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First of all - props on winning GosuCup #9. It's been a long time since you took a GosuCup championship, how does it feel to be back on track!
It feels really awesome, however my previous GosuCup win was a budget cup. So this is my first real win for a proper hearthstone tournament.
Haha, you don't consider the budget cups "proper"? Some of SEA's best players happened to win some, including WaningMoon and Lalasong!
I mean proper in the sense that there are no restrictions and it‘s just a normal Hearthstone tournament. Of course certain amount of skills is still required to win but as I have been playing Hearthstone since beta and always wanted to win a tournament that has no restrictions. Budget cups were designed to allow new players to stand a chance against better and more experienced players, therefore it feels really different to win a normal GosuCup instead.
"My previous GosuCup win was at a budget cup and I've always wanted to win a tournament without restrictions."
Are you happy the budget cups are in the past then?
Honestly, I think both cups are good in their own way and are targetted at different type of players. However I think I would stand a better chance in budget GosuCup compared to a normal gosucup as I do not think I am a very strong Hearthstone player in SEA compared to veterans such as WaningMoon.
Yet you beat WaningMoon in the semis quite convincingly and that was some great match-up. Did you expect that Flamewaker mage that he played?
I didn't prepare much for this GosuCup and I only prepared one type of strategy, not really taking into account that of my opponent's. I just played my line-up and I some insane RNG. I remember there was a Hunter mirror and he was 1 damage off lethal. If he had one more damage that turn I think the whole series would be different and he would have stood a great chance to win against me.
Was you being underprepared the reason why you went for tried and tested decks? all other GosuCup particiapnts brought at least one out-of-the-ordinary deck
Definitely, I only had time to get prepared and good at tried and tested decks. However, I think my strategy on what decks to start with was clear and as expected the meta iwasfilled with mage, hunter, warrior and warlock.
It definitely was. We barely saw anything unusual and in fact most of the diversity came from the Mage builds as collectively the other three semifinalists brought a grinder mage, Flamewaker mage and even TiddlerCelestial burst mage! Did you see anything else unusual on your way to the top 4?
The TiddlerCelestial burst mage used by ThePandorica was one of the more unusual decks to me. I tried playing that deck before and it felt kind of lacklustre against the meta now with zoolock and warrior being so prevalent. However, he still made it to the finals and proved that the element of surprise is a huge factor in Hearthstone.
However, I don't think he was using the exact list though he made some changes to it with two Pyroblasts if im not mistaken.
"I would love to qualify for the World Championship bit it feels like a farfetched goal to reach."
He actually managed to win the series versus Kepsid without drawing any early game pressure, it was amazing. And yes, he added double Pyroblast and a Thaurissan.
May I know what he was fighting against?
It was Mage mirror.
It feels like a hybrid between freeze and tempo mage I guess. I do not really know how to maneuver that deck properly.
With GosuCup now offering points for the World Championships, are you motivated to practice more and try your luck for Blizzcon?
I would love to qualify for the World Championships but Singapore is lacking in tournaments with points, it feels like a farfetched goal to reach. Personally I don't think my current skill level is enough to qualify to play in the World Championship. I just want to participate in more tournaments to grow my skills as a player and gain valuable experience.
Maybe next year then?
I think most players can accurately pinpoint their own skill level to a certain extent, and I'm not sure if I can ever reach a skill level that I can tell myself that I have the ability to reach world championship and even win it. Maybe one day I'll feel that way it's hard to determine. As of now I don't see myself ever playing in world championships, haha.
You told me you're in the army. How many more years do you have left and how do you find time to play Hearthstone?
I'm really lucky as Blizzard recently released the mobile version. I would sometimes play it on my phone during my free time. Now you can play anywhere and anytime. The only problem is when your friends or family call you, you might not be able to pick up.
You said earlier in the interview that Singapore lacks Blizzcon-eligible tournaments, but at the same time, the country is one of the best in the region as far as our own statistics go. How do you explain that? Do you guys get all the practice you need just from ladder?
Yeah thanks to the new conquest format, the ladder is actually a really good practice for tournament. Personally I get all my practice from ladder and of course watching tournament streams which I feel is the best way to learn by looking into the mind of professional hearthstone players.
Which pro players do you follow in particular? Who have taught you the most.
All the best and consistent players such as Strifecro, Firebat, Kolento and Lifecoach. They have been consistently at the top and it really proves that Hearthstone is not just a luck game.
Makes sense, they are beasts indeed! Final words before we wrap this up? Shall we see you in future GosuCups?
Thank you very much for the interview and I am delighted and honoured to be able to win this GosuCup. Huge thanks to GosuGamers for organising ut and shoutout to my team Manasurge: Chungfr, Bjorn, Allura, Wensushi, Pewpewurface and also my friends Mamemoo and ElijahG. I would definitely would appear in future cups and hopefully winning again.
