POTW Pokémon of the Week #71: Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o & Kommo-o

Cresselia92 · Dec 3, 2017

In the World of Pokémon, there lives a vast number and variety of amazing creatures to befriend and collect. Like every week, we will be focusing on a single one of these Pokémon or evolutionary line and talking about what makes it special.

This week we’ll be focusing on…

Kommo-o, alongside its pre-evolutions Jangmo-o and Hakamo-o!

This line is often classified with the fan term “Pseudo-legendary”, belonging to a group of three-staged lines whose final evolution has a Base Stat Total of 600.

While Jangmo-o has the common single Dragon typing, its evolutions sport the much more unique Dragon/Fighting typing, which is very useful to strike down types that could be problematic for a Dragon, namely Steel and Ice.

Another thing unique about Kommo-o is its signature move: Clanging Scales, currently the third strongest special Dragon-type attack. By rubbing its scales together, this dragon produces a powerful sound wave that hits both opponents, but beware: this move also reduces its Defense.

Kommo-o has yet another trick that sets its apart from its brethren, and that is one of the newest Z-Crystals: Kommodium Z. By using Clanging Scales as the base move, the Z-powered version grants to Kommo-o the ability to use the exclusive Z-Move Clangorous Soulblaze.

Aside of being cool-looking, this move has two other perks: it strikes both opponents during a Double Battle and raises all of Kommo-o’s stats by one stage, making the user bulkier, faster and allowing it to fire stronger attacks. Coupled with a rather colorful moveset — which includes stuff like Autotomize, Belly Drum, Flamethrower, Poison Jab, Close Combat (introduced in USUM) and many Move Tutor moves, namely the elemental punches and Iron Tail — it can turn this draconian fighter into a formidable opponent.

Lastly, Jangmo-o’s evolutions have another thing in common, aside of their typing: they both are featured as Totem Pokémon. Hakamo-o is the Totem Pokémon of the Pokémon Sun & Moon demo, where it faces the player after the latter has attracted its attention by snapping a picture. Kommo-o, instead, is the final Totem of the Sun & Moon games, as well as a collectible Totem Pokémon in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon thanks to the Totem Stickers.

Now that you know more about them, here are some questions for you all! You don't have to answer all of them or any of them in your post as long as you're staying on topic and within global forum rules.

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
How is this Pokémon in-game?
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
What is your opinion about Pseudo-legendaries? How does Kommo-o compare to the rest?
Should more Pokémon receive exclusive Z-Crystals and Z-Moves?
What are your thoughts regarding the collectible Totem Pokémon? Should they have some unique traits to distinguish them from the regular variants?

If you have any suggestions for Pokémon you'd like to discuss in the future just leave your ideas at the bottom of your post. Make sure you give your thoughts about the current Pokémon first!

Previous Pokémon of the Week:

Zexy · Dec 3, 2017

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
Like. Nice design, concept, typing, overall a good pick for pseudo-legendary.
How is this Pokémon in-game?
Unfortunately it comes too late to be of much use but at least it's very easy to evolve to its final form at that point. Worth a shot.
How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Haven't used it in competitive yet.
Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
Their apperiance in the Vast Poni Canyon trial was very nice.
How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Some people would be afraid of it, others would admire it.
If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?
Better stat distribution; more physically oriented. Bulletproof is good enough for an Ability I guess, but an exclusive one wouldn't hurt.
What is your opinion about Pseudo-legendaries? How does Kommo-o compare to the rest?
They are a nice concept that should keep coming in future generations. Unfortunately Kommo-o appears to be underwhelming to some others in practice, even though it looks better on paper.
Should more Pokémon receive exclusive Z-Crystals and Z-Moves?
Certainly, but I'm afraid this is a Gen 7 thing that will stop just like Mega Evolutions did

To be honest, I'd prefer they get Megas, but if that's totally out of the question I wouldn't mind exclusive Z-Moves instead.
What are your thoughts regarding the collectible Totem Pokémon? Should they have some unique traits to distinguish them from the regular variants?
They should have stat-increasing auras at all times and better stats, I think that's all.

Sunsette · Dec 3, 2017

I think the design of this line is cool, and I like the idea of a sort of living dinosaur Pokemon that flourishes in isolation, in contrast to many of the fossil Pokemon we've had in the games. The Totem Kommo-o battle in Sun/Moon was kind of disappointingly easy; I can't speak to how it is in US/UM as I haven't picked up a copy yet.

I don't have a strong opinion on pseudo-legendaries as a whole; I don't often use them, mainly due to the fact that I generally have a well-developed team by the time you can get most of them naturally in the games. That said, I like the Kommo-o line's unique typing and wouldn't mind giving them a try in regular gameplay.

Maniacal Engineer · Dec 4, 2017

I'll admit, I was disappointed by this evolutionary line when I played Sun.
First of all, you get it so late game that you can't really use it much and it's pretty far behind on levels. Second, you never really get to use Jangmo-o and Hakamo-o in their own rights, because of the levels they're caught at.

Don't get me wrong, one of my greatest critiques about the pseudo-legendaries is that it usually takes forever to fully evolve them, so actually having one easily accessible so quickly after catching the base form is nice, but why bother having the base forms at all?

In any case, Kommo-o didn't really impress me in battle in Sun, and I quickly swapped it out for another 'Mon. Its new Z-Move is intriguing, though, so it might get a second chance.

As far as my thoughts on pseudo-legendaries, I tend to like them. My favorite 'Mon is a pseudo-legendary. One critique I have with them as a group, though, too many damn dragons. There are only 2 non-Dragon type pseudo-legendaries, both of which are awesome. We need more type diversity in that group.

Nicolas721 · Dec 4, 2017

I hate both Hydreigon and Goodra, both are in my Top 5 least liked Pokemon of all generations. When I saw Jangmo-o, I felt indifference. His head is too big and doesn't have too many stuff to make it special. But when I saw Hakamo-o and Kommo-o I was surprised, they finally did it right. They have good colors, fiercy poses and a badass concept. It's type combination just screams badass, and they make a good representation of it. They are my favorite dragon-like pseudo, as they are the only ones that look godly and majestic instead of menacing or stupid.

In the anime, they appeared recently, and due to that appearance it seems Ash won't have a full battle with Kommo-o in the future. But maybe it's for the best, given the anime's so-so treatment of trials. I hope we see it in the league or under the ownership of a trainer.

I have no strong opinions on Signature Z-moves and totem-sized mons, except that they should have made more of both in USUM.

ocelotlrama jaguar · Dec 5, 2017

Surprisingly, I really don't care too much for this line. Yeah, they're dragons and I love dragons, but somehow I feel indifferent to this line. Probably because I am just tired of the whole "pseudo-legendary" of the generations that do nothing special to outshine what was previously released (in particular, Dragonite, Tyranitar, Metagross, Salamence, and Garchomp). Oh wow, more dragons that have a base stat of 600 since Generation III. Design-wise, they're pretty cool-looking. Well, except Jangmo-o. That thing looks a little doofy.

Never used them in-game or competitively. I much prefer other Pseudos like Tyranitar and Salamence due to their larger movepools and ability to Mega Evolve (mostly Salamence). When I first saw this line, I actually did at one point wanted to add them to my team. However, Jangmo-o appears way too late in the game for me to add it. I will admit the Dragon/Fighting combo is pretty neat, but there are better Pokemon of both types that I'd rather use.

Competitive-wise, Kommo-o's abilities are nothing special with the exception of Overcoat. Overcoat is actually pretty good and I guess it would fit well in a Sandstorm or Hail team. It's Speed is really lacking and I like my dragons to be fast and powerful, even if they give up a bit of their defense capabilities. I don't know. It isn't bad in the slightest and can be used effectively. I'm probably not that person to make the best use of it. I much prefer Conkeldurr and Salamence.

I have yet to see the episode where they appear in the anime. I know it's out, I just haven't seen it yet.

If these Pokemon existed in our world, they would probably be revered. They probably wouldn't be as dangerous as other Pseudo-legendaries as they send off warning signals to leave them alone instead of attacking outright with animalistic fury like Salamence, but still, not something you want to mess with. People would revere them and let them be.

I don't hate Pseudo-legendaries. What I am tired of is that all of them are part Dragon in some way. Can they spice things up a bit like they did with Tyranitar and Metagross? Kommo-o is not terrible, but again, I would much rather go with previous Pseudo-legendaries that are much faster and have larger movepools.

I really don't care about more exclusive Z-moves. They're fun, but what they give is what we get. It's not like it is something dramatic like Mega Evolution.

Collectable Totems should be a bit more unique than their regular counterparts. Too bad I cannot get Kommo-o since I have Ultra Sun. XD

Stratelier · Dec 7, 2017

Dragon+Fighting is a unique combination for sure -- just keep it away from the Fairies.

I was actually a bit disappointed in this evolutionary line on grounds of how late in the game it appears -- by the time you can actually find one in the wild, the majority of your team is probably decided already, not to mention it evolves so quickly (relative to the levels it appears) there's not much time to 'get to know' them before the end game. That's a big part of what makes Johto's legendary beasts my favorite trio (especially in Pokemon Colosseum, where they never left my active team after purification), is that you can acquire them in the mid-game.

As for its design ... I dunno, it's "just okay"? It's not bad, but bipedal designs are kind of overdone and I especially tend to complain about designs that switch up the foot balance (looking at you, Braixen and Incineroar).

Vortigern · Dec 14, 2017

Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why

I mean Kommo-o's no Hydreigon, but it's alright I guess

How is this Pokémon in-game?

I haven't played with one yet. I dig the design and move pool though, so tentative thumbs up.

How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?

Can't say one way or another. It is a pseudo-legendary Dragon though, so I suspect it'll hold its own at the very least.

Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?

We really don't have much to go off of here.

How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?

They'd be given a wide berth by humanity, I think.

If given the power to, would you change anything about this Pokémon and if so, what would you change?

Honestly? The concept isn't my cup of tea. I don't care for Fighting types generally, though I do love Dragon types. I probably won't use it much, if at all. That being said? I get the concept they were going for. And for what they were going for? They nailed it. I'm not sure what I would change if I could.

What is your opinion about Pseudo-legendaries? How does Kommo-o compare to the rest?

I love the pseudo-legendaries. I don't have a problem with most of them being Dragons either. Hydreigon is one of my all-time favourite Pokemon, so Kommo-o doesn't compare there. I would rank it above Garchomp, Goodra, and Metagross and below Tyranitar, Dragonite, and Salamence.

Should more Pokémon receive exclusive Z-Crystals and Z-Moves?

Yes. Anything to help break the competitive scene's dependence on held items.

What are your thoughts regarding the collectible Totem Pokémon? Should they have some unique traits to distinguish them from the regular variants?

I like them as an end-game reward. And I have no issue with them having something special to distinguish them from their regular counterparts.

ocelotlrama jaguar said:
I don't hate Pseudo-legendaries. What I am tired of is that all of them are part Dragon in some way. Can they spice things up a bit like they did with Tyranitar and Metagross?

I don't mind the pseudo-legendaries being Dragons at all. One of my favourites is a pl Dragon.
What I will say, however, is that I feel the Dragon-type should have been made exclusive to pseudo-legendary lines. Like in Gen1. It made the Dragon type special. Like something you had to work hard to catch and raise. Had they kept that concept intact, and only rolled out Dragon types for the pseudo-legendary slots? Things would seem much more balanced, I think.
Also reserving the Dragon-type for pl lines wouldn't have shut other types out being pseudo-legendaries. Metagross and Tyranitar would still work just as fine as pl Pokemon. I'm just saying the Dragon-type should have been reserved.

Guzma · Dec 19, 2017

Kommo-o's definitely my favorite pseudo. I love how Clangorous Soulblaze and Close Combat have made it much more usable competitively, and let's face it, its design is frigging badass.

Gengarzilla · Dec 20, 2017

-Do you like or dislike this Pokémon? Why?
It's alright. I can't see any deep reasons to dislike it as of USUM.

-How is this Pokémon in-game?
I haven't gone out of my way to look into this, but I'll find out firsthand in UM.

-How is this Pokémon in competitive play? Are there any interesting strategies you like to use for them?
Clangorous Soulblaze is an impressive trick, yeah, but the improvements to Kommo-o's movepool in USUM make me want to try out a classic Dragon Dance set with moves like Dual Chop and Drain Punch (I only bother with Close Combat if there's no other option, eg, Staraptor). I already had some other Pokémon in the Z-move slot anyway.

-Do you like this Pokémon's representation in the anime? Are there any moments or qualities in particular you enjoy/dislike?
What representation? Its first and currently only appearance could have easily been filled by a Zubat horde. There was no Dragonium Z or Kommonium Z involved.

-How do you think this Pokémon would interact with our world?
Along with Pokémon like Altaria and Goodra, Kommo-o would probably be one of the more venerated Dragon types in society.

-What is your opinion about Pseudo-legendaries? How does Kommo-o compare to the rest?
I generally like the pseudos, with all but Salamence and Garchomp having found their way onto one of my teams at some point in my playthroughs. Kommo-o might be just behind Metagross in that list, actually.

-Should more Pokémon receive exclusive Z-Crystals and Z-Moves?
We've got enough of those for the time being, I think. Maybe in the future.

-What are your thoughts regarding the collectible Totem Pokémon? Should they have some unique traits to distinguish them from the regular variants?
I think they're alright as they are. Aren't they essentially just normal Pokémon of larger size anyway?

Camille · Jun 23, 2018

Jangmo-o is pretty cute, and Kommo-o is tough yet majestic, but Hakamo-o never appealed to me (then again, the only pseudo-legendary second stages I actually like are Dragonair and Gabite). Kommo-o is also easily my favourite Generation VII Dragon-type. I really liked the fact it got Close Combat in US/UM, since Sky Uppercut is rather weak and inaccurate. Its unique Z-move is really amazing, too, and its movepool is nothing to take lightly. Not sure if I'd like to change anything about Kommo-o, but the fact its only special-based Fighting move is the unreliable Focus Blast sort of irks me, so maybe getting Aura Sphere/Vacuum Wave could help it.

Zeb · Jun 23, 2018

Glad we finally got a Dragon/Fighting type, but I'm not so keen on Kommo-o's design. I think the line decreases in quality with each evolution. Not to say Kommo-o is bad, but it just doesn't really appeal to me all that much (I'm not huge on Dragon-types in general, so I don't think my apathy is unique to Kommo-o). I do like the monk aspect of its basis, and it has a great movepool with balanced stats enough to make use of the movepool in a bunch of good ways, so there a few aspects of it I can really appreciate.

I hate its Z-Move though. Giving it boosts in every stat when using the move is the most boring way to buff a Pokemon ever, especially when it has 600 BST to start with (I can forgive Eevee's move at least since it's NFE).

In terms of other pseudos, Hydreigon, Metagross and Tyranitar are my favourites, while Goodra, Dragonite, Salamence and Garchomp are all terrible in their own ways. Kommo-o falls in the middle of those two lists, but I would say it's more towards the like side than the dislike side. And maybe over time I will come to appreciate it even more.

POTW Pokémon of the Week #71: Jangmo-o, Hakamo-o & Kommo-o

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Cresselia92

Just Your Average Writer

Zexy

Quaxly Boy

Sunsette

Fun Ghoul

Maniacal Engineer

Mushy Emotionalist

Nicolas721

Well-Known Member

ocelotlrama jaguar

Fluffy with 80% more spots!

Stratelier

Well-Known Member

Vortigern

New Member

Guzma

Actually Your Boy Guzma

Gengarzilla

"What do you mean, my Gengarite is contraband?!"

Camille

Call of Fate

Zeb

what is your spaghetti policy here?

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