Fnatic Humanoid on Misfits: “I think we were really stomping them. I think if this was a best-of-five, we would have won this game for sure.”

Fnatic looks dangerous headed into the LEC Playoffs, taking second place in the group stage, and narrowly missing out on first. Many teams have pointed to how consistent their lanes are. If it’s not MVP candidate Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov and Elias “Upset” Lipp in the bot lane, then it’s Martin “Wunder” Hansen in the top lane. And don’t forget about the team’s reliable and formidable mid laner Marek “Humanoid” Brázda.

Humanoid ended the split as one of the top mid laners in the LEC. Fellow Fnatic player Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer rated Humanoid ahead of Emil “Larssen” Larsson and Vincent “Vetheo” Berrié in his own estimations on broadcast. Regardless of which team your flag flies with, it’s hard to argue that Humanoid isn’t one of the most skilled mid laners in the league right now.

We spoke to Humanoid just after Fnatic’s narrow loss to Misfits in week eight of the LEC. Fnatic had been dominant all game, only to drop the match in the late game after a series of pauses. A few mistakes and extra moments to think for Misfits, and Fnatic’s lead crumbled away. Humanoid shared with us some insight into that match, how Fnatic has progressed as a team, Renata, and the Akali pick.

Thanks for talking to me, Humanoid; I really appreciate it. The last game was pretty down to the wire. Really incredible to watch, though. But going back before the game a little bit, every player I’ve talked to for the past two weeks has said Fnatic are the most dangerous team to play right now. What do you think has made you guys so hard to play against at the moment?

Humanoid: I mean, I think there is nothing specific. I think we are just better than the rest. But we are better at like everything, and not one specific thing. So I would say that we are just better.

You guys had a mid-split drop-off, where you were losing a lot of games. Was there a reason you identified for that? Or was it just how best-of-ones go?

Humanoid: I think first thing, it’s best-of-ones. And second thing, it’s like at the start of the split… I think for the first half of the split no team is playing really well. So the results are going to be way more random and anyone can win against anyone. But usually when it goes to the later stages, then it’s more consistently the better team winning. So I think that’s what happened.

This week Renata was enabled, was that a big part of your preparation coming into this week?

Humanoid: I think it’s not a big part. But we tried it in scrims and we also saw everyone trying it. So yeah, I don’t think that champ is like something specific that you have to plan around. It’s just a new champ added to the pool.

So do you not think Renatis is going to have an impact? Or do you think it will maybe? Maybe in the playoffs, when it gets a little bit of tweaking?

Humanoid: I think right now it doesn’t look like it’s like OP, but it’s also like, playable. So yeah, I don’t think there’s like anything that’s needed to do around it. Like if you want to pick it, you can just play it.

Fair enough, so no bans wasted! You played Akali this last game against Vetheo on Saturday. Was that just a good pick against the immobile Viktor, or was it BM to Vetheo?

Humanoid: No, I think that it was just really good in this game. Because they have like no CC in their comp. And we already have a Hecarim who jumps in, so it should be pretty hard for their carriers to survive. Which is what happened in the first half of the game before we threw! So yeah, I think I just saw an opportunity to pick it and I did.

Is Akali a comfort pick, or is it more of a pocket pick to break out only when it feels right?

Humanoid: I mean, I’m comfortable on her. But she’s strong in only very specific situations. She’s not like… you’re not really going to blind pick her one, two. So you usually pick her later. It’s pretty rare for her to be good.

The game [Saturday, vs. Misfits] seemed really in control; your early game was fantastic. And then late game, the siege went really poorly, there’s a pause, and the game falls apart a bit. Is there something you can take away from that or is it just something that happens?

Humanoid: I mean, I think we were just kind of having a bit too much fun in the game. We weren’t really focused that much in the late game because we thought that the game was free. And then we kind of lost the teamfight. 

And yeah, the pauses… We were already in a pretty bad spot, I think during the pauses. So they didn’t really change that much. But they like it’s just kind of tilting that there is a big pause in the middle of a team fight. But I think that game was hard to win without the pause from that point.

You guys are locked in for the playoffs, you have a bit of a break after the split, I think I heard three weeks? Is it time for relaxing, or is it straight into preparation? 

Humanoid: I think there’s gonna be a bit of time to relax. Not sure how long but I don’t think we will be scrimming right on Monday. So we will probably have some time off. But after that we will start scrimming right away, yeah.

You’re still [on Saturday] just about in contention for that number one spot where you can choose who your opponent is in the first week of playoffs. So who would you want to face in the playoffs, and who are you avoiding?

Humanoid: So I think if we are first it shouldn’t be between Misfits and G2 Esports then? As three, four?

I think that’s how it works, yeah.

Humanoid: I mean, I think we’d choose Misfits, but I’m not sure. But that’s just my view. I think they’re a bit worse than G2, even though we lost to them today. Just kind of weird to say it. 

So you don’t think this game was proof that Misfits have your number, know what you’re about and can beat you?

Humanoid: I don’t really think so. I think we were really stomping them (Laughs). I think if this was a best-of-five we would have won this game for sure. But I think we just didn’t. We weren’t really focusing on the late game. 

Okay, thanks, Humanoid, thank you for the interview, and good luck to Fnatic with your game tomorrow.

Humanoid: Alright, thank you so much

Fnatic and Humanoid will next take to the rift in three weeks during the LEC Spring 2022 Playoffs on March 26th. Unfortunately for Humanoid though, they won’t get their wish of a rematch against Misfits. Instead, Fnatic will face G2 Esports live on the LEC’s Twitch and YouTube.