Articles

Published on July 1st, 2013 | by Talon

54

Scouting Report: Players to Watch at the 2013 US National Championships (Seniors Edition)

The VGC United States National Championship is nearly upon us. For many trainers, this will be the final tournament of their season, and for a select few this will lead to their invitation and possibly paid trip to the 2013 World Championship in Vancouver, Canada. With the Seniors division being almost entirely swept clean of its greatest competitors from 2012, the title of US Senior Nationals Champion has become vacant. For those who live under a rock, this spot has been occupied by US National Champion and Top 8 finisher in the 2012 WCS Aaron Zheng (Cybertron) for the two years since the introduction of the Seniors division in 2011. With Aaron moving up to the Masters division, for the first time a completely new Senior National Champion is guaranteed to be crowned. As this site is, for the most part, focused on coverage of the Masters division, many players know very little about the competitors in Seniors. The purpose of this article is to give you, the reader, a better idea of the top players in the Seniors division.

This list of players is based off of many different aspects. Some of these include their level of play, team building skill, past achievements, and level of competition in their region. However, the most important thing that puts these Seniors on this list is their accomplishments during this year. Also, if you happen to be a Senior, are going to US Nationals, and are not on this list, prove that you should have been. Not being in the spotlight is in many ways an advantage, one of these being that people will underestimate you. Upsets have happened at US Nationals before, and will continue to happen in the future. Regardless, these are, in my opinion, the main contenders to become the 2013 U.S. Senior National Champion. The players are ordered according to their CP ranking.

Paul Chua (WhatARandomName)

From New Jersey, USA

Being the most successful player in the United States circuit this year, Paul has proven that he is the Senior to beat. Paul has a first round bye at Nationals and is virtually guaranteed an invitation to Worlds. Paul’s breakout tournament was the 2012 U.S. National Championship, where he cruised through the Swiss rounds with a solid 7-1 record, grabbing himself the 7th seed. He was able to climb into the Top 4 before facing off against the previously mentioned Aaron Zheng in quite possibly the most nerve racking set of matches I’ve ever seen. Game 3 of this series can be found here. The climax of game 3 came down to if Aaron’s +2 Scizor could KO Paul’s Conkeldurr, who was at a little more than 1/2 HP, with a Technician Bullet Punch. This rolled in Zheng’s favor, putting him in the finals. Paul was rewarded with an invitation and a paid trip to Hawaii for the World Championship. He played a solid tournament, finishing in 9th place with a 4-2 record, just behind Aaron Zheng on opponent’s-opponents win percentage.

Since then, Paul has transferred over to the less deep field of 2013 quite well. In the three Regionals of 2013, Paul finished 11th, bubbling out of cut, 2nd, losing to Jonathon Hiller, and 1st, defeating Cameron Swan in the finals. Paul competed at the northeast Regionals, the toughest Regionals in each set. Even after an extremely successful showing at Regionals, Paul still was a common sight on the Nuggetbridge PS! server. After all of this and a series of Top 8 appearances in the Wi-Fi Competitions TPCi hosted, he is currently ranked 1st in North America with 324 CP.

Paul is a solid representation of the Seniors metagame. Don’t expect something extremely metagame breaking from him. He builds cohesive teams that have a great balance of defence and offense that forces opposing trainers to play fantastically to keep up. His constant practice teaches him to play his teams to perfection, allowing him to defeat unprepared opponents with ease, as shown by his success at live and online events. This consistency is going to be the main thing going for him, and if there is one thing that is important at Nationals, it is consistency.

April Hooge (Phenac)

From British Columbia, Canada

Not much is known about April Hooge. However, what is known is that she is one of the Seniors division’s top competitors. Also, she is a girl. Like Paul Chua, April has a bye at Nationals and will grab an invitation for the 2013 WCS as long as she places decently. She came on to the 2013 VGC scene at the San Jose, CA Regional, taking 1st place against Tommy Yee (tlyee61), which can be found here. At the Salem, OR Regional she got 3rd place. At the Vancouver, BC Regional April was able to take yet another Top 4 placing. April has the greatest overall Regional performances besides arguably Paul Chua this year with 300 CP to back that claim up. If not for the W-Fi competitions, which she did not compete in, April would be leading CP by a close margin. However, she will have to settle with being ranked at 3rd place going into Nationals.

April tends to keep to herself on the forums. We therefore know little about her play other than a couple of battle videos from the Regional Championships she attended. However, from her two appearances I’ve collected an inkling of understanding about her play style. From what I’ve seen, she is partial to common Pokemon that have a good mix of offensive and defensive capabilities, such as Gastrodon, Thundurus, and Cresselia. She backs this up with with some solid foresight, seeming to play her opponents into positions where she has the obvious advantage going into the final turns of the battle. Other than that, all I can tell about April’s play is that it wins games, as shown by her rank in North America.

Overall, April Hooge raises a lot of questions. She has yet to play many of the best players in the division. Can she hold up in a tournament as tough as United States Nationals? Will we have our first Canadian, not to mention female, US National Champion? When will the first Win Worlds, Get the Girl jokes start? We can only wait and see.

Edward Fan (iss)

From New York, USA

Edward is an example of a player who hasn’t had phenomenal seasons in the past, but is really shining this year. His 2011 season was mostly unsuccessful, losing in round 2 of Nationals LCQ and round 3 in two Regionals. His 2012 season definitely showed improvement. He got 10th place in Rhode Island, and 13th place at Pennsylvania, both being high level Regionals, but was unable to attend Nationals.

Despite his previous season being somewhat mediocre, 2013 has been Edward’s succesful year. He has been able to Top 4 every event he has attended, both sanctioned and grassroots. These events include Philadelphia, PA, the Apex VGC Side-Event, Sandston, VA, and Foxborough, MA. He has gained lots of experience this year, playing several other skilled Seniors such as Jonathan Hiller, Ben Hickey, and Cameron Swan, all of which are ranked in the Top 8 in CP. Edward himself is ranked 5th, giving him a bye at Nationals, and has competed in the most competitive Regionals this year.

It is hard to get a good read on what Edward will be using. He has used a variety of types of teams this year, such as Rain, Goodstuffs, and Aaron Zheng’s 2012 Nationals team (because that’s a team archetype now). Whatever he does end up taking to Nationals, you know he’ll be comfortable enough to use it well. An advantage Edward has over many of the current players in Seniors is that he’s been here since the division began, and has grown a lot as a player. Something significant about his play I’ve found is his ability to keep his offensive momentum going. He will often make a sacrifice switch that in the moment looks like he made a mistake, but quickly gives him the advantage in battle. I expect his smart switches and solid play to be his greatest advantage against most if not all of the players he faces.

Jonathan Hiller (MrFox)

From Pennsylvania, USA

You’ve seen his name on this list almost as much as Aaron Zheng thus far, so how could Jonathan Hiller not be on this list? Originally going by the username Superpokemon67, Jonathan broke out into the newly formed field of Seniors in 2011 by coming in at 1st place at the Regional in Newark, NJ. With a trip to Nationals in hand, he went to Indianapolis and placed 30th overall with a 4-3 record. Disheartened, but having not yet given up, Jonathan went to the Virginia and Philadelphia Regionals in 2012, placing 6th and 21st, respectively. Without any byes from Regionals to buffer his tiebreakers, he had to go 6-2 to make the top 32 cut at Nationals. He ended Swiss at 21st place and reached the finals after a tough schedule including DeVon Ingram, the 2012 Georgia Champion, and the eventual Senior World Champion, Toler Webb (Dim). Jonathan faced off against Aaron , who would defeat him to take the title.

Jonathan remained hot, going 4-2 at the World Championship, putting him at 10^th in Swiss, just below the cut. It seems that this solid performance carried over into his 2013 season, with him getting in the Top 8 of his first tournament, Philadephia, going 6-1 in Swiss before losing to the previously mentioned Edward Fan. He was able to become Regional Champion of Virginia after a tough schedule leading up to runner-up Paul Chua. In Massachusetts, Jonathan defeated Henry Maxon in a tough series before losing in the Top 4. He has been rewarded for his achievements with 280 CP, ranking him at 6th place. He will have a bye at Nationals. It is also worth noting that Jonathan took 1st place in the Season 2 Nuggetbridge Major, the biggest and most prestigious tournaments hosted onsite. He had to face off against some tough Masters division players including Samuel Haarsma (DrFidget) and Barry Anderson (Baz Anderson), showing he is capable of success in any division.

Like Edward Fan, Jonathan is a Seniors division veteran. His placing in the Major shows that he can hang with some of the best players in the World, no matter what age division. Unlike many of the other Seniors, Hiller isn’t afraid to stray from the norm, having used somewhat uncommon Pokemon in events, such as Togekiss and Infernape. His teams are built around being offensive and hard hitting, often not opting for more than one defensive or support Pokemon. His ability to play a quick, offensive game means that out predicting his opponents will play the key role in many of his matches.

Another huge factor of his play is shown in the 2012 U.S. Nationals Finals game 1 against Aaron Zheng, who I promise to stop mentioning from now on. Jonathan leads with Togekiss and Infernape against Cresselia and Thundurus, a clear disadvantage. However, he showed off his foresight and immediately switched to two pokemon that were immune to Aaron’s attacks, giving himself the upper ground. After many more switches and smart plays on both sides, Jonathan lost that game to the 15-minute timer. Although he ended up on bottom of that match, the skill he showed in his switches was incredible, and should not be overlooked. Jonathan is one of the biggest threats coming in to Nationals, and you can bet he’s looking for an even better performance than his last years.

Ben Hickey (Darkpenguin67)

From Maryland, USA

Another of the Seniors from the northeast, I’ve already mentioned Ben briefly. He’s had to play some of the best as a result of his location, which has improved his play overall. Another veteran Senior, Ben started off skilled, qualifying for Nationals and getting into the Top 16 in the thickest and most competitive field of Seniors ever before losing in Top Cut. In 2012, he was able to reach the Top 32, going 6-2 putting him at the 24th seed, where he again was unable to go deep into the bracket.

In 2013, Ben placed 1st in Philadepelphia, PA, giving him a bye at Nationals as well as making a name for himself early in the season. Ben was able to place in a respectable Top 8 finishing at the Sandston, VA Regional. However, it is a combination of his earlier seasons and his recent success that has put Hickey on the list of Seniors to watch. His ability to top cut has been extremely consistent, with his only apparent problem being succeeding in the best-2-of-3 format. He seems to have solved this, as he recently placed in the Top 8 of the previously mentioned Nugget Bridge Major Season 2, a best-2-of-3 single-elimination tournament, only losing to Jonathan Hiller. A great performance, and an extremely valuable learning experience which he can use to his advantage in the Top 16 at Nationals.

Similar to his other veteran Seniors, Ben is going to be playing a solid mental game. One thing that is worth noting is that I believe that he is going to be the most offensive player attending to Nationals. His team building style is very risky, with him dumping defensive support for fast, hard hitters that have good offensive synergy with each other. Many battles with him will likely be decided on Turn 0, during the team-preview screening. If he gets a solid lead match up on his opponent, they’re in for a rough match. However, what seems to be Ben’s greatest advantage over his competitors is his ability to Top Cut at almost any location. Combine that with his newly developed skill in the best-two-of-three format, and this could be a winning combination.

DeVon Ingram (dingram)

From Georgia, USA

Those who frequent Nugget Bridge Live Tournaments likely know who DeVon is. Incredibly adept at online play, DeVon is currently ranked at 7th place in the Nuggetbridge Ratings. No stranger to the leader boards, he has gotten Top 8 and even won 1st place in the US standings for the Wi-Fi Competitions. No stranger to success at live events, DeVon had a respectable season in 2012, winning the Georgia Regional, with competition from Toler Webb and Eujin J. (KiwiDawg7), who is currently at 12th in CP. He came to Nationals and went 6-2, attaining the 12th seed. DeVon was unfortunate enough to be paired up against Jonathan Hiller, and you know how well he did. It was a tough first round, which cut Ingram’s season short.

Since then DeVon has had another solid season. After not attending a Fall Regional, he attended the Winter Regional of Florida. He became Regional Champion there after defeating Eujin in the finals. In his home state Regional, DeVon was able to Top Cut before losing his first set of matches. Since then Ingram has been working hard to improve his play and will no doubt be ready for Nationals. DeVon is ranked 11th in CP and has a bye.

DeVon’s play style is the polar opposite of most of the top Seniors this year. Taking a more defensive stance than his competitors, his team’s focus tends to be less on getting early OHKOs but more on using their great defensive synergy to his advantage and whittling down opponents. This could best be compared to the Japanese player Jumpei Yamamoto, who was the 2012 Japanese runner-up and got Top 8 in the World Championship the same year. He has proven that he is an incredible player by besting many Masters division players in online tournaments, and has had similar results with Seniors in the TPCi Wi-Fi Competitions. In the offensive metagame that the Seniors division is, I expect that DeVon’s defensive play will be his greatest weapon in defeating opponents.

Abram Burrows (Abman261)

From California, USA

Taking the Juniors Division by storm in 2012, Abram Burrow’s rookie season is one of the greatest in VGC history. Taking 2nd place at the California Regional in 2012, Abram received a bye for the US National Championship, as well as a travel stipend for his efforts. He went undefeated through Swiss rounds, and swept through Top Cut in the same fashion. He defeated 2011 World Champion Brian Hough in the finals 2-0, thus becoming the 2012 US National Champion and receiving paid airfare and hotel costs for Worlds. Burrows continued to ride on his hot streak going in to Worlds, going undefeated in Swiss and demolishing all opponents in Top Cut once again. He faced his US Nationals finals opponent, and prevented Hough from becoming a two-time World Champion.

To sum it all up, Abram’s got 2nd place at Regionals, and never lost a sanctioned match for the rest of his 2012 season. Crazy, right? And let’s not forget, this was his first year! Although Burrows hasn’t been in the Seniors division spotlight lately, his phenomenal past makes him a threat to any player. He proved that he could hang in the higher division by repeating his 2012 Regional performance and getting 2nd place at the California Regional, losing in the finals against Jerico Horca.

It’s hard for me to get a read on if Abram has been working on improving his game for Nationals. However, we do have a good idea of Abram’s play style from his Junior season and his Regionals performance. It seems that Burrows uses fast, hard hitters. Something specific I’ve noticed is that Abram seems to have very particular tendencies in his team building. He has used Quiver Dance Volcarona, Hitmontop, Thundurus, and Choice Scarfed Cloyster on his Worlds and 2013 Regionals teams, and had similar tastes in his 2012 Nationals team. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Burrows took this core and played it well last year, and I expect he can do the same this year. Abram should not be taken lightly, and his record shows he could easily go deep into Nationals Top Cut.

On The Bubble

Obviously there are more than seven players who could and likely will do well at Nationals this year. The players above are just the few that I feel through their achievements in the past and this year have proven themselves to be the elite out of all the Seniors going to Nationals. It is to be noted that other than Abram—who already has an invitation to Worlds due to his World Championship win in 2012—everyone on this list is ranked in the Top 12 of CP. However, there are several players who didn’t make this list, even those that were in this CP range. I will be briefly running over the players that I considered for this list, but just missed the cut.

The highest ranked Senior in CP (2nd) not to make this list is Daniel Cardenas (KermitTheFrog14). Although consistent in his ability to Top Cut at Regionals, getting Top 4 at the two California Regionals and getting 2nd place at Utah, his location has caused his competition to be more scarce than those who have played in more competitive regions. Many players, such as Edward Fan and Paul Chua, have achieved similar results but in more competitive locations. This doesn’t mean that Daniel isn’t at the same level as the players on the list. I would honestly be very surprised if he doesn’t Top Cut. Next comes Cameron Swan (Drizzleboy), who made Top 8 in Virginia and 2nd in Massachusetts. Although a solid player, having done well in an area with very solid competition, there are four players from his same region who have achieved overall superior results this year that also have more experience.

Ian McLaughlin (Raikoo) and Brian Hough are some of the best players to come out of the Juniors division. Ian got 2^nd at Worlds in 2011, losing to Brian. Ian was able to place 2nd at the Houston Regional and placed in the Top 8 at St. Louis this year. Brian, as previously stated, won Worlds in 2011 and placed 2nds at Nationals and Worlds in 2012. He has had a great 2013 season in Seniors, winning the Indiana and Wisconsin Regionals. These victories are made slightly less impressive when you account for the fact that there was little competition in these events. But a win is a win right? Anyways, both players have proven themselves to be strong and have lots of experience. Having battled Ian a couple of times myself, I can tell you he is a solid player. Although he hasn’t proved himself this season to be a top tier threat, I could easily see him doing well at Nationals this year. Brian just missed out on making this list due to the fact that his Juniors division 2012 rival, Abram, proved he deserved to be on this list more than him, and I expect him to place well.

Aaron Grubbs (LPFan), Zack Thornberg (Technoz), Erick Bowen (FutureMaster), Jerico Horca (DoctorRiceYouSee),and Cedric Bernier (Talon). What do all of these members have in common? Each person on this list was able to become Regional Champion at a decently competitive event, but lacked any significant success in another. To add on to that Zack, Erick, and Jerico don’t have any significantly successful showings in the past years. The thing is you can’t judge a player off of just one Regionals title. Everyone in this group could get into the Top 16 at Nationals, but it is hard to say if they can go far based off of one Regional. But who knows, maybe you’ll see one or two of these players go deep into Top Cut. US Nationals is one of those tournaments where surprises always happen. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Conclusion

Well, here we are. I’m sure you’ve learned sufficient information on the field of Seniors this year to make your own pick on who will win US Nationals. If you want my opinion on who will become the 2013 US Senior National Champion, I’m going to have to say this: I’m honestly not expecting more than 1 person on their rookie season to make it into the Top 4. Experience is what I believe is the most important thing for the Seniors division, which I’m sure you’ve observed from this article so far. Being able to play under pressure is going to be a big part too. The player who wins will almost need to have a good combination of both. Anyways, post your pick for US National Champion in Seniors in the comments. Me personally, I’ll be rooting for Cedric Bernier to go deep and take the title, but I might be just a little bit biased.

*Disregard wooper of doom from the CP rankings, as he is a European player

Photo Credits: Pokémon World Championships, Pokémon: British Columbia, Marcus Ingram Photography, Wallace and Gromit, Doug Moriosoli, Danny Zollner (Dan), and Aaron Zheng (Cybertron).

About the Author

Talon started competing in the Pokemon Video Game Championship in 2010. He is a Houston Regional Champion and will be moving into the Masters division in 2014.

Related Posts

New Mechanics Introduced in VGC 2016 →

VGC ’16 Pokémon Speed Tiers →

Hyper Offense Analysis – BadIntent’s Evil Thoughts →

Greener Grassy Terrain: A More Balanced Future For VGC? →