Game ONE: Multi-Flag on Valhalla. Outcome: GBG wins 2-0.
Well, we didn’t let them have all of our flags. Anyone want to grant us a moral victory for sticking up for ourselves? Didn’t think so… GBG swarmed all over us in this match. Banshees rained fire from the heavens. Warthogs circled our base like sharks. Battle-riflemen dominated the map, marching as to war. When our flag left our base, it never came home. When their flag left their base… wait. Did their flag ever leave their base?

Game TWO: Neutral Bomb on Standoff. Outcome: GBG wins 3-0.
At the outset of the match, the Gunslingers had the Gracers on the run! That was, until we realized that they were taking the Spartan Laser back to their base. Once there, it wrecked every vehicle that we tried to roll. With map control like that, it was only academic that they would arm that bomb in our house repeatedly. TTL played defense for the entire match. The GBG offense was methodical and ruthless, clearing a path for three bomb carriers in rapid succession.

Game THREE: Team Slayer on Rat’s Nest. Outcome: GBG wins 100-82.
At no time did the Gunslingers tie the leader. GBG established an early lead, and held onto it for the balance of the match. There were glimmers of hope for TTL. On rare occassions, their lead shrank to 2 or 3 kills. In the end, their control of the center territories of the map, complimented by some impressive runs on the vehicles, solidified them as the victors in this bout.

Say goodnight, Gracie! And say Good Game. The Gunslingers were bested by gentlemen. These christian soldiers certainly do put the “grace” in Gaming By Grace, and they bring the game, too. Should you cross the path of this clan, don’t expect a bunch of mild altar boys. The heart of a killer beats beneath each robe.

Tied the Leader knew little of this new clan making its way up the ranks of the Halo Nation. Their reputation carried with it the threat of fierce competition, having cultivated their roster from some of the more dangerous and combative corners of the Big Team Battle playlist. A match-up of 8 gamers versus 8 gamers was their poision. The Gunslingers took to Xbox Live to see if they had the proper antidote.

Game ONE: Multi-Flag on Valhalla. Outcome: The Gunslingers tie the leader.
…And the leader was Team Master Theory. This was our one shot at defending our namesake. MT ruled the center hill, and proved to be impalacable for the majority of the duration. An early capture of TTL’s flag put us on the offensive, with a compromised initiative. Only through repeated rushes, crashing onto the ramparts of their base, were we able to wear down their defense. In the final moments of the match, a lucky flag pull was marched home to even the score.

Game TWO: Multi-Flag on Sandtrap. Outcome: MT wins 2-0.
With the Albatross base in their favor, Master Theory pitched their Elephant at an impossible angle, stacked against their landing craft like a virtual wall that had to scaled in the interest of their banner of war. Waves upon waves of Gunslingers scaled their ramparts, only to have our quarry returned by diligent defenders. On our side of the map, agile Warthog teams dismantled our defenses.

Game THREE: Slayer on Standoff. Outcome: MT wins 101-67?
This was far from a Standoff. MT pulled away in the opening clash, and extended their lead with every passing moment. The Gunslingers fell into disarray, as our Warthog offensive was neutralized by laser blasts on every respawn. The killing circle closed in around our base, and grew tighter as the score reached its limit.

Of course, even in defeat, there were moments to savor. Team Master Theory was a passionate bunch – jovial even in their prosecution of a skillful victory. Hearing their cries of “Nooooooooooo…!” were welcome moments of respite from this mollywhomping, as Warthogs attempting to escape with our flag were smashed by Brute Shots. In the end, we found their game to be good – very good, in fact. Not because they won, but because they allowed us to retain our dignity in defeat. It was a pleasure to behold such a refined exhibition of teamwork. On this bout, theory was proven as fact.

Good Game, MT.

Save the Date!
Labor Day Weekend will be host to a truly unique experience in gamer culture. A calendar of events has been assembled. This celebration is to be about more than video games. The TTLAN Weekend will provide a variety of opportunities to build on the friendships that have grown out of your Xbox Live Friends List.

Itinerary of Events
TTLAN Day One – Friday – August 1st
6:00 PM: Meet and Greet at Bar Louie, 1800 North Lincoln Avenue

TTLAN Day Two – Saturday – August 2nd
High Noon: Lakefront BarBQ at Belmont Harbor
8:00 PM: Gunslinger Saloon Party – Location TBA

TTLAN Day Three - Sunday – August 3rd
High Noon: LAN Party at Fizz Bar and Grill

Accomodations:
For those Gunslingers [or friends of the clan] who will traveling to this city full of Dark Towers, accommodations have been arranged at the Gold Coast Hotel in Chicago, IL. To take advantage of the Tied the Leader group-rate, you need only call 312-664-3040 and provide our confirmation number: P59512. 10 Rooms have been reserved at a rate of $80.10 [+tax] per night. Some rooms have two beds for those who seek to split the freight with a bunkmate.
Buy Your Tickets!
Don’t miss a moment of this long HaloDay Weekend. Enrollment is now open for the happenings that appeal to your celebratory sensibilities. Pre-enrollment enables us to provide for everything you will need in advance of your arrival for this eventful weekend. Access to the following events are now avialable through our online store:

TTL BBQ: $15.00
Party gathers at 11:00 AM. Food and drink provided at a social gathering along Chicago’s Lakefront Park just North of Belmont Habor. Exit Lakeshore drive at Recreation Drive. Make an immediate Right turn and proceed South into gated parking zone. Look for the Gunslingers converged just South of the fenced-off archery range. Festivities will include assorted games that do not require electricity. Supersoaker Slayer Showdowns will be arranged by parties in dispute over who get’s the next burger from the grill. All riotous assemblies will be dispersed by 6:00 PM. You must be pre-enrolled to approach the troth.
TTLAN: $30.00
Doors open at High Noon. Bring nothing but your controller and some money for the bar. All equipment will be provided and networked. Prizes for 16-Contestant Halo2 Slayer Tournaments will be awarded to winning gamers throughout the day and evening. Exhibition stations will provide samplings of other gaming titles, both new and classic. Open Bar will be serving free drinks from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM [worth the price of admission alone]. A modest spread of appetizers will be provided in proportion to advance enrollments. Pose for portraits taken by Official Photographer DrPachango. LAN concludes at 1:00 AM. Party rages on until 2:00 AM. You must be over the age of 18, and be pre-enrolled to enter the Saloon.

Sign up now, gamers. Space is limited.

Watch this space for updates.

Come on in and put your boots up on the table.

New Webmasters mean a New Clan Portal. New Blog. New Forum. Same mission. The Gunslingers are still setting the table for allies and opponents in search of a good game.

As the world dominated by Halo gamers moves on to new and exciting titles on next generation gaming platforms, the TTL Gunslingers remain as a unified front. Our virtual community continues its campaign as a beacon of sportsmanship on the blackest nights of online multiplayer gaming. The Gunslingers provide a harbor of fair play and honorable conduct amidst the storm of trash-talking and cheating found on the high seas of Xbox Live and other realms of digital competition.

This clan site is reopened for business. The Webmaster’s Torch at Tied the Leader has been passed to the capable hands of two gamers known as Pink Tawko and El Burritoh. Together, they form a self-described team we have come to lovingly regard as our “Nerd Squad”. Their tireless partnership has enabled the Gunslingers to move into a new stronghold in Cyberspace.

We all say thankya.

The call to arms at Tied the Leader is unchanged. We speak for the good guys. We wear the white hats. We value our pastime of online gaming for the community it affords to us as much as the roleplays that it enables. There are, after all, other worlds. The Gunslingers are still KaTet… still one from many. For those who have yet to join us, we maintain this site as our invitation to game on a higher level. For those who have yet to challenge us, we maintain a promise of finding your best game against the Gunslingers.

Onward…

The State of Our Union is strong. Our membership sprawls across 4 time zones and an International border. Our community is embracing new games and new means of interacting. To date, 80 Gunslingers are enrolled as part of our fighting force within the matchmaking wastelands of Halo. The MidWorld Forums are home to 76 interactive gamers who play an active roll in contributing to the role-play of sharing a team that primarily assembles through our respective Internet connections. As a follow-up to the wildly popular Halolympics, our second Intra-Clan Tournament, le Tour de Halo, has ensnared up to 30 Warthog pilots in a quest for the checkered flag on familiar Halo 2 maps that have always been war zones – but rarely racetracks. Members from the Gunslinger rank and file have even ventured beyond the realms of Cyberspace to share community and camaraderie at LAN Parties arranged in Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, and Utah.

The Gunslingers are, happily, not alone in their quest to organize a cell of respectable gamers. To date, seven other clans have answered the call of the Gunslingers to take matchmaking into our own hands. One of them even did it twice. After all, no army is complete without a few feared and respected enemies to motivate the sharpening of the spear. The gamers in our KaTet are at the ready to meet any challenge issued on the maps of Halo2; be they fighters in our Strike Team, Honor Guard, Sharpshooters Club, or beloved and revered Roadkill Squadron. On the subject of Gunlinger squads, we would like to issue three cheers for the new captain of our Sniper Team, a longtime Staffer we know as Monster!

Of course, no organized body of gamers is to avoid being met with attrition. Following the due-process of a majority vote on the part of our Overlord High Council [our democratic governing body of 8 founders], it was announced that seven Gunslingers would be sent West in response to their inactivity as fighting members of the clan. Out of respect for the fallen, their names will be spared from mention in this public address. Not only a warning to our remaining membership, this initiative also served as a means of keeping fresh seats open to those gamers who seek aid and succor from our community.

Recruitment momentum continues to sustain itself at Tied the Leader. Each week, fresh faces arrive in our forums to petition us for membership. Sadly, some are turned away at the door when they fall short of the standards outlined in our Bylaws. On other occasions, our ranks are graced with replacement soldiers of the highest caliber. In the most recent history, new recruits have come from unexpected sources, as Gunslingers venture out into other Internet gaming communities to spread the word about our playful band of fighters.

For those who remain and for those who keep us strong, there must be accolades commendations. In recognition of meritorious service and conduct becoming a Gunslinger, our clan saw the promotion of 6 Peons to the rank of Member. Jacklos de Los and Homicide were promoted for assembling 5-Man Squads to rank-up in Clanmatches. Mudshovel was promoted for sticking with the clan through thick and through thin. Sandman was promoted for being oh so Sandman, as well as trouncing all of us in le Tour de Halo. And, lastly, and announced for the first time, Fezzer is being promoted for his recruitment efforts on the interactive forums at Bungie.net.

A community is the sum of its people. Our community of gamers is certainly not the product of any one gamer. This community is preoccupied first and foremost with enjoying the battles fought through Halo2. However, this community will remain beyond the dominance of that title. Already, a few Gunslingers are parking Lamborghinis next to their Warthogs. For some, Geometry is just as fierce a War as Team Slayer. In keeping with tradition, when the world moves on, the Gunslingers remain.

In keeping with a newfound tradition, the playlists for the challenge had been agreed to in advance by each clan. From there, the Mid-World forum was set ablaze with recruitment and planning. A roster of over 2 dozen gamers gathered. Squads were selected, tailored to each match. Maps were discussed – objectives debated. Strategies were concocted for each.

Then, game time arrived…

A funny thing happened at game time. Our battalion of Gunslingers was met by 3 members of the opposing clan, a group known as the Winged Warriors. It would turn out that their clan boasted an active membership of 5 gamers – with several others on probation for inactivity. Life, it would seem, had interfered with their ability to field enough troops for the challenge. This was not the first time that such a forfeit had occured in the short history of challenges brough to the Gunslingers. In a similar occurence, another clan known as the Halo Forefathers broke their ranks between the conflicting interests of modding their boxes or picking up Ghost Recon for a change.

It took very little deliberations to decide that three Winged Warriors had little to offer in the way of healthy competition to thirty Gunslingers. After a warm-up match of Slayer, the two clans parted ways and found their own action. Some Gunslingers formed up 5-Man squads for ranked Clanmatches, in search of medals and records. Others rehearsed circuits for the hotly anticipated private tournament, Le Tour de Halo. Yet others piled into custom games to blow off some steam.

Through its many phases and iterations, the Overlords and architects of the Tied the Leader community have debated the ideal size for a team of online gamers. Was our all-inclusive sportsmens’ charter dilluting our quality? Could we possibly maintain cohesion and cooperation among scores of gamers? Would our identity become lost with so many voices contributing to the dialogue?

Our most recent challenge [or lack there of] evidenced the fact that there is, indeed, strength in numbers. Our clan represents a cadre of the highest-quality gamer. Committed. Reliable. Honorable. And flexible. When faced with a no-show by their opponents, the Gunslingers struck out in search of others.

The Clan Challenge agenda will find its momentum again. For the time being, we have a race. We have five of them, in fact. Once our circuits have been run and the fastest drivers have been shirted, we will look to the Halo Community for fresh challenges – and rematches. Perhaps we will yet encounter the full compliment of Winged Warriors. Perhaps the Forefathers will remember their faces, and come looking for opponents in Halo again.

For the time being, Gentlemen, start your engines!

Some had traveled from across town to meet the people behind the voices that filled the earpiece of their Xbox Live communicator on a weekly basis. Others had traveled from as far as Florida or Michigan or Chicago. The greatest journey was made 2 Gunslingers from Utah, their lady-friends in tow; all packed into the friendly confines of a compact four-seater.
DTS Pastor, whose birthday was used as the catalyst for this gathering of Halophiles, said it best: “This is truly a thing of the 21st Century.” Friends who had met playing a video game had converged on an unlikely town chosen for its centrality. This was a meeting of minds who were bound together by the pastime online multiplayer. To us, it seemed as good a reason as any to hold down a hotel and invade a local restaurant. To others, it would have been an activity beyond the reach of their understanding.

After the conclusion of the meal, a motorpool of cars raced back to the hotel; piled high with anxious gamers. While our access to the conference room was not to begin until the following morning, the urge to create the setting and give it a roadtest was too much to resist. Like a swarm of bees, gamers descended from their rooms with milkcrates, duffles, boxes, and bags filled with all of the various trappings of a LAN Party. That was, after all, why we had made the trip – to participate in our favorite common pastime in the same environment. Eye contact. Chatter unbound by a microphone. Comraderie not contained to a post-game lobby. Perhaps a high-five. Maybe even a right hook or a round-house kick.
The tidy business setting that had been prepared for the room was demolished within a matter of minutes. Dressings were ripped from round tables [leaving baskets of candies in tact, I might add] and repurposed as projection screens tacked to the wall. Sub-woofers were placed on the floor, wired to speakers and game consoles. Projectors were sighted in and focused. Yards upon yards of networking cable spilled out from a burlap sack.

Four round tables were pushed together in the center of the room, creating a four-leaf clover of would-be carnage and mayhem. Two projector stations held down the corners of the cavernous space. A Gunslinger named Fouch appointed himself LAN architect. A diminished roll of tape in hand, he emerged from under the island of tables in what seemed like moments, having wired every box in the room through a carefully taped-down web of cable. A place had been set for each of the 16 gamers to participate in live tournaments and custom matchmaking. The lights went out, power switches were toggled, and those familiar monks began chanting that familiar tune – the one that signified to the members of our respective households that it was time for them to go to bed – and time for us to game.

For those who attended, the rest becomes a blur. For a few Gunslingers, this was their first experience playing over a local network. The absence of lag drew more that a few pleased gasps, as their shotguns finally delivered the intended result. For others, the spectre of live play managed to boil the blood more than usual. Taken off of their couch and placed eye to eye with one’s opponents, more than one Gunslinger found a knack for more than the usual amount of profanity grunted in rebuke of defeat.

The gameplay at this LAN, at least to begin with, was freeform in nature. We had all played under the structured rule of Xbox Live. Our party was intended to provide us a chance to get better acquainted. For many of us, this translated to receiving a solid education in Fragonomics at the hands of a Gunslinger known as Ender, who shined more brilliantly in person than he ever seemed to through the Internet. For others, a Halo LAN party was an unexpected venue for reunions with High School classmates. As an experiment, a stroll down the memory lanes of Halo: Combat Evolved completely debunked [at least for the members of this clan] the notion that H1 > H2.

Over time, early departures thinned the ranks of the attendees of the first [and certainly not last] Official LAN Party of Tied the Leader. With only the faithful remaining, wishes were granted, and business got down to competition in a live tournament. This is where a LAN Party becomes more than playing video games in person. After all the gas money, after the hotel fare, after all the duct tape and networking cable; a LAN Party does not complete itself until the venue is tranformed into a Thunderdome. One by one, Gunslingers squared off against their brother to determine who was the best.
In the end, it was a defensive captain under the gamertag of Wayn0ka who carried the bragging rights home with him. For the second time in a row, this fierce competitor stood toe to toe with his fellow gamer and fought to the last. The spirit of competition has always been a thing for sportsmen and athletes. In the 21st Century, it belongs to the gamer as well.

So with the closing ceremonies concluded let’s relive the Halolympics once more with a Top Ten Greatest Moments list. Go and vote for which moments you think were the greatest of the games.

#10 – SUSPICIOUSLY BANNED FROM COMPETING
As a new clan member A Large Bear exploded onto the clan scene by beating two marquee names in the first preliminary of Slayer. The final score showed him winning by only three but it wasn’t that close as both wayn0ka and CobaltNova made up ground in garbage time. Who was this new force? Would he emerge a Halolympic hero? Unfortunately for him and us we’ll never know. Revealed just 24 hours later: he was not eligible to be a member of the clan. Disputed by some, questioned by many CobaltNova overrode a decision by both XerxdeeJ and wayn0ka to allow A Large Bear to continue participating in the games by disqualifying him from further competition. In private circles the decision is viewed as nothing more than an alarmed overlord eliminating the competition.

#9 – NEWCOMERS SWEEP SNIPER CHALLENGE
The Sniper Challenge was developed specifically for the Halolympics but little did its creators know that two individuals who weren’t even members yet would sweep the top spots. IX HoMiCiDe XI and Jacklos de Los had high matchmaking ranks so everyone assumed they would be good. But for them to arrive to a clan with some 70 members with the Halolympics already in progress and take gold and silver in a prominent skills challenge like sniping was remarkable.

#8 – HOGTIED’S GILDED GOLD
Hogtied is the original Gunslinger custom game and one would assume that nothing would stop competitors from participating. Going into the game Ender8613 was the favorite and eventual gold medalist. But unfairly his medal became the most tarnished of the games as the other competitors slated to appear were either involved in a doping scandal or withdrew due to a Michelle Kwan-like groin injury. Though he should’ve been able to tout his gold medal win in this most classic of Gunslinger customs for all eternity, Ender bears the burden of winning the only gold to come with an asterisk.

#7 – GONE IN 28 SECONDS
After 15 days of competition the Decathlon came to a close 28 seconds too soon for I am Stuicide who lost out on the bronze medal by a single point. One day before the event concluded Stuicide was one of only four eligible for a medal. His inclusion in this exclusive group was based purely on a mathematical possibility, not a realistic one – there was only one combination of results that would give him a shot at getting the bronze. Yet Fate dialed that particular combination and opened the safe for Stuicide. If he won the second preliminary round of Territories he would walk away with hardware. Battling Kirbside and Fouch at Ascension the three of them were effectively tied at the halfway point. Then Kirbside’s gutsy gamble pushed Stuicide too far back. Though he made a furious comeback Stuicide was forced to stare at the 28 puny seconds he trailed Kirbside by and realize that after 15 days of battling he finished fourth.

#6 – AND THE AGONY OF DEFEAT
Sandman 350 placed higher in the medal count final standings than 36 of 41 participants yet his Halolympics were nothing but exasperating. In the preliminary rounds his excellent performance earned him the silver in the Decathlon and put him in more gold medal finals than 40 of his peers. But by the third week of the games the gods vengefully turned against Sandman. He failed to medal in all but one of his nine finals and did so in excruciating fashion. He got fourth place in both Kill-to-Death Ratio and Limited Lives. Worse yet he missed a medal by a single kill in both Hogtied and Juggernaut. He was fifth in Slayer; in King of the Hill and Oddball he took sixth. He walks away from the Halolympics with two silvers and disconcerting thoughts of what might have been.

The state of our union is strong. To date, Tied the Leader has a thriving Internet Community of 61 registered forum users. Our official clan, The Gunslingers, boasts 75 players of Halo2 on Xbox Live. Our private tournament, The Halolympics, draws to a close having awarded 30 medals to 14 virtual olympians. The Haloverse has taken note of our movement, and we have 2 clans from other websites awaiting us in the wings for Custom Challenges.

The progress at Tied the Leader has been staggering. This organizaton started with one man’s blog post as a vent for some frustrations associated with the misconduct that runs rampant in online multiplayer gaming. Since then, many have rallied to the TTL banner in the interest of cultivating the highest quality gaming experience for themselves and for others. The combined skill of our membership extends well beyond the wielding of the battle rifle. This web-enabled clansite is the result of the overall geek mindshare from our ranks. It is to this Overlord’s profoundest satisfaction that we have lured such a high standard for individuals to our midst.

In the shadow of such accomplishments, a collective of gamers bordering on its intended full-capacity of 100 members is not to be without its growing pains. This week, alongside our passions for gaming, the halls of Tied the Leader have been home to controversy and spirited disagreement. As gamers jostle for identity and prestige among their peers, it is inevitable that there will be bruised egos, hurt feelings, and misunderstood communications. Such is they way when a varying group of individuals congregate for the expressed intention of shooting one another in the back. Such is the way when we communicate in terms of victory and defeat using nothing beyond the written word. Gamers are a passionate lot – and anyone who participates in this clan should regard themselves as such.

Tied the Leader forwards a mission to operate as something more than just a Halo2 clan. This is a collective of video game enthusiasts who do not check their sensibilities for honor or respect at the door when they log onto the Internet in search of an opponent. That, above all else, is what makes you a Gunslinger. Please hold that to be true. That is our credo and our mission, if it do ya fine…

Our common Code of Conduct unifies gamers of all feathers: casual custom denizens, rank hounds, squad leaders, clanmatch elites, medal hoarding sharpshooters. It is impossible to hope that each of us would find the same experience at Tied the Leader dot com. The only through-line that binds us together is the notion of respect. That extends to respect for one’s opponent, respect for one’s fellow clanner, and respect for one’s team mate. It is the challenge, and at the same time, the strength of our community. We are not measured by our skill or our rank or the complexities of our anatomy. The gamers who find a home at Tied the Leader are measured by how they conduct themselves in a virtual wargame.

You are registered to enjoy this website. You are a member of this community. Soon to come, you will find yourself holding a desirable position of occupying a space that is closed off to others. The bus will become full and the doors will close. We welcome you to stay for as long as you enjoy yourself. We ask nothing more than the recognition of our objective, and participation in pushing it down the path that ends in the clearing.

Say thankya.

XerxdeeJ
TTL Founder
Minister of Propoganda
Incurable Blowhard
Warthog Combat Pilot
“Speak your lesson and say it true…”

First Up: Panic AttacksThis agreeable cadre of gamers approached The Gunslingers in search of a quality match-up. Their search is over. Serendipitously, after the date was set, some of our ranks encountered some of their ranks in a ranked game through Xbox Live. Now that both clans have had a sneak preview of their respective combat flair, it is time to play for keeps and bragging rights.

Second Up: The 2old2play.com Challenge Team.

Battle Master doodirock and his denizens of The Older Gamer’s Paradise have long been friends of Tied the Leader. Our ideal of sportsmanship is very much in line with their ideal of maturity. Now it’s time to see whose game is sharper. The 2old2play Challenge Team is no ordinary clan. This squad represents the Elite of 25+ year old gamers. Hardened through battle at MLG tournaments and online questing, this team represents a profound threat to the defeatless record of The Gunslingers.

Stay tuned…