This post is extremely important. It will not be based on the 5 best players of all time - which is not only subjective and basically impossible. Instead, it will be based on the 5 players who are most pivotal in shaping the game's history. Such things are considered high priority in this list: map making, knowledge spreading, video creation, and outstanding achievements. It is extremely difficult to narrow this down to just 5 players. I would first like to give some honourable mentions:
- Robskate - a 25 year veteran who has the most longevity of any pro at the top of the game. His sharing of knowledge on standard maps has been extremely important to the development of legions of top players, and without Robskate's presence the game would have been in a far worse state. It's very likely that players such as Ehy and Ford would never have reached their potential without Robskate as a regular frequent opponent.
- Defmike - A very important map maker who has befriended 100s of players throughout his tenure playing Red Alert. Many players will have fond memories of interacting with this top bloke.
- RC1985 - The most popular Red Alert YouTube channel in history, with 5 million views+. He narrowly missed out due to some on the list having a more tangible offering.
- At0m1 - A Q expert and the first person to create videos on Veoh. Also founder of TA clan and author of a very popular mid 2010s blog which you should check out http://ratimes.weebly.com/ He narrowly misses out as his coach is on the list and offered an even greater contribution (read on for more).
- ORA-boy - 22 years a member and subsequent leader of the greatest
clan in Red Alert history. His ability to keep a team happy and keep a
machine well oiled should be commended. A true legend of the game.
- Iran/Lovehandles/hifi/Myg/Tore etc. Hugely important in saving the game from terminal death during the late 2000s.
- Ehy - One of the first major successful YouTube channels like At0m1. His videos have inspired 100s of players (myself included). He is also remembered as the dominant player of the CnCnet era and one of the greatest players of all time.
So without further ado here is what I consider to be the Mount Rushmore of Red Alert:
5. Ford - A YouTuber/Twitcher who offered the single most important discovery in the modern era of the game. Also one of the top 10 players in the game's history. This Canadian is a real inspiration to all autistic people the world over and is an ambassador for the Canadian Autism Society. Ford unleashed the potential of aggressive GQ which completely changed the game dynamics of tank battles. He also probably possesses the single best map knowledge of any player in the history of the game. He knows every statistic inside out and he is truly a Professor of Red Alert. Check out his blog for more info https://c9andrewford.blogspot.com/
4. FunkyFr3sh - Probably the single most important person in terms of the success of the Red Alert side of things on CnCNet. A strong player in his own right, he is best known for helping to design and oversee the implementation of CnCNet5. The modern game literally would not exist without his input and help (along with others such as Iran). He truly deserves legend status in the game at this point and is often taken for granted (on occasions by myself as well which I regret). He deserves the utmost respect of every player on CnCNet and I don't think he gets the credit he deserves. Every player who plays daily for free on CnCNet does so because of Funky's endless hours of hard work - don't forget that!
3. Faramir - A forgotten legend of the game. His name lives on in maps such as WIDE OPEN (by Faramir), and his map creation contribution is 2nd only to the 1st ranked player on this list. Modern players can thank Faramir's genius for such maps as the gargantuan V3 RIBBON ISLE. He wasn't known as the strongest player in the world but that isn't really important. Faramir literally shaped the way the game is played today. Without his contributions to the community it is very likely that competitive custom game Red Alert would have died out years ago. 10s of thousands if not millions of games have been played on his maps throughout the years.
2. Milo234 - An absolute legend who literally wrote the Red Alert Bible in 2006 which you should read here https://funkyfr3sh.cnc-comm.com/milo/ra.html Every single top player of the last 15 years of Red Alert has been inspired by this man's literature. This guide is the single best way to elevate your game to the next level and has been an inspiration to players from Ehy to At0m1 and Ford. It also inspired my own personal play. Milo returned in summer 2020 and still competed at a high level, winning the ladder 1 month and showing that even as a family man approaching 40 he was still one of the strongest tankers in the history of the game. He also created many famous and important Q themed maps such as Q 10 v 10. Milo's lasting legacy with the guide, and his efforts to keep the competitive scene alive during a life-support existence for the game during the mid-2000s are a hugely important arc in the game's history.
1. Niklas - Words such as "legend" and "genius" don't do this man justice. Referenced by Robskate as probably the best player he ever faced, Niklas's name lives on in the modern era through the hugely important milestone map called 4c Niklas. Every top pro has played this map 100s of times 1v1 and 2v2. Other maps such as NSC Niklas were also made by this legend - his contribution to the custom map scene would later inspire people to create maps such as HJK6 and P4. Niklas was one of the game's first real true super-pros (along with such names as Nike1). His contribution to the early days of the game in establishing build orders (the same build orders Robskate uses 25 years later on Path!) and his implementation and discovery of the importance of Q, Bookmarks etc were revolutionary in Red Alert. Niklas's contributions to the game inspired every legend and player who came after him and that is why I awarded him the title of the most important player in the game's history. After all, there's only 2 maps on the current CnCNet ladder which feature the names of LEGENDARY players in the game so you know he is in good company.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned for more and don't forget to follow!