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My take... Overall another close season. Most captains know what they're doing by now, and there isn't a huge amount separating the teams. Hottub Homeboys are my favourites, and Powifil Fingirmin are my least favourite, but everyone inbetween is pretty close.
Blast (B+)
Safe Line: Turban, Racka, Cripple, wbm, Zeebu
Spicy Line: Turban, Racka, Cripple, Spectacular, Afri
Subs: Crazy Canouckout, Omega Red, Lifter
Smart draft from Racka, taking 10* Turban out the opening (a somewhat forced pick), and then focusing exclusively on 7.5s and 7s to balance his line. Blast will need their Top 2, Turban and Racka, to find a synergy quickly, as they do have to play with 3 lower-starred players. However, Racka found the best of the crop: Cripple and Spectacular can both be dangerous, and veteran Crazy Canouckout may well find some of his old form after a long hiatus from the game. This team would love to be able to avoid playing a 6*, but without two of their strong 7.5*s together, I think they could falter. So, despite Racka’s best efforts, still a bit of a squeeze for top-heavy Blast.
Morph (B)
Safe Line: Saiyan, Ro, a2m, Major Crisis, Bram
Spicy Line: Saiyan, Ro, a2m, Major Crisis, Rojo
Subs: Bigking
I do quite like Saiyan's apparent strategy here of selecting players with value edges. I think Ro can push up to 9.5, I think a2m can push up to 8, I think Major Crisis (just demoted) can push up to 8, and I think Rojo (also just demoted) can push up to 7.5. This confluence of value across a team can often result in a winning team. However, both Ro and MC can be flakey with showing, and their form is somewhat unknown as they haven’t played much, so still some big questions hanging over this team.
Power (B+)
Safe Line: Zidane, Vys, Aselsan, mvp, banzi
Spicy Line: Zidane, Vys, Aselsan, Hellzno!, Aggi
Subs: Spirit, Poseidon, Peru, Jessup, Rageritual
Zidane snapped off his squadmate Vys in the opening round - who comes fresh off the back of an impressive TWLJ finals performance. Like Blast, the top duo will have to put their team on their backs. Unlike Blast, their lower stars are less proven. They do have Aselsan (Lopist?) - who has been putting up some big scores in javduel and elim - but it remains to be seen whether he can reproduce this in TWDT. Their 7*s are middling-to-average, but they do have depth at this rating level, so can shuffle the pack until they find a team that works. Had these guys at a B, then just saw Aggi put up 32 kills in two rounds in TWJD, so had to give them a bump.
Hottub Homeboys (A)
Safe Line: Stayon, Creature, Iron Survivor, Renzi, Mouserat
Spicy Line: Stayon, Creature, Paradise, Iron Survivor, Ravage
Subs: Zizu
Renzi had a great draft: acquiring really strong players with - crucially - rating fit. The real strength to the Hottub Homeboys is that they can play four players rated 8* or above, with Ravage as their low star (who is active and not that bad.) Stayon, Renzi’s first pick, really seems to shine in TWDTJ, as he is a master of playing on the front foot (which can sometimes be punished in more competitive games.) His supporting cast of 8*s are also really strong and have value… But with a question mark hanging over Creature’s and Paradise’s activity, they may have to make amendments to their top lines which will dampen aspirations for a title.
Thunder (B+)
Safe Line: Ease, Morph, Geio, Ogron, Dwopple
Spicy Line: Ease, Morph, Kess, Dwopple, Dad
Subs: Beast, Snoopie, Dak, Chrissygirl
Winningest captain Ease, picking bang in the middle, has managed to assemble a scary-looking javelin line here. I like this line because they have a choice between Geio, Ogron, Dwopple and Beast, who are all smart, cautious and dependable players. They also have options in the 6* category if they want to spice it up playing with Kess and Morph together - although my instinct is that their 6s are unplayable*. Morph and Kess will offer great support to Ease, and being 9* (as opposed to 9.5) gives Thunder more flexibility than Blast. One slight reservation, though, is Morph’s tendency to over-extend and go out early.
* Dad, aka Hedcase in SVS, is probably their best option in 6*. Pretty active in TW now, and potentially solid.
Kobe (B)
Safe Line: Best, Cape, Siaxis, Jurassic, Tripin
Spicy Line: N/A
Subs: Rylo
Best has drafted shrewdly, with no major weaknesses in his team, Kobe. Like Renzi, he’s opted for a middle-ish spread of players, but instead of Ravage in last spot, he has Tripin, giving him a possible edge. Best and Cape are an elite top duo, and great value- although neither player has been in an LJ final for a few seasons. The Zu (Siaxis) is a little sporadic in javelin, although if he’s had a good day’s fishing he can often pop off. Tripin and Jurassic are both nice and sometimes great 7-ish javelins, but not above occasional chokes and unnecessary deaths. One of the only downsides to this team is depth and lack of any B-Line should things go south.
Paddington II (A-)
Safe Line: Tiny, Ardour, Kim, Zizzo, Beam
Spicy Line: Tiny, Ardour, Skatarius, Zizzo, TPZ
Subs: Ra
At face value, Tiny’s team may look a bit unexceptional, but I believe he’s picked a really sturdy combination of players for DTJ. Of all the teams, this is probably my least favourite to go up against, because they won’t leak any easy kills. Each of these players, except perhaps Ardour, can have off days, but I think together they will form a “team fortress” mentality, suffocating less balanced teams positionally. On the other hand, the lack of a supporting “big gun” for Tiny will mean that, during longer games towards the end, Paddington may lose some edge. But I expect them to give a great fight to any opponent, and produce some hotly contested matches.
Piwifil Fingirmin (C+)
Safe Line: Uprise, Roiwerk, Sprackle, Bacon, Props
Spicy Line: N/A
Subs: Flew, Violence
I think javelin, for veteran cap Violence, was more of an afterthought during yesterday’s draft. This could be a salvageable strategy if they can pick up wins in base and warbird. But waiting until round 5 to pick up Uprise feels too cobbled-together on the jav-side of things. The main problem is that they lack a top tier talent and, worse, they can’t field a 41* line. Violence could potentially remedy this by trading for an 8*, which would make them considerably more competitive. The top three in Fingirmin’s line - Uprise, Roiwerk and Sprackle - can all hold court and kill nicely, but the remaining spots will give in-roads to more incisive teams. Having said all this, I have been wrong about Violence’s javelin lines before, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they caused some upsets.
Funk (B)
Safe Line: Commodo, Mean Gene, Lockdown, Jack, Heaven
Spicy Line: Rough, Commodo, Lockdown, Jack, Lee
Subs: Coupe, Rucci
Won’t write much about my own team, but really happy with the draft. I’m most hyped for the “spicy line”, as I think Lee or Rucci are both playable in 6*, allowing us to stack the top four. But, if Rough doesn’t show, we still have a puncher’s chance with the "Safe Line” against any team. With such disparities between different lines, however, it might give big swings in performances.
Terrorist (A-)
Safe Line: Dreamwin, Maketso, Kado, Banks, Rabbit
Spicy Line: N/A
Subs: Rasaq, Monkee
Dreamwin has drafted a unique combo here - with a top 3 “Holy Trinity” in himself, Maketso and Kado, and two 7*s in support. I think this construction will be highly effective, not least because Maketso and Kado both have a lot of experience. Kado needs to shake off some rust, and Maketso can sometimes be a bit passive - nonetheless I believe Dreamwin as a tactical wizard can get the best out of them. With the 15-man line ups, there isn’t much depth in any team, but that is especially true of Terrorist.
Blast (B+)
Safe Line: Turban, Racka, Cripple, wbm, Zeebu
Spicy Line: Turban, Racka, Cripple, Spectacular, Afri
Subs: Crazy Canouckout, Omega Red, Lifter
Smart draft from Racka, taking 10* Turban out the opening (a somewhat forced pick), and then focusing exclusively on 7.5s and 7s to balance his line. Blast will need their Top 2, Turban and Racka, to find a synergy quickly, as they do have to play with 3 lower-starred players. However, Racka found the best of the crop: Cripple and Spectacular can both be dangerous, and veteran Crazy Canouckout may well find some of his old form after a long hiatus from the game. This team would love to be able to avoid playing a 6*, but without two of their strong 7.5*s together, I think they could falter. So, despite Racka’s best efforts, still a bit of a squeeze for top-heavy Blast.
Morph (B)
Safe Line: Saiyan, Ro, a2m, Major Crisis, Bram
Spicy Line: Saiyan, Ro, a2m, Major Crisis, Rojo
Subs: Bigking
I do quite like Saiyan's apparent strategy here of selecting players with value edges. I think Ro can push up to 9.5, I think a2m can push up to 8, I think Major Crisis (just demoted) can push up to 8, and I think Rojo (also just demoted) can push up to 7.5. This confluence of value across a team can often result in a winning team. However, both Ro and MC can be flakey with showing, and their form is somewhat unknown as they haven’t played much, so still some big questions hanging over this team.
Power (B+)
Safe Line: Zidane, Vys, Aselsan, mvp, banzi
Spicy Line: Zidane, Vys, Aselsan, Hellzno!, Aggi
Subs: Spirit, Poseidon, Peru, Jessup, Rageritual
Zidane snapped off his squadmate Vys in the opening round - who comes fresh off the back of an impressive TWLJ finals performance. Like Blast, the top duo will have to put their team on their backs. Unlike Blast, their lower stars are less proven. They do have Aselsan (Lopist?) - who has been putting up some big scores in javduel and elim - but it remains to be seen whether he can reproduce this in TWDT. Their 7*s are middling-to-average, but they do have depth at this rating level, so can shuffle the pack until they find a team that works. Had these guys at a B, then just saw Aggi put up 32 kills in two rounds in TWJD, so had to give them a bump.
Hottub Homeboys (A)
Safe Line: Stayon, Creature, Iron Survivor, Renzi, Mouserat
Spicy Line: Stayon, Creature, Paradise, Iron Survivor, Ravage
Subs: Zizu
Renzi had a great draft: acquiring really strong players with - crucially - rating fit. The real strength to the Hottub Homeboys is that they can play four players rated 8* or above, with Ravage as their low star (who is active and not that bad.) Stayon, Renzi’s first pick, really seems to shine in TWDTJ, as he is a master of playing on the front foot (which can sometimes be punished in more competitive games.) His supporting cast of 8*s are also really strong and have value… But with a question mark hanging over Creature’s and Paradise’s activity, they may have to make amendments to their top lines which will dampen aspirations for a title.
Thunder (B+)
Safe Line: Ease, Morph, Geio, Ogron, Dwopple
Spicy Line: Ease, Morph, Kess, Dwopple, Dad
Subs: Beast, Snoopie, Dak, Chrissygirl
Winningest captain Ease, picking bang in the middle, has managed to assemble a scary-looking javelin line here. I like this line because they have a choice between Geio, Ogron, Dwopple and Beast, who are all smart, cautious and dependable players. They also have options in the 6* category if they want to spice it up playing with Kess and Morph together - although my instinct is that their 6s are unplayable*. Morph and Kess will offer great support to Ease, and being 9* (as opposed to 9.5) gives Thunder more flexibility than Blast. One slight reservation, though, is Morph’s tendency to over-extend and go out early.
* Dad, aka Hedcase in SVS, is probably their best option in 6*. Pretty active in TW now, and potentially solid.
Kobe (B)
Safe Line: Best, Cape, Siaxis, Jurassic, Tripin
Spicy Line: N/A
Subs: Rylo
Best has drafted shrewdly, with no major weaknesses in his team, Kobe. Like Renzi, he’s opted for a middle-ish spread of players, but instead of Ravage in last spot, he has Tripin, giving him a possible edge. Best and Cape are an elite top duo, and great value- although neither player has been in an LJ final for a few seasons. The Zu (Siaxis) is a little sporadic in javelin, although if he’s had a good day’s fishing he can often pop off. Tripin and Jurassic are both nice and sometimes great 7-ish javelins, but not above occasional chokes and unnecessary deaths. One of the only downsides to this team is depth and lack of any B-Line should things go south.
Paddington II (A-)
Safe Line: Tiny, Ardour, Kim, Zizzo, Beam
Spicy Line: Tiny, Ardour, Skatarius, Zizzo, TPZ
Subs: Ra
At face value, Tiny’s team may look a bit unexceptional, but I believe he’s picked a really sturdy combination of players for DTJ. Of all the teams, this is probably my least favourite to go up against, because they won’t leak any easy kills. Each of these players, except perhaps Ardour, can have off days, but I think together they will form a “team fortress” mentality, suffocating less balanced teams positionally. On the other hand, the lack of a supporting “big gun” for Tiny will mean that, during longer games towards the end, Paddington may lose some edge. But I expect them to give a great fight to any opponent, and produce some hotly contested matches.
Piwifil Fingirmin (C+)
Safe Line: Uprise, Roiwerk, Sprackle, Bacon, Props
Spicy Line: N/A
Subs: Flew, Violence
I think javelin, for veteran cap Violence, was more of an afterthought during yesterday’s draft. This could be a salvageable strategy if they can pick up wins in base and warbird. But waiting until round 5 to pick up Uprise feels too cobbled-together on the jav-side of things. The main problem is that they lack a top tier talent and, worse, they can’t field a 41* line. Violence could potentially remedy this by trading for an 8*, which would make them considerably more competitive. The top three in Fingirmin’s line - Uprise, Roiwerk and Sprackle - can all hold court and kill nicely, but the remaining spots will give in-roads to more incisive teams. Having said all this, I have been wrong about Violence’s javelin lines before, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they caused some upsets.
Funk (B)
Safe Line: Commodo, Mean Gene, Lockdown, Jack, Heaven
Spicy Line: Rough, Commodo, Lockdown, Jack, Lee
Subs: Coupe, Rucci
Won’t write much about my own team, but really happy with the draft. I’m most hyped for the “spicy line”, as I think Lee or Rucci are both playable in 6*, allowing us to stack the top four. But, if Rough doesn’t show, we still have a puncher’s chance with the "Safe Line” against any team. With such disparities between different lines, however, it might give big swings in performances.
Terrorist (A-)
Safe Line: Dreamwin, Maketso, Kado, Banks, Rabbit
Spicy Line: N/A
Subs: Rasaq, Monkee
Dreamwin has drafted a unique combo here - with a top 3 “Holy Trinity” in himself, Maketso and Kado, and two 7*s in support. I think this construction will be highly effective, not least because Maketso and Kado both have a lot of experience. Kado needs to shake off some rust, and Maketso can sometimes be a bit passive - nonetheless I believe Dreamwin as a tactical wizard can get the best out of them. With the 15-man line ups, there isn’t much depth in any team, but that is especially true of Terrorist.
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