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Interview with Trixtank about Dreamhack, DIG's performance and the state of the game
The Summer Split is over and all teams are preparing for the upcoming DreamHack LAN. A few teams emerged from the Summer Split with great successes, one of them being Team Dignitas. Team Dignitas used this split to solidify their identity as the top team in the region. A lot of this came down to their mastery of the current meta and their new and improved team synergy. We sat down with our support player Jeppe 'Trixtank' Gylling to ask him about DreamHack, the state of the game and the changes the team has undergone to make them the dominant force they are now.
Team Dignitas has seen great success this split. What did the team focus on improving the most since last split?
Trixtank: I think the change is not that we have gotten better, really, more that people take practise more serious now. Our scrim environment has not been the best, but with that fixed we are improving so much after every scrim session and I can only see bigger things for us next split!
Some have called you the best team in the region. Do you think this is true? What sets you apart from the other teams?
Trixtank: Right now, I would call us the best team, even though we did lose to Obey. It did not really show our skills since we had no chance to practise the week up to that match because of personal business from some players. I have no doubt in my mind that we can beat anyone!
Do you feel like the current meta is playing in your favor and does this have anything to do with your current success?
Trixtank: I think we are very good at adapting to metas, so I do not think it is because of this meta in particular, just that we are developing as a team and still growing into a better unit.
The team synergy has improved greatly over the course of this split, is this something the team and coach Biggy practice on or does it just improve over time?
Trixtank: Biggy has been really good at helping us get better calls which for sure helps with the synergy because when you learn to communicate and call, it makes everything so smooth and easy, so for sure a lot of credit to Biggy.
Which team member has impressed you the most recently and why?
Trixtank: I think Qvofred has impressed me the most. He just finished his exams and has been under a lot of pressure, but he has been playing great despite juggling with homework and social stuff. I can’t wait to see Qvofred going into next split with nothing else but Smite to focus on - he will be the new king.
What are your opinions on the recent changes to active items? Do you think it will make a serious impact?
Trixtank: To be fair, all changes will have an impact of the game, but it is all about how you adjust and figure out new stuff. The relic change won’t make a drastic change to the playstyle though.
Are you excited for DreamHack? Who are you looking forward to going up against the most?
Trixtank: I am looking forward to going up against everyone - all I want this split is LAN practice, so we are ready for the worlds split. Overall, I’m just excited to play on a stage again!
Which God do you think has been the most impactful this split and why?
Trixtank: It is 100% the warriors in the solo lane: Bellona and Osiris. Those two have been so dominant and can be first picked without being punished.
Do you think they will be as impactful at DreamHack still?
Trixtank: Even though HiRez nerfed both of them, they are still insanely good, so they will for sure have a big impact but maybe not as big as they have had in this whole split!
Do you think HiRez’s efforts to make the game less snowball have worked? Is the early game as deciding as it was at the start of the split?
Trixtank: I think HiRez is doing their part, but a lot of it is on the teams as well. If you just learn how to pick and ban accordingly with the enemies, it is hard to snowball. For example if the enemies’ solo lane picks Bellona, pick another pressure god (Osiris, Erlang etc) and same in the other lanes, to make sure they can’t snowball from all lanes.
Is the team going to change anything drastic about their practice methods before heading into DreamHack? Should we expect some cheese or never-seen-before strategies?
Trixtank: I think we are the most meta solid team together with NRG and even though I am known for cheese, I am so comfortable playing the normal style that I don’t see the reason why we should take the risk. So I think we are going to be focusing on having the same great team environment and hope that we figure out the meta perfectly for LAN!
In a few words, what should we expect from Team Dignitas at Dreamhack?
Trixtank: I am not sure what there is to expect yet. I do think we will do good, but because some social stuff has happened, we will not have the most optimal practice leading up to the tournament. Both me and Qvofred have stuff to attend to before that tournament. I, for example, have not been on holiday for 4 years because of Smite, so I am taking that holiday before DreamHack to make sure that my head is cleared and ready for next split. I do expect a top 2 finish regardless of these circumstances. We will be playing a lot in the time we have and we are going to produce some nice results I hope. But for next split my expectations are #1 all the way. If you think you see a dominant Dignitas this split, wait until the next one!