SEN Goldenglue: “I think we should come out of the weekend 2-0, but I think it’s going to be a challenge no matter what.”
Q: You probably wanted a cleaner 2-0, not a nailbiter 2-1 full of throws, but this definitely felt like a step up from SEN’s struggles. It probably feels pretty good, right?
Goldenglue: Yeah, I think there’s still some concerns, but I think we definitely showed more, I would say, highlights and bright moments in today’s series. I think, like, it was just such an interesting series, right?
Because in Game 1, I think we’re in a pretty tough spot — like really tough spot, honestly — and we were able to endure and get to the team fight.
And I think, specifically in that game, I think Rahel showed a lot of prowess in teamfighting. I just, generally, the way we played the teamfights in Game 1 were really good. And in Game 2, we did a phenomenal job [of] snowballing and getting a lead. And then we just kind of fumbled really hard and threw the game with a 9k gold lead.
And that was a very high-skill, high-execution team comp that we were trying, because we had no engage, really — we’re all just poke and disengage. And [not much] disengage, so it was a hard comp to play. And we almost pulled it off super cleanly.
But then we weren’t able to, like, basically just end the game — we just kind of tossed it. And then Game 3 was pretty grueling, I think, honestly. I think we had a more comfortable comp that we’re used to — scaling teamfight comp. DARKWINGS on Hwei, Cait-Bard, it was kind of our bread and butter.
There were definitely some scary moments in that game, but I did have quite a bit of confidence. I think there was a little bit too much — a couple too many freebies that we gave them in that game. We could have been a bit more concise, but overall, yeah, I think [it was alright].
We really needed a win too — we needed a second win, like, pretty desperately. I mean, I think we are a bit lucky that they didn’t have their whole roster, but I mean, they are 3-0 without Inspired. They’re [still] such a powerhouse.
They have so much talent and I think Armao honestly played pretty well, even in Game 2, where he had a rough one — he was so useful. Like he was able to find angles and, and I don’t know who’s calling it in Game 2, but they just ran down a bit [randomly]..
Q: The loss of Inspired has been, as I understand it, an issue.
Goldenglue: Of course. I mean, Inspired is the commander. That’s how I’ve [talked about] him.
Q: Hambak’s clearly very talented, but he has a propensity to lose track of win conditions after he secures the team a lead. What’s going on there? Surely Impact and huhi can help him make those decisions, right?
Goldenglue: Yeah, so I mean, I think especially in today’s game for Hambak, in Game 2 [he] was meant to be a carry and I think he did a really good job of generating his lead, killing people, getting a huge advantage for the team and for himself.
And in Game 1 and Game 3, I would say, his role in the game is a little bit more of … He’s not the main carry in those games. And I think it kind of also has to do with how the enemy team drafted around his picks, right? Cause we already picked Nocturne, and then we opted to go for Cait-Bard, so we’re not really diving in with him. He’s kind of more … utility, almost.
Q: There’s an argument that in team fights, he presses R and then doesn’t take it.
Goldenglue: Oh yeah. And that’s what we told him to do. We told him, like, “We’re winning front to back. We don’t go on them unless, obviously, someone’s inting or something like that.”
Q: But I didn’t see that happen. He took almost every Nocturne ult that I saw.
Goldenglue: Yeah, he did take a lot of them […] I mean, I think a lot of times he’s seeing angles where sometimes it is like if he goes in and burns their carry’s summs and dies, it’s actually really good, cause now their carry doesn’t have sums.
So I think that, actually, there’s quite a few times where he did choose angles to go in where he still did die, but we’re killing their frontliner. Like his job is to just suicide — he has to, while we’re going in. […] He was never going to look great, I think, in that game, in the sense that his champion is not really meant to shine. He’s mainly meant to be utility.
Like you said, there’s some angles where like he could have leaned in more to the utility, but I think, I think for the most part [it was alright]. We’ve been working a lot with Hambak and the way he progresses leads — and I think that really showed in Game 2. And I still think in Game 1 and Game 3, he still did his job and is a really strong skirmishing jungler.
And I think the Game 1, the Xin Zhao into Olaf. Xin, what else did they have? Cassio. Such a tough game. […] I think you definitely can see that he shines a bit more [now].
But I think in general, we’re just trying to find out “What are our best ways to win the game?”
And obviously for us, it’s a scaling team fight. So when we try to play those pressure comps where he can be unique and creative with picks like Kha’Zix, it’s cool — but we still need to do a better job, as a team, of closing out those games.
And I think that it kind of has to do with everyone’s comms, and just knowing the win condition when we are playing those kinds of comps and when he’s playing those kinds of champions. But I think, think for the most part, Hambak and Jae have been getting on the same page a lot, because in a lot of reviews we are focusing pretty heavily on how the jungler helps progress the game.
Q: We talked before EWC about the team being too reliant on Korean as a crutch. Where’s that problem at now?
Goldenglue: I would say we’re speaking a lot more English in general and it’s definitely improved. I would say like, not majorly, but not minorly. Kind of like … middle. [We’re] definitely making solid progress towards speaking a lot more English, and I think it also helps that we’ve been working with Isaac to communicate more.
And you know, if Isaac’s saying something in English, people are responding in English and it makes it a lot easier. And obviously Jae, for the most part, is shotcalling in English too, so it has improved a lot. I think just being here and focusing on it, [we’ve] made progress.
Q: It’s interesting — historically, Impact’s a major secondary shotcaller for his teams. It sounds like he’s a lot less active in comms right now. He’s also had less impact on the games overall lately, though he’s been more stable.
Goldenglue: I think with Impact it does depend a lot on the champion he’s playing too, [about] how much he talks. Because I think in that last game we just played when he played K’Sante, he was making a lot of calls [about] like which fights we had to take, where we’re going to play.
I think the Rumble Game 2, he was shotcalling at least on his move timers and what he wanted to do. So I do feel like Impact’s the kind of player that like — he usually is a secondary shot caller, but [since] we’ve been pushing Hambak and Isaac and Rahel all to be calling a lot more how they want to fight. and I think Impact ebbs and flows between communicating and being our second shotcaller.
And then sometimes he’ll focus a little bit more on himself and [then] a lot of times Impact is kind of the person who’s communicating some of the like bigger macro things.
Q: After the losses, he talked a lot about potentially retiring this year — he seemed really down on himself. How do you think he’s doing on a personal level?
Goldenglue: Yeah, I mean, I think for the most part, with him sometimes communicating a bit less, he does focus on his individual play a lot — and I think it has improved a lot between Split 1, Split 2, and Split 3.
Like, I don’t think he had a great game on the [Kled], but I think Game 2 and Game 3, he was playing really well individually. And I think in terms of, like, his motivation and his future — I know he’s definitely thrown around the idea that maybe he’s going to retire soon.
But I think he doesn’t even really know himself, and I think he’s enjoying playing right now. I think it’s [about] taking it day by day, split by split. And you know, I’m not really sure what it’s going to look like after this year, but I think in the current moment, all he’s really thinking about is going to Worlds and making sure that we’re the best [possible] team to make that happen.
Q: Oddly, I feel like SEN’s been less than the sum of your parts for most of the year. At least four of your players have had incredible individual years, but something’s still holding you guys back. What is it?
Goldenglue: I mean, I think the main thing that we lack is, honestly, diversity in the ways that we can win the game. I think we have a bread and butter way to win and we have been trying really hard [to branch out].
You saw our Game 2 — we played a style that we don’t really play as much. […] We had a game where we’re supposed to dome them in lane phase and snowball, basically. We did do that but we just weren’t able to close out the game. That’s why we were able to win and get to EWC, is because we’re able to really find drafts that we can play and we’re good at.
And I think if we’re playing our best archetype of team comp, we can beat any team but … I think when we’re playing versus teams like LYON and TL, they have so many more archetypes that they can pick.
Q: I think Fearless is a big nerf for you guys.
Goldenglue: I think so. I mean, I think our champion pools are not as wide as some other teams. But you know, I still feel like Fearless is super fun. I think it’s super fun.
Q: How much time are you putting into getting DARKWINGS on stuff like Sylas and Akali? That feels like the easier spot to develop than getting Impact on carries or Rahel on mages.
Goldenglue: Yeah, I mean we played some Sylas already, this split, on stage.
Q: I missed it.
Goldenglue: But I still think like, it’s kind of like our Game 2 — we’ll have really high [prio] and we’ll get a lead, but then we are not able to convert into the win. So we’re putting time on it, both in practice and in stage, but I think … We can play it, but it’s just, we need to find the right angles.
And I feel like it kind of needs to be more aligned, [in] these games with the control mages, for example, he’s picking bad matchups — he’s picking bad matchups and outperforming, I would say.
Q: It’s like picking Quid’s Akali into losing matchups.
Goldenglue: Yeah, it’s the exact same, but just a different archetype. And I think it’s still kind of same way for Quid, right? Where like you kind of, you still do the same thing. And even Saint to some degree, like I think he’s very good at that same style too. I was kind of interested that they prioritized the picks they did.
Yeah, I’m surprised they didn’t pick Akali there, but…
Q: Are you feeling confident against DSG and FLY next week?
Goldenglue: I mean, I think we have a lot to work on still. I’m confident that we made progress and we’re definitely going off a little bit of a high, but we still have a lot of work to do, I think. I mean, I think we should come out of the weekend 2-0, but I think it’s going to be a challenge no matter what.
Q: Stylistically, you and FLY are kind of similar, right? Weakside top, carry jungler, mage specialist mid, with a talented strongside bot lane. Does any part of the team particularly scare you?
Goldenglue: Well, I don’t know if I wanna say that honestly. I don’t wanna let them know what.
Q: Fair — I was trying to set up the fact that they draft pretty creative stuff and try to stomp through bot. They’re less scaling-oriented, but they’re pretty similar overall, right?
Goldenglue: I honestly, I need to analyze FLY’s drafts again today. I mean, I watched their games, but I think we need to figure out exactly what we’re going to want to prioritize versus them. They obviously do have a similar [style], but honestly pretty different — because yeah, the jungle champions that usually Gryffinn plays like Ambessa, […] he’s really good at it. He’s fucking cracked at that champ.
And their bot lane does like to play a lot more like lane-centric: Ezreal-Karma, Jhin-Karma, type thing, where we’re very good at the “Scaling, get to three items, and teamfight you” style.
Q: But they’re also famously good teamfighters, right?
Goldenglue: Yeah, I think the main thing is that we just get champions that… We feel confident in finding them like 4v4 botside. I think that’s the main thing.
Header Image Credit: Riot Games
