TWDT 2014 DRAFT PREVIEW (New Top Overall Picks Added!)

[ogron]

The TWDT 2014 Draft Preview is here! Across 4-5 posts I'll go through the Top 75 potential picks across all 3 leagues, including an overview of who's drafting (below in this post) and my Top 5 Overall picks of the draft, who I expect to go in the 1st Round. Agree? Disagree? Let your thoughts be known in this thread!

[ogron]

Overall

[ogron]

TWDT-D





6. Rasaq (8/6/7) (***) (2013 Draft: 8th Round Pick)
An absolute beast in TWDT-D, he put up 14-16 kills every game on a terrible wb team last year. He also dropped 100+ kills in spider in every game and showed every week. A great pick.

7. Murder (7/7/7) (***) (2013 Draft: 5th Round Pick)
Another fantastic pick, and a TWL starter in every league. Not a superstar in any one league, but above-average in wb/spider/jav and shows up constantly + has a good attitude.

8. beam (8/6/6) (**) (2013 Draft: 7th Round Pick)
A TWLD starting warbird who went 10-10 vs Fierce in LD Finals this year, he is also a decent shark/spid and a good deal at 6 stars in base. He's online 24/7, but make sure you have extensive capping experience managing personalities before committing to picking him, or this choice could go very, very badly.

9. delectable (8/6/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
The legendary TWLD player is a top-level wb who is active and has more LD Finals experience than almost anyone in the game.

10. Iron Survivor (8/6/6) (***) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Incredibly active, incredibly laggy. Currently leads TWEL in warbird, and has TWL and TWD experience, and is a beast in TWDT-D. A great pick.

11. Geisha (8/6/6) (*) (2013 Draft: Round 4)
One of the best in the game, Geisha brings a deep well of experience and knows how to thrust -- like your mom!

12. Raazi (8/6/6) (****) (2013 Draft: 4th Round Pick)
This staple of TWLD has been consistently good for years, and his 4 TWDT rings, two of which are in wb, are ample evidence of his ability.

13. fram (7/7/6) (*) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Basically Murder Jr., talented in all 3 leagues and a really great all-around pick. Definitely a great sleeper pick, and will likely show.

14. Tanzu (7/7/6) (2013 Draft: 8th Round Pick)
Tanzu is a TWLD quality player, who's solid in jav and passable in spider, making him a good, balanced pick for your team.

15. Geio (8/7/6) (*****) (2013 Draft: Free Agency Pick)
Geio was a superstar in TWLD on Fierce and across many TWDT seasons, putting up absolutely monster scores, but he's been inactive the last few years and has fallen off a bit and is questionable to show.

16. death row (8/6/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Another legend, death row was one of the most feared names in TWLD back in the day. I haven't seen him around lately, but definitely someone to look out for should they get active.

17. Kentaro (8/6/6) (*) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Kentaro was one of the top wbs in the mid-2000s, although, like many of these later picks, haven't seen that much of late, but can definitely be an impact player if he shows.

18. Unabled (7/6/5) (*****) (2013 Draft: N/A)
A TWLD Finals starter and 5 TWDT Titles under his belt, Unabled was a top-tier wb in the mid-to-late 2000s, but he's been inactive the past few years insofar as I know. Could be a strong pick should he show.



=================
Legend:

(5/5/5) = Rating in WB/JAV/BASE
(***) = Number of TWDT Titles
(2013 Draft) = Round taken in last years TWDT Draft
=================

[ogron]

TWDT-J




6. Mhz (6/8/8) (*) (2013 Draft: N/A)
A really high quality pick, Commodo is TWLJ and TWLB starter with lots of experience. Crucially, he sharks, which is a position that is always in short supply. Would be suprised if he wasn't gone by the 5th Round.

7. Amnesti (7/9/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
While this is one of the weaker years in terms of quality javelins in TWDT, Amnesti is one of the best in the business and looks to make his mark. He's active in TWEL and looks to be an impact player this year.

8. Revered (6/8/6) (**) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Another high level javelin, a quality pick in a draft short on yellow ship pilots. Extensive TWL experience and a pair of TWDT titles should ensure he sees early adoption.

9. euforia (6/8/7) (******) (2013 Draft: 11th Round Pick)
A bit of a sleeper pick considering he went 88th last year, euforia has won 6 of the last 8 TWDT titles, more than any other player. He shows every week, comes up big in the playoffs (dropped 16 vs Ease and Best in the Semi-Finals) and he is a decent backup terr/spid in base. A good luck charm who drops 16s in DT-J? Yes, please!

10. paradise (6/8/6) (***) (2013 Draft: 5th Round Pick)
A TWLJ starter on Fierce, Paradise has a trio of TWDT titles and doubles as a solid shark or spider in base, and is a steal as a 6-star in that league. Combine a winning personality and an active presence in TW, and you've got a great selection.

11. Zazerick (6/8/7) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Zazerick can be a big-time player in TWLJ, and a really strong spider in TWLB. He shows, he's good in two leagues, and is low-maintenance.

12. Darkstrike (6/8/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Darkstrike was part of a talented Juans side in TWLJ this year that almost knocked Pandora out in the playoffs. A top-tier jav fresh off a strong season, he'll be a strong pick for anyone aiming for javing glory.

13. Torcher (6/8/6) (**) (2013 Draft: 11th Round Pick)
A high-level javelin with TWL experience, fills the same role as Darkstrike and could be a solid choice for any TWDT-J oriented teams.

14. Fludd (6/8/7) (**) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Fludd's rating is a bit of a legacy/respect thing since he hasn't been active in a long time. That said, he was part of the most dominant Thunder line in TWLJ history, winning multiple consecutive titles and was also a strong spider/shark in base. A gamble pick, but if he shows often he could be an absolute juggernaut.

15. Kira_Yamato~ (6/7/6) (*****) (2013 Draft: 16th Round Pick)
Kira is a solid jav who's won an impressive 5 TWDT titles and would be a welcome addition to any line. Can also spider decently, and shows. A good player to round out a jav line.

16. okyo (8/7/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
A solid wb/jav hybrid who just missed the cut in a very strong warbird draft, he slips in at 16th among the javs as a solid, active two-leaguer who would fit in well on any squad.

17. qpr (7/7/6) (*) (2013 Draft: 10th Round Pick)
Another active, quality two-leaguer who can pack a punch, especially in the TWDT format. Good personality and shows, and a solid addition for any captain looking for a dependable wb/jav.

18. Wax (6/7/7) (**) (2013 Draft: N/A)
A well-known javelin who can also base, Wax didn't play last year but has a pair of TWDT titles to his name.

19. Fork (6/7/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
A friendly, personable long-time Paladen player, Fork is a respected jav who's flexed his javing muscles in enough games for people to be wary of him. A great 9th or 10th round pick.

20. Steadman (6/7/6) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Playing in his first TWDT after his first TWL, this Cougars mainstay is a strong player vs. mediocre competition, making him ideal to excel in TWDT. He practices javelin 9 hours a day so he can always show, assuming you can manage his insanely awful personality and gigantic ego. He's like a less-talented version of Children who can't spider. Buyer beware.







=================
Legend:

(5/5/5) = Rating in WB/JAV/BASE
(***) = Number of TWDT Titles
(2013 Draft) = Round taken in last years TWDT Draft
=================

[ogron]

TWDT-B


11. Mean Gene (7/8/8) (*****) (2013 Draft: 4th Round Pick)
The 2013 TWDT-B Finals MVP returns looking for his 6th medal, he's a great pick who excels in both jav an spider and has a knack for winning TWDT.


12. Solace (6/6/9) (*) (2013 Draft: N/A)
The TWLB Finals starter has topped my list of Hot or Not overspids for the last two years, and with good reason: he's one of the best spiders to ever play the game. Just an absolute juggernaut. Take him early.

13. Vatican Assassin (5/5/9) (*) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Another TWLB Finals starter, this Pandora staple is one of the best sharks in history, and doubles as an LB-quality terr when needed. A very versatile basing pick. Could see him easily going in the 2nd Round.

14. M_M God (6/7/8) (***) (2013 Draft: 4th Round Pick)
This TWLB and TWDT veteran has 3 TWDT with good reason -- he's a fantastic spider with even better lag. When TWDT mandated a special in base, he was easily a first-round pick. Loses a bit of value without it, but a top-notch baser and a quality jav means he'll go in the first 4 Rounds.

15. Pressure (6/6/8) (**) (2013 Draft: 2nd Round Pick)
Could definitely be higher on this list, as he is a TWLB-level terrier who can spider and shark well, making him similar to Oder and LF as basing Swiss-army knives. Always shows, and has a pair of TWDT titles. Expect him to go early.

16. LF (6/6/8) (2013 Draft: 6th Round Pick)
Similar to Thix, except he mains as a shark, but is also a solid spider/terr, which is exactly what you're looking for in a TWDT pick. Would be surprised if he wasn't picked in the first 5 Rounds.

17. Minotar (6/6/8) (**) (2013 Draft: 7th Round Pick)
Megalo had a strong TWLB season this year in spider, and reached the TWDT-B Finals last year. Always shows, puts up big numbers.

18. NL>Trigger (6/6/8) (***) (2013 Draft: 6th Round Pick)
A defending TWDT-B champion, NL is a top-tier underspid who can also shark and terr at the TWL level. He has a trio of TWDT titles to his name, and is a good 6-star jav pick.

19. Davy (6/6/8) (2013 Draft: N/A)
Jammyjames had a stellar TWLB campaign on the worst squad, putting up huge scores and dominating in spider. If you're gunning for a basing title, this is your guy.

20. Sphinx (6/6/8) (*****) (2013 Draft: 6th Round Pick)
The Dice staple has been a mainstay of both TWLB and TWDT-B and boasts 5 TWDT titles, and is a very strong spider.

21. squallFF8 (6/6/8) (***) (2013 Draft: 5th Round Pick)
Squall has started in multiple TWLB and TWDT-B Finals, and is another solid green ship pick. Not as active as he used to be, hopefully he can show every Sunday.

22. Renzi (6/6/7) (***) (2013 Draft: 5th Round Pick)
Renzi seems underrated as a 7 in my opinion, although he has fallen off a bit. Nonetheless, he's been a strong spider for years who can also shark, and is a great value at 6 in jav.

23. Tim (5/6/7) (2013 Draft: N/A)
I personally don't like Tim in terr, I think he doesn't care and is a huge liability in it, but he's also a hugely underrated spider, putting up really high scores, and he can shark. A solid basing pick, but I wouldn't choose him as your main terrier unless you're aiming for wb/jav and just want to try to steal a few basing wins.

24. omega red (6/6/7) (2013 Draft: 8th Round Pick)
Sharks are always in high demand, and Omega is a good shark and a good spider, giving you flexibility in your basing lineup.

25. nokkonen (6/6/7) (2013 Draft: 7th Round Pick)
The Finnish mainstay plays the ever-important shark position ably, and is a solid TWDT-B pick for anyone who didn't draft sharks early.

26. Rodney (6/6/7) (2013 Draft: 13th Round Pick)
Rodney functions similarly to Omega, fulfilling that useful spider/shark combination that is such an asset in draft tourny basing.

27. Trance (6/6/7) (2013 Draft: 10th Round Pick)
An underrated spider who's played in the LB Finals and puts up big numbers, he's even more useful in that he can underspid. A good 7th to 10th Round pick.

28. Producer (6/6/7) (2013 Draft: N/A)
The Revenge spid is a longtime baser with solid credentials who will fill out anyone's basing line nicely. Nothing flashy, just good, solid overspidering. Shows up and doesn't cause drama.

29. TJ Hazuki (5/5/7) (***) (2013 Draft: 13th Round Pick)
Like euforia, TJ is a good luck charm, winning 3 of the last 6 TWDT-B titles, and playing in almost all of them, including the Finals last year where he won on Baratheon. Shows every week, good attitude, and solid overspid.

30. Bacon (7/6/7) (2013 Draft: 9th Round Pick)
A really underrated underspid, Bacon is a former Penetrate player recently returning to the game. Last I saw he hadn't lost a beat, but I expect him to get overlooked and could be a late-round steal, especially since he can WB.








=================
Legend:

(5/5/5) = Rating in WB/JAV/BASE
(***) = Number of TWDT Titles
(2013 Draft) = Round taken in last years TWDT Draft
=================

[Jerome Scuggs]

claushouse> jerome
jerome> klaushaus
claushouse> dont make me find out if i can ban ppl from twdt forums
claushouse> lol

im going to edit this post to save klaushaus from the embarrassment of having to ask permission to edit a post. and also to prevent paradise from stealing GAME OF FINNISH THRONES.

[ogron]

Please remember the Master ratings list is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

Some of the ratings on this preview page will be outdated. Thx.

[Rasaq]

Very nice read. Appreciate all your time and effort put into this. If this can continue on a weekly basis of players who are hot/cold and also notes on new players who may be on the rise it'll keep interest in this league. Acutally, seeing information on newer players on here would be better. It may give them reason to continue playing this game if veteran players take notice. Keep it up!

[Shaddowknight]

Communication has been top notch thus far, am very pleased. Keep up the great work.

[cash.MONay]

Awesome read my man. Am very impressed by your hard work. Good job santa claus man.

As big bowler rasaq mentioned, it would be nice to see who the top value add picks may be as well (the 5-6 star ones).

[ogron]

Draft Packages Announced!

There's some real quality players who will be essential to title runs in these 6-Star Packages. Remember a lot of these 6-star package players are 5-star in quite a few leagues, so check the ratings master list to see what leagues you can play them in 5 or 6. Every Captain has to draft one 5-star package, and one 6-star package (you can't pick two.)



All the 5-stars are 5-5-5 across the board. You need a 5-star in every game, although a lot of 6-star players are 5-star in several leagues (remember you can now play 6-6-5 or 8-8-5's as a 5-star in leagues in which they are rated 5-stars.)




So, Captains, please remember you have to draft one blue package and one purple package at some point during the draft.



IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER FOR PACKAGE PLAYERS:

-If you're a 5-star or 6-star player, you have certain rights you need to be aware of:

1) If you're benched in any league, your captain needs to inform league Ops on the Captain's chat. We will try to get you temporarily on another team that is short players so you get playtime and experience. Non-package players are not eligible for this.

How it would play out on Sunday:


2) If you're benched in all 3 leagues on your team 2 weeks in a row, and you wish to be sent to a different team, you have this right. I will personally find you a team that has less people showing thus increasing your playtime odds.





IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER FOR CAPTAINS:

1) There is NO BIDDING this year for Free Agents.

2) There is huge strategic element as to when you draft your two packages!

-In what round you pick your 2nd and final package determines the Free Agency draft order the Saturday before Game 2 in July.

-For example, if menelvagor picks his 5-star package in Round 4 and his 6-star package in Round 5, and everyone else picks their 2nd package in Round 6 or later, he gets the #1 FA Pick.

-If menelvagor AND Zizzo pick their 2nd and final package in Round 5, I will use the randomizer website to determine who is #1 and #2.

-If menelvagor picks his 2nd and final package in Round 5 at #44, and Zizzo at #47, this counts as a tie. When you draft your final package is determined by Round, not by actual pick #.

[ogron]

Awesome read my man. Am very impressed by your hard work. Good job santa claus man.

As big bowler rasaq mentioned, it would be nice to see who the top value add picks may be as well (the 5-6 star ones).

Thanks.

I will be doing Hot or Not every week as it's an important part of the league (I did them all last year, too.)

I don't want to rate sleeper picks and which package is stronger, I've already helped the Captains a lot as it is with the Draft Preview (although it is intentionally in broad strokes, and without too much nuance.) This will help prevent some blunders (like picking Mattey Round 1 when he can't show half the time.) Beyond that, though, it really should be up to the captain's ability to pick in the middle-to-late rounds and when to pick their packages. I don't want to help too much and do all the work for them.

[but...why...per...]

I only ask these to clarify a few potential loopholes,

1) Can 2 players be played from the 6* package to count as a 5* and 6* if one or both are rated 5* in that particular league? For example, a 6-5-6 and 6-6-6 added from the 6* package for jav.

2) Can a player who is 7-8-6 play as a 6* player in TWDT-B if they play as a warbird or jav in that match?

3) Does the 'last 4 min rule' only apply to those who have not played yet?

4) Do the 5* and 6* need to play the full match for it to qualify?

[Pressure]

6-star package 5 is pretty unfair.. warportal, jatt, viop, and spirit are the best 4 across all packages (excluding Dutch Baser) and they're in one package together.

How is Shaddow a 5? He's a pretty worthy 6 in basing.

[Zeebu]

were the packages randomized?