren't very common.
SS BH saw a significant scaling back of the power level. The average BST of the tier was much lower and Pokémon weren't as min-maxed as before, on top of the removal of heavily offensive options like Shell Smash and Belly Drum. These changes led to a tier heavily dominated by balance teams, which in turn led to a shift in the desirable Imposter items. Toxic Orb Imposter became a common teambuilding consideration due to the dominance of Poison Heal Xerneas and Regigigas. The prevalence of self-trapping threats like Thousand Waves Groudon, Thousand Waves Zygarde-C, and Anchor Shot Zamazenta-C gave Shed Shell notable usage (usually on double-Imposter stall teams as Blissey's item). Choice Scarf dropped out of the meta entirely, as the heavy scaling back on offensive nukes meant that the inflexibility of a choice item far outweighed the Speed boost.
SV BH has been a roller coaster for Imposter. At the start of the generation, threats like Calyrex-S and Poison Heal Slaking were legal, which gave Imposter users significant issues: Calyrex-S had insane set flexibility, a 4x weakness to its own STAB type, and the potential to run Spooky Plate + Judgment, all of which made Imposter a far cry from consistent. Slaking's Poison Heal + Victory Dance combination made beating Imposter users trivial, especially when combined with Tera Ghost to be immune to the Imposter user's Facade. Even after these 2 were banned, Poison Heal continued to be a thorn in Imposter's side, as many Poison Heal users could win the one-on-one with even Toxic Orb Imposter, due to a combination of Terastallization and either Victory Dance or Quiver Dance. Now that Poison Heal's gone, Imposter has largely re-assumed its role as an anti-offense option: Covert Cloak allows it to safely switch in on most defensive Pokémon, and the lack of viable trapping moves enhances Imposter users' ability to scout. The pool of Pokémon that can reliably self-Imposter-proof is low but still exists, with the two primary factors being through Terastallization and the return of Judgment.
Overall, Imposter is the best anti-offense tool in the tier, thanks to its gargantuan bulk and flexibility against the majority of otherwise-unwallable offensive threats. However, it's by no means uncounterable, as you're the one in control of how weak (or strong) your team is against it. Feel free to discuss anything about the tier in BH's main thread or in the OM room on Pokémon Showdown!, where BH also has a permanent ladder for you to put the techniques learned here to good use.
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