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Welcome to the SM version of OU Player of the Week! This project will feature interviews from some of the most accomplished and influential users in the tier so that we can learn more about them.
If there is a user that you would like to see interviewed be sure to let me know.
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KratosMana
favourite pokemon: Competitive-wise: Mew, otherwise Absol.
most used pokemon: Apparently I used heatran in almost every SPL team, not sure why. I guess i just loved how most of it's checks are passive and easy to switch into. Other than that, Tangrowth, Keldeo and Latias.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself outside of Smogon?
I'm currently an 18 yo brazilian college student who lives alone and absolutely loves music. Not really doing much outside of just going to college for now because i just started it, but i plan on learning french(trying to know 5 different languages until i'm 25, kind of a dream of mine) and getting back to the gym soon. I'm currently learning more about myself and life in general, because it hasn't been 3 months since I actually started living without my parents, so for now i'm just taking every single day as a learning lesson for later on. I have a lot of things in my mind and a lot of goals to pursue, but yeah, just studying and playing pokes/speaking with internet friends for now. I also watch anime and play video games sometimes.
Where did you get your name from?
From the game Tales of Symphonia, my favorite game of all time. Honestly trying to just change it to anti(which was the name i used on PO and how people call me in general), but the user has a badge and stuff so i can't and don't rly want to use dots or w/e so stuck with this for now.
How and when did you get into competitive Pokemon?
Around 2009 while searching for a way to play pokemon online. Found PO and played whenever i felt like it. Also made some dumb posts on PO forums until i quit. Then i found the brazilian forums and started playing regularly there, until i got the opportunity to play WCOP. After that i basically left the br forum and started being active on smogon instead.
What’s your favourite generation of OU and why?
Used to be DPP until i started thinking machamp is horseshit and couldn't stand dynamicpunch/twave spam teams anymore so it's one of the metagames i hate the most nowadays, lol. But yeah it's GSC, i think it's the most balanced metagame and i absolutely love playing it and watching it because even when the games take a while there's just a lot of thinking. Lots of those games have that "domino effect" thing where if one poke falls everything starts falling apart and the game gets fast, which i find dope.
What’s your favourite playstyle to use and why?
Used to be offense but it's probably bulky offense now, because it's just the way i play at my best, i love knowing i have decent checks to most of the metagame and even if i don't i can play aggresive to make up for it.
What are your thoughts on the current metagame? How do you feel about SM in comparison to ORAS?
I love SM right now and think it's still open to a lot of creativity. I like SM way better than oras, and dislike ORAS after the mega sableye ban. I think it got way worse after that, but that's my opinion anyway.
How do you feel about the Mega Metagross ban?
I honestly don't know how people thought the poke was ok, like building for it was so stupid, whenever i had a mega that wasn't scizor in SPL i literally needed to have defensive tangrowth there otherwise it was weak to metagross(unless you used something that wasn't really "worth" using, like slowbro or alomomola, because imo they didn't really check much early-sm at least), unless you bank on something like ferrothorn and no hammer arm lol. I was surprised the result was even as close as it was and i think building got way, way more fun now.
Are you happy with the recent ban of Baton Pass? Do you believe it should also be banned in ORAS?
I tried playing with BP myself and it wasnt that great, it just really isnt consistent, but there were definetly matchups where it basically autowon from team preview, so im glad to see it out of the tier. Id get why it would get banned in oras as well due to how it is unhealthy at times, but I think that Baton Pass based teams are/were way more potent in the SM metagame, due to different factors such as the addition of Necrozma/Magearna and the fact that pokes like Tyranitar(who imo was a pain for BP in oras) is way less common now. So I think there could be some kind of action on it, but don`t think that it is as necessary as it was in SM in the slightest.
Do you believe that anything else deserves a suspect test in the near future?
I would love seeing Medicham get suspect tested just because of how hard it is to actually prepare for it; kind of similiar to metagross but not as badly because unlike metagross it can't boost speed so it's easier to check; but i don't see it happening anyway. I honestly don't mind protean greninja but i think the battle bond set could possibly be way too much for the metagame, don't really care about what happens with it either though. Honestly i think i just don't care too much about anything that happens in the future after metagross got banned, but yeah there's probably a few things that deserve a suspect test.
During SPL, you were recognised as a successful player and teambuilder for SM. How were you able to adapt so quickly to the new metagame?
Mainly a lot of testing with fantastic SPL partners, but also building a lot in general. You can kind of know which mons are getting better with the way the metagame shapes itself if you build a ton, so yeah.
Who is your favourite to win Smogon Tour 23?
Really hard to tell, but i think SoulWind's gonna be hard to take down, especially with his BW game being on point right now after a hot BW Cup win.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone trying to break into the tournament setting?
Just try to not be obnoxious or mean and you'll eventually get there. Join the many different smogon tournaments and learn through playing vs the dudes with more knowledge. Following official tournaments is also a big thing, because you learn a lot through watching good players collide. I think i learned most of what i know from old gens just by following the SPL games, lol.
Who are some of your favourite people in the Smogon community?
FLCL McMeghan TDK John ABR CrashinBoomBang -Tsunami- Ojama Ice Tea Blue_Star Jirachee blunder Jayde BKC Mazinger SoulWind Poek Kingler12345 teal6 Tony R!cardo Pearl rozes ez PDC Finchinator aim Zamrock Sam UD Rewer Accelgor GOAO FAJI Nails Afro Smash Star Danilo MetalGro$$ obii dice Isa CTC cosine180 Meru Kaori Analytic Zebraiken Pohjis Lord Moet Bad Ass Jsaok3 Floppy Mael Aeroblacktyl Coconut New Breed Memoric Stax Tamahome mad0ka Mizuhime Sabella GOD MARTH FlamingVictini craing ;_; Croven Heysup Navy atomicllamas Arifeen Welli0u kokoloko Hikari soulgazer Void ADVANTAGE Tom Bus BOUFF High Impulse Tesung TheEnder reyscarface Stathakis roscoe Nedor daftmau5 Gingy
Finally, can you provide us a team that you think reflects your current playstyle, with a brief explanation of how it works?
Heracross @ Heracronite
Ability: Guts
EVs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 108 SpD / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Will-O-Wisp
Celesteela @ Rockium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 56 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpA / 192 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Autotomize
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast
Zygarde @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Toxic
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Taunt
- Defog
- Nature's Madness
Serperior @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Glare
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Giga Drain
Ability: Guts
EVs: 96 HP / 252 Atk / 160 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Pin Missile
- Rock Blast
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
Mew @ Leftovers
Ability: Synchronize
EVs: 248 HP / 96 Def / 108 SpD / 56 Spe
Bold Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Psychic
- Stealth Rock
- Soft-Boiled
- Will-O-Wisp
Celesteela @ Rockium Z
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 56 HP / 252 Atk / 8 SpA / 192 Spe
Lonely Nature
- Heavy Slam
- Autotomize
- Stone Edge
- Fire Blast
Zygarde @ Choice Band
Ability: Aura Break
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Thousand Arrows
- Outrage
- Extreme Speed
- Toxic
Tapu Fini @ Leftovers
Ability: Misty Surge
EVs: 248 HP / 60 Def / 200 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Moonblast
- Taunt
- Defog
- Nature's Madness
Serperior @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Contrary
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Leaf Storm
- Glare
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Giga Drain