Player Power Rankings/Tales of the Mighty: Ragnaros League S8, Week 6!

Welcome back, THL, to the Player Power Rankings! Every 2 weeks, Markshire and HockeyBoyz3 will take you through their list of the top players in Ragnaros league, using mainly data but also a little pinch of subjectivity. Meanwhile, in those alternate weeks, rebobson and Shunsui21 will take you through their own player rankings for Sylvanas League! This week, our Sylvanas duo will be filling in on Ragnaros duties, those lazy fools. Every week, the active pair will recognise one player for a unique accomplishment, tied to performance or not. You will just have to tune in each week to find out what it is! Finally, just to round things off, every week Nade will be interviewing one featured player in order to find out more about what fuels their fires in Tales of the Mighty. We hope you enjoy reading!

1) Maikel - Thermic Whims (6-0; 18-5)
​Maikel’s dominance this season, in the most dominant team, has been so dominant that only one thing is really up for debate: How do you pronounce his name? Is it may-kell? My-kell? Michael? Maycle? Seriously, what the fuck am I supposed to write about someone this fantastic? ‘He’s good, duh’. Yeah, top quality journalism, other me. Fuck this, I’m going to go eat dry toast and cry.
-rebobson

2) Twizz - Defias Brotherhood (6-0; 18-8)
The story behind Defias Brotherhood’s Twizz is short and sweet: he hasn't lost yet. He has swept one opponent, won 3 3-2, and another 2 3-1. He brings Warlock to be banned, so he can play the decks he likes to duel with. I personally feel lucky to be seeded where I'm at because I don't really want to duel him, although taking down a undefeated duelist is what I do best. Is there a rivalry brewing?! This duelist is a very sturdy foundation for his teammates to stand on. Good morrow and happy trails my man.
-Shunsui21

3) DZB - Always Topdeck Lethal (5-1; 16-7)
DZB, the League’s foremost dyslexic Super Saiyan, has stormed up the Player Power (Level) Rankings, hitting well over 9000 with a 16-7 game score. Nappa would absolutely shit himself if he saw what this guy was capable of, only dropping 4 games in the 5 wins outside of that solitary loss. Kakarot, cack this guy is not.
-rebobson

4) BoomBoomHall - Team Xnergy (5-1; 16-8)
SONIIIIIC BOOM! Usually followed by a flash kick or two, depending on the advancing guard skills of your opponent. In BoomBoomHalls' case his combos consist of sharp class selections, less luck and more of a knack for making the right plays. Only dropping 8 games and spacing them out properly has landed him a 5-1  record with only a single close call or two. Keep your eye on your health meter, because, you may be staring down the barrel of  a hyper combo finish if you lose focus against this duelist. Good luck.
-Shunsui21

5) Earl - Team Swagoi (5-1; 15-10)
All rise for his excellency, the Earl of Swagoi; his dominion extends far beyond the purple plains, and into the Fields of Gold. His subjects have been more than loyal this season, only that scoundrel JetLaw daring to step out of line in an uncustomary sweep of His Lordship. Since then, winning ways have returned to the castle, with Earl leading the triumphant gallop towards the distant lands of the playoffs. It would be an odd future indeed, were this charge to end in failure.
-rebobson

6) BlueSpartan - Always Topdeck Lethal (5-1; 15-11)
Since I met my eternal  rival BlueSpartan on Battlefy a few months before Ragnaros Season 7, he has been an absolute terror; but in a good way. One of the few duelists to make me sweat during a game, but I digress. Having a 5-1 record in this super tough season 8  Rag League is not a walk in the park. Although, being 15-11 in game counts, don't think for a minute that reflects his skill level. After many shadow duels with my rival I can confirm he is as trill as any legendary duelist.
-Shunsui21

7) DirestBear - The Pod People (5-1; 15-12)
One day, little Timmy and his parents took a trip to the zoo. The zoo had lots of lovely animals for Timmy to look at: the parrots with their pretty plumage, the giraffes with their silly necks, the penguins waddling happily around the ice, and the monkeys cheekily throwing their faeces at one another made little Timmy giggle. But there was one enclosure that excited Timmy more than all; right at the back of the zoo was a huge bear sunning itself on a rock. Little Timmy was so excited, he pushed himself as close as he could, squeezing his head through the bars to get a closer look at this magnificient beast. Quick as a flash, little Timmy was decapitated by a bear who did not appreciate having his personal space invaded. It was at this point, little Timmy’s parents noticed the sign on the enclosure: ‘Do not fuck with the DirestBear’. Wise words for us all to learn from.
-rebobson

8) Brewski - Thermic Whims (4-2; 16-7)
Skol! Opa! Maybe a simple cheers would do? Hail Brewski king of Ale! Dilly Dilly! Kicking names and taking ass has led this duelist to a sturdy 4-2 record, also only dropping 7 games all season: Brewski means business.  I don't have a lot of info on Brewski, besides knowing that he is a problem in the Duel Arena. If there had been a different top deck or two, he could easily be undefeated. Toast to you my friend, and good luck in your duels.
-Shunsui21

9) Cakes - Spicey Boys (4-2; 16-10)
Cakes has been absolutely eggscellent this season, unafraid to take whisks and having a few loafs along the way, it couldn’t really get any butter for this Spicey baked good. Donut underestimate any player on this kind of roll; the pin dropping might be the yeast of your concerns. Up next for the Caked Crusader? Ciabatta believe Sullythe1 will knead all the luck he can get.
-rebobson

10) Durtymike - ThunderGun Express (4-2; 14-8)
The amount on DurtyMikes' plate would hold the average duelist back. Tearing up the league and every Prius in between helped Durtymike and his Boys to two back to back finals appearances, and because they were so nice with the duels they had to personally train a championship team to compete against in the finals. Call him what you want, as long as you respect the calibre of duelist he represents. Having a 4-2 means nothing at all to be honest. He represents the word Power in Power Rankings. He sees cards differently, and his aura is different as far as how he locks in to his no mercy face when dueling. Sweeping a former teammate last week is a testament to how serious he is about his business. Also having a top ranked duelist for a  wife in Misadventure keeps him on point. Steel sharpens steel! Happy V-Day to the lovely couple and continue building your resume Mike. Keeping it Durty has been the way to go! Oh, and if you're driving a Prius... you will be swept.
​-Shunsui21

Honourable Mentions:

Rebobson - Prep Coin Concede (4-2; 15-10)
To my humble brotha Rebroson, the work he puts in is honorable in its own right, never mind being a powerhouse on the hearth. A very solid 4-2 record lands him right on the outskirts of the rankings; he also isn't one to toot his own horn and wants to give others a chance to shine. I had to wear him down to finally get him to give me the O.K to type something up about him. Being an author doesn't disqualify you from being mentioned, especially if you one of the top players in the league. I'd wager any one of my millennium items that a duel with my friend would go down to the wire.
-Shunsui21

DrMandingo - Texas Stubbies (4-1; 14-6)
Just imagine how many more awkward silences the Simpsons would have had if it had been Dr. Mandingo walking into a room, cheerily exclaiming ‘Hi, Everybody!’. That is something unlikely to ever happen, but who knows, if the Doctor continues putting up this kind of form and we enter a bizarre alternate timeline where the Player Power Rankings serve as a form of inspiration for Matt Groening, it just might. I look forward to the episode where Homer misses his appointment with Dr. Mandingo, all because the Dr. overslept, and Bart learned an important lesson: you don’t make better than an honourable mention if you DQ, D’oh!
-rebobson

That's My Ninja!

When I become HearthKage, of the Village hidden in the Hearth, I would have none other than both my opponents from last week with me to protect my friends and family. I had came down with the flu and it hit pretty hard, and with very short notice they were super cool with pushing our duels back a few days. As a warm up for our duel, Aviously was participating in a tournament, how awesome is that? To top it all, we had a shadow duel: My Millennium Scrolls against his Millennium Murlocs. The shadows could only hold us for four games because the rift started to shift time itself!  Also, to a top level duelist in Donde. All our duels came down to the wire and the series was truly the best I have had all season: without a doubt I have found a new rival. Thank you to both duelists for allowing me to recover my strength, so I can give them a proper duel. This week both of you guys are My Ninjas, until next we meet.
​-Shunsui21

Tales of the Mighty: Nade Meets... Twizz!

What’s that you see? A bird? A plane? Cheese whiz? Nope, it’s fucking Twizz, and he’s soaring across the skies of THL stretching his wings wide, casting a shadow on all who lay beneath him. This dude is on top of the world right now (along with Maikel of course), and he’s rightfully earned it. Twizz has been around the league for a while now, so to those of you who know nothing about him: I bring life and hope.

How did you find out about THL, and why did you want to get involved?
I found out about THL a bit over 2 years ago just before Season Kappa through a Facebook post in a Hearthstone group I think. I was really enjoying competitive Hearthstone and thought THL would be a great place to meet some new players and play some more Hearthstone.

Do you have any specific Hearthstone accomplishments that you’re proud of?
My proudest Hearthstone moments are easily finishing in the top 8 of the 2016 Malaysia Major, and being selected for the 2017 Australian Global Games team, as well as recently qualifying for the first Challenger Playoffs of 2018.

How would you define your play style? What about your competitive philosophy?
I have always been a fan of control decks and a slower playing style. I'm a big believer of deck building and strategy being half of any match and putting a lot of time into preparing.

What’s your favorite Hearthstone deck to play (from any era of the game)? Favorite card?
Freeze Mage has been my favourite deck ever since I started playing. Alexstrasza is my favourite card, usable offensively and defensively and can just turn matches on its head.

Do you have any competitive experience in other games?
​I briefly played League of Legends competitively, but once I found Hearthstone that has been the only real competitive game for me.

What would you credit for why you’ve been performing so well in Ragnaros League?
​Whilst I did make a mistake in not captaining Netherstorm this season, being part of the Defias Brotherhood has really helped me clear my head in THL and worry about just being a player and doing my best for the team. My motivation is really high for Hearthstone right now and I've been putting a lot of time into preparation and testing.

When you’re not pwning noobs, what else do you enjoy doing on your free time?
​Basketball is my biggest hobby outside of gaming. I have been playing for 8 years and currently play 3 nights a week and coach at my old High School.

What’s your favorite series of THL content?
I have always been a Tavern Talk fan. A lot of work goes into it and it is pretty easy to listen to or have on in the background.

What would you suggest to any players struggling this season?
Throw yourself at your teammates. There are so many good people in THL willing to help, even just popping in the Discord you are definitely going to find someone willing to lend some advice or a helping hand. Otherwise just play decks you are comfortable with or good at, and the results will come.

Any shout outs you’d like to end on?
Shout outs to my teammates on Defias Brotherhood, it has been nice to be a part of something new in THL and we are really trying to pull some magic in the last few weeks. C0mp for reaching out to me to join the team and running the team really well himself. All of my old teammates on Netherstorm, Entropy and Xnergy and my good mate Mooshu for getting me into Hearthstone all those years ago, changed my life.

One thing that’s truly special about this league is the ability for scrubs like you and I (mostly you), to play alongside real Hearthstone talent like Twizz. What have we learned from this Australian sensation? Deck building and strategy are things to actually consider using in THL (probably not though), Entropy is still something that nobody knows wtf it is, and if you can’t beat ‘em, Defy ‘em!Stop by next week for some more dirt on our shining stars.

Until next time: get in there and fight, maggots!

-Nade