Approved by the Monotype Moderator team
Taken over from Cam
Credits to SEO for the banner
During this project, I will be interviewing some of the most influential players in Monotype today whether it be based on their exceptional contribution to the metagame or their outstanding performance in tours. If anyone has suggestions on who should be interviewed next, feel free to PM me your ideas.
This week I am interviewing someone who's always been contributing to the Monotype metagame and is a familiar face to many. He's a well known Monothreat player and will be contributing to Monotype's development in the future with his prior experience.
Ticken
Tell us a little about your life outside of Smogon.
-My life outside is not that extravangent. Whenever school is in session I attend a community college 4 days of the week and studay/do hw as usual. However, outside of school work I try to play with friends when I can and interact with my family as much as I can to relieve us all of our stress. I do not have work but I try to help whoever needs assistance at school if I have the ability to.
What are you most known for within the Monotype community?
-That's a toughie for me actually lol. Most people nowadays probably know me as one of the most experienced in Monothreat or that one manager who tends to draft the same people in team tours. With both those being true, I have been on PS for over 6 years now so most of my other acheivements or milestones have been forgetten, even by me. I think I am also commonly referred to as nice to mostly everyone, someone who tries to always be creative/innovative/memey, and the most attentive to Wifi out of the Mono community.
What inspired you to play Pokemon competitively?
- Well ever since I found my love of Pokemon after receiving a GameCube with Pokemon Colosseum as my 1st grade Christmas present to share with my brother, I always found an urge to try and one-up him and my friends. Not until much later, however, I really took a liking to competitve after finding YouTube videos from KillerNacho, Kwandaoren66 (E-lo), and FlamingSpade to really teach me the ins and out of competitive play. Learning about IVs and EVs too were game changing because it changed the game from one dimensional to something intriguing after joining PS! for the first time.
What got you into Monotype?
- I got into Monotype relatively early. I was still only on PS! for a month or two at the time so I was really easily talked into trying different things so two friends of mine by the names of colonial mustang and Aelous2791 asked if I would want to do some Monotype matches, back in 2012. I eventually stuck with it because building Monotype really restricted teambuilding which helped me concentrate on ideas much easier than I experienced in both OU and UU. That combined with roleplaying as a GL (for about 3yrs) really sparked my interest early on.(edited)
Whats your favorite Pokemon personally and competitively?
-Bulbasaur and Lotad are my two personal favorite by a wide margain, if I had to choose one it would be Lotad of course. I am not too sure what started my love for it besides MAYBE remembering Miror B as my first legitamte Pokemon boss so his Ludicolos spark nostalgia whenever I see Lotad. As for competitvely, Kartana or Mamoswine are def near the top if not my top 2. I am known to be more of a balance user but I really do not have the patience for battling fatter builds so really offensively Pokemon like Kartana or unique wall breaking types like Mamoswine give me comfort while I build teams.
Whats your favorite type personally and competitively?
-Personally, Grass is one of my all time favorites. because it has some great Pokemon like Lotad, Bulbasaur, Venusaur, Celebi, and Ferrothorn to name a few. My favorite competitive type has changed over the years from Fire and Fighting, to Psychic and Ground now to Poison and Flying. Poison is an amazing balance type with plenty of walls and a solid amount of offensive Pokemon. Pokemon such as Nidoking, Crobat, and Nihilego are long time favorites of mine either because of coverage or roles they can perform. Flying was never truely a type I loved but it's grown on me probably because it has so many options for teambuilding. From stall to HO, maybe even Rain, I never feel uninspired with Flying. In a meta where most types tend to use the same six Pokemon. both these types can mix it up relitivly easily compared to the others.
Seeing as you've been on PS for more than 6 years, who are some of the people you've looked up to?
- I have had so many role models across my entire PS! journey because I have huge respect for people who get the job done right. It may come as no surprise but scp, Eien, and torkool are easily the most jaw dropping. Scp was the leader I looked up to after disassociating myself with leagues and welcomed me with open arms to help with the Monothreat scene. He's also the founding father pretty much for Monotype so huge props to him. Eien and torkool have too many accolades for me to descirbe, but their work ethics and unshakable mentalities are truely admirable.
As a player most known for playing Monothreat consistently, what do you think about the Monotype OM as it stands right now?
- In all honesty, Monothreat is one of if not the most intreguing formats to build creatively. I believe Monothreat is not an OM to host all year round because constantly building and coming up with new ideas is not an easy task so many players, I feel, do not give it an honest try due to the sheer amount of time you need to dedicate. Most of the people who run Monothreat with me are focusing on studies so the overall support is not as great as it once was.
Since Monotype Winter Premier has just started what are your thoughts on the current USM Monotype metagame as well as other OMs?
- The USUM Mono metagame is too balanced and optimized that it is relatively hard to be creative and is consequently my least favorite in terms of the metagame lineup. However, all the other OMs are not played nearly as often or are as optimized so there is a lot of crativity and innovative ideas to develop. This MWP specifically I am taking a back seat on assisting with Monothreat teambuilding so that other players can come up with their own ideas because even after a couple years I believe there is still tech to be found and used. Other OMs, AAA, STABmons, LC, and Ubers are not something you see everyday either so they are refreshing for me to watch and help build when I can.
Do you have any advice for people in the Monotype community that are trying to improve?
- My advice is always to work on your mental game. Your mentality is the foundation for every aspect of Pokemon from building to battling. Do not try to take every game seriously enough to rage because you can only do that for so long. Find your style, find your favorites and once you learn what you like and don't like, challenge yourself when you can. I find it hard for me to challenge myself and it is crucial for growing so try even if it is uncomfortable at first.
That's good advice, especially since MWP season is here, are there any upcoming players you think would be worth keeping an eye on?
- 110% the player I see as an up and comer is ToxaNex, or Nexecutioner on the forum. He's a smart man who knows how to build well and takes his time in both battles and teambuilding. He is also one of the most motivated Monothreat players I have seen in a while so that will definately help him improve faster than the average user.
Can you showcase a team that represents your style as a player and how to use it?
Taken over from Cam
Credits to SEO for the banner
During this project, I will be interviewing some of the most influential players in Monotype today whether it be based on their exceptional contribution to the metagame or their outstanding performance in tours. If anyone has suggestions on who should be interviewed next, feel free to PM me your ideas.
This week I am interviewing someone who's always been contributing to the Monotype metagame and is a familiar face to many. He's a well known Monothreat player and will be contributing to Monotype's development in the future with his prior experience.
Ticken
Tell us a little about your life outside of Smogon.
-My life outside is not that extravangent. Whenever school is in session I attend a community college 4 days of the week and studay/do hw as usual. However, outside of school work I try to play with friends when I can and interact with my family as much as I can to relieve us all of our stress. I do not have work but I try to help whoever needs assistance at school if I have the ability to.
What are you most known for within the Monotype community?
-That's a toughie for me actually lol. Most people nowadays probably know me as one of the most experienced in Monothreat or that one manager who tends to draft the same people in team tours. With both those being true, I have been on PS for over 6 years now so most of my other acheivements or milestones have been forgetten, even by me. I think I am also commonly referred to as nice to mostly everyone, someone who tries to always be creative/innovative/memey, and the most attentive to Wifi out of the Mono community.
What inspired you to play Pokemon competitively?
- Well ever since I found my love of Pokemon after receiving a GameCube with Pokemon Colosseum as my 1st grade Christmas present to share with my brother, I always found an urge to try and one-up him and my friends. Not until much later, however, I really took a liking to competitve after finding YouTube videos from KillerNacho, Kwandaoren66 (E-lo), and FlamingSpade to really teach me the ins and out of competitive play. Learning about IVs and EVs too were game changing because it changed the game from one dimensional to something intriguing after joining PS! for the first time.
What got you into Monotype?
- I got into Monotype relatively early. I was still only on PS! for a month or two at the time so I was really easily talked into trying different things so two friends of mine by the names of colonial mustang and Aelous2791 asked if I would want to do some Monotype matches, back in 2012. I eventually stuck with it because building Monotype really restricted teambuilding which helped me concentrate on ideas much easier than I experienced in both OU and UU. That combined with roleplaying as a GL (for about 3yrs) really sparked my interest early on.(edited)
Whats your favorite Pokemon personally and competitively?
-Bulbasaur and Lotad are my two personal favorite by a wide margain, if I had to choose one it would be Lotad of course. I am not too sure what started my love for it besides MAYBE remembering Miror B as my first legitamte Pokemon boss so his Ludicolos spark nostalgia whenever I see Lotad. As for competitvely, Kartana or Mamoswine are def near the top if not my top 2. I am known to be more of a balance user but I really do not have the patience for battling fatter builds so really offensively Pokemon like Kartana or unique wall breaking types like Mamoswine give me comfort while I build teams.
Whats your favorite type personally and competitively?
-Personally, Grass is one of my all time favorites. because it has some great Pokemon like Lotad, Bulbasaur, Venusaur, Celebi, and Ferrothorn to name a few. My favorite competitive type has changed over the years from Fire and Fighting, to Psychic and Ground now to Poison and Flying. Poison is an amazing balance type with plenty of walls and a solid amount of offensive Pokemon. Pokemon such as Nidoking, Crobat, and Nihilego are long time favorites of mine either because of coverage or roles they can perform. Flying was never truely a type I loved but it's grown on me probably because it has so many options for teambuilding. From stall to HO, maybe even Rain, I never feel uninspired with Flying. In a meta where most types tend to use the same six Pokemon. both these types can mix it up relitivly easily compared to the others.
Seeing as you've been on PS for more than 6 years, who are some of the people you've looked up to?
- I have had so many role models across my entire PS! journey because I have huge respect for people who get the job done right. It may come as no surprise but scp, Eien, and torkool are easily the most jaw dropping. Scp was the leader I looked up to after disassociating myself with leagues and welcomed me with open arms to help with the Monothreat scene. He's also the founding father pretty much for Monotype so huge props to him. Eien and torkool have too many accolades for me to descirbe, but their work ethics and unshakable mentalities are truely admirable.
As a player most known for playing Monothreat consistently, what do you think about the Monotype OM as it stands right now?
- In all honesty, Monothreat is one of if not the most intreguing formats to build creatively. I believe Monothreat is not an OM to host all year round because constantly building and coming up with new ideas is not an easy task so many players, I feel, do not give it an honest try due to the sheer amount of time you need to dedicate. Most of the people who run Monothreat with me are focusing on studies so the overall support is not as great as it once was.
Since Monotype Winter Premier has just started what are your thoughts on the current USM Monotype metagame as well as other OMs?
- The USUM Mono metagame is too balanced and optimized that it is relatively hard to be creative and is consequently my least favorite in terms of the metagame lineup. However, all the other OMs are not played nearly as often or are as optimized so there is a lot of crativity and innovative ideas to develop. This MWP specifically I am taking a back seat on assisting with Monothreat teambuilding so that other players can come up with their own ideas because even after a couple years I believe there is still tech to be found and used. Other OMs, AAA, STABmons, LC, and Ubers are not something you see everyday either so they are refreshing for me to watch and help build when I can.
Do you have any advice for people in the Monotype community that are trying to improve?
- My advice is always to work on your mental game. Your mentality is the foundation for every aspect of Pokemon from building to battling. Do not try to take every game seriously enough to rage because you can only do that for so long. Find your style, find your favorites and once you learn what you like and don't like, challenge yourself when you can. I find it hard for me to challenge myself and it is crucial for growing so try even if it is uncomfortable at first.
That's good advice, especially since MWP season is here, are there any upcoming players you think would be worth keeping an eye on?
- 110% the player I see as an up and comer is ToxaNex, or Nexecutioner on the forum. He's a smart man who knows how to build well and takes his time in both battles and teambuilding. He is also one of the most motivated Monothreat players I have seen in a while so that will definately help him improve faster than the average user.
Can you showcase a team that represents your style as a player and how to use it?
Uncle John (Abomasnow-Mega) (M) @ Abomasite
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Atk / 236 SpA
Brave Nature
- Blizzard
- Ice Shard
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
Mushball (Amoonguss) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Clear Smog
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Ingrain
Greensmith (Virizion) @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Justified
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bounce
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor
Romeo (Roserade) (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 128 SpA / 132 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rest
- Extrasensory
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Spikes
Vegeen (Tsareena) @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Queenly Majesty
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Acrobatics
- Synthesis
- Rapid Spin
- U-turn
Spikey Ball (Ferrothorn) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 56 Atk / 204 SpD -
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Iron Head
Ability: Snow Warning
EVs: 252 HP / 20 Atk / 236 SpA
Brave Nature
- Blizzard
- Ice Shard
- Focus Blast
- Substitute
Mushball (Amoonguss) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Regenerator
EVs: 252 HP / 4 SpA / 252 SpD
Calm Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Clear Smog
- Sludge Bomb
- Synthesis
- Ingrain
Greensmith (Virizion) @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Justified
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Bounce
- Close Combat
- Swords Dance
- X-Scissor
Romeo (Roserade) (M) @ Black Sludge
Ability: Natural Cure
EVs: 248 HP / 128 SpA / 132 SpD
Modest Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rest
- Extrasensory
- Hidden Power [Fire]
- Spikes
Vegeen (Tsareena) @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Queenly Majesty
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD
Careful Nature
- Acrobatics
- Synthesis
- Rapid Spin
- U-turn
Spikey Ball (Ferrothorn) @ Occa Berry
Ability: Iron Barbs
EVs: 248 HP / 56 Atk / 204 SpD -
Sassy Nature
IVs: 0 Spe
- Thunder Wave
- Stealth Rock
- Gyro Ball
- Iron Head
- This is one of my favorite teams to use in Grass Monothreat because it has everything I look for in a team excluding a Scarf user. In general, the team functions by saving Mega Abomasnow until late game to hopefully clean up with Blizzard + Ice Shard. Not too many teams run Mega Abomasnow and usually go for Mega Venusaur with or without a Scarf Abomasnow of their own. Because Mega Venusauri s so omnipresent, I decided to build a core between Synthesis Amoonguss + Rest Roserade to stop any pressure Venusaur may try to apply. Virizion is great for breaking through walls and a revenge sweeper for offensive threats such as Celebi. Tsareena and Ferrothorn round out the support for the team with hazard control, speed control, and U-turn momentum. Both arefairly bulky to sponge offensive or specially offensive attacks. Teams with Sticky web is known to give this team trouble however but it still shouldn't be too bad since every Pokemon besides Virizion is slow anyways! Fun team and I recommend it to anyone that prefers to use balanced archetypes.
Any last words you want to leave us with?
- Stay true to yourself no matter how different the path may be. Practicing what you love with people you admire is a dream for most but do not let your ego get in the way of approaching because as they say, you can only hit a homerun if you walk up to bat. Work smart and delegintly for what you want and there's no doubt what you aim for will be acheived!
This concludes my interview with Ticken! A huge thanks to him for his time for the interview! If anyone has questions for him feel free to ask him!
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