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Tarrembeau and Syrinix
Without further ado, let’s move onto the interview itself!
Syrinix
Thanks for agreeing to do this interview! Let’s start off with a random question. If you could go anywhere in the world today, where would you want to go?
Lady Writer
I think I would go somewhere in Asia. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many countries in Europe already. I’m a huge foodie, so I think India or Thailand would be at the top of my list.
Syrinix
I’ve heard some nice things about those countries’ cuisine as well… Interesting choices! Speaking of lists, here’s the first question related to Randbats on my list. You’ve made your debut in the Randbats tournament scene in RBTT V. How did you find out about the tour, and what made you want to sign up? Was it your first time in a Smogon team tour? If so, how was your experience?
Lady Writer
I found out about RBTT through the Randbats ladder. I believe it was lamp who initially told me about the tour and that I should sign up, and I had also befriended Boris fairly early on in laddering and I talked to him about it as well. I did a tryout with LoSconosciuto before the RBTT V auction, and he and za ended up drafting me to team Rayquaza. It was my first smogon team tour, but I had done many draft league team tours in the past and always loved the experience of being on a team, so I figured RBTT was a great fit, and I’ve had a lot of fun participating in it.
Syrinix
Team tournaments are definitely very fun and exciting to participate in. Since you have a lot of experience playing in most Randbats formats, which one would you say that you’re the most confident in playing in a tournament? What about your least confident format?
Lady Writer
I think the format that I would be the most confident in playing in tournaments is gen 8. It’s not only the format I have played the most, but also my favorite generation of random battles. I think dynamax is the perfect mechanic for randbats, which is part of the reason why I like playing it so much. As far as a tier I am least confident in, it would probably be gen 3. It’s one of the tiers that I don’t have lots of experience in, and a tier where I would really only be good based on my skill and not due to experience. I can play it reasonably well but would likely get stomped by the gen 3 veterans due to their better understanding of the mechanics and sets.
Syrinix
Fully agree that Dynamax works very well with Randbats. I also enjoy playing that format a lot. What is your most memorable Randbats series that you’ve played in for a tournament?
Lady Writer
Three series come to mind. First and foremost, one of the most hilarious and infamous games in Randbats history, the Glalie game. Game 3 in RBTT V vs sylveon is so cute, Glalie did Glalie things. Unfortunately the replay is gone now, but those who have seen the game know exactly what I’m talking about. Second would be my series vs Separation in World Cup of Rands this past summer, where I was able to take a 2-0 lead before nearly being reverse swept if not for a clutch Inteleon crit hydro pump at the end of game 5. Finally, the tiebreaker Rands set I played vs snaga in RBYPL. Somehow I had gained enough trust from my teammates for them to choose Randbats as our extra tier in the finals tiebreaker, and I was able to clutch out a victory in 5 games to seal the tournament for our team.
Syrinix
I think I remember watching that Glalie replay a couple of times. A memorable series indeed.
Since you participate in a lot of Randbats tours, which one is your favorite?
Lady Writer
World Cup of Randbats for sure. Always nice to have people from the same background as you to team with, and USNE voice calls go unmatched. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting some of my teammates in real life, definitely helps the motivation and is super fun to team with them.
Syrinix
Team USNE has a fun group of people for sure. When battling in ladders or in tournaments, what sort of strategies do you use to try and ensure that you seal the win?
Lady Writer
The main thing I would say during tournament games is just trying to stay composed and not making any very bad plays. I’m not a very good clicker, so being very focused and calculated on my plays during big games is something I try to do every time. Rands is very unique in that you can never be entirely sure what your wincons will be on the lead, but I do my best to predict what kind of things I will need to do for different winpaths, such as getting chip on certain pokemon on the opponents team, even if it seems like small, insignificant damage.
Syrinix
That is some great advice to make note of. Given that you’ve played in a lot of high-stakes games, how much stress do you experience, if at all? Do you have any methods you use to relax yourself and ensure that you play with a clear mindset?
Lady Writer
I definitely do still experience some stress in important matches. I usually just try not to think about it too much during the moment and focus on the games, and I often like to think through my plays out loud because it can sometimes be difficult to think clearly in tight moments.
Syrinix
I’m sure most players can definitely relate to that. What are a few of your favorite Pokemon to roll in Random Battles (any generation)?
Lady Writer
Pinsir in gen 1. Since the introduction of level balancing, Pinsir has become the single biggest threat in gen 1 Randbats, and it seems like every time you get this mon it puts you at a massive advantage. I have many favorites in gen 8 that are generally super good with dynamax like Galarian Moltres and Blacephalon. Mega mewtwo X in gen 6 is also super fun to get.
Syrinix
I also love rolling Galarian Moltres and Blacepahlon in Gen 8. Max Airstream sweeps are fun. On the flipside, what’s your least favorite aspect of Random Battles (an individual Pokemon’s set, a broader situation you sometimes encounter, an entire format, etc)?
Lady Writer
I think my least favorite aspect of random battles are some of the limitations in the code. For instance, I wish there was a way to guarantee hazards or removal on a pokemon if you don’t have others that have them on a given team. There is almost nothing as frustrating as getting three pokemon on your can that could have stealth rock but don’t, or multiple pokemon on one team which can get removal but don’t have it in that particular matchup. I think it would be super cool if there was some way to guarantee these types of moves if they are not elsewhere on the team and you roll a mon that can learn them.
Syrinix
Yeah, having no removal for hazards can really be frustrating. Before we wrap up this interview, what kind of advice would you give to new players, or players seeking to improve their battling skills?
Lady Writer
My advice is to watch the best players play and observe what they do. Of course it is important to practice on your own to hone these skills, but I think it’s the easiest way to learn. Once you start to understand the logic of why they make certain plays, you can adopt these strategies into your own gameplay. The other thing that is very important if laddering isn’t your strong suit, like myself, is to really take your time during ladder games to simulate tournament play. It’s obviously very fun to hop on ladder and spam moves, but if you’re looking to actually improve, I recommend playing the ladder games as if it’s a high stakes situation. Using the damage calc during these games to help shape your end games and not make any suboptimal decisions can really help you once you get to bigger stages.
Syrinix
Great advice to take into account for anyone wanting to up their game! That's about it for this interview. Thanks so much for participating and providing great answers, we really appreciate it!
Thanks again to Lady Writer for the great interview! Feel free to ask them any further questions in this thread and keep an eye out for future interviews!
and strong bases shoutout my guy DBU
