Interview with World Elite's solo laners Caomei and suk1m

@suk1M: Many people in the west don't know who you are. What are you origins and how did you end up filling the shoes of Misaya?



suk1M: I’ve been playing for a team called the RS, but the team disbanded for some reasons a few months ago. Then I happened to be found by Team WE after that dissolution, so I got into this big family fortunately.

@suk1M: Despite how mysterious the Chinese scene has been in the west due to lack of exposure, "Misaya" was a name everyone knew about. In his prime, he was the best player in the world and had discipline that was unheard of at the time, such as mentally counting the TF card rotation. How does it feel to step in and fill that legacy? Were you really nervous in doing so due to high standards that were

likely set for you?



suk1M: Misaya has always been one of the top players who deserve my respect and I have a lot to learn from him. So I feel really stressed when I need to fill his position in Team WE, however, I also regard it as a kind of recognition and motivation.

@suk1M: In the beginning of this split of the LPL, You had the most MVP points in the entire league. Recently, Xiyang of OMG has been holding this position. For one, do you think Xiyang is currently the best mid laner in China? Secondly, do you think your fall from MVP is simply from playing stronger teams, or do you think you may be in a slump?

suk1M: I think that Xiyang is one of the greatest mid lane players. As a player, I will also try to make myself stronger and stronger. Actually, I don’t really care about the MVP points during the game, and compared to that, I’m more concerned about whether we could win the game. If we lose the game, the reason is more related to the whole team’s state and cooperation than just someone’s mistake.

@suk1M: You had a fair bit of success with Nidalee back in G-League but haven’t played it yet in the LPL. OMG has ran it 6 times and has won all 6 games, is there a reason you stopped playing this hero?

suk1m: Because of our team’s style, I prefer to pick those champions who are more aggressive when laning. On the contrary, the fact that Team OMG is more likely to choose Nidalee clearly shows that OMG’s style is more suitable to pick champions like Nidalee.

@suk1M/Caomei: IEM Katowice was the first time in a very long time you guys were able to prove your merit on a global scale. What do you think went wrong in those games and do you think having very little practice on recent patches was a huge factor in your performance? How do you feel you guys measure up on the global scale in an "ideal" situation?

suk1M: We did not play well in the game, possibly because we felt slightly nervous, didn’t get to know our opponents and our understanding about the latest version might be not exactly correct. In a word, there must be some reasons for our performance.



@suk1M/Caomei: Were there any teams you guys were able to scrim but weren't able to play in the tournament? If so, how did you feel about them and what went differently in scrims compared to the actual games?



suk1M: We didn’t do some training games with other participating teams before IEM. Once we played games with Team CW and Team SHC, I think they played really well and also gave us a lot of inspiration.



Caomei: WE have training games with WE.A frequently. They’ve done very good job with their individual strength & working together as a team. Both of us would like to try some totally different lineup and playing method during the training games. I believe it will be amazing if we two meet in a formal game (actual tournament game) because we are quite familiar with each other.

@suk1M/Caomei: On the topic of recent patches, China used to be known to be a very innovative region last year, which also seems to have slowed down this season as more "conventional" picks have been chosen in the LPL with a few exceptions. Is being behind in patches also to blame for this?



Suk1M: There must be a certain influence. However, because we came from different areas, we picked different champs according to different understanding.



Caomei: Of course it does influence us. For instance, recently TEAM WE was invited to join the IEM World Championship 2014 in Poland. The game server version of IEM is two patches ahead that of LPL, even one more ahead than our Chinese game server. Beginning with the BAN/PICK part, WE have already been at a disadvantage and then also dealt with unfamiliar lineups and new playing methods without preparation.

@suk1M/Caomei: From a spectator's standpoint, LPL looked a bit stronger as a league in 2013. How badly do you think the massive roster changes teams were undergoing after worlds affected the region?



suk1M: I believe veteran teams won’t be weakened due to the personnel changes, but the personnel changes might work efficiently to improve the some team’s strength.



Caomei: Each team has their own complete system or playing method. Infusing new blood is a good way to grow the overall strength of a team by integrating with the team members.

@Suk1m/Caomei: Lately, there have been allegations that WE Academy could potentially be stronger than the main line-up. What do you have to say about this, and how do you feel about the strength of the Chinese “amateur” scene?



suk1M: In my opinion, Team WE.A is a very strong and aggressive team. So we will keep trying hard and keep not falling behind them. China has the largest number of LOL players, but now we still have a lot to do to keep up with South Korea.



Caomei: We’ll try our best not to be exceeded. LOL.

@Caomei: Your previous analyst "Aaron" had recently crossed shores over to EDG, how has this affected the strategy and chemistry of the team? Would you say the team operates a lot differently than it used to?



Caomei: He is quite familiar with WeiXiao and I about our playing method which would set us some challenge competing with EDG in the formal game. But actually it doesn't make much difference in the team management.

@Caomei: You've been with World Elite since its prime status. Everyone remembers the unstoppable World Elite from IPL5, for instance. What do you think needs to happen within the team to get back to that point?



Caomei: The most important thing is to keep confidence and work hard as much as possible.

@suk1M: How do you feel about the new BO2 format utilized in the LPL over the more standard "LCS-esque" format of four BO1 games every day? Do you think this is a better guage of team skill and mental fortitude or do you prefer how it was previously?



suk1M: BO2 system is a more severe test about the spirit of the whole team and mental qualities of the team members. For example, a good attitude adjustment is necessary after they lose the first game and then keeping calm in the next one without letting it affect execution.

@suk1M/Caomei: Are there any players from other regions you respect and look up to as players?



Caomei: Shy of CJ Frost, Soaz of Fnatic and Impact of SKT T1. I respect those players.



suk1M：I especially like Alex and Diamond from GMB，Faker and Piglet from SKT TI，their personal skill is at the top of the world.

@suk1M/Caomei: If you were to truthfully create a Chinese "All-Star" team similar to how it was done last year, which five players would you pick with the scene in its current state?



Caomei: Weixiao or UZI for AD Carry, FZZF for Support, Cool for AP Carry, WE.A soist for Jungle, and no doubt I will be the TOP player. LOL.



suk1M: If you let me choose the Chinese Allstar，I’d choose GOGOING，CLEARLOVE，COOL，WX and PYL.

@suk1M/Caomei: Thank you so much for the interview. Are there any last words or shoutouts you'd like to make before we close this out?



Caomei/suk1M: We are very grateful to our sponsor GIGABYTE & our fans. We’ll keep trying.



QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS: (Answer in 1 word if you can!)

Caomei:

Favorite food：meat

Favorite player： myself

Most memorable tournament：all matches in IPL5

Favorite Animal： dog

Most enjoyable hero：Olaf

Most annoying hero： Shaco

Biggest fear： cockroach

Favorite music：爱我别走

suk1m:

Favorite food：chicken

Favorite player： GMB Diamond

Most memorable tournament：WE vs OMG (Demacia Cup)

Favorite Animal： dog

Most enjoyable hero：Ezreal

Most annoying hero： Heimerdinger

Biggest fear： Snake

Favorite music： MASYUME CHASING（BoA)











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