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Thomas "Thinkcard" Slotkin, former Jungler of CLG and current coach of NRG, is the star of the 400th Episode of 'Reflections'. This is episode two of two about Thinkcard's career.
Thinkcard was a jungle prospect back in 2014 but after a brief spell on CLG and then working with Cloud9 Challenger he made the pivot to coaching staff and his first big position was with FlyQuest when they entered the LCS. With a mix of former champions from C9 and some newer talent they shocked the world and managed to placew fourth in the opening split.
The next year Thinkcard was working with Echo Fox but another strong Spring split was followed by a less impressive summer run and failure to win the LCS regional qualifier for Worlds. That would all change in 2019 as Clutch Gaming became his new home as a coach.
Working with Huni again he would made another top four LCS run and this time successfully navigate the regional, beating TSM no less, to make his first Worlds. The group at that tournament proved impossibly tough and Clutch were memed on for going 0-6.
Thinkcard worked with Froggen and aphromoo's Dig line-up in 2020 before having to go down to the Academy level with Golden Guardians the following year. It wouldn't be until 2022 that he got another crack at the LCS and it was with CLG, who were no longer a contender org.
Grinding back up with the core of players, the big moment came in the summer of last year when, as the newly acquired NRG, the team won the LCS championship and qualified for Worlds. At said Worlds they would defeat LEC number 1 seed G2 and be the lone Western team to reach the play-off stage. They lost there to WBG, who ended up being finalists at the event.
In part two, Thinkcard discusses the positional coaching approach of CLG/NRG, working with players who had been in Academy, perceptions of the team prior to winning, beating a C9 super-team to take the LCS title, playing Weibo at Worlds, beating G2 at Worlds and how he has learned from his journey through esports.
This interview was recorded on the 26th of April, 2024.
► Time-line of topics discussed:
00:00 In back to the LCS?
01:53 Positional coaching
03:38 Top side
06:12 Palafox
07:18 sOAZ as positional Top lane coach
08:28 Luger and Poome
09:46 First year with CLG
10:50 Croissant
12:36 Recruiting staff
14:01 2023 Perception pre-championship
16:20 FBI and Ignar
18:38 Championship run
21:06 Beating C9 super-team
23:05 Top lane vs. TL
24:22 Weibo draw at Worlds
25:26 TL
26:02 MAD Lions
27:17 G2
30:19 Scrimming other side of bracket
31:42 WBG Ro8
32:43 Feeling of being on stage of Worlds play-offs
34:04 Caitlyn-Heimderdinger
34:40 Validation
36:01 WBG making the final
36:27 Downsize for this year?
38:36 Mind Body Esports
39:55 huhi
41:40 100T play-offs series
42:31 NRG org
44:00 Does he get the feel of wanting to play again?
45:09 Learning from failure
47:07 Most impressive coach
49:05 Most skilled player
49:57 Smartest player
50:38 Most clutch player
51:27 Best team-mate
52:18 Funniest player
52:56 Most under-rated player
53:35 Final words
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