Hey Everyone! These are the Power Rankings for DPL7! We asked all of the Captains to rank others teams and write a couple lines about what do they think about their lineups. Enjoy!
1.Twinleaf Mutant Ninja Squirtles
2. Hau'oli Haxers
3. Spikemuth Spectral Theives
4. Galar Ghosters
5. Hoenn Heroes
6. Santalune Storms
All 6 managers were asked to rate the other teams 1 through 5, and the average scores were used to grab the rankings:
1. Twinleaf Mutant Ninja Squirtles (1.2)
2. Hau'oli Haxers (2.8)
3. Spikemuth Spectral Thieves (3.2)
4. Galar Ghosters (3.2)
5. Hoenn Heroes (3.6)
6. Santalune Storms (4)
1.Twinleaf Mutant Ninja Squirtles
Memoric, Spurrific, Paraplegic, shrop is an extremely solid core of four strong players, who can build and play across the multitude of tiers in the tour. Para (assuming he doesn't play BW) and shrop is a very strong starting SS duo, both having been quite successful in the tier recently. VGC player Spurrific has proven to be reliable in the past and should put in a strong showing in SM. The false people's champ Memoric is more of a real champ when it comes to playing Pokemon, particularly in XY where I'd expect him to play. The remaining two slots (BW and DUU in this hypothetical lineup) are noticeably weaker, I'd guess Amaranth (formerly TIN) in BW and Kaori in DUU, but these weak links are still stronger than some of the slots on other teams, and will have the advantage of being backed by experienced players in their corresponding tiers, Para and Memo respectively. It would be a major surprise if this team didn't do well given the immense strength of their lineup, and they're easily the favourites (besides Haxers, of course).
I kept going back and forth between Squirtles 1 or 2. In the end they were edged out of the #1 spot because I feel they don’t have as many dominators as the haxers. That being said, there isn’t a weak slot to be found. Memo, Para, and Shrop are goated anywhere you put them, and Spurrific might be the scariest SM in the tour. Would be very surprised to not see the Squirtles in playoffs.
Elite SS players in Para and shrop, Spurrific is one of the best Pokemon players on the planet, Memoric is great at XY, and kaori is good at BW. I'd be stunned if this team isn't in the playoffs. I'd honestly be stunned if they aren't the 1 seed.
I think Memo spending 35k on shrop and spurrific is a bit of an overpay, but getting himself and Para for 32k is just criminal. If those four can all play to their value they’ll be tough to beat.
a well rounded roster with 4 top quality players. Should be supported very nicely by the rest of the team who can all hold their own in one off games. bw and duu slots look a bit lacking but the rest of the slots are strong.
2. Hau'oli Haxers
I've seen people rating this team last and I'm honestly confused??? as this is the only team out of 5 with no hole in any of the playing slots. The line-up I projected have all proven to be good at the tiers they play in, and the average level of talent on the team is high enough that it can make up for the lack of any "true star" as this team is capable of exploiting the all the other slots that opposing teams will have weaker. Yoda2798 is a kickoff winner, and Nido-Rus had a great DWCOP run; Demantoid and Mishimono are together and are both respectable DUU players, with Mishimono I personally rate higher at XY. YoBuddy has had respectable performances in SM, and Biosci is the old reliable. The team also isn't lacking in teambuilding either, there's reasonable flex among the starters, and the bench is also respectable themselves as pilots. I don't see this team missing out on playoffs barring a US Central-level meltdown. Also, YoBuddy in SS and Yoda2798 in SM is also a possible line-up for this team, as Yoda2798 doesn't seem like a builder, it's easier to recycle in an oldgen, and both are good at the other tier still.
Haxers have a threat in every slot. Yoda and Nido are the #1 and #2 SS slots on paper sporting almost unbelievable W/L records in the Crown Tundra meta. Mishimono finished 2nd in the DUU tour but had the best W/L. Demantoid might be the most flexible player in the pool. Biosci is some sort of immortal doubles-playing demigod, and Eisenherz is new to the community but quite scary. I’m sure the haxers will be in playoffs and are probably the worst team to enter a tiebreak against.
This team has really strong oldgens with the likes of Biosci, ninjadog, and Nido-Rus. Akaru Kokuyo and Mishimono are very talented, as is Demantoid. Eisenherz seems to be pretty good too. I think, while this team definitely has talent, it is unfortunately the weakest pool of talent of the 5 teams I'm ranking, especially when it comes to current gen. These guys could definitely make the playoffs though, this tournament as a whole is very close and it will be super exciting to see what happens.
Yoda not drafting anyone more expensive than himself is an interesting strat, but he was the only manager able to draft six accomplished players which is a huge plus. Super strong DUU core, but a few of the players that he’ll be relying on definitely have rust to shake off.
theres really not anyone standing out here. no one you can look to to get wins when you need them the most. almost all of the players can do fine, but thats all i really expect from this team. they could finish decently but this is probs the only team i dont expect to make playoffs for certain.
3. Spikemuth Spectral Theives
AuraRayquaza, now no longer snubbed as a manager, is back for DPL 7, and this time he's no longer capped at 3k picks for starter slots. The Spectral Thieves notably feature a really strong SS DOU core in Qwello Lee and frania, the former the year's biggest standout and Invitational winner, and the latter a known hard worker and reliable player all around that's also proven to have the goods in the past with a circuit win of their own. MajorBowman is there to man SM, though I think they have to prove that they can shake off the crust. I believe Human is a capable XY player; they have a VGC background and are a good fundamentals player all around, and I think it's a matter of them showing that they can bring it in XY DOU itself. The team does have a notably weaker DUU and BW though; nobody on the team has a winning background in DUU as far as I can see, and while Yellow Paint can play BW the odds are still stacked against them in this field. I also don't think the team has much in terms of teambuilding power; the team's performance, it seems, depends on whether or not the SS DOU slots can boss up, and if the other slots can hold their own.
For a team named Thieves, AuraRayquaza really needs to hurry up and steal a logo already. Qwello Lee, Frania, and MajorBowman are the major players for this team, likely going to take up the SS and SM slots respectively. Qwello has done fantastically in SS, being the 2020 Circuit Winner, and easily the favourite heading into any matchup, reflected in the draft by being 2nd most expensive at 27k. Given that SS is a necessary part of any tiebreak, this also gives the Thieves an additional edge if they play in any. Next we have another Circuit Winner in Frania (who won in 2017) and is still going strong. Fran does have experience with old gens, but I suspect SS is where they'll be playing. MajorBowman is a major threat, and if he isn't too busy single-handedly standing up for doubles should do well in SM. For the remaining three players I'd guess we see Human in BW, GenOne in XY, and EternalSnowman in DUU. Human was good in the past, but after a poor showing last DPL and not doing too hot since then either, I wouldn't get my hopes up, though maybe changing tier can be the change to break that streak. Without fespy whispering in his ear to use monofire, GenOne playing in XY isn't unreasonable, although the odds will be against him in any matchup. If instead the Doubles 'Art Slave' is assigned the important task of creating a team logo, then I could see Human in XY and Yellow Paint in BW instead, although again Paint will still be the weakest in the pool, so I think it depends on where you think Human will best perform. Either way though, EternalSnowman in DUU is a given. Known for his very very eccentric building, the tier based around lesser-used Pokemon is a fitting home for ESM. While not as strong as some of the other DUU slots, I can see ESM pick up a couple of wins. This team will be reliant on Fran, Bowman, and Human finding their form, looking to reverse their negative records from last DPL and lead the team to victory (Qwelloat is more of a given).
A solid team all around, but I wouldn’t feel overly confident in any slot each week. Certainly, Qwello has become a multi-dimensional assassin when it comes to SS, but I wouldn’t put him as an overwhelming favourite against yoda/nido/para/memo, etc., and too much of the thieves success is reliant on a Qwello win every week. These guys could make playoffs but it will be a fight for them to make it there.
This team is similar to the Squirtles. They've got elite SS in Qwello and Frania, Bowman's a very good SM player/player in general, Human is great at mons, although probably forced to play XY on this team, and Yellow Paint can hold his own in BW. This is the other team I expect to see in playoffs.
Qwello and Bowman went for a little too much, and GenOne / Human haven’t done great in the last year or two. Overall I think the Spectral Thieves have the weakest bottom of any team, and don’t have a solid enough top of the lineup to carry.
4. Galar Ghosters
The defending champs, KyleCole's team most notably features the return of their pairing with emforbes. emforbes has expressed desire to play XY in their signup, though I assume theywill be fine manning Gen VII considering their winning relationship with Kyle; this team, IMO, is scarier with emforbes in SM and a proven capable XY player in Z Strats holding Gen VI, though the team is likely still fine with the two placed vice-versa. The team also has Grandmas Cookin', who bossed up for Team Canada in WCOP, as well the hyped rookie the_bandit in DUU, who I see performing well. The team features good talent all around, though it does have a weakness in its second SS slot and BW I think; I think Zigh has more to prove and I wouldn't be surprised to see them play well, and MetalGro$$ is in the hardest old gen and while they did perform well in the last Classic, they could still be left quite exposed here since I also don't see much in terms of team support in the team. All in all, the team has a solid lineup with emforbes there to bring it home in whatever tier they play, and it's a matter of if the supporting cast can bring it home and whether or not they can hold the line in BW I think.
Ghosters got emforbes again this year, maybe because playing him is like saying GG. Z Strats and emforbes are the two standouts on this team, particularly with Maki at Z Strats' side to ensure he won't cancer. I would think Z Strats in XY and emforbes in SM is the strongest setup, but swapping the two also works. Both are great players, with emforbes in particular being a solid foundational pillar for the team, as you'd be hoping for with that 28k pricetag. My guess for the other starters would be Grandmas Cookin and Zigh in SS, The_Bandit (Actuarily) in DUU, and MetalGro$$ in BW. GMA and Zigh showed some promise in SS during WCoP, and while not top players can grab some wins. Actuarily is one of the stronger players in the DUU pool and should be looking to go positive. MetalGro$$ is a newcomer to DPL, having made a name for themself in BW Cup last year, and should be able to take a few games. They also have ten players which I hope is the sign of a strong team for no reason at all. This team has two great players then four alright ones, which should be enough to do well, with a greater potential to upswing than downswing.
These guys might make the playoffs on the play of emforbes and Z Strats alone if the other players can hold their own. emforbes and Z strats are top tier players, MetalGro$$ proved he can play BW with the best in Classic, and they've got talented players like Grandma's Cookin, actuarily and Oravlatore who have more to prove.This is a good team that should not be taken lightly.
Really don’t know what happened here. Spent all his money on Emilio and Z Strats and then stopped drafting? 18k for Z is honestly a great price, but the skill drops off dramatically after the top two. He’ll need Actuarily in SS and MetalGro$$ in BW to both punch above their weight if the Ghosters want any chance of making playoffs.
yeah too much was sunk into emilio and the rest of the draft showed it. ss looks ok, z strats and grandmas cookin will probs do fine but xy and duu look sus, it remains to be seen how well metalgro$$ can translate his bw classic success into dpl, tho i could def see 2-3 wins from him. kinda just average overall.
5. Hoenn Heroes
Juan Maestros has a pretty thematic team here with Spaniards, notably starring the SMBoat himself. I personally think this team is very respectable and I like everyone here as players; I'm not overly enthusiastic on their chances of beating the teams I rated above, though. The team is solid all around, but there aren't really any standouts aside from SMB, and if SMB mans DUU then they'll have a black hole for a playing slot as well. JRL has performed well in XY last year despite being new to it and has shown to bring results, while Voltix, Tenzai, and Mizuhime are players that I respect; relative to the players on other teams though, they rank around the middle of the pack in their respective tiers, it seems. SM will look like to be a hole that needs to be filled; I personally project TonyFlygon to play there considering they're just simply a good player™, but ignoring them not being a "true" doubles player I also don't think the team has the metagame knowledge and building power for SM (unless we consider SMB just giving an SM team and calling it a day as reasonable). I also don't see JRL as a builder for XY, though ig SMB can also help with that? Overall, it does feel that this team lives and dies by SMB's performance, and even then the rest of the team would have to be punching above their weight class. I do note that this team would be much better with SMB in SM and yuichi manning DUU, and mayhaps such a lineup could make an appearance.
Apparently n10siT was mad he didn't manage in DWCoP so decided to draft a monospanish team. Banking on linguistic synergy, and hoping that emma doesn't sour international relations with her total lack of knowledge of anything outside the USA, this team will be reliant on SMBoat leading the Spanish Armada to victoria to succeed. First we have the 3-letter Spaniard who went for 24.5k.... JRL. That sentence really should have ended with SMB, but it appears that in the minds of n10 and Aura, JRL removing the shackles of DLT from his name provided a power boost similar to Goku taking off his training weights and going Super Saiyan. Personally, I'm skeptical, and think this massive price tag left the rest of the team a bit thin. JRL is a fine player, but filling the 24.5k shoes he's been placed into will be a gargantuan task. I would say JRL's best tiers are DUU and XY, but given the rest of the team I definitely expect to see him in XY. SMB is the other 20k+ Hero, and needs no introduction if you know anything about Doubles. SMB signed up for DPL only wanting to play DUU, but given the current situation, he could budge for the sake of the team. Voltix and Tenzai are the other pair from the Spanish gang, and are both fine players, who I suspect will be taking the SS slots for the team. Mizuhime managed to go 3-3 last DPL in BW despite seeing her playing being rarer than finding a shiny Pokemon, so I'd expect a similar record this year. Now out of emma/Tony/Yuichi, there's a difficult choice in having one of them play. The best of the three would be Yuichi in DUU, IMO; if SMB can be convinced to play SM instead, then I think this would be the strongest lineup. [Funniest User] Zikam would have been an excellent addition here, even fitting with the team motif, but alas, the best user got snubbed. SMB doing well will be a requirement for Heroes' success, as well as the rest of the Spaniards overperforming. This isn't totally out of the question and I could see it happening, but the odds are definitely against them.
Something has happened here. I don’t know if n10sit didn’t believe that SMB only wants to play DUU or If n10 thinks he can change SMBs mind. I don’t know what slot you put in JRL after spending the equivalent of Teslas market cap to acquire him. I don’t know who the XY is here. I really like all of the users on this team, but I don’t see how they make playoffs. I can only assume n10 has tapped into an ultimate power which can only be harnessed by combining the strengths of all Spanish speaking Pokémon players in the world. Some kind of Mediterranean Spirit Bomb? Time will tell.
I didn’t expect DLT JRL THE BELL to go for 25k, but I’m not gonna say it’s a bad pick. SMB is SMB, and getting Tenzai and Mizu for 15k total is great value. I don’t know much about Voltix and was surprised to see them go for 9k, but also not upset by that. Yuichi is a great 3k support pick and can’t go wrong with chat presence Emma for another 3k.
n10 won't be able to understand half of his teams chat, thankfully they're all great players and the synergy is there. bw is probably fine with mizu but unless jrl plays xy (which hes clearly shown he can) the rest of oldgens looks kinda sus. ss isn't nearly as strong as some other teams too.
6. Santalune Storms
This team is very interesting, as they could either boss up or just flop and it's tough to see an in-between. This is mostly because they have qsns and stax, two very very good players that, at the same time, are also possibly quite crust. And then there's their other star in DaWoblefet who, while good, is in BW, and we all know that BW giveth and BW taketh away. The Gen VII slots also seem like they're in the middle of the pack; Shadowmonstr7 is an Invis qualifier and AtmosphereVGC did well enough in the last DUU tour, though whether or not they can boss up in their respective fields in DPL 7 is to be seen. Word on the street is that zeefable is really good though, with my sources stating that they've been repeatedly drafted for NPA, so maybe they can be poised to impress for the Storms here? Whatever the case is, we have a very volatile Storms squad that can either do some serious damage or just dissipate as quickly as they came.
DaWoblefet walks into a bar. He says mish. The bartender says mish. Fespy says mish. Everyone says mish. That's my detailed analysis of how the Storms chat will look this DPL. DaWoblefet, qsns, and stax are the heads of this snake, but then, just like the body of a real snake, there isn't much else there. Da "king of BW" Woblefet will dominate in his tier again, no questions asked. qsns hasn't had a great time with SS recently, but they should do well in the familiar grounds of XY. stax is a fantastic player, but without getting much action recently they could be rusty. My ideal tier to play stax in would be XY or BW, but with the aforementioned teammates that clashes. Wob isn't budging, but there is some question between qsns and stax of who should go in XY or SM. Personally I'd maybe put qsns in SM and stax in XY but the other way around also makes sense. After these three things get quite dicey though. All the remaining players are decidedly below average, bringing down the lineup. AtmosphereVGC has experience in DUU and will likely play it here, but is arguably the weakest in the field. Shadowmonstr7 is a certain SS pick, alongside probably Zeefable? But again, they're going to be the weakest duo in the field, which isn't to Storm's favour. Assuming their big three win (which absolutely isn't a given), getting the fourth win will still be a struggle for Storms. Storms have three strong players, but the possibility of them underperforming, and the weakness of the remaining lineup really brings down the team and makes them a clear last for me.
This team hinges on stax and qsns shaking off the rust. They could easily finish in any slot depending on how these two perform, and with Dawob on the back that’s a potential 3 strong favourites every week. I simply placed Storms in the middle spot, averaging the millions of possible future timelines with these goons. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Storms in playoffs.
If this team was playing in DPL 4 they would've ran everybody out of the tournament. DaWoblefet is one of the best BW players and probably the most meticulous person when it comes to Pokemon that I've ever met. stax is arguably the greatest DOU player of all time, and if he can play at his peak he's one of the most dangerous players in the tour. qsns, though tilted out of mons as of late, has a lot of skill and can play three different formats. They've got other talented players like London13, zeefable, Shadowmonstr7, and AtmosphereVGC. The reason I have the Storms below the Ghosters is that I think this team has a lot of unknowns. Is stax going to be on his game? Is qsns? They will also need somebody relatively unproven, like one the four players I mentioned previously, to have a great tournament. This team has potential to do really well, but I can also see a scenario where they fall flat.
draft started off well but i think it fell off a little towards the end. stax's activity/motivation may be a concern. shadowmonstr for so cheap really saved the draft from being lower. oldgens look so epic but ss is looking pretty weak.
All 6 managers were asked to rate the other teams 1 through 5, and the average scores were used to grab the rankings:
1. Twinleaf Mutant Ninja Squirtles (1.2)
2. Hau'oli Haxers (2.8)
3. Spikemuth Spectral Thieves (3.2)
4. Galar Ghosters (3.2)
5. Hoenn Heroes (3.6)
6. Santalune Storms (4)
Memoric: 1. Haxers 2. Ghosters 3. Thieves 4. Heroes 5. Storms
Yoda: 1. Squirtles 2. Ghosters 3. Thieves 4. Heroes 5. Storms
Kyle: 1. Haxers 2. Squirtles 3. Storms 4. Thieves 5. Heroes
n10sit: 1. Squirtles 2. Thieves 3. Ghosters 4. Storms 5. Haxers
fespy: 1. Squirtles 2. Haxers 3. Heroes 4. Thieves 5. Ghosters
Aray: 1. Squirtles 2. Heroes 3. Storms 4. Ghosters 5. Haxers
Yoda: 1. Squirtles 2. Ghosters 3. Thieves 4. Heroes 5. Storms
Kyle: 1. Haxers 2. Squirtles 3. Storms 4. Thieves 5. Heroes
n10sit: 1. Squirtles 2. Thieves 3. Ghosters 4. Storms 5. Haxers
fespy: 1. Squirtles 2. Haxers 3. Heroes 4. Thieves 5. Ghosters
Aray: 1. Squirtles 2. Heroes 3. Storms 4. Ghosters 5. Haxers
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