Hammer

Insight From The #5 Ranked EU VGC Player + CSR Guide Hey guys! I wanted to plug one of the projects I've been working on. About a week ago, I tasked @MattieMooVGC with making a report for the team he used to Top 8 The Stockholm Regional Championships. He knocked it out of the ballpark. Not only did he write an in-depth guide for his shadow rider team, but he also went into depth about how he thinks, as one of Europe's top pokemon players. Mattie's journey begain in 2014, where he found Pokemon from watching the European International Championships. He was hooked on the mental aspect of Pokemon. He then began his journey on Pokemon Showdown, practicing nearly every day. He began playing more and more, gradually improving. He began to have success on Pokémon Showdown; but he kept failing to translate this ti major tournaments. This became an ongoing pattern in Mattie's Pokémon Career. Do good in practice, do bad in tournaments. Mattie thought with hard work, he would catch up. So he began clocking in hours. No matter how hard he worked, he always felt one step behind other players. He then networked with a player whom he considered to be good at the time. One look into his brain and he could tell they were in different leagues. This was the moment where he realized its not hard work that gets results, he needed a mentality shift. You see, Pokémon is a mental game. In most esports, there is usually some kind of advanced mechanical input necessary to even compete in these tournaments, but Pokemon is different. If you can think like a pro, you become a pro. In 2023, something shifted. He made top 8 at the world championships, won a regional, got second at another, and recently has made day two at 8/8 majors this year. Something shifted in his head between his first few years in his career and now. That's what this write-up is mostly about. Mattie breaks down the philosophy necessary to truly be a high-level competitor, going into detail about how to cultivate a winning mindset and remain unpredictable. As a coach, I often see players with great potential, but they struggle with reaching the next level of consistent play. Often, the solution is always more than "just work hard". Here is a snippet of the VGC Philosophy section: "...Many newer players often try to describe themselves as “offensive” or “defensive”, but I believe this mindset is restrictive to success. This team can adapt to “act” as balance, bulky offense, or hyper offense, which I felt that my adaptation ability was a personal strength that helped me to be a top 5 player in Europe during reg H. When I talk to my friends, they usually perceive me as a “balance” player, but the truth is I tend to use and make teams that can be played in multiple ways. When I first started VGC, many players that I drew inspiration from often played in a “balanced” playstyle, which I tried to emulate; especially during my first years in masters. For example, I would often use teams with speed control “options” without fully understanding their piece in the puzzle. One of the main reasons I got better was that I began to look beyond the idealised concept of the game in my head, trying to play “safe”, which may make a loss less embarrassing (e.g. getting 2-0ed over 4-0ed), but would never win me the game. The truth is that you won’t win tournaments by doing the same predictable plays every game. You need to take calculated risks. The match result won’t change if you get 4-0ed both games or the set is a “close 2-1” win for your opponent. You need to be willing to take risks, accept a 50/50, or make a bold choice over simply accepting defeat from a player you admire because the result was “close”..." In this article, Mattie will detail his journey, explain how he leveled up, and breakdown the team he used to top 8 the Stockholm Regional Championship. This may be a good fit for you if you are struggling to find a team for Atlanta. The time is naturally running low, start solidifying team concepts now. Here is the structure of this guide: - Mentality (How I overcame the mental struggles associated with VGC) - VGC Philosophy (General principles I have figured out to succeed in this game) - Why Calyrex Shadow Rider? (Why I chose it over other options) - Team Breakdown (Basic function of the team) - Team Rules (Dos and don’ts) - Pokémon Sets (EV spread explanation) -Matchups (How I approach every common restricted) - Closing Thoughts If this sounds like something you'd love, you can purchase the full guide using the link in my bio, $50, instantly delivery.