Hello again and welcome to our next Player of the Week. This thread hopes to increase the visibility of prominent NU players to the community and the outside world while promoting both users and the strategies that they find to be effective in the metagame. If there is someone you would like to see interviewed, feel free to drop me a PM.
Zebraiken
Favorite Pokemon: Camerupt and Heracross
Most known for: "being one of the best tour players (with FLCL) and having like every major tour be FLCL vs zeb in the finals" - Raseri
Favorite Playstyle: Offense, usually bulky. I am OK with stall teams, but I prefer offensive almost always.
Most used Pokemon: Uh... idk, I like Tauros a lot.
Sorry, I'm a little bit late this week. This week we're going to be talking to Zebraiken. Honestly, this Ex-tier leader is pretty much a God.
Lord Alphose: Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to Pokemon?
Zebraiken: I started on a separate forum entirely, and I was particularly dedicated to hacking Pokemon ROMs to create my own game. When I became a staff member of that forum, I saw a call for people to come help out with their competitive battling section, which drew me in and has forever kept me here. I have been playing since late DPP, and only recently do I feel I've gotten good at it.
Lord Alphose: How and when did you start playing NU? Do you remember your first team?
Zebraiken: I started playing NU at the very beginning of BW NU. I never played DPP NU; didn't even know it was a thing. And no, sorry, though the one team I do remember making very early is in the RMT Archives (Goodbye).
Lord Alphose: When did you first fight real NU players? When was the first time you really got destroyed by someone who just totally outclassed you?
Zebraiken: I want to say "never". You all really suck.
(Truthfully, the first time I felt completely overwhelmed was when I played FLCL for the finals of the NU Grand Slam I. He obliterated me for various reasons, and he's been one of my best friends and pseudo-rivals ever since).
Lord Alphose: What is your favorite element of NU?
Zebraiken: Variety. It's something you don't get with other tiers, and being able to reach out and grab something like Carbink & make it work is a pretty great feeling. I also like the sense of community that NU has that seems to be lost in other tiers - it feels more like a family or great group of friends here every time i talk to someone.
Lord Alphose: If you could change one thing about NU by banning or unbanning it, what would it be?
Zebraiken: Nothing right now. It is not imbalanced at the time being IMO, and most people bitching about Pokemon are just doing so for the sake of doing it.
Lord Alphose: NU user or player you most admire?
Zebraiken: FLCL. He's got this knack for making all the right choices in a game, and this ability to constantly spit out great teams even for tiers he barely knows.
Lord Alphose: What do you think is the most successful Pokemon, core, or strategy in the current meta?
Zebraiken: There's really no overlooking Feraligatr. It's easily the best offensive Pokemon right now. I haven't played in a little while so I don't have anything refreshing or innovative to share, but I feel like bulky offense will always be the most dominant and successful strat in NU, and it doesn't look like that'll change now.
DTC: What is the most overrated and underrated Pokemon in NU right now?
Zebraiken: Vileplume is overrated, Stunfisk is underrated. There are a ton of Pokes that fit under either, but honestly there are way many more underrated than overrated. Use everything you can!
scorpedestroyer: What's the most fun gimmick you've used?
Zebraiken: I don't know what's been the most fun overall, but Victreebel is probably my gimmick bonermon. It has so many cool options, and has actually a pretty great ability to generate set-up opportunities for itself by virtue of Sleep Powder / forcing out Rocks / Grounds / Waters. SD Vic is my current favorite. *_*
EonX: What Pokemon do you feel is the most versatile right now?
Zebraiken: Mesprit is the obvious answer. There's really nothing else about that.
Lord Alphose: Advice to new NUers?
Zebraiken: Just jump in. Play with what you want, and always try to improve and get better. Nobody becomes anything special for just listening to what everyone else has to say.
Lord Alphose: And can you give me something like a mini-RMT?
Zebraiken: Probably not right now.
Lord Alphose: Wow. How lame.
Thank you so much for your time Zebraiken, and I'll be back next week with a different player.
Zebraiken
Favorite Pokemon: Camerupt and Heracross
Most known for: "being one of the best tour players (with FLCL) and having like every major tour be FLCL vs zeb in the finals" - Raseri
Favorite Playstyle: Offense, usually bulky. I am OK with stall teams, but I prefer offensive almost always.
Most used Pokemon: Uh... idk, I like Tauros a lot.
Sorry, I'm a little bit late this week. This week we're going to be talking to Zebraiken. Honestly, this Ex-tier leader is pretty much a God.
Lord Alphose: Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to Pokemon?
Zebraiken: I started on a separate forum entirely, and I was particularly dedicated to hacking Pokemon ROMs to create my own game. When I became a staff member of that forum, I saw a call for people to come help out with their competitive battling section, which drew me in and has forever kept me here. I have been playing since late DPP, and only recently do I feel I've gotten good at it.
Lord Alphose: How and when did you start playing NU? Do you remember your first team?
Zebraiken: I started playing NU at the very beginning of BW NU. I never played DPP NU; didn't even know it was a thing. And no, sorry, though the one team I do remember making very early is in the RMT Archives (Goodbye).
Lord Alphose: When did you first fight real NU players? When was the first time you really got destroyed by someone who just totally outclassed you?
Zebraiken: I want to say "never". You all really suck.
(Truthfully, the first time I felt completely overwhelmed was when I played FLCL for the finals of the NU Grand Slam I. He obliterated me for various reasons, and he's been one of my best friends and pseudo-rivals ever since).
Lord Alphose: What is your favorite element of NU?
Zebraiken: Variety. It's something you don't get with other tiers, and being able to reach out and grab something like Carbink & make it work is a pretty great feeling. I also like the sense of community that NU has that seems to be lost in other tiers - it feels more like a family or great group of friends here every time i talk to someone.
Lord Alphose: If you could change one thing about NU by banning or unbanning it, what would it be?
Zebraiken: Nothing right now. It is not imbalanced at the time being IMO, and most people bitching about Pokemon are just doing so for the sake of doing it.
Lord Alphose: NU user or player you most admire?
Zebraiken: FLCL. He's got this knack for making all the right choices in a game, and this ability to constantly spit out great teams even for tiers he barely knows.
Lord Alphose: What do you think is the most successful Pokemon, core, or strategy in the current meta?
Zebraiken: There's really no overlooking Feraligatr. It's easily the best offensive Pokemon right now. I haven't played in a little while so I don't have anything refreshing or innovative to share, but I feel like bulky offense will always be the most dominant and successful strat in NU, and it doesn't look like that'll change now.
DTC: What is the most overrated and underrated Pokemon in NU right now?
Zebraiken: Vileplume is overrated, Stunfisk is underrated. There are a ton of Pokes that fit under either, but honestly there are way many more underrated than overrated. Use everything you can!
scorpedestroyer: What's the most fun gimmick you've used?
Zebraiken: I don't know what's been the most fun overall, but Victreebel is probably my gimmick bonermon. It has so many cool options, and has actually a pretty great ability to generate set-up opportunities for itself by virtue of Sleep Powder / forcing out Rocks / Grounds / Waters. SD Vic is my current favorite. *_*
EonX: What Pokemon do you feel is the most versatile right now?
Zebraiken: Mesprit is the obvious answer. There's really nothing else about that.
Lord Alphose: Advice to new NUers?
Zebraiken: Just jump in. Play with what you want, and always try to improve and get better. Nobody becomes anything special for just listening to what everyone else has to say.
Lord Alphose: And can you give me something like a mini-RMT?
Zebraiken: Probably not right now.
Lord Alphose: Wow. How lame.
Thank you so much for your time Zebraiken, and I'll be back next week with a different player.
