GeT_RiGhT "[All of us] will step up"

Final part of our pre-DreamHack Bucharest interview series features Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund from NiP, the favorites this weekend.

Alesund's NiP have been dominant for well over a year now, starting with their DreamHack Valencia victory in September 2012 and including the illustrous 87-0 record.

The Swedes have struggled a little, when compared to the incredible standards they've set, ever since the spring of this year when Virtus.pro first took them down at SLTV Finals.

GeT_RiGhT's NiP face their first true test since July 

NiP were close to going out in groups in Jönköping, and Virtus took them out in the semi-finals of RC EMS One Summer 2013 Finals at the end of June. They were also inches from losing to both Virtus and Na`Vi at SLTV Finals in July.

The Ninjas have looked impressive lately online, with their only map losses coming in against VeryGames and Cph Wolves. Read on to find out how Alesund thinks his team will fair in Bucharest.

How have you prepared for DreamHack Bucharest? Have you only practiced online or also bootcamped? How well prepared will you be in time for the event? Will we see you in tip top shape?

GeT_RiGhT: We've been doing a lot of online practice and we were thinking of having an "online bootcamp" but we thought it was much better choice in the end to make it for real and have all the guys under one roof and enjoy each other's company! I'm not sure what to say on the form, but it's looking really strong right now.. Even though I'm always looking for more so I'm not sure what you guys will expect at the event! :)

There have been a lot of online matches in the past few weeks, do you think this has helped or damaged you coming into a big LAN event? Do you think being able to study other teams’ strats helps or will others studying you hurt you more? How much should we look into your recent performance as an indicator of current form?

GeT_RiGhT: I don't think we have any problems playing online games. I think we're a little different from the rest of the teams because they need to hide a bit more of their tactics and we have never stopped playing all the online games to just focus on only a tournament. So I'm not sure what they want to study really, as there are already so many demos on us :p.

You've been placed in group A and will start off against fnatic, neXtPlease! and TeG. How do you expect to fare there? Do you see any upsets taking place in the other groups?

GeT_RiGhT: The group itself I'm happy with. I know that both of the Romanian teams were good in 1.6 and close to surprise some teams at the events they attended. For fnatic, I know they have been bootcamping for the event but the results they've had online is a different story. I think they will do fine, but hopefully not against us :p.

As for any upsets, I'm not sure. I don't think that they will happen in the group stage, maybe in the playoffs!

NiP hope to continue their winning ways this weekend 

If you had a gun to your head and had to guess which placing you would end up at in Bucharest, what would you guess? What placing would you be happy ending up at? How do you think the top three will shape up? Who will surprise in the tournament, both positively and negatively?

GeT_RiGhT: I'm gonna be lame on this question and avoid it, as I don't like to predict anything like that..

Who in your team needs to play well in order for you to perform at your highest level? Which players from other teams do you think can turn some heads? Any up and coming stars to watch out for?

GeT_RiGhT: If we play as we normally do, I think everyone will step up in their game. I think that someone needs to take command and then everyone else will start to hit their shots and the machine that we are will start rolling! I'm not sure about the rest of the teams, as I don't focus that much on them anymore as I used to...

But markeloff, Dosia, Edward for AD. MODDII, jw and flusha for fnatic. Friis and device for CW. ScreaM, shox and NBK for VG and last but not least Delpan from Lemondogs! I'm not sure what other teams need their "star" player to step up. Maybe a new star will be born at the event, we'll see! :)

How big of a deal was the map loss versus VeryGames to NiP as a whole? Do you think your year long domination over the Frenchmen is nearing its end? Are you at all worried Ex6TenZ' troops might significantly improve after getting rid of the psychological handicap?

GeT_RiGhT: I don't know, I don't think anyone in the team felt anything about that map loss at all. They've been so close many times and I thought it would happen sometime soon. But on a more serious topic, they have been improving a lot since shox joined the team and I think they have what it takes now to take us down.. But that's something I will never give up easily on :).

Coming up next will be the second part of our DreamHack Bucharest preview, set to be released in a couple of hours. NiP's campaign will begin tomorrow morning at 09:00 .