Challenger Spotlight: Rohammers

This is the first interview in a series dedicated to telling the stories of the rising talents of Challenger making their first steps into competitive. Today we have Edward, in game name Rohammers, an 18 year old toplaner I personally coached on Team Frostbite last winter. Probably known to most as a Tryndamere main in past seasons, Rohammers has strove to evolve past that image into a flexible, capable competitive player.

Schmieder: Most people probably know you as the Tryndamere guy, but most would be surprised to learn that your main has zero Trynd games in ranked since Season 4. Why did you stop playing Trynd?

Rohammers: It was to prove a point to many people that I don’t need Tryndamere to get in high elo. The general consensus of one trick ponies and I, were that we live and die off of the champion and I wanted to show everyone that it was, at least for me, false and incorrect.

You’ve maintained a pretty high position in challenger this season, seemingly without the help of dynamic queue. What’s your secret?

One of things I would do in my offtime was to study korean top laners and their accounts in solo queue. Through this I found many champions that were really strong but were unknown until they were seeing play in competitive. Some of these champions are Ryze, Gangplank, and Ekko. These champions were nerfed and the general consensus became that they weren’t ban worthy or strong. So I was able to abuse them in solo queue while no one knew about them. I also have very good teleport usage and impact around the map.

You (and I) were on the Frostbite team that lost to Team Liquid Academy in the NACS open qualifier. Why do you think you lost? Anything you would have changed in retrospect?

We lost to TLA primarily because they were a better team. We had better individual players for every role, except maybe the jungler, but they played and rotated much better as a team than we were. For most of us, this was also the first match we played that had a lot of importance riding on it so nerves got to the better of us. I don’t think there was much to change considering we were together for only a month. I joined Frostbite only a week before open qualifier deadlines while they were a team for much longer.

Why should a team pick you up? What about your play or your personality do you think make you a good player and/or teammate?

I have a very good mindset and attitude when it comes to scrims and practice. I also have arguably one of the largest top lane champion pool in NA. So my playstyle is very flexible to what the team or the meta requires at the moment. If the team needs a tank, a support, or a carry, I can fill any of those shoes. I also keep a positive upbeat attitude.

Name one player in NA you’d really like to play on a team with (could be LCS, CS, or outside) and why.

Since I can’t have other top laners on the team, it would have to be Meteos. He has such a positive attitude when it comes to the game. Meteos also seems like the person who prioritizes having fun over winning which is a good and joyful mindset to have on a team.

Is there a toplaner you model yourself after, or otherwise anyone you admire in the role?

I model and admire only the best top laners at the moment which are primarily korean top laners. For example, last season it was Marin, Ssumday, and Smeb. This season it’s Duke, Smeb, Ssumday, and Trace.

Do you see yourself as more of a carry player or a tank player? Or if perhaps you don’t see this as a useful dynamic, just describe the kind of champions you play and your general playstyle.

I see myself as a jack of all trades. I’m very flexible so I can play every type of role in the top lane and am quite proficient at them. I don’t care which role i’m assigned to, as long as it gets the victory, it’s fine by me. The kind of champions I play are the ones that are strongest in the current meta.

Last question: What motivates you to go pro?

The things that motivate me to go pro is my enjoyment of the game combined with my skill. I feel as though I am better than most of the competition out there and I can actually make a name for myself. I also love playing games and to have that as my profession would be amazing.

Thanks for your time, Rohammers, and best of luck in the future. Check back soon for the next installment of Challenger Spotlight, featuring ex-Zenith midlaner Ablazeolive.