GOAO
Banned deucer.
Favorite Pokemon: Phanpy
Most used Pokemon: Skrelp
Most known for: Top 3.
Hi I'm Nineage. I'm a 15 y/o guy from Cali, and I'm a sophmore in HS. I'm a pretty big music guy irl, so I spend a lot of time playing (my newest instrument is guitar!) and uhhhh I play basketball when that's going on. I also do small scale website design and stuff so I can buy weed school supplies to improve as a student. Not really that interesting apart from that which I guess is why I'm on here...
How and when did you get your start in LC?
I started my time on PS right before BW2 was released, but spent most of my time playing monotype on private servers (yes, I was one of those). I wasn't really into Smogon stuff but I started reading the Smog cuz someone linked an article or something and noticed there was lots of cool articles about LC! I decided to try playing and I built an absolutely terrible hail team (featuring the legendary Choice Band Attract Cubchoo). I got wrecked and kinda forgot LC. In SwirlGar era, I kinda got bored on private servers so decided to try LC again, and I got tutored unofficially by DeathxShinigami and got sorta good. After that, I joined SparkServer because of my private server code experience, and got hooked on the metagame and the community!
What is your favorite aspect of LC?
I think LC is an extremely stable metagame. There aren't huge meta shifts because there aren't rises and drops, and our last few suspect tests have ended in no ban. Because of this, its very easy to innovate and play around with weird Pokemon/sets, since you don't need to worry about X new broken threat sweeping your entire team. However, because of this innovation the metagame is never really stagnant or boring which some people like to claim that it is. Also, the LC Community is pretty great.
Is there any mon, playstyle, etc that you feel is underrated in LC?
I think Skrelp gets shrugged off really often as a potent threat because it gets trapped by both of LC's relevant trappers (fuck trapinch lol). I find it more than makes up for how it fares versus trappers with just the sheer amount of pressure it puts on a lot of the offensive builds that dominate LC. I'm also been converted this LCPL by rssp1 to the church of Rufflet. Its actually surprisingly bulky, its insanely powerful even without a good flying STAB, and it can run a Bulk Up or a Scarf set viably. Also fuck @Starmaster cuz his Rufflet tanked my Cranidos Stone Edge D:
Anything you find overrated?
OK maybe its just me but I think Spritzee is pretty terribad in the current meta. Its main job seems to be to switch in on fighters, which have absolutely no trouble clicking Knock Off and crippling it defensively for the rest of the game. Its not very strong, so it serves as setup bait for basically anything that sets up ever. I think Spritzee can catch the occasional team off-guard, but the meta is just in a place where it can't reliably do its job.
What players do you look up to / are good friends with?
Oh man there's some cool people.
In terms of battling, I've always looked up to Heysup. He's an extremely consistent player, he's been around forever, and he knows his stuff. In terms of teambuilding, ZoroarkForever builds super super cool teams, and I'm pretty jealous (also can someone beat him in BW please). I also wish I had Corporal Levi's metagame knowledge and level-headedness, and@Vileman's memes.
Frens are pretty much all of LFC, you are cool people. Shoutouts Aerow and sparktrain for being SparkServ admins with me,Shrug and Berks for being super cool people to talk to, rozes for teaching me NU one time, and TheFenderStory for being literally the best.
What's your favorite playstyle and why?
I think immediate speed is overrated in the metagame at the moment, and so I've been running a lot of teams based around bulkier setup sweepers like Shellder and Corphish, and Pokemon that hit hard immediately like Skrelp and Download Porygon. I find that as long as a team has a decent amount of priority, it deals fine with fast, frail Pokemon in general. I've also been building lots of typespam (water, dark, and flying), because its really fun to wear down checks to things :D.
What are your thoughts on Drifloon in the current metagame? Do you think the metagame would be healthier without it? Why?
I'm sure this comparison is gonna get me told off by someone, but I actually think Floon is a little bit like Gligar. It can't fill as many roles as Gligar could, but, like Gligar, it acts as a blanket check to so many things that it can be slapped on a team with pretty much no thought or support and do its job well. I think the act of keeping a Pokemon alive to check Floon puts an unfair amount of momentum on the Floon users' side. However, its not like it can't be stopped, so I don't know if I'm outright calling for a ban, but I certainly think if we are going to look at anything right now it should be this.
Do you think ladder will ever be good again?
Not as long as PURPLEDOOSH is playing on it
Everyone knows you're really good with bots. What is your next bot idea?
I'm working on a bot right now, with a lot of help from Corporal Levi and guidance from OrdA, that aims to use a checks compendium to break down and analyze a team and generate a list of potential weaknesses (effectively, an RMT bot). We have a decently working version coded already, and while a program will never be able to replace a real team rater with knowledge of the meta, I have high hopes that this bot could be a good way to make sure your team has the basics covered before bringing it to the ladder or further testing.
Is there any advice that you'd like to pass on to new LCers?
Ask for help! In the LC room we are pretty friendly most of the time to new users, and there's almost always someone there to answer your questions or look over a team for you. Once you ask some questions, play some ladder games, and get to know the meta, you will be able to help other people in the room, and fit right into the community. Just don't be a dipshit. It can be hard to get into a tier if you piss off the people who already play it.
Oh and mono starter teams are never a good idea.
Lastly, do you have a team you'd like to share with us?
God (Aipom) @ Life Orb
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Fire Punch
- Knock Off
- Fury Swipes
Timburr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 116 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Roost
Skrelp @ Eviolite
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Scald
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
Drilbur @ Eviolite
Ability: Mold Breaker
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 212 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock
Chinchou @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 224 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Thunderbolt
Ability: Skill Link
Level: 5
EVs: 196 Atk / 76 SpD / 236 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Fake Out
- Fire Punch
- Knock Off
- Fury Swipes
Timburr @ Eviolite
Ability: Guts
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Atk / 156 Def / 236 SpD
Careful Nature
- Bulk Up
- Drain Punch
- Knock Off
- Mach Punch
Vullaby @ Eviolite
Ability: Overcoat
Level: 5
EVs: 156 Atk / 156 Def / 76 SpD / 116 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Brave Bird
- Knock Off
- U-turn
- Roost
Skrelp @ Eviolite
Ability: Adaptability
Level: 5
EVs: 116 Def / 196 SpA / 196 Spe
Modest Nature
- Hydro Pump
- Scald
- Sludge Wave
- Thunderbolt
Drilbur @ Eviolite
Ability: Mold Breaker
Level: 5
EVs: 36 HP / 236 Atk / 212 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Earthquake
- Rapid Spin
- Rock Slide
- Stealth Rock
Chinchou @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Volt Absorb
Level: 5
EVs: 52 Def / 232 SpA / 224 Spe
Modest Nature
- Volt Switch
- Hydro Pump
- Hidden Power [Ground]
- Thunderbolt