Krusual Tribe Celebrates Wildly as YC121 Matar Global Mind Clash Tournament is Won by the “Black Dragon”
Zirud Mikkela, the veteran Krusual Mind Clash player known as the “Black Dragon”, has finally won the Matar Global Mind Clash Tournament after almost a decade at the top of the Minmatar Mind Clash tour. Mikkela’s victory over three-times Matar Global Champion Effegod “Copper Snake” Xhoara led to wild scenes of jubilation in Krusual communities as their champion unseated the Brutor Clash Master. The Black Dragon will now gain an automatic place at the Mind Clash Worlds Championships to be held at the famed Grand Teigjon Casino at the end of this year’s Clash season. For Mikkela, a Clash Master for ten years, the five-times Krusual Tribal Champion, and twice winner of the Matar Masters Series, his first win of the Global title that so long eluded him is surely the culmination of his career so far.
Which of the following describes your feelings on this historical event?
About damned time someone gave that Brutor hotshot a run for their money
I’d have preferred even the same old fights over Krusual representing us at World Championships
I’m not super into Mindclash, but it’s always good to keep the finals from becoming too stale, and it’s about time that Dragon got the win. I’ll have to check out the match.
Can’t say I’ve followed the happenings with bated breath after Haku Forja retired, just haven’t managed to get interested in Mind Clash again.
Still, anything that breaks monotony is a good thing, it gets boring to see the same person winning time and time again. So, congratulations for the new champion.
Personally, I think that as good as Black Dragon’s been over the last three years especially, he deserves this win. Now he’s just gotta stay on top. Decent crop of Sebbies coming up behind him, too.
You may be thinking of Splinterz, Dr. Valate. It combines technical knowhow and design with physical combat, so it scratches more than one Caldari cultural itch just so. Mindclash doesn’t really scratch any in particular, so it’s even a little less popular in the State than the rest of the world.
I don’t think it makes sense to compare Minmatar visuals to Caldari. It’s not like Sebiestor style is the same as Krusual? I’d even say Krusual is closer to Caldari than Seb. Ours tends to be more about projecting deadly accuracy, finesse, elegant efficiency, while Krusual and Caldari both seem to me more flashy, about shows-of-force? But maybe that’s just me.
How odd. Many often say Caldari aesthetic is boring, drab, or bare. Myself, however, I think it is a matter if one sees beauty in simplicity, or recognizes that a lack of adornment does not always mean a deficiency of meaning.
Hmh, yes. “Flashy” is probably a wrong word. I don’t mean “ornamental” with it - that would be more a Vherokior thing, maybe, or Gallente - but rather “something built to impress”.
I do not think the intention of Caldari artifice is to be impressive in and of itself – even if there may be those who find what Caldari forge.
Rather… There is a particular mindset born of the understanding that Caldari comparatively are the least populous of the major interstellar nations. That the State will never have a quantitative advantage, so a qualitative advantage is sought instead in Caldari works.
Some might regard Caldari products as over engineered due to this, perhaps in some cases they are, but I think that is a natural byproduct of the kind of corporate work ethic and enculturation instilled by the Companies in citizen-employees to achieve the highest standards of quality in the pursuit of tasks.
Over-engineering is never a result of work ethics or efforts to maintain quality. It’s a result of shoddy design, a chaotic, undisciplined approach, and a disregard for purpose-driven efficiency. None of which struck me as particularly prevalent in Megacorp players during my time living in the State.
But the game is, after all Mindclash. A certain amount of intimidation and distraction is more or less baked into how you play.
You have my compliments on your candour, Strike Commander, although I lack the exuberance of such particular braggadocio.
I will have to admit, I find your thoughts an interesting perspective to have on Caldari design and aesthetic choices.
I would agree, however I was acknowledging such a perception might exist, irrespective of its actual relation to reality.
I suppose in that is the skill involved by great mindclash players unlike a novice such as myself. The ability to understand and manage the perceptions of their opponents while masking the actual intent of their own moves.
