#8 blu (5-3)
Scouts: Scott, Nugs
Soldiers: Lenn, Elijahhh
Demo: Juffelo
Medic: Egyptian Shumba

Blu is flying under the radar with only a 5-3 record. Looking at each loss though, they haven't lost to any bad teams. In fact, they're leading in quality losses with two 5-3 defeats to the top two teams. They've still got a lot to prove, and they're headed in the right direction now that they've picked up a win over Space Cadets.

#9 Space Cadets (5-3)
Scouts: [Not Space] Cadet, Owen
Soldiers: Pont, Golden
Demo: Jaguar
Medic: Craig

The remix/rebrand of Jaguar and the Ratz Team and Others has had a heartbreaking week. In an alternate universe, they could be near the top of the division with a 7-1 record. In this reality though, they're 5-3 after losing both Snakewater games 5-4. Still, their full resume shows they're contenders to make second round of playoffs if they can close out games better in the future.

#10 has anyone seen naknak? (4-3)
Scouts: Lehcs, Tacos
Soldiers: Bliztank, Tele
Demo: Avian
Medic: Moose In A Suit

A half-n-half record at the half way point of the season isn't the ideal spot to be in. It's also far from the worst spot to be in. They've shown promise with an upset over the Stangers and a good effort against Hairline Treatment Center where they claimed three rounds. It's hard to tell where these guys will wind up at the end. I wouldn't count them out of upper bracket playoffs yet.

#11 onlyfans.com/SpadesSlick (5-3)
Scouts: SpadesSlick, Dot
Soldiers: Gritoma, Highlander
Demo: Michael Matthew
Medic: Starka

They're off to a decent start at 5-3 and 9th place in the standings, but they haven't beaten any strong competition yet, and so far, the Only Fans page is lacking in content, limiting their funding.

#12 Family Friendly Content (5-2)
Scouts: Kots, Claps
Soldiers: Aimer, Sir Pineapple
Demo: Mojo
Medic: Rahmed

Things didn't look great following a loss to last season's IM champions, Pastel Mirage, who haven't been too hot so far. Since then, it seems they've cleaned up their act with only two rounds lost. Tonight, they'll face a tough opponent in a late Snakewater showdown with the Stangers.

#13 2wycked esports (4-4)
Scouts: Smashy, Displace
Soldiers: Sobigallmyt***arebigt***, Willy
Demo: vonflare smokin kush on i94
Medic: Tojo

Even with the immense power of Tojo limited to the Medical Man, his high level of experience should be able to aid his team's development over these last few weeks. At 4-4, there's still time to climb back up. Although, I'm not sure how seriously he's taking it as the last log I saw with him on medic he dropped 5 times in 30 minutes and his alias was [420]ExcessiveTOKER5 so he might be playing the season permanently high as fuck (disclaimer: just speculating, I don't know if this is what's actually happening).

#14 Creative Gaming Association (4-4)
Scouts: Spirit, Notso
Soldiers: Liammm, Coolin
Demo: Meemo
Medic: Reno

Right now, probably the baseline average team for Main. I'm not creative enough to think of any banter or interesting comments to say about this team. Chances are they'll ride the playoff bubble for most of the season and make a final playoff push in the last week.

#15 nap time (4-4)
Scouts: Q, [Redacted]
Soldiers: Arryu, Zotoh
Demo: Dennisvich
Medic: DiscoTribble

Their glorious leader Boxcar departed, so Arryu has taken the reigns and reformed the roster stronger than ever. Previously, they were near the bottom of the division. After a brief visit from ScrewB on demoman and adding Q, they've got the tools they need to get back into playoff contention.

#16 yeremy (4-4)
Scouts: Snark, Sjn
Soldiers: Saint, Scizor
Demo: ATT
Medic: OneUpper

Yeremy (the team) has some interesting restrictions: Between Yeremy, Scizor, and ATT-, only two players may play at once. Yeremy, Scizor, and ATT are obviously some of the highest level players in the division on their main classes. If they can be a fraction as good at the classes they're unbanned from, they can easily rise up the standings in what's left of the season.
_____
Like I said at the start, even though there's a clear favorite, there's still plenty of time left before playoffs and no one seems invincible yet. For the first time in RGL Main's (short) history, the division is wide open. Could be fun to watch over the next few weeks.

Div. 2 rankings coming Monday.

RGL Main Season 3 Power Rankings
6/21/2020

I researched/wrote this in like 6 hours this morning. It isn't as detailed or well-edited as previous versions since I don't have much time to make these anymore. Rosters are assumed based on the last match logs I could find. Hopefully, it at least gives a decent enough overview of the playoff race.
_____
#1 Scooby Snacks (7-0)
Scouts: KutchKutch, Pomeranian
Soldiers: Artist, Dog
Demo: Mousecake
Medic: Rasta Ronaldo

At the halftime of the season, Scooby Snacks survives the RGL Main battle royale as the last undefeated team in the division, for now at least. Yet unlike the champions in previous seasons of RGL Main, they don't look untouchable. Three of their games have been competitively contested 5-3 wins. Perhaps come playoffs, the dice could fall a different way? Nonetheless, overall, they're the clear favorites right now.

#2 Hairline Treatment Center (7-1)
Scouts: Inky, Kore4n
Soldiers: Asi4n, Flatline
Demo: Alfredodan
Medic: Th3o

On Villa, Hairline Treatment Center lost their challenge to Scooby Snacks's throne at the top of the division. However, they put up a solid fight, taking three rounds. Aside from that loss, they've consistently managed to defend their perch from every other challenger, albeit not by much in many cases.

#3 WORX WG547 20V (2.0Ah) (6-2)
Scouts: Woodchip, Souyant
Soldiers: Nurfu, Josh
Demo: Deimos
Medic: Weeb_Whacker

Similar to other teams in the top 8 (excluding the top seed), they've had their fair share of hard fought matches, showing that there's a lot of parity in Main this season. This week on Snakewater, they suffered a close, disappointing loss to Hairline Treament Center. Later in the week, they rebounded with a well earned 5-4 victory over Space Cadets.

#4 Pootis Von Epic (6-2)
Scouts: Myc, Zyehac
Soldiers: Jude$, Space Cadet
Demo: Improper
Medic: Skip

After a dull start to the season with all their games rolling one way or the other, the heat's been cranked up these last three matches with each of them being decided by one round (2-1 over this period). They very narrowly get the nod over Straight Outta ReSurfed due to the head to head victory.

#5 Straight Outta ReSurfed (6-2)
Scouts: Dream Forever, Witness
Soldiers: R4bbit, Setsuna
Demo: Micahlele
Medic: Li

They aren't crushing games, yet more often than not, they're the team with their name in green when it comes down to it in close games. Their first three weeks were pretty sweaty, but this week on Snakewater they got a nice break from it with a couple of clean 5-0 wins over weaker competition.

#6 Rodney and the Stangers (5-2)
Scouts: J0dd, Taiga
Soldiers: Pongalow, Carter
Demo: Abstand
Medic: ZoomZxe

The J0dd Squad returns for a fifth consecutive season with an interesting lineup shuffle putting J0dd on scout and Abstand on demoman. With Clearcut coming up, their previous seasons together might give them an edge on other teams who haven't had as much time to practice the map together. As long as their loss to Naknak is an abberation and not the norm, they should be on track to make playoffs comfortably.

#7 Frantic (6-2)
Scouts: Sheep, Graham
Soldiers: Nehcro, MarShan
Demo: Zaboomafoo
Medic: Cerby

[Team] Frantic [Gaming], last seen in ESEA Season 31, has risen from the grave for a fourth season and is off to a strong start. Nehcro, Sheep, Graham, Sharkitect, and Zaboomafoo have all been part of previous iterations of the roster. They've secured a close upset win over Pootis Von Epic, but they'll need another quality win to really show they're a contender to make semi-finals.

Continued below due to character limit...

RGL Season 2 Power Rankings (Main), 4 of 6 4 of 4
2/24/2020

At this point, the top two teams have been clearly established. Aside from that though, it's all up in the air. Ten teams are in the playoff race right now, and everyone between #4 to #10 is razor close.
__________
#1 Sword Art on9 Survivors (12-0, 34.59 pts.)
Scouts: Dnker, Lewd Rude & Nude
Soldiers: Coo Coo Cachoo/Sushi, Jayy
Demo: SIN K4RMA
Medic: Squidie

Nothing much more to report here. Everything match wise has been smooth sailing for these guys since the last update. That said, their regular season isn't a 100% guaranteed 16-0 finish as they have to rematch the next closest contender, BEAST MODE, in their season finale.

#2 BEAST MODE (11-1, 30.1 pts.)
Scouts: Tosm, P4rsa
Soldiers: Market, Moist_Master
Demo: Shiba
Medic: Patrick

On the flipside, BEAST MODE has a chance to even the score and get some big momentum going into playoffs if they can steal back a win versus Sword Art on9 Survivors. For now, with their clean 5-0 Metalworks win over Sorrow's Soldier, they're the clear runner-up.

#3 Sorrow's Soldiers (9-3, 25.25 pts.)
Scouts: 24, DonDorito
Soldiers: Kami, Gritoma
Demo: Nat
Medic: Ghadilli

Their loss to BEAST MODE was expected. However, getting swept was not, and furthermore, getting swept again by the Stangers on Clearcut was also a bit of a surprise. The latter isn't too much of a knock against them though as new maps, especially King of the Hill maps, have a tendency to shake things up.

#4 juggalos of cs:s (7-5, 20.08 pts.) [+2]
Scouts: Jt, Yam
Soldiers: Melon, Kuhnockers
Demo: Juju
Medic: Slan

Last week, I thought they had a lot of potential with their re-worked roster, and now they've reaped the reward by toppling The First Galactic Empire on Metalworks. Even against, BEAST MODE, they put up a respectable effort.

#5 The First Galactic Empire (8-3, 22.75 pts.) [-1]
Scouts: Reck, Ipaka
Soldiers: Bill, Joey
Demo: EvilDeath
Medic: Tuba God

The Empire failed to overtake the first or second spot and got knocked down by the juggs, but they have one more shot at climbing up the ladder with a Granary matchup against Sorrow's Soldiers. While making a top 5 seed is almost a lock, the bigger picture here is that a win here would show they're really in the race to make finals and have learned from their previous loss.

#6 Whataburger Esports (6-6, 19.5 pts.) [+3]
Scouts: Avian, Pup
Soldiers: Wonder, Ult
Demo: Zaboomafoo
Medic: dogb

At this point, their roster has been completely reformed from the start of the season with everyone from the first match either gone or class swapped. For the most part, it seems to be working out for them. Going into these final weeks, none of their matches are a sure thing either way. They could finish 6-10, 10-6, or anywhere in between.

#7 Rodney and the Stangers (7-5, 20.82 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Taiga, Abstand
Soldiers: J0dd, Pongallow
Demo: Goosea
Medic: Gus

After a brief hiatus, Taiga has returned to active duty with the Stangers. Probably a good development for the Stangers. That said, their match results these last couple of weeks have been all over the board. Metalworks Part 1 started well. Metalworks Part 2 turned in a bizarre backcap fiesta. Then on Clearcut week, they showed up with a huge upset over Sorrow's Soldiers before being upset themselves. In the end, it averages out alright and they're still in the race for the final lap.

Also: https://clips.twitch.tv/AdorableRudeBeeOhMyDog

#8 PLUMPWENCH (7-5. 20.51 pts.) [-1]
Scouts: Manacute, Kenai
Soldiers: Seek, Ydna
Demo: Danny
Medic: Nol

Everyone on this team is at serious risk of heart problems as they continue to cut it close nearly every match. They're now at 7 matches that have been decided by 1 round (3-4 in matches decided by one round). Honestly, it's easier to predict that it'll come down to 1 round than it is to predict if they'll win or not regardless of how good or bad their opponent is.

#9 just meatball (6-6, 19.58 pts.) [-4]
Scouts: GrapeJuiceIII, Scarfs
Soldiers: Meatball, Caboose? MikeMat? Messiah? BotBoy? Anyone?
Demo: Azion
Medic: Air

Similar to Whataburger Esports, they could just as easily go 6-10 or 10-6 over the course of their last act. Speaking of which, they matchup with Whataburger Esports twice, and with both of those teams on the edge of the bubble right now, these games could be the deciding factor as to who's in and who's out.

#10 King Screw (3-9, 11.16 pts.)
Scouts: Tibby, Owen
Soldiers: Golden125, Vanxi
Demo: Jaguar
Medic: Bedeviere

Barring some miracle or another ban purge, King Screw is no longer is playoff contention. Additionally, the long-tenured Fleskore has departed from their bench. On the brightside, they at least have a chance to go out on a high note as their final two matches on Granary are well in their favor.
__________

Good luck to everyone on their last set of matches.

Next update: 3/2

Next update was never completed due to other obligations.

RGL Season 2 Power Rankings (Main), 3 of 6
2/10/2020

Half way though. The last few weeks have been pretty stable. No major rankings shake-ups, really (in my opinion, at least).
__________
#1 Sword Art on9 Survivors (8-0, 22.84 pts.)
Scouts: Dnker, Lewd Rude & Nude
Soldiers: Coo Coo Cachoo, Jayy
Demo: SIN K4RMA
Medic: Squidie

After dominantly defeating their closest challenger, BEAST MODE, the shitty anime survivors have now cemented their spot at the top of the division with their toughest matches out of the way and their 0 in tact. The rest of their season should be smooth sailing as long as they don't get too cocky.

#2 BEAST MODE (7-1, 19.09 pts.)
Scouts: Tosm, P4rsa
Soldiers: Market, Moist_Master
Demo: Shiba
Medic: Patrick

The BEAST MODE crew challenged Jayy's gang for the top spot, but came up short. They're still clearly a top 3 team, but they'll need to make some serious improvements over the course of the next month to have a real shot at the title.

#3 Sorrow's Soldiers (7-1, 19.25 pts.)
Scouts: 24, DonDorito
Soldiers: Kami, Gritoma
Demo: Nat
Medic: Ghadilli

This week, Sorrow's Soldiers prepares to face off with BEAST MODE to iron out the second place spot in the division. The second half of their Metalworks week against the self-depricating IPaid$24ToLoseToSINK4RMA should be much easier though.

#4 The First Galactic Empire (6-2, 17 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Reck, Ipaka
Soldiers: Bill, Joey
Demo: EvilDeath
Medic: Tuba God

The Empire nearly crumbled to the now almost expected PLUMPWENCH chaos. Other than that, they've stabilized their place in the division. This week, it's their turn to defend their territory from the juggalos of cs:s and Whataburger Esports who are also in contention for the 4th seed.

#5 just meatball (4-4, 12.58 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: GrapeJuiceIII, Scarfs
Soldiers: Meatball, Caboose? MikeMat?
Demo: Azion
Medic: Air

They're pretty good I think. They've had a pretty tough schedule so far, and it seems like most of them are starting to get more comfortable with their offclasses.

#6 juggalos of cs:s (5-3, 14.66 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Jt, Yam
Soldiers: Melon, Kuhnockers
Demo: Juju
Medic: Slan

The Faygo fans have drastically improved after their recent roster shake-up. There's little else to say about them yet except that they have a lot of potential if they can get into the groove with their current lineup.

#7 PLUMPWENCH (4-4, 12.34 pts.) [+2]
Scouts: manacute, kenai
Soldiers: seek, ydna
Demo: danny
Medic: nol

PLUMPWENCH is all over the place. Five of their eight games so far have come down to a one round toss up. Some days they take a top contender to overtime, some days they lose by one round or nearly lose to teams with a negative record. They've got some real wild card (bitches) energy.

#8 Rodney and the Stangers (4-4, 12.41 pts.) [-4]
Scouts: Taiga? Messiah?, Abstand
Soldiers: J0dd, Pongallow
Demo: Goosea
Medic: Gus

In the absence of Taiga, the J0dd Squ0dd feels like it's missing some extra firepower, especially since the last two maps have been heavily scout-oriented. Messiah is a solid replacement himself, but I don't know if they're a sure lock for playoffs at this point.

#9 Whataburger Esports (5-3, 15.42 pts.) [-1]
Scouts: Wonder, Souyant
Soldiers: Vanxi, Nurfu
Demo: Deimos
Medic: dogb

In contrast to PLUMPWENCH, this team is pretty stable. They're good, but not top tier. They generally win the matches they're expected to win and lose the matches they're expected to lose.

#10 King Screw (2-6, 7.58 pts.) [New]
Scouts: Tibby, Owen
Soldiers: Golden125, [LFP] Vanxi
Demo: Jaguar
Medic: Bedeviere

The Jaguar Academy is on the cusp of being a playoff team based on their performances in scrims. That said, they've got to get their shit together quick as they're currently sitting at the bottom of the division with only 2 wins. They might need to win out or nearly win out to make playoffs. Whether that'll happen will heavily depend on who they can get to fill their vacant soldier slot.

Team(s) No Longer Ranked:
Muddy University (4-4, 11.1 pts.) [Prev: #10]
__________
Good luck on Metalworks and dumbass Clearcut.

^ These rankings are objectively better than any I've ever written.

He says so much with so little.

RGL Season 2 Power Rankings (Main), 2 of 6
1/27/2020

I've been busy so these are a little less detailed than usual, plus the usual early season chaos makes it tough to nail down where teams deserve to be. Regardless, there's plenty of time left in the season to iron things out.
__________

#1 Sword Art on9 Survivors (4-0, 11.17 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Dnker, Lewd Rude & Nude
Soldiers: Coo Coo Cachoo, Jayy
Demo: SIN K4RMA
Medic: Squidie

Jayy insists that they shouldn't be number 1 right now, but with no clear front-runner and the other top contenders suffering some minor to major setbacks, there isn't anyone else who has a significantly stronger case as king of the hill right now. That could change very soon though, as they've got a tough schedule for Product week with matches versus just meatball and The First Galactic Empire.

#2 BEAST MODE (4-0, 11 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Tosm, P4rsa
Soldiers: Market, Moist_Master
Demo: Shiba
Medic: Patrick

BEAST MODE is clearly one of the top teams of the division, but they've shown that they're beatable in a narrow 5-4 shootout victory over PLUMPWENCH. Was it a good day for PLUMPWENCH or a bad day for BEAST MODE? At this early point in the season, it's still hard to say.

#3 Sorrow's Soldiers (3-1, 9 pts.) [-2]
Scouts: 24, DonDorito
Soldiers: Kami, Gritoma
Demo: Nat
Medic: Ghadilli

ScrewBall leaving might have been a larger impact than expected. They lost decisively to the above ranked Sword Art on9 Survivors, but have otherwise performed well in their other matches and scrims. While Product is a map prone to upsets, they'll likely be fine with a relatively soft schedule for week 3.

#4 Rodney and the Stangers (3-1, 7.58 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Taiga/Messiah, Abstand
Soldiers: J0dd, Pongallow
Demo: Goosea
Medic: Gus

So far, J0dd and the Stangers have performed more or less as expected. They can give any team a challenge, but right now, are lacking the dominance to really look like championship contenders. Under normal circumstances I would favor BEAST MODE in their upcoming match on Product, but it is Product after all, and normal rules and expectations really don't apply, so I could see this one going either way.

#5 The First Galactic Empire (4-1, 11.75 pts.) [+4]
Scouts: Reck, Serge Ipaka
Soldiers: Bill, Joey
Demo: EvilDeath
Medic: Tuba God

I might have underestimated the UGC Silver silver medalists. Their win over just meatball and a 4-0 start puts them comfortably in contention to make playoffs, maybe even upper bracket. Ironically, the only match round they've lost so far is to the easiest team on their schedule.

#6 just meatball, formerly shboom (3-1, 9 pts.) [-2]
Scouts: GrapeJuiceIII, Scarfs
Soldiers: Meatball, Caboose
Demo: Azion
Medic: Air

I'm unsure if I overrated just meatball or severely underrated the aforementioned First Galactic Empire. This next week's extremely difficult schedule (Sword Art on9 Survivors, BEAST MODE) might be a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it. On one hand, it sucks to have to play the division's top teams with only a few weeks together. On the other hand, matching up with them on Product might give them a better chance to pull off the upset, or at least steal a few rounds.

#7 juggalos of cs:s (2-2, 6.25 pts.) [+1]
Scouts: Jt, Sol
Soldiers: Melon, Kuhnockers
Demo: Juju
Medic: Slan

The juggalos are tough to place. They, for reasons unknown, lost to the Austin Anglerfish. Jt was misssing for that
match, so perhaps that explains their inconsistent performance. Excluding that, they've continued to look all around solid and took home a quality win over Whataburger Esports.

#8 Whataburger Esports (2-3, 7 pts.) [-2]
Scouts: Wonder, Souyant
Soldiers: Vanxi, Nurfu
Demo: Deimos
Medic: dogb? kale?

The fast food fans have taken a beating with a tough schedule over their last three matches. This next week gives them a bit of a reprieve as they defend their spot from Prograde and claim a Bye week win.

#9 PLUMPWENCH (1-3, 4 pts.) [New]
Scouts: manacute, kenai
Soldiers: seek, ydna
Demo: danny
Medic: nol

PLUMPWENCH sits at an unfortunate 1-3 record. In another universe though, they're 3-1 with an upset over BEAST MODE. This isn't that universe. In this universe, they also lost a tightly contested match to "i fucking hate boxcar". It seems no matter who they play, it comes down to the wire.

#10 Muddy University (2-2, 4.6 pts)
Scouts: Prograde, Ubermeta
Soldiers: Perfection, Sunder
Demo: Yohny
Medic: Reigh

After an unsuccessful first week of the semester, Muddy University is looking better with the addition of Professor Perfection on soldier. They went winless in rounds on Snakewater, but turned it around for Gullywash with a dominant win 5-0, overthrowing King Screw.

Team(s) No Longer Ranked:
King Screw (2-2, 6 pts.) [Prev: #7]
__________

Good luck on Product week. Next update: 2/10

RGL Season 2 Power Rankings (Main), 1 of 6
1/12/2020
__________

I feel like power rankings are less useful now since RGL divisions are smaller compared to how large ESEA-Open was so it's easier to keep track of what other teams in your division are doing. But anyway:

#1 Sorrow's Soldiers
Scouts: 24, DonDorito
Soldiers: Kami, Gritoma
Demo: Nat
Medic: Ghadilli

Ghadilli, Don Dorito, 24, and Nat broke into RGL-Main semi-finals last season with an upset over 5 players + sbeve. This season's roster has a different set of soldiers, but Gritoma and Kami are capable replacements. Considering the skill level of the RGL divisions have been shifted around, this team has a fair chance to take first prize this time.

#2 Sword Art on9 Survivors
Scouts: Dnker, Lewd Rude & Nude
Soldiers: Coo Coo Cachoo/Sushi*, Jayy
Demo: SIN K4RMA
Medic: Squidie

Though now lacking in size due to the recent departure of their 6'10" power forward GeneralNick, picking up Squidie on medic is a substantial upgrade. From what I've seen, everyone on this team is working hard to improve, and they're already better than the majority of main teams and several lower advanced teams. Also keep an eye out for the league debut of pug legend SIN K4RMA.

*Coo Coo Cachoo is starting, but is out for the first few matches of season.

#3 BEAST MODE
Scouts: Tosm, P4rsa
Soldiers: Market, Moist_Master
Demo: Shiba
Medic: Patrick

P4rsa, Tosm, and Market have great DM. I don't believe the majority of these guys have played with each other in previous seasons, but nonetheless, they've done well against the other top teams in the division. Considering they don't have much prior experience together, they have a ton of room to build coordination.

#4 shboom
Scouts: GrapeJuiceIII, Scarfs
Soldiers: Meatball, Caboose
Demo: Azion
Medic: Air

This offclass team was thrown together at more or less the last minute. Turns out, even a few days before the end of registration, there are still plenty of capable, unemployed players. Even though most of the players aren't mainclassing, they still have enough collective gamesense to make it work. Additionally, Scarfs, a former Invite player, has been away for a long-ass time. If he can reclaim some of his former glory, the team could be a title contender.

#5 Rodney and the Stangers
Scouts: Taiga, Abstand
Soldiers: J0dd, Pongallow
Demo: Goosea
Medic: Gus

Last season's RGL-Intermediate champions return mostly intact to take a stab at winning the next division. The synergy they've developed by playing together so long is possibly their biggest strength. Adding Taiga to the line-up has also made a big impact from what I've seen. On the other hand, you could also see their long history together as meaning that they have less room to grow. Either way, they're already a solid contender to make semi-finals.

#6 Whataburger Esports
Scouts: Wonder, Souyant
Soldiers: Vanxi, Nurfu
Demo: Deimos
Medic: Kale

A large portion of this team (Souyant, Vanxi, Nurfu, Kale) comes from the ESEA-Open heritage of Bolt Action and/or Holy Ghost Baptism. They also have Wonder offclassing onto combo scout. While he isn't the most efficient in terms of damage input/output, he's able to make up for it with strong calling abilities. Kale is also new to playing medic so there's plenty of space for individual and team growth.

#7 King Screw
Scouts: Golden125, Owen
Soldiers: Fleskore, Pyxelize
Demo: JaguarFiend
Medic: Betty

A fusion of 50% Ratz Team (14-6 RGL-Intermediate S1), 33% Dragons Are Pretty Cool (13-5 RGL-Main S1), and 17% Pyxelize (not a team). JaguarFiend might literally be the oldest person ever invented but he's a great player and has a lot of experience leading teams. King Screw is probably on the bubble of playoffs right now, but with the right player development and the right first round playoff matchup, they could very possibly make semi-finals.

#8 juggalos of cs:s
Scouts: ???
Soldiers: ???
Demo: ???
Medic: ???
(Between all the offclassing and aliases in scrims, I don't know who is playing what class.)

The juggs are all around good and especially strong in the DM department. If half the team doesn't get snapped again by the RGL admins, they have a good shot at making playoffs.

#9 The First Galactic Empire
Scouts: Reck, Serge Ipaka
Soldiers: Bill, Joey
Demo: EvilDeath
Medic: Tuba God

I haven't seen most of the players on this roster before, but I've heard they're solid. The team won 2nd in UGC Silver last season, so they have some playtime with each other. They haven't done anything to show that they're top contenders, but if everything falls the right way they could sneak into one of the lower playoff spots.

#10 Muddy University
Scouts: Steiner, ???
Soldiers: Prograde, Sunder
Demo: Yohny
Medic: Reigh

The Muddy University begins a new semester, this time with Prograde back on soldier. They're not really in serious contention, but they're competitive enough with most teams that with the right roll of the dice, it's feasible they could make playoffs, especially with RGL's dumbass points system making the close cases fuzzy.
__________

Good luck to everyone this season. Next update: 1/26

Fun to play with and always reliable. I don't think he missed a scrim all season.

Also had good input and took time to talk things over when discussing scrim results which was the best part of having him on the team in my opinion.

(Continued from above)

#34 Team Television 2 (7-9), <FS: 34>

This team was kind of the dividing point between the lower part of mid-open and low-open. Admittedly these are kind of arbitrary cutoffs I made up in my head, but it kind of makes sense. They had no trouble rolling through the teams listed below, but only won two rounds total to teams I ranked above.

#35 AIRSHOTINSANETOMYBRAIN (6-9), <FS: 37>

AIRSHOTINSANETOMYBRAIN was on the lower end of open, but was at least the top of low open. They bulldozed most of the newbie mix teams and nearly upset a weakened version of Free MrU.

#36 w3rldw1de rUn d0wn (7-9), <FS: 35>

As an unfortunate side effect of having to claim forfeits, they ended up matched against mid-open or better teams toward the middle of their season in spite of being a team of new players. The scheduling settled out toward the end and gave them some fairer matches and a few wins.

#37 Carbon Overdose (7-9), <FS: 33>

Most of their season was pretty rough, but they did get a close win over Tism of Awe, a narrow 5-4 victory. Even if the season doesn't go great, those close matches like that make the game worth playing.

#38 Tism of Awe (6-10), <FS: 39>

All in all, a pretty typical run for a newbie mix team. Similar to most other newbie mix teams, the early part of the season was rough. They survived the storm long enough to make it to the point with actual fair matches, and managed to pick up 4 non-FF wins before the season came to a close.

#39 The Hard Pack (4-12), <FS: 44>

After a taking a tough 3-4 loss, The Hard Pack finished strong with a 5-3 victory over Mans Gotta EATsports. Maybe they didn't end up with a great record, but it's always nice to finish out on a win. Not that I'd know anything about that though.

#40 Mans Gotta EATsports (5-11), <FS: 42>

These guys are so dedicated they made it to a 12:30 Eastern match. Other than that, their situation was kind of similar to w3rldw1de rUn d0wn's.

#41 The Breakfast Club (6-10), <FS: 41>

As with most newbie mix teams, the start of their season wasn't so hot, but fortunately, they managed to get a couple of real wins at the very end of their season. They concluded with a narrow victory over fellow newbie mix team, The Hard Pack.

#42 garbage bread (3-12), <FS: 46>

Among the lower standings in open, there was a surprising amount of parity this season. Even though Garbage Bread comes in last on the list, unlike some previous season newbie mix teams, they at least managed to get a decent number of rounds. Their only non-FF wins were 6v5, but more importantly, they managed to stick with it and finish out the season which is more than many other teams can say.

Dead/Unranked Teams:

Crayon Eaters eSports (6-10), Peak: #12

Thicc Six Beer League (4-10)

Apparently, a pretty casual team. They had some decent players but I figure they didn't really care too much either way and just wanted to play one last season.

next up (3-7)

Instead of either playing or just forfeiting like most teams, these idiots told me they'd show up and then baited after I had already paid for one of my players which I had to do to make sure I had enough players. I hate CS:GO teams. I wanted to play an actual TF2 match in the final fucking season but nope, I ended up scheduled against 3 teams of useless CS:GO cunts who just want some stupid .png badge on their profile that no one cares about.

ISGN - arembee (0-6), 1 game for the badge (1-7), Magic Squirrels TF2 (1-5), suttis money crew (1-9), GoodGame PR (0-6)

Other assorted CS:GO dummies who wasted the time of people who actually want to play TF2.

tommy GANG (2-8)

The gang had a number of last season's Enjoy Freezing players gathered up, but they appear to have died before the start of the season. Several of them went on to join P4rsa's Big Guys with Small Dogs team.

Black Trash Bagz (0-10)

A few people made their ESEA debut mixed in with a few guys with experience. After an unpleasant 0-4 start, they dissolved.

Coon Platoon (1-7)

I was hoping to see the final chapter of the Coon Platoon, but they decided to do something else. In memory of the Coons, here's their S24 frag vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlCV1R1k71M

There we go (1-5)

The former 12-4 lobby god open team ended up not playing this season. Although it appears they might be reforming for RGL?

Dab on everyone (1-9)

Their roster was set to be a respectable mid open team, but they died after their first and only game - a loss to eventual playoff team ANGRY DOG NOISES.

-30- (10-6), <FS: 18>

Lastly, my team, which of course I can't rank due to being biased. No one is reading this to hear me talk about myself, but to be brief, it was a fun season and a huge improvement compared to the previous seasons I've played in (missing playoffs by 1 round was big sad though). Thanks to my teammates (especially our MVP HP) and everyone else that helped us out, as well as everyone who scrimmed us, as it made writing this series a lot easier. I'm not sure if anyone bothered to read this far, but if you did, I really appreciate it and I hope at least some of you guys found what I wrote to be worth your time.

(Continued from above)

#13 Free_MrU (10-6), <FS: 16>, [-2], Peak: #11

At last, the fight to free Mr. U is over as the team makes playoffs by the thinnest of margins. They got a little screwed last season with an unlucky schedule, but this time, it all (just barely) worked out because I was incapable of winning a single round against Late To Mid.

#14 OK Boomers, formerly OK Kids (10-6), <FS: 15>, [-1], Peak: #5

The OK Kids/Boomers have played in 10 ESEA seasons, yet only reached playoffs once before. It was a close call, but in this last ESEA season, they managed to sneak in. Even with 6 losses, all of those were reasonably close games except for their two Product matches where they got whacked.

#15 SkyZ Gaming (11-5), <FS: 9>, [Prev: HR], Peak: #10

This bubble contender ended up with an almost perfectly symmetrical record of 5 wins, 5 losses, and then 5 more wins. And then another win that throws off the whole symmetry. They looked like they were in trouble mid-season with that 5 game loss streak, but a dominant win over Frantic Gaming put them back on the right track.

#16 Nav eSports (8-8), <FS: 25>, [Prev: HR], Peak: #14

In the end, NAV eSports proved to be the lesser rapper-based eSports team this season with a loss to and lower final standing than Soulja Boy eSports. Pretty consistently, they were able to put up a strong showing against a number of good teams with 3 of their losses being 3-5 to playoff teams. A single win could've put them into playoff contention, but each time, they came up a little short. Their record ended up the same as last season's at 8-8, but I think this Nav eSports + Retards of the Carribean lineup was still an improvement over their season 30 iteration.

#17 Rudys 6v6 and BBQ (10-6), <FS: 13>

The BBQ team was off my radar for most of the season, but they slowly crept up the standings and in their final game, pulled off a clean sweep of the OK Boomers on Product. TaylorGang AKA FunniBunni put up an massive 33:5 K:D with over 440 DPM. I don't know if they're just the better team or if it's just the typical Product upset magic, but either way, they did enough to make playoffs in the nick of time.

#18 HWASAS THIGHS (9-7), <FS: 19>, [-4], Peak: #6

Based on what I've seen, I might put these old vets a couple of places higher, but they haven't played a game since June 10th so I have no idea how they stack up at this point. I guess it doesn't matter either way since they didn't make playoffs.

#19 Holy Ghost Baptism (9-7), <FS: 20>, [Prev: HR], Peak: #14

In their first serious game of the season, they hit big with a 5-2 win over the notoriously up-and-down Good Damage 3. Unfortunately, none of their matches after that lived up to that win. Similar to Nav eSports, they had a few competitive games that could've turned the tides, but in the end, they were stuck just outside the bubble. A final 0-5 loss to ANGRY DOG NOISES put the ghosts to rest.

#20 Team Frantic (8-8), <FS: 24>, Peak: #16

The Frantic crew returned for a casual for-fun season. Similar to the OK Boomers, they seemed make most of their losses competitive, but underperformed against theoretically weaker teams on Product. Nonetheless, they won their final two games to make a solid 8-8 record. Not as good as their previous days, but not bad for a no-scrim fun season.

#21 arena_legacy (10-6), <FS: 17>

Like Rudy's BBQ team, arena_legacy was under the radar until they ended up with 10 wins. Their only real quality win was over The CUM near the end of the season so I'm not sure if they had a good night or if they just made considerable improvements over the course of the season. Either way, the cards almost fell just right for them as they were only a single round away from making playoffs.

#22 The CUM (9-7), <FS: 23>, [-7], Peak: #15

As mentioned in a previous edition, The CUM had a horrible start with several forfeit losses and a 5v6 loss. Things went a bit better after they upset Soulja Boy eSports, but they soon forfeited another by mistake. Despite some disappointments, they still managed to finish out with a positive record at least.

#23 nkccs- (9-7), <FS: 21>

The "Not Kinda Cool Comp Squad" (wtf does this name mean?) returned for it's fourth season and second ESEA season. Rain of Light left briefly, but returned mid-season and helped guide them to a slightly improved record of 9-7 (8-8 previously).

#24 Big Guys With Small Dogs (8-8), <FS: 29>

This line-up had quite a bit of potential, but didn't really live up to it for one reason or another. Many of their players had experience playing with each other in mid-high open teams, plus Benroads and Phoxx were solid additions. As for results, their only non-FFWs were to a casual low open team and a close match with a decent mid-open team.

#25 ambos scruff (7-9), <FS: 32>

I remembered the old Season 8 days of Avoided terrorizing open, so I was excited to see Fearless back in action, even though he only played in one game. As a whole, Ambos Scruff was actually a bit better than their negative record suggests in my opinion, and they definitely improved a good amount since the start of the season. It was unlucky that their season concluding match had to be played essentially 5v6 due to technical difficulties.

#26 Riverside TF (6-10), <FS: 38>

The obligatory highlander team of the season showed off their king of the hill skills with an 4-0 upset over Free Mr. U early in the season. Aside from that, they never got another chance on Product and didn't manage to pick up any other wins of a similar caliber. Still, they were at least a solid mid-open team.

#27 Big Door eSports (8-8), <FS: 27>

These guys were kind of my baseline for mid-open this season. Not amazing, but not bad either. They competed well against mid-open competition, rolled over lower tier competition, and lost to high open teams. About everything went as expected for a perfectly balanced 8-8 final record.

#28 epic style (8-8), <FS: 26>

To summarize, a very back-and-forth season. Never really had a major streak for better or for worse. I don't remember anything else about this team aside from it having pug group legend Bezels for a few games.

#29 Purple Plus 2 (7-9), <FS: 31>

The Underducklings came back with a new roster, and for the most part, did about the same as they did last season. They suffered a massive loss streak starting at week 4, but managed to turn it around and beat their scrim rivals Rex and the Rapture for a razor thin 4-3 streak breaking win.

#30 Muddy University (9-7), <FS: 22>

The mud men took a lot of brutal losses early on against a fairly stout schedule. They rallied back and nearly crept into late playoff contention, but their loss to Epic Style brought their redemption arc to an end.

#31 Rex and the Rapture (8-8), <FS: 28>

A former newbie mix team, Rex's raptors for the most part stayed together and came back to finish with a better record than last season - an even 8-8 as opposed to the previous 6-10. They also had a little help from fellow newbie mix graduates and former opponents Bird and Flamewarist who filled out their roster when they were needed.

#32 Ratz Team (7-9), <FS: 30>

They managed to collect a few decent wins, but unfortunately, were only the second best rat pack in open.

#33 Envision Crew (7-9), <FS: 36>

The long-running Sidular squad has been up and down many times throughout its 9 season journey through open. Last season a was a definite down, and this one, although not great, was at least a better note to end on.

(Continued below due to character limit...)

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 7 of 7, 6/29/19
Final update

And now, the thirtieth and last regular season of ESEA TF2 draws to a close. Good luck to everyone in playoffs, but before that, I've got one more rankings update to wrap up everything (just in case anyone still cares).

Also, since I probably wrote way too much and I don't have an editor, TLDR version here: https://pastebin.com/P1wDYdR7

Key: #Rank TeamName (Record), <Final Regular Season Standing>, [Change in rank if ranked previously]
__________

#1 TheMedicAcademy (16-0), <FS: 1>, Peak: #1

To the surprise of almost no one, The Medic Academy completed their perfect regular season. They cut it close
against Good Damage 3 at the very end, but aside from that, they didn't have too much trouble from even the best of teams. Lucky for them, the 16-0 curse only applies to IM, so without something very strange happening, they're going to be heavy favorites to extend their winning streak to 20 and win the final season of ESEA TF2 Open.

#2 Late To Mid (13-3), <FS: 3>, [+2], Peak: #2

The old invite veterans' last ride turned out to be quite a success. Although they stumbled against Good Damage 3, their other results were otherwise impressive. I moved them to #2, but really, anyone in the top 4 has a strong
chance to make finals depending on how the cards fall, and I don't think any but TheMedicAcademy are significantly better than each other.

#3 nice guys (13-3), <FS: 4>, Peak: #3

The Nice Guys got off to a slow start with three forfeit wins and a definitive loss to the toughest team in the division, but after that, they proved themselves with close performances against top teams and a string of quality wins against other playoff level contenders. They'll near certainly make semi-finals, potentially even finals.

#4 The Perfect Sip (15-1), <FS: 2>, [-2], Peak: #2

Even though this season's iteration of the Popo/John Milter team wasn't stacked with former Invite talent like it was
last season, their players were all still high quality and they finished with the same record as season 30's The Boomers
at 15-1. Their chances of making finals heavily depend on who they have available in playoffs, as their line-up in their last match nearly came up short - they scraped by Yarn Legacy by only 1 round. Against Late To Mid or Nice Guys, that might not be enough.

#5 Cheep Cheep (12-4), <FS: 5>, Peak: #2

Cheep Cheep had a rough couple of weeks in the middle with some unfortunate roster availability leading to a forfeit
and several other losses to top teams. Otherwise, they've remained around the top of the division as expected. They're a dark horse to make semi-finals, but on the right night, they could definitely overthrow one of the above teams.

#6 Yarn Legacy (10-6), <FS: 14>, [+3], Peak: #6

Bobby's boys tripped up at the start with a loss to the wax munchers. Not a great start, but after switching Bubbzi to medic and adding Playmo, things turned around and they went on a 9 game win streak throughout May. As they tried to extend their streak to 10, they had to call on an emergency sub and ended up losing a close game in overtime. Their remaining schedule put them in a precarious position as they needed 1 more win, but were set to play the top tier of teams in their final 5. After suffering several big losses, they finally managed to bring home their 10th win on Product over Rats on Acid. Unfortunately, they ended up with a shitty playoff seeding since they've had to play a fairly difficult schedule.

#7 rats on acid (11-5), <FS: 7>, [-1], Peak: #6

The rats started out as an off-classing friend team, but gradually evolved into something better as several founding members had to move to sub, a few replacements were added, and a player or two switched up classes. The result turned them from decent mid-high open team to top 8 regular season finisher.

#8 Good Damage 3 Endgame (10-6), <FS: 11>, [-1], Peak: #7

With a number of roster changes and a casual playing schedule, the final chapter of the Good Damage trilogy was all over the place. They lost some they could've won, and yet, also upset Late To Mid to secure their third playoff appearance. And in their final match, they came within a hair of ending TheMedicAcademy's perfect 16-0 regular season (granted, TheMedicAcademy was missing Unicorn_Wizard). Considering how up and down they are, I'm not sure what to say about this team. Expect the unexpected. Or sometimes just expect the expected. I don't know.

#9 ANGRY DOG NOISES (12-4), <FS: 6>, [-1], Peak: #8

Unlike most other high open teams, the dogs don't have any starting players with experience above Open. Some of them didn't have even an open match played before this season, so it's nice to see a true open team succeeding in open. They didn't have the hardest schedule, but they do have some good wins such as their hard fought victory over Good Damage 3. Speaking of which, they'll have a chance to assert their superiority over Good Damage 3 once again as their first round playoff matchup is a rematch with them.

#10 smol aproachable brests (10-6), <FS: 10>, [+2], Peak: #3

This team has been a pain for me to rank all season, but after about two months of trying, I think here is about a reasonable spot. A few of their losses were a bit surprising, but aside from their match against TheMedicAcademy who kind of shit on almost everyone, they were never completely out of the fight. Arguably their best match was their final win against Soulja Boy eSports where they came back from 0-3 to win 4-3.

#11 soulja boi esports (10-6), <FS: 10>, [+5], Peak: #6

I expected Soulja Boy eSports to be among the top 8 by the end of the regular season, but several close losses put them in jeopardy of missing playoffs. Their last two games were must wins, and with little trouble, they managed to win out and secure their playoff spot.

#12 The Zam Theorem (11-5), <FS: 8>, [-2], Peak: #10

Even as a semi-casual team, they seemed to improve quite a lot. They never beat any top contenders, but they did rack up a long string of mid to mid-high tier wins over teams like Riverside TF, HWASAS THIGHS, Holy Ghost Baptism, arena_legacy, and Nav eSports. Their final week didn't go as hot, but an 11-5 finish is a great accomplishment considering their relaxed scrim schedule and a rocky 1-3 start.

(Continued below due to character limit...)

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 6 of 7, 6/17/19
Final Monday update. Posting later than usual, but it's still Monday as promised right?

Writing about the same teams can get pretty repetitive over 7 weeks unless some interesting upsets happen. Luckily, there were a couple this week. Anyway, we're now approaching the finish line, and for better or worse, about to leave ESEA behind. The top 8 or so teams have basically sealed their playoff spot, but for the rest, a post-season spot is still up for grabs.
__________

#1 TheMedicAcademy (14-0)

Going into the final week, it looks like a clean shot to a 16-0 season finish for The Medic Academy. Free Mr. U and Good Damage 3 probably won't offer any challenges they haven't seen before.

#2 The Perfect Sip (12-1)

What I said last week still applies. It looks like a 15-1 finish for The [almost] Perfect Sip barring something special happening in one of their last matches.

#3 nice guys (formerly Goys R Us) (10-3) [+1]

This week, the Nice Guys successfully defended their spot from Rats on Acid in a close 5-3 win. That was their only match, so there's not much else worth mentioning for the re-branded Goys R Us. Even though they lost to Late To Mid recently, I moved them above Late To Mid since Late To Mid faultered against Good Damage 3. Still, overall, I think both teams are fairly close in skill level.

#4 Late to Mid (11-3) [-1]

Compared to the above few teams, Late To Mid is slightly more vulnerable. They still belong in the top 4 in my opinion, but they've come close to losing against Angry Dog Noises and Rats on Acid. On Sunday, they finally got knocked down a bit with a 4-5 loss to Good Damage 3. I'm still leaving them in the top 4 since it was a close loss and they have a win over most of the teams below.

#5 Cheep Cheep (10-4)

After a rough 2 weeks starting with an upset loss to Rats on Acid and ending with a forfeit to The Perfect Sip, Cheep Cheep has finally got back in the win column with dominant two wins over decent playoff level open teams.

#6 rats on acid (10-4)

The rats scurried up the ranks quickly with a 10-1 season start. As with most teams that dare to go on an early win streak, they ended up scheduled against a tough run of opponents and fell to 10-4. Even then, they showed they belong near the top as they played it very close with both Nice Guys (score: 3-5) and Late To Mid (score: 2-3). Fortunately, they've already beaten or lost to all the top dogs so the rest of their matches should be fair fights. Not easy fights, but fair fights.

#7 Good Damage 3 Endgame (10-3) [+4]

Unlike last season where it came down to the final match, Good Damage has managed to get into playoff position early with a 5-4 underdog victory over Late To Mid. Was it just a good day for Good Damage or are they truly a top 5 team? If they are, they've got plenty of chances to confirm it in the coming week with equally tough if not tougher matches against Rats on Acid, Nice Guys, and The Medic Academy.

#8 ANGRY DOG NOISES (9-4) [+2]

Like many high but not top tier open teams, they've got a win-loss-win sandwich season going on due to the way ESEA matchmaking work. The bottom half of their schedule isn't as easy as their top half, but based on results so far, they should be able to finish with an impressive 12-4 record.

#9 Yarn Legacy (9-4) [-2]

Some unfortunate roster availability issues and an unlucky misplay on a Gullywash match have put a question mark on what could've been a guaranteed playoff spot. At minimum, they need one more win, but if they can't get their main 6 together, it's not a fully safe bet. I'm tentatively still expecting them to make playoffs, but right now, it depends on a lot of factors I don't know about.

#10 The Zam Theorem (11-3) [Prev: HR]

A couple of weeks ago, I would've expected Cheep Cheep to roll over The Zam Theorem. However, The Zam Theorem has really evolved from the middle of the road open team they were pre-season, and the results show with solid wins over NAV eSports and Hwasa's Thighs.

#11 Free_MrU (10-4) [+1]

They told me to remove them from the rankings if they lost but I don't think they're that bad. In a repeat of last season, they got two of the toughest teams in the division for their last two matches. Fortunately this time, they're sitting in a much safer spot with 10 wins instead of 8.

#12 smol aproachable brests (10-4) [+1]

In a second half comeback, Smol Approachable Brests fought back from a 3-0 deficit to reverse sweep Soulja Boy eSports with a 4-3 victory. Even in the worst case scenario that they lose their last two matches 0-5, they should be in a safe spot to make playoffs with 10 wins and 54 rounds won.

#13 OK Kids (9-5) [+1]

Their final ESEA season has been full of ups and downs, and now in the last regular season week, they're two wins away from matching their best open season record. At worst though, they probably only need 1 win to make playoffs considering they're doing well in the rounds won department.

#14 HWASAS THIGHS (9-5) [-6]

Their only real game this week was a loss to The Zam Theorem. Their other two were forfeit wins. One because the opposing team was dead, another because the other team was forgetful. Their last chance to make playoffs depends on winning one more game versus either OK Kids or Angry Dog Noises. I think both of those matches are about 50/50 tossups.

#15 The CUM (8-5) [Prev: HR]

With a small number of rounds won (34), The CUM needs to win out to safely make playoffs. Their scheduled match against Hwasa's Thighs would've been a solid chance to get a win, but like Dany and the Iron Fleet, they kind of forgot about it.

#16 soulja boy esports (8-6) [-7]

With a strong performance against (an admittedly weakened) The Perfect Sip, dominant wins over several bubble playoff teams, and some consistently good scrim results, I expected Soulja Boy eSports to be one of the top 8 teams. However, they ended up losing 2 critical matches this week: The aforementioned comeback by Smol Approachable Brests and The CUM's redemption game. Now their, chances hang in a delicate balance. Both of their remaining games are win or go home.

Honorable Mentions:

SkyZ Gaming (9-5) [Prev: #15]

I'm running out of things to say and dumb jokes to make, and I'd like to save some for the final update next week. To summarize quickly though, they should be a safe pick for playoffs unless they beef it in one of their last two games.

NAV eSports (8-6) [Prev: #16]

I figured from the start that their shot to make playoffs would come down to the wire, and with two games left, that looks to be the case. I expect them to beat Muddy University, but they'll need their A-game to take down Angry Dog Noises.

Holy Ghost Baptism (7-6)

They've consistently been a solid team, but twice now, winnable games have slipped past them. At this point, they've used up all their extra lives and they have to win out to make playoffs.

Other fringe playoff contenders (linked due to char. limit): https://pastebin.com/2v8e1x2y
__________

The final full 56 team wrap up will come a bit later than usual, after the last match has been played. Good luck to everyone still in the playoff race in their last few matches.

Edit: Re-posting so it shows up on the next page instead of the bottom of this one.

ESEA Open Power Rankings S31: Vol. 5 of 7, 6/10/19
Updates every Monday probably.

As the season starts to wind down, the last race for playoffs is as tight as ever. 10 wins is far from safe, and with so many teams this season, even 11 wins won't promise a top 8 seed. A few teams have locked in their spot, but for most, it's still up in the air.
__________

#1 The Medic Academy (12-0)

Now with only 4 games to go, pretty much all of their toughest competition is out of the way. At this point, it would take the perfect storm of circumstances and a next level performance for any of the remaining teams to upset The Medic Academy in the regular season.

#2 The Perfect Sip (11-1)

Popo, John Milter, PipeKing, and the remnants of Enoch eSports remain unbeaten aside from their loss to The Medic Academy. Much like The Medic Academy, the toughest tests have already been passed.

#3 Late To Mid (10-2)

At this point, the former invite trio have cemented themselves as the apparent bronze medalists in the division. Their only losses are to The Medic Academy and The Perfect Sip, and since those losses, they've picked up quality wins over Cheep Cheep, Goys R Us, and Yarn Legacy. They don't look quite as invincible as the The Medic Academy or The Perfect Sip, but just like those teams, the hardest work is out of the way now.

#4 Goys R Us (9-3)

goy randyw : ready up to lose
goy scott___ : were all drunk and were still rolling you
goy scott___ : are u finally gunna move us up to rank 2 in power rankings

Nope.

Still, they're basically a lock for playoffs since their next two matches should be wins, which will be enough to get them into the 11 win safe zone. I wouldn't say they're a lock for semi-finals, but there's a good chance we'll see them there.

#5 Cheep Cheep (8-4) [+1]

Although Cheep Cheep did better than most against The Medic Academy, most didn't do well at all. Their previous week losses are somewhat understandable considering they had to use a lot of subs. Having to forfeit a game was unfortunate, but at the least, it was a game they weren't favored to win anyway.

#6 Rats on Acid (10-2) [+2]

I couldn't think of anything interesting to write so I let talktotransformer.com write this part for me.

#7 Yarn Legacy (9-3) [+2]

The Yarn Legacy was undefeated in May, winning 9 straight. Disappointingly, their streak came to an end in an overtime loss after they were forced to use an emergency sub. With their full roster, they would've had a good chance to extend that streak to 10. Later in the week against Late To Mid, they were once again left without their full starting line up and lost 0-4. Apparently, their luck hasn't gotten any better as they're stuck using a scout sub for the upcoming week. In spite of the losses, they're still bumped up a bit since other teams fell.

#8 Hwasas Thighs (7-4) [+5]

The K-pop fans haven't had much of a winning streak going, but fortunately, they haven't had any losing streaks either.
This week, they're winners with a hard fought win over Soulja Boy eSports.

#9 Soulja Boy eSports (8-4) [-2]

I thought that they'd beat Hwasas Thighs, but when the time came, they came up short in a 4-5 loss. Fortunately, they got a chance to get back in the win column since they were, for some reason, scheduled against a team with a negative record shortly after. This time, things did go as expected with a 5-0 win for the soulja boys.

#10 Angry Dog Noises (8-4) [+2]

The dogs' (or are they the noises?) mid-season has been a tiring back and forth of wins, losses, and close games. Now with a forfeit win, the storm seems to be clearing up as the rest of their schedule is much more manageable.

#11 Good Damage 3 (9-3) [-1]

I'm not sure if they decided to go through with revising their roster, so I'm not sure if they've gotten better or worse. I moved them down not because of performance, but because of uncertainty as to who they'll show up with and how they'll look this week. Either way, even at 9-3, their final schedule isn't easy, so making playoffs isn't quite a lock yet.

#12 Free Mr U (10-2) [Prev: HR]

As their campaign to free Mr. U marches on, they now sit among the top of the divisional standings with a great record. However, several of those wins came with more effort expended than expected. Their performances versus NKCCS and AIRSHOTINSANETOMYBRAIN made them look very mortal. This week though, they showed they still have some pop with a great win over Smol Approachable Brests.

#13 Smol Approachable Brests (9-3) [-8]

Speaking of these guys, I can hardly decide where these guys stand. When I expect them to win, they lose. When I expect them to lose, they win. Either way, at 9-3 with 50 rounds won, they'd have to fuck up pretty hard to
miss playoffs.

#14 OK Kids (7-5) [-3]

The kids started out hot, and are now doing just OK. Their losing streak of 5 was broken with a forfeit win over Crayon Eaters eSports. As mentioned last week though, they still played pretty well during that losing streak and just barely came up a round short in two of those games.

#15 SkyZ Gaming (7-5) [Prev: HR]

SkyZ Gaming vs. Team Frantic was a crucial match for both teams, and SkyZ Gaming stayed alive with a dominant 5-0 victory. Cosa is a solid addition for Team Frantic, but nonetheless, it wasn't enough to even the odds.

#16 Nav eSports (8-4) [-2]

As they have for much of the season, the 2nd best rapper themed TF2 open team continues to float just at the edge of the playoff bubble. Once again, they came close to taking home a big win in their match against Free Mr. U, but after a close first half, the opposition pulled ahead.

Honorable Mentions:

The Zam Theorem (8-3) [Prev: NR]

The misleadingly named "Not Gay" team, now called "The Zam Theorem", had a lot of potential from the start of the season with a group of players with excellent DM. Their mid-season schedule has been fairly moderate in difficulty, but they have a good chance to make playoffs if they can keep it up in this last stretch.

The CUM (7-4)

Following their rough start, The CUM has gradually slithered its way back up the standings, performing well against mid-tier competition. This next week, it's finally time to prove they belong in the top 16 as they prepare to face their hardest competition since the first two weeks with matches against Soulja Boy eSports and Hwasa's Thighs.

Holy Ghost Baptism (7-5) [Prev: #16]

These guys looked promising early in the season with a clear win over the returning Good Damage team, but in these last few weeks, they've been struggling. They still have a shot at playoffs, but it's looking a bit dicey since OK Kids and Angry Dog Noises are tough matchups, and they need to win at least one of those to keep their playoff chances alive.
__________

Now that everyone's showed their hand over the first 12 games, there's still 4 more games for the contenders to bring it on home. Outside the top few, there's still critical importance in every remaining match. Most of the top open matchups have already been played out, now it's just a contest to see who can fill out the rest of the final 16.

My main criteria in order of importance:

1. Match performance vs. quality teams: If you beat or play well against good teams, you're probably good. I also
take into account special circumstances like if a team had to play without their main roster.

2. Match performance as the favorite: If lower level teams make it a close game, that's a negative.

3. Scrim results: I don't look at the result so much since scrims aren't always a good indicator for matches,
but if you're scrimming good teams and not getting rolled, that's a positive.

4. Potential: As in, if you have good individual players but aren't winning yet. I mostly used this when there weren't many matches to go off of yet.

5. Intangible factors: e.g., a team that practices often with the same roster will probably be ranked higher than a casual no-scrim team if all other things are equal.

I use this as a guideline and ask if team X would likely lose to most the teams above it, and then
ask if it would likely win against most of the teams below it, and adjust accordingly until the list feels right.