Masters of All

The Masters of All is a video game clan formed in 2002 that at one time had over 8,000 members before being optimized down to an elite group of 25. They are feared all over online servers for their illustrious record of 783 wins and 0 losses in clan wars which they have even against MLG clans.

History
The Lords of All (or more commonly, LOA) was formed in 2002 in Gulfport, Mississippi by 8 year-olds Cyron Clydeson and Zyrus Smith upon learning what a clan is.

One year later, they met Kyle Maxinok who would later become the legendary berserker RhinoRifle.

A 10 year-old Kamikaze (pictured to the left) was the next member to join the LOA.

Once the four started gaining notoriety online for their incredible skill, they began to make friends. And enemies. Among these enemies was one of the deadliest assassins the video game world has ever known, Tetrik Kindrill. Tetrik was hired by Darkside, leader of the Dragons, to defeat the LOA and put a stop to their record of perfection and squash the threat to the Dragons. Tetrik was defeated by Zyrus and Cyron and decided to join the LOA. He was named Xaan.

In 2008, when the clan reached 800 members after a 4 year hiatus, they decided to change their name to the MOA because it was easier to type. It was at this time that the MOA was challenged by the only clan that could call themselves as powerful as the MOA, the Dragons of Platinum Peak. (More commonly known as the Dragons) The MOA began recruiting strong players to combat the threat that was soon to come.

In late 2008, about a week before the MOA's match against the Dragons, Zyrus, RhinoRifle, and Cyron were attacked outside of a Circle K by 7 members of the Dragons; one of these members was Darkside who was placed in the hospital with a broken arm and left unable to play against the MOA.

Before the match, Xaan proposed that if the Dragons lost, they would merge with the MOA. The Dragons agreed. Without the MOA knowing, Xaan left the MOA and stepped in as leader of the Dragons with the plan of persuading them to keep their word and join the MOA if they lost. The MOA fought the Dragons on Halo 2 and upon winning, gained 1,400 new and powerful members.

The MOA continued recruiting until early 2014 when they decided to optimize their ranks after changing their name again to Masters of All. The Masters of All continue to be the most feared clan online and have still never been defeated in a clan war.

Notable Members
Zyrus Smith  - Grand Master of the Masters of All. Little is known about him other than that he is a very formal person with a moderately deep speaking voice. Average kills per life: 17

Steven Black (Titan)  - Second in command of the Masters of All. He is the mentor to the mysterious KamiKaze. Average kills per life: 18

Jeffrey Burwell (Darkside)  - Former leader of the Dragons and third in command of the Masters of All. Average kills per life: 17

KamiKaze (Real name unknown)  - The most enigmatic member of the Masters of All. He is the sniper of the clan but is almost always on the frontlines. His specialty is no-scoping. Average kills per life: 20

Cyron Clydeson (Blank)  - Weapons Expert and co-founder of the Master of All. He is the back-lines sniper. -Average kills per life: 29

Tetrik Kindrill (Xaan)  - The frontline rifleman of the Masters of All. He has a friendly rivalry with Blank. Average kills per life: 16

Kyle Maxinok (RhinoRifle)  - Often works as Zyrus' bodyguard and loves to destroy vehicles. His primary weapons are the rocket launcher and the shotgun. Average kills per life: 13

Vladimir Azarov (XenoMantis) - Tactician of the Masters of All. He is believed to have joined around the same time as Kamikaze. Average kills per life: 15

James Aldaine (Shadow) - Frontline rifleman and former apprentice of Xaan who likes to pair up with him. Usually has a Needler or Assault Rifle. Average kills per life: 15

Javelin (Real name unknown) - Member of the fighting game chapter of the Masters of All, he likes to use confusing characters such as Voldo (Soul Calibur) or Yoshimitsu (Tekken). When he does play Halo, he is usually paired up with XenoMantis and almost always has a Plasma Pistol. Average kills per life: 16

Interview with Masters of All
Our team managed to get an interview with 3 of the Nobles (high-ranking members) of the Masters of All through the use of an Xbox Live Party.

Q: So why are you guys so hard to get a hold of?

(Xaan) A: I wasn't aware that we were. I mean, you only sent one invitation to which we responded, did you not?

(Blank) A: I agree with Xaan, only not quite as harshly. If we're in the same party as other Nobles or if we are training members, we can't exactly tear away from that to chat with someone we don't know.

(Javelin) A: Sometimes I can't even get a hold of myself... Why am I here again?

Q: Are you at liberty to divulge the ranks of the MOA?

(X) A: It's Masters of All now. Ever since February 12. But Grand Master Zyrus appointed us not only as leaders but as representatives. We are at liberty to do what we please with the Masters of All clan; it's simply at our discretion to do so.

Q: Right, so... I'm sorry, what???

(B) A: I apologize. Xaan is one of the more openly intelligent of the Nobles. The others suppress it. He said that since he is a representative of the Master of All, it's his choice as to whether or not he wants to reveal such information. I'm sure Zyrus would have no problem with us telling you the ranks. From lowest to highest they are: Neo, Junior, Senior, Grand Captain, Head Captain, Lead Captain, Minor Chief, Chief, Grand Chief, Chieftain, and Master.

(J) A: Technically Grand Master too but that rank is only for Zyrus.

Q: Thanks for being understandable, Blank. So, what are the differences between the ranks? Like, between a Junior and Senior or between Chieftain and Master?

(X) A: Oh boy. Buckle up. I guess I'll describe the role of each rank.

Q: That would be fantastic.

(X) A: As a Neo, your job is to learn how the Master of All plays. Because we are on a different level than other clans, the techniques we use, are incredibly intricate.

(B) A: And because our techniques are intricate, we are on a different level than other clans.

(X) A: Right. Neos are the students to whomever they are recruited by.

Q: Who were you all recruited by?

(B) A: Well, I was the second member to join. So, Zyrus.

(X) A: I guess by... Blank? Well, I actually asked to join. And this was before the current system was implemented.

(J) A: Kamikaze.

Q: Okay. Back to ranks, please.

(B) A: I'll take over because since it gets more complicated, if Xaan explained we would all need dictionaries. Juniors are Neos who show they have the makings to become a Masters of All member. Seniors are sort of like leaders in their squad. Grand Captains are leader of squads. A squad usually consists of A Grand Captain as the leader, two or three Seniors, and the rest being Juniors.

Q: What is the purpose of a squad?

(J) A: This is a nasty burger.

(B) A: They are a party of 4-8 members who use Matchmaking to hone their skills. The Juniors and Seniors are learning to become more skilled while the Grand Captain is sharpening his skills as a leader. You know how when you play Xbox with friends, you're usually in a party with them. That's what we call squads.

Q: Oh, I see. Continue please.

(B) A: Once a Grand Captain proves he is good with communication and is a capable leader, he is promoted to Head Captain. The job of a Head Captain is to lead 2-3 Grand Captains in something we call a High Squad.

Q: What do High Squads do?

(X) A: High Squads are squads led by a Head Captain whose intent is to meritoriously display how to be a more efficient leader to the Grand Captains of the squad.

Q: So... Head Captains teach Grand Captains to be Head Captains?

(B) A: Not quite. Head Captains are only promoted to such when they prove they are very capable leaders. Head Captains show Grand Captains how they got promoted. So they are helping the Grand Captains to be better leaders so they can advance.

Q: Wow. That's a... very good system.

(J) A: Happy Mother's Day.

(B) A: It was XenoMantis' idea.

Q: Continue.

(B) A: Next we have Lead Captains which is where the observation of a member become more technical and meticulous. We no longer look to see if they are leading correctly or not because if they're a Lead Captain, they should definitely be doing it right. We look to see how they lead. How their style affects the game. How they coordinate attacks. Lead Captains have two main jobs. The first is to lead a large squad of eight members in modes like Big Team Battle. The second is to teach Grand Captains how to be better leaders.

Q: So the Head Captains show the Grand Captains what to do. The Lead Captains do the same?

(B) A: The Head Captains teach by example. The Lead Captains teach by lesson. A Head Captain will coordinate attacks and give orders with the intent that the Grand Captains realize, "That's how I'm supposed to lead." A Lead Captain is the one who expands on what the Head Captain taught and touches up the rough edges.

Q: Oh. I see. The Head Captain gives the example. The Lead Captain gives the law.

(X) A: Correct. And with every promotion comes a bit of training.

(B) A: Right. What's the next rank?

(J) A: Minor Chief.

(B) A: Oh yeah. Boy, that was forever ago. I can't even remember their job.

(X) A: I'll explain the roles of the Nobles.

Q: Hold on, I need to get a thesaurus.

(J) A: You'll probably need more than one.

(X) A: The Nobles are members who have attained the rank of Minor Chief and above. A Lead Captain is promoted to Minor Chief when he has proven he is a loyal member, a powerful warrior, a good leader, and a fun person to play with.

(J) A: (Decisively) You may kiss the bride.

(X) A: Um... Right. Minor Chiefs don't lead anyone. Their role is to be students to the Grand Chiefs who teach them the advanced techniques of the Master of All and what exactly the Masters of All are looking for in a player. Once they show they have an understanding of that and they display those traits, they become a Chief which is less of a rank and more of a proof of understanding.

Q: How does a Chief become a Grand Chief?

(B) A: A master contacts them and interviews them. During the interview, they are tested on knowledge about the game their chapter plays, why they deserve to be a Grand Chief, and what they think the Masters of All believe the ideal player is.

(X) A: Upon becoming a Grand Chief, a member is instructed on how to train Minor Chiefs.

Q: Do Grand Chiefs and Chiefs battle? Like, in Matchmaking?

(B) A: Sometimes. But only to show a Minor Chief some leader qualities they may have a question about. Usually, by the time they surpass Lead Captain, they've got the hang of combat.

Q: Makes sense. Now on to Master?

(X) A: No. Chieftain is first. A Chieftain is the only rank a member can request. To be a Chieftain, one must be a Grand Chief and they must be a perfect leader to Masters of All standards, they must be mature, intelligent, fun to play with, and must have a full understanding of all Masters of All workings.

(J) A: Now you see why I'm only a Grand Chief.

(B) A: When a member becomes a Chieftain, it means they are being trained by a Master to become a Master.

(X) A: Yes. They are learning how to perfect their leading skills, how the clan wants you to behave, how to recruit, and any other fine-tuning the member requires. A Chieftain also learns how to represent the MAsters of All so they learn most of the secrets of the clan. Then, they become a Master. Masters are the inner circle of the Masters of All.

(B) A: Hence the clan name.

(X) A: Not everyone can be a Master. It requires a specific personality type. A Master is more than a leader. They are the friends of the Grand Master. People he can trust and rely on to tip the scales in a clan war or to solve a problem.

Q: Who are all the Masters in the clan?

(B) A: There's Titan, Darkside, KamiKaze, RhinoRifle, myself, Xaan, Shadow, and XenoMantis.

Q: Is there any other rank information?

(B) A: Well, there is the Apprentice rank and the Elite rank. If someone wants to join but they are too young or they aren't quite good enough to advance from Neo, a Master can choose to take their member as an Apprentice. Once, they become good enough to join the other members, they are placed at whatever rank is most appropriate for them.

Q: Were any of the Nobles once an Apprentice?

(X) A: Shadow was. He wasn't mature enough to become a Senior but I liked him and he was good. I polished him and placed him in the clan as a Grand Chief within six months which is the quickest anyone has gone from Junior to Grand Chief.

Q: What is the Elite rank?

(B) A: Well, we almost never use that one anymore. When an Apprentice is fine-tuned to have the right personality and maturity to join but doesn't want to be a member who fights, they can instead become an Elite. Elites are members who serve a purpose other than fighting in clan wars and the other duties of a Master. We have members who conduct experiments for the clan, figuring out the exact bullet spread of a shotgun or which gun's bullets travel faster or which characters has the fastest attacks. It depends on what chapter they wish to tinker with. Elites are roughly equal in rank to a Chieftain.

Q: Can one move from Elite to Master?

(B) A: That is at the Grand Master's discretion. It's happened.

Q: With whom?

(X) A: XenoMantis. He studied maps and messed with Forge a bit. After a lot of training, he was placed at Chief and then advanced his way up. XenoMantis actually built the map that we use to test Juniors who want to become Seniors.

Q: So since we have all the information about ranks out of the way, how about we learn a bit more about the members?

(X) A: Well, we represent the clan, not necessarily the members we'll speak for. But as long as you ask about the Nobles only, we can answer. The Nobles have all been friends for years so we know each other pretty well.

Q: Tell us about each of the Nobles. We want to know what they each provide for the Masters of All as a member.

(B) A: Well, there's Titan. He was the mentor of KamiKaze before they met us. The two of them were a duo that was nearly unbeatable. After KamiKaze joined, we're not sure what happened to Titan but he joined up with us prior to clan war in early 2010. The reason he became a Master is because him and Zyrus get along really well. Titan is quiet but when he does speak, it's usually to say something funny. Darkside was allowed to become a Master because he apologized for attacking Zyrus. We admired his maturity and seeing as how he was able to lead such a powerful clan, we wanted him as a leader of ours as well.

(X) A: Right. He clearly knew what he was doing. We wanted him to see if he could provide any input or advice about our clan. But we chose to keep him around because Zyrus likes him and the three of them (Zyrus, Titan, and Darkside) are usually in their own party joking around and having a lot of fun together. They're really good friends who all share similar interests.

(B) A: Then there's KamiKaze. He became a leader because he's easily the smartest member of the clan except for maybe Zyrus. KamiKaze is also pretty calm and is able to defuse problems instantly. Aside from that, he's probably one of our best players and according to Zyrus, he's the perfect leader.

(J) A: I can vouch for him and say that he is an amazing leader. As scatter-brained as I usually am, I was right on target with KamiKaze leading me.

(X) A: Before Titan joined, KamiKaze was second in command.

(B) A: Oh yeah, that's right. He was.

(X) A: Then there's me. Or maybe Blank. We're about even in rank.

(B) A: You go first, bro.

(X) A: Alright. Thanks, man. Usually in a party, I'm the one speaking the most. I'm the guy who sets up jokes and I usually deliver the punchline too. Zyrus said he thinks I'm a good Master because I'm cool under pressure to the point that I'm completely unnaffected by it. He says my sense of humor is a big draw as well.

(B) A: As for me, I'm usually joking around with Xaan whenever it's us Nobles in a party. If Xaan and I aren't joking around, then RhinoRifle and I are trading friendly insults that are usually centered around our difference in height and voice. We're almost polar opposites because he has this dragon-like monster voice and he's, like, seven and a half feet tall.

(X) A: Almost all of the Nobles are tall, I've noticed. KamiKaze is 6'10, I'm 6'7, Javelin is about 6'2, I believe.

(J) A: Peanut butter is the best shampoo.

(B) A: That's a yes.

(X) A:RhinoRifle was made a Master because he is really good at defusing problems.

(B) A: Because his voice is so deep, it induces pure terror.

(X) A: Yeah, probably. He also enjoys singing which the Nobles often do. Someone will start singing a song and one by one, we'll all join in.

Q: You all sing? As in messing around or seriously?

(B) A: It's closer to a serious level. Zyrus or Titan is usually the one to start it. I recall one instance where Zyrus was singing the bass part to the Skyrim theme song. Darkside immediately joined singing lead. I began to sing the tenor part which was followed by Xaan harmonizing a third above me, RhinoRifle accompanied Zyrus on bass. XenoMantis was doing the background operatic vocals. It was a lot of fun to listen to this amazing masterpiece we created while also getting entertainment from singing it.

(X) A: No matter what song we start singing, it always become this symphony of harmony so we do actually know what we're doing when it comes to singing. We're all very good at harmonizing so when we're all singing our part, it sounds like some type of opera piece. It's interesting to hear whatever song someone picks turned into opera. By the way, Blank, when we did Skyrim I was a third below you; not above you.

(B) A: Yeah, I figured you were because your voice is lower than mine. I have been known to sing a fourth or a fifth below you though.

(X) A: Like when we did I'm Yours by Jason Mraz?

(B) A: Exactly what I was thinking of.

(X) A: The only Nobles left are XenoMantis, Javelin, and Shadow.

(B) A: Well, XenoMantis is our strategist so he's usually only talking if he's informing us where the enemies are or telling us who's in what vehicle or who has what gun. He was chosen to be a Master because he has immense knowledge about every aspect of almost every game we play, he's a pretty cool guy when he starts joking around which is usually before or after a clan war. As far as singing goes, he's one of the best in the clan; I think he was classically trained like Zyrus was.

(J) A: And I guess I'll speak for myself. I like to think I have some really quick reflexes. When I'm with the Nobles in a party which is always, I'm the guy who says random things that make at least half the party start laughing.

(B) A: He cracks me up.

(Blank had been laughing every time Javelin made a random remark in this interview)

(X) A: As far as Javelin's contributions, he is certainly a good candidate for becoming a Master. He simply chooses not to because he likes being a Grand Chief more.

(B) A: He's also really good at teaching the Minor Chiefs so we think he's in a good place anyway.

(X) A: But if he wanted to become a Master, he could become one. As far as Shadow, I think I would be the best one to talk about him. He was chosen to be a Master because he is really skilled, he jokes around a good bit and we enjoy that, he's a good teacher with especially the new recruits, and he has this amazing ability to get along with everybody and anybody.

Q: That's a lot of information we have now. But, I think the question everyone wants to know is how did you guys get so good? I mean, over 500 victories and not a single loss?

(B) A: Well, the Nobles are generally the only ones who participate in clan wars and the Nobles have all known each other for at least 3 years. Zyrus, Xaan, KamiKaze, RhinoRifle, and I have known each other since 2002 and have been best friends since then. Honestly, our friendship is our best weapon.

(X) A: We can tell what each other is thinking by their tone of voice and other subtle details. We can read one another like a book just by voice. We usually Skype during clan wars too in case someone needs to convey an enemies location and they don't know the name of where they are. They can use hand gestures to help their explanation. Although the main reason we Skype is to joke around and congratulate one another after the war.

(B) A: The reason we never lose is because unlike other clans, we've been friends since we were kids. We know what everyone is going to do in a war. Zyrus is gonna patrol the tactical spots; Xaan, Kamikaze, and Shadow will control the central battlefield. Everyone knows I'm going to go to the back and keep the enemies from advancing too far and pick off other people trying to snipe. RhinoRifle is going to be completely offensive based until about halfway through where he protects Zyrus. We all have our parts and we all follow them strictly. We're very particular when it comes to playing and the fact that we've practiced together so long makes us as good as we are.

Q: That makes perfect sense. One final question. Can we have any member's Gamertag?

(X) A: Well, Zyrus is becoming something of a public figure so I'll give you his. His Gamertag is PhantomZyrus. If anyone's looking to join up, we will consider you but you're going to have to be really good to be accepted.

(B) A: Even if you're just okay, we can still train you to be at our level so I say anyone can join up if they're willing to put in some work.

(J) A: And I still have no clue why I'm even here.

Q: Thank you Xaan, for explaining how the Masters of All really works. Thank you, Blank for explaining the ranks of the clan. And thank you Javelin for making sure this interview never got boring.

(Xaan) A: I'm glad we could clear up any confusion.

(Blank) A: Thanks for listening.

(Javelin) A: Why is my pizza wet?