THL Power Rankings: Week 3

3/2/2016

Last week I asked if we were getting a clearer picture of the top four teams and this week three of the top four teams lost, which I think shows just how many good teams there are and that there isn't a lot of distance between many of them. It's always exciting seeing things get shaken up and this past week definitely did just that.

1. Team Rank Five (last week 4) – 1st Orange – 54 pts

We got a glimpse of what TR5 is capable of last week against Archon Storm and with Mainge in the fold now we really witnessed their strength as they took down Entropy 20-4. With all of the teams above them stumbling this past week and their performance over the last two weeks, crowning them as the new number one seemed like an easy decision. Looking at their roster there are no weaknesses and taking them down will be tough but now the target on their back is even larger.

2. The Hairy Generals (last week 5) – t-1st Blue – 52 pts

The Hairy Generals also took advantage of the previous top three streams struggling and slide into the number two ranking. The Generals put in an impressive performance over a previously undefeated Xnergy team and are now the only team without a loss, with the one blemish on their record being a tie that likely would have been a win if not for a forfeit. The addition of Markshire has given them a really strong three to pair with one of the league's best fives in Detrucci (now a four), neither of whom has lost a match this season.

3. Pure Strategy (last week 6) – 1st Green – 50 pts

Week three had Pure Strategy lining up against the number one ranked team Soupreme, an unenviable task for any team in THL, but they didn't back down and handed Soupreme their first loss of the season. b0rck and ApplSaucFactory were huge this week, picking up sweeps over their opponents, but Pure Strategy also contested Soupreme's strength with YurYuri taking down DeerJason 3-2 and Hambowen taking Cheesee10 to game five but losing 2-3.

4. Soupreme (last week 1) – t-1st Blue – 52 pts

The top ranked team after both weeks one and two, Soupreme falls a few spots this week after a loss to Pure Strategy. The DeerJason and Cheesee10 combo is still the most threatening duo among 1-2 pairings but week three may have revealed a vulnerability in Soupreme, that of their lower seeds. Going forward we'll have to see if this was a lone bad week from some of their other seeds, or if they will struggle against the more balanced teams in the league that will try to exploit that weakness.

5. Xnergy (last week 2) – 2nd Green – 46 pts

Another team to acquire their first loss was Xnergy after they had a rough week going against the Hairy Generals. Xnergy struggled matching up with the Generals as TheSacredJew was the only member able to secure a win. It comes as a bit of surprise to see Catota and VendiClique both at 1-2 so far but there is still a lot of season left and no need to overreact after one loss.

6. Continuum (last week 8) – 1st Red – 55 pts

Which team has the most points in the league? If you hadn't looked at the standings lately you may be surprised to learn the answer is the team of Continuum. Although not faced with the toughest early season schedule, Continuum has quietly went about their business which included a victory over Noob Central in week three. Though they will look a little different this week with Adidas5482 and Almace switching seeds, along with Despair returning from a two week absence.

7. Team Golden Wisp (last week 3) – 3rd Blue – 41 pts

Perhaps the biggest upset this past week was Team Golden Wisp coming up a little short against Those Filthy Roleplayers. AlecGWPodcast dropped his first match this season while Vtiioma picked up his first win on Salty Saturday. Similar to Continuum, Team Golden Wisp will appear different next week with every seed outside of the first having a different player representing it than the week prior.

8. Archon Storm (last week 12) – t-2nd Red – 39 pts

It took a little time but this week we saw more than just a little drizzle from Archon Storm as they grabbed their first win over the Super Heroes in convincing fashion. Is this the start of something more for the team that declared they are taking the season off? Gideoneko snagged yet another sweep this week, meaning he has yet to lose a single game this season.

9. Entropy (last week 7) – 4th Red – 36 pts

Week three ended up being a backbreaking week for Entropy as they were only able to score four points against Team Rank Five. There's not much shame in losing to the number one team but with two losses in a row there are now concerns with this team. Once looked at as one of the top teams they will need to do some work to be put back into that conversation.

10. The Super Heroes (last week 9) – 3rd Orange – 38 pts

We saw quite a few teams receive their first loss this past week and the Super Heroes can count themselves among that group. SuperSam's team was unable to win any matches, while SuperSam himself had a no contest versus ClarkKent. We'll have to see how this team bounces back from their first bad week.

11. The Gosu Casuals (last week 10) – 4th Green – 33 pts

It seems weird to place a veteran team with familiar faces this low but season two hasn't been kind to the Casuals so far. Week three paired the Casuals against another team looking to get their first win in the Top Deck Kings and in a cruel twist the series ended in a tie, keeping both teams winless still.

12. Noob Central (last week 11) – 2nd Orange – 44 pts

The Noobs were unable to leverage their underdog status against Continuum this week, losing to the red division leader. A positive for Noob Central is newcomer stiLLer3k was able to collect his third win and has done a good job replacing AlecGWPodcast so far. Kuthroat, the Noobs' second seed, is having to take a little time off so a key issue for them in the short-term will be how they are able to fill his spot.

13. Boom Squad (last week 14) – 4th Orange – 33 pts

This was a nice week for Dlineman as not only did he obtain his first win this season but so did his team Boom Squad. With a lot of close matches the first two weeks it seemed it was only a matter of time before they acquired their first win, now the question is if they will be able to build off this and gain some momentum over the next few weeks.

14. Those Filthy Roleplayers (last week 16) – 3rd Green – 35 pts

Week three was very kind to the Roleplayers as they took down Team Golden Wisp for their first win of the season. Alexstrasza, who started the season as the first seed, and arbitraryarmor the current one seed, worked well together this week going 6-1 over the first and second seeds of Team Golden Wisp. I was originally intrigued to see how these two rookies would work as a pair and this week only increased my interest.

15. The Dream Team (last week 13) – t-2nd Red – 39 pts

In week three the Dream Team took on Boom Squad and came up a little short for the second week in a row, despite SmokedSalmon earning his third win in the two spot. Everyone remembers their week one upset over Team Rank Five but that is becoming more distant as the season goes on and the Dream Team will need to do more to prove that wasn't just an anomaly.

16. Top Deck Kings (last week 15) – 4th Blue – 29 pts

As mentioned earlier, the Top Deck Kings and the Gosu Casuals finished in a tie to keep both teams winless. A tie can be a negative outcome for one team and a positive outcome for another, and I think it ends up being a positive for the Top Deck Kings. KremePuff played in another exciting streamed match this week, this time coming out victorious in game five for his first win. As a side note, Tehl may have had the toughest start in THL history going against YuruYuri, Catota, and Slimsch in his first three games.

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