Portsmouth Legacy PR
Written by LF|Joycey
Hosting tournaments since late 2015, the Portsmouth scene has been a consistent place to train and compete in Smash 4. From the early days of Port Smash up to the more recent Wave Smash series, this relatively unknown scene has always held a special place in my heart; I feel like it’s time to give something back to the scene which hooked me into competitive Smash.
Given that we’re in the final days of Smash 4, there isn’t a better time to put a spotlight on one of the lesser known scenes in the UK. I present to you: The Portsmouth Legacy PR.
(Writer’s Note: The PR is not a traditional PR in the sense that the list is not of the current strongest players in Portsmouth. The Legacy PR attempts to answer the question of “Who made the greatest impact in the Portsmouth scene?” and, as a result, will have players placed in tiers as opposed to a numerical order. Players are sorted into alphabetical order within tiers and each tier will have its own explanation as to the criteria it is based on. Out of region (OOR) players were not counted for the PR unless they attended the majority of events. All opinions are that of the writer and don’t reflect the opinions of the Wave Smash team, the former Port Smash team or of anyone at Second Wind.)
Honourable Mention: Focus Miss
Mains: Bayonetta
Other notable characters: N/A
Wins in Ports: Hitei, Allios, Haggis, Soopah
Wins OOR: Ander, Fudj (formerly LTBrad), Spenpai
Bracket demon: Zone
Favourite memory: Taking first place at Wave Smash 5
Our one and only honourable mention. Focus Miss has proven himself to be one of the strongest Bayonetta players in the UK with a stellar record both within and outside Portsmouth. Regularly practising against strong competition at The Lab, Focus Miss has won both Wave Smash events he has entered and aims to add more events to his resumé in Ultimate.
The major reason he remains as an HM only is that he hasn’t attended many events in Portsmouth throughout Smash 4’s lifespan. The brief impact he has had is looking to extend whilst he attends the University of Southampton – making him one of the strongest potential threats to the scene in Ultimate.
C Tier
Criteria: Players that can place well when playing at full potential but have prominent issues that prevent them from going further. Examples include lack of attendance, inconsistency across events or multiple bracket demons. May still place within Top 8 but are highly unlikely to place within Top 4.
Mini (formerly known as Kamini B)
Mains: Fox
Other notable characters: Falcon, Mario, Marth
Wins on Portsmouth players: Allios, Templar, Joycey
Wins on OOR players: Zone, Barran
Bracket demon: Crispy
Favourite memory: Playing a five stock custom Cloud ditto with OwlBBs
One of the two regular Fox mains in Portsmouth, Mini has proven to be a formidable opponent across the events he has entered. His defensive playstyle has proven to be tough to crack and has given him multiple Top 8 placements, most notably at Port Smash 18 where he placed 7th despite multiple strong players from Essex in attendance.
On the other hand, his sporadic attendance leaves open a lot of questions as to the extent of Mini’s skill. With his peak being the aforementioned 7th place, one wonders if Mini could have reached greater heights if he had attended more events. His victories over notable players at Portsmouth events shows the skill is there; it’s now up to Mini to exert that skill as Ultimate begins to develop. Don’t get it twisted though; Mini remains a deadly threat within the bracket.
DB | ZantOfDarkness
Mains: Corrin
Other notable characters: Cloud & Falcon
Wins on Portsmouth players: Hitei, JaeDy, Zuel
Wins on OOR players: Fruityboy
Bracket demon: Templar, Tadman
Favourite memory: The Defence Bowser VS Portsmouth Crew Battle
Zant is one of the longest standing members of the Portsmouth scene with his debut being at Port Smash 2. Initially maining ZSS, Zant struggled to find great success in bracket throughout the earliest days of Port Smash – at least until he found his true main. With Corrin by his side, Zant slowly but surely rose in the ranks of Portsmouth and demonstrated what hard work and effort can do to a player’s skill. He has since achieved Top 8 several times with a 5th place at Port Smash 20 and a win on Fruityboy being perhaps the crown jewel on his resume.
The other side of the coin isn’t so pretty, however. Zant has shown a degree of inconsistency that has prevented him from rising further in the ranks of Portsmouth. His gameplay rides with his momentum in any set; if this man is feeling good, his opponent should be worried for certain. Conversely, the opposite remains true for Zant at times.
Despite this, Zant is aware of his skill and knows the damage he can cause in bracket. With a new-found motivation present for Ultimate, Zant will surely find great success in his competitive career – be afraid of what this man can do.
DB | Zuel
Mains: Captain Falcon
Other notable characters: Falco, Ike, Villager, Yoshi
Wins on Portsmouth players: Hypnoshark, Soopah
Wins on OOR players: Chazbabs
Bracket demon: Tadman
Favourite memory: Converting Zant’s Limit Cross Slash into a Falcon knee during doubles and hanging with the Defence Bowser crew
As the Portsmouth scene began to develop, Zuel asserted himself as a dominant threat amongst his peers. With Falco and Ike in his stead, Zuel was a safe bet for any Top 8 and was able to take the best-of-the-best to their limits. His calculated and defensive style created a mental wall for his opponents that few could break through – it seemed as if he was destined for greatness as the meta developed.
This trend wasn’t meant to last, unfortunately. A character crisis and the general improvement of the scene left Zuel attempting to claw back that greatness he once had to mixed results. As is the case with a lot of players, the spark he once has for Smash 4 diminished and his results saw a similar fate. This spark is set to return in Ultimate and with that, the former glory that Zuel relished during those early days is there for him to take once again.
B Tier
Criteria: Can have strong peaks but are inconsistent compared to those within A Tier. Generally, a safe bet for Top 8 and may break Top 4 on the rare occasion. However, they also have the chance to go 0-2 on a given day and may have bracket demons that plague them at events.
Fatkid
Mains: King Dedede
Other notable characters: Mario, Captain Falcon
Wins on Portsmouth players: Hitei, Templar, Scuro, Pash
Wins on OOR players: N/A
Bracket demon: Allios
Favourite memory: Always playing doubles with Tadman
Fatkid is another veteran of the Portsmouth scene with his debut at Port Smash 2. Alongside Tadman, he has shown a great proficiency in the doubles meta with multiple Top 3 placings across all events. His consistency and familiarity with Tadman’s playstyle has made him one of Portsmouth’s greatest doubles players – with Fatkid himself expressing a preference for the format over Singles.
This preference is apparent in his Singles result as well, which has been quite varied to say the least. His peak gameplay shows a terrifying penguin that can take on any formidable opponent no matter how well established they are. Port Smash 16 proved how far he could go with Fatkid defeating Joe Powell, aNaCled and Joee94 to make Winners Finals against OwlBBs before swiftly defeating Templar 3-0 in Losers for a stellar 2nd place finish.
Despite not reaching that peak since Fatkid has demonstrated a deep understanding for the game and has proven himself within bracket as a devastating obstacle. He looks to continue this legacy and reach those peaks once again within Ultimate.
Hypnoshark
Mains: Jigglypuff
Other notable characters: Mario, Cloud
Wins on Portsmouth players: Joycey, Templar, Mini, NaTu, Flum
Wins on OOR players: Chazbabs, Burning, Joee94
Bracket demon: Allios
Favourite memory: Hypno could not be reached for a comment
From my own experiences, one of the best parts of competing within Portsmouth is the experience you get with fighting uncommon characters. Hypnoshark is the epitome of this as, for the most part, a solo Jigglypuff main. His character choice remains the only thing that is low tier about him as his results speak volumes about what happens when a character clicks with you – regardless of tier lists.
Having never placed lower than 9th, Hypno is a pillar of consistency within Portsmouth. His gameplay revolves around baiting defensive options and punishing hard with Rest – a strategy that has given him multiple wins against strong players. He has cracked Top 8 multiple times with a 3rd place at Port Smash 13 being particularly notable on his record. Hypno is set on a path towards greatness and the scene looks forward to seeing how far he can go when Ultimate arrives.
DB | Joe Powell (formerly known as ACNuBurs)
Mains: Dark Pit & Robin
Other notable characters: N/A
Wins on Portsmouth players: Hitei, Tadman, Zuel
Wins on OOR players: N/A
Bracket demon: Jezo
Favourite memory: Spending time and competing with the Defence Bowser crew
Joe has remained a strong threat throughout the entirety of Smash 4’s lifespan within Portsmouth. With Robin and Dark Pit by his side, he started the early days with a string of Top 8 performances that set the wheels in motion for Joe to climb even further. This level of consistency meant that Joe was rarely upset in bracket and only the toughest players in the scene could remotely challenge him.
Despite a lack of attendance at recent events, that consistency has remained fully intact. Joe has managed to achieve a solid 9th place at every event he has entered since Port Smash 6 – even as recently as Wave Smash 5 only a couple of months ago. Like many players on this list, a resurgence of motivation will spark Joe to return to the scene as Ultimate looms in the distance. His solid fundamentals and consistency from Smash 4 will surely carry over and, with that strong desire to compete returning once again, the only way is up for Joe Powell.
LF | Joycey
Mains: Yoshi
Other notable characters: N/A
Wins on Portsmouth players: Allios, Tadman, Templar, Scuro, Pash
Wins on OOR players: Crispy, Momo Ari, Paint, Spenpai, Fruityboy
Bracket demon: Soopah & Jasper
Favourite memory: “Too many to choose. Attending EVO 2017, meeting Ally and travelling to all the different scenes in the UK and making some of the best friends I could ask for. Dabbling in commentary and making a name for myself as a half-decent Yoshi. Ultimate can’t come soon enough.”
With his first appearance at Port Smash 3, Joycey has shown a slow but steady improvement in skill across the lifespan of Smash 4. A four-month trip to Canada in 2016 allowed the player to broaden his horizons and hone his skills ready to take on the scene that he grew with.
For the most part, the fruits of this labour have been plentiful. His passive playstyle mixed with his tricky egg placements has allowed the solo Yoshi main to achieve good results both within and outside of Portsmouth. However, a certain degree of inconsistency still plagues Joycey from rising up the ranks – for every 3rd at Wave Smash 2, there’s a 17th at Wave Smash 1 to match. Additionally, his inability to take a set from Soopah has proven to be a thorn in his side throughout Smash 4. Despite Joycey no longer being local to Portsmouth, his impact with Yoshi will not be forgotten as he hopes to iron out those inconsistencies in Ultimate.
WS | NaTu (formerly known as NattyT)
Mains: Zero Suit Samus
Other notable characters: N/A
Wins on Portsmouth players: Allios, Scuro, Soopah
Wins on OOR players: BlessedSpartan
Bracket demon: Fatkid
Favourite memory: “Definitely seeing Finest do amazingly well at WS5 following the dedication of his dad to bring him down – on a more general note, just being able to involve myself in a smash community has been an amazing experience, thanks Will”
Wave Smash’s own NaTu took the mantle of running the scene alongside Soopah and has provided many fun events and great memories for the scene as a whole. His long-standing status within the community since Port Smash 2 has seen many rises and falls from grace over the past three years.
The ZSS main remains as one of the hardest players to predict in terms of both his gameplay and his placings. A wide range of results across all eras of the Portsmouth scene leaves NaTu in an odd middle ground where he can defeat and be defeated by anyone. His peak gameplay shows the best side of ZSS’s explosive nature with an incredible 3rd place finish at Wave Smash 4 with victories over Tadman and Allios. Conversely, NaTu failed to make Pro Bracket at Wave Smash 5 which shows a level of inconsistency that plagues many players within Portsmouth.
Once he gets a handle on his consistency? I, as well as the rest of the scene, dread to think how scary NaTu could become in Ultimate. His skills both as a player and as a TO are to be admired and these skills shall continue to develop from December 7th.
Pash (formerly known as Jamurai)
Mains: Meta Knight
Other notable characters: Mewtwo, Charizard, Dr. Mario
Wins on Portsmouth players: Soopah, Allios, Scuro, Tadman, Joycey
Wins on OOR players: aNaCled
Bracket demon: Hitei, Chazbabs
Favourite memory: Cheering on OwlBBs at Albion 2 and defeating Soopah at PS16 to get into Top 3.
A man of incredible skill and knowledge, Pash has shown gradual progress across the lifespan of Smash 4. His ability to switch from aggressive to passive effortlessly allows the MK main to swiftly adapt to his opponents and capitalise on their habits with Meta Knight’s devastating punish game.
Perhaps his most notable trait is his mental fortitude throughout bracket – Pash’s mindset remains focused during every set which has allowed him to make incredible runs through bracket. The most notable of these was at Port Smash 15 where, despite losing in Winners Round 2, made a run all the way to 3rd place overcoming players like Soopah, Scuro and Jasper.
With multiple Top 8 placings at the more recent Wave Smash events under his belt, Pash is well on his way to establishing himself as a lethal player to come across. His encyclopedic knowledge of his characters will prove a valuable asset within Ultimate; I fear the day his gameplay matches it.
Scuro
Mains: Ness
Other notable characters: Villager
Wins on Portsmouth players: Hitei, Allios, Flum, Templar
Wins on OOR players: Devereux, RepTile, Barran, Sass, Haggis
Bracket demon: Templar
Favourite memory: “Just meeting a load of people who share the same passion as I for the game. Most notable achievement would be taking 10 stocks against Scotland in the hypespotting crew battle.”
One of the founders of the Portsmouth scene, Scuro is one half of the duo of Ness players that reside here. Having attended the most events out of everyone on this list, Scuro has remained a consistent threat over the past three years at Portsmouth events; a trait that is hard to come by within the scene. His technical gameplay has allowed him to reach great heights and take multiple sets off of well-established players with peak placings to match.
These peaks are prominent across all eras within Portsmouth. A 2nd place finish at Port Smash 2 demonstrated from the beginning that Scuro was not a player to sleep on and these Top 8 finishes came in thick and fast. Despite some minor dips, a 3rd place at Port Smash 20 with victories over Hypnoshark, Zant and Soopah showed that his skill never faltered much over the history of Smash 4. A solid 4th and 5th place at Wave Smash 2 and 5 respectively shows that his consistency shows no signs of stopping when Ultimate drops. Scuro’s influence on the Portsmouth scene has been indisputable and Portsmouth wouldn’t be the same without him.
Tadman
Mains: Ness
Other notable characters: Ryu
Wins on Portsmouth players: OwlBBs in a Ryu ditto, Hitei, Allios
Wins on OOR players: Haggis, Jaxter, Swanny
Bracket demon: Soopah
Favourite memory: Playing doubles across all events
The second half of the Ness duo mentioned above, Tadman has shown great proficiency in both Singles and Doubles. His static team with Fatkid has taken on many teams and left them in the dust; the situational awareness Tadman possesses is unlike any other player in the Portsmouth scene.
This awareness carries over into his Singles gameplay as demonstrated by multiple Top 8 performances. His aggressive playstyle has proven to be a thorn in the sides of many players with multiple players within Portsmouth being unable to consistently take on the Ness main; almost acting as a gatekeeper for players who want to reach those peaks in bracket.
This sword of consistency, unfortunately for Tadman, is double sided; Tadman remains one of the only players within this tier to never achieve a Top 3 placing within Portsmouth. Despite this, the groundwork has been laid before Tadman for a stellar career within Ultimate – whether he can break those barriers and go the distance will remain to be seen.
A Tier
Criteria: Being consistently strong across multiple events and/or very high peaks within bracket. A safe bet for Top 4 and almost guaranteed to make Top 8 within any event in Portsmouth. Winning records on most other players on the PR.
GoH | Allios
Mains: Bowser & Olimar
Other notable characters: Bowser Jr. & Kirby
Wins on Portsmouth players: Jezo, Hitei, Soopah, Hypnoshark, Fatkid
Wins on OOR players: Afro, Kibzu, Grekmet, MysticEyes, Lucretio, Crispy
Bracket demon: Fox in general
Favourite memory: “Albion 2. Not only did I place 3rd in my pool just barely not making it out, but just had so much fun playing. Got the big upset against 2nd seed in my pool, Grekmet. But mostly just spending time with Hydro and Bridges. Had a lot of fun hanging out over the weekend at the venue. in our accommodation & when we explored London for a bit on the Sunday. Most of just watching top 8. It was my first time being part of a big crowd and the atmosphere, the chanting and the hype ass games. It just really stands out to me, one of the greatest weekends of my life.”
Hailing from the South West comes the strongest Olimar and Bowser player in the UK, Allios. With his unique combination of characters and the overwhelming pressure he exerts on his opponents, Allios shocked the scene in his debut at Port Smash 8 where he sent Jezo (the #1 player at the time) into Losers in Round 1. Since then, he has consistently had a strong showing at every event – his peak being his victory at Wave Smash 1 after a gruelling 10-game Grand Finals against MysticEyes. His OOR results match these peaks, with multiple UK PR wins under his belt, making him one of the scariest players to grace the Portsmouth scene.
One thing stands in his way from gaining greater heights…or I suppose one character would be more accurate. Allios has shown difficulty in dealing with Fox, having losing records to both Mini and Templar, to the extent where he has experimented with other characters just to combat the woodland menace.
Don’t let this weakness cause you to doubt Allios, however. He has proven to be a terrifying bracket threat and there’s no doubt in my mind that Allios will continue his rampage on the Portsmouth scene when Ultimate arrives.
Flum
Mains: Mario
Other notable characters: N/A
Wins on Portsmouth players: Templar, Soopah, Allios, Scuro, Joycey
Wins on OOR players: BagggRodo, Crispy, Joee94
Bracket demon: OwlBBs
Favourite memory: Flum could not be reached for a comment
A staple within almost every Top 8, Flum has always been a level above the vast majority of players in Portsmouth. The calm and collected Mario main has shown rock-solid consistency having only missed Top 8 once throughout every event he has entered. Unlike many players on this list, Flum seemingly has no bracket demon besides OwlBBs; Flum can take any players down-to-the-wire on any given day. His mentality has carried him through various tournaments; most notably at Port Smash 14 where he made an incredible run from Losers Round 1 all the way back to Grand Finals. Despite an extended absence from the scene in recent months, Portsmouth eagerly anticipates what Flum will bring to the table in the new game and look forward to his return.
Hitei (formerly known as Cansdotwav)
Mains: Palutena
Other notable characters: Duck Hunt, Mario, Cloud
Wins on Portsmouth players: Jezo, Allios, Flum, Soopah, Tadman
Wins on OOR players: Afro Smash, DX17, G~P, Luigimitsu, Cong, Crispy
Bracket demon: Jezo
Favourite memory: “The early 2015 tournaments at the Heart of Gaming arcade. That was when everyone was discovering the meta, J.Miller was dominating, new stars were popping up every tournament and customs were legal for the briefest of periods”
A veteran within Portsmouth and one of the scariest players to boot. The plucky Palutena main has shown a level of consistency unlike any other player across Smash 4’s lifespan – with a 1st place finish at Port Smash 1, he placed in the Top 5 for every event he entered up to Port Smash 12. With wins like Afro Smash and prime Cong under his belt, the strongest Palutena in the UK was a death sentence in bracket for the vast majority of players.
His ascension wasn’t all smooth sailing, however. A character crisis during 2017 led to a small dip in results as Hitei tested the waters with various other characters. As greater players from OOR attended more frequently, there were fears of Hitei being left behind alongside the glory days of the original Port Smash events.
Once Hitei had restored his faith in the goddess, those fears and doubts were swiftly disposed of. His Palutena seemed scarier than ever despite the general improvements of the Portsmouth scene with Hitei managing a joint 1st place finish at Wave Smash 4 – his first victory since Port Smash 1 all those years ago. His solid fundamentals and strong mentality will serve him well as he aims to maintain that consistency into Ultimate.
Jezo
Mains: Captain Falcon
Other notable characters: R.O.B, Diddy, Cloud, Bayonetta
Wins on Portsmouth players: Pretty much everyone
Wins on OOR players: Fruityboy, Zone, DX17, PidgeY
Bracket demon: Khanage
Favourite memory: “Hard to pick one. Being a recognised player in the community and the general friendliness of the community was amazing. Can’t wait to be back for Ultimate. That time I falcon punched Hitei at Port Smash 4 wasn’t bad either tho.”
Back in the days before OwlBBs, we had Jezo. The earliest days of the Portsmouth scene were ruled by a man who was proficient with a variety of characters. R.O.B, Falcon, Bayonetta…for him, the character didn’t matter when it came to winning. No players in Portsmouth ever came close to matching his skill – many tried and many failed. His OOR results were to be admired as well with multiple PR wins and a stellar 13th place finish at the first Albion event on his resumé. With only the UK PR players eluding him from victories within Portsmouth, it seemed like Jezo was ready to escalate to new heights and assert even more dominance over the SmashUK scene.
Not every legacy has a storybook ending, however. As time went on, Jezo found less excitement with Smash 4 and turned to other platform fighters. Seemingly vanishing from the scene altogether, the Portsmouth scene wondered if Jezo would ever return to reclaim his throne in Smash 4.
As Portsmouth was revived with Wave Smash 1, one wonders if that spark Jezo had for Smash 4 was revived alongside it…at least for that day. With Captain Falcon by his side, Jezo fought his way to 4th place slaying several notable players along the way – proving that a long break wouldn’t stop him from making his mark. With Ultimate’s new mechanics and seemingly faster gameplay, the Portsmouth scene looks forward to welcoming Jezo back with open arms…before he slaps them in bracket just like he used to.
2WD | WS | Soopah (formerly known as SoopahGamer)
Mains: Toon Link
Other notable characters: Cloud
Wins on Portsmouth players: Templar, Pash, Hitei, Allios, Scuro
Wins on OOR players: Peli, LuigiMitsu, Barran
Bracket demon: Templar or MegaMark
Favourite memory: The support of the community with his victory on Luigimitsu and winning Wave Smash 4 with Hitei
Second Wind’s Soopah started as a fierce competitor fairly early on, making his debut into the scene at Port Smash 9. Despite a couple of shaky placings initially, he slowly but surely made his name known to Portsmouth as he starting taking names and placing higher and higher. Within the Portsmouth scene, many players will have a few good tournaments and then drop off somewhat – a trend some thought would apply to Soopah as well.
The Toon Link main, however, had other ideas.
Within a few tournaments, Soopah became the person to beat. With a slight adjustment to his mentality, he went from a tough customer to a vicious bracket demon for the majority of players in the scene. Boasting a streak of consistent Top 4 placings towards the end of the Port Smash days, his skill was even demonstrated outside of Portsmouth with wins on Peli and Luigimitsu under his belt.
Despite Soopah taking a backseat as a competitor to concentrate on TOing and commentating, he recently proved that he still tussle with the best after a joint 1st place finish with Hitei at Wave Smash 4. His impact on the scene as both a player and as a TO is incredible and his motivation to get better will see him through as Ultimate comes out.
Templar
Mains: Fox
Other notable characters: Sonic, Marth
Wins on Portsmouth players: Flum, Allios, Soopah, Scuro, Tadman
Wins on OOR players: Chazbabs, Nives, Swanny
Bracket demon: OwlBBs
Favourite memory: “Travelling to Brighton, Southampton to London for Tournament experience to come back and end up Top 3 in Portsmouth. Honestly just everything that happened within that time. Everything I learnt, squading it with yourself with constantly seeing you in bracket than our top tier double commentating, levelling up as a player, winning my first tournament because of it was seriously rewarding.
A close 2nd to that, and probably the most memorable single experience was meeting all my Fox heroes at Albion with Scarfelt, C.R.Z and that. Think C.R.Z just got them all together after I asked to talk to them and they were 100% Humble and even invited me to talk to them next day. Couldn’t make it because train problems but showed me the Fox Mains of the UK were the coolest people ever.”
The UK is well-known for having multiple high-level Fox mains – with Portsmouth hosting a member of this exclusive club. Templar started with a 4th place finish at Port Smash 1 and has remained a consistent threat throughout bracket. The plucky Fox main will download every habit until he knows exactly what you’re thinking…at which point, defeat is inevitable. As the scene has grown and developed, his familiarity with everybody’s habits and his ability to switch playstyles in an instant allowed him to climb to the very top of the Portsmouth scene. In particular, a string of Top 3 finishes across Port Smash 14-16 made a lot of people question if anyone other than Owl could topple him.
A slight dip in attendance at Wave Smash events may have led people to forget about Templar. The legacy he leaves behind in Smash 4, however, will never be forgotten as someone with great charm and style both in person and ingame. As December 7th inches closer, it’s only a matter of time before Templar returns to remind people why he was once Top 3 in Portsmouth and to extend his legacy above and beyond what he’s left already.
S Tier
Criteria: Absolute dominance over the scene. Has winning records on everyone else and is rarely challenged within bracket. An incredibly safe bet for winning any event within Portsmouth.
OwlBBs
Mains: Bayonetta & Shulk
Other notable characters: Duck Hunt
Wins on Portsmouth players: Everyone
Wins on OOR players: Kibzu, Supahsemmie, Glutonny, Afro Smash, Tag
Bracket demon: N/A
Favourite memory: “Meeting all my friends and calling Kibzu a stupid face”
The only player in S Tier and with good reason. The arrival of OwlBBs at Port Smash 11 was highly anticipated; the UK’s hidden boss was attending his first offline tournament and only rumours of his skill indicated what the scene was about to witness. Despite having to DQ himself in Winners Finals, PS11 began the dominant reign of OwlBBS across all future events in Portsmouth.
No players within Portsmouth have managed to take a set from him. At the time of writing, OwlBBs has dropped two sets at Portsmouth events to OOR players, Kylethh and Crispy, with both sets being against his Shulk. His Bayonetta has remained undefeated with only a handful of games dropped to other players. The only UK player that has defeated Owl’s Bayo in bracket is IxisNaugus who won 3-2 in Losers Quarters of Albion 2.
His influence on the scene is obvious. The latter half of all Portsmouth events became a race for second place and it’s clear that OwlBBs will continue to dominate throughout Ultimate as the UK’s not-so-hidden boss.
Final Comments
Every scene within the UK has storylines and legacies. Every rivalry and upset and close sets adds another page to the novel that is SmashUK. For anyone outside of Portsmouth, I hope you’ve had an insight into a scene that holds a special place in my heart; a scene that introduced me to the UK scene and has allowed me to meet wonderful people and compete alongside passionate players. For those within Portsmouth, I hope this trip down memory lane was fun to read and I hope the legacy we’ve made continues through Ultimate and beyond.
A special thanks to Will “iWillSD” Avery and Jack “Scuro” Knowler for founding the Port Smash series and kicking off the events that put Portsmouth on the map. Without the two of you, we would never have found this passionate and incredible community that share a love for this wacky but wonderful game. I also have to thank Alex “Soopah” Ewers and Nathan “NaTu” Turner for running the Wave Smash series and reviving the scene after the brief absence of events. Your efforts to organise tournaments and bring people together have brought much happiness to people both within Portsmouth and across the UK.
December 7th can’t come soon enough.
Second Wind 