Approved by WhiteDMist
OP stolen from Leer in RU, who stole it from Lord Alphose and xzern from NU.
Past Players of the Week: Magnemite, galbia, gasquakee
(real representation of Scorp vs. Opponents in PUPL)
Most Known for: Having a terrible timezone, former host of the PU Buried Treasure Project, PU Council and C&C member, PU room moderator, leading The Frivolous Fridges in PUPL, Winning the second and third PU minitours.
Favorite PU(ish) Pokemon: Grovyle
Most used Pokemon: Undecided
Twix: When and how did you come to join PU?
scorpdestroyer: I first knew about Smogon in 2012 when I was looking for a good team to use in Pokemon Emerald. Somewhere along there I found out about Pokemon Online and a way to battle with other players was really cool to me, so I downloaded PO as a way to occasionally pass the time. However I didn't know anything about EVs and just built OU teams by just going off which mons were OU. Soon I found out that Smogon was switching over to PS and I decided to try that out. The PS teambuilder was much more guided so I actually put in EVs this time and managed to win a bit. I dabbled around in the tiers and soon discovered the RMT section which was really interesting to me, seeing people feature their innovative teams. I lurked in the RMT section as well as in UU and NU, before I settled on NU when it was the tier I lost the least in (even when my first NU team had something as bad as Emolga + FARFETCHD because I believed the OU joke analysis). One day I posted my first RMT and slowly started being more active in gen 5 NU.
When PU first came out this gen, I was quite hyped because there were a lot of mons that looked extremely fun to use. It was also a fun change of pace from NU and featured some really fun stuff to use and inherited a lot of threats from BW NU. I made a couple of posts in the thread and I forgot how but I eventually started playing with people like trc and Magnemite. Soon I was selected to be on the original PU Council and here I am.
Twix: How does it feel to have won both the PU Minitour 2 and 3?
scorpdestroyer: For me, it always feels good winning something, even if it isn't major. I quite enjoyed both of these tours; minitour 2 was refreshing as it forced us to use lesser used mons, while minitour 3 was a throwback to the august PU days and reminded me of how fun it used to be. Minitours are cool :)
Twix: What is it like to manage a team during PUPL?
scorpdestroyer: I liked the experience, although I'm not sure I would jump for the next opportunity. On one hand, it was enjoyable submitting line ups and handling the team, but on the other hand there were weeks I didn't feel like playing but didn't have a choice but continue with my poor form, and I did feel like I let my team down quite a lot during this PUPL with my bad record.
Twix: If Poliwrath rises due to usage, which Pokemon will become extremely good?
scorpdestroyer: The biggest winners will definitely be the Shell Smashers as Poliwrath's omnipresence is the main thing keeping them from running amok most of the time. Yes, new counters will pop up, but in my opinion they are either nowhere near as splashable (Tangela, Gourgeist) or can be worked around (Torterra, Scarfers).
Twix: What are some underrated and overrated Pokemon in the metagame?
scorpdestroyer: Underrated: there's so many. Leavanny and Linoone are way better than they are credited for, for example. Klang, Golduck and offensive Lickilicky probably deserve more usage too.
Overrated: Poliwrath is not that godly. Rapidash is not that godly either and doesn't really do much work for me. Scarf Mime is too weak.
Twix: What's your favorite playstyle in the tier?
scorpdestroyer: I really like hyper offense in any tier, even if it's not the most consistent. I somehow enjoy the feel of having all the Pokemon on a team hitting the opponent hard in a way that prepares one or two mons to go and sweep later.
Twix: Which Playstyle do you feel is underrated?
scorpdestroyer: Sticky Web, probably. It's good because it does well against offensive teams which nowadays don't use stuff like Scarf Rotom or Dodrio as much, spinners are rare, and defoggers are easy to pressure. You also get to fit on a lot of strong hard hitters which means you beat bulkier teams as well.
Twix: What change would you make to the tier if you would?
scorpdestroyer: Probably suspect the shell smashers, especially if Poliwrath goes. They can set up a sweep in a blink of an eye, especially with memento support, and they have ways of getting past their counters. I might not actually vote to ban, im not sure, but it would be interesting to suspect them at least.
If we're talking about more radical stuff, I'd ban stealth rock because the move cuts into the viability of so many Pokemon and makes double switching or just switching difficult in general. I just hate the move :/
As for drops / rises I want to see, Miltank is a drop I've wanted for a while now that was VERY close to dropping once and I would use the shit out of it if it did. It's so versatile and it's fast enough to go offensive and defensive. Too bad it probably won't drop though :( I also want non-mega Altaria and non-Contrary Serperior back, but that isn't going to happen either obviously.
Twix: What is your advice towards newer players in the tier?
scorpdestroyer: Probably the best way to get better at the tier is to try to conform for a while. Everybody has their own innovation and ideas, but the reality is without playing and knowing the tier very well, most of the innovations won't work and if they did, very few people would acknowledge them. Steal some sample teams or build around sample cores, ladder or play with friends, so you can get a feel of how battling and teambuilding goes in PU. Ask for help if you need it, but be willing to learn. Join a tour or two and do well, make good posts that actually have substance instead of posting surface value stuff. ie don't post "X mon should be A because it has Y trait", instead something like "X mon should be in A because its Y trait helps it accomplish Z". Intelligent posts will get you noticed. Afterwards, you'll naturally get more acquainted with the community and comfortable with the tier.
What are your thoughts on this week's interview? If you have extra questions for scorpdestroyer, feel free to ask them in the comments, and if you want a player interviewed, feel free to leave a post on my profile.
OP stolen from Leer in RU, who stole it from Lord Alphose and xzern from NU.
Past Players of the Week: Magnemite, galbia, gasquakee
Welcome to an experience unlike any seen before (bar in every other tier and some OMs), PU Player of the Week. This weekly thread hopes to capitalize and promote good players in the metagame, while helping newer players by giving advice and showing effective strategies in the metagame.
(real representation of Scorp vs. Opponents in PUPL)
Most Known for: Having a terrible timezone, former host of the PU Buried Treasure Project, PU Council and C&C member, PU room moderator, leading The Frivolous Fridges in PUPL, Winning the second and third PU minitours.
Favorite PU(ish) Pokemon: Grovyle
Most used Pokemon: Undecided
Twix: When and how did you come to join PU?
scorpdestroyer: I first knew about Smogon in 2012 when I was looking for a good team to use in Pokemon Emerald. Somewhere along there I found out about Pokemon Online and a way to battle with other players was really cool to me, so I downloaded PO as a way to occasionally pass the time. However I didn't know anything about EVs and just built OU teams by just going off which mons were OU. Soon I found out that Smogon was switching over to PS and I decided to try that out. The PS teambuilder was much more guided so I actually put in EVs this time and managed to win a bit. I dabbled around in the tiers and soon discovered the RMT section which was really interesting to me, seeing people feature their innovative teams. I lurked in the RMT section as well as in UU and NU, before I settled on NU when it was the tier I lost the least in (even when my first NU team had something as bad as Emolga + FARFETCHD because I believed the OU joke analysis). One day I posted my first RMT and slowly started being more active in gen 5 NU.
When PU first came out this gen, I was quite hyped because there were a lot of mons that looked extremely fun to use. It was also a fun change of pace from NU and featured some really fun stuff to use and inherited a lot of threats from BW NU. I made a couple of posts in the thread and I forgot how but I eventually started playing with people like trc and Magnemite. Soon I was selected to be on the original PU Council and here I am.
Twix: How does it feel to have won both the PU Minitour 2 and 3?
scorpdestroyer: For me, it always feels good winning something, even if it isn't major. I quite enjoyed both of these tours; minitour 2 was refreshing as it forced us to use lesser used mons, while minitour 3 was a throwback to the august PU days and reminded me of how fun it used to be. Minitours are cool :)
Twix: What is it like to manage a team during PUPL?
scorpdestroyer: I liked the experience, although I'm not sure I would jump for the next opportunity. On one hand, it was enjoyable submitting line ups and handling the team, but on the other hand there were weeks I didn't feel like playing but didn't have a choice but continue with my poor form, and I did feel like I let my team down quite a lot during this PUPL with my bad record.
Twix: If Poliwrath rises due to usage, which Pokemon will become extremely good?
scorpdestroyer: The biggest winners will definitely be the Shell Smashers as Poliwrath's omnipresence is the main thing keeping them from running amok most of the time. Yes, new counters will pop up, but in my opinion they are either nowhere near as splashable (Tangela, Gourgeist) or can be worked around (Torterra, Scarfers).
Twix: What are some underrated and overrated Pokemon in the metagame?
scorpdestroyer: Underrated: there's so many. Leavanny and Linoone are way better than they are credited for, for example. Klang, Golduck and offensive Lickilicky probably deserve more usage too.
Overrated: Poliwrath is not that godly. Rapidash is not that godly either and doesn't really do much work for me. Scarf Mime is too weak.
Twix: What's your favorite playstyle in the tier?
scorpdestroyer: I really like hyper offense in any tier, even if it's not the most consistent. I somehow enjoy the feel of having all the Pokemon on a team hitting the opponent hard in a way that prepares one or two mons to go and sweep later.
Twix: Which Playstyle do you feel is underrated?
scorpdestroyer: Sticky Web, probably. It's good because it does well against offensive teams which nowadays don't use stuff like Scarf Rotom or Dodrio as much, spinners are rare, and defoggers are easy to pressure. You also get to fit on a lot of strong hard hitters which means you beat bulkier teams as well.
Twix: What change would you make to the tier if you would?
scorpdestroyer: Probably suspect the shell smashers, especially if Poliwrath goes. They can set up a sweep in a blink of an eye, especially with memento support, and they have ways of getting past their counters. I might not actually vote to ban, im not sure, but it would be interesting to suspect them at least.
If we're talking about more radical stuff, I'd ban stealth rock because the move cuts into the viability of so many Pokemon and makes double switching or just switching difficult in general. I just hate the move :/
As for drops / rises I want to see, Miltank is a drop I've wanted for a while now that was VERY close to dropping once and I would use the shit out of it if it did. It's so versatile and it's fast enough to go offensive and defensive. Too bad it probably won't drop though :( I also want non-mega Altaria and non-Contrary Serperior back, but that isn't going to happen either obviously.
Twix: What is your advice towards newer players in the tier?
scorpdestroyer: Probably the best way to get better at the tier is to try to conform for a while. Everybody has their own innovation and ideas, but the reality is without playing and knowing the tier very well, most of the innovations won't work and if they did, very few people would acknowledge them. Steal some sample teams or build around sample cores, ladder or play with friends, so you can get a feel of how battling and teambuilding goes in PU. Ask for help if you need it, but be willing to learn. Join a tour or two and do well, make good posts that actually have substance instead of posting surface value stuff. ie don't post "X mon should be A because it has Y trait", instead something like "X mon should be in A because its Y trait helps it accomplish Z". Intelligent posts will get you noticed. Afterwards, you'll naturally get more acquainted with the community and comfortable with the tier.
What are your thoughts on this week's interview? If you have extra questions for scorpdestroyer, feel free to ask them in the comments, and if you want a player interviewed, feel free to leave a post on my profile.
