Interview with CLG.Black Hoodstomp: "We have an unrivaled understanding of the game"

I had the pleasure of talking to Devon 'Hoodstomp' Mark, AD Carry from CLG.Black. Hoodstomp is an avid Graves player with amazing stats. We talked about what it's like being a part of the Counter Logic Gaming organization, why Graves is so good and how he at first didn't really think much of League of Legends.

Hoodstomp also lets us in on his thoughts about the difference between the Korean scene and the rest of the world.

 

Hey Hoodstomp, thanks for taking the time to talk with me. First off, how did you get into gaming?

Hoodstomp: Uh.. I got into pc gaming through a friend, I used to go on chat rooms a lot and just talk when I was a young teenager, one day one of my friends introduced me to Ragnarok Online and that was the first online game I played.

 

How did that lead into playing League of Legends competitively?

Hoodstomp: Uh. It didn't really. I just bounced from game to game.. like Gunbound, Counter-Strike Source, WoW, and dota. After playing dota, I got a Heroes of Newerth key and played that for quite a while and got really good at it. I tried League when it first came out, and wasn't really a fan because I was used to HoN. About a year later, I came back and started to play it a lot, and was a natural.

 

What is the story behind your name?

Hoodstomp: Back when I was playing Counter-Strike Source competitively, there was a team I liked named Hoodstomp. I basically just stole the name, and used it when I started playing HoN.

 

You are well-known for your Graves play - what makes him strong in your opinion?

Hoodstomp: He is just very good at every part of the game, he has amazing wave-clear and pushing power which lets him control the lane. It's really hard to out trade him, because of his burst and natural tankiness. He has a great escape as well.. just pretty much everything you look for in an AD carry.

 

You have been a part of the Counter-Logic Gaming organization for a few months now. How has it been?

Hoodstomp: It's been great. It's a really nice organization to be a part of. Meeting everyone from CLG at GESL was an awesome experience, and they treat us very well.

 

Have you been following the other teams from CLG in the OGN tournament? - What do you think about their performances?

Hoodstomp: Yes, I think they both played very well, and I hope CLG EU goes on to win the entire thing. I think Korean teams just put in a lot more time and effort than the other countries are used to, and when we start putting that time in we will be as good as them, if not better.

You have proven yourselves as one of the strongest new teams in North America, with several great placements already. What do you think are CLG.Black's advantages and disadvantages in comparison to other teams?

Hoodstomp: I think our advantage is that we are all very skilled invidual players, who have an unrivaled understanding of the game. I think our biggest disadvantage right now is lack of practice.. hopefully that improves in the near future.

 

What team do you think is the top team in the world right now - and why? 

Hoodstomp: I like what I have been seeing from Invictus Gaming lately.. they are looking extremely strong. I don't know if they are the best in the world, but they are definitely my favorite right now.

 

What are CLG.Black's expectations for Season 3?

Hoodstomp: Hopefully we get our practice situation in check, and stay as one of the top teams in the North American Scene.

 

Are there any plans of moving into a gaming house?

Hoodstomp: No idea about a gaming house at the moment.. hopefully though.

 

What roles beside AD carry do you enjoy playing?

Hoodstomp: I like playing jungle the most after AD carry.. Not really a huge fan of mid, sometimes I can play top. :P

Any shoutouts?

Hoodstomp: Yeah, shoutouts to my sponsors XMG,Razer, and own3d. Shoutout to Peolo Bear the greatest manager, also shoutout to Robert Del Papa.