I'd like a follow up to qsns' interview
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Doubles OU Player of the Week #41 - Stax
- Thread starter ryo yamada2001
- Start date
we will do more interviews soon so stay tuned ;D
1. Rei how is it in britain
idk
how is it anywhere
?
2. Rei is it raining right now at ur place
no
3. Rei is it true that you only see the sun 3 times a year (user sumbitted question by Sol and Luna)
no
4. Rei what is ur second favourite pokemon
rhydon
4 and a half. why
i like it but it isnt my fave
5. Rei do you like mega-ampharos
yeah
6. do you like abra
yeah
7. ok last question
8. whats ur 3rd least favourite fire-type in BL2
i dont have one
thanks BLOOD TOTEM for the time to take this interview more is coming soon...
idk
how is it anywhere
?
2. Rei is it raining right now at ur place
no
3. Rei is it true that you only see the sun 3 times a year (user sumbitted question by Sol and Luna)
no
4. Rei what is ur second favourite pokemon
rhydon
4 and a half. why
i like it but it isnt my fave
5. Rei do you like mega-ampharos
yeah
6. do you like abra
yeah
7. ok last question
8. whats ur 3rd least favourite fire-type in BL2
i dont have one
thanks BLOOD TOTEM for the time to take this interview more is coming soon...
I have a question! How do I begin collecting blood for my own BLOOD TOTEM??
1. Hello there! Who are you and could you give us a little introduction of yourself?
Hi! My name is talkingtree and I'm a 20 year old student from the Saint Louis area. I'm studying computer science (just like everyone else) and I'm also on the swim team at my college.
2. Where did your username come from and why did you stick with it?
Well irl I'm 6'7" (or 2m for you non-imperial users out there), and kind of built like a tree and uh... I talk? Basically it was a nickname / username I had come up with that's just kinda catchy, and it also reminds me of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, which is always great
3. When did you start playing competitive Pokémon, when did you start playing competitive Doubles, and why did you stick around?
I started messing around on Pokemon showdown in the summer of 2014 when one of my friends showed it to me and we threw teams together just for fun. I didn't really start dedicating time to it until maybe March-ish of 2015, when I was really sick and bored with nothing else to do. I had always enjoyed the double battles in-game way more than the regular ones, and after messing around in the tournaments room to find out which tiers I liked, Doubles just really clicked for me. So I came to the doubles room, entered a few roomtours, did decently well and got help with my team (thanks Yellow Paint). I started laddering with that team and doing fairly well so I entered the summer seasonal. In that seasonal I was very lucky to make it all the way to the top 8, and along the way started talking to a bunch of the room regulars and getting a better feel for the community, so now the Doubles room is kinda like my family n_n
4. What is your favourite Pokémon to use competitively and why? What is your favourite Pokémon overall and why?
I really like Heatran, it's fairly versatile but also the standard sub set is so solid that you can kinda make up for mistakes along the way. Heat Wave misses make me cry but otherwise I find myself adding Heatran to so many teams due to how inherently sun-weak my builds otherwise seem to be. My favorite Pokemon overall is probably Empoleon - my first run through in a Pokemon game was Pokemon Diamond, and it was my first starter. I had this idea that the starter was supposed to be the star of the show, and so I leveled it up to level 88 before I even got to the elite 4, and solo'd the whole league with that one pokemon. i did have 5 others, but they were all about level 40. Its design is also totally badass. I love Drifloon too because it's a little balloon and it puts in so much work every game.
5. Do you think there's a Pokemon or set that is currently underrated in the meta?
Yeah there are a few that come to mind - I really like Terrakion, Taunt / Quick Guard always come in handy and it can beat Thundurus which I otherwise hate facing. It's been dropping in viability and usage but I feel like it never should have dropped. Also, Mega Lucario hits like a truck and is super fun to use.
6. Do you believe there is anything broken or suspect worthy in the current metagame?
I know a bunch of people want Jirachi out, and some were calling for a Diancite suspect as well, but honestly this metagame feels very balanced to me. I can understand where people are coming from but I feel like Jirachi and Diancie help the meta more than they hurt it.
That being said, BAN TWAVE
7. Could you give us a team that resembles your playing and building style and give a little explanation about it?
I tend to build around a specific win-con or offensive core, and in this case that was Sky Drop Mega Aero + Belly Drum Azumarill. Sky Drop is usually a surprise and can open up lots of setup opportunities, and Azu is just great, especially with redirection. Electrics and Waters were obviously a problem and I wanted a way to OHKO Kang, so I added Virizion, also with Quick Guard to help Azu avoid opposing priority. Then, Jirachi worked pretty well as a redirection option once Azu was set up, and TWave is broken so I added a set that outspeeds max speed Heatran so that it can get off a paralysis before the sub. Weathers in general were a bit of a rough matchup, so sub Kyube and Rotom-H fill out the team pretty well, also helping remove the Grass types that can trouble Azu. I tend to use mostly viable mons, but I've noticed my choices are more on the unorthodox side of viable, and even within that I try to throw a curveball or two into every one of my teams to keep the opponent guessing.
8. If you could change anything about Doubles, what would it be and why?
One of the great things about the community is that we don't take ourselves too seriously and poke fun at each other the way that only close friends usually would. That being said, that attitude and atmosphere can make it difficult for new players to feel accepted so being able to transition from that joking attitude to a more helpful one situationally would be great. Also maybe free Skymin but I'm not as convinced it should come back as I first was.
9. How is it to be a member of the Quality Control team?
I love it so much it's actually amazing.
One of the great things about analyses is that I don't have to worry about choking or hax, and just working on creating the best guide possible as a team is really interesting because you get to see different metagame opinions come together and come up with ideas you hadn't before. I'm also kind of obsessed with EV's to the point where it might not be healthy, so coming up with new or more efficient spreads for a different Pokemon is a lot of fun.
10. What do you play outside of Doubles, what are your favourite metas and why?
I used to only play Doubles metagames, dabbling in both DUU and DUbers while still focusing on DOU. Recently, however, I entered Battling 101 and got tutored in LC, which has been a lot of fun. The EVs and rolls are totally different and it's also a fairly balanced metagame that doesn't have to deal with crazy shifts like many of the singles tiers out there. Also the little mons are freaking adorable.
11. What do you think of this Seasonals, who do you think is going to do well and why?
Well this Seasonal is very interesting to me in that seeding has been introduced. Obviously this has lots of benefits, and I fully support the idea, but it will change a lot. I just learned the hard way not to underestimate an opponent just because they're seeded lower than you, as Hiro97 fully outplayed me. This seeding thing will help some of the newer players potentially come out of the woodwork in the loser's bracket especially, and will hopefully make for some interesting matches in winner's bracket between seasoned pro's. I know Stratos is going to be gunning for the win this seasonal and he definitely has the skill to go all the way, but the only question is whether he has the luck and the focus. Other people I'd like to see do well include Yoda2798 and n10sit, because their results thus far don't really show how great I know they are. I'd also be excited to see Hiro97 continue to do well, he's a great guy and it will be interesting to see if he can keep this momentum going. And as always I'll be hoping for a Pastelle victory or two :>
12. Who do you think is going to win the Fall Seasonal? Flame Road or TUO, and why?
Flame Road is a good friend who has been testing with me for a while, and someone who definitely has the creativity and skill to pull this out, so I'm hoping for and looking forward to a win for him. That being said, it's not easy to predict against TUO, who has had an amazing run so far.
13. What do you think of the players in the Smogon Premier League right now? Do you see yourself in that tour in a year?
I really look up to all of the SPL players - I may have been unconvinced of a few players at the beginning (MajorBowman being the obvious one), but they have all proven why they deserve to be there and Bowman in particular has exceeded all my expectations. That's definitely a tour I would love to participate in next year, I did not feel ready at all this year but considering that I've only been around for about a year, one more year could make all the difference.
14. How do you feel about Smogon Doubles Premier League? Do you think you'll get drafted?
I'm super excited for SDPL, I think it'll be a great way to get even closer to a bunch of the people in the community. I certainly hope I'll be drafted, although my recent performance hasn't exactly been stellar I do have experience in all of the tiers due to my time in the prestigious Fall Cup tournament. My main hope is that people stay motivated throughout the tour, as I heard last year that was not the case.
15. What are your hobbies outside of playing Pokemon? What are you interested in?
Well as I said I'm on the swim team, which has been a big part of my life for a while and I can't really imagine not swimming. I'm also a member of an a cappella group at college, and I really enjoy arranging music for them.
16. Is there anything else you would like to say or speak about?
I guess I'll take this time first of all to thank you for the interview, I'm honored to be here. Also, if there are any new players out there who are looking to get involved in the tier, please don't be intimidated. I'd be happy to answer any questions or test teams at any time, so please don't hesitate to ask! On the rare occasion that I can't, I'll probably be able to refer you to someone else who can help.
17. Is Yoda2798 a literal eggnog?
I can honestly say I've never met anyone who is more of an eggnog
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks tree for this interview!
More interviews coming soon...
Hi! My name is talkingtree and I'm a 20 year old student from the Saint Louis area. I'm studying computer science (just like everyone else) and I'm also on the swim team at my college.
2. Where did your username come from and why did you stick with it?
Well irl I'm 6'7" (or 2m for you non-imperial users out there), and kind of built like a tree and uh... I talk? Basically it was a nickname / username I had come up with that's just kinda catchy, and it also reminds me of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, which is always great
3. When did you start playing competitive Pokémon, when did you start playing competitive Doubles, and why did you stick around?
I started messing around on Pokemon showdown in the summer of 2014 when one of my friends showed it to me and we threw teams together just for fun. I didn't really start dedicating time to it until maybe March-ish of 2015, when I was really sick and bored with nothing else to do. I had always enjoyed the double battles in-game way more than the regular ones, and after messing around in the tournaments room to find out which tiers I liked, Doubles just really clicked for me. So I came to the doubles room, entered a few roomtours, did decently well and got help with my team (thanks Yellow Paint). I started laddering with that team and doing fairly well so I entered the summer seasonal. In that seasonal I was very lucky to make it all the way to the top 8, and along the way started talking to a bunch of the room regulars and getting a better feel for the community, so now the Doubles room is kinda like my family n_n
4. What is your favourite Pokémon to use competitively and why? What is your favourite Pokémon overall and why?
I really like Heatran, it's fairly versatile but also the standard sub set is so solid that you can kinda make up for mistakes along the way. Heat Wave misses make me cry but otherwise I find myself adding Heatran to so many teams due to how inherently sun-weak my builds otherwise seem to be. My favorite Pokemon overall is probably Empoleon - my first run through in a Pokemon game was Pokemon Diamond, and it was my first starter. I had this idea that the starter was supposed to be the star of the show, and so I leveled it up to level 88 before I even got to the elite 4, and solo'd the whole league with that one pokemon. i did have 5 others, but they were all about level 40. Its design is also totally badass. I love Drifloon too because it's a little balloon and it puts in so much work every game.
5. Do you think there's a Pokemon or set that is currently underrated in the meta?
Yeah there are a few that come to mind - I really like Terrakion, Taunt / Quick Guard always come in handy and it can beat Thundurus which I otherwise hate facing. It's been dropping in viability and usage but I feel like it never should have dropped. Also, Mega Lucario hits like a truck and is super fun to use.
6. Do you believe there is anything broken or suspect worthy in the current metagame?
I know a bunch of people want Jirachi out, and some were calling for a Diancite suspect as well, but honestly this metagame feels very balanced to me. I can understand where people are coming from but I feel like Jirachi and Diancie help the meta more than they hurt it.
That being said, BAN TWAVE
7. Could you give us a team that resembles your playing and building style and give a little explanation about it?
Aerodactyl-Mega @ Aerodactylite
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Sky Drop
- Aqua Tail
- Protect
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Protect
Virizion @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Quick Guard
- Protect
Jirachi @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 24 Atk / 92 Def / 72 SpD / 72 Spe
Impish Nature
- Follow Me
- Iron Head
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 100 HP / 252 SpA / 156 Spe
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
Rotom-Heat @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 68 SpA / 76 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
Ability: Unnerve
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Slide
- Sky Drop
- Aqua Tail
- Protect
Azumarill @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Huge Power
EVs: 196 HP / 252 Atk / 60 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Belly Drum
- Aqua Jet
- Play Rough
- Protect
Virizion @ Life Orb
Ability: Justified
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Leaf Blade
- Quick Guard
- Protect
Jirachi @ Safety Goggles
Ability: Serene Grace
EVs: 248 HP / 24 Atk / 92 Def / 72 SpD / 72 Spe
Impish Nature
- Follow Me
- Iron Head
- Thunder Wave
- Protect
Kyurem-Black @ Leftovers
Ability: Teravolt
EVs: 100 HP / 252 SpA / 156 Spe
Modest Nature
- Ice Beam
- Earth Power
- Substitute
- Protect
Rotom-Heat @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 96 Def / 68 SpA / 76 SpD / 16 Spe
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Overheat
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
I tend to build around a specific win-con or offensive core, and in this case that was Sky Drop Mega Aero + Belly Drum Azumarill. Sky Drop is usually a surprise and can open up lots of setup opportunities, and Azu is just great, especially with redirection. Electrics and Waters were obviously a problem and I wanted a way to OHKO Kang, so I added Virizion, also with Quick Guard to help Azu avoid opposing priority. Then, Jirachi worked pretty well as a redirection option once Azu was set up, and TWave is broken so I added a set that outspeeds max speed Heatran so that it can get off a paralysis before the sub. Weathers in general were a bit of a rough matchup, so sub Kyube and Rotom-H fill out the team pretty well, also helping remove the Grass types that can trouble Azu. I tend to use mostly viable mons, but I've noticed my choices are more on the unorthodox side of viable, and even within that I try to throw a curveball or two into every one of my teams to keep the opponent guessing.
8. If you could change anything about Doubles, what would it be and why?
One of the great things about the community is that we don't take ourselves too seriously and poke fun at each other the way that only close friends usually would. That being said, that attitude and atmosphere can make it difficult for new players to feel accepted so being able to transition from that joking attitude to a more helpful one situationally would be great. Also maybe free Skymin but I'm not as convinced it should come back as I first was.
9. How is it to be a member of the Quality Control team?
I love it so much it's actually amazing.
One of the great things about analyses is that I don't have to worry about choking or hax, and just working on creating the best guide possible as a team is really interesting because you get to see different metagame opinions come together and come up with ideas you hadn't before. I'm also kind of obsessed with EV's to the point where it might not be healthy, so coming up with new or more efficient spreads for a different Pokemon is a lot of fun.
10. What do you play outside of Doubles, what are your favourite metas and why?
I used to only play Doubles metagames, dabbling in both DUU and DUbers while still focusing on DOU. Recently, however, I entered Battling 101 and got tutored in LC, which has been a lot of fun. The EVs and rolls are totally different and it's also a fairly balanced metagame that doesn't have to deal with crazy shifts like many of the singles tiers out there. Also the little mons are freaking adorable.
11. What do you think of this Seasonals, who do you think is going to do well and why?
Well this Seasonal is very interesting to me in that seeding has been introduced. Obviously this has lots of benefits, and I fully support the idea, but it will change a lot. I just learned the hard way not to underestimate an opponent just because they're seeded lower than you, as Hiro97 fully outplayed me. This seeding thing will help some of the newer players potentially come out of the woodwork in the loser's bracket especially, and will hopefully make for some interesting matches in winner's bracket between seasoned pro's. I know Stratos is going to be gunning for the win this seasonal and he definitely has the skill to go all the way, but the only question is whether he has the luck and the focus. Other people I'd like to see do well include Yoda2798 and n10sit, because their results thus far don't really show how great I know they are. I'd also be excited to see Hiro97 continue to do well, he's a great guy and it will be interesting to see if he can keep this momentum going. And as always I'll be hoping for a Pastelle victory or two :>
12. Who do you think is going to win the Fall Seasonal? Flame Road or TUO, and why?
Flame Road is a good friend who has been testing with me for a while, and someone who definitely has the creativity and skill to pull this out, so I'm hoping for and looking forward to a win for him. That being said, it's not easy to predict against TUO, who has had an amazing run so far.
13. What do you think of the players in the Smogon Premier League right now? Do you see yourself in that tour in a year?
I really look up to all of the SPL players - I may have been unconvinced of a few players at the beginning (MajorBowman being the obvious one), but they have all proven why they deserve to be there and Bowman in particular has exceeded all my expectations. That's definitely a tour I would love to participate in next year, I did not feel ready at all this year but considering that I've only been around for about a year, one more year could make all the difference.
14. How do you feel about Smogon Doubles Premier League? Do you think you'll get drafted?
I'm super excited for SDPL, I think it'll be a great way to get even closer to a bunch of the people in the community. I certainly hope I'll be drafted, although my recent performance hasn't exactly been stellar I do have experience in all of the tiers due to my time in the prestigious Fall Cup tournament. My main hope is that people stay motivated throughout the tour, as I heard last year that was not the case.
15. What are your hobbies outside of playing Pokemon? What are you interested in?
Well as I said I'm on the swim team, which has been a big part of my life for a while and I can't really imagine not swimming. I'm also a member of an a cappella group at college, and I really enjoy arranging music for them.
16. Is there anything else you would like to say or speak about?
I guess I'll take this time first of all to thank you for the interview, I'm honored to be here. Also, if there are any new players out there who are looking to get involved in the tier, please don't be intimidated. I'd be happy to answer any questions or test teams at any time, so please don't hesitate to ask! On the rare occasion that I can't, I'll probably be able to refer you to someone else who can help.
17. Is Yoda2798 a literal eggnog?
I can honestly say I've never met anyone who is more of an eggnog
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks tree for this interview!
More interviews coming soon...
Last edited:
CorruptedOmega
Banned deucer.
What do you swim thetalkingtree? What are your PRs?
I'm primarily a backstroker, but I also swim the 200 IM.
PRs in my three relevant events: 53.9 in 100y back, 1:56.3 in 200y back, 1:58.9 in 200y IM
Do you swim too?
PRs in my three relevant events: 53.9 in 100y back, 1:56.3 in 200y back, 1:58.9 in 200y IM
Do you swim too?
CorruptedOmega
Banned deucer.
Yeah. 50, 100, 200, and 500 Free. I used to be hella good at Backstroke but I gradually stopped swimming it and lost my form. I'm more of a long distance swimmer cause there's less competition lol. Do you swim D1?
what's it like being so tall
do you ever walk over to the short people and pat them on the head or something
how I imagine meeting tree irl:
also mfk yoda, stratos, kamikaze
do you ever walk over to the short people and pat them on the head or something
how I imagine meeting tree irl:
also mfk yoda, stratos, kamikaze
Lol I'm terrible at Free and never could really get into distance. What are your PRs? (we can move this to PMs if you want I could talk about swimming for a long time lol) I swim D3, didn't really want to swim quite as intensely as a D1 school and the atmosphere is a lot chiller.
1. Bacon Turkey Bravo
2. Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a Bread Bowl
3. Creamy Tomato Soup w/ Asiago Croutons
4. Mango Smoothie
5. Thai Chicken Salad
6. Everything else (I had to keep the list short-ish and tbh I'm probably forgetting a lot of important ones)
7. Food from some place claiming to be called "Panera" when it's all LIES but I can kinda forgive it sometimes when I'm too far from home
Tbh it's a lot of small children gawking at you, ducking to get through doorways, people who think they're hilarious asking about the weather/basketball (lol no I don't play I'm awkward and uncoordinated on land), and being the landmark that people use to meet because they can see you over crowds.what's it like being so tall
do you ever walk over to the short people and pat them on the head or something
how I imagine meeting tree irl:
also mfk yoda, stratos, kamikaze
I don't really do the patting on the head thing, but I have used many people as armrests because their heads were roughly at shoulder height.
I have multiple pictures with um... vertically challenged people... where they're barely more than 2/3 my height, so yeah that picture doesn't even look that strange lol
Marry Yoda, because we're practically married already, I mean he predicted most of my answers to the interview correctly <3
Fuck Stratos, because he's kind of a celebrity and I mean have you heard his commentating voice? Might not be Rei level but I'll take it. ;]
Kill Kami, because he's a magician so he'll survive it anyway, and then we'll have a really cool story to tell so long as he doesn't turn me into a newt o_o
How do you feel about checkmater's inability to put huge pictures inside hide tags?
catch this infraction, kid,,,
Seeing a huge picture not in a hide tag gives me a very similar reaction to seeing the move Swagger used (aside from self-swagger or SwagPlay situations): I can appreciate the intent behind the action, but I really wish that you didn't.
Lol I still have to ask him about basically everything and I've messed up multiple times already so he's definitely better I hope you actually got infracted for such slander
It's certainly nice to be able to meet internet friends irl - adds a bit extra legitimacy and gets rid of that one little paranoid part of you that's pretty certain you're talking to a psychopathic pedophile. Plus we get to bond over bad plays and running into doorframes and I can actually put a face to the person I'm typing messages to. In a couple words, it's pretty great. Yes I realize that question was not meant to be serious but you got a serious answer so deal with it.
Cobalion, Mega Camerupt, Mega Gyarados (my seasonals result was the exception not the rule I promise), Tornadus, Bronzong, Shiftry, Tangela, Mega Gallade, Zygarde, Braviary, Aurorus, Chandelure, and Gorebyss are (I think) all of the mons I've used to decent success that weren't on the VR. Of those, my favorite is probably Mega Gallade or Aurorus. Mega Gallade for Feint and its ability to beat Rain's biggest problems; Aurorus for its Talon-checking ability, sweet design, and super powerful Refridgerate Hyper Voice.
Also if anyone can figure out a way to effectively use Magnezone I would be extremely grateful to have an actually decent Mag team. I know it's bad but I can dream.
1. Hi there! Who are you and could you give us a little introduction of yourself?
I'm TUO. A 16 year old guy from the Philippines that plays some LC,VGC, and some Doubles. TUO stands for 'The Unlucky one' but tbh I don't think that name applies for me anymore. Outside of that, I'm just a typical School/Video Games player and play games like osu! and League in my spare time.
2. Could you tell us a little more about your username? Where did it come from and why did you stick with it?
Before I made my Smogon account, I decided to play a BW OU game on PO with my old name of superwii64cube. It came down to my Air Balloon Heatran with 35% against a Scarfed Jirachi Iron Heading to win. I lost that game, and the salt lead to me naming myself The Unlucky one. I stuck with it since it still sounded cool, and TUO had a nice ring to it.
3. When did you start playing competitive Pokémon, when did you start playing competitive Doubles, and why did you stick around?
I started playing competitive Pokemon 3 years ago playing BW OU and BW LC. I was pretty good at both tiers but was a lot more successful in LC. I always played a small bit of Doubles throughout XY, but only really started playing it seriously when Winter Seasonal came around. The DOU community is pretty nice, so that definitely helped. It might make me start watching some anime again.
4. What is your favourite Pokémon to use competitively and why? What is your favourite Pokémon overall and why?
Outside of Murkrow in BW Little cup, I really like Talonflame in both VGC and DOU. It's such a nice blanket check to a lot of things, and the Tailwind support comes in really handy. My favorite overall Pokemon is probably Bellsprout, since it has a WHOLE FUCKING TOWER made/named after it, which can't be said for even some legendary pokemon.
5. Do you think there's a Pokemon or set that is currently underrated in the meta?
Salamence is so underrated that it might almost be overrated, but that Pokemon is really good. I think Suicune is something a lot of people haven't been using as often (just from what I see) but that Pokemon is really helpful since it can get more than 1 Twind out in a match while burning threats with Scald.
6. Do you believe there is anything broken or suspect worthy in the current metagame?
I'm not the best person to ask but overall the metagame is pretty fine right now. There is no VGC Smeargle that is totally cancer. There are a lot of strong mons that are fun to use, but none of them really seem too strong to deal with.
7. Could you give us a team that resembles your playing and building style and give a little explanation about it?
<this question is unanswered because TUO's computer crashed and he didn't have any teams with him at the moment>
8. If you could change anything about Doubles, what would it be and why?
1. I would make it so I'll actually get my $20 for winning seasonals.
Why - I want my money
2. It might be wishful thinking but it would be nice if the ladder was better/more challenging.
3. oh yeah, rock slide isn't fun so maybe some luck based elements would be better if it had less of an impact.
9. What do you play outside of Doubles, what are your favourite metas and why?
I used to play a lot of Little Cup, but haven't played as much (will play more for POWC though). I also am starting to play a lot of VGC, even if the '16 meta isn't the best. My favorite metas are definitely BW OU and BW LC. It's hard to explain why I like BW LC so much since a lot of others don't like it, but all the centralization doesn't ruin it for me at all. I like BW OU quite a bit even though I stopped playing it since the whole weather dynamic was actually pretty enjoyable for me, and I had this really sick SD Jumpluff sun team back in the day that SLAYED (it was totally competitive, I swear).
10. You've won the Winter 2015 Seasonal, how does it feel to win it?
Feels nice, especially since I told Memoric after r1 that if he gave me teams I'll win
11. Who was the toughest opponent you have faced in the Seasonals?
It's hard to choose who the hardest one was, since some people I faced lead to some fun competitive games like my series with n10sit, while other games it was all about somehow salvaging my own chokes like vs Flame Road and Serapis. I'd say my series vs n10sit was tough skillwise but the two series against Flame Road were kinda tough since I had to deal with hax-based tilt in the first series.
12. Who do you think is going to win this Seasonals, who do you think is going to do well and why?
SamVGC is really cool and is a solid VGC player that is getting interested in dubs, so I think he'll do well, apparently Memo is in losers but that doesn't matter since he'll win SPL anyway. This early into the tournament it is really hard to pick a winner but i'm definitely rooting for Sam/L51/Memoric.
13. How do you feel about Smogon Doubles Premier League? Do you think you'll get drafted?
I hope I'll get drafted since Doubles is really fun. SDPL seems great and a lot of people seem hype about it so it will definitely lead to some fun games and team dynamics.
14. What do you think of the players in the Smogon Premier League right now? Do you see yourself in that tour in a year?
I don't see myself in SPL unless something crazy happens. I think the players in SPL are really solid, and it is nice that the VGCers are doing solid but the Dubs mains are doing well too. I haven't been paying too much attention to SPL though, so I'm not the most credible person. I did learn that the person that gave me teams must be an alien, since HE IS SIMPLY NOT HUMAN.
15. What are your hobbies outside of playing Pokemon? What are you interested in?
I'm starting to have fun playing Pokemon TCG, even if I'm not a very good player and have a suboptimal deck. I also play a lot of MOBAs like Dota 2 and League of Legends (yes, both), and some osu!. Outside of video games I play some badminton when I can.
16. Is there anything else you would like to say or speak about? Is there anyone you want to shoutout?
shoutouts to all the DOU community since you're all p cool I guess, Memoric for giving me teams and the Little Cup community people since they are pretty awesome.
=====================
Thanks user TUO for taking the time to do this interview! And sorry for being about 3 weeks late and being a lazy nerd :(
I'm TUO. A 16 year old guy from the Philippines that plays some LC,VGC, and some Doubles. TUO stands for 'The Unlucky one' but tbh I don't think that name applies for me anymore. Outside of that, I'm just a typical School/Video Games player and play games like osu! and League in my spare time.
2. Could you tell us a little more about your username? Where did it come from and why did you stick with it?
Before I made my Smogon account, I decided to play a BW OU game on PO with my old name of superwii64cube. It came down to my Air Balloon Heatran with 35% against a Scarfed Jirachi Iron Heading to win. I lost that game, and the salt lead to me naming myself The Unlucky one. I stuck with it since it still sounded cool, and TUO had a nice ring to it.
3. When did you start playing competitive Pokémon, when did you start playing competitive Doubles, and why did you stick around?
I started playing competitive Pokemon 3 years ago playing BW OU and BW LC. I was pretty good at both tiers but was a lot more successful in LC. I always played a small bit of Doubles throughout XY, but only really started playing it seriously when Winter Seasonal came around. The DOU community is pretty nice, so that definitely helped. It might make me start watching some anime again.
4. What is your favourite Pokémon to use competitively and why? What is your favourite Pokémon overall and why?
Outside of Murkrow in BW Little cup, I really like Talonflame in both VGC and DOU. It's such a nice blanket check to a lot of things, and the Tailwind support comes in really handy. My favorite overall Pokemon is probably Bellsprout, since it has a WHOLE FUCKING TOWER made/named after it, which can't be said for even some legendary pokemon.
5. Do you think there's a Pokemon or set that is currently underrated in the meta?
Salamence is so underrated that it might almost be overrated, but that Pokemon is really good. I think Suicune is something a lot of people haven't been using as often (just from what I see) but that Pokemon is really helpful since it can get more than 1 Twind out in a match while burning threats with Scald.
6. Do you believe there is anything broken or suspect worthy in the current metagame?
I'm not the best person to ask but overall the metagame is pretty fine right now. There is no VGC Smeargle that is totally cancer. There are a lot of strong mons that are fun to use, but none of them really seem too strong to deal with.
7. Could you give us a team that resembles your playing and building style and give a little explanation about it?
<this question is unanswered because TUO's computer crashed and he didn't have any teams with him at the moment>
8. If you could change anything about Doubles, what would it be and why?
1. I would make it so I'll actually get my $20 for winning seasonals.
Why - I want my money
2. It might be wishful thinking but it would be nice if the ladder was better/more challenging.
3. oh yeah, rock slide isn't fun so maybe some luck based elements would be better if it had less of an impact.
9. What do you play outside of Doubles, what are your favourite metas and why?
I used to play a lot of Little Cup, but haven't played as much (will play more for POWC though). I also am starting to play a lot of VGC, even if the '16 meta isn't the best. My favorite metas are definitely BW OU and BW LC. It's hard to explain why I like BW LC so much since a lot of others don't like it, but all the centralization doesn't ruin it for me at all. I like BW OU quite a bit even though I stopped playing it since the whole weather dynamic was actually pretty enjoyable for me, and I had this really sick SD Jumpluff sun team back in the day that SLAYED (it was totally competitive, I swear).
10. You've won the Winter 2015 Seasonal, how does it feel to win it?
Feels nice, especially since I told Memoric after r1 that if he gave me teams I'll win
11. Who was the toughest opponent you have faced in the Seasonals?
It's hard to choose who the hardest one was, since some people I faced lead to some fun competitive games like my series with n10sit, while other games it was all about somehow salvaging my own chokes like vs Flame Road and Serapis. I'd say my series vs n10sit was tough skillwise but the two series against Flame Road were kinda tough since I had to deal with hax-based tilt in the first series.
12. Who do you think is going to win this Seasonals, who do you think is going to do well and why?
SamVGC is really cool and is a solid VGC player that is getting interested in dubs, so I think he'll do well, apparently Memo is in losers but that doesn't matter since he'll win SPL anyway. This early into the tournament it is really hard to pick a winner but i'm definitely rooting for Sam/L51/Memoric.
13. How do you feel about Smogon Doubles Premier League? Do you think you'll get drafted?
I hope I'll get drafted since Doubles is really fun. SDPL seems great and a lot of people seem hype about it so it will definitely lead to some fun games and team dynamics.
14. What do you think of the players in the Smogon Premier League right now? Do you see yourself in that tour in a year?
I don't see myself in SPL unless something crazy happens. I think the players in SPL are really solid, and it is nice that the VGCers are doing solid but the Dubs mains are doing well too. I haven't been paying too much attention to SPL though, so I'm not the most credible person. I did learn that the person that gave me teams must be an alien, since HE IS SIMPLY NOT HUMAN.
15. What are your hobbies outside of playing Pokemon? What are you interested in?
I'm starting to have fun playing Pokemon TCG, even if I'm not a very good player and have a suboptimal deck. I also play a lot of MOBAs like Dota 2 and League of Legends (yes, both), and some osu!. Outside of video games I play some badminton when I can.
16. Is there anything else you would like to say or speak about? Is there anyone you want to shoutout?
shoutouts to all the DOU community since you're all p cool I guess, Memoric for giving me teams and the Little Cup community people since they are pretty awesome.
=====================
Thanks user TUO for taking the time to do this interview! And sorry for being about 3 weeks late and being a lazy nerd :(
mfk Flame Road Stratos Mega Diancie
Metagross @ Metagrossite
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Protect
Weavile @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Beat Up
- Feint
- Icicle Crash
Terrakion @ Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Rock Slide
- Protect
- Taunt
Rotom-Wash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 116 SpA / 40 SpD
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
Salamence @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Fire Blast
- Tailwind
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Steel Wing
- Protect
Ability: Clear Body
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Zen Headbutt
- Meteor Mash
- Bullet Punch
- Protect
Weavile @ Focus Sash
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Beat Up
- Feint
- Icicle Crash
Terrakion @ Lum Berry
Ability: Justified
EVs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Close Combat
- Rock Slide
- Protect
- Taunt
Rotom-Wash @ Sitrus Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 100 Def / 116 SpA / 40 SpD
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Thunderbolt
- Will-O-Wisp
- Protect
Salamence @ Life Orb
Ability: Intimidate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Draco Meteor
- Hydro Pump
- Fire Blast
- Tailwind
Talonflame @ Life Orb
Ability: Gale Wings
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Flare Blitz
- Steel Wing
- Protect
This was a team that I used in the Grand Finals of DOU Winter Seasonal. I got some inspiration from the NOT HUMAN DOU player Memoric. Rather than copy-pasting and stealing his teams, I made my own version of it. It is kinda better since I used some mons I'm a bit more familiar with, and I like the flow of the team a little bit better. Weavile+Terrakion+Metagross-Mega is the core of this team. Terrakion will always get a kill if Rock Slide doesn't miss, and can sometimes just win a game on its own. It can put lots of pressure and let TWind Salamence/Tflame/Mega Metagross sweep in the late game. Salamence and Talonflame were put on the team since I was p comfortable with those mons and Salamence's coverage was really helpful to break balanced builds that can deal with WeavileTerrakion. Rotom-W was put since extra talon check and it beats everything lel.
TUO where are u in the Phils? I'm Pinoy too
Marry Mega Diancie
Kill Flame Road
oh fuck, fuck Stratos
ill be playing a bit more LC for now~
Kee Berry is a really nice item but I believe it has a home in Battle Spot Singles Clefable more than it does on CM Cress. Kee Berry CM Cress just makes it that you 6-0 teams harder than the ones you regularly 6-0 imo.
Metro Manila, maybe we can meet each other in a Robinsons Galleria Courtside VGC tournament if that's what you do.