HALL OF FAME (2013-2017), by Red
This hall of fame will mainly feature the people that I interacted with from summer 2013 to summer 2017.
Let's begin, first with a little background. Here is some information about the “Neoteric Era” of Stick Arena, 2013-2017:
Let's begin, first with a little background. Here is some information about the “Neoteric Era” of Stick Arena, 2013-2017:
The "Neoteric" Era:
This era starts in the Summer of 2013, the crossroads between the old and the new. The summer of 2013 was still populated by many clans from many different old pros. We had clans like Aftermath (led by TheDaniel13), Clapped (Asg), DB4D (Justdie17), Dynamite (Lights1), Phoenix (Wiz/Gunz), and ECM (Kevin) just to name a few. It was the last summer filled with such rich activity - the beginning of the decline.
After that summer, many of these old pros started to become much less active than they used to be. The fate of Stick Arena was truly left to the new generation of players. The number of clans and players decreased year by year, and tournaments became less and less active. Nonetheless, there were still great stories that came out of this new era through wars, tournaments, and drama.
And fortunately for you, I was there for all of it! Sit back and relax as I recount the biggest influences and forces in this Neoteric Era of Stick Arena.
This era starts in the Summer of 2013, the crossroads between the old and the new. The summer of 2013 was still populated by many clans from many different old pros. We had clans like Aftermath (led by TheDaniel13), Clapped (Asg), DB4D (Justdie17), Dynamite (Lights1), Phoenix (Wiz/Gunz), and ECM (Kevin) just to name a few. It was the last summer filled with such rich activity - the beginning of the decline.
After that summer, many of these old pros started to become much less active than they used to be. The fate of Stick Arena was truly left to the new generation of players. The number of clans and players decreased year by year, and tournaments became less and less active. Nonetheless, there were still great stories that came out of this new era through wars, tournaments, and drama.
And fortunately for you, I was there for all of it! Sit back and relax as I recount the biggest influences and forces in this Neoteric Era of Stick Arena.
The Factions
With the decline in clans, the Neoteric Era saw a shift from clans to factions, which are divisions in the community that people sided with. Most of Stick Arena's pro players in the Neoteric Era were a part of these factions. Knowing these factions is key to understanding how things played out in the Neoteric Era:
"The Felicites"
This group is named after Felicity, a clan founded in December 2013 by Edd. Felicity was a very popular and prominent clan in the Neoteric Era. The clan's members were not necessarily regarded as the best players in the game, but they were fiercely loyal and looked up to Edd as their Stick Arena hero. Some notable players in this group are Kills (formerly Rapt0r), Jay, BHS, Matt (h15), Malik, Ido, and Carlos. Felicity was the longest-lasting clan in the Neoteric Era.
"The Stick Hood"
This group went through several clan names over the years, including Sexy, Nation, BeastCoast, Era, FiveKings, and 8Ball. These clans were all led by Meteor and Try (and Guzzy during 2013-2014). This group prided itself on being the most "hood" players on Stick Arena, and they were known for being the most vocal and talking the most trash. They brought a very competitive edge to the game, and they always kept it real. Notable members include Drake, Info, Capone, and Air.
"The Divine"
This group is named after the Divinity clan, led by Avarice. Ava's game aged well, and rust did not seem to affect his ability to come back to the game and win a few wars or tourneys at a whim, especially with Sin at his side. Divinity's dominance attracted top talents from the other groups, such as Ic3, Fright, Ant, and Ash.
"Hala Europe!"
This group is for the European players of Stick Arena. The European community in Stick Arena was very tight-knit and strongly identified with their European backgrounds. Many great battles between Europe and US players were waged by this group; European players insist that they are better, while US players insist they are more skilled. As a whole, European players definitely added to the diversity of this game, both in terms of culture and gameplay. Leaders of this group include Lizbona and O3.
"Tne OG's"
This group is named after the Original clan, founded by Red (myself) and Nova in October 2014. At the outset in 2013, the OG group was the least established out of all the groups. As such, Nova and I had to work hard to gain a loyal following and become a force to be reckoned with in the Neoteric Era amongst already existing competition. Our group is defined by unselfishness amongst clan members and a commitment to never hacking or cheating; those who embodied this trait became the most loyal to our clan. Please explore our clan website to view the OG members list and our mission.
With the decline in clans, the Neoteric Era saw a shift from clans to factions, which are divisions in the community that people sided with. Most of Stick Arena's pro players in the Neoteric Era were a part of these factions. Knowing these factions is key to understanding how things played out in the Neoteric Era:
"The Felicites"
This group is named after Felicity, a clan founded in December 2013 by Edd. Felicity was a very popular and prominent clan in the Neoteric Era. The clan's members were not necessarily regarded as the best players in the game, but they were fiercely loyal and looked up to Edd as their Stick Arena hero. Some notable players in this group are Kills (formerly Rapt0r), Jay, BHS, Matt (h15), Malik, Ido, and Carlos. Felicity was the longest-lasting clan in the Neoteric Era.
"The Stick Hood"
This group went through several clan names over the years, including Sexy, Nation, BeastCoast, Era, FiveKings, and 8Ball. These clans were all led by Meteor and Try (and Guzzy during 2013-2014). This group prided itself on being the most "hood" players on Stick Arena, and they were known for being the most vocal and talking the most trash. They brought a very competitive edge to the game, and they always kept it real. Notable members include Drake, Info, Capone, and Air.
"The Divine"
This group is named after the Divinity clan, led by Avarice. Ava's game aged well, and rust did not seem to affect his ability to come back to the game and win a few wars or tourneys at a whim, especially with Sin at his side. Divinity's dominance attracted top talents from the other groups, such as Ic3, Fright, Ant, and Ash.
"Hala Europe!"
This group is for the European players of Stick Arena. The European community in Stick Arena was very tight-knit and strongly identified with their European backgrounds. Many great battles between Europe and US players were waged by this group; European players insist that they are better, while US players insist they are more skilled. As a whole, European players definitely added to the diversity of this game, both in terms of culture and gameplay. Leaders of this group include Lizbona and O3.
"Tne OG's"
This group is named after the Original clan, founded by Red (myself) and Nova in October 2014. At the outset in 2013, the OG group was the least established out of all the groups. As such, Nova and I had to work hard to gain a loyal following and become a force to be reckoned with in the Neoteric Era amongst already existing competition. Our group is defined by unselfishness amongst clan members and a commitment to never hacking or cheating; those who embodied this trait became the most loyal to our clan. Please explore our clan website to view the OG members list and our mission.
Sadly, this era ended in Summer of 2017. By this time, all of these clans had died. The old forums was taken down in early 2017, leaving the game with no forums for many months. After awhile, it was replaced with a new one in June 2017 called Discourse. Everyone’s stats were reset in September 2017 in an attempt by XGen Studios to cater to a new era of players with a leaderboard system. A lot of rich history seems to have been hidden away from the public and only remaining in the memories of those who were around to see the past. While many to this day still deny the death of Stick Arena, I believe that 2017 is the last year of Stick Arena’s great days, and I believe that the Neoteric Era will be the last era of Stick Arena.
Major Players
Some of these players were clan leaders of the most prominent clans from the Neoteric Era. Since the Neoteric Era did not have as many clans, the significance of each clan was heightened and represented a whole group or community of people. These clan leaders shaped and centralized the clanning scene, which is arguably the most important when it comes to Stick Arena legacy.
The other players in this list also had their impact on the overall competitive scene due to an exceptional high level of skill.
Some of these players were clan leaders of the most prominent clans from the Neoteric Era. Since the Neoteric Era did not have as many clans, the significance of each clan was heightened and represented a whole group or community of people. These clan leaders shaped and centralized the clanning scene, which is arguably the most important when it comes to Stick Arena legacy.
The other players in this list also had their impact on the overall competitive scene due to an exceptional high level of skill.
Red
The ultimate underdog turned pro. I started this era with only some very basic skills but so much to learn. I did my best to compete against the best that the Neoteric Era had to offer. I led the clans Vile and OG with Nova, which were very influential and had a strong following throughout their years. My path to the top was a very slow process with lots of losing involved, but I believe by the end of 2017 I had become one of the best in this era. I had decent aim/dodge (almost Sneezes-like at its prime), and over the years I developed top tier awareness and tactics, particularly in 2v2.
Nova
Nova was right there with me in everything that I did in Stick Arena from 2013 to 2016. He had amazing aim, dodge, and BG skills (antirush/rush). While he did not always make the best decisions in-game, he was very dangerous, defeating many players in 1v1 and always giving me a great battle whenever I faced him.
Meteor
Meteor not only talked a big game, but walked a big game too. He called himself the “BG God” at one point, which I feel was for good reason. He had a great understanding of BG only and Stick Arena in general, breaking down the game into simple bits. He was someone I looked up to during the years 2013 and 2014 before I started closing the gap. He played with his heart, and while I had bitter rivalries with him, in retrospect I respect his passion for the game when he played. Very strong player overall and one of the best of this time.
Try
Try was just a very Solid player (no pun intended). He got it done in 1v1 and especially 2v2. He played and warred with Meteor a lot in their clans. While Meteor was heart and soul, Try was the calm, collected leader in the back making sure everything was going right in the 2v2. His combination of good aim and solid map awareness was always a great challenge.
Edd
The leader of the Felicites deserves big props. He led a large clan that stayed together for many years, a level of consistency and loyalty amongst members that is rare and commendable. While in his early years he was known for his aim, in his later years (2014+) he turned into a very strategic player. He took a very slow approach to the game that was off-putting to others but was very effective in getting wins. He seemed to always know what to do in 2v2, and his aim was just good enough to complete his game. Edd and Felicity will forever be remembered.
Lite
Arguably the greatest skilled player in this era. He had the crazy aim, crazy dodge, crazy timing in BG, and the clutch-ness to put everything all together. He was mainly a mercenary for clans, sometimes stepping into Meteor/Try’s clans, Felicity, and even OG to help with their causes. Many, many pros hated to play against Lite, especially in 2014 and 2015.
Sin
Sin was just a flat-out beast and is widely regarded as the best aimer in the Neoteric Era, and possibly ever. He found a very unique way to dodge that is super strenuous but simply gets the job done every time. When his aim was on point, which it very often was, he was simply unstoppable in aim, and he used this to his advantage whenever possible, whether in 1v1 or 2v2.
Ava
Even though Ava was past his prime in the Neoteric Era, he still found ways to be influential with his gameplay. He held his fundamentals down and dominated tournaments in 1v1 and 2v2 with Sin. Clans that tried to war Divinity (Ava’s clan) pretty much were all met with the same fate. Ava did a good job of preserving his status at the very top of Stick Arena to the very end.
O3
Even though this guy was a European, at times we couldn’t tell that he was European from the way he beat pros in American servers. He was a very clutch player who consistently found ways to hand L’s in classic, both in war and in tournament.
The ultimate underdog turned pro. I started this era with only some very basic skills but so much to learn. I did my best to compete against the best that the Neoteric Era had to offer. I led the clans Vile and OG with Nova, which were very influential and had a strong following throughout their years. My path to the top was a very slow process with lots of losing involved, but I believe by the end of 2017 I had become one of the best in this era. I had decent aim/dodge (almost Sneezes-like at its prime), and over the years I developed top tier awareness and tactics, particularly in 2v2.
Nova
Nova was right there with me in everything that I did in Stick Arena from 2013 to 2016. He had amazing aim, dodge, and BG skills (antirush/rush). While he did not always make the best decisions in-game, he was very dangerous, defeating many players in 1v1 and always giving me a great battle whenever I faced him.
Meteor
Meteor not only talked a big game, but walked a big game too. He called himself the “BG God” at one point, which I feel was for good reason. He had a great understanding of BG only and Stick Arena in general, breaking down the game into simple bits. He was someone I looked up to during the years 2013 and 2014 before I started closing the gap. He played with his heart, and while I had bitter rivalries with him, in retrospect I respect his passion for the game when he played. Very strong player overall and one of the best of this time.
Try
Try was just a very Solid player (no pun intended). He got it done in 1v1 and especially 2v2. He played and warred with Meteor a lot in their clans. While Meteor was heart and soul, Try was the calm, collected leader in the back making sure everything was going right in the 2v2. His combination of good aim and solid map awareness was always a great challenge.
Edd
The leader of the Felicites deserves big props. He led a large clan that stayed together for many years, a level of consistency and loyalty amongst members that is rare and commendable. While in his early years he was known for his aim, in his later years (2014+) he turned into a very strategic player. He took a very slow approach to the game that was off-putting to others but was very effective in getting wins. He seemed to always know what to do in 2v2, and his aim was just good enough to complete his game. Edd and Felicity will forever be remembered.
Lite
Arguably the greatest skilled player in this era. He had the crazy aim, crazy dodge, crazy timing in BG, and the clutch-ness to put everything all together. He was mainly a mercenary for clans, sometimes stepping into Meteor/Try’s clans, Felicity, and even OG to help with their causes. Many, many pros hated to play against Lite, especially in 2014 and 2015.
Sin
Sin was just a flat-out beast and is widely regarded as the best aimer in the Neoteric Era, and possibly ever. He found a very unique way to dodge that is super strenuous but simply gets the job done every time. When his aim was on point, which it very often was, he was simply unstoppable in aim, and he used this to his advantage whenever possible, whether in 1v1 or 2v2.
Ava
Even though Ava was past his prime in the Neoteric Era, he still found ways to be influential with his gameplay. He held his fundamentals down and dominated tournaments in 1v1 and 2v2 with Sin. Clans that tried to war Divinity (Ava’s clan) pretty much were all met with the same fate. Ava did a good job of preserving his status at the very top of Stick Arena to the very end.
O3
Even though this guy was a European, at times we couldn’t tell that he was European from the way he beat pros in American servers. He was a very clutch player who consistently found ways to hand L’s in classic, both in war and in tournament.
Worthy Mentions
These players are not the main cast of characters, but they certainly have their place among the greatest players
of the new generation.
Ant
Ant had a supremely unique style of playing that gave people lots of trouble. He was notorious for his map awareness and 2v2 sniping, and his timing with dodging always had people disoriented.
Fright
Just a very complete player. Knew how to play 1v1 and 2v2 really well and was very hard to beat.
Ic3
There was a time when Ic3, not Sin, was the best aimer in the game. He is notorious for his 5/5 aim and his ability to rush and anti-rush in close quarters with deadly precision.
Uyt
Uyt did everything in this game. He beat the best Europeans in aim, and he took his game to Classic and beat American pros as well.
Raspy
While he started from the bottom, by 2016 and 2017 Raspy came out of nowhere and surprised many people with newfound skill. His aim became top notch, and his skills were all-around solid. Him and Ic3 were a killer team.
Kills
Another player that seemed to come out of nowhere and find his stride late, particularly after 2014. He won many tournaments with Edd. He was a very solid player and adapted Edd’s strategies in 2v2.
Air
Air made it onto the radar in 2016, when he took many by surprise with his 5/5 aim and unique sense of timing with dodging and BG skill. He is still making waves even after the Neoteric Era.
These players are not the main cast of characters, but they certainly have their place among the greatest players
of the new generation.
Ant
Ant had a supremely unique style of playing that gave people lots of trouble. He was notorious for his map awareness and 2v2 sniping, and his timing with dodging always had people disoriented.
Fright
Just a very complete player. Knew how to play 1v1 and 2v2 really well and was very hard to beat.
Ic3
There was a time when Ic3, not Sin, was the best aimer in the game. He is notorious for his 5/5 aim and his ability to rush and anti-rush in close quarters with deadly precision.
Uyt
Uyt did everything in this game. He beat the best Europeans in aim, and he took his game to Classic and beat American pros as well.
Raspy
While he started from the bottom, by 2016 and 2017 Raspy came out of nowhere and surprised many people with newfound skill. His aim became top notch, and his skills were all-around solid. Him and Ic3 were a killer team.
Kills
Another player that seemed to come out of nowhere and find his stride late, particularly after 2014. He won many tournaments with Edd. He was a very solid player and adapted Edd’s strategies in 2v2.
Air
Air made it onto the radar in 2016, when he took many by surprise with his 5/5 aim and unique sense of timing with dodging and BG skill. He is still making waves even after the Neoteric Era.