We talked to one of our newest players Troy “Burn” Krabbenhoft who is a DPS / 6x Rank 1 Warlock on our World of Warcraft team. Burn, who is from Chicago, Illinois, is an Alliance Rank 1 Gatekeeper. Burn and his team finished 1st in the recent Method Mayhem NA 5v5 Tournament and 2nd in the Method Mayhem NA 3v3 Tournament.

Burn shares his thoughts on the best raid boss in WoW, how League of Legends compares to World of Warcraft, and his advice for new players to improve their WoW or video game skills in general. Keep reading to learn more about Burn, including his favorite music on and off stream and what he likes about being home during quarantine.

Have you played any new games during quarantine?

Yes, I’ve played Risk: Global Domination.

What are some things you like about being home right now?

I mainly just like that my family is all home too, either working from home or going to school from home. It’s nice that the house isn’t empty all day everyday while I’m home gaming.

What is your favorite class to play in World of Warcraft and why?

I’ve been a Warlock since I first started playing WoW. It’s just always been the perfect class for me. From a Warlock’s control and damage potential to my Felguard carrying me to level 80 in WotLK, there has always been something for me to love about the class.

How did you choose your Username / Gamertag?

Back in Wrath of the Lich King, my brother and I would always give our friend a hard time about his Death Knight’s name which was darkbynight because, “If he is dark by night then what is he by day?” This lead to my brother making a Paladin, but since lightbyday was taken he settled on lightbydizzl. Eventually the joke went further and all of our friends would make our characters’ names “x”bydizzl so when it came time for me to follow suit and change my Warlock’s name, I was playing destruction at the time so I wanted something to do with destruction and fire. I settled on “burn” bydizzl and later shortened to just Burn once I transferred to Tichondrius in Cataclym.

When and how did you start playing video games?

When I was about 5 or 6 my brother and I used to watch our older brother play WarCraft II, I loved watching him control his units and build towns and armies to complete missions or to defeat his enemy. To me, he looked really good at the game and all I wanted to do was try it myself. So as soon as I got the chance to play I’ve been playing Warcraft ever since.

How did you decide to go pro in WoW?

I love being a part of a team that worked together towards a common goal.

What is it about WoW that excites you or makes it unique from / more fun than other games?

I just really like being able to put work into my character, making it as strong as I can and seeing it pay off in Arena. There’s also no other game that I have come across that even comes close to the gameplay of WoW Arena with its class design and overall intuitiveness of the experience. It’s not always the best or most balanced, but there’s still nothing else like it.

What are you most proud of?

I’m proud of our team having been able, even with a member down, to take 2nd place in our last tournament. But I look forward to pushing that 2nd place finish far down on the list of our team’s accomplishments in the future.

Do you watch traditional sports? If so, what is your favorite team?

I like watching compilations of baseball, football, basketball, and sometimes soccer on YouTube, but I don’t actively follow any sport or team.

Do you have any special talents?

I’ve always liked working with computers: troubleshooting / fixing them. I’ve considered it as a career choice but never truly perused it.

How well do you know your teammates?

Our team plays together a lot whether it be arena/m+/raiding/transmog runs or just hanging out, so I’d say we know each other pretty well. However, I very much look forward to a season of competing and getting to know them even better.

In your opinion, what is the best raid boss in WOW?

The Lich King, probably because it was the first end boss that I actively progressed on. Killing it that first time was the best feeling ever, even if the raid was just on 10-Man Normal. I also think the Lich King is a really unique boss fight. 

What do you like to do in your free time besides play video games (activities/hobbies)?

I probably spend way more time than I should watching Netflix/YouTube but when I find myself being productive and not playing WoW I’m usually working on videos for my YouTube channel. I also enjoy going out and getting some food or seeing a movie with friends.

What is your favorite movie or TV show?

So many good ones… My favorite TV show of all-time is easily Game of Thrones seasons 1-4. My other favorite shows have to be The Last Kingdom, Frontier, and The Office.

Who is your favorite singer or band? What music do you listen to while streaming?

I like all kinds of music but my favorite artist is Eminem with Kid Cudi probably at a close second. But while I’m streaming I like to listen to music with not a lot of vocals or at least where vocals aren’t the focus, otherwise it ends up distracting me while I play.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Maybe Aruba because I love the vibe there. I had an amazing time on vacation there, however it’s way windier than Chicago. I honestly like living in the Midwest as long as I survive the winters.

If you could instantly become an expert at something, what would it be?

Probably programming because then the things you could do with a computer are endless.

Aside from WoW, what are your favorite video games to play and why?

League of Legends – League and WoW have always been my two go to games swapping between them throughout the years. I had dreams of becoming pro in League at one point, but you can’t really go pro being a one trick. My hardcore League days are definitely over but I still enjoy hopping into an aram or ranked game every once in a while or queuing some flex with friends.

Hearthstone – Sometimes I enjoy taking a break from WoW to just play some hearthstone arena or battlegrounds (constructed is too expensive to keep up with). It’s something different, and the only card strategy game I’ve played. Also, it being based on WoW characters makes it that much better.

What is your favorite meal or snack?

Meal: Chicken Alfredo

Snack: Probably cashews. I love cashews.

If you could give advice to players looking to improve at WoW or video games in general, what would your advice be?

Firstly, new players should definitely take advantage of all the resources that are out there to help you improve at almost every aspect of any game. New players seeking to improve should make sure to focus on their own gameplay and what you can control as opposed to blaming or worrying about what your teammates are doing. Also, they should keep emotions out of analyzing gameplay or dealing with teammates and try not to get worried about your results in the short term, but focus on steady improvement instead. It’s definitely hard to find people to play with when you are first starting out, but if you keep at it, the right people will come.