LMNY|SpecterChild is known for winning tournaments with his duo of Raphael & Astaroth. And he’s doing it with such a style! He is definitely one of those players you should follow if for nothing else, then at least for the clips of their play.
Twitter: @SpectreChild
Birth Year: 1992
Country: USA
If you had to introduce yourself in three sentences to some SoulCalibur player who didn’t know you, what would you say?
My name is Spectrechild (occasionally Numinous), and I’m a dilettante SC6 competitor. I made my impact predominantly between 2019-2020 particularly while the online scene was at its peak amidst the pandemic. I didn’t mind the prevalence of online because I’m fairly anti social at times and traveling sorta conflicted with IRL stuff for me.
What is the origin or meaning of your nickname?
Some years ago while I was exploring existential inquiry I’d developed an affinity for eastern schools of thought, some refer to as ‘dharma’. I’d also happened to find an appreciation for the far east style of musical instruments. There was this music creator program that I used to create a song comprised entirely of these instrumentals e.g. indigenous wind instruments, singing bowl, bells, gongs, etc. that produced a solemn melody. It was called, “A Spectre Child” and based off a personal life experience. Numinous comes from the Latin, Numen or Pneuma/Pneumatic translating to divinity, divine will, divine mind, ‘Spirit’.
How did it happen that you ended up playing fighting games?
As a kid, the first fighting games that my brothers and I really got into were Killer Instinct for the SNES and Smash Bros for the N64. We were always competitive, but when SCII was released for arcade and eventually Gamecube it took our fighting spirits to the next level. I remember going to the arcade at the mall with my brothers when it released and there was a line of about a dozen people trying to play it. When it was finally my turn to play I picked Nightmare and decidedly went on a tear.
I must have been around 11 years old and barely tall enough to reach the joystick, meanwhile I was effectively beating the other kids, teens and even young adults with essentially two attacks: Rook Splitter (66B) and Mail Splitter (BB), albeit a healthy degree of mashing as well. I remember there was this one teen who made a tantrum after his third time losing and having to go to the end of the line, exclaiming, “I just want to play conquest!” after slamming the buttons.
Sometimes as kids we’d grab random stuff like those fake light sabers, old tools from the garage, etc. and simulate calibur fighting. We’d just smack the s**t out of each other and use things like the lids of the trash pails as shields. Uh, to any prospective parents, I wouldn’t recommend this type of play for your kids. Yeah… definitely don’t let your kids try this.
Who do you main in SC6 and why?
I main a busted character formerly OP character Raphael and secondary Astaroth. During SC5 I picked up Raphael after his nerfs when he was considered by many to be one of the worst characters in the game. Previously I had played Nightmare and Maxi, but there was something so cool about his kit that I’d loved. I’d been a huge fan of the Matrix film series, and his Shadow Evade stance gave me some cool nostalgia. That, and his old vampire command throw that had two unique animations. Asta was pretty intuitive, as I’d always played grapplers in most of the other fighting games that I’ve dabbled in.
What is your opinion regarding SC6?
I think the game is solid and quite fun at that. Is it perfect? Well, no, of course not, but I credit the devs for committing as much effort as they have to produce a game that some would call the most balanced in the series.
If you could change one single thing about SC6 what would that be?
Bring back pre 2.20 calibur… and revert the changes made to command throw breaks. Alternatively, rollback would be cool I’m sure most would agree.
What do you consider to be your greatest SC6 achievement and why?
I think objectively, it would have to be my placements and prizes won as a competitor between 2019-2020 while the online scene was at it peak and lucrative enough to qualify as a modest part-time income between PS4 and PC tournaments. I don’t think the game will have as popular an online scene as it did compared to then, but I hope the game does see a resurgence when offline soon reemerges.
Please answer a single question that you were not asked but you would like to answer!
Don’t let a video game consume your life. It’s okay to take breaks from competing—check yourself if you ever feel that the game is ever making you excessively agitated or upset in anyway. Sometimes you need to take extended breaks and ground yourself to be healthy and functional elsewhere. Balance is key, and your IRL comes first. Put you before the game, it’s as simple as that.
Thank you for the interview!