Guard RKN half one – on ALGS, The Guard and adjusting legends – Esports

The Guard RKN caught up with esports.gg to debate their ALGS to this point, the Apex information mining revelations and why they use Crypto.

Cole “Rkn” Prommel made waves on the ALGS Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina. Then with Torrent, Guard RKN stepped in as emergency substitute when Noiises of Invictus Gaming was disqualified as a consequence of contracting COVID.

Main two gamers he had barely ever spoken to, RKN shone. iG made all of it the best way to the finals, they usually carried out manner above expectations contemplating their circumstances.

Quick ahead 4 months, and RKN is as soon as once more shining. Teaming with Beau “RamBeau” Sheidy and Keon “Keoon” Berghout at The Guard. The american organisation entered Apex Legends aggressive for the primary time to select up this roster. They’ve began strongly within the ALGS Professional League, and will return to the highest 2 general later right this moment.

esports.gg’s Tom sat down with Guard RKN in an enormous, two-part interview to debate ALGS to this point, the Apex Information Mining controversy, Crypto and extra.

Guard RKN: “Beau and I have been doubtless not going to be teaming anymore”

Tom: So how did becoming a member of the guard truly come about? And was it a simple determination to affix?

Guard RKN: “So following Raleigh, what lots of people don’t know, initially is that Beau and I have been truly doubtless not going to be teaming anymore. I believe the tip of that final cut up previous to Raleigh actually did its injury to us. And with Euriece making the choice that he wasn’t going to be competing for the foreseeable future, and the way we had been performing as a unit, it didn’t actually make a tonne of sense for us to try to discover somebody new.

[Raleigh] was a saving grace for the 2 of us as a result of I believe we have been each so low in self esteem. We simply wanted to go discover a new setting to revitalise ourselves in, and [Raleigh] turned out to be that setting. So after Champs Beau and I had a chat and we have been like, man we may truly do that s***t, we simply want to seek out the suitable particular person.”

Guard RKN wished Sikez

“We had initially reached out to Sikez, who now performs for Liquid, however he was trialling with them on the time. Beau and I each have a tonne of respect for the Liquid boys so we form of knew kind of that it was going to be a achieved deal. Beau talked about Keoon, and I knew nothing about Keeon.

“We joke on a regular basis that my very first name with Keoon once we trialled him that week. I advised Keoon, I used to be like “hey, I satisfaction myself on being tremendous clear. And I simply need you to know, I do know nothing about you. I don’t know in the event you’re good. I don’t know in the event you’re unhealthy. This was this was Beau vouching for you and we’re gonna give this a shot and we’ll see the way it goes.” And so I just about advised him to to his face. I used to be like, “I don’t assume you’re good, however we’re gonna run it anyhow.” We performed a pair tournaments with him and every part simply went nice”.

Keoon was already becoming a member of The Guard

Tom: “You finally selected to affix The Guard. So, how did that provide come about? Did they strategy you or was it out of your Twitter pitch decks. How did the provide come about?

Guard RKN: “So we had we had picked simply picked up Keoon and we went to Torrent. The foremost difficulty was Keoon had a content material provide from The Guard already as a content material creator. Financially it was a very good provide for him. Beau and I weren’t going to lose him a greater alternative simply in order that he may compete with us. So we tried our greatest to seek out an angle with Torrent that might be appropriate for everybody however generally it simply doesn’t actually work out like that.

The Guard already had a content material provide on the desk for him. So Keoon went to The Guard mainly and stated: hey, you guys have already got a suggestion for me for content material. And I do know you guys have curiosity in aggressive, though at the moment, I don’t assume The Guard was 100% set on coming into comp Apex but. And so he was mainly, why don’t why don’t you guys simply check out the three of us as a unit.”

RKN pitched to The Guard

“I made a decision to place collectively a pitch deck with the assistance of Chrono (Analyst for FaZe), I reached out to him and I used to be like, Hey, that is what I would like. That is the way it ought to look, these are the issues that I would like on it, he made a pitch deck, and we despatched it over to The Guard, they usually completely cherished it.

We met with them later that week. It went actually, very well. However we simply didn’t know for some time. However finally, it simply all got here by means of. We acquired the chance with The Guard and we mainly simply jumped on it. We didn’t actually give it some thought or making an attempt to work angles with different orgs to get kind of or whatnot. All of us actually cherished The Guard, we cherished that they have been already seeking to give Keoon a chance. So, we simply determined that we might take the chance that was in entrance of us and run with it.”

Becoming a member of The Guard a defining second in RKN’s profession

Tom: What’s it like enjoying for a workforce as huge as The Guard in comparison with a workforce like Torrent?

Guard RKN: “I believe if you get that second the place you possibly can transition from a smaller org to an enormous org. It’s like, it’s a defining second in your profession. Since you’re not only a tier two, tier three professional, you’re lastly the place you wish to be. You’re on an org with professionals in different video games that you simply watch that you simply’re not like competing with, proper? It’s laborious for me to have the identical stage of respect for one more professional in Apex as a result of we’re on the identical stage. Whereas the respect that I’ve for a professional and one other esport as a result of they’re that a lot better than me at that recreation.”

“I like the actual fact I’ve a CDL workforce I can help now”

“So having the ability to get onto an org that has huge names in different video games, was only a loopy expertise for us. I imply, I like that the truth that I’ve a CDL workforce that I can help now. And the Guard model is simply unimaginable. And I simply assume that if you’re on a smaller org, it has nothing to do with with their capabilities or how they deal with you. It’s simply, it’s not the identical as if you actually make it. And also you get to be on a kind of main orgs that everybody recognises if you if you be a part of a pub or a ranked recreation or no matter. And other people see the Guard, it has a much bigger identify to it.”

Tom: How a lot of a lift is it to be backed by an organisation simply usually? What are the advantages that you simply get from being as a part of an organisation?

Guard RKN: “Beau and I have been lucky that we already had quite a lot of respect from different gamers. However there’s an enormous profit to simply, even subconsciously, being on a much bigger, higher org. If individuals have extra respect for you, they deal with you in a different way, you’re not seen as a second price participant.”

Workforce construction vastly benefitting RKN

“On the private facet of it. I imply, we simply get a lot extra assist in terms of managing our workforce, getting issues achieved staying on monitor. It’s nice when you will have the correct construction inside your org that you’ve got, you will have a mediator. I don’t need to Beau and Keoon round and possibly have an effect on our relationship a little bit bit with me being on their a**es on a regular basis.

As a result of now I’ve correct skilled org construction the place my supervisor or or the individuals we work with can deal with issues for me in order that I don’t need to all the time be a nasty man. There’s only a main dynamic and having , a much bigger, higher org construction the place they help you in your each day operations. , how every part’s going behind the scenes. Clearly, once we qualify for LANs and stuff like that, I gained’t have to rearrange any flights or something like that. Clearly now we get help with a few of our bills and issues like that”

The Guard RKN: All three of us can give attention to the sport, which has allowed us to enhance quite a bit faster than we used to

“It’s only a higher all spherical setting, it means that you can actually give attention to your self and focus in your recreation, and takes quite a lot of burden off your again when it comes to issues outdoors of the sport. As a result of for the for almost all of my Apex profession, I’ve all the time functioned as, , a participant, IGL, Captain, workforce supervisor, common supervisor, I’ve all the time achieved all of it for my workforce, as a result of I would like my boys to have the ability to give attention to simply the sport. I can care for every part else. So now that we’re in a construction like this, The Guard can mainly take quite a lot of that stuff off my again, after which all three of us can give attention to the sport, which has allowed us to enhance quite a bit faster than we used to.”

Tom: Do you assume that it’s serving to you be a greater participant with that stress taken off you?

Guard RKN: “Yeah, having a having a greater construction round you the place you’re feeling like you possibly can depend on extra individuals than simply your self. Positively. Psychologically, it relieves you of a lot which you can simply focus a lot extra, and it’ll simply make you higher general.”

Guard RKN: “Our playstyle was designed particularly for ALGS”

Tom: So, taking a look at ALGS, to this point, as a complete, how’d you’re feeling about your efficiency?

Guard RKN: “We got here out on a heater. We knew going by means of third occasion tournaments, scrims and coming into ALGS that our playstyle works. It really works on the highest stage. And that doesn’t all the time get to be proven in third occasion tournaments.

Our fashion that we play is particularly designed for ALGS. We and we knew it was efficient, we have been blissful that we acquired to return out on our opening day in Group A versus C, which is an excellent laborious group. It’s your whole finest groups minus TSM. We simply got here out sizzling and put down rating, we weren’t shocked. We already knew that what we practiced and what we did was good and that we’d have the ability to put it down we simply needed to be in the suitable mentality and in the suitable setting for it to work. And ALGS is simply excellent for us as a result of everybody desires to take action effectively.”

Zones contribute to The Guard’s struggles

“We went into the subsequent day which was B versus C and struggled a little bit bit right here and there. I imply we got here out sizzling in recreation one with a second place. However then we struggled a little bit bit as a result of the zones have been form of wack.

I don’t ever blame the zones however again to again fish farms adopted by three climatizer zones was a little bit bizarre. Additionally, B versus C has much more range in playstyles there’s a there’s much more edge groups and much more ‘Int’ sort groups. It makes it tougher as a zone workforce to foretell what different groups are doing as a result of there’s a little bit little bit of extra randomness to it. So quite a lot of issues happening that you simply simply can’t predict precisely however we nonetheless made it out on the day in sixth, and we had our one fish farms recreation that we trolled, so if we had achieved higher we most likely would have cracked prime 4 or three.

What occurred subsequent was, the best way the schedule works out. It’s simply so unlucky for group C. We acquired iced for 2 weeks. We didn’t get to play ALGS for 2 weeks straight after which NA barely ever scrim, so we form of simply didn’t get to remain sizzling and hold practising outdoors of ranked for 2 weeks.”

Lack of follow price The Guard

“A significant a part of [playing badly] is we acquired iced for 2 weeks after which we had Thanksgiving. We have been all doing Thanksgiving with our households. We’d barely performed collectively for the three days main as much as ALGS. It doesn’t have an effect on our particular person performances, however you might inform that mentally we have been pissed off after Storm Level, after which it was downhill from there. We simply didn’t do job of recovering after recreation 4 or recovering after recreation 5. After which we mainly seemed determined in recreation six. We ended up with fairly unhealthy outcomes on the day”.

Tom: Are scrims helpful for zone groups?

Guard RKN: “Scrims for zone groups are completely different. I’ve this dialog with different IGLs quite a bit. For those who’re an edge workforce, you may get a tonne of follow out of scrims as a result of nothing actually adjustments for you, the standard adjustments, however what you do doesn’t actually change. Being a zone workforce in scrims is, it’s fairly laborious to get worth out of it. The video games don’t play out in any respect like they might and the entire like playstyle behind being a zone workforce is simply utterly, I imply, it simply breaks all the way down to nothing when there’s like 5 squads up on his personal three, or some ridiculous situation.”

The Guard use scrims to follow being ‘inted’

“We put ourselves in spots that which might be good in ALGS However when the lobbies are unhealthy, these spots turn out to be actually, actually unhealthy. It’s laborious to elucidate that it’s that spots that you simply wouldn’t get away with when there’s 10 squads up, however you’ll get away with when there’s 18. We put ourselves in these positions, figuring out that it’s going to be horrible, after which seeing what we are able to do to climate the onslaught of individuals simply completely angling us out, making an attempt to simply making an attempt their hardest to utterly kill us.”

Will The Guard make LAN? RKN: “Oh, hell yeah!”

Tom: Are you assured of creating the highest 20? After which an extra query, are you assured of creating the playoffs?

Guard RKN: “Oh, hell yeah. I imply, we’re gonna end prime 5 simply this cut up. I believe lots of people might be shocked additionally to listen to that we’re mainly utilizing cut up one as follow. Our objective is to qualify for the LAN completely.

We’re not going to not qualify for the LAN. We’re gonna give it our all, however we picked up Keoon, I don’t know two months in the past, and he has virtually no aggressive expertise. He undoubtedly has zero excessive stage aggressive expertise and he’s by no means performed at a LAN, he’s by no means achieved any of this. So the final word objective for cut up one was to achieve success. Nonetheless, I would like to see a serious efficiency hole between our cut up one and our cut up two.”

Rambeau and Keoon switching legends tomorrow

“You’ll even see, once we play this Thursday that we’ve modified one thing. Keoon is now going to be enjoying Wattson. And Rambeau goes to be enjoying Valk. We’re mainly altering up little issues. We’d even do a comp change for subsequent cut up, however not in the course of the cut up”.

Tom: Can you go into extra element about why you’ve made the change with Beau and Keon altering legend?

Guard RKN: “This simply comes down quite a bit to love aggressive expertise. We’ve been competing for 3 years and Keoon though has touched comp a number of instances has realistically solely now been competing at a excessive stage only for this cut up.

The Valk position inside a zone workforce particularly is the roll that carries that idea within the mid recreation, discovering angles, discovering kills, discovering picks, creating alternatives, and Keoon simply doesn’t have the years below his belt of being a part of these sorts of situations. And he’s by no means been on like a hardcore zone workforce.”

Rambeau to be extra aggressive on Valkyrie

“After which on the flip facet of that, Beau was enjoying Wattson however knew that he wished to be aggressive and knew that he wished to be on the lookout for these kills.However he was enjoying Watson and was dying for it. So we’re simply flipping it to precisely the place each of their psychological’s which might be at at the moment to be extra consistent with the characters”.

Tom: “Rambeau again on Valk jogs my memory of that clip in Raleigh…”

Guard RKN: “That’s one other factor Keon is like not aware of the Valck finish recreation , the place it’s a must to resolve whether or not you’re going to struggle or simply fly straight up and are available down to your 1v1. He’s very new to that and has missed quite a lot of alternatives when he ought to fly up, however it’s not his fault. It’s simply an expertise factor.

We each know from champs that clip of Beau solo flying as much as top, hitting a battery, flying up falling down right into a 1v1v1 situation choosing, up each kills and getting that large win on LAN, these are the make or breaks for gamers that present that they’ve a better understanding of the position they play and never simply “hehehe shoot my gun. Did we win? Did we not win?”

Guard RKN together with Rambeau and Keoon are again in motion on December 1 as ALGS resumes. They may shoot as excessive as second in general rankings if outcomes go their manner. Keep tuned to esports.gg for the full protection of ALGS, in addition to different Apex Legends information and updates, and Half 2 of our RKN interview! 

Tom Bull

Born and raised in the UK. Proprietor of Transatlantic Gaming and an Apex Legends aggressive participant within the EU. Principally play both Wraith, Wattson or Bloodhound.