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All Gens Ruins of Alph Player of the Week: Fear
- Thread starter trc
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Alright, I've sent Borat a PM. Let's see how this works out.
I'll post this guy's interview, since Borat hasn't responded yet.
ToF
Favourite Pokemon?
LATIOS
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
Jogging my memory here, wow. I used to frequent the GameFAQs Diamond and Pearl wifi forums where I developed quite a name for myself. Eventually things got stagnant on the forum and some of the players on GameFAQs were a big part of the forum here (one particular name that I remember that had faith I'd be great on Smogon was STRANGERDANGER). Eventually I made the move here and tried to make a name for myself on the infamous Shoddy ladder by being your standard try-hard, making acquaintances and learning the ins and outs of DP as much as possible. A bunch of GameFAQs bros (including beloved Phil and Atticus) came over also, which made the transition a little less overwhelming. Fast forward 8-9 years from the GameFAQs days and we all barely play :).
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
Probably solely for DP(P) prowess. I won Smogon Tour 13 without playing a single BW game in the regular season (I just absolutely hated what the metagame was at that point and believed I could qualify without it), and then proceeded to win the only BW game I played in the playoff. I think I only dropped a single game in the playoff to IFM (ironically losing DPP lol). Other than that, I've played in a lot of major team tourneys (WCOP / SPL) and OST where I've done pretty well, but still have yet to claim the elusive team trophy.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
Obviously DPP OU as I've covered, but I absolutely loved DPP UU back in the day. It was one of the most balanced metagames, the Pokemon choices were varied, and it was just a really fun tier to play. Once I got into ADV from tour, I also enjoy playing that from time to time due to the balanced variety as well. Tried to get into the lower tiers beyond gen 4 and just never enjoyed them as much.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
Part of my problem as a player is that I tend to repeat the use of the same Pokemon - I believe that certain mons are used more than others by design, although this does stifle creativity and can lead to bad results in tournaments if opponents counter-style correctly. Big user of Skarmory, Starmie, Blissey, Heatran, traditional fat-mons that have a lot of overall utility.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
Surprise surprise here, any of you that know me or have interacted with me know that stalling is ballin'. Certain people love blitzing opponents with heavy offense, and I'm the total opposite. I play better and am more calculated in my moves when using stall. Not only that, but I appreciate in most games stall having the ability to compensate for mistakes - glass cannon offensive teams sometimes have to play perfectly an entire game to win. Back in the day I used to be solely 1-dimensional, with stall variants being only what I brought (also this was back when replays didn't exist, so people knew less about me). In modern day DPP, I am much more varied in team choice, and although some of the skills and intuition have rusted, I enjoy playing more despite not having as much success. Never would I have led with a Scarf Breloom 7- 8 years ago lol.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
I'm not much of an inventor, I think I just used to play the game really well. Back in the day, I used to use Sub Life Orb Mamoswine which was a monster that protected against CB Scizor picking you off. When August won OST I was using a Sub Explosion Heatran as a lure against common water counters. I did have a RMT too during the Manaphy suspect test phase that used it as more of a CM offensive Suicune than the standard Cro-Phy set. Overall though, I think I just had a hand in popularizing how well stall played in the DP(P) era, no real defining creativity (I'm a finance guy we don't do creative).
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
I think the entire ST13 run I played almost unstoppably. I felt really good going into the season, it was right before I was going to "quit" and become an adult, and I had teams ready to go before the season began. The finals vs. Malekith I thought I made some great ballsy in-game predictions, and ended up being victorious. I've had some high-pressure WCOP and SPL games where getting a win would be huge for momentum, and I think I've been fairly successful. My ST8 run too where I ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs to Krack I had a great regular-season, but learned a lot about preparation as it pertains to single-match tournament games.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
It's funny, I was on the several person counsel that banned Salamence and voted for banning Latias too, and then I played roscoe today for all-stars and in 19 turns realized how fun the metagame was. Maybe I just hate Breloom and want it gone forever, but re-suspecting those two dragon GOATs would be an interesting idea (especially since we have a new player base that might disagree with the prior counsel's ruling). People have been complaining about Scald in the new generations for got knows how long, maybe we suspect that too. I don't have much insight into the newer tiers, so I will let others with more experience handle that.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
Being very honest, there are a few people that I talk to on a regular basis here. I never immersed myself fully into the community once I got over the newbie tag moving over from GFAQs. I quickly established myself as a competent battler and generally kept to myself. I was very opinionated as a young Smogon buck and might have rubbed people the wrong way with constant bitching about luck as well.
Several guys (gals?) that I enjoyed talking to when I started included Gouki, IPL (when he would actually talk), Loki, Jabba, Goofball, etc. Eventually got onto Asia and had the (mis)fortune of chatting Pokemon with the Master of Pokemon (MoP) - he is by far the best Pokemon player in history, talk to him for 15 minutes and your brain will be blown at how much he theorizes for all tiers of all gens, it's incredible. Met the blackest Smogon member Giga Punch IRL, me and him had some good talks in the day (Ernest where did you go....). Some other WCOP / SPL friends include KG (me and him probably considered ourselves "rivals" in the day, I'd say we did fairly well for our Pokecareers), Reachzero (are you also still alive)?, the Brits (Twash, Taylor), Aldaron, enz0, and Tama (we never talk anymore though =/). Shoutouts to the FAQs crew as well (Phil, Atticus, Stone, Mario).
Most of the above dudes are retired, so it's nice talking from time to time with the new cream of the crop. PDC has grown up to not be a failure, and BKC has grown up to become the Earthworm of Pokemon. I like ABR's game a lot and he's a good bro to talk to. Blarajan gets a shout here too for being tolerable (:D).
August gets a special line here, probably the dude I actually chat with most on the platform. We shoot the shit about life and mons all the time, great player and person, and I'm glad I can say I lost to the winner in your OST run.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
See above, most of the dudes are retired and I'd love to see them come back to try their hand at SM. Maybe might motivate me to try it out too :)
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in this year's OST, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
I've said this off-the-record in WCOP discord chats, but if I compare 8-9 years ago vs. now, the player base has exponentially increased, so naturally there is an increase in the average user talent level. However, I still believe that the average user now is worse talent wise than the average used back then. Given that there are so many more variables now to consider, it's really hard to say someone from a modern generation is better than the cream-of-the-crop DPP or ADV players. In tournaments I see today, the path to the finals goes through 1 or 2 rounds of scrubs (sorry just being honest) before getting to the real competition. Tours several years ago started with talent from round 1 all the way up. Yes you can claim that because there were less users and less rounds you had less matches to win, but the competition level both in tournaments and on the Shoddy ladder was just top notch. It's futile comparing eras and competitors, but I will always be biased to the past :).
That being said, getting new players to join Smogon is always a good thing for the site, and each gen does need its stalwarts established so you know who to go for in terms of tiering decisions / innovation / etc. As one class retires another needs to come in and take its place. Makes the prediction tournaments harder given you know less about some of the newer participants hah.
How did you enjoy WCOP this year? What have been your favourite parts of current or past WCOPs?
Still a little salty about Hydro Pump miss costing me the big game to the the Germany series vs. Fakes, but that's the game we play right :). I had a great time returning for this year's WCOP especially since most people probably wrote me off like they did for SPL as a washed up unmotivated fuck. I've been lucky to make a finals of WCOP as a member of basically a brown defect (IGSME), and although we lost and I had a shitty WCOP record-wise trying to motivate the team and brainstorm for games was adrenaline-pumping. I remember the year I played for Metro with Jabba / KG / Reachzero might have been the best year I had where we all used Jabba CHARGE (the Sub Rotom semi-stall team). Anyway, WCOP is always a fun tournament to be a part of - win or lose, you reconnect with some cool dudes and the camaraderie is solid (unless you end up on some shitty squad, you had it in your control sorry bro).
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
I'm pretty disconnected from overall Smogon but from an outside eye I'd say it's successful. The influx of new members is helping put SM on the map, the site and showdown site are as active as ever, and you're getting new contributors to progress the overall brand forward. Little tangent, but I think replays ruined competitive Pokemon. You just load up a site to scout / steal teams now which isn't competitively fair I guess. That on top of "ghosting" / skype calls to win games and sometimes the tournament scene feels like people do anything at all costs to win. I'm sure shit like that was happening during my "era", but it was certainly less profound than it is now, and I feel like people had more pride in building teams and really seeing how it stacked up vs. just recycling teams known to work. Maybe I'd consider doing something radical and changing the replay policy - I'm all for Smogon serving as a one-stop resource shop for competitive Pokemon, but there are certain things I think you should keep sacred.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
On the OU side:
Pretty basic modern DPP stall squad, get the hazards out and play it safe. No ghost cause Scarf Tyranitar eliminates the most common modern spinner in Starmie. Little Breloom weak but you can play around it. Used this most recently vs. August in past WCOP.
On the DPP UU side, I believe I was the inventor of dual-ghost stall. I don't remember the exact team, but it was something like Scarf Rotom + Spiritomb, Omastar, Chansey, Hitmontop, blanking on the last. That team dominated the ST8 UU scene (I think I played a mirror match vs. my own team one time haha). I'll link another one of my UU squads when Frosslass was allowed was below, that was for a battle of the week (poor kid got 6-0'd)...
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I'm not really the best of teambuilders to be quite honest, I end up using a lot of squads that other people make and tweak them for my own personal style. Generally since I am a stall player it's pretty easy to teambuild, there are only a handful of pokes that work on that team archetype. Recently though I've been building more around a particular mon (probably akin to how the successful builders actually get squads to work). Really a game of eliminating the counters of said poke so that it can do work.
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
Still do to this day, although I stick to ones I think I will enjoy. I signed up for OST, found out I have no time to practice, learn about the new Pokemon, and then forfeited the win. Any DPP tournaments I will probably sign up for, and assuming people want me on team tournaments I will probably be willing to play schedule willing. As much as I want to "quit" for good, it probably won't happen until I'm really heavily along in life (aka approaching marriage / kids).
So yeah, that's me in a nutshell. Any other questions you got feel free to ask.
ToF
Favourite Pokemon?
LATIOS
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
Jogging my memory here, wow. I used to frequent the GameFAQs Diamond and Pearl wifi forums where I developed quite a name for myself. Eventually things got stagnant on the forum and some of the players on GameFAQs were a big part of the forum here (one particular name that I remember that had faith I'd be great on Smogon was STRANGERDANGER). Eventually I made the move here and tried to make a name for myself on the infamous Shoddy ladder by being your standard try-hard, making acquaintances and learning the ins and outs of DP as much as possible. A bunch of GameFAQs bros (including beloved Phil and Atticus) came over also, which made the transition a little less overwhelming. Fast forward 8-9 years from the GameFAQs days and we all barely play :).
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
Probably solely for DP(P) prowess. I won Smogon Tour 13 without playing a single BW game in the regular season (I just absolutely hated what the metagame was at that point and believed I could qualify without it), and then proceeded to win the only BW game I played in the playoff. I think I only dropped a single game in the playoff to IFM (ironically losing DPP lol). Other than that, I've played in a lot of major team tourneys (WCOP / SPL) and OST where I've done pretty well, but still have yet to claim the elusive team trophy.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
Obviously DPP OU as I've covered, but I absolutely loved DPP UU back in the day. It was one of the most balanced metagames, the Pokemon choices were varied, and it was just a really fun tier to play. Once I got into ADV from tour, I also enjoy playing that from time to time due to the balanced variety as well. Tried to get into the lower tiers beyond gen 4 and just never enjoyed them as much.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
Part of my problem as a player is that I tend to repeat the use of the same Pokemon - I believe that certain mons are used more than others by design, although this does stifle creativity and can lead to bad results in tournaments if opponents counter-style correctly. Big user of Skarmory, Starmie, Blissey, Heatran, traditional fat-mons that have a lot of overall utility.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
Surprise surprise here, any of you that know me or have interacted with me know that stalling is ballin'. Certain people love blitzing opponents with heavy offense, and I'm the total opposite. I play better and am more calculated in my moves when using stall. Not only that, but I appreciate in most games stall having the ability to compensate for mistakes - glass cannon offensive teams sometimes have to play perfectly an entire game to win. Back in the day I used to be solely 1-dimensional, with stall variants being only what I brought (also this was back when replays didn't exist, so people knew less about me). In modern day DPP, I am much more varied in team choice, and although some of the skills and intuition have rusted, I enjoy playing more despite not having as much success. Never would I have led with a Scarf Breloom 7- 8 years ago lol.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
I'm not much of an inventor, I think I just used to play the game really well. Back in the day, I used to use Sub Life Orb Mamoswine which was a monster that protected against CB Scizor picking you off. When August won OST I was using a Sub Explosion Heatran as a lure against common water counters. I did have a RMT too during the Manaphy suspect test phase that used it as more of a CM offensive Suicune than the standard Cro-Phy set. Overall though, I think I just had a hand in popularizing how well stall played in the DP(P) era, no real defining creativity (I'm a finance guy we don't do creative).
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
I think the entire ST13 run I played almost unstoppably. I felt really good going into the season, it was right before I was going to "quit" and become an adult, and I had teams ready to go before the season began. The finals vs. Malekith I thought I made some great ballsy in-game predictions, and ended up being victorious. I've had some high-pressure WCOP and SPL games where getting a win would be huge for momentum, and I think I've been fairly successful. My ST8 run too where I ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs to Krack I had a great regular-season, but learned a lot about preparation as it pertains to single-match tournament games.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
It's funny, I was on the several person counsel that banned Salamence and voted for banning Latias too, and then I played roscoe today for all-stars and in 19 turns realized how fun the metagame was. Maybe I just hate Breloom and want it gone forever, but re-suspecting those two dragon GOATs would be an interesting idea (especially since we have a new player base that might disagree with the prior counsel's ruling). People have been complaining about Scald in the new generations for got knows how long, maybe we suspect that too. I don't have much insight into the newer tiers, so I will let others with more experience handle that.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
Being very honest, there are a few people that I talk to on a regular basis here. I never immersed myself fully into the community once I got over the newbie tag moving over from GFAQs. I quickly established myself as a competent battler and generally kept to myself. I was very opinionated as a young Smogon buck and might have rubbed people the wrong way with constant bitching about luck as well.
Several guys (gals?) that I enjoyed talking to when I started included Gouki, IPL (when he would actually talk), Loki, Jabba, Goofball, etc. Eventually got onto Asia and had the (mis)fortune of chatting Pokemon with the Master of Pokemon (MoP) - he is by far the best Pokemon player in history, talk to him for 15 minutes and your brain will be blown at how much he theorizes for all tiers of all gens, it's incredible. Met the blackest Smogon member Giga Punch IRL, me and him had some good talks in the day (Ernest where did you go....). Some other WCOP / SPL friends include KG (me and him probably considered ourselves "rivals" in the day, I'd say we did fairly well for our Pokecareers), Reachzero (are you also still alive)?, the Brits (Twash, Taylor), Aldaron, enz0, and Tama (we never talk anymore though =/). Shoutouts to the FAQs crew as well (Phil, Atticus, Stone, Mario).
Most of the above dudes are retired, so it's nice talking from time to time with the new cream of the crop. PDC has grown up to not be a failure, and BKC has grown up to become the Earthworm of Pokemon. I like ABR's game a lot and he's a good bro to talk to. Blarajan gets a shout here too for being tolerable (:D).
August gets a special line here, probably the dude I actually chat with most on the platform. We shoot the shit about life and mons all the time, great player and person, and I'm glad I can say I lost to the winner in your OST run.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
See above, most of the dudes are retired and I'd love to see them come back to try their hand at SM. Maybe might motivate me to try it out too :)
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in this year's OST, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
I've said this off-the-record in WCOP discord chats, but if I compare 8-9 years ago vs. now, the player base has exponentially increased, so naturally there is an increase in the average user talent level. However, I still believe that the average user now is worse talent wise than the average used back then. Given that there are so many more variables now to consider, it's really hard to say someone from a modern generation is better than the cream-of-the-crop DPP or ADV players. In tournaments I see today, the path to the finals goes through 1 or 2 rounds of scrubs (sorry just being honest) before getting to the real competition. Tours several years ago started with talent from round 1 all the way up. Yes you can claim that because there were less users and less rounds you had less matches to win, but the competition level both in tournaments and on the Shoddy ladder was just top notch. It's futile comparing eras and competitors, but I will always be biased to the past :).
That being said, getting new players to join Smogon is always a good thing for the site, and each gen does need its stalwarts established so you know who to go for in terms of tiering decisions / innovation / etc. As one class retires another needs to come in and take its place. Makes the prediction tournaments harder given you know less about some of the newer participants hah.
How did you enjoy WCOP this year? What have been your favourite parts of current or past WCOPs?
Still a little salty about Hydro Pump miss costing me the big game to the the Germany series vs. Fakes, but that's the game we play right :). I had a great time returning for this year's WCOP especially since most people probably wrote me off like they did for SPL as a washed up unmotivated fuck. I've been lucky to make a finals of WCOP as a member of basically a brown defect (IGSME), and although we lost and I had a shitty WCOP record-wise trying to motivate the team and brainstorm for games was adrenaline-pumping. I remember the year I played for Metro with Jabba / KG / Reachzero might have been the best year I had where we all used Jabba CHARGE (the Sub Rotom semi-stall team). Anyway, WCOP is always a fun tournament to be a part of - win or lose, you reconnect with some cool dudes and the camaraderie is solid (unless you end up on some shitty squad, you had it in your control sorry bro).
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
I'm pretty disconnected from overall Smogon but from an outside eye I'd say it's successful. The influx of new members is helping put SM on the map, the site and showdown site are as active as ever, and you're getting new contributors to progress the overall brand forward. Little tangent, but I think replays ruined competitive Pokemon. You just load up a site to scout / steal teams now which isn't competitively fair I guess. That on top of "ghosting" / skype calls to win games and sometimes the tournament scene feels like people do anything at all costs to win. I'm sure shit like that was happening during my "era", but it was certainly less profound than it is now, and I feel like people had more pride in building teams and really seeing how it stacked up vs. just recycling teams known to work. Maybe I'd consider doing something radical and changing the replay policy - I'm all for Smogon serving as a one-stop resource shop for competitive Pokemon, but there are certain things I think you should keep sacred.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
On the OU side:
Jirachi @ Leftovers
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 160 HP / 200 Atk / 148 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Fire Punch
- Substitute
Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Roost
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Nidoqueen @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Protect
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 160 HP / 200 Atk / 148 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Iron Head
- Body Slam
- Fire Punch
- Substitute
Blissey @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 252 Def / 4 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Seismic Toss
- Thunder Wave
Skarmory @ Shed Shell
Ability: Keen Eye
EVs: 252 HP / 164 Def / 92 Spe
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- Spikes
- Whirlwind
- Roost
Tyranitar @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Sand Stream
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Stone Edge
- Crunch
- Pursuit
- Earthquake
Nidoqueen @ Black Sludge
Ability: Poison Point
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Toxic Spikes
- Protect
- Fire Blast
- Ice Beam
Starmie @ Leftovers
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Rapid Spin
- Recover
Pretty basic modern DPP stall squad, get the hazards out and play it safe. No ghost cause Scarf Tyranitar eliminates the most common modern spinner in Starmie. Little Breloom weak but you can play around it. Used this most recently vs. August in past WCOP.
On the DPP UU side, I believe I was the inventor of dual-ghost stall. I don't remember the exact team, but it was something like Scarf Rotom + Spiritomb, Omastar, Chansey, Hitmontop, blanking on the last. That team dominated the ST8 UU scene (I think I played a mirror match vs. my own team one time haha). I'll link another one of my UU squads when Frosslass was allowed was below, that was for a battle of the week (poor kid got 6-0'd)...
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I'm not really the best of teambuilders to be quite honest, I end up using a lot of squads that other people make and tweak them for my own personal style. Generally since I am a stall player it's pretty easy to teambuild, there are only a handful of pokes that work on that team archetype. Recently though I've been building more around a particular mon (probably akin to how the successful builders actually get squads to work). Really a game of eliminating the counters of said poke so that it can do work.
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
Still do to this day, although I stick to ones I think I will enjoy. I signed up for OST, found out I have no time to practice, learn about the new Pokemon, and then forfeited the win. Any DPP tournaments I will probably sign up for, and assuming people want me on team tournaments I will probably be willing to play schedule willing. As much as I want to "quit" for good, it probably won't happen until I'm really heavily along in life (aka approaching marriage / kids).
So yeah, that's me in a nutshell. Any other questions you got feel free to ask.
Last edited:
Borat
Favourite Pokemon?
Vaporeon. Pretty straight forward. Put her on the map.
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
Probably back in 2001 or 2002. Never owned a gameboy, but always wanted to play. I tried GSBots back in the day, but didn't really pickup on the game til netbattle picked up steam back when it was hosted on TVsian (idk how that is stylized). Then eventually Blue Heaven shut down and everyone moved to Glalie's channel (I think?). That's when I became slightly more "contributing" to stuff other than the occasional post on Gamefaqs. I want to say that's where smogon started, most of the group were pretty elitist and I honestly didn't give a shit about the whole rep thing and getting accepted. I think a few older players might remember me from back then... around 2004, but not too much. I didn't vocalize my thoughts at all. Vil, pocket, goof, jabba, karrot (i forgot his previous handle), dwash aka flameout, gloxie, nitro not too many people I'd say.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
Probably GSC. I don't remember doing too many "big" tournies, but back when there was "stat tracking", I had like a 200+ game winstreak with growthvap.
Although I dabble in RBY. And I wanna say I was pretty vocal about Snorlax not being behind any of the psychics but rather a top 2/3 pokemon. It's well accepted now, but not so back then.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
Pretty straight forward answer from me. GSC, then ADV, then RBY. I think gen 2 and 3 are the closest to a chess match. And RBY is always interesting for its simplicity, and the frequency of coming back from 1-5 and winning just because RBY things.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
Snorlax.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
Varies. I get bored of stuff.
I had a thing where I kept making theme teams that were geared towards beating OU pokemon. Going by typing, colors, trainers (I think my ash team win over mr.e is pretty cool), etc etc. That exposes me to a lot of the underused stuff which gives me more perspective on the game as a whole. Like I still think growth Venusaur can cause some serious problems for a great deal of teams.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
I would say so, but a game this old it's hard to trace origin. Probably the unanimous front runner is growth vap.
Clamp explosion cloyster, mean look explosion gengar, cursedrumlax, 3 attack curse machamp, espeon. I like to think I popularized sleep talk curselax to be basically the premier all-around gsc wall as well, for better or for worse. Thunder zapdos, thunder shit in general, Hydro pump on stuff too.
The only competitive BP team in gsc with spore pass smeargle and jolteon.
Growth passing as well is sort of a thing.
In general the concept of bait-explosions.
I want to shed myself of "turbo drumming" as a thing cause i was rereading that the other day and it makes no sense. Turbo drumming is not a thing.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
Not off the top of my head. It's been way too long. The battle with bob isn't that great looking back since it doesn't feature any crazy predictions or off the wall stuff, just methodical plays. I guess in that sense, it's pretty good.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I think move bans would shake up the meta. Curse on snorlax, sleep talk on the electrics, etc. Recover off celebi.
Limit explosions imo. Explosions are somewhat ruining GSC.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
If you asked me like 10 years ago, probably Vil. Recently, Jorgen I'd say. I had a DWash and nitro phase too where I'd bounce stuff back and forth with them constantly.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
Nitro.
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in this year's OST, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
No idea what this means.
How did you enjoy WCOP this year? What have been your favourite parts of current or past WCOPs?
No idea what this means.
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
Less elitist but still very elitist. It's almost like there's free speech now. The beginnings of smogon was a shitshow.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
You would think it's that snorlax, vaporeon, zapdos, cloyster, egg, steelix team, but I wouldn't say so. I enjoy playing it, and there's an affection for what it represents, but I don't necessarily think it fits me all that well. It's a great team, and the perfect example of something that I believe to be well thought out. It's well equipped to handle just about everything, but I do think over the years it's become less and less effective. A big reason for that is that everyone knows it inside and out at this point, but who knows. It was always susceptible to certain things [other than luck which beats everything] like Tentacruel.
I enjoy playing more off the cuff stuff. I think my favorite team to play was the UU team I made way back when that was geared towards playing OUs. I believe it was magneton, victreebel, dodrio, sandslash, feraligatr, and quag/clefable.
Pokemon wise, I really enjoy Vaporeon still. And espeon. And Tentacruel. I think tenta is a 10/10 for cool factor if you can sweep with it. Nidoking and muk.
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
Probably not. Just bought a house so I owe citibank like $600k. Will probably attend to real life things more and more from here on out.
Poor borat doesn't get a title change :'(
Earthworm
Favourite Pokemon?
Espeon
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
I found a mention of netbattle on the GameFAQs forums so I downloaded it and played a lot of RSE. I used to copy people's sets or teams that I lost to and eventually got better. I joined Smogon when a friend suggested it. I then had a hiatus for other games and came back when DPP and Shoddy Battle came out. At that point I became known as Earthworm and really got heavily into Smogon.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
I was known for DP and DPP because that's when I was most involved with Smogon. Nowadays, while lots of people know I was good at DPP, I guess I'm more well known for GSC tiers because I enjoy them more.
My greatest achievement is probably my tiebreaker record in team tournaments, and number of tournaments won in general, which was the highest until McMeghan overtook me a few years ago. I also won a smogon tour.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
I like RBY, GSC, and RSE the most because there are fewer Pokemon that can't be reliably answered at least temporarily, and because more emphasis is on the gameplay rather than teambuilding compared to newer generations. There also tends to be more room for making clever plays.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
I just pretty much use the standard Pokemon in each tier... I like Gengar in RSE, Snorlax in RBY and GSC...
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
I like using teams with flexibility to make plays and frequent switches. I tend to prefer defensive teams over offensive teams but I decide based on opponent.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
I probably contributed to a bunch of DPP trends, like Clefable stall and other kinds of stall, although usually I wasn't the first to use those Pokemon. In fact, I probably got the idea from someone else directly.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
I guess tiebreakers and the finals of more interesting tournaments like the Reverse Tournament and the tournament where you make your opponent's team then try to lose. I might get back to you with logs...
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
Maybe to DPP, like fixing evasion clause. Nothing else I can think of.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
I look up to and respect plenty of players, and not only those I list below.
Overall
McMeghan, BKC, and babidi1998 come to mind the most for great talent in all aspects of the game, but also players like Ojama and -Tsunami- for consistency and achievements. Some older players like Gouki, husk, Loki, MoP, and Veteran In Love also particularly stand out as being consistent across multiple generations and showing a lot of building and playing talent.
In gens 1/2 which I focus most on these days, I most respect Lusch/Peasounay/marcoasd/Tiba in RBY and Conflict/Jorgen in GSC. I also respect Borat for his guides and knowledge on certain topics as well as for inspiring plenty of people with those, but he should probably risk his reputation a bit and play tournaments more rather than just laddering.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
As this ties into the last question, I was most close to Gouki for a long time. Various things led him to commit to permanently leaving but I guess I wish he'd come back.
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in this year's OST, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
To be honest I don't remember who won OST. Also, it's 2017 so no one has won OST this year. There are always underrated players but as I don't follow new gens much I don't know who is underrated, or how anyone is rated in general, aside from I think most people rate ABR highly. I'm also unsure who this question is referring to in general.
How did you enjoy WCOP this year? What have been your favourite parts of current or past WCOPs?
I didn't play. My favourite parts were being part of DPP Oceania for the three years we won. We had a tight knit squad with a lot of talent.
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
Needs more doubles. Pretty good apart from that.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
I guess my Hippo/Gyara/Forret/Bliss/Rotom/Heatran DPP team, and more recently my Tyranitar/Clefable/Bronzong/Magnezone/Celebi/Gliscor teams.
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I just find a synergy I like and throw stuff on it until it sticks. I also tend to try to put something unusual on my teams if it is reasonable to do so, usually a moveset.
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
Maybe. I gotta overtake Bloo in number of tournaments won at least.
Favourite Pokemon?
It's always been Blaziken and Scyther but I feel like I'm beyond having a favourite one at this age.
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
I sort of searched online Pokemon on a whim once when I was 15 years old because I was bored and then 10 years later here we are.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
Probably DPP and ADV UU, NU, and LC in both (except for adv LC fuck that meta). I also play ADV OU a fair amount. I handily beat starmaster and haxed 5 other people in RoAPL.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
DPP UU is probably the most balanced metagame. There are a few standard Pokemon that are strong but quite manageable still. With the exception of hail, it's a really fair metagame that gives all playstyles and strategies a fair shot.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
I try not to overuse any particular Pokemon.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
Somewhere in between balance and offense.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
For better or for worse I believe I've undoubtedly popularized Blaziken in UU, specifically mixed slow Blaziken which has been called "HeYsUpKeN" . Probably lots of other stuff in DPP LC and ADV NU but who gives a shit about those tbqh, nothing quite as (in)famous as the aforementioned Blaziken.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
Not off the top of my head. As lots of people can attest to, many of my games are either me blowing someone up or I get blown up myself.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I think removing hail in DPP UU is the most reasonable thing to ask for. Kangaskhan should at least be looked at in ADV UU, but otherwise I think the rest of the tiers are fairly balanced.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
I don't know really, I've been playing for so long that it's hard to really point anyone out. I've always admired ew and djd for different reasons, but eric the espeon was probably the person I looked up to most.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
ete ofc.
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
Yea I think Kushalos is one of the best at learning and mastering a tier in a short amount of time. He learned DPP UU and XY/SM LC basically overnight and become quite good at those.
How did you enjoy the most recent Premier Leagues? What have been your favourite parts of those tournaments?
I always look forward to UUPL and LCPL since I can play DPP UU and LC and ADV UU in these tours and they are my favorite metas. I had a fun crew for UUPL and look forward to dominating lcpl. RoAPL we had a great team but like...apparently there's more to team tours than that.
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
It's good. The tournament scene has gotten a lot better I think but it's got a long way to go before the cliquey attitude becomes tolerable.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
I usually like playing teams that let me make bold plays. I like being the guy with the Pokemon that can 2HKO the entire opponents team with the right prediction.
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I usually pick something that I feel has a specific type of counter and then focus on removing or biasing the team against those Pokemon.
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
For now, yes. I begin my adult forever job in about 3 weeks so we will see how much I can really be involved in this. I'll hopefully still be able to participate but if I need to cut something for time it will probably be this. The reason I've played mons so long is that it only takes as much time as you want it to, so I hope I'll still be here in a few years.
Your thoughts on the fact that the Gen 4 damage formula hasn't been implemented for a while now, and how that impacts DPP LC? (Note, see: http://www.smogon.com/forums/thread...e-the-outcome-of-a-game.3603259/#post-7347664)
haha my answer to this question is kind of embarrassing that I've never noticed. I guess I've never tried to Aqua Jet a Gligar in the Sun with LO Carvahna. I'm just glad I know it's messed up now.
It's always been Blaziken and Scyther but I feel like I'm beyond having a favourite one at this age.
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
I sort of searched online Pokemon on a whim once when I was 15 years old because I was bored and then 10 years later here we are.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
Probably DPP and ADV UU, NU, and LC in both (except for adv LC fuck that meta). I also play ADV OU a fair amount. I handily beat starmaster and haxed 5 other people in RoAPL.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
DPP UU is probably the most balanced metagame. There are a few standard Pokemon that are strong but quite manageable still. With the exception of hail, it's a really fair metagame that gives all playstyles and strategies a fair shot.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
I try not to overuse any particular Pokemon.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
Somewhere in between balance and offense.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
For better or for worse I believe I've undoubtedly popularized Blaziken in UU, specifically mixed slow Blaziken which has been called "HeYsUpKeN" . Probably lots of other stuff in DPP LC and ADV NU but who gives a shit about those tbqh, nothing quite as (in)famous as the aforementioned Blaziken.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
Not off the top of my head. As lots of people can attest to, many of my games are either me blowing someone up or I get blown up myself.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I think removing hail in DPP UU is the most reasonable thing to ask for. Kangaskhan should at least be looked at in ADV UU, but otherwise I think the rest of the tiers are fairly balanced.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
I don't know really, I've been playing for so long that it's hard to really point anyone out. I've always admired ew and djd for different reasons, but eric the espeon was probably the person I looked up to most.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
ete ofc.
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
Yea I think Kushalos is one of the best at learning and mastering a tier in a short amount of time. He learned DPP UU and XY/SM LC basically overnight and become quite good at those.
How did you enjoy the most recent Premier Leagues? What have been your favourite parts of those tournaments?
I always look forward to UUPL and LCPL since I can play DPP UU and LC and ADV UU in these tours and they are my favorite metas. I had a fun crew for UUPL and look forward to dominating lcpl. RoAPL we had a great team but like...apparently there's more to team tours than that.
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
It's good. The tournament scene has gotten a lot better I think but it's got a long way to go before the cliquey attitude becomes tolerable.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
I usually like playing teams that let me make bold plays. I like being the guy with the Pokemon that can 2HKO the entire opponents team with the right prediction.
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I usually pick something that I feel has a specific type of counter and then focus on removing or biasing the team against those Pokemon.
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
For now, yes. I begin my adult forever job in about 3 weeks so we will see how much I can really be involved in this. I'll hopefully still be able to participate but if I need to cut something for time it will probably be this. The reason I've played mons so long is that it only takes as much time as you want it to, so I hope I'll still be here in a few years.
Your thoughts on the fact that the Gen 4 damage formula hasn't been implemented for a while now, and how that impacts DPP LC? (Note, see: http://www.smogon.com/forums/thread...e-the-outcome-of-a-game.3603259/#post-7347664)
haha my answer to this question is kind of embarrassing that I've never noticed. I guess I've never tried to Aqua Jet a Gligar in the Sun with LO Carvahna. I'm just glad I know it's messed up now.
Favourite Pokemon?
salamence
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
i actually started off on GameSPOT when gen 4 came out in 2007 when i was 13 years one. i was breeding a lot of pkmn and also playing WiFi battles. i had always seen one of the guys (named STABW0UND) reference neoseeker and so i joined there. there they were strangely elitist and made a lot of references to serebii and smogon, both of which i decided to join. one day i learned about shoddy battle when i was browsing smogon and realized that i could get all of the fun of battling and modifying teams etc w/o having to worry about breeding for perfect IVs and hidden powers and i never looked back
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
im definitely most known for dpp ou and bw2 ru.
i won the 5th official smogon tournament in the early-ish stages of dpp (couple months after platinum was released) and have combined for almost 30 wins in dpp between spl/wcop including winning 3 WCOPs with US east
in bw2 ru i was on the council and had an spl where i went 8-2. also build arguably one of the best bw2 ru stall teams (theres a rmt somewhere but it was p infamous and used a lot in grand slam a few years ago)
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
i like dpp because its truly unlike any other tier. the first tier with stealth rock but no team preview. you can truly play any style that you want and the lack of team preview allows you to create endgames and strategies that will be a surprise to your opponent. its a double edged sword tho tbh, because your opponent can do the exact same thing. its a thinking mans tier. you can also more feasibly build around surprise sets / mons and just aim to will be executing your plan better than your opponent.
gsc is another one that i really like. often times in more fast paced metas like dpp you can make a misprediction that costs you the game, but in GSC since it seems that nothing ever really gets OHKOd you can afford to play a little more aggressively without completely messing up your chances to win. i also love the fact (lol) that games move so slowly, because it requires you to keep your mind sharp and be prepared for a change in pace at any point.
adv is really a beautiful tier but i never quite got good enough at it to really love it as much as some other people.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
in dpp i really love crobat. he's one of the best loom counters in the game and can be a really great end game win condition when he's on the right team. sadly he's not always the easiest to fit on teams.
heatran is another really great mon in dpp and he's so versatile and punishing. he has so many viable sets: sr passho/shuca/chople, specs, scarf, spdef, taunt, magma storm trapper, resist berry 4 atks, custap. he's the kind of mon you can fit on almost any team and tailor the set to what u specifically want him to achieve for your team.
before he got banned i was a huge salamence guy.. i used him on pretty much any team that i touched that wasnt full stall. mixmence was an offensive powerhouse and he was bar none the most punishing to really any switch in. combine that with decent defenses, intimidate, roost and a great speed tier and you have a mon so dangerous that the ban was unavoidable... never forget
bw ru i was notorious lover of alomomola, sigilyph, and druddigon and the use of suicide spikers. i also used my steelix / cryogonal / clefable / spiritomb / mola / roselia team an unhealthy amount during the entirety of its existence. towards the end of bw2 i really liked spikes + tspikes scolipede as a suicide lead and was known for using a lot of strong low usage mons (cb buffalo, lo tauros, piloswine).
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
in dpp ou i used to live and die by hard offense. mixmence, 4 atk lo starmie, explosion metagross, lo tran, inferape etc. as the metagame shifted over the years, i also shifted. i learned how to play stall pretty well a couple years after i won the OST and became a more diverse player overall. for a while i played a little too much stall and became a little frustrated at how the meta was beginning to shift and sort of edge out the classic ipl style bliss / forret / gyara / rotom-h stalls. i left the game around this time and came back to a much less stagnant meta that was basically being run by breloom. now i enjoy playing all sorts of styles ranging from hard offense to spike stacking to very specialized teams to stall.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
back in the day i popularized the sub 3 atk machamp with dawnbringer and showed how destructive mixed salamence could be by using it on pretty much every team. i also used LO Tran a lot as a stallbreaking tool and just punishing guys like swampert.
more recently i had a couple things. i reminded people that timid offensive milotic could be a massive threat to offensive teams and defensive teams alike. i used to use roserade a lot too, including an all out suicide spiker lead set w/o sleep powder. i had a medicham fetish for a bit but no one besides me every really used him lol. probably the first to use healing wish scarf shaymin too
some of my innovation actually came in dpp ubers i think. jibaku cites me in his VULCAN FURY rmt as the guy who popularized sr/spikes deoxys e + hp fire mix giratina-o. am and i also built a p nasty heatran ubers team that ended up becoming the basis for the vulcan fury team itself
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
2015 spl semi finals vs tvrocka:
link
2015 wcop finals vs pokebasket:
link
2014 wcop finals vs hantsuki:
link
had some real bad luck here but managed to make it close somehow
2016 wcop qualifiers vs honor:
http://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/smogtours-gen4ou-170066
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
i think that they really need to take a chance and look at breloom and sr in dpp but im not sure if anything would really come of it. stealth rock keeps a lot of really good mons like gyara / dnite in check and breloom keeps stall from just sitting around and being a huge pain.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
i learned a ton from watching a lot of the old ladder powerhouses play. i used to watch earthworm, gouki, ToF, mind, .BARIS., ipl, goofball, dormin, am etc ladder and i learned so much from just sitting and watching them play.
i owe learning how to play stall to ToF and Jabba, no surprise there I guess. i learned how to play offense from a guy named Galien who took me under his wing after playing me on the ladder a few times right before platinum came out.
over the years i learned a lot of stuff from other players too like Ojama, Taylor, KG, panamaxis, jlei, Loki, ATTICUS, masterclass, undisputed (particularly in adv), yond, stone_cold, HECTORtu, bam_ur_dead, Pride, blightbringer, shake, bro_fist, reyscarface, husk and many more
some players i look up to now:
dpp: heist, phil7086, BKC, tamahome, osgoode, ToF, liberty32, TVRocka
adv: astamatitos, dekzeh, ojama, jabba, undis
gsc: bkc, jorgen, Fear, ifm, tiba
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
yea id love to get a chance to talk to a lot of the guys i looked up to as i was learning how to play. id love a real chance to apologize to Gouki about ST5 now that its so far in the past.
i'd also like to find and thank dormin, that dude was usin scarf ttar in like 2008 and was one of the most solid ladder players that never really ventured into the tournament scene
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
osgoode is criminally underrated in dpp. guy builds ridiculously solid teams and executes his plan so well in the battle.
mael is another really great dpp player that is super diverse in the tiers that he plays
a lot of the young guys deserve a ton of credit too. guys like abr and blunder are the future of smogon and the ease that they churn out beautiful teams is a testament to that.
also good to see guys like reyscarface, tama, bkc, and philip7086 (to name a few) make such great runs in spl and show everyone that theyve still got it
How did you enjoy the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc? What have been your favourite parts of those tournaments?
i regret a few things from this past spl/wcop. i had a pretty bad record. i think that i should have brought a different team vs phil in wcop and prepared more. i also regret not fire blasting tamas magnezone with my dragonite in spl. my favorite parts of team tours are always just watching your teammates play, its always awesome to watch your teammate make a huge double or prediction to get momentum. also just hanging out on discord with all of the old (BAN ME PLEASE) like yondie bkc and stone_cold is pretty fun cause we reminisce on the ridiculous teams we used to use and also build and test really strange looking teams just trying to re invent the 10 y/o metagame
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
its a lot different than the smogon that i joined 10 years ago. the playerbase is sooo much bigger and the average skill level is definitely a lot higher. back when smogon was young you would run into the same people in tournaments constantly, idk how many times ive played ToF in tours... its a bit less personal now i guess but i guess thats what happens when youre the amazon of the competitive pkmn community
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
i have a few crobat teams that ive always been really comfortable with even though dave hates them xD i think that in my younger years the azelf / mixmence / tran / metagross / flygon / machamp team was definitely the team that fit me best. after i called down and hit puberty i used to use forret / tar / bliss / rotom-h / gyara / swampert and that team fit me pretty well too. i have a few tricks up my sleeve still that fit me well as a player but i dont think ill reveal them atm xP
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
i kinda just take an idea or core and then think of what mons support them and build from there. a lot of dpp is about team synergy so you can sacrifice being weaker to a few threats in order to have a team that really works linearly towards the end goal
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
ill probably come around and play in random tournaments for years to come until i get my life together and start having to be a real adult
august, I think that not only children but adults too should play. Sometimes it just feels good. ;)
Btw look what I found (2013 RUPL):
https://pastebin.com/eHcjWtgf
https://pastebin.com/eHcjWtgf
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The Quasar i agree man, everyone needs some mons in their life x) and dam im salty af in that log but i recognize the team i used haha. scarf walrein team that i used vs mcmeghan in spl
Mael hmmm i really like the team tama used vs me in spl (dd king + mag), as well as the team phil used vs you (u turn), the team osgoode used vs tof (tspikes offense). i also love the team shake used in wcop playoffs vs xray. hmmm i think for the most part dpp is pretty farmed out. theres mons that should get some more use that dont, like specs tran. i think gallade could be pretty cool cause vs slower teams he's like a stronger lucario with some special bulk heh. slowbro and slowking are pretty underrated too and they check a lot of threats (slowking can take mixape / tran / mixnite and still be solid vs machamp and gyara) but the pursuit weak is :(
Mael hmmm i really like the team tama used vs me in spl (dd king + mag), as well as the team phil used vs you (u turn), the team osgoode used vs tof (tspikes offense). i also love the team shake used in wcop playoffs vs xray. hmmm i think for the most part dpp is pretty farmed out. theres mons that should get some more use that dont, like specs tran. i think gallade could be pretty cool cause vs slower teams he's like a stronger lucario with some special bulk heh. slowbro and slowking are pretty underrated too and they check a lot of threats (slowking can take mixape / tran / mixnite and still be solid vs machamp and gyara) but the pursuit weak is :(
Favourite Pokemon?
- Has to be Gengar. what else is more dangerous across *ALL* the generations? with a cheesy grin to boot
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
- I was trying to not get owned anymore in link battles with friends so i took to Google and typed in "how to get level 100 pokemon". The rest was history
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
- ADV I think? this is an awkward question to answer from my POV lol
Re: achievements, personally i would say making it as far in playoffs as i did in my two most recent OLT runs as thats one tourney I always pour lots of effort into. matter of fact it became my favorite major tournament ever since its first iteration
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
- ADV UU: well-balanced tier with an abundance of strong pkmn and cool ideas to toss around. lends itself well to creativity in team building if you have an appreciation for that sort of thing. ( I do)
- ORAS OU: has a plethora of Big, Strong pokemon with natural encouragement for FAST, EXPLOSIVE playstyles. whats not to love? also provides room for more balanced styles if you ever choose to mix it up which is a nice bonus
- BW OU: is also low-key one of my favorites i just didnt get to explore this tier as much
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
GSC UU: DODRIO
GSC OU: CHARIZARD, Eggy, Marowak.
ADV UU: Scyther,, Kangaskhan (obv), Omastar, Walrein;
ADV OU: Curse Registeel, HERACROSS, T-Tar, GENGAR, META
fk bro i played lots of tiers i will just skip to favorite mentions
BW OU: VOLC, KELDEO, Thund-T, Exca, TERRAKION; WEAVILE! kyu-b...
ORAS OU: MEGA HERACROSS. MEGA METAGROSS. F*CK. im bout to go off:
Excadrill, STARAPTOR, MEGA-SWAMPERT, Lucario, Torn-T. MEGA PINSIR. ZARD-X LOL F*CK.
BISHARP. AZUMARILL. MEGA MEDICHAM. MEGA GARDEVOIR. ORAS OU GIVES ME A STIFF P*NIS. Next question...
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
HYPER....AGGRESSIVE.....OFFENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nothing feels as great..
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
- yea but i dont rly care to discuss that
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
- none. the closest thing to an old-gen change ive given thought to is a Snorlax-less GSC. but even that was just a thought
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person?
from the current user/playbase?
As a user I respect Ciele, Earthworm, reachzero, Tokyo Tom, Jorgen, Oglemi, Tony, Hogg, McMeghan, teal, Isa and Eo (noob).
As a battler I enjoy a lot of different traits/overall style about a lot of people's take/philosophy on the game, be it tier-specific or otherwise.
i enjoy these dudes building/playing overall, but these are all off-the-top things that stick out to me as "player-specific trait that i enjoy":
Earthworm: i appreciate this dude's (robot's?) overall introspective analysis of the game. from team building prep all the way to landing the final blow for a W, worms moves are seemingly almost always calculated down to the T. pair this with the aptitude to quickly adapt to and study his opponents and you have a ruthless pkmn playing animal (GOAT?!) with Very Little Regard for Human Life.
McMeghan: i enjoy watching McMeghan in big tour games as he's never afraid to make the money plays that changes games motivated by guts/read off the opponent as opposed to "calculated odds" (that are often futile in similar contexts). you cant rly teach that sh*t
Heist: flavorful teambuilding that punishes routine players/teams mercilessly. thats a 2-for-1 meal right there
BKC: similar to Heist but chicken relies on his deeper-than-average fundamental understanding of the game to punish routine players/styles/teams. Fun to watch opponents that do not adapt easily to turning tides get crushed on autopilot by this KOZA
Ojama: same as BKC with a little bit more tricks in the bag
aim: same with BKC but not as prone to in-game tilting (from MY analysis)
FlamingVictini (in ORAS/SM OU): very impressive turn-by-turn planning. it is a sight to see this man orchestrate a game-plan to perfection. for a direct example see his snake game vs NJNP (or just check out his youtube)
marcoasd: i respect this man's rby game a ton. rly knows his shit. big fan
Specific tiers/traits:
xtra$hine: fun powerful teams paired with massive donkey balls. very entertaining watch
blightbringer: patient. a delight to watch in hazard games where every turn is crucial
hogg/ict: their adv uu game is a very entertaining watch, both team and playing-wise
ThatsSoPeachy: if you want to see a pkmn spectacle full of flavorful :fire_emoji: sets and SICK plays, look no further.
Luck > Skill: kinda like a diet Peachy in BW
robopoke: big fan of this dude's teambuilding
Which players are you close friends with?
i dont rly have any "close friends" on here anymore like i did back in the days but i talk a lot with dudes like BKC, danilo, Heist, am, Fiction., blight, badabing, and Finding True Love.
How did you enjoy the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/Premier Leagues/etc? What have been your favourite parts of those tournaments?
WCOP was cool, not as enjoyable as it couldve been though
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
Ah. In a word? disappointed, as I think the community has a lot of growth potential but is just not being led as it is supposed to be.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
HYPER....AGGRESSIVE.....OFFENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! teams
And finally, what made you decide it was time to finally pull the plug?
Quite frankly, I'm not enjoying the community aspect of Smogon anymore and that was wone of my biggest driving factors for competing at the highest level. The maturity level has sunk a bit on average which I guess became a bit unbearable over time. Everyone is salty and still plays this "sh*tty ass game" despite seemingly not enjoying it anymore (????). Crab in a barrel mentality.
Like competing and trying to be the best no longer has as much meaning for me when i sit and think about what and who im going up against. And this shit just all randomly hit me too like "bro, why are you still here?"
Plus a lot of major positive developments are going on IRL so i guess its just perfect timing with regards to reallotting my time and energy better.
So yeah, no shade or anything of course, just stating it like it is.
And like I said im open to specific questions until that window is closed (due to interview rules) or I'm done with the 2 tours im currently playing (Smogon Superstars and Battle City).
I plan to X Smogon cold turkey once those are done as I have nothing to stick around for rly and dudes that I talk to regularly can hit me up on my discord as I still use it for non-mons related sh*t.
but yeah, thats it fellas. been a nice solid run. shoutouts to everyone dropping kind words. stay up.
and for the highlight moment of my career you can ALWAYS click the link in my sig. heh
pce
Gonna ask Floppy a question, since now or never:
You like balls-to-the-wall hyper offense, so why hadn't you ever given DPP LC, one of the most offensive tiers on Smogon, a try? From what I asked you on Discord, you didn't play DPP LC, which seems a bit odd for someone as offensively minded as you.
You like balls-to-the-wall hyper offense, so why hadn't you ever given DPP LC, one of the most offensive tiers on Smogon, a try? From what I asked you on Discord, you didn't play DPP LC, which seems a bit odd for someone as offensively minded as you.
The same reason I didn't give any other LC tiers a try -- the strongest, most competitive players on the site didnt play it and/or play it seriously.
That I've used/built or see others use/build? For the former, it has to be my "CeleZapWak" team in ADV OU past bean. very fun, momentum-building team that has consistently snatched up W's for me over the years
https://pastebin.com/aiXp4TRD - this one, for the same reason i chose my ADV squad
sure did man, was always a pleasure. and yah of course the donker lives on,,, there are other noobs to crush on the internet outside of Smogon ;)
GG br0, same.
and with that comes the conclusion of it all folks. GG, tfp
PM me if you want to be interviewed for this.
Favourite Pokemon?
Infernape. It is a fire type, fast and looks cool!
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
Got into the youtube pokemon scene (watching marriland in 2007) so attempted to battle on wifi and eventually got good somehow, around 2008 a friend (zak91) introduced me to smogon and i got hooked from there. I use to get thrashed ont he shoddy ladder but eventually when BW finally came out I went from being a runt to being one of the best player overnight and dominated the ladder for a long time.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
I have 0 achievements in all honesty. I have self sabotaged myself more times than I can remember and I do regret alot the stunts I pulled in the past. Having said that, i am pretty sure I have shown that I am amongst the best DPPers of today and have one of the best inside knowledge of the metagame. I won a few smogon tours in dpp ou and also lost a few semis on purpose to help people make it to top 16 lol but thats all in the past.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
DPP OU - A very balanced metagame and honestly I really like making new teams and inventing new sets to shake up the current metagame. I started with this gen so its both natural and surprising that I still play it about 10 years after lol.
BW UU - Probably more enjoyable than even dpp ou. Shame no-one plays it - I use to play RT. and Pyschotic but after we made that plan to get them 2 banned I have no-one to really play on at a high level. Anyone reading this should try it, Victini is so not as centralizing as noobs make it out to be lol.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
Band Infernape
Mix Jirachi
SD Scizor
Passho Ttar
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
I enjoy using bulky offense consisting of at least one banded Pokemon. SD Scizor has been a new craze of mine and I include him in every new team I make. I found another team recently that I barely remember making but it is apparently incredibly good so I guess I might start going back to TSpikes stall again.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
Choice Band Infernape - It wasn't easy at first but I managed to get this beast on the map and now it is pretty much a staple on offensive teams and all teams prepare for this menace.
Offensive Dusknoir - Beast inc.
Dual Screen offense in BW - I made ths at the very beginning of BW 1, got to no.1 of the leaderboard with ease and then posted the RMT to which my good friend Bloo deleted it saying it was too OP chuckle. If any admin is reading this, is it still recoverable????
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
My best of 13 against Babidi in which he won 7-6 has to be the most memorable series of battles I've ever had. I recall the last game coming down to his Kabutops critting my Celebi in the 2nd last turn which would have either been a super close game as we were 2-2. Playing people of his caliber brings out the best out of anyone and I feel that I was alot better back then where I use to spar him, tamahome and fakes etc regularly.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I think DPP OU is fine the way it is and I don't agree with bringing in Latias into the tier. If you ask yourself what needs more checks in dpp, it would perhaps be Jirachi?? Latias doesn't solve that problem, in fact it does the reverse.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
I'd like to think of the people I am closest to as: Babidi1998, Badabing, Blightbringer, Smurfer, Sweepage, xtra and BKC. They all are amazing people and I've known most of them for ages (me and xtra had our 10 yr anniversary not long ago xD)
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
Babidi1998 is the one and ONLY player i want to see back; he is amazing to see in dpp ou and I will never changed my opinion that he is the best dpper of all time. Zak91 is also a massive inspiration for me.
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
I enjoy the diversity of the tournament scene now and honestly its good to see players from all different backgrounds gain recognition. I feel that Eden Embrace is very underrated; he is a very humble and friendly individual and I honestly hope he becomes the next Earthworm. I think despite Empo getting bought for spl and being part of major tours, he still isnt as valued as he should be and I think the italian mafia in general are just crazy good players, you got the RBY mob and theyre pretty solid in DPP as well with that demon called Honor (a very good friend).
How did you enjoy the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc? What have been your favourite parts of those tournaments?
Unfortunately I do not partake in many tournaments anymore but watching beasts like Roscoe1337 and Nightfox go at it, it reminds me how Pokemon is amazing at times. I think there has been a shortage of DPP mains recently and I hope that alot more stars rise in the near future. Tof showed that old is gold and still managed to own a few peeps so thats nice.
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
The same as ever to be honest.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
In DPP OU, I have become one with Dusknoir and it has become my new mascot, sorry Infernape :(
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I always start with a sweeper, its very easy and less time consuming this way. If you have decent knowledge of the metagame, you can identify what Pokemon stop the sweeper and also what needs to be weakened and use one or two lures for them which at the same time act as wall breakers (Band Gyara, mix rachi, Band Tttar, Guts Machamp etc...).
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
I am hoping to play for team UK in this wcop (probably DPP OU but who knows if BW OU might tempt me) and hopefully really work hard to win the classic this year!
Infernape. It is a fire type, fast and looks cool!
How did you get involved into competitive Pokemon?
Got into the youtube pokemon scene (watching marriland in 2007) so attempted to battle on wifi and eventually got good somehow, around 2008 a friend (zak91) introduced me to smogon and i got hooked from there. I use to get thrashed ont he shoddy ladder but eventually when BW finally came out I went from being a runt to being one of the best player overnight and dominated the ladder for a long time.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
I have 0 achievements in all honesty. I have self sabotaged myself more times than I can remember and I do regret alot the stunts I pulled in the past. Having said that, i am pretty sure I have shown that I am amongst the best DPPers of today and have one of the best inside knowledge of the metagame. I won a few smogon tours in dpp ou and also lost a few semis on purpose to help people make it to top 16 lol but thats all in the past.
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
DPP OU - A very balanced metagame and honestly I really like making new teams and inventing new sets to shake up the current metagame. I started with this gen so its both natural and surprising that I still play it about 10 years after lol.
BW UU - Probably more enjoyable than even dpp ou. Shame no-one plays it - I use to play RT. and Pyschotic but after we made that plan to get them 2 banned I have no-one to really play on at a high level. Anyone reading this should try it, Victini is so not as centralizing as noobs make it out to be lol.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
Band Infernape
Mix Jirachi
SD Scizor
Passho Ttar
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
I enjoy using bulky offense consisting of at least one banded Pokemon. SD Scizor has been a new craze of mine and I include him in every new team I make. I found another team recently that I barely remember making but it is apparently incredibly good so I guess I might start going back to TSpikes stall again.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularised any sets throughout your time playing?
Choice Band Infernape - It wasn't easy at first but I managed to get this beast on the map and now it is pretty much a staple on offensive teams and all teams prepare for this menace.
Offensive Dusknoir - Beast inc.
Dual Screen offense in BW - I made ths at the very beginning of BW 1, got to no.1 of the leaderboard with ease and then posted the RMT to which my good friend Bloo deleted it saying it was too OP chuckle. If any admin is reading this, is it still recoverable????
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
My best of 13 against Babidi in which he won 7-6 has to be the most memorable series of battles I've ever had. I recall the last game coming down to his Kabutops critting my Celebi in the 2nd last turn which would have either been a super close game as we were 2-2. Playing people of his caliber brings out the best out of anyone and I feel that I was alot better back then where I use to spar him, tamahome and fakes etc regularly.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I think DPP OU is fine the way it is and I don't agree with bringing in Latias into the tier. If you ask yourself what needs more checks in dpp, it would perhaps be Jirachi?? Latias doesn't solve that problem, in fact it does the reverse.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
I'd like to think of the people I am closest to as: Babidi1998, Badabing, Blightbringer, Smurfer, Sweepage, xtra and BKC. They all are amazing people and I've known most of them for ages (me and xtra had our 10 yr anniversary not long ago xD)
Are there any old players who you wish would come back, either to play again or just to talk to?
Babidi1998 is the one and ONLY player i want to see back; he is amazing to see in dpp ou and I will never changed my opinion that he is the best dpper of all time. Zak91 is also a massive inspiration for me.
How do you feel about the comparatively larger successes of newer players recently, for example, in the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc, and are there any players that you think are underrated?
I enjoy the diversity of the tournament scene now and honestly its good to see players from all different backgrounds gain recognition. I feel that Eden Embrace is very underrated; he is a very humble and friendly individual and I honestly hope he becomes the next Earthworm. I think despite Empo getting bought for spl and being part of major tours, he still isnt as valued as he should be and I think the italian mafia in general are just crazy good players, you got the RBY mob and theyre pretty solid in DPP as well with that demon called Honor (a very good friend).
How did you enjoy the most recent SPL/OST/WCOP/etc? What have been your favourite parts of those tournaments?
Unfortunately I do not partake in many tournaments anymore but watching beasts like Roscoe1337 and Nightfox go at it, it reminds me how Pokemon is amazing at times. I think there has been a shortage of DPP mains recently and I hope that alot more stars rise in the near future. Tof showed that old is gold and still managed to own a few peeps so thats nice.
How do you feel about Smogon as a whole right now?
The same as ever to be honest.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
In DPP OU, I have become one with Dusknoir and it has become my new mascot, sorry Infernape :(
What is your teambuilding philosophy/teambuilding method? How do you build your teams?
I always start with a sweeper, its very easy and less time consuming this way. If you have decent knowledge of the metagame, you can identify what Pokemon stop the sweeper and also what needs to be weakened and use one or two lures for them which at the same time act as wall breakers (Band Gyara, mix rachi, Band Tttar, Guts Machamp etc...).
Are you still going to continue playing in tournaments?
I am hoping to play for team UK in this wcop (probably DPP OU but who knows if BW OU might tempt me) and hopefully really work hard to win the classic this year!
Jeff recently resurfaced under the name The Grand Babido ... the dude is lurking for sure. Wcop?
Yeah he finna join for sure
UD
How did you get involved with competitive Pokemon?
This requires a much longer answer than I can offer at this time, but I will try to give the tl;dr version.
Back in 2005 or 2006, I was hanging out with a buddy of mine who told me that there was a competitive version of Pokemon and it was played online with other people from around the world. I was a huge fan of the series, but I had only ever played the handheld games to this point (Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald was the current generation at the time), so I was very intrigued and I asked him to show me sometime. So one night he loaded up NetBattle on his computer and challenged various people with his Medicham + BP Jolteon team - a true NetBattle specialty. I had a blast just watching the different strategies unfold. As you all know, competitive Mons is nothing like in-game, so this was a real eye-opener for me. I mean, he didn't even have Strength on a single Mon - what gives?
After watching him play for a while, I decided to try my hand at the game too. So as soon as I got home, I downloaded the program and fired up the teambuilder. I had no idea what I was doing. My first teams looked about like what your average low ladder team does today. Lots of Mantines and Hitmonlees. I still had a lot of fun and eventually learned enough to become decent at the game.
The NetBattle era was dominated by clans, and so I found a home in the Majesty clan. My IRL friend was a member as well, along with noted ADV legend, and one of my oldest friends in the game, JabbaTheGriffin . Some other great friends from back then were guys like vapicuno , JRRrrrrrrr, D4D, Tom Jane, Avaricious, Legendary Curt, and of course our leader Mystica.
My time on NetBattle ended around 2007 to 2008, right when DPP was being released. I went off for college the following year and didn't return until Spring of 2016, when I was in the midst of an endless Internet browsing session and I opened up www.smogon.com/forums/ for the first time in at least 8 years. I saw the link to Pokemon Showdown right there on the front page, fired it up, and played my first games of Pokemon since 2008. The rest, as they say, is history.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
Well this one is much easier to answer than the previous question. Pretty much everyone knows me as an ADV Main. That will likely never change. I've been around for three years now and played more or less nonstop since then, in tournaments across all three major Pokemon sites. My greatest accomplishments to date are as follows:
- 1st place No Johns Tournament in 2016 (my first tournament and the reason I even re-registered a Smogon account to begin with)
- Won an ADV Season on Pokemon Perfect, which is really no small accomplishment considering the level of play there is quite high (seriously, look at the names of the guys in the final 4 of most Master Tournaments there. Hint, it's always linear, BKC, Asta, etc...)
- 3rd place CALLOUS Invitational 1
- 2nd best record SPL IX
- 10-1 record in WCoPP
What are your favourite old gen tiers and why?
Apart from ADV, my favorite tier is definitely BW OU. I think there's a great deal of counterplay within the tier among all the broken threats. Team preview brings another element to the game, but I don't think it changes the game drastically compared to ADV for example. There is a huge element of sequencing to most BW games, which to me feels very similar to ADV. The only difference is you can make much more educated guesses on what the other guy has. There are also no nonsense trapping games, or Spikes games in BW. However I must admit I find >2 turn Taunt to be extremely annoying and a rather silly mechanic. On the other hand, the Sleep mechanic is very cool and gives teams an option against opposing uber-threatening Sleep users. It also introduces the mind games between clicking Spore or Stun Spore with your Amoonguss for example. Another great allure to this tier is that a lot of the best players on the site still actively play it, which just gives me more inspiration to want to become better at it.
What are some of your most often used Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
I don't have enough games of BW to really answer for that one, although there is really nothing like spamming Keldeo and Latios
In ADV, the answer would probably be generic Tyranitar + Swampert + Skarmory, by usage stats at least. Ironically I get typecast as a SkarmBliss spammer, but in reality I have probably the lowest SkarmBliss usage of anyone who mains the tier.
Looking through my teams really I have a hard time discerning any patterns. It would be easier to point out which Mons I don't use than which Mons I do. I really like finding ways to make unique Mons work. Not unique as in "no other Water type can threaten Zapdos the way Salac Berry Kabutops can," but unique as in nothing else fills this team slot as well as __________. Weezing is a perfect example as something I love to use on mixed offenses that need a Skarmory switch in that can also lure Milotic and Blissey. There are other Skarmory switch ins in ADV, but they don't always fit on Spike-less offenses.
Some other Mons I might be known for are Venusaur, Hariyama, and maybe Gyarados I guess.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
I definitely prefer playing offense to stall. I find that it fits me better as a player and typically affords me the option to get a little more creative in the teambuilder. Sometimes I find an idea that clicks and gives me a massive edge in the opposing stall matchup, and sometimes my ideas fail. That's just the name of the game.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularized any sets throughout your time playing?
Absolutely. My fast Blissey with Fire Blast had a metagame defining influence on the tier. The reason you see mixed Metagross's, mixed Tyranitars, random Skarmory, even Swampert run INSANE Speed creep is because of my Blissey originally outspeeding all Skarmory and hitting first with Fire Blast. That set off a chain reaction that culminated in most Mons from base 60 to base 70 just maxing their Speeds.
The second set would be more or less standard SpDef Gengar, also known as the one that survives Pursuit Tar switching out. I've written about both of these sets quite a bit, in both the Underrated Sets thread, and my team dump too.
Something more recent might be my Protect + three attacks Adamant Metagross. As far as I know, I was the first one to slap Protect on Meta in the fourth moveslot. I've seen that set gain a bit of traction as of late.
Another set I'm proud of is my mixed Tyranitar which runs the same set as MixMence, but with Ice Beam > Dragon Claw. That set can be a real game changer, and it sees quite a bit of use in modern ADV.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
Definitely, and I'm glad you asked this. Time for some shameless self-plugging, but I think my game against undisputed in SPL IX was truly excellent. We both brought Jolteon Spikes, which can be an extremely irritating matchup for each other (Jolteon vs. Jolteon in general is really tough to play). I think we both played great, but I eventually came out on top. Game here. I believe this game has some historical context by the way, as this was the first noted instance of offensive Swampert on the big stage. Also I brought my trusty Dynamic Punch Gengar here, although it did not have the chance to shine.
Another contender for my favorite game of all time has to be against Smilzo in WCoPP. I didn't know much about him at the time, just that he was an Italian ADV player with a pretty good track record. We went on to play an amazing match that required a ton of smart switching from me just to get my Snorlax out of range of his Snorlax, so that I could still Boom later. Game here.
And finally, I have to say my game against London Beats last SPL. This was the game that my game against zf this season was supposed to be. AKA the impossible BeerLover matchup that I still was able to overcome. It wasn't great because of flashy plays or an insane prediction or some wild moveset being showcased. It was great because this is the kind of game that can remind people Pokemon isn't all about matchup fishing. Game here. (This is not meant to be a callout and I apologize in advance for making it sound like one.)
Some other contenders are:
- The whole series against both Dekzeh and ViL in CALLOUS Invitational 1
- Game against CALLOUS in SPL IX (the Weezing game)
- Game against dice in WCOP 2017 (my first big game after my introduction on the big stage in SPL VIII)
Favorite competitive memories?
All of SPL VIII was a blast. Nothing will ever replicate the team atmosphere we had on Raiders that year. Also just to be a part of such an incredibly talented group was really something special.
I can't really shout out each individual team tournament because that won't be giving everyone their due justice. Every team I have been a part of has been great in their own unique ways.
A good answer to this might just be all of CALLOUS Invitational 1. I would probably recognize this as my "coming out party" since I was fresh off a mediocre 4-6 SPL and 2-1 WCOP, but still nobody on Smogon really had seen dominance from me. I still consider that tournament to be the peak of my playing.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I'm not really sure. There has been a lot of hand wringing over three Spikes in ADV, but frankly I wouldn't change a thing. Maybe just maybe ban Mr. Mime + Baton Pass. But that's not really a systemic issue in my opinion.
Sometimes I do wonder what ADV would look like if Dugtrio banned. I can't help but feel it would be appreciably better. Not that Dugtrio is broken, but sometimes it rewards average playing.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
Too many names to list. Here's a start:
BKC (absurd consistency across so many tiers, always using what he likes or feels is best)
Ojama (pretty much the same as above)
Asta (at peak playing is probably the highest skill of anyone who's ever touched ADV)
linear (most insane reads, still the ladder king, willingness to think way outside of the box in the teambuilder)
McMeghan (enthusiasm for all things Pokemon and oh yeah amazing skills in battle too; his accomplishments speak for themselves)
Golden Sun (huge fan of the way he plays, a staple of the ADV playerbase)
undisputed (the most surefire positive record in ADV in SPL, which really says a lot)
Triangles (honestly extremely underrated for how well he plays. Probably a top 5 ADV player right now)
There are so many more too.... huge props and respect to the BW gods like SoulWind and dice.... gotta throw love to Lavos and Fear for their insane GSC skills (among other tiers too).... Osgoode can be kinda meme-y at times but he has an insanely high skill level, wish he would've competed more at the highest level.
This list falls way short but it's a good start.
My best friend on the site is easily Astamatitos . First guy I met when I came back to Pokemon back in 2016, we hit it off on the ladder and have been great friends ever since.
The rest of the Ugly Swans (BKC, pasy, Sunny) are probably my other best friends on the site, and I love the crew in
Are there any old players who you wish would come back?
Mystica, Jabba (he's still here but wish he was more active), uhh I dunno. Sort of a lame answer but I wish all the old ADV Greats would come back. Husk, imperfectluck, Groudon80, Majin, all those guys.
Any teams you feel fit you as a player particularly well?
I still love the team I RMT'd a year ago (Jolteon / Skarmory / Tyranitar / Flygon / Gengar / Zapdos) and use it frequently. Anything that allows me to play offense. I also like turning passive stuff on their heads whenever I can get the opportunity. Stuff like Heracross, Celebi, and Suicune can be really amazing at beating passive teams that are aimed to beat Skarm + Gar + Tyranitar. I'm mostly open to using anything in ADV.
Mr.E
How did you get involved with competitive Pokemon?
Being a competitor and being a dirty min-maxer when it comes to RPG and strategy games is in my blood. When it comes to Pokémon, it was battling my cousin who introduced the game to me originally. I played the TCG as well, regularly attending the league held at my local Toys "R" Us. Sometimes we had Game Boy link battles too for fun.
I first got regular Internet access at home in the early 2000's, RBY was still the only kid on the block. Being into Pokémon as I was, some of the first things I did was end up finding my way to various forums. Before I know it, I was a regular at The PokéMasters and participating in tournaments across the various boards at the time: Azure Heights, UPNetwork, GameFAQs, etc. I still "moderate" the Classic Gens forum on TPM, by which I mean I show up periodically to see if anyone posted anything at all because it's dead at this point. The old guard is long since gone, Smogon is pretty much the singular central hub of the modern community with only a few small splinters for specialized purposes, such as Pokémon Perfect for old gens (although mostly RBY) or Nugget Bridge for VGC before the hack took it down.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
GSC, obviously. I don't know how many particularly great achievements I have but I went down to I think semifinals in Chromatics Last Stand Tournament, AKA Sneak 1, one of the best tournaments in community history during the ending days of RBY and the tourney series of which Smogon Premier League is a spiritual successor. I lost to EeveeTrainer because he froze my maxed-Evasion Alakazam. I've always had pretty bad luck in individual events but I won Marble Palace's first Gen 3 tournament, the only individual event I've ever won, when we still played 200.
I have two SPL trophies performing well in GSC for my team. I'm particularly proud of the Scooters victory during SPL's inaugural season, since I practically dragged my team kicking and screaming into the playoffs after Week 7 against all odds... where I proceeded to go 0-2 but my team finally picked up the slack at that point and brought me over the finish line! And most of my teammates were my old friends in the community that have all since left or went into the official side of things once VGC became a regular thing, a connection I miss in modern SPL where my teammates are just my teammates. That's likely the main reason why I didn't play in SPL X, I don't have any really good friends left on Smogon so nobody bought me despite my skill at the game.
What are your favorite old gen tiers and why?
GSC OU and RSE OU. I've never played lower tiers enough to really be able to consider them favorites, and I've never been very good at Ubers. I consider Gens 2-3 the most competitive tiers due to their better balance of offense versus defense, lack of wildly broken mechanics (like 140 base power Dragon attacks) that can just somewhat randomly win games, and having enough variety to prevent battles from becoming samey like RBY but not too much that it's nigh-impossible to prepare for everything. I prefer my battles to be won with in-battle maneuvering, not in the teambuilder.
What are some of your most commonly Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
Insert GSC usage stats here. Snorlax is a staple on virtually every team and would likely be banned if modern Smogon tiering principles were forced upon GSC. Most notably behind Snorlax is Cloyster, by far the best of the four available Spikes users (Forry, Smeargle, Qwilfish) due to its offensive capability, and the two Electric legends. While Zapdos is clearly superior, Raikou is probably still the third best Pokémon in the tier although part of that is because Raikou is the best Zapdos counter in the game. I've written some pretty lengthy RoA posts in the past, I think in the viability threads, as to why Zapdos is better but long story short: Ground immune is pretty important and so is 4HKOing Snorlax with Thunder.
For me specifically, I lean Zapdos heavily and Raikou far less than average. It's no secret I'm a big Zapdos fan and I'm totally okay with everyone knowing it, because quite frankly Zapdos is so good it doesn't matter if you know it's gonna be there. Same with why I rarely use Earthquake over Fire Blast on two-attack Snorlax sets: Skarmory hard walls EQ Lax, while Rock-types can still be worn down even if you can't kill them quickly (and they often don't carry Rest either). I guess people think I use Eggy a lot too because people try to surprise me with Houndoom more than most. They also still peg me as a Machamp boy, although I think I only used it like once a year the past few SPL seasons, ever since I started scouting more and focusing harder on weekly teambuilding.
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
I don't think GSC has quite the same range of team styles that newer gens have, there's no massive offensive boons like 140 base power moves and huge power-boosting items nor defensive godsends like Regenerator and a million forms of passive damage, so most teams are just "balanced" with slight offensive or defensive leanings. I trend toward offensive, though, because Explosion is the best move in the game and offensive pressure is the best way to keep the enemy Snorlax asleep instead of ripping through your team.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularized any sets throughout your time playing?
Well, Jynx is certainly looking like a modern GSC OU candidate as of this year. While BKC might have popularized it, because nobody cares about what little ol' me does while he's a Smogon celebrity, I ran through VIL with it in SPL 8 and it's become increasingly popular since. Back in the day, I'm also pretty sure I'm one of the first people that recognized Skarmory as a bona fide Snorlax counter and started it on the path of being a competitive staple.
Of years past, I'm one of the first players that learned the value of Taunt and used it to incredible advantage, innovating such sets as DD Taunt Gyarados in RSE which has stood the test of time as one of its staple movesets, same with fast Taunt Skarmory. It's pretty hard to say who really invented what so long ago, though, other than the handful of wildly popular named sets that have propagated through the years like Tobybro or Crocune.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
VS giara in SPL 9, week 7, is the game I'll never forget. I don't really remember all that many specific games, and of the ones I do it's usually because I lost to some very improbable events like the aforementioned CLST loss, or losing a struggle war with Zapdos against Blissey because I missed my last 5-of-7 Thunders, etc. I remember giara specifically because it was looking like another one of those games, only for me to play so perfectly (and my opponent blunder) that I managed to eke out the win in the end anyway.
Honorable mention to SPL 7, week 4, where Earthworm's Snorlax RNG destroyed me by preventing me from laying Spikes and killing Suicune for free, giving his Tyranitar free reign to abuse the rest of my team. I managed to hang on 30 turns against Ttar switching between Light Screen Blissey, Skarmory, and a 20% HP Zapdos while avoiding Blissey getting Dynamicpunched and Zapdos getting Rock Slided to the point of almost running it out of PP. Sadly, Blissey bit the dust to his last Dynamicpunch PP, forcing me to concede.
For a game I actually won convincingly, VS Tiba in SPL 6, week 4, of which there is a video with commentary floating around too, but it's mostly only notable because Tiba was "Smogon celebrity" status for a good while at the time and I completely obliterated him. The game itself was nothing special. It was a close game in the end because I had a brain fart and miscounted Sleep turns, but the fact is I was so far ahead that it ultimately didn't matter.
Favorite competitive memories?
Bopping a Zapdos with Icy Wind + Ice Beam Cloyster. Scouting Fear's love for using Flamethrower on Snorlax so he can keep it in against Gengar and chip it death, then owning him with the extremely rare Perish Trap Gengar (and then promptly losing to some wacky Smeargle set and getting run over by Raikou which my team was underprepared for). Non-SPL-related? I always think about winning the Struggle war against AniDean with Kinesis Zam vs DT Zapdos in some random RBY battle back in the day. I don't even think that was a tourney match. Just the Sneak tournies in general, as those were both incredibly fun and well-run.
What are your top 5 biggest competitive regrets and points of pride?
I have no clue how to answer this. What do I have to regret, that I didn't win more tournaments for how good I believe I am? It is what it is. I can only change my decisions, not the results that followed. I certainly don't have five things at least.
If I regret anything, it's not leaving behind the grassroots scene and following official/VGC play because that's where all my old friends in the community went. Life after competitive play for Synre, Evan, etc. is literally working for The Pokémon Company International and I never really made new friends on Smogon to replace their departures because I stopped playing OU so long ago (in Gen 4 in disagreement with Garchomp's ban). I don't feel particularly welcome in the community anymore, I just have nowhere else to go so I still hang around the fringes of Smogon.
As for one specific point of pride, the fact I was one of the winningest SPL players of all time (fighting with Tamahome and a couple others for top spot) and played in every iteration of the tournament until this past year, of which team managers collectively decided to say screw Mr.E and left me out. Oh well, their loss... the GSC field in SPL X was the weakest it's ever been.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
FREE GARCHOMP in Gen 4
Ban permanent weather in Gens 3-5 OU. In fact, we can just go ahead and ban Tyranitar in Gen 4 while we're at it, but permanent weather is really hard to counter because of the ridiculous synergies and the sacrifice one has to make wasting moveslots on weather moves to remove it. Sand/Hail are particularly problematic because the chip damage changes KO thresholds and ruins a number of abilities and items. The game is fundamentally different with permanent weather and while we could argue all day about whether it's a desirable change or not, it's particularly aggravating when one of those abilities is on arguably the best Pokémon in the metagame even without it.
And seriously, unban Swagger. -_- Like, really?
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
I like BKC because he's a lot like me, in that he's just good at strategizing in general and thus is quickly able to excel in any metagame with a little bit of time to prepare, and he's not a total jerk about it UNLIKE LAVOS. Honestly, in general I rather admire the better teambuilders in newer gens because there's just a mindboggling amount of options to consider anymore. As someone firmly entrenched in Gen 2 at this point, and I rather feel like I lost my teambuilding touch in late Gen 3, I'm used to being able to prepare for basically everything and gaining an edge over my opponents during the battle. Newer gens increasingly focus on winning in the teambuilder and I don't think that's my strength.
I don't think I'm close friends with anyone at this point, which is what contributed most to me not participating in SPL X despite being a strong player in a low-population metagame. All my friends left when VGC became big. The people on Smogon I could still consider friends at all more than simply good acquaintances, such as RODAN or WaterBomb, aren't as close to me as the VGC-goers used to be and none of them are serious tourney participants either.
Are there any old players who you wish would come back?
Other than the VGC guys, Synre in particular... I always thought Nitro was the best RBY player and I enjoyed watching him play. Honestly I'd just love to have all the old folks back. GolemKong still hangs on by a thread in the abandoned #nuggetbridge IRC channel, Viktor, Dweedle, etc. Too many names to count. Brain. (Bring back :happybrain: already!) I'd really like to see IMAP come back, because he was sorta my protégé and it feels good knowing the one person you were a real mentor for was known for being arguably the best player in the community for a couple years or so, thanks to your support. Especially since the community seems to go out of its way to ignore my own accomplishments.
What teams that you've made from any point of history are you most proud of? What about others'?
Again, in accordance with what I said in other questions, GSC doesn't have as quite a wide range of options available as newer gens. In a sense, teams are somewhat modular in that a handful of mons can more or less do similar things and you often choose one based on the small differences. Other than dedicated BP teams, you don't necessarily have a highly-focused strategy that requires a very exact build to execute and succeed with, so I don't really think in terms of concrete teams. My "main" team is basically the standard GSC Explosion team and while it could be argued I more-or-less invented the concept, on account of my veteran status and all, I don't think it's worth specifically mentioning.
But I am most proud of my "hard stall" team that basically goes all in on Marowak, the one mon in GSC that is nigh-unstoppable offensively. It's the only team I specifically keep on retainer other than my main practice team, otherwise I tend to scout my opponent in a tourney setting and somewhat build to customize each time. I'm also pretty proud of the one BW RU game I played in SPL 3. I did my due diligence studying the metagame and was rewarded with a relatively easy win versus a legitimate player, with NP/TR Cofagrigus rolling through half their team and Clefable cleaning up the rest.
Aside that, I had a lot of fun in Gen 3 building wacky OU teams with underused mons. Some of the hidden gems I uncovered were Azumarill, Special-based Metagross, and the surprising fact that Dustox is actually not completely terrible. I also used to screw around with mono-Fighting back before Monotype had a budding community presence. Ended up winning five games in Smogon Frontier with it one year even. Mono-Electric would be legitimately good in GSC if Snorlax didn't almost singlehandedly beat it, I've played that before and beat legit players with it in serious games back in the day.
How did you get involved with competitive Pokemon?
Long story so I'll make it as short as I can. I started playing Pokémon competitively when i was 15 in a very random way. I registered myself on a french Pokémon website called "Pokébip" because it was the most known french pokemon-related website if one wanted to get all information regarding the cartridge games. One doesn't need to register if they just want to have access to solutions and stuff, but if they want to join the "Wifi-Trade" and "Wifi-Battle" sections, they need to create an account. So I made one... for the Wifi-Trade section, because I wanted to get the legendaries one couldn't get without Action-Replay or event tickets. Then a few weeks later I felt like I should try my new overpowered Pokémons on the Wifi-Battle. There, every player could write anything they wanted to introduce themself or set their own rules for battles if players wanted to challenge them. There were a bunch of stuff I couldn't understand "OHKO Clause" "No more than 2 Semi-Legendaries" "Spin + Ghost forbidden". I won't mention the games where I faced 999 in every stat Pokémons, these were painful. Anyway, after a few weeks, I realized that there were players with weird names like "Genos/Ectozone" or "Alexfcb/Pr€dator" and I wondered what were those slashed names related with, because several people shared the same. I quickly reached to the conclusion that they were part of some clans, so I tried to learn more about these and challenged them. We'll skip the part where I got 6-0'd, but one of the guys accepted to tutor me and allowed me to join their clan. Then for like 2 years I played on cartridge and kept improving by playing "Clan Wars" and stuff. After that, I downloaded Shoddy Battle because I had heard that there was a group of skilled french players on it, and given the cartridge community was slowly dying, I moved there, and this is were I met giara, Zephir, Haldar, etc... (I've known Goten and boudouche since the cartridge era). I was introduced to Smogon and the Smogon Tournaments. I laddered and peaked like top 15 or something. After that I played WCOP under the name "GoTrunks/RDT" (I was still part of a cartridge clan back then) and went 0-3 (lost to Rewer, Lady_Bug and Blue_Tornado). After this awful showing, I was unsure whether I wanted to stay on cartridge and just enjoy what was left to enjoy until the cartridge community dies, or drop the Nintendo DS and fully become a simulator player. The answer came naturally because I got my DS and my cartridge robbed so I had no choice but to fully invest myself on Simulator. I joined a live tour (last tour of the edition golden sun won because maaf and marioland had a high chance of making playoffs and they needed french players to beat some threats for them) and I beat apologies, who apparently was a good player back then. I enjoyed the live tournament format so I thought to myself I should give it a try next season. So I was up to a fresh start and created another account, "Princeton", and joined OST and prepared hard for it. I lost to Atticus R1 0-2 but the games were pretty good and he told me I had a lot of potential and should keep on playing. I trained in the mountains for a few months and came back for Smogon Tour, this time with my current and final account, "Ojama". I made it to top 8, only losing to franky. From this point on, you know the story.
What past gen tier are you most known for playing, and what are some of your greatest achievements in playing (in either this tier or in general)?
ADV-DPP-BW, but I'm also known for being a SM main. I've had a lot of success in all these tiers, winning Smogon Tour in the ADV-DPP-BW format, and the Smogon Classic 2 years later. I've made 3 SPL Finals by starting in ADV (going consecutively 6-1 and 8-4) and BW (went 7-2 a long time ago), and have reached a 2nd Classic Finals, plus a bunch of Smogon Tour Playoffs. Before losing to Lavos in Tiebreaker, I was undefeated in SPL Playoffs (8 W) and I was kind of proud of that because I felt like this was when I could live up to the expectations, be worth the price tag attached to me, and carry my teammates when they needed me the most. I'm also positive in WCOP, where I've started in ADV and BW, but I can't tell you my exact record to be quite honest. I think, having reached top 16 of OST in SM and Finals of OLT in SM, people now see me as a well rounded player, not just an Old Gen player. But at the end of the day, I think my performances in Classic is what people will remember of me, as opposed to being "The 1st player to reach 4 Official Individual Tournament Finals", which is still something I'm very proud of because performing that well in SM was really unexpected and I took a lot of pleasure and it reminded me why I keep playing this game, despite all the negative aspects of it, and its community.
What are your favorite old gen tiers and why?
From a spectator point of view, I really love GSC (unless it's Stall vs Stall but this applies to every Gen). As a player, I enjoy BW and ADV a lot, DPP a bit less because of its playerbase and what the tier has turned into lately, but it used to be a very cool tier, people just weren't there to know that. If I had to pick 1, it would be ADV though, because this is the tier I've played the most in Official Tournaments and it's the tier with the best Playerbase. It forced me to constantly question myself over what I could improve, what details I could change to take advantage of my opponent who obviously is doing the same kind of research and having the same thought process. I would never have improved and had all the success I've had hadn't I been in competition with players like Astamatitos, McMeghan, BKC... almost every year.
What are some of your most commonly Pokemon in the tiers that you play?
ADV: Tyranitar - Swampert - Blissey - Metagross - Suicune - Zapdos - Gengar
DPP: Infernape - Starmie - Jirachi
BW: Garchomp - Latios
What type of playstyle do you enjoy using the most in these tiers?
Balance, offensively oriented. I hate to use passive teams, I always want to have win conditions and firepower because I want to take the momentum and lead the pace, and be able to overcome a tough situation with set up sweepers. But at the same time, I hate to have a restricted room for maneuver and like to have a defensive backbone.
Do you consider yourself having innovated or popularized any sets throughout your time playing?
Hmm, I think I do. I believe in ADV I popularized Tank Metagross and RDance Zapdos, but I could be wrong. In BW maybe SubToxic Gliscor but I can't say I created it, Psycho Shift Lati@s (+ Healing Wish if Latias) or CM Latios, CB Breloom, NPlot Mew.. I think my teambuilding is so personal and unorthodox that I kind of "popularized" a type of Teams, if I may say. Like, I may have innovated or popularized a few sets here and there, but I think what people expect of me every time is to come up with a new "unusual association of good pokémons", with maybe a cool Set, rather than a random UU Pokémon in the middle of my team, like they could expect from bengay. Also I guess my spreads, although "secret" and personal, helped in creating my reputation as a teambuilder.
Are there any specific games you've played that you consider really great?
I have played a lot of really great games, especially in ADV. Both games vs Golden Sun in ADV in SPL, my ADV game vs Lavos in Classic (probably one of my best games ever), my ADV game vs Zf in WCOP, my playoffs DPP games in Classic 4 vs reyscarface, Jimmy Turtwig and Alexander, and my playoffs BW games in Classic 4 vs Jimmy Turtwig and reyscarface. You can notice that I really enjoyed my run in Classic 4, probably my best tournament.
Favorite competitive memories?
Winning ST-Classic-Snake obviously, winning a SPL Finals TieBreaker, qualifying for OLT Playoffs (the whole thing surrounding my qualification last year was really something, on a personal level nothing related with the game) and making it to Finals, reaching another Classic Finals, and obviously playing WCOP with my french buddies.
What are your top 5 competitive regrets and points of pride?
Points of pride: Winning 3 tournaments, 2 of them being individual and recognized as the hardest tournaments to win; Being the 1st player to reach 4 individual tournament finals; Making 3 SPL Finals and being the leader in 2 of them.
Regrets: Not winning SPL; Not winning WCOP, Not winning a 2nd Classic; Not winning OST; Not winning OLT.
The thing I'm the most proud of is to be part of the best group of people. Creating it and keeping it active is for sure what I'm the most proud of, because I've been trying my best to make it more than just a "Pokémon Discord" by organizing IRL meetups etc... and I think I've succeeded. Of course I'm not alone, but I most likely played a major part in keeping everyone together and winning WCOP really became everyone's main goal and the reason why some of us keep playing.
Are there any changes to older tiers that you think would be beneficial?
I'd for sure unban Venusaur Chlorophyl + Drought and Stoutland + Sandstorm in BW. Jirachi in DPP is a real issue but I don't know if it should be banned. ADV I think I'm ok with the tier even with 3 layers of Spikes.
Who do you look up to as a player and/or person, and which players are you close friends with?
There is no player that I look up to but there are players that I really enjoy watching play and that I respect a lot. Obviously, like most people know, panamaxis is my favorite player. Tesung is the player that gave me the biggest impression during his domination, not even prime McMeghan or BKC impressed me as much as he did. Atticus, for several reasons, is a very special player to me. Haldar, who is probably the biggest waste given his immense talent. Lavos, who has been impressive lately. ABR for consistency and his impact on the metagame as a teambuilder. There are many other players that I could name because they are fantastic players, like bro fist, blunder, ben gay, soulwind, etc... but the list would be long. I gotta admit SoulWind has been impressive for his consistency over the years, never going negative or missing playoffs, always going far in every tournament he joins.
As for friends, I cannot not mention Team France guys, but I've also non-french close friends like blunder, obi, Philip7086, SoulWind, elodin, bro fist, miltankmilk, August, Atticus, panamaxis, TDK......
Are there any old players who you wish would come back?
IPL, Hanke, Gouki and Loki because I missed their era and I would have loved to see these guys play at their peak.
What teams that you've made from any point of history are you most proud of? What about others'?
There are plenty of teams I'm proud of so I'll just give you 1 in each tier
https://pokepast.es/b7118778c766433d (BW, vs Jimmy Turtwig R2 of Classic Playoffs)
https://pokepast.es/2da6d43f90e65af2 (DPP, vs Jimmy Turtwig SPL Semi-Finals)
https://pokepast.es/a4ee298fe097ed8f (ADV, vs Lavos Finals of Classic Playoffs)
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