Clash of Champions Top 4 Player Interviews

In a field of the best players in recent history to play the format, who made it all the way to the top? find out here, with out Clash of Champions top four interviews! 

Slashtap

​Name:Johnny Li​Location:TexasOccupation:Manager at strategy consulting firmAge:​32

Why do you play Goat Format?There are no premier events right now so I'd rather play a familiar format than learn current format for no purpose.What would winning today's event mean to you? This is my first Goat tournament, so winning would verify (to an extent) that I am as good in practice as I believe I am in my head. I normally don't have interest in online tournaments, but the belt is a motivating prize.How did you prepare for today's event? Did you practice with a specific person or team?I don't play Yugioh currently, and only prepared for this event by thinking about my deck. I like to talk to Riccardo about the deck from time to time. He thinks about this game very logically.​What deck did you play today and why?

I named my deck Solemn Judgment Sinister Serpent control. The gameplan of the deck is to leverage Sinister Serpent to make favorable trades until the gamestate is simplified, and then set as many Solemns available to reduce the chance of an turnaround situation to zero. I chose this deck because the average card has higher EV than the average card in any other deck. (I know it's just Chaos Turbo)​​What decks or players were you looking forward to playing against?I was looking forward to playing against anything below tier 1. I have no ego about admitting that I want easy rounds.What decks or players were you NOT looking forward to playing against?Everyone good. Especially experienced players like Kris, who knocked me into loser's bracket, because at that level of play, a lot of decisions become 50/50 guessing games and game outcomes become highly dependent on the combination of cards you drew in relationship to the combination they drew.What card had been overperforming for you today?Sinister Serpent. It's the heart of the deck and has among the highest EV of any card in any situation.What has been your favorite moment of the event so far?I tricked one of my opponents into choosing a wrong card by sending fake behavioral signals. I won't share the exact play because if everyone starts doing it, that would be bad for me.If you could go back, what (if any) changes would you would make to your deck today?​​I would have taken the rogue matchup side cards out of my side. I knew the chances of tournament winning players using rogue decks was low, but I also thought maybe one of them would try to punish that assumption by playing rogue. This is an example of what I meant earlier by annoying 50/50 guesses at high levels of play.

KPerovic

Why do you play Goat Format?When you like a thing that doesn't harm anybody and you happen to be good at it, just do it. Not all the time, of course, but fit it into the right moments of your life and ultimately you'll be happier for it. Life's too short to deny who you really are, and that's why I play Goat Format.What would winning today's event mean to you? This is practically the penultimate Goat Format tournament, second only to Worlds. To win today would reaffirm all the confidence that so many others have in me, and I'd love to give them vindication. I'd also love to win for my team (Team Overdose), without whom I wouldn't have made it as far as I did today. And for GoatFormat.com, who has always treated me as a faithful ambassador of the format. In the end, I want this, of course... but I want it for you guys most of all.​

​Name:Kristopher Perovic​Location:Orlando, FLOccupation:Electrical EngineerAge:34

How did you prepare for today's event? Did you practice with a specific person or team?I didn't prepare much at all, actually, so above all else I'm thankful to @Dale, @james arc, @siwski, and @Smoker_ for getting me up to speed for this event.​What deck did you play today and why?Chaos Turbo. I originally had plans to meme through this event with Lockdown Burn, but @james arc told me he bet money on me, so I didn't want to let him down. He was convinced that Chaos Turbo was the best deck right now, so I played it (and Spies in particular) for him.​ What decks or players were you looking forward to playing against?I had hoped to play against some of the Rampage guys, so I guess I'm disappointed they were destroyed so quickly by others. Other than that, I was hoping to play against more Aggro decks because that's what I sort of designed my main deck to beat, but interestingly I haven't been paired up against any yet. (There's still time, of course!)​What decks or players were you NOT looking forward to playing against?Just Dale. I love my Canadian teammate and only ever want to play against him in the finals. What card had been overperforming for you today?I hate to say it but Gravekeeper's Spy.What has been your favorite moment of the event so far?My match against geistD has been the most interesting one so far, for sure. In Game 3, I had managed to calculate a sneaky game shot against him that he happened to miss, and I won because of it. I don't know how that match would've turned out if he played around it like he should've.If you could go back, what (if any) changes would you would make to your deck today?​If I could go back, I would put Graceful Charity closer to the top of the deck because I think I've only seen that card once or twice so far. And I would change my copy of Ring of Destruction to be the TCG artwork, because I don't really care much for OCG version.

TheNano

​Name:N/A​Location:ItalyOccupation:Funny GuyAge:26

Why do you play Goat Format?I Grew up playing this game. It's fun and good for the brain with an healthy approach.What would winning today's event mean to you? I like winning.How did you prepare for today's event? Did you practice with a specific person or team?I thought this event was one week ago, so I actually had a good preparation, haha. Most of it was reflection and some 1/2 hour test sessions with Bao.What deck did you play today and why?Chaos. It was the best I could do for this tourney.What decks or players were you looking forward to playing against?I felt good about every matchup.​

What decks or players were you NOT looking forward to playing against?I felt good about every matchup.What card had been overperforming for you today?The entire deck was good.What has been your favorite moment of the event so far?The entire event was good.If you could go back, what (if any) changes would you would make to your deck today?​The only things I considered as viable differences in the main deck were Cyber Jar and Jar of Greed. The sideboard was fine but there's surely more to try.

MaxEffort313

Why do you play Goat Format?I miss old Yu-gi-Oh.What would winning today's event mean to you? The worldHow did you prepare for today's event? Did you practice with a specific person or team?Yes, Rob Cedar ❤️What deck did you play today and why?Warriors. Best deck.What decks or players were you looking forward to playing against?Dale, Kris, Paul.

​Name:Sean Montague​Location:Redford MichiganOccupation:PokerAge:26

What decks or players were you NOT looking forward to playing against?Players with Dup, Pot, and GracefulWhat card had been overperforming for you today?Dust TornadoWhat has been your favorite moment of the event so far?Pro Heavy game one for three. If you could go back, what (if any) changes would you would make to your deck today?​Would add Call somehow for Swordsman LVL 2.