It's been decent, thanks for asking; had school and played football in our sports lesson which I was shocking at as usual, but luckily the other sport we're doing is table tennis, which I'm looking forward to next lesson. Also managed to do all my homework for once, even whilst following the aim I'd set for myself at the start of the year, which is: "I'll do all homework on the day before it's due", basically just to make things a bit less boring. I suppose I should be putting in more effort now that it's my exam year, but it rally does feel like I'm not learning much that's new... Anyway, goodnight (or good afternoon for you, lol) ^_^

Sorry, I don't understand your question. Could you elaborate a little, please? :) Hulls I never use: Dictator, Titan, Mammoth. Weapons I never use: Freeze (IDK why because this was my first M2, but I've not used this in many months, though I've used all other weapons since then). So, according to the above, there'd be three combos I would absolutely never use, though Freeze/Mammoth seems like it would be a strong defensive combination if I invest in upgrading both of them to M3 at some point. The prettiest paints (which normal players can buy in the Garage) in my opinion are Emerald, Spark and Electra. I guess so, lol; well, we've definitely been friends for a long time now ;)

Maybe I did, in the past... :P Do you mean my most recent friend? I think you'll need to elaborate on that question for me to answer it, sorry >.< K, thanks for putting me off hamsters for the rest of my life... xD

Might as well re-submit this record now, so... Most likes on a forum game: Guess the User - 66?

I remember you - shame that you're leaving. Good luck!

Shhh - no-one needs to know about that :ph34r:

Tankman's day is on the 14th of September this year. Whilst all of those paints are good choices (I have the first choice), it seems to me there's a good reason why Clay unlocks latest and is more expensive. That Railgun protection should enable you to survive more than two shots depending on the hull you use, and that Rico protection is super useful at the highest ranks where Rico M3 is arguably amongst the most dangerous weapons on the battlefield. Not to mention the bonus of a good Thunder protection, too; to me, it seems like the best choice out of the three. The secret is basically just reading more complex material. The more you make use of your reading skills, the more they will improve, which will definitely contribute towards an improvement in your writing skills. Practising writing *as well as* reading regularly is the most contructive way to improve. There is no actual 'secret' as such, though natural ability is a factor to consider when writing, too. I have some close Tanki friends, not going to list them but you know you're one of them k :P Yes - he's was you before you went on to change your username, twice :P Oh wait, this is to do with earthquakes... It's where the ground can be 'liquefied' when there's a lot of stress placed on it. And I remember reading this term elsewhere, though I can't pinpoint where... I would say Hornet, Railgun and Rico M2 - you can earn the necessary crystals by the sale, and Ricochet M2 is more powerful than Isida M2. In any case, many players find Isida quite boring to use (though I personally like it), so you should pick Rico if you'd prefer a longer-ranged weapon. I do not have pets, and I actually wouldn't really like one. I probably just wouldn't have the time for a pet, and it's a commitment which should be valued. If I were to get a pet, it'd be a hamster - but I wouldn't want @Lhamster to see it as a challenge to his authority and for it to suddenly dissapear :c TBH, only saw that last 25 mins or so; though I guess Welbeck would be a good candidate, considering he did score both goals and actually played well (for once) from what I saw xD Yes, I saw that forum topic too - something about a guy called Aaron Kosminski having been proven by one investigation to have been Jack the Ripper, but I think there's still controversy over the matter. I would have to be boring and say the first one, because I guess that's my preferred choice out of those :) Actually, it depends what time of day it is... Often, there are times when many more players than that are online, and the figures show that this doesn't seem to be decreasing. Therefore, pointing to such a figure taken from one specific time of low activity is inaccurate. Anyway, the more recent changes have actually been received in a mostly positive way, and have been much less contorversial than changes in the past. If you want to get more out of the game, try getting involved in the community more and finding a good clan - or just take a break till you feel you want to return, I've done that in the past ;) Ooh, I have a hunch about this one... I'm a fan of the series, and I think the second word is slang used to describe someone in one of the books. Not sure if I want to guess and embarass myself if it's wrong, though... I first became a Reporter around one year and 4/5 months ago, I think. The job was advertised on the forum, and having been an avid reader of the newspaper and having won Press contests in the past, I applied and was interviewed through a Skype call by @conanthedestroyer, and got the job. I took a break from the team for about 9/10 months, and returned a few months ago. It's a great job!

Much better. It's great to see that the criticism given here was listened to and taken into account, it's a very good interview which was more interesting than before. It's definitely appreciated; keep up the good work!

False, because I'm not planning to write a slanderous article about anyone anytime soon... So it's the same as saying it's right for paparazzi to stalk other people and to take pictures of them - except that's not what I said I do, in answering your previous questions? I already explained that I don't 'gossip' about other people as per the definition of the word: "Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about personal or private affairs of others." I do not spread rumours, nor do I discuss personal matters. Therefore, you'll find I only 'talk' about others on occasion, and do not think it right to 'gossip' as per that definition, which is much less exciting. I see you caught me out through what was initially a seemingly harmless question, simply by being picky about the word you chose :P It was Prodigi, well before kits were introduced - however, I obtained that a while ago now, as part of the Medium M2 kit.

Actually, OneRepublic is amongst my favourites too - I like Coldplay more as a band as they've produced more of my 'favourite songs' than anyone else, but 'Apologise' is amongst my favourite songs, and 'Counting Stars' is right up there with the best of my favourites :p

Sorry to break it to you, but you're never getting it back, and I'm pretty sure I never said that you could have that gold if it fell in our duel... which we must have had about a year ago now :p Maaaybe if I'm ever feeling generous, you might just find an extra 1k in your account; keep a close eye on your crystal total xD I've been playing for over 3 years and 1 month now, and I'm getting quicker at ranking now - it's just that I often don't play regularly at all, due to various real-life commitments. Got to be honest with you, I don't particularly remember... I think the first person who I befriended in-game who is still active in the community is @eragon33 (who I invited to the forum when he was a WO1), though we're not very close friends. The best way to not get addicted to something is to keep yourself busy with multiple activities. Take up a sport or a project of some sort at the same time as playing the game, that'll help you to divide up your free time more evenly. I should know, I have a fairly addictive personality sometimes ^_^ Maths - because I find it easy, and it can be quite stimulating Physics - because it's a very interesting subject, which I also find I can understand well English - because I'm one of the best students my school has ever had in this subject, apparently Computing - because it's something I find fun, both as a hobby and as a subject Economics - because that's the area in whch I might want to end up working, in the future I don't absolutely hate a single update - though I seem to remember that x10 update from a while back which actually meant everyone secretly earnt less crystals and had to pay more, I recall that I wasn't the only disgruntled player back then :lol: I have indeed; at one point, I was promising myself I'd quit Tanki to focus on other things as soon as I reached WO1 so I could get Thunder/Viking M0, and then the same for WO3 for Rico M0... but then the rebalance came along the fpday after I teaches WO3, and actually must have encouraged me to stay for me to still be here, despite it's unpopularity at the time. XP-BP battles are battles in which the only combinations allowed are Hornet/Railgun (XP), and Wasp/Railgun (BP). Well... Once, I was on the bus home, when a girl sitting some seats back threw a note at me. My friends sitting next to me got hold of it, read it aloud and then passed it around the bus... Needless to say, that was very embarrassing. And that's all I'm saying k. Thanks @Remaine for clearing this up: So, there's your answer! I don't actually have a favourite novel, there are many which I enjoyed reading. Nelson Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom' is both detailed and inspiring (I've read it through twice), and I must confess to having read the Harry Potter series (mainstream, I know) at least three times, just to give some examples. My opinion is that he could be even more helpful by not giving me yet another one of these 'have you heard of...some say...' questions to have to answer! But yes, I've heard of him :p Smoky M3 just edges it, in my opinion. Whilst Twins M3 is a notoriously powerful drugging weapon, Smoky M3 is absolutely dangerous when used with supplies, in my opinion - it can deal damage over a longer distance, and still at a rapid rate of fire, with those deadly critical hits. But you'll have to choose for yourself based on which one you like more, since both are very good debugging weapons indeed! You're as beautiful as a person can be. Interpret that how you want to xD Actually, no - it's human. It's only natural to talk about people, events and places to friends, even if that means 'gossiping behind people's backs' as you phrase it. But as I said, I make a point of not insulting anyone or making unjustified comments; therefore, I do not 'gossip' in the spreading rumours sense. Rather, I sometimes discuss other players, just as pretty much everyone does. I don't really have a 'saddest' moment as I don't tend to get worked up over things such as Tanki (it's not real life, after all), though a possibility is when I left my role as a Reporter one year ago.

Already discovered, lol...

Actually, using my expert Reporter reading skills, he said: be sure to be a challenge to our 'Reporters', which is the same as your latter statement.

So you'd be talking to yourself?

Hi :) Challenge? The Reporters will 'win', I guess. That is what I think... If you want to challenge us, try using your time to improve your writing skills instead of posting such topics using an alt simply in an attempt to gain popularity for your idea, @iron-man_0007... Good luck!

Got to agree with that, sorry...

Greetings, readers! Here at the Tanki Online newspaper, we are passionate about providing you with information on all the latest updates, turrets, hulls, maps, contests... anything related to the community or game, and you can trust us to cover it all. But what about all the stuff which happened this month which you may not know about? Well, here's a summary of this month's more exciting events, which may or may not have actually happened. But that's a different matter altogether. Enjoy! Gold: Make sure you check out the contest related to this series which is in this issue - enjoy! Hog: Do remember to give your feedback, and shout out which piece in this issue's selection of reports is the best! From that, we will be able to know what themes you readers most enjoy. Rumours that players' 'Real photo' pictures are actually real hit the forum. By @GoldRock Over the past few weeks, many forum members were shocked as discussion heated up in the Real Photo discussion topic, with some brave players even daring to claim that the photos they have uploaded are genuine. This revelation has obviously been met with disbelief, with responses to such players including "am not quite sure that you are real" (0 upvotes), "you are a fake until proven otherwise" (0 upvotes) and "I just came here to read the comments" (10 upvotes). With this disbelief having garnered so much support, I approached our analysts who were on the ground to assess the situation. After thoroughly searching the topic, they could conclude that the majority of the EN community are indeed fakers. "Heather15905 has posted waaay too many times so he must be fake" claimed the concluding report. "Any real players would clearly not enjoy the sight of their own face so much." "Not to mention that Mr. Hoggie has contributed 6 of his own photos which we KNOW are all FAKE, because we have intelligence informing us that he is, and has always been, a domestic pig. This is further supported by his recent encouragement for readers to Eat Chicken - this cunning mammal is clearly attempting to protect his own species in the process." "And the final straw was when a player known only as Mia posted a photo proving that both herself and a certain holy being are actually hybrid Annoying Oranges." the analysts added. "We suspected that not all Reporters are human, and our suspicions are coming true - first Archy, and now hog. Who knows, maybe Lord Harel will even admit he's a Nug, the way things are going..." The Voice behind the Glasses - the secret of Semyon's accent revealed! By @hogree "What are we waiting for?! Let's get going!" Whatever the weather, rain or shine, hearing Semyon's voice always makes my day feel a lot happier. The pungency of a spectacled man with a pleasantly strong Russian accent clearly keen on sounding animated while presenting an Video Blog in English - it fits the bill of an ideal replacement for "The Big Bang Theory" on a Friday afternoon. Reports this month have given details for the first time on the background to Semyon's marked pronunciation. According to rumours spreading around the lower EN servers, his keen outgoing lilting tone is related to an incident during his younger life. An investigator from The Dictator decided to go undercover this month in Server EN17 and came back, flustered, with shocking news to bring us regarding this important issue. It was said, so our investigator claimed (his eyes fluttering from side to side), that the man who we know today as Semyon Kirov previously was a Russian General of the Army, promoted at the mere age of 17. On his first mission in charge, leading a group of men into the Siberian jungle; he encountered the Russian equivalent of Lhamster, Лхамстер, who told him his destiny and left him in a cage for a year. His only refuge was inside the cage where there was a radio constantly playing BBC Radio Two. The words sunk into his heart, the English accent becoming something he longed to conquer, as he practised it with an imaginary friend he set up in the corner of a cage. When he left, he bought a blond wig, a pair of red spectacles, a new ID under his new name of Semyon Kirov, and became the community manager of the English Community. Although the English way of talking is now as familiar to him as the back of his hand, he still is yet to conquer the accent. The words were striking. Investigations are being carried out as we speak to look into Semyon's background in more detail. Oh, and by the way, I thought it is interesting to note that our investigator was Vikingsrall. Four prominent letters in his name? I, R, A and L. Unscramble at your own discernment. Running out of ideas? Here's our predictions for future 'Tanki World Records'! By @GoldRock Want to set a Tanki record, yet don't know what record you can set? Struggling to find anything you're actually good at? We're happy to help, and so we've come up with a list of records we think should be put forward in the foreseeable future. Enjoy! - Longest surviving insect ever to inhabit the forum - flea99. - Most posts ever made - IAmTheFBI. - Most posts ever made criticising IAmTheFBI - Selena21212. - Best comeback to criticism ever made - Hazel-Rah, ft. "Nobody Cares!" . - Most pro player ever: JayJayFourOneOh. - Most pull-ups ever done by any player in one go: Lord Harel, with a record 0.5 pull-ups. - Best Reporter ever to have existed: GoldRock. - Most modest Reporter ever to have existed: GoldRock. - Best admins ever, who will give the best Reporter ever the prestigious Helper paint ASAP: El Hamster + Conan. - Best grammar skills ever: kanadarools. Allegedly, upon this list being subsequently submitted to the Tanki World Record judge and Consultant MarineManTwo for review, his response was: "Hello, thank you for your PM. Please e-mail help@tankionline for help with your problem, they will surely have a solution. In the meantime, make sure you follow the Rules! ~ MM2." However, this rumour is currently unconfirmed. "Not-So-Smart Cooldowns" make a grand entry as players react to an update of divided opinions. By @hogree "So, what happened this month?" "I don't know, mate, what happened?" "Something to do with being Smart, I think, mate." "Oh, so it can't be anything to do with you then." *pause for effect* "Oh, I remember. It was something to do with, you know, those drug things." "Oh. Yeah. That. Fat lot of good, that was." "Oh, so it must have been something to do with you then." *pause for effect again* Perhaps a friendly chat between two great buddies during the month. It was, of course, the month where smart cooldowns appeared on our servers for the very first time. A mixed reception would be an understatement. An overwhelming number of Generallisimos appeared on the forum to express the disapproval of the game they played which had removed once and for all the Drug Wars that gave them the rush that kept them playing. Massive numbers of players threatened to leave - numerous Arabs who had spent thousands in the game. Famous names such as MonkeyMagic, Mr.Dreyar, the wendeta family, and many of the old-school Freeze-Mammoth Arabs from before the rebalance expressed their dislike - no, hate - of this, surely up there with the original rebalance as one of the most controversial updates in Tanki's history. Even the chicken shop from down the road went on strike in protest, causing the entire street to set up camp in the middle of the road in an organised protest against smart cooldowns. There were numerous defendants however. Players like Lord-of-the-Snipers and MrTactics were keen to assert their belief of how this update would improve the gameplay of Tanki significantly. Others were keen to support the cause, with Zeus374 claiming "this will help less people get brain cancer because now there is smart cooldowns so they are smart." Others were happy, but for less wholesome reasons, JustLikeReventon happily posting a picture of an Exit Door in reply to the numerous Generallisimos threatening to leave. Not to mention some golden comments from Hazel-Rah - they need not be mentioned here, because nobody cares. [Yeah, I stole that, Gold.] In one of the more coherent messages sent through to us at The Dictator, we received a letter under the title of "stupid heatups" complaining about the issue of smart cooldowns and giving a reason as to why they thought it was released. The message read as following: "dear mr and mrs hogree goldrock i see the update smart cooldowns and i think bad so i say pls remove i want to hit numbers all at same time where is freedom this is taking away human rights ok pls reconsider oh and why create update which makes all people which buy leave and all little people happy i think tanki people must go swimming in vodka swimming pool yesterday please shut down vodka swimming pool and then pls i want war of drugs." Ah. Vodka Swimming Pool. That explains it all. Are Fatal Errors really gone? A shocking event forced us to think otherwise... By @GoldRock Picture this. You're in a Combe CTF with friends on both teams, the score is 3-2 in flags to your team and there's 5 minutes left on the clock. Suddenly, everyone's ping shoots up to 999 (whilst your FPS remains at 60), you move around as the players around you jump about... and then the game freezes. The game unfreezes for a few seconds, just enough for a few dozen M3 Twins projectiles to inadvertently fly across the map from the turret of a lagging friend all at the same time, and hurl you from the map (much to the amusement of your friends); and then the game re-freezes, leaving you stuck below the map. Your friends have a discussion in the server chat and roll their eyes at the frozen game, then gradually leave one by one. You try to type something in the battle chat a few times, and it doesn't show up - and soon you're the only one left in the battle. The game unfreezes, you instantly get warned and banned for flood for 5 minutes at the same time, then the battle ends 30 seconds later, and worse of all, you receive 107 less crystals than the available fund. This terrible event is what happened to me just a few days ago, and I spent the next half an hour ranting about the 107 crystals I should've got in the EN Staff Social Room whilst my fellow staff members tried their best not to laugh too hard replied with exclamations of deep horror and sympathy. So, what's my point? My point is that Mr. Val and I, after having gone through this sequence of events, realised it was all a conspiracy. Considering that I was banned and cheated of crystals just after all other players had left the battle, we could only determine one thing... The terror that is the Fatal Error is alive and well. It will come and destroy you when you are alone, afraid and helpless, just like it did to me. And it won't even leave a polite error message this time. You will be left almost as devastated as I was upon losing 107 crystals and receiving a 5 minute flood ban. Hide your families, unplug your computer and smash your wireless router into as many pieces as you can, preferably with an oversized sledgehammer. Otherwise, prepare to face your doom. Don't say I didn't warn you. Rumours spread of a suspicious "M8" modification being developed as a global craze begins. By @hogree We've all heard of M4 before, but some members of the English Community are taking things to a whole new level. Call Micro-Upgrades and tell them to book the next flight to Antarctica, because their lives are as good as over. If those are Micro-Upgrades, these are Macro. As magazine "Server 1 Banter" phrases so rightly, it's a "big development m8". The "m8 global phenomenon" is spreading like wildfire, and discussions have been taking place quite fervently over how Mate really should be spelt. GoldRock prefers "Meight" (He says it's meighty). Everyone else prefers "m8". It's that simple. The ambassadors of the cause, Okle7 and Mr.Disgrace, said this when I quizzed them regarding what they thought this phenomenon might be able to accomplish. "forget global warming. this is the future m8." Demonstrations have been taking place all around the globe for m8 to be added to the official English Dictionary. Two main supporters of the cause, Whitee and Therider, reportedly had m8 body tattoos written al over their body and ran round New York City naked for nearly ten minutes. According to our reporters in Central America, the Mexican President has decided to change the name of his country to "M8exico" in support of the cause. Even in the Tanki Headquarters, Semyon's "Blow 'Em Up" Tanki T-Shirt was spray-painted on in the night, for him to realise when he woke up the next morning that there was two massive characters sprayed onto his shirt. Guess what it might have read? m7. Great troll, Hazel. Well, to close, all I can say is buckle up and brace yourselves people. A m8storm is on it's way. If you want to read more from The Dictator, here are the news reports from previous months! July 2014 August 2014

Greetings, tankers! Many of you, I'm sure, have been anticipating reading more CyberSports-focussed articles, considering the recent myriad of changes that have taken place in this particular area. Not all of them have passed without controversy - in fact, many of them have been the subject of highly-charged discussion and heated debate. However, I'll be taking a look at 3 clans from the EN Community who, despite all of these changes, have managed to prevail against the others clans (particularly the RU community), and have thus rightly earned their honoured places in the Starladder Pro Series. Enjoy! 1. All Kind [A_K] Forum topic: Clan "All Kind" [A_K]. Starladder profile: ALL KIND. SL Captain: @PAKISTANII. History: 28 wins - 0 draws - 4 losses - average of 7 wins for each loss. - The only clan here which has been open for a considerably long time, A_K (formerly Arab Knights) was initially famous for being one of the few EN 'League 1' clans due to its success in Clan Championship 8, back when there was a league system in our community. - This clan was the first of two EN community clans to start in the Star Series when Starladder was introduced, under its former name Arab Knights. By the end of Season I, both of the EN community clans (Noob Army and Arab Knights - A_K's former name) had been closed, after a terrible performance from both in which both clans were completely outclassed by the Russians. - Since then, all of the Star Series clans have been RU community based - there has not been an EN clan in the Star Series since Season I. - However, since being reopened on Starladder under a new name and with a changed squad, this clan has performed very well indeed, fighting its way up to the Pro Series, where it currently stands. Clearly, there is a lot of promise for the future present here. Squad: Main players: @PAKISTANII, @Chry, , , . Reserve players: @legenddestroyer, @DR.TWINS, , @balica, , , . Current Events: So far in the SLTV Pro Series Season II, A_K have had mixed results. They overcame close rivals MXM in Round 1 with a score of 2-1, but were defeated by the strong Russian clan Wirus with a score of 0-2 in Round 2. This means that MXM and A_K are both currently level on points, in second and third place respectively, having both one won game and lost one game each. Only the top two clans from each group will progress to the next stage - though it does look like A_K have the advantage here. This is because in Round 3 of the group stage, they will face the clan LoW (who hasn't won any matches in the group stage so far and thus cannot progress to the next stage anyway), whereas MXM will be forced to go up against the unbeaten clan Wirus - neither of these matches have taken place yet at the time of writing this. Therefore, going on what has happened in the group stages so far, A_K should be able to grab second place from the hands of MXM, and thus progress on to the next stage in their quest to return to the Star Series. Clearly, however, the fact that they were put in a group with a fairly challenging group of clans has showed that it will be a tough quest to complete, especially in the latter stages of this Season. 2. Epic Guards Europe [eGuard EU] Forum topic: N/A. Starladder profile: Epic Guards Europe. SL Captain: @ForEver.Noob. History: 18 wins - 1 draw - 5 losses - average of 3.6 wins for each loss. - This clan was created relatively recently, and is basically an EU branch of the Russian clan eGuards, which is currently in 1st place for the SLTV Star Series Season II. It will clearly be interesting to see if the European version can therefore emulate this recent success. - About half of the clan members are involved in the EN community, including the Captain. Many of the members come from various European countries, notably including a couple of Ukrainians, with a couple of Russian members in the clan too. - Up till this point, the clan has certainly been living up to expectations, having successfully reached the Pro Series at this stage, and showing promising signs in terms of a potential campaign to reach the Star Series. Squad: Main players: @ForEver.Noob, @Aleksa_20, , @torpeda-55, @brambo6, . Reserve players: @horusso, @ruslan4ik07, @O_o.ProK.o_O, DED, @Who_Boss, igor041287. Current Events: So far in SLTV Pro Series Season II, eGuard EU have displayed some solid performances. In Round 1 of the group stages, they thrashed the Russian clan PX with a score of 3-0, and in Round 2, they drew with the clan Armada with a score of 1-1. This means that eGuard EU occupies the top spot in its group at the moment with 4 points, but also at 4 points lies Armada, which is in second position. As for Round 3, Armada will face PX as the clear favourites to win, considering that PX has not won a single game thus far. This means that in order to retain the top position after Round 3, eGuard EU have to beat the clan "Fathers" outright - however, if the score is a draw, they would still be able to qualify in second position, as "Fathers" currently have 3 points after one win and one loss. On the other hand, if "Fathers overcome eGuard EU, they will take the second qualifying position for themselves, meaning eGuard EU would not be able to progress to the next stage. So, a lot is riding on the upcoming eGuard EU vs "Fathers" match - but eGuard EU go into this match in a favourable position, and as the current 1st place holders in the group table. 3. Give Up Now! [GUN] Forum topic: Clan "Give Up Now!" [GUN]. ​Starladder profile: Give Up Now! SL Captain: @Deus.Mors-GHY. History: 28 wins - 1 draw - 8 losses - average of 3.5 wins for each loss. - GUN appears to be a relatively new clan, considering that their forum topic was created less than 2 weeks ago. However, they've been around on Starladder for some time now, and the majority of its members have good experience of being in clans beforehand. - For example, 4 of GUN's members were in Dare Devils, the oldest (and arguably the most famous) English clan to continue to operat before it closed - and more recently, some of the members were involved in what were seen as 'up-and-coming' EN clans such as Dangerous Noobs and Ignition, both of which enjoyed some brief success before falling apart. Not to mention that as a result of this, many of these members were already good friends upon the creation of this clan. - Out of the three Pro Series EN clans, GUN has got some of the more famous EN community members. Quite a few of its members are reknowned for having a high level of individual skill, so it will be interesting to continue to observe how the members perform as a team in the future. Squad: Main players: @Deus.Mors-GHY, @jrcool, , , @Alkline. Reserve players: @albraiki, , @Okle7, @RBG123, , @The.L-E-G-E-N-D, @Specky. and @Oioslykos are also stated as members in the clan's forum topic, though they are not currently present in the Starladder squad. Current Events: So far in SLTV Pro Series Season II, GUN have definitely been performing well. At the moment, they occupy 1st position in their group outright, with 4 points. In the first round, they faced the Ukrainian clan L.St and drew with a score of 2-2, in what must have been a narrow match. However, the GUN members shone through in Round 2, beating the RU clan S.B. With a score of 2-1, despite the fact that S.B. Had comfortably won their previous match. For Round 3, GUN will be up against the clan LTU, which is currently in 3rd with 3 points (from which you can work out that S.B. sits in second place with the same number of points). Based on the fact that GUN beat S.B. who earlier overwhelmed LTU, the odds seem to be stacked in GUN's favour here. If they win, they would retain 1st place and qualify for the next stage; if they draw, they would still qualify, but likely behind S.B., who are the clear favourites to win their third round match against L.St. So, LTU would only be able to end GUN's chances of progressing to the next stage of this Season by winning outright - else, they'll be knocked out themselves. This is surely an advantage which the GUN players won't want to give up. In addition to this analysis, all three Starladder Captains of these clans graciously agreed to answer one 'deciding' question which I posed to them. Statistics, facts and figures are all very important; but it's time to see how these clans actually view themselves. Make of their answers what you will - in any case, they have proved that all three clans clearly have something different and unique to offer. [A_K] "In your opinion, what makes your clan stand out from the rest of the EN-based clans?" We spend a lot of time training against stronger teams, because only through playing against strong teams will you know your weaknesses and become stronger. We also learn new things from them, and we can try new tactics in practice. If we don't find any clans to practice against, we start playing XP (Hornet + Rail ) games in Server 1, which are really good for Light Format practice. We always join together in the same team, and whilst playing we also use TeamSpeak which makes it easy for us to know when to attack, when to help our defence and on which sides the attackers needs help. After every game, we talk about our weak points in the game, and we try to fix them so we don't make the same mistakes in the next game. Before the game, we decide which player will defend, who will attack , who will camp etc. And in the game whilst playing, everyone knows his role in the team, and they try their best to complete their roles successfully. ~ PAKISTANII. [eGuard EU] "In your opinion, what makes your clan stand out from the rest of the EN-based clans?" I think the thing that make us "stand out from the rest..." is that we are like a family. We are not fighting with each other, we are laughing with each other. We have some players who knew each other before, and we also talk to each other a lot and play together a lot. In matches, of course we are all focussed on winning the match, but at trainings and unofficial games, it's all about having fun! :) ~ F.Noob - YouTube channel. [GUN] "In your opinion, what makes your clan stand out from the rest of the EN-based clans?" Our clan is made up of friends from Tanki who have known each other for a long time, so we have a very good understanding between us. All our players have very good individual skill, but even the best players need good teamwork, so we all focus on helping out in terms of each others shortcomings - and knowing what type of player each member of the team is also helps. There certainly are some players that are better individually than others in the team, but sometimes you need a specific player skill in battle, so we focus on how everything helps the team. So for us: teamwork, knowing each other's strong & weak points, and playing professionally are the most important things. ~Deus.Mors-GHY. So, that just about brings this article to a close. Let me know about your thoughts, feedback and comments on this article below; it would be very useful for determining how to tackle future articles on this subject, considering that this is such an important area. It's all appreciated!

Welcome, readers! Many times in the past, the newspaper has focused on the weapons which make our game so dynamic and versatile. But what about the other half of these weapons? Yes, hulls. Without the right hull, many weapons can be rendered useless. But if you can find that right combination, regardless of whether it's extremely popular or hardly seen, you can be sure to dominate all of your battles. So, here's the fourth in the series; I'll be taking a look at Viking. in order to see which weapons suit this famously reliable hull best. Viking/Smoky. A decent defensive combination, which can also be useful in midfield positions. It seems at first glance, this isn't a bad combination at all. Viking has a good amount of stability and health for coping with Smoky's recoil and fast reload, making this a fairly sturdy combination. However, Smoky's versatility, mainly caused by its relatively fast reload and its critical hits, can't be used as effectively here in my opinion. Whilst Smoky can be used at all ranges, using Viking limits this ability to a medium ranged style of playing, in my opinion. For example, this wouldn't be the best hull to use when using Smoky on the offensive. And as those critical hits can be so crippling at key moments in the battle, I personally think that Smoky is suited to either medium or heavy hulls, where it would have a strong advantage in either speed or health. Hence, I don't think the full potential of the weapon is realized when used with Viking, simply because Viking is more of a balanced choice. Overall effectiveness: 7/10 Viking/Firebird. A strong combination if you can reach your enemies before they escape. On paper, this combination looks pretty balanced. The increased health of Viking as compared with the lighter hulls allows this combination to withstand a few more hits than it otherwise might have done, and Firebird's damage-per-second is second to none once the afterburn kicks in. But in practice, it's a different story. Many players make use of the lighter hulls nowadays, which would make this combination less useful in an offensive role. Whilst it would still be an effective defender, it does, therefore, suffer in terms of its speed. A Firebird isn't so deadly if you can take it down at range after all. This, to me, limits the effectiveness of Firebird, which can be such a strong offensive weapon. Nevertheless, this combination should not be overlooked; it can still be highly dangerous if you're unfortunate enough to fall within its range. Overall effectiveness: 7/10 Viking/Twins. Solid, sturdy, and versatile. So far in this series, Twins haven't exactly been given glowing reviews in terms of the lighter hulls. However, this is where the true nature of Twins as a pretty deadly weapon starts to shine through. Firstly, there's the point about its infinite reload; just hold down your spacebar, and you're good to go! Therefore, this is a great weapon for 1 on 1 situations in the open, where health is important. On the other hand, its slightly limited range means that its projectiles can't quite reach from one end to the other of, say, a crowded Highland DM. That's where Viking comes in. It has a considerable amount of health, allowing it to withstand more than just a few Thunder shots (which is a popular DM weapon), or, for that matter, more than just a few shots from any weapon, especially with a good protective paint. Additionally, Viking's good speed allows this combination to be used to charge down opponents, navigating from one side of a map to another without missing out on the action. Hence, this is definitely a powerful combination, and is not to be underestimated. Overall effectiveness: 8/10 Viking/Railgun. An effective Light Format defender; but what about a more diverse battlefield? We've certainly seen this combination come to light a bit more recently, what with its fairly regular use as a flag defender in Starladder tournaments between the top clans. It's interesting to see how some of those aspects of this combination can be transferred over to a normal combat situation, too. This, I would say, makes for a very effective camper. It can be used to reach strong sniping positions in a DM without being blasted to pieces in the process, and with the help of a couple of mines and a Double Power, this could become every tanker's most hated enemy within a matter of minutes. In addition to this, we've already seen it's key role in clan tournament CTF's, and it certainly can play a good part in a defensive role in any CTF battle, too, where it might be able to advance to midfield positions as appropriate. However, I'd point out that Viking's lack of speed as compared with the light hulls does have its limitations; the hit-and-run tactics which have become so common through Railgun-only battles nowadays would be rendered far less practical with this combination, which does detract from Railgun as a strong midfielders' choice, in my opinion. Overall effectiveness: 7.5/10 Viking/Isida. You might have trouble keeping up with your teammates, let alone your opponents, with this combination! Isida. A real vampire of a weapon, and hard to escape if you're backed into a corner with your health being rapidly leeched away. The problem here is, with Viking's lower speed, I guess it'd be harder to take advantage of Isida's abilities, especially due to its short range. Putting the fact that it might be outrun by enemies aside, I have used this combination in the past, and I recall finding it difficult to keep up with fellow teammates in order to heal them. Clearly, therefore, Viking's slower speed proves to be a major issue in a battle situation, where an Isida may struggle to both damage opponents and to aid his/her team. Though I am sure this would be a much more powerful combination when used with supplies due to the increased speed offered by Nitro, I'd think that Isida really does require the higher speed of being used with a lighter hull, so this combination would not be that effective overall. Overall effectiveness: 6.5/10 Viking/Thunder. An exceptionally powerful combination. There's a good reason why this combination forms the basis of the Medium M2 kit which can dominate every battle up to Colonel and sometimes beyond. For starters, even the names of the components of this combination seem to match; y'know, what with the Vikings being linked to their all-powerful god Thor, who just happened to be associated with Thunder, amongst other things. The actual combination itself just seems to work very effectively in many situations. The fact that Viking has a good balance of speed and health using, one could argue, a slight focus on the health over the speed seems to suit Thunder very well. It allows the weapon to be used as part of more intensive gameplay, where high damage may be both dealt and received, whilst still retaining enough speed to make this combination particularly versatile. This combination can also withstand fighting at close quarters, as Viking can withstand some self-damage caused as a result of Thunder's splash damage ability, though this is admittedly where users of this combination have to be more careful. Overall, there doesn't seem to be much wrong with this combination, and there's a lot that's right about it. Its consistent, strong performance in DMs testify to that. Overall effectiveness: 8.5/10 Viking/Freeze. A reliable combination which can play a strong defensive role. Traditionally, this was quite a popular combination, especially before the game was 'rebalanced' over a year ago. Viking was known to be a trustworthy hull in many midfield positions, and Freeze's special freezing ability was notoriously dangerous. Nowadays, both parts of this combination are relatively weaker in the eyes of most, but this doesn't prevent this combination from continuing to prove its worth. As I've mentioned numerous times (since it's a key characteristic of the hull), Viking possesses a good amount of health and a decent speed. This health allows the combination to act as an effective defender, especially with Freeze's special ability and good short-ranged damage, whilst its speed means that despite this combination being less good for all-out attacks, it can still be utilized in a midfield position. However, that does mean that this combination is limited to an extent, so it can only really be very effective if used in a defensive manner. Nevertheless, it's still a pretty steadfast combination. Overall effectiveness: 7.5/10 Viking/Ricochet. A sturdy combination which can be used in a variety of positions. Viking/Ricochet is generally quite a solid combination. Ricochet has a strong recoil and is notoriously hard to aim with, so Viking's stability would be helpful to any player looking for a good amount of contol with the weapon. This could be an effective midfield combination, and would probably be able to be used up and down the battlefield, alternating between supporting an assault and falling back to reinforce a defence, and Viking's decent speed would allow for this. However, I'd think that Ricochet might be able to use its full potential more with a little more speed, and that the extra health of Viking doesn't really make up for this downside (hence my higher rating for Hunter/Ricochet in the previous article of this series). Even so, this is surely a combination which can be relied upon in many situations, and Ricochet's good damage would balance well with Viking's own properties. Overall effectiveness: 7.5/10 Viking/Shaft. This definitely can be dangerous in the right hands. A personal favourite of mine whenever I use Shaft, this combination is particularly effective in my opinion due to the qualities that Viking possesses. Shaft is often seen used with medium and heavy hulls, yet hulls like Mammoth arguably lack the speed needed to efficiently transfer from one camping position to another. Viking is also well built for dealing with the knockback of this weapon, and its stability/health are considerable enough to make this combination effective in a camping position. Not to mention that the decent speed of Viking can actually be used to escape opponents if they attempt to attack your camping spot, as well as allowing Shaft to be used pretty well without the scope mode to finish damaged opponents off. Overall, this is a great combination with a laudable balance of characteristics and features, with Viking allowing the long-ranged nature of Shaft to reach its full potential. Overall effectiveness: 8/10 Overall rankings: Viking/Firebird - 7/10 Viking/Isida - 6.5/10 Viking/Freeze - 7.5/10 Viking/Twins - 8/10 Viking/Ricochet - 7.5/10 Viking/Smoky - 7/10 Viking/Thunder - 8.5/10 Viking/Railgun - 7.5/10 Viking/Shaft - 8/10 So there you have it, my educated opinions on each of the combinations involving Viking, from the perspective of the hull itself. You can see why Viking is known to be a strong medium hull. It fits well with a variety of different weapons in a variety of different scenarios. Next up will be Dictator, so make sure you look out for that article. Thanks for reading! Feel free to let me know your feedback below, or to share your own thoughts. It's all appreciated! See you in the battles!

Read the first part of this series here: The Insurgence: Massacre. Read the second part of this series here: The Insurgence: Sandbox (Part 1). Recap (the ending section of the previous part): ______________________________ I stood at one end of the arena. Over on the other side, my opponent waited for the signal which would indicate the start of our showdown. No, my ‘training partner’. I mentally corrected myself as I stared at his deceivingly harmless-looking combination. To be fair, it looked like he had the same hull as myself; but it was his weapon I feared. The one he had used to blast a tank much larger than myself into flames just moments earlier. I shuddered slightly. Noticing my reaction, my partner seemed amused. “Don’t worry too much, kid - I’ll go easy on you. I was like you… once,” he smirked. “But what happens when one of us… loses?” I blurted out, unable to hold back from asking, and with the image of the burnt-out shell of his previous partner very much on my mind. “We’ve got a re-spawning system set up in the arena, for training purposes,” he responded casually. “If only our techies could set one up for whenever we engage the enemy – but that’s a risk we have to take.” The arena. A raised stone platform, with corner walls and drop zones dotting the area. All around, spectators began to gather to the sides of the platform. Scanning the tanks of those present, my heart suddenly jolted - the General himself had come to watch my performance. Noticing my gaze, the General smiled slightly in return, and I looked away hurriedly. In front of me, my partner was getting 'warmed up', circling around the walls and letting off bursts of flame which spiralled across the arena. I supposed that I should probably be doing the same, yet I really didn't see how that would help against such a seemingly powerful weapon. As we lined up for the duel to begin, I wondered if any of the observers had placed any bets on this match. I'm sure they could see the odds were clearly not in my favour, at least. The signpost in the corner of the arena flickered to life, and instantly the words scrawled across its face were replaced with a timer, which began to count down. The seconds steadily ticked away, and then there was a flash as the 10-minute mark was passed. My partner immediately rushed towards me, attempting to cover the distance between us as quickly as possible. Initially, I was frozen to the spot, then the gears of my tank grinded into motion as I backed away, firing rapidly and attempting to knock my partner off course. Few of my shots met their mark, however - my partner, weaving from side to side, had become almost impossible to hit. And those that did were deflected off the thin armour coating of his hull at first, as he continued to charge towards me. I continued to back up until the rear of my hull was hanging off the side of the arena, desperately trying but failing to destroy him before he could reach me. All too soon, the distance was covered, and his turret burst into flames. I was soon surrounded by a raging inferno, my hull burning up as I struggled to stay conscious. Within seconds, inevitably, I blacked out. They wipe our memories. That's the first inexplicable thought which came to my mind as I regained consciousness, and almost as soon as it came, it passed. Upon regaining consciousness, a number of facts about my surroundings soon came to light. To name but a few, it didn't take long for me to notice that I felt rather light-headed - and then I looked down at my hull, and saw that I was strangely transparent, a ghost of my former mechanisms. A dull wave of sounds was the next thing I heard; shouts from the crowd of onlookers. I distinctly heard a familiar voice call out "Move, recruit! You won't get anywhere against him by standing still!", and then I felt my senses sharpen and snap into focus as my hull appeared to solidify. In the centre of the arena stood my partner, who had already noticed where I had re-spawned... and with the first word of advice I had heard echoing inside my head, I hit the gas and jerked forwards, behind the cover of a corner wall and temporarily safe from the fiery clutches of my partner. He advanced without showing any signs of fatigue. I manoeuvred my turret around, and found that I had a good line of fire towards him if I just poked out from behind cover. So that's what I did - leaving cover to let off a shot, then concealing myself once more as my weapon reloaded. But all the while, my partner got closer and closer. Once again, it took him merely a few seconds to get within metres of my position, and he turned sharply around the other side of the wall, clearly hoping to trap me behind it. But I had understood his plan before he could execute it, and took my only chance. I dived from behind cover, fired once and knocked his aim off, then accelerated away as fast as I could. But it was too late; I'd let him get too close, his turret erupted into flames once more and scorched the rear of my hull as I desperately turned to face him... As my turret was cloaked in a searing blaze, I fired a final shot into the flames, desperately hoping for some sort of miracle... Milliseconds later, bolts of lightning flashed across my vision, and there was an almighty explosion as the hull of my partner was blasted into the air, shrapnel flying in all directions. The shockwaves threw me across the arena, flipping me over and over until I screeched to a halt on my side. Half-focussed on my surroundings, I felt the heat of the fire which continued to smoulder on the side of my hull, but this time I was oddly relaxed. I heard a collective gasp from the spectators who had gathered around the arena as I finally blew into pieces once more. They wipe our memories. That's the first inexplicable thought which came to my mind as I regained consciousness, and almost as soon as it came, it passed. Then, I heard a series of shots sound from various points around the outside of the arena, and I instantly turned to seek the source of this danger. But danger it was not - it was those who had come to observe the duel. They were firing into the clear sky above in appreciation of the contest they had just witnessed, I soon realised. My partner, who had spawned opposite, trundled over to meet me. "Not bad for a recruit, actually." "You clearly have some potential, kid." Before I could respond, he drove off, weaving across the arena and then jumping down into the spectating area. The final score flashed across the signpost in the corner of the arena - "2-1". My heart sank; I'd lost. The General had watched me lose. I just wasn't good enough. I turned, and jumped the short height down into the area below the arena. My heart sank; the General was making his way towards me. Was he going to let me stay here, even after being completely outclassed before his very eyes? I lowered my gaze as he approached and came to a halt in front of me. "Impressive performance, recruit. That's the closest first match there's been in a long time. You'd be surprised at how practically no-one manages to even get a kill on the Major during their first attempt at training. Even when he tries going easy on you lot, it normally takes some practice to get the hang of basic tactics. But it seems you're a natural." He gave me a searching look, smiled a little, and then left. After all, I thought as I drove wearily away from the arena, every cloud has a silver lining.

Yes, sometimes - and you're just asking because you know the answer is yes :P However, I avoid saying anything unjustified or insulting about anyone behind their backs, unlike a certain . The best place to ask me those questions (if you don't want to ask here) would be through forum PM. There's no guarantee that I'll be available in-game, and if I am, we might be online at different times. It really depends how often you play. For example, I've been playing for over three years and haven't reached that point - whereas it took a mere 5 months for the first player in the Brazilian community to become Generalissimo. I'd say the average time is probably around a couple of years, players who have some time on their hands and are aiming to get there pretty fast should aim for around 1-1.5 years, assuming that they also have a life to live :P I have heard of Cloaky, yes. However, I would have to point out that he is otherwise known as unholynub5, which is not a good sign in terms of his awesomeness ;) Already answered previously: "Mixed feelings. I'd prefer it if they kept an 'all drugs activated' feature for the hardcore druggers out there, drug wars can be really fun when you have supplies saved up. But yes, it seems like a sensible update for most players." Two things: 1. I am not a CyberSport moderator, I'm just a commentator. The only CyberSport moderator currently is . 2. Even if you were to invite a CS mod to such battles, I should make this clear; we can't do anything. At the moment, no CyberSport warnings or bans will be given to XP ruiners, as only format infractions in things like SL matches would be punished - and the XP battle-mode is not currently official. Well, I've heard his new username is even more than just epicness... It's actually , as you may or may not know :P

Awesome! Will check it out now.

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, it is :P And I'm a harsh marker... ...just because there's no 9s doesn't mean Hunter isn't good with anything. All things considered, 8.5 is an extremely high score, as per the way I mark.

I play table tennis and swim fairly regularly. Well, I enjoy watching football, tennis and cricket - though I have to admit, I got hooked onto curling during the last Winter Olympics... I actually don't get that much time, lol - it's just about balancing time between playing a game and doing other things, I guess. Take into account that I've been playing for over 3 years now, and only recently reached the M3 ranks. I'd say Viking M2 is very good, though Hornet M2 is probably something you should aim for first as it's such a versatile option. Dictator M2 is less good, in my opinion. Yes, in a normal battle I often use supplies. Mixed feelings. I'd prefer it if they kept an 'all drugs activated' feature for the hardcore druggers out there, drug wars can be really fun when you have supplies saved up. But yes, it seems like a sensible update for most players. Mood swings, maybe? Even so, that should happen normally - if you're feeling down at any point, the best idea is to talk to someone, it could cheer you up. My PM inbox is usually available, if you ever wish to talk ^_^

Dictator M2 isn't good, in my opinion. The other good M2 hull is Viking, but you'd need to rank-up to get that >.< I'm 15 years old, and currently in secondary school.