NU Player of the Week - Disjunction [week 4]

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Disjunction
Favorite Pokémon:
Diancie
Most used Pokémon: Gallade
Most known for: Being a Room Owner in the NU room
Earth: Hi, Disjunction! How's it going?
Disjunction: It's going great! Having a little bit of a busy day but happy to be here :)

Earth: You’ve been around on Smogon for more than three years now, what do you enjoy doing the most here?
Disjunction: Definitely contributing to the PS room. It's where I've started and it's been the area of the community that I've put the most work into and spent the most time in, it's like my baby haha. I would have to say that I enjoy calling and laddering with all of my friends, too. That's the part that keeps me coming back.

Earth: What drew you to NU? What made you stick around in this community?
Disjunction: Hm, I don't know. Maybe it was just a coincidence? I've been playing on Smogon simulators since the first BW games, but I never made a Smogon account or stuck to any chat rooms. I went from tier to tier mostly doing whatever I was doing on a whim. Come XY, I tried NU for the second time after they banned Sigilyph (I quit playing the first time cause I hated it) and I figured it'd be fun to see how other people played the tier and joined the NU chat. I'm a naturally chatty person so before I knew it I made friends in the room and got voiced and I kind of just stuck from there.

Earth: Interesting. What are your thoughts on the current Meloetta suspect test? Is there anything else that deserves to be tested in a near future, in your opinion?
Disjunction: Well, I don't think my opinion on Meloetta is exactly a secret, but I think it's quite unhealthy. I believe there exists clear counter play against it and that makes it a healthier presence compared to previous suspects, but the defensive backbone in the tier can't really stand up to it. I'm not going to write a novel on it, but I think Melo requires your team to be able to pressure it offensively which shouldn't be the case for every team. In terms of future suspects, I'm not sure. I would like to see a discussion on Aurora Veil opened up, but I don't agree that it should be a suspect. I think non-Pokemon elements in a metagame are better left up to a council vote. Beyond Aurora Veil and Meloetta, I could see Rotom-Mow and maybe Slowbro getting a suspect, but I don't think I see either as broken, unhealthy, or overcentralizing. Seeing how the metagame shapes up in the next month or two is important before we decide on anything else, in my opinion.

Earth: You’re currently hosting the NU League Express, who do you think are potential winners? Are there any underdogs who are doing particularly well?
Disjunction: FLCL is currently 5-1 in his group, so he's guaranteed to move on to playoffs. It's hard to bet against doobie, especially after being on the same LCPL and PSPL team as him and seeing how terrifying he is. Finch is also undefeated in his group so far and I know he's been a beast in the tier lately. I also have to give out the honorary mention of meeps, despite him only completing 2-3 games so far. I think he's got the tier on lock down right now and is definitely one of the top three players. In terms of underdogs, there are a lot of people who don't have as much name recognition that are getting pretty impressive records, but I think you can also attribute that to the NU League Express following a pretty new format for Smogon tours. I think a lot of players aren't as used to the round robin style. But yeah, a couple of names that come to mind are Pohjis, Robert Alfons, PursuitofHappiny, Twixtry, and KevinELF who all have pretty impressive records. I don't know if I would bet on them winning the whole thing, but they've obviously shown consistency here.

Earth: What’s your favorite NU metagame ever, and why?
Disjunction: ADV NU by a long shot. I think it's the perfect example of what a healthy offensive metagame should look like. Hitmonchan and Huntail can be overbearing sometimes, but I also believe a little centralization around certain offensive threats is healthy in its own right. ADV NU is a very diverse tier that may look kind of messy on the surface, but only gets more interesting the more you play it. Each threat has a bunch of different options for how you can build it and, subsequently, how you can play it. It also requires a lot of thought and experience in the tier which makes high level matches enjoyable to play and watch. I wanted to play it exclusively all throughout nupl, but the team's needs forced me to move elsewhere.

Earth: Could you tell us more about yourself in real life? What are your hobbies outside of Pokemon?
Disjunction: I like experiencing a little of everything, I guess, haha. I've been an avid cyclist for 3-4 years now and enjoy taking my bike through as many bike paths in Ohio as I can. My friends and I have recently been getting into disc golf over the past couple of months, and we've been traveling over our home state whenever we can to try as many courses as we can. I also try and force myself to read when I feel I've spent too much time on my computer because I don't like the thought of my brain decaying on dumb websites and video games. I'm currently between jobs, but I've been avidly applying to places over the past month or two, so I'm hoping this stagnation in my life comes to a close pretty soon. Oh, I'm also really big on traveling, it's my dream to take my bike on a country-wide trip.

Earth: Going back to NU, how was your NUPL experience? Jarii wanted to ask you directly, do you think he was a good manager?
Disjunction: NUPL was fun for sure and I'm glad I got to know a lot of my teammates. I feel like I was on tilt for most of the time spent on my team and I feel pretty guilty that I couldn't put out the results that I wanted to. Regardless, it was still fun supporting my other teammates that did absolutely killer this season. Dundies was a perfect pickup and I'm glad I convinced Jarii to buy him, Honko is one of the coolest dudes I've met on Smogon, and of course shane is the ORAS NU king. Legit, shane would throw out wild ideas that I would never even consider bringing to a serious game and I couldn't tell him no because I can't question his judgment in that tier. Jarii was a good manager for sure, but I should have removed his admins in our server and then removed his ability to tag people. He also likes coming up with wild excuses like "needing an incentive to win" even though he almost beat FLCL 2-0 after we woke him up in the middle of the night while on vacation to sub in for 49. He also needs to get more lucky because that's clearly holding him back from the record he wants. All-in-all he's done his best with the team and it's been a good ride.

Earth: Are there any new contributors that caught your attention, recently?
Disjunction: I've been liking what a couple of our PS room voices and new room drivers have been doing on the subforum. PursuitofHappiny, Skelos, and meeps have been doing cool things in the vr and other subforum projects. There's also some contributors that I've seen around from other communities on Smogon like Martin and Colonel M. Quziel, who was previously someone I considered PS-only, has also been coming around lately and I've been liking his posts a lot too.

Earth: Lastly, could you share a team with us and briefly explain it?
Disjunction:

Typhlosion @ Choice Specs
Ability: Flash Fire
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Eruption
- Fire Blast
- Focus Blast
- Hidden Power [Grass]

Raticate-Alola @ Darkinium Z
Ability: Hustle
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Crunch
- Sucker Punch
- Double-Edge
- Pursuit

Uxie @ Colbur Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Magic Coat
- Psyshock
- U-turn

Golbat @ Eviolite
Ability: Infiltrator
EVs: 252 HP / 196 Def / 60 Spe
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird
- Toxic
- Roost
- Defog

Rhydon @ Eviolite
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Rock Polish
- Earthquake
- Stone Edge
- Megahorn

Rotom-Mow @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Volt Switch
- Leaf Storm
- Thunderbolt
- Trick

This is a team I built a while ago around Specs Typhlosion. I don't know if I would call it my best team in the recent meta, but it's my favorite simply because of how fun it is to play with. The idea around the team was that you used Raticate to Pursuit trap Jellicent / Slowking in order to remove the only few Fire resists that can stand up to Typhlosion. Raticate also does work outside of just Pursuit-trapping because of how easy it is to break down walls with it. From there, I went with Defensive Magic Coat Uxie in order to simplify the matchup against Webs and other hyper-offensive, hazard-dependent playstyles. Golbat solidified my hazard control and secondary Fighting resist. Rock Polish Rhydon provided a good win condition and an Electric immunity, which I believe should be on almost every team. Scarf Rotom-Mow in the back was something I felt was necessary since I needed a Water check and speed control. Scarf isn't my favorite set, but it works in the context of this team.

Thanks for your time, Disj! If you guys have any question for him, feel free to ask them below.
 
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when will you make an adv nu tour (glad some1 plays it ,_,)

favourite music artists

is there anyone you really miss on this site that are inactive

you're interested in other tiers like lc, and this isn't to mean you don't enjoy in nu, but do you still enjoy nu as much as you did before?

is there anything you don't like about nu community or you would change about it

1 mon you want in nu from higher tiers
 

MZ

And now for something completely different
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Top Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnus
How would you feel about banning Huntail in adv nu? Ik you said overbearing but honestly it feels a little past that (although I am pretty new to the meta).

Thoughts on releasing Charmeleon/Seviper/Grovyle/Ariados (or anything else I've missed) to adv pu?
 
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Finchinator

-OUTL
is a Tournament Directoris a Top Social Media Contributoris a Community Leaderis a Community Contributoris a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Top Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Top Dedicated Tournament Hostis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Moderator Alumnusis a Past WCoP Championis the defending OU Circuit Championis a Two-Time Former Old Generation Tournament Circuit Champion
OU Leader
You're stuck on a deserted island with two fellow Smogon users, Hootie and Kiyo. Kiyo is mindlessly eating his shoe and instructing an imaginary child how to swim as he is hallucinating and that is all he is good for in life. Hootie is trying to convince himself, despite being in denial, that he is not like his fellow super moderators and is actually a straight, socially competent, and in-touch with the times individual. There are multiple options to get off of this island and you're limited on time, the only sane person left, and out of food, so you have to pick one quick in order to survive. You can either take a two-seated boat and strand one of the others, throw out your pokeball and ride your CB DARM's Flare Blitz to safety alone, or admit that this player is better than you at SM NU and then have a boat for three appear to guide you back to safety -- which do you pick and why?

Do you think that, so far, the NU Council has done their job well (speaking strictly from a generation seven perspective)? Do you think the council should have more power than it currently does in the later stages of the metagame? Do you believe that the NU metagame is enjoyable right now and do you enjoy teambuilding in the metagame despite doing it far less than actually playing?

If you could remove any one element -- be it a Pokemon, move, mechanic, etc. -- from the SM NU metagame without any questions or consequences, that you could not justify removing as a member of the NU Council, what would it be and why?

How do you feel knowing that I ripped all three of these questions from my post in Meeps's thread? Do you feel inferior? Why or why not?
 

sanguine

friendly fire
is a Tiering Contributor
What makes a great player, and more specifically, what separates them from the just "good"?
How do you feel about the way ORAS NU played out in hindsight, now that we're 8 months separated?
What are your goals, as a person on this site and as someone who can influence and shape which way the SM NU tier develops?
Do you play any other tiers? If so which ones and why and also which out of those is your fav.?
Lastly, other than Melo, are there any mons in the current meta that are unhealthy and deserve a ban in your opinion?
 
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Disjunction

Everything I waste gets recycled
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Community Leader Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Contributor Alumnus
What team will win nupl
I think the houndooms have the upper hand, but I'm supporting the musharnas now so I'm going to say them.
when will you make an adv nu tour (glad some1 plays it ,_,)

favourite music artists

is there anyone you really miss on this site that are inactive

you're interested in other tiers like lc, and this isn't to mean you don't enjoy in nu, but do you still enjoy nu as much as you did before?

is there anything you don't like about nu community or you would change about it

1 mon you want in nu from higher tiers
The NU Classic will have an ADV NU tour :)

The Blood Brothers, Gregory and the Hawk, Moondog, Andy McKee, Mercyful Fate, and múm are a couple of names that come to mind but I don't like labeling anything as favorites. It changes a lot.

AJB boltsandbombers Deej Dy Evan. rozes :(

Yeah I love NU!

I'd like it if more new people started posting in discussion threads. It's great that we have a backbone of veteran users that can keep us running, but the real blood of any community is in its new users. I don't feel like we're getting the same stream of people eager to post in suspect discussions or the vr like we were in xy/oras, but I could also just be overthinking things.

I think I would be happy with Mega Lix tbh. I don't think a lot of people would agree with me on that, but we're in desperate need of a good Steel-type and I think Steelix is only receiving the usage it is because it's the only thing that can fill the niche. If Mega Lix dropped it would undoubtedly have like 50% usage, but idk I think I'm ok with that right now lol
How would you feel about banning Huntail in adv nu? Ik you said overbearing but honestly it feels a little past that (although I am pretty new to the meta).

Thoughts on releasing Charmeleon/Seviper/Grovyle/Ariados (or anything else I've missed) to adv pu?
I used to be really big on banning Huntail, actually. Lately I've kind of mellowed out on it because I think I've gotten kind of settled into the tier and I just enjoy it for what it's worth. I'm becoming more and more averse to trying to bring about change to it when it's a really enjoyable format as is.

This also means that I'm averse to dropping more shit to PU. Char/Sev/Grovyle are all decent in ADV NU and have a good niche. You can make a case for Ariados, but I still don't think it's all that relevant to go and make more changes. Enjoy the meta for what it's worth now instead of what it could be, y'know?
You're stuck on a deserted island with two fellow Smogon users, Hootie and Kiyo. Kiyo is mindlessly eating his shoe and instructing an imaginary child how to swim as he is hallucinating and that is all he is good for in life. Hootie is trying to convince himself, despite being in denial, that he is not like his fellow super moderators and is actually a straight, socially competent, and in-touch with the times individual. There are multiple options to get off of this island and you're limited on time, the only sane person left, and out of food, so you have to pick one quick in order to survive. You can either take a two-seated boat and strand one of the others, throw out your pokeball and ride your CB DARM's Flare Blitz to safety alone, or admit that this player is better than you at SM NU and then have a boat for three appear to guide you back to safety -- which do you pick and why?

Do you think that, so far, the NU Council has done their job well (speaking strictly from a generation seven perspective)? Do you think the council should have more power than it currently does in the later stages of the metagame? Do you believe that the NU metagame is enjoyable right now and do you enjoy teambuilding in the metagame despite doing it far less than actually playing?

If you could remove any one element -- be it a Pokemon, move, mechanic, etc. -- from the SM NU metagame without any questions or consequences, that you could not justify removing as a member of the NU Council, what would it be and why?

How do you feel knowing that I ripped all three of these questions from my post in Meeps's thread? Do you feel inferior? Why or why not?
Hootie because it would be an easy drive home since we live so close

Yeah I'm thrilled with how the council has handled things so far. I have a pretty heavy-handed tiering philosophy since I believe there should be more power in the hands of all skilled players to decide what happens to the tier instead of the ones that ladder a ton of games. Not to say that players that ladder a lot aren't good, but I don't think it's fair that they have the most say in what drops and rises considering it can create dramatic tier shifts based on what teams they used instead of tier shifts with the intent of developing competitive metagames. So I basically really like the idea of banning a lot of shit and then dropping it to suit the metagame's needs since that's the closest we can get to directly influencing what mons come and go. It still prevents us from doing shit like dropping a good Steel-type or a good Rapid Spinner, but we're a long ways away from Smogon accepting a system that allows us to do that directly lol.

Freeze or Confusion probably. It's just obnoxious switching in your shit on a Signal Beam or Freeze-Dry and either doing something on the first turn they're inflicted or just losing your mon to inactive turns.

No it just affirms my extremely negative perspective of you finch
What makes a great player, and more specifically, what separates them from the just "good"?
How do you feel about the way ORAS NU played out in hindsight, now that we're 8 months separated?
What are your goals, as a person on this site and as someone who can influence and shape which way the SM NU tier develops?
Do you play any other tiers? If so which ones and why and also which out of those is your fav.?
Lastly, other than Melo, are there any mons in the current meta that are unhealthy and deserve a ban in your opinion?
I don't want my answer to sound really generic, but the main thing that makes a great player is great experience. I don't think I really need to preach this, but there is a lot to consider in a very competitive game of Pokemon. What kind of opponent you're facing, what moves and abilities their Pokemon usually carry, what's your win condition for the game and how can you execute it, how much pressure is on the game, how much time is left on the timer, important calcs, risk management in order to minimize your chances of getting haxed, and, of course, being able to put yourself in your opponent's shoes in order to understand what their best play in a given turn is. Someone with a lot of experience in the game understands all of this and is accustomed to considering every aspect of the process of winning a game of Pokemon. When a player is inexperienced, they'll often click moves too quickly without thinking, think too much and become overwhelmed, or lose sight of what their goal is in a battle.

When you're playing a game of Pokemon, you're playing against your opponent, the game itself, and most importantly yourself. To become really good at this game, you have to understand everything about the game and have complete confidence in the intuition and skill you've built up over the years so that you don't have to focus on battling the game and yourself as much. The only way you can really do that is by battling. A lot. Like, a lot a lot a lot. And, as much as I know people hate it, the best place to do that is the ladder. There is no other medium on this website where you can fight so many different people with so many different teams all at once. It's a super grind (which is why I think people hate it) but so is developing good eating habits or working out or going to work every day. Improving is hard and it sucks, but, like I said, experience is everything and it's the only path to success.

sorry for the elongated response, I guess I just figured that was a question that was worth responding to in its entirety lol.

ORAS NU was kind of boring to play by the end of it, as most balance-centric metas are, but I think it ended about as perfectly as it could. It's a very versatile metagame that had a lot of working room when it came to teambuilding. It's a shame that it ended when it did because I think a lot of us were finally starting to discover a lot more within the meta that could have been utilized. On the flip side, though, it definitely ran its course, so idk lol.

My goal has always been to make sure that the NU metagame is as competitive as it can be while also having a fun and friendly community in which everybody can play and enjoy the tier with anybody. Sometimes it's really hard balancing that idea that you can't please everyone with tiering decisions while also wanting everyone to continue playing, so I would say my goal is finding that happy medium between the two!

I like dabbling around in other tiers whenever I feel interested in it. I was big on OU at the start of the gen, got into Ubers for a bit, had a big LC stint for a while, obviously played the other Slam tiers, and even fucked around in some OM's. My favorite is LC, but rn I'm not that happy with it I guess. Diglett and Vullaby kind of frustrate me a lot of the time, but it's a fun tier otherwise.

Mons? No, I don't really think so. I think the problems in our tier are more representative of stuff we lack instead of stuff we should remove.
thoughts on Finchinator's 3K?
FINCHTOUR24
 
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