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So I've got today off and nothing else really to do so I figured I'd write this preview article. Let's just hope it turns out better than our bots (zing)! Just kidding, it was pre-season (and a beta test of sorts) for a reason and we fixed like 12 bugs. Come this upcoming Sunday I have full faith that all (or most at least) bugs will have been removed.
I'm going to analyze each squad's rosters and their chances to win each league. I'll also do a bit of cap math and suggest an optimal roster. I'll only count each player the first time they are listed in a "starting" position, and I'll add the amount already counted in (). I'll leave the basing ship assignment to the caps and basers, but I'll list the most notable players and take the top 8 for cap purposes.
*This is a work in progress. Check back for more teams added*
Bonk!
Bonk is captained by Vehicle. He was unable to make the draft due to a prior scheduled work shift, so Zidane drafted for him.
WB:
Notables- Megaman89 (9), whitebeard (3), obi (3), duclover (3), wall (3), claushouse (2), esau (2)
Starting line cost- 21
Not much here, but at least he didn't waste *'s trying to get 1 or 2 decent 1-league anchors who would have been expensive and counter-productive to his overall goal. Needs Megaman89 to show if he wants any chance of winning a few games in this league though.
JAV:
Notables- Megaman89 (9), cape (6), evildeed (5), zidane (5), rendered (2), kess (5), Major (3)
Starting line cost- 18 (9)
4 elite javs start the roster out, and Rendered at 2 is a bargain to finish out the line. Kess and Major will help out too, but depth is definitely an issue on this line. If their starting lineup showed to every game, they'd be my favorite to win TWDTJ.
BASE:
Notables- Megaman89 (9), cape (6), squallff8 (5), kess (5), Cig (4), Vehicle (4), NL> Trigger (4), Gazo (3), Major (3), arobas+ (3), pardon (2)
Starting line cost- 25 (15)
This is a healthy looking group. Unfortunately 7 of the top 9 are ideally basing only, so Vehicle is going to have his work cut out for him to get under the *cap. Arobas+ and Pardon would shave a few *'s off if they played.
Overall:
Starting line cost- 63
I expect this team to challenge for the TWDTJ title and give a good effort in basing as well. Unfortunately, they have a lot of single league basers and javs, so they really need Megaman and Cape to show to reduce those numbers a bit. Playing kess and major in jav and perhaps one or two of the spiders (NL> Trigger, SquallFF8, or Gazo) in WB is a must also.
Boner Soup
Boner Soup is captained by Jerome. His choice of assistants clearly show how he intends to dominate the league: Trasher and Pavement. He's taking the trash out to the street. In basing at least.
WB
Notables- Guero (3), Ricko (3), Resurrected (3), Mattey (6), Trasher (5), mobey (3), desktop (2)
Starting line cost- 20
Boner Soup only has 1 or 2 high level WBs on his squad. They're going to need to rely on some spiders playing WB like Trasher and others to show up and play well. I haven't seen Mattey play WB in years, but he used to be one of the best in the zone like 5 years ago, and if he's going to play base he might as well play WB too.
JAV
Notables- Slum (4), Cripple (5), Trasher (5), Reckful (2), bugyswartz (3), Bacon (4), Mattey (6)
Starting line cost- 14 (5)
This wasn't an easy line to create. I had less than 50 games combined for the 32 players on this squad in my "last 3 years TWL/TWDT WB/JAV spreadsheet." So, maybe there are just a few aliased javs I don't know on the roster (that alias checks made before ratings didn't uncover), but otherwise the pickings are pretty slim.
BASE
Notables- Mattey (6), moot (4), Trasher (5), cripple (5), brookus/chief utsav (3), poxy (4), wbm (4), pavement (4), schope norris (3), chris smoove (3), bacon (4), paralyze (3), nethila (3)
Starting line cost- 19 (16)
Lots of options and depth here. It's pretty clear that Jerome went almost entirely basing first. Because of his lack of depth in other places, he'll get some of his top basers "for free" as far as the *cap is concerned. Lots of options at shark, terr, and plenty of spiders. Only question is in special ship. Maybe one of the spiders Lanc/WBing it.
Overall
Starting line cost- 53
Pretty much where it needs to be. As long as he plays his top basers in a few other leagues, he'll be fine as far as the cap is concerned. The only problem though, will be making the playoffs if he can only win in one league. Stay tuned to see how this plays out. Boner Soup is definitely one of if not the favorite in TWDTB. Is this the season Trasher turns into a 3-league beast? He might have to for this team to make it far.
dun vs me
Dun vs me is capped by Hulk. He's primarily a baser but bucked the trend and grabbed a bunch of WBs and Javs.
WB
Notables- Riverside (5), Unabled (4), Engineers (4), Geio (4), Teemo (7), Raazi (3), Zagis (3), Iron Survivor (2), Rookie (2)
Starting line cost- 24
That's an expensive starting lineup. Teemo will play in other leagues, but dun vs me is going to need Riverside and a few of the other starters who are usually single league players to step outside their comfort zones. They've got great depth though, so they could also turn to a cheaper alternative in a pinch. One of my favorites for the TWDTD title.
JAV
Notables- Infrared (4), Teemo (7), eelam (5), flared (5), tiduz (4), hypocrit (4), not in game (3)
Starting line cost- 18 (7)
Another fairly expensive lineup, even with one starter already paid for. dun vs me has built two strong lineups so far though, with good depth in each. If he can get a WB or two in here, or vice versa (infrared in WB maybe), he has a shot to compete in two leagues.
BASE
Notables- Teemo (7), flared (5), Riverside (5), eelam (5), mikkiz (4), sleazy (3), sphinx (3), rucci (3), anidalife (3), public assassin (3)
Starting line cost- 13 (22)
Most of this line is paid for above, although this probably isn't the ideal line. That line, however, would be too expensive. I'd guess flared or Riverside will special ship. Lots of good 3* spider depth. Sleazy at 3* will be a key player in this line (sharking or terring, depending on how the other pieces fit). This is a competitive line, but probably not a championship line.
Overall
Starting line cost- 55
I would not be surprised if this team ends up first overall when the regular season is done. They are competitive or better in all 3 leagues, but they will need some WBs or Javs to step up and play in their non-dominant divisions as well to get under the cap. Look for this squad deep in the playoffs in TWDTD and a semi-finalist at least in TWDTJ. Time for Teemo to prove he was worth all those *'s.
Lemon Tree
Lemon Tree is captained by Dral. Much maligned, but went undefeated on Sunday in pre-season action.
WB
Notables- Chuckle (4), Jaa (3), Tomas Hakke (4), Bender Rodriguez (5), Letiz (4), flop (3), bietje (3)
Starting line cost- 20
Not much to say about this line. I doubt 3 of them will show. Dral will have to improvise, and maybe a few of the others I don't know will surprise us. I'm betting more than a few basers end up playing WB.
JAV
Notables- Bender Rodriguez (5), Rule (4), Tiny (4), Children (3), Paradise (4), Heisman (3), Kian (3), Reab (3)
Starting line cost- 15 (5)
A decent jav line. Not the most elite, but it has some guys who should show up and be competitive. Bender can carry a team at times when needed (although you can't over-rely on him, either, as he can be inconsistent).
BASE
Notables- Leitz (4), Pure_Luck (4), Tomas Hakke (3), Reab (3), kian (3), Bender Rodriguez (5), Children (3), inaphyt (3), ruhje (2)
Starting line cost- 13 (15)
Well, I bet a few of the smaller players that Dral picked up that I know nothing about are competent, like Ruhje. So consider this line a really poor guess. Still, I'm not very optimistic about their chances.
Overall
Starting line cost- 48
Hey now, a team under the cap with it's "ideal" lineups. Some of the cheaper players will probably end up playing anyways, so Dral shouldn't really have to worry about the per set * limit. The goal of the system was to get some new blood playing in these games, and it looks like we'll get it with Dral's team. Good luck, Lemon Tree. But don't hold your breath on a league championship.
I'm going to analyze each squad's rosters and their chances to win each league. I'll also do a bit of cap math and suggest an optimal roster. I'll only count each player the first time they are listed in a "starting" position, and I'll add the amount already counted in (). I'll leave the basing ship assignment to the caps and basers, but I'll list the most notable players and take the top 8 for cap purposes.
*This is a work in progress. Check back for more teams added*
Bonk!
Bonk is captained by Vehicle. He was unable to make the draft due to a prior scheduled work shift, so Zidane drafted for him.
WB:
Notables- Megaman89 (9), whitebeard (3), obi (3), duclover (3), wall (3), claushouse (2), esau (2)
Starting line cost- 21
Not much here, but at least he didn't waste *'s trying to get 1 or 2 decent 1-league anchors who would have been expensive and counter-productive to his overall goal. Needs Megaman89 to show if he wants any chance of winning a few games in this league though.
JAV:
Notables- Megaman89 (9), cape (6), evildeed (5), zidane (5), rendered (2), kess (5), Major (3)
Starting line cost- 18 (9)
4 elite javs start the roster out, and Rendered at 2 is a bargain to finish out the line. Kess and Major will help out too, but depth is definitely an issue on this line. If their starting lineup showed to every game, they'd be my favorite to win TWDTJ.
BASE:
Notables- Megaman89 (9), cape (6), squallff8 (5), kess (5), Cig (4), Vehicle (4), NL> Trigger (4), Gazo (3), Major (3), arobas+ (3), pardon (2)
Starting line cost- 25 (15)
This is a healthy looking group. Unfortunately 7 of the top 9 are ideally basing only, so Vehicle is going to have his work cut out for him to get under the *cap. Arobas+ and Pardon would shave a few *'s off if they played.
Overall:
Starting line cost- 63
I expect this team to challenge for the TWDTJ title and give a good effort in basing as well. Unfortunately, they have a lot of single league basers and javs, so they really need Megaman and Cape to show to reduce those numbers a bit. Playing kess and major in jav and perhaps one or two of the spiders (NL> Trigger, SquallFF8, or Gazo) in WB is a must also.
Boner Soup
Boner Soup is captained by Jerome. His choice of assistants clearly show how he intends to dominate the league: Trasher and Pavement. He's taking the trash out to the street. In basing at least.
WB
Notables- Guero (3), Ricko (3), Resurrected (3), Mattey (6), Trasher (5), mobey (3), desktop (2)
Starting line cost- 20
Boner Soup only has 1 or 2 high level WBs on his squad. They're going to need to rely on some spiders playing WB like Trasher and others to show up and play well. I haven't seen Mattey play WB in years, but he used to be one of the best in the zone like 5 years ago, and if he's going to play base he might as well play WB too.
JAV
Notables- Slum (4), Cripple (5), Trasher (5), Reckful (2), bugyswartz (3), Bacon (4), Mattey (6)
Starting line cost- 14 (5)
This wasn't an easy line to create. I had less than 50 games combined for the 32 players on this squad in my "last 3 years TWL/TWDT WB/JAV spreadsheet." So, maybe there are just a few aliased javs I don't know on the roster (that alias checks made before ratings didn't uncover), but otherwise the pickings are pretty slim.
BASE
Notables- Mattey (6), moot (4), Trasher (5), cripple (5), brookus/chief utsav (3), poxy (4), wbm (4), pavement (4), schope norris (3), chris smoove (3), bacon (4), paralyze (3), nethila (3)
Starting line cost- 19 (16)
Lots of options and depth here. It's pretty clear that Jerome went almost entirely basing first. Because of his lack of depth in other places, he'll get some of his top basers "for free" as far as the *cap is concerned. Lots of options at shark, terr, and plenty of spiders. Only question is in special ship. Maybe one of the spiders Lanc/WBing it.
Overall
Starting line cost- 53
Pretty much where it needs to be. As long as he plays his top basers in a few other leagues, he'll be fine as far as the cap is concerned. The only problem though, will be making the playoffs if he can only win in one league. Stay tuned to see how this plays out. Boner Soup is definitely one of if not the favorite in TWDTB. Is this the season Trasher turns into a 3-league beast? He might have to for this team to make it far.
dun vs me
Dun vs me is capped by Hulk. He's primarily a baser but bucked the trend and grabbed a bunch of WBs and Javs.
WB
Notables- Riverside (5), Unabled (4), Engineers (4), Geio (4), Teemo (7), Raazi (3), Zagis (3), Iron Survivor (2), Rookie (2)
Starting line cost- 24
That's an expensive starting lineup. Teemo will play in other leagues, but dun vs me is going to need Riverside and a few of the other starters who are usually single league players to step outside their comfort zones. They've got great depth though, so they could also turn to a cheaper alternative in a pinch. One of my favorites for the TWDTD title.
JAV
Notables- Infrared (4), Teemo (7), eelam (5), flared (5), tiduz (4), hypocrit (4), not in game (3)
Starting line cost- 18 (7)
Another fairly expensive lineup, even with one starter already paid for. dun vs me has built two strong lineups so far though, with good depth in each. If he can get a WB or two in here, or vice versa (infrared in WB maybe), he has a shot to compete in two leagues.
BASE
Notables- Teemo (7), flared (5), Riverside (5), eelam (5), mikkiz (4), sleazy (3), sphinx (3), rucci (3), anidalife (3), public assassin (3)
Starting line cost- 13 (22)
Most of this line is paid for above, although this probably isn't the ideal line. That line, however, would be too expensive. I'd guess flared or Riverside will special ship. Lots of good 3* spider depth. Sleazy at 3* will be a key player in this line (sharking or terring, depending on how the other pieces fit). This is a competitive line, but probably not a championship line.
Overall
Starting line cost- 55
I would not be surprised if this team ends up first overall when the regular season is done. They are competitive or better in all 3 leagues, but they will need some WBs or Javs to step up and play in their non-dominant divisions as well to get under the cap. Look for this squad deep in the playoffs in TWDTD and a semi-finalist at least in TWDTJ. Time for Teemo to prove he was worth all those *'s.
Lemon Tree
Lemon Tree is captained by Dral. Much maligned, but went undefeated on Sunday in pre-season action.
WB
Notables- Chuckle (4), Jaa (3), Tomas Hakke (4), Bender Rodriguez (5), Letiz (4), flop (3), bietje (3)
Starting line cost- 20
Not much to say about this line. I doubt 3 of them will show. Dral will have to improvise, and maybe a few of the others I don't know will surprise us. I'm betting more than a few basers end up playing WB.
JAV
Notables- Bender Rodriguez (5), Rule (4), Tiny (4), Children (3), Paradise (4), Heisman (3), Kian (3), Reab (3)
Starting line cost- 15 (5)
A decent jav line. Not the most elite, but it has some guys who should show up and be competitive. Bender can carry a team at times when needed (although you can't over-rely on him, either, as he can be inconsistent).
BASE
Notables- Leitz (4), Pure_Luck (4), Tomas Hakke (3), Reab (3), kian (3), Bender Rodriguez (5), Children (3), inaphyt (3), ruhje (2)
Starting line cost- 13 (15)
Well, I bet a few of the smaller players that Dral picked up that I know nothing about are competent, like Ruhje. So consider this line a really poor guess. Still, I'm not very optimistic about their chances.
Overall
Starting line cost- 48
Hey now, a team under the cap with it's "ideal" lineups. Some of the cheaper players will probably end up playing anyways, so Dral shouldn't really have to worry about the per set * limit. The goal of the system was to get some new blood playing in these games, and it looks like we'll get it with Dral's team. Good luck, Lemon Tree. But don't hold your breath on a league championship.
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