It has been a fairytale month for xB and his team where they took down ACG (see), Wuxi Cup (see), G-League Season 2 (see) and most recently, GK Cup (see). Yet, notoriety has latched on to their latest appearance at GK due to xB's repeated taunts and crude remarks during a match against PanDa.
SGamer reporter XiaoShou investigates deeper into the mind of the man who has since become the center of attention.
Thank you, xB, for accepting SGamer's interview. DK just took gold at GK Cup without dropping a single game. Has this tournament impacted you in any significant way? (Especially because your Batrider went from a semi-carry to the main carry in the grand finals?)
-"*laughs* I guess we were rather lucky at this tournament. We managed to press on to the end and get the championship. What made me ecstatic was that I got to use Batrider in the grand finals."
I suppose you are happier about the new moniker you received - "Roaring Menace". How does it feel? Do you like that nickname?
-"I got too excited at this offline tournament, and did not manage my emotions well. I feel bad about the crude remarks I made. I'll be sure to pay close attention to what I say at the next offline event (WDC). Surely I will not get permanently blacklisted with that nickname..?"
When did you start to trashtalk at offline events? What are your thoughts on trashtalking?
-"I guess it started when I went professional June of last year. Back then, I was playing at WCG in Chengdu, and my opponents were Nirvana.cn and CH. They were quite ferocious as well...
Trashtalking helps to boost morale I guess; it can raise team morale while destroying your opponents'. If you're just planning to scream blindly, I guess all I can say is that I'm immune to it. However, I still believe in proper taunting. I will control myself at future tournaments; there will not be anymore profanities, especially the "F**k this shit." that came out at GK Cup."
It looks your trashtalking prowess was self-taught.
-"*laughs* Yeah, more or less. I have a straightforward temper, which means that I will not try to hide or fake my emotions; rather they comes out naturally."
Taking this tournament into consideration, you guys have won four consecutive championship titles. What was the biggest factor which contributed to your rapid and complete dominance of Chinese DotA?
-"I guess you cannot say that we have completely dominated the scene. As with what I wrote on my MicroBlog, the only reason(s) we won was because our team was extremely united, training sessions were rigorous, and we had a dominating presence at the tournament. That was how we were able to win match after match."
Who is mainly responsible for managing your team's strategies during training? You guys seem to have so many strategies up your sleeves.
-"Yes, we have quite a number of strategies up our sleeves. Because training for us usually begins in the afternoon, we normally can't find any team to train with, so we will spend that time crafting new strategies instead and practicing how we will lane them.
As for strategies, we come up with them together. We are a team [original in English]."
Let us recall - you guys win competitions whenever LongDD is on Chen, Burning is on Syllabear and you are playing Batrider. In the grand finals of GK, your Batrider turned out to be the most farmed hero on the map. Any tips with regards to playing the hero?
-"When you are playing with a Batrider and you are uncertain how your opponent will lane their heroes, you should always place Batrider on the short, safer lane. That will guarantee that you will win at least one lane, because no matter what your opponent puts on the short lane, those hero(es) will be under alot of pressure.
A Dagger of Escape is still a core item for Batrider, as if you place him on the short lane, you can almost always get the item at around twelve minutes or so. The moment you blink into your opponents is extremely crucial; you will have to be a good judge of the situation as well as the lineup.
If your opponents are playing very defensively, you do not have to constantly be trying to gank them. Carry a Smoke of Deceit with you, and continue farming the neutrals. When you do not appear on the map, your opponents will be very cautious, and they won't dare to farm or push lanes by themselves.
When this happens, your opponents will suffer a huge deficit in farm, as the heroes will most likely tag behind the main carry while your teammates can safely take to their lanes and farm.
With regards to item build, I feel that Batrider must always go for a Black King Bar, because the presence of a blinked in BKB-ed Batrider is extremely domineering and I guess people also don't realize that Batrider is powerful at defending barracks. His flamebreak can be considered a good AOE spell while his Sticky Napalm is just ridiculously strong. If your opponents are not careful and they allow for stacks of up to three to four Napalms, Batrider can wait for the right moment when your opponents are about to retreat after wailing on your tower and Flaming Lasso a target, splitting up the battlefield.
Well, that's defense. Here's how to play offensively - while he is a potent initiator, he has to take into consideration the momentum of the game and the opponent's lineup before deciding whether or not to initiate. During the late-game, Batrider can also be used to counter your opponent's main carry! He's one of my favorite heroes. *grins*"
Wow, I did not expect that long answer. Since it's one of your favorite heroes, why don't you tell us more about the other heroes you like to play?
-"...There's Dark Seer, Venomancer, Pandaren Brewmaster, Clockwerk Globin, etc. These heroes have the face of a true troll (trashtalker) - I really enjoy playing them. Want to discuss my favorite items now?!"
Well, keep that in mind, and we'll save that for the next interview. Now, which teams do you think are capable of ending your winning streak? Why?
-"Nirvana.cn, PanDa, iG.Z, iG.Y, LGD all stand a chance I guess. I can tell from how much these teams have improved recently; they have indeed became alot better. So, we will be working doubly hard during training."
What are your expectations for the upcoming WDC? What were the considerations which led to your forfeit of ACG for WDC? Is it because of the bigger prize pool?
-"Yup. After all, WDC is the only tournament played in China but on the international stage. All of us did not want to pass on the opportunity to fight right in the heart of China, for glory and for our country. At WDC, all cards will be on the table!"
Who was the first to suggest EHOME as a replacement for your team at ACG?
-"Forfeiting ACG was our decision. After we informed the organizers of our forfeit, it was up to them and they chose EHOME. Regardless, I wish them all the best, and also to our idol 357 [?], good luck!"
Many spectators suspect that the mutual taunting has affected your day to day relationships. Has it?
-"More or less, it will have an impact. After all, people are shouting in your face, but I shall comment no further. Normally, when you play against people you are familiar with, the taunts are rather harmless and cordial. However, I am able to clearly detach competition from my personal life and relationships.
Yet, again, you have to limit where you go with trashtalking. That means no vulgarities and personal insults and you're fine."
Was this the reason why you did not dare shake hands with iG.Y after the grand finals match?
-"Well, after having won the competition, I just felt it was not appropriate to shake the hands of the people I just defeated! Indeed, I didn't dare to step up, but Burning was domineering enough to take them head-on!"
Alright, any last shoutouts?
-"Thanks to all the friends who have been supporting me and DK. Thank you all, and we won't let you down. Now that I have XBN, I will work my ass off for you guys!"
What's XBN...
-"It's my girlfriend on MicroBlog! *laughs*" 
DK in the Spotlight:
29th October: xB apologizes for 'flaming' controversy at GK
29th October: 'The road ahead will be much tougher.'
30th October: DK win $12,600 at GK Cup
31st October: 'We'll crush anyone who gets in our way one by one at WDC.'
1st November: xB 'trashtalking scandal' gets noticed on Chinese news
Links
SGamer - Original Article
