EG.Inspired on LCS: “I feel like the top four teams are very, very strong, and probably all of them could fight for first place even in EU.”

We caught up with Evil Geniuses Kacper "Inspired" Słoma ahead of their match against Cloud9. A win over Cloud9 could see Evil Geniuses climb to top 4. EG convincingly won their match against Immortals yesterday, and head towards a clash with a dominant Cloud9 who have only lost 2 games all split.

Inspired, Thank you for the interview, and congratulations on the win. You guys got the victory over Immortals after losing to them in week three. How's it feel to even the score?

EG Inspired: "It felt bad losing to Immortals [last time], because they're just pretty boosted. And when we lost a game that was kind of free. At least in my mind, it was free. So at least it feels better that today we won."

So does it feel like you've started to correct the mistakes that your team have been making earlier on in the split? Or is it just a general buildup of skill that you've had to get to?

EG Inspired: "I think our games against top teams like TL, Cloud9, and 100 Thieves, the ones we lost, we just got out-drafted. I think our drafts are pretty bad in those games. And then against CLG and Immortals, the games we lost, I feel like we could easily close both of them out.

But we just made like very stupid mistakes. So I think we are a very good team, if we can be mindful in-game and we prepare well for the draft. So, today I guess the game was not the problem. I think we were really well prepared. We just knew we had a better team. We just have to play calm and collected and we win."

Yeah, it seemed like the team played very clean today. And you had come in clearly with a game plan in mind to try and deal with, for instance, the Xin Zhao, so you went ahead and picked up the Trundle. Do you want to talk a bit about that champion choice, as a counter matchup?

EG Inspired: "I mean there were a lot of jungle bans, and then they picked Xin, and then I think Trundle fit quite well into enemy comp because you can’t lose to Xin in in our 3v3. When we have Karma support, you can pick tank jungle.

Because if you have something carry (in the jungle) and Karma, no one can tank the hook in 3v3s. So it's hard to fight enemies. And then you just need to pick a tank jungle and I think Trundle was the best that was open there because it's pretty good into Xin early-game. Also he’s also scaling fine because he can just Pillar enemies. And he also doesn't need a lot of gold.

So in the mid-late game, you can always give all of your resources to the carry so they just get stronger. And then you just  tank Nautilus hook, you can put your pillar, drop it down. So I felt Trundle might fit good into the things we had [drafted]."

It certainly worked out! And then Danny and jojo just kind of got to have fun with it. Speaking of drafts, we heard from Peter Dun that he was stepping back this week for pick and bans because your coach Rigby had managed to get his visa issues sorted out. What is it like having him on stage compared to Peter?

EG Inspired: "Think Rigby’s better at adapting than Peter. I think Peter was good, but I think Rigby is VERY good. Very, very good. He impressed me when he started talking the draft, I never heard someone being so smart about this.

So I think it will be easier for us coming into the next games, I think we will be even better prepared than we were before. And I think he is very good. He's very smart about how to draft."

Interesting… Anything you can give me as an example or is that all under EG lock and key?

Inspired: "I think he’s just also a good all-round player. He knows how match ups should be played, and what's good into specific champions, and in which order you should pick them to not get countered too much. And I guess that's it. I think he does have knowledge about the game. So he knows also how to play out the matchups even though he's just a coach. So this helps a lot for the players."

That's really cool. Now, would you say that EG are back on Lock-In form or are you still working to get there?

EG Inspired: "For lock-in we kind of played against bad teams. I think… actually wait because we played Immortals and CLG. I guess they were not that bad. But I think they're bad. But yeah, I think at Lock-In we didn’t play too well…We were fine. I think it was just because we were playing from the office.

It was easier for us to focus and now we’re on stage. It was Jojo’s first game on stage. So I think he wasn't that comfortable as he was during Lock-In. But I think now he's getting there. Every week I can see that he's more comfortable being on stage and I guess we are back on the Lock-In form. Not like it was super good form or something, but I think we are definitely getting better as a team."

And it’s certainly working out. I would like to ask you about your matchup tomorrow – You're playing against Cloud9. Are you feeling confident against that team, since they seem to be right back on form too?

EG Inspired: "I think they're a good team but I think they didn't really like, have too much competition.[Look at] their 100 Thieves game when the team just gave away the game to them. I think they were in a good spot and then they just threw so hard so C9 got a free win.

And I think it's a bit more predictable, now that LS left the team, what they are gonna pick. It feels like they have a way of playing, and they kind of stick to it. So I think it will be easier to know what they're going to pull off. But I think they're a very a skilled team.

I think all of the players are very good in-lane and mechanically. But I think we can be better prepared as a team and out-play them in team fights. But I think they are a strong team so it will be a close game."

Well, I'm looking forward to it. Now, you talked a lot about your opinion on the skill levels of the teams in the LCS. It does seem like it's a very competitive Spring Split. As somebody that has spent most of their career over in Europe, and also has Worlds experience, what is your assessment of the overall skill level in North America?

EG Inspired: "I think with this offseason, it looks very strong. The region, ‘cus TL got like two very good players, I came to EG. 100 Thieves they were the champions of the league, and then Cloud9 as well as got three Koreans. So they also upgraded the roster a lot. So I feel like the top four teams are very, very strong, and probably all of them could fight for first place, even in EU. 

I think that is pretty competitive. And even the bottom teams are not that bad. I think even in LEC the bottom teams are usually way worse than the top teams. And I think here they're still a bit worse, but maybe not as much. I feel like they're fine, just nothing special. But I think the level is very similar to LEC. Before I would always say LEC was better. But now I think it's very similar."

Do you think the change comes from just a lot of players coming in from overseas? Or do you think it has something to do with the new Champions Queue as well?

EG Inspired: "I think it is just players coming out. I don't think it’s Champions Queue or anything like that. I think it might help in the long term. But now I think it's just the fact that a lot of players from Korea and EU came to those teams and I think those teams are just better now."

Awesome, thank you so much for your time. Good luck tomorrow against Cloud9!

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