Playoffs Smogon Grand Slam X Playoffs - Finals [Won by Punny]

swinubfan44

formerly TeamCharm
just want to shout out some people for helping me throughout, i had no idea what grand slam was until kythr invited me to a discord for it a couple months ago it looked fun and I was able to get this far due to the people i have around me. sorry i wasn't able to get it done but

s/o 100%GXE TheFranklin ( i should have used your RU team), p4P1//0n tlenit kythr again daniYSB RaJ.Shoot and jcbc Sificon among many others for all the support throughout, y'all taking your own time to help support me is something that really means a lot to me, y'all are truly the goats.

rooting for expulso, luth or charmflash to take it all now. gl guys.
 
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Luthier

Don’t get mad, get even.
is a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Two-Time Past SCL Champion
i dont wanna clog up this thread w a sappy message (but im gonna do it anyways)

thank u all who supported me through the entire slam, even if it was only for the first round of playoffs. I cant say im super happy w this series, but sometimes that's just the way the game goes. but regardless ,there are individuals that supported me in playoffs that i wanted to recognize in a more public manner bc of how much work they put in for me.

Adaam Askov Feliburn Highways hs Corporal Levi tlenit kythr odr robjr termi Xizaaa Hyogafodex Sjneider

victory road also supported me but we wont tag until one of us is a winner :p

u guys are all amazing people and a load of fun to talk to :)

rooting for punny ninja and expulso and obv gl to everyone else in the rest
 
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2. Punny vs 10. Ninjadog - Well, Ninjadog's first round series certainly wasn't worth staying up for. Ho3n brought one Steel-type across four games and got promptly sent back to the NU ladder by Ninjadog's Whimsicott, which, unsurprisingly, did not face a Steel-type or any other sort of Moonblast answer, for that matter. Nice to see months of qualifying getting thrown in the bin because, and this is true, "I built this in 2 seconds i have to go nyways lul". Very good. I'm not sure what happened there or if there are some underlying circumstances in play that I don't know about, but I went into that series with low expectations and came out of it disappointed. Ninjadog didn't even have to play the LC game, so there's really no way to know how he would do against opposition that spends at least 3 seconds on their teams.

The opposite can be said for Punny. In what was a whirlwind of a series against TDK, Punny looked unfazed and straight up hungry for more. His teams were structurally sound and packed with techs, such as Choice Specs Cobalion. As of right now, Punny is the favorite to go all the way in my eyes. Ninjadog should win LC, but I don't see him also taking two out of four in the level 100 games. Not against Punny in his current form. Is it even current form? This lower tier dominance of his has been building for a while and I don't see him slowing down anytime soon. In terms of both dominance and playing speed, for the record. Lopunny Clicks. Better than anyone else in this tournament at that. If Ninjadog actually beats Punny here, then consider me convinced 100%.


3. Osh vs 11. Meru - I'd imagine Osh finished off that game 5 VERY relieved, as it wouldn't have been the first time he'd let a Slam series slip after securing a 2-0 lead; Teddeh came back to win against Osh from being 0-2 down in the quarter final three years ago. How is that for a fun fact? You're starting to become a boomer, Osh. However, nobody boomers quite like Meru, a user that signed up for Smogon in the same year Lance Armstrong won his 7th Tour the France, George W. Bush started his second term as president of the United States, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire first came to theaters near you and Gwen Stefani topped the charts with Hollaback Girl. In fact, the iPhone was yet to be invented. Having said that, Meru is clearly a very capable current gen lower tier player and overcame a tough opponent in Luthier last week. Meru actually brought really interesting and diverse teams across the five metagames, though I wasn't a fan of reusing the Charmflash team in NU, given the value Altaria's surprise factor holds. A few gamer moments like not locking into U-turn aside, Meru executed when it mattered and deserves to have made it here.

Osh's run comes with a little more expectation. He is a regular fixture in these playoffs and has amassed a ridiculous amount of points in Grand Slam over the years. Eventually that deep playoff run will follow, right? I think this is that year. Osh seems poised to make it and cleared an extremely dangerous first hurdle in Eeveeto, which is a particularly big win given the mental weight of losing a 2-0 lead that he must've been carrying throughout that 5th game. As established, Osh is an extremely well rounded lower tier player, having a particularly big edge over anyone outside of Ninjadog in LC. Meru is no pushover and if Osh doesn't play diligently, he will get punished. If this is truly the season for Osh, then he needs to be great in both prep and play from here on out. I can't wait to see how Osh shows up for this series. For now, I'll remain a believer.


5. Poek vs 13. Charmflash - This is a fascinating match-up between two experienced tournament players, both of whom have established their own styles throughout the tournament so far. Poek solved the problem of Light Clay getting banned handily by replacing his screens setter with a Focus Sash Kommo-o lead, while Charmflash's trademark Ditto balance came out in full swing, too. I'm actually very curious to see how these two players will adapt to each other's respective approaches for this series. To be fair to Poek, I really liked his team choice in RU and it couldn't have come at a better time, seeing as Dflo clearly came prepared for offense with a double Choice Scarf Sun team, but ran right into Poek's Thick Fat Snorlax. Poek is not as one dimensional as his Slam run might have looked at a glance, and the same can be said of Charmflash.

So, who wins? I'm going with Charmflash here, mostly because I think he has a better grasp of the 5 metagames together. I also think he'll put in more time and dedication while getting ready for this series, as Poek has seemed content slightly editing his teams from round to round. That said, Poek's playing ability is obviously very high and if he actually puts a little effort into showing up with good and ideally non-telegraphed teams, then he can win this entire tournament, let alone this series. I'm just unsure if he will and Charmflash, respectfully, isn't Dflo. Poek is facing a significantly more experienced opponent this round, as Charmflash is coming off a commanding 3-0 win over Eternal Spirit. I've teamed with Charmflash in SPL before and when he isn't addicted to other games he goes HARD ahead of big tournament games. It appears the next World of Warcraft expansion won't be released for another year, so it's looking dire for Poek.


9. CBU vs 16. Expulso - I'm not really sure what to make of this series, to be honest. CBU has experience and a more extensive resume on his side, while I think Expulso might just be the player remaining that wants this the most. I have no inside knowledge on that front or anything, but it's a vibe I pick up from his Smogtours and Tournaments server presence nonetheless. Expulso also overcame the #1 seed, watashi, last week. Unfortunately, in typical watashi fashion, we saw another uninspired playoff performance from a player that clearly just likes to play some Pokemon without putting too much thought or effort into prepping or scheduling. Fair enough, right? CBU is not like that, though. CBU is not like that, at all. The request for an extension being posted a mere 30 minutes after the round went up doesn't shock me in the slightest...

I don't want that to take away from what Expulso did, however. He played a great series, impressing me in the LC game in particular, and without a doubt deserves to be here in this top 8. As for CBU, I'll continue to back him until he beats himself in the team builder. I've particularly liked his UU teams of late and he's shown he's capable in the other tiers, too. It is at this point that CBU kindly requests that you guys don't start preparing for AV Reuniclus now, btw. I could see this one going to five games for sure and I feel the most conflicted in picking a winner here. CBU has been here before, though, and has significant team- and circuit tournament experience on top of that. Can't wait for this series.

Good luck and have fun! :psysly:
 

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