Sylvanas Mid-Season Reaction: Red Division

Sylvanas Mid-Season Reaction

Jerrydamage breaks it down at the mid-way point of Sylvanas League Season 6

                                           Sylvanis League Pre-Season V.S. Mid-Season


So, before the season, I was asked if I’d sit down and review all the divisions for Sylvanis and make predictions as to what I thought would happen. Since we’re now at the halfway point, I thought it’d be fun to go in and see how my Pre-Season predictions compared to where we stand at the halfway point of the season.

Red Division Reactions:
The Fearless Hearth
KNR
TNL
Booty Sweat
Pre-Season Predictions: This looks to be a stacked division. You’ve got returning champs who are looking to make another run. Since last season they have lost 1 seed Ericokey and shifted the rest of the team up a spot and filling the 5 seed with SwankyTiger. Tiger comes in at 310, which is the 2nd highest PR of any five seen between both Sylvanas and Ragnaros leagues. Who’s got the highest PR for a 5 seed? That would be Season 2 Runner-Up and Season 3 Champion, Kawasaki Ninjas Rule. KNR has been around Sylvanas/SHL since Season 1 and had some very good seasons. This year have one of the most balanced rosters in all of THL, with a mere 33 points separating their 1 seed from their 5 seed. This results in them being favored in almost all of their 4 and 5 seed matchups, while being the underdog at the 1 and 2 seed. I see some adjusting over the course of the season as people move up and down seeds, but the balanced attack has worked for teams in the past and it’s a formula that a team with a Championship pedigree like KNR has could take advantage of. Then you’ve got a team that made the Semi-Finals of Season 5 before losing to the Champions, Booty Sweat, Team Next Level. TNL loses their 1 seed, moving Jammies and Donde up to the 1 and 2 seed, the 3 seed has newcomer Khell, and Altenburg and Sauk resume their roles as the 4 and 5 seed. It’s a team that had success last season and looks to continue that and knock out their rival in Booty Sweat this year. The last team in Red division is The Fearless Hearth. They return their entire team after having a good regular season and making the playoffs in Season 5. Normally you look at a playoff team and think they have a strong chance to repeat, especially when they return the same roster. But this could be one of the most stacked divisions I’ve ever seen. Two former champions and all 4 teams have playoff experience. It’s hard to pick against the defending champions, but whoever comes out as the Red division champion is likely to be the favorite to win the season 6 championship.
Mid-Season Predictions/Reactions: Well, I was correct about this division being stacked. I had the thought that it was such a tough division that they would spend the season beating up on each other and then having a hard time making the playoff unless you won the division. Three of the teams are beating up on each other but one has emerged as a clear favorite, not only to win the Red division, but to maybe win Season 6. The Fearless Hearth has dominated the Red division to take a clear 21 point lead in the division over Booty Sweat and Xplosive Sheep who are tied for 2nd place at 50 points each. Team Next Level is 11 points behind both of those teams with 39 for the season. If the Red division wants to send more than 1 team to the playoffs, then they have some work to do. Team Next Level needs to turn it on now to make up points to make it. Booty Sweat and Xplosive Sheep both need points as well as they are 9 points out of the playoffs as of today. I still think this may be the toughest division in Sylv, and out of a potential 3 teams that could go, due to the nature of the division we may only see 1 team make the playoffs.
Pre-Season Predictions for Red Division:


Division Winner:  Booty Sweat
MVP:     TheAnarchist
Comeback Player:  Saku
Rookie of the Season: Khell
Overseeded:   MightyMatty    
​Underseeded: Oldgrandad

Purple Division Reactions:
Dad Legend
Big Deck Bandits
The Ugly Mucklings
Team TRYHARD
Pre-Season Predictions: Purple is the division for teams who have something to prove. Dad Legend looks to be the favorite. They return the same players for 2-5 and replace Egman with Typical Tyrant. They lost a close series in the Semi-Finals last season. Being so close to the finals should prove motivation to make another playoff run. They are in a division that doesn’t look strong on paper. Team TRYHARD had a disappointing Season 5 and as a result, Captain Hockeyboyz has replaced everyone on the roster except Brasky. This new team has quite the collection of talent so it’ll be interesting to see what they do this season. Big Deck Bandits had a winning record but failed to make the playoffs last season. They return the same lineup, only replacing Mooshu with Earl. The addition of Earl gives them a strong lineup at every position so it’ll be interesting to see how they perform this season and if they can make a strong push for the playoffs. Last up is The Ugly Mucklings. New captain Starlax has brought together a strong mix of talent who will be looking to make their mark on Sylvanus League this season. In a division with other teams looking to do the same thing, it may be easier said than done.
Mid-Season Predictions/Reactions: Well, I was right about DadLegend having something to prove. They’ve had a very good season, being tied for most points in the league with The Fearless Hearth. In second we see The Ugly Mucklings with 56 points. Then trailing behind that are my pick to win the division, the Big Deck Bandits, and then Team TryHard. Team Tryhard looks to continue their struggles from Season 5. They are improving each week and have come close to victories the last few weeks. Maybe they can get some wins and start to build momentum as they head towards the off season. The Purple division is similar to the Red division in that only 1 team will likely go to the playoffs. The Ugly Mucklings are only 4 points out of the playoffs, so they are still very much in the hunt to make it. DadLegend is 15 points ahead of them though, so it’ll be tough to catch them and try to win the division.


Pre-Season Predictions for Purple Division:


Division Winner: Big Deck Bandits
MVP:     Rizen
Comeback Player:  Brasky
Rookie of the Season: Ironfire
Overseeded:   TheTownDrunk
​Underseeded: Junksterr


Blue Division reactions:
Tap Last
Team Black Lotus
Hero Power Rangers
Toki Tinker Fan Club
Pre-Season Predictions: Blue looks like a division that’s going to be fun to see if what we think will happen will happen. The odds on favorite would have to be Toki Tinker Fan Club, formerly Toliwag’s Disciples. They were the Runner-Up to Booty Sweat last season and have added Craeon and Sage to the team. Two solid additions to an already solid roster. Team Black Lotus looks to improve upon a disappointing Season 5. Captain ForceofWill replaced everyone except himself on the roster in an attempt to make a playoff run this season. Having Twizz at the 1 seed is strong but having some newcomers to the league on the roster we will have to see how they perform. Having vets like ForceofWill and Twizz around should make that an easy transition though. Next we have Hero Power Rangers. They have back the same roster as last season, replacing Mattatarms with JRJuggernaut (or is it JRLawyernaut now?). Now that the group has some league experience, it’ll be interesting to see how they rebound after a rough Season 5. And finally, what I can only imagine would be a great group to hang out with in discord, Tap Last. Tap Last has a group of vets who have been around since the beginning of THL. This group has the talent and the experience to make a good playoff run this season.

Mid-Season Predictions/Reactions: I predicted Toki Tinker Fan Club to take the division and after Week 4, they lead the division by 7 points, being 2 points shy of having the most points in all of Sylvanis League. TapLast is doing better than I predicted being in second place of Blue with 62 points. Hero Power Rangers are also looking to make a the playoffs as they are in third place with 60 points. Team Black Lotus is doing better than last season but find themselves currently 9 points behind 3rd place, and also 9 points out of the playoffs at this point in the season. That’s not a huge amount so it’s possible to make it up over these last 3 weeks of the season. Blue looks to send three teams to the playoffs as it stands right now. The Ugly Mucklings in Purple are still very much in the race though as they are only 4 points behind Hero Power Rangers and 6 points behind TapLast. It should be an interesting close to the season to see who emerges from that field to find a seat in the playoffs.


Pre-Season Predictions for Blue Division:


Division Winner:  Toki Tinker Fan Club
MVP:     Switters
Comeback Player:  ArthurRhodes
Rookie of the Season: davpetm
Overseeded:       ForceofWill
​Underseeded: JRJuggernaut


Yellow Division Reactions:
65,340,285 Boars
Argent Terminus Legion
Xplosive Sheep
Tan Pam’s Surf Slam
Pre-Season Predictions: I feel like I’ve said it before, but this is yet ANOTHER division with people who have something to prove. Tan Pam’s Surf Slam made the playoffs last season and look to make another run this season. Replacing 1 seed Misadventure with Lefty2111, they look to maintain their momentum from last season in a division where they may be the strongest team as they were the only team here that had a winning record last season. Argent Terminus Legion went 0-6-1 last season. Captain BlakeHall has replaced 3 members of the team in an attempt to turn things around this season. XplosiveSheep were the Season 1 Champions under Hall of Famer BitBeaker. Since then they’ve struggled and had a disappointing Season 5. Mattyebs takes over as Captain and has added 3 new faces to the team in order to try to get the Sheep back to the Championship. And lastly we’ve got 65,340,285 Boars. They return the same players for seeds 1-4 and add in Jaspyr as their new 5 seed. With so many teams out to improve upon last season, it’ll be interesting to see who takes advantage of their division and can make a playoff run.

Mid-Season Predictions/Reactions: I said Yellow had something to prove, and they’ve done just that. Argent Terminus League went 0-6-1 last season and have reversed that big time to find themselves sitting at the top of the Yellow division with 68 points. Next is 65,340,285 Boars in second place with 64 points. In 3rd is the team I picked to win the division, Tan Pam’s Surf Slam with 59 points. In last place are the returning Xplosive Sheep with 49 points. As of right now, Yellow could send 3 teams to the playoffs. Tan Pam’s Surf Slam are 9 points ahead of Booty Sweat and Kawasaki Ninjas Rule for the last playoff spot in the Gold/Red conference. That’s a big lead but one that’s not so big that it can’t be made up over the course of the last 3 weeks of the season. The race for first in Yellow is also close with ATL and the Boars only being separated by 4 points. Overall Yellow looks strong and the race for not only the playoffs, but seeding in the playoffs is one that’ll be fun to watch over the last part of the season.
Pre-Season Predictions for Yellow Division:


Division Winner:  Tan Pam’s Surf Slam
MVP:     Mattyebs
Comeback Player: Forceofwill 
Rookie of the Season:
Alient Santa
Overseeded:          Delcevare
​Underseeded: SwankyTiger