OM Spotlight: Spe-Neutrality
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Introduction
Welcome to the Other Metagame Spotlight! This article will be covering specific OMs that have been gaining popularity in the past month, but need that extra spotlight shining on them. The metagame selected will be chosen based off creativity, thread interest, and how the metagame is structured. Our first spotlight will be on Spe-Neutrality, which was made by Sun King. In Spe-Neutrality, the priority brackets are removed, and every attack is set to a priority of zero, even negative priority moves. This metagame will be receiving our first OM Spotlight because the idea behind it is a creative one that very much affects the OU metagame, and because the opening post is a large factor in deciding which OM to spotlight as well. Sun King's OP for Spe-Neutrality is neat, gets the point across, and includes sample threats, which is what will be looked for. In the Submissions process, this metagame was originally called Not-So-Quick-Attack and wasn't too different from the currently existing idea, but did have negative priority moves unaffected; this was later changed, eventually shaping the metagame into what it is today.
Spe-Neutrality
Spe-Neutrality, as already stated, follows one simple premise: priority is completely removed. This creates a huge mind game with phazing moves, which can be abused by faster Pokémon and are quite the challenge to stop. However, priority users such as Bisharp, Talonflame, and Azumarill are nerfed through this change. In return, many new threats arrive, which we will go over in a bit. As you can expect from a metagame in which priority is completely removed, Speed is the name of the game! Your Pokémon's Speed is the only way to determine if you will go first, therefore eliminating any mind games you may have if you could assume a Pokémon may carry a priority move. This means that Pokémon no longer have to worry about being revenge killed by Scizor's Bullet Punch or Talonflame's Brave Bird, but instead can only be revenge killed through Choice Scarf Pokémon or Pokémon that are faster than themselves!
Spe-Neutrality Threats
Mega Aerodactyl is a top tier threat in Spe-Neutrality because of its blazing base 150 Speed and access to Roar. This combination, in tandem with Stealth Rock or any other entry hazard, allow you to shuffle the opponent and quickly rack up entry hazard damage. Mega Aerodactyl even has access to Taunt and Roost, making it even more difficult for the opponent to stop it. The way to beat this strategy is through Magic Bounce, Magic Guard, or Suction Cups. For example, Reuniclus and Cradily now find their niches in being able to shrug off any entry hazard damage and stall out Mega Aerodactyl's PP. Mega Aerodactyl comes with almost no opportunity cost and is one of the top two Mega Evolutions in this format. The other top Mega Evolution is Mega Gyarados, which performs a similar role, but with the addition of Mold Breaker! Both are solid Pokémon; however, Mega Aerodactyl receives an edge thanks to its higher base Speed.
Mega Lopunny, while not as metagame-defining as Mega Aerodactyl, still remains as a large threat in Spe-Neutrality. Thanks to priority being dashed, Talonflame is no longer a detriment to Mega Lopunny. After Mega Lopunny has reacted to its Lopunnite, it gains Scrappy, allowing it to use its high base 135 Speed to spam Circle Throw without drawbacks. Even Ghost-types can't switch into that! After enough spamming, Mega Lopunny is able to clean up with Return or High Jump Kick, thanks to its already solid Attack stat. However, Mega Lopunny has a few key flaws that hold it back. Firstly, it means you give up a shuffling slot for a Mega Evolution, which could be used more in favor of Mega Aerodactyl. While it has its perks, such as wearing foes down and being able to break through Mega Sableye, Circle Throw still has a poor 90% accuracy. Overall, Mega Lopunny has several positives — and its share of negatives — but all in all, Mega Lopunny is a threat.
Community Reception
The community was a large fan of Spe-Neutrality in the midst of its development as a format. It gained activity very quickly, and it racked up about 20 posts in the first few weeks of being posted! However, the activity slowly dwindled down, but that's not to say that the metagame is entirely dead; no, it's far from it. Spe-Neutrality, while not the most popular Other Metagame in the bunch, still has a solid following because people are just interested in the metagame's idea. Currently, at the time of writing this article, its thread has three pages worth of discussion. This will hopefully increase after this article's been written, as that is its intended purpose, after all! Judging from how the people have been posting in the thread, it's safe to say that it's a liked metagame that has hope of becoming more active!
Conclusion
Now that you've seen the spotlight, I hope you're inspired to go to the Spe-Neutrality thread and contribute. This metagame is a great twist to the current OU metagame and is unlike anything you've ever seen before! With all priority dashed, new threats arise and old threats fall. All in all, the metagame is packed with flavor and interesting little ticks. Who knows, maybe Spe-Neutrality could become Other Metagame of the Month one day, so get out there and play!
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