"We have a wider playbook" says SuNny from Mousesports (CS:GO)

How would you define your role on T-side in Mouseports, and has that evolved overtime?

I’m kind of the entry-fragger but I’m not always running in first. My responsibility is to take map control for our team. So it’s like we don’t have dedicated roles in our team like somebody always has to do this one thing. But in most maps I’m almost always taking map control. So, I’m the entry.

On Mouz’s defaults I notice you often become an active lurk if they hit the other side of the map in the mid-round. Do you think the more independent, mid-roundy role is better for you? Or do you prefer taking that straight aggressive map control?

I mean, I think I’m the best when I know when the opponents are. But my strength is that I’m a pretty smart player. Before Mouz, in my past teams, I was always kind-of playing that lurk role. So I was always alive and closing rounds. But in this team they needed a smart player in the middle area to close out the gaps, and abuse the gaps if there is one. Like, between Oskar and ChrisJ. So my strengths are is that I understand what is going on at the map at everytime. I’m making my moves and putting a lot of things in place for our team.

If I could choose, if it didn’t make any difference I’d pick being a lurker. But the most important thing for me is that the team is winning so I’m doing my best in my current role.

When I see Mouz, I see a team more defined by the balance of roles between its players and input of coach than any one specific star. Do you think teams will look to emphasise balance over starpower more as time goes on? Borrowing from your team in a sense?

I think that the big strength in our team is that we have a great balance of dynamic between passive and aggressive players. And, that is easy to compare us to FaZe because we are both international teams. Obviously, they have the all-star line-up. But if you look at them they should win every event with their line-up but I also think that is a problem. Their superstars don’t have the same space on their team as what they had in their previous teams. I think that is what our strength that Oskar and Ropz have a bit more space than other star players. Obviously we don’t emphasise our stars as much as FaZe but we have a wider playbook because of that because our individuals have room to work with.

I don’t think we need a mad fragger or any changes anytime soon. That is the reason why we will be a high-ranked team for a very long time. We have the right balance.

With Mouz losing to both Na`Vi and Astralis in multiple Bo3's in Sydney and Marseille, do you think your side has a problem against more structured teams? With both on the rise, will tactical play become dominant in the Summer?

I mean, if I compare any team in the top five, any one of them have very different play styles. Like, Astralis is very structured and they only have device who can do whatever he wants, or that’s how it looks at least from outside. Na`Vi has always been a super slow playstyle team. I don’t think the key to structure nowadays is that the answer is to have structure or not to have structure, I think the answer is to just practice. Because, the reason why Astralis is so much better than everyone right now in Marseille and here is that they have had much more time to practice than everyone else.

I mean, obviosuly they have always been on top. But in the current scene I think the best team in the world is the team who gets the most practice. I look at the rest of the top teams who are travelling much more than them after ELEAGUE Major and they were like the best prepared team at Marseille and here. It will be interesting times, FaZe have stand-in, SK have new player and us, and Na`Vi stayed the same.

It seems to be a trend amongst some top teams to plan on skipping events down the track. Given your emphasis on preparation and practice, do you think Mouz will being skipping events this year?

I mean, we have already dodge a few events in Asia and only for that reason. We want at least one week between events. But obviously you can’t skip too many events because of ranking and points. But as a side note, almost all the teams here have had stand-ins and that is why it has looked so dominant for us here.

How much does the rankings play into your thought process?

We don’t think about them a lot, but let's say there are five events in two months. You can’t skip like three of them because if you want to be the best team in the world you just have to win. In my opinion there are too many events right now and we lose the hype.

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