Power rankings week 6 (Perils in Paradise)

introduction

As we continue our weekly tracking of the top players and teams in each series, we are starting to see the inklings of some patterns across the divisions. As a reminder, we use internal data calculated into a formula called PAR to create these rankings. PAR calculates data such as win/loss, game win rates, and strength of schedule. Each week we will be updating you on how these players and teams shift throughout their respective series, as well as highlighting individuals and their journeys. Feedback is welcome as we continue to iron out the kinks in the format and stylizing of this blog series.

legacy

Legacy this week saw a small shake-up as I’m not your Bouldering Buddy, Friend saw their first loss, leaving us with only one undefeated team. We could see our final undefeated team fall this week as JUSTINx4 faces a fairly tough matchup against Fiddlefyre Festival. One other biased note regards the continuous climb of McMarin’s up the power rankings. Over on the player side of things, only one of the previous group of five undefeated players fell last week. Inside of the top 10, we see a small pattern developing. If you’re in the top 10, unless you’re undefeated, there’s a good chance you’re in the Gold conference. Red ez mode??
​-Mako

hero

This week in Hero we saw our top 3 teams stay right where they were last week! Seems like they are all fighting hard to keep that place. We also saw team Defias make their way into the top 5 thanks to their close win against Mistah Lah Vistah, Baby. Every team was fighting hard during this week as the biggest point difference was only 4. Nobody wants a blowout this late in the season it seems. Player wise, our top 4 were able to keep their spots and we were able to see some new faces on the bottom half of our top 10. Starlax, Molestar, and Copa were able to get themselves right on the list as all of these players won their matches this week! As the weeks go on, everyone is continuing to fight their hardest for a top spot and we will see if the top teams and players can remain on top.
​-amazingoo

pro

Tons of movement this week in the top 10 of the Pro Teams Power Rankings.  F2L dispatches Terrible Tourists, knocking Tourists out of the Top 5 and reclaiming the number one overall for F2L. Staff of the Five Dubs finished another 4-1 week, keeping the Imp-osters out of Top Five consideration another week.  At the other end of the Top 10, Opportunistic Pro Players sneak into the 10 spot sliding in off of a bye, and a group of 2 win teams including Washed Up and ET Yogg-Saron are all lingering to try to sneak into the top six for a playoff spot.

Looking at the top players, I have respect that needs to be put on a few names.  I said we had six undefeated players but left two players off of that list: Copa (Staff of the Five Dubs) was on the Top 10 in the 9th spot, and Empol (also Staff) was undefeated but not in the Top 10.  Both players had decisive 3-1 wins for their team, skyrocketing Copa to the #1 spot and Empol up to #9.  The other undefeated players still looking at a potential perfect season are: AgentPWE (F2L), Dragonrider (Hearthstone Queens), Fsorace1 (BrushyTuna), nVision (Opportunistic Pro Players), and RonMexico (BrushyTuna).
-Whodack​

wild

In Week 5’s most anticipated matchup, Wild THL Fanatics defeated Staff of the Five Dubs by a score of 16-8 to leapfrog (pun absolutely intended) them and F2L: Viridian to move into second place behind the Sunburnt Shakers, who took a week off after their dominant first half of the season.  This week, stay tuned to F2L vs the Staff, as the two jockey for a high playoff spot.

We see a few changes to the player’s power rankings as the wheat begins to separate from the chaff.  Master’s Tour winner Maxie, representing I AM A SHAPE! rises to third place.  Despite his first loss of the season, SiNF3RN0 of the Staff hangs on to ninth place due to a gangbusters start to the season.  F2L’s kvlt took a sub, so his slip to eighth place is merely due to the other good players picking up wins.

The other seven players on our list all belong to the Shakers or WTF.  WTF, indeed!

In tenth place we see WTF’s Superbase, who took a four-game match over the Staff’s four seed to become just the second four seed with three wins and a winning record.  Seth, probably better known as ForChrist, the aforementioned “other cracked four seed” rises to seventh on his week off with the Shakers.  In sixth place is TigerEye, who defeated me earlier this season (not mindful, not demure).  He’s very good.  In fifth place is yet another 3-1 Shaker, this time OTZaixia.  In fourth place is Wild’s reigning MVP - me! (Devalion).  I started the season poorly with a loss to TigerEye in week two but since then I haven’t lost another match!  Let’s go WTF woooooo!!  Wait, you mean I’m supposed to be unbiased here?  Um…*coughs*...anyway, in SECOND place is WTF’s actual one-seed, NeonHeron.  He beat the previously-undefeated SiNF3RN0 in four games to move to a 4-1 record on the strength of two new decks.  With wins over Wild all-stars such as SiNF3RN0 and Seth, in most seasons he’d be well on his way to an MVP.  Of course, most seasons don’t have Lorthos.

What can be said about Lorthos that hasn’t already?  In a relatively short time, he has quickly become the undisputed GOAT of Wild THL.  Perhaps the only player who can instantly take a team from irrelevancy to the playoffs all by himself, putting him on the Shakers is just overkill.  I’ll simply state without comment a statistic I found while researching this week’s power rankings.  In five-and-a-half seasons, including playoffs, Lorthos has five, count em five, match losses.  He has twenty-eight match wins.  His record is 4-0/12-3 this season btw.

While the playoff race is heating up, with WTF, the Staff, and I AM A SHAPE! all duking it out to avoid elimination (despite a slight deficit in the standings, I AM A SHAPE! has matches against both its competitors and as such could still sneak into the playoffs), and there is intrigue at the top of the pack of player standings, season 13’s MVP is all-but-decided.  Lorthos merely has to avoid two losses in a row (which to the best of my knowledge has never happened to him before) and his second MVP will be his to claim!  But as a card-carrying WTF member myself, I’d be remiss if I didn’t glaze up NeonHeron, who is the only player with a realistic chance to catch him.  Here’s for an EPIC final two weeks of the season!
-Devalion​

duos

Oh boy does it feel great to say, “I told you so.” Just last week I predicted the defeat of the once-undefeated Death Hunters. Should this become a running gag? Do I have the touch of death? Let’s find out. “Mako’s Prediction of Peril” for this week is the defeat of the brotherly love duo of tihcwwpicwp to fellow top 10ers, The Burnouts. Everything else in Duos is unimportant right now. All that matters is that I continue to be right. We will return to your regularly scheduled coverage next week if I am incorrect.
-Mako