“Clockwerk is incredibly OP”: an interview with PERDAN4IK
This week, the Student Esports League concluded in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod—the VKSL title was won by the team from G. R. Derzhavin TSU, featuring Anton “PERDAN4IK” Suslov. We spoke with the player about his career after 4Pirates, the current meta, and Dota 2 streams.
Hi! Tell us, how did you find this tournament? What were your impressions of the games?
We lost our first group match without a chance—we thought we were playing really badly. But then we pulled ourselves together and won all the rest. So overall, it’s been good so far. Chances in the final? I don’t know who our opponent is yet, but I think we’ll win [the interview was recorded before the final; DerzhaWin defeated ChuvGU 2-0 — Ed.].
After leaving 4Pirates, you kind of disappeared from the scene. Tell us, what happened to the roster and the players?
It’s simple—when we broke up, we just went our separate ways to different teams. Some are just grinding for rank. From that roster, we only play together with kolya_kaBAN68, who was with 4Pirates right at the very end, when we were almost falling apart.
Do you play together in the VCS or elsewhere as well?
No, we have our own team as well. We’ll be playing the qualifiers for The International and Riyadh with that team. Besides us, the roster also includes Katsura, Askles, and armageddon.
How do you rate your chances?
It’s hard to assess our gameplay right now. Because we’re currently at a LAN event, we don’t play many qualifiers, and it’s not very clear what kind of form we’re in or what we can hope for.
You’re known as a player who competes a lot in LAN tournaments: FCS competitions, regional events in Tambov and Lipetsk. Usually, Dota players prefer to grind online—why did you choose a different path?
It just occurred to me—to play more at LANs. Why? I don’t know, but once I started playing at these tournaments, I started making more money, haha. Online… it’s kind of tougher there. Especially since there are plenty of tournaments to travel to, gain experience, and earn money: next up is the Russian Cup, then something else.
Tell me, what do you think of the latest patch and the current Dota 2 meta?
The patch is fine, but I don’t really play the meta—I don’t like these Phoenixes, Rubiks, and Techs. I play my own heroes.
Don’t you like Clockwerk either?
Clockwerk is insanely overpowered. But he always gets banned. Anyway, I can play any hero. For example, in student tournaments, the player pool for a team is small, so I had to switch roles—I just run around the map as a support in the “fourth” position, even though I don’t usually play that role. Basically, I can play anyone—but Phoenix drives me crazy, haha. I don’t know why, it just doesn’t work out.
What are your top 3 best heroes for your position right now?
Dazzle, Marci, and Clockwerk—that’s my top 3.
It’s interesting to see Dazzle on this list.
Well, Aghanim’s Shard got nerfed, but overall the hero is still strong. I like him. And I’m really good with him, haha.
I wanted to ask about your conflict with TORONTOTOKYO, when you had a public argument and he promised to settle the score with you at some LAN event. Did that story have any follow-up?
Nah, everything’s fine there. Right after that game, we ended up on the same team in the next one. I told him, “We did a great job, didn’t we?” But he didn’t say anything, haha.
Are there a lot of confrontational people in public groups these days? Can you name anyone in particular?
Yeah, plenty… There are a lot of them.
What do you think of modern pubs in general? Some veteran players say it’s pure drudgery and that it’s better to play 20 quick matches a day.
I generally agree, yeah. But I’m not that “old,” I haven’t been playing that long, and I don’t know how it used to be. Well, I play—what else can I do? But 20-minute games are definitely better.
- Read also: neaLaN: “Being a leader and captain on a team is more than just scoring and setting up plays”
