OMotM/LCotM Spotlight: Alphabet Cup and 1-2 Switch

By Gimmicky. Released: 2024/02/22.
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Art by anundeadboy

Art by anundeadboy.

What is an OMotM/LCotM?

The OMotM, or 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 others that get nominated for the OMotM voting.

For February, the OM of the Month is Alphabet Cup, while the Leader's Choice is 1-2 Switch!

Introduction to Alphabet Cup

Alphabet Cup is a metagame that gives Pokémon access to any move with which they or their pre-evolutions share a starting letter! For example, Skeledirge gets access to moves starting with S, C, and F, giving it great utility options like Stealth Rock, Court Change, and Flip Turn. Letters with a plentiful number of high-value options like S, P, and T are incredibly valuable, while some starting letters like U, Z, and J bring little, if any, benefit. This change is enough to skyrocket Pokémon like Torkoal (Torch Song, Teleport, Tidy Up), Volcanion (V-create, Victory Dance, Volt Tackle), and Toxapex (Teleport, Mortal Spin, Topsy Turvy) to top-tier status. Some Pokémon like Meowscarada, Dragapult, and Mamoswine are even banned, pushed over the edge with options like Magical Torque, Dragon Energy, and Mountain Gale. With virtually every Pokémon gaining at least something and plenty getting game-changing buffs, it's all in the hands of the Trainers to harness their creativity and take advantage of these buffs!

Threats in Alphabet Cup

cinderace

Other notable gains: Crabhammer, Collision Course, Shore Up, Stone Axe, Sunsteel Strike

With access to two of the best offensive letters, Rapid Spin, and the powerful ability Libero, Cinderace is a fantastic offensive pivot and entry hazard removal option. Sacred Fire, while less powerful than Pyro Ball, allows Cinderace to spread crucial burns against physical attackers like Great Tusk and Dragonite while still threatening big damage. Rapid Spin allows Cinderace to reliably remove hazards from its side of the field without removing hazards spread by itself or its teammates, unlike Court Change. Close Combat, especially with a Libero boost, is useful for threatening foes like Garganacl and Roaring Moon; Spikes allows Cinderace to spread passive damage for itself and its teammates to break through foes easier; and Spirit Shackle lets Cinderace become a pseudo-spinblocker against foes like Great Tusk and Iron Treads. Other options like Crabhammer, Stone Axe, and Sunsteel Strike can be used to leverage Libero to the fullest and threaten whatever your team needs Cinderace to beat.

goodra-hisui

Other notable gains: Scald, Seismic Toss, Shore Up, Spikes, Spiky Shield, Sticky Web, Super Fang

Hisuian Goodra doesn't gain the most from G, but it makes the most of what it gets and also benefits from the fantastic utility provided by S. Gigaton Hammer is a very threatening move even without investment, and Strength Sap gives Hisuian Goodra reliable, high-PP recovery, allowing it to make the most of its great bulk and good defensive typing. Sandsear Storm gives Hisuian Goodra an avenue to spread crucial burns while hitting opposing Hisuian Goodra, whereas Super Fang is used to consistently threaten bulky foes. Finally, Hisuian Goodra can choose between Dragon Tail to dissuade the tier's many powerful setup sweepers, Stone Axe to reliably set Stealth Rock in the face of Taunt users like Tornadus-T and Toxapex, or one of its many other movepool options inherited from S depending on what your team needs.

primarina

Other notable gains: Burning Bulwark, Parting Shot

STAB-boosted Boomburst. That's the Pokémon. And one of the funniest things about any OM. Primarina doesn't get very many moves, but the ones it does get are incredibly high value. Liquid Voice Boomburst off of Primarina's excellent Special Attack is a ludicrously powerful attack, threatening to 2HKO even Water-resistant foes like Alomomola and Rotom-W after a Calm Mind. Moonblast is excellent complementary coverage, hitting the Dragon-types like Roaring Moon, Dragonite, and Haxorus that can withstand a Boomburst. Psystrike and Parabolic Charge are both useful for threatening Toxapex, which otherwise completely walls Primarina; Psystrike can immediately threaten it without boosts, while Parabolic Charge gives Primarina some additional longevity while still threatening Toxapex after a Calm Mind.

Introduction to 1-2 Switch

1-2 Switch is a metagame with a simple premise: every turn, the field essentially transforms between Singles and Doubles! On odd-numbered turns, both Pokémon on both sides of the field will be active, while on even-numbered turns, only one Pokémon per Trainer is active and able to act or be affected. This means that Trainers have to micromanage the nuances of essentially swapping between formats both in the builder and on the battlefield. Spread moves like Earthquake and Rock Slide are quite potent for skipping the typical damage reduction on even turns, while other Doubles-oriented strategies like Trick Room can still see success. Unlike standard Doubles, though, entry hazards and setup sweepers both play a crucial role in the metagame, freeing up offensive threats to make progress even on odd turns. The most important move in the tier is by far Protect, as stalling out a turn to your desired game mode is incredibly useful. It really is the perfect blend between Singles and Doubles, and it is open for any enterprising Trainer to explore!

Threats in 1-2 Switch

ogerpon-wellspring

As a top-tier Pokémon in both OU and Doubles, it's no surprise that Ogerpon-W maintains its excellence in 1-2 Switch. Ivy Cudgel is a powerful STAB option, while Horn Leech gives Ogerpon-W some much appreciated longevity. Swords Dance allows Ogerpon-W to become a terrifying sweeper, while Follow Me is an excellent redirection tool on odd turns. Encore is another option, making it an amazing disruptor and assistant to powerful threats like Iron Hands and Kyurem. Spiky Shield is the preferred final move, allowing Ogerpon-W to stall out a turn and reliably get to whichever game state is most beneficial. The Special Defense boost from Tera Water allows Ogerpon to switch into and threaten Chi-Yu.

porygon2

Porygon2 is a generally fantastic Pokémon, leveraging its Eviolite-boosted bulk to safely get off Trick Room and threaten foes with deceptively powerful BoltBeam coverage. Ice Beam notably 2HKOes Ursaluna and threatens Ting-Lu, while Thunderbolt snipes Pelipper and Volcanion. Alternatively, Tera Blast Ghost allows Porygon to threaten Ghost-types like Gholdengo. Amoonguss is a particularly great teammate, giving Porygon2 redirection support and enabling powerful Spore spam. Tera Ghost allows Porygon2 to become immune to Fighting-type moves from the likes of Iron Hands, Chien-Pao, and Hisuian Lilligant while removing its weakness to Fake Out, whereas Tera Fairy prioritizes answering Dragon-types like Dragapult and Raging Bolt. 80 Special Attack EVs allow Porygon2 to 2HKO a Stealth Rock-chipped Dragapult with Ice Beam.

ting-lu

Ting-Lu is the perfect meeting point of both the Doubles and Singles sides of the format! Vessel of Ruin is a fantastic ability for its ability to lower both foes' Special Attack on odd turns, while on even turns, Ting-Lu can be inactive, allowing teammates like Ursaluna-B and Gholdengo to fire off devastating attacks without any nerfs. Stomping Tantrum is the preferred Ground-type move for its added single-target consistency on odd turns, but Earthquake is still a fantastic option to punish Protect users. Sand Tomb is a notable option for stall teams, as passive damage remains in effect even when a Pokémon is inactive! Stealth Rock becomes especially useful here, as the even turns are generally less chaotic and give Ting-Lu the breathing room to spread passive damage, but Whirlwind is a good disruption and anti-setup option if another teammate carries Stealth Rock. Tera Poison gives Ting-Lu a resistance to powerful Fighting-, Grass- and Fairy-type attacks, which otherwise threaten it.

Final Thoughts

From learning your ABCs in Alphabet Cup to dancing around game modes in 1-2 Switch, February's metagames have something unique to offer every Trainer! Why don't you pop into the Other Metagames room on Pokémon Showdown to learn, play, and talk about these metagames and everything else our section has to offer?

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