Project Player of the Week

[SunMYSER]

Approved by snake_rattler
Thread based on https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/player-of-the-week-singlethunder.3670240/
Art by Brambane

Weclome the CAP player of the Week! In this thread, we will be interviewing skilled, experienced, and respected players in the CAP community. This thread aims to highlight players that we deem represent the CAP community as a whole, be it through their skill in battling, or positive presence in the community at large.

This thread will run as any normal PotW thread would: the chosen interviewee answers the questions, and questions directed at the interviewee can be asked below in a reply to the thread. Obviously, if the interviewee doesn't want to answer a question, don't force them! This thread should be a safe place for the community to become more social and community oriented, so being nice is paramount. Other than that, have fun!

The Archives
Below are all the interviews, and players of the week that will be conducted over time. Check em out!

Archives

Week #1: Darek851
Week #2: 2spoopy4u
Week #3: Tadasuke
Week #4: Lasen
Week #5: SHSP
Week #6: Atha
Week #7: Quziel
Week #8: Mx
Week #9: snake_rattler

 

[SunMYSER]

Interview #1 - Darek851
​

You may know this player from his stunning performance as a newcomer: being at top of the room tour leaderboards, as well as having a consistently strong showing in the most recent CAP Snake tournament and Miasmaw playtest. Our first interviewee is none other than Darek851!!!


Tell us a little bit about yourself, outside of pokemon showdown:
I’m a high school senior living in California, planning on majoring in Math/Economics. Besides Pokemon, I also like to play Splatoon 2 and Smash Ultimate.

Where’d you get your username from?
It’s a remix of my real name, Derek. I have a friend also named Derek, so a lot of people just call me Darek in real life to avoid confusion. I added the 851 at the end because Darek was taken.

Favourite CAP: Miasmaw

Favourite CAP OM: Ngl haven’t really played any

How you got started in CAP/What drew you in?
Before I basically just played Pokemon on the OU ladder, but I got really sick of OU during IoA. I was trying out different formats, and ended up really liking CAP. I found the process, community, and meta to all be really cool.

What do you bring to the CAP community?
I haven’t done anything too special; I guess I actively participate in the CAP process and in room tours. I also single handedly increase Miasmaw’s usage rating in tournaments.

What’s your favourite playstyle to use in CAP and why?
I tend to play balance builds, typically with strong wallbreakers to brute force my way through opposing defensive cores.

What’s your favourite part of the process?
It’s hard to pin down a single aspect, but I think my favorite parts are probably the concept stage and the art stage. There’s just so much creativity and it’s great to see all the ideas people come up with.

Thoughts on the current CAP metagame?
I actually really like the current meta. It’s fast enough to be fun while not being too fast to the point of being brainless. I think there’s a lot of stuff that’s available to use, and I do think a lot of the current metagame is still pretty unexplored.

If you had to buff one CAP which would it be? How so?
This is kind of random but I would probably buff Plasmanta to increase either its special bulk or longevity. I think its typing and role it played in IoA were super unique, and if it had proper bulk and longevity, it could be a solid switchin to Tomohawk, Tornadus-T, Kerfluffle and I think it’d be a lot of fun to use.

If you had to nerf one CAP which would it be? How so?
I’ll choose the basic answer and say I want to remove Volt Absorb from Cawmodore. With Cinderace gone it’s pretty annoying to build around. While I really like Zapdos at the moment, I don’t want to be forced to put it on every team. It would be a lot easier if mons like Zeraora, Tapu Koko, and Krilowatt can act as Cawm answers.

What was your favourite moment from a CAP tour?
Can’t think of a specific moment but I really enjoyed the entirety of Snake Draft. The Miasmaws were a great team to play on even though we kinda choked at the end :P. In more recent memory I really enjoyed the set I played against Lasen last weekend for Winter Seasonal.

Share a particular team you are proud of?
This team’s a little weird and probably not that great but I’ve kinda been spamming it recently and it’s a lot of fun to play: https://pokepast.es/4c98ddc6161a7b39
The idea is that Krilowatt and Syclant form an obnoxious Flip Turn + U-Turn core that can’t get chipped down easily, giving Miasmaw opportunities to come in and break the regenerator mons that could normally keep up with the pivoting core.

Can you give some advice for new CAPers starting off in the metagame?
The best way to learn the meta is probably to just play the room tours that occur in the CAP Room every few hours. Even though the tours give points, don’t take them too seriously and just have fun and try out new teams. I’d also say the CAP Showdown room isn’t the best for getting advice on teambuilding and whatnot; try asking in the #metagame channel of the CAP discord instead.

 

[spoo]

hello darek

what mon do you think is really underexplored right now & is there any mon you'd want banned

favorite non-cap pokemon?

what's your favorite cool bug (in real life) (pictures appreciated)

what's your favorite album, or something you've been listening to a lot recently

finally who would win in a fight, astrolotl holding a sword or miasmaw holding a spear?

 

[Zephyri]

Hey there Darek! (holds at gunpoint) answer my questions

-What's some CAP teambuilding advice you'd give to newer players and just in general; it doesn't have to be super specific to CAP, could just be some general tips that people tend to miss when trying to make teams?

-What do you think could be done to further improve metagame development, as an extension to the roomtour and circuit we have set up?

-Why is Lasen a nerd?

-Who inspires you most in the CAP community, and why?

-Why is 2spoopy4u so beautiful

-And lastly but not least, what's your favorite shape of pasta

(ik only 3 of these questions matter but please answer the CAP ones too i think theyre decently important)

 

[Darek]

hello darek

what mon do you think is really underexplored right now & is there any mon you'd want banned

favorite non-cap pokemon?

what's your favorite cool bug (in real life) (pictures appreciated)

what's your favorite album, or something you've been listening to a lot recently

finally who would win in a fight, astrolotl holding a sword or miasmaw holding a spear?

hello darek
hello spoo

what mon do you think is really underexplored right now & is there any mon you'd want banned
I'm kind of a lazy builder so I don't really have a pick here; I guess Miasmaw? I've been meaning to try out Specs and Nasty Plot but idk really. Otherwise, I don't think there's anything that needs to be banned right now. I think the meta's in a pretty solid spot right now.

favorite non-cap pokemon?
Golisopod the GOAT

what's your favorite cool bug (in real life) (pictures appreciated)
I'mma be honest, as much as I love Bug Pokemon, I don't really like bugs that much in real life. Since I didn't know what to put, I Googled "Cool Bugs" and found out about the Spiny Flower Mantis. It's like a Mantis but with cool ass wings.

what's your favorite album, or something you've been listening to a lot recently
I'm generally very lazy when it comes to listening to music, so I generally just listen to Lofi Hip Hop Radio: Beats to Relax/Study To or the soundtrack of whatever game I've been playing recently. I played through Pokemon Renegade Platinum recently and was like "Yo Gen 4 music kinda goes in" so I've been listening to a lot of the DPP ost lately.

finally who would win in a fight, astrolotl holding a sword or miasmaw holding a spear?
Look. It's quite simple. Astrolotl's puny arms would never be able to wield a sword properly. Miasmaw is heavily armored on his main body, and his enormous jaws would easily devour the weak and pitiful Astolotl.

Hey there Darek! (holds at gunpoint) answer my questions

-What's some CAP teambuilding advice you'd give to newer players and just in general; it doesn't have to be super specific to CAP, could just be some general tips that people tend to miss when trying to make teams?

-What do you think could be done to further improve metagame development, as an extension to the roomtour and circuit we have set up?

-Why is Lasen a nerd?

-Who inspires you most in the CAP community, and why?

-Why is 2spoopy4u so beautiful

-And lastly but not least, what's your favorite shape of pasta

(ik only 3 of these questions matter but please answer the CAP ones too i think theyre decently important)

Hey there Darek! (holds at gunpoint) answer my questions
Hey Zephyr! (please don't hurt me)

What's some CAP teambuilding advice you'd give to newer players and just in general; it doesn't have to be super specific to CAP, could just be some general tips that people tend to miss when trying to make teams?
I'm not the best builder by any means, but I usually approach teams starting a win condition, and just sort of work from there. After I just kinda skim the CAP VR to see what I'm missing answers to.

What do you think could be done to further improve metagame development, as an extension to the roomtour and circuit we have set up?
Honestly, I don't really know. I think the biggest challenge for us right now is just having a small playerbase; as of now the people we have are pretty active in roomtours and the current circuit. I do think we're on the right track right now with developing more resources with the meta, as that makes the meta a lot more approachable.

Why is Lasen a nerd?
I don't know what you're talking about Lasen is incredibly handsome

Who inspires you most in the CAP community, and why?
I feel like there are a lot of people who I generally look up to in the community, and I can't really name anyone in particular. (idk if this is a cop out answer :P) But I really admire those that are taking the initiative to develop the meta resources and really contribute to building the community.

Why is 2spoopy4u so beautiful
He is simply built different

And lastly but not least, what's your favorite shape of pasta
Bow Tie Pasta is GOATed. It's easy to stab with a fork and also it's a bow tie which is cool.

 

[Rabia]

who’s been your favorite player to play against?

non-Miasmaw CAP you think deserves more use?

favorite battle replay from you or just one you thought was cool to watch?

 

[Airwind]

who do you main in smash ultimate?

if pokemon and capmons would exist irl which one will you chose to have?

favorite Spanish word?

 

[Darek]

who’s been your favorite player to play against?

non-Miasmaw CAP you think deserves more use?

favorite battle replay from you or just one you thought was cool to watch?

Hello Rabia

who’s been your favorite player to play against?
It'd probably be Lasen. Our games are typically really close and he always brings brazy teams too.

non-Miasmaw CAP you think deserves more use?
I advocated for Jumbao recently and it's definitely on the rise. Scarf is great, and honestly 3 attacks+Shore Up is seems good too, although I haven't used it yet. I've also quite liked using Crucibelle; Trick with either Black Sludge or Choice Scarf still cripples its most common switchin in Equilibra. Crucibelle is also probably the best answer to Nasty Plot Tornadus-T in the game.

favorite battle replay from you or just one you thought was cool to watch?
Ok this one isn't even from CAP, this is just a random OU ladder game from more than a year ago, but also it's incredibly stupid and kinda funny: https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ou-1072297257

who do you main in smash ultimate?

if pokemon and capmons would exist irl which one will you chose to have?

favorite Spanish word?

Hey Airwind

who do you main in smash ultimate?
I main Ridley, but I've been playing a lot of solo Pyra lately too.

if pokemon and capmons would exist irl which one will you chose to have?
Not sure if I'm reading the question correctly, but assuming the question is whether I would pick between having Pokemon in real life or CAPmons, I'd probably choose regular Pokemon. I love a lot of the CAP designs, but real Pokemon just have the advantage in sheer numbers, and I have greater attachment to the Pokemon I've used in in-game playthroughs too.

favorite Spanish word?
Perdemos

 

[dex]

Hey Darek, the government and I have a few questions for you.

What is your least favorite US state?

What's the better Miasmaw set, Band or Taunt?

When will you final sub your art for CAP 29 so that I can know what I'll be voting for?

Who is the sweatiest CAP player in your opinion?

 

[snake]

hi Darek,

Why is Pajantom the superior Dragon-type CAP, especially in comparison to Miasmaw? Asking for a friend, of course.

 

[Lasen]

favorite Spanish word?
Perdemos

That's Portuguese you ignorant American.


Questions!

What exactly makes a build "good" for you?
What are your long-term plans in CAP, both as a player and as a community figure?
Will people ever stop using unviable PranksterHawk?
Do you hope to see a Cawmodore nerf now that some of its best checks are worsened due to bunny leaving?
What do you hop to see out of CAP 30?

 

[SunMYSER]

Ok! Hello fellow CAPers, and thank you guys for making the first week such a sucess!

Now, we will be opening a community vote for who our next CAP PotW will be! First, we will hold a brief 48 hour nomination post. To do a nomination post, merely say you want a specific player (though only if they are comfortable with it), and give a few lines justifiying why you think that player deserves PotW. Once our nominations are in, we will have a quick 24 hour voting period to see who gets the covetted spot. During these nomination and voting periods, you can still ask Darek851 questions; but once the next player is selected, the question period will be over.

And with that, the nomination period begins! This period will be open for 48 hours!

[Edit: Only one player nom per poster! + You can't nom yourself]

 

[dex]

I nominate our resident Greek god, tadasuke Lasen. What goes on in that man's mind is not for the light of heart to hear.

 

[Zephyri]

spoo for president, he is a good lad and i think his bagel escapades would be very interesting to hear about.

 

[spoo]

to the man known as snake “underscore” rattler, if that is your real name after all

consider yourself nominated

 

[Rabia]

atha

 

[Darek]

Hey Darek, the government and I have a few questions for you.

What is your least favorite US state?

What's the better Miasmaw set, Band or Taunt?

When will you final sub your art for CAP 29 so that I can know what I'll be voting for?

Who is the sweatiest CAP player in your opinion?

Hey Darek, the government and I have a few questions for you.
Heyo Dex, and hello government as well I guess.

What is your least favorite US state?
Multiple sources have told me that New Jersey is just awful.

What's the better Miasmaw set, Band or Taunt?
I've kinda come to the point where I dislike the Taunt set most of the time, but I'd say it depends on the situation. Most of the time I run the Taunt set if I'm centering the team around another breaker and just want consistent Regenerator denial, and I run Band if I want Miasmaw to be the one blowing things up.

When will you final sub your art for CAP 29 so that I can know what I'll be voting for?
...Eventually! I'm procrastinating working on the supporting art right now.

Who is the sweatiest CAP player in your opinion?
No one is that sweaty tbh, but I will say The Number Man just joins forum tours, kicks my ass, and then dips, which is kinda sweaty. Great guy tho

hi Darek,

Why is Pajantom the superior Dragon-type CAP, especially in comparison to Miasmaw? Asking for a friend, of course.

Hi Snake, your friend is nitpicking and biased.

That's Portuguese you ignorant American.


Questions!

What exactly makes a build "good" for you?
What are your long-term plans in CAP, both as a player and as a community figure?
Will people ever stop using unviable PranksterHawk?
Do you hope to see a Cawmodore nerf now that some of its best checks are worsened due to bunny leaving?
What do you hop to see out of CAP 30?

That's Portuguese you ignorant American.
Lasen I'm sorry Google Translate says it's Spanish and I'm standing by that. Looking further into it, in Portuguese it means "We lost" and in Spanish it means "We lose".

What exactly makes a build "good" for you?
It's more of a feeling more than anything, but I'd say I when building teams I like to play I tend to look for a strong breaking core and a defensive core that prevents the team from getting outright 6-0'd by anything. Kinda a generic answer but idk really

What are your long-term plans in CAP, both as a player and as a community figure?
The goal I've set for myself is I want to qualify for the CAP invitational at the end of this year's circuit. I definitely want to get more involved with both the meta and the process... I'm thinking applying for TLT for CAP30 probably.

Will people ever stop using unviable PranksterHawk?
I really dislike HazeHawk because it feels like you're forced to click Roost all the time but at the end of the day it's kind of a necessary role compression for a lazy builder like me. When I use it, I'm basically just saying "I'm too lazy to fit a Cawm check somewhere else so there we go," but really Hazehawk is just not very good.

Do you hope to see a Cawmodore nerf now that some of its best checks are worsened due to bunny leaving?
I definitely would. I think Zapdos is amazingly good right now so it's not too big of an issue, but I think just leaving more options open in the teambuilder would be nice.

What do you hope to see out of CAP 30?
30 is a nice multiple of 10, so it's likely to be a celebration CAP. In that case, a lot of people have discussed doing some sort of framework, and I think that a form change mon would be really, really cool. Otherwise, I just want the mon to be fun to use.


That being said everyone who's been nominated so far is very cool and I'll be nominating Quziel because he is also very cool

 

[Wulfanator]

I will second the nomination for Lord Bagel himself: 2spoopy4u.

Why?
Reason 1: He is handsome
Reason 2: He can get you free ice cream
Reason 3: He is a yes man and will agree to almost anything, especially for a meme.

 

[SunMYSER]

Ok cool, the nomination period is now over! We have 5 nominations this week (2spoopy4u got nommed twice so congrats). To vote, please PM me your top three choices, ranked in normal voting fashion.

Your choices for Cap Player of the Week are:
Atha
2spoopy4u
Quziel
snake_rattler
Lasen

You guys have 24 hours to POST YOUR VOTES HERE. No longer PM me.

 

[Wulfanator]

2spoopy4u
Lasen
Atha

 

[Rabia]

Atha
2spoopy4u
Lasen

 

[Airwind]

2spoopy4u
Lasen
Atha

 

[spoo]

snake
quziel
lasen

 

[Tadasuke]

Lasen

 

[Zephyri]

2spoopy4u
Atha
snake_rattler