The Eastern Clash, the second major international tournament for HGC 2017, will kick off on March 16 and run till March 18 in Shanghai, China.

As an Asian counterpart to the last Western Clash, the Eastern Clash will pit the top HGC teams from China, Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia against one another. Three Korean teams - L5, MVP Black, and Tempest - all of which have held championship trophies in the past, will compete in the event.

Among the big three, fans praise Tempest for their spectacular performances thanks to the team’s explosive teamfighting capability. Most agree that signing on former MVP Black warrior Sign and super rookie ModernLife made for a successful rebuilding. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Tempest to hear their stories.

Congratulations on finishing third in the first half of HGC KR Phase One. What have you been up to lately?

Gyeong Hwan “Hide” Jin: I had a brief break after completing the first half of the season. I’ve been too busy, so I traveled a bit for a breath of fresh air. I should probably get back to training. I was a little tied up with visa issues for the Eastern Clash.

Ji Hoon “Sign” Yoon: I’ve been pretty busy analyzing VODs because the Western Clash began right after the first half of the season. I do have more spare time now though.

Many teams in HGC KR Phase One went through rebuilding. Do you think that Tempest’s rebuilding was successful?

Kyung Deok “duckdeok” Kim: I think it was. Our results aren’t quite there, but I believe we can get to a higher place than the old Tempest did because the current team atmosphere is excellent.

Hide: I’m satisfied, especially because I didn’t set my goals super high. ModernLife must have had the toughest time among the four veterans, but I’m glad he bonded well with the team.

Your performance in the early season was somewhat shaky. How did you manage to break the mold?

Hide: I guess it’s because we’ve historically faced strong teams for the opening match. I think we improved through exchanging feedback after each match.

Jin Hak “ModernLife” Jang: I was pretty mad after the match against MVP Black. My teammates consoled me a lot, which made me a better player.

Sign: I once thought about quitting pro gaming, and my skills were pretty rusty. I think something in me switched back on after the match against Black.

How’s everything going with preparing for the Eastern Clash?

duckdeok: Since we’ve worked hard to prepare for the event, I’m confident in the first matchup this time around.

Jae Hoon “Lockdown” Jin: I think we’ll reap good results since everyone is so hard at work.

Are there any foreign teams you’re keeping a watchful eye on?

Sign: It’s eStar. They scrim a lot with Korean teams and have excellent teamfighting capability. Just as it was the case before, they can come back with a well-timed teamfight at any time.

What will we see at this Eastern Clash in terms of meta and heroes? Are you preparing anything special regarding those?

Sign: First off, I think Tassadar is really strong, so we’re working on a Tassadar comp. Maybe we’ll see more Chromie, who shined in the Western Clash.

Hide: Diverse support heroes saw play in the Wester Clash. Watching heroes like Tyrande and Lúcio being played makes me think that recent support heroes aren’t just healbots. Instead, teams put more emphasis on the utility that support heroes can bring. I believe Korean teams will bring a variety of support comps to the Eastern Clash.

I heard you were ecstatic to see the Probius reveal at the Western Clash. What are your thoughts on the hero?

duckdeok: As a former StarCraft 2 player, I was happy to see Probius, who brings back good old memories of splitting workers. I’m a little sad that he’s more of a situational pick depending on battlegrounds with clear counters. He’s really good on maps like Braxis Holdout and Battlefield of Eternity where laning is important, but he falls short in teamfight-oriented maps.

Ever since you’ve let your hair grow, fans have taken to calling you “Miss Lockdown”, and an Open Division team used your face on their team logo. How do you feel about that?

Lockdown: At first I let it grow because I got lazy, but it’s gotten to the point where I feel too attached to cut it. Although I agreed, I was a bit flustered when they asked me for permission to use my face on the logo. It’s a bit embarrassing to this day.

Are there any secrets to your “carry support” status?

Hide: I think that’s because I’m committed to contributing more than simply providing heals as a support player. I believe I have more to offer than other players because I have somewhat flex-like tendencies. That said, those plays are only possible because of cover from my teammates.

As a transfer player on the team, are you under any pressure to perform shotcalling and drafting duties?

Sign: I wouldn’t so much call myself a transfer player; rather, I’m more of a returning one. Since the team itself is pretty relaxed in terms of the internal atmosphere, I don’t feel that pressured. I did some shotcalling and drafting on my past teams.

What does “1 Modern Rag” mean to you?

ModernLife: It was harrowing at first. I now call myself 1 Modern in games. I think it’s alright.

Editor's Note: This is a meme referring to the former LoL player Ssong, who widely varies in his performance (ex: 1 Ssong means mediocre levels of play, while 6 Ssong implies legendary status). The numbers correspond to each number on a die, emphasizing RNG nature of his form.

What did OGN HGC KR commentator OPrime mean to Tempest?

Hide: He was a good partner, one who helps out when working together. I’m still personally close to him. I think it’s wonderful that he and I are doing great. I hope he’ll do even better.

Among the three Korean teams competing in the Eastern Clash, people view Tempest as the team with the most spectacular teamfights using your aggressive playstyle. Any thoughts?

duckdeok: I don’t particularly prefer teamfights, but I tend to get aggressive since I was in charge of the frontline in the old Tempest. In the Eastern Clash, though, I’d like to show you winning games with delicate macro plays.

Hide: I guess people say that about us because we adapt our playstyles according to the opponent. We also prefer using brute force to win rather than widening the lead with macro plays when we’re ahead. That’s why we don’t shy away from teamfights.

Can we expect to see the resurgence of the Summer Champions in the second half of the Phase One?

Sign: I think you can expect better performance from us in the second half. Since I’m a former Spring Champion, and Tempest is strong in the summer, I hope you keep your expectations high and cheer us on.

Anything else you’d like to say before we wrap up?

Hide: I’m always thankful for fans who take an interest in the team. I’m a bit bummed out that not many Korean live audiences will be able to join since this Clash takes place in China. Regardless, I hope many of you will tune in to give us more cheers than criticism.

duckdeok: I’ll work hard to achieve my goal of defeating L5 and MVP Black at the Eastern Clash. I believe we’ll reap good results as long as we keep those goals in mind.

Lockdown: I hope to show you some awesome plays.

ModernLife: I started Heroes as a support and now switched to melee flex, a role which needs to take initiatives. I think my inexperience was a part of the reason I displayed quite a few subpar performances. I’m still improving every day, so I hope you watch me grow.

Sign: I’m grateful to everyone who roots for the team or me personally. I’ll do my best to bring you even better performances and plays than I showed you at HGC. Thank you all.