Sam "BuLba" Sosale is currently a member of the Liquid Dota 2 squad who are tearing up the scene with a tremendous win streak in the past couple of weeks. He is a continuous contributor to our front page articles with his "BuLba Says" segments, and we wanted to dive further into his thoughts with this interview and Q/A session to learn a bit more about his team, their current run, and how his experience with Liquid has been so far.
February has been a great month for the team, where you guys are going on a pretty long winning streak. How has this affected the team, and what things can you attribute the success to?
Liquid`BuLba
It has given us confidence. We had a reputation of picking unorthodox heroes, and people were blaming the loss on that, but it was our play that was not fitting up to our abilities. We made a lot of mistakes in all parts of the game. We also hadn't practiced much as a team before mid -January because of Christmas break and vacations. We can attribute the success to our play just being a lot better. Hard to pinpoint other things but games are just going better and we know what to do because of the experience we have achieved through practice.
A lot has been made of the variety of picks in the last few weeks, including Liquid finding success with Clockwerk recently. What are your thoughts on the the range of heroes we've been seeing?
Liquid`BuLba
Hmm, I enjoy the range of heroes. It is exciting to watch and it just shows that they are confident in exploring other ways of winning. Sometimes teams don't know how to deal with a hero, like NTH in their first game vs Dignitas' Warlock pick. They kept trying to force 5v5 fights in places where the Warlock could get 5 people in rock and Fatal Bonds. Just an example, but teams have to be more prepared now for a curve ball as well.
Liquid is known to shuffle the roles played by TC, Korok, and yourself, usually depending on the heroes drafted. How do you think this has worked out?
Liquid`BuLba
It has been going fine. We lack predictability, and so many other teams don't. It also means we have to practice more for everyone to get acquainted with each other's play styles since we can all lane with each other.
What has been your favourite moment so far with Team Liquid?
Liquid`BuLba
Probably winning the BTS weekend cup. Also beating EG, because it's EG.
What do you think about the divide between the Western and Asian scenes? Do you follow much Chinese or SEA DotA?
Liquid`BuLba
Yes of course. I try to watch as much as I can in both VODS and the late night casts with LD and Winter. LGD.int was a real inspiration for the teams over here because it showed that with practice and dedication, you can go really far. It's been said way too much, but it's true (as for the dedication). As for the divide, I can't wait to see what the G-League finals has in store for us. Most of the G-League/Chinese games dictate what the European teams pick for the following months. For example, when the teams in the GEST cup picked Luna, all the European teams started picking her as well. It was a breath of fresh air though. I detested the way teams played in Dreamhack; it was disgusting.
You also currently attend school. What is it like having to balance professional gaming with your studies? With how many tournaments the team currently plays in, how often do major conflicts arise?
Liquid`BuLba
I have made my schedule allow for me to practice after 1 EST on weekdays. This means that i have to schedule a class at 8 AM, and this has not been done since high school for me so it's damn hard getting up. I have enough time to finish most of my work at night and get enough sleep. Playing matches is also really exhausting, and there are so many tournaments these days. It feels like most of our practice comes from matches itself, but that's fine with me since winning a match is an amazing burst of adrenaline.
A few of us were wondering a few months back where you got the Shadow Blade Bounty Hunter build. What was the inspiration?
Liquid`BuLba
After the Shadow Blade buff, I got the item on every hero. The stats were amazing and I just decided to use it on Bounty Hunter. I saw that you can Shadow Blade and Shadow Walk at the same time and get the Jinada buff doing insane damage.
We were all wondering because one of the TL Staff writers, kupon3ss, actually wrote a guide for it on TL in September. He was sad that no one gave him credit.
Liquid`BuLba
Well I saw the guide after I did it in the match, but I had a love for this item on every hero, not just exclusively Gondar.
Thanks for the chat! We'll see you soon.
BuLba Answers Your Questions
By the TL Community
BuLba will be back tomorrow with a Q&A thread! Starting at around Monday, Feb 25 1:00am GMT (GMT+00:00), Liquid`BuLba will answer your questions right here in this thread.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Nice interview indeed :D! Master Lothar Builder on every hero
Now for my question
Valve says they will give you a custom Bulba Clockwerk/Tinker/Disruptor cosmetic item that looks really really cool. But you have to play 200 Tide games in a row. Will you take the deal?
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Pathing??
What do you think will be needed for SF to once again be the king of the mid lane?
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Pathing??
What do you think will be needed for SF to once again be the king of the mid lane?
I dont think its pathing
I think its something with the engine the same way Batrider was shit in Dota 2 before his turn rates were buffed
basically SF is really weird and clunky to control in Dota 2 and ES fissures are weird to land, they end up on the wrong side most of the time in my experience
also Bounty Hunter Shadow Blade used to be really imbalanced back when the bonus SB damage critted
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Pathing??
What do you think will be needed for SF to once again be the king of the mid lane?
I dont think its pathing
I think its something with the engine the same way Batrider was shit in Dota 2 before his turn rates were buffed
basically SF is really weird and clunky to control in Dota 2 and ES fissures are weird to land, they end up on the wrong side most of the time in my experience
also Bounty Hunter Shadow Blade used to be really imbalanced back when the bonus SB damage critted
Batrider is completely different - when he was in firefly he had some really weird magic immunities that were given to him Dota1, but they decided to not make this consistent in Dota 2.
I usually try to ask for different things when I see something like this, since we usually end up having the same questions repeated over and over for different sites and what not.
- Have your dad learned more heroes than Tinker? - Favorite beverage? - Cheese or jam?
What do you study in college? Do you enjoy/value your major? Do you have many college friends outside of Dota? Who is your favorite Star Wars character, if any?
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Pathing??
What do you think will be needed for SF to once again be the king of the mid lane?
I dont think its pathing
I think its something with the engine the same way Batrider was shit in Dota 2 before his turn rates were buffed
basically SF is really weird and clunky to control in Dota 2 and ES fissures are weird to land, they end up on the wrong side most of the time in my experience
also Bounty Hunter Shadow Blade used to be really imbalanced back when the bonus SB damage critted
Batrider is completely different - when he was in firefly he had some really weird magic immunities that were given to him Dota1, but they decided to not make this consistent in Dota 2.
Batrider also had the backswing animation bug that recently got fixed.
frag movies 360 no scope play talking with the chickens on facebook lose mid lane play it like you are a bronze scrub kill furion in the jungle all the time (and why is BH) teach TL.Hero how to play dota
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Pathing??
What do you think will be needed for SF to once again be the king of the mid lane?
I dont think its pathing
I think its something with the engine the same way Batrider was shit in Dota 2 before his turn rates were buffed
basically SF is really weird and clunky to control in Dota 2 and ES fissures are weird to land, they end up on the wrong side most of the time in my experience
also Bounty Hunter Shadow Blade used to be really imbalanced back when the bonus SB damage critted
Batrider is completely different - when he was in firefly he had some really weird magic immunities that were given to him Dota1, but they decided to not make this consistent in Dota 2.
Batrider also had the backswing animation bug that recently got fixed.
Es has the same back swing issue, though it is less critical for him(fissure has no back swing in dota 1)
On February 23 2013 09:41 pedrlz wrote: Most awesome heroes to:
frag movies 360 no scope play talking with the chickens on facebook lose mid lane play it like you are a bronze scrub kill furion in the jungle all the time (and why is BH) teach TL.Hero how to play dota
- Do any of you meditate? If not, why not? - Do you consider what you are eating to stay on top of your game? - Have the team considered going 5 shadow blades? - Have any of you considered sharing the traits of liquid, when it comes to strategy? - Have you ever considered a 6th man for your team? - What can you as a team improve upon outside the game to adapt to a more professional approach(if anything, say analyzing games as a team). - When people spend much time together, they often form a mental binding, where words needs not to be uttered. Have you accomplished this? - Are you superstitious, say like not shaving while on a winning streak, a certain pair of socks etc. If so, what do you do? - Do you believe in Karma? - Which animal do you feel you share traits with?
On February 23 2013 09:41 pedrlz wrote: Most awesome heroes to:
frag movies 360 no scope play talking with the chickens on facebook lose mid lane play it like you are a bronze scrub kill furion in the jungle all the time (and why is BH) teach TL.Hero how to play dota
wow you can talk with chickens?
LOL
Of course not, I don't play for teamliquid, but bulba certainly have a lot of groupies.
1. What build on your team you did not invent? 2. Why do you have your public games hidden, when you was the one protecting Dotabuff rankings the loudest on MAAD? :D
From your point of view, name 5 strengths and 5 weaknesses the Liquid`DotA squad compare to other teams(western/eastern) on the market. How was getting picked up by teamliquid improved 'Team A' as a squad?
I played a little Dota when it was first out for wc3 but it was too hard and the community was not particularly welcoming. Any tips for new players besides "Practice, practice, practice?"
Nice interview! Some random questions, which come into my mind: - What's your most liked hero? In terms of design and spell synergies for example. - What equipment and settings do you use (mouse, keyboard, high/low graphics)? - Are there any other games you are playing or you are interested in, or do you focus on Dota2 only? - How many hours to you play each day? - Do you analyze replays?
I'm not very familiar with the chinese scene so I'm wondering which chinese players you fear/respect and if there are any chinese players in particular whose replays you watch?
Are there any players you go to for inspiration? Which heroes do you think are the most in need for a buff/nerf? Why those heroes? What do you think the keys to success are for Liquid if you attend TI 3?
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
[14:12] * Bulba_ (webchat@bulba.com) has joined #tl.dota2 [14:12] <Gosi> hahahahaha [14:12] <@TheEmulator> umm [14:12] <Bulba_> dubzex, it's the pathing of dota 2 [14:13] <@TheEmulator> bulba autograph plz [14:13] <Dattish> pls [14:13] <Qbek> yeah [14:13] <Bulba_> cya guys next time, xoxo! [14:13] * Bulba_ (webchat@bulba.com) has left #tl.dota2
On February 24 2013 13:08 sundelin wrote: Who is the best mid player you have faced?
Why did u get so owned by ferrari's TA at TI2? (Its not flame, I just wonder if u were nervous or something)
The matchup is really bad for Invoker. Yao lost just as hard playing the same matchup against 430 several weeks earlier in a Chinese tournament.
There was a post Bulba made some time ago about how everyone knew the matchup was bad, but only the Chinese teams really recognized how bad the matchup was.
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
[14:12] * Bulba_ (webchat@bulba.com) has joined #tl.dota2 [14:12] hahahahaha [14:12] <@TheEmulator> umm [14:12] dubzex, it's the pathing of dota 2 [14:13] <@TheEmulator> bulba autograph plz [14:13] pls [14:13] yeah [14:13] cya guys next time, xoxo! [14:13] * Bulba_ (webchat@bulba.com) has left #tl.dota2
For those who aren't part of our IRC group, or who don't follow the general discussion, this wasn't actually bulba.
I have my own thoughts on this, but I'd like to hear the opinions of a pro player. What's with this influx in Shadow Poison builds for Shadow Demon? Are people just content using him defensively? Even in aggressive trilanes, people have been prioritising maxed Shadow Poison.
How often does liquid practice with heroes that aren't seen in tournaments frequently? (timbersaw, medusa, etc.).
Asking because I'm curious as to how much attention a pro team pays to these possibilities, as the shifts in meta are usually good for a tournament win or two but then fade away as people figure it out.
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Fluff mentions this a lot. Fissure just seems harder to hit in dota 2. also other support heroes just seem to do more with disables against bkb (sd) or instant disables (rubick telekenesis) in some lineups hes fine if you are playing defensive, but there is just better heroes at the moment. I would like to see a possible buff to fissure cd and mana cost. then he will be a lot better!
On February 23 2013 07:14 MrHoon wrote: Nice interview indeed :D! Master Lothar Builder on every hero
Now for my question
Valve says they will give you a custom Bulba Clockwerk/Tinker/Disruptor cosmetic item that looks really really cool. But you have to play 200 Tide games in a row. Will you take the deal?
no. sorry this is not worth it. what an awful hero
On February 23 2013 07:11 Dubzex wrote: Nice interview.
Bulba, Earthshaker was once a staple support of the professional Dota scene in WC3 Dota. Now in Dota 2, he is all but forgotten. What changed between the two games that made his usefulness or value as a support drop so tremendously and what can be done to bring him back into line-ups?
Pathing??
What do you think will be needed for SF to once again be the king of the mid lane?
Sf is actually really strong in the middle lane for Radiant. you can farm the small camp and the hill is smaller so the enemy hero can't harass u as much. you can also go farm the big camp and stack it. the problem is that sf just gets smoke ganked a lot. There also is the fact that other heroes just do more at the moment for the mid lane. Safe lane sf is actually strong though. if you get an early enough Shadow blade, you can wreck the game.
On February 23 2013 07:38 Zvenn3n wrote: What do you think about ixmike's exquisite taste in music? Also, what do you think about Silencer & Medusa?
silencer is decent. i prefer him on the support role over being the carry or mid hero. medusa needs way too much farm to be useful. u often have to get a linkens sphere and then a manta and then a butterfly. by that time, the other team would have taken all ur towers while u are just farming. AM, pl, gyro, etc do a lot better job at split pushing also. ixmike has amazing music. his songs give me memories of listening to the radio when i was a kid.
On February 23 2013 08:29 Sinbu wrote: Question: What does clockwerk bring to the team composition? Is he a counterpick?
clockwerk is a fun hero to play ! (for me personally) to the real question: clockwerk brings amazing pick off potential. i love playing clockwerk versus teams that just sit and turtle behind their towers. i can hook someone and initiate a fight and then cog the enemy team out. the hero just works well with us. i can do a lot with just a few items and the spells go through bkb. its funny seeing teams ban it vs us and then give us nyx or bat :D
On February 23 2013 08:31 garlicface wrote: Woooooo thanks for the interview. The player I try to emulate the most.
Oh yeah, are you gonna be streaming more after exams (April)?
i hope to. we've had a ton of matches recently and my school work makes me really busy in the evenings. i am going to try to stream and go over replays.
On February 23 2013 08:43 Skoven wrote: I usually try to ask for different things when I see something like this, since we usually end up having the same questions repeated over and over for different sites and what not.
- Have your dad learned more heroes than Tinker? - Favorite beverage? - Cheese or jam?
lol. my dad occasionally watches games (he saw our mouz games today). he knows what clockwerk does since i played it so much. green tea jam
On February 23 2013 08:53 Irratonalys wrote: What Hero currently in Dota 1 are you looking forward to the most?
i think most dota 1 players would say Terrorblade at the moment. it was one of my favorite hero models in dota 1. also i haven't played the brand new heroes much. Xin looks fun though.
On February 23 2013 08:55 Dankleteer wrote: What do you study in college? Do you enjoy/value your major? Do you have many college friends outside of Dota? Who is your favorite Star Wars character, if any?
i am doing a biology/poli sci double major. I enjoy politics and was planning to do pharmacology after. I like the poli sci major but meh about biology. I kind of regret my path though. would have preferred to do comp sci but pressure from parents to do the 'pre med' route which i backed out of my sophomore year. u have to enjoy something to be successful at it and i couldn't do another 4-6 years of school - a lot of my college friends also play dota which is kinda funny. (shoutout to guanzo, flamewheel and jinge)i have some friends from grade school that know i play competitively and they were really confused. was funny explaining it to them. - chewbacca
From the player introduction articles, it seems there are a few heroes you guys collectively don't like. IIRC, Tide and Treant/Rofltrellen.
Can you elaborate a bit on why you think these heroes aren't seen that much (Tree esp.)? What do you think could be changed for them to be seen more? Is it just that 'walking ultimate' heroes are boring?
On February 23 2013 09:26 See.Blue wrote: What are sufficient conditions for Storm to be picked for liquid in a draf?
if they dont have a bunch of disables. a hero that needs to be picked off. also an ab-usable offlaning hero that you can kill. we usually ask korok if they have heroes that storm is good vs and he says yay or nay.
On February 23 2013 09:41 pedrlz wrote: Most awesome heroes to:
frag movies 360 no scope play talking with the chickens on facebook lose mid lane play it like you are a bronze scrub kill furion in the jungle all the time (and why is BH) teach TL.Hero how to play dota
clockwerk bloodseeker spectre mid drow obviously bh! riki does this too meepo?
On February 23 2013 10:23 Gurgl wrote: I miss witch doctor in competitive DotA, what's the reason we don't see him picked atm?
Are there any graphics settings in DotA that give you an edge in any way or is it just personal preferences that decide how you have your settings?
Which keybindings do you play with?
better support heroes. sorry to use this answer for this question and the earthshaker one but it's true. Witch doctor doesn't bring what sd/rubick/kotl/wisp bring to the table. the ultimate with aghs is mad legit though. you do so much damage I have everything on max.
Keybindings- if i only have to use 1 hero and no extra units 1- hero 2- chicken
some micro (furion, sylla, etc) 1 hero 2 summon 3 both
On February 23 2013 10:27 Dracolich70 wrote: "We lack predictability".
Thanks for interview.
- Do any of you meditate? If not, why not? - Do you consider what you are eating to stay on top of your game? - Have the team considered going 5 shadow blades? - Have any of you considered sharing the traits of liquid, when it comes to strategy? - Have you ever considered a 6th man for your team? - What can you as a team improve upon outside the game to adapt to a more professional approach(if anything, say analyzing games as a team). - When people spend much time together, they often form a mental binding, where words needs not to be uttered. Have you accomplished this? - Are you superstitious, say like not shaving while on a winning streak, a certain pair of socks etc. If so, what do you do? - Do you believe in Karma? - Which animal do you feel you share traits with?
- I don't, maybe fluff does. - i eat subway a shit ton cause i live in an apartment near my campus. mom sends me food occasionally for the week also. - no but i love going shadow blade. so does tc and korok - nope, dont think any top team would do this - there is no point to have a 6th man. we all are dedicated enough - analyzing games together instead of watching replays individually. thinking of better strategies - kind of. i still think to have the best teamwork, you need to tell each other what you are doing. there needs to be some cohesion. - not really. - nope - uhh a horse?
On February 23 2013 11:00 Numy wrote: What position do you find the most enjoyable now that you guys switch it up so much?
heroes is what makes it most enjoyable (disruptor, tinker, clockwerk are my favorite now) i also enjoy an occasional game of broodmother. what a relaxing hero, you don't got to leave your lane and you can just farm away and try to get as high GPM as possible. you're also annoying as hell
as for positions, tinker can only go middle most of the time. same with disruptor the way i play him. i hate playing tinker versus storm spirit however. you are never at peace. (game 2 vs fnatic eu). this enchant and bh literally just sat and waited for me to go ancient or come up in lane past 7minutes for storm to go on me.
On February 23 2013 11:06 renfree wrote: 1. What build on your team you did not invent? 2. Why do you have your public games hidden, when you was the one protecting Dotabuff rankings the loudest on MAAD? :D
1. I did not invent korok's orchid on every hero first but storm spirit build. 2. i actually don't play MM at all and prefer either watching replays if i am free or playing in NA ih leagues with friends. I still enjoy playing in an atmosphere where scores are compared amongst each others. i know people have issues with that so i don't wanna go too much in depth with it.
On February 23 2013 11:09 NB wrote: From your point of view, name 5 strengths and 5 weaknesses the Liquid`DotA squad compare to other teams(western/eastern) on the market. How was getting picked up by teamliquid improved 'Team A' as a squad?
This is kinda hard, let's see
5 strengths - we are all friends -we can point out each other's mistakes without some1 feeling bad or taking it personally. Myself as a player, found this hard to adjust to.but i've adapted to it well. we openly criticize each other -people can't predict what we do. we have enough of a hero pool unlike other teams. teams ban clockwerk versus us now and give us even better heroes - we are all dedicated! no one is slacking off (except korok at waking up rofl) - we all have a perspective on what we should have done. often time players in teams are too soft spoken and don't want to speak up if they see a problem. everyone on our team has an opinion however . (this might seem familiar to # 2 but it is different in my eyes)
5 weaknesses- - sometimes our overconfidence. (game 2 vs Fnatic eu today) - we overthink situations sometimes . - we used to lack confidence in ourselves a month ago because of how inconsistent we were. however, that has changed recently :D not really a weakness now but we react to our performances in scrims and matches and are a bit too hard on ourselves at times - caring too much about what other people say or think (this is my own personal weakness) - trying to force things when we can wait and be a bit more cautious.
On February 23 2013 11:47 Olex wrote: Bulba, you're awesome.
I played a little Dota when it was first out for wc3 but it was too hard and the community was not particularly welcoming. Any tips for new players besides "Practice, practice, practice?"
watch more than practice! i am being honest here. watching replays or watching your favorite player's FPV cams are the best way to get better. i literally watched every game that yao played in ti2 in his player perspective after ti2. same with dendi and ferrari. it helps a lot and you can always get a few tips here and there. Also try to not take other people's criticism too harshly and admit your own mistakes.
On February 23 2013 14:57 InDaHouse wrote: Do you think Liquids style of picking will be successful against Chinese teams?
this is a really hard question. Ive talked enough with LGD.int players (brax, pajkatt), and they tell me that certain heroes that we pick or other western teams pick won't do well vs Chinese teams. (wisp, gyro, etc) I honestly feel execution matters more. often times i feel if another team had what we had, they wouldn't do nearly as well. Not arrogance, but to realize that when you pick a certain set of heroes, having a plan is what matters. till we play the chinese teams, it is hard to say.
On February 23 2013 16:16 cerb wrote: Nice interview! Some random questions, which come into my mind: - What's your most liked hero? In terms of design and spell synergies for example. - What equipment and settings do you use (mouse, keyboard, high/low graphics)? - Are there any other games you are playing or you are interested in, or do you focus on Dota2 only? - How many hours to you play each day? - Do you analyze replays?
- Disruptor is such an awesome hero. it has such good synergy with all his spells. you can outskill people and the sky is the limit (except when they get bkbs!) - mouse- Razer deathadder - keyboard- blackwidow ultimate stealth - high graphics
- I have a problem where i get a game and then play a few hours of it and then go back to dota 2. Maybe only a few games that i have stuck through till the end (far cry 3, assassins creed 3, arkham city) I also enjoy watching starcraft 2 streams or tournaments. - i play about 4-5 hours a day if we are practicing. - Yes, in the evening i try to watch a few replays from what we practiced to see my own mistakes, how i was doing in my laning, etc.
On February 23 2013 19:10 coolcrimefighter wrote: How do you handle playing with 5-s on your team?
i've played with 5-s for such a long time. he feeds and makes me go emo sometimes but i always forgive him for feeding the enemy mid hero when he ganks or something.
On February 24 2013 07:07 lxx wrote: I'm not very familiar with the chinese scene so I'm wondering which chinese players you fear/respect and if there are any chinese players in particular whose replays you watch?
ty
I respect yao a lot. He speaks good english and we became really good friends over the 2 week duration of Ti2. he is also amazing at laning and decision making. He often times wins his offlane versus an imbalanced matchup with heroes like mag or wr. Ferrari and MU are also players that I love watching with player perspectives. YYF is a no brainer.
On February 24 2013 10:43 Mispllede wrote: Are there any players you go to for inspiration? Which heroes do you think are the most in need for a buff/nerf? Why those heroes? What do you think the keys to success are for Liquid if you attend TI 3?
GL in all your future matches, TL fighting!
Fear was always an inspiration. I also talk alot with my Padawan, Arteezy. He is my 1v1 partner and is one of the best newer players. There is also a player called KZZ that I theorycraft alot with. - buff: potm, invoker, morphling Why? potm needs more base damage. invoker needs more base damage. morphling needs his old waveform back and old manacosts. maybe not the E blade thing though
- strategies and perfecting it. One thing the Chinese teams had in TI2 was execution. They didn't give a rat's ass whether people knew what they would pick. They just knew what to do and perfected their own playstyle. - practice versus the top teams ( a given) - preparation in all forms. Laning, decision making, teamwork
On February 24 2013 13:08 sundelin wrote: Who is the best mid player you have faced?
Why did u get so owned by ferrari's TA at TI2? (Its not flame, I just wonder if u were nervous or something)
mushi, dendi, and ferrari all 3 on the same level.
- psi blades were damn imbalanced back then. - i was psyched out (partly nervous) - he was csing with denies and refract and no one did it as well as him before that. I played maybe 7-8 games of Invoker vs TA before ti2 versus American/European TA's and no one did what he did (jeyo, God, vigoss) After the game, Yao told me that IG and Orange picked TA if the other team had Invoker mid since it was a hard counter because cold snap literally did nothing to refract. you couldn't harass the ta and he could cs freely. Invoker's strength in his mid laning was the ability to harass with cold snap but TA nullified that. you needed a venomancer to support you cause he can endlessly bottle crow and just deny/cs and push every wave If you saw DK vs IG, super had Zippo dual lane mid with him in the invoker vs TA matchup and ferrari still had more cs/went even.
On February 25 2013 08:01 Lokj wrote: Just some non-Dota2-questions:
- What kind of music do you like? - Best book/movie? - Will you grow a moustache like ixmike's for TI3?
anything. I enjoy listening to imagine dragons and RHCP - my favorite books/series were probably the Dragonlance series. These books were so awesome and I think i read the entire dragonlance genre in my middle school. I think i was also addicted to other series that Margaret Weiss wrote. sorry - my favorite book was probably "the soulforge" from that series -my favorite movie is either memento or The prestige - i can grow that in 2 weeks without shaving! but he has the copyright and it won't be as good as his
If you ever get around to answering this, how do I get better at last hitting? I feel like I've hit a wall as far as my last hitting ability goes, where I'm not getting better at it. I can get 95% of creeps with free farm, but when there's another player contesting for last hits with me, I suddenly just start missing all of them. This is mainly relevant to mid. I feel like I lose most of my 1v1s simply because I get out last hit. I asked online before, but I couldn't seem to get any helpful answers. People suggested doing the "10 minute SF test", but I easily score over 100 while still being awful at last hitting. Playing against unfair bots didn't help either.
edit: players better at last hitting than me that i've talked to don't seem to have a concrete answer for me on how to improve on it, other than just play more
On February 25 2013 09:36 garlicface wrote: I have my own thoughts on this, but I'd like to hear the opinions of a pro player. What's with this influx in Shadow Poison builds for Shadow Demon? Are people just content using him defensively? Even in aggressive trilanes, people have been prioritising maxed Shadow Poison.
at level 2, shadow poison does more damage than soul catcher in certain trilanes. the spell is just more resourceful and when u dive a hero, it is amazing for scouting them out in the trees. it also allows shadow demon to farm neutral camps more and get a force staff or ghost sceptre.
On February 25 2013 09:45 Confuse wrote: Great interview.
How often does liquid practice with heroes that aren't seen in tournaments frequently? (timbersaw, medusa, etc.).
Asking because I'm curious as to how much attention a pro team pays to these possibilities, as the shifts in meta are usually good for a tournament win or two but then fade away as people figure it out.
not much. i think TC loves playing timbersaw but u can only play that in mm atm. also medusa is way too useless.
On February 25 2013 10:15 GoDz wrote: Who's gonna play Tauren Chieftain for your team when he comes out? And do you think you'll be picking/using him a bit?
it will probably be me or Korok since it is either mid or side lane solo. Animations, etc all make a big impact when a hero is released. (furion has way better animations in dota 2 over dota 1) So it depends a lot on that. also whether he fits in a strategy we have or not.
On February 25 2013 10:28 Liquid`BuLba wrote: items- 2,3 4, 5, 6, q
What do you do when you get a hero like Rubick or Invoker that has to use Q?
ahaha. it's probably awful but i just use the other item hotkeys. also i meant to say that my chicken hotkey is f 2 and not 2! my bad. q is my last resort and i only use it on tinker most of the time as my bottle.
On February 25 2013 11:07 [O]ops wrote: and predictions of unused heroes that you think will be used in the g-league finals?
also do you think puck is an s-tier pick
possibly gyro (it is unused in asian dota) maybe a wisp if LGD int is comfortable using it. we might also see a possible brood pick or kunkha pick
Puck is an amazing hero but it has its weaknesses. puck is a great initiator that doesn't fall in danger when it initiaties. however, there might be more useful heroes since puck does need his blink before he can reach its full potential so i can't say it is s -tier
On February 25 2013 11:04 [O]ops wrote: Quick power ranking of dota 2 teams both asian and western
western- 1. navi on lan 2. liquid 3. fnatic 4. vp 5. empire 6. dignitas 7. mouz 8. eg 9. nth 10. dd. don't know too much about rox kis and stuff but if they play as well as they did vs empire, they could be a top 6 potential
On February 25 2013 11:12 tube wrote: what do you think about your teammate's new league and the future of nadota
it's awesome! mike worked hard to make an amazing client. I try to have hope for nadota but when i see that a possible team with potential (merlini, clairvoyance, select, inphinity ) disbands after their first official match, i lose faith.
On February 25 2013 11:18 Cool Cat wrote: real question
If you ever get around to answering this, how do I get better at last hitting? I feel like I've hit a wall as far as my last hitting ability goes, where I'm not getting better at it. I can get 95% of creeps with free farm, but when there's another player contesting for last hits with me, I suddenly just start missing all of them. This is mainly relevant to mid. I feel like I lose most of my 1v1s simply because I get out last hit. I asked online before, but I couldn't seem to get any helpful answers. People suggested doing the "10 minute SF test", but I easily score over 100 while still being awful at last hitting. Playing against unfair bots didn't help either.
edit: players better at last hitting than me that i've talked to don't seem to have a concrete answer for me on how to improve on it, other than just play more
i hate this answer but its practice. last hitting is just a personal battle between you and the enemy laner. you need to realize how much damage your hero does and then just get into a rhythym. try to harass him also. don't just aim for last hits. last hitting is a skill that is insanely hard to practice (not free farm last hitting but 1v1 last hitting) watch pro players that are really good at csing in 1v1 scenarios. Fear is good at this. so is yao and MU. dendi is probably the best.
What do you think about different wisp combos other than ck ? I saw you using gyro and ursa, plus today qop/lifestealer. How do you think they compare to ck pairing and are there some other pairings that you think might be worth it, possibly even in some niche drafts ?
On February 25 2013 11:42 mcc wrote: What do you think about different wisp combos other than ck ? I saw you using gyro and ursa, plus today qop/lifestealer. How do you think they compare to ck pairing and are there some other pairings that you think might be worth it, possibly even in some niche drafts ?
ck is obviously the best one. Wisp overall is just a good support hero. you can pair him up with anything that has killing potential and the ms buff+spirit damage makes it easy to get pick offs. wisp jugg is a good combo. riki is also legit in some situations.
Spiritbreaker can be used to counter splitpush against top teams? Of course that wards can be a problem, but you can use itens like shadowblade/smoke when you are charged.
I'm trying to improve my drafting and I'm making a list of drafting fundamentals to keep in mind every draft, things such as being very aware of how much reliable non-ultimate CC I have and being sure to get a decent amount against high mobility teams. And being sure I have heroes with wave-clearing and some other stuff. Wondering if you could lay a knowledge bomb on me with some drafting fundamentals of your own? Thanks!
Also, extremely happy to see you guys playing so well recently! Keep it up!
On February 25 2013 11:59 [O]ops wrote: what were the people from lgd.int reasons as to why wisp/gyro/etc were bad
wisp= if the other team 5 mans and doesn't get caught, wisp becomes useless. the hero depends a lot on the other team being out of position gyro= not a pushing hero like a sylla bear as ur 1 or a split pushing carry like an anti mage. just a few reasons they stated
On February 25 2013 12:03 pedrlz wrote: Spiritbreaker can be used to counter splitpush against top teams? Of course that wards can be a problem, but you can use itens like shadowblade/smoke when you are charged.
I think he is really strong after all that buffs.
well you have a spirit breaker as your carry and the other team has a naix or a sylla. what can u do? the hero has no way to farm fast like these other heroes and can't break the base or naything.
On February 25 2013 12:09 Tevinhead wrote: Hey Bulba!
I'm trying to improve my drafting and I'm making a list of drafting fundamentals to keep in mind every draft, things such as being very aware of how much reliable non-ultimate CC I have and being sure to get a decent amount against high mobility teams. And being sure I have heroes with wave-clearing and some other stuff. Wondering if you could lay a knowledge bomb on me with some drafting fundamentals of your own? Thanks!
Also, extremely happy to see you guys playing so well recently! Keep it up!
well when you start off competitively, realize that stuns matter a lot. you said you have that part down but even just picking 3-4 amazing disables on a team will auto win u games at certain levels. its really hard for me to give u advice for drafting if i dont get examples since drafting depends a lot on your own strategies or what they pick. just try to pick according to the weaknesses of your draft. you have a late game hero that needs to turtle? try to pick a spammer like a wr or a tinker to defend the early pushes.
I realize there's very little interaction between the two scenes, but in a ballpark range: - how do you think the western scene is compared to the eastern scene (skill-wise, relatively)? - where would liquid be relative to the Asian power ranking you gave earlier?
also, - who are your favorite casters? - 2pac or biggie?
On February 25 2013 12:09 Tevinhead wrote: Hey Bulba!
I'm trying to improve my drafting and I'm making a list of drafting fundamentals to keep in mind every draft, things such as being very aware of how much reliable non-ultimate CC I have and being sure to get a decent amount against high mobility teams. And being sure I have heroes with wave-clearing and some other stuff. Wondering if you could lay a knowledge bomb on me with some drafting fundamentals of your own? Thanks!
Also, extremely happy to see you guys playing so well recently! Keep it up!
well when you start off competitively, realize that stuns matter a lot. you said you have that part down but even just picking 3-4 amazing disables on a team will auto win u games at certain levels. its really hard for me to give u advice for drafting if i dont get examples since drafting depends a lot on your own strategies or what they pick. just try to pick according to the weaknesses of your draft. you have a late game hero that needs to turtle? try to pick a spammer like a wr or a tinker to defend the early pushes.
Thanks for the reply! I tend to get myself into awkward situations, say I first pick magnus as we have a player who plays him well in mid. Then I draft SD and Gyro. So far I have Magnus, SD and Gyro, now it's awkward, since after this I draft Lina to combo with the SD and then WR as offlaner just to try and get some more disables going, but in reality, Mag, SD, Gyro, Luna, WR doesn't have 'reliable CC'. We lost this game. The other team was DS, Rubick, Puck, VS, Kunkka.
We nearly won since gyro was beginning to out-carry the kunkka but we got caught by some vacuum + rift silence stuff into torrent boat a few times. The puck sorta had free-roam in teamfights. I hope I'm not answering my own question but this is the kinda pitfalls I fall into semi-often and I feel like I'm missing some big fundamentals.
Do you think that the USE, EU servers played any role today? you simply outplayed fnatic in game 3 i think regardless but its interesting that you stomp each other so hard in games 1 and 2 on the relative servers.
Are you in correspondence with icefrog regarding balance etc?
Regarding TI3 would you prefer the same deal with last year regarding invites? or would you rather 4 or 5 teams get invited and the rest qualifiers?
Any plans for Liquid Gaming house before TI3?
Fnatic is considered the top europe team at the moment and you the top US team did you study them much to try and counter their strategy of double/triple carry splitpush global or did you more stick to your own strategy?
After Gleague finals are you going to just try and copy what IG do or stick to your own stuff since after g1 league the meta changed from the sven crit stack strategy?
thanks for answering the questions good to see someone so vocal in the community.
On February 25 2013 12:09 Tevinhead wrote: Hey Bulba!
I'm trying to improve my drafting and I'm making a list of drafting fundamentals to keep in mind every draft, things such as being very aware of how much reliable non-ultimate CC I have and being sure to get a decent amount against high mobility teams. And being sure I have heroes with wave-clearing and some other stuff. Wondering if you could lay a knowledge bomb on me with some drafting fundamentals of your own? Thanks!
Also, extremely happy to see you guys playing so well recently! Keep it up!
well when you start off competitively, realize that stuns matter a lot. you said you have that part down but even just picking 3-4 amazing disables on a team will auto win u games at certain levels. its really hard for me to give u advice for drafting if i dont get examples since drafting depends a lot on your own strategies or what they pick. just try to pick according to the weaknesses of your draft. you have a late game hero that needs to turtle? try to pick a spammer like a wr or a tinker to defend the early pushes.
Thanks for the reply! I tend to get myself into awkward situations, say I first pick magnus as we have a player who plays him well in mid. Then I draft SD and Gyro. So far I have Magnus, SD and Gyro, now it's awkward, since after this I draft Lina to combo with the SD and then WR as offlaner just to try and get some more disables going, but in reality, Mag, SD, Gyro, Luna, WR doesn't have 'reliable CC'. We lost this game. The other team was DS, Rubick, Puck, VS, Kunkka.
We nearly won since gyro was beginning to out-carry the kunkka but we got caught by some vacuum + rift silence stuff into torrent boat a few times. The puck sorta had free-roam in teamfights. I hope I'm not answering my own question but this is the kinda pitfalls I fall into semi-often and I feel like I'm missing some big fundamentals.
your lineup sounds fine. you just can't get into bad positions versus the ds puck and kunkha and you have amazing counter initiate. you have enough disables with lina (not luna i assume), sd purge and disrupt and shackle. then the RP synergy with gyro is amazing.
On February 25 2013 11:12 tube wrote: what do you think about your teammate's new league and the future of nadota
it's awesome! mike worked hard to make an amazing client. I try to have hope for nadota but when i see that a possible team with potential (merlini, clairvoyance, select, inphinity ) disbands after their first official match, i lose faith.
On February 25 2013 12:23 andyrau wrote: if youre still answering questions:
I realize there's very little interaction between the two scenes, but in a ballpark range: - how do you think the western scene is compared to the eastern scene (skill-wise, relatively)? - where would liquid be relative to the Asian power ranking you gave earlier?
also, - who are your favorite casters? - 2pac or biggie?
-skill wise, it is still lower. there is a lot of randomness in the western scene that the eastern scene doesn't have. - this is a hard question. without any previous practice vs the chinese teams, maybe along with orange and zenith?
I love listening to most of the casters. I'm friends with most of them and co-casted at least once with most of them. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. for analysis/entertainment it has to be ld and winter. for hype, it is draskyl/ayesee and tobi.
On February 25 2013 12:35 NitroS wrote: Do you think that the USE, EU servers played any role today? you simply outplayed fnatic in game 3 i think regardless but its interesting that you stomp each other so hard in games 1 and 2 on the relative servers.
Are you in correspondence with icefrog regarding balance etc?
Regarding TI3 would you prefer the same deal with last year regarding invites? or would you rather 4 or 5 teams get invited and the rest qualifiers?
Any plans for Liquid Gaming house before TI3?
Fnatic is considered the top europe team at the moment and you the top US team did you study them much to try and counter their strategy of double/triple carry splitpush global or did you more stick to your own strategy?
After Gleague finals are you going to just try and copy what IG do or stick to your own stuff since after g1 league the meta changed from the sven crit stack strategy?
thanks for answering the questions good to see someone so vocal in the community.
game 2 was a strategy loss, not because of latency. we did poor in movement and decision making. enchant had amazing ganks top lane and mid lane. bh got levels and went around getting track kills. it's annoying to see people blaming latency when there were decision making errors.
- i occasionally message him about something or he asks me a question pertaining a change.
- I liked last years setup. - possible bootcamp. we don't know the full details but we will play with each other before ti3 no matter what. (in a house or a lan or wherever)
- we stuck to our own plan and had enough confidence going vs them, I think we have a lot more versatility than them. They do weird things sometimes also (random boots of travels on heroes and no vacuum dark seers) my missclick of rocket on level 6 can probably be something weird too :D
- i think it's dumb to copy what other teams do. you have to find what you are comfortable with or they will always be better at what they do. you can't beat them at their own game. you don't beat LGD.cn in late game scenarios most of the time. Similiar example. the Sven crit stack strategy was not even a legit strategy. teams just did nothing and expected to win with some stupid team fight 20 minutes in. it was disappointing to watch
On February 25 2013 11:12 tube wrote: what do you think about your teammate's new league and the future of nadota
it's awesome! mike worked hard to make an amazing client. I try to have hope for nadota but when i see that a possible team with potential (merlini, clairvoyance, select, inphinity ) disbands after their first official match, i lose faith.
wait when did TINB disband?
according to clairvoyance, yesterday. supposedly merlini and select had an argument in a matchmaking game and they disbanded?something like that
On February 23 2013 16:16 cerb wrote: Nice interview! Some random questions, which come into my mind: - What's your most liked hero? In terms of design and spell synergies for example. - What equipment and settings do you use (mouse, keyboard, high/low graphics)? - Are there any other games you are playing or you are interested in, or do you focus on Dota2 only? - How many hours to you play each day? - Do you analyze replays?
- Disruptor is such an awesome hero. it has such good synergy with all his spells. you can outskill people and the sky is the limit (except when they get bkbs!) - mouse- Razer deathadder - keyboard- blackwidow ultimate stealth - high graphics
- I have a problem where i get a game and then play a few hours of it and then go back to dota 2. Maybe only a few games that i have stuck through till the end (far cry 3, assassins creed 3, arkham city) I also enjoy watching starcraft 2 streams or tournaments. - i play about 4-5 hours a day if we are practicing. - Yes, in the evening i try to watch a few replays from what we practiced to see my own mistakes, how i was doing in my laning, etc.
Thank you for answering my questions and for doing this Q&A in general. Good luck for your upcoming matches.
On February 25 2013 11:04 [O]ops wrote: Quick power ranking of dota 2 teams both asian and western
western- 1. navi on lan 2. liquid 3. fnatic 4. vp 5. empire 6. dignitas 7. mouz 8. eg 9. nth 10. dd. don't know too much about rox kis and stuff but if they play as well as they did vs empire, they could be a top 6 potential
Only problem i have with this list is while i agree you are the top team with fnatic you havent consistently beat navi, empire and VP like fnatic have (though you havent had the chance since you are excluded from the european tournaments)
After the Defense and Premier league we might have a clearer picture.
On February 25 2013 11:04 [O]ops wrote: Quick power ranking of dota 2 teams both asian and western
western- 1. navi on lan 2. liquid 3. fnatic 4. vp 5. empire 6. dignitas 7. mouz 8. eg 9. nth 10. dd. don't know too much about rox kis and stuff but if they play as well as they did vs empire, they could be a top 6 potential
Only problem i have with this list is while i agree you are the top team with fnatic you havent consistently beat navi, empire and VP like fnatic have (though you havent had the chance since you are excluded from the european tournaments)
After the Defense and Premier league we might have a clearer picture.
i think he has a right to be confident in himself and his team
On February 25 2013 11:04 [O]ops wrote: Quick power ranking of dota 2 teams both asian and western
western- 1. navi on lan 2. liquid 3. fnatic 4. vp 5. empire 6. dignitas 7. mouz 8. eg 9. nth 10. dd. don't know too much about rox kis and stuff but if they play as well as they did vs empire, they could be a top 6 potential
Only problem i have with this list is while i agree you are the top team with fnatic you havent consistently beat navi, empire and VP like fnatic have (though you havent had the chance since you are excluded from the european tournaments)
After the Defense and Premier league we might have a clearer picture.
i think he has a right to be confident in himself and his team
oh he is and im sure that they are the number 1 team but i just went over their recent series and they have fnatic beaten 2-1 over the 3 series they have played. VP have them 2-1 and Navi has them 1-0
no way this power ranking means anything. tbh we have the hardest time versus both VP and empire. VP especially atm. id say any of the top 6 teams can beat each other and this doesnt mean much.
Hey bulba, just wanna say I'm a big fan and I was ecstatic that you guys got picked up by non other but liquid, my favorite team.
My questions: 1.) When/if you played SC2, what league were you, what race ? 2.) What players would ideal dota 2 team have for each position (out of currently active players)?
On February 25 2013 23:42 VelJa wrote: - Are you happy to be in Liquid ? (I mean, is it just a team for you or more ?) - Did you know some people in the French Dota2 scene ?
- Yes, its awesome. hotbid says the funniest stuff in our team chat on skype. everyone is really supportive and its cool to know that players u watched play for years (TLO, nony, etc) watch your games now too. tlo said he liked my tp to kill batrider yesterday in the mouz game and that made me smile :D - as for the actual team, i love it. everyone is so dedicated and this is a new one for me. if i am going to spend most of my team playing dota competitively, i want it to be with people that are as committed as me. we have all become good friends also. - Im really good friends with funzii, socks, and Mad. We met and hung out a lot at Dreamhack summer last year and ti2. I also chilled with them at ESWC when i went with dignitas. they are really cool guys and i hope they do well cause fuckingmad is 1 of the smartest dota players i know.
On February 25 2013 23:58 Mithhaike wrote: Is there a role for a pure spellcaster like Zeus in current meta? What does he needs to be useful
if the other team wants to be really greedy, a zeus support might be legit. the hero gets decent levels on pulls and u do a shit ton of damage with no items. only problem is if the other team aggressive trilanes and u have a zeus support :D
On February 26 2013 00:14 Jankisa wrote: Hey bulba, just wanna say I'm a big fan and I was ecstatic that you guys got picked up by non other but liquid, my favorite team.
My questions: 1.) When/if you played SC2, what league were you, what race ? 2.) What players would ideal dota 2 team have for each position (out of currently active players)?
1. masters and zerg 2. i can cheat and say IG but to mix it around
1. burning 2. xiao8 3. yao 4. chuan 5. faith tbh all the top chinese teams have 'ideal dota 2 teams'
On February 26 2013 01:00 Kibibit wrote: If this is still going at all; Did you play any other War3 maps for fun in the past? if so which ones were your favourites?
ill keep answering questions as long as people post them my favorite ones were GEM td, uthers, footmen frenzy, and pokemon TD.
On February 25 2013 23:48 ELA wrote: First question.
Would you rather:
A: Dance in the rain. B: Ride on the train. C: Feel no pain.
First thing that comes to you.
ride on the train
Good choice
Just for fun: You and TC are captured and locked in seperate cells by an evil ixMike88. You are unable to communicate. ixMike88 appears before both of you and says: "In each of your cells there is a magical button. If you press your button and TC does not, you will die but TC is free to go. If TC presses the button and you do not, he will die but you (Bulba) goes free. If neither you nor TC presses the button, both of you will die. If both of you press the button, both of you will die". IxMike88 then tells you that you have one turn of the hourglass to decide your action, then he leaves.
On February 26 2013 01:00 Kibibit wrote: If this is still going at all; Did you play any other War3 maps for fun in the past? if so which ones were your favourites?
ill keep answering questions as long as people post them my favorite ones were GEM td, uthers, footmen frenzy, and pokemon TD.
pokeMAUL man omg pokemauL not pokemoN TD. (Cuz it was made on the Wintermaul TD)
On February 26 2013 01:00 Kibibit wrote: If this is still going at all; Did you play any other War3 maps for fun in the past? if so which ones were your favourites?
ill keep answering questions as long as people post them my favorite ones were GEM td, uthers, footmen frenzy, and pokemon TD.
pokeMAUL man omg pokemauL not pokemoN TD. (Cuz it was made on the Wintermaul TD)
no there was a game where you competed against others and bought pokemon and you all had individual squares. it was called Poke td i think not the maul 1
What are your thoughts on Mu as a mid solo player? He's been cited a fair bit for his talent among Chinese players, but it seems like he hasn't had the best chance to showcase his ability given Tongfu's mediocre results as of late.
On February 26 2013 01:51 TheYango wrote: What are your thoughts on Mu as a mid solo player? He's been cited a fair bit for his talent among Chinese players, but it seems like he hasn't had the best chance to showcase his ability given Tongfu's mediocre results as of late.
i think his 1v1 is probably 1 of the best but his decision making mid game or team fight isnt as good as ferrari or xiao8 which is a lot more relevant. also tngfus performance matters. if u saw their g league games, mu solo killed a ta mid with bm and went fairly even. they lost though cause of tongfus awful laning and the ds getting crushed by sf
On February 26 2013 01:54 gaymon wrote: gotta have been playing madballs/archery tactics/island troll tribes/defiance orpg/ffepicrpg/shoppingmaul/impossible bosses ONLY TO NAME A FEW :D
a few times. but hte ones i listed were my favorite
What are your thoughts on Necrolyte?will we ever see him play? he seems really strong on paper but so far only iG and LGD have used him a couple times.
What are your thoughts on Aquila/Urn Weaver with fast swarm maxing?nowaydays we still see the old Linkens build on Weaver. This feels lacklustre as Weaver is really strong with 4/4/1/1 and that Weaver falls off until he gets a good damage item(MKB).
Kunkka is one of my favorite heroes but he doesn't get much pro play. What position do you think he works best at if you were to pick him in a competitive match?
How do you keep focus on a longer playday? 2 Bo3s like today are probably quite low if you think at LAN. Do you yourself recognize getting worse or isn´t it that bad? And good luck against 3D!Clan and Mouz
On February 26 2013 01:00 Kibibit wrote: If this is still going at all; Did you play any other War3 maps for fun in the past? if so which ones were your favourites?
ill keep answering questions as long as people post them my favorite ones were GEM td, uthers, footmen frenzy, and pokemon TD.
pokeMAUL man omg pokemauL not pokemoN TD. (Cuz it was made on the Wintermaul TD)
no there was a game where you competed against others and bought pokemon and you all had individual squares. it was called Poke td i think not the maul 1
Pokemon TD was the shit, I used to play it with friends not that long ago. It suffered some luck and balance issues, getting a quick legendary was way too strong and some of them were far stronger than others, but overall it was a very fun custom map. Much better than pokemaul, which was just another random maul from what I remember.
Do you think it's healthy for western dota teams to picture chineese teams as having the 'ideal' way to play?
From what I understand, chineese Dota revolves very much around methodology and 'sticking to the strat' so to speak - If you had all the time in the world to just focus on DotA, is this the way you/Liquid would play? Because to me, a total noob who has never actually played a game of Dota2 but just watched these recent months, it seems like 'methodology' is not one of your core philosophies on the team - Maybe Im wrong?
On February 26 2013 02:14 Kipsate wrote: What are your thoughts on Necrolyte?will we ever see him play? he seems really strong on paper but so far only iG and LGD have used him a couple times.
What are your thoughts on Aquila/Urn Weaver with fast swarm maxing?nowaydays we still see the old Linkens build on Weaver. This feels lacklustre as Weaver is really strong with 4/4/1/1 and that Weaver falls off until he gets a good damage item(MKB).
weaver is one of my favorite heroes in ih leagues. i like going solo mid with it and rushing aquila medallion treads. u do so much damage with max swarm. urn seems cool too but i prefer medallion
as for necrolyte, the hero is strong because he crushes most offlane heroes with sadist/aura and death pulse spam. however, he doesnt bring what syllabear does as effectively so there r better heroes for this
how was your experience with EG before? what were your weaknesses and strengths as team? i thought you guys could've really won against the Chinese that time.
right now what do you think is wrong with them?
ps. and whos your favorite SC2 player for each race?
Considering transferring to Chapel Hill after my sophomore year (currently a freshmen at ASU), if I did and joined the e-sports association would you give me a high-five?
Also, how difficult is pol/sci at CH? I'm an Econ/Pol Sci major atm, but pol sci is really easy (i love it though), and i'm considering doing econ and biology. Thoughts?
i know you complain a lot about the ancient stacking strat back at dreamhack. however werent you the inventor of the tinker ancient farm stack? like right now you're farming that and korok is farming 3 triple stacks with gyro
On February 25 2013 11:12 tube wrote: what do you think about your teammate's new league and the future of nadota
it's awesome! mike worked hard to make an amazing client. I try to have hope for nadota but when i see that a possible team with potential (merlini, clairvoyance, select, inphinity ) disbands after their first official match, i lose faith.
wait when did TINB disband?
according to clairvoyance, yesterday. supposedly merlini and select had an argument in a matchmaking game and they disbanded?something like that
Oh jeez I saw that live (they were both streaming)... Looked like they had patched things up by the end of the game.. guess not. That sucks!
Anyways much <3 to Bulba and thanks for the interview and Q & A
Do you guy try to find kills in the mid game or does it just happen for you? As a team you always seam to find a bunch of relatively easy and quick kills that propel you into an unassailable lead, which is super fun to watch as a fan
Thoughts on why your team's performance was so lackluster against Mouz, and wasn't it a warning call for you, guys? You kinda avoided the bullet by the skin of your teeth.
On February 26 2013 04:28 braincandy wrote: how was your experience with EG before? what were your weaknesses and strengths as team? i thought you guys could've really won against the Chinese that time.
right now what do you think is wrong with them?
ps. and whos your favorite SC2 player for each race?
strengths- players with experience which helps a lot, fear was a good mentor and demon was quite clutch when he needed 2 be. same with maelk.
weaknesses- lack of practice or the dedication. i want to play or prac at least 5/7 days a week if i am going 2 commit something like this.
the weakness is still the same, also overconfidence. not going 2 dwell too much on this topic
On February 26 2013 04:35 Clubmeh wrote: Hey Bulba,
Considering transferring to Chapel Hill after my sophomore year (currently a freshmen at ASU), if I did and joined the e-sports association would you give me a high-five?
Also, how difficult is pol/sci at CH? I'm an Econ/Pol Sci major atm, but pol sci is really easy (i love it though), and i'm considering doing econ and biology. Thoughts?
Thanks for answering these questions :D
Of course but this is my last year at unc i am a senior atm. Poli sci is quite easy at CH. i slack off a lot but still do well in the classes. Poli 471 was 1 of my fav classes so try to take that. However, try to have another major as well unless ur doing law school or u wanna be a teacher. I took poli sci just cause i was interested in it.
On February 26 2013 09:26 BlackGosu wrote: hey bulba
i know you complain a lot about the ancient stacking strat back at dreamhack. however werent you the inventor of the tinker ancient farm stack? like right now you're farming that and korok is farming 3 triple stacks with gyro
There has to be a difference made. The way the teams played at dreamhack was pure pure defensive stacking (nth mostly but also eg and fnatic) . No aggressive trilanes, no smoke ganks. just pulls and stacks our game yesterday, we had an aggressive trilane but it didnt go so well so we were forced to go into that position. im fine with farming stacks but if ur supports literally just stack 24/7 and do nothing else and are level 2 at 7 min in with no items cause they pooled everything to their cores, that is disgusting. ive told EE this but he doesn't care and its the way he thought was the most optimal for a support to play. The tinker ancient farm is the best way for the hero to farm. its pointless not to do it. also i stack my own ancient camp most of the time if im mid on radiant and it is an investment into my gold later on. obviously our plan was to put pressure early and not let pl go snowball but things didnt work out.
Bulba you said you gave up on meepo, was it skill that you were lacking? Or meepo's incapability in competitive dota? Mix of both? Do you think he needs some kind of a buff to be able to play him in competitive dota? Or is it just lack of skill in most of the players and because of that not many teams practicing/building strategies around him?
since like 3 people asked me thoughts about the game in succession -
my thoughts: the game shoulda went a lot better. we were a bit too cocky in our aggressive trilane after seeing replay and we talked about it after. i shouldnt have died top to PL, i got kinda cocky. i shoulda done ancients earlier. i was debating force staff or not but blink is so good on tinker and sd was going force. panda and clock are both good heroes to break base so i had to shoot marches from odd angles and had to play passive which i hate doing. we saw an opening and went. i had my force and blink and sheep up and saw the panda. clock cogged him in and i got hit by the cogs. i re armed and saw him not using ulti or cheese yet so i just sheeped/ laser/ rocketed him and he died. pl had no buy back and aegis after dying so we just went mid. i cleared bottom wave and kinda knew that we could rax it in time and throne it. we killed the panda and every1 else in their base. no kotl and no clock is big cause they both can kind of distract us long enough. we knew pl would have to either fight us or back door and he couldnt fight us 3v1 becuase of sheep/ and gyro damage then we all had heart attacks.
On February 26 2013 10:14 Kipsate wrote: If you were to nerf PL, how would you do it without making the hero utterly useless(most broken fucking hero in the game atm imo lol)
uhh honestly dont know. the hero is annoying if he snowballs but thats really easy in pubs. i feel a nerf to tranquils might make him worse and tranquils does need a nerf. maybe nerf his agi gain back a little. its too high
On February 26 2013 10:28 dragonblade369 wrote: That game was awesome lol. Was the choice of rapier a spur of the moment decision or it was a consensus with the team?
it was needed. no other item could dps them down before they took our raxes.
On February 26 2013 12:57 Osiccor wrote: If you are still answering questions: What are your views on radiance on phantom lancer? Thanks
diffusal manta is a lot better. easier to buy and u can farm as fast and be more involved in fights earlier. the agi gain made it so that ur illusions can farm without the radiance buff earlier on. the quelling blade bug made him really imbalanced but now u kinda have to go yasha so ur illusions move faster and get the agi gain earlier and then diffusal.
On February 26 2013 13:25 NitroS wrote: What did you think of your series against mouz and what went wrong game 2 and 3?
i answered game 3. as for game 2, we let them do what they want. am got really farmed. i was stuck not being able to lane vs him beside the occasional rocket/cog harass. panda made us unable to take fights. they had really good initiates on luna and they just got way too much farm. their support gyro had a lothars by 25 min.
On February 26 2013 16:55 Scaramanga wrote: Do you guy try to find kills in the mid game or does it just happen for you? As a team you always seam to find a bunch of relatively easy and quick kills that propel you into an unassailable lead, which is super fun to watch as a fan
you put pressure - > u force them to respond and u kill them. if u dont put pressure or have a threat of pressure, they can do w/e they want and for most western teams, that is farming and playing defensive.
On February 26 2013 22:55 taldarimAltar wrote: Why is mag sometimes not used at all in Western Scene he is often 1st ban material in Chinese Dota. Gyro is also not used at all.
i think hes banned according to some teams. for example i know that lgd int doesnt really pick him much nor IG. they prefer beast/darkseer/ ta/qop/ns mid. Lgd.cn picks it even after the skewer nerf. its a more defensive hero and better for counter initiating. some teams just prefer other heroes. mag is really annoying with gyro though.
On February 26 2013 23:07 renfree wrote: Thoughts on why your team's performance was so lackluster against Mouz, and wasn't it a warning call for you, guys? You kinda avoided the bullet by the skin of your teeth.
we were a bit tired( stupid excuse but it was true). its hard to say. things just didnt go as well as we planned. we made a lot of mistakes early on in game 1. game 2 was just a stomp and game 3 was a lot of mistakes as well. i have yet to see game 1 or game 2 replays so i cant say much about them now but we werent playing nearly the same way as we usually do, i agree
On February 26 2013 04:28 braincandy wrote: how was your experience with EG before? what were your weaknesses and strengths as team? i thought you guys could've really won against the Chinese that time.
right now what do you think is wrong with them?
ps. and whos your favorite SC2 player for each race?
strengths- players with experience which helps a lot, fear was a good mentor and demon was quite clutch when he needed 2 be. same with maelk.
weaknesses- lack of practice or the dedication. i want to play or prac at least 5/7 days a week if i am going 2 commit something like this.
the weakness is still the same, also overconfidence. not going 2 dwell too much on this topic
It's such a shame, so much talent going to the garbage.
I feel like Demon has the biggest "big play" potential of pretty much all players, you see him doing really fantastic stuff (imo), like next level shit often, but it doesn't matter when it is not over a consistent base.
EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/TheEmulator/2013February/QA/rsz_1bulba_qa.jpg)
i am a senior atm.
