Another regular season of Highlander done, another playoffs directly ahead. After starting a handful of HL articles this season and finishing a grand total of none, I finally got around to putting together a brief rundown of the top 8 teams that made it into the playoffs this season. With a much larger division than we have seen in many seasons, this was the rare few months where we got to see stiff competition from top to bottom. It seems the better teams prevailed and so we have an excellent playoff field.

Final Rankings and Playoff Seeding

1 - The Electric Temptations

Decimate	R1CKY	Satan	38special	Kill 'em All	Jordan	phorofor	phAZE	Murow/HNG

Current Record: 7-1

Notable Wins: Menace to Society, Street Hoops eSports

Playoff Record: 6-6

Best Finish: 3rd - Season 11

Following another strong regular season performance, The Electric Temptations enter the playoffs with the 1st seed for the second season in a row and a desire to redeem themselves after an early exit last April. While ET’s one loss of the season on Snakewater may have been an early indication of potential chinks in their armor, they have otherwise been entirely dominant, characterized by two decisive wins against Menace to Society and Street Hoops. While their combo play, particularly their ability to protect and synch up with Phorofor, has been spotty at times, the ET flank has been excellent. Decimate, R1CKY, and Jordan have both been producing consistently strong numbers, and phAZE has emerged as the best Sniper in Platinum. They have a tendency to get uncomfortable and lose focus on maps that they don't know very well, but that issue shouldn't be too big a factor in the playoffs, especially once they get into Upward and possibly Viaduct weeks.

With a mixed playoff history, its hard to get an accurate gauge on what we will see from the one seed in the post-season. If ET can keep their combo sharp, positive, and communicating well, then they are a clear contender, but if the wheels fall off the wagon, as they have in a couple contests for them in recent seasons, then I won’t be surprised if they finish somewhere outside of the top 3. An opening contest against a Bonus! team that hasn’t been playing at full strength should offer an excellent opportunity for ET to get a commanding win and move into the second round with some confidence.

2 - Menace to Society

Squid	Panic	Katsy	Alfa	Skyrolla	Spamfest	Harbleu	m4risa	Acooma

Current Record: 6-2

Notable Wins: Street Hoops eSports, Dunning-Kruger Effect

Playoff Record: 12-7

Best Finish: 2nd - Season 8, 11, 12

Everyone loves to comment on mTs’ apparent lack of effort in the regular season and excuse any loss because of it. Despite their overstated lethargy, however, the perennial runners-up have looked very sharp, having been dealt only one true defeat all season. Alfa on Demo has been a consistent force for damage and has shown a bit more of an aptitude for Highlander play than Platinum had in past seasons, and the addition of an a-grade player like Acooma can do nothing but benefit a team. Across the board mTs remains one of the strongest rosters in Platinum thanks to unrivaled stability and a wealth of experience. As always, how they finish won’t come down to their individual skill, but rather, how they are able to play together as a unit and whether or not their limited schedule enables them to find their synchronicity fast enough to reach the level of play needed to win that first-place medal.

With a potential rematch against Street Hoops on Upward looming in the second round, the road to a fourth appearance in the finals won’t be an easy one for mTs, but with more experience together than any other team in Platinum they’re certainly a favorite to get there. They could run into trouble against the other top teams thanks to a susceptibility to easy picks, but after all things are said and done they probably have the best chance of any of the top 4 to at least reach the finals. Their first matchup on Steel against Tryhards could be closer than what is comfortable for a team like mTs considering Tryhards' good coordination and frequent practices, but they should still get the victory, barring a titanic collapse, and head into a rematch with Street Hoops.

3 - Street Hoops eSports

Deadbolt	Ash	Huey Lewis	Duwatna	Chimp Feet	Grape	Cozen	Paragon	Rainy

Current Record: 6-2

Notable Wins: Taco Bell Bonanza, Quality Control

Playoff Record: 5-3

Best Finish: 1st - Season 11

The gentlemen of Street Hoops are looking to supplement a third place finish at the most recent ESEA lan with a second Highlander crown and after their most recent roster shuffles they seem to be in an excellent position to do so. The return of Duwatna, who is a perfect 2 for 2 in terms of championships won versus seasons played, is a huge change and adds a lot of firepower to the 20b combo, and Rainy’s presence on Spy should be a sizeable boost to their pick productivity. Having the Deadbolt and Ash back on their respective mains will likely be a refreshing change too, and should add some stability to a flank that seemed to have trouble staying organized in previous weeks. 20b also had issues through the season finding their stride and being able to play off of each other as well as they used to, but with these most recent changes, we will hopefully see a return to form.

The biggest question mark for Street Hoops is the fact that Cozen will, supposedly, be absent for their potential week 2 playoff matchup against mTs on Upward. While they do have KBlair on backup, who is an experienced and level-headed Platinum Medic himself, the loss of Cozen and his decision-making could hinder 20b enough to lose to mTs for a second time. How they are able to cope with his absence and deal with that alteration in their combo will likely be their biggest challenge this postseason. That being said, if they are able to weather that storm and at least win one of their Upward matches, Street Hoops are once again in an excellent place to have a shot at a second Championship. Their first matchup against QC on Steel should be relatively painless and help them flush out any unlikely kinks in this final roster.

4 - Dunning-Kruger Effect

Geknaiir	Aegis	Velocity	Xan	Karl	Lelouch24(Josh)	Metawe	Axiomatic	Deer

Current Record: 6-2

Notable Wins: The Electric Temptations, Taco Bell Bonanza

Playoff Record: 0-2

Best Finish: 7th - Season 12

After a disappointing loss to Dead Ringer Storage on Gullywash and the departure of their Scout and Sniper, I half-expected to see Dunning-Kruger Effect’s name among the list of dead teams by the end of the season. However, thanks to a healthy core and intelligent leadership, the gentlemen of dK have taken any potential hazards in stride and are entering playoffs hotter than any team in Platinum. Axiomatic and Deer have each been very productive in recent weeks and are one of the more intimidating pick duos from a combo’s perspective. The addition of Xan on Demo has also been a very positive shift for dK and added some stability and cohesion to their combo that they seemed to lack with Mangachu. While they may not quite have the smothering DM that the top three seeds seem to posses, Dunning-Kruger’s roster has no glaring shortcomings and is one of the most balanced lineups in the division.

It is that balance that gives me the feeling that dK will be a very dangerous playoff team. They are a grounded, positive group and are therefore a direct threat to teams like ET and 20b who can struggle with negativity. Their only real detriment seems to be a lack of experience in high-intensity matches late in the postseason. If their talented players are able to remain focused and perform to their normal standards or better when elimination is on the line, then I can see this group making it deep in the bracket and possibly placing.

5 - Taco Bell Bonanza

Kev	Lunacide	Geosus	Giraffe/Mustardoverlord	Dill	Scratchy	Couches	Bowswer5	Phone

Current Record: 5-3

Notable Wins: Dead Ringer Storage, Menace to Society

Playoff Record: N/A

We now come to the top new team of the season. Formerly the Barking Sharks, Taco Bell Bonanza has made the transition into Platinum play smoother than almost any team in recent seasons, albeit with a nearly entirely new lineup. They put together a nice mix of relatively fresh Platinum talent, none of whom have played more than 2 seasons in the division save Geosus and Dill. In spite of that lack of experience, Taco Bell have demonstrated that they have the ability to hang with any other team in the division. Kev and Lunacide are a potent force on the flank, and Dill and Giraffe have proven to be a solid combo pairing. However, they have shown some issues with coordination and frequent changes in the combo between Giraffe and Mustardoverlord won’t do very much to improve that lack of synergy, so unless they can strengthen that organization we may see repeat performances in playoffs of their regular season contests with ET, dK, and 20b.

Taco has tended to run into trouble against teams with more experience and coordination, so the likelihood of seeing them venture deep into the playoffs seems pretty slim, but they have been able to deliver against some talented opponents this season, so they seem to have the best chances of any team in the lower 4. An opening match against dK, especially on Steel, will likely net TB an early playoff loss, but a potential second round match against one of mTs or 20b would be an excellent opportunity for them to flex their muscles against a top opponent on a more vanilla setting. Even if the playoffs prove to be tough on Taco Bell, they are a rising team with an excellent future so I am very optimistic about their prospects next season.

6 - Quality Control

Bryan	A Little Girl	L4wnflamingo	DifferentColors	Pretzel/Skag	Niko Jims	Lumines	Corsa	Dogfloaties

Current Record: 4-3

Notable Wins: Tryhards

Playoff Record: 3-2

Best Finish: 4th - Season 9

The return of Quality Control, who some may remember as a Season 9 move-up alongside 20b and ET, has been a welcome one. After filling in their updated roster with a lot of high-level talent like Corsa and Sakura, QC has had a relatively successful reunion and have situated themselves comfortably in the middle of Platinum. Top to bottom, their combo has looked particularly strong. Differentcolors, Pretzel (though he has been absent for a few weeks now), and Lumines have some of the best instincts and chemistry of any trio in Platinum, so if QC is to string together a couple of wins in the playoffs and potentially upset one of the higher seeds, it will be on the coat tails of that core. Corsa has also demonstrated himself to be a reliable playoff performer and among the strongest individual pick players in Plat, so his performance will likely be indicative of QC’s final placement.

With their extensive playoff experience and cool heads, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see QC take a win against other fringe teams like Tryhards or even Taco Bell, to whom they narrowly lost on Viaduct, but that sort of favorable scheduling is unlikely. Their narrow losses to good teams seem to reinforce the fact that QC absolutely has the skill to compete in Platinum at a high level, but can't seem to fully capitalize off of it. If they can make a good showing against a veteran contender like 20b on Steel, then I’ll be very optimistic about QC’s chances going forward, but otherwise I'd expect them to be eliminated on Upward.

7 - Pregame Tryhards

Morningfox	F][re	Flintstone	Peyton	Rev	Enderp	Sdogg2m	Comanglia	Kalaratic

Current Record: 4-4

Notable Wins: Bonus!, The Runaway Five

Playoff Record: N/A

The Season 12 Gold champions have pretty much stayed true to expectations and finished squarely in the middle of Platinum this season, but have impressed many, myself included, with a handful of tight losses to top teams despite a roster that is populated by little-known players. Many of those players, however, namely Morningfox and Comanglia, have stood out this season in relation to their fellow move-ups and have been large assets to Tryhards as they have moved through the season. This team practices very hard and, despite frequently playing at a significant DM disadvantage, have been able to close the season at .500 which is an accomplishment given how strenuous the competition was in mid-plat. Their combo still seems to need some work and there are some gaps in their flank that the top teams will likely be able to punish them for, but all around Tryhards are a talented, well-coordinated team with a handful of players with excellent potential.

As always in a division like Platinum, playoffs are tough on the lower seeds. With a first round matchup against mTs, I have a hard time seeing TH pulling out a win, though this would be the team and the map on which they could potentially do it. Even with a miracle win though, it is hard to envision this group progressing past Upward week. But after an impressive inaugural season, Tryhards will look to return next season and differentiate themselves from the other mid-plat teams.

8 - Bonus! Points

Hei	MPB	Pudding	Cusideabelincoln	Gankmeister	Redman	Firefly	Hugh Laurie	Arthur

Current Record: 4-4

Notable Wins: Honk!, Blunderful

Playoff Record: 6-2

Best Finish: 3rd - Season 6, 8

Bonus’ success this season and appearance in playoffs seemed to surprise themselves more than anyone else. Though they are running a lineup with a handful of offclassers, Bonus! still has more experience and talent than many Plat teams. Their mainclassers also help to augment any shortcomings, and it will be mostly thanks players like MPB and Hugh Laurie if Bonus is able to snag a win in these playoffs. However, AbeLincoln on Demo seems to be steadily improving and the presence of Father Time aka Redman on Engineer is an invaluable asset, so its not as if Bonus isn’t still a dangerous team to face. However, with those offclassers and a seemingly general desire to take things easy, Bonus' expectations aren't as low as most 8 seeds, but they are still somewhat bleak.

I couldn’t check all the way back, but I can’t remember an 8 seed ever winning a game in the Platinum playoffs. That being said, ET is still taking a match on Steel against a team with Bonus’ experience very seriously. I have no idea if we’re going to see Bonus! back next season or if the HL kings will go back to various roles on various other teams, but in these playoffs they will, more likely than not, face elimination rather quickly and break their “forever 3rd” streak.

Season 13 Bracket

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Apologies for any errors just comment or PM me and I'll correct them. Thanks to Karl, Jordan, Kill 'em All, phAZE, Metawe, Phorofor, Hng, Murow, Deadbolt, Corsa, enigma, and anyone else for the help.