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Tournament NUCL III - Commencement

I just smashed my TV in front of 30 guests at my party because of the draft. My wife just took our crying kids and said they’re all spending the week at a motel. This draft has ruined my life and my party. I can’t keep going undrafted. Goodbye NUCL commencement thread.
 
:GS/PRIMEAPE:NUCL III PERSONAL GSC POWER RANKINGS:GS/PINECO:​

Rank: 7th
Cramorabias
Starter(s):
Flex: July, LustfulLice, Maris Bonibell
Support: THE_CHUNGLER

The Cramorabias elected to not pick a GSC starter. There’s good news and there’s bad news. The bad news is that they’re pretty much going to be playing GSC every week because they are easily the weakest team in the gen on the board here. The good news is that they’ll never have to double up in GSC, because they’re never picking it. The way I see it playing out is that Lice is likely to play each week with July and The Chungler passing teams. Lice is an amazing pilot – honestly top 5 pilots in the pool. If he had more substantial support here this team would maybe even be in the top half. The issue is that while July and The Chungler have experience in the tier, they’re not quite builders. To my knowledge, neither have started in GSC NU in a team tour. They surely enter in individuals, and The Chungler even had a fantastic run in the most recent GSC Slam, but I’m hesitant to rank them anywhere but last simply due to a lack of consistent results. While I’m not positive, I would surmise that a lot of the success in GSC NU from this team has been from the assistance of people passing teams with strong piloting. In a team tour environment, the success of this team’s GSC core is going to come from either (a) quickly learning building and prep skills or (b) having some friends on other teams. I’m pretty excited to see how Lice and company perform here. I have high hopes, but on paper it doesn’t look great.

Rank: 6th
Real Steel
Starter(s): leoperi
Flex: Shengineer
Support:

The newest and most exciting talent to GSC NU leads Real Steel. Shengineer has had a fantastic string of results in the tier this year, forcing a bracket reset in GSC NU Invitational and securing an exceptional 2nd place. He also secured a 3-1 score in GSC Slam League and has had a strong start to GSCPL with a hefty price tag for a rookie. Shengineer is a powerful pilot of the tier; he’s picked up highly complicated teams quickly to great success. He’s a player you can rely on consistently to take optimal in-match routes to maximize winning odds – a very important skill in GSC. However, Shen is not likely to be playing GSC every week in this tournament’s format. Unless it would be appropriate to double pick GSC in a week, it’ll likely be Leoperi starting each week. Leo has stacked up quite a few accolades in GSC low tiers the last two years. Last NUCL he took home a great 3-1 record and won the whole tournament. He’s also won an individual GSC NU tournament before, and has played in almost every team tour featuring GSC as of recently. Leo has a ton of experience, but unfortunately his results and play are a cut below the other likely starters. In a different year with a more typical GSC pool, Leo might be set to dominate. But this NUCL is absolutely stacked in GSC, which may cause some difficulties for Real Steel. Moreover, Leoperi and Shengineer both have a similar weakness. While Shen is an excellent pilot, he is frankly very new to the tier. As such, I have seen some questionable builds from him which concern me in a format like this, where Leo will likely be relying on solid prep support. For example, in GSCPL week 1, Shen brought a team that I think is quite poor into a lot of the meta and got severely punished in-game for it. Leo is also a player I would classify as a stronger pilot than builder. There have certainly been a few instances where he’s lost important GSC NU matches because of a critical team flaw, as he likes to build his teams himself. For this reason, I’m hesitant to rank Real Steel higher despite having an extremely strong core on paper. If both of these players can screw their heads on straight and build some strong teams, they should not have a problem competing with the excellent pool.

Rank: 5th
Limber Ditto Lovers
Starter(s): JensenDale
Flex: plznostep, Oathkeeper
Support: Bughouse, A Welcome Guest

The Limbo Ditto Lovers certainly have the most players able to support GSC. I definitely have seen Bughouse and A Welcome Guest play in the tier here and there, and that activity will be a great help to a starter like Jensen eager to build and test. I don't see the team eager to play plznostep or Oathkeeper in this gen because of their versatility in other tiers, but it's definitely helpful that they have two very capable pilots in the wings. But the core of this team's GSC will be JensenDale, who has sat out of a lot of the GSC NU-happenings recently, hosting both GSCPL and invitational. He's admittedly had a rough go in several of his tours so far, with a 0-2 GSCPL V, 1-2 NUCL II, and an early exit from Cup at the hands of Bee. Last NUFL, though, he also tied for the best record at 4-3 in (probably) the strongest GSC NU pool I've seen in a team tour. I certainly rate him higher than the sum of his results so far, but realistically he'd need to have a few more good performances to justify a higher ranking. However, Jensen is certainly not lacking in enthusiasm, which I value a lot. He's extremely passionate about the tier and is dedicated to grinding it. He's put in a lot of time in the builder and it shows. He's cooked up at least one staple to the tier (Fire + Water Weezing) that I can think of, but there may be more. Developing the meta in a fundamental way in his short stint in the tier to me indicates there is more to come. I'm giving extra points to the guy for his enthusiasm, but he's also got a great supporting cast to hopefully bounce ideas off and cook. He's just a refreshing face to the scene. Excited to see how it plays out.

Rank: 4th
Pablo-Chiens
Starter(s):
Flex: Real FV13, lax
Support: Theycallmephil

I will admit the Pablo-Chiens are ranked lower than they may look on paper because I’m just not certain how their week-to-week lineup will look. Real FV13 is a titan of GSC NU, playing the tier at the highest level for several years now. He has had so many achievements in the tier, always putting up a positive team tour record and winning several individuals, including the most recent GSC NU Open. He hit the ground running with a respectable 2-2 start to GSCPL, but failed to secure some key wins against BeeOrSomething and Shengineer. That being said, there’s little doubt he will end strong. Real FV13 has an incredibly unique building style that’s hard to replicate and prepare for. He is absolutely not afraid to use builds or sets most wouldn’t dream of touching. Off the top of my head, I’ve seen him use several unique sets recently, such as Psybeam Weezing, Ice Beam Porygon and Body Slam Ninetales. While I do sometimes believe his quest for creativity and pushing the limits can ultimately hinder his results and success, it’s also an undeniably strong aspect of what he brings to the table. Why him and the Pablo-Chiens are not higher on this list is because I know Real FV13 is also extremely proficient at other generations, which he will undoubtedly be slotted into. There are going to be weeks where he will realistically be needed in more than one slot, and so the team is going to have to make some tough decisions in this regard, which may ultimately hurt their overall strength in GSC. The only other option the team has is lax, who likely will be eager to play other generations. lax has put up incredible runs in GSC NU in the past, but at this point those are all 2+ years ago. He had a decent showing in the last GSCPL, but it was evident that his read and understanding of the meta has slipped dramatically with the massive changes it underwent in 2022-2024. With teams from FV I have no doubt he could pick up some wins, but the story of the Pablo-Chiens for me is if they will be spread too thin, seeing as both of their potential starters are key flex options.

Rank: 3rd
Glacial Glastriers
Starter(s): BigFatMantis
Flex: Raahel
Support:

I will be giving a grand glazing of the Glacial Glastriers. BigFatMantis exits a BigFatHiatus with a BigFatSplash. NU might be the GSC low tier he’s least known for/involved in, but he has plenty of exposure to it from countless conversations/building sessions between him and me. He has an incredibly apathetic attitude towards sticking to the norm. He’ll load whatever he wants just because it’s fun and wants to make it work. A lot of the time, this will get him into trouble, but also makes him wildly unpredictable to prepare for. As BeeOrSomething once said “I have no clue bro. He’s an anomaly. I hate prepping for him. Genuinely detestable. It is one of my least favorite things to do out of everything in GSC lower tiers – prep for BFM.” This was indeed the case when BFM's Berserk Gene Primeape demolished Bee’s team two weeks ago in GSCPL using purely skill and talent. On a more serious note, I find BFM’s teams incredibly threatening because standard GSC NU teams are founded on strong defensive cores that cover many traditional threats. Introducing weird and whacky all out attackers into the mix results in situations where a typical team might just not have the right answers. It’s a big give and take, but when BFM is locked in he’s capable of incredible things, which he’s demonstrated again and again in GSC Ubers. As a spectator to his matches, I highly anticipate if he can recreate that magic in NU with free reign as a starter. Last NUCL, he even topped the pool. His right hand man will be Raahel, who is no stranger to GSC NU. While he lacks in building experience, it should be no problem with an active builder like BFM to support double GSC weeks. The two also have incredible synergy together, teaming a handful of times before and even taking home two back to back GSCPLs. In such a competitive pool, this core’s ability to outwit in the builder will be key.

Rank: 2nd
Fallarbor Town Fossils
Starter(s): Zpice, BeeOrSomething
Flex:
Support: hammer798

Deciding between first and second on my PR was so close, but here in second I decided to go with the Fallarbor Town Fossils. This team is led by BeeOrSomething, an extremely prolific GSC NU main. Bee is the best builder in the pool; I would never question a single thing he decides to load or pass. He takes incredible care for detail in his team compositions to make sure that they are always up to standard. This is an incredible asset in GSC NU, where honestly building is more important than piloting. He is responsible for many, if not most, of the changes to building in the tier as he worked to innovate new and exciting strategies. He knows GSC NU like the back of his hand and he will almost certainly put up an excellent result. He’s played over 10 GSC NU team tours with a lifetime record of 32-15. In GSCPL IV he went 7-1 and in NUCL I went 6-1. Bee is paired with Zpice. From my experience, I’ve seen Zpice able to consistently pick up a few wins in GSC NU every team tour they join, but they've yet to lead the pack. He's on the lesser experienced side of the starter spectrum this year, but certainly has room to grow with Bee by their side. I particularly like Zpice's building; I’ve seen a few contraptions he's made that have been intriguing. He does fall into some pitfalls when constructing full teams, but the ideas are potent and I think can be wielded into something much greater with some extra refinement. Why I have this combo in second and not first is that I’m slightly worried about synergy. Bee is a structured builder; he will always bring something good and has limits to his comfort zone. Zpice is… not. He's unorthodox in his building strategies and may not know when he’s struck gold or junk. I don’t think this is the best combination on paper. Bee may not be able to tap into the greatness of a non-conforming builder and Zpice may not be able to pilot what Bee passes in the way Bee intends. One other thing I’ll note is that Bee’s motivation is at a low. I’m not sure how much effort he is going to give so I don't feel as good about him as usual. Hammer798 is a threat, but will likely just give practice GSC games given he’s with two starters.

Rank: 1st
The Krusty Krabs
Starter(s): Estarossa
flex: KeshBa54
support: jam, feen

I don’t think this is the strongest GSC core on paper. Estarossa and I differ when it comes to the builder in this tier. He also has not been playing the tier much, sitting it out in this GSCPL and taking an activity loss in invitational. KeshBa54 has literally never played GSC NU in a team tour. jam and feen will be nice to play games against, but likely won’t pick up a GSC game and probably are not going to be huge builders. (My assessment here seems to be wrong as feen is starting, but I'm just gonna keep it). That being said, there’s a lot to like here. I think right now Estarossa is the strongest pilot in the pool. He’s simply got it like that, and that goes a long way. While maybe a little same-ish in his brings, it works for him, and that’s really all that matters. He has exceptional skills when it comes to in-game decision making that constantly impresses me. Last year, he went 5-3 and this year he’s going to have a solid chance to take the win against any other starter. I’m hopeful that KeshBa54 will pick up on these talents in practice/test matches. That depends a lot on how active this core is, but in double GSC weeks this is the scariest duo. KeshBa54 is a certified grinder and given one or two weeks will be a huge threat. In a way I think Estarossa may be the best partner for him in this tournament. Having an extremely fundamental player to learn from I think will be a great boon. My ranking here is riding really heavily on this synergy, but ultimately I’m just going off vibes and I am indeed getting the vibes. The Krab’s GSC core will be the one to watch with two highly proficient players at the helm.

JensenDale very graciously wrote a similar analysis of my team, the Furious Fujins. However, he stroked my ego too hard, and I'm embarassed to post this self-glaze, so I'm hiding it in a spoiler. Thank you for contributing, Jensen!

Having won multiple individual events over the last year, and in years past, MrSoup sits as the number 1 player in the pool. He is a 2-time GSC Open winner, having been a finalist in the most recent one; was a GSC Cup winner, was a starter in SPL cementing their mastery over the fundamentals of the metagame and was notably the first GSC NU Invitational Winner. In team tours, he has topped GSCPL 5, and although had a 2-3 showing in the NUFL regular season, he preceded to go on and 3-0 in playoffs, winning a crucial tiebreak to secure a finals spot. Not only is his mastery of note but as shown, his consistency even in high pressure situations at the final games is remarkable. In terms of the GSC slot in this tour, there are a lot of teams who want to be flexing GSC, particularly the Fossils, Dittos, and Real Steel have a lot of flexibility in that regard. In the case of a double up MrSoup is also joined by Lyra, who, although sits as an SS main, has had some noted places in GSC NU over the last year, starring in the GSC NU Invitational as well as being a part of the GSC Slam. Lyra has had very good support throughout their GSC NU journey, and when flexed having MrSoup by thier side as a GSC2 slot is very important. I predict MrSoup will be the best in the tour and Lyra will have a good spot being a reliable secondary, definitely having at least an even record all things considered. *** Not needed but just some other stuff *** I personally find it really tough to be flexing GSC into this squadron, but with the composition there really isn't much of a choice to be doing so. The team is very strong in all team-preview gens, and having someone like MrSoup that can completely lock down a tier, and Lyra who can provide a worthy secondary to both GSC and SS is monumental.
 
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