A little earlier, we brought you an interview with another Guild Wars: Factions team, Finlandia's pride, the Irrestible Blokes. There's a potentially deadly rival on the far side of Eurasia, waiting to take them on (and any other challengers): Korea's "The Last Pride," or "EvIL." Judging from some of their responses to NC Soft's questions, it's probably safe to say that this group is planning to take no prisoners, give no quarter nor show any mercy.

One of the strengths of EvIL stems from an interesting cultural trait that separates East and West: while Westerners cherish their individualism, those from Asian countries focus on group efforts and co-operation, often sacrificing immediate individual needs and desires for the greater good of the community. Is there a lesson here? Read on and decide:

Q. Who in your guild designs the team builds you use, or is it a group effort?
"We cooperate with each other rather than having one leader make all the decisions. Because we've played together for a long time, we pretty much know each other's strong points and weak points."

Q. How much time do you guys spend practicing together?
"Three to five hours. We schedule practice time weekly so that every member can participate."

Q. Does the guild usually use the same core players for all of its competitive matches, or do you switch out often?
"We always play with the same core members."

Q. Is there anything special you do to prepare for a big event like the GWFC?
"Nothing special, but we are a little bit excited."

Q. What guild do you think is your biggest competitor heading into the GWFC in Germany?
"Esoteric Warriors [EW]. They have a long history, and we can feel their force. This always makes us nervous when we play with them."

Q. What guild's performance has surprised/impressed you the most during any of the seasonal playoffs?
"Sacrament Of The Waooru [SotW]. We were surprised that they defeated American teams even though the game has just been introduced in Japan. It's too bad they can't participate in the competition, but we are pleased to see Treacherous Empire [TE] again."

Q. What was your philosophy behind choosing the builds you have run so far?
"Strong trust and confidence in each other. Our builds would never work without such things."

Q. Did you choose your build to play to your team's strength, or what you felt was your foe's weakness?
"We are trying to remove our weaknesses one by one through a lot of communication to become ultimately unbeatable."

Q. Which match do you feel was the most interesting/challenging for your guild?
"Every match is important to us because a single loss could keep us from the top."

Q. What has been the "highlight" moment for your team?
"We don't like skills and builds that are only popular in a specific season. If everyone uses the same builds, the game will be boring. We are thrilled when we beat strong opponents using our own style."

Sounds like these guys are serious. Their focus and determination is admirable, however, we hope - for their own sake - that they never become "unbeatable." After all, part of the thrill of the game is the risk and possibility of losing. Were the Last Pride indeed become invincible, they would that Guild Wars would become dull very quickly...

The Guild Wars Skill Pins have been unveiled! These skill pins designs were built from the "favorite skill" picks of The Last Pride, which is of course the Guild Wars Champions. These collectible pins are being prepped to hit the streets during this summer, they are limited in quantity so when you see one and you love Guild Wars (or you know someone who loves it) go ahead and buy it.

These 1" square enamel pins depict the colorful art of some of the most popular in-game skills from Guild Wars. The first two pins already made their debut at the E3 Expo, and the next one will be seen at the San Diego Comic-con at San Diego, California on July 20-23, 2006.

Each pin will come with an individual protective sleeve to preserve its shiny appearance. Also, the winners of the upcoming Guild Wars Factions World Championship held in Leipzig, Germany this August will have the opportunity to select skills for the next set. We'll have to watch out for that!