wonnday

Q: Deft, you’ll no longer be ADC for EDG next season. If you ever meet Meiko in a match in the future, will you go easy on him?

Deft: Honestly, I really don’t want to play against him, but there will be a day when this happens. Meiko and I are people who put in 100% of our efforts into the game, so I wouldn’t think too much about it.

Q: Do you have anything to say to Meiko?

Deft: I’ve always felt very grateful towards you, I hope we can both do our best in the future.

Q: After Deft and Pawn return to Korea next season, what changes will EDG implement?

Coach Aaron: Two things: new signings and nurture of player talents. In the mid lane, Scout has been doing very well, really solid. In the ADC position, there are quite a few people that we can choose from and help bring out their skills. Let’s wait until the pre-season and see.

Q: Looking at your games today, you seem to be in good form, Koro. After watching from the sidelines for so long, do you have anything you want to say? Do you have any goals for season 7?

Koro1: I want to say.... I wasn’t in good form previously. Right now, I’m slowly recovering from that. We will improve one step at a time. Regarding goals for season 7, it’s too early to comment on that.

Q: What are your plans for the future? Do you know what Pawn will be doing?

Deft: We both don’t have any concrete plans yet, but it’s very likely that we’ll play in the LCK. 

Q: Meiko, you’ve been awarded “The Best Bot-lane Duo” with Deft. What do you think about that? Were you satisfied with your plays in the match today?

Meiko: Firstly, I’m very honored to have received this award. I feel as though we have improved a lot, but it wasn’t perfect.

Q: Any expectations for the coming spring split?

Meiko: We’ll try to adapt to the patch changes and play better than we did this year.

Q: After this Demacia Cup tournament, do you have anything to say to Deft or Pawn?

Koro1: I hope they can get good results in the future. Playing with both Deft and Pawn this year has become a memory that I will really cherish.

Q: EDG has won many Demacia Cup tournaments. Is there a secret to maintaining a high-calibre team for many years?

Coach Aaron: Our boss has really put a lot of effort and emphasis onto this team. No matter if new or veteran players join the team, they play as if they are one unit. To be honest, their styles complement each other very well and the players are really close to each other. Also, the coaches improve every year. So it’s a process where we work together really well until we get results.

Q: Deft, what was initially your aim when you came to China? What are going through your thoughts now that you’re returning to Korea? Is there anyone you’ll miss?

Deft: I first came to China as a result of talking to coach Aaron and Clearlove about positions. I thought that we had similar goals, so I put my trust in them. After playing in China for two years, I don’t know how much longer I can play at a high level and I think that I have more chances to win on a Korean team. I will miss the EDG players after returning to Korea, especially Clearlove and Meiko.

Q: Deft will leave soon. Meiko, do you have anyone in mind to replace the ADC position?

Meiko: I haven’t really thought about it..... so not yet.

(t/n: I’ve left out some questions about the actual match vs IMAY, but I don’t think anyone is actually interested in those..)

Meiko+Deft photo dump:

(Previous Interview)

(bonus pawn)

Clearlove, in response to his infamous intro:

“Stop saying that I look (sexy) in this... I’m just giving the death stare, so please don’t save/download it. You guys want me to do it again? I definitely won’t do it again, this has already been ingrained into our minds.

I’m so bothered by this. Every time there is a match, they always broadcast it. When I hear people calling my name, I already know what they are showing on the big screen, so embarrassing......

At the time, the make up artist took one hour to draw on abs on me, but ultimately when we filmed, I just had one ab. (*his stomach)

I’m not going to trust them any more, I don’t want to film these any more. 

Please check out the source: http://lol.duowan.com/1604/325377390332.html

Q: Wuxx, why did you pick Twitch in the last set? Was it a strategy your team prepared beforehand?

Wuxx: Yes, we had gone through preparations for the Twitch pick. For my teammates to trust me in the last set was very crucial. (I) don’t think any other champion were as suitable. 

Q: Xiaohu, you played very well and you have a growing champion pool. Do you have any weaknesses that are setting you apart from other world-renowned mids?

Xiaohu: I feel like I have some flaws in every aspect. I need to work harder. 

Q: Mlxg, your team has already won a ticket to MSI. When going against the world’s top teams, what kind of things do you guys need to work on?

Mlxg: I think we need to strengthen our laning phase and we need to pay attention to all teams that are competing in MSI. 

Q: Zilean is quite popular these days. Xiaohu, what are your thoughts on this champion? Do you think Zilean will be a good pick for MSI?

Xiaohu: Zilean is quite good in this patch. He can lane well against any other champion. I think I will need to practise playing him after we return home. I think we might play him quite a few times in MSI. 

Q: Wuxx, you played both Twitch and Jhin today. You didn’t play these champions much in the regular season. Why were you so confident with these picks today?

Wuxx: There wasn’t a lot of pressure (on me) today, so I just played like I normally do.

Q: The LPL team that represented China in a prior international tournament (IEM) didn’t play to their potential. What do you think will happen in this year’s MSI?

Mlxg: When we played in IEM last time, we weren’t prepared for our opponents’ speedy push towers tactic. In addition, we weren’t playing half as well as we are playing during this split. 

Xiaohu: Last time during IEM, I didn’t feel much pressure. I will treat MSI as an experience and try my best in every match.

Wuxx: I felt really pressured in last year’s IEM. I was very nervous. So I want to play at MSI like I did today - play like I do normally. 

Q: Namei, why do you think Wuxx was fielded today?

Namei: Whoever is in better form will be fielded. This was our coaching team’s decision.

Q: Mata, before the split started, you said that you really wanted to win take the LPL split crown because you’ve already won Champions back in Korea and the 2014 World Championships. Today, you wish has been granted. Any thoughts?

Mata: Although I’m very happy that we won today, we can’t get carried away with this victory. There’s still MSI and the Summer split left, so we still need to make preparations.

Q: Today was also Finals day for the LCK. Right now, SKT hold a 2:1 (now 3:1) record against the ROX Tigers. Which LCK team do you think will represent Korea in MSI this year?

Mata: I think SKT will be difficult to beat because Faker and Bang are very experienced, so I hope they lose today.

(*note: Both the LPL and LCK spring finals were played on the same day, but the LPL finals finished first, so at the time that the interview was conducted, the victor between SKT and ROX hadn’t been decided yet.)

Q: Mlxg, what do you think of the double poke champion team comp? Many teams that pick Nidalee also pick another poke champion.

Q: You managed to defeat the Qiao Gu Reapers today. Did you prepare anything special coming into the match?

PYL: We didn’t make preparations for any particular opponent, but we did looked over some VODs and analysed their playstyle.

Q: Why do you think that you were about to 2:0 them today?

PYL: I think our team played really well and didn’t make any major mistakes.

Q: So is LGD performing to its true potential?

PYL: It depends on how we perform in the next matches. We’re still constantly trying to work well as a team.

Q: In these games, you’re focusing more on your top laner, and not really helping out your mid and bottom lane. What do you think of this?

We1less: In League right now, all teams need to have at least two tanks. There must be a tanky champion in either mid or top lane. So in the second game, I was both engage and tanky, so our jungler helped top lane. In the first game, I played Azir, who can control his lane. That way I could lessen pressure for other lanes.

Q: What is the reason behind LGD slowing becoming a stronger team in the later half of the spring split?

We1less: Because we’re still trying to work together as a team, so we’re slowing becoming stronger. Before, we’d always have communication issues.

Q: Many people predicted that QG would 2:0 LGD today. How did you win?

Imp: Because MaRin succeeded in carrying us.

Q: How well do you think you played Sivir today? Do you think that your performance can compare to Uzi’s?

Imp: Around 7/10. If I don’t have wrist pain, I’d probably be on par with him.

Q: LGD’s tempo is quite good currently. What caused LGD to become a team with great coordination?

MaRin: Our unceasing improvement. Also as time goes by, we are getting along really well, so we are working together better.

Q: Do you have confidence that you’ll make it into Playoffs?

MaRin: If we keep up our form, I have confidence that we’ll make it into Playoffs.

Q: Your opponents will become more and more strong. Any special preparations until then?

MaRin: I feel that we can make it into Playoffs we are in form, but we need to reduce the number of mistakes that we make.

Q: Imp, why did you pick Kalista over Sivir in the first game?

Imp: That’s a secret~~

Q: Eimy, why did you favour helping top lane?

Eimy: Because our top laner had an advantage, so I helped him.

Q: How does it feel to win two straight MVPs today?

It’s 2pm and the practice room is full of shouting voices. Even though they’re on break today, all the the players decide to stay in the gaming house and continue practising. Everyone sits on their appointed seats according to their position on the team. On the desk of the second seat from the right (grey hoodie) are 4 or 5 bottles of mineral water. And on that seat, a familiar person appears. 

Dealing with poor internet connection, KaKAO helplessly shakes his head. But he doesn’t complain at all. Instead, he just keeps trying to reconnect. 

LEAVING INVICTUS GAMING

Although iG’s results in season 5 weren’t too good, this veteran organisation can still be considered one of China’s top-tier teams. When KaKAO first came to the LSPL, many fans were shocked. 

“I was really happy in iG, and being in WY (his current team) is not bad either. I don’t want to make any comparisons between both of them, because I only want to win regardless.”

“I’m competing in the LSPL now, but it doesn’t feel much different from when I was competing in the LPL. On the contrary, I feel like I’m playing better than I’ve ever played in my career.”

KaKAO has been working hard to improve on his Mandarin ever since he arrived in China. He knows that if he wants to compete in the LPL once again, he needs to know the language and have synergy with the team. 

“We require all the players to wake up before 11:30am every day. KaKAO is always first to wake up and first to sit in the practice room and play ranked. He also works out every day. He is a player who has a lot of self-control.” 

“KaKAO is very jolly. When nothing’s going on, he would randomly sing and and lift the team atmosphere. At first, I thought he would be very difficult to get along with, but in reality he’s just a simple person - he knows how to put his head down and work hard.” - team manager

ATTACK ON (THE) LPL

As a new team, the players on WY have only played together for nearly two months. Sitting in the mid-range of the LSPL ladder, WY are not satisfied with their results. 

“Our team has no leader and communication is another problem. But the bigger problem is the players’ individual strength. If all the players try as hard as KaKAO does, our team would improve a lot. “ - team coach

When asked what are the chances that WY win the Spring Split, KaKAO laughs and answers “10%”. But he remains confident: “We will become stronger.”

“I know this path is very difficult to walk down. But since I chose it, I only have one goal in mind - to compete in the LPL with my team.”

Q: If you met your former teammates, what would you say to them?

KaKAO: I’ll worry about that after we enter the LPL.

Q: Do you know that many of your fans are quietly concerned about and miss you?

KaKAO: Yep... I know.

Q: Do you have anything to say to your fans?

Q: QG played Kalista for both games today. As an ADC, what are your thoughts on this champion?

Wuxx: In the first game, their team comp was slightly worse than ours, so we took control of our lanes and they didn’t have a lot of time to snowball/scale. In the second game, our team had 3 core threats, but in a teamfight, Kalista could only auto attack Nautilus and our support, so she wasn’t very useful. 

Q: How do champions like Rammus affect an opposing Kalista?

Wuxx: Rammus can CC any ADC.... they’ll keep auto attacking and just die.

Q: Xiaohu, they banned 3 mid champions. Do you think they were targeting you?

Xiaohu: (uncertain) They banned 3 mid champions? I didn’t notice... but even if they can 3 mid champions, I can still play well.

Q: In your second game, you picked 2 champions that have very high damage output (Kog’maw and Graves), but you also picked Corki on top of an already high damage comp. How did your team take this into account?

Xiaohu: Lulu was banned in the second game so we couldn’t pick her. Afterwards, we considered champions that could be used to counter our opponents’ champions, and that’s how Corki was picked.

Q: Xiaohu: Your thoughts on Doinb’s Le Blanc these 2 games?

Xiaohu: He probably practised her a lot these days, because he played very confidently. He picked her to gain dominance in lane and to counter jungle better. Their early control with their mid and jungle was very good.

Q: Mlxg, after the match ended, the camera cut to you and you had roaring facial expression. How were you feeling?

Mlxg: I was definitely glad that we 2:0′d QG. Also, I “roared” to encourage myself.

Q: Do you think you’re in form right now?

Mlxg: I wasn’t playing well when we were against World Elite, but I’ve back to my normal self again so there are no problems.

Q: Why do you think you were able to win over QG today?

Mlxg: It was mostly due to communicate. We communicated a lot.

Q: You were targeted by the enemy team today. Thoughts?

Mlxg: Being targeted.... feels good. But we really were able to control their whole jungle.

Q: RNG banned out many bot lane champions. Why was that?

Mata: We didn’t especially need to ban out bot lane champions. We just felt that we needed to ban OP champions, or else they would be taken from us.

Q: A few days ago, DanDy said on stream that you are 165cm tall and he is 175cm. Any thoughts on this?

Mata: DanDy lied. He himself said he is 173cm. As for me, when I did the army fitness test in Korea I was 170cm. DanDy is 173cm but he said 175cm. He probably just wants to be 175cm tall. I, on the other hand, have a national certificate.

Q: Looper, you played Nautilus for the 2 games today. If you were against a Nautilus instead, what would you do?

Looper: There isn’t anything different, I’d play however I would need to.

Q: Mlxg, how did your team and QG perform today?

Mlxg: QG didn’t perform too well today. We communicated a lot, so we were able to win.

Q: RNG is a strong/competitive team in the LPL. Are you especially preparing for the IEM?

Mlxg: We’ve been solely preparing for LPL matches nowadays. We will start to practise for IEM as the date draws closer.

Q: QG Mor previously stated that RNG is able to restrain QG and they have lost against RNG many times in practice scrims. Mata, why do you think RNG is able to restrain QG?

Q: You played Viktor for all of your 3 games today. Was it your team’s decision or are you confident in your ability to play him well?

D: I just think I’m a really good Viktor player. (laughs)

Q: What do you think of your performance?

D: I think I played quite well in all 3 games today.

Q: How was Easyhoon’s Twisted Fate?

D: (Because of TF’s unique kit), it was alright. No matter who plays TF, it’s all the same, what matters most is whether TF players know when to make a big play or support their team. When TF has ult, I take notice of when he can use his ult or TP, so it doesn’t matter who plays TF - he isn’t a champion that is seen as a threat to our team.

Q: Why do you think QG lost in the second game?

D: (laughs when he tries to talk) Swift couldn’t hear what we were saying. (Translator adds: “Swift’s earpiece seemed to have stopped working.”)

Q: Doinb, you’ve started to stream. What is it like? Do you like interacting with your fans?

D: It’s quite fun.

Q: Many people have said that when you stream, you like to repeat yourself a lot. Is this a habit?

D: It’s the same in our matches. Since it’s so loud, if I don’t say it again then they might not hear me.

Q: Many people are following you on weibo. (*Chinese facebook) Are you personally managing the account?

D: (Doesn’t let translator translate) Yep. 

Q: All of it is typed in Chinese. Are you writing those messages yourself?

D: Yep.

Q: You’ve said on weibo that you could 1v1 MaRin with Renekton. Why did you say that?

D: (Hasn’t listened to translation yet, understands question and laughs) It’s like this: I personally think that I can 1v1 him. (angelface)

Q: Then which team in the LPL do you think has the ability to end your winning streak?

D: According to our recent match history, no team has beaten us in a BO3. If I had to say, then EDG? Or maybe the team that is gaining momentum, RNG? 

Q: Qiao Gu is going to IEM this year. Do you have confidence that you can beat foreign teams like SKT?

D: If we can win this tournament, it’d be the first time that we would be able to prove that we are a strong team on a international level.

Q: Apparently, QG is exercising just before scrimming with other teams. How does it feel?

D: I really like it.

Q: What is your opinion on the position of mid lane in the next patch?

D: I heard that a new champion is getting released and that the champion is really good.

Q: But isn’t the new champion an ADC?

D: Many ADCs are used in the mid lane. (confusedface)

Q: Do you think that this new champion has potential in the mid lane?

D: Yep ㅋㅋㅋ very fun

Q: As a great Korean Katarina player, will you play her in your games?

D: (understands without translator) Yep, if I get the chance.

Q: What is it like to play with your team in 5-man premades on the Korean server?

D: (understands) um ㅋㅋㅋ really fun.

Q: Why is it fun?

D: (understands) All of us speak Mandarin and we’re all in a good mood.

Q: Your favourite Chinese phrase?

D: (in Chinese) “Start the car~~~!!!” (*typically to go home) ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Q: Do you know what “老司机” (*essentially means ‘veteran’) means?

D: (passionate) It’s the kind that no matter if it is in-game or outside of the game... there are pictures of them online... everyone knows who they are... really old... right? (Translator adds: “An experienced person. He (Doinb) doesn’t know how to describe this.”)

Q: Out of the players in your team, who do you think it most suitable to be called “老司机”?

D: Me.

Q: Anyone else?

credit: weibo@iamhunter

Manager: We’re all brothers here, so you shouldn’t feel regretful (for our recent performance). I want you to be happy in China.

Easyhoon: Apart from me, all the Vici players are good.

Easyhoon: I try hard, but the results aren’t good.

Easyhoon: So... this feeling

Easyhoon: I really want to take responsibility.

Manager: I think if everyone works hard, we’ll definitely perform better.

Manager: Fighting!

Q: 957, your top lane Rammus was really spectacular to watch! What do you think of Rammus as a champion? Was the pick inspired by yesterday’s LCK matches? (*ssumday played Rammus vs JIN Air)

957: I’ved played top lane Rammus a few times recently. He’s quite good, both tanky and has a lot of damage output. Also, he’s is suitable for this patch. Rammus was played very well in the LCK yesterday, so we were even more confident heading into the match today.

Q: In what area is Rammus especially unique from other champions?

957: As for differences, it’s really difficult to lane against AP champions.

Q: Condi, your two baron steals were fantastic today. What was going through your mind at the time?

Condi: First of all, we had to protect our carries. But if we felt that they were safe from our enemies, we only had thoughts of stealing baron.

Q: What was the probability of being able to steal baron in those moments?

Condi: I was very confident so I thought that I could steal it.

Q: Is there a secret to your baron stealing? What is most important when faced with those kind of situations?

Condi: It is most important that you accurately evaluate the HP of baron and there is a lot of luck involved. Also, it has to do with how fast your mouse-clicks and reaction time are. 

Q: Royal Never Give Up has been performing quite well lately. How does it feel to win against them today?

Condi: Very glad, because their play is very eye-catching this season. Being able to win 2:0 against RNG just shows we are a team that is slowing becoming stronger. 

Q: Mystic, you were focussed by the enemy in the early-game. What were you thinking at the time?

Mystic: I just wanted to die as few times as I could manage and gradually make a come back by communicating with my teammates.

Q: You kill on Mlxg when she was clearing Raptors was incredible. Was it just a prediction or did you have vision?

Mystic: I saw Nidalee head towards the Raptors and I thought that he might have gone back to base near that area as well so I used my ult.

Q: Xiye, Mystic wasn’t playing too well in the second game. In the team, you were the only carry that could deal a decent amount of damage. Did you have a bit of a mental breakdown?

Xiye: It was okay, because Corki can scale a little, so there wasn’t any pressure on me.

Q: Did you have any plans for countermeasures as a result of your ADC not doing to well?

Xiye: The plan was for us four to hold the turrets while we let the ADC farm up in the bottom lane. 

Q: 957, in the second game you had a duel with Lissandra and you killed her. Is it because the LPL players aren’t too used to playing against champions like Rammus?

957: The must have been a part of the reason.

Q: Nowadays, many previously overlooked champions are slowly taking to the stage. Do you think that not enough new picks are utilised in China?

957: Compared to other regions, the LPL doesn’t have a great variety of champion picks.

Q: Xiye, the most common build for Corki is to buy boots and then some damage. In your match, you straight up bought 3rd tier boots. What led you to this decision?

Xiye: It was mainly because we were at a disadvantage in the early game. I was thinking about being able to move around to map quicker and being able to protect our turrets more efficiently. 3rd tier boots can help take some camps/minions too.

Q: Ezreal’s damage isn’t that high in the mid game. Wouldn’t buying 3rd tier boots make you even more weak in terms of damage?

Xiye: Because I could move even quicker and I was doing quite well, I didn’t think that 3rd tier boots would set us back too much.

Q: Mystic, you bought Cull for Ezreal, the damage of which isn’t very high in the early or mid game. Do you think that Cull would prolong the game?

Mystic: Even if I didn’t buy Cull, my damage would still be low so I bought it.

Q: Condi, how do you think Mlxg performed today?

Condi: His engages were very good today, but if he was caught out or stopped, then it would result in an easy kill for us.

Q: Xiye, did you have any strategies for going against RNG especially?

Q: Was that strategy (referring to Jinx, Nunu & Lulu picks) thought of last-minute in the pick and ban phase?

Clearlove: No, (we chose those picks) because we saw our opponents’ team composition and we thought that PawN’s split-pushing is quite good, so we went for the 4-1 split tactic.

Q: In your first game, there was 10 minutes where nothing was happening. Why was that so?

Clearlove: In the mid-game, we had some problems making decisions so we had some difficulties.

Q: What was different between the playstyle of LGD’s and EGD’s jungler?

Koro1: Since we lane-swapped, I don’t know.

Q: What was laning against MaRin like?

Koro1: After we lane-swapped, we didn’t lane against each other. So I don’t know either!

Q: Was Nunu’s Banner of Command part of the strategy too?

Meiko: We thought that the split-pushing was working well, so we tried to push our advantage even further.

Q: Who shot-called for the 4v5 teamfight in the end of the match?

Meiko: PawN told us to distract them and that he could split-push his way to victory. Also, their team didn’t really have any engage, so it was possible to hold them back. In the end, Jinx nearly killed them anyway so we won.

Q: Why do you think you lost the teamfight at Baron?

Koro1: That’s because (PawN) had already pushed up to their base, so it didn’t matter if we lost that fight. After all, we could just finish their nexus.

Q: Why weren’t you playing as well (as you normally do)? Was it because of your back pain?

In the middle of the interview, Easyhoon could understand many of the questions that I asked him and had quickly answered back in Mandarin. That was extremely surprising for me (*the interviewer). 

It is worth pointing out that this year just so happened to be Easyhoon’s Zodiac year - the Year of the Monkey. (*Easyhoon’s nickname in China is EZ猴 or 侯爷, with 候 sounding like “hoon” and written similarly to the Chinese character of “monkey”; He is 24yo so he really was born in the year of the monkey, as the Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle.) 

He hopes that he can get good results with VG. That is his wish for this year.

Q: Hello 侯爷, are you used to life in China yet?

E: I’ve lived in China for a few months now, and it doesn’t feel like I haven’t yet adapted to the Chinese lifestyle.

Q: What Chinese dish do you like to eat the most?

E: (Shows he understands the questions and immediately uses Mandarin to reply) Beef soup.

Q: How is learning Chinese going?

E: I’ve only started learning since a month ago, so I’m still a beginner.

Q: As far as I know, you take classes in the gaming house. Do they help you to improve on your Chinese?

E: I’ve attended about 4 classes now. I’m communicating with my teammates a lot better than before.

Q: After coming to China, we’ve noticed that you’re being “targeted” in your matches. That kind of “welcoming” (to the LPL) has also happened to your old teammate MaRin. Why do you think that is?

E: No matter if it is in Korea or in the LPL, I’ve never liked to play assassins or aggressive champions. Maybe my opponents think I’m too weak! (laughs)

Q: Do you have anything to say to your buddy MaRin?

E: (thinks for a while, and says in Chinese) Fighting! (Everyone laughs)

Q: Asking for the fans: why do you always wear leather shoes?

E: (laughs) When I was in Korea, I was in a hurry so I only brought one set of clothes and one pair of shoes with me (to China). After coming to Vici, my team bought me many shirts and pants, but they didn’t buy me any shoes. Hence, I only wear this pair of leather shoes. 

(The leather shoes that are always accompanying Easyhoon)

Q: Did you know that your nickname is 侯爷? 

E: (Immediately understands and nods his head) I know.

Q: In the Year of the Monkey, is there anything that 侯爷 wishes for?

E: I know that it is my Zodiac year this year, so I hope that I can get good results with Vici! 

Q: Uzi, everyone thinks that the ADC can’t carry as much as before. Thoughts on this?

Uzi: I think the bot lane can’t really carry the entire game. It depends on the team as a whole.

Q: Peco and Uzi are ADCs that have different playstyles. After playing with both, what are some differences between them?

Mor: I think they’re quite the same. They both make contributions to the team.

Q: In the second game, the opposing Morgana could zone/control your Poppy. Why did you still let Poppy go into a disadvantaged lane in that kind of situation. Was it to use the speed-push tactic?

V: The team comp in the second game was picked to target Poppy (and make her useless). Even though Morgana counters Poppy, I think it wouldn’t make a difference and we wouldn’t be exploited (with the Poppy pick).

Q: Uzi, it was your first ever game this season. What do you think of your own performance?

Uzi: It was okay. It feels good to play again after (being on the bench) for so long.

Q: Why do you think Snake lost today?

Uzi: I think it might’ve been that we executed the early-game better and we seemed more like a team.

Q: V, you couldn’t get any waves of minions in any of the lanes and just went back to base in the second game. What were you thinking about at the time?

V: At the time, I thought that we would win if we just steadily fought out the game and that there was no need to create unnecessary variables (that would help the opposing team get the lead).

Q: Doinb, QG is a team that maintains complete victories in their games. Any tips for this kind of strategy?

Doinb: Although our team has two Koreans, we don’t have any problems with communication. After playing with each other for a year, our communication is more perfected than the other teams’. 

Q: Peco, did you know that Uzi was going to play today?

Peco: I knew. We (already) rotated the ADC players in our scrims beforehand.

Q: Then were you disheartened that Uzi got to play (instead of you)?

Peco: No, because I’m play in the ADC position and it’s just healthy competition. I thinks it’s best for the team if we continue to win.

Q: You played very well in the first game and was awarded MVP. Opinion on your performance?

Peco: It was alright. We were losing in the early game, but we still thought that we could win.

Q: Mor, you flash+Q’ed Tristana. How did you capture that opportunity?

Mor: Tristana was fed, but their mid lane was very weak/squishy. Their only hope was for Tristana (to carry) so we kept our eyes on her the whole game.

Q: Why did both of the QG ADCs pick Ezreal for the two games today?

Uzi: The team comp in the first game needed Peco to play him. For the second, Ezreal is a really strong champion in the current patch. He can blink away, easily kite and our team especially needed some poke.

(After the interview ended, QG didn’t immediately leave the interview room. Doinb happily yelled out, “We’re on break~* We’re going home~” The QG players started to go into selfie-mode. Doinb and Swift took pictures with Uzi and cheered together afterwards.)

Q: Assess your own performance in Vici’s games for this split. Rate it out of 10.

D: I’m not performing well, so out of 10... a 3? (laughs)

Q: In this patch (6.1), what are the jungler’s responsibilities?

D: Recently, many of the jungle champions include Graves or Kindred, and exclude tanks. So, there is more responsibility to be able to carry. Honestly, the champions are pretty much the same from before.

Q: Do you think carry-type champions suit your playstyle?

D: No, I don’t like those type of champions. However, we get good results in scrims when I play them, so I have to practise more.

Q: What do you think your own playstyle is?

D: I tend to play better than the opposing jungler and like to control jungle vision - a style where I can carry the team in the late-game.

Q: After Mata left, who is in charge of shot-calling?

D: All five players shot-call now, so there isn’t one specific person.

Q: How are the Chinese and Korean players communicating with each other on VG?

D: I’m working hard to learn Mandarin right now. I know pretty much now all of the in-game terms, so there isn’t a problem in that aspect.

Q: Why did you pick Rengar in game 3?

D: Ever since season 4, I have been very confident in my ability to play Rengar. Originally, I thought that Rengar was playable in this patch, but I didn’t play that well on the day. 

Q: What did Mata say to you when he hugged you?

D: (laughs) He was poking fun at me. He said that my facial expression didn’t look too good to make me laugh.

Q: Do you still play 欢乐斗地主 these days? (*popular Chinese multi-player poker game; To my knowledge, it is similar to Big Two)

D: Not any more.

Q: Did you know that you have a nickname after playing that game?

D: (in Chinese) duisan? (*means “a pair of 3″.)

Backstory: Dandy was waiting in queue when he was playing 欢乐斗地主 on stream. While it was nearing the end of his poker match, he only had a pair of 3 remaining in his hand. In Big Two, the “3″ cards are the lowest and it is almost impossible to win with that hand. People watching the stream took a screenshot of this and it blew up on the internet. Thus, a new nickname was born.

(Dandy’s pair of 3)

(Vici Gaming with photoshopped heads from the game)

Q: Have you taught Easyhoon to play as well?

D: Yep.

Q: Is he any good at it?

D: He’s good at League, but not at that game.

Q: (looks at Ekin Cheng’s picture) (*famous HK actor/singer) Do you think that you look like him?

D: (shakes head) He’s more handsome.

Q: Some people have said that your smile looks similar to his. Do you think that you look more like him when you smile?

D: (shakes head) I don’t even know.

Q: Then do you think that you’re even more handsome?

Q: Acorn, this was your first match this season. You helped your team to win and was awarded MVP. How do you feel?

Acorn: I was a bit too nervous before, but I’m doing okay now. I’m very happy that we won. 

Q: In the second match, you subbed MaRin for Acorn. Was there any reason for this?

PYL: To be honest, not really. We just thought that our two top laners specialise in different champions. We swapped them around to see if we get different results. 

Q: Then what is the difference between MaRin and Acorn?

PYL: In our matches, you can tell that MaRin likes to carry, while Acorn plays tanky champions.

Q: MaRin, you’ve been playing off-meta champions. Was that a team decision or did you just want to play them?

MaRin: On one hand, I liked to play those champions. On the other hand, we’ve played them in scrims before. As for the decision, it was our coach who decided that.

Q: Imp, you played Ezreal aggressively. Why was that?

Imp: Because I’m not a great Ezreal or Lucian player, so I needed be more aggressive.

Q: We1less, in the first game you were constantly getting CC’d, but you still only bought damage items. Why was that?

We1less: Because the damage input is high. (laughs) Sometimes when you have to deal with Lux or Elise in the mid lane, you’d carry cleanse with you. But in that game, we had Morgana, so I only built damage items and took ignite.

Q: Dragon was stolen from you two times in the second game. Were there any problems at the time?

PYL: Our jungler sucks at smiting. (laughs)

Q: LGD isn’t playing as aggressive they were in the previous season. Why is that?

PYL: That’s because 2 new players have joined our team (*MaRin and Eimy). LGD is still working on synergy, so we haven’t determined our playstyle yet.

Q: MaRin, after coming to the LPL, does it feel like other teams are trying to shut you down in games?

MaRin: It really does feel that way. From now on, I will improve my skills (under those circumstances).

Q: How would you rank yourself out of the top laners in the LPL?

MaRin: I haven’t gone against all of the top laners yet, so I’m not that sure.

Q: PYL, you’ve said this before: MaRin likes to play games where all three lanes are carries. Do you find it difficult to divide the resources?

PYL: We have our way of dividing them according to the needs of different champions.

Q: When MaRin plays, who does the shot-calling?

PYL: MaRin shot-calls.

Q: What about Acorn?

PYL: When Acorn plays, we might distribute the shot-calling responsibilities. We all use simple Chinese to communicate with each other.

Q: Right now, LGD isn’t doing too well. What will you do to fix that?

PYL: Um.. We don’t have much time to take a break. (*LPL has a ~2 week break until 18/02 because of Chinese New Year) In that time, we will scrim more in order to win the rest of the year’s matches.

Q: Is winning your first match of the season special to you?

PYL: It’s encouragement for myself. It feels like we finally won a match, because it felt very difficult to win prior to today.

Q: Acorn, your Poppy in the second game won MVP. You intelligently managed to knock the opposing Kalista onto the the wall. How did you do it?

Acorn: You generally have to be accurate with your E. Your opponent can dodge your R, so I just Flash+E.

Q: Poppy was very important in the last team fight. Thoughts at the time?

Acorn: I can’t remember. (laughs)

Q: We1less, what is your opinion on Lux, a champion that you played against in the first game?

We1less: It feels as though as long as I pick Corki, it wouldn’t matter what champion they pick.

Q: Your performance today was as good as it was last year. Are you back in form?

We1less: If we’re talking about recent performance, it is better than when I played in the first week of the LPL. 

Q: MaRin, after joining the LPL, do you frequently watch the LCK matches?

MaRin: I don’t watch all of them. I’d pick some good matches to watch.

Q: What do you think of SKT Duke?

MaRin: SKT is having problems with synergy. I believe that, in due time, they will become better and better.

Q: Xiaoxi (*LGD’s jungler sub), how has the coaching team arranged the rotation of the roster?

Xiaoxi: It depends on how well Eimy and I can play.

Q: Do you think that you’re in good form?

Xiaoxi: I’m in very good form, but I don’t know if I can continue my good form for the rest of the year as well. 

Q: As a jungler for LGD, is there a lot of pressure on you?

Xiaoxi: There is pressure on me, but pressure can also become a motivator. 

Q: We1less, how did your team win these two games today?

We1less: In the first game, my mid opponent was Lux and I was playing Corki. Our jungler and I controlled the top-side jungle and even killed Elise once. This gave an advantage to our top lane, which, in turn, gave an advantage to the mid lane and then we toppled our opponent. As for the second game, we played strong late-game champions.

Q: You have not been performing well. What do you think?

We1less: This is still only the first third of the split. Time will prove everything.

Q: Acorn, in the second game almost all of your opponents dealt physical damage. Why did you buy Spirit Visage?

Acorn: When I play Poppy, there are 3 items that I must get: Iceborn Gauntlet, Sunfire Cape, and Spirit Visage when there is an AP damage-dealer on the other team.

Q: Xiaoxi: In your matches, you regularly help the top lane. Any reason for doing so?

Xiaoxi: Because I think MaRin can carry us.