An Interview with Darker

By Andy L. Bloodvayne

Former Gambit Gaming support player, Andrey "Darker" Plechistov, sat down with me to discuss what he's been doing since parting ways with the team, the past and current state of Gambit Gaming, and his outlook on the current state of the European scene.

  

Since departing from Gambit during the previous Summer Split, you went to University to finish your education. During that time, did you try looking for another team to join?

Yes, I was trying teams quite a lot.

Was there a particular reason none of those teams worked out?

Well, roster changes mostly. For example, I was playing with Brokenshard in a team before he went to NA and overall it looked quite promising. I think we could have made it to the LCS qualifications, but after he left, the team was basically not the same and we didn't manage to find a good replacement. Also, people didn't have motivation to continue so we had to part our ways. Another promising team I had recently with ForellenLord, and not being able to play with the same roster also was a huge factor there since we had to switch three junglers (two of them went to high challenger and LCS teams) two weeks before we went to Copenhagen Games tournament. We had to pick up a pretty good but inexperienced player and he just didn't have enough time to improve. We didn't put on a good show there, so I decided to not continue trying out new people again but focus on finishing my study which is going to give me more freedom and time to find a solid team later.

Alright, so lets go back to your time in Gambit. You mentioned in your Facebook post that there were several issues in the team that ultimately led to your decision to leave. Was there something that Edward brought to the team that allowed them to perform well for so long? He didn't exactly have the best showing during his time in Curse. Did something special happen when the roster consisted of the original five members?

It's hard to tell, but I personally feel like it's about Edward being with the original M5 roster since the beginning. They were getting used to each other while they also had the best individual skill on their positions. Genja was pretty much godlike during Season One and Two. In Season Three, Edward left the team because they had problems with communications and their results got worse. I can't agree that he didn't have the best performance in Curse though. I actually think that he did very well in his position there, but Curse didn't have the best players at that time and weren't a very good team overall.

That's a fair assessment. So why is it that you think those winning results couldn't be replicated with you or Voidle? Did internal issues become worse over time?

I think me or Voidle could have played there and performed well, but the attitude from other members and management should've been different. In short, I can say that for me a team can only do well when people are doing everything to achieve the same goal and have the will to work with each other, but when I was in Gambit it wasn't like that, sadly. Despite that, I really appreciated the opportunity to become a member of a world-class team and show that I can perform on a big scene against the best players. I'm looking forward to playing League on a high level again and I believe it will be an even better experience for me.

So let's fast forward to the present where Alex Ich has left the line-up for personal reasons. Do you think they can still be a world class team without him?

Everything is possible and I have no doubt that they have the individual skill and experience to be the team which is able to beat the Koreans again. But it will only happen if they change their mindset and attitude. Also, replacing Alex Ich is a huge thing considering how hard he was carrying them in the second part of the 2014 Spring Split and playoffs. Time will tell.

There has been some mention among the community that Alex Ich had fallen off this season. What's your opinion on his current skill level? Is it as good as it has always been?

Many people talk about player X from Gambit performing bad in 2014. I see it as sign of the team not performing well in general, not just some individual player. I think Alex Ich was carrying hard during his last games on the team and pretty much saved Gambit from relegation with his Ziggs (I think they still would've won vs. Denial, but it's another story.) Now he switched to top lane and initially he won't be playing as good as he was in mid lane, but I know him for a long time and I believe he adapts really well and is able to switch roles and be one of the better players in it.

Well then, lets move on to a Gambit member who receives a bit more criticism: Genja. He's frequently discussed about his particular playstyle and unorthodox build paths. Some of his peers still consider him one of the best AD carries and some think he's among the worst. How do you think he stacks up against other EU AD carries like Rekkles, Forg1ven, CandyPanda, etc.? And why is it that he dislikes solo queue?

I would say that Gambit's bot lane was in the bottom four during last split and compared to Fnatic, CPH, and SHC, they didn't look good. Regarding Genja, I can only say that he still has his strong side: he's still a very smart player with strong team fight  positioning. At the same time, I believe that players like Forg1ven, Rekkles, MrRalleZ and CandyPanda were better mechanically and decision making-wise. I don’t know his solo queue situation at the moment, so I can't answer.

A big talk among the community now is that acquiring an analyst is a necessity in any team. A few experts have suggested that if Gambit picked up an analyst then they could possibly perform at a more optimal level. Later, Alex Ich mentioned that they attempted to pick one up but that no one took his suggestions to heart when it mattered. It seems to be common knowledge that the Gambit members are stubborn when it comes to getting input about their own position. From your time on the team, do you think the players have the capability of listening to an outside source's suggestions?

Yes, I think so. I believe that being open-minded is a huge part of success, especially in League when the game is changing so fast constantly and part of what you considered to be good before can no longer work in the next patch.

Let's move onto the current state of the European scene. During the off-season, it seems that NA has attempted to make strides in improving by importing players to bolster its talent pool. Also, Fnatic's performance at the 2014 All-Stars was very lackluster considering they were expected to do well as a team coming off their third consecutive LCS Championship win. Would you say that EU is currently behind the other regions right now?

Yes, I think EU is pretty weak in its current state. I see two core problems there:

First one is that organizations just don't feel like they should pay if they pick up a non-LCS team. From my experience, most organizations don’t feel like giving you a contract with a salary in it. They don’t want to risk their money and they don’t get respect or loyalty of players because of that, but it's very important to make professional relationships work for both sides. That’s my very own personal point but I really want organizations to start actually paying for representing their name and working with them. Then they can ask from their players and expect them to show progress and make results. When an organization offers nothing, people lose motivation and teams can easily disband when some of their players get better offers or players just go to another region if they see an opportunity. Many talented players move to NA because money is there and I really want EU organizations to step up their game.

Second problem is that 'coaching thing' is in very poor state in Europe; many LCS teams don’t have a good coach or analyst. I'm not even talking about challenger teams. Players who don't open their mind and listen to outside opinions while people who are trying to be coaches are usually pretty bad at what they are doing. So the picture we have is good mechanically but often cocky or arrogant players who don’t listen to outside words (my coach is bad and I’m a good player - why would I listen to this guy?) mixed with inexperienced or bad coaches. If players pay more attention to what other people say and try to work with an analyst and focus on getting one and actually listening to what he's saying, they can improve their game understanding and communication skills. I believe EU can be top region again.

So if organizations were willing to pay analysts and coaches a realistic salary, do you think more people would go for the job? Is there a sufficient amount of experienced people who are capable of being coaches or analysts? Or do you think EU should try to look abroad (NA, KR, etc.)?

First of all, I think players should get contracts with a salary in it. Analysts and coaches should get paid as well since it's serious business and should be treated like it. In terms of looking for proper coaching and analysts, I think EU organizations should look towards other regions, but that just comes from my experience. Maybe there are some very skilled coaches who can actually help teams even in EU.

What about the player talent pool? Does EU have all the necessary talent to compete with the Eastern regions?

Can't say much because there are not so many international events. If we look at All-Stars, we can say that Fnatic got pretty much outplayed on a mechanical level, so it's hard to say about the whole EU as "best mechanical" region from this state. Talent needs work, it's not enough to win against Koreans just by having players like Rekkles in your team. EU teams need to step up in many aspects - training regime, mindset, attitude etc. Also from my perspective and team-searching process, I feel like many players here in Europe are pretty lazy and rely on outplaying people who play worse without trying hard on improving, expanding their champion pool etc. If a player doesn't play a certain champion but it's clearly good, that player can just say "Nah, I don’t feel like playing it" and won't learn it. Obviously this is bad and changes must happen in order for Europe to become competitive again.

So with how things currently are, do you think Europe can make a good showing at Season Four Worlds? Do you see any of the issues being addressed in the upcoming weeks?

We have to see how teams will perform. There's still enough time to improve and fix issues, everything is in hands of players and team management and they just need to be smart and work effectively to solve problems. There are bright sides of EU as a region: SK's improving during the split as an example of that.

So since no new teams entered the EU LCS, how do you predict the standings to look like for the Summer Split?

Too many changes and too much time to predict anything, but I believe that SK and Alliance will do fine.

  

Alright then, any shout-outs or people you want to thank?

Shout-out to my friends and people who support me. Thank you for making this interview with me and good luck in your games and life tasks to everybody reading this.

And thank you for the interview as well as graduating from university. That's a very impressive accomplishment. Best of luck finding a new team. We're all hoping to see you back in the competitive scene.

An Interview with Joey "YoungBuck" Steltenpool

Interview and Foreword by Andy L. Bloodvayne

   The age old adage, "third time's a charm," definitely holds true for Dutch professional League of Legends pro, Joey "YoungBuck" Steltenpool. After flirting with the LCS on his previous teams, Mousesports and Samurai in Jeans, the charismatic top-laner finally acquired a roster that made it into the 2014 spring season of the EU LCS with the Copenhagen Wolves.  

   YoungBuck's team, PrideFC, was picked up by the Wolves with current teammates Unlimited and cowTard, as well as familiar EU LCS faces Shook and Rekkles. For the lack of a better word, their roster shred through the amateur scene, taking first in tournaments such as DreamHack, Gamescom, and the amateur tournament for IEM Cologne. When the team lost both Rekkles (to Fnatic) and Shook (to Alliance,) they acquired Amazing and FORG1VEN, two members who would later be considered breakout stars in the most recent season of the EU LCS.

   Though finishing with a 13-15 record at the end of the season, the standings were incredibly close - with first through sixth place being separated by just a handful of games. YoungBuck delivered an impressive performance during the Spring Playoffs, including an extremely tight series with both Alliance and Gambit, but ultimately the Wolves fell into the sixth place slot, becoming the final team to enter into the Summer Promotions (to be held later this week.)

   While his team's LCS slot is on the line, YoungBuck has tasted the big leagues, and he's determined to train harder than ever to preserve his seat and prove that his team is more than capable of taking on the EU LCS juggernauts.

LCS CENTRAL PRESENTS:

AN INTERVIEW WITH JOEY "YOUNGBUCK" STELTENPOOL

Hi YoungBuck. I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to do this interview. Everyone at LCS Central is a big fan of yours. I want to start off by congratulating you on finishing up the Spring Split of the EU LCS. Regardless of how you finished, you and your team made it to the end and looked impressive against favorites like Alliance and Gambit Gaming.

Before entering the LCS, it's almost an understatement to say that you and your team dominated the amateur scene, taking first at DreamHack Summer, Gamescom, and IEM Cologne; how has the transition from the amateur circuit to the LCS been like? Did a part of you expect your dominating performances to transfer over against the professional teams?

- We did expect to be a top tier team and especially to be the best new team in LCS but we ended up being a mid-tier team, which wasn't bad but was far from what we expected. The transition wasn't easy and I think the biggest part was that playing tournaments in challenger scene allowed us to peak at the right moment whereas LCS is all about consistency, which we definitely lacked.

What's been the hardest thing to overcome (as a team/as an individual) in these past few months?

- We had a lot of problems with throwing games even though we had huge leads in the early game, it took us several weeks to plug the holes but even now they still happen from time to time.

How does your role as captain come into play and how does it affect you? I know you mentioned that you take care of things like scheduling, but is there more? Do you feel any extra pressure to be a guiding light for your team when morale is low? Do you play a part in shot calling?

- I'm just the guy who schedules scrims and has the final say in important decisions outside the game. I do a lot of champion select work but I don't do much shot calling inside the actual game, which is mostly done by Unlimited.

Considering that being a professional League of Legends player is stressful (with scrims, spamming solo queue, theory crafting, etc.), is there anything you like to do in your free time to unwind and relax? What makes Joey Steltenpool happy when Youngbuck has exhausted himself?

- Working out in the gym makes me happy and it's my number one way to clear my mind. It also helps that it's one of the rare moments in a week where I'm on my own just doing my thing and not having to put much thought into the game.

Let's get back to the LCS. While you could say that you were a “middle of the pack” team, as per usual, the final score between the teams was relatively close. Why do you think the adage, “Every team in the EU LCS can beat each other,” rings true? Do you think the margin of strength between teams was really that close or do you think inconsistency plagues the EU teams?

- For the first time in EU LCS history the LCS actually has the top 8 teams in it, that means that the level of play is a lot higher and that anyone has a chance to win any match at any given time.

In a recent episode of Summoning Insight, Montecristo mentioned that the top NA teams (C9, TSM, and CLG) are stronger than the top EU teams (without knowing for sure who they are exactly) because they seem to have a better grasp of the meta/strategy and EU's tendency for oddball picks (e.g. your Heimerdinger), do you agree?

- I think the top 3 teams of NA can compete with the top 6 in Europe but only C9 could break the top 3. Individual levels on EU teams are all around very solid whereas most teams, even CLG and TSM have individual weaknesses.

How has the 4.5 patch treated you? Did the various changes make a dent in the tanky top lane meta? Ryze has had a resurgence and Soaz's Lulu has seen better success, do you see any other possible AP champs that may pop up in competitive play?

- I like the new meta and the variety in picks for top lane a lot, the one champ we might see a comeback from is Vladimir, I love playing him and will play him every game in which the match-up is favorable.

Returning to the last few weeks, how were preparations going into the playoffs? You mentioned that you were all confident going into your match against Alliance (took the first game and had a sizeable lead in game two), what particularly were you confident about?

- We knew everything about them since they weren't hiding their picks or strategies and it showed off in the first map, we just allowed ourselves to make stupid mistakes in the heat of the moment that lost us the other two maps.

What about Gambit? Did you foresee them dropping into the 5th place match considering they normally place top 4 at online events? How was it preparing for them?

- It was very unexpected. We went through a lot of playoff scenarios to start scouting our opponents but not a single scenario had us facing Gambit in the 5th/6th place decider match. Being number five in Europe doesn't say that much since the top teams are just too close to each other in skill level to really call one team better than the other with the exception of Fnatic being the best.

The EU Spring season is now officially over and your team placed sixth, which means you will play in the Summer Promotion tournament against Denial eSports. Have you guys started thinking about that match yet? Any particular reason you picked Denial?

- They had a very weak performance on LAN which suggests that they are inexperienced and might crumble under the pressure. On top of that they also have individual weaknesses that we can exploit and lack the team-play that challenger teams like NiP and C9 do have.

In your opinion, what was the most important thing you learned after your first season in the LCS?

- The most important thing is to have a team that works as a unit especially outside of the game. If five people are on good terms then any problem can be solved easily. Individual skill levels are so close that they often aren't a deciding factor in wins. Teamwork and synergy is almost everything.

To close out this interview, do you have any advice to the aspiring amateur teams that are hoping to make it into the LCS?

- Train hard and consistently and be ready to make sacrifices because the LCS comes with a lot of them.

Again, I'd like to thank you for the interview and congratulate you on a job well done. I'm sure you'll prove to everyone that the Copenhagen Wolves deserve to keep their LCS spot in the upcoming Summer Season.

Victorious YoungBuck hugs ex-teammate Rekkles after a win against Fnatic.