On the sidelines of KCX4 last Saturday at the U Arena in Paris, Caliste "
Caliste" Henry-Hennebert, the little prince of
Karmine Corp, answered questions from Sheep Esports. The AD Carry discusses
his long-awaited arrival in the LEC, reflects on his 2024 season, and shares his ambitions for the years to come.
Do you feel you've acquired a new status within the club? With the departure of the club's legends (Lucas “Cabochard” Simon-Meslet and Lucas “Saken” Fayard), you're now one of the oldest...
Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert: “My status has changed, yes. In the beginning, I was a bit like the little prince... I'm still young, but I really feel like I've seen a huge difference if only compared with 2023. Even though that was the year of my rise, when I exploded, I really feel that in 2024 I'm pampered and that the whole club is behind me. Even people outside the club are giving me their support. And that makes me really happy.
How would you sum up 2024, both individually and as a team?
Caliste: Individually, I made a lot of progress. Even if you can't see it and it doesn't look like it when you watch competitive matches. 2023 and 2024 are two different years, where I've had a different status, so inevitably teams prepare differently for me. In 2024, I was a little less brilliant than in 2023, but I'm really happy with my evolution. Individually, but also as a teammate. In terms of the year's results, it's still a good season, but deep down I'm still disappointed because I would have liked to win everything and go up to the LEC by winning everything.
How did your offseason go?
Caliste: It was hectic at one point, but otherwise it was pretty quiet. Nothing much happened.
Was it your wish to play with your former LFL support, Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé?
Caliste: Yes, I wanted to. We had several profiles to try, like Labrov (Labros Papoutsakis), and Mikyx (Mihael Mehle). Or even other supports, like Fleshy (Kadir Kemiksiz). But above all, I think Targamas is a very good player. It's not just because he's a friend and we won everything in 2023 that I say to myself: “We won everything in 2023, it's going to be the same in 2025.” No, it's just that I think he's a very good player and fits in very well with the team. He brings a lot to everyone Typically he brings a lot to Vladi (Vladimiros Kourtidis). With the 2023 year we've had, we're able to work very well and I thought it was a shame not to give it a try. Of course, I took a close look at the other profiles, but I didn't find much difference between them and Targamas.
Is this your comfort zone?
Caliste: That's right. It's comfort, it's safety.
Some people think there could be communication problems in the team, given the profile of the players. What do you think about this?
Caliste: All the players are supposed to be able to put forward their ideas, and then we have to choose the best one. Having played a few scrims, that's not a problem we have. Everyone talks a lot and so on. We've got talented players, so we've got lots of ideas. I think the days of four mute people and one guy talking are pretty much over. It's really up to everyone to come up with their ideas, and since we've got talented players, things should work.
How do you see your future and that of Karmine Corp over the next few years?
Caliste: For Karmine, normally, I see a big evolution to become a very big club in LEC, even the biggest club in LEC in a few years. And for next season, going to Worlds and international events is the most important thing. For me, continuing to evolve throughout the season, really giving it my all as I know how, and just not having the pressure of playing my game. And then why not be in the top 10 of the world's best ADCs in future years. In one or two years. And then... top 1.
When will you be top 1?
Caliste: That will depend on how I enter the LEC. But I'd say, or I hope anyway... three years, at the latest.”
Header Photo Credit: Corentin Boutrige/KCX
