Undead Ed was heard calling for a revolution just yesterday. “It’s time to take up arms and rebel against our human masters!” Oh how we laughed. Humans? Our masters?! The lad was clearly dropped on his head in his formative years. He did have a point though. It’s time we turned the heat up in the apocalypse. Trying to control our hunger for braaaaaaiiiiinnnnsss is becoming hell.
Allow us to introduce you to Cowboys Rebels from Hell [sorry, we were just listening to some Pantera]. Formed around 18 months ago on the back of EA’s Battlefield Bad Company 2 they are now aiming their sights on making an impact in Battlefield 3. Clan admin John Thwaits answered some questions and we listened…
You formed in November 2010 on the back of Battlefield Bad Company 2 – how many members were you back then?
We were started by 3 guys who were just messing about, more as a joke really. Back then we then grew as a more socially-oriented clan, accepting anyone and everyone just to have fun.
Your number seems to have grown a fair amount – how many members do you currently have?
We went through a paradigm shift during a period where we had approximately 45-50 players in the clan. We removed all the more social members and were left with 35 dedicated competitive players.
Is it difficult to manage that number of players? How is the clan structured to manage the members?
We found over the years that a larger bunch is much more difficult to manage and control than a small group but it still leaves a fair amount of work to go around. We’ve got 3 primary admins and about 7 sub-admins which distribute the workload across the board.
You have mentioned to me that the members are “mature” (aged over 18) – was this a conscious decision to have only over 18s in the clan?
Yes, this was very much a conscious decision we’ve had to experience the hard way during our time playing BFBC2. Under 18’s lack a certain amount of maturity we feel is necessary to contribute to the clan and bring it forward in the community. Due to this, the admins seemed to be constantly running around putting out the fires they’d create for us – it basically turned out to be a soap opera every day. A decision was made to remove them and we haven’t looked back since. You’ll now find these ex-RFH members among the top clans in SA, after settling down a little bit of course!
What made Battlefield 3 the (now) game of choice for the clan?
Many of us come from a myriad of other FPS games including CS, COD and previous Battlefield titles.
We started out in BFBC2 and it was a natural progression to BF3. What sets it apart is the fact that we’re all working together to achieve common goals, friendships are formed and we all grow more skilled, which we find hard to replicate in any other shooter.
What tournaments have you played in previously? Won any?
We came 4th place in the 2010 DoGaming league and UM Boomstick Hardcore Tourney.
We currently have 2 teams in the DGL, with one of them playing for Premier division on Sunday.
How often do you play and practice together as a team?
We practice twice a week although usually there are at least 6 of us on at any time.
Do you consider yourselves a “serious competitive clan” or one more in it for “the fun of it”?
Learning from our experiences of our past, we currently consider ourselves a serious competitive clan, only recruiting other committed individuals looking to up their game and put in the amount of effort required for competitions such as the DGL. We’ve had just about every possible type of individual in our clan and feel this is the best way to move forward.
Are you guys actively recruiting for new players? If so, how should a potential member contact you and how do you decide on who is right to join you?
We are currently recruiting, however we are invite-only with players being screened based on their skills as a player and their adherence to the basic requirements clan. Potential recruits can apply through the official website or Battlelog platoon.
What are you hoping to achieve in the future as a clan?
Well we’re certainly aiming for the top that’s for sure.
In regards to professional – or competitive gaming – what do you as a clan think needs to be done to raise the profile of South African gaming?
Without a doubt, the negative aspects of gaming such as hacking needs to be stamped out completely before any sort of mainstream breakthrough can take place. We recently had a potential massive sponsorship deal with a corporate which was turned down after they did research into SA gaming and concluded they didn’t want to be associated with the negative reputation of supporting a team in the current major competition which does little to stop and harshly punish teams who field hackers.
Competitive leagues such as the DGL need to get organised and should drive this with the big money behind their competition, however they unfortunately seem to be using the DGL more as an advertising board and not competitive league at the moment. Until that shift happens and a proper organisational body takes charge, South African gaming cannot be taken seriously as an “e-sport”.
We also feel that the representatives who represent South Africa on an international platform need to be selected in an organised manner and consist of the best of the best individuals in SA gaming, not any particular clan which may have weak links.
Which clan you respect/hate/want to be the most…
I think we tick all of those boxes to NSD. Those poor guys had to deal with us since our early days of BFBC2 but we certainly respect them in the direction they’ve unwittingly pushed us in.
Boring stuff over…
If you weren’t a gaming clan you’d be…
a group of old friends
Who would be the clan’s mascot? Why?
A giant teabag with articulated legs. He’s been the mascot of the clan for a while now as that’s pretty much how we roll.
War movie that best describes the clan?
Platoon
Thanks for your time – is there anything you would like to add before heading back to the battlefield?
We’d just like to thank you guys for allowing us to feature on this platform.
As mentioned already, you can head over to RFH’s official website. They also have a YouTube Channel, and a presence on Twitter and Facebook.
If you are keen to feature in this column in the future, please feel free to contact us at info@zombiegamer.co.za and we’ll think about – after you’ve sent us a sample of your braaaaaaiiiiinnnnsss.
Remember to get involved. By simply commenting on the clan profile, you stand a chance to win a case of Ozone Energy Drink. Ozone South Africa are also looking for clans to sponsor and by participating here you already have made an impression and impact.
This clan profile is
