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　　9-9: a record that most of the teams in Southeast Asia's Garena Premier League would be envious to have. But for a team that, a year ago, had secured the world championship crown amid a field of such adversaries as Azubu Frost, CLG.EU and Moscow 5, it was a sign of great decline. Taipei Assassins had spent most of Season 3 floundering as internal strife and attrition of core players turned the fortunes of a world championship team upside down. Without Toyz or Stanley, it seemed as if they couldn't even compete back home. In fact, with only AD carry Bebe left on the team, the Assassins faded back into the obscurity from whence they came.

　　Of course, with a name like the Assassins, that ended up being the ideal conditions for them to work with. In a matter of months, they'd turned themselves around: from third overall in the GPL at the end of 2013, to back-to-back winter and spring split Southeast Asia champions and gunning for a return to the world stage. The team discusses what happened in those intervening months.

　　

Team Growth

Team Captain Bebe

JC: There's been a huge difference between how TPA's performed in Season 3 and now. What are the reasons for this? What has the team changed?

"Our team's chemistry and champion pools have become better and better over the past few months," claimed team captain and AD carry Cheng 'Bebe' Bo-Wei. "We're also not afraid to try out new champions. We've gotten good results, even if it may look like a gamble sometimes."

　　"There weren't too many changes in management," said team manager Quaker Liu when asked of the team's background changes. "But we've increased involvement between the coach and team." He too cites improved team chemistry as central to their performance increase.

　　

JC: The GPL Spring grand finals almost ended in game four, but the team managed to turn it against AHQ. How does the team deal with that kind of pressure? What was the team's discussion and strategy when going into the game?

"Honestly, we thought the series would come to an end when AHQ destroyed one of our nexus turrets," recalled Bebe. "However, their carelessness gave us the opportunity, and we just tried not to make any mistakes, worked tower by tower, and did everything that could lead us to victory. It's obvious AHQ played without patience."

　　The team cohesion was famously demonstrated back at IEM Katowice – both for good and ill. TPA led off strong, surprising a world that's gotten used to ignoring the Southeast Asian scene over the course of Season 3, but as for the follow-through...

　　

JC: At IEM Katowice, Chen 'Morning' Kuan-Ting almost single-handedly blew Gambit apart in TPA's first game, but the rest of the matches went badly. What was the reason for such a large difference? What lessons did TPA learn from the event?

"He [Morning] was kind of nervous after the first game," claimed Bebe. But he wasn't concerned about the team's long-term prospects, based off the Katowice results. "Every player meets the same problem during their career as a pro player. We'll encourage our teammates to play wisely at any moment."

　　Morning himself found his expectations tempered in the aftermath of the event – his second international showing. "Although we're the leading team in the GPL, it's apparently not a distinct advantage in IEM Katowice's team positioning."

　　

The Arsenal

Mid Laner Morning

JC: Both TPA and TPS played a lot of Twitch in their GPL semifinals, and in the finals as well. Bebe's also been playing a lot of Draven. What was the reason for focusing on these two champions?

"I'd like to say we just pick champions we're confident with," said Bebe. "I've played Draven and Twitch a lot recently."

　　Not all TPA picks are based merely on comfort, though – and some can seem outright bizarre to outsiders.

　　"Due to the team strategy requirement, I picked Zac," explained Morning, when asked about the second game against AHQ in the GPL spring finals. "He's strong in mid-game, so we tried to win the game earlier by focusing on turrets, dragons and jungle ganks. I think Zac is still viable as a mid champion in the future."

　　

JC: With Feral Flare in the game now, and available at All-Stars, do you expect to add Xin Zhao or other auto-attack based junglers to your kit?

"Feral Flare performs well as an offensive item, since the damage and life steal stacks provide advantages in mid and late games," noted jungler Xue "DinTer" Hong-wei. "However, for the current competitive meta, Feral Flare is just too weak in the early game. Spirit of the Elder Lizard, or even just a Long Sword, is better than Feral Flare in a serious match."

　　

Looking Ahead

JC: Taiwan's lost the limelight after its big Season 2 win, but the country's teams are now even more prominent in the GPL circuit. In your view, how has the community evolved in the last year?

"Winning Season 2 had a huge impact on Taiwan's eSports scene," said Quaker. "But like the stock market, it's expected that the heat would abate after such stimulation." But his outlook of the scene overall is positive, even given the Season 3 slump. "Compared with 2012, there are more professional teams and companies joining the eSports industry, as well as more leagues and internet broadcasting. In the long run, it's definitely a positive progression."

　　But while the outlook seems bright for the scene as a whole, the fate of individuals and teams remain turbulent and transient. Season 3 world championship representatives Gamania Bears had since dissolved, though most of the team landed back on their feet with television broadcaster sponsored Yoe Flash Wolves. Their jungler, Chen 'Winds' Peng-Nien, was acquired even quicker by the Taipei Snipers.

　　Except, in the aftermath of the Sniper's disappointing spring split, he isn't playing with them anymore. Though DinTer'd improved steadily since his rough start as the Assassins' support, and seemingly found his footing in the jungle, he's now benched and off the starting lineup. The sister team loses yet another core player as the Azubu teams double down on their international plans.

　　Winds will be on the Assassins' starting line up, and will play in All-Stars Paris.