TWDT-D Finals
by Ogron
Power
Regular Season: 8-2
Semi-Finals: Defeated Paladin 2-1 (50-37, 35-50, 50-34)
8/9/10: Okyo/Weak/Ricko/Raazi/Beam
7: Bacon/Trasher
6: Henry Saari/Sassafras/Ixador
Power was dominant in the regular season, led by monster performances from Okyo and Ricko, who finished #3 and #4 in the Warbird Scoring Race.
Weak rounded out their high stars, with another strong season, finishing #11, while Trasher was their go-to 7-Star, with an excellent showing at #14 as Bacon failed to show all year due to EG playoff commitments.
Henry Saari soaked up the bulk of the 6-Star duties, finishing with a respectable 42-45 record over 6 games, but Sassafras and Ixador also played several games.
Their lineup completely changed in the Semi-Finals due to no shows and the end of EG playoffs, with only Okyo and Henry Saari reprising his role, as three of their five starters were swapped out!
That speaks to Power's incredible depth in Warbird, and Zidane's commitment to becoming the first captain to ever win three titles in the same league (although, interestingly, two other teams can achieve the same feat this season. Terrorist could potentially do the same in Javelin, while Terrorist or Baratheon will accomplish the feat in Base, as both have won two titles.)
Power would also become only the second team in history to win back-to-back titles in the same league (top5squad accomplished the feat in TWDT-D in 2009 and 2010.)
Their Semi-Finals victory was powered by Raazi, Beam, and Bacon, with Raazi going off in his debut, notching 12-6, 12-10, and 15-4 performances to overcome a 15-3 vys hard carry in Round 2 and secure a Finals berth.
Okyo is clearly the engine of this team, showing up every week and leading the team in kills, whilst setting the tempo in terms of pace and aggression. Players like this are crucial to winning at the top level, as a larger audience, bigger stage, and nerves creep into the team, and someone pushing, luring, and drawing fire to expose enemy players to vulches and easy kills helps everyone else get in rhythm and promotes playing for the team rather than for rec.
It's a double-edged sword, as his style can sometimes backfire, leading to early exits and singlehandedly costing his team the game, but it's better to risk it all and fail spectacularly than risk nothing and be a footnote in someone else's history book. No guts, no glory.
I suspect Ricko and Weak will get first crack at the last two high-star slots, as they earned them playing well all season. Okyo is the only untouchable, though, and Zidane is a ruthless captain who will sub or start different players if he has the option and feels it's necessary.
Raazi and Beam will likely be waiting in the wings, and their stellar performances in the Semi-Finals will be swimming in Ziddy Kong's mind should someone begin to struggle. Raazi and Weak won TWLD S20 on Burn with him, so expect Raazi to be first sub, and for Weak to get a longer leash than Ricko should a round go awry.
Bacon was the plan all along at the 7-Star, and even with Trasher showing in the Semis, Zidane chose to start his third round pick. If he can't get it done in the Finals, however, leaning on a trusted veteran known to perform in the clutch like Trasher is definitely an option.
Henry Saari will be on thin ice, despite getting the majority of the minutes at the 6-Star. He's already been supplanted by Sassafras in jav, but his tenure in Warbird is more secure, and he produced an acceptable 5-5 in Round 3 of the Semis.
Brexit
Regular Season: 7-3
Semi-Finals: Defeated Baratheon 2-0 (50-38, 50-33)
8/9/10: Iron Survivor/Ease/Attacks/Geio/Olde
7: Temujin
6: Omega Red
This squad, in contrast to Power, has very little depth. Like the movie 300, Brexit is an elite unit taking on an army. They only have seven players in their rotation, and the beauty of it is that it may not matter, as you can only play five players at a time. Should their team show, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Attacks spent an enormous amount of draft capital on Base, with a team that looked like favorites to win it, but never managed to gel as a team. Their Warbird line, on the other hand, has looked like a well-oiled machine all season, finishing second behind only Power in the standings, and taking down a solid Baratheon line with relative ease, never being pushed to the limit in either round.
Iron Survivor, for the second straight season, won the Scoring Race. He is the defending TWLD and TWDT-D champion, and he is an unstoppable force with a recalcitrant lag shield.
Ease is the greatest player to ever play the game, who, despite his activity, is always dangerous, and looked sharp in the Semi-Finals, MVPing the last round with a 13-5.
Attacks has dramatically improved his resumé the past two years, winning a TWDT-D title with Paddington and a TWLD ring with Force. He decimated Baratheon with a sublime 16-6, a strong response to his dookie 6-10 early exit against them earlier in the season. He has proven his mettle, and is unlikely to falter in the Finals. If he does, Geio will be waiting in the wings, posting another stellar regular season by finishing #8 and 10.3-8.8 average. Should they need to dig deeper into the rotation, Olde had a very nice season, playing half the games, and finishing with a 48-45 record.
At the 7-Star, Brexit remains very strong, with Temujin having a great season, finishing #16 overall. His performance is key, as Power has two superstar 7-Stars and won't have any liabilities in their top four. We'll see how he handles the pressure, though, as he is unproven in the playoffs. Should he falter, J-B-Inc and Stung could perhaps fill the void, but that is a huge step down from Power's backup plan in Trasher -- a proven veteran who will perform when called upon.
While they trail slightly at the 7-Star, I think they have a big edge at the 6-Star position, with Omega Red already having tons of experience as a low-star Javelin and Warbird. He finished #19 overall in the TWDT-D Scoring Race, the highest 6-Star on the list. He has played in a TWL finals and several TWDT finals -- he knows the drill, and he was a clear asset in the Semi-Finals last Sunday rather than a liability, with impressive 8-7 and 12-6 scores despite never being an impact player or initiating the offense. He's a bad warbird on every technical level, but it's unlikely Power will find a way to expose him given his cautious positioning and the excellent teamwork of those around him, always going out of their way to cover him and take fire, giving him soft targets to vulch from mid-to-long range.
Conclusion
Power is the deepest squad in TWDT-D. Its biggest strength is its ability to survive no shows and lag. This trait tends to become less useful against a team like Brexit that shows 100%, as having six high-star starters doesn't help you when there's only three spots.
Okyo, Weak, Ricko, Raazi, and Beam are excellent warbirds, but I think they are at a disadvantage in the high-star matchup.
Iron Survivor > Okyo
Ease > Weak
Attacks < Raazi/Ricko/Beam
Two of Brexit's starters are clearly superior to Power's top two players. I think the combination of being able to play either Raazi, Ricko or Beam against Attacks gives them the edge in the third spot, but that's about it.
At the 7-Star, Bacon is perhaps the best player left at that rating, while Trasher is also terrific value.
Temujin < Bacon/Trasher
The combination of both gives Power the edge, but Temujin has been excellent all season, so the advantage isn't as significant as Power enthusiasts would hope.
I think Power's only real weakness are its 6-Stars, who are quite bad at warbird. Henry, Sassafras, and Ixador are all unappealing options in a high-level TWDT-D Final. I also think Omega Red is a bad warbird, but having played the Semi-Finals against Brexit and attempted to exploit him, I just didn't find the room or the opportunity. He's a veteran who sticks with the team and won't fight you one-on-one, and just lobs and runs like a worse version of Welt, which is exactly what you want from a low-star.
Omega Red > Henry Saari/Sassafras
Neither of these players are going to decide the series, but they both need to stay safe, stray, and manage 6-7 kills a round to carry their weight, something Omega is simply better at doing. We went out of our way in the Semis to try to expose him and couldn't. Power is deeper and more talented than us, so maybe they'll have better luck, but I doubt it.
Both these teams are fantastic, and it is neither luck nor coincidence that they finished #1 and #2 during the regular season and made the finals. There's a lot to like on both sides, but the point of a preview is to sift through the granularity and determine who is more likely to prevail.
Prediction
I'm predicting Brexit to win the TWDT-D Finals, by a score of 2-1. Iron is the best warbird in the zone right now, Ease is the GOAT, Attacks and Geio are playing very well, Temujin has been fantastic at the 7, and Omega is the best 6 in this series by far. As long as they have a full show, I think they'll be victorious.
Power is stronger in the middle, as their 3rd and 4th options are slightly better than Attacks and Temujin, but I feel the gap at the 1st, 2nd, and 5th positions is more significant, and their depth won't help them solve the fact that Iron, Ease, and Omega are better than their counterparts.
Good luck to both teams!
Comment