VirgilSC2 Profile Blog Joined June 2011 United States 5748 Posts Last Edited: 2012-03-22 16:47:53 #1

This coming weekend, Major League Gaming starts off its 2012 Pro Circuit Tour in Columbus Ohio for the MLG Winter Championships. As the first major event of the year, expectations are high all around, from the organizers, to the viewers and everyone in between. Likewise, here at Team Clash our expectations are very high. We’ll be fielding the largest roster at a live event yet for us, spanning players from USA, Canada, and even South Korea. A ton of hard work from all aspects of our team has gone into our preparations for this event, and with it only a few days away, spirits are high and our players are putting the polishing finishes on their play in preparation for the event



I had a chance to sit down with some of our players and talk to them about their upcoming trips to MLG Columbus and a few other things.







Up first was , our Protoss player and friend from South Korea who will be coming to the USA to attend upcoming events with our team, including MLG Winter Championships and IPL 4



How do you feel coming to the United States to attend two of the most prestigious tournaments in the world?

I know this is very serious and important on both ends of my team and myself. I'm rather excited than nervous because I look at this as one of the biggest opportunities I have had in my pro-gaming career.



Do you have any specific goals for those tournaments?

My primary goal for MLG is to pass the open bracket. After then, I will do my best to step up even higher. Same thing goes for IPL. All in all, I will just do my best.



We all know that making to Championship Bracket, starting all the way from open bracket is very tough and challenging both physically, and mentally. Do you feel a lot of pressure?

To be honest, I feel a lot of pressure because I haven't had an experience like this other than GSL qualifiers. However, if I make to the champ-bracket, I'm confident that I will be on the roll.



How do you plan on practicing at Clash temporary Team House?

My practice routine won't be so much differ from ones I do in Korea. However, I'm also planning more hours on both EU/NA Server to get prepared for particular foreign players.



GoldenLighT/xSixSleep have joined the foreign teams very recently. What are your thoughts on them being in a very similar situation of those two?

Both are very talented zerg players, and I'm glad to see them come and very excited to play them at more foreign tournaments. I had lived and played with xSixSleep at Korean Pro Team House in the past. I think I will make very good friends with him.



You recently have signed with Team Clash. What is your plan in terms of foreign tournaments in this year? How is your team?

I'm very satisfied with Team Clash's atmosphere, and I'd like to contribute to my team as best as I can by winning more tournaments.



We heard you're a good friend with Genius, and often plays as his practice partner. How is Genius in practice?

Genius is indeed a very good player in practice games, and he even turns stronger when he's on the stage. He's a very admirable player. However, he will eventually step down from where he is now, and I will be taking over his spot. Bubble explodes, you know.



What would you like to eat first when you come to North America?

Turkey!







Then I sat down with , our Chinese Zerg player from Vancouver, Canada and this is what he had to say.



Hey there ZaiZai, would you mind introducing yourself to everyone?

Hello everyone my name is Daniel "ClashZaiZai" Xie, a Chinese Zerg player from Team Clash



And how long have you been part of Team Clash?

I joined Clash in January of this year its been 3 happy months



Glad Clash has been good to you, now what made you decide to join Clash?

My passion and dreams for eSports, and I thought joining a pro team could help me train better.



It wasn't the cookies?

It was the hot girls our manager promised XD



Well I think we can talk to him about that. So how long have you wanted to become a progamer and join a pro team?

I wanted to become a progamer since I was a little kid when I was in China and watching Sky winning WCGs back in Warcraft 3 days.



So you got to watch him live in China?

Unfortunately no, but it was all over the internet



Aw well that's a little sad you didn't get to see him play live, that would have been a great time I think and a great inspiration to become a pro. Now after watching WCG and Sky winning the Warcraft tournament, did you pick up Warcraft yourself?

I did play for a while when I was grade 7, but I didnt really get enough time to practice



So when did you actually get time to practice and start your way to your dream of becoming a pro gamer?

Well, I started playing sc2 since beta and I know a couple of Chinese pro sc2 players (loner and ace), and the game just got me hooked. Last year after seeing how many tournaments and the growth of SC2 community I decided to play more and see how things go.



So you say you know Loner and Ace, do you still keep in touch with them and do you get to play vs them if you do?

Back in beta times, yes. but now since they have got their own Chinese leagues and all the pro teams coming up, I don't really get that much chance to play with them anymore.



+ Show Spoiler [Rest of the Interview] + FantacY: Oh yeah, I keep forgetting China has their own actual league ]= The only person we ever hear from anymore there is MacSed haha.



ZaiZai: Perhaps you have heard the mighty watermelon XiGua?



FantacY: I've heard of the XiGua I believe, not the might watermelon part :3



ZaiZai: Xigua just means watermelon in Chinese lol



FantacY: Oh haha well getting a little Chinese lesson as well here, always a fun little thing to add in haha.



ZaiZai: You bet China could be the next big thing in sc2, with the release of Chinese sc2 people are starting to get really good



FantacY: Haha we will have to see then, but I remember they had a pretty good Brood War scene so I wouldn't doubt it. So lets get back to Starcraft 2 a little bit, can you tell us a little more about your Starcraft 2 history? Any notable acheivements? Any games you're extremely proud of?



ZaiZai: I have won some online tournaments with cash prize, As for games that I'm proud of I don't think I have one yet, there are always better games



FantacY: Fair enough, been to any big LANs?



ZaiZai I live in Vancouver, Canada, we have a huge sc2 scene here. We just had a big tournament last week called UBC cup #3, and most of the team light was here. KawaiiRice ended up winning the 1st place, i was 4th losing to FXOptikzero



FantacY: That's a respectable place for the player list that was there so no shame in taking 4th place, earned you a free dinner at least lol.



ZaiZai: Yep candle light with you at MLG Columbus, now I'm excited



FantacY: Oh don't worry, I know you are, it's happening, I treat my teammates right. Haha speaking of MLG Columbus, you're going to be playing there representing Clash and this is your first major LAN you've been too, are you excited?



ZaiZai: Yes this will be my first major LAN, I'm super pumped so I have been practicing hard to prepare for MLG, to get our names out there



FantacY: Always a good thing =D, with all of your practice and the teams practice how do you think you're going to fair? Do nerves get to you at all?



ZaiZai: I think I am going to do well as long as I can play at my standard level, nerves would get me if I were to play on the main stage



FantacY: I can totally understand that, I'd be more excited than anything to play on the main stage which would maybe cause some sloppiness but that's just me haha.



ZaiZai: Like catz says "STANDARD"



FantacY: Haha very standard. Clash is actually having a pretty big representation at this MLG compared to last, having 9-10 members coming staff included, and a majority of them all playing in the open bracket, how do you think the team will do as a whole this MLG?



ZaiZai: I think we will be able to advance pretty far as long as we don't run into GSL players early



FantacY: And who do you think stands the best chance of making it the furthest?



ZaiZai: Skillwise I think it would be ClashMoOk



FantacY: And give your prediction to how far he can make it do you think? Any chance of championship bracket?



ZaiZai: If he plays as well as he is right now, he should be get into championship bracket, he has a pretty good record vs many very famous pros, idra, stephano, nestea etc



FantacY: Haha and those names are pretty big, well Zai I don't want to keep you too much longer, so I guess we can end with one random question, sound good?



ZaiZai: Go ahead



FantacY: Favorite ice cream flavor?



ZaiZai: ... I dont like ice cream....



FantacY: WHAT?! I don't know if I can even call you a teammate anymore



ZaiZai: Well I'll still be looking forward to that candle light dinner with you babe *_*



FantacY: Haha sounds good sweetheart, and I guess I'll still call you a teammate if you can give any last words to your fans and anyone else.



ZaiZai: Please keep supporting us and watch us making a big bang at MLG Columbus



FantacY: Sounds good Zai, thank you very much for your time <3



ZaiZai: Thank you Hello everyone my name is Daniel "ClashZaiZai" Xie, a Chinese Zerg player from Team ClashI joined Clash in January of this year its been 3 happy monthsMy passion and dreams for eSports, and I thought joining a pro team could help me train better.It was the hot girls our manager promised XDI wanted to become a progamer since I was a little kid when I was in China and watching Sky winning WCGs back in Warcraft 3 days.Unfortunately no, but it was all over the internetI did play for a while when I was grade 7, but I didnt really get enough time to practiceWell, I started playing sc2 since beta and I know a couple of Chinese pro sc2 players (loner and ace), and the game just got me hooked. Last year after seeing how many tournaments and the growth of SC2 community I decided to play more and see how things go.Back in beta times, yes. but now since they have got their own Chinese leagues and all the pro teams coming up, I don't really get that much chance to play with them anymore.







Afterwards I got to talk with who was at MLG Providence and had a strong showing there as the highest placing free agent player, and is hoping to make an even deeper run at Columbus.



Hey there Shew, can you introduce yourself to everyone and tell us a little bit about you?

Hey, I'm Alex "Shew" Raymond. I'm a 19 year old protoss player for Team Clash, and my most recent finish in a major tournament was 33rd at MLG Providence.



And you had a rather impressive run at MLG Providence, can you tell us what that was like and how you felt getting that far at that MLG with the stacked open bracket?

It was surreal. I was a free agent at the time, I paid for everything like my travel, hotel, entry fee, etc. While I did have a relatively easier bracket than some other players, I still feel proud of what I accomplished. I want to prove to other people that it wasn't just a fluke, and that I am truly a good player who is capable of playing at that level



That MLG had the hardest open bracket of any MLG

previously, so that is quite an accomplishment in itself. From that MLG what game or series do you remember the most?

I remember all of the matches I had for different reasons. My match with Gretorp stood out in my mind because he has always been a close friend to me and it was very emotional.



My match with ThisIsJimmy was very unique because at that time I was playing for about 3 hours straight, and I was in the zone. I remember as I was about to win the 3rd set that I was going to play MVP because of it and I started to get a surge of adrenaline.



My matches with MVP and Illusion I remember distinctly too. It was MVP, the best player at that time and favorite to win the tournament, how can you not forget playing him? Illusion tore that tournament apart, he went on after defeating me to defeat Sheth and other well-known players



It's good remember a lot of matches from different tournaments I think myself not that I've been in many personally myself haha. What was it like to play Incredible Miracle's MVP, who was like you said, at the time the best player in the world and the favorite to win MLG Providence?

It was eye-opening. Going to MLG Providence Protoss vs Terran was my best matchup. Out of the laundry list of Koreans that were at the tournament he was the only one on my mind that I wanted to play. Unfortunately I got stomped. Part of that was because I psyched myself out thinking that I was playing MVP, part of it was that he was a multiple GSL champion, and part of it was that he was MVP haha.



I wish I could have played him one more time though and been more relaxed, I would have shown better games.



I'm pretty sure everyone can see how playing a player as great as MVP at the time would be nerve wrecking for a lot of people. Now since MLG Providence, you've joined Clash, why did you chose to join them?

The owner of Clash goes to my University so I've known him and been talking to him for a while. Also I feel Clash has the best and most structured practice environment of the teams that were offered to me. Being able to practice with top-level Korean Grandmasters is a unique opportunity



Indeed it is, how much do you think you personally have improved since being on Clash?

Well I took an extended break because of school-work soon after joining Clash but prior to that I was rapidly improving. Even now when I started playing again I am making sure that I am learning from every game and getting different opinions to improve my play.



How confident are are you in your play right now?



I am decently confident. I took an extended break from holidays time to February to focus on my schoolwork that was severely lacking (partially due to my intense training pre-Providence). But now that my grades are square away I'm able to dedicate a lot more time to playing and have a lot of motivation



School always getting in the way of things haha, just kidding of course. We are glad you're able to get a lot more practice time in, especially with MLG Columbus coming up. What are your expectations for yourself personally going into this MLG?

Honestly I have no idea. I just want to play the best I can with the opponents given to me. Maybe that means I knock out a big name, or get stomped by a couple big names. Maybe I get far, maybe I crash and burn and am out early. Who knows?



+ Show Spoiler [Rest of the Interview] + Fantacy: Fair enough. Clash is having it's largest representation going to MLG Columbus with 9-10 people players and staff included, are you excited to be going to a LAN with a team behind your back this time, and also, how do you think the team is going to fair going into this for those that are playing in the tournament?



Shew: I'm really excited to attend Columbus with my teammates. It will be the first time that I will be at a major tournament with my team. I think the team will show great results if we are able to get some bracket luck on our side. I'm always an optimistic person but with such a stacked tournament a lot of it comes down to who you play. We have some ringers though who have already made a name for themselves on both the Korean and North American ladder, now they just have to do it at a tournament



Fantacy: I have to agree that the players can get pretty far if brackets are on our side. Out of everyone playing for the team, who do you think will get the farthest in the bracket?



Shew: I'm a pretty superstitious person so I don't wanna say any names in fear of jinxing them :/



Fantacy: Haha fair enough. Well Shew I will wrap this up but do you care for a random question before we finish up?



Shew go for it



Fantacy: Favorite animal?



Shew: Hmm, Pandas because they're like our owner



(both simultaneously)

Shew: Big and cuddly

Fantacy: Big and cuddly eh?



Fantacy: Well Shew it's been nice talking with you, any last words for anyone..fans etc?



Shew: For my fan(s) out there, please keep cheering for me, watching my (very lonely) stream, and talking to me on bnet. Love y'all. I hope I can give the best results possible at Columbus. Please follow me on Twitter @ShewTV and check out my stream, thank you!



Fantacy: Thanks Shew

Hey, I'm Alex "Shew" Raymond. I'm a 19 year old protoss player for Team Clash, and my most recent finish in a major tournament was 33rd at MLG Providence.It was surreal. I was a free agent at the time, I paid for everything like my travel, hotel, entry fee, etc. While I did have a relatively easier bracket than some other players, I still feel proud of what I accomplished. I want to prove to other people that it wasn't just a fluke, and that I am truly a good player who is capable of playing at that levelI remember all of the matches I had for different reasons. My match with Gretorp stood out in my mind because he has always been a close friend to me and it was very emotional.My match with ThisIsJimmy was very unique because at that time I was playing for about 3 hours straight, and I was in the zone. I remember as I was about to win the 3rd set that I was going to play MVP because of it and I started to get a surge of adrenaline.My matches with MVP and Illusion I remember distinctly too. It was MVP, the best player at that time and favorite to win the tournament, how can you not forget playing him? Illusion tore that tournament apart, he went on after defeating me to defeat Sheth and other well-known playersIt was eye-opening. Going to MLG Providence Protoss vs Terran was my best matchup. Out of the laundry list of Koreans that were at the tournament he was the only one on my mind that I wanted to play. Unfortunately I got stomped. Part of that was because I psyched myself out thinking that I was playing MVP, part of it was that he was a multiple GSL champion, and part of it was that he was MVP haha.I wish I could have played him one more time though and been more relaxed, I would have shown better games.The owner of Clash goes to my University so I've known him and been talking to him for a while. Also I feel Clash has the best and most structured practice environment of the teams that were offered to me. Being able to practice with top-level Korean Grandmasters is a unique opportunityWell I took an extended break because of school-work soon after joining Clash but prior to that I was rapidly improving. Even now when I started playing again I am making sure that I am learning from every game and getting different opinions to improve my play.I am decently confident. I took an extended break from holidays time to February to focus on my schoolwork that was severely lacking (partially due to my intense training pre-Providence). But now that my grades are square away I'm able to dedicate a lot more time to playing and have a lot of motivationHonestly I have no idea. I just want to play the best I can with the opponents given to me. Maybe that means I knock out a big name, or get stomped by a couple big names. Maybe I get far, maybe I crash and burn and am out early. Who knows?







And finally I talked to who was at MLG Providence last year as well, but had an immensely challenging bracket where he suffered two losses to GSL Code S star SlayerS_Puzzle early on. resulting in his early exit from the tournament. One interesting statistic from MLG Providence placed him as



Hello Panther can you introduce us and tell us a little about yourself?

Hi my name is David Lee, I am a Terran player and I play for Team Clash. I live in California and I am 20 years old.



Do you have any gaming experience prior to Starcraft 2? And what got you into gaming?

I played some games like Starcraft or Warcraft 3 just for fun as a hobby



When did it become competitive for you?

I was a huge e-Sports fan since when i was young and so i started to play Starcraft 2 as a hobby but as my skill improved i was getting decent results from online tournaments. I met JPEG and heard his new was recruiting players so i decided to jump into the gaming scene.



So it was a slow move from making it a hobby into making it competitive then?

Yeah, I didn't start playing Starcraft 2 to play competitively



You say you were an eSports fan since you were young. Can you elaborate on that like, what game did you follow, what is your first memory of eSports?

I was a big fan of Starcraft: Brood War, my favorite gamer was Nal_rA because i was a Protoss player back then I really loved his new strategies and his unique understanding of the game.



I wasn't around the scene when Nal_Ra was a S class player, but I heard the stories about him and caught the end of his career before he retired. Did you get too see any of his games live?

I watched his hallucination recall live that was the best eSports game I've ever watched



He was a smart player, one of a kind. Did you also manage to catch his Old Boy show where he tried to qualify for OSL after he announced his retirement?

I loved that show, I used to watch that show with my friend after class when I was in high school.



Haha, so tell us a little bit more about your gaming history, you say you played them for hobbies, but like how good were you at them, ever play at any LANS before Starcraft 2?

No, I didn't play any LANs like I only played Starcraft like once a week but I was huge fan of the pro Starcraft scene.



Well what about your Starcraft 2 history?

I played on some offline LANs and online tournaments was able to get decent results and MLG Providence was the event that made me take this game more seriously and lead me to the decision of being a pro



How was your trip to MLG Providence?

I went to MLG providence and it was really great experience unfortunately, I got knocked out by SlayerSPuzzle but games I lost against him game me huge motivation. I think my skill and my mind was not ready to play such a great player like Puzzle now I feel more confident than I was in providence I'm looking forward to other major offline events



That's good, we hope you continue to improve and do well. And speaking of major offline events, MLG Columbus is coming up, how prepared are you for it this time around?

I trained hard after Providence and I feel I am a lot better player now than I was in Providence.



You're going with Team Clash who is going to have a good sized representation at this MLG, how well do you think the team in general will do?

I think Team Clash will do very good at Columbus, we have 3 more really talented players that are going to be competing in the open bracket. I think we have a really good chance to get a good result and we are a lot more prepared than we were at Providence.



+ Show Spoiler [Rest of the Interview] +



Panther: Honestly I wish I want to go the furthest because I've been practicing hard but Mook also has a really good chance of getting good result. ZaiZai is a really strong zerg player too and Shew has been practicing a lot too



Fantacy: Don't mention Zai, it reminds me that I owe him a dinner there ]= haha. Any championship bracket players you think?



Panther: MoOk



Fantacy: Well I hope you all make it there but that's a good choice I think. Okay Panther I'm going to wrap this up with one random question if you don't mind.



Panther: sure I don't mind



Fantacy: Favorite K-Pop group?



Panther: sorry I don't listen to K-Pop lol



Fantacy: And you call yourself Korean



Panther:: ..



Fantacy: Lol just messing with you <3. Any last words to your fans?



Panther: MLG Providence was my first major event and I learned a lot from it now it's my second time attending and I cannot make excuses anymore I practiced a lot for this event so I will do my best to get good result



Fantacy: We wish you the best of luck Panther, thank you very much.



Panther: thank you Fantacy:I'd have to agree, the team is looking pretty strong lately, just need the results to prove it. Out of the players going, who do you think will go the furthest?Panther: Honestly I wish I want to go the furthest because I've been practicing hard but Mook also has a really good chance of getting good result. ZaiZai is a really strong zerg player too and Shew has been practicing a lot tooFantacy: Don't mention Zai, it reminds me that I owe him a dinner there ]= haha. Any championship bracket players you think?Panther: MoOkFantacy: Well I hope you all make it there but that's a good choice I think. Okay Panther I'm going to wrap this up with one random question if you don't mind.Panther: sure I don't mindFantacy: Favorite K-Pop group?Panther: sorry I don't listen to K-Pop lolFantacy: And you call yourself KoreanPanther:: ..Fantacy: Lol just messing with you <3. Any last words to your fans?Panther: MLG Providence was my first major event and I learned a lot from it now it's my second time attending and I cannot make excuses anymore I practiced a lot for this event so I will do my best to get good resultFantacy: We wish you the best of luck Panther, thank you very much.Panther:thank you

Hi my name is David Lee, I am a Terran player and I play for Team Clash. I live in California and I am 20 years old.I played some games like Starcraft or Warcraft 3 just for fun as a hobbyI was a huge e-Sports fan since when i was young and so i started to play Starcraft 2 as a hobby but as my skill improved i was getting decent results from online tournaments. I met JPEG and heard his new was recruiting players so i decided to jump into the gaming scene.Yeah, I didn't start playing Starcraft 2 to play competitivelyI was a big fan of Starcraft: Brood War, my favorite gamer was Nal_rA because i was a Protoss player back then I really loved his new strategies and his unique understanding of the game.I watched his hallucination recall live that was the best eSports game I've ever watchedI loved that show, I used to watch that show with my friend after class when I was in high school.No, I didn't play any LANs like I only played Starcraft like once a week but I was huge fan of the pro Starcraft scene.I played on some offline LANs and online tournaments was able to get decent results and MLG Providence was the event that made me take this game more seriously and lead me to the decision of being a proI went to MLG providence and it was really great experience unfortunately, I got knocked out by SlayerSPuzzle but games I lost against him game me huge motivation. I think my skill and my mind was not ready to play such a great player like Puzzle now I feel more confident than I was in providence I'm looking forward to other major offline eventsI trained hard after Providence and I feel I am a lot better player now than I was in Providence.I think Team Clash will do very good at Columbus, we have 3 more really talented players that are going to be competing in the open bracket. I think we have a really good chance to get a good result and we are a lot more prepared than we were at Providence.



Be sure to follow our team closely at this coming MLG Pro Circuit event, as Clash is looking forward to giving our best showing that we can and prove that we are a strong team that shouldn't be taken lightlty. We hope that our current fans will continue to support us and we hope to gain many more from this event. So follow us on



Likewise, if you'll be attending the event come find someone in a Clash jersey and we'll have some small Team Clash swag for you!



Our current roster, as of MLG Winter Championships stands as follows:

ClashMessiah

ClashMoOk

ClashShew

ClashZaiZai

ClashPresto

ClashEdge

ClashRoger

ClashImagine

ClashMercy

ClashSky

ClashPanther

ClashDrone



Thanks for reading!

Huge thanks to Derrick (ClashFantacy) for helping me get all the interviews done for this article, huge help as always!

I'm going to do my best to update with some pictures once everyone gets here tonight, and throughout the weekend! Thanks for all the positive words!

This coming weekend, Major League Gaming starts off its 2012 Pro Circuit Tour in Columbus Ohio for the MLG Winter Championships. As the first major event of the year, expectations are high all around, from the organizers, to the viewers and everyone in between. Likewise, here at Team Clash our expectations are very high. We’ll be fielding the largest roster at a live event yet for us, spanning players from USA, Canada, and even South Korea. A ton of hard work from all aspects of our team has gone into our preparations for this event, and with it only a few days away, spirits are high and our players are putting the polishing finishes on their play in preparation for the eventI had a chance to sit down with some of our players and talk to them about their upcoming trips to MLG Columbus and a few other things.Up first was ClashMoOk , our Protoss player and friend from South Korea who will be coming to the USA to attend upcoming events with our team, including MLG Winter Championships and IPL 4Then I sat down with ClashZaiZai , our Chinese Zerg player from Vancouver, Canada and this is what he had to say.Afterwards I got to talk with ClashShew who was at MLG Providence and had a strong showing there as the highest placing free agent player, and is hoping to make an even deeper run at Columbus.And finally I talked to ClashPanther who was at MLG Providence last year as well, but had an immensely challenging bracket where he suffered two losses to GSL Code S star SlayerS_Puzzle early on. resulting in his early exit from the tournament. One interesting statistic from MLG Providence placed him as one of the fastest/most efficient players at the tournament Be sure to follow our team closely at this coming MLG Pro Circuit event, as Clash is looking forward to giving our best showing that we can and prove that we are a strong team that shouldn't be taken lightlty. We hope that our current fans will continue to support us and we hope to gain many more from this event. So follow us on Twitter where you will be updated throughout the weekend with our team results as they battle their way through the open bracket!Likewise, if you'll be attending the event come find someone in a Clash jersey and we'll have some small Team Clash swag for you!Our current roster, as of MLG Winter Championships stands as follows:ClashRogerClashDroneThanks for reading! Clarity Gaming #1 Fan | Avid MTG Grinder | @VirgilSC2