Hello syndereN. Congrats on getting the invite for The International 3. How do you feel having a 100% win rate on TI qualifiers?
Amazingly relieved and happy, and so proud of my team for pulling through!
So how did you enjoy your experience again in the qualifier of The International?
There's a lot of tension in these qualifiers and it takes a lot of focus over a long time, so it's pretty exhausting. It's great to play and watch so many good games though, with every team really trying their best.
Who was the most excited when DD finally tapped out?
Everyone. Our TeamSpeak got very loud!
Do you think that you being teammates with most of DD.Dota members helped in figuring out their strat today? I mean you guys even predicted an amazing rotation from the Bane in game one.
No. Both the game and the players have developed a lot since then, so I can't really use the past as any sort of reference. They're a different team now with different drafts and two other players. We based our play on what we had seen previously in the tournament only.
Prior to the grand final, your team lost straight games earlier in the playoffs. What has changed since and what sort of preparation were made to face them again?
After the loss to DD, we had a talk about what didn't work out, and what direction we needed to take from there. We immediately got the hang of it--particularly movement and communication--and really stepped up our game against EG and onward in the tournament.
Seems like the talk really worked in game one and game two. Considering that you just joined the team and some might not know about this, are you responsible for drafting and calling the shots in-game like you did in mTw?
I'm doing the drafting in cooperation with the team, but of course I have to make the decision in the end. As for calling in game, I feel we are all good at making calls and seeing openings in the map--particularly FATA- is amazing at finding and setting up gangs in my opinion.
Thanks for clearing that up. Let's dwelve into the games of the grand final a little more. Is this your first time seeing a team pick Razor against you? What are your thoughts on it? Do you think the hero will catch on in the competitive scene?
Razor is a very situational pick which we haven't faced (apart from perhaps in one scrim or so) since I joined Mouz. He does exceptionally well against Lone Druid in lane, particularly when he gets the Living Armor from Treant Protector which DD loves playing with. Draining the bear with static link allows him to completely control the lane, dealing massive damage giving him a significant farm lead. Razor is also a good Mekansm and Pipe carrier, so he can work very well in push line-ups, as we saw in game 3 of the grand finals.
Regardless of the surprise pick, you guys still won rather convincingly in game one. Game three however, was not smooth sailing for your team since the Treant was able to keep everybody on DD alive. Do you think you guys were outdrafted in that game?
We made a big mistake in how we laned in that game. We should have had Lone Druid top or jungle, and easy-laned the trilane. It would have been a totally different game. We were not outdrafted in my opinion.
How do you think the factor of team morale comes into play in such an important game? You guys must be over the moon after winning game one and game two while DD were most possbily at an all-time low.
Morale is a factor that cannot be underestimated. It's so incredibly important in order to stay focused and play your best. Seemingly it didn't hurt DD too much though, as they bounced back hard in game 3. They're a very disciplined team, hats off to them.
How was the morale of your team when you saw Gyrocopter dishing out 300 damage per hits in game four? Did you cringe or was the adrenaline just way too high to notice?
We had seen him picking up the Demon Edge earlier, so I was making sure we checked him consistently to see whether he turned it into a Divine Rapier. When we saw that, we were more cautious on pushing their base. We kept cool and stayed focused on winning the game. That opening came at Roshan, which they were pretty much forced to contest.
So now that the Western qualifier is over, let's talk a little about your thoughts on the Eastern qualifier. Who do you think will be taking up the 15th spot and why? Who will be the wildcard from East?
I'm going to go for Vici Gaming as first place and LGD second, but it could easily be the other way around. I think they're both strong teams with exceptional coordination.
Do you think the punishment for LGD is rather harsh? I'm not exactly sure if you have been following the Asian scene but what do you think of LGD's performance after the roster change?
I'm happy that Valve is being persistent about the roster stability. They are inviting the teams this way, not the organisations, I feel. With a change in their roster after the invite, it's not the same team they invited anymore. Luckily for LGD though, they're still looking strong, and will probably qualify.
Assuming that things really do go as you said, LGD will face DD for the wildcard spot in Seattle. Who will you be betting on for that match?
I'd be cheering for DD, but I would have to put my bet on LGD.
Have Valve contacted you about you casting The International 3 or perhaps they were expecting your team to crash and burn in the qualifiers before they ask?
I approached IceFrog and Tobi a while ago expressing my desire to commentate if I wouldn't be competing. Now I'll obviously be competing, so I will not be one of the main casters for the event. I'm still hoping to get to cast a few games if I'm available and they desire it.
Assuming that you don't, who would you like to see to co-cast alongside Tobi this year (think his co-caster is still missing)
I was very positively impressed by the VoDs I saw from the West Qualifiers with Aui2000 co-commentating. He's very knowledgable and a positively focused commentator--I feel that there has been an unfortunate development in the commentary over the last months in which there is too much focus on mistakes rather than praise of good plays. Anyway, Aui2000 will obviously be playing with Dignitas, so he's not a candidate either. Merlini could be a good choice, I think.
We heard from meruna that you have just finished your university. What are your future plans assuming that you stop playing in the future.
I've got the last exam on my BA in English with Media as side subject soon. After that, I'm taking at least one year off to dedicate fully to gaming and eSports. I'll see where that takes me, knowing that I can always fall back and go for a Master in English at a later point in time.
Would you be more inclined to play or stream?
I plan on doing both in addition to coaching and guides, and perhaps a weekly show or two. We'll see!
What are the flavours and the underperforming heroes all throughout the qualifier?
If by flavours you mean the heroes which got most attention which generally don't, I suppose it would be Slark and Treant. Most underperforming I really don't know.
Well Magnus sort of went 5/15 in the western qualifier. Do you think the hero is starting to lose its effectiveness in the meta game? Why?
I'm surprised his statistics were that poor, but I don't think it can be attributed to hero itself. Teams are getting better at playing against it, and they are paying more attention to counterpicking it. It's still a very strong hero, though, and I think the reason it got such a bad win-loss is simply that the stronger teams of the tournament were more happy with giving it away. It's still top tier.
Considering that Asian teams haven't put Slark or Treant Protector on high regard, do you think Alliance and Liquid will bring this pocket strat and create massive upset in China next week?
It seems that the Asian scene is starting to appreciate top-tier Western picks more and more recently, particularly Gyrocopter and Wisp. As for Slark and Treant, I don't think they will make a splash, but it's possible that Liquid will pull the Slark out under the right circumstances.
Alright won't keep you any longer SyndereN. Once again, congratulations on the win and the invite. Will you like to say something to your former teammates and perhaps a shoutout to your fans?
Shoutout to DD Dota; I'm very impressed with your performance in the tournament and wish you best of luck in upcoming tournaments as well as the TI3 wildcard match. A big thanks to my team for playing solid Dota under pressure, and for building up synergy with me in the team so quickly. Shoutout to meruna and all my friends who have backed me up and followed the qualifier. Shoutout to mousesports and our sponsors BenQ, GeIL, Razer and Thortech for their support, and last but not least, shoutout to all the fans who we already had or gained along the way, who cheered us on and believed in our victory. I really appreciate it.
Synderen doesn't just play Lina, he becomes Lina
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