Project SM Monotype PotW #8: Ridley

Kev

Part of the journey is the end
is a Community Leader Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
Approved by Eien , Acast & Vid
Based off of OU PotW and Gen 6 Mono PotW

Welcome to the eight edition of Monotype Player of the Week!

(credits to Seo. for the banner)

During this project, I will be interviewing some of the most influential players in Monotype today whether it be based on their exceptional contribution to the metagame or their outstanding performance in tours. If anyone has suggestions on who should be interviewed next, feel free to PM me your ideas.
This week I decided to change things up and interview an up and coming player after being suggested alternating between top players and those. This week we have one of Monotype's most recognized players, known to be an essential grab in MPL and a tutor for the new Tutoring Project.


Ridley.

Can you tell us a bit about your life outside of Smogon?
- I grew up in southwest Missouri, in the Springfield area, but now I am a freshman at the University of Missouri as a biology major, hoping to become a dermatologist! I spend most of my time that is not spent on PS hanging out with my friends, playing Super Smash Bros, being involved in a few clubs on campus, and of course, doing homework.

What are you most known for?
- I would say that I am most known for my performance in all of the MPLs, having the highest GXE on ladder during Gen 6, and just my involvement in the community in general.

What made you play Pokemon competitively? What got you into Monotype and made you want to stay?
- During my freshman year of high school, some of my friends showed me PS and I was instantly hooked. I began watching some youtubers like shofu and pokeaim, and watching them made me want to play competitively. After playing for a while on PS, I found Frost and Monotype, and I joined a league. I have been playing mono ever since!

What is your favorite Pokemon in general and favorite one to use competitively?

- My favorite Pokemon has always been Gliscor. I've always liked its design, and I love the color of its shiny form. My favorite Pokemon competitively though, would probably be Celesteela. The leech seed + protect set is so hard to kill, and helps out both flying and steel in so many match ups. It is also cool that it can efficiently run an offensive autotomize set as well.

What is your favorite type?
- My favorite type would have to be either water, flying, or steel. All of these types are so diverse and there is so much varience on what you can run. I also really like to use balance cores, and these types have some of the best.

How about your favourite playstyle?
- As I said in the previous answer, my favorite playstyle would be balance/bulky offense. I really using strong offensive mons that have a strong defensive core with them that I can pivot into. Balance has always been a super consistent playstyle for me.

Monotype is now official! Any opinions on the whole thing? Did you think we would ever get there? What kind of improvements or changes would like to see be made with this new status?
- I think it is so awesome that Monotype is now official. We have been advocating for it for so long, and I am so happy that all of our hard work finally paid off! I am not really surprised that we got to this point since we are one of the most popular metagames, but it is super cool to see an OM become official. I honestly don't have any complaints about the current complaints of our tier, everything has been run quite well with the new leadership of Eien and Paleo. If I had to say one thing though, it would be the divide between the "main players" and "side server players." I think that our community would be so much better as a whole if we could merge these two seperate communities.

What are your thoughts on the current SM Monotype metagame? Are there things you think deserve a suspect, to be banned or unbanned? How does it fair compared to ORAS?
- I am a fan of the current SM Monotype metagame. I am really happy with the community's decision to ban STag as it was quite uncompetitive. I think that the meta is pretty balanced right now, but if I was to suspect something, it would probably be Mega-Diance. It's sheer power allows it to break through so many teams, even resists, which I think could possibly warrent a suspect for it. In regards to the ORAS meta, I think that SM is slightly worse, but I still really enjoy it.

Do you have any advice for people new to Monotype or people who are trying to improve?
- My advice for someone who is trying to get better is just to play. It is really good to get involved in a group of some kind, like a league, so that you can play with high caliber players and bounce team building ideas off each other. Also, there are so many different resources available in the Monotype room that are extremely helpful for new players.

What do you think about the creation of the newest team tour, Mono Snake?
- I am super excited for Mono Snake! It is cool to have a tour that showcases OMs as well as the standard meta. I am also really excited to see how the snake style draft will turn out. I really just love team tours, so I am super hyped to play in it!

As a tutor for Monotype’s new Tutoring Project, what do you think about this initiative? How has it been going for you so far?
- The Tutoring Project is another thing that I have been wanting for a long time, and I am so excited that we were able to bring it back! For me, I love to watch newer players improve, and as a pretty versed player myself, I felt obligated to give back to the community and try to help these newer players get better. I have been tutoring Zgx, and I feel like it is going really well! I have seen him improve a lot already.

Are there any players that have impressed you or that you think will be able to make a mark in the community?
- The side server players as a whole have really improved this gen. A few of the ones that have caught my eye are Bit, Chaitanya, Trich, Vodoom, Waszap, Wincon, Zugu as well as all of the others who qualified for MLT. Also, my guy PCM has really been SHINING this gen and is proving he is one of the best out there.​

Who do you think are the top 5 SM monotype players right now?
- Hmm this is a hard one. I would say the top 5 SM mono players are Eien, Paleo, TheThorn, Clearly, and 1 True Lycan. Some honorable mentions would be rnbs, p2, Leru, Bush, PCM, and Lax.

You are known for delivering when it comes to tournaments, can you walk us through how you prepare for each match?
- Whenever it comes to a tournament match, it is definitely important to scout your opponent and see what types they like to bring. After doing this, you need to find some types that will do well vs him, make some teams or use ones you already have, and test them out and see which ones will perform best and be most comfortable for you to use.

Similar to the previous question, any advice on team building?
- Some team building advice I have is to use solid cores that can handle stuff defensively and offensively, you don't want to have a team that just straight up loses to a common threat. Especially for people starting out, it is a whole lot easier to use and be productive while building with top tier types such as Psychic, Fairy, Water, Normal, Flying, Poison, Steel, and Ground.

Who are some of your favorite people that you met on Pokemon Showdown?
- Some of my favorite people that I have met on PS are of course the woa conglomerates, but recently I've also gotten pretty close with the delta boys, so it would be those two groups.

Finally, can you showcase a team that you think represents your style as a player and provide an explanation on how to use it?

Scizor-Mega @ Scizorite
Ability: Technician
EVs: 252 HP / 76 Atk / 180 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Bullet Punch
- Knock Off
- Roost

Ferrothorn @ Leftovers
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 88 Def / 172 SpD
Impish Nature
- Protect
- Leech Seed
- Stealth Rock
- Power Whip

Bisharp @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Defiant
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
- Iron Head
- Knock Off

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 212 HP / 44 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Substitute
- Toxic
- Magma Storm
- Earth Power

Celesteela @ Leftovers
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Relaxed Nature
- Protect
- Flamethrower
- Leech Seed
- Heavy Slam

Excadrill @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Mold Breaker
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Iron Head
- Rock Slide
- Rapid Spin


- This is a fun steel team that I built recently and I really enjoy using it. The point of the team is to wear down the other team with Ferrothorn, Heatran, and Celesteela, then sweep with Mega-Scizor or Bisharp. I also have and Scarf Excadrill for some speed control. I feel like this team has a good shot to win most match ups other than Fire and Fighting.​


This concludes my interview with Ridley. A huge thanks to him for taking time out of his day and replying all my questions with such detailed answers! Feel free to now ask your own questions to our Player of the Week.




 
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1) What are some OM's you are hoping to be in snake.
2) Are you gonna manage for snake?
3) What's your biggest tip for players looking to get into the tournament scene?
4) Top 5 gen 6 mono battlers
5) What are you most excited for in USUM
 

Deleted User 400951

Banned deucer.
who do u fuckin hate in smogon
whos the shittiest player uve played

Also do you think the new mons will be broken in any way (not including the obviously ubers ofc)? Some people are saying that dawn wings might stay and that Neganadel might be broken.
 

maroon

free palestine
is a Site Content Manageris a Top Team Rateris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Top Tutor Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnus
RMT & Mono Leader
-which pokemon are you most excited to use competitively and for fun in usum mono
-thoughts on the new tutor moves like defog klefki and knock off toxapex
 
Do you like candy corn? Asking for a friend.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Closest monotype friends?

Person you miss the most who's quit.

When will you quit?

Is my irl name Endal?

Thoughts on Bushtush?

Where would you rank dethroner in your top 3 players of all time?

Best mono lc player?

Best mono uber player?

If a man walks into a zoo and all he sees is one dog what kind of zoo is it?

You got 100 million dollars through the lottery, how would you divide this amongst woa memers?

When do you think Dak will break up with his current gf?

R8 eien and paleo as monotype co dictators.

If you could manage a mono snake team what would you call it?

Most innovative team builder

Worst team builder

Underrated players

If woa converted to digimon would u still take part?

Most weeb?

Who's a player you have the hardest time beating?

Favorite food?

Biggest fear?

Biggest pet peeve?

If you could change races what race would you be?

What is your ideal age for death?

Would you rather die by freezing or by being burned alive?

R8 my questions so far

If monotype was marvel what character would you be?

Whats your dream car?
 
  • Rate yourself as a human being, 1-100, on how good you are to be around. It's as open ended as it sounds
  • Of all the current players, who will be the best quarter back in the NFL in 7 years?
  • Thoughts on Colin Kaepernick?
  • Thoughts on Trump?
  • Favorite animated movie?
  • If you heard someone has talked about you behind your back, what would you assume they'd been making fun of you for?
  • Most attractive actress?
  • During what time period would you say you were your best at Monotype?
  • Who would you say is the most underrated Monotype player of all time? It can just be someone you think any "newer" player wouldn't know about
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
1) What are some OM's you are hoping to be in snake.
2) Are you gonna manage for snake?
3) What's your biggest tip for players looking to get into the tournament scene?
4) Top 5 gen 6 mono battlers
5) What are you most excited for in USUM
1) AAA and STABmons are goat
2) I think it would be fun, haven't decided yet though
3) Don't be scared to enter tournaments, and don't get too upset over losses. Losing is a good way to improve because you can look back at what you did wrong and try to improve off of it.
4) Wyn, Sabella, Pk-Kaiser, Arifeen, Balto (don't wanna put myself cuz that would be cocky)
5) I am most excited for all of the new mons and new moves that old mons will get
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
who do u fuckin hate in smogon
whos the shittiest player uve played

Also do you think the new mons will be broken in any way (not including the obviously ubers ofc)? Some people are saying that dawn wings might stay and that Neganadel might be broken.
hate eien, shitty version of Nani Man
igotcookies is probably the worst mono player there is
off the bat, I don't see any of the new mons being broken. what I am interested to see though, is if any of the move changes will make a current mon broken in the new meta. I doubt dawn wings is staying, all of its stats are super good other than its speed, but that still won't make it manageable. and I don't think neganadel will be broken, 127 spa isn't THAT high, and it's defenses are pretty trash. does have a super solid speed tier though.
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
-which pokemon are you most excited to use competitively and for fun in usum mono
-thoughts on the new tutor moves like defog klefki and knock off toxapex
I'm not overly excited about any one over the others, but if I had to choose one it would probably be blacephalon. its design is cool and it's 150 bp fire move looks fun af to use
the defog distribution seems a little over the top. a few of mons might not even be able to use it due to 4mss, but it will definitely be put to use for the majority of them. defog klefki is kinda weird due to it being a prominent spike stacker in the current meta. and I don't think pex can fit knock off into its moveset due to the previously mentioned 4mss
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Do you like candy corn? Asking for a friend.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Closest monotype friends?

Person you miss the most who's quit.

When will you quit?

Is my irl name Endal?

Thoughts on Bushtush?

Where would you rank dethroner in your top 3 players of all time?

Best mono lc player?

Best mono uber player?

If a man walks into a zoo and all he sees is one dog what kind of zoo is it?

You got 100 million dollars through the lottery, how would you divide this amongst woa memers?

When do you think Dak will break up with his current gf?

R8 eien and paleo as monotype co dictators.

If you could manage a mono snake team what would you call it?

Most innovative team builder

Worst team builder

Underrated players

If woa converted to digimon would u still take part?

Most weeb?

Who's a player you have the hardest time beating?

Favorite food?

Biggest fear?

Biggest pet peeve?

If you could change races what race would you be?

What is your ideal age for death?

Would you rather die by freezing or by being burned alive?

R8 my questions so far

If monotype was marvel what character would you be?

Whats your dream car?
Candy corn is alright, not my favorite candy but will probably eat some if it's in front of me.

Favorite ice cream flavor is probably peanut butter cup.

Closest monotype friends all of woa ofc, but the ones I have snap streaks with are Dak, Fortune, Cam, Hammy, Cookies, Seo, and I have on/off ones with Kammi, Wanka, and Geotal.

I really miss my boys CC and Ash :(

Not really sure when I'll quit, definitely when I get out of school though.

Your irl name is NOT endal

Bushtush can be accurately depicted as Dethroner's cumrag

Dethroner obviously would be 1, his son Suspense would be 2, and Suspense's son and grandson, Patria and Gilli are tied for 3.

Best mono lc player is trash

Best mono ubers player is thimo

It's a Shitzu xaa

I would keep all of the money for myself, but equally distribute all of my azure bucks to all of my fellow woaians.

Dak has surprised me with the length of his current relationship as I've never seen him have this strong of feelings toward anyone other than myself, so she could possibly be the one

hitler x kim jong-un

My team would be the feelsgoals thinkingfigits

PCM is the most innovative team builder

Worst team builder would have to be the inventor of choice band ferrothorn, hingo

Underrated players are the side server players who I was talking about earlier such as Bit, Chaitanya, Trich, Vodoom, Waszap, Wincon, Zugu

Woa is for life

Most weeb is ssalbap for sure

idk but I am definitely struggling with not beating my meat this no nut november

Favorite food would be the chicken dinner from p much any japanese steakhouse

Biggest fear is dying and my PS friends not knowing about it :'(

Biggest pet peeve is when Seo moans "ONI CHAAAAAN" while we're calling (low key actually love it tho)

Would it be racist to say I would prefer to stay white?

idk about that but I hear the ideal age for deth is anyone under 18

I would go with freezing

These questions are incredible

I would be iron man for sure
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
  • Rate yourself as a human being, 1-100, on how good you are to be around. It's as open ended as it sounds
  • Of all the current players, who will be the best quarter back in the NFL in 7 years?
  • Thoughts on Colin Kaepernick?
  • Thoughts on Trump?
  • Favorite animated movie?
  • If you heard someone has talked about you behind your back, what would you assume they'd been making fun of you for?
  • Most attractive actress?
  • During what time period would you say you were your best at Monotype?
  • Who would you say is the most underrated Monotype player of all time? It can just be someone you think any "newer" player wouldn't know about
  • I would say I'm a solid 72
  • If Aaron Rodgers is still there and healthy, him. But out of the younger players it would be between Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson
  • Low qual qb
  • Better businessman than president
  • Megamind
  • Overusing the word "silly"
  • Margot Robbie
  • I feel I was best during gen 6 starting around the first MPL, but I think I'm still pretty solid in gen 7
  • iLight for sure, he was a freakin stud in gen 6 and not too many people thought THAT highly of him. Also, even though everyone knows him, Clearly is better than a lot people give him credit for, top 5 SM undoubtably
 
1)Favorite song?
2)Favorite artist?
3)Favorite teams from every sport you watch?
4)If you had the power to kick 3 people from WoA who would you kick
5)Favorite show?
6)Favorite NBA player?
7)Favorite friend to play against?
8)Favorite tier besides mono?
 
Who do you fukin love in smogon
Whos the best player you’ve played

Would you rather have all farts be silent but smell like the worst thing ever or all farts be harmless but EXTREMELY loud

Would you rather have your legs as long as your fingers or your fingers as long as your legs

Would you rather let everyone you know, including online people, see your internet history for the past three months (yes, even deleted) or give up the internet for a year

Would you rather always be too hot or always be too cold

A grid with 3 rows and 52 columns is tiled with 78 identical 2x1 dominoes. How many ways can this be done such that exactly two the dominoes are vertical?

A train is speeding down the tracks. In front of the train, is a random Monotype council member, when the train reaches them they will die. Alternatively, you could pull the lever and send it into a papa johns employee, who is offering you a one time only deal of unlimited papa johns bread sticks™ If he lives. Do you pull the lever?

When can I tryout for the feelsgoals thinkingfidgits
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
1)Favorite song?
2)Favorite artist?
3)Favorite teams from every sport you watch?
4)If you had the power to kick 3 people from WoA who would you kick
5)Favorite show?
6)Favorite NBA player?
7)Favorite friend to play against?
8)Favorite tier besides mono?
1) LORD PRETTY FLACKO JODYE 2
2) Big Sean
3) Basketball: Thunder, Football: Eagles, Baseball: Cardinals
4) This is a fun one, let's go with Bush, Wanka, and Zarif
5) Rick and Morty
6) Even though KD left the thunder, I'd still go with him. Russ is a close #2 tho
7 & 8) Super Staff Bros Free For All on battlearena.psim.us with Ssalbap ;w;
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Who do you fukin love in smogon
Whos the best player you’ve played

Would you rather have all farts be silent but smell like the worst thing ever or all farts be harmless but EXTREMELY loud

Would you rather have your legs as long as your fingers or your fingers as long as your legs

Would you rather let everyone you know, including online people, see your internet history for the past three months (yes, even deleted) or give up the internet for a year

Would you rather always be too hot or always be too cold

A grid with 3 rows and 52 columns is tiled with 78 identical 2x1 dominoes. How many ways can this be done such that exactly two the dominoes are vertical?

A train is speeding down the tracks. In front of the train, is a random Monotype council member, when the train reaches them they will die. Alternatively, you could pull the lever and send it into a papa johns employee, who is offering you a one time only deal of unlimited papa johns bread sticks™ If he lives. Do you pull the lever?

When can I tryout for the feelsgoals thinkingfidgits
Fukin love Endal
One time I played Ticken in monothreat and OML that kid's insane

Silent but deadly

What if my legs are already the same length as my fingers?

I physically could not give up mons for a year so I guess I'll let the world see my history (last 9 days will be clean though shoutouts no nut november)

Being hot or cold is a conscious decision one has to make, only the weak would be effected

2(27 choose 2) = 702

Rip Lycan cuz I love me some free breadsticks

Tryouts start when snake sign ups drop! You have to be on dethroner's list of top 50 azure players to be eligible to tryout though :p
 
Would u ever vape and play mons at the same time?
What are your thoughts on the adderall ban for PROFESSIONAL POKEMON PLAYERS?
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME U TOOK ADDERALL?
TRUE OR FALSE? THE DERIVATIVE OF X^2 is 2x.
TRUE OR FALSE? CHEM IS HARD
 

Ridley

lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
is a Tutor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnus
Would u ever vape and play mons at the same time?
What are your thoughts on the adderall ban for PROFESSIONAL POKEMON PLAYERS?
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME U TOOK ADDERALL?
TRUE OR FALSE? THE DERIVATIVE OF X^2 is 2x.
TRUE OR FALSE? CHEM IS HARD
I'm doing it right now fuck you mean
Adderall is the roids of pokemon, very uncompetitive
Who needs adderall when you can vape?
TRUE
VERY TRUE
 
If you had to boot a council member right now who would it be?

What is your favourite metagame (other than mono)

What is your least favourite type in mono rn

Thoughts on USUM?

If you had to spend your last day alive, where would it be? What would be your last meal?

TRUE OR FALSE: Mars bars are overrated
 
Dethroner or Eien who's a greater dictator

favorite delta member

azure > main y/y?

do u play OU

have u ever told soma u love him

Are u gonna manage for snake
 
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You’re sitting in a restaurant and your girl tells you to take off your jacket, but mans not hot. What do you do?

what is your favorite steel rock ultrabeast getting introduced in ultra sun ultra moon?
 
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