We love Kof Pt.2 – North Carolina
Following up our coverage of the Colorado scene last time, this week we head over to North Carolina – host of the Fall Classic Tournament that just happened over the weekend. For those who watched The Fall Classic last week will know that the NC scene is a really strong and dedicated group, with 4 of their players making top 8 at TFC. North Carolina is home to around 30 players, with a few killers and a lot of up and coming players. Hit the break to check out the story behind the NC scene.
Wednesday Night Brawls
Similar to the Runback series in Southern California, every Wednesday night in Raleigh Tierless Heroes hosts Wednesday Night Brawl at Champs Sports Bar. The venue is great for their weekly sessions and tournaments; and since it’s a sports pub, it’s also very convenient to bring non-FGC friends to hang out and have fun. Every week everyone goes there to play KoF and other games. Their numbers for Kof has been pretty strong, with around 15 players attending every week.
In addition to the weekly tournaments in Raleigh, there is at least a person in just about every city that will host sessions for Kof, so they try to mix and match where they play.
The ups and downs of the NC Kof scene
Behind the strong numbers they’re getting now, things haven’t always been great for the NC Kof scene; they went through their own share of ups and downs. The Kof scene started off with all veterans, at some point transitioned to mostly new comers, and now they have a great balance of both. During the periods of dark times with a shrinking player base, the core Kof players just continued to play. They never stopped grinding, eventually new players noticed and came over to play Kof. People know Kof is a good game that if you devote the time, you can do just as good as anyone else. The veterans helped the new players to get started by giving them the tools they needed like answering any questions they have, or pointed out mistakes. Now NC is proud to be home of a lot of strong up and coming players. Many Marvel, SF4, and Anime players came over to play Kof and they just love it!
To further promote Kof at their local scene, they have hype money matches and special events like Terry vs Terry matches with the winner taking home a Terry Bogart hat. They believe that by building a community and keeping everyone connected will keep the scene growing, and their efforts have been paying off. Kof numbers has been growing and the players are getting better.
Notable NC Players to watch out
The NC Kof scene is made up of players with different fighting game backgrounds. It’s really cool that KofXIII brought them all together. For a snapshot of some of the top players in NC and their backgrounds, check out:
Commonsense – 3rd Strike – Top 8 TFC, Summer Jam – Karate/Benimaru/Kim
Top player in North Carolina, with an aggressive style. Focuses on reading the opponent and adapts from there. Does whatever it takes to get better.
Jon Slayton – Guilty Gear – Top 8 Final Round – Duo Lon/Mr.Karate/Kensou
Very entertaining player to watch due to his crazy style. He is willing take crazy risk if he feels it. Great reactions, and really good at mind games.
PacStrife – Guilty Gear – King/Ex-Kyo/Vice
Very dedicated player who does a lot to support the NC scene. He has a passive aggressive style and he analyzes everything.
Alex Roski – 3rd Strike – Top 8 Final Round – Karate/Kyo/Ex Iori
Very methodical player. He doesn’t take a lot of risk and plays by the rules. Constantly practicing and always improving. Really wise due to his Vegan powers.
Gamewizard – Street Fighter 4 – Top 8 TFC – King/Benimaru/Kim
One of the top players in North Carolina. What makes him so impressive is that he started on SF4, and he is only 20. Very patient player who makes few mistakes.
Matt Frank – Guilty Gear – Ex Iori/Hwa/Chin
Veteran fighting game player, who knows what it take to win. Studies the game thoroughly.
SoleChris – SF4 – Top 8 NEC, TFC – Clark/Ex Kyo/Kim
One of the best players in North Carolina. Gifted player who is fast and intelligent. He does not get to come out often because he lives in the mountains. Interestingly, he has gotten most of his practice playing on Xbox Live, which should be motivation for anyone who does not have a scene.
PWS Brent – Guilty Gear – Top 8 TFC – Mai/Athena/Elizabeth
How to get in touch
As you guys can see, the NC guys clearly love Kof! They have a dedicated scene that continues to grow. They are proof that if you build a strong foundation, people will want to be a part of it. If you’re living in NC or plan to visit soon, make sure to hit these guys up.
You can follow the NC scene on facebook, as well as Tierless Heroes to keep up with the scene.
Check out the full album of the NC Kof scene
About “We love Kof”
We love Kof is a series of articles dedicated to showcase the different communities around the world united by their love of KoF, including the ones that you might not have heard of before. If you want your community included in the future installments, feel free to contact me.
Special thanks to Commonsense for contributions to this article.