The Best of Crusader

By far one of the greatest and best players to ever grace the confines of Stronghold: Crusader. Bartholo was, and remains, unmatched by even the greatest of the Legends below him. He is one of the founders and leader of the Legendary DHK Clan. Though he was quiet and therefore difficult to get a conversation or game with, his silence itself said enough; his presence permeated the lobby, striking fear - and jealousy/resentment - in the hearts of friend and foe alike. Bartholo did more for Crusader than anyone could dream of doing themselves; exploiting the game to discover countless new tactics, strategies, tricks, and secrets that many now commonly use. (see tactics and strategies page) Consider Bartholo the one and only true master of Stronghold: Crusader. Undefeated, Eternal, Immortal.

From the early days of Stronghold: Crusader HolyLord emerged as one of the strongest players to grace the game. Historically, he was more of a "Doer" than a "Maker"; by utilizing the full potentional of game knowledge he became known for a record economy and frightfully fierce tactics. He is the founder and leader of the legendary DHK clan. He has won more official GameSpy Crusder tournaments (16) than any other player, and therefore, more VIPs are to his name than any other player (see VIPs page), and many experts owe their skills to his training. HolyLord is also notably the most infamous player in SHC history; he was often found in the eyes of the public, who simply couldn't grasp the extent of his skill and ergo was quick to suspect him of foul play, which created an aura of mystery about him. One could truly call HolyLord a Legendary player without fear of being cliché.

One of the Godfathers of Stronghold: Crusader, no experts today can say that their gameplay is free of Fire's past influence on the game. (see tactics and strategies page) He is one of the founders of the Legendary X2X Clan. Fire excelled not only as a leader but as a trainer and one of the best in game. In his early days, Fire's presence was welcomed by friends and feared by foes. His banner flew high over our keep, in the face of his long time enemy =G$F=. Fire lead the Great War against =G$F=, and in doing so helped to bring about the next generation of experts and legends. His tactics in game were almost unrivaled.

One of the Godfathers of Stronghold: Crusader, no experts today can say that their gameplay is free of XX's influence on the game. (see tactics and strategies page) One of the founders of the Legendary =G$F Clan. Duss excelled not only as a leader, but as a master of the game, and a pioneer of tactics and strategies. Let's put it like this: If you group shields and horse archers, thank Duss. If you use pots for population, thank Duss. Yeah. And there's more. (see tactics and strategies page, again lol) Though XXoDDuSS left Crusader years ago, while he was active, his presence in the lobby was a spur of motivation to his members, and struck fear and aversion into the hearts and souls of =G$F='s enemies, which was everyone else at the time (NDR, DHK, X2X, GoC, etc). His sheer speed and overpowering army control dominated everyone else during his time.

One of the founding members of the original DHK, recruited by HolyLord. Killa went on to be a personal student and favorite of HolyLord and even Bartholo himself. After only a few months of rigorous training and practice games with the two DHK founders, Killa had reached the top, easily being recognized as among the top 5, or even top 3 in Stronghold: Crusader at the time. He was one of the few people in Crusader History to whom Bartholo entrusted with his knowledge and secrets of the game. During his time, Killa defeated many other players on this list, joining Bartholo and HolyLord as the Best In Game. His name became known and feared. His reign was put to an abrupt stop in early 2006 when he tragically died in a car accident.

The famous map maker, Standard was also one of the (though not undisputed) best of his time, for those of you who don't know. He holds 2nd place in VIP wins/Official GSA tournaments, with 14 VIPs under his belt. Though Standard did not particularly discover many tactics/strategies/tricks in the game (like Bartholo, Holy, Fire, and Duss did), he excelled exceptionally in applying what others discovered in his own gameplay. For a while, there were only 2 or 3 other players in the world that could challenge him in 1v1. His reign ended when FireDragon personally put a stop to him in 2005 by defeating him in 1v1 and 2v2, as well as bringing about the next generation of X2X, a generation that would overturn Standard's streak. (See timeline page)

By far one of the most underrated players in Stronghold: Crusader, this humble master of the game went through his Crusader career on the low down, staying out of fights, arguments, wars, tournaments, and all the bullsh*t that has gone down in the past 5 years. Peabody is perhaps one of the most creative, insightful, and articulate players to come through Crusader. To be honest, he is a joker; he does not often take a game seriously - rather, he plays for fun, or for laughs. If you are lucky enough to get a serious 1v1 out of him, you will come away from the game in shock and awe, with perhaps one of the most humiliating defeats you have ever been forced to accept. Peabody has uncovered many of the game's secrets, and holds many records. (see tactics and strategies page) Consider him a silent Legend among legends.

Also known as Kyo-Sama. An old X2X member, Hunter is gone but not forgotten. At his peek, he was feared by EVERYONE. This lone legend of Crusader made his way to the top, slowly taking out, one by one, those who reigned before him. Quick to learn, and even quicker to adapt, Hunter was an all around true expert. He became famous for his ability to make and control knights on the battlefield while under pressure. Hunter became a 2v2 partner of FireDragon, learning a lot from their games together, and forming the second best team in Crusader.

Another one of the founding members of DHK, and later the co-leader, recruited by HolyLord. Satdive went on to refine his skills during his time in DHK, X2X, and Pl@yaz. Satdive was at one time considered by some to be the best player in the game. A 2v2 partner of HolyLord since their first days on GameSpy, Satdive picked up quickly on the styles of both 1v1 and 2v2 games, becoming quick, keen, and insightful in his gameplay.

Like Peabody, Strong went through his Crusader career more on the down low. A founder and leader of X-Con, strong proved his worth as a leader, a trainer, and a player. He surpassed all those around him, becoming a true expert capable of adapting to any situation, any map, any rules, any settings. Because strong stuck with his own clan mates, many experts were unaware of his extraordinary skill. Many of these experts were taken by surprise when they played a 1v1 or a 2v2 with him and got raped. Brutally. His skill in game would never be questioned again. His legacy has gone on even to this day among many who knew him.

The younger brother of HolyLord, Dracula tended to always be overshadowed by his almighty older brother. Big ambitions, strong willpower, and a drive to become the best, (and perhaps a bit of envy for always being overshadowed by his brother) caused Dracula to train rigorously, quickly becoming better, and better... and better. The younger brother of perhaps the best player in Crusader soon became a contender for the championship title himself. Dracula proved his worth in 2006 when he reached the finals of an official 1v1 tournament, where he defeated Meelman, the leader of X2X, and received the VIP prize. His skill in game has never been questioned since; though due to his sudden emergence into the public eye, speculation has risen amongst his enemies as to his true identity; many claims have been made that his older brother plays for him at times, though none of these claims have had significant evidence to pass as truth. Dracula is known for his speed in game, being perhaps the fastest player ever.

Former GoC and JEDI, Meelman soon became a force to be reckoned with in Crusader, defeating many of the players on this list, and going on to become the leader of X2X (appointed by FireDragon). Meelman quickly became known for his awesome skill in game, and particularly known for his skill with knights, which was ahead of his time. His skill would earn him 4th place in VIP count (see VIPs page), as he won many tournaments, 1v1 and 2v2. Meelman's decline came about with the return of HolyLord and Bartholo to Crusader, as well as the emergence of greater experts such as Peabody, Arma, Dracula, Strong, and more. Nevertheless, Meelman's name will go down as worthy of being listed among the greats of Crusader history.

The co-leader of DHK, Arma was recruited to DHK in 2006 by HolyLord, and went on to train with the higher ups in the clan. After playing countless games with the best, Arma had a significant knowledge and experience of true expertise and gameplay. His economy and tactics soared beyond the rest and he emerged as the best European player of his time. Under the training of Bartholo and HolyLord, Arma continued on, winning official tournaments and making his mark on Crusader history. At his peek, he was perhaps the 3rd best player in the world, after the 2 aforementioned players. His loyalty, skill, and personality gained him the position of Co-Leader in DHK, a position that he used to get even better, and to better the clan. Arma remains to this day a role model of what other players in Crusader should strive to be like: keen, quick to learn, quick to adapt, open to new types of games/maps/rules, honest, humble, and reliable. Arma has defeated many other players on this list. His presence in the lobby was always looked on with awe, wonder, fear, and whispers. Those who didn't know him personally, spoke of him as a legendary myth, an elite echelon of the Best In Game. His skill has earned him his place on this list.

A long time member of DHK, Warrior has by far earned his place on this list of legends. After merely months of training and playing multiple games with the best of the best, his skill at his peek became unmatched. Like Arma, WarriorWithin was perhaps the 3rd best player in Crusader at his peek, after the 2 founders of his clan. Warrior was a rather innovative player, using techniques newly discovered by himself, or his clan mates, and perfecting them. His motto was "The pursuit of perfection." And he definitely strove to apply that to his gameplay. His presence in the lobby was never unnoticed, and his knack for smart-talk made him a rather infamous legend, capable of smacking you in a game, and in a "conversation." Due to him being relatively new to Crusader (3 years or so), Warrior was often overlooked by the older experts. He soon taught them their place.

A relatively new player to Stronghold: Crusader, Masosz showed his ability to learn quickly and adapt immediately, rising to the top 10 in less than a year. He has defeated many other of the legends on this page. Masosz has also shown an uncanny desire and motivation to learn and gain knowledge and experience in the game. This desire has paid of well for the young expert, as his knowledge of the game surpasses many of those who were here even longer than him. Masosz tends to be rather quiet as a person, not bothering to get involved with any bullsh*t or smack talk; he speaks with his amazing gameplay and not with his mouth. Don't expect to talk sh*t to him and get sh*t talk back. Expect to get devastated in game. Though his position is not particularly high on this list, he is by no means lesser of a legend, he is not to be taken lightly.

Much like Peabody and Strong, Warlord's skill and prowess in game was overlooked for much of his Crusader career. A lot of his training and knowledge in the game came from HolyLord and the former K@W founder, {{DHK}}Hampton. However, these two cannot claim full credit for Warlord's skill. Warlord took the initiative himself to learn and pioneer into the game's tactics and strategies. His will to excel in the game, combined with his natural talent for speed and insightful thinking formed together to create what became a legendary player in Crusader. Warlord has even used his amazing skill to win some official GameSpy Arcade Crusader tournaments with his partner, {{DHK}}Luis, forming a legendary team. Warlord was the type to stay away and out of the bullsh*t that went on in the Crusader lobby. Naturally, as he was in K@W, his prime goal in the game was fun and entertainment, though he had a sharp eye for gaining a victory whenever he could. =K@W=Warlord will go down as a Legend in Stronghold: Crusader. And one of the coolest legends.

A silent killer, a deadly assassin. A quiet legend in the past, a faded myth today. His name goes unrecorded in the History books of Stronghold: Crusader. The knowledge of his existence remains locked in the souls of a select few today. Though he is largely forgotten, his time here was marked by a series of top-expert-pwning. He appeared. He did his work. He disappeared. Some say he was an a.k.a. Some say he was just natural at Crusader. Only he knows.

The founder of one of the oldest clans in Stronghold Crusader, X2X. Wrath was an amazing player in his day, striking fear in the hearts of his enemies, and providing a very capable adversary for X2X's rival, =G$F=. He was a banner of power and a symbol of hope for those that were against =G$F= in The Great War. His knowledge of the game went deeper than most, and he would analyze and quantify as much as he could, economically and strategically. His weakness was in his theoretical application of the game -- his ability to quickly adapt was thwarted by his habitual behavior and gameplay, previously learned from practice; though mastered well. Hence his lower score here.

Formerly one of the best Stronghold 1 players, Blacky made his move to Stronghold: Crusader to become one of the best here as well. Blacky was never trained by any particular person. Instead he learned through trial and error, playing multiple games and observing and picking up on things quickly. Though, much of his learning came during his time in DHK. To be straightforward and direct, Blacky wields some of the greatest tactics in the game. His ability to control an army is almost unrivaled by any before him, or any at this time. His speed in game will leave you shocked, and his reactions are amazingly fast. His judgement in the midst of battles is sound and secure, and his timing is nothing short of excellent. Nevertheless, you will feel safe with Blacky on your team; and scared with him against you. Indeed, his skills can take many in a 2v1.

Once a clueless chattering newbie in the GameSpy Crusader Lobby, this talkative and ambitious rookie developed into a fearsome top expert. Although limited in his versatility (compared to the other Legends on this list), Dingo reached heights of technical ability and game judgement on par, or better than, some of the Legends on this list. Dingo is the leader of D-F, along with T~bag, his partner (and D-F Founder). Although Dingo, like Blacky, missed the golden days and old Legends of GameSpy, he has proved his worth amongst the newer generations of Stronghold: Crusader players in GR.