RodjER: "I am ready to play against any rival"

Interview with RodjER!

NAVI.GG.BET is currently playing at group stage. We talked with the support of our Dota 2 team Vladimir “RodjER” Nikogosyan after one of the matches. Read about NAVI matches with the stand-in, the team’s last bootcamp, upcoming tournaments, streams and RodjER’s favourite heroes in our interview. There’s a small bonus – the advice on Chen’s build!

— Finally, NAVI have obtained direct invites to the Majors. Did you expect that the invites to ESL One Katowice and The Bucharest Open will be granted to your team?

— It was unexpected. We were also invited to . We were very glad.

— Has your schedule become less tight compared to the autumn, when you had so many practices and qualifiers?

— It hasn’t been as busy lately, because of the winter holidays. However, when they’re over, we’ll have the same tight schedule with almost no breaks.

— Did you feel you needed a break after a series of competitions and LANs?

— I definitely felt tired. And I needed to relax in order to return the strong will to play.

— How did you celebrate New Year? Did you manage to rest enough from Dota?

— Personally, I don’t see any meaning in holidays. I don’t like to celebrate them. However, I had good rest during all the days I spent at home.

— After a short break NAVI played the qualifiers with  Nikola "LeBronDota" Popović as a stand-in. It was your initiative, right?

— Nikola is a pleasant person. I thought he would fit well in our team at . I was right. And everyone was content with my idea. Once again, I want to thank  LeBron for his help!

— Was he fighting at a good level with strong teams?

— He’s a very talented and underestimated, and what’s most important he’s an adequate teammate.

— This bootcamp wasn’t your first with The Born to Win. Is the atmosphere is any different from the previous ones?

— The atmosphere in NAVI is the same: we play a lot together, we talk a lot about the game, we discuss many things, including competitive scene.

— Tell us about your daily schedule at the bootcmp. Do you only practice or spend time doing other things?

— I wake up, pour some coffee, turn on music, play a couple of HS matchups, and then I play non-stop pubs in Dota 2. Then I try to relax, for example, I can lie for an hour with no load before the CW or official games, if any. After all the matches, if we’re in respective mood, we can play board games or do some other things.

— Minor tournament ESL One Genting 2018 is hard because of so many teams wishing to get to top 4 for the sake of qualifying points. What is the minimal goal for NAVI at the event?

— We didn’t discuss it. Personally, I want to win the tournament!

— In your opinion, was NAVI lucky with rivals? Which team would you prefer to play against?

— I can’t pick any particular team. I am ready to play against any rival.

— You’re participating in two upcoming Majors. Which teams are the favourites of The Bucharest Major and ESL One Katowice?

— The favourites are definitely Team Liquid, Team Secret and  Virtus.pro. They perform consistently well and can surprise.

— Probably, due to the very tight schedule in the current season, Valve has already defined the terms of autumn Majors. What do you think about it?

— As per moment, Valve is probably experimenting and looking for the format, which would be the most convenient for everyone. I believe that the company is developing in the right direction.

— You recently made your own stream! Do you play doing it in the future?

— As soon as I upgrade my PC, I’ll often stream.

— Did you like playing and talking to your fans? Do you feel comfortable in front of live audience?

— When many people watch your game, it makes you feel responsibility and makes you put more efforts. I experiment. I want to see if I’ll start playing better and put more effort if I play more games on streams.

— What do you think of current meta? Which heroes in your opinion need changes?

— I’d pick Tiny, Phantom Lancer and Lycan. Though meta is good now in general, it would be good to fix some things.

— You prefer play on fourth position. Which heroes do you advise to pick in order to be most useful to your team in ranking games?

— I prefer playing on Tusk, Sand King, Rubick, Slardar, Bounty Hunter, Night Stalker and Clockwerk.

— What do you think of Chen? How does it perform in the new patch? Can you advise the best build for the hero!

— Chen is very powerful in team play as per moment, if you really feel the hero. Teleportation of creeps to the base in early game, the save of the allies and the possibility to create push on the lanes are his key advantages in my opinion.

There are builds suitable for various situations. They depend on your position. For hard supports I’d suggest taking Arcane Boots, Medallion of Courage, Helm of Dominator, Force Staff, Urn of Shadows. For the fourth position I usually assemble Hand of Midas, Medallion of Courage, Aghanim’s Scepter. After that the items depend on the situation.

— Can you say something to the fans who’ll be supporting you on the upcoming tournaments, your friends and relatives?

— I am very grateful to all the fans for their support. It’s pleasant to read positive comments, it gives a good boost. Shout-outs to my friends from Lipetsk, mom, dad and my relatives from Armenia. #gonavi

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