riptide Profile Joined July 2007 679 Posts #1



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20 Questions



20 Answers



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Team Zephyr are the true hometown heroes of Dota 2. A team of progamers, pubstars, and personalities, in the few months they've been together, they've journeyed from America to South Korea, from hopefuls to heroes.



While Blitz, Purge and SexyBamboe were community figures long before Zephyr, the formation of the team gave us a chance to see Eosin and Corey in action. The latter in particular has really impressed fans since of late, and is now well and truly a rising star in the North American scene.





Presenting your NSL S3 Champions! Presenting your NSL S3 Champions!



Recently we



Thanks to Blitz, Purge, Corey, Bamboe, and Eosin for taking the time to answer and to all of you for submitting great questions!



20 Questions

You You asked the questions ! The answers are below.



20 Answers



For Corey: How much does your back hurt after every game from carrying your team so damn hard? [climax]



Corey: Luckily, I can always rely on Blitz to give me a sensual back massage after a long day of carrying. On a more serious note, I would consider myself a failure if I wasn’t carrying the team as a carry player. That’s what my job is. It also greatly helps that Bamboe plays a (questionable, at times) space-creating style.





For Blitz: We all know that you are a skilled Storm Spirit player. Now what are the important tips that you could give to players who are learning Storm Spirit? [goody153]



Blitz: Try to hit every single overload charge, be aggressive with remnant early, and above all else be smart with your mana. If you can walk 4-5 steps and then ball in, it’s almost always going to be better then immediately ulting in, as it’ll run through your mana so quickly. Conservative and smart play is the way that I got about it, and most of playing Storm is just playing it a lot and gaining as much experience as you can.





What does your average "work day" like? How much time do you guys spend doing scrims and looking over replays? Do you watch replays as a group or is it more of a solo player deal? [Warcry]









Corey: I don’t think we scrim as much as we would like to. Most of our time as of late is spent playing pubs - and to be honest, I think pubs are an undervalued form of practice. I truly believe that the horrors I confront in pubs will adequately prepare me for even the most difficult match. Corey: "I think pubs are an undervalued form of practice."



Bamboe: I usually wake up, play pubs/watch some random show till we're able to find a scrim. That's usually around 7-8pm then we scrim at least 3 games+ and usually after that if necessary we review some of the replays and tell each other who did what wrong and what could have been done better. It's mostly a group thing if its going over a scrims replay, but if we watch opponents replays its almost always solo.





Eosin: Play pubs and stream until its time to scrim then scrim until late at night. Sometimes we individually review replays when necessary and review replays together when necessary.





Purge: Finding scrims throughout the day is difficult in SEA, so we usually play pubs during the day and scrim at night. Blitz: We try and individually pub as much as possible, mainly solo queuing because queuing as a team doesn’t really improve your individual skill. Then we play scrims together from around 8pm-2am or whenever we can get games. For big matches we watch replays individually then discuss it as a group, and give each other our thoughts.Corey: I don’t think we scrim as much as we would like to. Most of our time as of late is spent playing pubs - and to be honest, I think pubs are an undervalued form of practice. I truly believe that the horrors I confront in pubs will adequately prepare me for even the most difficult match.Bamboe: I usually wake up, play pubs/watch some random show till we're able to find a scrim. That's usually around 7-8pm then we scrim at least 3 games+ and usually after that if necessary we review some of the replays and tell each other who did what wrong and what could have been done better. It's mostly a group thing if its going over a scrims replay, but if we watch opponents replays its almost always solo.Eosin: Play pubs and stream until its time to scrim then scrim until late at night. Sometimes we individually review replays when necessary and review replays together when necessary.Purge: Finding scrims throughout the day is difficult in SEA, so we usually play pubs during the day and scrim at night.





All #PowerOfFriendship jokes aside, it’s obvious that there is great camaraderie between the five of you, in contrast with many other teams that have consistent or intermittent infighting.



What traits make the other four guys great teammates, both inside and outside the game? I would love to hear from each of you, speaking about the other four. [Beirut]









Corey: Blitz is the guy who motivates us to succeed as a team more than anyone else. He constantly nags at us and reminds us when we need to get our act together. I think this is undoubtedly a positive thing for our team (some of us are on the lazy side, to put it mildly.) The best (and worst) thing about Bamboe is that he is never, ever afraid to speak his mind. This can sometimes lead to awkward moments, specifically in public places, but his attitude is very useful when it comes to team improvement. I see Eosin as Mr. Reliable, more or less. He always seems to have a level head and you can always count on him to stay unbiased in arguments. Purge is by FAR the most responsible out of all of us. For example, his sleep schedule is always on point and he does his laundry at least once a week. These are not things that the rest of us can brag about.



Bamboe: "Inside the game the biggest perk is that none of my teammates have any, or barely any ego."

Bamboe: Inside the game the biggest perk is that none of my teammates have any, or barely any ego. So it's really easy to say what went wrong, who could have done what better and whatnot and they are generally really accepting of criticism. It feels really different compared to all my other teams I've been on. So it's less likely to generate any bad blood between players about someone's playstyle/skill level being lacking. Outside the game, everyone's pretty chill except for the fact that nobody wants to go out and party at night. If I would have to describe every person in a couple words, Blitz: Didn't get enough hugs when he was young, Eosin: Dumbass, Corey: Easy going, Purge: The dad of the team.



Eosin: No matter who you play with in dota there will always be heated moments, but we’re able to talk things out when necessary. Outside of dota everyone is really chill, we have fun joking around all the time so that everyday isn’t dull and repetitive. If I had to sum everyone up with a word I’d say Bamboe is an idiot, Purge is responsible, Blitz is repetitive, and Corey is Corey.





Purge: I think the most important thing to being on a team is being able to take criticism about your play and work through issues together when things get tense. No one has ever seriously said something out of spite, which is something I’m very grateful of everyone for. We are always moving forward when we have discussions. I can imagine how volatile a team could become because of weak conflict resolution. Blitz: Corey is quiet, calm, and always knows what to do and doesn’t require a whole lot of direction. In person, he is agreeable and if you ask him to do something (aside from cooking) he’ll do it without complaint. Bamboe is the most stubborn, prideful, human being ever, which means he refuses to lose games and doesn’t ever concede. He is always quick to flame and doesn’t mind trading flame at all. Eosin is kind of our clown, he makes random jokes in and out of game that keep us calm and in a good mood. He also does dishes a lot which owns. Purge is the one that listens the most without complaint, and takes direction easily. He doesn’t really argue about much and he kind of just lets things go. As a person, easily one of the best people outside of the game that I know. Calm, calculated, and smart.Corey: Blitz is the guy who motivates us to succeed as a team more than anyone else. He constantly nags at us and reminds us when we need to get our act together. I think this is undoubtedly a positive thing for our team (some of us are on the lazy side, to put it mildly.) The best (and worst) thing about Bamboe is that he is never, ever afraid to speak his mind. This can sometimes lead to awkward moments, specifically in public places, but his attitude is very useful when it comes to team improvement. I see Eosin as Mr. Reliable, more or less. He always seems to have a level head and you can always count on him to stay unbiased in arguments. Purge is by FAR the most responsible out of all of us. For example, his sleep schedule is always on point and he does his laundry at least once a week. These are not things that the rest of us can brag about.Bamboe: Inside the game the biggest perk is that none of my teammates have any, or barely any ego. So it's really easy to say what went wrong, who could have done what better and whatnot and they are generally really accepting of criticism. It feels really different compared to all my other teams I've been on. So it's less likely to generate any bad blood between players about someone's playstyle/skill level being lacking. Outside the game, everyone's pretty chill except for the fact that nobody wants to go out and party at night. If I would have to describe every person in a couple words, Blitz: Didn't get enough hugs when he was young, Eosin: Dumbass, Corey: Easy going, Purge: The dad of the team.Eosin: No matter who you play with in dota there will always be heated moments, but we’re able to talk things out when necessary. Outside of dota everyone is really chill, we have fun joking around all the time so that everyday isn’t dull and repetitive. If I had to sum everyone up with a word I’d say Bamboe is an idiot, Purge is responsible, Blitz is repetitive, and Corey is Corey.Purge: I think the most important thing to being on a team is being able to take criticism about your play and work through issues together when things get tense. No one has ever seriously said something out of spite, which is something I’m very grateful of everyone for. We are always moving forward when we have discussions. I can imagine how volatile a team could become because of weak conflict resolution.





How is it like living together for so long? Do you get on each other's nerves often? Do you guys try to give each other some time alone every day? Has the pre/post match tension been a problem? [MrGrimReaper]



Blitz: We get on each other's nerves sometimes, and we argue like any group of people that live together. It’s usually fairly minor. I’m a mid player so I’m naturally a diva and I want things done, and Bamboe has the most experience, and he has a certain way of doing things and sometimes it clashes with my way of doing things, but it’s never permanent. We get along like friends more than teammates I’d say. We eat together, flame each other together, play together, and we hang out together. We also have outside influences like Chobra who keeps us relatively grounded.





Corey: Living with other people is a brand new experience for me. I’ve already learned a great deal about personal responsibility, among other things. In addition to that, as a result of being forced to repress my introverted tendencies, I think I have become a more social animal. The pre/post match tension is noticeable, but never something that hinders our development on the whole. We get an absolutely ridiculous amount of help from Bitz’s family.





Bamboe: Having lived in a team house before this, the experience isn't really new to me so I had somewhat of an idea of what I was getting myself into. It's usually the first few weeks that everyone has to get to know each other and get used to everyone's ways of doing things but after that if there aren’t any major issues it gets pretty chill. After having had a couple of minor issues and being able to get past them, the atmosphere got better every time. So now it feels more like a group of friends living together than being teammates. And I get to flame the shit out of Eosin everyday so I got that going for me.





Eosin: It’s not bad. Everyone is fun to hang out with and live with. Of course nothing is ever perfect, there are always minor issues that arise in and out of dota but nothing big enough to push anyone over the edge. The house is also large enough for people to have their own space so its pretty nice. It's also great that Blitz’s family is here to help us, as well as Chobra.





Purge: We all get along with each other really well, so I don’t feel that pressured by being around them every day. We joke around all of the time (even during drafts of big matches), so it helps keep everyone lighthearted.





Who is the most tryhard on the team? Least tryhard? [plasmidghost]

Blitz: Most tryhard in game is probably Bamboe because he does the in game captaining etc. Least tryhard has to be Steven, because hes naturally talented at everything he plays.





Corey: Bamboe is the most tryhard in matches, he communicates a great deal more than anyone else and calls the shots. In terms of trying hard to improve, I think Eosin and Purge are more willing to accept and thoroughly analyze their mistakes compared to the rest of us. In all honesty, I’m probably the least tryhard.





Bamboe: Not including myself I would say Eosi. He has improved a lot as a support since he first started and has tried improving himself in practice games the most.





Eosin: It's hard to say who’s the most tryhard and least tryhard. I think everyone puts a fair amount of effort into this.





Who speaks the most Korean (besides Blitz)? Is anyone really trying to learn the language? Purge: "Corey can sound out/read korean characters and Blitz is illiterate but can speak Korean, so with their powers combined they become 1 actual Korean person."



Corey: 한국말 잘 못해요.. ㅠ.ㅠ I was utterly shocked when I found out that Blitz could speak Korean fluently but not read or write. It would be stupidly easy for him to learn.



Bamboe: Probably Corey. He can read some things which helps a bit when we don't have blitz around and are completely clueless. I really wanna learn the language but i never really got into it so hopefully one day when i'm not lazy!





Eosin: Apart from hello and thank you none of us have a clue except Corey, he knows a tiny bit and can read.





Purge: Corey can sound out/read korean characters and Blitz is illiterate but can speak Korean, so with their powers combined they become 1 actual Korean person.





How do you feel the standard of Korean Dota 2 is at the moment? How fast is it improving, and do you think it will catch up with the West and China as it did in LoL? [ _SpiRaL_]







Corey: It’s obvious to anyone who plays against the top Korean teams that there are some undeniably talented players here. Unfortunately, I feel like most of these players are being held back by the unstable nature of the scene. Because of the large amount of team hopping, gossip, and general hostility amongst players, I see the Korean scene as somewhat of a mirror image of the North American scene. Stability is key here: once teams can form stable rosters, the Koreans will be frightening contenders. Eosin: "I remember the first season of NSL compared to now. It's a giant leap forward. I think by the end of the year [Korean teams will] be able to compete with others."



Bamboe: The Koreans actually impressed me a lot. When I watched from home it looked like they weren't even close to any top teams in terms of skill. But after actually facing them and seeing how they play I can say that they aren't as far behind the top teams as everyone thinks. They have been improving rapidly since I arrived here, and the only thing that they are lacking in my opinion is teamwork and execution. They could probably take games off tier 2ish teams at the moment. So I would say rather sooner than later.





Eosin: I think its moving at a decent rate. I remember the first season of NSL compared to now. It's a giant leap forward. I think by the end of the year they’ll be able to compete with others.





Purge: I think people really underestimate the skill level of the Korean scene. It isn’t close to the best global teams yet, and the top players are generally less individually skilled that the top players everywhere else, but there is good progress. It actually takes quite a bit of practice and skill to compete in the Korean scene, despite it being everyone’s favorite scene to look down upon. Blitz: It’s actually a lot stronger than people think. Birdgang got 4th at the Asian games, and they actually take games off strong teams like Mineski and Scythe. I think DotA is a game that requires experience more than mechanical skill, but I could see a Korean team being competitive within a year or two.Corey: It’s obvious to anyone who plays against the top Korean teams that there are some undeniably talented players here. Unfortunately, I feel like most of these players are being held back by the unstable nature of the scene. Because of the large amount of team hopping, gossip, and general hostility amongst players, I see the Korean scene as somewhat of a mirror image of the North American scene. Stability is key here: once teams can form stable rosters, the Koreans will be frightening contenders.Bamboe: The Koreans actually impressed me a lot. When I watched from home it looked like they weren't even close to any top teams in terms of skill. But after actually facing them and seeing how they play I can say that they aren't as far behind the top teams as everyone thinks. They have been improving rapidly since I arrived here, and the only thing that they are lacking in my opinion is teamwork and execution. They could probably take games off tier 2ish teams at the moment. So I would say rather sooner than later.Eosin: I think its moving at a decent rate. I remember the first season of NSL compared to now. It's a giant leap forward. I think by the end of the year they’ll be able to compete with others.Purge: I think people really underestimate the skill level of the Korean scene. It isn’t close to the best global teams yet, and the top players are generally less individually skilled that the top players everywhere else, but there is good progress. It actually takes quite a bit of practice and skill to compete in the Korean scene, despite it being everyone’s favorite scene to look down upon.





What is your opinion on team MVP HOT6? In every tournament they play, people seem to regard them as one of the top 2-3 best teams, but they haven't broken out yet. Are they not playing to their potential? [Carthac]



Blitz: I agree with Steven, they seem to lack in game direction and rely more on individual skill. We had the same issue before our loss to EoT, where we played mainly on our solo ability rather then as a unit, and I think once they learn how to change that they’ll be a top 5 team.





Corey: This goes back to my answer for question 8. HOT6 has always had some of the most skilled players, but I genuinely think they cannot be considered a top team until they finalize a roster and stick with it. The constant roster swapping is too much of a hindrance for them.





Bamboe: MVP HOT6 focusses more on solo plays then teamplay in my opinion. I feel like once they start playing more as a team they will be one of the best in the scene.





Eosin: I think individually they are very capable but I honestly believe they lack an in game captain is all.





If you had to rate the top 5 teams in Korea, who would they be? Most talented individual players and/or rising stars to look out for? [Shocae]



Blitz: I think the top 5 teams other then us would be 5inQ, MVP Phoenix, BirdGang, and EoT Hammer. The players that have impressed me the most are Cynical from 5inQ, QO, Reisen, Ryo, Chrissy, and Banhwa.





Corey: Just like Blitz said, 5inQ, MVP.Phoenix, Birdgang, EoT Hammer are generally considered to be the best teams. The players who stand out the most to me are Ryo, baNhwA, Danny, Carl, ReiSeN, and MP.



Bamboe: Same teams as everyone else said! And as for pure korean players ReiSeN is one sick dude, if he would hypothetically join a top team from the west he would probably do well as a support. For the others i'd say Forev and MP are pretty talented as well.





Eosin: Apart from ourselves I believe the other 4 would be 5inq, MVP phoenix, Birdgang, and EoT hammer at the moment.





Purge: I would say BirdGang, 5inQ, Zephyr, MVP.Phoenix and EoT.Hammer. I respect Cynical, Ryo, and Chrissy a lot as players.





What not-quite-pro player would you most like to play with, and why? [TheTenthDoc]









Corey: My good friend and former teammate, theory. Shoutout to FADED. I also seriously miss playing with my ex-Stay Free teammate and newly crowned Evil Genius, Zai.. Although I suppose he can be considered professional now - sorry for cheating!





Bamboe: Nebu1a and most of the DotaCommentaries group back in the day. I always had fun sharing stories while playing with them and just shittalking eachother.





Eosin: With Lumi probably, cause no matter what happens in a game I’ll probably laugh nonstop. Also he’s my long lost brother. Blitz: I’d like most to play with my girlfriend, as she panics really hard and it makes me really happy to play with her. Plus, anytime I do well she says I’m amazing and that makes me blush. She’s a Starcraft gamer at heart though so that’ll never happen.Corey: My good friend and former teammate, theory. Shoutout to FADED. I also seriously miss playing with my ex-Stay Free teammate and newly crowned Evil Genius, Zai.. Although I suppose he can be considered professional now - sorry for cheating!Bamboe: Nebu1a and most of the DotaCommentaries group back in the day. I always had fun sharing stories while playing with them and just shittalking eachother.Eosin: With Lumi probably, cause no matter what happens in a game I’ll probably laugh nonstop. Also he’s my long lost brother.





What do you feel differentiates/separates the level of your team, from the level of the other, established Western teams like Fnatic, Liquid, Na`Vi, Alliance? [Caladbolg]



Blitz: Experience more then anything. For a lot of the people on this team including myself, this is the first serious team we’ve ever been on. I think it’ll be tough to actually catch up. I remember EGM and I talked after our set vs Birdgang and he said we were okay, but we were laughing about if we had to play against each other. Mainly because I’d forgo the actual game and just target him. That’s why we’d lose, yeah, lets go with that.





Corey: We barely have any experience playing vs. Tier 1 teams, and we are a relatively new team. I think our biggest hurdle has been attempting to develop an unpredictable style. Once we feel more comfortable using a large array of strategies, I think we will be one step closer to Tier 1 teams.





Bamboe: Combined our individual skill and decision making isn't up to par. But i believe after a lot of practice and experience we will one day get there! (hopefully)





Eosin: Experience and individual skill (at least on my part). I’ve been playing in competitive for awhile but not enough in the highest level. Until we can get on Bamboe’s level we suck.





Purge: Individual skill and experience mainly. I’m currently having issues finding the balance between individual decision making and listening to directions. This hurts our early game. Sometimes I forget to buy wards too.





What do you think of your chances for TI4? What’s the game plan to get there? [ncsix] Blitz: "Obviously we have a long way to go, but the game plan is practice as much as we can individually until we’re up to snuff, and develop a style that we can constantly practice and get comfortable with."



Blitz: I think our chances of winning TI4 are nonexistent haha, and our chances of getting there are 5% if we continue to improve. Obviously we have a long way to go, but the game plan is practice as much as we can individually until we’re up to snuff, and develop a style that we can constantly practice and get comfortable with







Corey: I think it’s in our benefit to approach things one step at a time. TI4 is in the fairly distant future, and I haven’t put much attention towards it. Nonetheless, having the opportunity to play in such a prestigious tournament would be absolutely incredible. So if or when the time comes to play the qualifiers, I’ll give it my 110%.





Bamboe: It would be pretty cool to play at TI4. If were gonna get there one way or another you never know. Im not getting my hopes up but if it happens it happens! As for now were just trying to take it day by day and improve as much as we can individually and as a team.





Eosin: Try our best is all we can do, as far as chances go I think being in the qualifier is possible. Not sure about winning it just yet.





Purge:I think we have a good chance of playing in the TI4 qualifiers, but it really depends on which teams get direct invites, and how well we play at that point in time. I am skeptical of us winning the qualifier, but I would be extremely ecstatic for the opportunity if it came up.





In the only series you guys lost you had Bamboe on support and Eosin on offlane. What was the thinking behind the lane switch? [Count9]



Blitz: We didn’t really have a ‘do shit player’ on support, as Kevin and Steven were playing a bit tentatively, and so Bamboe decided to handle that duty. We eventually switched back because Steven got crushed by Chrissy 1v1, how the hell do you let a NP get a 12 minute phase, midas, shadow blade you dummy. We made fun of him so much for that.





Corey: We felt as if our supports weren’t moving around the map as well as they should have been. Something felt lacking about our early game too. Bamboe playing support alleviated these issues, but we quickly realized that we were undervaluing how much space he created as an offlane player. We tended to rely on him too heavily for initiating team fights and ganks. This is an issue that we still face.





Bamboe: Supports were playing to passive so I felt like we needed a change of pace. So I decided I would play support for at least a bit to make the games less passive in the early game and force more movement. It worked for a while until Chrissy demolished Eosin’s clockwerk. 0-9 #Neverforget.





Eosin: Our support was severely lacking so we had Bamboe do it for the time being and have myself playing a more passive offlane then reviewing the games to learn from it.





Purge: Eosin and I are inexperienced playing support, so Bamboe(formerly playing professional support) thought we could learn more by playing support with him, so rather than playing passive, we could follow his lead. We then found out that it was better to have his individual skill in 1v1 matchups(and 1v3) and to have us just get better at support.





How much pizza do you eat on average a week and what's the topping on them? [terrortant]









Corey: "I miss American pizza so much it hurts." Corey: I miss American pizza so much it hurts. I don’t think my teammates appreciate a good slice of pizza nearly as much as I do. I’m definitely willing to get screwed over value-wise, but the rest of the guys are more stingy when it comes to paying a pretty penny for a small amount of pizza (damn Korean portion sizes).





Bamboe: Pizza is overrated.





Eosin: We rarely eat pizza cause it’s honestly not very good. The toppings are usually standard but we’ve seen some with mayo and corn, really not my thing. Oh and its extremely expensive for good pizza.





Purge: We eat pizza really rarely in Korea. You should ask Eosin what percentage of his body mass is a result of deep fried breading, pork, and rice. I actually like the pizza though, these guys are korean pizza haters. Blitz: We have had pizza three times since we’ve been here, once we went to pizza hut and me and Corey ordered a medium pepperoni pizza, and it cost 15 dollars and it was a dinky, 4 slice pan pizza. What awful value. After that, we ordered some Korean chain for the Super bowl, and a random occasion and it contained such obvious toppings as mayo, corn, tater tots, and some weird red sauce and so we’ve refrained since then.Corey: I miss American pizza so much it hurts. I don’t think my teammates appreciate a good slice of pizza nearly as much as I do. I’m definitely willing to get screwed over value-wise, but the rest of the guys are more stingy when it comes to paying a pretty penny for a small amount of pizza (damn Korean portion sizes).Bamboe: Pizza is overrated.Eosin: We rarely eat pizza cause it’s honestly not very good. The toppings are usually standard but we’ve seen some with mayo and corn, really not my thing. Oh and its extremely expensive for good pizza.Purge: We eat pizza really rarely in Korea. You should ask Eosin what percentage of his body mass is a result of deep fried breading, pork, and rice. I actually like the pizza though, these guys are korean pizza haters.





Am I the only one who thinks that Corey looks like Woody Allen? [walsh_walsh]



Blitz: I LITERALLY SAID THIS TO HIM LIKE 2 WEEKS AGO AND HE SAID NO.





Corey: I have absolutely no plans to marry my Korean step-daughter.





Bamboe: I think its the glasses.





Eosin: More like Brad Pitt with glasses, and skinny.







SiZ.FaNtAsY wants to tour the teamhouse in person. Will he succeed? SiZ.FaNtAsY wants to tour the teamhouse in person. Will he succeed?



Are fans in Korea like me allowed to visit if we bring some fried chicken and beer? [SiZ.FaNtAsY]

Blitz: I am always down for fried chicken. I don’t like beer, but Bamboe and Kevin do, so if it’s good you’re allowed to come, just PM me your details and don’t be creepy.



Corey: Bring some pizza instead and we have a deal.





Bamboe: Beer sucks ass. Bring some real liquor/mixed drinks and i’m down!





Eosin: Ask Blitz, I can’t make these decisions, but I’m down to go out!





Purge: Meet me at the street corner with the goods in a black garbage bag and we can work something out.





Will you guys play in MPGL and if you do and somehow reach the LAN finals will you promise me that you and I will take a picture? [icystorage]









Corey: I don’t think we’ve ever refused a picture request.





Bamboe: Okiedokie.





Eosin: Of course! Blitz: If we end up reaching the LAN finals somehow, I’ll buy you a drink, and take a picture friend.Corey: I don’t think we’ve ever refused a picture request.Bamboe: Okiedokie.Eosin: Of course!





Are there any beliefs/theories you've held while casting or streaming that you've let go of since playing professionally? [EpiK]









Corey: I was never a big streamer or caster, so I’ve always had a player’s perspective. My beliefs regarding Dota haven’t changed much. I’m of the opinion that if a team of relatively ‘lower skilled’ players is incredibly synergistic, then that team is superior to a team with even the most star-studded roster. My experiences in Korea have done nothing but reinforce that opinion.





Bamboe: Can't really comment on this since I started as a professional player.





Eosin: I don’t think much has changed for me although I thought that people would like me more now that I’m competing on a team, but all I get is flamed on streams. Purge: "I’m sure that I could cast and call a game MUCH better now with all of this practice and advice from friends and teammates."





Purge: I definitely see things a little differently now. I relied too much on what I could see as a caster(basically all vision) to make my assumptions of what led to certain circumstances. I’m sure that I could cast and call a game MUCH better now with all of this practice and advice from friends and teammates. Playing at a higher level is a lot of prediction, and casting is more watching, so it can sometimes be bad for learning higher level dota(or at least this was the case for me).



I also now see the player side of the flame coin, after having experienced the caster side. I dare say it’s worse for them because competitive aspects are being introduced. So please, be nice to players as well. Blitz: About streaming, I used to judge people really unfairly. For example, if I saw someone popular in anything, I’d find an arbitrary reason to dislike them for their success or whatever stupid reason. I realize that if you’re streaming 7-8 hours a day, you are bound to say something you’ll regret, and I can only hope people are more mature than I am, and forgive me for that. I’d always say like, what a dumbass, I could do that better then him, or why does he have success when I’m better then him etc. I realize it boils down to what you’re willing to put in, and having the perseverance to continue to push through, and I have a greater respect for streamers and people that are in the spotlight constantly. I try not to post negative things about people in general anymore, because my mom and sister read through most of the comments that are posted about me, and I’d feel awful if something negative I said had to be read by someone's loved one.Corey: I was never a big streamer or caster, so I’ve always had a player’s perspective. My beliefs regarding Dota haven’t changed much. I’m of the opinion that if a team of relatively ‘lower skilled’ players is incredibly synergistic, then that team is superior to a team with even the most star-studded roster. My experiences in Korea have done nothing but reinforce that opinion.Bamboe: Can't really comment on this since I started as a professional player.Eosin: I don’t think much has changed for me although I thought that people would like me more now that I’m competing on a team, but all I get is flamed on streams.Purge: I definitely see things a little differently now. I relied too much on what I could see as a caster(basically all vision) to make my assumptions of what led to certain circumstances. I’m sure that I could cast and call a game MUCH better now with all of this practice and advice from friends and teammates. Playing at a higher level is a lot of prediction, and casting is more watching, so it can sometimes be bad for learning higher level dota(or at least this was the case for me).I also now see the player side of the flame coin, after having experienced the caster side. I dare say it’s worse for them because competitive aspects are being introduced. So please, be nice to players as well.





Have you been able to have any meaningful interactions with Korean ladies or has the opportunity not arisen? [Toastmold]



Blitz: I’ve got a girlfriend, I was not aware that any other women in this world existed. On a more serious note, I don’t find asian women attractive. I always look at a asian girl and see a bit of my mom or sister in them and its a huge turn off.





Corey: I have an amazingly supportive and wonderful girlfriend back at home. Godspeed to Bamboe, Eosin, and Purge.





Bamboe: My team doesn’t wanna go out and explore the nightlife with me… Hopefully with Jeyo here I can finally have someone to go out with!



Eosin: I’m making progress I think, she didn’t run away at the first sight of me and she’s calling me an idiot instead of Eosin so thats a step right?





Purge: Bamboe really wants to go clubbing but we were too busy before NSL ended. I’m going to tank one for the team and chaperone him soon.





Of the food that is easily available in Korea, what is your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner fare? [TanGeng]



Corey: KBBQ, Bibimbap, Pork Cutlets, Ramen, in that order.





Bamboe: Katsu and Korean BBQ are my favorite at the moment! Need to try out more stuff though.





Eosin: I wish I could answer this but I haven’t tried out much Korean food unfortunately.





Purge: I like korean bbq, bread is easy to get fresh here(most supermarkets do small loafs daily). I am starting to really like tofu in ramen(1$!) and it’s cheap and easily available here as well.







Thoughts on Ember Spirit now being in CM? [Mizu]





Blitz: Seems a bit strong, for pushing and counter push, as the sleight of fist is like tinkers march but better and safer.





Corey: The only major problem with Ember is that he clears ancient stacks far too easily. His damage in prolonged teamfights is pretty much unmatched, but I don’t see that as a problem. Disables are incredibly strong vs. this hero.





Bamboe: They put in OP spirit before Broodmother… Volvo plz.





Eosin: Sleight of instantly dead supports wtf?





Purge: His teamfight contribution(from relative safety) is annoying to play against in extended teamfights. He definitely has weaknesses but right now people are a little inexperienced against him. I would say he’s a little-moderately OP. Stack clearing is really easy for him as well.







Writer: riptide

Gfx: riptide

Editor: riptide

Image via: Team Zephyr

: riptide: riptide: riptide are the true hometown heroes of Dota 2. A team of progamers, pubstars, and personalities, in the few months they've been together, they've journeyed from America to South Korea, from hopefuls to heroes.While Blitz, Purge and SexyBamboe were community figures long before Zephyr, the formation of the team gave us a chance to see Eosin and Corey in action. The latter in particular has really impressed fans since of late, and is now well and truly a rising star in the North American scene.Recently we asked the community to think of questions for them, and now we're ready to reveal their answers.Thanks to Blitz, Purge, Corey, Bamboe, and Eosin for taking the time to answer and to all of you for submitting great questions! Administrator SKT T1 | Masters of the Universe