Gambit CIS Mid Laner Anton "Fomko" Fomkin told us about being an analyst during the Russian IWCI broadcast, his impressions of the tournament and working at the studio.

How did you get an offer to work as an analyst at caster desk during the IWCI?
I was approached by Nikita "Nick ColdStar" Morozov who offered me to help him at the desk. I accepted the offer since we have already cast a couple of times together, and it was easy to work with him.

How was it? Were there any problems due to different time zones, as matches in Mexico started when it was late night in Moscow?
At first it was really difficult for everyone, during the first day of the tournament after 4th or 5th match we began slowly falling asleep. Next day was better though, and the third one was completely fine. It was difficult to cast 7 games in a row, especially if they begin around midnight. But in general IWCI was fine.

How does the casters' and analysts' work look like from behind the scenes?
Zak and Awertum were always writing something down, and then shared the information on the broadcast. ColdStar and I tried to talk about the previous or the upcoming game. I enjoyed working with the broadcast crew, there were almost no failures during the broadcast, and even if they were, they stemmed from the event itself in Mexico. The general impression is that everything was handled in a professional way.

Do you watch the matches often? What casters do you prefer - English or Russian?
To be honest, I don't like watching the games. Sometimes I watch VODs of important tournaments, or if I'm in the mood to do so. My first priority is to play Solo Queue, so if I watch some streams, I prefer English ones to improve my English skills.

Do you have any favourite analysts or casters who you follow?
I don't have any favourites, but from time to time I check fan pages of famous Russian casters - ColdStar, Olsior, ATR, Awertum, Genes1s. 

Would you like to work as an analyst or a caster after you finish your career as a player?
It depends on how my career will come to an end. If I end up being in a good team, maybe I'll try to become a coach. But casting doesn't appeal to me, there are no career prospects as there are no casting competitions (smiles). 

Let's talk about IWCI results. Defeated again, without a chance to go to MSI. What prevented CIS-team from winning?
It's difficult to say what prevented them from winning as I don't know the inner workings of that team. In my opinion, they looked like a completely different team in the finals. If during the group stage and semi-final they played around the objectives, during the finals they started to play around the kills. Kira played on weak champions like Vladimir and made some gold-level TPs, aMiracle couldn't farm, the team played around the kills and constantly tried to force team fights. 

What do you think the Turkish team can accomplish at MSI?
I don't think they have any chances at MSI. Fifth place at best, and if they're extremely lucky, then maybe 4th. Korea, Europe and North America surely will be stronger than Turkey. Maybe they will win against the Chinese team, but I doubt it.

Has the level of competition in IWC-regions improved over the years?
It's difficult to say, as I didn't follow the previous WildCard tournaments closely, but CIS has definitely become stronger. 

Was there something that surprised you during the tournament?
No, picks were common, games were played either around the kills or around the objectives. There were very few thoughtful and well-timed movements. Although I was surprised by HR's counter jungling - Likkrit and Stejos worked well together to accomplish it. 

Considering the shown level of play, do you think CIS teams have any chance to go to Worlds this year?
It's difficult to predict how the things will be in half a year, but I think chances are somewhat higher than they were last year. 

How do you think Gambit will perform in LCL Summer Split?
Anything below the first place would be disappointing!

Who do you consider your main enemy among the CIS Mid Laners?
I don't make any distinctions as I count on teamwork and coordination. For me the laning phase lost any meaning quite a while ago, you can be ahead by 50 CS at 15 minute mark, but your opponent can be the one making game winning plays.

Any words for your fans?
Read books, attend school and university, make plane models and cheer for Gambit!