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RBTT RBTT IX Commencement Thread
- Thread starter A Cake Wearing A Hat
- Start date
RBTT feels weird in that regard because I'm so happy that so many of my friends got drafted but I'm still sad for those who didn't.
Nevertheless, I'm wishing everyone a happy RBTT season and may the best win!
PR vid will be on the work to get it done as soon as I can !
Nevertheless, I'm wishing everyone a happy RBTT season and may the best win!
PR vid will be on the work to get it done as soon as I can !
bdpl diancie team>rbtt diancie team
I'm here to spread Diancie propaganda
1) Diancie is a diva
2) Diancie is pretty and colorful
3) Diancie has a great signature move
4) Diancie is aesthetic
5) Diancie is an icon
6) Diancie is gonna win RBTT and I know this bc I picked Zeraora last year before player signups and they ended up winning it all
the josh beta 4 beer PRs/thoughts/analysis. I've been poring over the rosters the moment draft ended, and I'm writing this stream of conscious so apologies for the ramblings. Went out on a limb to predict lineups, as such my rankings are slightly based on those. I tried to look at results within the last two years (WCOR/circuit/RBTT/RBEL) to gauge my rankings That being said, I think this was a very strong draft. Based on my predicted LU, I think most of the pools are quite balanced; sure there are usually 1-2 players who are a cut above, but for the most part I think everyone has a fighting chance to come out as best in format. Rambling aside, lets get into each team.
Final Thoughts:
After spending a grueling 6 straight hours on this LOL I think I can say that this is probably one of the most competitive RBTT pools we've ever had. It was no easy task ranking each team, especially since now more than ever it feels like most matchups are within 60-40 IMO. That being said, you can see my final rankings below. If you took the time to read all of this, thanks! If I somehow offended you in my assessment, please prove me wrong! All I want is a fun competitive tour, and I think draft was a great start. GLHF all, looking forward to RBTT IX!
1: Pyrite Phantoms
2: All Star Hoopers
3: Relic Song Royals
4: Diamond Storms
5: Mecha Magearnas
6: Flame Body Faction
7: Dark Moon Lunalas
8: Time Travelers
SV (bo5): GXE
SV: baconeatingassassin
SV: RainListener
SS: mj
SM: Hacker
ORAS: yerdunc
BW: flameingpigey2
DPP: Shadows4
ADV: Glop
GSC: Yuudaachi0811
RBY: royzin
Dubs: Shiritu
Dubs: FedeCampoVGC
Roulette: R1C3M4N
BSSF: purbaj
HC: Aerobee
Subs: Casual.exe, Icemaster, Temp, TheHorrorHare
Mel's started off unsurprisingly drafting fellow US South member GXE who is often dominates the bo5 pool and is easily one of the best players in the all important SV1 slot. They followed up with strong picks in mj and yerdunc, the former being a rands staple who consistently goes positive and the latter being a recent up and comer who had a red hot 2025, winning WCOR after going undefeated in pools as well as qualifying for Circuit Playoffs. Past RBTT players flameingpigey2, Glop, royzin, Shadows4, and R1C3M4N help rounded out the back of the draft, along with some newcomers.
Looking at this projected lineup, the Mel's clearly did their homework with the main gens. SV1, SV2, SS, SM, BW, DPP, ADV, and RBY all have RBTT/WCOR vets who have gone positive on the sheet in the last few iterations of those tours. As for the RBTT newcomers, Yuudaachi0811 had a strong 5-2 showing in GSC this past WCOR, improving on their 3-2 performance from 2024. Shiritu went undefeated in pools this WCOR, but didn't face off against some of the top heavy players they will this RBTT, such as snorlax, ionnss, and soTsoT. FedeCampo is a true doubles goat for having VGC in their name, but I couldn't find any high level dubs results to really gauge them on. Purbaj had a modest 2-0 showing in BSSF this past BSSCL, but again, no major rands tours. Aerobee didn't have too hot of a showing last RBTT in the HC slot, but as a hackmons player in general they might be able to stand up to some of the recurring RBTT giants. I think R1C3M4N has the potential to go positive in roulette but I definitely am ranking them as one of the weaker players in the pool. While he has done well in circuit thus far, I think he may struggle against some of the better players in the pool.
Overall, I think the Meloetta's had a pretty solid draft and I think it is likely they are in playoff contention. Consistent high level players in pretty much every main tier and good, flexible options for tiebreaks as well. Subs have excellent flexibility for slotting wherever needed. I think the weakness lies in the more uncommon tiers (HC, BSSF, Roulette); if these players can stand up to the challenge, this will be a tough team to beat.
SV: baconeatingassassin
SV: RainListener
SS: mj
SM: Hacker
ORAS: yerdunc
BW: flameingpigey2
DPP: Shadows4
ADV: Glop
GSC: Yuudaachi0811
RBY: royzin
Dubs: Shiritu
Dubs: FedeCampoVGC
Roulette: R1C3M4N
BSSF: purbaj
HC: Aerobee
Subs: Casual.exe, Icemaster, Temp, TheHorrorHare
Mel's started off unsurprisingly drafting fellow US South member GXE who is often dominates the bo5 pool and is easily one of the best players in the all important SV1 slot. They followed up with strong picks in mj and yerdunc, the former being a rands staple who consistently goes positive and the latter being a recent up and comer who had a red hot 2025, winning WCOR after going undefeated in pools as well as qualifying for Circuit Playoffs. Past RBTT players flameingpigey2, Glop, royzin, Shadows4, and R1C3M4N help rounded out the back of the draft, along with some newcomers.
Looking at this projected lineup, the Mel's clearly did their homework with the main gens. SV1, SV2, SS, SM, BW, DPP, ADV, and RBY all have RBTT/WCOR vets who have gone positive on the sheet in the last few iterations of those tours. As for the RBTT newcomers, Yuudaachi0811 had a strong 5-2 showing in GSC this past WCOR, improving on their 3-2 performance from 2024. Shiritu went undefeated in pools this WCOR, but didn't face off against some of the top heavy players they will this RBTT, such as snorlax, ionnss, and soTsoT. FedeCampo is a true doubles goat for having VGC in their name, but I couldn't find any high level dubs results to really gauge them on. Purbaj had a modest 2-0 showing in BSSF this past BSSCL, but again, no major rands tours. Aerobee didn't have too hot of a showing last RBTT in the HC slot, but as a hackmons player in general they might be able to stand up to some of the recurring RBTT giants. I think R1C3M4N has the potential to go positive in roulette but I definitely am ranking them as one of the weaker players in the pool. While he has done well in circuit thus far, I think he may struggle against some of the better players in the pool.
Overall, I think the Meloetta's had a pretty solid draft and I think it is likely they are in playoff contention. Consistent high level players in pretty much every main tier and good, flexible options for tiebreaks as well. Subs have excellent flexibility for slotting wherever needed. I think the weakness lies in the more uncommon tiers (HC, BSSF, Roulette); if these players can stand up to the challenge, this will be a tough team to beat.
SV (bo5): LoSconosciuto
SV: Lichess
SV: dunoks
SS: Stareal
SM: LordST
ORAS: Vioz
BW: Micaiah
DPP: Click > Think
ADV: xGangg
GSC: violet river
RBY: YBW
Dubs 1: Karthik
Dubs 2: Optidox
Roulette: Amaranth
BSSF: papiloco
HC: Ivar54
Subs: jackofspadesman, Bad Player, Stories, Impeckable
Ama's obviously did his homework here. Losco second pick is no surprise; as the SV Swiss winner this year and a consistently dominant player its a no-brainer. They followed up with historic best in formats xGangg for ADV and LordST for SM. Nothing to say here, these guys consistently are at the top of the standings for their respective formats year after year. Gang had a bit of a slow 2025 with this past WCOR and RBTT, but if he can get back to top shape he will be a threat.
YBW has made a case for being one of if not the best RBY rands player in the past year, doing excellent in RBTT, WCOR, and RBYPL. Micaiah is a BW staple who also dominated 4-1 this past WCOR. Karthik and Optidox both did quite well in doubles open this year and are frequently topping the ladder. SV Swiss runner up lichess and RBTT veteran dunoks round out the SV core. Dunoks has had middling results this year, going +1 in RBTT and -1 in WCOR, but if they can go positive along with lichess, Lunala's are in good shape.
That being said, I think there are definitely some holes. For starters, I don't see a good DPP or GSC player here. I did my best guess to fill these based on the lineup, but Click is a generalist more favored in 6/7/9 and river historically has played ADV rands in tour. That being said, Gen 4 is rocks simulator and Click is definitely competent enough to get the wins, and river is no stranger to GSC tier. Nonetheless, I think these slots trend towards the weaker side of their respective pools. Stareal is on an upward trend with this past WCOR but before that has struggled in the SS pool. Ivar54 made QF of this recent HC open but has limited experience outside of that to my knowledge. I trust Derpy with the BSSF knowledge (both teaching and drafting) but I found no BSSF tour results for any of these players. Lastly, Ama can def do well roulette, having qualified for circuit playoffs as well as playing a slew of tiers at a high level across all gens, but I do think they are on the weaker side of the pool. Im curious if that is where he will slot himself and how the actual lineup will shake out. Maybe it will be Lichess SV1 Stareal/dunoks SV2/3 Ama SS and Losco Roulette? Thats def a stronger lineup but I would be worried about having a new face in bo5, even with lichess's impressive 2025 results
I think the Lunala's teeter on the edge of playoff contention. The pieces are there, but each player has had their streaks. If the stars align I think this can be one of the most dominant teams, but it just as easily can have half the players in a rut at any given time. With the subs situation looking a little bare bones in terms of consistently flexible players, this season will be on a knife's edge imo.
SV: Lichess
SV: dunoks
SS: Stareal
SM: LordST
ORAS: Vioz
BW: Micaiah
DPP: Click > Think
ADV: xGangg
GSC: violet river
RBY: YBW
Dubs 1: Karthik
Dubs 2: Optidox
Roulette: Amaranth
BSSF: papiloco
HC: Ivar54
Subs: jackofspadesman, Bad Player, Stories, Impeckable
Ama's obviously did his homework here. Losco second pick is no surprise; as the SV Swiss winner this year and a consistently dominant player its a no-brainer. They followed up with historic best in formats xGangg for ADV and LordST for SM. Nothing to say here, these guys consistently are at the top of the standings for their respective formats year after year. Gang had a bit of a slow 2025 with this past WCOR and RBTT, but if he can get back to top shape he will be a threat.
YBW has made a case for being one of if not the best RBY rands player in the past year, doing excellent in RBTT, WCOR, and RBYPL. Micaiah is a BW staple who also dominated 4-1 this past WCOR. Karthik and Optidox both did quite well in doubles open this year and are frequently topping the ladder. SV Swiss runner up lichess and RBTT veteran dunoks round out the SV core. Dunoks has had middling results this year, going +1 in RBTT and -1 in WCOR, but if they can go positive along with lichess, Lunala's are in good shape.
That being said, I think there are definitely some holes. For starters, I don't see a good DPP or GSC player here. I did my best guess to fill these based on the lineup, but Click is a generalist more favored in 6/7/9 and river historically has played ADV rands in tour. That being said, Gen 4 is rocks simulator and Click is definitely competent enough to get the wins, and river is no stranger to GSC tier. Nonetheless, I think these slots trend towards the weaker side of their respective pools. Stareal is on an upward trend with this past WCOR but before that has struggled in the SS pool. Ivar54 made QF of this recent HC open but has limited experience outside of that to my knowledge. I trust Derpy with the BSSF knowledge (both teaching and drafting) but I found no BSSF tour results for any of these players. Lastly, Ama can def do well roulette, having qualified for circuit playoffs as well as playing a slew of tiers at a high level across all gens, but I do think they are on the weaker side of the pool. Im curious if that is where he will slot himself and how the actual lineup will shake out. Maybe it will be Lichess SV1 Stareal/dunoks SV2/3 Ama SS and Losco Roulette? Thats def a stronger lineup but I would be worried about having a new face in bo5, even with lichess's impressive 2025 results
I think the Lunala's teeter on the edge of playoff contention. The pieces are there, but each player has had their streaks. If the stars align I think this can be one of the most dominant teams, but it just as easily can have half the players in a rut at any given time. With the subs situation looking a little bare bones in terms of consistently flexible players, this season will be on a knife's edge imo.
SV (bo5): JJ09LIE
SV: Star Wheel
SV: RoFnA
SS: Zap
SM: gomdol2
ORAS: JustOut459
BW: ninjadog
DPP: Trade
ADV: anankaios
GSC: Zcarlett
RBY: Kingslayer Caterpie
Dubs 1: Marcofiero
Dubs 2: dinispereira
Roulette: Michielleus
BSSF: Slikkles
HC: oaklies
Subs: Chains of Markov, tkhanh, mdill97, Shadow079
Again, an unsurprising R1 pick for the Aussies in the form of Michi. They followed up with one of the better dubs players in the pool in marco and then two top SV players in the form of JJ and Star Wheel. Slikkles from my understanding is one of the stronger BSSF players this year, so no surprise to seem them go early, and Zap is an RBTT staple who consistently has put up good results in the past few years. The back half is where things get a little shakier, but still some solid picks in Trade, oaklies, ninjadog, and Kingerslayer Caterpie.
IMO Heatran's draft succeeds in being a little more well rounded than the previous two teams. Their SV/SS core is strong across RoFnA/Zap/Star Wheel. They ave good old gens in the form of Kingslayer Caterpie for RBY, who despite not playing in RBTT/WCOR has been a consistent player in the RBY Rands cord and recently went positive in RBYPL. Trade/Anankaios each can flex for ADV/DPP. ninjadog seems to have bounced back from a rough RBTT 8, going 5-1 this WCOR. Justin always does well in ORAS, Oaklies is an HC staple who can get the job done, and I've already talked about Slikkles.
SM/GSC/Dubs I think are the weakest slot right now. Marco had a solid showing last RBTT but I don't think has played in a tour since, and dinispereira has had mediocre results in this years Open/RBEL. Zcarlett is an avid GSC enjoyer but past results makes me worry they may not have what it takes on the big stage, especially with such established players in the pool. Michi in roulette should be okay? Its my understanding that michi focuses more on 6/7/9 but as a former circuit winner they obviously have what it takes and IMO should be the obvious slot here. Gomdol has had good results in Gen9 for RBEL 1 but didn't do too hot in RBTT 8 with a 1-2 record. Maybe theres a world where justi/michi tag team oras/sm and someone else goes roulette? but idk how i feel about that.
Ultimately comes down to the lineup, but I think this is another team bound for playoff contention. While there are some holes, the draft overall was quite solid and they should be able to get the wins necessary to make it to the final four. The subs are quite flexible and can slot where needed, so once everything is figured out and firing on all cylinders I think they will go far. Free Mdill's custom.
SV: Star Wheel
SV: RoFnA
SS: Zap
SM: gomdol2
ORAS: JustOut459
BW: ninjadog
DPP: Trade
ADV: anankaios
GSC: Zcarlett
RBY: Kingslayer Caterpie
Dubs 1: Marcofiero
Dubs 2: dinispereira
Roulette: Michielleus
BSSF: Slikkles
HC: oaklies
Subs: Chains of Markov, tkhanh, mdill97, Shadow079
Again, an unsurprising R1 pick for the Aussies in the form of Michi. They followed up with one of the better dubs players in the pool in marco and then two top SV players in the form of JJ and Star Wheel. Slikkles from my understanding is one of the stronger BSSF players this year, so no surprise to seem them go early, and Zap is an RBTT staple who consistently has put up good results in the past few years. The back half is where things get a little shakier, but still some solid picks in Trade, oaklies, ninjadog, and Kingerslayer Caterpie.
IMO Heatran's draft succeeds in being a little more well rounded than the previous two teams. Their SV/SS core is strong across RoFnA/Zap/Star Wheel. They ave good old gens in the form of Kingslayer Caterpie for RBY, who despite not playing in RBTT/WCOR has been a consistent player in the RBY Rands cord and recently went positive in RBYPL. Trade/Anankaios each can flex for ADV/DPP. ninjadog seems to have bounced back from a rough RBTT 8, going 5-1 this WCOR. Justin always does well in ORAS, Oaklies is an HC staple who can get the job done, and I've already talked about Slikkles.
SM/GSC/Dubs I think are the weakest slot right now. Marco had a solid showing last RBTT but I don't think has played in a tour since, and dinispereira has had mediocre results in this years Open/RBEL. Zcarlett is an avid GSC enjoyer but past results makes me worry they may not have what it takes on the big stage, especially with such established players in the pool. Michi in roulette should be okay? Its my understanding that michi focuses more on 6/7/9 but as a former circuit winner they obviously have what it takes and IMO should be the obvious slot here. Gomdol has had good results in Gen9 for RBEL 1 but didn't do too hot in RBTT 8 with a 1-2 record. Maybe theres a world where justi/michi tag team oras/sm and someone else goes roulette? but idk how i feel about that.
Ultimately comes down to the lineup, but I think this is another team bound for playoff contention. While there are some holes, the draft overall was quite solid and they should be able to get the wins necessary to make it to the final four. The subs are quite flexible and can slot where needed, so once everything is figured out and firing on all cylinders I think they will go far. Free Mdill's custom.
SV (bo5): pokeblade101
SV: Fragments
SV: Adelynn
SS: Drowsy69
SM: ZowwyCafe
ORAS: jyusaan
BW: Critsomnia
DPP: Wigglytuff
ADV: drifttrick
GSC: Flights of Fantsy
RBY: GirlsSeeGhosts
Dubs 1: Breakfast Enjoyer
Dubs2: Code
Roulette: Livid Washed
BSSF: yone
HC: platinumCheesecake
subs: BigWes95, Trace, tylerfitz8, NoName6293
The returning champs are back with another strong draft. Blade is a staple in the community as being one of the premier CG players, and after losing the 3 peat and going 5-0 in WCOR im sure he wants to be back on the podium. There is a nonzero chance Frags slots himself in bo5 but I think he cares more about winning than proving he can go toe to toe with the greats so i think this is unlikely. Frags/Adelynn rounding out the SV core makes this one of the strongest SV cores imo, with only Marshadow and Diancie being comparable. Drowsy did make SS QF of this years circuit, but SS is notoriously a difficult pool so I am curious to see if they can step up here. Zowwy had a fantastic 6-1 WCOR and is a ladder demon, definitely my second highest rated SM player behind LST.
Old gens are solid as well. Wiggly went 5-0 in DPP pools for WCOR and managed to convince Fragments to draft him after sending in his resume like 30 times. Drifttrick was best in format for ADV in RBTT 8, we will wee if this was a fluke or if this is a changing of the guard for who is the new big dog. Fantsy is competent in GSC, going positive in WCOR. I think they're about middle of the pack and should put up a decent season. GSG had a breakout WCOR performance as well in RBY and is looking to carry that momentum here. Livid is arguably the best in the roulette pool other than MDB, yone is historically one of the best BSSF players, and platty is an HC mainstay who was best in format last year.
The most untested here is ORAS/BW/dubs. IIRC both breakfast enjoyer and Code play VGC/DOU, and I see code has a decent ELO on ladder. That being said, this is definitely a moment where we will see if expanding dubs was worth it. Similarly, critsomnia is a name i recognize from the rands scene, but looking through the sheets... not the best. Jyusaan has definitely had a glow up this year, but again the results weren't there in the past. The other slots could carry, but these guys definitely need to step up in order to give the hoopers a fighting chance to go the distance.
SV: Fragments
SV: Adelynn
SS: Drowsy69
SM: ZowwyCafe
ORAS: jyusaan
BW: Critsomnia
DPP: Wigglytuff
ADV: drifttrick
GSC: Flights of Fantsy
RBY: GirlsSeeGhosts
Dubs 1: Breakfast Enjoyer
Dubs2: Code
Roulette: Livid Washed
BSSF: yone
HC: platinumCheesecake
subs: BigWes95, Trace, tylerfitz8, NoName6293
The returning champs are back with another strong draft. Blade is a staple in the community as being one of the premier CG players, and after losing the 3 peat and going 5-0 in WCOR im sure he wants to be back on the podium. There is a nonzero chance Frags slots himself in bo5 but I think he cares more about winning than proving he can go toe to toe with the greats so i think this is unlikely. Frags/Adelynn rounding out the SV core makes this one of the strongest SV cores imo, with only Marshadow and Diancie being comparable. Drowsy did make SS QF of this years circuit, but SS is notoriously a difficult pool so I am curious to see if they can step up here. Zowwy had a fantastic 6-1 WCOR and is a ladder demon, definitely my second highest rated SM player behind LST.
Old gens are solid as well. Wiggly went 5-0 in DPP pools for WCOR and managed to convince Fragments to draft him after sending in his resume like 30 times. Drifttrick was best in format for ADV in RBTT 8, we will wee if this was a fluke or if this is a changing of the guard for who is the new big dog. Fantsy is competent in GSC, going positive in WCOR. I think they're about middle of the pack and should put up a decent season. GSG had a breakout WCOR performance as well in RBY and is looking to carry that momentum here. Livid is arguably the best in the roulette pool other than MDB, yone is historically one of the best BSSF players, and platty is an HC mainstay who was best in format last year.
The most untested here is ORAS/BW/dubs. IIRC both breakfast enjoyer and Code play VGC/DOU, and I see code has a decent ELO on ladder. That being said, this is definitely a moment where we will see if expanding dubs was worth it. Similarly, critsomnia is a name i recognize from the rands scene, but looking through the sheets... not the best. Jyusaan has definitely had a glow up this year, but again the results weren't there in the past. The other slots could carry, but these guys definitely need to step up in order to give the hoopers a fighting chance to go the distance.
SV (bo5): Piyu
SV: myjava
SV: Let's Rumble Shall We
SS: Aquaa
SM: Kaif
ORAS: c0mp
BW: Dj Breloominati
DPP: Mako
ADV: lax
GSC: Mikon
RBY: USN
Dubs 1: snorlax142857
Dubs 2: emforbes02
Roulette: Lady Writer
BSSF: Emboar02
HC: Panty & Stockings
subs: yonmd, Esteb4n, Jordy004, BoRida
At the end of the draft I said on paper that this was the strongest team. However, after trying to slot their lineups, I don't know if I can make that claim. The players for sure are strong, but I'm worried that in the aggregate they may not be able to get the necessary wins in their respective pools. Like I have no idea if this is even right. The highlights of course are Mikon in GSC, a pick I figured would go R1 and is definitely deserving. Easily the best player in the pool and having that for a tiebreak advantage is huge. As I've glazed before, LW is one of the top rands players IMO and is easily top 3 in roulette. Spit/c0mp/Kaif are solid for BW/ORAS/SM and have all historically gone overwhelmingly positive. Snorlax is a dubs goat and im glad to see them getting to play it in RBTT, he should definitely do well here. P&S is a solid HC player who went positive last year and should be able to do it again, and the same can be said for Emboar02 in BSSF.
However this is where I start to get skeptical. Piyu can def compete at the top for SV bo5 and did well this WCOR, but I definitely rate them towards the weaker side of the pool. Inertial is also a great SV player but I come to the same conclusion. Myjava should hold up well in SV2 after their 5-1 WCOR performance but again, its a stacked pool. The old gens is really where I start scratching my head. Obviously Mako/Lax are great players, but I feel like DPP/ADV are not as translateable from tiers to rands compared to some other gens. Maybe DPP theres a shot bc its rock simulator but who knows. IDK who is playing dubs if it isnt emforbes but that feels like a throw given how well hes performed in SM historically. USN has had poor results in RBY, and I dont think youre gonna slot LW into RBY even tho hes prob their best option there. Maybe there is an insane world where Mikon is RBY and lax/someone else is GSC? who knows. certainly not me. will be interesting to see what this actually looks like
Another team that I think is on the edge for playoff contention. Maybe i will do an addendum after lineups are posted, but this is one of the more confusing ones. Again, the players themselves are quite good, but I think some of the slots are lacking. Further, while there are definitely some heavy hitters here, I worry most of the lineup falls into the middle tier within their respective pools, and im just struggling to see how the pieces will all fit together.
SV: myjava
SV: Let's Rumble Shall We
SS: Aquaa
SM: Kaif
ORAS: c0mp
BW: Dj Breloominati
DPP: Mako
ADV: lax
GSC: Mikon
RBY: USN
Dubs 1: snorlax142857
Dubs 2: emforbes02
Roulette: Lady Writer
BSSF: Emboar02
HC: Panty & Stockings
subs: yonmd, Esteb4n, Jordy004, BoRida
At the end of the draft I said on paper that this was the strongest team. However, after trying to slot their lineups, I don't know if I can make that claim. The players for sure are strong, but I'm worried that in the aggregate they may not be able to get the necessary wins in their respective pools. Like I have no idea if this is even right. The highlights of course are Mikon in GSC, a pick I figured would go R1 and is definitely deserving. Easily the best player in the pool and having that for a tiebreak advantage is huge. As I've glazed before, LW is one of the top rands players IMO and is easily top 3 in roulette. Spit/c0mp/Kaif are solid for BW/ORAS/SM and have all historically gone overwhelmingly positive. Snorlax is a dubs goat and im glad to see them getting to play it in RBTT, he should definitely do well here. P&S is a solid HC player who went positive last year and should be able to do it again, and the same can be said for Emboar02 in BSSF.
However this is where I start to get skeptical. Piyu can def compete at the top for SV bo5 and did well this WCOR, but I definitely rate them towards the weaker side of the pool. Inertial is also a great SV player but I come to the same conclusion. Myjava should hold up well in SV2 after their 5-1 WCOR performance but again, its a stacked pool. The old gens is really where I start scratching my head. Obviously Mako/Lax are great players, but I feel like DPP/ADV are not as translateable from tiers to rands compared to some other gens. Maybe DPP theres a shot bc its rock simulator but who knows. IDK who is playing dubs if it isnt emforbes but that feels like a throw given how well hes performed in SM historically. USN has had poor results in RBY, and I dont think youre gonna slot LW into RBY even tho hes prob their best option there. Maybe there is an insane world where Mikon is RBY and lax/someone else is GSC? who knows. certainly not me. will be interesting to see what this actually looks like
Another team that I think is on the edge for playoff contention. Maybe i will do an addendum after lineups are posted, but this is one of the more confusing ones. Again, the players themselves are quite good, but I think some of the slots are lacking. Further, while there are definitely some heavy hitters here, I worry most of the lineup falls into the middle tier within their respective pools, and im just struggling to see how the pieces will all fit together.
SV (bo5): Referrals
SV: paysa
SV: Paycard
SS: Master Chief
SM: Hairoll
ORAS: Hoops
BW: Cow
DPP: PigWarrior19
ADV: MasterJ007
GSC: KeshBa54
RBY: virae
Dubs 1: soTsoT
Dubs 2: FreyaKnightVGC
Roulette: MichaelderBeste2
BSSF: luisin
HC: MultiAmmiratore
subs: DUC, haxlolo, Sergio Aguero, Luchik
Yeah. This is probably my favorite to go the distance. Like holy shit this is cracked now that I am typing it out. We'll start with the obvious; in the 11th hour the heavens opened up and MDB returned to grace RBTT with a signup despite saying he was quitting the rands scene. I'm surprised he went this late, but RBTT has historically been difficult for him and it remains one of the few tours he hasn't won, with usually middling results. That being said, he is clearly one of if not the best rands player on the site, so having him in roulette seems like a free win each week. There is also the option for slotting him wherever to try and counterpick other teams which can definitely be advantageous. This SV core is ridiculous, with paysa/ref/node all consistently being top 30 on ladder with 93+ gxe. Master Chief consistently is positive in SS. KeshBa went 5-0 in pools for GSC this WCOR with wins over Kurt LW and Fantsy, definitely a dark horse who could dominate the pool. IIRC Luisin is a BSSF goat, Chiori is the HC goat, and someone they have TWO previous dubs players despite the expanded pool.
The only 'weaknesses' I see here are MasterJ not being an ADV main iirc and probably being one of the weaker players in the pool. Virae is a strong RBY rands player from the discord but did mediocre in WCOR and is also probably on the weaker side of the pool. Cow is unproven in rands but a phenomenal BW player. Somehow this is Hairoll's first RBTT despite being qualifying for circuit multiple times; they are a strong SM player but we will see how they fare in this pool. Hoops had a modest result in WCOR, and PigWarrior is a decent player who seems to be stuck in DPP jail.
All in all, very high highs with the lows being above average/top players who are just in difficult pools. I think the only thing that could stop this team is them imploding on themselves if they dont get the results they want. There are definitely some volatile personalities here that could derail this team into the shadow realm. If everyone can keep their cool I see no reason why Rogi finds himself back on top of the RBTT world.
SV: paysa
SV: Paycard
SS: Master Chief
SM: Hairoll
ORAS: Hoops
BW: Cow
DPP: PigWarrior19
ADV: MasterJ007
GSC: KeshBa54
RBY: virae
Dubs 1: soTsoT
Dubs 2: FreyaKnightVGC
Roulette: MichaelderBeste2
BSSF: luisin
HC: MultiAmmiratore
subs: DUC, haxlolo, Sergio Aguero, Luchik
Yeah. This is probably my favorite to go the distance. Like holy shit this is cracked now that I am typing it out. We'll start with the obvious; in the 11th hour the heavens opened up and MDB returned to grace RBTT with a signup despite saying he was quitting the rands scene. I'm surprised he went this late, but RBTT has historically been difficult for him and it remains one of the few tours he hasn't won, with usually middling results. That being said, he is clearly one of if not the best rands player on the site, so having him in roulette seems like a free win each week. There is also the option for slotting him wherever to try and counterpick other teams which can definitely be advantageous. This SV core is ridiculous, with paysa/ref/node all consistently being top 30 on ladder with 93+ gxe. Master Chief consistently is positive in SS. KeshBa went 5-0 in pools for GSC this WCOR with wins over Kurt LW and Fantsy, definitely a dark horse who could dominate the pool. IIRC Luisin is a BSSF goat, Chiori is the HC goat, and someone they have TWO previous dubs players despite the expanded pool.
The only 'weaknesses' I see here are MasterJ not being an ADV main iirc and probably being one of the weaker players in the pool. Virae is a strong RBY rands player from the discord but did mediocre in WCOR and is also probably on the weaker side of the pool. Cow is unproven in rands but a phenomenal BW player. Somehow this is Hairoll's first RBTT despite being qualifying for circuit multiple times; they are a strong SM player but we will see how they fare in this pool. Hoops had a modest result in WCOR, and PigWarrior is a decent player who seems to be stuck in DPP jail.
All in all, very high highs with the lows being above average/top players who are just in difficult pools. I think the only thing that could stop this team is them imploding on themselves if they dont get the results they want. There are definitely some volatile personalities here that could derail this team into the shadow realm. If everyone can keep their cool I see no reason why Rogi finds himself back on top of the RBTT world.
SV (bo5): Separation
SV: aim
SV: Haunterboy28
SS: Clem
SM: GeniusX
ORAS: Tom Bus
BW: Monai
DPP: O1V7O2X9O
ADV: mayo
GSC: Kurt Kappa
RBY: magialice
Dubs 1: Idyll
Dubs 2: Icypenguin2
Roulette: zioziotrip
BSSF: RADU
HC: Altthiel
subs: zS, srvoltmike, evakiyama!, Rowlet69420
This draft was definitely....something. ZioZio r1 was something I dont think anyone was anticipating, and after talking to mason the roulette slot here I think is even more interesting. Sepa in bo5 is fine, they have consistently done well in this slot and should do decent. Aim should go positive in SV, I think they have what it takes but im definitely curious how this goes. Same with haunter for SV3. Steven should go positive in DPP but its DPP, and i am truly shocked he isnt in roulette. Memoric and Icy should both go positive in dubs, but I don't know if theyll go the +2/+3 they need. Magialice did well this WCOR but RBY is also a stacked pool
As for the question marks... A lot of these players are coming off of a rough year, Monai historically has been good in BW but had a rough season this past WCOR/RBTT. Kurt similarly is looking to bounce back from a rough WCOR to get back to the dominant form he should last RBTT. Tom Bus went +1 this WCOR and is a ladder demon, but ORAS is always a hard pool so I don't expect insane performance here. Clem is looking to come back from a poor 2-6 last RBTT and 2-3 this WCOR. GeniusX to my knowledge is untested in SM rands, and the same can be said for mayo in ADV rands. RADU plays BSS but can they slot into this stacked BSSF pool? Altthiel has experience in HC but im worried if the player with best results is your HC player.
Definitely the strangest draft in my opinion. Are the players here good? Yea. Can they win? 100%. But the last year has not been kind for a lot of them, and that does not inspire confidence for me.
SV: aim
SV: Haunterboy28
SS: Clem
SM: GeniusX
ORAS: Tom Bus
BW: Monai
DPP: O1V7O2X9O
ADV: mayo
GSC: Kurt Kappa
RBY: magialice
Dubs 1: Idyll
Dubs 2: Icypenguin2
Roulette: zioziotrip
BSSF: RADU
HC: Altthiel
subs: zS, srvoltmike, evakiyama!, Rowlet69420
This draft was definitely....something. ZioZio r1 was something I dont think anyone was anticipating, and after talking to mason the roulette slot here I think is even more interesting. Sepa in bo5 is fine, they have consistently done well in this slot and should do decent. Aim should go positive in SV, I think they have what it takes but im definitely curious how this goes. Same with haunter for SV3. Steven should go positive in DPP but its DPP, and i am truly shocked he isnt in roulette. Memoric and Icy should both go positive in dubs, but I don't know if theyll go the +2/+3 they need. Magialice did well this WCOR but RBY is also a stacked pool
As for the question marks... A lot of these players are coming off of a rough year, Monai historically has been good in BW but had a rough season this past WCOR/RBTT. Kurt similarly is looking to bounce back from a rough WCOR to get back to the dominant form he should last RBTT. Tom Bus went +1 this WCOR and is a ladder demon, but ORAS is always a hard pool so I don't expect insane performance here. Clem is looking to come back from a poor 2-6 last RBTT and 2-3 this WCOR. GeniusX to my knowledge is untested in SM rands, and the same can be said for mayo in ADV rands. RADU plays BSS but can they slot into this stacked BSSF pool? Altthiel has experience in HC but im worried if the player with best results is your HC player.
Definitely the strangest draft in my opinion. Are the players here good? Yea. Can they win? 100%. But the last year has not been kind for a lot of them, and that does not inspire confidence for me.
SV (bo5): Career Ended
SV: Buhrito
SV: Drifting
SS: teres bahji
SM: ZDen
ORAS: Xceloh
BW: TheFranklin
DPP: Texas Cloverleaf
ADV: Indulge in Dreams
GSC: Stallion
RBY: Maris Bonibell
Dubs 1: ionnss
Dubs 2: Sapphire
Roulette: betathunder
BSSF: satvik123
HC: Nudepantsman
subs: hammy3581, blundergoth, Lrogue, Dragonillis
Maybe its because im on his team, but I am actually happy with Rage's draft for once. Maybe its because their draft strategy seems to be USNE and Canada players from WCOR, the two teams that made finals. All around I think this is a very solid draft. This is arguably one of the most established SV cores with Career/Buhrito/Drifting all being extremely consistent players who usually go +2 or better. Teres is teres, and if he got a new phone and has wifi should dominate SS. Xceloh and Franklin are mainstays in ORAS/BW respectively and always go positive. Texas had solid 6-2 performance in WCOR this year. NPM is an HC mainstay who should go positive. Ionnss is looking to repeat their historic 9-0 result from RBTT last year, and sapphire is no slouch either. Satvik went +1 last RBTT and should get a middling result in this pool. Maris has been grinding RBY ladder and went +2 in WCOR and +1 RBTT. Indulge did go +3 in WCOR, band with no river/xrn this tour its possible they can assert themselves as one of the new faces at the top.
The weak points here are SM, GSC, and roulette. I havent seen ZDen in SM in my previous runs with this tour, so I can't say how well they will perform, especially with how strong the pool is this year. Stallion has historically gone positive in GSC, but that was 2 years ago and I don't think they have played since. Lastly, betathunder is one of the weaker slots for roulette, having poor showings in circuit.
I think the diancies have a good shot to make playoffs this year. Most players are in the top 2-3 for their respective pools, and if the positive results can continue, they should be able to secure a spot in the final four.
SV: Buhrito
SV: Drifting
SS: teres bahji
SM: ZDen
ORAS: Xceloh
BW: TheFranklin
DPP: Texas Cloverleaf
ADV: Indulge in Dreams
GSC: Stallion
RBY: Maris Bonibell
Dubs 1: ionnss
Dubs 2: Sapphire
Roulette: betathunder
BSSF: satvik123
HC: Nudepantsman
subs: hammy3581, blundergoth, Lrogue, Dragonillis
Maybe its because im on his team, but I am actually happy with Rage's draft for once. Maybe its because their draft strategy seems to be USNE and Canada players from WCOR, the two teams that made finals. All around I think this is a very solid draft. This is arguably one of the most established SV cores with Career/Buhrito/Drifting all being extremely consistent players who usually go +2 or better. Teres is teres, and if he got a new phone and has wifi should dominate SS. Xceloh and Franklin are mainstays in ORAS/BW respectively and always go positive. Texas had solid 6-2 performance in WCOR this year. NPM is an HC mainstay who should go positive. Ionnss is looking to repeat their historic 9-0 result from RBTT last year, and sapphire is no slouch either. Satvik went +1 last RBTT and should get a middling result in this pool. Maris has been grinding RBY ladder and went +2 in WCOR and +1 RBTT. Indulge did go +3 in WCOR, band with no river/xrn this tour its possible they can assert themselves as one of the new faces at the top.
The weak points here are SM, GSC, and roulette. I havent seen ZDen in SM in my previous runs with this tour, so I can't say how well they will perform, especially with how strong the pool is this year. Stallion has historically gone positive in GSC, but that was 2 years ago and I don't think they have played since. Lastly, betathunder is one of the weaker slots for roulette, having poor showings in circuit.
I think the diancies have a good shot to make playoffs this year. Most players are in the top 2-3 for their respective pools, and if the positive results can continue, they should be able to secure a spot in the final four.
Final Thoughts:
After spending a grueling 6 straight hours on this LOL I think I can say that this is probably one of the most competitive RBTT pools we've ever had. It was no easy task ranking each team, especially since now more than ever it feels like most matchups are within 60-40 IMO. That being said, you can see my final rankings below. If you took the time to read all of this, thanks! If I somehow offended you in my assessment, please prove me wrong! All I want is a fun competitive tour, and I think draft was a great start. GLHF all, looking forward to RBTT IX!
1: Pyrite Phantoms
2: All Star Hoopers
3: Relic Song Royals
4: Diamond Storms
5: Mecha Magearnas
6: Flame Body Faction
7: Dark Moon Lunalas
8: Time Travelers
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WOOOOOOOOOOOO custom avatars for RBTT are done
we had a lot of fun working on these, once again big shoutouts to sharpclaw, Turtleye_, RADU and Irpachuza for their work & help on those, kyledove for allowing us to use his incredible work as always, as well as Ghostilex & paysa for their work on their own avatars
also shoutouts to every manager I've had the pleasure of working with, I know some of you have been on tight schedule to get your avys done due to us being slightly late because of another big tournament that required 20 custom avatars
that being said, here are the avatars I worked on for this edition of RBTT!
Flame Body Faction
I made the Heatran sprite for both avatars, and edited kyledove's Lucy sprite a tiny bit.
Ghostilex also made edits on both avatars, adding flames to Lucy's pants & Morty-Masters (also made by kyledove's) outfit.
Mecha Magearnas
I made this custom Magearna sprite for Mechas and did slight edits to both sprites used here.
The male trainer is Giovanni-Masters, sprite made by kyledove.
Pyrite Phantoms
Pyrites-F is the PS repository Bea sprite made by Brumi and slightly edited by yours truly; with a fully custom Marshadow sprite
The male avatar was suggested by RADU, put together by paysa, and cleaned up by myself; really like the teamwork that made this sprite possible.
All-Star Hoopers
Another team effort for these:
- I made the custom Hoopa sprite
- Brumirage made the OG Phoebe sprite that I shrinked a few years ago and reused for the occasion
- RADU gave her a facelift and fixed issues the sprite had
- sharp_claw (of COURSE it's them) sneaked the Masterball over the Basketball used by the Hoopster sprite
Time Travelers
and saving the better ones for last
Celebi sprite by Brumirage
Erika-Masters sprite by kyledove
Edits by yours truly
If anyone has complaints please redirect them to my secretary for rands-related issues (Fragments)
GO TRAVELERS
we had a lot of fun working on these, once again big shoutouts to sharpclaw, Turtleye_, RADU and Irpachuza for their work & help on those, kyledove for allowing us to use his incredible work as always, as well as Ghostilex & paysa for their work on their own avatars
also shoutouts to every manager I've had the pleasure of working with, I know some of you have been on tight schedule to get your avys done due to us being slightly late because of another big tournament that required 20 custom avatars
that being said, here are the avatars I worked on for this edition of RBTT!
Flame Body Faction
I made the Heatran sprite for both avatars, and edited kyledove's Lucy sprite a tiny bit.
Ghostilex also made edits on both avatars, adding flames to Lucy's pants & Morty-Masters (also made by kyledove's) outfit.
Mecha Magearnas
I made this custom Magearna sprite for Mechas and did slight edits to both sprites used here.
The male trainer is Giovanni-Masters, sprite made by kyledove.
Pyrite Phantoms
Pyrites-F is the PS repository Bea sprite made by Brumi and slightly edited by yours truly; with a fully custom Marshadow sprite
The male avatar was suggested by RADU, put together by paysa, and cleaned up by myself; really like the teamwork that made this sprite possible.
All-Star Hoopers
Another team effort for these:
- I made the custom Hoopa sprite
- Brumirage made the OG Phoebe sprite that I shrinked a few years ago and reused for the occasion
- RADU gave her a facelift and fixed issues the sprite had
- sharp_claw (of COURSE it's them) sneaked the Masterball over the Basketball used by the Hoopster sprite
Time Travelers
and saving the better ones for last
Celebi sprite by Brumirage
Erika-Masters sprite by kyledove
Edits by yours truly
If anyone has complaints please redirect them to my secretary for rands-related issues (Fragments)
GO TRAVELERS
More team CAs!
Kudos to Clem, my spriting ride-or-die, for backpacking RBTT IX; the two of us worked very hard to do a whole mess of CAs across SPL and RBTT this year, and I'm consistently in awe of Clem's talent, imagination, and drive. Thanks also to the rest of the team for their support and encouragement: Irpachuza, Turtleye_ , RADU, deetah, kyledove, and Kalalokki!
Dark Moon Lunalas
F1 (Lillie-Masters2) by kyledove, recolor by me
F2 (Miku-Flying) by Brumirage, recolor by me
Lunala by sharpclaw
Diamond Storms
F (Selene-Masters) by kyledove, recolor by me
M (N-Masters3) by kyledove, recolor by me
Both Diancie-Megas by me
Kudos to Clem, my spriting ride-or-die, for backpacking RBTT IX; the two of us worked very hard to do a whole mess of CAs across SPL and RBTT this year, and I'm consistently in awe of Clem's talent, imagination, and drive. Thanks also to the rest of the team for their support and encouragement: Irpachuza, Turtleye_ , RADU, deetah, kyledove, and Kalalokki!
Dark Moon Lunalas
F1 (Lillie-Masters2) by kyledove, recolor by me
F2 (Miku-Flying) by Brumirage, recolor by me
Lunala by sharpclaw
Diamond Storms
F (Selene-Masters) by kyledove, recolor by me
M (N-Masters3) by kyledove, recolor by me
Both Diancie-Megas by me
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Hello
Another holiday season another set of avis. Didn't have much time this year but got to do one set of avatars for the Royals
Relic Song Royals
Nancy sprite by me
Guitarist sprite by kyledove, edits by me
Shoutout to Clem and sharpclaw for putting in some crazy efforts to get these done whilst SPL avatars were also being worked on, alongside everyone else on the sprite team
Another holiday season another set of avis. Didn't have much time this year but got to do one set of avatars for the Royals
Relic Song Royals
Nancy sprite by me
Guitarist sprite by kyledove, edits by me
Shoutout to Clem and sharpclaw for putting in some crazy efforts to get these done whilst SPL avatars were also being worked on, alongside everyone else on the sprite team
I didn't realise that anyone who gets picked for RBTT automatically gets a Custom Avatar, that's really cool.
All of the designs are amazing, great work by all the artists involved - my personal favourite are the Lunala and Celebi ones.
Good luck to everyone competing!
All of the designs are amazing, great work by all the artists involved - my personal favourite are the Lunala and Celebi ones.
Good luck to everyone competing!
I don't really play anymore, but my rooting interest is clear:
Good luck Time Travelers!
Good luck Time Travelers!
I just realized...... were you their name inspo????
That pretty about sums it up. Well said. I'm thrilled to see friends succeed, and I hope the others continue to flourish this season. I'm excited for RBTT; it should be enjoyable.RBTT feels weird in that regard because I'm so happy that so many of my friends got drafted but I'm still sad for those who didn't.
Nevertheless, I'm wishing everyone a happy RBTT season and may the best win!
PR vid will be on the work to get it done as soon as I can !