Heading into the 2019 LCS Summer Split, 100 Thieves was one of the few teams to make significant roster moves during the offseason. Before Spring, the organization was heavily favored by many to clinch a top-four spot in the regular season at the very least, given they’d signed two-time World Champion Bae “Bang” Jun-sik to at the end of 2018. They failed to deliver on the star-studded lineup and ended the split with a disappointing finish in dead last.





We had the opportunity to speak with 100T’s veteran support player and shotcaller, Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black, about the recent changes to the team and their goals for the Summer Split. Aphromoo joined 100T at the end of 2017 after nearly a five-year stint with CLG, and has since played a large leadership role within the team. As the LCS 2019 Summer Split kicks off and Worlds implications are on the line, he told Upcomer that his new teammates, especially jungler Maurice “Amazing” Stückenschneider, will provide exactly what 100T need to succeed.





Interview performed by Aaron Mickunas; article written by Nicholas Ray.





Could you explain, if you could, what happened to Choi "huhi" Jae-hyun after the Spring Split?





Aphromoo: Why he left? Still a mystery for me. I think it’s just a coaching staff decision. Had to do with general management. They just wanted to go with Soligo, a rookie mid laner, I suppose. Especially since our coach played mid before, so he probably just has a better idea with what kind of player he wants as a mid laner. So I didn’t really have any effect on that besides him coming over first, which was like, yeah, okay, cool. I’ve worked with this guy before, really love to play with him, thought it would work out in Spring, and it didn’t. It happens.





Most of the teams I spoke to that struggled in spring attributed it to communication issues. Was that the case for 100 Thieves?





Hm... I think it’s usually a major part of when professional teams do lose. Their communication is just complete ass. Yeah, I think spring was just not everybody was on the same page and other than that, we couldn’t really find a solution, so we were just bottom of the barrel the whole time, even though we were trying to claw up.

Definitely just had to go into Summer Split changing everything. Can’t really have the same perspective, mindset on how to play the game.





Photo via Riot Games





Can you tell me about head coach Neil “pr0lly” Hammond’s style and how you think that might change going into the Summer Split, if at all?





He wants his players to be honest, he definitely wants to do what his players want to do, you know? But he always isn’t afraid to give his opinion, does his best to study up on VODs, and then either gives you ideas and sees if it works for you or not. Because, you know, maybe other players play a different style better than what he’s watching for his player in that position. After that, I think every coach has to mediate most of the time. Like relationships for everyone on the team.





Does he only mediate for players?





Just between players, yeah. So like if you’re working on topside control, that’s like the jungler and top laner working together and the coach works on that. I think that’s pretty normal for every coach and I think his main things are just making sure his players are honest, and definitely always wants you to be learning no matter what. And he’s definitely a big stickler on “don’t be complacent” and he’ll know when you’re complacent. He’ll start poking you and saying, “what are you doing?” He definitely wants you to play in the top percentile.





Do you think he focuses more on playing to your strengths, patching up weaknesses, or both?





Hm... don’t think we go over stuff like that. Whatever the meta is and obviously people are stronger in what they wanna do. But he’s just more so focused on what the player wants to do. And if there’s something that’s just, like, completely fucking us then he’ll start bringing it up and ask the hard questions. How do you wanna counter this if we don’t have an answer? Do you wanna play it? Do you wanna counter it?





Photo via Riot Games





100 Thieves publishes a lot of content. Anyone who knows anything about your team life or atmosphere is looking through a very specific lens. How is the 100 Thieves team atmosphere? Do you guys goof around a lot and go out of your way to hang out with one another outside of the game? Or is it very professional and work-like?





I think spring was professional I guess. This split we have Amazing now, and he always wants to go out, so were doing more of that. In terms of content, it’s just whatever. We're just used to it. I think this year is definitely going to be a more active and outgoing team mainly because of Amazing. He’s all about that life; wants to make sure people go out. Talks all the time. Especially him as a person, he’s just like super cool.





So how do you feel about the acquisition then? Do you think his playstyle works with you guys?





Yeah. I didn’t know what to expect before we started playing, of course. I didn’t know what his style was or anything. I played against him back in the day, but him coming into the deal, he’s definitely super vocal. It’s definitely a big plus since I'm on the bottom side of the map for the first 15 minutes I can't really say too much for the top side of the map. So having him as a vocal point early on, especially since he's the jungler, just helps a lot. I love that. And especially when we group up, it’s basically back and forth and I definitely prefer that with my jungler. He has an opinion, I have an opinion, we go set up the map for the play. And just in the first two weeks while we’ve been doing scrims, definitely, obviously everyone has different ideas, but he has how to play it and what we wanna do.





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I think going into the summer, it’s important to hash out everything and have a new style so we’re just trying to think different perspective, playing differently, and definitely want to not repeat the same mistakes that we were doing.





So he’s, I assume from how you described him, a big voice in the comms. Would you say that 100 Thieves’ comms are generally kind of louder? Or is him coming in and adding another voice something that was sorely needed?





It was sorely needed for sure. Definitely needed a jungler who can talk a lot and run the early game. I think that’s just a general strategy for League of Legends. Your jungler needs to be able to be super vocal because you’re farming creeps in the jungle. They don’t do anything, they’re in pathing Nirvana, and then you gotta talk to your teammates. Let’s do this, let’s do that, I wanna do this. And since, you know, the EU meme is that everybody’s toxic and flaming everybody.





Is it? I didn’t know that.





Almost every EU player like lowkey flames everybody. But since we play with him on a team it’s so funny. Like, he’s in the middle. Not too soft, not too flamey. He’ll tell you when you’re fucking up at any point in the game. I’m not a part of the play, but when he’s topside he’s like, “Wow that was fucking bad bro, like holy shit.”

But he definitely helps you and gives you more confidence and helps people play better. Like “Oh yeah, I really fucked up and he saw it. I gotta play better.”





Photo via Riot Games





Did he, once he was recruited, come over to the states for a little while and hang out with you guys? Or has he been over in Europe this whole time?





He was over in Europe. We all just came back at the same time.





So basically all the contact that you had with him up until a couple weeks ago was just--





Nothing.





Nothing? Ok. Well it’s good that he’s meshing really well, then.





Well, yeah, I trust the general manager, you know? They do what they think is best and even if you hate someone you still gotta make it work.





Would you say that AnDa didn’t have that voice that you guys needed? Or was it just less impactful?





AnDa still had a voice. I still consider AnDa a rookie, he was just doing his best, but what we did in spring was just, like, our style just didn’t work out. He’s really good, we saw that at Worlds last year. He was literally just smurfing on everyone. Just going into summer, basically we can't do the same thing, so coaching staff decided we needed to change junglers, still wanted Soligo, and Ssumday and Bang are just really good carries. This iteration going into summer, there's nothing less we can do. Since we were last place we can only go up.





Or at least straight forward.





<laughs> Yup.





Pr0lly and Nadeshot published a video at the end of spring saying that big changes would be made, but that the team’s morale was actually pretty good. What do you think? Was there something going on relationship wise that maybe wasn’t clicking? Or honestly were you guys just fine?





Hm... I don’t think anything was fine. But you can't just be sad all the time, so sometimes you gotta have some positivity. It was bad, for sure.









And did it come down to mostly just losing?





Yeah, it's always just the losing. We were last place, bro <laughs>. We were sad all the time, but we have to have some happiness somewhere, though. If we go out to eat it’s like, you’re still alive, so gotta do something.

It just sucked, but people only remember your last performance. So there's nothing to lose unless we get 10th place again and then that’s fucking terrible.