Kratos

Subject: Kratos Thu Jan 17, 2013 10:02 pm

SWBF2 Hall of Fame Inductee

Kratos

Quote :: Kratos and I have a most peculiar relationship. We have led side by side in harmony and fought shoulder to shoulder together in the trenches. We have been deeply embittered enemies with absolutely nothing good to speak of one another and have waged war both through our tense matches in game and through our heated arguments over websites. We have gone back and forth between being arch nemeses to being best friends who knows how many times. Through it all, though clouded at times, I confidently believe there has always been a deeply rooted respect connecting us to one another.

We first met in a clan or public server, probably LOE or Ninja. At the time, he was {LOE}Jojo and I was {Ninja}Kenshin. The first thing I noticed about him was his lack of judgment. At that time I had created an infamous reputation for myself as being a little turd. However, this didn't concern him as he knew poop was essential to the fertilization of land. Hahaha only kidding! But seriously...

We talked with one another over mic. I remember him seeming naive and almost innocent to me, sounds weird but it is true. I showed him some nifty ways of moving and maneuvering around with Grievous. It was through this that we formed an initial, but lasting bond.

Later on, after LOE and Ninja were no more and I had departed from SDJ, we met back up and decided to form SS with Hattori. Needless to say, it was quite a learning experience. To be blunt, we were poor leaders, but ranged from solid to exceptional players. Toward the end of SS, our friendship went sour and I take responsibility for that.

It was around this time, in my eyes, when Kratos began his journey as his own player. I believe much of his foundation can be traced to these days. He was not the greatest at any one thing at this point. In fact he didn't have any standout strengths in my opinion. However! He had an amazingly resilient will, the likes of which I have seen no one else display in all my time playing.

Over the course of the next few months, he would go on to form several clans with LAK such as WAR and FA. Although they had little resounding impact upon the game, these clans and those in them no doubt played a part in shaping him and helping him grow as both a player and leader.

Flash forward about a year and a half or so, through yet another few rivalries with me, clans formed and lost, as well as friendships, and you find yourself faced with someone you hardly recognize.

I want to confess; I never expected Kratos to become such a great player. Nor did I expect him to make such a difference in this game. He has done both. This fact is humbling for me to admit, but it is indeed true. He made his way from having next to no real strengths, to having many. I'm not sure how he accomplished this. I imagine mostly through hard work and dedication. If this is true, it demands respect.

He went from being careless and aimless, to intentional and threatening. He no longer played in such an obvious manner, but rather became quite cleverly sporadic. His speed had been honed as well. In areas where he sloppily played before, his execution was just short of flawless. Doing things I did not expect, or even think he had the ability to do. He has become a very worthy contender, able to keep up 1v1 with many of the game's greats and in my honest opinion one of the best teammates and leaders in a match.

I think he had a hand in pioneering this quick and aggressive, yet sloppy sort of playstyle which a lot of players have adopted (usually prevalent in public servers). It is almost like he is playing drunk, yet knows what he is doing. Viking and C*T play like this at times. I love originality and creativity, so I admire this a lot. But beyond even this, he is perfectly capable of switching gears to a sophisticated and precise style as well.

Swap from his playing abilities to community contributions and it is hard to see which side of him is greater. Kratos is, without a doubt, one of the game's biggest and most influential contributors to competition. He made it a focus among his own clan and with others. It seems he was almost always ready to do another match of some sort, regardless of whether he had just won by a landslide or been dominated. Take a look at his apprentice Berserk and you will see the spitting image of Kratos, just with half the passion and twice the eagerness. I believe we are all in some way or another indebted to Kratos for how much life he gave back to the game.

Now I don't know the exact number of 1v1s he has done, but I do know this; he has completed many of them, and beaten many worthy opponents, even those who make these lists. Win or lose, he does not shy away. He and LAK make for one heck of a 2v2 team and again, win or lose, they do not shy away. In fact, I think they would have beaten Jeff and Neji in that 2v2 awhile back, but it was never completed (I think?). Take into account the number of battles LSJ has fought in under the leadership of Kratos, both in jedi and conquest, and the truth is clear. He is the real deal; a true and worthy competitor.

As I said in the beginning, Kratos and I have been on the same team and other times we have been rivals. For me personally, all is forgiven. Whichever side he choses to fall on, I can say this; he does so with a burning passion. I think what I admire most about Kratos is his spirit. He simply will not lie down without a fight, nor will he surrender peacefully when threatened. He sticks to his ideals and will defend them at all costs. Even if you do manage to beat Kratos down, he will once again arise even stronger than before. As corny as it is, he is basically a saiyan. For this I applaud him.

-Sinister

Quote :: the match we had ended half way through with me and neji up 1. I had to leave because my wife came home sick. Either way I though it was the toughest 2 vs 2 I had ever been in.

I have had an on and off again relationship with lsj. I must give credit where credit is do however. It was kratos that showed me how to do ramps and some bubble bounces. This would have been back in 2008 I believe. I never really had a teacher at this, neji and fearless have shown me some things but kratos was the first to give me some pointers in the newer more faster paced art form.

LSJ is a very important part of JOG's history, they helped provide drama, which we all know made this game great.

I can't say i like the guy much but I do respect his skills and his accomplishments.

Congrats on making the hall, you deserve it!

-Jeff

Quote :: Yes. Kratos would be in there for skill alone but however he has been one of the sole reasons LSJ has been around for all this time. LSJ was usually always small in numbers, but always had one hell of a line up, with Kratos included in there. Kratos also was a teacher to a few players from my knowledge, but whether he finished with them or not I'm not sure. He was creative, a good leader, a hell of a player, inventive, and game changing. Just his presence on a team could make a difference.

-Neji

Quote :: I guess you could puttem in the HOF for 3 different reasons. He's a god of assault, a cool cat, and is one of the main reasons Lsj has been as dominant as it has.

-Wooooooooo