With all the excitement of WCG and i38 at the weekend many of you may have forgotten that there is another LAN based tournament taking place this weekend, namely MaxLAN in France. Although it is eclipsed by LAN79 when people think of the Gallic e-sports scene, the event itself has continued to attract a good standard of European teams who are looking for a well run competition closer to home.

As you would expect, the vast majority of teams in attendance will be French, with the big names from their EPS league putting in appearance, and of course the team still called “Nameless” will be there looking to get another LAN victory under their belt. However, this time around they will be joined by teams from Germany, Austria, Portugal and Belgium amongst others in an event that could prove to be deceptively competitive. So while a French clean sweep of the podium might be a safe bet statistically, there will be some in attendance going all out to make sure that doesn’t happen. Here are the teams in attendance that should, or could, be in the top three come the end of the event.

NAMELESS

mateOo
krL
SmithZz
Shoxie
RpK

The team needs no introduction even if they don’t currently have a name and, surprisingly, an organisation to call their own. However the likelihood of them having another competitive win under the belt at the end of this event…. Well, it’s pretty high, isn’t it? Although politics seems to have divided the top end of the European scene about their ability, they still remain one of the most successful and consistent teams in Europe both at LAN and online. They have recorded recent wins over their closest rivals at this competition and will be – as ever – supremely confident. Against them? Well, they are without LAN practice for some time following their acrimonious split from VeryGames. Bookies wouldn’t give you great odds if you wanted to back them, put it that way, but anything can happen I suppose.

Player To Watch

KrL: .PhP threw down an imaginary gauntlet last weekend by showing himself to be one of the best all round players in Europe, yet for my money KrL might well be the smartest. Excellent in clutch situations and so good at reading the game, he is a true joy to watch every time he competes. I expect him to be at his best for this competition.

VERYGAMES

Shokkk
Regnam
EMSTQD
crZ
Ex6TenZ

The former redLine and Regnam combine to create a team that are for a lot of people the best active team in Europe right now. It wasn’t something that simply happened overnight, but their triumph at TeX09 proved that they were capable of beating the best. At this event they have an opportunity once and for all to show that they are free to move from out of the shadow of the team that made the VeryGames name famous in CS:S circles. Currently cruising in the French EPS you imagine that they won’t be facing too much of a French resistance from the natives, but it will be their first LAN event under a tag that brings with it a weight of expectation. Couple that with the introduction of an experienced veteran slotting into a team that may well be different to what he is used to and it’s not going to be straightforward. You can safely bet that they will be fired up for this one… A victory here is about a lot more than a prize-pot.

Player To Watch

Regnam: It has been some time since we saw one of the greats play in a serious capacity, but would you bet against him still being an outstanding talent? Combining smart play with great aim he will be a handful for anyone and after a spell out the game he might just have that renewed sense of hunger that could bring him back to his best.

Team ALTERNATE

GreX
JLN
Krthmpn
hossa
BlAckG7

While most will be discussing who will be winners out of France and Europe’s big two Attax will be hoping that it is they that can cause what would be an upset, even if perhaps a minor one. The German’s have been doing well in the German EPS having booked their regular place in the LAN finals and their new look squad seems to have shaken the cobwebs off from a team that was starting to stagnate and look decidedly out of touch with the best around them. However, they don’t have quite the same LAN pedigree as the teams they will be looking to beat, if for no other reason than the German EPS always taking priority over LAN events across Europe, and a win here would be a big ask. They do remain supremely confident, will be well prepared, and they will remember the German victory over France in the ENC that involved most of the players in attendance at this event.

Player To Watch

BlAckG7: His rifle aim is as good as you will see online and he has proven himself to be one of Germany’s finest players on current form. This LAN will be a good opportunity for him to show that he can do it against the big names in Europe and not just in the familiar confines of the German EPS.

D4 gaming

Bistouflyyy
Bub
tac
Ghosty
HysokA

A side that represents the players that probably would have benefited from not coming from one of the strongest scenes in Europe, D4 Gaming do include players that have represented their country, if perhaps not as well or as often as some of their counterparts. However as outsiders for the competition go they aren’t a wild bet having a lot more experience than some of the other teams hoping to make an impact. Only recently acquired by their organisation, one that is perhaps better known for 1.6, they will be looking to show that they can perform at these events even if they can’t currently compete in the French EPS in the wake of what happened last season. The word is they have been putting in the practice before now and they will be keen to make sure people haven’t forgotten about them while they serve out their domestic EPS bans.

Player To Watch

HysokA: Has had some disappointing performances in the past and came in for some criticism when finally utilised in the French squad, however is capable of mixing it with the bigger names and can’t be discounted.

Mesmerize CyberSports Association

caveman
brains
foodas
YlSs
barchetta
NaD1x

Although their attendance is not confirmed at the point of writing this, you would think that if any team was going to break their necks to attend it would be this one. Having mixed results online -although usually seeming to do OK against the better teams, as their recent EMS Qualifier against Reason Gaming would confirm – they are a team that many around Europe like to brandish as onliners and call their legitimacy into question. Having an equally checkered LAN record hasn’t helped settle the debate one way or another, but their recent move to the MCA organisation is one that should enable them to get themselves out there. This event would provide them not only with an opportunity to maybe nick a top three finish with perhaps only having to cause only one upset – something they have done regularly if you follow their results – and would show how far they have to go before they can be considered in the European top bracket if they are not there already.

Player To Watch

YlSs: It wasn’t that long ago when this player was the one that came in for fnatic when they were caught short and while many may have seen him as the weak link in that chain at the time, in a team full of big names it’s not an entirely fair conclusion to arrive at. Forget watching some of the others to see how well they do and watch a player who has always been consistent and perhaps, maybe, a tad under-rated.

CKRAS Gaming

FLH
Presl
C3dril
Impi7
SirGu

CKRAS are one of the better known names hailing from the Austrian circuit and they have a good pedigree in their native EPS. It isn’t often you see them competing at European LANs however and as such they still remain something of an unknown quantity. There is always an air of suspicion around Austrian teams for reasons that couldn’t really be pinpointed if you pressed the matter. A willingness to go out and compete at LAN, even in the face of what could be some very unforgiving games, should be fully supported though and I think they could be something of a surprise package.

Player To Watch

Presl:The oldest in the team at 26, he is the captain and caller, and it turns out he can play a bit as well. A clever player he can turn situations to his advantage and help players around him raise their game.

Antwerp Aces

tOr
SEEKAA
ed
Quick
Fresh

The Belgian scene has gone from being known as the one that brought certain third party software to the masses – even though it was first used by Dutch players – to now finding themselves bang in the LAN capital of Europe. With even more competitions scheduled there for 2010 and the BeneLux EPS actually looking like it might start to get competitive, it could be one to watch. At the heart of that are Antwerp Aces, a solid team with a respectable name and one that have regularly had the opportunity to play against some of the bigger names in Europe in a LAN environment. They were third at Frag-O-Matic, a huge leap forward from the 13/16th at the OOF event before it so they are moving in the right direction, even if there has been roster changes since then. Progress will be measured in not just how far they progress but how well they play. They may not be ready to take on the big boys, but they certainly could shock a few people eyeing an easy win.

Player To Watch

Fresh: Have seen him play a few times now and he has shown himself to be an exciting player on more than one occasion. Happily playing aggressively or defensively you can expect him to be the stand-out man for the Aces at this event, regardless of how well they do.

Phantoms eSports

EditioN
Izii
Kronix
Pookyjp
bsK

I like the Portuguese scene. It has steadily got better and better with each passing year, overcoming infrastructure problems that have made competitive gaming difficult and they are now starting to get out to European events and show what they can do. The FM Sapphire team and Exotic Island made it as far as Newbury and this weekend Phantoms will be flying the flag. Although there is a lot of contest between the Portuguese and debate about who is better, results from XL Party LANs gone by being recounted at the drop of a hat to prove a point, Phantoms represent one of the better teams and will be looking to show just how far their scene has come. Under the Evocom banner they finished third at the most recent XL Party and featured in some close games. They might well be the darkest of dark horses then, but they will contribute to this competition one way or another.

Player To Watch

EditioN: A great all rounder and a consistent player, as proven in his past teams, he has the ability to come up with some solid scores thanks to his smart positional play and recoil control.