LC Player of the Week Revival #9: jake

taranteeeno

levi premier league of the decade
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jake
Favorite Pokemon:
Nidoking
Most Used LC Pokemon: Ferroseed
Known as: Snake Draft 3 Taipans LC (4-1 record as of Week 5), Smogon Tournament Director, SPL Circus Maximus Tigers (3,4,7,8,9), Snake Draft 2 Cobras LC, Snake Draft 1 Leviathans Manager, LCWC Central, LCPL 6 (Litleos), LCPL 7 (Duckletts)​

Hello jake! First off, congratulations on a successful return to LC in this year’s Smogon Snake Draft! You took a fairly long break from LC in the midst of LCWC and returned to not a whole lot of fanfare from the LC community being PR’d at #9 in the preseason. How does it feel to be back and seemingly stronger than ever?

Thanks teeeno! I stepped away from all of my LC and Smogon responsibilities to pursue my degree. I'm still working on the degree, but I had the urge to start playing again (like all of us addicts) and came back for Grand Slam because it's my favorite tournament. I just barely missed playoffs in Slam for the second year in a row, but getting throttled by Luthier in Open made me really want to do something special in Snake, and I'm glad it's gone well so far.

Ah I see! This whole time I thought you were just playing Smash Ultimate because that’s like the last thing I saw you talk about in NA Central server before you left LOL.

Anyway, what kind of degree are you pursuing? In fact, why don’t you tell us a bit about you outside of Smogon?


Heavy "my b" for bailing on NA Central, btw...

I'm actually pursuing a degree in library science! I currently work in youth services at my local public library, so I do a lot of work with young children and teens. I want to end up running a public library at some point in the future, and I'm really in love with my career path. Libraries are so incredibly important for our society, and I really hope that we as denizens of the internet can see the value in a safe public space that is a source of knowledge and learning, and fights against censorship and misinformation.

As far as hobbies go, I do still play Smash all the time, but I also pick up a lot of other games, especially RPGs. I read all the time in all sorts of genres, but I'm a big fan of fantasy, especially Brandon Sanderson's work (call me Lavos Lite). I also haven't ousted myself publicly as a weeb yet, but I have been watching some anime, and I've read tons and tons of manga. I don't really have time to be doing much else between work and school, so I take what I can get.

That’s very cool. I do agree that libraries are very important and hope you get to run your own one day. Before we move on to mons talk, can you recommend one of each: RPG, Brandon Sanderson work, Anime, Manga?

Mother 3, Mistborn: The Final Empire, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, and Solo Leveling, in that order. Hard to pick, though -- there are so many amazing things for each of those categories.

Okay, now let’s talk about mons. How did you get into competitive mons and what led you to Little Cup?

I used to moderate another Pokemon social forum for emulation and ROM hacking, and I ended up becoming friends with the people who ran the competitive battling section of the site in the late DPP era. I grew up in a big family and at the time, we still had to take turns on the internet, so I remember printing out every single DPP OU analysis over the course of a week so my parents wouldn't yell at me for wasting paper. I had a lot of fun, even if I had no idea what I was doing.

From there, I got really into the lower tiers and ended up playing BW RU (the lowest available tier at the time) in SPL 3, finishing with a middling 4-4 record. I got into BW NU afterwards and really found my stride on the site for a while, doing well in tournaments, becoming the BW NU tier leader, fitting into social circles of kind people. I fizzled out towards the end of BW and eventually dropped my responsibilities there in favor of more active folks.

I ended up learning LC for two reasons. First, I played it seriously for the first time in Grand Slam I, trying to get to playoffs by virtue of my BW NU skill at the time. All I had to my name were a few blarajan sand squads, and I found that I really, really liked playing the tier. I ended up beating iss that tour in an early round, and was pretty proud of myself. Second, NU wasn't going to be in SPL 8, so if I were going to play, I had to learn a new tier. I ended up going in wholesale with LC, and I haven't looked back. (That tournament, I went 0-2 in LC against Christo and Sken, but I rebounded with a good 2-1 in RBY OU, both victories in semis and finals.)

The better question is probably what kept me in Little Cup. I really like the style of metagame. I've never been historically good at methodical, drawn out games, and LC is the perfect blend of being an offensive tier while having creative flexibility in every team you can build. I also adore the community. LC players are probably universally my favorite group of people that I've ever interacted with online, and they're the real reason I still enjoy playing this lucker ducker game.

Now let’s jump to the present. A fair amount had changed between the time you took a break from LC and your return. Trapinch was banned, a number of suspects and a few tournaments happened. Was it difficult to get back into the metagame?

Yes and no. I didn't expect the Trapinch ban (free Wingull btw) , and I definitely didn't expect the meta shifts that would come of it. Vullaby's absolute dominance is crazy to me - she's always been great, but 80%+ usage is absurd.

The forums were actually super helpful as far as getting back into the meta. The viability discussions were the first place where I realized how different the meta was from when I last played, and I'm pretty sure I watched every LCPL replay prior to Snake.

At the same time, LC doesn't change that much. It's all about subtle changes to standard sets and preferences, which is a part of why I love playing it. I can get really creative within the confines of a well-defined metagame, and you can see that in how different a few of my teams so far have been.

Getting back into building was pretty bumpy at first, but I'm really happy about my builds as of late.

Which sets do you think have been really successful so far in Snake?

Staryu has been probably the best pick throughout Snake so far. It's got great offensive utility, only a handful of checks, can handle dumb Ponyta sets, and is probably the best hazard clear Pokemon atm. I've seen both bulky sets and offensive sets be successful -- in fact, earlier this week tazz won with the Whirlpool + Psychium-Z set to trap Foongus. It's probably one of the Pokemon I have to think about most when I'm building and playing.

Outside of Staryu, I think Timburr, Ponyta, and Mudbray have been on the upswing as well. Timburr and Mudbray are both extremely successful while only running one set, which is crazy (though you can do some cool flex moves on Mudbray and can run Guts BU on Timburr). I ran Roar Mudbray on a team that was weak to Shellder so that I didn't give it a setup opportunity, etc. Mudbray in particular is a fantastic SR setter because it threatens to 2HKO every hazard clearer outside of bulky Eviolite Vullaby and Snivy -- and if they're running bulky Eviolite Vull, you've got a huge advantage anyway.

Ponyta is just a fantastic Pokemon and always has been, but it's in a good place for the meta atm. It runs rampant on teams with lots of physical attackers, and puts pressure on a lot of defensive cores. It's also great at getting chip on SR setters like Onix with Will-O-Wisp and High Horsepower. I also love how creative everyone has been with their Vullaby sets. The Iron Defense + Nasty Plot set that Kingler brought this last week was particularly nice. I'm excited to see more variation on what we currently view as standard sets moving forward.

I'd like to give an anti-shoutout to Frillish. That Pokemon is booty, and not the pirate kind. I think that if you're bringing teams that lose to Frillish, you're not bringing good teams. It's too passive to really be effective -- clicking Recover and praying that the opposing Staryu's Thunderbolt gets Cursed Body'd is goon-worthy. It's also only 1 win to 2 losses so far in Snake, so hah.

Interesting jellyfish take. Never would've suspected the same user who posted this would say that LOL. Now the viability discussion thread has kind of died down since Snake started, but I know a fair amount of the community believes Vullaby deserves a suspect, even a ban. What are your thoughts on the metagame right now and do you believe Vullaby should be suspected?

I think there's no real wrong answer here, though I'm unfamiliar with the arguments made for each side. Vullaby is undoubtedly dominant, and has been a top two Pokemon in every stage of the SM metagame. Right now, it's surely better than ever, but I'm hard-pressed to say that it makes games uncompetitive. I usually am in favor of suspecting when in doubt, but I also think that there is truly some merit in not wanting to suspect Vullaby right now. In my mind, it's similar to trying to suspect Landorus-T in OU or Primal Groudon in Ubers -- Vullaby IS the metagame and is an undeniable centerpiece of how the tier functions. I guess it all depends on the tiering philosophy you have. I suppose I'm on the side of not really wanting to suspect it, but I'm not wholly opposed if we do.

As far as whether or not it's going to happen, I'm almost certain it's not (and I think that's ok). When the time comes for SM to become an oldgen and we usher in SWSH, Vullaby will settle back down to earth and to more realistic usage rates. Vullaby is a great Pokemon for many reasons, but it's partly used so much because of the current building trends in LC. Those trends will fade, given time. Even now we're starting to see some folks go for Vullaby-less teams, and I've personally built a few teams so far that actually preferred six other mons over a Vullaby.

While I certainly think many top level players are capable of building without Vullaby, the usage stats don’t lie.

Moving on. With Gen 8 approaching, do you plan to stick around after Snake to play SWSH LC? Is there anything you are looking forward to with the upcoming game?


True that. Maybe I was a lil overzealous saying that some folks were doing Vullaby-less teams. It's actually literally only Luthier, who had a bird aversion for the first three or four weeks. Being on 43/50 possible teams so far is nuts.

It depends on whether or not I like the Sword & Shield games. I really like a lot of the Pokemon designs so far, which is a nice advantage, but I worry about the newest gimmick (BIG LITTLE CUP) and what kind of impact it'll have on competitive play. I'm honestly quite negative about the last few Pokemon releases as actual games -- SM & USUM were hot garbage in my opinion, losing important traits to the series like replayability -- so I'm hoping for some kind of shift with Sword & Shield. I dunno if I'll ever truly fall out of love with Pokemon, but if they keep pumping out games like Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon to milk the cash cow, I'm gonna be Ultra Disappointed.

You didn't ask this specifically, but I like the Pokedex change, though I think they didn't handle it very well. There was always bound to be an upper limit to the new things that they can create with Pokemon, and having nearly thousand of them uniquely balanced in one game is tough to make happen. If it frees up design space and they find a way to appease people who are missing their favorites (maybe some kind of spinoff title that lets you use Pokemon in your bank or whatever?), I'll take it a hundred times out of ten. Catering to a fanbase won't get you as far as investing in the design of your game will.

I was also disappointed with USUM and couldn’t even get through 30 minutes of that game before I never touched it again. That aside, I’m hoping the new Gen 8 mechanics won’t be too broken in the context of LC and I’m excited for the new babies.

Now, another thing that comes with a new game is a slew of new players. Do you have any advice for new players trying to break into the LC tour scene?


Play a lot, get involved, study your own play. If you're brand new to competitive Pokemon, there's a lot to learn, but LC is a fun place to start because it's relatively static and doesn't have to worry about usage shifts (which means what you learn usually stays in the tier!). Playing constantly and going back to evaluate what you did right and what you can do better is the only way to really improve -- simplying mashing a team against the ladder isn't enough to become good. You gotta willfully practice, and that means thinking about how you played, even it sucks.

In my opinion, team tournaments are some of the most fun (and also pretty stressful, though in a good way) things you can do on Smogon, and the only way you're going to be able to participate in one is to get involved. We have a great, social community, and being a part of it can only broaden your experience and maybe convince a few people that you're worth a shot. Besides, it's just a great avenue to meet new friends.

And are there any people in the LC community you want to shout-out before we wrap this interview up?

Free dundies, my junior jacob (I hope you are doing well and staying far away from Pokemon btw). Shoutouts to blarajan who gave me my first LC teams. OP, bless his soul, was my partner in crime for my first LC SPL. Coconut's the best even though I absolutely screwed our Exhibition run together by dropping the ball (I'm so sorry!!). I would literally sell my soul for Sken. Shrug is one of the wittiest people I've ever met -- dude's made of wordplay and timely jokes. Merritt is one of the most relaxing and levelheaded presences on our whole site, and I think he's really underappreciated. Luthier's got a fire in his belly and a YouTube channel that you should go watch. tko is like my opposite self but yet also the same as me and if that's not a recipe for a wonderful friend I'm not sure what is.

Honestly, there are so many people that keep me here that I couldn't really shout them all out individually. There's loads of folks that I only know a little bit about and want to have the chance to learn more about them, like tazz, teeeeeeno, and Fille, and there are tons that I feel like I've known them forever, like Kingler, fatty, and Nineage. Like I said, it's really the people that make LC so much fun for me, and they all mean a lot to me. Thank you for being here!

Last but not least, do you have a team you can share with us?

sinkhole (Diglett) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Arena Trap
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Final Gambit
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock

hurricane kick (Mienfoo) @ Choice Band
Ability: Reckless
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- High Jump Kick
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Drain Punch

zen force (Abra) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Magic Guard
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 196 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 1 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 SpD
- Psychic
- Dazzling Gleam
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Energy Ball

bone drop (Vullaby) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 76 SpD / 196 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Defog

wicked jab (Pawniard) @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Defiant
Level: 5
EVs: 236 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Knock Off
- Iron Head
- Pursuit
- Sucker Punch

fairy transfer (Spritzee) @ Berry Juice
Ability: Aroma Veil
Level: 5
EVs: 52 HP / 36 Def / 176 SpA / 76 SpD / 96 Spe
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk / 30 SpA / 30 Spe
- Trick Room
- Moonblast
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]

I built this team for mad0ka in LCPL 7. It did not lose. https://www.smogon.com/forums/threads/lcpl-7-week-7.3636479/post-7814832

It's the dumbest thing I've ever built probably (maybe second to this? or this? or possibly this). I think it fell together based on a goal of luring Diglett, trapping it, and punishing the opponent for losing their Diglett. Abra and Mienfoo both are mad strong and draw in Digletts like no other, so I can revenge-trap it after it KOs my Pokemon. Same thing with Mienfoo & Pawniard: Pawn traps Ghost types, and Mienfoo goes ham. The real thing to talk about is the Spritzee set. I used to talk up 10 Spe NP TR Spritzee all the time, but it's nice to be able to consistently outrun Foongus outside of TR and to still have the ability to use TR to clean up weakened offenses.

Basically, it's a horrible team that never should have really worked, but it did in spite of being awful. It was a blast to use, and I hope you can get a kick out of it too.

LOL I remember this team. Okay then... Well that wraps up our 9th LC POTW! Thank you jake for your time and thanks everyone for reading. Feel free to ask any questions to our guest. There will probably be one more POTW before the next gen releases. See you then!
 

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