With Epsilon's crowning as the 2016 Smite World Champions, Smite eSports will be on hiatus for a while. During the lull following SWC, we decided to speak with the members of our Smite team to see how they're preparing for the upcoming season and get to know them a little better. First up is our mid laner, Lewis "ShadowNightmare" Farrell. Keep reading to get his thoughts on the team, the impending season 3 changes, his favorite gods, the proper competitive mindset, and so much more!

You’ve been with Team Dignitas for a while now. How have you experienced your stay compared to previous teams that you’ve been on? Any significant differences?

ShadowNightmare: My stay at Team Dignitas has been much more welcoming and family-like compared to other teams. In previous teams, rosters were changed all the time because we were always looking for the best players. However, here at DIG, we stick together and work on the problems. If something goes wrong, we all sit down together and talk about it instead of looking to change the roster.

What are your thoughts on the team's performance in the Fall Split? What are some things you did well, and what are some areas to improve?

ShadowNightmare: I feel like the team performed really well. Despite not making it to Worlds and having a rough season, our performance at the Super Regionals LAN was very impressing. We just need to work on our objective fights, as these are what let us down at the LAN.

What do you think of the season 3 changes?

ShadowNightmare: The changes look very promising and is a step in the right direction for season 3, however I just hope Hi-Rez actually capitalizes on the problems within the game instead of changing unnecessary things to make the game seem more interesting.

What gods and items do you think are in need of balance changes and why?

ShadowNightmare: Every Warrior/Guardian god and every item that gives defence. As it stands now, you can purchase bulks of defence at such a cheap price (Breastplate of Valor for example) and become unkillable. This is due to the protection cap being extremely high combined with the lack of penetration within the game. There aren't enough viable penetration items in the game to counter the bulk stacking of defence, which results in Warriors becoming unkillable and killing every carry in the game, as seen at SWC.

What attracted you to Smite, and why did you fall in love with the mid lane specifically?

ShadowNightmare: Originally Smite was my go-to game while I waited for the release of Guild Wars 2, however I actually started to enjoy it more and more so I continued playing. This was when there was no jungler, instead it was 3 lanes (2-1-2). I hated relying on a lane partner as PUG matchmaking was unreliable, so I opted to go mid so I could focus on my own skill as a player without relying on somebody else.

Who was the first god you remember playing? Do you still play him/her today?

ShadowNightmare: My first god was Anubis. I just remember dying to some random spells and thinking “This is OP, Im playing this” and I just played Anubis until I became a semi-pro. Unfortunately, Anubis isn’t viable in the current meta.

Who is your favourite god and why?

ShadowNightmare: Janus. He has high damage and high mobility, which allows me to make flashy plays. Plus he has cool skins.

For a less serious question, who is your favourite god to feed with and why?

ShadowNightmare: He Bo. His death animation is pretty cool, so I have to watch it at least 11 times.

Looking forward to next season, what is the team doing to prepare?

ShadowNightmare: Right now we're currently waiting for the season 3 patch. Once that hits, we're going to be scrimming every day of the week as well as theory crafting in our own time to get ahead of the meta.

In your opinion, what makes a good Smite player?

ShadowNightmare: Having individual mechanical skill as well as being able to read your opponents AND teammates. Reading your opponents is an obvious one but a lot of people disregard reading your teammates. When you know your teammates' play styles and thought processes, you already know what they will do in a situation and you can easily work together with little communication. (AKA synergy)

For aspiring Smite pros, what are some good practices to have, as well as ways to get noticed in the competitive scene?

ShadowNightmare: The obvious one is to be good at the game, but secondly, and this is probably the most important thing: Don’t be annoying in ranked. The only way to really get recognised is by playing ranked, and no team is going to pick up a player that flames every game or thinks they’re good at the game and disregards everyone else’s opinion. Having a good attitude is more important than being good if you want to get recognised. Be open to other people’s suggestions and help others if they need it.

How do you approach your SPL games? Do you take it one game at a time, or are you always looking towards playoffs/SWC?

ShadowNightmare: We're always looking for the end goal but to get there we have to get through all the “mini-bosses” before we can take on the final “raid.” Because of this, we focus heavily on each individual game to ensure we have the best chance of winning. We use the week to practice picks and bans for that specific match up.

For the more frustrating times, what are some methods you use to stay calm and focused?

ShadowNightmare: Just take a break. If things start to get frustrating, just stop playing. Take a break or even the day off, and come back with a fresh mind and fresh ideas.

Finally, what do you do outside the game? Any hobbies or special interests?

ShadowNightmare: I’m a full time student so the rest of my schedule is either doing work or going to the gym.

Thanks for the interview! Any shoutouts or social media plugs?

ShadowNightmare: Shoutouts to all the fans that support us! It really helps keep us motivated and shoutouts to you guys at Dignitas for supporting us AND the smite scene as much as you do. It really means a lot to us as players.

You can check out an example of the LAN performance that ShadowNightmare mentioned in the video below. This was the first game in their best of 5 set against Paradigm at the Super Regionals, where they secured the first W of the series and started out strong! The team would later go on to defeat Titan and take home the 5th place spot!