Other OU Player of the Week #2: McMeghan

[Clone]

approved by alexwolf

Banner by me​

Welcome to the second installment of OU’s Player of the Week! This week we have McMeghan, a renowned tour player who is currently ranked #1 in mien’s ATP Tour rankings (seen here). If you have any suggestions for players you want to be seen interviewed in the future, drop me a PM. So without further ado, let’s get to it!

McMeghan​

Best Known for:
I guess other people's answer would be best there, but I'll say probably for constantly doing well in Tournaments for a bunch of time now. I also try to be nice with a maximum of people.

Favorite Pokémon:
Charizard / Articuno

Most used Pokémon:
If it had to be across generations, that'd be Tyranitar without a doubt. In XY OU? Probably Latios and Heatran.

Where did you get your name from?
Meghan was a password in Ratchet & Clank 3 on Playstation 2, a franchise I'm a huge fan of. I just added Mc so it wouldn't sound too girly, and because I thought it was cool. I went by the name Roro 97 on french Pokemon websites in the past.

How and when did you get into competitive battling?
I originally started in early 2006. I had just discovered Internet and I looked up some tips I could learn for Pokemon Emerald. I came across the competitive section on a french website and it was talking about NetBattle and the different roles in a team (Sweeper, Staller, Heal Beller, etc). It looked pretty interesting, especially the fact that I could face humans and friends online. I played a lot of ADV, and a bit of DP when it came out, but shortly after DP's release, I lost my interest in Pokemon in general.

I came back for a brief amount of time during Platinium to see how things were going (that's when I made my Smogon account), but I only stayed for something like two weeks before school kicked back in and I didn't feel interested enough to stay around.

Later on, when Black&White came out in Europe, I bought the game and wanted to look up some information online. I once again read the competitive section and Gen 5 looked pretty interesting so I downloaded PO and laddered a bit (Blaziken had just been banned on Smogon, so mid 2011). I distinctly remember wanting to use Espeon and Magic Bounce because it'd abuse the usage of SR by my opponent.

I found some friends from the ADV days online and little by little, my interest for competitive Pokemon kept growing. I haven't left since then.

What’s it like being known as one of, if not the best tour player around?
It feels good I guess? I still enjoy playing Pokemon and I fixed myself some goals as I got into Tournaments. As I started doing well on the competitive scene, I reached some of them and made some new one. I'm satisfied regarding my achievements now, even though I still have some more under my sleeve.

What is your mindset when you play an important match for a tour?
I never go into a game thinking I have 0 chance to win. That was already the case when I started facing big names when I was a lot worse. I think every game is winnable if the match-up isn't impossible and you don't get too unlucky. Other than that, I just try to be as focused as possible and think through all my moves when I consider the game important (and even then, chokes still happened and happen from time to time n_n).

What's your favorite playstyle and why?
I tried pretty much every playstyle over the course of my "career", and the styles I like the most are Balance and Bulky Offense. I think Stall is too match-up reliant, while HO is too "guess-reliant". Balance and Bulky Offense gives you the most room to plan a game as well as possible while giving you some options to come back if you find yourself in a tough position or with a bad match-up.

How do you deal with Counter Teams / strategies when facing an opponent of high skill during a major tour?
I used to always use the same teams, then I learned my lesson the hard way. Now, I just try to come up with different teams every time I have to play a "Big Game". Having group of friends to motivate you building or co-building (which makes it more entertaining and faster) helps a ton there.
I always found CounterTeaming way too risky, and people rarely do it. CounterStyle is a lot more present, but even then, I usually blame myself for using a team so prone to getting destroyed by X or Y threat/playstyle rather than saying I solely lost because my opponent counterstyled/teamed me.

What's your favorite tournament, Official or Unofficial (like the more ‘fun’ ones), that you’ve participated in?
I have many! Smogon Tour is definitly the best tournament. Live Tour are just something else to me. It's also what got me into Smogon in the first place.
SPL is pretty fun and makes you learn a lot as you get to know and discuss with people you better than you or that you didn't know much.
As for the Unofficial, there are so many I could mention I wouldn't know where to stop. I really liked the Battle Factory Tournament hosted by FireMage and the FFTA2 hosted by Oglemi recently.

What's players do you look up to the most, if any?
I'm gonna be honest, I never really looked up to anyone, as I would rather focus on myself and my own improvement (and still do). If there is one player I actually looked up to, it would have to be Earthworm. Facing him for the first times in test battles for SPL made me realize the importance of considering every scenario in a game and that a lot of seemingly lost games are actually winnable if you try.

Other than him, I'd like to mention two players in particular that shaped my experience the most: Bloo for being one of the most constant and successful players here. I consider him both as a great friend and a rival (in a healthy way). The other player is Ojama, who made me realize how much hard work and motivation pays off in the long run, in the same way than Bloo, he's one of the player I respect the most and I learned a lot from him.

What's it like being a mod here on Smogon, and have there been times when you wish you weren't one?
There isn't much to "feel" about this. I try to make the tournament scene as enjoyable as possible for everyone, and I feel like my work is appreciated. The only drama I dislike dealing with, even though it happens all the time, is related to people being shaddy (or they just straight up lie) on purpose during team tournaments.

If you could change one thing in OU, be it through a ban or unban, what would you pick and why?
Nothing honestly. I genuinely like OU as it is right now, and it's as enjoyable as it's ever been to me.

Do you have any advice for players who are newer to the XY OU Metagame?
Don't use full stall! Also, like aim said, the better your knowledge is, the most chances you'll put on your side in the battle. Give yourself some goals if you wanna become as good as possible. Try to learn from both your wins and your losses.

Finally, is there a team that you could show us that reflects your playstyle that is a good fit for this metagame with a brief explanation of how it works?

Hide

Gardevoir @ Gardevoirite
Ability: Trace
EVs: 24 Def / 232 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Hyper Voice
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Taunt

Rotom-Wash @ Leftovers
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 200 Def / 12 SpD / 44 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Hydro Pump
- Pain Split

Latios (M) @ Life Orb
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psyshock
- Draco Meteor
- Thunderbolt
- Roost

Landorus-Therian (M) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 24 HP / 252 Atk / 232 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- U-turn
- Superpower
- Stone Edge

Keldeo @ Choice Specs
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 SpA
- Hydro Pump
- Secret Sword
- Scald
- Hidden Power [Electric]

Heatran @ Leftovers
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 HP / 56 SpD / 200 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Lava Plume
- Taunt
- Stealth Rock
- Will-O-Wisp

This is a very standard Bulky Offense team that I've made shortly after MegaMawile got banned, but I still use and like it!

Long story short, the team has everything I want when I use bulky offense: a good defensive backbone (Rotom/Landorus/Heatran/Latios), some ways to beat Stall (Taunt Gard, Taunt Heatran, Keldeo), and the ability to play the trade & kill game when facing HO (everything is either bulky or can take a hit and fights back hard enough to not give too much advantage to my opponent if he gets something I'm weak to on the field). It also has an abusable Volt-Turn core to put dangerous threats such as Keldeo and Gardevoir as much as possible.

I'm also open to answer everyone's questions if they have any in the thread afterwards! =]

------

So there we have it. As he said, McMeghan will be answering questions in the thread. Id like to thank him once again for doing this. Once again, if you have any suggestions for who you wanna see in future installments, shoot me a PM. See y’all next week!

 

[WhiteQueen]

Assuming the top 16 according the current Tour Playoffs standings, who would you most and least like to face in the first round?

What's your relationship status? Do you have boyfriend or girlfriend?

 

[dadoux]

Can i steal your teams for smogon tour?

 

[SparksBlade]

Not surprised with WhiteQueen's 2nd Q lol.
How do you manage to join so many tours(and win them) and not be troubled with irl situations?
What would you suggest to those who are not good at teambuilding, but do well with other's teams(that's me)?

 

[The Quasar]

What do you think about a McMeghan's clause, at least in any tournaments?

 

[FlareBlitz3000]

Your team lacks Defog/Rapid Spin. Considering Rotom-Wash doesn't like to be worn down in any way, how do you play around that on the team. How do you know when hazard removal isn't 100% necessary.

 

[MagikaripIsOP]

Rt tho how do I get good? I've been in the 1400s forever, it's not the teams I use because I steal borrow tour teams.

 

[mien]

When will i be able to challenge you for a Falco mirror match so that we can establish who's the best Belgium SSBM player once and for all?

 

[McMeghan]

Assuming the top 16 according the current Tour Playoffs standings, who would you most and least like to face in the first round?

What's your relationship status? Do you have boyfriend or girlfriend?

As of right now, I'd dislike to face Bloo/Hugo/Masterclass because they know my teams and my playstyle the most. Hugo is also a really good player and the one I'd like to face the least out of the current pool of players I may get paired with.

As for the second question, there is always some room for you in my heart ;]

Can i steal your teams for smogon tour?

Feel free to use the one I posted here wherever you want.

Not surprised with WhiteQueen's 2nd Q lol.
How do you manage to join so many tours(and win them) and not be troubled with irl situations?
What would you suggest to those who are not good at teambuilding, but do well with other's teams(that's me)?

I just try to be as organized as I can. I always schedule my games during my evenings, when I know I won't be busy with something else. Since I like to play a lot of tournaments, I made a spreadsheet where I list every games I have to get done alongside their deadlines, it helps me to check who I still have to contact or play by just taking a quick glance at the sheet.

Regarding teambuilding, don't consider yourself hopeless. You gotta at least try. When you have trouble making teams, a good way to start is using what's working for you from the team you already possess. If you find yourself comfortable playing a core of 3 or 4 pokemons, you can use them in your new team and add the stuff you actually wanna use in particular. Then you can edit the movesets and EV spreads to fit your playstyle and the new team's needs.

As you will gain experience of the tier, you will know what works the best for you and have an easier time building teams.

What do you think about a McMeghan's clause, at least in any tournaments?

Thanks for the kind words, including the one in the Tournament subforum, I appreciate them

Your team lacks Defog/Rapid Spin. Considering Rotom-Wash doesn't like to be worn down in any way, how do you play around that on the team. How do you know when hazard removal isn't 100% necessary.

None of my Pokemon are weak to Stealth Rock, which is why I don't think I need to pack hazard removal support. The team is also pretty offensive, so it's not like they will pressure me to the point that I'll want to absolutly remove them. There are some games where you don't even need to put your own rocks up to win. While SR is probably the best move in the game, overfocusing on them and the fact that they need to be up/you need to remove them might lead you to take bad decisions that will cost you the game.

Rt tho how do I get good? I've been in the 1400s forever, it's not the teams I use because I steal borrow tour teams.

I don't really know what to say. Keep practising and try to analyze your wins and your losses so you can see what you're doing right and what you need to work on. You can also join the Tutoring program and get some continuous help from someone in particular if you think it'll work best for you.

Whenever you lose a game, try to disregard hax, team match up or any factors you have no control over and ask yourself "What should/could have I done to win this game?". Then, try to remember these points for all your future games.

Also, whenever you start a game, the first thing you should do is analyze your team and your opponent's and formulate a gameplan. You should get a clear idea of what to do and how to do it as soon as possible.

When will i be able to challenge you for a Falco mirror match so that we can establish who's the best Belgium SSBM player once and for all?

Whenever you want man! I've been playing Smash for years and I'm always up for some fun fights. I'm totally open to meet up with you since we live in the same country and spend some time on the Game Cube.

 

[aim]

Has there been a change in the tournament scene when we transitioned from BW to XY? Was it a good or bad change? Do you feel that there was a lot more "skill" "back in the day" compared to now(i guess that is what my first question is asking as well)? Is there something you would change about the competitive scene if you could?

 

[Rosen]

hmm what aspect of oras intrigues you the most so far? lotsa people ofc are hyped over new megas but new additions to old threats seem just as significant (knock off diggersby, gunk shot ninja etc)... so what do you personally think is the most significant change/addition

 

[D4RR3N]

Just wondering, how do you remain consistently good at this game despite all the meta shifts as time goes by? You've done insanely well in tournaments especially Smogon Tours so I'm wondering if theres any tips on that? Also, fav gen/tier?

 

[River Martini]

What's your favourite tier of all time?

I'm stopping at Brussels for a day for my trip next week, where should I go :O What are the best souvenirs to buy?

 

[Taliheim]

In my opinion, competitive Pokemon is extremely hard to start off in; 99% of the time you end up learning stuff the hard way, like the fact that X isn't a gimmick but standard, and that Y isn't good even though you're been using it for the last 2 months. What's the easiest way to start out in the competitive pokemon scene, other than reading analyses for two months prior?

Is there a balance that should be struck between knowledge and experience?

How do you manage your time on Pokemon with real life? I know I have a really hard time finding time to play, and I'm not even in college yet -_-

How good is the ladder for learning purposes, due to the general gimmicky/cancerous nature of half of it, minus the OLT guys?

What should you do if you're in the void between "I'm #1 in the ladder" and "I get wrecked in tournaments"? Battle with friends better than you?

 

[Celticpride]

How do you manage your time on Pokemon with real life? I know I have a really hard time finding time to play, and I'm not even in college yet -_-

There's actually more free time in college than one thinks. You spend a lot less time in class compared to HS. During a typical week at full credits, I'm in class probably 20 hours (and I take an engineering course load). There's more work to do outside of class, but if you get really good at time management you can carve out time for anything. That's also my biggest piece of advice to high schoolers: take all the AP and SAT classes you want, but get really good at time management. My classes aren't all back to back either, allowing for 30 to 45 minute blocks of free time where I do other stuff, like post on here or chip away at homework. Off topic, but I felt that was worth mentioning.

 

[Terraquaza]

1) rank the ratchet&clank games from best to worst
2) will you definetly come to german vgc nationals or arnheim regionals?
3) are there any other games you like to play? (on console)
4) what do you think seperates the best players from normal/solid/good players?
5) which things did you learn by analyzing your battles?

 

[Sapientia]

I want to try belgian beer, which one would you recommend? :o

 

[Hot N Cold]

why you left me for ben gay? ;_;

 

[Sharingan]

where did you play on netbattle? only on smogon or other servers? with what nick?

 

[LeoLancaster]

In your opinion, which Smogon tier (from any generation) is the best? (If you have the time, if you could even do a ranking of your favorite tiers I'd really appreciate it.)

 

[Bloo]

Definitely feel like my depth of understanding of Pokémon has improved just by reading your insight. Thread bookmarked, screened and saved as my computer background. Printed out a copy too while I was at it; thanks, McGOAT.

On a more serious note though, who are (or were) some of your favorite players to watch? Whether it's because of the teams they use, how aggressively they play, and so on, what is it that makes them your favorite to spectate?

 

[McMeghan]

Has there been a change in the tournament scene when we transitioned from BW to XY? Was it a good or bad change? Do you feel that there was a lot more "skill" "back in the day" compared to now(i guess that is what my first question is asking as well)? Is there something you would change about the competitive scene if you could?

Well, I wasn't around during the DPP days of Smogon so I can't talk for this period of time, but in my opinion, the all-around skill has actually gotten higher as time went by. Just a personal impression. If anything, the level has always been high, but there are a lot more players now, which means there are more good and great one too, which means an overall better quality. I don't think there has been a change I could pinpoint, even tho Smogon got a handful of consistent good players when the PO guys joined the tournaments.

It would be pretty cool if every tournament players would be passionate or motivated enough to contribute everywhere on the site on a regular basis. Read The Smog, OU subforum, The Competitor, etc. I'm not blaming them, as I don't always do this kind of stuff either, but I love reading other player's opinions about the competitive scene, the metagame, one Pokemon in particular, and pretty much anything else.

hmm what aspect of oras intrigues you the most so far? lotsa people ofc are hyped over new megas but new additions to old threats seem just as significant (knock off diggersby, gunk shot ninja etc)... so what do you personally think is the most significant change/addition

The new Megas intrigue me the most of course (they're the biggest change to the metagame anyway). I'm really hyped to play them and see their impact on the metagame too (and I can't wait to play the actual games on cartridge!).
Off the top of my head, the biggest new additions for OU are Gunk Shot Greninja to snipe fairies and Crunch Mega Gyarados. I think everything else is interesting but won't become as standard as these one. I'd give a little mention to Nasty Plot Hoopa too, but it's not like we were able to use Hoopa before.

There are probably a lot of new stuff I don't remember/know yet that will be usable in OU tho.

Just wondering, how do you remain consistently good at this game despite all the meta shifts as time goes by? You've done insanely well in tournaments especially Smogon Tours so I'm wondering if theres any tips on that? Also, fav gen/tier?

I just try to stay up to date by reading analyses or the forums as well as watching games. I actually watch a lot more than I play. With the experience I gained throughout time, I feel like I just need to know the most used Pokemons of a tier/generation to understand how I should play and think through my games.

I feel a lot more confident and consistant in the tiers I activily play tho.

What's your favourite tier of all time?

I'm stopping at Brussels for a day for my trip next week, where should I go :O What are the best souvenirs to buy?

I'm gonna answer both D4RR3N and you with your first question: my favorite generation is probably ADV. It's where I started and I feel like every tiers there is well balanced between diversity, room for creavity and skill.

I don't know Brussels very well, it's not close to where I live and I rarely go there. The "Grand Place" is pretty nice as well as all its surroundings, it's probably interesting to visit for a tourist. I'm not really good at souvenirs but I strongly advice you to taste a home-made waffle, they're absolutly delicious! If you're into super generic souvenir like the Tour Eiffel of Paris, you can always go with a little Manneken-Pis!

 

[Fourth Inversion]

Would you consider using one of the 'riskier' team archetypes, such as Trick Room, Sticky Web or even Geomancy Pass in an important tournament game, or do you think those playstyles are a bit too matchup reliant?

 

[dekzeh]

Why do you never have a Kingdra switchin ._.
How good/bad is ADV Swampert in your opinion and why n_n

 

[FireMage]

McM you'll have to help out with the spelling; but barbar? (monks beer) is really awesome beer that I had when I visited Belgium.

In terms of questions; How do you prepare for a serious ladder session? Same with a tournament match. Is there anything you do differently?

also i am heading to see rhino about November time again. Be awesome to see you about Belgium