OMotM/LCotM Spotlight: Foresighters and Balanced Hackmons UU

By Tea Guzzler and Gambit_Gamin. Released:2024/03/13
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OMotM/LCotM Spotlight: Foresighters and Balanced Hackmons UU Art

Art by anundeadboy.

What is an OMotM/LCotM?

The OMotM, also known as Other Metagame of the Month, is the metagame that is voted by the players to have a ladder for a specific month. The LCotM, or Leader's Choice of the Month, is a second ladder that is chosen specifically by OM Forum Mods. 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.

For March, the OM of the Month is Foresighters, while Leader's Choice is Balanced Hackmons UU.

Introduction to Foresighters

Foresighters is a new metagame where the move in a Pokémon's first moveslot acts like Future Sight. This allows the ability to take advantage of setup moves such as Nasty Plot and Swords Dance to help benefit other teammates, acting as a pseudo-Baton Pass, as well as status moves such as Toxic and Thunder Wave to better force status on desired walls; there's even just powerful attacking moves to force switchins from the opponent while also offsetting negative effects from moves like Draco Meteor. Since status moves play a key role in this metagame, Pokémon like Galarian Slowking can excel thanks to their wide utility movepools, as well as Gholdengo because of its immunity to all status moves and its decent supporting movepool. All in all, Foresighters allows for many incredible combinations and it will be interesting to see the many threats that this metagame will provide!

Threats in Foresighters

Iron Bundle Image

Iron Bundle is a huge threat in Foresighters thanks to how few moveslots it realistically needs, allowing it to run options purely for the benefit of its team. Hydro Pump and Freeze-Dry have incredible move synergy and Flip Turn allows Iron Bundle to switch out of uncomfortable matchups such as Galarian Slowking and Archaludon. Substitute is an incredible move in Foresighters, as it allows Iron Bundle to benefit powerful sweepers such as Raging Bolt and Gouging Fire and has good synergy with Flip Turn. Nasty Plot users such as Corviknight and Galarian Slowking also improve Iron Bundle's power, as they can pass Nasty Plot to Iron Bundle and allow it to sweep through entire teams.

Archaludon Image

Combined with a rain setter such as Pelipper, Archaludon can rapid fire Electro Shots to repeatably boost its Special Attack. Draco Meteor is a great option for Archaludon, as using it and then switching out results in no Special Attack drop. Archaludon's power is also improved by Nasty Plot from Corviknight and Galarian Slowking, as well as Substitute, since it has good bulk, giving it a window for a free Special Attack boost.

Slowking-Galar Image

Thanks to its incredible Special Defense and HP, Galarian Slowking functions fantastically as a special wall and pivot. Foresighters greatly benefits Galarian Slowking, as it can now give Nasty Plot boosts to Pokémon such as Iron Bundle and Dragapult, which can't raise their Special Attack on their own. Other options for moves in the first moveslot include Thunder Wave and Toxic to spread status or even Block to lock a foe in with a dangerous offensive threat. Galarian Slowking is able to do this effectively thanks to Chilly Reception, allowing it to slowly pivot to other Pokémon.

Introduction to BH UU

Balanced Hackmons UU has a simple premise; Balanced Hackmons with the top threats banned. OMs don't usually have usage-based tiering; for UU OMs, which can be found in this thread, a Pokémon is banned if they are at B rank or higher on their respective meta's Viability Rankings. BH UU is perhaps unique among OMs in that the tier-defining mechanic, being Imposter, is heavily nerfed; Imposter Guzzlord is the best option, which is significantly more flawed than Chansey and Blissey, as it has less HP, no access to Eviolite, and has a much worse outlook for being used as an Imposter-proofing tool. That, when combined with wallbreakers that hit themselves super effectively like Blacephalon being high-class threats, means that Imposter has a much harder time blanket checking everything. Many powerful-but-sluggish wallbreakers, such as Mega Gardevoir, Kyurem-B, and Palkia-O, also find their way into BH UU.

Threats in BH UU

Palkia-Origin Image

BH UU's distinct lack of Blissey and defensive Fairy-types, with the only ranked options being Magearna and Mega Altaria, position Palkia-O as a ruthless attacker. Speed Boost is no longer necessary to avoid losing to faster attackers like Flutter Mane, Eternatus, and Ultra Necrozma, allowing Palkia-O to go with either Simple to make non-Fairy-type Ice Scales users simply disappear or Magic Guard to make setting up easier, notably blanking two massive pains in Mortal Spin and Salt Cure.

Koraidon Image

Normally held back by its middling Attack, the lower amount of Fairy-types and absence of Mega Slowbro give Koraidon a much easier time dealing damage. Its Speed is also much better in BH UU, being no longer crowded out by Flutter Mane and Miraidon that can scare it with Speed ties, and Mega Slowbro's absence means the super-fast Bug-types in Pheromosa and Mega Beedrill essentially have no niche, meaning Koraidon is usually the fastest thing around. Mold Breaker helps with 2HKOing Fur Coat Dondozo after some chip, while Sword of Ruin provides higher general damage, notably ensuring Close Combat always OHKOes Registeel and Glaive Rush always OHKOes Giratina.

Mega Gardevoir Image

Mega Gardevoir benefits from BH UU thanks to the relative lack of RegenVest users in the tier. Many good soft checks to Mega Gardevoir, such as Celesteela, Lunala, and Primal Kyogre, in addition to standard soft checks like Ho-Oh, are absent, meaning that it has a far easier time spamming Boomburst. Additionally, Blissey's absence means that Mega Gardevoir can now afford to drop Psystrike in favor of the much more powerful Psycho Boost, ensuring that the highest-ranked Poison-type in Arceus-Poison is much shakier as a check (Psystrike, being a special move that targets Defense, has its damage reduced by both Fur Coat and Ice Scales, making it generally inferior).

Final Thoughts

Foresighters and BH UU are both metagames that give a variety of options for interesting combinations and offer unique experiences for any Pokémon player to appreciate. Enjoy these metagames this March and check out the Other Metas room on PS! to discuss them!

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