Wednesday, April 29, 2009

SPNS 2009 Leg 2 Team Preview

With SPNS just around the corner, a preview of the participating teams is something that we need to spice things up. In no random order:

Seek Family - This newly formed team has a big "Heart" when it comes to playing paintball. In heart, I mean the heart to learn, the heart to practice and the heart to listen. It has been a while since I last saw a team with such dedication. Made up from a group of army friends and friends of friends, this team is driven by the passion to learn and play. This is their first time playing in competitive paintball. Everything learnt is a big step towards something bigger. Some wins in the prelims will see this team play more and promote the game we all love. Captain Rudi is the driving force in the management of this team. Player to watch is a secondary school boy, Adam, who absorbs like a sponge when it comes to marker handling and posture.

Kamikaze - Having lost out in SPNS Leg 1 and dropping everybody's expectation, Kamikaze has come out strong this time. With almost a new team set up, the Kami boys added Mark (SPNS 2008 Leg 3 Champion), Delusion and Nicholas into the squad making the lineup look much stronger than before. Having won the MY-NPL Leg 2 Division 4 Runners Up, the new inclusions are not here to make up numbers. With SPNS Leg 1 MVP, Shadowknight leading the way. This team is surely a dark horse with tons of playing experience.

EVIL Avengers – A transformation of the former Hot Fuzz team, this team is all about experience. With most if not all of its players playing in the SPNS since the series formation, we will be expecting this team to showcase the best of paintball from the fundamental skills of snapshooting, bunkering and winning games. SPNS 2009 Leg 1 showed the team coming close to Round 2 qualification but with the inclusion of Shah who was a former SPNS 2008 Leg 1 Champion with Redlords and a SPNS 2008 Leg 2 Runners Up with Red Shadows. The question remains…

Contract Killers – Starring the same lineup, the SPNS 2009 Leg 1 Runners Up added depth to the team by recruiting Dragonfly for this leg of the competition. A “natural born killer instinct” is how I will describe this team, on their good days, they can beat any team that comes their way. With a good stronghold from their reliable back players, Benguin and Shark has form a formidable back partnership in becoming the backbone of this team. With the intention to change their name to Mastadon United, will this team be stronger than before?

Ares – Little is known about this team. Formed by a team of international students, this SPNS will be a first for everyone in the team. Led by Chris Hampton, this team can shoot a lot more paintballs than you can ever imagine. Working their way into their first competition, this team trains regularly at the field and is hoping to see their effort pays off in the field. Player to watch out for will be Chris who displayed good leadership on and off the field.

Dark Militia – Coached by Houdini, Dark Militia made their mark in the last leg by winning the 2nd Runners Up in their first SPNS appearance. Houdini who plays for Team Damnation a Division 3 team in the Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) will be the team’s player-coach in this leg of the series. Player to watch out for will be Abdullah who plays on the snake side of the field.

Red West – With 3 of its players playing in the Red Sevens team, this team is surely strong on paper, but we all know that even with the best lineup in the team, sometimes you just need that little bit of luck. Vincent who played with the team in last leg of the tournament has left the team leaving the team with a void to fill. However, with the team’s new inclusions such as WarLorD and spacemonkey, who are both playing in the back position; this team is able to find a good balance in agility and stability. Player to look out for will be Ryan Stoll who is versatile in playing all positions. Yes, even the snake…

Wargh!Cook – A newly named team from the former Wargh!Nuts, this team is one of the longest supporting guardian and ambassadors of the SPNS. Formed by a group of best buddies who went through the army together, they know what tough times are. The Semi Finalist of SPNS 2009 Leg 1, Wargh!Cook will be one of the teams to look out for. Known for their defensive tactics, Wargh!Cook will be sure to kick some ass! Commonly known to the paintball community as Chak, he will be bringing the game to the next level.

MLC – Yes, they took the paintball community by storm and surprise when they first participated in the 3rd leg of the SPNS series in 2008. Don’t be fooled by their age and looks, they might not look like the ordinary paintballer but hell these guys are aggressive on the field. They think fast and they move fast too. Just to add to their credentials, these guys won the SPNS 2008 Leg 3 1st Runners Up in their first competition beating teams such as PSG Warfreakz. So yes, they mean business. Target man to look out for will be Kay, who thinks fast and acts fast, yes some say shoot fast too.

Rebels R Us – You might not have heard of this team before but they have been around. Painting and training mostly in Malaysia, this newly formed team will be vying their skills against our local lads. Don’t be mistaken, this is a true Singaporean team but little is known about them.

So there you go…the registered teams so far. More reviews of teams will be posted if there are new inclusions. SG Troopers, Ice Cubes, Death Mavericks…

Surely, these are just my personal observation of the teams. You will be a fool to believe what I wrote, so just take it with a pinch of salt.

No comments: