Interview With Coach and Analyst for Who Cars? Adrian "NFist" Czerniło
Carriço: My first question is how did you get into esports?
NFist: Well the first time I watched Esports was in 2014 and it was the EMS One 2014 Katowice, it was the grand final game between NIP and Virtus.Pro. Actually, I didn't know those were Polish players. Bu ti was watching this final at my friend's house, and I was so in love with those players, how they played, and how they overall performed in that environment.
Then I started to get interested in that more, so I got to know Virtus. Pro, I got to know they were Polish, and that was extremely great for me, that my country was actually one of the best in a proper game.
So that is how I started, and then two years later I randomly started managing social media for an Esports organizer in Poland. I was 12 years old and I started to manage the Facebook page for a small organizer in Poland, that was the biggest thing for me, well not right now but at that time it was.
Carriço: Why did you choose to become a Valorant Coach/analyst?
NFist: This was one of my new year's resolutions. Because I just wanted to have a massive improvement starting this year, and one of those resolutions was just to try out coaching and analyzing. I’ve watched Who Cars? play in the VCT qualifier last year against BDS especially, and I was so amazed that those players were so capable, they were just amazing in those matches, but I thought that maybe should i help them?
Maybe I should reach out to them, and that’s how I typed a Twitter to David, and on the twenty-first of January, I started to be an analyst for them. They didn't know how to work with an analyst but I showed them some tricks and it happened. Then PirateFlag came as a coach, he is a Scottish guy, and well he left for Japan because he wanted to build a team around Japanese people, that were playing various games, Overwatch I think, and Fortnite, there was also one Japanese American person that was playing on NRG. They just wanted to participate in this VCT qualifier, so I thought to myself why should I not try coaching?
I just wanted it for so long, but I didn't know how to do it properly. I said to myself, let's do it, let's become a temporary coach while we are still searching because obviously, we are still searching for a coach that is communicative in Danish. It doesn't necessarily have to be communicative in Danish but have a lot of knowledge because for now, I'm not as experienced, I’m just trying to help the boys.
Carriço: Can you talk a little bit about your path in VALORANT before joining Who Cars?
NFist: So my path in Valorant started actually in the beta. I was playing since day 1, and I think I wasn't the first but one of the first ones in Poland to reach Diamond when the ranks came out. I played a little bit more, then stopped and I just didn't know what to do with Valorant, I wasn't in love with it by then. So I took a massive break.
Afterward, I tried to come back to Valorant but it didn't work out once again. Took one more massive break, and then there was this one, when I started in October I was like “ okay let’s do it, let's try and reach a great rank”.
In two months I reached immortal 1, so I was just amazed by myself, how can I reach that I'm not that good in video games, I wasn't that good in CS:GO, I wasn't that good in League of Legends. But somehow I managed to do it so that’s how I got into it, especially when there was the 2021 VCT starting when Acend just one the whole VCT tournament, VCT Champions,
I wasn't that much interested in the Esports scene, but after the Valorant Champions, I was like “ this is my dream and I want to reach the top somehow.
In January I reached out to TERP who is a big Polish personality, he is not that much known in all of Poland but he is very known in Valorant in Poland. I reached out to him, I wanted to start being a caster, and what I have done is just cast. One qualifier, second, third, and it all blew up, and as of today, I think I'm a good caster. I casted VCT last week, I also casted a lot of other tournaments like streamers league and the VRC.
Carriço: How is it to work with this group of players?
NFist: It’s just great cooperation for me, I mean they are so pleasing and so understanding, it's just lovely to work with them. Danish people are generally positive I would say, I still need to get to know more Danish people of course, but when it comes to Who Cars? they are very capable and understanding in that regard, and I basically love them.
Carriço: What are some of the things/intangibles each player brings that are very important to the team?
NFist: The thing with our new addition sunshine is that he just brought a new air like a new approach, and everything just went more flexible. You could have seen that certain players were playing not what they were playing before in Split one, and it is a bit connected to the fact that sunshine is a more flexible player rather than Jarlo. I mean Jarlo was good but he was rather a Cypher and Killjoy player, and right now we can approach the game from many other different angles.
Mishu he is just so sweet, I mean he is just the mascot of our team. The thing with him is that he was been a Sova main for a lot of time, and what he brings is just pure talent, he is very young, well compared to me he is just one year younger but still.
When it comes to the other boys it’s just experience, the knowledge they bring to the team, and what they are capable of. Masked is a great person, has a lot of ideas, about how to maintain the game plan, and how to make sure everything is working fine, he is not an IGL I guess from my perspective but still, he is a person that can lead everything. Everyone is in this synergy I would say.
Carriço: This roster has been together for a good amount of time now and has been showing good results, what do you think is the next step for this team?
NFist: Well the next step is to show how good we are basically, and how adaptive we can be. My approach to coaching and analyzing is to get as adaptative as you can get. There is this one thing that I say lots of times which is you need to adapt to opponents otherwise you are just left out. Not only when you are preparing for the opponents but also when you are playing the official, you can have your tactics, you can have your everything, but still, you need to be sure that you can adapt to how people approach and how people are doing their stuff, so you can do it better.
Carriço: What do you bring to the team not only has a coach but also outside of it?
NFist: I say atmosphere. I am always trying to be positive in that aspect, sometimes I have my doubts everyone has, and it's completely normal but when it comes to being on the voice chat with the boys and even messaging them it’s just I'm cheering for them and they are cheering for me so, everything is working properly and I think the atmosphere is very crucial, it’s just working there.
Carriço: Is it harder to prepare against more structured teams or teams that adapt on the fly? and why?
NFist: As I said before the great ability of teams is how they adapt and having this particular skill makes a big difference especially when it comes to official matches. If you are playing good ok you can even win the first half 10-2 but then when you switch sides and the other team adapts, it's just basically about adaption.
For me is hard to say, for now, there are certain teams that have fundamentals and are having all of this with tactics. There might be a less skilled team having tactics but still can adapt more. So I think they are going to win against the team with more strategies.
Carriço: Is there a team you are really looking forward to facing off against this second split of the VRL?
NFist: For me, it’s going to be EXCEL. Not just because of the fact that they have the most stacked team, in my opinion, but mostly because of the fact that there is this fellow Polish guy on the team. I was a fan when he was playing CS:GO, I was a little kid back then, I would say I was 15 years old, I was just a media guy doing some social activities, and went to an event as media, and well he was there. I was just amazed by the players that we're in the top-level, especially in Poland, so right now we can exchange some messages, it’s not a very big relationship but still, we are on good terms. What I want to do is, I would like to show him, FoxieGG, and the crew what we have in store for them.
Carriço: What are some of the main difficulties you guys face by not being signed by an organization?
NFist: It’s going to be a lack of tools and costs of trips when it comes to the tournaments that we want to participate in, and we have no bootcamps that’s the thing. Because having bootcamps just makes your team more alive, you can basically expand your relationship with the other players so that you have more in common.
Just being in person with them because we are playing from home so. That’s the thing everyone is at their home sitting and talking in the voice chat but having the in-person touch is just crucial.
Carriço: What are some of the things the team would be able to/ achieve if they got the backing of an organization?
NFist: Probably even top spots in the VRL, finals I would say, even VCT next yea. Because those players are very good so this is reachable, they have lots of potential, especially 17 years old mishu, because of his age and even sunshine he is a little bit older but this team has a lot of potential.
If there was an organization that would sign them alongside me and BoDork, and everything it could have worked even better. This has potential and it's full Danish, a full Danish roster so you want to have Astralis in Valorant right?
Carriço: What are the main goals for Who Cars? for the remaining of this year?
NFist: Getting into the VRL final. Participating in other small tournaments to show everyone that we are good and to try to win. We just want to play as much as we can so that we can showcase our skills.
Carriço: What are your goals as a coach/analyst for the remaining of this year?
NFist: When it comes to being an analyst and coach it’s certainly achieving the top with the boys, but we don't know how it might get. I mean it's only May, June is coming and basically, other teams are very capable too so I'm open for many positions, especially those paid ones because obviously, we are not getting anything in that department because we are without an organization. But still, I'm very eager to do it rather with the boys because I just got lots of experience with them as their analyst and coach.
Carriço: Is there anything else you want to say to the Who Cars? Fans or organizations that are looking for a great roster?
NFist: What I want to say is Vrum Vrum, and especially I want to say that the boys are very capable, they are very capable and if you sign them, and me alongside them, or just sing them I don't know, they have so much potential, so if you are only reaching out for them just try it, you might be surprised how good they are, and how approachable they are so it’s going to be fine.
For me, it’s a special thanks to everyone who helped me achieve and reach who I am now. Especially for TERP, and there is a special fiend at home that I wanted to thank, she is the dearest friend I ever had. She helped me get into the analytics in the first place, is an amazing person as a whole, and is the Heretics analyst in League of Legends.
Carriço: Thank you a lot for agreeing to do this interview, it was a pleasure talking to you, and I wish you and the boys at Who Cars? the best of luck in the future, and I hope you guys get an organization as soon as possible.
If you want to check the full interview you can do it here:
