This week on the TTL Clan Profile I am taking a look at Legion of the Apocalypse. Not only is LOA a sponsored pro clan, but they are also amazing sportsmen and bring a great game. I have had the pleasure of gaming with many of them and it is always a treat. Have a read of what Revelation has to say about his clan.

How and when did your clan start up?
I was an XBOX first day buyer. When the O.G. box first launched and the subsequent Halo 2 release came forth, a small group of friends that I normally gamed with decided to team up in an effort to thwart all the cheating that was going on in Halo by video capturing the modded games and turning them into Microsoft/Bungie. We have an impressive record of account deletions! Then one day as I was catching up on some overseas news about gaming in Korea I got to see just how big competitive gaming was getting as tens of thousands of people were showing up to watch Warcraft 3 and Starcraft duels in stadiums that would rival any large concert here in the states. Soon thereafter, Major League Gaming started to build steam here in the states and a desire to compete on a pro level was born within the LOA. We changed our goals and went through a period of rearrangement to set things in motion. Over the past year we have built a strong foundation and eagerly await the 2007 pro season to begin where we are confident we will emerge as a force to be reckoned with.

What meaning does your clan’s name hold?
Any search on Google would bring up the name’s history. The LOA had nothing to do with games when its first conception came about. However “that” was a long time ago and this is a new era. The name lives on in a new capacity; which quite frankly tells people right from the start that each member is one of many belonging to a gaming group that will far out live your “here today, gone tomorrow” gaming groups. We aren’t going away anytime soon and only see a bright future ahead for us.

How many people call your clan home?
We currently have 2 teams of 4 for amateur comp in Halo 2. We also have 3 teams of 4 for amateur comp in Gears of War. Our first team of 6 is being developed for Rainbow 6 Vegas. We have a growing list of recruits trying out for spots on these teams as well as future teams we may add. We have a staff of 10 to oversee production of teams as well as website development and 2 coaches for our Halo teams. This may sound like a lot of people, but when compared to other groups out there who try to boast such large numbers (sometimes thousands) we know each any every one of our members and manage our rosters completely. We are well aware that the quality of players within a group far exceeds quantity.

How do you go about luring and screening recruits?
Rarely do we have to lure prospective recruits into the LOA; they find us. I can only associate that with the incredible effort each of our members puts into this group to make it what it is. They are anxious and hungry to get their chances to compete at a pro level and the LOA is going to help them reach those goals. Their achievements in tournaments and live events are what have spread the word. Let’s face it; if we lost every time we played no one would want to have anything to do with us. Our work ethic breeds winners and that attracts other gamers. +Our screening process has to be one of the most elaborate in any gaming group out there and I believe that so much I’d be willing to put it to a test. Most recruits will spend a minimum of 2 months proving that they are LOA material before we will even talk about giving them a membership role. Ask any of current members what they had to go through and they will tell you that it was not easy. But it is the persistence of a good player to become an LOA member that I personally look for. This lets me know that this person is not going to be here one day and gone the next. We have set practice days for each of our games which we allow prospective players to attend. Their participation in these practices as well as other events we host gives them the opportunity to show us what they got. But what keeps all of our members on their toes is that once you are in, it does not mean smooth sailing. We work on a points system. You can earn points and you can lose points. Earn enough and you are rewarded. Lose enough and you are gone.

What are some unique bylaws that your clan enforces?
I’m not sure if any of our bylaws are unique, but we enforce them to the best of our ability. It’s one thing to post up bylaws and say this is what you stand by but it’s a something else to actually live up to them. Our Bylaws and Rules of Conduct are made available to the public through our forums. It’s been humbling to see other groups copy our bylaws and rules of conduct and incorporate them into their own groups. It tells us we are on the right track and have thought this through all the way. I guess if there is any one unique thing about our group is our Zero Tolerance Policy. Regardless of whom you are, how good you are or how long you have been involved in the LOA… you break a rule and you are gone. I have personally removed some really good players from our roster which hurt some of our teams in a major way. But as I said… you are only as good as the laws you stand by.

What do you do to build camaraderie in your ranks?
The LOA is a family. We game together, we compete together, we converse outside of the gaming aspect of our relationships and we are always there to pick up a fallen brother or sister. We leave no one behind. Our teams congratulate each other on their wins and offer advice on their losses. Our points system allows every member to achieve certain rewards such as LOA Team Jerseys, T-Shirts, Dogtags and even sponsorships for live tournaments. I actually have a few surprises hidden up my sleeves for our members in the coming New Year that I can not reveal right now, as it would not be a surprise. But all in all, those that do well are taken care of. They produce for the group and the group produces for them. It’s a perfect circle; a family.

What is the best way to get booted from your clan?
By not sending me cool birthday presents!! (cough… cough… Dec 18th… cough…) Seriously, anything that would reflect negatively on the group. Trash talking is something that gets on my nerves but I understand it’s 50% of the game. Get into your opponents head and you’ve taken them out of the game. Easy win. Just make sure you can back your words up if push comes to shove. But running your mouth off for no reason and making the group look like other groups out there who are NOTORIOUS for being completely unprofessional is a quick way to run face first into the LOA Ban Hammer.

What gametypes does your clan prefer?
I believe our members prefer Slayer, Team Slayer, CTF and Oddball equally and love to mix it up. Due to the fact we are a competitive group you won’t see us straying from these types much but we do have our days when we relax with a host of customs like “Run Stupid” or “Sticky Blue Balls”.

What is your poison/passion: Matchmaking? Customs? Challenges? MLG?
MLG of course. We are a competitive clan and MLG has set the standard for Halo 2 competitions.

What is the closest game your clan has had in a Clan Challenge?
We have had lots of close games; too many to recall. It’s the close ones we love the most as we live for real competition. Lately our top team has been outplaying all the groups I can throw at them. Now although this wasn’t close, one match that does come to mind is when our top Halo team took on Carbon. Yes, the 2006 MLG Champs; whom I would like to congratulate on their win against Final Boss. We won 50 to 36 in a Team Slayer game. Now although there were a lot of excuses thrown our way; they can call it host advantage, call it XBOX Live, call it lucky… I call it a win, and we are looking forward to meeting them in 2007. No excuses then.

Thanks a ton for the info Revelation, and good luck on your next encounter with Carbon, something makes me think they may be a little harder to beat this time around. Readers, if you are in a clan and would like to skrim or have a clan challenge with LOA, then stop by their forum and drop them a line. I promise it is worth your time.

If you know a clan, or are in a clan that would like to be spotlighted in the Clan Profile then send me an email at tiedtheleaderblog@gmail.com and tell me about it. Hope everyone enjoyed this week’s profile. Stop back next week for another great clan.

Posted by Dweezle