09-08-2014, 07:50 AM
Hi guys,
It's a slow Monday morning here so I thought I'd spend some time analysing the opposition this season. Hopefully this inspires others to do the same, always interesting to hear peoples views on potential line-ups.
Disclaimer: I haven't been active for a few seasons so I may have called it wrong in many cases, apologies if I hurt your feelings!
Assassins
Top 5: Sika, Nadai, Mop, Develop, Saiyan
Comments: I've never played with Buny but I've heard good things. He and Saiyan are interchangeable in the 5th spot. Except for Nadai I haven't seen them praccing much yet. The tilt factor is pretty strong here with Sika and Nadai both prone to choking, but when they playing well they will roll over any team in the league. I'm not sure if I prefer the old Assassins who were a bit more stable and preferred to grind down the enemy (aiti, tak, mop, +1). They could certainly use 1/2 more active recruits but I think the current roster is solid.
Backarrow
Top 5: BugKiller, Tunahead, Superwolf, Surrey, Fedu
Comments: Great to see so many old B.I.A. players back in action. However, they've got a long way to go before they are at their peak again but guys like Hook and Jinxi have the potential to transform this roster into a great team if they can put the hours in. Superwolf is one of the newer players here but he's got great aim and movement - a real tough opponent. I hope to see them add a few more players to bulk out the roster more. However, they are praccing alot and often have 8 or 9 guys online. Candyman is good in the right line-up, I don't think this one suits him though. They certainly have the potential to push for a 5op 4 spot, whether that happens is totally dependent on how much they practice and whether the BIA players return to form.
Beastfu
Top 5: Gold Teeth, Wobit, zAiR, ibex, Marshall_Law
Comments: I don't know much about these guys - aliasers or new players perhaps? Hopefully the latter. Gold Teeth I think I played with on Rebels and he was reasonably solid. Wobit was on Secret but hasn't been active in league for years. The other three I'm not too sure about. Can't really comment on their potential but with them the best of luck.
Cosmic Rift
Top 5: Savage, GhostBuster17, Greg, McLaren, Pog
Comments: A real mix of players here. Some guys with heaps of league experience and some are fairly unproven. Some names on this roster are worrying and should only be allowed off the bench in unimportant games - otherwise they are liable to choke horribly. As it stands I think CR is a mid-league team who can definitely pose problems for some of the higher tier squads if GB17/Sav are on form, they can push for a top 5 spot but I think when things get serious they lack the depth to compete and need a few more solid recruits who can step in and make a difference if someone doesn't show or needs to be subbed.
Critical Mass
Top 5: Three, designator, Ozn, boolean, Antihuman
Comments: Lots of aliasers here and I'm not sure who's who. The players I have listed are solid and can hang with anyone in the league. However they lack depth and could use someone who is able to turn it up in big games. If they solely rely on Three to make the plays (which I doubt, but its a possibility) then they could have problems but there is enough experience here to ensure that they can challenge for a top spot. Despite only 8 rostered members, its a quality over quantity team and all of the guys can turn up and play well.
Dropships
Top 5: Skimm, Plutorus, Joe. Jr, A suicidal dentist, Hallowed.
Comments: These guys are really improving and have become a cohesive unit who can present a challenge to most squads in the league. They aren't a free win anymore and I look forward to seeing them cause a few upsets. They've picked up some solid pilots and whilst some are still a little green, there is a good mix of experience there with Plutorus and suicidal dentist. Joe Jr. is a good focal point for the team and skimm is a strong defensive/support player.
Outlaws:
Top 5: Krilyu, Caerbannog, Eric Clapton, KingNewbie, Enforcer
Comments: Really stacked roster with guys who prac alot and have tonnes of high end league experience. Plenty of potential subs who could almost create an entirely new squad and compete for the title themselves (Legacy, Crescendo, Captor, Barbarian, Hibachi). I think it will be between Outlaws/Assassins/Critical Mass/Sterling battling it out for the top 4 with Outlaws taking the title. They put in the hours and have the deep roster needed.
Slopships
Top 5: Shiny, Stigma, Nude for Satan, Bargeld, based god
Comments: Seem like the Dropships b-team? Great to see more squads in the league and I hope these guys enjoy the season. I can't see them posing many challenges to anyone except beastfu, SFE & WTF? The roster is deep and squads like Slopships are vital to the longevity of this zone - welcome guys!
Stafire Elite
Top 5: Shikaa, ufotable, Mauler, MFA, Medicus
Shikaa is a great pick-up and if Mauler is active then the duo can do some serious damage. Medicus is solid in a spider (I think?) which is always an annoying ship to play against. Ufotable seems like a solid new player who will be an important element to this team. This is one of the stronger SFE line-ups in my memory and they shouldn't be underestimated. Definitely one of the strongest mid tier teams if they prac.
Sterling
Top 5: Rage, Seismic, Maimer, Plare, pseudo
Comments: Strong roster. Would have been nice to see a few more old names come back too (Hat, Onslaught, Cloud) but I like the combination of experience and skill. Plus, they aren't afraid to pickup less experienced guys such as Nine and Twista who are solid players that can come off the bench and hang with the top squads. Rage is one of the best offensive players in the game and Seismic is a great support player who makes intelligent flanks and set-ups for this team. I haven't seen much of Maimer recently but he's always a good opponent. Pseudo is excellent when playing well, terrible when not. If you catch him on a bad day he will choke, if you catch him on a good day he will dominate. The problem is that there is no consistency. I think we see Sterling come into their own in the playoffs and look forward to some good games between them and Ass/CM/Outlaws/TD.
Symphony
Top 5: US, Peeking Duck?, High Gain, Denied, Cicada
Comments: Peeking is doing a great job of bringing Symph back and bringing new players into our zone/league. I commend him for starting something new and doing a great job in building his squad. Their first season back wont be easy but they have a good mix of experience and dedication with lots of the new guys praccing hard and improving (Edgar, Gambit, KillerCam, lute). In a couple of seasons these guys will be tough opponents. Right now I see Symph competing with SFE/WTF and beating Beastfu/Slopships. However, they can certainly climb higher if they continue to practice and work hard.
The Dark
Top 5: Da_Monkk, Blink, 9-Volt, Benji, chrono
Comments: Really nice roster here with a mixture of DS/TD guys, all of whom are skilled and experienced. Like Outlaws, the bench is deep with enough players to make up another full squad that can compete at the top (Diablo, YELLOW HAMMER, Mercury, swamp thing). The key player here for me is Benji, if he gets practising he and returns to form he can be a beast to play against. They are a very offensive side and Blink is great at providing a solid support/flanker who cuts off the enemy and sets up kills for Monkk/chrono. Definitely a contender for top spot.
WTF?
Top 5: Savman, a-soul, Stories, weed, scub
Comments:Great to see this squad back in action. I haven't seen them practising much but that could be a time zone related thing. Savman has alot of league experience and they need him to be active. I think WTF will compete with Symph/Beastfu/Slopships in the AML category of the league and will find it hard in their first season back. However, I hope they stick around and look forward to playing vs. them this season.
It's a slow Monday morning here so I thought I'd spend some time analysing the opposition this season. Hopefully this inspires others to do the same, always interesting to hear peoples views on potential line-ups.
Disclaimer: I haven't been active for a few seasons so I may have called it wrong in many cases, apologies if I hurt your feelings!
Assassins
Top 5: Sika, Nadai, Mop, Develop, Saiyan
Comments: I've never played with Buny but I've heard good things. He and Saiyan are interchangeable in the 5th spot. Except for Nadai I haven't seen them praccing much yet. The tilt factor is pretty strong here with Sika and Nadai both prone to choking, but when they playing well they will roll over any team in the league. I'm not sure if I prefer the old Assassins who were a bit more stable and preferred to grind down the enemy (aiti, tak, mop, +1). They could certainly use 1/2 more active recruits but I think the current roster is solid.
Backarrow
Top 5: BugKiller, Tunahead, Superwolf, Surrey, Fedu
Comments: Great to see so many old B.I.A. players back in action. However, they've got a long way to go before they are at their peak again but guys like Hook and Jinxi have the potential to transform this roster into a great team if they can put the hours in. Superwolf is one of the newer players here but he's got great aim and movement - a real tough opponent. I hope to see them add a few more players to bulk out the roster more. However, they are praccing alot and often have 8 or 9 guys online. Candyman is good in the right line-up, I don't think this one suits him though. They certainly have the potential to push for a 5op 4 spot, whether that happens is totally dependent on how much they practice and whether the BIA players return to form.
Beastfu
Top 5: Gold Teeth, Wobit, zAiR, ibex, Marshall_Law
Comments: I don't know much about these guys - aliasers or new players perhaps? Hopefully the latter. Gold Teeth I think I played with on Rebels and he was reasonably solid. Wobit was on Secret but hasn't been active in league for years. The other three I'm not too sure about. Can't really comment on their potential but with them the best of luck.
Cosmic Rift
Top 5: Savage, GhostBuster17, Greg, McLaren, Pog
Comments: A real mix of players here. Some guys with heaps of league experience and some are fairly unproven. Some names on this roster are worrying and should only be allowed off the bench in unimportant games - otherwise they are liable to choke horribly. As it stands I think CR is a mid-league team who can definitely pose problems for some of the higher tier squads if GB17/Sav are on form, they can push for a top 5 spot but I think when things get serious they lack the depth to compete and need a few more solid recruits who can step in and make a difference if someone doesn't show or needs to be subbed.
Critical Mass
Top 5: Three, designator, Ozn, boolean, Antihuman
Comments: Lots of aliasers here and I'm not sure who's who. The players I have listed are solid and can hang with anyone in the league. However they lack depth and could use someone who is able to turn it up in big games. If they solely rely on Three to make the plays (which I doubt, but its a possibility) then they could have problems but there is enough experience here to ensure that they can challenge for a top spot. Despite only 8 rostered members, its a quality over quantity team and all of the guys can turn up and play well.
Dropships
Top 5: Skimm, Plutorus, Joe. Jr, A suicidal dentist, Hallowed.
Comments: These guys are really improving and have become a cohesive unit who can present a challenge to most squads in the league. They aren't a free win anymore and I look forward to seeing them cause a few upsets. They've picked up some solid pilots and whilst some are still a little green, there is a good mix of experience there with Plutorus and suicidal dentist. Joe Jr. is a good focal point for the team and skimm is a strong defensive/support player.
Outlaws:
Top 5: Krilyu, Caerbannog, Eric Clapton, KingNewbie, Enforcer
Comments: Really stacked roster with guys who prac alot and have tonnes of high end league experience. Plenty of potential subs who could almost create an entirely new squad and compete for the title themselves (Legacy, Crescendo, Captor, Barbarian, Hibachi). I think it will be between Outlaws/Assassins/Critical Mass/Sterling battling it out for the top 4 with Outlaws taking the title. They put in the hours and have the deep roster needed.
Slopships
Top 5: Shiny, Stigma, Nude for Satan, Bargeld, based god
Comments: Seem like the Dropships b-team? Great to see more squads in the league and I hope these guys enjoy the season. I can't see them posing many challenges to anyone except beastfu, SFE & WTF? The roster is deep and squads like Slopships are vital to the longevity of this zone - welcome guys!
Stafire Elite
Top 5: Shikaa, ufotable, Mauler, MFA, Medicus
Shikaa is a great pick-up and if Mauler is active then the duo can do some serious damage. Medicus is solid in a spider (I think?) which is always an annoying ship to play against. Ufotable seems like a solid new player who will be an important element to this team. This is one of the stronger SFE line-ups in my memory and they shouldn't be underestimated. Definitely one of the strongest mid tier teams if they prac.
Sterling
Top 5: Rage, Seismic, Maimer, Plare, pseudo
Comments: Strong roster. Would have been nice to see a few more old names come back too (Hat, Onslaught, Cloud) but I like the combination of experience and skill. Plus, they aren't afraid to pickup less experienced guys such as Nine and Twista who are solid players that can come off the bench and hang with the top squads. Rage is one of the best offensive players in the game and Seismic is a great support player who makes intelligent flanks and set-ups for this team. I haven't seen much of Maimer recently but he's always a good opponent. Pseudo is excellent when playing well, terrible when not. If you catch him on a bad day he will choke, if you catch him on a good day he will dominate. The problem is that there is no consistency. I think we see Sterling come into their own in the playoffs and look forward to some good games between them and Ass/CM/Outlaws/TD.
Symphony
Top 5: US, Peeking Duck?, High Gain, Denied, Cicada
Comments: Peeking is doing a great job of bringing Symph back and bringing new players into our zone/league. I commend him for starting something new and doing a great job in building his squad. Their first season back wont be easy but they have a good mix of experience and dedication with lots of the new guys praccing hard and improving (Edgar, Gambit, KillerCam, lute). In a couple of seasons these guys will be tough opponents. Right now I see Symph competing with SFE/WTF and beating Beastfu/Slopships. However, they can certainly climb higher if they continue to practice and work hard.
The Dark
Top 5: Da_Monkk, Blink, 9-Volt, Benji, chrono
Comments: Really nice roster here with a mixture of DS/TD guys, all of whom are skilled and experienced. Like Outlaws, the bench is deep with enough players to make up another full squad that can compete at the top (Diablo, YELLOW HAMMER, Mercury, swamp thing). The key player here for me is Benji, if he gets practising he and returns to form he can be a beast to play against. They are a very offensive side and Blink is great at providing a solid support/flanker who cuts off the enemy and sets up kills for Monkk/chrono. Definitely a contender for top spot.
WTF?
Top 5: Savman, a-soul, Stories, weed, scub
Comments:Great to see this squad back in action. I haven't seen them practising much but that could be a time zone related thing. Savman has alot of league experience and they need him to be active. I think WTF will compete with Symph/Beastfu/Slopships in the AML category of the league and will find it hard in their first season back. However, I hope they stick around and look forward to playing vs. them this season.
