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Interview with Juanka from #DIGClash
We've watched DIGClash grow as a team and as individual professional players over the course of the first CRL. With only one match to go against Team Liquid, we decided that it was time to interview our very own Juan Carlos Ruiz "Juanka" Sánchez and cover subjects like his personal improvements, different decks, and some aspects of the CRL.
Hi Juanka, you've improved quite a bit since you started out in the EU CRL. What's your secret?
Juanka: Training to compete against the best players in the world has been one of the things that has made me improve.
What's the most important skill to possess when trying to become a professional CR player?
Juanka: I think the most important thing is effort and perseverance, because everything does not always go as you want and in those moments, you can't collapse and have to move forward.
What are you looking to improve the most when it comes to your own performance in the CRL?
Juanka: I always want to improve my level because I think there is always room for improvement by perfecting some techniques, decks, pro tips... Doing those things, I hope my skill will improve and therefore I will help my team reach better results.
You play 2v2, 1v1, and KoH at the moment. Which one out of those three is your favorite?
Juanka: What I like the most is the 2v2. Although I think that some cards need to be balanced for that game mode, I think it's very interesting because it depends on more factors than the 1v1 like communication, as well as different decision making.
You've been up against every team in the European portion of the CRL. Which matchup excites you the most?
Juanka: The match that most excited me was against Team Liquid since Max and I managed to win the 2v2 and although JP lost the 1v1, we managed to beat our three Liquid rivals in the KOTH.
There have been many decks showcased by different teams competitively. Do you think that there are still decks that are unbalanced despite the many balance changes?
Juanka: In each meta, there will always be stronger decks than others. I think it's hard to create a meta where all the win conditions are used.
Supercell has experimented with a Twitter vote for a card buff recently. What do you think about the developers trying to involve the community with these types of changes?
Juanka: From my point of view, it seems like a great idea to look at what the community thinks but I don't think we should be choosing which card we want to give a buff to. I think for example that the Ice Magician did not need any improvement.
Following up on the decks currently being used in the CRL, do certain unconventional decks stand out to you?
Juanka: Honestly, I did not expect that Barbarian Barrel would enter the meta as it has done because it was never used and now it's made its way into decks in a way that I did not think would work.
What do you think about cards being able to get banned in CRL? Should Supercell allow teams to ban a 2nd card?
Juanka: I think the subject of bans is well balanced. I don't think it's a good idea to add more bans to 2v2, 1v1 or KOTH. Banning two cards seems excessive since there may be four bans in the same game and preparation for the match will be much more complicated.
What are your personal goals for the future?
Juanka: Continue competing at the highest level and improve myself.
Any final words to wrap up this interview?
Juanka: I hope you like this interview and see you in the sand.
We want to thank Juanka for taking his time answering our questions, the group phase of the CRL is almost over and unfortunately, our #DIGClash didn't succeed while still looking very promising. We wish them the absolute best for their upcoming endeavors and will definitely cheer them on!
You can find Juanka on his Twitter. (Spanish)