SCL Predicts time!
Iguana's Highlight Games of the Week
LC - LilyAC vs. dcae (if you catch any game this week and are remotely interested in LC, catch this game)
OU - Storm Zone vs. beatiful (similar to above, if you're a fan of SS OU, be sure to catch this fire game)
OU - Tamahome vs. Insult
NU - Xiri vs. OnArceus
NU - Kushalos vs. S1nn0hC0nfirm3d
PU - Tlenit vs. TJ
UU - umbry vs. Bushtush
Technical Machines (6) vs. Showdown Shoguns (4)
SS OU: ez vs.
z0mOG ~ Battle of the US West WCoP teammates to kick us off in this SCL. ez had a fantastic 3-0 record in the WCoP Pools Stage earlier this year, but ended up losing the next two games against Tama and ABR. z0mOG is a very accomplished player and former Smogon Tour winner, and although the amount of recent experience in SS OU he has is unclear, if he's giving his best effort, he's a threat. ez's a great teammate and likely will be extremely active this SCL. I just think, though, that with TPP support (which boosted the Wolfpack to an SPL win) and assuming z0mOG's giving this his all, he'll be a dangerous opponent.
SS OU: Ajna vs.
TPP ~ Another lower tiers trophy tournament, another opportunity for Ajna to win more games. And win he shall, it seems very likely. Except...he isn't starting off in his beloved tier of RU, where he has absolutely dominated in recent times. And we have his opponent, TPP. They are currently the defending SPL and WCoP champion and were bought at a very high price, all of which testifies to their in-form play and building. Although I, among many others, suspect that Ajna will switch over to RU after the first couple of weeks (after he's no longer restricted to just playing OU), currently he's in OU, and I just think his level of play is always exceptionally high for Snake/SCL. But, it's difficult to predict against TPP here, given his 5-1 (!) record in WCoP and SPL-winning support. Close one, but I'll go with TPP. A game to watch this week!
SS OU:
Tace vs. HSA ~ This game is a tough one to predict. Tace had a stellar start to the year in SPL, but has since fallen off a bit since, just going 1-3 in WCoP. HSA had a decent WCoP performance with wins over Sabella and Finch, but there, they had stellar team support and prep. Not that the Shoguns won't also provide effective support, particularly with TPP continuity, but as a part of a weaker overall OU core, it remains to be seen whether they'll be able to replicate the same success. Truth be told, I haven't seen much of either of their games recently, but I think Tace will get back to their winning ways to begin SCL.
SS Ubers:
SoulWind vs. Manaphy ~ A battle of the boomers for this Ubers matchup, but in an unexpected way. SoulWind decided to only sign up for Ubers this tour, which I'm sure simultaneously delighted and dismayed Ubers fans and draftee-hopefuls when signups went up. He was a part of the winning UPL team earlier this summer, but he played DPP throughout. I don't believe he's played a game of SS Ubers in a tour yet, so that's definitely the biggest question mark for him going into this tour. The problem for his opponents is...well, that's the only question mark. LOL He's probably in the conversation for GOAT at this point, and his stellar big tour records and performances are always intimidating. Manaphy, however, is no slouch at this tier. He posted a superb 6-1 record (I'm still unhappy about that act decision over Reje, though
) in UPL, so although many would probably describe him as a boomer, he's quite good. To me, this will be a test right off the bat of how SW will fare playing Ubers throughout the season. A win would come against one of the better players in the tier recently, but a loss could spell trouble in future weeks. Manaphy's very much capable of taking this, so this will be a close one!
SS DOU:
Nails vs. Frania ~ Having Nails DOU in a tour is always a win for spectators. :) Considering he's one of the all-time great competitors in this tier, it'll be very exciting to watch how he performs in this new tour. Nails has the most amazing ability to win despite the odds or circumstances. So often have I watched him play RBY OU and think that given the terrible matchup, he won't win, yet he does. Definitely hard to predict against him in any of these matchups, but I think the first few weeks will give us a good indication of where Nails is at and how he'll perform through all of SCL. Frania's definitely a solid opponent, but I just think the lack of DOU support for them on the Shoguns, along with the opponent they're facing, will prove to be too much this week.
SS UU:
umbry vs. Bushtush ~ A clash of total opposites. On one side, we have umbry, a fairly new face to UU but a talented player across a few tiers, whether it's ADV OU or SS DOU. On the other, we have Bushtush, a formerly banned but successful player now back in action and returning to his old stomping ground in UU. Controversial as he is, Bushtush has had success in UU for a while, so he has the potential to do well this tour. I just think that between Lily support and umbry's in-game play, it'll be too much for Bushtush to overcome this week. However, umbry doesn't have a lot of experience playing UU, and Bush has played quite well recently, as evidenced by making it to the top 16 in OLT. This definitely could go either way, but I'll predict umbry to take this.
SS RU: Confide vs.
TheFranklin ~ I'm a little surprised to not see Confide in NU, given how they are the defending Circuit winner and have had immense success in this tier recently, but I know they're talented across a few tiers. However, then there's TheFranklin, who's nothing short of amazing. I'm super happy he got drafted to play this SCL––very well deserved. :) I had the pleasure of managing one of the CPLs with TheFranklin as my RU player, and I honestly don't think he lost once iirc. (He also beat me in BW Randbats in RBTT earlier this year, but we need not talk about that.) Beyond all that and much more importantly, TheFranklin went 5-0 in RU WCoP (to Confide's 2-2 record)––yet more evidence of his skill in this tier. Torn here since Confide is really good, and support from Feliburn and Ajna will be phenomenal, but I can't possibly bold against TheFranklin. Looking forward to a solid game!
SS NU: Davon vs.
TDK ~ It's a bit of a shame this isn't Confide vs. TDK, but Davon's a talented NUer as well. TDK signed up super late for SCL this year, and regardless of why that was the case, evidently the Showguns had no issues with spending nearly 40k to get him (you can count the number of players who have costed over 37k in an auction on one hand). He did go undefeated in NUPL and is facing perhaps the weakest overall player pool in NU this tour. Davon won't be an easy win, though, having plenty of experience in SS NU as a Council member and also putting up a solid 4-3 record in NUPL, beating some solid players along the way. Davon's best opportunity in this game will likely be some excellent support from his teammates, namely Confide, versus TDK's minimal or nonexistent support. We'll see if that's enough this week to counteract TDK's recent success, though.
SS PU:
chlo vs. false ~ PU always feels like an under-the-radar tier to me, even in a lower tiers-centric tour like Snake/SCL, and so if you're interested in the tier, be sure to check out this game this week! Chloe's a friend from the AG community, and I'm super glad she was drafted for SCL since I know she's been focusing on PU recently and putting a lot of time into building and playing in the tier. She didn't have a superb record in PUPL (2-4 playing SS), but her creativity and plentiful playing experience I think will help her throughout this tour. false is also an experienced PUer. He came into his own in a way with a solid record this past SPL playing GSC OU, and it appears to have translated into winning ways in other tiers/tours. I'm not sure how much PU he's played recently, but it likely won't take him long to get back into the tier and refresh his understanding of the meta. Given the likely difference in recent in-tier playing, I'm predicting Chloe to take this one.
SS LC:
LilyAC vs. dcae ~ Absolutely fire matchup in Week 1 (!) of SCL, featuring two of the very best LC players over the past year or so. dcae has been on a tear since last Snake, winning the tournament while going 8-3 and then more recently going 7-2 in LCPL. LilyAC is definitely not far behind, though; perhaps the only reason she's a couple of spots behind dcae in the PRs is her results in unofficial tours through this year, which haven't been quite up to her astronomical standards. Given their phenomenal support from tko and Ninjadog as managers and likely very high confidence, this will be a tough task to take down dcae at any point this tour. But, regardless of some recent results, LilyAC is always up to the challenge in a big tour, whether it was SPL a couple of years ago, or Snake, or SCL now. I think her metagame knowledge and experience, paired with savvy play, will get her the win this week. I'm so excited to see what these two cook up in the teambuilder in light of the controversial and massive tiering decisions LC just made before the start of SCL (to ban Scraggy and Sticky Web––two of the biggest metagame elements these past few months). This is my top highlight of the week, and frankly for fans of LC, it's a can't-miss game.
Uncharted Terrors (4) vs.
Circuit Breakers (6)
SS OU: Raptor vs.
Lord_Enz ~ I'm not as familiar with Lord_Enz as others seem to be, but an OST finals run and 6-1 record in WCoP certainly speak for themselves. Raptor has a different story to tell, after recently coming back from a lengthy tour ban. While I do think Raptor is an excellent player and will do well overall this tour, it's tough to predict against Lord_Enz with the year he's having.
SS OU: Gefährlicher Random vs.
Lusa ~ Lusa's a bit of an anomaly to pick here in light of the inconsistencies between their Smogon Tour win and relatively poor team tour performances. However, I think this SCL could be the exception with some potentially nice team support from their teammates. No longer the dangerous random he perhaps once was, Gefährlicher Random is now a top player going into this tour, and he'll be a tough opponent to beat, week in and week out. I just think that Lusa's recent result in Smogon Tour and overall tour experience will get them the win this week.
SS OU:
March Fires vs. Serene Grace ~ JAJSHUWG Very happy for my friend Tape (March Fires) that he was drafted for SCL. :) It was a delight teaming with him for UPL, and he's a phenomenal player. I think it was intriguing for many of us onlookers as the Uncharted Terrors drafted not one but two of the best SS Ubers players in the tour. Tape did post an excellent record in WCoP playing for Oceania, though, so perhaps rozes and gingy thought a dual-tier, Ubers and OU player would be wise to draft alongside Ice. Serene is, of course, not playing his beloved tier of LC. Apparently, he's expressed an interest not to play there for the time being, which is a little sad since it's always a pleasure to watch Serene dominate people in LC, but it is his decision. I know he did decently well in SS OU back in SPL, beating Ajna and Garay and going 2-2, so perhaps he can build off of that success and do well here in SCL. Given the more recent success in SS OU (and also because I'm biased and think Tape's a really good player), I'm going to predict him here.
SS Ubers:
Icemaster vs. byronthewellwell ~ Personally, I disagree with the ranking of SoulWind over Ice as #1 Ubers player going into this SCL. Believe you me, Ice is the player to beat here. He's had an amazing amount of success in SS Ubers recently, which a 4-2 record from UPL doesn't begin to scratch. He just won Uber's Homefield Advantage tour as well, is one of the Tier Leaders, and frankly has been dominant almost since Sword and Shield began in Ubers. Byron's a strong player, though, with an abundance of Ubers knowledge and experience, so this isn't clear-cut. I just think that Ice's teambuilding and in-game play will not be overcome this week.
SS DOU: Actuarily vs.
Spurrific ~ Spurrific has had a history of excelling in VGC from what I understand, and so he joins a group of players making the successful transition from playing in that tier to DOU. Toxigen support for Spurrific I think will be a big boost here, as their creative teams and tier understanding will be particularly helpful in light of the massive Kartana ban impact on the tier. Actuarily is solid as well, with some nice results in the DOU Circuit throughout this year, but I think their lack of experience in tours will put them at a disadvantage going up against this veteran. zeefable support will be nice for sure, so we'll see what will happen.
SS UU:
Accel vs. LNumbers ~ Accel has been excelling in UU since last Snake. I'm more familiar with LNumbers' contributions to OU after their excellent teambuilding, support, and play in WCoP for Team Germany, but as I understand it, they actually have played UU for a little while. Regardless, Accel is one of the top UUers this tour, only falling behind Adaam in the PRs. It will likely take a lot to beat this in-form player, both in the teambuilding and in-game departments. I don't think it'll happen this week.
SS RU: lax vs.
Punny ~ Although Punny is the heavy favorite to win just about every game this tour, given his astonishing success in RU over the past year or so, this is a challenge for sure to kick off SCL. lax is an elite tournament player with lots of success and experience, and he's dangerous to face when he has no tendencies to exploit or even to research. Interesting matchup, but I think Punny will still get the win.
SS NU: Sensei Axew vs.
Sabella ~ It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Sabella. :) I've had the pleasure of managing teams with him on two occasions, and each time, he's been an excellent teammate and performer when called upon. I expect we'll see a solid SCL from him, after posting an excellent record of 4-1 in NUPL. Sensei Axew is a skilled and experienced NUer as well, though, and also had an excellent NUPL, going 6-2 while playing the Bo3 slot, so this will be a close battle! I think Booty's significant tour experience will help him get the win to start off this SCL.
SS PU: Lambovino vs.
Sjneider ~ Sjneider starts in PU this SCL after an excellent PUPL campaign, which ended with him going 6-2 in the tour. His in-game playing is always on-point in this tier, and that's what makes him a tough opponent to face. Lambovino is solid as well in this regard, and he also excelled in PUPL with a 5-2 record, but since he has less experience playing in big tours than Sjneider, I'll predict the latter player to win this game.
SS LC:
KSG vs. daunt vs ~ I've heard a rumor (maybe it's outright confirmed at this point lol) that Shrug is assisting KSG this SCL in LC. That's a very dangerous combination, since Shrug (snub of the tour by the way) is a phenomenal player with abundant success in the tier. However, KSG isn't the only one with stellar support. daunt vs has Serene Grace, one of the best LC players of recent years, to support them in this tour, and that may prove pivotal in some matchups. Both of these players are new to the big stage, but I give KSG the slight edge. This will be close, though, and a game to watch for those of us looking to assess where a few players are at relative to each other in the PRs.
Mt. Silver Foxes (4) vs.
Orange Islanders (6)
SS OU:
Finchinator vs. devin ~ Finch needs no introduction. lol Very solid player with abundant tour experience in just about whatever tour you can think of. He performed decently well in WCoP, going 2-2, but he's been quiet other than that for OU tours/performances. devin's been playing quite well really recently, as he's into the top 16 of OLT after beating some quality opponents. This will be a close game, but I think Finch's much more significant experience playing in these big tours will show to start this SCL.
SS OU: watashi vs.
Eternal Spirit ~ Definitely one of the top OU matchups of the week features veterans Eternal Spirit and watashi (FLCL) clashing. Both have had success this year in tours; watashi was the #1 seed in Grand Slam earlier in the year, and Eternal Spirit made it to Smogon Tour finals and also qualified for OLT, just barely missing the top 16. Although either player could easily win this, I think Eternal Spirit is a bit better in the tier currently.
SS OU: Santu vs.
Ox the Fox ~ Probably the steal of the tour, Santu went for a shocking 4k at auction (last year's Grand Slam winner, by the way). All this said, it's very hard for me to pick against Ox at the moment. He's had an absolutely stellar year, SPL record notwithstanding. 5-1 record in WCoP and helping his team to win the whole tour, into the top 16 of OLT, and now a part of a top OU core in SCL, Ox has been on fire recently. His stellar teambuilding has been noticeable and seems to keep improving, which is not just an asset for himself but also will be for his fellow OU teammates throughout SCL. Santu's an excellent player, but Ox is too in-form right now for me to predict against him often.
SS Ubers: M Dragon vs.
Exiline ~ Here we come to an intriguing clash in Week 1: one of the all-time great players in M Dragon vs. a controversial but very talented Exiline. The latter, though prevented from signing up for/playing in UPL this year due to his ICBB status at the time, won Ubers Ladder Tour recently. Also, the Orange Islanders have a phenomenal amount of Ubers support, between Staxi and Dave, FatFighter2, and then TJ, who posted one of the best records in UPL this year playing SS throughout. Undoubtedly, Exiline is in good form and will come into this tour with up-to-date teams and stellar preparation. M Dragon is of course a legendary fighter of Smogon dating back over a decade. It’s really cool to see him play in an official tour again, which hasn’t happened in some time, to my understanding (he’s mostly managed in recent years). Different from SS, obviously, he did play GSC Ubers in UPL recently, which he did fairly well in. Although M Dragon is an amazing player historically, I think Exiline’s confidence and familiarity with the metagame currently, paired with stellar support from his team, will give him the boost needed to win this first week. To think of this another way, Staxi just recently managed the winning UPL team, so I suspect whatever he did to support his players there will translate well into Ubers in SCL as well.
SS DOU: Memoric vs.
Mishimono ~ After a run to OSDT finals recently, Mishimono (mish) is looking to translate that success into a solid record in SCL. Memoric is a very solid battler with a long history of success in DOU, though, and support from YoBuddy. I suspect Mish's good form at the moment will translate into some impressive wins this SCL, including this one.
SS UU:
Adaam vs. Indigo Plateau ~ Adaam is, at this point, the UU player to beat in SCL. He's had an amazing amount of success in this tier over time, and he won Grand Slam a couple of years ago, all of which adds to his understandable #1 PRs ranking. He has a wonderful ability to assess the tier with ease––and build and play in it accordingly. It'll be a tough feat to beat him throughout this tour. Indigo Plateau is a solid UU player as well, but if their record of the past is any indication of how this battle and others will go, that doesn't bode well. However, there's always room to improve, and these things are never sure before the game begins.
SS RU: atomicllamas vs.
odr ~ odr is one of the top RU players behind Punny going into this SCL. As RU Circuit Champ, and after fending off some very tough opponents last Snake for a respectable record, he undoubtedly has high expectations placed on him, but ones he can very well meet! atomicllamas has played RU for a long time and with great success over the years. Having support from current Tier Leader EviGaro will definitely help, but I think odr's play at the moment will likely be too strong to win this week.
SS NU:
Xiri vs. OnArceus ~ I consider Xiri to be one of the best lower tiers players on this website. They've won Snake before and are always posting excellent records and performing well. I believe they don't usually play NU, though, so this will be an interesting proposition starting off SCL. Not at all that they're a newcomer to this tier, though, and I'm sure they'll be in great form immediately. OnArceus has had an excellent year playing NU, featuring abundant success in tours, but I think the difference in experience may show to kick off the NU campaigns for both these players.
SS PU: tlenit vs.
TJ ~ tlenit's had a lot of successful playing lower tiers historically, including winning Snake before, but they've got their work cut out for them against TJ this week. tlenit had a middling record of 3-3 in the very recently concluding PUPL, but ended up winning their last three matches. Having watashi support (who won PU Open and was the 1 seed going into playoffs for Slam earlier this year) will help, but TJ seems like the player to beat in PU this tour, particularly with no Ktut or Xiri in the pool as of yet. Definitely a game to watch this week, but I think TJ will take it.
SS LC:
Toadow vs. Boulicrok ~ Great LC matchup here between two similarly-ranked players in the PRs who both want to justify their starting positions. Both Toadow and Boulicrok have had success in recent LC unofficial tournaments, but I think between Expulso support and substantial experience playing LC over the years, Toadow will get the win this week.
Studio Gible (3) vs.
Arena Spartans (7)
SS OU:
Eo Ut Mortus vs. MAX UND MAX ~ Eo is and has been undoubtedly the best SS OU player this year. Featuring stellar performances in both SPL and WCoP––leading his teams there to finals and a tour win, respectively––he's been on fire, demonstrating equal mastery of teambuilding and methodical in-game play. It will not be an easy feat for any player this tour to beat him, and that includes MAX UND MAX. However, the German has also had a bumper year, going a phenomenal 5-1 in WCoP before their team ended up losing to Eo's, Team US South, in the finals. Either player could definitely win this, but I think Eo's a bit ahead of Max in the metagame currently.
SS OU: robjr vs.
talah ~ As much as this predict will pain me, since robjr's a good friend, it's very hard to predict against talah at the moment. Their excellent teambuilding and in-game play are among the very best this year. After going on a tear through SPL earlier this year, I believe talah's had a very quiet year tournament-wise since then, but hey, maybe that means they have lots of team ideas stored up for SCL. I suppose there's the chance that talah could be a little rusty after not having played SS OU in an official tour since SPL, but I think that's fairly unlikely. Rob is not going to be an easy opponent in Week 1, however. His teams are probably a bit more exploitable than talah's, and he hasn't had the same meteoric success in the tier, but he's certainly a veteran tour player with lots of success, and he did qualify for the second Smogon Tour playoffs last year. I hope in time we'll see him switch over to UU (and Luthier to LC), but for the time being, he's here in OU, where he's still a solid player. Rooting for my friend Rob, but predicting a talah win here to kick off their SCL campaign.
SS OU: London Beats vs.
dice ~ Interesting that Studio Gible decided to roll with London Beats this week instead of Chait or Skypenguin (particularly over the latter). I know they're a Garay Oak favorite, so this isn't terribly surprising, but it'll be interesting to see how the team proceeds with SS OU slot #3. I'm not very familiar with London Beats' experience playing SS OU, but they've obviously been accomplished and skilled in other tiers over the years. After a controversial start to the year in SPL, dice has turned it around and been on fire recently, going 3-0 in WCoP and I believe doing well in Classic so far too. I think between talah team support and dice's in-form playing recently, dice should likely win this game.
SS Ubers:
Fc vs. 64 squares ~ The battle of the Ubers zoomers (or so we think...). Fc has recently become Ubers Tier Leader, an impressive fear considering his Smogon account has a join date of 2020. 64 squares has been around for a little longer, and he had a solid series of performances in an official tournament earlier this year, going 3-2 in WCoP and even playing one of the tiebreaker games for US West! I think Fc is a bit more up-to-date with the current metagame, as 64 squares played ADV Ubers throughout UPL and I don't think has been playing recent Ubers CG individual tours (I could be wrong, though). That said, Fc hasn't had the most earth-shattering success recently in Ubers; he went 3-4 playing SS throughout in UPL, and hasn't fared particularly well in individuals either. The player pool is likely to be much tougher this tour for him in SCL, so Fc will have to capitalize on his tier knowledge and creativity in the builder to succeed. Very close call here, but I think I'll predict Fc given his tier familiarity.
SS DOU: Paraplegic vs.
stax ~ Very exciting to see stax in the lineup of DOU players again. :) Considering that they're a top 3 player all-time in the tier, this should be a treat to spectate some of their games. Not sure where they're at in terms of metagame knowledge/consistent play, but I doubt it'll take stax long to get into the swing of things in SCL. Paraplegic, conversely, is right on top of metagame knowledge, having recently become a DOU Tier Leader. Their in-game play hasn't been historically as superb as stax's, but very few can lay claim to that achievement. I'm eager to see if Paraplegic's in-tier knowledge will advantage them going into this battle, but it'll also be interesting to see how the very recent Kartana ban may level the playing field in that regard. Everyone is kind of in the same boat after such a prominent Pokémon in the metagame was banned, which makes SCL all the more exciting!
SS UU: Luthier vs.
mncmt ~ Great matchup between (I think?) friends to start off each team's UU slots. Luthier has decided to at least start off this SCL in a tier different than his usual home in LC, where's he's found much success in the past. He hasn't played UU in an official tournament yet, so this will be an early test of how he may perform throughout the tour in this tier. Luthier did go 4-2 playing SS during UUPL, but the quality of his opponents rises significantly in SCL. mncmt's been playing some excellent Pokémon in tournaments over the past couple of years, and I expect his success to continue. Add to that his respectable record with wins over some top players in UUPL, and I think he'll get the win over Luthier here.
SS RU:
Nat vs. Charmflash ~ Close battle here! Nat, who's had an excellent year with some clutch battles in WCoP, plays RU this tour, while Charmflash comes into SCL after a successful Grand Slam run and with Ark support. Charmflash's sometimes zany ideas in the builder can be quite effective, but I think Nat's effective combination of teambuilding precision with skillful in-game play will make her tough to take down for any opponent in RU.
SS NU: Rodriblutar vs.
TeamCharm ~ So, the name change definitely threw me for a loop here. lol I was going to say I have no idea who Rodriblutar is, but then I looked and saw it's Bobby Dagen. I don't believe they played in NUPL or NU Open earlier this year, but they still won SPL before and have been playing for a little while. Garay speaks very highly of them, and obviously he was determined to draft them for this slot in SCL, so perhaps they'll do well. TeamCharm, conversely, had an excellent showing in NU Open earlier this year, and also qualified for Slam playoffs. However, they're a newcomer to official trophy tours, so this will be a step-up in terms of quality and difficulty of opponents. Given the success TeamCharm's had in NU over the course of this year, I'm inclined to predict them to win this matchup.
SS PU: Raiza vs.
termi ~ termi is a perennial favorite to do well in PU, whether it was in Snake in the past or SCL now. After a successful season so far, including a deep PU Open run and phenomenal 6-1 record in PUPL, she looks to start a successful PU campaign in SCL. Although Raiza will have excellent support from PU Tier Leader (and my good friend) Specs, I think termi will be a markedly tough opponent to beat in Week 1.
SS LC: teal6 vs.
Laroxyl ~ Definitely one of the more interesting picks of the tour, Studio Gible decided to roll with teal6 as their LC player, at least to start SCL. I believe teal6 had a solid performance playing LC in Snake in the past, but that may have been a while ago. The metagame, and perhaps the Gen as well, have changed considerably since then, and with little to no SS LC playing experience, it'll likely be an uphill battle for teal6 to get wins against some tough opponents. However, he'll have stellar support from Luthier, and he can capitalize on his abundant playing and big tour experience from over the years. Laroxyl is more familiar with the recent LC metagame, though, and I think their excellent teambuilding will get them to 1-0.
Indigo Platoon (5)
vs. Power Plant Dynamos (5)
SS OU: Storm Zone vs.
beatiful ~ Phenomenal SS OU matchup right here between currently two of the best players currently. Storm Zone is an amazingly good builder, pioneering a complex set of archetypes and certainly influencing the metagame greatly in so doing. bea's had a spectacular amount of success in SS OU over the past year, including winning Snake last year, going 6-3 in SPL, 2-1 in WCoP, and into the top 16 of OLT currently. Certainly one of the best players in this tier at the moment. Where I think the Dynamos' undoubtedly amazing SS OU core could potentially struggle is in the building department. They specialize more in adept in-game play than in building, so they can be potentially exploited here, especially by a crafty and on-point builder like Storm Zone. I think bea's in-game play is superior at this point, though, so I'm giving him the nod in the predict. One of the highlights of the week!
SS OU: Tamahome vs.
Insult ~ I have decided given James' spate of winning recently that I will henceforth refer to him as Winsult. Joke aside, Winsult's had a phenomenal 2021 in tournaments. 4-1 in WCoP, didn't play SS in SPL but had a respectable record nevertheless, and currently undefeated in OLT. I daresay he's become one of the top SS OU players, and it's no wonder he's a big contributor to the Dynamos having the top-ranked SS OU core in SCL. Tama is of course a legend; I believe he still has the most official tour wins out of anyone. Although Tama does pose a threat to Winsult, I just think the latter is way too in-form right now to lose this. Only a select few seem like they can beat him.
SS OU:
MichaelderBeste2 vs. BIHI ~ A battle between the Europeans in this OU slot. BIHI is more renowned for their DPP OU mastery, but they've put together some solid performances in CG OU recently. MichaelderBeste2, like many of his compatriots from Team Germany, had a stellar record in WCoP of 4-2. I think he's a bit more in tune with the metagame at the moment, and while BIHI can make up for this with support from an amazing OU core on the Dynamos, I think Michaelder will take this one.
SS Ubers: Poek vs.
TrueNora ~ A very classic style of tournament matchup here: experienced tour player vs. tier mainer. Poek is no stranger to Ubers historically, but his success and experience in tours have largely revolved around other tiers. A lot of his success throughout this SCL will be predicated on how quickly Tony can teach him the metagame and also on how on-point his teams will be––in other words, how stellar his prep will be. His opponent, TrueNora, faces neither of these challenges. Not only do they have some team support, but they've been excelling in Ubers recently, going 5-2 in UPL and overall being one of the top players since Gen 8 began. Frankly, I'm surprised they were ranked so low on the PR, but I have a strong feeling they'll disprove that over the course of this tour. Poek could take this if thoroughly prepared, but I think TrueNora's metagame experience and solid in-game play will get them the win.
SS DOU: Z-strats vs.
Qwello Lee ~ The Dynamos went big for Insult and bea, and for good reason. They're two of the top five SS OU players in this tour and have been dominant recently. However, when you opt to draft two top players, that ensures a money deficit, which means that being able to buy another top player––say, Qwello Lee––is fantastic for the team. While it'll be hard for him to top expectations in the same astonishing way he did last year in Snake, look for Qwello Lee to have another excellent tournament. He's defending Circuit champ currently and also has excellent support by Grandma's Cookin, a name probably unfamiliar to many, but don't be deceived––they're an active and creative builder in the tier. Z-strats is formidable as well, particularly given the stellar pairing of them and emma. The teambuilding between the two will be phenomenal; where I think Z-strats may struggle relative to his peers this SCL is in-game play, particularly in light of not too many tournament appearances recently. Regardless, this should be a fun and exciting game to catch!
SS UU:
Gondra vs. Askov ~ Gondra has been one of the top-performing big tour players of recent years, very often posting solid records and supporting teams to victory or at least nearly so. 100%GXE support will help him throughout this tour, and it will build upon his already amazing foundations for in-game battling. Askov is a competent and experienced UUer as well, though, so don't count him out just yet. He went 4-1 in UUPL and is looking for a series of solid performances this tour. I expect Gondra to win this one, but I won't be surprised if Askov can pull off the early upset.
SS RU:
CrashinBoomBang vs. Dragon Claw ~ As with Excal vs. bruno below, this is a battle of the non-mainers. CBB and Dragon Claw are both successful big tour players, both having had successful SPLs earlier this year, but as far as I know, both have had little to no experience playing SS RU. More known for their prowess in ORAS OU, they're both experienced players on the big stage and likely can pick up the metagame quickly (CBB in particular, I think, has a history of being able to switch tiers and pick them up quickly). Little indication as to who'll take this one, but from what I've heard, CBB is motivated and building, so I'll pick him to win here.
SS NU:
Kushalos vs. S1nn0hC0nfirm3d ~ There are a lot of strong NU matchups this week, and this is one of the best. Kushalos has had a long history of excelling in NU for some time, putting up solid to excellent records in multiple Snakes. S1nn0hC0nfirm3d is solid in this tier as well, but I just think Kushalos' experience and recent success in this trophy tour will prove valuable early on this SCL.
SS PU: Excal vs.
bruno ~ SCL will feature plenty of non-mainers battling it out in tiers they were largely or entirely unfamiliar with prior to SCL; Excal vs. bruno is a great example of this. Both talented players who know how to pilot teams effectively, but with 0 knowledge of PU coming into this tour, as I understand it. And that’s okay! Frankly, a lot of the Indigo Platoon’s success this season is likely predicated on the ability of its players to quickly learn metagames and teambuild accordingly. Tony and Star evidently went into the auction with a mentality to favor experienced tour players over tier mainers, and it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out by the end of the tour. bruno (or Anti or KratosMana—take your pick) has been a successful player over the years, known for his creativity in the builder and considerable tour success. Excal hasn't been quite as successful, but he's gained a reputation as a solid DPP OU player and contributor recently. I think bruno's fantastic creativity and just seeming ability to win whenever he feels like it will get him the win to start this SCL.
SS LC:
Kythr vs. Wail Wailord ~ Last, but certainly not least, we have Kythr vs. Wail Wailord! The former has just taken off since the end of last year in LC, winning the Circuit Championships and excelling in LC tournaments from LCPL to SSNLs. The latter, while posting a great 6-3 record in Snake last year playing LC, has fallen off a bit in terms of success in this tier recently. There's a reason why Kythr was ranked #2 in the PRs, and I think while Wail Wailord can definitely get back to where they were in terms of tier success, this is a very difficult start.
This took a long time to write. LOL But, I'm hoping to do a predicts post each week for this SCL! Hopefully others will join in as well. :)
