TJ
Banned deucer.
Many
Favorite Pokemon: Whiscash
Most used Pokemon: Mesprit
Most known for: PU Room Voice and PUPL Manager
Many: I'm doing just okay, thanks
TJ: Can you tell us a little about yourself outside of Smogon?
Many: I'm a 21 year-old college student from Maryland studying Environmental Science. Outside of pokemon, I like to play tennis, hang out with friends, and do some creative stuff like making music / writing stories.
TJ: How and when did you get into competitive Pokemon? What drew you to PU?
Many: After I finished playing Diamond and Black/White I became interested in competitive pokemon. I did some Wi-fi battles, got bored of it and sort of forgot about pokemon for a while. Then around late 2013 I searched for "pokemon battle simulators" on a whim and discovered Showdown. At first I played almost exclusively ladder battles. The first community I really participated in was the UU chat room but it was hard to really feel included in such a large community. In about mid 2014 there was some promotions for the new PU ladder on Showdown so I tried it out. I loved the fresh and innovative metagame, and the small community was really welcoming. So I've stuck around ever since.
TJ: What made you select your current username?
Many: "A man of many" was one of the nicknames for a character in a story my friend wrote. I went by TheManOfMany23, then ManOfMany, and I eventually shortened it to just Many.
TJ: We recently banned Lilligant. Do you think it was the right decision?
Many: I don't have a strong opinion on it. I think Lilligant was broken at various times in the SM meta, but it was probably the most manageable it has ever been at this moment. Still, it will be a relief for people to teambuild without having to worry about it.
TJ: What's your favorite playstyle and why?
Many: I like playing with bulky offense because I love using strong offensive pokemon but also I'm not that comfortable at making aggressive plays which you need to properly handle hyper offensive teams. So having a nice fat defensive backbone to fall upon appeals to me.
TJ: You were chosen to manage in PUPL again. What do you look for when you draft a team?
Many: I'd like to have a variety of players on a team. Some people who have a lot of tour experience are nice, as well as a bunch of players who are really familiar with the PU metagame. I also look for making sure the team environment is fun and actually feels like a team, so I will try to avoid drafting many players who are known for just getting passed teams and playing without participating in the chat or teambuilding efforts.
TJ: Who do you think is going over 20k this year in PUPL?
Many: Tough question. A lot of the bigger name players are less active than they once were or have some controversy surrounding them (Ktütverde for example). I think Taskr, Shaneghoul, lax, and Kushalos are possibilities.
TJ: Can you name any players showing good potential?
Many: Chloe and Rexus have had some nice runs lately. I also feel maybe Jmash324 and Oathkeepre are pretty solid and hope they can prove themselves in upcoming tours.
TJ: Who are some of your favorite people in the PU community?
Many: Pretty much every regular on the PU discord- there's a lot of people I like so sorry if I miss anyone. TONE, Specs, tondas, UberSkitty, 2xTheTap, and the whole brit gang are extremely nice guys. LordST and @g are hilarious and brighten up my day with their memes. Special shoutout to Slowbroth who I've met in person and is extremely cool.
TJ: Favorite Music / TV Show?
Many: My music taste covers a lot of rock, pop, and hip-hop music- a lot of mainstream stuff with some more indie artists sprinkled in. Some of my favorite artists right now are Coldplay, Kanye, and Lorde. My favorite TV shows are probably Parks and Rec and any number of cute sci-fi/fantasy shows like Merlin and Stranger Things.
TJ: Finally, could you give us a cool team and briefly explain it?
Many:
Rampardos @ Choice Band
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Head Smash
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
Guzzlord @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 184 SpD / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
- Knock Off
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
Oricorio-Pom-Pom @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Dancer
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Roost
Rotom-Frost @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
Mesprit @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Ice Beam
- Healing Wish
Mudsdale @ Leftovers
Ability: Stamina
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Heavy Slam
Ability: Sheer Force
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Adamant Nature
- Head Smash
- Rock Slide
- Earthquake
- Zen Headbutt
Guzzlord @ Assault Vest
Ability: Beast Boost
EVs: 252 SpA / 184 SpD / 16 Spe
Modest Nature
- Knock Off
- Draco Meteor
- Dark Pulse
- Fire Blast
Oricorio-Pom-Pom @ Flyinium Z
Ability: Dancer
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Calm Mind
- Hurricane
- Hidden Power [Fighting]
- Roost
Rotom-Frost @ Aguav Berry
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Blizzard
- Volt Switch
- Will-O-Wisp
- Defog
Mesprit @ Choice Scarf
Ability: Levitate
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Psychic
- U-turn
- Ice Beam
- Healing Wish
Mudsdale @ Leftovers
Ability: Stamina
EVs: 252 HP / 4 Atk / 252 Def
Impish Nature
- Stealth Rock
- Earthquake
- Toxic
- Heavy Slam
Hey this team's not very good but it is one of the few teams I've built recently and it's fun. Inspired by HJAD promoting CB Ramp in discord, so I built some Volt-turn around it to pivot it in. AV Guzzlord is the catch-all special tank here, and Pom Pom acts as a win condition as well as taking the Fighting moves for Ramp. Scarf Mesprit Healing Wish is great for Guzz and Ramp and Muddy is just a standard rocker who fits.
TJ: Thanks for your time, Many! As always, if you guys have your own questions, feel free to ask them below!