Michał Rosiak: In the spring, with Case Esports, you dominated the division in the Spanish second division. However, in summer it was not so colorful. What do you think was the reason for the drop in form?
Milosz Domagalsky: One reason was that our trainer wasn’t very helpful. All he did was come to the scrims. We haven’t set any goals to work on. The second reason was that our center could not accept any criticism. When we tried to explain something to him, he immediately started shouting and avoiding the subject. In addition, the coach was friends with the midfielder, so we haven’t played all year. In the spring it was under the top and individually we were better than our opponents, but in the summer the bot lane was crucial and the other teams progressed while we stood still. I was no longer able to have as much influence on the game as before and therefore I could not always lead the team to victory. I am convinced that if we changed the one in the middle, we would easily win the Superliga promotion tournament, because it is difficult to develop when a person has too much ego.
How was your transition process to Rebels Gaming?
When the pre-season arrived, I did some tests in France – Solara, LDLC OL. I also managed to get a high ranking on SoloQ. The problem, however, was that I had just played in the second division and the organizations had told me in advance that no matter how I played, I was their third option. That left me with two offers. I joined Rebels Gaming because I knew the coach, Prod1. In 2020 I played for the Queso team, where he was a coach. Prod1 said that if I join the Rebels, they will form a team around me because they know that I am very good and that we will at least make the playoffs. The second option for me was Zero Tenacity, but I found playing in the Spanish league long term is better. It’s more difficult to get out of the Ultraliga, because only performances at the EMEA Masters count. I only had these two offers and if I didn’t know Prod1 he probably would have had one and I might have ended my career.
AHaHaCiK joined Rebels with you. How do you work with him?
Pineapple and I have a very well matched character, we have a very good friendly relationship. I really like to play with him because he can accept criticism and correct his mistakes. He is a good man in and out of the game. Moreover, he is laid back, thinks positively and likes to joke around. When he sees that someone is sad after a less good match, he can cheer them up and improve the atmosphere in the team.
And how is the atmosphere at Rebels Gaming in general?
Alright. After three months of playing, I don’t feel like I’m at work at all. I like to come to the office every day and play scrims with my team. I enjoy it very much and I don’t feel any exhaustion. If something bad happens within the team, we talk about it directly and everyone accepts it, no one is offended. In addition, we are friends outside the game, every other night we watch movies together or go out to dinner, which strengthens our contacts and our chemistry.
Before the start of the season, you weren’t among the strongest teams. Did you feel like you were underestimated? What goals have you set for yourself?
One week before the start of the main phase of Tash [asystent trenera – przyp. red] he said we need to set goals. Each of us was given a piece of paper, had to write our goal on it and tape it to the board. I gave the top 4, AHaHaCiK the top 2, two other people in the top 4-5, and Xico, who wrote the top 6, trusted us the least. Looking at the compositions, I knew this league n wasn’t very strong. I knew I was no worse than the other top laners and I was very good on the line.
However, you took first place in the Spanish Superleague. What is the reason for your great disposition?
As I mentioned before, we have great chemistry because we do a lot together as a team. In general, we are also at a high level individually. Already at the start of the season I knew that me, the jungler and the mid laner, we were very strong. The only thing I was afraid of was the shape of our bot lane. When I played with Rayito three years ago he was very weak, but he turned out to be a solid player. On the other hand, we took a recruit for the support position, because there were no other options. We decided to teach him to play. Also, I think I give a lot to my team when it comes to shotcalling. I know teamfights and I tell you how to best position yourself to make it work well. Our main shooter is Xico and I’m the secondary shooter, I correct his call when I think something is weak, and when he’s lagging I take over his role, so we complement each other well. Interestingly, we win over 70% of scrims with top teams in EMEA regional leagues. After starting to win consistently against teams like LDLC OL and SK Gaming Prime, we realized we were strong. We have beaten mid-table teams, and we still have the desire to develop and we are trying very hard.
The only one-on-one formation better than you in the main stage was Los Heretics. Do you think there is a big difference between you two?
It’s hard to say because in the first game with Heretics, we didn’t have a patch played yet and we scored a weaker draft. They were better then, they started training earlier. But in the second game they stomped on us when we played Gadget [rezerwowy – przyp. red] in the position of the shooter. It’s also hard to say, because they weren’t reliable games. I think they are just a little better. However, in the BO5 series, we can fight them.
So which of the other four playoff teams do you think is the strongest?
The current meta looks very good for Barca eSports, with litters like Aphelios, Thresh, and Jinx appearing in the bot lane. Barça want to play the bot lane, while their toplaner, WhiteKnight, prefers to play the tanks. In the main phase, the meta was more towards the top lane carry, so WhiteKnight was losing. Fnatic TQ also looks much better since Rhuckz joined. He brings a lot to the game in terms of shotcalling. Sven, on the other hand, will be a nerf to Oscarin. Going forward, Movistar Riders doesn’t seem to have much luck in the BO5 series because they can’t handle the macro and I heard it looks bad in their lineup. On the other hand, BISONS ECLUB is a pretty random formation – sometimes they outplay their rivals, and sometimes they get outplayed, they lack stability. Also, I bet that Barça eSports and Fnatic TQ will win their matches in the first round of the playoffs.
Let’s move on to the EMEA Masters. What do you think of the changes to the schedule for this tournament?
Overall, the Master EMEA is not very well organised. Two years ago, when we played the European Masters with Vitality.Bee, I had no more strength, I was completely exhausted. We had play-offs in France and one day we played GameWard, two days later Team BDS, three days later we played Misfits Premier and four days after the start of EUM, where we played 3-4 games per day. My brain was already overheating. You had to play all the time, and very intensely. The stress around these meetings was very high, as each was about survival. The body then had no time to rest from this stress. I remember at that time I was eating a lot and always losing weight due to this stress. It was hard to bear mentally. I think that’s why we lost the playoffs against Illuminar Gaming. Previously when we played with them they wouldn’t leave the base and in the official game they beat us.
So, if you move forward, how will you prepare for this edition of the EMEA Masters, where you will have six games to play on the Main Stage and potential extra time over four days?
You’ll have to get over it somehow, but it won’t be as bad as in LFL. The Spanish league ends a week early, so we’ll have more time to recover. Also, when it comes to the level itself, playing in LFL is much more difficult than in Super League. France teams are much better, every team is very good and can threaten you. When I was playing in the LFL, 9-10 teams could practically be in the top 2.
Let’s move on to the questions that concern you. This split, we only saw you as Renekton, K’Sante, Jayce, Jax, and Gnar. Do you have any other picks prepared for the knockout stage?
It depends on what the meta will look like, but as far as the number of characters played, I look good. I think I’m the only one in the league playing Renekton. I play Olaf as well. However, when it comes to characters, it’s also worth mentioning that this meta is very limited. At the scrims, when both teams banned toplaners, I laughed and said to the coach: “Coach, I don’t know what to choose, the toplaner is dead.”
A year ago, you said you wanted to get a high elo on three accounts. did you do it?
NO. I’ve never been an outstanding SoloQ player. My mind seems to block me. When I play SoloQ I try and I really want to win and you know there’s a lot of heartbreak so every season is a constant battle with SoloQ for me. And unfortunately, this is a fight that I cannot win. I don’t have a particularly high ranking, but if necessary, I’ll stick a challenger.
What place would you occupy among the Polish topplaners?
It seems to me that me, Agresivoo, iBo and bowler are close to each other in terms of level. Agresivoo and iBo were the best, but now Bowler and I have caught up with them. Sinmivak, I would say, is a bit worse, he had a bad season, but it’s also hard to say, because we don’t know what was going on with him in the team. Just because a player looks weak in official matches doesn’t mean they are weak overall. TheShy is the best example of this. If you don’t play against him, he can get 0/10 stats. This is something fans often don’t understand – that individual results also depend on the team. Some people just look at the statistics, and that’s not how it works.
What are your personal goals for this year?
My goal is to make a comeback. I was almost in a situation where I had to consider ending my career. I wouldn’t want that to happen again. The second objective is to reach the EMEA Masters and perform well. For the way people have placed us, we are doing very well so far, we have to keep working hard and I think it will be good.
