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Flash Wolves's MMD on Being LoL's "Korean Killers"
The Taiwanese top laner explains Flash Wolves's Worlds struggles, and what he needs to do to help.
Flash Wolves had a rough start to the first week of group stages, dropping two consecutive games in which they accumulated a large lead over their opponents. A lack of decisiveness cost them against Cloud9 and I May, but on the last day of groups, Flash Wolves were able to overwhelm SK Telecom T1.
It’s the fifth time Flash Wolves have toppled a Korean team, having yet to actually lose to a team from the perennial powerhouse region. The win was key to staying alive in groups and top laner Yau "MMD" Li-Hung (or MiMiDan) was key to the victory, being an unkillable tank on his well-favored Poppy.
We had the chance to catch up with him after the upset.
RedBull.com: So you just had a great win against SKT and you played Poppy. How does it feel to finally get your first win at the world championship?
MMD: It’s really hard to describe, because it definitely feels good to win. But we really should have won the first two games so it’s a little bit of both. Even then, it still feels good to get our first win.
What do you think kept you guys from really closing out the first two games?
So, I think we made some mistakes, especially for this meta, it is really important for top to push the lanes so that your teammates can have openings. I didn’t do too well at that and I’m going to correct that in future games.
That being said, were you more comfortable being on Poppy, versus Rumble or Gnar?
So, Poppy’s hard CC made it really easy to go in and engage since I could easily control it. But on Gnar, you have to watch for the fury so the engage doesn’t always happen. And for Rumble, there really isn’t any hard CC. That’s why I feel more confident on Poppy, since I can really control the engage.
Do you think Flash Wolves play better with hard CC and tanks?
I don’t think it’s because of CC and tanks. I think it’s all based on decision-making, and one of these days where my decision-making is on top form, it’s not going to matter what champions we’re playing.
So now you’re 5-0 against Korean teams, you’re the "Korean killers," what do you think is so special when you play Korean teams?
I don’t think we’re Korean killers. I think it’s because we’re more like the Korean teams. We try to take objectives and do everything step by step. We don’t really play crazy aggro when we try to win games. I think because we’re similar, that’s why we understand how to play them better.
Do you think the international teams throw you off? Like when you lost to teams like paiN Gaming, Cloud9 and I May?
Not entirely, but there are definitely more surprises when we play against them.
What do you think about the Western teams this year? We saw you struggled with CLG at MSI and you just lost to C9. What do you think about their level at this tournament?
So, I made friends with Darshan after the loss we had at MSI. We sometimes play solo queue too when we meet. There’s stuff I can learn from him. I don’t know what my teammates think, but I think every team at Worlds needs to be respected and that any team at Worlds can win the championship.
What do you think about the LMS recently? You guys obviously won the region after J Team choked. What do you think about the level of Taiwan coming into this Worlds?
So, I think the LMS as a region is not as strong as the other regions. Getting to the top of the league feels great and it makes me feel like I’m a good player, but when I play the elite tops in the world, there are still some shortcoming in my play. I’ve been trying really hard to catch up and play at the world level and I’m just trying to do my best.
You were originally a mid laner and a sub for Steak for a year, what has it been like transferring into a full-time top laner for them?
So, when I first transitioned from mid to top, it’s very different because all the champions are different. Handling counter-ganks is also very different so it was very hard. Steak was playing very well so I thought, "Ah it’s okay, just let Steak play and I’ll be the sub," but I realized that’s not the right mentality and right now I want to grow as a player with my team.
There was a lot of talk earlier in the year about your teammates leaving and Taiwanese players leaving in general. What does this World Championship mean to you and your team?
I think my teammates are better than me and they’re chased a lot by the big teams in different leagues and I realize that. My only regret is not working hard enough to get to their level so I’m going to enjoy every single game I play with them and try to do my best.
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