It's about time the Northeast teams got a bit of exposure. I took some time after round 6 to sit down with Mike Montero, spokesman for Team Revolution. I'd already met one of the team members in round 3 while doing feature match coverage, and I was looking forward to hearing some more.

 

Team Revolution is a compact organization, formed mainly of players in the Virginia-Maryland area. There are currently seven members on the team, five of whom were present at today's event. The ages of team members range from 14-20, and their current membership roster consists of Mike Montero, Ameen Bahar, Richard, Darby, Bobby, Mohammed Zaiem Ahmad, and Anish John.

 

“Our big goal at this event is to take home a Cyber-Stein,” Mike said. “We've got the team split, with half doing side events and half doing the main event. If we could get one of the Steins, that would really help out the team money-wise, and it's the best way to get recognition for your team.”

 

We discussed the overall strengths of teams. The group does a lot of playtesting together, online as well as in person. “The meta changes so fast now, we're constantly experimenting with something new.” Ameen had dropped by at this point to join the interview, and he chimed in, listing off deck type after deck type. “Evan (Vargas) really blew the field open with his Soul Control deck. It made a lot of people realize that there were a lot more possibilities out there.” Mike agreed, adding that the recent rulings changes have had their effect as well on deck building. Playtesting is only part of it, as Mike went on to explain.

 

“Our biggest strength as a team is that we're all buddies. We all know each other really well, we know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and we can go to each other and say ‘Hey, you did this and that, it would have been better to do this other thing.' More than having a common deck theme, that's what really puts us ahead. We also pull for each other and provide a lot of support at events.”

 

The friendship factor makes the ability to bond with the group important, as much as ability in the game. The team gets to know players at other events, and picks up members that catch their eye. “We like to get people that we know and that play well, but we also accept members based on potential. Darby is one of them. He's only fourteen, but if he fine-tunes his game and works hard, he could be better than all of us.” Local shops are all well and good, but the team is certainly making the most of the packed playing field of Shonen Jump. “The best part of these big events is we get the chance to recruit,” Mike explained. “We can scope out the players and identify new, good players. It gives more of an opportunity to see who is out there than the smaller local events.”

 

The team has been together for about three months, and a month ago managed to secure a sponsorship, one of the main goals of teams everywhere. “Myself and two of the other members are moderators for deckrevolution.com, and the owner, Apocalypse, decided to pay us back by helping out the team. This event came too quickly, but for Nationals and next season we'll be getting some cards to use for those events. This is our first Shonen Jump, and depending on how well we perform here and at other events, and the job we do spreading the team and site name, the better the return will be.”

 

As Mike has said, this event is Team Revolution's first large scale event. They've been active in Regionals to date, and all but two members have earned their invites to Nationals. All team members with invites are planning to attend Nationals, which will bring additional opportunities to pick up new members and get their name in the public eye. More publicity, more new members, and more return from a sponsorship—what more could a team want? Well . . . throw in a Cyber-Stein, and the list is complete.