Shortly after the Europe Heroes Global Championship Qualifiers, we had a chance to talk with team Two Bees Determined after their victory to catch up with them and get to know a little more about them.
First off, thanks for taking the time to talk with us! I’m sure the first thing people have to know; How did you come up with Two Bees Determined as a team name and where did you get that amazing logo?
bLaDe - Originally our name was just To Be Determined, but after we qualified for Gamescom, the tournament organizers made us change our name since it might’ve confused the viewers!
We already had paid for shirts with TBD on them so after some discussion in Teamspeak, we came up with the name “Two Bees Determined”, which not only sounded similar but worked beautifully with our beautiful bees logo, created with the help of Benny, adrd, and MS Paint.
How did you pull together? Is there one member that acts as a glue for the team?
Cursen - Our captain bLaDe usually works as the “glue” I would say, but we’re all in this together and I think everyone is aware of that so even during the “rough patches” we are all determined (excuse the pun) to keep improving individually and as a team. I think the most important aspect here is to go through thick and thin and to get up again after a bad day or a heated discussion so that we learn from that and move forward as an even stronger unit.
What’s different about TBD from other teams that fans need to know?
adrd - bLaDe has bread in his freezer. A lot of bread (inside joke). On a serious note though, what sets us apart from other teams is mostly our draft strategy and the diverse team comps we play. We don’t shy away from picking out-of-meta-heroes which makes our games almost always fun to watch.
Were you ever tempted to swap rosters?
bLaDe - Generally, we’ve not been that focused on switching players, only when we deem it absolutely necessary which was the case when Nic joined us a few weeks ago. He represents our only roster change since we created the team under the name To Bees Determined.
When one player is struggling, how does your team handle that?
bLaDe - We ask why he’s trolling and then we talk about it in a long therapy session. Usually drags on at least until 2 a.m.
We don’t shy away from picking out-of-meta-heroes which makes our games almost always fun to watch.
Considering how hard it seems for teams and players to become stable and stick together, how do you feel about the competitive state up until now?
bLaDe - The main problem for most teams is that they form, participate in a tourney, perform below expectations and then disband or make big roster changes instead of sticking together to improve and perform better next time. Roster changes should only be made if it’s absolutely necessary if you want to perform on a consistent, good level. Due to restrictions on roster changes within the HGC, teams will be forced to stay together for the most part and we will probably see some great improvement for some of them over the course of the league.
bLaDe - Melee Flex
What’s it like for you, playing on the front line? What drove you to the Melee flex role?
I’m playing the game now for over two years in which I had enough time to learn almost all the heroes. The melee flex role is arguably the hardest role of all since you are going to play a tank in one game, a bruiser in another and an assassin in the next which all represent different playstyles. As a melee flex you are going be THE playmaker of your team setting up ganks, peeling and engaging for your team and often also the one holding and if possible winning the solo lane. To me, and that’s probably true for most people, it feels really good if you are the one being able to set up a game-winning play for your team and I like being given this challenge almost every single game. This obviously comes with a lot of pressure which I’m mostly able to deal with though especially if I’m really comfortable on the hero I play.
What was your favorite moment of the HGC EU Qualifier #1?
My favorite moment happened in the last team-fight of our third game against beGenius in the semi-finals when I was playing Chen. I barely got out with my last Panda Spirit left after I went in real deep with my ult. Me not dying there made it possible for us to completely wipe our opponents and to secure our spot at the HGC 2017.
Are there any closing words you’d like to share with would-be fans? How can fans best support you?
I would like to thank everyone that rooted for us when we played for the HGC spot. Especially my special thanks goes out to those people that cheered me up before the qualifier with their kind words. If you want to support us in the future, follow Two Bees Determined on twitter @TwoBeesHotS and most importantly, watch us as we become one of the best teams in Europe (at entertaining above all!).
You can find bLaDe on twitter at @bLaDeHotS.
Nic - Ranged Assassin
How did you end up in the ranged role? What do you like about it?
I've always enjoyed playing the DPS role in any other game as it allows for more playmaking ability which might win you the team-fight or even the game. Sometimes I also like just standing back and dealing as much damage as possible
Do you have any favorite moment during the HGC EU Qualifier #1?
My favorite moment would have to be the entire third game against beGenius where I was playing my favorite hero, Tracer, and secured kill after kill throughout the entire game.
Are there any closing words you’d like to share with would-be fans?
I would like to thank everyone who supported me for the last couple of months no matter which team I played for especially during the HGC Qualifier. If you want you can check out my twitter @NicHeroes.
Cursen – Support
It must take a special personality to main as a support. What drove you into the support role?
I started off playing support in Heroes of Newerth. I found myself preferring the playstyle of focusing on helping others by rotating, placing wards for vision, skirmishing with the enemy and so on. I later took this role with me to Heroes as it was the role I kept loving to play, even with the differences in playstyle.
What would you say is critical to your ability to succeed as a support?
Reaction speed, positioning and a good awareness of the battlefield are the most important factors for properly supporting your allies.
Are there any closing words you’d like to share with would-be fans? How can fans best support you?
I would like to thank everyone who supported the team, as well as everyone who congratulated me on twitter. The best way to support me currently would be following my twitter @cursenboi. Keep in touch!
adrd – Flex
Your experience shows you playing siege, supports, ranged assassin, and more recently Zarya. How do you feel about Flex in the current meta?
I don’t like the current state of ranged heroes, as many of them are not viable in competitive games as they don’t have enough mobility or durability. This is why we don’t see heroes like KT or Raynor lately, they are easy to dive on and they can’t do much after someone jumps on them.
bLaDe7 quoted a Redditor who said you were the team’s “Draft God.” What makes your drafting so different?
I would say the main difference is that I draft to our team’s strengths instead of worrying about what is overall considered strong. The other thing is that you don’t even have to win drafts, it’s way more important that you don’t lose them and have a way to win.
You can find adrd on Twitter @adrdhots
BadBenny - Tank - Shotcaller
What’s it like to be the shotcaller for TBD and how did you end up in that role?
Before when I’ve shotcalled I was also the main drafter. In TBD the mad scientist rules supreme and I merely supplement his genius with my ideas. It definitely took some time before I got used to it! I guess I mostly ended up shot calling because I play the main tank and I am the most vocal guy on our team.
What was your favorite moment during the HGC EU Qualifier #1?
Watching Russian Circus being level 10 versus 7 against Misfits. Jokes aside though, for me it was when I realized how close we were to achieving one of our goals of qualifying for HGC!
Do you have any closing words you’d like to share with would-be fans?
Just a big thanks for all the support so far, we are going to do our best to keep you guys entertained and proud to be a supporter of Two Bees during 2017! Thanks so much, love you all and Two Bees mount 2k17 HYPE!
You can find BadBenny on Twitter @BadBennyHots
Wrapping up
After getting to chance to chat with the guys of Two Bees Determined, you get the impression that they are serious about fun and serious about Heroes. They seem to embrace the team comradery that makes for a solid roster. We'll look forward to more exciting matches. Thanks guys for keeping Heroes fun and we look forward to more Murky strats in the future!
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