DETHCON AKA CuBe

There will be two separate sections. One personal and the other is an Ants profile.

How and when did you first started to play Microsoft Ants?

I started playing somewhere around late 1999 or early 2000s (I was 11 at the time). Internet was such a wild thing (it still is), I discovered Zone.com from a childhood friend (zone name: Alexv2k) and he pretty much introduced me to Microsoft Ants. He eventually got bored with the RTS game, but I got severely addicted to the game. This game would consume most of my childhood life. I would still play baseball/basketball with friends and go to Pokémon league, but this game literally took over my life! I remember how antsy I was at school, thinking nothing about playing Ants during classes. I was obsessed! But it wasn't just the game that I was into, it was also the community. I embraced the clans and all the zone friends in the community. Honestly the Anters community is what I missed most about this game. As ironic as that may sound about Ants, the community is something I cherished more than the game itself. You built strong bonds, relationships, ambition, fellowship with your fellow clansmen, pards, and even your rivals, opponents and enemies.

Tell us more about your history with Ants? Gives us your first zone name and your first clan. Or perhaps your first zone friend?

Well, when I first played the game I was a newbie, so nobody knew who I was. My first zone name was alexlee03 I think, but I quickly changed my zone name because I thought it was corny to have your first and last name as part of your zone name. My first zone friend was Tylor. I can't remember his zone name, but I do remember his real name. I play like a all nighter with Tylor and we instantly became friends. Tylor decided to start AA clan and he made me a co-leader. We recruited Smith as well, who we also play with in that one nighter when we all first met. Again, I don't remember his zone name, but I only remember his real name. Tylor was also really close with a well known expert named AcE and we became friends as well. AcE was my first expert friend and I aspired to play like him, I really looked up to him. Tylor also invited Mooky because we wanted to have a female member in our clan. I got really close to Mooky and we had so many late night conversations about everything. I honestly would have dated her If I could, but knowing that she was a full grown adult and I was barely a teenager, I knew that wasn't going to workout.

Was there a point during your time at Zone when you had a break through? Was there a point where you were acknowledge or taken notice? Maybe when you got in a expert level clan?

I jumped around a few clans (AA, RAGE, and couple other clans) before I got noticed by the experts. But really it wasn't until when I went solo when I got that kind of respect which led me into a expert clan. I went solo under the zone name _xKuNiVax_ and most of my zone friends called me kunt, don't think I need to explain this one (LMFAO). It was Savior (_TC_xSavior) who gave me that next level opportunity and inviting me to TC (The Crips). I was so estatic to join the clan and neither Savior or the clan members tried me out, Savior said he seen enough from me and wanted me to join. I was elated, determined and wanted to elevate my game to a higher level now that I was with a murderous row of killers in this clan. I instantly clicked parding with vivi (_TC_xVivi), tant (_TC_xTantalus), and haz (_TC_HaZaRDoUs). Those guys made me a better player and motivated me to be best player I could possibly be. 

Do you remember when you discover all the ants trick or if someone taught you all those moves? Did anyone train you?

I don't remember when, but I pretty much figured out all the basics myself like CTRL A, CTRL S and CTRL L, ant standing on powerup trick, splicing food, etc. And yes, I did have a trainer who taught me all the advance skills. NoBe was the one who trained me. He taught me how to guide, auto-guide and mudhump. It enlightened me. I couldn't believe at the time I didn't notice what my (expert) opponents were doing. You know.. when you're playing the game, you're not watching what your opponents are doing because you're focusing on what you're doing. There were times when I was so frustrated at the outcome of the games. I thought they just manage their food supply much better than I did. I would just concede that they were better and be gracious, just say gg, but when NoBe showed me how to guide, it was gameover! That's when I realized there were more to this game than just eating fast and out-brawling your opponents. I was able to even invent my own strategy and nobody was doing what I was doing at the time, I elevate my game to new heights. 

I was really close to NoBe. We even smurfed and started a two-man clan (XcZ) together, but I had my own desire and I wanted to surpass him. This created a rift between us and we became arch enemies. In retrospect maybe I was being a prick and didn't really regard him that well.

Do you have a certain style of play or strategy? For instance do you play conservative in a 1v1 game and just guide? Or go after all the combs powerup and engage a big rumble?

I have such a unique style how I play the game. I don't think anyone would approach the way I did. Most players would go after fires and combs powerup. The more fires or combs you get, the more advantage you have in the game. That may be the case if you do not know how to counter your opponent against 4 fires or 4 combs. While I let (sometimes I would tell them in chat to get all those of powerups) my opponents get all the swimmy, fire or comb, I go after the thieves. Sometimes I would take their thief powerup on their base (LOL). I would bring 2-3 thieves to their base in the beginning, even if they would fire their hole I would bring a fireant too. So, sometimes I would bring more than half my ants to my opponent's base (ROFL). I was able to find my own style and I was a nuisance to my opponents. I played at a high risk, high reward style. I guess you can say there is a unpredictability factor in my style. I played a series of 1v1 with a lot of great players, but the games I vividly remember was against mattx2k2 (aka rAnt) because we played like hundreds and hundreds of 1v1 games. He had such a competitive drive and he especially love getting into big brawls against me. But there were times I would let matt grab all the fires or combs (or swimmies) and when he realize I am paying no mind what he just did he would quit (LOL)! He would protest that I at least get one fire or one comb, otherwise he just wouldn't play against me.

Where does your Zone Name origin came from?

Despite that today Ants is dead, the Ants community recognize me as Dethcon because it was my last Zone name, however, most Anters and all the OGs recognize me as CuBe. I was in TR clan long after it was dead. TheGame was indifferent that I still use the clan tag. I use the CuBe_TR zone name for like 5 years. But before CuBe I was KuNiVa and that was when I first got recognized by the community. And before KuNiVa I was a noob so I was a noobody.

The origin of these zone names is actually kind of funny. I was in a scrimmage in a CS 1.6 (Counter-Strike) match wit few of my CAL-M and CAL-IM friends back in 2004. This player named Dethcon on the other team just kept killing me every single round. It got to point where it really annoyed me, so much that name Dethcon stuck out.  I wanted a new zone name at the time. I thought to myself that there isn't a Dethcon in Ants, so I pretty much took that CS player name and changed my zone name, but I spelled it differently. I debut this zone name with the FC clan as DeFCoN, but changed it to Dethcon after the FC clan. I have been using that name still to this day, not just in Ants but on Discord, WPT (Poker), and other games.

I have to repent that this wasn't the first time I stole a name. I actually stole Xil's zone name and use it on CS and other games/platforms. Ryan is a friend, but yeah I do admit that I stole his zone name. XilArAtiNG to me was the coolest zone name I ever seen.  I loved it so much that I had to use it in other gaming communities. But it was just Xil's name that I use, I also use many other zone names in CS like StrikeForce, PhRoZeN, PiTcHBlAcK and other zone names. I still think zone names are the coolest names not just in Ants, but in all of gaming communities.

Where the name CuBe came from was my idolation of the rapper Ice Cube. I idolized the man and I was in a big rap phase in the late 90s and early 2000s.

KuNiVa came from a rap group D-12, which had Kuniva as part of the group. I just like the name and ran wit it. Anters would nicknamed kunt lol.

Who was your biggest opponent and why?

Myself... As cliché as it may sound that your biggest opponent is yourself in a you vs you battle, that couldn't be more true to me. My biggest downfall was intentionally allowing my opponents have the advantage in any way and I would always play from behind. It's not so much a confidence or ego thing, it was boredom. Yes, I could outeat you in a guidefest or outbrawl you, but we are all here to have fun and it's just human nature that we seek danger, which is quite the opposite for animals, they seek safety. I wanted to test my limit to see if I can rally from huge deficit in a 1v1 match where I just got pwned and was 0-6ed. Of course I love dominating opponents or stealing all their points, but how are you going to grow if you never face adversities? I want those challenges, the adversities and I want to make those mistakes. It's just boring to always win or enroute a easy dub, I prefer to win a entralling comeback fashion. As addicting it was to pwn an opponent, that feeling of a comeback win was just as addicting if not more to me. So I have these urges while I play a 1v1 game against a equally high skilled player. It was a constant struggle for me. Do I let them take advantage or not? I knew I couldn't always give them that edge, especially someone who was just as good as me because that could very much be the difference in the game.

Were you ever accused of speeding or any form of cheating? And did you ever use speed?

No, I never use speed or use any form of cheating. I was a really dumb kid, so I didn't know how or where to get speed. I didn't really care much for it, I just wanted to play the game. I had such a work ethic though, I saw the speeders as a challenge and thought I could find a way to outwork them and beat them. And yes, I been accused of speeding here and there, but I get the most accusations of hitbacks, not speeding, not freezing, or hexed map, but HITBACKS! Random hitbacks is what I got accuse more than anything! There were players that were strongly convicted that I was using a program to be able to hit them back when a 1 on 1 ant was getting pummeled. I know most players would give up on their ant on a straightaway attack, but I actually click like crazy to fight back. I didn't want to lose or abandon any of my ants. I don't know.. Maybe because it was the Microsoft mouse I been using that gave me an edge all these years. I do admit that I did download cheat-o-matic, but I never really got around to use it because I didn't know how to use it.

Other than playing Ants, what are some things you like to do?

Some personal information about you. One word or very short answer please!

Favorite Artist: There's so many favorite artists. It's hard to give you just one, so I'll give you three! Staind, Kaskade and A Day to Remember

Favorite Movie: Heat (1995)

Favorite Show: Again I'm giving you three! Naruto Shippuden, Prison Break, and One Punch Man!

Favorite Book: Night Work

Favorite Game: ANTS!!!!

Some interesting fact(s) about you: I served 10 years of active duty in the Marine Corps (1 combat tour deployment to Afghanistan). I played in the WSOP Main Event ($10K Buy-in) in 2017. I finally published my manuscript in 2024 after working on it for years! I was featured on Jim Cramer's lightning round in Mad Money back in 2020! You can see the screencap below.