Tag Archives: DK

TongFu team interview after Round 9 WPC-ACE 2013 match against DK

TongFu takes a well-earned 2-0 victory over the previously-undefeated DK in WPC-ACE League. TongFu talks about their new tactics in 6.79…

Q: Here we’re on-stage for an interview with TongFu. First question is for Zhou-god: last time I asked you if you guys had any confidence in encountering DK. Today you got a 2-0 result, are you satisfied?
Zhou: I can count it as satisfied. Last interview, I had said it, we have a chance to win over DK, even though DK is very strong.

Q: We know that in the first game, you guys last picked Pugna, what thoughts went into this choice?
Zhou: In the draft, the process was a bit of a gamble. We actually weren’t planning on picking Pugna in the first game, but they banned all our wanted heroes, so we ended up with Pugna.

Q: Okay, let’s ask Mu the next question: [in the first game] you used Pugna. It feels like Pugna hasn’t been seen in quite a while, and you definitely haven’t played him in a long time. So what were your considerations going into the game when you were given the hero?
Mu: Having picked Pugna, we were mainly going to be pushing. Try to get an early game advantage in laning, and avoid their tri-lane. Pressure towers. Pugna as a hero is one that I haven’t used in a long time, none in practices, so that was the first time trying the hero (in competitive).

Q: You guys built many Necrobooks, let’s ask Xtt: your Nature’s Prophet built Necrobook quite early on, and while the rest of your team were pushing as four, you and your Necrobook pushed bottom. Was this a tactic that was solidified as a mid-game decision for your team, to endlessly push, going as far as dying to trade for high ground?
Xtt: With our lineup, we could only play this way. It was safer this way. If we went head-on, they (DK) still had the potential to turn it around.

Q: Alright, next question for ZSMJ: in the second game, your Enchanctress earned MVP recognition. You got a great start early on, helped push towers efficiently, and even had an amazing Aegis steal. What inspired you to be so bold in pushing yourself in to steal the Aegis?
ZSMJ: That kind of thing is definitely a gamble — if you have the nerves for it then you’re bold enough to try it, and if you try it, then there’s a chance of success.

Q: Okay. Let’s ask Sansheng a question then. Both games you guys picked pushing lineups, so it could be said that your team is one step ahead currently in your understanding of version 6.79. Perhaps you feel that pushing is the new trend in the metagame. How have your team’s practices and brainstorming been these past few days?
Sansheng: It was just an attempt at trying something. As for pushing, really, Zhou tends to prefer pushing lineups. As for systems, we can play a good variety, and this pushing one is one we’ve just begun trying. We could be able to execute it better in the future.

Q: Let’s ask Zhou-god one last question: with the arrival of 6.79, it would seem that the balance of power has shifted a bit. In your 2-0 over DK, it would seem that you guys have a more advanced understanding of the version, so do you think that the new version has reset things for teams so that they’re all on the same starting line again? Or did you feel that your team simply was ahead in understanding today?
Zhou: I think it’s not necessarily about the version. The heroes we used all didn’t see huge changes. It was just that in the previous version, we weren’t daring enough to try them. But with this new version, we’re willing to try anything out. And in practices, we’ve had excellent results with these heroes, so ultimately we used them.

Alright. Big congratulations to TongFu here, successfully taking DK down and breaking their undefeated streak.

Original vod at: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjI1Mzc2OTUy.html

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UUU9’s Players Pantheon interview series: DK.BurNIng

Pretty cool interview of BurNIng from a few days ago, part of a “Players Pantheon” series from UUU9.com…

BurNIng at a glance:

Name: Xu Zhilei
ID: BurNIng
Birthdate: Feb 16, 1988
Horoscope: Aquarius
Hometown: Tongling, Anhui Province
Nicknames: B-god, Xu-lardar, Xu-Nessaj, Prof Xu
Past teams: 7L, KS.cn, CH, EHOME
Fav heroes: Weaver, Anti-mage
Fav actor: Wentworth Earl Miller
Fav band: Linkin Park
Fav movie: Batman

UUU9: Hello, today we have the honor of interviewing DK’s BurNIng. Say hi to everyone first.
DK.BurNIng: Hello everyone, I am DK’s captain BurNIng.

UUU9: For WPC this time, DK has come from Yunnan all the way to Shanghai. Anything that has needed getting used to for your team?
BurNIng: Only a little bit when we first arrived in Shanghai. We first just checked into a random convenience hotel. And then the training facilities provided here had limits on time, we could only train until 9pm whereas our normal routine would be until 2-3am. But now all these things have been resolved.

UUU9: Oh. Regarding the recently concluded Starladder season, NaVi won 3-2 over Alliance. Did you guys follow this tournament at all, what did you think of the two teams?
BurNIng: I watched the entire tournament live via streams. The two teams felt very close in terms of ability, NaVi gave me the feeling that they spent a lot of time in analyzing Alliance. Their playstyle and drafts were very focused on countering Alliance, so they were able to take the win.

UUU9: If you guys were to face them in a match, what chances do DK have to win?
BurNIng: At the moment I think maybe 30-40% chance. But with further improvements from practice, our chances will rise.

UUU9: Let’s talk about your new teammates. Iceiceice always gives people the feeling of a jokester, does he have a serious side in real life?
BurNIng: When he first came to DK, my impression from him was that he is a player that truly loves Dota. He’s very hard working, we started off when he first came by playing lots of pubs and watching lots of replays.

UUU9: How do you guys normally address him? Cousin (iceiceice once joked that it was his cousin playing for him in a particularly feed-worthy game)? iceiceice?
BurNIng: Usually either ‘cousin’ or ‘ice’.

UUU9: LaNm and iceiceice often show off their affection for each other publicly, what is their relationship?
BurNIng: They are just normal teammates O_O… It’s just iceiceice’s love for being flamboyant on camera, I think.

UUU9: In your eyes, what kind of player is Mushi?
BurNIng: The impression that Mushi gives me is dedicated and humble, and has a great thirst for winning. I think he’s a very good person.

UUU9: DK’s recent form has been excellent, and we’ve heard that you guys have been hard at work training daily. Some fans have suggested that you guys reaching such heights right now might mean that you peak too early and drop in bigger engagements, what do you think?
BurNIng: I feel that form is something that you maintain, you don’t really suddently lose all your form in one day. Form is the result of training and practice, so as long as we can continue on with our effectiveness in training, form is not a problem.

UUU9: All of DK can be considered veteran players, what is your secret to keeping your performances going?
BurNIng: There isn’t really a secret, it’s just staying interested and dedicated.

UUU9: In recent matches, Elder Titan has been either picked or banned almost always. Can B-god share with us some thoughts on this hero’s strengths and weaknesses?
BurNIng: This hero can be said to be the hottest hero in this version (6.78). His main feature his powerful teamfights, as well as his ability to defend towers. He’s good offlane as well as solo mid, has strong laning, doesn’t lose 1v1, and can get a lot of farm for himself in a 1v3 as well. I feel he’s just a very strong hero.

UUU9: Foreign players like to alternate second and third skills, while Chinese players prefer alternating the first and second skills, which do you think is better?
BurNIng: Originally the Chinese style was first and second skills alternating, but recently under a European influence, Chinese players have been going for the second and third skills as well. I feel it’s not bad, but requires more crowd-control from teammates. The aura is really very imba.

UUU9: In the recent DK vs HGT WPC-ACE match, iceiceice’s level 5 ET never got a level of Stomp, and he ended up getting killed over and over, what did you think of this?
BurNIng: I think he was a bit careless. Leveling Stomp or not makes no difference, getting caught meant death regardless.

UUU9: Apart from WPC-ACE, we have G-League, D2L, MLG all starting or about to come, does DK have any big goals set for winning these?
BurNIng: Our goal is of course to win these titles, and we will continue working in training to keep our form going.

UUU9: What do you think of the two newcomer teams in WPC-ACE League — HGT and TongFu 2nd team? What advice would you share with them?
BurNIng: Their ability is quite decent, but there’s still some space between them and professional teams. I’ve watched a few of their replays, and HGT has even taken a win over a pro team. They do pretty well in early game, but towards mid and late game they have a lack of experience. Every professional player undergoes a similar process. Without experience in these situations, they don’t know what to do with an advantage and end up losing. So they need more practice and experience before they’ll be able to see some results.

UUU9: In DK’s games, you guys sometimes move your farm priority down a bit. Has this taken some adjusting to for you?
BurNIng: In forming this team, I’d already established this for myself, if I took this new team and tried to play the same way as before then the results might be even worse than before, so I decided that I should play a bit more aggressively and offensively. Share farm and resources a bit more evenly, not just focus everything on my own hero. This was the way to making the breakthrough, and from current results it would seem that it’s going decently.

UUU9: In the past it was always BurNIng plus 4 protectors. Ever since Mushi and iceiceice joined, your team’s style has changed, so how would you describe your current system?
BurNIng: Our system now is basically: Attack, overwhelm, multi-core.

UUU9: Watching you in the past there was always the feeling that your play was very steady and reliable. Nowadays, it would seem that you’ve gotten more ‘floaty’, what do you think?
BurNIng: I think this has a lot to do with the hero I’m on, and I’ve also been trying to make adjustments myself. I don’t think it’s ‘floaty’, more that it’s type of change.

UUU9: How do you think resources should be shared to supports?
BurNIng: Usually it would depend on the hero. If I don’t need farm or levels that much at a certain time, then I let supports get some to catch up on core items and levels, and then I return to lane afterwards.

UUU9: In WPC-ACE, DK has yet to taste defeat. Many people are guessing at which team will be the one to break your streak, so who do you think is the hardest team for you to face?
BurNIng: Many teams are very strong. VG fought us very hard and it was very close before we made a comeback, iG against us was also a comeback for us. There isn’t as large of a gap between Chinese team as some may think, a lot of things are down to form and execution.

UUU9: Outside of training, what things do you like to do?
BurNIng: Watch some movies, listen to music. I still prefer to stay at home more.

UUU9: When was the last time you visited back home?
BurNIng: After TI3 I went home for a half month break.

UUU9: Now with training and competitions all packed in your schedule, it must be pretty tiring, how many days each month do you have to spend with your girlfriend?
BurNIng: It’s hard to even get a few games of pubs with her every week, much less have time to meet up. Sometimes I feel sorry to her.

UUU9: We saw on weibo your profession of love towards her, so surely she can understand you. Alright, thank you to BurNIng for this interview with us, and we hope DK can continue achieving good results in the future. Anything to say to fans?
BurNIng: Hi UUU9 fans, I am DK’s BurNIng, I want to thank all our fans for their support of DK, and for following DK’s matches. We will strive to continue working hard, and play well in every game and bring exciting performances to repay you all.

Source: http://dota.uuu9.com/zsd/burning/

WPC-ACE 2013’s “Esports Life Series”: Half an hour with Team DK

In this, Team DK fields questions about their careers, life goals, and more. Interaction with fans in the live audience, funny and candid moments, all within this half hour production from WPC-ACE 2013. View in full on Youtube for best effect!

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Mushi interview: Mushi talks Orange, MLG, DK

In this interview with UUU9.com, Mushi is asked about Orange, his joining of DK, and thoughts on DK’s participation at the upcoming and highly hyped MLG in November.

U9: Hello Mushi, thank you for doing this interview with UUU9.com. Previously at TI3, Orange achieved a relatively successful result, so what made you decide to leave your old teammates and come to China?
Mushi: Prior to TI3 I’d already thought about moving to China to compete, but before that could happen I needed to complete my journey with Orange at TI3.

U9: What changes has joining DK brought for you on an individual level?
Mushi: This is a very hard working team, every day it’s laning practice, or replay analysis. Competition is fierce nowadays, so we must do our best.

U9: Your old teammates at Orange have now joined new organization Titan, and the new organization is providing much improved terms of contract. Anything you’d like to say to your old teammates now?
Mushi: I hope they can participate in many events, and bring more excitement to viewers and fans. And win lots too 😛

U9: Let’s talk about your new teammates, one sentence to describe each of them?
Mushi: It’s only been a month for me, let’s leave the juicy reveals for a later date.

U9: Which of your DK teammates have been the most different from what your expectations?
Mushi: They’re all largely as I’d imagined them to be.

U9: Have you been able to get used to life in China? Because of WPC-ACE, your team will be in Shanghai for a long period of time, what kinds of things do you guys like doing outside of practice and matches?
Mushi: Apart from the food, I’ve been fine with everything else. Outside of practice and matches, I haven’t had much else I really liked doing. Mostly spend my time chatting with friends and fans, that’s about it~

U9: Older versions of Mushi have been known to be rather rash in decision-making, sometimes resulting in mistakes. As a result, some Chinese fans had labeled you in the past as “our international friend” (due to Mushi throwing games against Chinese teams). Yet, your improvements this year have been noticed by all, so what is it that has enabled you to make this change?
Mushi: Never stop learning, and always maintain calm.

U9: Following TI3, Chinese teams have all made adjustments. Currently, who do you think will be DK’s biggest rivals?
Mushi: If we perform well, we can defeat anyone. If we don’t perform well, then anyone can defeat us. Haha~

U9: “Such a chaotic scene” at one point was the unofficial label for the Chinese scene, what are your thoughts on this?
Mushi: Every team and every scene is a mess behind the curtains, it’s just that people don’t hear about it. It’s all within the norm.

U9: To join the Chinese scene and come to China to compete, what are your goals and requirements for yourself?
Mushi: Learn the good things, avoid the bad things. Work hard in practice, win lots of events.

U9: Foreign sites have revealed that originally WPC-ACE would restrict teams from partaking in other events. DK’s participation at MLG must’ve come as a result of lots of work, can you confirm?
Mushi: Ehm, I don’t really know about this. After joining DK, I’ve only focused on doing my job as a player.

U9: What are your goals for MLG?
Mushi: My personal goals are to win everything that is winnable, and if it is not winnable, then to learn and grow from competing against other foreign players there.

U9: DK will be the only team from China at MLG, what was it that brought you guys to participate in this event?
Mushi: Because there will be all the other strong Western teams present there.

U9: How has the teamwork and communication been at DK so far? What are things you guys still need to work on?
Mushi: It’s gone decently, but there’s still plenty to improve. Hard to speak about more details.

U9: Who is captain for DK right now? Who does the drafts? If there are disagreements, whose word helps most?
Mushi: BurNIng is captain, we all draft together, and if there are disagreements we discuss it together in order to get on the same page.

U9: Thank you Mushi for doing this interview with UUU9.com. We hope that you can achieve great results with DK. Any words for fans?
Mushi: Thank you UUU9, and thank you to all those who support me for all the motivation that you’ve given me.

Source: http://dota2.uuu9.com/201309/454317.shtml

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Summary of the 2013 Chinese shuffle – as of Sept 5

For everyone trying to keep track at home, but are having trouble… here’s a rough collection of the main newsworthy events in 2013’s Chinese shuffle and relevant source links. From top to bottom, the order goes from the most recent to the earliest. Items that are mostly at the moment unsourced rumors will be in italics.

– LGD confirms RStars.xiaotuji as their new carry, Sylar to RisingStars

This rounds out LGD’s lineup once more, and the situation bears similarity to when LGD first brought Sylar on — xiaotuji is another promising relatively new player to the scene. Can LGD repeat history and become dominant once again? Sylar on the other hand replaces xiaotuji in RisingStars — can Rstars continue their upward trajectory?

– DK announces new all-star lineup

BurNIng remains as carry, Mushi joins as solo mid, iceiceice as offlaner, with Dai/MMY and LaNm on support — this is said to be the role specification of the new star-studded DK lineup. On a sidenote, DK’s manager Farseer would like to state that the so-called ‘dream team’ that had been rumored earlier is not actually DK: “it has nothing to do with us, please don’t call us the dream team.”

– XDD and xiaotuji of RisingStars both leave, said to be joining ‘top teams’

The Rstars owner talks about both of them leaving. The big rumor regarding xiaotuji is that he is LGD’s new carry player.

– Zhou rumored to be changing his mind on going to TongFu

Zhou publicly flames Efeng, part of the management at iG, for “being two-faced, your words are worth nothing”. Speculation is that this is referring to the fact that prior to Zhou leaving iG and going to TongFu, he was promised that iG would not try to recruit other TongFu members away, but after Zhou left, iG made one or more approaches for TongFu player(s). TongFu’s manager Cuzn looks to be meeting these new developments with a mixture of surprise and dismay.

– Zhou leaves iG, joins TongFu, while Hao goes to iG

Zhou leaves iG, Hao comes to iG. The two players essentially switch places on their respective teams. Additionally, some sort of ‘strategic partnership’ has been formed between the two clubs as a result of this transaction. It is also said that KingJ and Mu are both leaving TongFu, and possibly Banana too. The split of Hao and Mu is a saddening one.

– rOtk and Super to VG, ZSMJ and CTY out of VG

ROtk and Super quickly find a new home with VG. At the same time, ZSMJ and CTY are said to have left VG, with VG stating that they made every effort to get ZSMJ to stay, whether as a coach or otherwise. ZSMJ himself has said that he will continue playing… but not with VG, apparently.

– Kabu (and LaNm) leave RattleSnake

Kabu reveals that he’s left RattleSnake. In his farewell post on Weibo, he tagged Luo, Icy, and Sag, but not LaNm, indirectly further confirming the latter also no longer being part of RSnake, something that had been rumored since after TI3. LaNm would go on to join DK.

– Mushi leaves Orange, eye on China

Mushi announces that he’s left Orange, with his goal being none other than China. He would go on to join DK.

– LGD statement on Sylar situation

LGD attempts to address the beyond-awkward situation with their now-former carry, but Sylar responds in his own way (his responses have since been deleted), basically refuting their claims and refusing to reconsider.

– DK statement on rOtk situation

DK’s manager Farseer tries to clear the air regarding the huge changes that left only BurNIng in the team. ROtk seems to be understanding, and ultimately caps off a bittersweet ending by wishing everyone well…

– rOtk kicked from DK, unwillingly; Super and others out too

In which rOtk outlines why he felt unfairly treated, in a fiery, empassioned statement. The rest of the DK players seem to be just as shocked, and respond in their own individual ways. A few days later, DK confirms that only BurNIng remains in their roster. MMY would return to DK as a member afterwards.

– Sylar leaves LGD.cn of his own accord

“I’ve left the team,” with this statement, LGD is short a carry player, and what a carry Sylar was for the team.

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DK.BurNIng answered some fan questions a few days ago

On the Baidu Tieba of his own name, BurNIng answered some questions a few days ago, while all the drama and waves surrounding DK’s recent player departures was at its height… This Q&A was translated in a reddit post a few days ago, but I’ve gotten a request or two asking for me to translate it here for some reason as well, so here it is.

Q: Lately, ChuaN, Sylar, and xB have all been quite vocal on weibo. I’d like to ask you, B-God, can you share any thoughts?
A: For things related to transfers and retirements, it won’t be convenient for me to comment on today.

Q: What do you think about the player s4? Is your reasoning for often picking Furion in pubs related to having seen how effective Alliance’s system has been?
A: S4 I think has been the player who has seen the most growth as a newcomer. I hadn’t ever seen this player in the past, yet this year he comes out of nowhere and takes so many titles. The scariest thing is that, not only is he amazing on the solo mid position, he’s also the drafter for Alliance.

Q: As your team’s captain, what do you think is most important?
A: The most important thing is obedience (following the captain’s orders).

Q: I want to ask where in Qujing, Yunnan, is the DK base? I want to come visit with a few friends; we promise not to disturb the players!
A: Across the street from Tianyue Digital Mall.

Q: Where can we see your first person gameplay?
A: You can go search DK in the Dota 2 Community tab, and then check for replays from my profile.

Q: Will there be Dota 2 at this year’s WCG in Kunshan? Or Dota 1? Will you be there if so?
A: There is no Dota at WCG this year.

Q: Can you reveal to us what you know about competitions in the next half year? DSL and G-league? ECL, Alienware, G-1?
A: Right now I only know about the ACE League, and DSL might conflict with ACE League.

Q: So we can come visit your teamhouse in Qujing then?
A: Yeah, but right now we’re all on break.

Q: What do you do in your spare time outside of playing Dota?
A: Watch movies, listen to music, and occasionally play some Texas Hold’em.

Q: I have a few questions. First what you think about the usage of Lone Druid? Second, what is most important in drafting apart from trying to ban out the opponents best heroes?
A: To answer this question would take far too long. For Lone Druid, just watch AdmiralBulldog’s play and emulate it. For drafting, it’s like playing chess, back and forth. When you ban, you want to consider both what they are good at, and what your roster is weak against. For picks, mainly it’s considering what kind of lineup feels best together, leaning towards picking the hot heroes in the current metagame.

Q: What are your hotkeys? Do you have auto attack on?
A: Auto attack on, classic ability hotkeys. Item hotkeys are Q 3 ` Z F2 F3. This is mainly because it’s what I’m used to, so as long as it’s something you’re comfortable with it’s good, you don’t really need to go and specifically copy others’ setups.

Q: Is there room for Necrolyte in competitive? Why or why not? Will DK use Wisp more in the future? At TI3, non-Chinese teams were all quite good with Wisp. Why hasn’t Faceless Void been used in competitive lately?
A: Necrolyte is possible, but requires the lineup to be built around him. Faceless Void takes too long to come online.

Q: Do you feel that there are similarities between Alliance of now and EHOME of 2010? Whose style do you like more between Alliance and Navi? Can you talk a bit about why you think Alliance are so strong, from a strategical layer?
A: I tend to like NaVi’s style a bit more. Alliance’s power comes from their excellent distribution of resources and farm between the team, a clear tactical mindset and goals, and strong execution.

Q: B-god, will DK hire a coach? You’ve personally mentioned before that having a coach is an excellent plus.
A: It’s being considered, but we haven’t found a suitable candidate yet.

Q: B-god what’s your current weight? Have you gained a little bit?
A: I’m 180cm and 67kg, does that still count as fat? -.-

Q: You should stack more with longDD, that way we can see you more (longDD often streams).
A: I do like playing with longDD, it’s pretty enjoyable.

Q: My suggestion to DK: Find a professional coach, preferably a retired professional player, someone like 820. Create a statistical analysis team for research and reference purposes. I think for the latter, you could outsource to student Dota fans and thus not spend much, but potentially gain a lot.
A: Valuable suggestions, I will consider talking to the club about it.

Q: I’ve heard that B-god enjoys Linkin Park, have you ever been to one of their concerts?
A: To this day, not a single concert.

Q: B-god, there’s a video in which xB once said that apart from himself, the other 4 players in DK never went out much. Since you’d already been indoors all day from practice, why not spend some time going out?
A: Mainly it’s laziness.

Q: I want to seriously ask you this. How does one get on the path to playing professionally? No matter how tough it may be, I want to give it a try.
A: Right now it’s relatively difficult. First you have to make a name for yourself in pubs or semi-pro events, you have get noticed by someone in order to have a chance. And then the other problem is that pro teams right now focus on results, and thus are afraid to use newcomers. I hope that one day Dota can be like LoL where each club has 2-3 different squads, that way newcomers have much more room to prove themselves.

Q: I feel like Kunkka is a pretty good hero, and  you guys had seen good results with him as well, why hav eyou stopped using him? I feel like B-god should take some more time to interact with fans; you’re too quiet. Lastly, I wish you luck and success no matter what, and constant improvement in the coming days. Good wishes to B-god, good wishes to DK!
A: Kunkka is relatively needy in terms of having a lineup picked around him, so it’s harder to get him into a draft. I also hope to have more opportunities to interact in the future.

Q: Right now the Dota 2 scene really has a lack of new competitors. Which newcomers do you favor, so we can all pay some attention to them?
A: I favor CTY and fy.

Q: What degree is your myopia?
A: Around 200, I think.

Q: What are your favorite heroes?
A: QoP, TA, PotM

Q: Do you think PotM (Mirana) has potential for competitive? What about as an offlaner?
A: Alliance and NaVi have both performed well with her.

Q: Can you tell us which of the roles from 1-5 do you prefer the most?
A: If I say I like them all, will everyone believe me?

Q: First off, it should be said that Chinese TI3 performance was abysmal, due largely to an overly conservative, stiff, style and strategy. In the next year, do you think Chinese teams should participate in more smaller events, and get rid of the prize pool requirements for participating in tournaments? Secondly, can you talk a bit about your views of Orange and Mushi in the wake of their enormous performance at TI3?
A: More events is definitely something we all want. Regarding the restrictions, there’s nothing we can do either, we have to wait and see what the ACE Alliance does. For ourselves, we are considering the hiring of a coach. Orange is a team that tends to favor the early and mid-game, and their participation in some Chinese tournaments has helped them grow a lot as well. Mushi’s individual skill is exceptionally strong, he’s very versatile in his heroes, and if he can add some more steadiness to his play then he’d be even stronger.

Q: Which team’s drafts do you admire the most?
A: I most admire NaVi’s drafts.

Q: Ever since you said after TI3, that if you get Anti-mage then you can win, people in pubs have been picking Anti-mage every game. Of course, none of them have won, so what advice can you give to those people? That way they won’t be ruining Anti-mage’s reputation, and we can all learn a bit from you on how to play AM.
A: Anti-mage’s strength lies in overwhelming the opposition with items. If he can’t lead in terms of items, then he actually can’t out-fight many other lategame heroes. So don’t get Vanguard on him, just rush that fast Battlefury and farm it up.

Q: Any thoughts on starting up an esports academy after retiring? You can focus on training young competitors and teaching them the mentality it takes to be professional.
A: I don’t want to get arrested.

Q: Regarding fountain-related tactics, what do you think?
A: For entertainment purposes, sure, but I still don’t think it’s truly viable in competitive. In that game with TongFu, if they had some Necrobooks or Manta Styles then it shouldn’t have been so tragic.

Q: B-god, what does a carry player need in order to be considered a legit carry? Under average circumstances, is 100 creep score at 20 minutes acceptable? If not, how much more is?
A: Don’t miss last hits, or miss as few as possible, that’s the basic requirement. The bigger challenge for a true carry is decision making regarding when to join fights, and how to join fights (positioning, timing, target choice), as well as ability and item choice.

Q: In pubs, is it viable for Anti-mage to go straight Vlad’s then Manta?
A: I haven’t calculated, but I think it’s still best to go Battlefury, and if you’re still feeling squishy then finish your Power Treads first.

Q: How would you rate your own casting performances?
A: 8/10, no less.

Q: You guys should consider acquiring an Xbox Kinect or similar motion-based gaming system, for the purposes of exercise and whatnot while at your teamhouse. It’s cheaper than gym equipment, and being physically healthy is true health!
A: good idea!

Q: Who are you closest with, in the professional scene?
A: KingJ, LongDD.

Q: In the card game Legends of the Three Kingdoms, who is your favorite, and who are you best with?
A: Huang Gai.

Q: Everyone says that Dota 2 needs more new players, and lately many people have been talking about a newcomer named Maybe. You’ve probably played with/against him before in matchmaking, what do you think?
A: I don’t really know him. For newcomers, as long as their mechanics are decent, they’re willing to practice and think, then nothing bad can be said. But the main problem is that there’s a lack of opportunities for them to prove themselves.

Q: B-god, many people say that Dota is going downhill, with many younger kids choosing to play LoL and not Dota. Older generations are gradually leaving gaming altogether, and as such, Dota and Dota 2 seem to have less attention than in the past. In terms of player ability, there’s a clear divide between the top and the rest, a disconnect. You’ve seen Dota from the beginning, to its glory days, to now, what are your thoughts?
A: I think we should wait until the Chinese servers go open beta first before we talk about this.

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DK manager Farseer response to rOtk situation, more change to come – with rOtk response

Update: rOtk has responded:

“I won’t say much else, but thank you for your understanding. You can talk about rules, and emotion and personal relations, I can’t accept any of this. If it were you, how would you respond? Oh, also, ACE is supposed to be for the good of the clubs, and the players. What about the previous agreement that any decisions would be made with players as well? No matter how you cut it, I’m a player representative as selected by the clubs and players themselves, so next time there’s something like this, remember to call me. We began amicably together, let’s end this pleasantly. Farewell, friend.”

Source: http://t.qq.com/p/t/225376063977812

After rOtk posted, then deleted an emotional response to his leaving of DK, DK’s manager Farseer posts his own response… xB is rOtk below. This is quite insightful, into many facets of the Chinese scene and ACE, and also confirms that DK is not done making changes.

Regarding what has happened today, let me make an explanation here. First, what xB has described is largely true, but contains some of his own emotions within. The reasoning for his response and the way he responded, I’m sure we can all understand. Here I want to do my best to objectively explain everything to everyone, and at the same time, I hope xB can see it.

When ACE was first formed, a major goal was to resolve the very serious problems at the time of clubs poaching players from each other, clubs suddenly disbanding, and clubs freely firing players. The clubs came to a set of agreements between each other, for players to transfer between clubs, the clubs involved must agree via discussion. Privately contacting players (AKA tapping up players, in football/soccer terminology) was forbidden. If a club decides a player is no longer needed, the club must still continue to pay the player according to their contract. If a club suddenly disbands or lacks the ability to pay salaries, then the player is entitled to continue being paid from the deposits that the clubs paid to ACE in the beginning, all the way until the player finds a new team. In here, there is content that relates to what happened to xB.

The decision to replace xB was made by the club, but the decision does not equal a voiding of the contract. Upon learning the news, xB’s emotions were affected. In my communications with him, we mainly addressed a few main points. First, the club respects his opinion, and allows him to reach out to other clubs in order to find his next home. Once he has confirmed a new club, then DK will handle the transfer details, fees, etc. Secondly, if xB does not find another club suitable, then DK will continue to pay him his salary according to his contract terms, till the contract ends. After hearing these things, what xB had to say was, “If the club wants to replace me, I have nothing to say, but if the club wants to use me to make money, then that is too naive.” This was the last I heard from xB, and afterwards, I saw what he had posted online.

Here, I want to tell xB why the club does not directly void your contract with the club. During this break, practically every club will face realignment and change, so what has happened to xB, will be happening at other clubs as well, it cannot be avoided. “We can, due to our personal relationships, allow xB to just go free, but other clubs may not allow their players to leave in the same manner, and ultimately if we did this, then it can make things difficult for other teams, as well as tread on a grey area with regards to regulations.” Whether you believe it or not, these were the words spoken by the boss earlier, and thus our hope is to play things by the rules. As for how we address your transfer with other clubs, perhaps it will be down to the fee, or some other conditions — these are all up to the clubs to determine. I can understand the unwillingness to accept that you still need to earn money for the club even after the club has decided they don’t need you, but this kind of transfer system is one that the clubs agreed upon collectively. Regardless of what kind of agreement the two clubs might make, these kinds of things don’t relate to players’ rights. Put simply, xB cannot lose out in this type of transfer, and we have already allowed xB to select his next club for himself, so where is this talk of the club taking advantage of players coming from? According to your logic, then it should be one club taking advantage of another, so if that is true, then why would the clubs agree to such a thing? Could the clubs truly need these comparatively small sums of money to stay afloat?

People online are now flaming the club, saying we’re shady, that we’re threatening to let players rot on the bench. In these past few years, which club has actually done such a thing in maliciously hanging a player out to dry without letting them play, can someone please tell me? IG and ch, their situation was ch no longer wishing to play competitively and so he faded out, iG continued paying him to the end of his contract, on this point, many other clubs that have since contacted ch can all confirm. People online are also saying that players should add a condition into their contracts, one that guarantees them a certain amount of games to compete in, otherwise the contract is null and void. I want to ask, in what sport exists such a contract? NBA? Football/soccer? Every sport has those players that barely get to play at all, those substitute players. Do you really think that clubs have eaten too much shit, and think it would be fun to spend a bunch of money paying people to sit around and not compete? Should it be that we just allow players to have this condition, and so when a player no longer wants to play with a team, they just miss a few matches and thus their contract is void? What kind of contract allows you to just up and leave before the contract is over? Or is it that you’ve all had no experience with contracts?

I can’t really speak much more now. I don’t want to, for the sake of affection, emotion, and relations, end this with emotions. As rumors have guessed, DK’s changes are not over yet. Right now there isn’t a clear end in sight that we can share with everyone, but I can say that the so-called ‘dream team’ rumored doesn’t have much to do with our reality.

I don’t know whether this road we’re taking is right or wrong, but the cost DK will be paying is truly enormous. No matter what, you guys are our brothers. You once were, you will still remain so. Let us meet again on the battlefield.

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Sylar’s reaction to rOtk’s statement reveals a bit more of his own situation…?

Source: http://t.qq.com/p/t/289558083799071

rOtk posted on his own QQ Weibo a response to being taken off of the DK roster. In response to this, someone posted, “The first one” (essentially saying that this is the start of the official changes within Chinese Dota).

Sylar then responds to this person, “You’re wrong, I was the first one. I was put in the same position [as rOtk]”

This all comes in the midst of rumors amongst fans that Sylar was to join DK soon… the plot thickens?

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rOtk statement on leaving DK

Source: t.qq.com/p/t/36949106934325 (now deleted)

rOtk, now-former 3 position player for DK, has released a fiery, personal, statement on his departure from DK…

Update: rOtk has since deleted the original, and posted a new post saying “Let the tears flow a bit more. Take care. For my next stop, I will still give everything! TI4, my fate is in my own hands.”

Everyone’s well wishes to me have been received. Yet for me, somehow I ended up learning the actual news slower than some fans on SGamer, haha.

Today it’s being officially announced, I’m being taken off the DK roster. Thank you to DK for their support and over the past. As for the reasoning, I don’t even know myself. In preparing for TI3, I feel that I did my utmost. In the everyday leadup to the event, I did everything I was supposed to, and I then went further and did even more. Watched replays, analyzed strategies to a relative degree of clarity. As for performances at TI3, I wasn’t the weakest in the team. So me being replaced can only be described as confusing.

When I first came to DK two years ago, at that time one of iG’s squads’ (iG.Y) xiaoT had at the same time invited me to join him at iG, offering 40000 RMB as a transfer bonus for me. This was a lot at the time. I chose DK in the end, and made not a single penny from the choice.

Today I received a message from the club, and upon hearing it I was taken with shock. The contents within roughly: If you want to keep playing professionally, if another club wants you, then they must pay a transfer fee to DK. If they don’t pay, then you just stay with DK. DK will continue paying you, but that’s it. When I heard this, I exploded in laughter. You want to kick me, but you also want to hold onto me so you can make some money before I go???? “Why don’t you come to my house?? I’ll take care of you, pay you, and you stay put and don’t go anywhere.” (sarcasm)

Sorry, please go easy on this poor bastard. I’m really not worth any money.

And then, talk of contracts. Haha, when I first came to DK, it was because I trusted DK. When I first signed my contract with DK, none of us really paid attention to the details within, we all roughly listened to what you guys explained to us, and when we felt there weren’t any issues, we just signed up. This was a representation of the trust. I originally believed that I would retire with DK, but it would seem that today, I have been too fucking naive all along. As a person, I’m like that. I never leave myself any paths of retreat, I would never go chat with other people while I’m still at DK, exploring options and looking for a move for myself. Speaking honestly, when I received the news that I had been removed from the team, at that moment, there was no other place I could go. Not because I literally cannot go, but because I do not want to go. I had rejected all others.

I can only tell you, I will absolutely continue playing professionally, I will not give up. As for the contract you spoke of? I truly do not believe that contracts hold the kind of life-ruining power that you’ve suggested. And even if so, then I can say that only a pig will sign it; maybe I am one myself?

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