Vanity Angel's (right) showdown with Alvaro Garcia "Trifasia" Moral (middle) in the final of The Contract at Heir 3. Photo Credit: SmashEurope via Flickr. CC BY 2.0, modified for cropping.
UK Melee has been dominated by a terrible trifecta for several years now. You probably know the current number 1, Aaron “VwS Professor Pro” Thomas (Prof) is top 40 in the world and has taken numerous names at American tournaments. You probably know the former number 1, Charles “Revo Fuzzyness” Kimmelman is a world record-holding speedrunner and most recently 3-0’d Prof at Syndicate. You might not know the third piece in the British triforce: Robert “Vanity Angel” Gee, frequently just VA.
A Peach main residing in Totnes, England, VA was ranked 18th by SmashEurope in the Spring of 2016 and since then has only improved, taking sets off top 10 players Prof, Amsah “Amsah” Augustuszoon and Miguel “Zgetto” Rodriguez, beating two of Austria’s suprise packages and rising to 10th on the SmashRanking.eu TrueSkill rankings. However, VA is not content just beating top Europeans, after a string of final game losses to visiting Americans Joey “Selfless Lucky” Aldama, Stephen “Abate” Abate, Eric “PG ESAM” Lew and Daniel “VGBC Chu Dat” Rodriguez he wants to take the fight to them at The Big House 6. First he needs some help from the community, then he aims show the world he can win.
* * *
Cyclops: I hear you started in 2007, how long have you been top 3, or top tier, in the UK?
Vanity Angel: I have been placing in the top 10 in the UK since my second tournament, Anarchy Rules 2 in Lancaster in 2007. It was a slow rise to 5th where I stayed for a little while. I beat Jamie “Jam5” Jahanpour (as he was then) at Cold Hand Johns to get 5th and broke out at Global Gaming Tournament in Birmingham, placing 3rd behind Fuzzyness and Professor Pro, again beating Jam5 to make Loser Finals. I've never placed below any other UK players since (except Michael “Swizzy” Stern at one of my own tournaments in Brighton where I went Fox and Falcon) and I've been top 3 since 2010.
C: Your recent marked improvement has been great to watch, where do you think this drive to get better has come from, after several years of playing?
VA: After graduating University in 2011 I started to run games events in Brighton. I partnered with Kotaku UK, Nintendo and Square Enix. It was a long and often difficult road to get to the point of running events with those amazing partners, and alongside other personal interests, Melee never felt that important.
In 2015 I gave up all my other activities and decided to focus more on Melee. I built my own PC, got netplay, and quit my job. I sat inside playing Melee all day every day for a month. It felt great, I absolutely loved it. For various reasons I ended up going to Japan for 3 months and leaving my life in Brighton behind. It took a while to find work after returning to the UK and I decided to pick up where I left off with a stronger focus on Melee. I improve by thinking hard on what I need to do to become a better player. I've worked on all aspects of competing, as well as the actual execution side of playing Melee. The key to the dramatic improvement is, undoubtedly, my ability to focus in the pressure of tournament situations.
Vanity Angel: I have been placing in the top 10 in the UK since my second tournament, Anarchy Rules 2 in Lancaster in 2007. It was a slow rise to 5th where I stayed for a little while. I beat Jamie “Jam5” Jahanpour (as he was then) at Cold Hand Johns to get 5th and broke out at Global Gaming Tournament in Birmingham, placing 3rd behind Fuzzyness and Professor Pro, again beating Jam5 to make Loser Finals. I've never placed below any other UK players since (except Michael “Swizzy” Stern at one of my own tournaments in Brighton where I went Fox and Falcon) and I've been top 3 since 2010.
C: Your recent marked improvement has been great to watch, where do you think this drive to get better has come from, after several years of playing?
VA: After graduating University in 2011 I started to run games events in Brighton. I partnered with Kotaku UK, Nintendo and Square Enix. It was a long and often difficult road to get to the point of running events with those amazing partners, and alongside other personal interests, Melee never felt that important.
In 2015 I gave up all my other activities and decided to focus more on Melee. I built my own PC, got netplay, and quit my job. I sat inside playing Melee all day every day for a month. It felt great, I absolutely loved it. For various reasons I ended up going to Japan for 3 months and leaving my life in Brighton behind. It took a while to find work after returning to the UK and I decided to pick up where I left off with a stronger focus on Melee. I improve by thinking hard on what I need to do to become a better player. I've worked on all aspects of competing, as well as the actual execution side of playing Melee. The key to the dramatic improvement is, undoubtedly, my ability to focus in the pressure of tournament situations.
C: You were last in the US in 2010, what has held you back from returning since then?
VA: In a word: life. I was at university in 2010 and had a freak opportunity to stop off from my travels to South America in the USA for Apex. Since then I have never been able to justify spending the money on travelling to the USA for Melee (as much as I have desperately wanted to). I met my boyfriend in 2012 and mostly we've focused on surviving. We've rarely both been in full time work and our income often goes solely on paying the bills. I go to European tournaments whenever I can but even that has been a strain financially. For my situation with money, the USA has always been a step too far.
C: Where do you think you stand on the spectrum of world Peach players? James “Mafia” Lauerman likes to call himself the last dope Peach, do you think you might have something to say about that?
VA: Who's Mafia? JOKING. He's been on my radar for years, I think I met him at Apex 2010 and played games with him there. If I recall correctly we were fairly evenly matched.
I would like to think I'm in the top 5 if not top 3 Peach mains in the world. I haven't had a chance to show it yet and I really need to win the matches against the American players I've been losing to (Lucky, Abate, Chu Dat, ESAM) to really be able to say this. You can only really place yourself as high as that when you've got results to back it up.
C: Would you participate in the regional crew battle if asked?
VA: Of course! I love crews (see me in crews at Heir 2 and 3).
VA: In a word: life. I was at university in 2010 and had a freak opportunity to stop off from my travels to South America in the USA for Apex. Since then I have never been able to justify spending the money on travelling to the USA for Melee (as much as I have desperately wanted to). I met my boyfriend in 2012 and mostly we've focused on surviving. We've rarely both been in full time work and our income often goes solely on paying the bills. I go to European tournaments whenever I can but even that has been a strain financially. For my situation with money, the USA has always been a step too far.
C: Where do you think you stand on the spectrum of world Peach players? James “Mafia” Lauerman likes to call himself the last dope Peach, do you think you might have something to say about that?
VA: Who's Mafia? JOKING. He's been on my radar for years, I think I met him at Apex 2010 and played games with him there. If I recall correctly we were fairly evenly matched.
I would like to think I'm in the top 5 if not top 3 Peach mains in the world. I haven't had a chance to show it yet and I really need to win the matches against the American players I've been losing to (Lucky, Abate, Chu Dat, ESAM) to really be able to say this. You can only really place yourself as high as that when you've got results to back it up.
C: Would you participate in the regional crew battle if asked?
VA: Of course! I love crews (see me in crews at Heir 2 and 3).
C: You attended Battle Gateway 10 in Japan earlier this year getting 5th and beating, among others, Keisuke “Nanashi” Hirata, how did you enjoy the scene out there? Did they appear to be on a similar level to that of Europe or the UK?
VA: Yeah Japan were amazing. They played slower in general but the main thing anyone should know is that there's a second aMSa. A blue Yoshi main, though I don't remember his name. He was really solid. I loved their, slower, more methodical and different approach to the game. Aside from Armada/Leffen/Ice they'd give Europe a real run for its money in a crew battle.
C: Finally, do you find time for other games or other major hobbies outside regular life and Smash?
VA: Yes! I love all video games and have tons of hobbies too. I'm currently playing Bravely Default (3DS) on the commute to work and Clash Royale on my iphone. I was super into Hearthstone for ages and placed rank 3 or above most months, only made legendary once though. I'm into MOBAs, Street Fighter, puzzle games and also playing RPG/Adventure games like Shenmue with my boyfriend.
My main hobby is tennis. I had 6 years of coaching age 10 - 16 and I guess I'm above average skill at it? While living in Brighton I played for a club and played a lot of league matches. I also enjoy playing piano (had lessons for a number of years), running, cooking, and watching movies. I'm a massive horror movie fan, as is my boyfriend, we often watch them together.
VA: Yeah Japan were amazing. They played slower in general but the main thing anyone should know is that there's a second aMSa. A blue Yoshi main, though I don't remember his name. He was really solid. I loved their, slower, more methodical and different approach to the game. Aside from Armada/Leffen/Ice they'd give Europe a real run for its money in a crew battle.
C: Finally, do you find time for other games or other major hobbies outside regular life and Smash?
VA: Yes! I love all video games and have tons of hobbies too. I'm currently playing Bravely Default (3DS) on the commute to work and Clash Royale on my iphone. I was super into Hearthstone for ages and placed rank 3 or above most months, only made legendary once though. I'm into MOBAs, Street Fighter, puzzle games and also playing RPG/Adventure games like Shenmue with my boyfriend.
My main hobby is tennis. I had 6 years of coaching age 10 - 16 and I guess I'm above average skill at it? While living in Brighton I played for a club and played a lot of league matches. I also enjoy playing piano (had lessons for a number of years), running, cooking, and watching movies. I'm a massive horror movie fan, as is my boyfriend, we often watch them together.
* * *
Support VA in getting to The Big House 6 by buying merchandise or donating to the compendium. Follow him on Twitter @VanityAngelSSBM. You can also catch him on stream at Kickstart 11 this Saturday 17th at SmashHouseUK.
Last edited: