Monotype Premier League VIII - Power Rankings
Written by me,
Attribute,
dahli,
mushamu, and
Jolly Togekiss ^-^
Rankings done by the managers of each team
SS
1.
Tohjo Falls Thunders (T)
Trichotomy (1), Rinda (6)
Trichotomy takes the number one place in the entire SS pool to no surprise. With both a high building and playing ceiling, he has cemented himself as one of the greatest Monotype players of all time, and has an extremely large resume of results. Despite only coming back to Pokemon recently, it seems he has not slowed down, already being 2-0 and has qualified for Monotype Ladder Tournament. RindaOkami is a consistent French player who overall plays consistently. Unlike other members of the French, he is not nerfed at all by the ban of Acupressure Drapion and will do well with good building support from Trichotomy.
1.
Goldenrod Gengars (T)
Star (2), WhiteQueen (5)
2 big names in Star and Whitequeen fill in the SS slots on the Gengars. While Star has been a familiar face in Monotype tournaments for quite a while now, Whitequeen is a newcomer who recently took interest into the tier and builds quite creatively. Both of these players are known as some of the greatest players on the website as well, so there’s no doubt the Gengars will do well with additional building support from former tier leader Chaitanya.
3.
Fontaine Finis
Shiba (3), tMoi (10)
When looking at the Finis, Shiba sticks out as someone who’s been on a hot streak in Monotype tournaments, acquiring 5 rings over his Monotype career is nothing to scoff at and despite not winning the previous tournament, he did go 8-1. Tmoi is newer to the Monotype scene but recently won a seasonals so there’s promise for him to do well. On top of all this, both the Finis managers in Plunder and style.css are able to build SS quite well.
4.
Dreamyard Darkrais
TJ (4), EviGaro (13)
The Darkrais have a strong SS core comprised of TJ and EviGaro who are no strangers to Monotype tournaments. TJ has been on a roll this year Smogon wise, acquiring 2 team tournament trophies as well as being in the current Grand Slam playoffs. It is without a doubt these two players can provide a solid SS record with their overall good game sense, but this requires the Darkrais managers in Floss and dahli to provide them with adequate support.
5.
Meteor Falls Miniors
Maki (7), Kev (11)
Maki and Kev rounds out the SS core on the Miniors. Kev, as one of the Monotype tier leaders, should have no issue providing solid teams for himself despite having an underwhelming performance last year. Maki has put up good results in Monotype tournaments in the past, and recently came back to Pokemon as a whole. However, his motivation is called into question, especially when he recently got sucked back into the black hole known as League of Legends, so overall the success on this team will depend on synergy.
6.
Bell Tower Braves
luisin (9), pas_touchao (12)
The braves have a decently strong SS core of luisin and pas_tuchao. Pas_tuchao in particular has potential as someone who recently won a seasonals tournament, but luisin has decent showings in past Monotype tournaments as well. Backing up the core will be Jolly Togekiss, the trademark builder for the braves who will be supporting them with his creative teams.
7.
Neverland Nidoqueens
Xiri (8), Alkione (14)
Xiri and Alkione find themselves playing SS for the Nidoqueens. Both of these members of the original Miniors are good at Pokemon, have results in the past in Monotype tournaments, and should be able to win consistently. Rounding out the core is the Miniors’ previous shadow manager in “The Calculator” Attribute, who was bought for a hefty 41k, so there is no doubt that he will spend a lot of time building to ensure his price tag lives up to itself. One thing is for sure though, Alkione becomes the main character of Monotype premier league who has plot armor when he decides to load Fire.
8.
Mirage Island Milotics
Hurtadoo (15), Hyperspace12 (16)
At last we have the Milotics, who have opted to draft the 15th and 16th ranked players in the pool. Hurtadoo got his start in MWP and has shown glimpses of potential, though there are still doubts as to how he will perform here. Hyperspace12 had a more promising MWP compared to his teammate, and is hopeful to repeat a similar performance here. While all odds may seem against them, both of these players are motivated to prove all doubters wrong and look forward to the challenge that is MPL 8.
Bo3
1.
Mirage Island Milotics
mushamu (1)
To no one's surprise, mushamu takes the first seed, a very well deserved ranking considering the amount of hard work and amazing results he had in recent times, coming fresh from a ribbon win and doing overall well in SS at every tour he's been a part of after the release of DLC2. This rank would definitely be different if this was old gens best-of-three, but as of now, his knowledge of the tier and current meta are unparalelled in this pool of players.
2.
Goldenrod Gengars
Chaitanya (2)
After a couple of rough years, we find Chaitanya at #2. Despite not being able to catch up results-wise in team tours recently, Chait's still a force to be reckoned with, pulling up with decent individual results in Monotype tours. However, he's in a pool full of threats and has a lot to prove to see if he is deserving of this ranking and considering he's the backbone and main builder of Goldenrod Gengar's SS core it will be for sure a challenging task, one that he is totally capable of.
3.
Dreamyard Darkrais
Floss (3)
Taking the bronze, we got Floss in third seed. Floss has been one of the best players this generation saw, getting decent results in both managing and playing in recent times, but he's yet to reach an excelling level like the two first seeds so this placement looks fair enough for him. Despite that, he's still expected to finish positive and farm wins in this pools, which should be a very likely scenario considering he has dahli's help this season.
4.
Bell Tower Braves
Bushtush (4)
Drafted by Mateeus for a third time, we find the latest OST winner at the middle of the pack. Bushtush has always been a wildcard. He's either succeeding and farming the entire pool or obstreperously flopping, no in-betweens. Proof of this are his last two records, MPL and MWP: 7-1 and 3-6, respectively. This level of inconsistency is a huge question mark on how well is he going to do this season, which rightfully earned him this fourth place.
5.
Neverland Nidoqueens
lax (5)
We got one of the most popular Monotype veterans at 5th. Last time we saw Lax in MPL he finished with a solid 6-3. However, this was in ORAS. If he's in touch or out of the loop with SS is a huge question mark. However, if he's dedicated enough, has good support and is willing to bring solid teams and not memes, he is more than capable of farming the entire pool.
6.
Tohjo Falls Thunders
jonfilch (6)
Getting to the bottom of the pool we find ORAS main jonfilch. Despite claiming the best record of the whole tour last MWP (8-0, SS best of one), he still has a lot to prove since bo3 is a whole different monster. Having Splash and Trichotomy by his side will surely help, so even if this is a bottom 3 rank he's expected to do well or at least finish even.
7.
Meteor Falls Miniors
Wanka (7)
In the year of 2022, wanka is a team's most expensive player and is starting in current gen bo3. Though this may raise concerns, there is reason to believe that this (18000) investment may be worth it. For one, he has teammates that are able to catch him up with the current meta and get him right for the season. The big concern here is if he can do this fast enough before this slot becomes a liability for his team. For now, he is ranked 7th in a stacked bo3 pool.
8.
Fontaine Finis
ikiarihS (8)
Rounding out the bo3 pool is ikiarihS, a newer player who got his start in the most recent BLT. Though his BLT campaign was in SM, he has shown glimpses of greatness in his 5 win run, and his managers have enough trust in him to start him here. Bo3 is a different animal though, and is unlike any challenge ikiarihS has faced thus far in his Monotype career. While Shiba is expected to sub in a couple times in this slot, ikiarihS is going to have to make the best of his current situation if his team wants to stay afloat.
SM
1.
Dreamyard Darkrais
dahli (1)
Taking the #1 spot in a stacked SM pool this year is dahli, who is back to Monotype team tournaments after taking a break this past MWP. dahli finds himself in a new team atmosphere this time around, and is a necessary piece for his team to succeed as he is his team’s most reliable slot. With an outstanding 80%+ winrate in the tier, expectations are high for the Latin American, and there is very little reason to believe he won’t continue his winning ways this tour.
2.
Mirage Island Milotics
Isza (2)
Taking the second seed we have Isza, who was the most expensive player on his team, costing an outstanding 26k. After several tours of being the predictable bo3 pick, now his team opted to put him in best of one SM. He's expected to do well given his price tag and taking in account he was once one of the most influential players back in the early SM days.
3.
Fontaine Finis
Pak (3)
At this point maybe we can consider Pak a Monotype veteran, and a SM staple for MPL too. After several tours of consistency across the tier, he's surely finishing with a positive record assuming the game is fair to him. Nonetheless, his team lack a strong SM builder, which made us rank him third. If Pak and his managers are able to catch up with the meta and build solid stuff each week then he's easily putting on a record worth his price.
4.
Meteor Falls Miniors
Zap (4)
Outside of the top 3, we find former MPL champion and Tier Leader Waszap. Despite being a very solid SM player and having one of the best records of all time, Zap tends to repeat a lot of stuff and gives the impression of not preparing hard enough. If he's able to restrain the tendency of bringing the same team on its 79th version and to think outside of the box then he's more than capable of beating most of the pool.
5.
Tohjo Falls Thunders
QWILY (5)
A known face to Monotype tours, we have german user QWILY at fifth place. Regardless of going for cheap on the draft (a surprising 7k, to be exact), QWILY is known for their solid plays and solid team picks, so its on him to prove if he deserved to go for a higher price or not. They have Trichotomy and Splash's support this year, so the likely scenario here is finishing with a positive record or even at the very worst.
6.
Goldenrod Gengars
Vodoom (6)
Maybe a lot of people are surprised we ranked Vodoom on the bottom three even when he went undefeated last tour. While that was an amazing achievement and Vodoom is capable of repeating that performance, he's not known for being the most stable teammate. His managers will need to do a stellar job supporting Vodoom with solid teams or at the first thing that goes wrong Goldenrod Gengars might need to pick a replacement from the undrafted pool of players.
7.
Bell Tower Braves
Mateeus (7)
Defending MPL champion Mateeus finds himself almost at the bottom of the pool. Despite winning last tour, Mateeus tends to do a lot of not so clean plays sometimes and throw good positions at games sometimes. If he finds a way to translate his already stellar managerial skills into his gaming ones, then we can see him ending with a solid record. If not, he drafted solid options like Toadow, to take on the slot in case things go bad.
8.
Neverland Nidoqueens
tier (8)
Former Rogue Nation player tier takes the last slot this year. Even when he's ranked last this time, we are sure tier has a good level of knowledge of the tier, and with Attribute and lax's support he's surely capable of flipping it around and finishing with a good enough record.
ORAS
1.
Mirage Island Milotics
maroon (1)
With the only real knowledge of this tier in the pool, maroon claims 1st in the ORAS Monotype Power Rankings. Expectations are high for the mainer, as this is historically his best tier (aside from the fairy tale known National Dex Monotype) and the one he has the most games in. In addition to this, he has the support of longtime Monotype player Isza, who has lots of experience building and playing the tier and may also fill in for maroon, as he has stated that he will not be playing 7 weeks of ORAS. Expect great things from the Milotics ORAS slot, as whoever plays in this slot is the ORAS player to beat this tournament.
2.
Goldenrod Gengars
Typhlosion08 (2)
Once upon a time, a Smogon Tour 29 and 30 playoff qualifier decided to ladder in Monotype during MLT season, taking names left and right and was up there with the ladder tournament competitors. Many “can you sign up for MPL” questions and 12000 auction credits later, the time has finally come, as Typhlosion48 now takes his talents to his first ever Monotype team tournament! He is slotted into ORAS Monotype, and while he has little experience here compared to SM and SS, he has the support needed to thrive here. Having the largest player ceiling in the entire pool, the hype surrounding him is large but justified, and is expected to put forth a great performance in this edition of MPL.
3.
Tohjo Falls Thunders
Kaguya Lys (3)
Coming off of a Monotype Invitational finals run, Kaguya Lys is back to playing more old gens, this time not having the likes of DugZa, Floss, or more than 4 weebs on his team. For a mere 5000, Aya is one of the many steals that the Thunder managed to get during the auction, rounding out this already strong lineup. While not a traditional ORAS Monotype player, he does have more experience than most of his competition, and has more than enough support needed to have a good tournament for himself. Combined with a timezone many would consider to be unholy, Aya has what it takes to shake up this year’s ORAS pool.
4.
Dreamyard Darkrais
SinnohConfirmed (4)
After a 7-2 MPL VII in ORAS Monotype, S1nn0hC0nfirm3d is back in familiar territory, ready to replicate last year's performance, or perhaps improve upon it, which is very possible in this historically weak ORAS pool. With a 2021 NU Open win under his belt, S1nn0hC0nfirm3d clearly has what it takes to win, but questions arise when it comes to who supports him. No one on his team plays or builds ORAS Monotype, so the teams coming out of this slot may be a bit concerning. However, getting teams in this tier is not the hardest thing in the world, so this may not even be a concern at all. Regardless, S1nn0hC0nfirm3d is still one of the better options as far as this tier goes, and is expected to perform well here.
5.
Meteor Falls Miniors
Accel (5)
Accel being ranked 5th in a UU tournament speaks volumes as to how strong this pool… apologies, the many UU players on the Miniors made me think this was UUPL or something. Known as one of the best UU players around, Accel being able to win multiple games in this pool is certainly a convincing statement. Despite the number of players on this team probably being higher than the amount of Monotype games he has played in his life, he has plenty of support that can help him succeed in racking up wins in this pool. Rumor has it that he is eager to know the ins and outs of this tier, which is very promising and is also another factor that helps his case of doing well. If you are looking for a dark horse for the best record in this pool, Accel is your guy!
6.
Bell Tower Braves
Toadow (6)
Rounding out the list of lower tier players in the ORAS pool is Toadow, who hopes to go back to his winning ways after a string of losses in the past few MPLs. Now that there is no angry brown man on his team to tell him that he is a, and I quote, a “stupid idiot”, this may be the environment change he needs in order to succeed in MPL. Once a Monotype Generations Tournament finalist and playing a few ORAS Monotype games in previous tournaments, Toadow has a decent amount of experience to know what goes on in this tier, and can certainly hold his own with the rest of the field.
7.
Fontaine Finis
Trouser Snakes (7)
Speaking of far Monotype Generations runs, we have Trouser Snakes, who had his breakthrough tournament with the most recent edition of the Monotype Generation Tour, with a 3rd place finish. Being the only new player on the field, and his only ORAS Monotype experience being exclusive to his aforementioned Mono Gens run, questions arise as to how well he can perform here. With the support of his teammate and longtime friend Crashy, and perhaps being the most motivated player in the field, Coo is eager to show that he belongs here, as he looks to take names in this tournament.
8.
Neverland Nidoqueens
Cousiin (8)
The last spot of the ORAS rankings belongs to Cousiin, who makes his debut in his first Monotype team tournament. Not much is known about him, other than the fact that he primarily plays ORAS OU and that his prior experience to Monotype before this tournament is from the ladder. With lots of support on his team, he is hopeful to prove that this 8th place ranking is an exaggeration and that this slot can contribute positively towards a playoff run.
BW
1.
Neverland Nidoqueens
Attribute (1)
Attribute was the most expensive player this year for a good reason. He has proven that he has what it takes to beat the best players in any monotype format he touches, and BW is no exception. Picking up Attribute means having a consistent top player, an inventive builder, and a community member. He is expected to win or go even against anybody in this pool, which is why he is placed at the top.
2.
Bell Tower Braves
Sabella (2)
One of if not the greatest BW Monotype player of all time is Sabella, who is back to his farming grounds (like he literally wins too much here) of generation 5. Amassing a record of 17-5 in BW Monotype in the last 3 MPLs, there is very little reason to believe that he won’t replicate such performances again this year. With good teams and even better piloting, expect another successful MPL campaign for the Monotype veteran.
3.
Fontaine Finis
crashy (3)
Another top BW player and MPL veteran, Crashy has decided to step back from managing to join the player pool. Boasting a wide range of builds in the tier’s history, it is hard to predict what type of team Crashy will win with next. From the ever-consistent Psychic- to the wacky and unexpected Rock-type team, Crashy has developed it all. Crashy can beat anybody in this pool, which is why he rounds off this impressive top 3.
4.
Tohjo Falls Thunders
Meta (4)
A monotype main with some great victories in previous years. Meta finds themselves on the Thunders and is expected to get good support from Splash. Although not a BW main, Meta has experience in the tier and should be comfortable in high-stakes MPL matches. Although inconsistent, MR7 is certainly capable of pulling off some upsets this season.
5.
Meteor Falls Miniors
Ewin (5)
A German OU player who hasn’t played in a monotype team tour before. With multiple other MPL veterans on their team, the Miniors shouldn’t have much trouble getting teams built. Ewin’s performance will come down to their own ability to adapt to a new tier. The biggest struggle will be overcoming players who have been playing the tier for half a decade or more.
6.
Goldenrod Gengars
avarice (6)
A low-tier main who has played BW Mono in the last two iterations of the tour. Their records haven't been stellar, but they are experienced in the tier. They should have plenty of support from their manager Chaitanya, who is an experienced BW player in their own right.
7.
Mirage Island Milotics
Zar (7)
A long-time community member and monotype main. Zar has managed in many previous iterations of the tournament. Unfortunately, in all that time, Zar has yet to have a breakout performance. Zarif may find some comfort in playing in a familiar tournament setting, but the same can be said for most of the BW pool.
8.
Dreamyard Darkrais
Wait2Seconds (8)
Wait2Seconds is not a monotype player, but they have experience in the BW OU tier. They have been ranked last since, unlike the other players, they have yet to prove themselves to the community. However, their experience in gen 5 should make the learning curve less steep. With the proper support, they could get some upsets.
Overall
1.
Goldenrod Gengars
Shockingly, the Leru and Chaitanya team is ranked number one. Their tried strategy of drafting so-called “tour players” always seems to go over well with the rankers, regardless of the success rate of these drafts. Their SS core of Star and WhiteQueen is ranked very highly because of Star’s consistently good performances in Monotype tours and WhiteQueen’s recent interest in the Monotype scene, including efforts to build his own, creative teams. Chaitanya is another well-known consistent player that is expected to bounce back from his disappointing record last MPL because of his strong performance in the recent Monotype Generations tour, making finals. Typhlosion08 lands a surprising second in his debut monotype tour because of his respected playing ability and solid teambuilding support from Chaitanya. Their other slots, Vodoom and avarice, ranked on the lower end. Vodoom had a strong NatDex showing in MWP but it is unknown how he will fare in a real tier against real opponents this tour. avarice is a frequent BW monotype mainstay, but his infamous losses to teams featuring sets like Focus Band Salamence in the recent Monotype BLT is not a great sign. Overall, it’s a fine team that should do pretty well as long as both players don’t get themselves banned from the manager chat in the process…oh, did I derail this writeup?
2.
Tohjo Falls Thunders
While their original draft plan was, to put it simply, ambitious, the Thunders still ended up with a pretty solid draft. Rinda and Trichotomy is a highly rated SS core, as both have been consistently impressive in the gen, with Trichotomy in particular being widely considered as a top 3 Monotype player at the moment. jonfilch is in Bo3 after a strong (8-0 i think?) MWP showing, although it will be interesting to see how he fares in a comparatively stronger Bo3 pool, where’s he’s ranked at the lower end. Kaguya Lys and Meta are both solid, proven Monotype players that are branching out into oldgens they aren’t particularly known for. However, at least in Kaguya Lys’ case, there are high hopes that he can beat the lower end of the pool. QWILY is another whatever tour player that is expected to do decently. The team also has some other Monotype mainers like Dieu Amphibien and Fylkir Pudin to help slot in if someone struggles particularly. If the team can ration the Attribute teams they already have effectively, and if Splash can overcome his snakelike tendencies, they should have a good chance of finally taking home the MPL title.
3.
Dreamyard Darkrais
While having Izaya draft a team is what many observers would consider a curse, the Darkrais ended up drafting a pretty decent and well-rounded team. The high point of the team is dahli in SM, who is, of course, beautiful and perfect in every way. Next, we have Floss, who ranks highly in Bo3 as many players continue to believe he is great at SS. After a streak of well…peculiarly-played games in MWP, some community members claimed that Floss had “fried his brain”, and others claim that Floss has abandoned Monotype for RU. Floss will have to beat these allegations to live up to his number 3 placement. Their SS core of TJ and EviGaro is also pretty decent, especially TJ who has done well in Monotype tours in the past, although they will have to rely on Floss for teambuilding support. SinnohConfirmed (i’m not bothering with the numbers LMAO sorry) had a surprisingly great ORAS tour last MPL, but it’s up to Floss and, more realistically, Izaya to provide the same level of ORAS support that Splash and his team did. Finally, Wait2Seconds is ranked last in BW, but I’m pretty sure he won a BW seasonal and this BW pool is pretty top-heavy, so he should probably get a few wins. Overall, a lot of the team hinges around the support of Floss and a few other members, but if everyone lives up to expectations, the Darkrais have some potential for greatness.
4.
Mirage Island Milotics
Waittt like…this team is DEFINITELY giving what needed to be gave likeeee….the most recent MWP-winning managers are teaming up AGAIN to give us a MPL draft we’ve ALL been waiting for. Their Bo3, SM, and ORAS slots LITERALLY SLAYEDDD LIKE… it’s giving CREAM OF THE CROP CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP VIBES. Maroon finally number 1 in something so proud of you girlie...even though the rest of this ORAS pool flopped so like idk…but I GUESS LIKE I SUPPOSE expectations are high for him after he had a surprisingly good performance last MPL. mushamu is also number 1 in Bo3 and has been the best SS player in recent memory after winning the last Monotype circuit… On a similar note, Isza has HOPEFULLY exited his flop era and is ready to enter the MPL scene again…he kinda flopped last MPL with his 2-2 and benched himself half the season era but there are still HIGH expectations for him as a player (for some reason, this isn’t NatDex girlies)! However the rest of the team is giving MYSTERIOUS giving NO-NAME like…Hurtadoo and Hyperspace12 are Decem goons for sure but they’re like okay I guess :rolling_eyes:...and Zar is crust for sure and crust BW players have historically been pretty bad in MPL but oh well I guess! If these top slots perform as expected and the bottom-ranked slots perform better than they’re ranked this draft is LITERALLYYYYY SLAYING…but if the opposite happens, the other teams will have their tea for SURE.
5.
Fontaine Finis
After essentially doing all of the manager work for Mateeus’ team in MWP, it’s only fitting that Plunder and style.css get their own shot at managing MPL this year. What’s also fitting is their draft, which seems to be considered fine at best and “a BLT draft” at worst. Their star player is Shiba, who is ranked 3rd in SS and is generally considered a very solid SS player, most notably having a great 8-1 showing in MWP. Also in SS is tMoi, and up-and-coming Monotype mainer who won the most recent spring seasonal and is considered a bright prospect for the tier, although he will need to prove himself in his first official Monotype tournament. Pak and crashy also rank 3rd in their respective tiers, where they are considered good enough. Pak notably had mushamu building SM for him last MPL where he went 3-3, but it’s not certain whether the Finis managers will be able to provide that same level of support as they are mostly known for SS building. On the other hand, ikiarihS is ranked last in a stacked Bo3 pool, where he will be playing against opponents that are a lot more experienced and proven. However, if he can continue the greatness some saw in him in BLT, he could pull off some upsets. Trouser Snakes is in a similar boat playing ORAS in his first MPL, as he did very well in the recent Monotype Generations tournament and the ORAS pool is mostly comprised of new faces this year so he also has some potential. If he doesn’t do well, the Finis might be left regretting snaking juleocesar for newcomers like TheWyvernKing and Bouki. Overall, the Finis are a team relying on both their first-timers and expensive veterans to turn out results, but if the managers can help replicate the decent success they had in MWP, they do have a shot at competing with the rest of the teams.
6.
Bell Tower Braves
After winning last MPL, the Braves were a team many expected to be one of the top teams to beat this tournament. However, based on the rankers’ opinions at least, their repeat might be as doomed as Mateeus’ BLT one. Their star player seems to be Sabella, who had a very strong 7-2 MPL in BW last year and should fare similarly in this one, being ranked #2 in the rankings. Unfortunately, the rest of their players are ranked in the middle-to-lower end. Bushtush is in Bo3 after a mixed bag of results over the past few Monotype tours. He had a great 7-1 performance in Bo3 last MPL, but it was followed by a more disappoint 3-6 showing in Bo3 in MWP. luisin and pas_touchao in SS are both newer players that have done well in BLT and individuals, respectively, and luisin was even in last MPL, going 2-3. It remains pretty up in the air whether they will perform well, but they definitely have some potential. The manager Mateeus slots himself in SM again, where he is expected to have another run-of-the-mill, average performance. He at least went positive last MPL which is a good sign, but his 3-5 in MWP in what was supposedly his main tier did not exactly inspire faith in the rankers, who ranked him 7th. Finally, Toadow in ORAS is another decent Monotype player that finds himself slotted into this purgatory of a tier. In a pretty close ORAS pool, it’s likely he will do about average. Overall, the Braves this year are left with a lot of question marks rather than the more consistent players like SoulWind, TJ, and lax that they picked up last year. If the team can find a way to help these players perform, perhaps they have a chance or living up to their previous success.
7.
Meteor Falls Miniors
Unsurprisingly, by far the least successful franchise in MPL history led by one of the least successful managers in MPL history in DugZa has found itself in the trenches of 7th place. The Miniors, quite apparently, do not have a standout player. Their highest rated player is Zap, who finds himself in 4th place in SM. He somehow managed to go 4-1 last MPL when he did play, but few rankers would call him a consistent winner. Their SS core of Maki and Kev seems fine enough. Maki is thought to be a good player by some people, and Kev used to be thought of as a good SS player until he went 0-7 last year. Now that those thoughts are gone from the community’s heads, it is impossible for Kev to do worse than that, so the standards are pretty low for him to succeed. Still, they can probably muster some wins. Next we have Wanka in Bo3, which is a pretty questionable choice. He has not participated in the last few Monotype tours, and as far as I know any contemporary SS tours, and is what many people would consider “crust”, so he finds himself near the bottom in 7th place. Accel and Ewin are both tour players that have not really touched their respective tiers before, or even Monotype in general. Accel is pretty good at ORAS UU and ORAS is friendly to tour players in general so there’s some hope that he does well, although Ewin’s prospects are a bit more questionable in a competitive (?) BW pool. Overall, this team is middling and there does not seem to be a good chance of them doing well. If DugZa can at least not lose the tournament in 4 weeks like he did last year, maybe the future for the Miniors looks a little more bright.
8.
Neverland Nidoqueens
Finding themselves comfortably in last place are the Nidoqueens. After spending 41k on one player in a 100k draft, this is a place where most rankers expected to find the Nidoqueens, but their draft does have some bright points. The main one is Attribute, who ranks number 1 in the BW pool and is expected to do very well in MPL this year after going positive for the first time last year. After winning the Monotype Invitational, Attribute has proven himself to be one of the top Monotype players amongst all generations going into the tournament, which explains his exceptionally high price tag. Their SS core consists of Xiri and Alkione. Xiri has done very well in his last few Monotype tours, going 6-3 in SS in MWP and 7-1 in SM last MPL. Alkione is a bit more of a question mark, as he is mostly known for his love of Fire rather than any particular playing ability, but he might be motivated to win by his previous Minior teammate Attribute. In Bo3 they have lax, who is another well-respected player that did well last MPL, going 6-3 in ORAS. His lack of experience playing SS and questionable motivation level are likely what put him in 5th place in the relatively stacked Bo3 pool. Their other 2 slots, tier in SM and Cousiin in ORAS, are both pretty major question marks and as a result are both in last place. While tier had some success in BLT, he was playing BW, and his skills in SM are a bit more unknown. Overall, the team is widely considered to have an uphill battle this MPL, and will have to rely on their managers roxiee and Felines, in addition to everyone’s favorite Monotype tryhard Attribute, to provide sufficient support. If The Calculator hasn’t run out of battery yet, perhaps there’s a chance for them after all.
