Playoffs are on: Archon Storm vs. Noob Central

With just half a week left in the first round of the playoffs, it's almost time to see who will be heading into round two, and who will be posting epic Facebook rants about topdecks, eSportals, and lucky juggles.

If there's any one team that has cast itself as favorites and who carry themselves as if they have already won Season Inception, it's this one. The team everyone loves to hate, and hates how much we can't help loving them. In our final playoff preview, we take a look at the squad that has hit our league like a THL Nino, Archon Storm.

(You may have noticed no Noob Central. I'm guessing the team had already descended into their mountain bunker for the entirety of the playoffs, and I wasn't able to raise the captain.)

Archon Storm

THL: Describe season Inception from Archon's point of view, what was the secret to your team's success?

Viridae: We went into Inception looking to defend our title. Picking up Dlineman and n00basaurus added to our already considerable confidence. Obviously, I won’t give away our main secret, which involves genetic splicing and stealing Kolento’s hair.

​However, I will say that I am confident no team prepares as much as we do. In addition, we have a skilled programmer in the form of HertzDonut who has designed our very own THL meta database, allowing us to track and reference stats, giving us the ability to bring optimal lineups. It is pretty slick, think of it as if Optimus Prime and Skynet had a baby.
 

"You can’t spell Hubris without Archon Storm. We definitely see this as ours to lose."

​THL: Who's your team MVP and why?

V: This is a much harder question to answer than it may appear on the surface. It goes to HertzDonut, who brings a ‘too cool for school’ vibe to the team while going undefeated and having the overall best W/L record in the league (also currently on a 3 game 3-0 streak). However, n00b has been a powerhouse late season, he’s on a win streak that should scare any #5 in the league. Kappa’s MVP ClarkKent quietly rocked out the #1 spot with a fantastic record and many commanding wins. Finally, Dlineman has been such a pleasure on the team and a really good sport. He’s just too damn pretty to stay mad at.
 
THL: Archon Storm got off to a slow start, but has now rattled off four straight wins, ends the season with THL's highest PR, and has to be considered the favorite. Do you guys feel like this is yours to lose?

V: You can’t spell Hubris without Archon Storm. We definitely see this as ours to lose. Dlineman has been awoken, the rest of the team has been crushing all season. We are hitting our stride just as playoffs start. Our PR is so stacked it would make Steinbrenner jealous. I think Kanye West said it best (while at a recent Archon Storm party) when he said, “No group has had such a concentration of skill and good looks since the days of  NSYNC”.
 
THL: The core of Archon—yourself, ClarkKent, and HertzDonut—has been together for three seasons now. What advantage does this familiarity give you guys?

V: When we grabbed Lifecoach’s younger brother (ClarkKent) in Archon Storm’s first season we knew this squad was going to roll up and stack dem trophies. The most important thing is these guys put up with my antics and haven’t blocked my email address, despite my constant flow of 11 page weekly prep emails … which they quickly mark as spam. I love this group. We are able to have fun while getting down to business. In a way we are a lot like the hit 1976 TV series Charlie’s Angels (I am like so totally Sabrina).

THL: Say I'm a brand new captain in Season Two (I'm assuming we're getting a cooler name), and I look starry-eyed at the dynastic Archon Storm. What are your tips for being a success in THL?

V: Build a team of guys who are involved and loyal. I will take a guy who can’t get past rank 10, but who is willing to learn and stay involved over a legend player any day. So when you are starting a new team, look for those types of players. Skill is something that can be attained, but having a good personality and the ability to work on a team is something far more valuable and rare.

Archon Storm uses a very intense selection process when looking at a new addition to the team. It is basically like joining The League of Shadows, but in a far warmer climate … and far less goats. Some goats? Yes. Just less.