CLAN SPOTLIGHT: SAS ASSASSINS [SAS]

Happy New Year Agents!

We are delighted to be back and kick start 2020 with the first Clan Spotlight!

Our first Clan Spotlight of the year is the SAS Assassins (SAS) clan. This clan was formed by a military father who sought to maintain his relationship with family and friends whilst on duty. Now an Ex-Military, he manages (SAS) alongside a group of people who consider the clan as one giant family.

We can't wait to tell you about how this clan came together, and how they operate. So, let's get to it shall we?!

FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH SAS ASSASSINS (SAS) CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR CLAN?

Commander RabSas (Scottish): I am the Commander and founder of SAS Assassins (SAS). I am also an ex-military, and this inspired the military ranks within the clan.

I've been a gamer since back in the days of Atari and Commodore and I have played anything from simple games such as centipede, to the open world of The Division 2. Sadly, due to real life commitments, I don't get to play as much as I used to. I do however play at any opportunity that presents itself.

My main focus is to improve the clan, to interact with my clan members, and continue to be involved with the day to day running of it. From the day of its creation I've been very involved in helping my clan grow, so much so that my partner has even teased me that I spend more time with the clan than with her.

Our members might not see all the hard work that's being invested in the background, but for me that is a sign that everything is running smoothly

RabSas: "This is my right hand man. He has been with us from the very beginning. He is my Bot specialist in the Discord server. He is also an ex-military and oversees the SAS Assassins (SAS) clan alongside me."

Lieutenant Commander Kopite0307 (English): Gaming has been a part of my life since childhood. It started with the BBC computer and floppy disks, NES and Mega Drive. The games I played ranged from Tetris to Warcraft. For me it's about the escape from normality. A few years ago I was diagnosed with severe intrusive thoughts, OCD, anxiety and depression; and I had a tough few years ahead of me following this diagnosis, and I am not ashamed to say that I nearly lost the battle.

I have been in and out of many Discord gaming communities, mostly through Destiny, and I've always stayed in the shadows not willing to get involved or speak up. It always ended the same; I would get booted for not socialising.

The Division 2 came along, and I watched some reviews on YouTube since I hadn't played the first game. Within a day I was hooked and looking for a clan. I eventually joined a clan with 3 members; RabSas, Sas-Pants and antonwoods who is still with us to this day. We started a Discord, with all of us new to the venture, and with a vision in our minds of being a friendly group with a real life first attitude.

THE SAS ASSASSINS (SAS) HELPED ME THOUGH A ROUGH TIME, AND IF WE CAN HELP JUST ONE OTHER PERSON IN THE SAME SITUATION, IT'S ALL BEEN WORTHWHILE.

– KOPITE0307

RabSas: "Senti179 is featured on all the world leader boards and is one of our regular streamers. He is the reason we are as high as we are in the world clan leader board for highest XP! He is also one of our event coordinators and is always organising raid events for our members to partake in."

Major Senti179 (French): I have played The Division since the beginning, as well as various MMORPGs since I was about 20 years old. In The Division 2, I think I am one of the top 3 World Leaders of XP and Kills, and World Leader of Black Tusk kills.

I mostly play for fun. One of the things I enjoyed was achieving 150 Million CXP alone in a week, I made the SAS Assassin (SAS) Clan Hall of Fame for this reason as well.

For me, the clan is like a family of brothers and sisters and I really enjoy playing The Division 2 with them. I particularly enjoy Heroic Missions, either solo or in a group; the raid or creating builds. I would very much like to see more development of the game, such as harder difficulties or content, a healer would be nice too as I think this is incredibly important, the current healing skills don't work well enough.

RabSas: "ThreeDeesigner is our Web Content Officer and he is running our website which is still a work in progress. He is also one of our main raid participants."

Major ThreeDeesigner (Hungarian):In the beginning I was very much a lone wolf kind of player. After some time, I choose a clan at random, the SAS Assassins (SAS); and ever since then I have been a part of the family. The Clan leader RabSas was so friendly and engaging that I knew I had come to the right place.

I am currently designing and constructing the Clan Website, at the same time I assist new recruits with gameplay and questions. For the most part I complete the raid because I have run it many times and know a lot about the strategy. We even created a team for the most active raiders, called the Raid Veterans.

RabSas: "Elizabeth57 is our recruitment officer, and I share the recruitment push alongside her. She is active in both The Division and Destiny social media communities."

Major Elizabeth57 (Scottish): I have been interested in gaming since I was about 8 years old. I am pretty sure my first console was the Atari, and I have every other console between then and now. I joined the SAS Assassins (SAS) not long after RabnSas recruited my other half.

From there I have worked my way up from Recruit to Recruitment Officer, and I'm having an absolute blast, not only as part of such an amazing clan but also getting to help grow our family from strength to strength.

I HAVE MADE SOME TRUE FRIENDS FROM WITHIN OUR GROWING COMMUNITY AND HOPEFULLY A LOT MORE TO COME! I AM PROUD TO CALL MYSELF AN (SAS) ASSASSIN.

– ELIZABETH57

RabSas: "SAS_Stewart is heavily involved with our PVP side of the clan. Whilst also being a streamer he creates PVP events and assist players with builds, mechanics and tactics. He loves the clan so much that he changed his PSN ID to include our clan tag."

Major SAS_Stewart (English): Well, I've been a gamer ever since I can remember! Way back when I was shooting ducks with a master system! Gaming has always been a big part of my life, whether it kept me out of trouble or just to unwind and lose yourself within a game.

It has been awesome, and I was heavily into Division 2 when RabSas popped in my life with a little message about joining his up and coming top 300 Clan. That's when the fun really began. I've made some amazing gaming memories over the last 6 months and some pretty cool friends along the way, and that's all thanks to the clan and The Division. It's only going to get better!

RabSas: "Here's another member that has been with us from the start, he is also a big frequent raider. He has an immense love for Ubisoft as a whole, as evident with his man cave filled with Ubisoft figurines"

Sergeant Lokinetiks618 (German):My name is Lokinetiks618, I'm one of the leaders of our Raid Veteran Group in (SAS) and I'm 36 years old. I have loved games since I could push the buttons on a keyboard or a controller. I would like to think that I am the voice of unspoken facts, I often say what most people are thinking but don't say.

I joined the SAS Assassins (SAS) by pure coincidence, I was searching for help on the Tidal Basin mission when a guy joined my session and helped me clear it. He wasn't a member of (SAS) to start with, but once he joined them he asked me to come along with him.

SAS Assassins (SAS) wasn't as big then as it is now, we had about 20 members but I instantly felt like I had come to the right place. I had been in many clans for various games, but nothing had ever compared to the atmosphere of the SAS Assassins (SAS). The community we have is amazing and although we are all of different opinions, we stick together like brothers and sisters; like family.

IF SOMEONE ASKS FOR HELP, WE HAVE A RANGE OF PLAYERS FROM VARIOUS TIME ZONES AND COUNTRIES SO YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE TO TEAM UP WITH.

• LOKINETIKS618

I do as much as I can for my 2nd family, but real life comes first, and I have a lot of commitments outside the Clan that limits how much I can get involved.

RabSas: "Magnimnullum has also been with us from the beginning and is a frequent raider."

Sergeant Magnimnullum (Swiss): Hi, my name is Mag and ever since my dad bought me my first Atari console (yes, I'm that old...) I have been hooked on games. My main focus are shooters and I'm not really into PVP, I'm a PVE and coop player and that is why The Division is right up my alley.

When I started The Division 2 it was my first time being in a clan, at first, I joined a random clan where there was very little to no communication whatsoever. So, I decided to check out a new clan and I applied for SAS Assassins (SAS).

I FOUND MYSELF IN A WELL-ORGANIZED CLAN WITH A GREAT COMMUNITY AND A LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE RUN BY DEDICATED PLAYERS. ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY EXPERIENCE WAS SHIFTING TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL AND THIS WAS A TOTAL EYE-OPENER FOR ME.

• MAGNIMNULLUM
  I'm looking forward to more great moments with my SAS Assassins (SAS) pals!

CAN YOU SHARE THE STORY OF HOW SAS ASSASSINS (SAS) BEGAN?

I have actually never been a part of any in-game clan in the past, and I created the clan just after The Division 2 was released, I initially made the clan, so my friends and family had a place to come together to play and have fun. Shortly after that it became so much more as I ended up having various people wanting to join, and I thought why not and accepted them. This was the beginning of our great clan and as it started to grow rapidly, I realised that I had created a great place that others wanted to be a part of as well.

TALK ABOUT JUMPING IN AT THE DEEP END, I WENT FROM NEVER BEING PART OF THE WHOLE CLAN STRUCTURE, TO RUNNING A LARGE WELL-OILED MACHINE WITH A RANGE OF AMAZING MEMBERS.

– RABAS

I now manage three clans with a total of 200 players in The Division 2, the other two were created due to the large amount of applicants and interest we had in people wanting to join our community.

For communication we mainly use our Discord, and it is thanks to the high level of efficiency from the clan staff, as well as the system and organization that we keep this running as smoothly as it is.

SAS ASSASSINS (SAS) MOTTO IS "REAL LIFE COMES FIRST", WHAT INSPIRED THIS AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO THE CLAN?

The SAS Assassins (SAS) has and always will be an active clan, but at the root of our online community we understand that real life has to take priority.

We have to set aside everything and focus on real life when that needs to come first. People will not be punished or removed for needing to attend to real life issues or events outside of the game or our clan.

There is always space in SAS Assassins (SAS) and no matter what life throws at us we won't discriminate anyone for their activity.

THERE IS EXTRA ATTENTION ON CXP WITHIN THE SAS ASSASSINS (SAS) CLAN, WHY IS THIS A FOCUS?

This is where the magic happens, every single one of our members make a contribution, from small to astronomical; every single point counts. You don't have to be a full-time gamer to contribute to the clan's worldwide ranking. It gives us a sense of achievement knowing that every single member can make a contribution.

From the beginning, there was always somebody who made an incredible amount of XP weekly, we stated calling them XP Machines. Currently Senti is the main XP Machine and he has been keeping track of the record with his 150+ million points. In our clan we like to reward our members for certain distinctions, and we use the CXP as a way to encourage friendly competition, reward them with temporary ranks as well as occasional PSN rewards.

Every member can participate and help the clan to push to the top 10 spot on the leader board.

HOW DO CLAN MEMBERS MAKE IT INTO THE SAS ASSASSINS (SAS) HALL OF FAME?

Just like any Hall of Fame, the SAS Assassins (SAS) Hall of Fame is an opportunity for members who have made an outstanding contribution, to be recognised for their achievements. If a member does something above and beyond the line of duty or stands out with a once in a lifetime contribution; this is where they are given a Hall of Fame status. We feel that this is the ultimate reward for our members.

For example, our very first member to achieve a top distinction, sherdian_20, was awarded a Hall of Fame status. Senti179 was also awarded Hall of Fame for his CXP earnings.

Whenever officers in the clan see something they feel is deserving of a reward, they start a discussion and once a decision is made and agreed upon, the member is awarded their status.

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES YOUR CLAN DIFFERENT?

We aren't just a clan, we are a family, and it just keeps on growing. Because of the family atmosphere, we retain a lot of members and we make sure that members who join us feel welcomed and a part of the family.

IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU HAVE 10 HOURS OR 1000 HOURS IN GAME, OR IF YOU HAVE 100 RAID COMPLETIONS OR NONE AT ALL. EVERYONE IS TREATED EQUALLY, AND EACH MEMBER BRINGS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO THE CLAN.

• RABSAS

We also feel that our clan's attitude to real life makes us different, we are committed to PVP, raids and speed runs but at the same time we understand that gaming sometimes has to take 2nd place to real life responsibilities.

All we ask is that our members let us know when they need to take a break, this is part of how well we operate as a clan, as everyone communicate with each other. This ensures that we all know each other, we know the person behind the gamer and the mood is a lot different when you are playing with others that feel more like family and friends.

HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE FUTURE OF YOUR CLAN? WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS AND ASPIRATIONS?

Coordinating about 200 people is a little difficult, we currently have 6 officers who all work hard to make everything run as smoothly as possible. They all have their individual roles and when they all come together, they make up the well-oiled machine that is the SAS Assassins (SAS).

Our next big goal is to become one of the top 10 clans in the world for total XP earned, but that is not the end. We are an evolving clan, so we will always be current, no matter what real life, or the gaming world throws at us, we will always be around. We are constantly using social media to reach out for new members.

Who knows what the future holds, all we can promise is to give 100% to our members and enjoy the ride.

ARE THERE ANY CLAN MOMENTS IN THE DIVISION 2 THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND US?

RabSas: "This question I feel is better answered by my community rather than myself. I asked my clan members, and here are some of their responses: "

Filthy_Clown from Canada: "One of my best moments is when one of the boys in the clan found me and introduced me into the clan. I was just about to stop playing since I couldn't find anyone to play with. Ever since I joined SAS Assassins, I have been able to play all aspects of the game with lots of people who are nice and patient. I learned a lot from this clan and I am proud to be a part of it even if it's just a small part."

Lokinetiks618 from Germany: "My greatest memory was tackling the raid for the first time, we had no clue what we were doing but we stuck together. We made better builds, kept trying and in the end we managed to complete it. It was so loud, and we were so happy."

RabSas from Sctoland: "One time we were able to get 8 clan members into the DZ running together. It was so much fun. We we're constantly going rogue as we ended up accidentally shooting each other while targeting the NPC's because it was only teams of 4 of course.

I think that is the most fun I've had in a long time. It was an easy going run, we didn't have to really concentrate, and we could just relax and have a great time doing so. Shame you removed the ability to do that now."

CAN YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE CLAN ACTIVITIES ARE IN GAME?

I myself love all aspects of the game from roaming D.C. to raiding with the clan. Even watching our clan streamers when they go live. But we have members who love certain aspects too, we have members who love shepherding others, aiming for commendations, running riot in conflict, hunting rogues in the DZ. We are a massively diverse clan that covers all aspects of the game.

IF SOMEONE WANTS TO JOIN AND EXPLORE D.C. WITH YOU, WHERE CAN THEY FIND YOU?

Definitely Discord!!! You can hit me up there, as this is where we run the clan. I actually use it more than I use other normal messaging platforms. So, if you want to run with me, I'll be there. RabSas#2771.

IS THERE ANY SPECIFIC ACTIVITY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO WITH YOUR CLAN?

I would love to be able to get all my clan members into the clan quarters for a massive photo opportunity. And just to have fun doing so.

Having an 8-man squad DZ would be epic too. As explained above, we were able to do that kind of, but if we could do it properly, that would be amazing!

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE DIVISION COMMUNITY?

We welcome anybody, so even if you just want to follow our progress, you are welcome to our recruitment/supporter section of our Discord Server. So come and join, and check us out!

We would like to thank the founders and members of SAS Assassins (SAS) for taking the time to share their story with us and the community. Check out their Discord if you want to get in touch, join them and explore D.C. together!

If you would like to share your Clan's story with us and with the community, let us know what your Clan has been up to using the hashtag #DivisionClanSpotlight. You could be featured in our next Clan Spotlight!

Until next time,

/The Division Community Team