Ask The Pros: Winterfox's Pobelter
Riot·2/23/2015, 9:45:06 PM·0 votes·13,616 views
Ask The Pros is an ongoing series on lolesports.com, where we ask a pro player questions from the community. The player then picks the next pro the community will get to ask questions. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to submit your questions for the next Q&A!
In our last Ask The Pros interview, we talked with Diego "Quas" Ruiz about fantasy LCS, top lane strategy, and playing with Piglet.
He also had a question for Winterfox's mid laner, Eugene "Pobelter" Park.
Quas: How is the team dynamic in terms of communication with the two Korean player additions to the team, and Johnny "Altec" Ru not being able to speak Korean?
Pobelter: Comms are mostly in Korean, but when calls are made concerning the bottom half of the map, the Koreans on the team are proficient enough in English to communicate effectively with Gleeb and Johnny "Altec" Ru.
If there's something that is being lost in translation (which isn't often), then I step in and can make sure that everyone is on the same page. Luckily, Altec is our ADC, a role which I believe has a very linear mindset: push towers and maximize DPS. So most communication between him and the rest of the team is pretty simple.
P: In a pure 1v1, I think I could take on anyone in the world and at least do decently most of the time. When you start including the enemy jungler, making sure you ward and roam at proper times, making sure you have perfect positioning in teamfights -- that's when it gets tricky.
Mister: As a mid laner, how do you maintain your safety while pushing your lane?
P: A good rule is to never push out if you are going to die if you get ganked. Wards are some pretty cool and inexpensive items that can prevent you from being ganked and dying.
Matthew: Why don't you play Talon?
P: Talon's early game is extremely weak. He has low base AD, a poor attack animation, high mana cost skills, and is melee, so you pretty much get dumpstered against any meta champion in mid. He is really lackluster in teamfights as well against defensive style mids (Xerath, Azir, etc) that take Barrier, Heal, or Exhaust, and he fares poorly against pretty much any support in the game (especially Lulu, Janna).
Noodle: What Runes do you use on Zed against AD and AP?
P: Against AD: Armor Penetration Marks, Armor Seals, Scaling CDR Glyphs, AD Quints.
Against AP: Armor Penetration Marks, Scaling HP Seals, MR Glyphs, AD Quints.
David: What would you change in the current meta of mid laners?
P: Delete long range champions from the game. Bring back the season 3 meta! The best mid champions were Gragas, Ahri, Zed, Fizz, Orianna, and some that I'm probably forgetting. It was the golden age of mid lane.
Razi: What are your all-time favorite champion matchups and player matchups?
P: Favorite champion matchups: old Fizz vs. Zed, Orianna vs. Syndra, Lulu vs. LeBlanc. All of these matchups lean one way, but they're all really fun to play.
Favorite player matchups: I don't know. Playing mid feels a little stale lately, because the recent trends feel like it has been less about 1v1ing, winning lane, and getting kills, and more about not dying, farming, and playing safely. I don't think I could pick out a favorite player matchup.
LoLesports: What pro player would you want to answer questions next? Would you like to ask him anything?
P: Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten on Fnatic: What did you expect from Fnatic before you joined? What motivated your decision to choose Fnatic over H2k?
Josh Augustine's favorite champion is Vladimir, he's never enjoyed a Darius, and he will always go for the kill, even when he knows he shouldn't. He currently works as a game designer on EverQuest Next at Daybreak Games. He’d love to talk with you on Twitter.
Probelter
Lord: Other than mid lane, what roles do you think you can play at a professional level? P: Right now? None at an LCS level. It would be really cocky of me to say that I could switch roles and immediately succeed, because of the amount of knowledge that you need for each position in the game. If you gave me a month or two though, I think I could play any other role and do alright. Jungling would probably be the hardest, though. Ryan: When you first started in the LCS, what was it like trying to balance school and professional gaming? P: It was really stressful. I couldn't focus completely on school or LCS, so my performance in both was subpar. My daily schedule would be something like this: 7 AM - 3 PM, I would be at school. 4 PM - 10 PM, I would have scrims. If I had a huge amount of homework, then I would usually stay up late in order to finish it, or rush to finish it during the class right before it was due. I certainly didn't want to make my team feel like I wasn't putting in enough effort required, so I rarely asked to cancel scrims in order to catch up on schoolwork. In retrospect, this was probably more detrimental to our team performance than just scrimming less, as I would often be incredibly tired during scrims after a full day of school, and play pretty poorly. Petey: What was it like being forced to watch from the sidelines due to age early in your career? P: It was pretty frustrating. In Season 1 and 2, I wasn't allowed to attend many major tournaments because of my age. So I missed out on many IEM tournaments, which required me to be 16, as well as IPL 3, which was held in an 18+ casino in Atlantic City (I was 14 or 15 at the time). Finally, when I turned 16, Riot unveiled the LCS, which requires a minimum age of 17! Hai "Hai" Du Lam: If given the option, would you rather play in Korea or NA? And why, also, do you love me? P: Definitely NA. Playing in Korea might be fun for a little bit, but I think I might tire of it after a year or so. I've grown so accustomed to the diverse selection of pretty much everything in America. After a month spent in Korea, I really wanted to come back home and be in my comfort zone. Why do I love you? You don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. Patrick: Where did your name come from? P: It comes from the ancient Latin word, pobaltur, which means "talented gamer." Just kidding. I made it up when I started playing Neopets when I was like, six, because I thought it sounded cool.Midbelter
Monte: Who was the best mid laner that you scrimmed against in Korea, and what was it like? P: It's hard to pick. In scrims in Korea, skirmishes in mid were almost never 1v1 or 2v2. Most of the time, it would be support/jungle/mid against support/jungle/mid. There would be these ridiculous fights early on in the game around mid at like, level 4. It was a lot of fun. If I had to pick some standouts, I would say GE Tiger's Lee "Kuro" Seo-haeng and Jin Air Green Wing's Lee "GBM" Chang-suk. Jake: Who is the most well-known mid laner that you think you can solo in lane in a competitive match?
P: In a pure 1v1, I think I could take on anyone in the world and at least do decently most of the time. When you start including the enemy jungler, making sure you ward and roam at proper times, making sure you have perfect positioning in teamfights -- that's when it gets tricky.
Mister: As a mid laner, how do you maintain your safety while pushing your lane?
P: A good rule is to never push out if you are going to die if you get ganked. Wards are some pretty cool and inexpensive items that can prevent you from being ganked and dying.
Matthew: Why don't you play Talon?
P: Talon's early game is extremely weak. He has low base AD, a poor attack animation, high mana cost skills, and is melee, so you pretty much get dumpstered against any meta champion in mid. He is really lackluster in teamfights as well against defensive style mids (Xerath, Azir, etc) that take Barrier, Heal, or Exhaust, and he fares poorly against pretty much any support in the game (especially Lulu, Janna).
Noodle: What Runes do you use on Zed against AD and AP?
P: Against AD: Armor Penetration Marks, Armor Seals, Scaling CDR Glyphs, AD Quints.
Against AP: Armor Penetration Marks, Scaling HP Seals, MR Glyphs, AD Quints.
David: What would you change in the current meta of mid laners?
P: Delete long range champions from the game. Bring back the season 3 meta! The best mid champions were Gragas, Ahri, Zed, Fizz, Orianna, and some that I'm probably forgetting. It was the golden age of mid lane.
Razi: What are your all-time favorite champion matchups and player matchups?
P: Favorite champion matchups: old Fizz vs. Zed, Orianna vs. Syndra, Lulu vs. LeBlanc. All of these matchups lean one way, but they're all really fun to play.
Favorite player matchups: I don't know. Playing mid feels a little stale lately, because the recent trends feel like it has been less about 1v1ing, winning lane, and getting kills, and more about not dying, farming, and playing safely. I don't think I could pick out a favorite player matchup.
Lifebelter?
Jack: Following you on Spotify was an excellent decision. How would you describe your taste in music, and why is it so good? P: Thanks! I think I have a pretty eclectic taste in music, but I would say my favorite genres are indie, psychedelic, and hip-hop. Michael: What's your favorite Korean food? P: Korean barbecue, or 순두부 (hot tofu soup). Boss: Tea or coffee? P: Coffee makes me a little jittery, but I prefer it to tea. Mana: Have you ever thought of becoming a K-pop star? P: I am not sure if becoming a K-pop star is as easy as you think. Atix: Blondes or Brunettes? P: I don't discriminate based on hair color! Laxo: How did you learn Korean? Did you grow up in a household where it was spoken? P: My parents are first-generation immigrants from Korea, so that's how I learned to speak Korean.
LoLesports: What pro player would you want to answer questions next? Would you like to ask him anything?
P: Fabian "Febiven" Diepstraten on Fnatic: What did you expect from Fnatic before you joined? What motivated your decision to choose Fnatic over H2k?
Josh Augustine's favorite champion is Vladimir, he's never enjoyed a Darius, and he will always go for the kill, even when he knows he shouldn't. He currently works as a game designer on EverQuest Next at Daybreak Games. He’d love to talk with you on Twitter.
