FTF: - Hey Duck! Congratulations on your win in the Beta Montage Competition!
Tom: - Hey Chris, thanks i was really stoked!

FTF: - Can you tell us, for those that don't know, your full name?
Tom: - Strangled duck! Haha nah my names Tom Strangward and no, I didn't get my gamertag from my last name! Haha.

FTF: -   Haha! That didn't even occur to me until you mentioned it. Where abouts are you from?
Tom: - I'm a sydney boy, born and bred in Cronulla

FTF: - Cronulla? You aren't also a Sharks supporter are you because that would be tragic! On a more serious note, you're also a Drop Bear yeah?
Tom: - Yeah i'm a sharkies fan, except they havn't ever really given the fans something to cheer about unfortunatly. Still at least they're better than the St George Dragons! Yep i'm a drop bear and actually one of the orginal 'founders' from back in the day!

FTF: - That's okay, The Sharks will come good in 08, Ricky's a great coach! So how do things work between The Drop Bears and CMX? How do they differ from each other from your perspective?
Tom: - Well in brief - The Drop Bears are my clan and my main social circle online. We regularly catch-up whether it be online for a few quick games or out somewhere hanging out. They're a bunch of top guys and i'd like to think together we've got a pretty good reputation. Unfortunatly for a number of reasons during about the middle of 2006 The Drop Bears as a clan became more involved in Xbox 360 games whilst i was still really interested in Halo 2. Eventually i became good friends with killself and Nitros through teaming with them in Team Immunity which ended up forming Team CompleX. Then i got to meet dockoh and F8 in the process, and we all became pretty good mates and have been having a blast sliceing, shooting and shotgun'n things ever since!

FTF: - Well you just answered my next question which was "Who is in CMX". I've noticed that F8 has agreed to play as Team Australia in Halo 3, who is in the official lineup for CMX for Halo 3?
Tom: -  Well even today we still dunno about that one. Killself and myself are pretty hesitant to commit to anything just yet, especially considering the game isn't out yet. But i would like to think that the ever  entertaining dockoh, killself, duck combination will be making an appearance. As for a 4th we'll have to see! Congrats on F8 getting chosen to play for Team Aus by the way!

FTF: - By the sounds of that, you aren't even too sure you're going to play Halo 3 competitivly?
Tom: - Oh no i will don't get me wrong!   

FTF: - Oh so by committment you meant the team lineup?
Tom: - Yep, because i'm in a position where i'm split between The Drop Bears and CMX as in terms of who i should mainly team with during the start of H3, i really don't want to rush making a decision just yet.

Above From Left to Right: Starks and Strangled_Duck!

FTF: - I can understand that.
Tom: -  I'd rather just enjoy trying out that new Hammer weapon for a while first haha!

FTF: - Oh the Gravity Hammer! I'd love to cramp like 4 or 5 people together jump down ontop of them from above and just smack the lot into the ground. That'd be enjoyable. Now obviously you played the Halo 3 Beta, what did you think?
Tom: - I think it was missing the gravity hammer haha, but in all honesty i was pretty surprised just how much it really worked as a game. It's great to see the Assult Rifle make a return, that gun was always my favourite in H1. My main concern was always that Bungie would pack too many different weapons into the game, however seeing yet again Bungie take customisable options to the next level dismisses any real worry i had. Come H3, and if the needler shouldn't prove the competative weapon of choice then it's good to know we can take it out!
 

FTF: - Haha, the needler, I swear even in the Beta that weapon was still rubbish, or maybe I was just bad with it. With the footage you used in your montage, did you record every game you played? If you did, did you then have to go through hundreds of games to find the best shots or sticks to suit your entry?
Tom: - Nah no way! Any game where i managed to get something really cool i'd just make a mental note to save the film. The game can get addictive! If i saved every game i played then i'd be ancient by the time i'd watched and recorded them all.

FTF: - Haha, that's true, I know some Halo PC guys who saved waaaaaay to many gigabytes worth of footage! Did you check out the other montages at all?
Tom: - Yep, i gotta say after seeing Brainseeker's montage (hi seeker!) and  Stunnings Killermanjaro with the sniper on HighGround i was left thinking "Oh crud" haha. The montage quality was pretty damn good from where i was watching.

FTF: - Yeah, I found myself close to tears after I saw BrainSeekers single Plasma Pistol kill. It was a winner. There's a question I've already asked two other people, and that is - between the teams we have now: Team Australia, HaC, The Drop Bears, Best BR, NaP, Halo viBe and players becoming more aware of what it takes to reach the top, who do you predict will be the top 3 teams in Halo 3?
Tom: - Well...Starks is gunna hate me on this one but i think many of the main teams currently for H2 will be the ones that make a strong appearance in H3.

FTF: - Why would Starks hate you for that answer?! Spill!!
Tom: - Teams like Best BR, CompleX, BRP, ItG, NaP will have a major advantage in being fresh off the blocks and having the team work already worked in.
Tom: - Haha i was speaking to starks about this once and i think he was more inclined to think that PP, Hac, Team Aus where gunna come out guns blazing. Although Surrells gone to play in Team Aus now, so do you know if HaC's coming back? I hope so, benny was a champ.

FTF: - Haha, I know everything. Including Surrell's future, but that's not up to me to reveal! I'd love for Starks to be right, the problem is, nor PP, HaC or Team Australia have their team confirmed! Which really is quite sad. What about individual players? Who's going to be the FFA king or is it too hard to say at the moment?
Tom: - Too hard to say. Too much current talent around. Although....
FTF: - Yes?
Tom: - It kills me to say this. There is one noticable freak called Walkerrr floating around, haha he is exceptionally good at FFA i'll give him that. Good thing he's a top bloke otherwise i couldn't stand him flogging me all the time.

FTF: - Haha, I think alot of people underestimate just how important it is to be modest and a good sport, especially in video games. You will earn an extreme amount more of respect from the players around you if you play modest. That just about covers everything, thanks for your time Tom! We really appreciate it! Good luck with sorting out your team, no doubt we'll be hearing more about you in the future
Tom: - Cheers DC! see you in H3!