The Great One

Hey everyone, it has been a long time since I have blogged, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to inform everyone on what has been going on with me recently, and since the beginning of the season. As you may or may not know by now, I have joined Triggers Down, meaning I have left Instinct. Some people may be wondering why I would do such a thing, and some may not agree or support the decision I have made. This blog is to inform everyone about what has been going on, and the behind the scenes scoop on my decision.

So after Vegas '07, my team, The Agency, was pretty much done with. There were a few arguments during, before, and after the event, so it was a mutual decision among everyone to simply disband the team and start something fresh. Of course, Mackeo and I decided to stick together, and we began our search for new teammates. We took somewhat of a break after Vegas, but we had still been talking to some people during the off time about teaming. By the time we had come back and started playing, many teams had formed, and to my surprise, none of the other top teams had changed. This came as a shock to me as I thought that since a new game was going to be played, different teams were going to be assembled. Mackeo and I decided that we wanted a dedicated team, that was willing to put in a lot of work, and a lot of time, and we stumbled upon former 5k members lunchbox and roy. We had almost teamed with one of them in the past, and they lived near us, making it easier to get crucial LAN practice, so we decided that we would try it out and see how it goes. It took awhile for us to actually get to play, but once we did, we played really well together.

So we decided that we would go to Meadowlands, the season opener, together with that team. So the season schedule was announced and we discovered that the season opener was going to be seeded by an online playoff ladder. My team and I were not too fond of this due to we had a lot of points, but it was a new game, and so there were no pre-existing rankings. When the ladder started, my team had a late start, due to people on the team couldn't play due to personal reasons. We were able to play a good amount of games though, and we clinched the 10th seed I think going into the playoff bracket. Fast forward a few playoff match wins, and we end up facing Triggers Down, whom we end up losing to, I think 3-1 or something close to that. We then fought through the loser's bracket, where we came all the way back and played Str8 Rippin in the championship match. We played the match on LAN, due to we were LANing with them when our match was to be played. They ended up beating us, and we ended up with 2nd seed going into Meadowlands. During the LAN with Str8, both of our teams improved. It was a rough start for us, due to the fact that Mackeo had been in Mexico on spring break, so we were a little rusty. As the LAN continued, the games became closer and closer, and soon enough we were basically splitting games with them. Our team left the LAN confident, and I am sure that Str8 did as well considering the final tally was something like a 2:1 ratio in their favor.

So the event was the next week and we were fully prepared, and motivated to play. We knew we had what it took to win, and we were ready to game. So the friday of the event rolled around, and the first two rounds of the open bracket were to be played. We had a bye through round one, and then we won our next match. We then went to see a movie together to conclude the night, and decided to wake up early and practice the following morning. So Saturday began with a rough match winners bracket round three. We lost game one, then won game two, and then barely won game three, with the final score being 50-48. That series was a reality check for us, and we realized that we had to focus more, and take each individual game more serious. We continued to win our next round and clinch our spot in the championship bracket as second seed. We began the championship bracket with a 3-0 win, and then won second round as well. Our third round match up was against fatal images, and we were quickly off to a one game deficit as they beat us game one. However, we were able to recoup, and win the next three games to send them to the losers bracket. With that win, we were set to face off against Final Boss the next day for winners bracket round four. We chose to once again go to sleep early, and wake up bright and early to warm up for the match, and we did so as Mackeo pretty much forced the team to stop watching TV and surfing the internet, and go to sleep. We got up early and headed down to the venue, and warmed up for an hour or so, before being called to the main stage to play FInal Boss. We had been playing FInal Boss in their hotel room, dubbed as 'The Office', for the past couple days, and the games were all in our favor, so we had a pretty good feeling going into this match. I am not sure of the actual scores of the game, but the series ended going to game five, which we were able to win, sending us to the winners bracket finals. This would be the second time I had ever been in the winners bracket finals, with the first time coincidentally being Charlotte 07, the last season opener. My team was enthused and excited as ever, with lunch and roy securing a top three finish, making it their best performance at an MLG tournament ever.

We were now pinned up against Team Classic, a group of skilled players who have been together for quite sometime, dating back to the halo 2 days. We had scrimmed against them earlier that day, and the games were close, so we knew what we were in for. We were on the main stage however, and we thought we were going to have the definite advantage, crowd wise, and experience wise. Unfortunately, we were wrong, as Team Classic clearly had the crowd support over us, and they did not seem to be intimidated by the main stage whatsoever. The series kicked off with Team Classic winning game one, then winning a close game two, and then, finishing us off with a win on construct hill. It was a devastating 3-0 to say the least, and everyone on the team was pretty much demoralized. It was unfortunate that the worst our team had played all tournament occurred at such an important time. We then faced Final Boss, and they were able to overcome the one game deficit, and eliminate us from the tournament, by a score of six games to four.

After the tournament had ended, our team was happy with our finish, as we had previously stated that the lowest placing we would be happy with was fourth, which we out-placed. The rest of the night was filled with meaningless jokes being whipped around at one another, with the occasional humorous insult. The twins were happy with a top three finish, and were enthused about doing even better the next event. It was a great night, and practically everyone was laughing all night long, a great note to end the weekend on.

After Meadowlands, we decided to take a break from playing for a little bit, and just relax. I had finals coming up a couple weeks after Meadowlands, so we were to begin playing again after I got out of school. So a couple weeks have gone by, I finished school, but we just chose to hold off practice until the next monday. I was fine with that, as I could see some of my friends from high school that I hadn't seen in awhile due to us going to different schools. So that Monday came rolling around and I come to find out that we aren't practicing until Wednesday, and then we would start gaming more and taking it more seriously. So we end up playing on Wednesday, and we do really well for not having played for three weeks. Everybody was supposed to continue playing on a regular basis, and get more involved. I was on everyday, playing with friends and such, and each day I would look to see that my team had not been playing, which I didn't like to see. We had a good practice schedule set up, with limited practice as a team, enabling everyone to have lots of free time to do whatever they pleased. When time to practice came I would get onto xbox live, and see that my team was not on, or that one other person was on. This happened a few times, and it was just unfair. I talked to the team and they said they would start getting on more, so I was okay with that. We then practiced the next day, and a few people were even late for practice. We played a few games, didn't do too hot, and then someone decided to get off after only an hour or so of practice, the team was just unhappy about that, and we ended practice for the night on a bad note. We decided to get on again the next night, where we once again got destroyed, and in some of the games people were just slacking off and not taking it seriously. I was just unhappy with what was going on within the team, and how we were playing together.

This is when I was talking to SK about how it was dumb that my team had pretty much lost the drive to play, and cared much less about halo than they did when we first decided to team. I was talking to SK for a few days, when he asked if I would be interested in trying something out, or possibly teaming with Triggers Down. I debated it for awhile, and then I decided that I would play with them, and see how I felt about it. I talked to several of my friends, and my brother about what I had been offered, and they agreed that if my team did not have the drive to play, then how were we supposed to win. I also consulted a teammate, and he saw where I was coming from, and informed me to just make a decision sooner than later. After contemplating it for awhile, I decided that I would join Triggers Down, in hopes of being able to finally break into the top 2, let alone win an event. Triggers Down is full of dedicated, motivated players, who are shooting for nothing less than first, so that was another important factor in my decision process.

So, that pretty much sums up what has happened since Vegas, and why I have joined Triggers Down, I hope everyone enjoyed reading, and can understand my decision. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Instinct the best of luck with what they decide to do, or whomever they decide to play with as a fourth. I am sure no matter what happens, they will continue to appear at the top each tournament, as Mackeo would not allow for anything less than that. Also, I would not be surprised if I cross paths with any of them again, as I enjoyed teaming with all of them, especially Mackeo, over the duration in which I did. Also, I am sorry to whichever teams are broken up due to my decision, as I did not intend to cause any other team changes other than that of my own. That is about all I have for now, so I would like to say good luck to everyone, and see you in San Diego!

1. Final Boss
-They won the last tournament while only dropping a couple games, which is pretty dominant. I expect this dominance to continue in Orlando, and I see them playing Carbon for the first time since Dallas, and beating them for second place.
2. Carbon
-After their experience in Chicago, I expect that they will step it up a lot, but will not be able to beat Final Boss just yet. As Shockwave said, expect to see a more fierce Carbon team in Orlando.
3. FBI The Agency
-We have not practiced as much as we would have liked to for this tournament, but a break from playing halo could be just what we needed. I am just going to predict us to match our seed going into Orlando, because I don't really know what to expect out of us.
4. 5k
-This team has been together with the same roster since the opening event this season, and I see them matching their placing from Charlotte. They have amazing teamwork, which I believe will lead them to beat Chicago runner-up Str8 Rippin in Winner's Bracket Round 3.
5. Str8 Rippin
-This squad had an amazing performance in Chicago, 3-0ing the previous tournament champions, and storming into second place. I just don't see them matching their Chicago performance in Orlando, for I see them struggling early on against 5k, and then colliding with the loser of Agency/Carbon for top 4, and struggling there also.
6. Pain X
-I have always seen this team as a top 8 team, and now they are. They really impressed me in Chicago, and I see them beating Nice Like Rice for top 6, then losing to 5k for top 4.
7. Nice Like Rice
-I expect this team to bounce back into the top 8 after their undesirable finish in Chicago. I see them beating Perfect Balance for top 8, but losing to Pain X for top 6, in a very close series.
8. FBI Icon
-This team is a great mix of players, and I hope they can break back into the top 8. I see them losing to Final Boss in the Winner's Bracket, then advancing their way to top 8 in the Loser's Bracket, where they will end up losing to Str8 Rippin for top 6.

As you know, MLG Charlotte occurred this past weekend, and it was a blast. With many upsets, as well as surprises, it was easily one of the most interesting tournaments of all time. Also, I would like to say congratulations to all of the new pro teams, as well as the new top 8 teams.

My team arrived in Charlotte at various times during the day on Thursday, ranging from 6:30 AM to 10:00 PM, except for our coach, Trippn, who arrived Friday night. We basically just hung out with everyone who we hadn't seen for four months, then decided to get a good night sleep.

When the venue opened, my whole team went down to check it out, and begin to play. Some of us chilled in the pro lounge, while others proceeded to practice in the warm up stations. So, the Open FFA started, and our whole team seemed to be doing well, until Mackeo and I were eliminated near the beginning of the full screen play. I got eliminated by a single kill, placing me 5th, behind former teammate Nataku. I wasn't too frustrated though, I was never a big FFA fan. Elamite and Halogod, however, continued to dominate and eventually each of them advanced to the Championship FFA. We later had a great celebration late night dinner at the local Waffle House, and then decided to end the night, and get rested up for the next days events.

I decided to wake up around noon, and go to the venue to watch some of the open bracket matches. I watched a few games of my friends teams, and then it was time to warm up for the Championship bracket. We were playing well during our warm up games, so we were content. We then played our first match, against MoB Finessed, who we happily 3-0d. We had a small break until our next match, against 8th seeded Make it Rain. There had been a lot of trash talk dealt out previously, so this was a somewhat highly anticipated match. We opened up the series in a dominating fashion, 5-0ing them in Warlock CTF, scoring twice without any of us dying once. The next game was Sanctuary TS, one of our least favorite game types as a team. The game was basically a camp fest, with the occasional snipe kill every once and awhile. Neighbor, however, led his team to a 40-38 win with his superb blaining abilities. I did not play too hot in that game, but I kept my head up, and we proceeded to win the next two games, and won the series 3-1.

We were now set to play against Carbon in Winners bracket round 3. Over the course of the off season, we had lanned against Final Boss twice, in effort to improve as a team, and become a top contender. One of our main goals coming into Charlotte was to beat Carbon, so we mainly practiced those five game types, and a few others as well. On a side note, we had played Carbon in the winners bracket once before, and defeated them, so we were hoping we could do it once again. So we were set to play Carbon, and there was quite the crowd surrounding us. One of my teammates, Halogod, had never played a top 3 team in tournament play, so I was a little bit weary of how he would perform. We began the series with a Warlock CTF, and we were playing well, and had excellent teamwork, and ended up winning 5-3. My previous worries about Halogod were no longer present, as he impressed me throughout the entire game. We then played Lockout TS, which we consider to be one of our strongest game types, and won 50-41. We then played Midship Ball, which is a weaker game type of ours, but we held our confidence. There were a few lead changes throughout the game, but in the end, we were up by a little, with little time remaining. I was holding the ball under a base, waiting for the time to expire, and then we saw that it was no longer possible for them to win. We all got up and shouted, and the crowd erupted. It was a great feeling, and we were proud of what we had just accomplished.

The night was not yet over for The Agency, seeing how Elamite and Halogod still had the Championship FFA to play in. Mackeo and I decided to stay and watch the FFA rounds, before going to sleep. About 2 hours later, the FFA had ended, and we decided to go get food, before finally going to sleep. We went to Jack in the Box(which took and incredibly long time), then finally went to bed at around 3:00 AM, unhappy about the lack of sleep we were going to get.

We all got to the venue around 9:00, after eating and everything, then decided to warm up. Little did we know, we were not going to play until about 1:00 PM. We were in the Winner's Bracket Semi-finals, against 5K, a team which had upset #4 seed, Redemption. We began the series with a win in Midship CTF, rallying back after they scored first. We then dominated in Warlock TS 50-22. Last game was their specialty, Lockout Ball, which we ended up winning, completing the 3-0.

We had now earned a spot in the WB Finals, against number two seed, Final Boss. Our team had had a few goals before the beginning of the season, and this was one of them. Another goal which we had accomplished was being announced on main stage, which we were really excited about. So, our next match was against Final Boss, whom had been our practice noobs over the last couple months. There was a large crowd surrounding us, so we were all very excited. We ended up barely losing the series, but we came very close, which we were all proud of.

The loss knocked us down into the LB Finals, against Carbon, who we had a 3-0 lead over. Before the series started, we were all very confident, and ready to play. After three games went by, we were ahead 5-1 in the series, determined to win. We then lost the next game, but we still had a few more opportunities to win the sixth game. We then lost another, and Carbon began to gain momentum, while we lost our momentum, and became frustrated. After each loss, we would basically not talk about it, and just be angry that we had lost. Had we shaken it off, as Carbon had, the series may had had a different outcome. We ended up losing the series 6-5, in an intense 50-48 Midship TS game, which truly could have gone either way.

In the end, I am extremely content with how my team placed. We came in with the 9th seed, and ended up taking 3rd. In regards to the loss to Carbon, I am disappointed that we didn't take 2nd, but I am not disappointed at all that we got 3rd. It is good to know that we are on a level where we can compete with the top teams, especially at our first MLG as a team.

Well, that is all for now, so I guess I will see everyone in Meadowlands, keep your eyes pealed for The Agency!