On to the interview!
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Where are you from?
I'm from Thomasboro originally, but my family and I moved here to Champaign after 1st grade.
How old are you?
I just recently turned 22.
Can you tell us about your history with the game? When did you first start? When did you first get competitive?
In 2012, one of my high school friends (Colton Bagby) messaged me and asked if I still had my Pokemon cards, which of course I did! He then went on to explain how he wanted to get into playing pokemon competitively, and that's where he caught my interest. The thought of getting involved with something I love , and being able to compete with it was mind blowing! Not only that but, he mentioned there was a small tournament (a Battle Roads) in Rantoul that weekend! Granted when we showed up we had no experience, out of format cards, and what bugged Sam Peters the most.... no sleeves. But I'll never forget that day meeting the Krew®, and everyone else that helped Colton and I with getting started.
As far as actually buckling down and being competitive goes, The beginning of the 2015 Circuit is my first season to go for the gold.
Do you intend to try for a Worlds invite?
As of the beginning of this season, absolutely.
How many tournaments did you travel to this season?
For this past season I went to 3 Regionals: Ft. Wayne, St. Louis, and Philly. I went to a few Premiere Challenges as well. Oh which reminds me, I played VGC for this past season, just to clarify. And the season before that, I played TCG. By the end of all the grinding to finish out the VCG season with a mere 34 championship points, I decided to play in TCG for the 2014 season Nationals, and I don't regret it one bit. It took me a couple seasons to figure out where my best interests lay, and TCG takes the cake!
How far do you travel for tournaments?
For the 2014 season, the main people I play with all decided that we were going to make a nice trip to Philadelphia Regionals! Minus the long and constant drive, it was well worth the awesome experience and memories.
Are there any big matches from your career that stick out to you?
Well there was that one time I beat Damien....
What are the main differences between the VGC and TCG?
Being a person who is familiar with both sides of the spectrum, the absolute biggest difference is the amount of time the rounds last. With VGC everything happens at once and both opponents pokemon attack within the turn, then when the dust settles you go about your next turn. Its more "You go, then I go" kind of thing with tcg. I've also noticed there is more preparation with VGC, considering you have a create your pokemon to play with. That doesn't go without saying TCG also takes a lot of preparation, just not as much in my opinion.
What decks do you think you’ll play this year in Standard and Expanded?
For standard it'll either be Mega Manectric or Straight Metal. And Expanded has so much to play with I'm
so unsure of what to use. I'm fine with Metal but I don't think Mega Manectric has the power to keep up.
What is your favorite card of all time?
Geez, there are so many to choose from! I'd have to stick with the secret rare Sigilyph from the Plasma
Freeze Set. Considering Sigilyph is my favorite Pokemon!!
What is your favorite deck of all time?
Keep in mind I've only played since 2012 right after the big basics came into play, I'd have to go with RayEels! So much acceleration and so much damage.
Who do you test with the most? How much do you play online?
I test with Damien a lot, he's a tough competitor and always has great ideas. Especially recently with me buckling down and getting serious.
Playing online is to slow, I like a faster play style personally.
What do you do outside of Pokemon?
I work a lot.
What would you do if Pokemon suddenly stopped existing?
...*chuckles*
Any shoutouts?
SHOUT OUT TO YA BOIZ COLE, DAMIEN, NICK, COLTON, BRANDON, NICK, DANIEL, BEN, AND SOGGY!!
Battle Roads- Before League Challenges, entry level tournaments were called Battle Roads. Instead of being year-round, they happened in the spring and the fall.
Standard vs. Expanded- The Standard format changes every year, and for the upcoming season will include every set released from the XY block, including the Kalos Starter Set. Feel free to ask a league member if a card is Standard-legal! The Expanded format consists of every set released since the base set of Black & White, but you don't need to worry about that unless you are traveling to a Regional tournament.
Freeze Set. Considering Sigilyph is my favorite Pokemon!!
What is your favorite deck of all time?
Keep in mind I've only played since 2012 right after the big basics came into play, I'd have to go with RayEels! So much acceleration and so much damage.
Who do you test with the most? How much do you play online?
I test with Damien a lot, he's a tough competitor and always has great ideas. Especially recently with me buckling down and getting serious.
Playing online is to slow, I like a faster play style personally.
What do you do outside of Pokemon?
I work a lot.
What would you do if Pokemon suddenly stopped existing?
...*chuckles*
Any shoutouts?
SHOUT OUT TO YA BOIZ COLE, DAMIEN, NICK, COLTON, BRANDON, NICK, DANIEL, BEN, AND SOGGY!!
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| "SEE YA NERDS" |
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- Thanks for the interview, Paul!
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Battle Roads- Before League Challenges, entry level tournaments were called Battle Roads. Instead of being year-round, they happened in the spring and the fall.
Standard vs. Expanded- The Standard format changes every year, and for the upcoming season will include every set released from the XY block, including the Kalos Starter Set. Feel free to ask a league member if a card is Standard-legal! The Expanded format consists of every set released since the base set of Black & White, but you don't need to worry about that unless you are traveling to a Regional tournament.
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