As we roll on into the new year, esports looks to be growing exponentially. I sat down with Team Dignitas' Samayan 'BlinG' Kay to talk about his 2012, the state of the UK Scene and his plans for 2013. Fresh off of winning the ESET UK Masters and competing in HomeStory Cup VI, he reveals he plans to step it up this year.

Thanks for taking the time to talk. Coming off of a strong year that included first place finishes in both Multiplay UK i45 and ESET UK Masters, what would you say your highlights of 2012 have been?

BlinG: My highlights of 2012 have obviously been winning those two events. ESET UK Masters more than the i45 purely because it wasn't just the UK players battling it out like usual, there were actually a lot of strong, high level european players participating which made the win that much more enjoyable. Other than that, travelling all around the world to places like Las Vegas and New York was also a huge highlight for me. I always wanted to travel the world ever since I was a young padiwan, and now I've had the chance to do that whilst doing what I love, it feels pretty damn good!





Recently you competed in HomeStory Cup again, could you give us your thoughts on this unique tournament and your performance in it?

BlinG: HomeStory Cup is probably my favourite tournament to participate in. It was my third time attending and it just keeps getting more and more enjoyable. The relaxed atmosphere is something I really enjoy and the social aspect is also a great feature. You can interract with the players and fans easily and comfortably and it's just a real treat for everyone there. On to my performance, it could've gone better that's for sure.

I started off strong with a 2-0 against Dimaga, and was feeling good, sadly my PvP let me down and with the changed format for this particular HomeStory Cup, I had to meet Dimaga in a new bo3 where he ended up getting the better of me. I was quite frustrated after that loss as I threw the series away and it was mine to win. I always hope to do well when I enter tournaments and sadly I didn't do half as well as I would've hoped, which is a shame, but there's always next time!

HomeStory Cup saw Zergs take all four top places, a theme that has become all too common. What are your thoughts on the balancing issues facing the game at this time?

BlinG: The game is broken and has been for some time. I'm a strong Zerg hater and I can happily say I hate the race with a passion. HotS couldn't come any sooner haha.





I'll quietly not mention I'm a Zerg player then. If you could remove a map from the map pool, which would it be and why?

BlinG: This interview is over.

Just kidding haha.

If I could remove a map from the map pool it'd have to be Antiga Shipyard. Terran/Zerg are far too strong on it and for me it's almost impossible to win on it without cheesing or my opponent making a huge mistake. Although in PvP its one of my favoured maps, so it's not all that bad, just definitely the worst for me.





What unit is your favourite to incorporate into play at the moment? and are there any Protoss units you'd like to see changed to be more viable?

BlinG: High templars I guess.. I can't really say I have a favourite unit, but HT's are always a pleasure to use against terran and zerg. There's not really a better feeling than storming terrans bio army or feedbacking full energy ghosts or infestors, it really does make me happy inside. As for a more viable unit, void rays would be pretty cool to use frequently. They're pretty much non existent now so yeah, they'd be a fun unit to use more.





As one of the most prominent British players of Starcraft 2, and a national tournament regular, how do you think the UK Scene compares to others?

BlinG: In terms of skill, it's definitely not the worst. But compared to nations like Sweden and Germany or Poland, we're not quite there yet. In terms of community though, it's getting better, a lot better infact. With ESET on the scene now it's only going to get bigger, which makes me really happy as i've always tried to be apart of the UK community and help it grow so it's enjoyable to see and be apart of.

Agreed, Do you have a particular practice partner or teammate you train with?

BlinG: Nope, I just ladder, that's it.





As we enter 2013, which many think will be the biggest year for esports we've seen, can we expect to see you compete even more?

BlinG: I'd like to hope so. I'm going to step it up a lot this year, I'm feeling really motivated right now and I'm going to put in as much effort as possible to become a better player. I'll try to qualify and participate in as many events as I can and hopefully grab a cheeky win or two aswell!





Excellent news. You said it can't come fast enough, so I assume you're liking the HotS beta so far?

BlinG: Heh, well actually I haven't played any of it yet, but i'm waiting for everyone to switch over so I can get stuck in. From what i've seen and heard it's a completely new game which makes it really exciting for me. I also heard Parting say that Protoss were Imba a month or so ago, so if it stays that way, I'm going to be a very happy bunny!





Dealing with Protoss at the moment is less than fun. Lastly, any message for your supporters or anyone else for that matter?

BlinG: Just the usual shout outs to my fans, Mum, ODEE, TotalBiscuit and Team Dignitas and all of our Sponsors!

Well thanks for taking the time to talk to us, and best of luck in 2013!

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