EuroCup coverage

Index Pre-Tourney Build-Up 1 Index 2 Introduction The Competitors 3 The Rules The Venue Saturday 4 Ars Moriendi vs Tulls - Q3DM6 Ars Moriendi vs Tulls - Q3DM8 Ars Moriendi vs Tulls - Q3DM6 5 Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers - Q3DM6 Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers - Q3DM7 Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers - Q3DM6 6 Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM8 Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM6 Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM8 Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM7 7 Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6 Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7 8 Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6 Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7 Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM8 9 Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7 Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6 Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7 Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6 10 Tulls interview 11 Eyeballers interview 12 Eyeballers vs Ars Moriendi - Q3DM8 13 Eyeballers vs Ars Moriendi - Q3DM6 14 Eyeballers vs Ars Moriendi - Q3DM8 15 Ars Moriendi interview 16 ClanBase interview 17 Photo Gallery

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Introduction

For the last several weeks, a war has been erupting across Europe. Some of the finest Quake 3 clans on the continent have been battling it out over the internet as part of the EuroCup, organised by ClanBase.

Only four of the 27 clans who made it to the end of the tournament in one piece would earn themselves a place in the grand final, taking place at a LAN event at the unfortunately named "NOB Studio 25", a television studio in Hilversum, Holland. Against tough opposition, these four clans had proven themselves to be the creme de la creme, the best in Europe...

Schroet Kommando

German clan SK has always been the firm favourite to win the EuroCup, not losing a single match during the qualifiers, and only dropping one of the 18 maps they played!

With a team including Kane, Paracyde and Griff, SK have a deserved reputation as being the top clan in Germany, going way back to the QuakeWorld days. We're definitely expecting them to make it to the grand finals this weekend, and it would be a major upset if they were knocked out before then.

Tulls

Undoubtedly considered the competition's under-dogs at the beginning, Italian clan Tulls proved themselves against some of the strongest clans in Europe, despite some of their members having to travel hundreds of miles to the NGI LAN to get the best ping possible against opponents as far away as the UK.

Their qualifier group included seven other teams, including German stars Schroet Kommando, as well as top British clans UNR and DC. But in the end the Italians came through in fine form, only losing their game to SK, and so ending up second in their group. An impressive performance... If they can match it this weekend, they could make the finals.

Eyeballers

Sweden's Eyeballers won their group undefeated, including a clear victory against Norway's Memento Mori, home to famous European duellers Shub and Blue, proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.

The team actually started life as a Quake 2 CTF clan back in '98, taking part in a number of European CTF leagues as well as several deathmatch competitions, although there has been a radical line-up change since those days. Still, if they are on form this weekend they could do well.

Ars Moriendi

Most of Ars Moriendi comes from Finland, with a spattering of Swedes thrown into the mix for good measure. They won their qualifier group, only dropping one game of the six that they played.

Ars Moriendi went on to cause something of an upset by knocking top Norwegian clan Memento Mori out of the competition in the quarter finals. They may just cause another upset this weekend if they are on form, but the competition is going to be even tougher here in Holland.

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The Rules

The EuroCup finals will be a double elimination affair, meaning that a clan needs to be beaten twice before they are out of the competition. With four clans making it this far, that means there will be six games in all.

The tourney will start with the semi-finals, the winners of which will play each other in the winners bracket final, while the losers play in the losers bracket final. The losers of the winners bracket final will then play the winners of the losers bracket final for a place in the grand final against the winners of the winners bracket. Are you with me still?

Each of the matches will be played as best of five maps, with each clan choosing maps for two of the games. Q3DM6, Q3DM7, and Q3DM8 are all available, but to make things a little more interesting, no more than two games in any one match can be played on the same map. Each game will be twenty minutes long.

If a fifth game is needed to decide the result, the map which has not already been used in that match will be chosen. If all the maps have already been played on, then the clan which has the most frags by this point in the match will get to pick the last map.

The Venue

The EuroCup finals are taking place on a specially constructed LAN in a TV studio in the media park at Hilversum, a town near Amsterdam here in the Netherlands.

The LAN will be made up of twenty computers, provided courtesy of PowerLine. To make sure they have the grunt to run Quake 3 at the kind of frame-rates the competitors are expecting, the computers will be based around a Pentium III 600MHz processor and a GeForce DDR graphics card, with 128Mb of memory and a 17" monitor.

Currently the clans are still warming up, and the Germans haven't even arrived at the venue yet! The first match will be Ars Moriendi vs Tulls, with Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers later in the afternoon. Watch this space for all the latest results, reports and interviews!

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Ars Moriendi vs Tulls - Q3DM6

AM's Xorgal picked up the first frag of the game with the plasma gun, and AM were soon pulling out a healthy lead. After a minute they were 12 : 4 up, and counting...

Tulls already looked to be in trouble as the carnage continued. AM were hogging the quad, and every time it came up they were there in force waiting for it, swarming the central arena. Tulls managed to pick a quad up for themselves, but with three minutes of the game gone they were already 38 : 14 down.

AM weren't having it all their own way though. One of the AM players grabbed the quad (again), only for Tulls' Cocisuts to charge into the room and despatch him almost straight away. But the game was obviously going AM's way, as at half time they were already 105 : 60 up.

Xorgal was on a rampage, charging into the quad room to find the Italians had beaten him to it this time. Tulls' quad man was soon splattered across the floor, and two of his team mates soon joined him there as Xorgal headed for the rocket launcher ledge. Every time Tulls got the quad, Xorgal was there right behind them, charging in kamikaze style.

With four minutes left to play the score was 165 : 101, as AM dominated the game. Tulls tried their best to claw back the deficit, but it was too late, and the final score was 214 : 138 to the Scandinavians.

Ars Moriendi vs Tulls - Q3DM8

AM took the first frag again, with one of their players pummeling Cocisuts with the gauntlet. Within a minute they had raced to an 11 : 4 lead, and given this was Tulls' choice of map this had to be bad news...

Cocisuts got one back soon enough, rocketing AM's quad carrier near the pool. Xorgal went down in a stream of Scandinavian swear words, only to be swarmed by most of the Tulls team as he respawned. Things were mostly going AM's way though, and after three minutes of play they were 25 : 12 up.

AM were hogging the quad again, always ready and waiting for it to respawn every time. Tulls just couldn't respond, and the game started to slip away from them even further. With seven and a half minutes gone it was 81 : 32 to AM, despite this being Tulls' home map. Tulls were going down.

A big battle in the quad cathedral gave both sides a few frags, before things settled down again. AM were making it look easy now though, and at half time they were 107 : 40 up and still pulling out even further ahead as they controlled the quad.

The second half went much the same as the first, with Tulls obviously unable to respond as AM pulled out a lead of almost 100 frags. With a minute to go one of the Tulls players gauntleted Xorgal, and as the computer called out "Humiliation!", Xorgal banged the desk in frustration.

It was all over for Tulls though, and the final score saw AM a comfortable 199 : 104 ahead!

Ars Moriendi vs Tulls - Q3DM6

Once again AM took the early lead. Cocisuts from Tulls picked up the quad about half a minute into the game, but before he could do anything with it the AM guys had taken him down. Within two minutes it was 24 : 6 to AM, and things were looking .. painful for Tulls.

As AM's Nikita appeared on one of the ledges over looking the quad room, two Tulls players took down one of his team mates below him. Nikita fired off a couple of rockets in their direction for their troubles, and killed both of them. It was rapidly turning into a rout for Tulls, as within four minutes AM had streaked ahead to 61 : 13.

AM were mercilessly hunting down the Tulls players, who seemed unable to respond. AM were doing a good job of controlling the weapons, and Tulls were often caught trying to defend themselves with a machinegun as a pack of plasma spewing, rocket launching AM players charged them down. Almost as soon as they spawned the Tulls players were on the run, as AM fired team binds at each other to hog the weapons and call in support.

By half time it was 136 : 50 to AM, and it was all over for Tulls. They weren't going to let that stop them enjoying themselves though, and as Glauts took out one of the AM players on the double stairs he shouted out "Mwuhaha" in triumph. It was a short lived triumph though, as AM took an unstoppable 100 frag lead.

With three minutes left Xorgal went for the quad, only to collide with another AM player who had got there right ahead of him. Shouting out in frustration he headed for the bounce pad, only to be hit by an Italian rocket as he reached the top to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Knocked down to 2 health, he plumetted to the ground Wily Coyote style to leave a small crater in the concrete.

AM had already won though, and the final score was a commanding 242 : 115. Ars Moriendi go through to the finals with a 3 : 0 victory of Italy's Tulls, who drop down to the losers bracket...

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Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers - Q3DM6

SK took the first frag of the game, and their star player Kane picked up a couple more to give them the early lead. But with 30 seconds gone it was all equal again, and it was obvious that this was going to be a close match.

Eye took the lead, but the scores were within a few frags of each other the whole time, and it was too close to call. Two minutes in it was 18 : 17 to SK as the Germans fought back. The game's commentary couldn't keep up - "Red leads, teams are tied, blue leads, teams are tied..."

Eventually Eye started to pull out a lead, but it was still close, and within a minute the scores were all even again. 40 : 40 at four minutes. A trio of Eyes swarmed Kane on the double stairs, but SK were now pulling ahead by a slim margin, and seemed to have calmed down a little after the initial panic. The lead continued to change every minute or two, and the two teams seemed to be perfectly matched.

A moment of confusion saw Kane indulging in a little "friendly fire", taking down team-mate Griff, and then the Eye that he had been trying to kill got him with some plasma. With eight minutes gone it was 75 : 65 to Eye, but SK weren't about to give in and the game was still too close to call.

A battle erupted in the quad room as two Eyes chased a lone SK player, but Kane spotted them and joined in the fray, coming off the bounce pad and firing a rocket down into the Eyes from up on high, fragging the both of them. At half time it was 92 : 84 to Eye, and the teams were within about ten frags of each other most of the time.

Thirteen minutes in Eye made a grab for the quad in the midst of a huge battle, but their quad carrier was soon taken down by Kane, who killed another of their players before being taken down himself by the two surviving Eyes. Within a minute the scores were all even again!

A swarm of SK players homed in on Everflow near the double stairs as the Germans took the lead again by a narrow margin, and with five minutes left SK seemed to be taking control of the match, going 135 : 129 up.

Evenflow picked up the next quad, as Litzter pummeled Paracyde - "humiliation". Eye picked up a few kills, but SK were still holding their lead and were soon on a rampage of their own to come back. With just two and a half minutes left it was 166 : 150 to SK. Eye fought back hard, but just couldn't make up the deficit in the time left.

Final score, 187 : 172. A very close match.

Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers - Q3DM7

Eye took the early lead, going 4 : 2 up after the first minute. But again it was going to be a very close match, with neither team able to pull a significant lead. With two and a half minutes gone it was 23 : 17 to Eye.

Kane picked up a plasma gun at the bottom of the level and then waited, watching the view through the teleporter until a hapless Eye player walked into view. Diving through, Kane brought him down in a hail of plasma and took his rocket launcher, only to catch Griff by mistake as he burst into the big railgun courtyard. With five minutes gone it was 33 : 25.

Kane was soon back by the teleporter again, and this time he managed to telefrag one of the Eye players coming through it towards the megahealth hall. Nice... SK were closing in on Eye again for a short time, but soon it was Eye's turn to extend their lead, making it 47 : 34 after seven minutes.

SK were soon back on the chase again though, with Griff railing Evenflow, who promptly spawned right in front of a pair of Germans. Kane was a little overambitious though, and tried to take on the whole of Eye single-handedly in the quad courtyard. It was sure to end in tears. It was getting close though, 58 : 53 at half time.

SK's Kila picked up a couple of rail kills to make things even closer as he headed for the quad, but Evenflow made it to the quad ahead of him. It was all even again after eleven minutes though - incredible! The two clans were perfectly matched, and although Eye took the lead again, it was soon even Stevens again.

SK were camping the railgun courtyard, while Eye concentrated on the quad, and both sides were cautious. Eventually SK launched a beautifully co-ordinated blitzkrieg, and caught three members of Eye napping in the quad courtyard as they streamed in from all directions. The Eye players just kept coming back for more though, but in the end SK came out victorious and the score was 94 : 88 to the Germans, with just three minutes left.

Eye weren't about to lie down and die though, and with just a minute left the whole clan charged into the railgun courtyard and ran amok! There was only two frags in it, but in the end the scattered SK manage to secure their victory. Final score, 105 : 102!

Schroet Kommando vs Eyeballers - Q3DM6

Both teams needed a short rest to recover their breaths after two very tense and very closely fought matches, before returning to carry on the battle. SK were now 2 : 0 up, and Eye would have to win three games in a row to take the match!

Again it was a close start, with Eye a couple of frags ahead at the beginning. After three minutes the scores were dead even again though! Kane was on a roll, but again he managed to kill Griff .. twice in quick succession! Maybe he has something against his team mate? Eye pulled ahead again, but it was as close as ever.

Meanwhile Kila was having a terrible game, pummeled by Litzter in the bottom corridor and then respawning near his opponents over and over again, providing a handy source of frags for the Scandinavians. Five minutes into the game it was 46 : 36 to Eye, and this time they were managing to hold that slim lead.

With eight minutes gone, Paracyde and Evenflow had a little bout of fisticuffs with their gauntlets on the rocket launcher ledge, taking the score to 68: 63 as SK started to close in again. Eye managed to hold on though, and at half time they were 89 : 77 up. Things were beginning to look bad for SK, as Eye seemed to have the edge this time...

Paracyde held on for dear life in the quad room as the whole of Eye streamed in towards him, forming an orderly queue as they waited to be fragged by him. He managed to take down three of them before they finally overwhelmed him, just as one of his team mates finally arrived to help him out. Eye were still ten frags ahead though.

Things were closing up though. With fourteen minutes gone the score was 119 : 116, and soon the two teams were tied again, with SK and Eye exchanging the lead for a couple of minutes. Litzter launched a plasma attack on Paracyde near the yellow armour in the pillars room. Para had just respawned and was still looking for a weapon, but switching to the gauntlet he managed to catch Litzter as he came up on the bounce pad a second time.

With two minutes left it was 150 : 145, and still too close to call. Eye pulled back as they swarmed the double stairs, but SK had soon recovered and held a slim three frag lead with a minute to go. Surely SK had the game now? As they picked up a run of frags in the dying seconds of the game, Griff launched into a chorus of "Easy, easy, easy", but it had been anything but... The final score was 169 : 160.

So Schroet Kommando took the match 3 : 0, although all three games had been very close.

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Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM8

Tulls picked up the first kill of the game, and pulled out a small lead as G3no went on a railgun rampage, but Eye were soon closing in on them again. Two minutes in it was 15 : 9 though, as Tulls started to pull away again. This was their map choice, and they seem to have the edge on it...

Tulls were 34 : 24 up after four minutes, and extended this further as they took down two Eyes who went for a little paddle in the pool. The main battles were mostly in the all-important quad room though. Litzter accidentally killed Firehoppir, one of his team-mates, and the Tulls got the quad again, helping them to pull out a stronger lead.

Seven minutes into the game it was 57 : 40 to Tulls, but Eye were closing up again, and had control of the rocket launcher courtyard. Another battle in the quad room saw Eye get the quad, but Tulls held on to a healthy ten frag lead.

Evenflow launched an attack on the ledge overlooking the pool, catching a pair of Italians with his rockets, and soon picked up a third frag. Eye couldn't overhaul Tulls' lead, but it remained close right to the bitter end. G3no got quad after another battle in the cavernous quad room, but after taking down a pair of Eyes he proceeded to blow himself up as well. With six minutes left, Tulls were leading 107 : 100, and it could have gone either way.

The Eyes went for the next quad en masse, but it was Tulls' G3no who got it again, dashing in and taking it from under their noses. He didn't keep hold of it for long though. Meanwhile the Eyes were having a little party down by the pool, until one of them turned to find another player standing right behind them. Panicking, he fired a grenade off, but unfortunately the other player was his team mate, and all he succeeded in doing was blowing himself up.

An Eye player got the next quad, but didn't have the guns to back it up, only getting a quad gauntlet kill for his efforts. It was still fairly close, with Tulls 141 : 131 up and only two and a half minutes left to play. A pair of Eyes rushed the rocket launcher courtyard, but G3no took one down with his double barreled friend, and chased off the other. With a minute left to play, Tulls were still ten frags up.

Eye put in a desperate last ditch attempt to swing the game, but it was in vain. Final score, 156 : 150 to Tulls. Close game.

Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM6

Next up was Eye's choice of map - Q3DM6. Eye picked up the first frag, but Tulls came back to take the lead 3 : 2, before one of the Eye players got a double rocket kill to give them the lead back.

Tulls took the lead again after ninety seconds of play, but then lost it to Eye again a minute later. Evenflow picked up three quick frags in the quad room to extend Eye's lead, and they were soon pulling clear of the Italians. With four minutes gone it was 30 : 15 to Eye.

Evenflow picked up the next quad, but couldn't find anybody to use it on until it was almost used up, getting only one kill out of it. Tulls were going down, and obviously weren't happy on this map. After six minutes it was 45 : 22. Gia caught Treble by surprise and gave him a pummeling, but Eye were holding on to their lead.

Cic tried to hold the quad room against a flood of Eyes, but it was never going to work. Some bad luck with the respawns saw him dying a few times more in quick succession, and by half time it was 75 : 51 to Eye, who were firmly in control of the map.

After twelve minutes Eye were 103 : 61 up, and it was pretty much all over for Tulls. Cic was on a roll though, getting two plasma kills and then following up with a rail for dessert. With three minutes left Eye were 50 frags ahead, and it was too late for Tulls to recover.

Firehoppir got the next quad and went on a rampage, not stopping when the quad runs out, but going on to get another two lovely mid-air rocket strikes at the bounce pad in the quad room. Final score, 189 : 122 to Eye.

Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM8

Eye took the early lead, going 4 : 0 up after just thirty seconds. But Tulls were soon back on the case, and it was just 6 : 5 at one minute. Eye pulled out again, but it remained close - 18 : 14 after three minutes.

Litzter got a nasty surprise as he dropped into the quad room from the lower ledge, only to meet G3no entering the room from the direction of the megahealth. G3no came out on top, but after respawning Litzter was soon back to finish him with the gauntlet - "humiliation"!

Gia got the next quad and headed up to the rocket launcher courtyard, blowing up an Eye but then taking down one of his own team mates by mistake - "nil points". Tulls were controlling the rocket launcher area though, defending it against a pair of Eyes and then taking the lead.

The whole Eyeballer clan headed for the quad at this point, fighting Tulls in a pitched battle that left the scores at 48 : 44 to Tulls after seven minutes of play. But just a minute later it was all even again, 52 : 52. Cocis and Litzter had a little gauntlet duel at the rocket launcher, with Litzter claiming the prize. The lead was changing every few seconds at this point though, and there was only one or two frags in it for most of the time.

At half time it was 65 : 64, only for G3no to blow up both himself and one of his team mates to hand the lead back to Eye. Tulls regrouped in the quad room, and the scores were all even again as the entire Eyes contingency charged in together, guns blazing. Eyes managed to pull out a lead again, and seemed to have a slight edge, staying about ten frags ahead of Tulls.

G3no got the next quad, but the area was crawling with Eyes, and he was dead before he could hit the ground. At three quarters time it was 112 : 102 to Eye. Tulls closed the lead a little in the last minutes of the game, but Eye held on and pulled ahead again, taking it to 143 : 132 with just one minute left to play...

An Eye grabbed the quad, but he was soon down, only for two more Eyes to charge in behind him, gauntlets blazing. Final score 155 : 144 to Eye.

Tulls vs Eyeballers - Q3DM7

Eye were now 2 : 1 up, and just needed one more map to take the match. As they headed for the quad courtyard en masse they picked up the first frag of the game, while Tulls went for the railgun area.

Then, in the blink of an Eye (ooh, bad pun), Tulls got two quick frags and one of the Eyeballers suicided, giving the lead to Tulls. Eye got back the initiative briefly, but then Tulls were ahead again, taking the lead to 10 : 6 after two minutes. Eye were still controlling the quad area, and an ill-advised attack by G3no didn't change that as he found himself facing three Eyes.

The scores were soon tied again, with the two teams exchanging frags, and neither able to pull out a clear lead. G3no again found himself in the thick of it, charging into the quad area to find all four Eyeballers there waiting for him. They then decided to vacate the premises and head over to the railgun courtyard en masse, leading to a long drawn-out battle that left both sides hurting.

Seven minutes into the game the score was 45 : 42 to Eye, which was the biggest lead either side had had in the last few minutes. Tulls took the railgun zone back, but Eye were pulling further ahead, making it 68 : 54 after nine minutes of play. Tulls started to close up again, and after a fierce battle in the back courtyard they picked up another quad and went on a rampage, picking up a few handy frags to close to 83 : 78 after twelve minutes.

Eye swarmed over the quad room again though, securing it against Tulls' attacks and picking up another quad for themselves, although they couldn't make the most of it... With six minutes left the scores were all even again - 90 : 90.

Eye were holding the quad courtyard again, with three of their players there. The Tulls charged in, but were cut down as Eye got another quad and went on a running massacre to extend their lead. Another quad gave them another three kills in quick succession, and by now it was almost all over for the Italians. With three minutes left it was 119 : 105.

In the last minutes Eye pulled even further ahead thanks to their domination of the quad room, and the final score was 149 : 123. Eye took the match 3 : 1.

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Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6

SK took the early lead, 9 : 2 up after the first minute, but AM were soon fighting back hard and had soon equalised at 18 : 18. "Come on!" Griff shouted out as his clan's lead slipped away. SK recovered a few frags, but it was still close.

A gauntlet battle had broken out at the rocket launcher in the meantime, with Xorgal taking down one of the SK guys before being machinegunned by Kila as the Germans began to pull out their lead again. Kila took a pummeling from one of the AM players, and then again a moment later - either AM really like their gauntlets, or they were short on heavier weaponry at this point in the game... With four minutes gone SK had pulled out a 43 : 30 lead.

Xorgal went on a rocket rampage, taking down first Griff and then Paracyde as AM took control of the double stairs, leaving him open to pick up the red armour as it respawned. Leaving the area he blew up Kila, and then caught him again with a plasma gun soon afterwards. Finally SK managed to take him down. But with six minutes one, AM had closed the gap to 58 : 51.

Paracyde grabbed the quad and killed Xorgal, who made the mistake of following him up the bounce pad to the rocket launcher. Xorgal was obviously not happy, and shouted out something very loud and probably very obscene in his own language.

There was a big battle for the next quad, with SK emerging victorious and Xorgal emerging dead, banging his mouse against the desk in frustration. At half time it was still close, with the scores at 97 : 91, as a pair of AM players took control of the rocket launcher ledge.

SK started to pull out again a bit, but AM responded with a rampage that left SK reeling, and the scores suddenly equal! The two teams were now matching each other frag for frag again. Paracyde got a gauntlet kill by the rocket launcher, and then dropped down to the quad room, narrowly escaped cratering, and gave out a second pummeling in the corridor at the back before being killed.

There was only one or two frags in it either way, until finally, just over five minutes from the end of the game, SK managed to pull out a clear five frag lead. They couldn't get much further than that though, and AM were still fighting hard. Xorgal picked up a lovely rail shot, hitting Griff clear across the quad room - Xorgal had been standing on the ledge at one side, while Griff was out in the corridor just past the archway on the far side. And all without using the zoom.

With just one minute left though, SK were twelve frags up. Surely it was all over for AM? Apparently nobody had told them this though, as they ripped apart that lead to close right up on SK again. They were outgunned by fighting hard, and as the match ended they were only four frags down - 180 : 176.

Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7

AM took the early lead, but the start was again close. After two minutes of play it was 16 : 12 to the Scandinavians. SK made a break for the quad courtyard, but Xorgal and Nikita pushed them back, Xorgal grabbing the quad as it respawned.

AM were pulling out quite a lead now, going 36 : 20 up after four minutes. SK attacked the main outside area, where the railgun and red armour can be found, but AM held them off. Defeated at one end of the map, they turned their attentions to the other and picked up the next quad, although by this time they were already going down heavily. With just six minutes gone it was already 60 : 31 to AM.

A fierce battle broke out again in the railgun courtyard, with the gargoyle statues looking on impassively as AM fought off the machinegun and gauntlet toting SK players. The Germans did well, but they couldn't hope to defeat AM, who had them outgunned. And so it was back to the quad, which Xorgal picked up and used to great effect, notching up a few more kills to add to AM's already impressive lead. SK were 30 frags behind, and couldn't recover.

They did manage to lock down the railgun courtyard though, and held it against the attacking AM players, before everybody headed back for the next quad spawn. SK's Kila got it this time, but couldn't make much of it. At half time it was 99 : 65 to AM, and the red armour and quad damage were still the centers of attraction for both teams.

SK re-took the main courtyard, with a well-placed rail knocking Xorgal flying into the lava. But with less than eight minutes left SK were still 30 frags behind. A couple of minutes later the entire team was massing in the railgun courtyard, before heading back over for another quad as AM launched a heavy attack. SK got the quad, but again failed to make the most of it.

Paracyde was on a plasma rampage, picking up a few frags for his team, but AM were still about 30 ahead of them, and launching their own attack on the quad courtyard. Kila found himself trying to defend the area against the whole of AM single-handedly, and predictably he failed, dying just as his team mates arrived to recapture the quad zone. With two minutes left it was 170 : 145 to AM.

SK weren't giving in just yet, and another fierce battle in the quad courtyard left Paracyde with the power-up. He only got one kill with it though, and it was too late for SK to come back. The final score was 181 : 163.

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Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6

And so the two teams came back to DM6 for their second game on the map. AM picked up the first frag, but SK took the lead from them almost straight away. The two teams matched each other frag for frag at first, and after a minute AM were back on top .. but only 9 : 8.

Nikita launched a solo attack on the double stairs where the red armour is, but was cut down in his prime by a trio of Germans. Two minutes into the game it was still neck and neck, with SK now 15 : 14 up. Griff got the quad, but was soon cornered by a trio of AM players as he left the central arena, and taken down by a shotgun wielding Scandinavian in the corridor.

SK were controlling the double stairs again, but it was only when they got the quad that they managed to pull out any sort of lead, taking it to 42 : 38. Could this be the turning point of the game? SK were on a roll now, and took it to 54 : 44 a minute later, before going back to camp the double stairs again. Nikita was on a run now though, helping AM pull back into the game, and taking it to 81 : 76 at half time.

The game was too close to call throughout the second half, with AM equalising as Nikita picked up a pair of plasma kills under the bridge. With twelve minutes gone AM were actually 97 : 94 up, but SK rushed the double stairs again and got back into the game for a minute. It wasn't to last long though, as AM took another pair of frags and then picked up the next quad as well.

SK seemed to be obsessed with the red armour, taking control of the double stairs again, but they were a few frags behind still. A group of Germans rushed the central arena and managed to grab the quad as it respawned, leaving the rest of the players to argue it out below as the quad carrier hit the bounce pad and flew up to the rocket ledge. With less than five minutes left and a fierce battle raging, it was 128 : 127!

A minute later SK had equalised, and then took the lead. He shoots! He scores! It wasn't to last long though, as AM were right back into the action and equalising again. Nikita picked up the next quad, but he only lasted a few seconds with it. AM were ahead again now though, but it was still very close.

With a minute left SK grabbed the quad, making it 160 : 158 to AM. Only thirty seconds were left when SK finally took the lead again, with just one frag in it! Nikita equalised it with the railgun, but was gunned down in the dying secionds of the game. Final score 162 : 160 to SK.

Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7

SK were now 2 : 1 up, but it was far from over... The second game on DM7 got off to a close start, with the scores all even after 30 seconds. A big battle erupted in the quad courtyard, and Xorgal grabbed the power-up, helping AM rack up an 8 : 5 lead after one minute of play.

AM were on a roll now, taking it to 18 : 10 after two minutes, as Kila shouted out "scheisse" in frustration. AM were locking down the quad courtyard, and were 34 : 18 up after three minutes. It was beginning to look like a walk-over, as SK desperately held on to the main courtyard against heavy AM attacks. Another AM raid was fought off by Paracyde's rail, and SK just kept picking them off as they entered the area.

Things went a little pear-shaped for the Germans as they went for the quad though. Paracyde managed to frag his team-mate Kila, but got to the quad in the end anyway, picking up three kills with it despite having just one health left at one point. At half time AM's lead had shrunk still further, and the scores were 84 : 76.

A minute later SK had closed that down to a four frag deficit, but AM soon recovered after a battle in the megahealth hall. "So viel gluck", Kila complained every time he was killed. But luck had little to do with it most of the time... AM were extending their lead again now, and took control of the main courtyard for a while before SK forced them out again. With five minutes left to go it was 130 : 115.

As the game came to a close, AM were a comfortable twenty frags ahead, despite SK getting the quad again. The final score was 173 : 148 to AM.

Ars Moriendi vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM8

And so, with the match tied on 2 maps a piece, the decider had to be played on the remaining map - Q3DM8, Brimstone Abbey. AM again took the early lead, 11 : 6 after the first minute. SK seemed rather quiet by now, as if they had resigned themselves to defeat, slipping to 23 : 13 after two minutes of play.

Paracyde was battling hard near the megahealth though, taking down one of the Scandinavians, and almost blowing up Nikita as well before he was gunned down himself. Kila spotted an AM player heading for the red armour in the pool, and dived in after him. Obviously nobody told him that dive bombing was against the pool regulations, as he landed right on top of the AM guy and melted him with a flood of plasma. With five minutes gone it was 47 : 35 as SK started to recover, clawing back the frags to close the lead to just 50 : 45 a minute later.

The quad cathedral was the center of attention again, with a series of on-going fights there as AM started to pull ahead again. Meanwhile, in a corridor nearby Nikita's grenade found its mark and blew up Paracyde. Unfortunately he got too close to the blast, and it finished him off as well - nil points. At half time it was 88 : 68 to AM.

SK looked to be going down hard, losing frags hand over fist. With seven minutes to go they were 119 : 86 down, and it was all over. Xorgal got the quad, but after his first kill he was down to just eleven health, and decided to go and hide until it ran out.

As the game drew to a close, Paracyde indulged in a little skeet shooting by the pool side. "Pull"! An AM player was flung across the pool by the bounce pad, only for Paracyde to knock him out of the air with a shotgun blast from his vantage point on the ledge above. A second hit with the shotgun finished the job before the AM player could even hit the water below.

It was all over for SK though, as AM sent them into the losers bracket. Final score - 181 : 153.

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Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7

SK took the early lead, but it was only by a narrow margin - the two teams were matching each other frag for frag in the first few seconds of the game. Then suddenly at the end of the first minute, Eye had pulled out a 15 : 5 lead somehow! It was turning into something of a rout for SK, as Eye held the score to 23 : 12 after two minutes.

Eye picked up the next quad as well, but Kila took the carrier down straight away. Not to be discouraged, Eye took control of the railgun courtyard as Litzter went on a plasma rampage, getting three of the four SK players in the space of about ten seconds! Five minutes in SK looked to be beaten, 61 : 31 behind.

The Germans couldn't be written off so easily though, as they came back with a string of kills to make it 66 : 54 two minutes later. Now it was Eye who were struggling, finally recovering to hold their lead at around ten frags after the SK blitzkrieg. By half time they had stretched that back out to a comfortable 103 : 83 lead, but SK had already demonstrated once just how fragile even that kind of margin can be in Quake 3.

Eye took control of the quad courtyard again, and held off a major German offensive to hang on to their 20 frag advantage, while SK retired to the railgun. With five minutes left to play it was 146 : 129, as another big battle broke out near the quad. Firehoppir pummeled Griff with his gauntlet in the bottom corridor near the quad, but SK were chasing hard again. Was there time for them to overhaul the Scandinavians though?

Litzter picked up the railgun and red armour, but a pair of machinegunning SK players took him down with a little effort. Kane had picked up the quad in the meantime, but Griff was having less luck. He arrived at the megahealth only for Evenflow to pip him to it and blow him up with a well-placed rocket. "No! Wie glücklich!", Griff screamed out in frustration.

Eye seemed to have it all sewn up, with 13 frags in the bag and ninety seconds left on the clock, but SK weren't going to let it slide that easily... The Germans swarmed the quad courtyard, and with 30 seconds left they were within five frags of Eye.

In the end the Eyes had it though, taking the game 184 : 178 after a tense finish.

Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6

Next up was SK's choice of map, DM6. The Germans took the early lead as Litzter collided with one of his team mates in a narrow doorway and suffered the consequences in the form of a rocket in the back, courtesy of one of the SK players. The first minute was frantic, with both teams notching up an impressive collection of frags, making it 13 : 13!

SK took the lead for a moment, but Kila ran out of ammunition and was taken out by a pair of Eyes. Two minutes into the game the Swedes were 24 : 20 up, but the scores remained close. As the Germans swarmed the double stairs again, Kila survived a machinegun duel with one of the Eyeballers, only to be rocketed by his own team-mate, Griff!

Kila came back to try and get a rocket launcher, but the ledge was controlled by a pair of Swedes. He managed to kill one, but the second proved to be too much for him. His final shot knocked Kila down to one health, and knocked him off the bridge to crater on the ground below.

Another big battle by the double stairs saw both sides losing heavily, but with five minutes gone the scores was 51 : 49 to AM. Seconds later though SK had equalised, and then took the lead! They managed to build up a five frag lead fairly quickly, although their star player Kane was having a terrible game, bringing up the rear of their team scoreboard.

After another battle in the quad room, SK were 80 : 67 up. Kane grabbed a quad to pick up a couple of quick kills, but SK were still only about 15 frags clear, and Litzter was on a real rampage. Of the 88 frags his team had scored by half time, 38 of them were his! His rail aim was incredible, catching Griff as he grabbed the quad, and then taking down a second SK player who ran into the room behind him.

Pushed on by the rampaging Litzter, Eye were on another charge. With seven minutes to go the score had closed to 124 : 116, and Litzter had soon reached his half century - 50 frags in the space of 14 minutes, and his team just two frags down now.

Litzter came bounding down the stairs from the bridge, only to find Kane coming the other way, and somehow he landed on Kane's head! Litzter was on a roll again, with three quick frags in a row as he dominated the game. With two minutes left SK were 175 : 164 up though. It looked like it was all over, but Eye were fighting back hard. Soon the lead was back down to four frags...

And then, with just one minute left to play, Eye managed to equalise! The two teams matched each other frag for frag, and it looked as though the last frag could well be the winning one. In the end it was Litzter who got the lucky kill, pummeling one of the SK players at the bottom of the double stairs and escaping with just four health. None of the SK guys could track him down to finish him off in the last seconds of the game, and the score ended on 188 : 187 to Eye, with an amazing 71 of that 188 down to Litzter alone. A great game.

Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM7

At first the two teams were evenly matched, but then Litzter pummeled Griff and Eye started to pull out a lead, making it a healthy 12 : 4 after the first minute. It was beginning to look like a walk-over...

Litzter excercised his fists of fury some more, pummeling Paracyde as he left the quad room, and after two minutes it was 20 : 10 to the Eyeballers. Firehoppir felt comfortable enough with the margin to stop to belch and scratch himself before continuing the game. Litzter grabbed the quad, but it didn't last long, and SK were beginning to close in on them.

Kila got the next quad, and helped put his team right back in the action again. With five minutes gone SK were 36 : 35 up! Eye soon equalised, but SK pulled ahead again. For a moment everything was relatively quiet, with SK holding the railgun courtyard. Then they went on the offensive again, heading for the quad.

The scores were still very close, and the lead was exchanged again before SK took control and a 50 : 43 lead after eight minutes of play. Litzter managed to take down Kila and Kane with his rocket launcher, but unfortunately caught his team mate Evenflow as well. SK were soon back on the attack again, this time heading for the red armour in the main courtyard. Litzter's shotgun stopped one SK player just inches short of the armour...

At half time SK were 71 : 64 up. Eye had got another quad though, and picked up four frags from it before the carrier fell in the lava. With eight minutes to go Eye were just four frags behind, and still closing. For a moment Eye were in the lead, but SK soon took it back with a much diminished margin.

Litzter rocketed one of the SK guys near the railgun, but fell into the lava in the process - nil points! Meanwhile the Germans had pulled out a can of whup ass from somewhere, picking up a whole flood of frags to pull out a 101 : 89 lead, with just six minutes left to go.

Litzter was on another roll soon afterwards, picking up three kills in a row, but SK were well ahead by now and it was getting late to stage a comeback. With less than four minutes to play, SK were 123 : 105 up, and Kana had got the quad to pick up a few more for the German team.

It was game over for Eye, as SK held on to their substantial lead. Litzter got a quad in the last minute of the game, but after two plasma kills he was down to five health himself, and was soon dead. The final score was 155 : 132 to SK.

Eyeballers vs Schroet Kommando - Q3DM6

SK were 2 : 1 down, and to stay in the tournament they needed to take a win on their chosen map, DM6. They got off to a good start, with Kane getting the plasma gun and taking down Evenflow, who had spawned right next to him practically. But Eye were soon pulling ahead as Litzter went on another rampage, helping to give his team a 12 : 5 lead after the first minute.

SK soon pulled back into the game though, and equalised the scores at 19 : 19 after two minutes of play, taking the lead for a short time, until Litzter picked up two frags with the machinegun by the double stairs to give Eye back the lead. SK got the next quad, but Eye were pulling away now. Litzter pummeled Paracyde to make it 43 : 30 after four minutes, and Eye managed to hold the lead at about 15 frags.

Seven minutes into the game SK were closing in again though, with the score at 68 : 61 as Kila picked up the red armour. As he left through an archway though he came face to face with one of the Eye guys. The mix of rockets and plasma proved to be lethal to both players. For a while SK seemed to be catching up again, but Eye had soon pulled back to a ten frag lead.

Spotting a pair of Eyes going for the red armour at the top of the double stairs, Kila dropped down from the bridge and pipped them both to it, and went on to pick up a pair of pummel kills near the quad room. The Eyeballers were still ten frags ahead though, and it was beginning to loo