Razer

The past week, we may have noticed silence in the e-Sports world, a sense of stillness in the air. However, most of us know that this eerie absence of action is the calm before the storm. The Intel Extreme Masters World Championships is just around the corner and as soon as the sun rises in Hannover, Germany, expect explosive action from start to finish. The world’s best will be congregating, egos will clash, skills will be tested and the gaming community can expect to see tactics and action they have never seen before.

As we await the opening of the IEM World Championships, we ask the insights and predictions of the PM of the Intel Extreme Masters. Enter Michal “Carmac” Bicharz. Having visited more than a dozen of e-sports events(WCG, EPS, ESWC, IEM), his exposure has given him in-depth knowledge about the industry. He is also known for his comedic alter-egos (Uszat and Sasha) which he uses to add a refreshing zest to the highly competitive e-sports scene. Despite this, there is no doubting his passion for e-sports and his devotion to improving the quality and community of gamers all around the globe.

We sat down with Michal “Carmac” Bicharz to talk for his IEM World Championship predictions, the games of e-sports and his future plans for the IEM.

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Razer: Greetings Michal “Carmac” Bicharz. We appreciate you taking some time off despite your hectic schedule in preparing the IEM World Championship 2011.

Razer: Some of the world’s best will be at Hannover this March. How excited are you?

Carmac: You cannot describe how excited I am. I am also quadruple heart-broken. I am a major fan of all three games and I find all three competitions extremely interesting. But not only am I unable to follow all three as closely as I would like, but I also have to work during the event, so it is theoretically possible that I will not see a single game!

SC2: The IEM Euro Champi0n and the GamesCom Champion will battle it out

Razer: What are your predictions for the SC2 division in the IEM?

Carmac: I personally see Greg Fields as the favorite to win the entire event. He has got the composure needed to win major titles and he has a ton of experience taken from Korea and playing with the best there. I would be shocked not to see him in the semi final at least. As for the rest, it is really a very, very even playing field. If I were to predict a surprise in the event, I will predict that one of the Continental Champions not to go far. I will not say which one, though.

Razer: What are your predictions for the CS division in the IEM?

Carmac: The Counter-Strike event is probably one of the most contested events that I remember. We have at least five teams there that have everything it takes to win the title: mTw, FX, Fnatic, SK, Na’Vi, and several others that have the power and the potential to cause a major stir – for example the 2008 Intel Extreme Masters season runners up from Korea or our American Champions from Brazil, or Team EG who ended up 4th last season. I predict more drama than you can ever imagine for the CS tournament. It will be nothing short of epic, starting in the group stage already!

Razer: Which CS teams do you think will meet at the finals? Which team do you think will win?

Carmac: I most certainly hope that Frag eXecutors will be in the final – I had a front row seat back in 2004-2005 when they were unknown but rising and I would like to see them win one more major trophy. I am Polish as well as those guys, so I am obviously biased – but that team has everything needed to win an event like this. Whichever other team it is in the final – I really do not care. If you’re in the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship final, then you’ve gone a very long way and you obviously deserve it more than anyone else.

Razer: In terms of Counter-Strike, who do you think is the best player right now (attending the IEM)?

Carmac: It is really difficult to say, especially that I do not have time to watch all the matches. But I am personally very impressed by cArn, not just as a player but as a team leader. I also like what a role change in the team did for TaZ – he no longer is the strat caller and he has really stepped up, it seems.

The IEM European Quake Champion will now fight the world’s best Quake Duellers

Razer: What are your predictions for the Quake division in the IEM?

Carmac: As I said, quadruple heart-broken. The QL event is probably the toughest one in the history of the game if you ask me. We have got all of the old ‘gods’, every single one of them with championship credentials, and we have a very strong group of ‘outsiders’ that could easily pick up the gauntlet and challenge them. Cooller, Av3k, Cypher, rapha – those four are everyone’s bets to be in the semi finals like last year, but what about strenx, k1llsen, DaHanG, spart1e, or even czm? The only thing I can say is that I hope Dandaking pulls a Cinderella story. That would make the event epic!

Razer: Who do you think will meet at the finals? Who do you think will win?

Carmac: I honestly have no idea. I could give you a valid prediction after the group stage ends, but before that I do not know. I see five names in the list of participants that could end up going home with the gold medal, and almost all of those are equally rated. We will just have to wait and see.

Razer: Who do you think is the best Quake Live player of Asia? Of Europe? Of the World?

Carmac: The best player in Asia is uNleashed from Japan, unless you count Jibo who is Chinese and lives in Moscow, or proZaC who is Swedish but lives in Japan. The best European? Based on recent results, I would say Cooller, but that answer can be different after every event. The world’s best player? I will tell you on Saturday evening.

What can possibly topple the biggest e-sports RTS in the world?

Razer: SC2 has seen a meteoric rise over the past few months. Do you see any other RTS games matching the dominant e-Sports RTS?

Carmac: No, honestly, I don’t see it. StarCraft II is an amazing game which has everything in order to be the dominant game in RTS for years to come. Please do keep in mind that all major RTS esports have come from Blizzard, and no other RTS game came close to the success of StarCraft or WarCraft III. I do not see anyone creating an RTS game that could challenge early beta level Blizzard games, let alone the released versions.

Razer: Quake and CS are the premiere FPS games used in tournaments but one can say that they are pretty old. What new FPS games do you think has the potential to earn international acclaim and be a staple competitive e-sport game?

Carmac: I don’t see any game which could do that at the moment. I guess it would have to be a game which takes over the CS and Source communities and provides a modern replacement for CS 1.6, but I do not see it right now. Perhaps one game could prove me wrong, but that game would need to have blooming leagues, pro teams and coverage websites that do not rely on the current eports infrastructure. If a game proves itself outside of the current system, it means that it will be a massive esports title.

One of these spectators may be the next e-Sports star

Razer: Having been to a lot of E-sports even of late, have you seen any promising/upcoming stars?

Carmac: StarCraft II will produce dozens of major stars. Counter-Strike keeps producing talent and I am surprised so few teams are able to pick up players and build great lineups. Fnatic has been changing their roster for a very long time and stayed at the top – that just proves that there are enough fringe players out there to build a team close to Fnatic’s strength. For some reason it is hard for organisations to do. I do not expect any sudden rise to fame in Quake Live, though. That game definitely needs a major injection of fresh blood.

Razer: In the controversial finals of Quake Live in the IEM European Championships, what were the factors you took into consideration when you made the decision?

Carmac: I did not make the decision. The referees did. All I did was gather the right people in the right place, collected the facts and made sure that I can honestly say that nothing was overlooked. The factors that the referees used were: the rulebook. There is no rule in the book that stipulates a game replay due to lag, but there is one where there’s a disconnect. The referees simply followed the rulebook, that was it.

Razer: What are your future plans for the IEM? What is your vision with regard to the future of e-sports?

Carmac: We want to be more ambitious with how we do things next season. For this World Championship we are broadcasting on a countless number of channels, with 7 or 8 languages. I think that is simply phenomenal. I could talk for hours about possible improvements and plans for events in the next season, but I will just say that we would like to keep making the events a joy to play and a joy to watch for people. There will definitely be some changes to the structure of our online season, that is certain.

Don’t miss the action as the Extreme Masters World Championships is now live! Get the latest news and watch it live at the ESL Website.

The Assembly Winter LAN event finally came to an end. As expected, members of Team Razer faced unforgiving competition to test their skills and grit. Here is a recap of the StarCraft 2 tournament in the Assembly:

The Assembly Winter 2011

Round of 32:

Out of the 10 members of Team Razer that participated in the event, 7 made it through the initial stage of the tournament. Mousesports’ MorroW, Strelok, Naama and HasuObs made it past the first round of the Assembly, accompanied by Meet Your Maker’s SaSe, Serious Gaming’s iNSoLence and Rox.Kis’ Live Zerg. The early exit of the IEM European Champion, Sjow, became a point of interest, as no one at that time, could predict the Assembly winner with much certainty. It was also noted that 2 members of Team Rox.Kis, BRAT_OK and Abver, were unable to attend the tournament due to issues regarding health and travel.

Round of 16:

After relentless fighting, only one made it through the Round of 32 phase and went on to qualify for the Round of 16 in the Assembly. MorroW, the GamesCom champion, and also a qualifier for the IEM World Championships, moved on to fight another StarCraft 2 legend, TheLittleOne.

Spectators watch as the champions battle it out

Round of 4:

MorroW would not let himself go down as he beat TheLittleOne to qualify for the Round of 4 phase in the Assembly. The GC Champion showcased his Zerg play and, as expected, most players were not prepared to battle with Zerg, especially a European division used to fighting against Terran and Protoss players. MorroW faced a Terran onslaught as he fought the Polish BroodWar veteran, Tarson, in the Round of 4 phase.

Finals:

MorroW again impressed the crowd as he won over Tarson to reach the finals. He faced Team Liquid’s ret, a serious threat to his championship bid in the Assembly. The battle for the Assembly’s best was between the Changeling and Team Liquid’s front liner.

Morrow wins the silver in the Assembly’s SC2 Tournament

Finals Result:

It was a fierce battle between MorroW and ret as both used Zerg. The first map, Blistering Sands, ended up in favor of ret as he won and drew first blood. MorroW then mounted a comeback win in the Metropolis map. As the two Zergs battled it out, ret from Team Liquid emerged victorious, taking the next two maps, Scrap Station and Xel’Naga Caverns, to be crowned as the first champion of the StarCraft 2 Assembly LAN.

Our champions fought hard and gave the crowd an interesting and exciting fight. We congratulate Team Razer for their valiant campaign in the Assembly Winter 2011 tournament.

images c/o http://www.assembly.org/winter11/

A Preview on the Assembly

We brave the chilly winter wind as we make our way to Finland for the Assembly Winter 2011 LAN Tournament. With over 5000 gamers expected to attend, the Assembly is considered to be the largest Local Area Network gaming event in the world. Gamers, seeking improvements in their game, attend the Assembly.

There will be 10 Team Razer members representing us in Finland. Pro-gamers from Meet Your Makers, Mousesports, Serious Gaming and latest team to join our esteemed ranks, Team Rox.Kis will attend the Assembly. All of them ready to compete in StarCraft 2.

The scale of the event is breath-taking

Mousesports:

Stefan “MorroW” Anderson – The GC Champion and the famous Changeling will grace the Assembly by pitting his adaptive Zerg play against top competitors.

Santeri “Naama” Lahntinen -Coming from his early departure in the recently concluded IEM, Naama will only find satisfaction when he conquers the Assembly Winter LAN.

Oparyshev “Strelok” Ievgen – One of the best Terran EU players will be busy reminding pro-gamers that he is still a force to be reckoned with.

Dennis “HasuObs” Schneider – The Protoss player and also the champion of the 4Players Close Combat Cup seeks to extend his streak by adding the Assembly to his list of victories.

Serious Gaming:

Alexander “INSoLeNCE” Hein -losing to Jeffrey “Sjow” Brusi in the finals of the CraftCup King of the Month tournament, INSoLeNCE seeks vengeance by defeating every adversary in the Assembly, including “Sjow”.

Each bright spot in this sea of lights have a story to tell

Meet Your Makers:

Kim “SaSe” Hammar – MYM’s recent addition and also a key member to MYM’s “European Redemption Squad” is ready and will join the fray in the Assembly.

Rox.Kis:

The newest members of Team Razer aim to prove that they belong in our roster. Pavel “BRAT_OK” Kuznetsov will lead team Rox.Kis accompanied by Adrey “LiveZerg” Guldiashov, Sergey “Pomi” Rodionov, and Aleksei “Abver” Drunin.

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Don’t forget, February 11-13, 2011 at Helsinki, Finland. The Assembly Winter 2011 is imminent.

We will be there.

images c/o http://www.assembly.org/winter11

The IEM European Championships

The stage is set for one of the biggest professional gaming tournaments this year as everyone braces for the Intel Extreme Masters World Championships in Hannover, Germany. On March 1 – 5, 2011, the elites of Team Razer will face the world’s finest to prove yet again that they are the best. Who will undertake this challenge?

Expect a bigger and louder crowd this March

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you our vanguard for the IEM World Championships.

Cooller being interviewed for his championship win.

Anton “Cooller” Singov – Quake Live

IEM Europe’s Quake Grand Champion. His first major victory since Quake went Live, Cooller’s domination in the IEM Quake division marks the return of one of the game’s best duelers of all-time. When asked about his motivation for the IEM World Championships, Cooller replied, “It’s not about the money. It’s all about the title, that is my dream.” The European Champion will have his return and be the next IEM World Champion.

MorroW (person in right, grey shirt)  will take his Zerg to Hannover

Stefan “MorroW” Anderson – StarCraft 2

Being the StarCraft 2 Champion in GamesCom 2010 instantly qualifies MorroW to the IEM World Championships. The “Changeling” will attempt to swarm all over his competition through the use of his new specialty, the Zerg. “There are not a lot of high-caliber Zerg players outside Korea,” Morrow says, “players may not prepare as good as they would on the Terran and Protoss players.” With the element of surprise, MorroW will take this tournament by storm.

Av3k dreams big for the IEM World Championship

Maciej “Av3k” Krzykowski – Quake Live

The 2^nd Runner-up in IEM Europe’s Quake Division, Av3k has already put the past behind him and is now focused for the IEM World Championships. “I want to win big,” says the Polish prodigy, “I played nice in Kiev but I didn’t reach my top level during the finals. Now I want to take the next step, I want to win big.” He wants the championship and he won’t go home without it.

The MYM.CS team is excited to compete

Meet Your Makers CS – Counter Strike

Against a division with obvious tournament favorites, MYM’s CS team rose up to the occasion and qualified for the IEM World Championships. Already gearing up for the World Championships, this elite Counter Strike team is determined to make the most out of the second chance it got. The MYM.CS team will answer the pressure and competition. They will fight and they will rise.

It is redemption time for Cypher

Alexey “Cypher” Yanushevski – Quake Live

Qualification is not enough for this warrior with the heart of a champion. Cypher is hell bent on redeeming himself and winning the IEM World Championship for Quake Live. “The feeling of winning is all what it is about,” says Cypher, “I had my good moments during the tournament but I wasn’t able to maintain it. Expect from me, a better performance this March. I will win.” Cypher seeks redemption and he will bring his A-game to get it.

Destiny awaits fazz in Hannover

Pelle “fazz” Soderman – Quake Live

As predicted by this e-Sport athlete, he may not win the Championship in the European finals, but he will qualify for the World Championships of the IEM. And with the whole world watching, that where he plans to wreak havoc in the Quake Live division. Now having ample time to prepare and get improve his timing and aim, fazz is now seeking the crown. With destiny awaiting him in the IEM, fazz seeks nothing else but that championship win.

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This is it. As soon as March starts, the fight for the title begins. Will you be there when the rightful champion gets it?

March 1-5, 2011. Hannover, Germany. IEM World Championships.

At our next event, we are going skeet shooting with potatoes. Bust out the Flintlock and blast us some Crinkle Cut the old fashion way.

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Razer’s On Target column features gaming tips, insights and commentaries from elite pro-gamers of Team Razer. From real-time strategy games to first-person shooters, members of Team Razer will be contributing their thoughts on the world of competitive gaming.

Stefan “MorroW” Anderson

Stefan “ MorroW” Anderson is one of the European StarCraft II greats. It was a season of change for MorroW, and for most competitive StarCraft players, with the release of StarCraft II. Players had to adapt quickly just to remain in the gaming scene. If they ceased to change, they ceased to win.

The winner of last year’s Intel Extreme Masters in Germany shares his thoughts on switching from StarCraft I to StarCraft II, and getting infested by the Zerg after being a loyal Terran trooper.

Exodus to StarCraft II

“Adjusting from StarCraft I to StarCraft II takes a while. It is a new game and obviously there are a lot of new and different things but the essence of StarCraft II is the same. Especially for avid players of StarCraft I, you will probably find yourself in the same situations you encountered in SCI when you play SCII. The harassing hit-and-run tactics are there, dropship maneuvers and even the late-game tech dominance are still there. There may be new units, maps, new strategies and new unit strengths but the crisis management and problem solving is there. StarCraft II is still our game and while it might take some time adjust, once you get your feet wet, you can resume where you left off from SCI.”

“How you usually play the races back in StarCraft I still works when you apply the same tactic to StarCraft II. The Zerg still swarm in masses, the Protoss still has their force fields and rely on their upgraded tech and the Terran still have their destructive Siege Tanks and Dropship maneuvers. Of course there are significant changes because of new units and the obliteration of old ones but the racial strengths remain the same.”

Being infested by the Zerg

“Recently though, I have made the change in terms of the race I specialize. I got “infested” and have now turned to the Zerg from my previous race, the Terran. There are several reasons why I made the change and while the game still remains to be smoothly balanced, the Zerg’s strengths fits perfectly to my style of play. Let me list these things down as well as some insights I have in terms of playing Zerg.”

Flanking is key as a Zerg practitioner

“First, the Zerg is a mechanically demanding race. The thing with the Zerg though is that as a race, they adapt very efficiently and therefore fits a responsive style of play. I’ve always been a laid back player, waiting for the enemy to show their strategy first before adapting to them and the Zerg allows me to maximize that tactic. I used to play the Terran which specializes in really bullying opponents to submit to the in-game scenarios you create. While the Terran does this wonderfully, I believe that the Zerg’s capability of adapting to the enemies strategies is overall a great advantage to have against both Terran and Protoss.”

Gameplay Insights

“The Zerg heavily relies on proper flanking and flanking in numbers. Most of the Zerg units are really low on health and attacking all at once towards a properly entrenched Siege Tank platoon can easily wipe you out in seconds. Attacking from all sides pretty much nullifies the splash damage of Siege Tanks and attacks from the Protoss’ Colossus. An example of which is having your Banelings flank entrenched siege tanks while another contingent draws their fire. That way, you pretty much have the perfect engagement.”

“Playing the Terran is pretty much like a dance of forwards and backwards. Especially against a Protoss army that’s loaded with Colossus and High Templars that can cast storms, Terrans would really rely on avoiding those storms and Colossus’ splash damage as much as they should and also be on the move if ever the Zerg tries to use flanking tactics against them. If your Siege Tanks still have range away from the storm, they can easily pick out the Protoss from the other side. That is the basic trick with the Terran agaisnt Protoss – have Siege Tanks pull back in a line so they can be safe from the Protoss High Templar Storm and also have enough range to neutralize rushing Zealots.”

Avoid the Protoss’ storms if you’re playing Terran

“For the Protoss, you can see the basic strategy that can do with Colossus and High Templars as well as a swift attack of Zealots as soon as there is an opening. Just be aware of the different strategies that the Terran and Zerg can do and you can easily read their next move.”

“Playing the Zerg helps me adapt to whatever race or tactic the enemy would pick. The Zerg is a macro race compared to lets say the Terran race which requires a lot of micro. So in my opinion, a good defensive and responsive player might want to choose the Zerg to specialize on.”

“Just remember when playing the Zerg, amass and attack from all sides. The key word is flanking and always flank your enemy.”

Stefan “MorroW” Anderson currently plays for Team Mousesports and continues to compete professionally in both offline and online StarCraft II tournaments. For more details about MorroW, check out Team Mousesports’ Team Razer page.