Project SS Monotype POTW #3: 1 True Lycan

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Welcome to the SS Monotype player interviews! During this project I will be interviewing a lot of influential players and contributors in today's community. I will also be interviewing some older faces in the Monotype community, since a lot changes over the years, both metagame and player wise. This week, I will start by interviewing arguably the best Monotype player ever, and the win leader on the esteemed monotype sheet, 1 True Lycan

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Can you tell us a bit about your life outside of Smogon?

I'm 23 years old, working in the civil service in England. I have a degree in maths and physics. In my spare time I enjoy playing games, doing martial arts, and spending time with friends.

What do you think you are most known for in Monotype?

Probably just playing in tours and possibly for trolling on discord sometimes, though I haven't really done that in a while.

What made you play Pokemon competitively? What got you into Monotype and made you want to stay?

I think I was around 15 or 16 when I first came onto PS. I somehow found out about it through either youtube or a friend, and then wanted to check it out for myself as pokemon held a lot of nostalgia for me. After a few days of playing, a user called Metallica randomly messaged me a link to the frost side server asking me to tryout. I searched a monotype team from the internet, won my tryouts and became the ground type gym leader. From there, the environment on side servers just had me hooked. I could spend hours chilling with friends or doing league vs leagues. Everything was so competitive and its what led me to stay for such a long time. After frost died and we migrated through a bunch of different side servers, I eventually just moved permanently to main where I picked up ou. Until then, I had been a monotype main.

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

Favourite mon is probably primeape due to its cool design and memories of watching the anime of it as a kid, while favourite to use is Jirachi. It's so versatile and has been a great option for steel teams through multiple generations. Lowkey it could have been genesect but it's always banned within a week so hard to justify it.

What is your favorite type in SS Monotype?

My favourite type across all gens has been steel, and its the same for gen 8. You can use a variety of playstyles with it and it's a strong type that you can tailor to beat your weaknesses if you really want.

You’ve seen the Monotype community go through a lot during the years, you yourself have changed a lot over this years. What are your thoughts on the present state of it? How do you think the community has changed for the better in the last couple of years, and how do you think the community can improve?

I think the golden age for monotype was in frost side server days. Everyone was invested in monotype and it just felt like a real community. That being said, the current community is still cool. It's less focused on leagues and players manage to branch out more to different tiers which is a good thing. I think we have grown more welcoming to newer players as well, though this could be improved. I still feel there's a stigma on certain players which doesn't need to exist.

Not Monotype related but good luck the rest of snake! How has that experience been?

Thanks! Snake has been cool, my team has a good environment so it's nice to chat in the discord sometimes. I think my play has been pretty good for the most part, though there's room for improvement.

What do you think of the SS meta? What is your opinion on it compared to the SM Monotype meta?

I was more invested in the SM meta than SS so take it with a pinch of salt, but I felt the SM meta gave more room for innovation. Things feel relatively linear in SS. That being said, it is a developing meta and I saw certain techs coming out during the latter stages of MPL. Overall I do think SS Mono is pretty fun, though it is clear that types like Psychic and Water dominate the metagame.

How do you think DLC has affected the SS meta?

Having more options has opened up the metagame a little bit and given more types time in the spotlight.

We're close to the arrival of DLC two. Are you excited about anything returning in particular or do you have any thoughts on how that will impact monotype?

My boy heatran is back. With steel finally having a fire immunity again, along with the general utility that heatran provides, I think steel finally rise to compete with psychic and water. I will also enjoy abusing genesect for a bit before the council unjustly bans it.

Congrats on winning MPL! Could you talk about that experience and how your team came together after a slow start?

Well we had a lot of good players on our team so it was hard to find the best lineup. We spent the first few weeks juggling as some players underperformed, but after that we really hit our stride. Our draft ended up being a lot of tour players (not intentionally) but the support we drafted in jolly togekiss, firnen and yami came in clutch. At first our SS had quite predictable/linear builds but as our players gained more experience in prepping that came together. Sabella and I also started helping more as we became more familiar with the metagame. The good thing about our team was that everyone can play. We weren't too worried about players throwing away unnecessary games which is so important in a team tournament. This meant we just had to focus on prep and getting good matchup.

Are there any up and coming players that have impressed you or that you think will make a mark in the community?

I think jolly togekiss has potential. He's a pretty good builder and clearly very invested in the community. I also want to shoutout the architect. His play is actually very good and he's reliable, I think he can go far if he keeps playing in tournaments. The next one isn't really a super new player, but dugza has been impressive recently and I think he can make the transition from good player to clear standout if he keeps playing.

Do you have any advice for players new to Monotype and trying to get involved in the community?

Just play in tours like mono ssnls and don't act too cringy. Don't let your ego get in the way - no one wants to draft someone who's annoying or obnoxious.

Any advice on how to become a better player and teambuilder?

Becoming a better player just comes with time. It's important to have the right mindsight. You should try to learn from each loss - even if you got haxed, see what you could have done to minimise odds rather than getting angry. For teambuilding, go through matchups in your head. In monotype especially, you could easily build a psychic team and think 'ok, I have gardevoir to sweep dragon. They can go dragalge on moonblast but I have jirachi for it.' and just carry on like this for each type.

Can you show us a team you've been liking in SS and provide us an explanation as to what the team is about and how to use it?

https://pokepast.es/7510951ba260be27

I used this in MPL. Slowbro is nice on psychic to take on threats such as scolipede and can also absorb tspikes which eases the dragon matchup. The stallbreaker mew set is quite underrated, and it paired with slowbro and indeedee let you win the steel matchup even if the opponent is using aegislash. The jirachi is the scarf moonblast set typically seen on steel teams because I don't have gardevoir so wanted something else to pressure dragon alongside hatterene. Celebi really helps with water and normal and I prefer this set to the thunder wave u turn set which I feel is very passive.

Favorite People on PS? Top few players in mono?

Shoutout everyone in woa, these are my day 1s and I doubt I would be here this long without them. Top players rn are the OGs like sabella. Chaitanya is clearly one of the top players, and his trusty rat sidekick waszap isn't bad either. Other than that, there are some good players coming up like floss who I think is a good builder and player.

Any last words you want to leave us with?

Thanks for interviewing me, and thanks to whoever reads this.


Big thank you to Lycan for answering my questions unlike my cowardly Co-TL Waszap (now Zap). Sorry this one took so long. Feel free to ask 1 True Lycan questions in the thread!
 
Last edited:

Namranan

:)))))))))))
Hello Lycan! As one of the people I loved interviewing the most during MPL, I have some post-MPL questions I never got to ask you. So without futher ado here we go:

1. What do you think lead you to your success in MPL? Teamwork? Solid player core? Something else?

2. Who were you shocked didn't do as well as you expected? Was there anything else you didn't expect that happened?

3. Would you work with your co-manager again?

4. Who do you think the best manager (aside from you) was this Mpl?

5. What tier do you think provided the best matches throughout the tour?

6. What would you suggest for the managers who didn't make playoffs?

7. Anything else you wanted to say about the tour?

Ok now with those out of the way I have some other personal questions I wanted to ask:

- What sport do you like the most?
- Why do you sound like someone out of a harry potter movie? (Being born in britain isn't an answer)
- What made you want to keep getting good at mono
- Fellow top player Attribute says that currently psychic sucks, do you agree with him?
- Which Tier leader do you like the most? (be honest)
- Do you watch my videos? If yes, which is your fovorite. If no, why?
- Do you feel like there are some toxic people in the monotype community?
- Favorite fairy type aesthetically? (no mega alt)
- Favorite music genre?
- Thoughts on smooth jazz?

I might add more later. Good interview once again lycan! :)
 

Attribute

HYPNOS | pulp
is a Top Tiering Contributor
Monotype Cup Winner
1. When is the last time you experienced nostalgia?
2. What’s the scariest dream you’ve ever had?
3. What’s the weirdest thought you’ve ever had?
4. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fidget”?
5. What made-up word would you incorporate into the English language if you could?
6. What animal would you want to be reincarnated as?
7. If you could visit one planet, which would it be?
8. What super power do you wish you had?
9. What’s your very first memory?
10. What did say as a kid when asked: What do you want to be when you grow up?
11. If you could change careers right this second, what would you do?
12. What makes you happiest?
13. When is the last time you can remember feeling totally at peace?
14. Which of the Seven Wonders of the world do you want to visit the most?
15. What country do you most want to travel to?
16. Which foreign language would you like to learn?
17. What’s the most ticklish spot on your body?
18. When is the last time you really laughed out loud?
19. What’s your favorite joke?
20. When is the last time you vomited and why?
21. What’s the first movie that made you lol?
22. What’s the first movie that made you cry?
23. What’s the most memorable book you’ve ever read?
24. What’s your favorite color?
25. What song do you most associate with your childhood?
26. What major historical event took place the year you were born?
27. What era would you choose to live in if you could?
28. What place would you first travel to if you could teleport?
29. What do you think about artificial intelligence?
30. What’s your opinion on fate?
31. Do you believe in aliens?
32. Have you ever seen a UFO?
33. Is there anything about yourself you’ve never told another soul?
34. Do you have any “skeletons in the closet”?
35. What living celebrity do you most identify with?
36. Which dead celebrity do you most identify with?
37. If you could be famous for something, what do you wish it would be?
38. How would you spend 100 million dollars?
39. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would be your very first expense?
40. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?
41. What’s the biggest misstep you’ve ever taken?
42. What is your biggest life regret?
43. If you could domesticate any animal in the world, which would you pick?
44. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
45. What do you wish for the world ten years from now?
46. What really gets on your nerves?
47. Is there a personality trait you just can’t stand?
48. What book has impacted you more than any other?
49. What’s the last meaningful book you read?
50. What’s your favorite line from a movie or book?
 

Entei

TIMMEHHHHHHHHHHHHhHhhhh
is a Tiering Contributor
1. When is the last time you experienced nostalgia?
2. What’s the scariest dream you’ve ever had?
3. What’s the weirdest thought you’ve ever had?
4. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fidget”?
5. What made-up word would you incorporate into the English language if you could?
6. What animal would you want to be reincarnated as?
7. If you could visit one planet, which would it be?
8. What super power do you wish you had?
9. What’s your very first memory?
10. What did say as a kid when asked: What do you want to be when you grow up?
11. If you could change careers right this second, what would you do?
12. What makes you happiest?
13. When is the last time you can remember feeling totally at peace?
14. Which of the Seven Wonders of the world do you want to visit the most?
15. What country do you most want to travel to?
16. Which foreign language would you like to learn?
17. What’s the most ticklish spot on your body?
18. When is the last time you really laughed out loud?
19. What’s your favorite joke?
20. When is the last time you vomited and why?
21. What’s the first movie that made you lol?
22. What’s the first movie that made you cry?
23. What’s the most memorable book you’ve ever read?
24. What’s your favorite color?
25. What song do you most associate with your childhood?
26. What major historical event took place the year you were born?
27. What era would you choose to live in if you could?
28. What place would you first travel to if you could teleport?
29. What do you think about artificial intelligence?
30. What’s your opinion on fate?
31. Do you believe in aliens?
32. Have you ever seen a UFO?
33. Is there anything about yourself you’ve never told another soul?
34. Do you have any “skeletons in the closet”?
35. What living celebrity do you most identify with?
36. Which dead celebrity do you most identify with?
37. If you could be famous for something, what do you wish it would be?
38. How would you spend 100 million dollars?
39. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would be your very first expense?
40. What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?
41. What’s the biggest misstep you’ve ever taken?
42. What is your biggest life regret?
43. If you could domesticate any animal in the world, which would you pick?
44. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
45. What do you wish for the world ten years from now?
46. What really gets on your nerves?
47. Is there a personality trait you just can’t stand?
48. What book has impacted you more than any other?
49. What’s the last meaningful book you read?
50. What’s your favorite line from a movie or book?
Which user do you hate the fucking most
 

Harpp

No rain, no flowers.
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
1) What kind of martial art you do?
2) What is your favourite generation in monotype ?
3) As a player who has played for many years, where do you see competitive Pokemon in the future ?
 
Hello Lycan! As one of the people I loved interviewing the most during MPL, I have some post-MPL questions I never got to ask you. So without futher ado here we go:

1. What do you think lead you to your success in MPL? Teamwork? Solid player core? Something else?

2. Who were you shocked didn't do as well as you expected? Was there anything else you didn't expect that happened?

3. Would you work with your co-manager again?

4. Who do you think the best manager (aside from you) was this Mpl?

5. What tier do you think provided the best matches throughout the tour?

6. What would you suggest for the managers who didn't make playoffs?

7. Anything else you wanted to say about the tour?

Ok now with those out of the way I have some other personal questions I wanted to ask:

- What sport do you like the most?
- Why do you sound like someone out of a harry potter movie? (Being born in britain isn't an answer)
- What made you want to keep getting good at mono
- Fellow top player Attribute says that currently psychic sucks, do you agree with him?
- Which Tier leader do you like the most? (be honest)
- Do you watch my videos? If yes, which is your fovorite. If no, why?
- Do you feel like there are some toxic people in the monotype community?
- Favorite fairy type aesthetically? (no mega alt)
- Favorite music genre?
- Thoughts on smooth jazz?

I might add more later. Good interview once again lycan! :)
1. What do you think lead you to your success in MPL? Teamwork? Solid player core? Something else?
Good teamwork in the sense that we worked together to build good teams, and the players using them were good.

2. Who were you shocked didn't do as well as you expected? Was there anything else you didn't expect that happened?
I was quite surprised that lax didn't do too well considering how well he's been doing in official tours.

3. Would you work with your co-manager again?
Yes for sure, we've managed with each a few times now and it's always been a pleasure.

4. Who do you think the best manager (aside from you) was this Mpl?
I'm not sure really. Chait and zap's team is always consistently near the top. Also wanka and piper did well to turn their team's season around and get to finals, so that's impressive.

5. What tier do you think provided the best matches throughout the tour?
I think BW always provided competitive games with the veterans willing to branch out and use more creative teams.

6. What would you suggest for the managers who didn't make playoffs?
Don't blame everything on luck.

7. Anything else you wanted to say about the tour?
Kacawww
Ok now with those out of the way I have some other personal questions I wanted to ask:

- What sport do you like the most?
I like playing football (soccer for the uneducated ppl) with friends the most, and I also enjoy playing badminton when possible though that is harder to arrange.

- Why do you sound like someone out of a harry potter movie? (Being born in britain isn't an answer)
prepostorous

- What made you want to keep getting good at mono
It was just fun so I kept playing

- Fellow top player Attribute says that currently psychic sucks, do you agree with him?
Nah he's bad

- Which Tier leader do you like the most? (be honest)
Decem is so cute but chait is like that cool uncle who lets you smoke weed. Probably not zap, he's like the weird crackhead guy ppl tell you to avoid.

- Do you watch my videos? If yes, which is your fovorite. If no, why?
No, I don't watch as much pokemon content these days

- Do you feel like there are some toxic people in the monotype community?
Maybe a few, but not that many

- Favorite fairy type aesthetically? (no mega alt)
gardevoir or tapu koko

- Favorite music genre?
hip hop/r&b
- Thoughts on smooth jazz?
I like some jazz singers like amy winehouse but haven't really listened to the genre that much tbh

do you like chipotle
Can't remember the last time I had chipotle tbh

Which user in WoA would you prefer to MoA your lawn?
I think eien is pretty hard working so he would do a great job
1) What kind of martial art you do?
2) What is your favourite generation in monotype ?
3) As a player who has played for many years, where do you see competitive Pokemon in the future ?
1) What kind of martial art you do?
Muay Thai
2) What is your favourite generation in monotype ?
Gen 7
3) As a player who has played for many years, where do you see competitive Pokemon in the future ?
I think it will carry on for a while yet, there still seem to be new players coming in from what I can see and gamefreak won't stop as long as people keep buying the games

Favorite Among Us character and why is it purple
Red or blue are objectively the best
 
How do you call zap a rat and not chait?
How many times are you gonna be POTW?
Why does Ridley have 6 toes? If you don't believe me, I've linked it here woop
Let's play chess soon.
Among us when?
Thanks for the mention in your post, i appreciate it.

PS I am writing this while ez rozes and Splash are throwing in among us
 
how the fk are u 8'7 fam explain?
fav turban color?
Superior genes lad. I basically just wear black and blue soooo black ig

1.Whats your favorite gen?
2. Favorite SWSH starter?
3. Favorite starter overall?

Thanks!
1. Fav gen is probably gen 7. At the time I had some nostalgia for gen 6, but looking back gen 7 was probably better. Honestly I am enjoying gen 8 so far, though team building is getting a bit stale. I think with dlc especially, this could end up being my favourite gen.
2. Grookey looks super cute and I'm a big fan of rillaboom's design, so going with that
3. Bulbasaur because of the original anime, it just looked cool and did cool stuff

What's your kda on warzone.
Just over 1, I'm basically the developer's wet dream given the emphasis on skill based matchmaking these days

How do you call zap a rat and not chait?
How many times are you gonna be POTW?
Why does Ridley have 6 toes? If you don't believe me, I've linked it here woop
Let's play chess soon.
Among us when?
Thanks for the mention in your post, i appreciate it.

PS I am writing this while ez rozes and Splash are throwing in among us
How do you call zap a rat and not chait?
Good q, chait does have a few of the same qualities

How many times are you gonna be POTW?
Will probably keep doing it every few years until I quit this godforsaken game, so basically an unlimited number of times

Why does Ridley have 6 toes? If you don't believe me, I've linked it here woop
got me

Let's play chess soon.
ez dub for me
Among us when?
when u stop playing at dumb times for me

Thanks for the mention in your post, i appreciate it.
Yeah I guess I did mention rats a couple times

what's ur thoughts on the no fap culture?
I am a big fan of this holy movement, let us all take control of our lives my brothers and sisters!! Shame you're a bit far gone, I heard rumours you fap 7 times a day on weekdays?
 

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