Ask the Pros: Enemy Esports' Otter
Ask The Pro 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 Pro interview, we talked with Gravity's AD carry, Johnny "Altec" Ru about his career so far and playing on Gravity.
He also had a question for Enemy Esports' AD carry, Brian "Otter" Baniqued.
Altec: You've worked really hard the past few years to have a shot in the LCS. Do you think you evolved as a player now that you've competed in the next threshold of competitive play?
Otter: I don't think I've evolved as a player, but I have learned a lot about what a team needs to be able to succeed in the LCS. I've always seen myself as a player who adapts and adjusts to what my team needed. So if we're able to survive and make it into the next Split of the LCS, I can see myself really thriving.
[[{"fid":"18348","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/1-nmeteam.png%3Fitok%3DVLNGRTBE","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Taylor: Why did you choose the name Otter?
O: It's funny, but I didn't choose it. When Riot released a bunch of inactive names in Season 2, I jokingly told some friends that I wanted to be Otter because I looked like one. A week later, I logged on to discover that one of my friends had changed my account name!
Austin: Have you ever actually owned an otter?
O: No, but it's in the works. Enemy Esports is trying their hardest to get me my own otter.
[[{"fid":"18349","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/2-otterBrad.png%3Fitok%3DWSgBxmEz","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Vux: Why did you choose to play ADC?
O: My first group of friends that I leveled up with were terrible. Back then, there wasn't really a structure for roles, so I just played what let me carry them hardest. At the time, that was Ezreal in mid lane.
Eventually, as I played more and as the game grew, roles became more defined and ADCs were sent to bot lane. So I decided that was the lane for me, since I really liked carrying games.
Tangerine: How did you become a pro player?
O: The grind to becoming a pro player is very long... I've been trying to go pro since Season 2 Worlds. But I didn't really try my hardest until last year, when I dropped everything and moved to California. It took a lot of trial and error, but I found the right formula within Enemy, and here we are!
Becoming a pro takes a lot of dedication, patience, and resilience. You will most likely fail your first try (and maybe your second, third, and fourth like me, haha!).
[[{"fid":"18350","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/3-otterbackstage.png%3Fitok%3D4DULackD","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Wading into the LCS
Fern: What surprised you most about playing against LCS teams?
O: I was surprised by how passive some of the teams were. But as the season went on, I understood why: we got punished really hard for pointless aggression and for even small mistakes.
Michael: How do you compare yourself to NA LCS ADCs?
O: I think I'm mid-to-low tier in terms of mechanics, team fighting, and personal decision-making. But I offer a lot of things, like shot calling and rotational calls, that other AD carries probably don't do.
As time goes on, I imagine myself shying away from that to really focus on my individual play. ADC requires a lot of focus on yourself and your own mechanics.
[[{"fid":"18351","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/4-otteronstage.png%3Fitok%3Derw0Swv1","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Holding Hands in Bot Lane
Jordan: As an ADC trying to climb the ladder, do you think it's better to Solo Queue or Duo Queue with a support?
O: Find a suitable support that you mesh well with to climb the lower ELOs. As you get higher up, I actually think it's better to Solo Queue, so you can learn to play with other playstyles.
Magenta: What's your advice for making sure I'm always in a good position in team fights as an ADC?
O: A good rule of thumb is to stay behind your front line and hit the target that's safest to hit. For example, if you can only hit the tanks safely (like when they have a burst mage that hasn't used any cooldowns), just do that until their mage uses their abilities.
Eventually, you'll get better at identifying the dangers in team fights, so you can go for more risky positionings. But the most important priority as the ADC: you want to survive.
[[{"fid":"18352","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/5-nmebackstage.png%3Fitok%3DuEmk1qPO","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Dean: Why is Quinn, my favorite ADC, never picked in the LCS? Any tips for playing her?
O: She doesn't have a reliable steroid or the sort of utility that teams need in this meta, and she isn't an exclusively dominant laner. On top of that, she has to go in close to deal damage.
I'd recommend playing Quinn in a solo lane, since she is a strong laner and her ultimate turns her into a split push threat and assassin. But if you have to play her as an ADC, really try to win lane by abusing your Vault and Blinding Assault combo. Not many laners can trade with Quinn on even ground.
Seth: As an ADC main, what can I do to climb the ladder up from Platinum on sub-par teams?
O: Focus on your own play and play with the intention of improving, not grinding for a win. Really try to think about why you're doing something in a lane, outside a lane, or during a team fight.
Play around your support. Do they have engage abilities? Wait until they land CC before you commit to any trades. Do they have shield abilities? Only trade when their shield is on you. Do they have poke abilities? Look for opportunities to go all-in when they land their poke.
Most importantly, though, it's important to never think you're stuck in an ELO. That's a mental block that holds people back.
[[{"fid":"18353","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/6-nmeatlcs.png%3Fitok%3DPeLOMpN7","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Otter Playtime
Alex: Will there ever be a boy who can swim as fast as a shark?
O: Yes. No context needed.
Elijah: Who on the NME roster would be most likely to survive an encounter with a grizzly bear?
O: Either Flaresz or myself. I think we're the fastest runners and climbers of trees.
Bum: Do you love me?
O: If you love me, I love you.
[[{"fid":"18354","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/7-nmecelebrate.png%3Fitok%3Dxx9_Da-1","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
NME Trashy: How does it feel to have a trashy jungler?
O: He's fun to be around and a pleasure to work with, since he tries his hardest to improve. I just wish he could do something about that smell...
Ben: What other games do you like to play?
O: Previously, I played through Dark Souls II and Bloodborne and really enjoyed those games. Currently, I play Super Smash Bros. 4 with my teammates. I'm the best in the house.
[[{"fid":"18355","view_mode":"article_image","fields":{"format":"article_image","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"tagName":"IMG","src":"http%3A//riot-web-cdn.s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/lolesports/s3fs-public/styles/article_image/public/8-tipadrian.png%3Fitok%3DgIA3yLtW","type":"media","attributes":{"class":"media-element file-article-image","height":"315","width":"700"}}]]
Lolesports: Which pro player do you want to answer questions next?
O: Team Impulse's Adrian "Adrian" Ma: What motivates you to play competitively?
Josh Augustine's favorite champion is Master Yi, 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.
