Starcraft 2(NA) Weekly - Edition #1

SC2Weekly: We're here with one of the Anchors for elevengaming, xiGerbil. xiGerbil can frequently be found on top of the Top 200 list on the NA server and was a Quarterfinalist in the TL Open. Thanks for meeting with us today Gerbil. Can you tell us a bit about how you got into playing SC2 competitively?

Gerbil: I played Brood War for about 3 years before SC2 started, I mostly got into the competitive aspect of that from being challenged to beat my classmates =P. Since then, SC2 looked like it had great potential so I decided to try my best to compete at the top level since the end of the beta.

SC2Weekly: What would you say was your biggest hurdle getting to where you are now?

Gerbil: I'd say the hardest part of getting to where I am currently in SC2 has been playing sufficient games to understand all the different tricks the races can throw at you. Yay for 1 base Terran/Protoss!

SC2Weekly: I know a lot of prominent Zerg players have been saying that the race is UP in comparison to Protoss and Terran. Do you agree with the sentiment?

Gerbil: I think Zerg as a race has more trouble with varying their style and general composition than P/T, which gives them a bit of a disadvantage in the cerebral aspect of the game. That said, I feel they're just as strong in standard games, as shown by plenty of Zerg players putting up results in various tourneys.

SC2Weekly: I'm inclined to agree. Elevengaming has seen some great seedings in recent Team Leagues. What do you feel is the biggest reason for your continued success?

Gerbil: The players selected for our team were specifically picked for their talent and potential instead of cold hard results. Because of this, our lineups are stocked with players that aren't as well known as some teams but are all highly skilled and talented players who are ready to prove their worth.

SC2Weekly: What are your goals as a competitive SC2 gamer? How far would you like to take your gaming career?

Gerbil: I'm currently working 9-5 so I try to make as much time for SC2 as possible and improve to be the best player I can. Because of that, the direction my gaming career will go is a direct product of how well I can do in the meantime. In terms of immediate goals, I'm flying to St Louis to play in elevengaming's Midwest Challenge in 2 weeks, and winning the 1st place laptop among other prizes would be nice

SC2Weekly: Haha, good luck in the tournament! What advice do you have for players who are aspiring to become a competitive SC2 gamer? In addition, do you offer coaching services for players interested in improving their play?

Gerbil: The most important advice I can give about improving is to vary your practice. Laddering, Massgaming with practice partners, practicing builds on single player and playing in tourneys regularly can all help you improve in different ways, which are all needed to become a top player. Also I am offering limited coaching (because my schedule is already somewhat busy as it is), you can contact me at gerbilcoaching@gmail.com if interested

SC2Weekly: Sounds good. Oh and before I forget! For our tech nerds out there, would you mind telling us what kind of set up you have going at home?

Gerbil: Haha sure;
e8400 CPU, 4gigs kingston ram, GTX460 768mb, razer diamondback mouse, steelseries qck+ mousepad, sennheiser hd555 headphones, random $5 keyboard, dual screen 1920x1080 acer 23'' and 1280x1024 dell 19'' (for sc2 and broodwar respectively :D)

SC2Weekly: We appreciate your taking your time out to meet with us tonight and I believe the readers have a better grasp on elevengaming and the players that make it what it is today. Do you have anything you'd like to tell the world (...well, most of it) before we close?

Gerbil: Thanks for this opportunity, and please support and follow my team at elevengaming.com! Also binski is a boss.

To give a little background, I am the official caster for the professional gaming teams Eleven Gaming, Toxic Gaming, and possibly Complexity in the coming days. Right now, the situation has been mutually beneficial between me and Eleven. I knew Domino, the founder of the team, before they got started, and he had informed me that Eleven would be started when I was casting a LAN that he was at.

They had a strong lineup at first, but that has definitely been bolstered by the additions of Specialist, Rangirl (formerly Pet Zergling), and Slurgi, three of the best players you can find. I don't know how much I'm at liberty to talk about their management, as I know they are currently in a transitional period, but the management has always been supportive and been great about putting the players first.

So, for an underdog team coming out of nowhere, they've had some great showings, and I think they have a wonderful chance to make a name for themselves in the playoffs, having already bested teams like MnM, sTk, and VT. Look for them to be quite the team in the coming months!