Player of the Week 36: Tahu

GOAO

Banned deucer.

Favorite Pokemon: Litwick
Most used Pokemon: Magnemite
Most known for: LC room driver, Tangma TL, ban thunder wave. (nobody knows him for banning twave its the joke lol!)

Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm an 18-year old kid from outside Philadelphia, studying music in college. When I'm not doing academic stuff or playing mons, I really enjoy outdoorsy stuff--Hiking, Skiing, you name it. My biggest outdoor hobby, though, is spelunking.
How and when did you get your start in LC?
I started right at the beginning of XY LC, back when Sneasel was still allowed. The story was in user: boo836's signature for a while--I thought that choice band Brave Bird Fletchling would be good. Unfortunately, Fletchling does not get Brave Bird. however, after cobbling together a team of 6 sweepers and reaching the top 10 on the ladder, I decided I liked the tier, and the rest is history.
What is your favorite aspect of LC?
Believe it or not, the LC damage mechanics are probably my favorite thing about the tier. Their predictability allows you to optimize EV spreads to individual hit points, which at least in my opinion gives you a lot more freedom to be creative while teambuilding.

Is there any mon, playstyle, etc that you feel is underrated in LC?
I feel like plain old spikestacking hyper offense has been a severely overlooked strategy for quite some time now. With the recent uptick in Drifloon usage and the lack of good Defog users (in my experience Archen and Vullaby simply do not have room to run the move), keeping hazards up is pretty easy. This lets you put tons of pressure on with threats such as Scarf Magnemite and Abra, in addition to giving sweepers such as Shellder and Zigzagoon a much easier time. On a related note, hazard Omanyte is criminally underrated--it's really good at getting up Spikes and has serious offensive presence with a powerful Hydro Pump.

Anything you find overrated?

"Bulky" Staryu is, in my opinion, super overrated and used way too much. it only beats the things it's supposed to check such as Drilbur by spamming Recover for 10 turns, ceding all momentum, and fishing for Scald burns. It also has a lot of trouble getting past the good spinblockers (Drifloon and Pumpkaboo).

If you could change something about the current metagame, what would you change?

I think you all know the answer to this one. But on a more serious note, i really think Diglett needs to go. It's really restrictive on teambuilding and forms cores that are almost "too good" with a half dozen other Pokemon.
What players do you look up to / are good friends with?
Levi is definitely at the top of the list of players I respect. I've admired him as a player ever since we both ladder heroed during tangma. Although he is very bad at metagame theorizing (he and I agree on virtually nothing), he's still a fantastic player amd teambuilder. Shoutouts to the rest of LFC, y'all are great.

What do you think about our current community?

I feel like the core members of the community are still going strong, but activity is kind of dying down as people get bored/burned out. Things will definitely pick up come gen 7 though.

What's your favorite playstyle and why?

I'm a fan of hyper offense. Like I said earlier, hazard stacking is easy to do these days, and many Pokemon benefit from Spikes a lot. In addition, Pokemon like Magnemite make it easy to build a team with good defensive synergy while still maintaining great offensive presence.
Why do you play tangma? Do you think theres a way to attract more people to the tier?
I like tangma because every playstyle is equally viable (although i personally have not tried stall it looks viable on paper). Also, the meta is pretty well adapted to the "broken" stuff like Tangela, so, while still very good, they aren't a hassle to account for in teambuilding. In terms of getting more people involved, I'd love to see some more tournaments featuring the meta outside of LCPL.

Is there any advice that you'd like to pass on to new LCers?

If you want to get involved in the community, the best way to do so is to talk in the PS! chat. If you contribute well to the chat, you'll eventually be recognized as a community member and be invited to the LC Skype group, where the real discussion happens.

Lastly, do you have a team you'd like to share with us?

This is a team built around the core of Swords Dance+Baton Pass Mienfoo and Carvanha. If passed a Swords Dance boost, Stealth Rock plus 1 layer of Spikes is often enough to OHKO all but the bulkiest of Pokemon. Hazards Omanyte does a very good job at this, as well as having a good matchup versus many leads. HP Fire Gothita can trap and eliminate Croagunk, Ferroseed, and Foongus, Trick its Scarf onto bulky Pokemon such as Spritzee, and weaken Timburr enough for Carvanha's Aqua Jet to kill. Choice Scarf Magnemite provides a check to Cottonee and Snubbull and a secondary win condition. Finally, SubWisp Drifloon helps wear down Porygon and makes for a nice secondary boost receiver.
Mienfoo @ Eviolite
Ability: Regenerator
Level: 5
EVs: 156 HP / 196 Def / 116 SpD
Relaxed Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Swords Dance
- Knock Off
- Drain Punch
- Baton Pass

Gothita @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Shadow Tag
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 240 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Thunderbolt
- Trick

Magnemite @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Analytic
Level: 5
EVs: 240 SpA / 236 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Volt Switch
- Flash Cannon
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Carvanha @ Life Orb
Ability: Speed Boost
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 36 Def / 36 SpD / 236 Spe
Adamant Nature
IVs: 0 HP
- Waterfall
- Crunch
- Aqua Jet
- Protect

Omanyte @ Eviolite
Ability: Weak Armor
Level: 5
EVs: 76 HP / 196 SpA / 236 Spe
Timid Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Spikes
- Knock Off
- Hydro Pump

Drifloon @ Berry Juice
Ability: Unburden
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 36 Atk / 84 Def / 84 SpD / 196 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Substitute
- Acrobatics
- Will-O-Wisp
- Recycle
 

Corporal Levi

ninjadog of the decade
is a Community Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnus
You mentioned stall could be viable in tangma - how do you think it would look like? I feel like Gligar/bulky Chlorotang and, to a lesser extent, offensive Chlorotang/Meditite/Swirlix could be pretty annoying for it.
 

Merritt

no comment
is a Tournament Directoris a Site Content Manageris a Member of Senior Staffis a Community Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host
Head TD
Tangma is the best meta

How do you feel about the fact that BP was mentioned exactly once and it was in your sample team?

Favorite type? Does this have anything to do with your name?

Best LC moment (either a battle or chat, or even a forums thing)?
 

Cheryl.

Celesteela is Life
I love Litwick too :3

What is your favorite mon to use in higher tiers, if you play them?
 
You mentioned stall could be viable in tangma - how do you think it would look like? I feel like Gligar/bulky Chlorotang and, to a lesser extent, offensive Chlorotang/Meditite/Swirlix could be pretty annoying for it.
I built a team consisting of regen core+gligar+restalk lax+scarf snover. I think that's what a stall build in tangma would generally look like.

Tangma is the best meta

How do you feel about the fact that BP was mentioned exactly once and it was in your sample team?

Favorite type? Does this have anything to do with your name?

Best LC moment (either a battle or chat, or even a forums thing)?
Yep

That was an oversight on my part.

My favorite type is bug actually.

GOAO's LFC antics

I love Litwick too :3

What is your favorite mon to use in higher tiers, if you play them?
Smeargle, you know why.

why do you want to ban thunder wave?
Twave is imo unhealthy for the meta, but I'm resigned to the fact that it will never be banned.
 
You mentioned stall could be viable in tangma - how do you think it would look like? I feel like Gligar/bulky Chlorotang and, to a lesser extent, offensive Chlorotang/Meditite/Swirlix could be pretty annoying for it.
Iirc I won 2 tangma games in splc and the lcpl from two years ago with stall, iirc I ran vullaby ice beam porygon slowpoke and other tanky shit. Maybe it was just 1 win idr much. When I get on a comp I'll better explain.
 

Shrug

is a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Past SPL Championis a Past SCL Champion
LCPL Champion
does the bland condesention you have towards any music genre that is not classical apply to any action-figure type that is not bionicle?

what is the play in little cup that is the most exciting to you?
 

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