Hello again friends, another week of my own Power Rankings.Some teams made massive jumps in rank while a few others dropped sharply and we have a new arrival.Sorry in advance if offended, deal with it.

Week 6 Rankings (Badlands)

#1----Seendio------------------------------(10-0) N/A
#2----SYOPS TF2-------------------------(10-0) +3
#3----The Muffin Men-------------------(9-1) -1
#4----Night Owl's-------------------------(10-0) +5
#5----I AM NOT BILLUSTER----------(9-1) -2
#6----Carolina Fan Club----------------(9-1) +2
#7----Aminus Victoria-------------------(8-2) N/A
#8----Blanc Esports---------------------(8-2) -2
#9----Bawtbawtbawt--------------------(8-2) -5
#10---Cloud 9-----------------------------(8-2) +6
#11---Virgin Police----------------------(8-2) -1
#12---Mumble Robots------------------(7-3) +2
#13---Victorius Secret------------------(7-3) -1
#14---Monkey Madness----------------(7-3) -3
#15---Morin than meets the eye-----(7-3) -2
#16---Squid Squad-----------------------(8-2) N/A

# 1----Seendio---(10-0)
Things went as planned for Seendio this week with two shut-out victories. I expected to see at least a few rounds taken by the teams they faced but both matches look like overpowering wins. Maybe someone on this team can explain what happened against Aminus Victoria? The match time says 24 minutes but the frags/damage are way too low.Asianriceguy with 130 DPM? There had to be an extended pause of some sort.

Can Bawtbawtbawt and/or Night Owls take any rounds from our top seed on Badlands? I say yes and predict Seendio will finally be involved in a competitive match but should turn out 2 victories.

# 2----SYOPS TF2---(10-0)
SYOPS is coming off a monster Gully week where they pulled out 2 hard fought victories. Last week, I asked for more context on this team and I got a first-hand dose. SYOPS straight dominated Blanc Esports in the first half but Blanc pushed back and had a chance to tie the game at 4-4 in the 2nd half but fell short.

In the 2nd match of Wednesday’s double-header, it was SYOPS turn to come out flat in the 1st half against Aminus Victoria and quickly found themselves down 4-1 in the 2nd half. A massive comeback ensued as SYOPS took 4 straight rounds to win a 5-4 thriller. Looking at both stats, I do not see any stand-out performances; instead I see a solid balanced attack across the board. SYOPS schedule does not get easier this week on Badlands, but I expect more close matches and a split against I AM NOT BILLUSTER and Bawtbawtbawt.

# 3----The Muffin Men---(9-1)
The Muffin Men continue to roll along, sporting a solid win over Monkey Madness 5-1. Once again, Trip has top damage, top frags and top heals, however the whole team is showing some consistent numbers.The 2nd match of the week for Muffin Men was against "Lolis in Spaaaace", a mid-open team that I have no idea how they were paired up against to begin with. Lolis put up a really good fight but were just over-matched.

Another gift from the scheduling gods will give The Muffin Men an easier Badlands week than they should have, as they face Virgin Police and THE WIDEST KIDS UKNOW. There may be some surprises in store but I predict 2 victories.

# 4----Night Owls---(10-0)
Night Owls delivered a decisive 5-1 win vs Bawtbawtbawt despite what seems like a weak showing from the scout pair Testify/Owl. Fortunately, a powerhouse performance from Air and br on soldier broke BBB’s back.

Testify recovered from that bad game to put in a monster performance against Morin and Co. with 32 frags and 15 assists. Air once again took control and put out 400 DPM on pocket but I am surprised they dropped 2 rounds. Probably throwing a bit to try and help Owl get more cap points because getting 200 DPM is obviously hard for him. Badlands will be a big challenge for the undefeated Night Owls as they face Seendio and Aminus Victoria where I predict a split.

# 5----I AM NOT BILLUSTER---(9-1)
I AM NOT BLLUSTER had a really rough match on Gully against Seendio. Only Giraffe seemed to show-up for BILLUSTER in this match. Both scouts Arekk and Linkuser were destroyed consistently which lead to lopsided fights all match long.

In the 2nd match vs Bawtbawtbawt, BILLUSTER and Co. really impressed with a dominant victory. Just about every player had 300 DPM with Giraffe getting 400 DPM along with with more heals than the pocket. Linkuser and Arekk destroyed the scouts of BBB and were the main reason 2 of their players had such horrible stats, they were outplayed. Badlands matches this week will be challenging against SYOPS and Aminus Victoria where I predict a split.

# 6----Carolina Fan Club---(9-1)
The Fan Club’s first match this week against Cloud 9 was a nail biter that came down to the last round. A 5-4 win showing Carolina and Ily leading the way on damage while SS almost had 40 frags on cleanup. There was a shuffle of the lineup but the team still performed well and got an important win. The 2nd match was against a Mid-Open team “Suika jump off a cliff” which seemed to go smoothly. round was dropped but it looks like there were connection and server issues, perhaps that was a factor.

Carolina and Co. only have 1 Badlands match scheduled this week against Squid Squad, a team looking to push into playoff contention. It should be a win but never underestimate a hungry team. Perhaps they will get a second Badlands match scheduled?

# 7----Aminus Victoria---(8-2)
I had a feeling last week that AV could possibly lose both Gully matches and my crystal ball was correct. This team has a lot of big names but you never win matches on reputation. That said, AV does have the talent but may need some time to mold a solid team dynamic. AV played Seendio in the first match and got anal raped. Did this match have a pause?? Not a single player on AV had double digit frags, Pizza Pose with 90 DPM? Low frags across the board and only took 23 minutes?

AV seemed to shake off a bad first match and was initially strong against SYOPS taking 4 of the first 5 rounds but could not finish them off and dropped 4 straight rounds. I really want to watch this match and see what exactly happened. Stats show the damage and frags to be dead even. Going into Badlands week is not much easier for AV, they face Night Owl’s and I AM NOT BILLUSTER where they could drop both again.

Both could be right but I based the ranks on a few factors. Difficulty of Schedule, my personal experience with most teams listed, and most importantly match results. When all the cards are down, the match results speak the loudest of all.

If rankings are based solely on what players are on what teams, then every week will be the same circle jerk of teams and players that turns into a popularity contest. I thought to add a little bit of context and structure into my rankings to avoid the popularity contest. Either way, it was really fun to write and I think I will do more.

11---Monkey Madness---7-1
I don't think many of the "top" teams have noticed this squad yet. They look to be very solid and I predict they rise in the ranks as we progress. They have 1 loss to BawtBawtBawt 5-3 on process which was really tight game. I did watch this game and they simply lost some critical DM fights that could have turned the match. Looking ahead, they have a challenging Gully week against Muffin Men and Virgin Police. I expect solid performances but they should be satisfied with a split if they can pull it off.

12---Victorious Secret---6-2
The first of my two sleeper teams who both happen play each other this week! Victorius Secret has easily had the toughest schedule in the first 8 matches this season, facing 5 solid teams out of 8. They turned out a nice 6-2 record. The only question mark was a 5-1 win over THE WIDEST KIDS UKNOW (We Never Wipe) during that team's roster problems. Regardless, they took care of business and surely have some players in Atrocity and Yuri worth watching. Gully week has them facing Donk Kongs and Mumble Robots, the latter being a fantastic matchup that should be tight.

13---Morin than meets the eye---7-1
Morin and Co. have had a very easy schedule to this point. The only challenges being Victorius Secret which they dropped 4-2 on the Strength of Tatuwah's 59 frag performance and a victory over Mumble Robots that saw Morin and friends come back in the 2nd half to take 4 straight rounds. Whatever halftime talk took place worked. Gully should be a tough week for this 7-1 team. They face Blanc Esports and Night Owls. Pulling out a split this week will pay dividends when playoff seeding rolls around, this is a big week for Morin than meets the eye.

14---Mumble Robots---6-2
My 2nd sleeper team in the division. Maxhax's boys come into this week at 6-2 but could easily be 8-0. Both losses were very tight matches and showed this team will not roll over. Max is a really strong pocket and Kairu is an underrated scout that should be leading the way more. It hasn't happened in the first half of the season but now are the matches that really count. This week they face THE WIDEST KINDS U KNOW and Victorius Secret on Gully. Both are matches they can win but both should be closely fought. With 2 losses already, they need to win matches like this to bump up in the rankings.

15---THE WIDEST KIDS UKNOW---6-2
The team formerly known as We Never Wipe had some roster problems 2 weeks ago but seem to have the starting 6 back in place. Jaguar back on demo is a welcome return but lets be honest and just say that Screwb is carrying this team. Should he be countered, other members will need to step up and contribute. The first half of the season has been a rather light schedule so now we will see what this team has under the hood. A match this week against Mumble Robots should provide some perspective.

16---Cloud 9---7-1
Undoubtedly among of the easiest schedules in Open for the first 8 matches. This team has some talent but seem to have a problem getting the starting 6 to play every week. I'll be honest and say that I don't know several of the players on this team but if this inconsistent trend continues, it will hurt badly against the better teams. Those better teams are upon them,starting this week with Carolina Fan club and Just Relax. The former will be very tough to win but the latter should be a strongly contested match.

Doing my own power rankings after the first 8 weeks of Open. The more interesting matches are going to start now. Dr.Shdwpuppet does a fine job for the official articles, I enjoy reading them every week, but I don’t know how much he actually plays/interacts with these teams on a daily basis. I see most of these teams on a week to week basis and follow the division enough to think I have a pretty good grasp on these teams at the moment. Most of all,I have a lot of free time at work these days so doing this helps my day go faster. Love or hate,here they are.

Rankings were largely based on match performance in the first 8 games. More factors involved are strength of schedule and my own personal knowledge of teams and players.

1--- Seendio---8-0
Most informed people would label this team as the odds-on favorite to win the division. They have 6 solid players and a wealth of ranging experience. Asianriceguy/Antwan could be the strongest scout pair in open and it must be fun cleaning up whatever Smile manages not to kill himself. Seendio has undoubtedly had the easiest schedule of any team in the top 10 thus far. I predict 2 wins this week but will be interested in the results against Animus and BILLUSTER.

2---The Muffin Men---7-1
Muffin Men come in 2nd place for a few reasons. Compared to all the teams in the top 10, they have had the most challenging schedule facing 4 solid teams in 8 games. Performance has been strong and they seem to have chemistry early in the season. As documented, Trip has been a heal heavy pocket so far but has also put those heals to good use with large damage numbers. This might not work later in the season against better teams but time will tell. After a tough first 8 matches, they should roll out 2 wins on Gullywash this week.

3---I AM NOT BILLUSTER---8-0
BILL’s team has had only 1 challenging match so far against Muffin Men, which they won 5-3. Normally, I would have them above Muffin Men in the rankings but given the difficulties of the schedules, I made my choice. BILL and Co. have destroyed every other team they have faced, getting 2 wins on Metalworks in just over 30 minutes and a 12 min Snakewater win as well. They will be heavily tested this week and should be happy with at least a split against BawtBawtBawt and Seendio.

4---BawtBawtBawt---8-0
BBB has had a relatively easy schedule so far this season. Process doesn't seem to be their bestmap as they stumbled against both teams they should be 5-0ing. Noobies is driving this team right now doing tons of work. They seem to need to finalize a solid 6th player to the lineup. Regardless, BBB finally gets tested this week against Night Owls and I AM NOT BILLUSTER. Both matches promise to be close but I can see a 1-1 split this week.

5---SYOPS TF2---8-0
SYOPS has literally rolled over every team they have faced and with good reason. The schedule has been incredibly easy up to this point. This team does have a good amount of experience and I value that highly. That said, team chemistry could be harder to come by but this team promises to be solid all season long. SYOPS will rise or fall with the scout pair dflame and Soarex, who will drive this team. SYOPS has 2 tough weeks ahead and the supporting cast needs to step-up. This week’s matches are against Blanc Esports and Aminus Victoria will provide more context.

6---Blanc Esports---7-1
This is my team. I am not going to get too in-depth here but suffice to say that I feel we have performed well so far against a mildly weak schedule. I see massive potential from my teammates and have a lot of confidence that we can pull it together as the season progresses. We face SYOPS and Morin this week. Good luck to all.

7---Animus Victoria---8-0
Evidently we need to talk about Tic-Tack leaving this team. While he was around, this team was generally viewed as top 2 or 3. Losing him is a huge blow not just in experience and general skill but also in team chemistry and coordination. I doubt they have recovered just yet as referenced by the Metalworks match vs Mumble Robots, a brutal hour long match that could have gone either way. Given enough time, they may come together but will face a tough Gully week vs Seendio and SYOPS where they could drop both.

8---Carolina Fan Club---7-1
SS Fan club wasn't good enough, this new name fits better but this team is still a puzzle to me.They have the makings to be a very difficult team to play but have 3 FFW’s and seem to have unpredictable performances overall. Phrakture on medic is a huge question mark but has played well so far. They had a competitive match vs Muffin Men followed with a last round victory over Virgin Police on Viaduct. This week should provide 2 solid victories.

9---Night Owls---8-0
This is a team I could have probably ranked higher if not for the incredible ease of schedule All 8 matches were pre-determined victories but they managed to give away rounds to teams that should have been rolled. Air is a strong pocket and is doing massive work while Testify is supporting with cleanup frags. Looking at everyone else, I am trying to piece this together. Likely more info will be available after this week where they face BawtBawtBawt and Morin than meets the eye.

10---Virgin Police---6-2
A team of old school players I am very familiar with. They also have the most talented backup players in open (Twinweapons, Spadez, thenoid) who can start for just about any high open team. So far they have performed as expected with the schedule they were given. That said, the recent pickup of Carnage gives them the potential to shoot up the ranks fast. The lingering question with this team is how committed and focused on TF2 can they be for the whole season? All 6 players share the same doubt. If this team focuses on scrim nights more than once a week, by the end the end of the season, nobody will want to play them in the playoffs. This week against Monkey Madness and Just Relax should help bring the team together.

Geneforge Series

RPG - no eye candy, just tons of content and player building.

Yeah, after this match come to our mumble. Its rarely safe for children and always lively.

That;s not backing down, its cutting your losses.

Alosec, give me 2 refined and you can take-back your bet with me. Final chance or you will probably lose 8 refined Wednesday night

My dad gave me a box filled with old stuff he did not want. Inside was a patch, like the kind you see stitched into jackets, that said "SpaceCadet". I really liked it and started using the name since 1996 when Quake started. I still have the patch on my computer desk to this day. Added HX to the end of my name for "Hell Xpress" and will likely never change my name.

I am curious, do you think that possibly the reason "nobody showed up" or "took it seriously" is because:
A - There were not prizes? No incentive?
B - The matches had Invite players? No motivation because they were already on top?
C - No Match Structure? How did ESEA pick the players? In my format, team players will be kept together so it feels less like a pug.

Also, Were these all-star games casted live for the community?

I was wondering about the community opinion on reviving the ESEA All-Star game? In the past, it was only done for invite players during Seasons 4, 5 and 6. I do not know how it was received back then because I was not around. However, the way events and streaming is done these days, it could possibly be a really good event for the TF2 community.

I would recommend some changes if it did happen. I have a pretty well thought out format on picking the All-Star’s but I wouldn't want to make this post about rules and such. Suffice to say, it would be important to maintain some type of competitive feel and make it more than just a pug environment.

It would be fantastic and helpful if ESEA would sponsor and hold an event like this for the community. If ESEA doesn't respond, there are likely individuals in the community who can band together and make a small event like this happen anyway. I would be willing to devote time and help organize the event. With good streaming and quality casters along with possible prizes for the winning teams, it could be fun.

My personal feeling is for events like this to cater more to the players in IM and Open as well as potential new players watching the event live. I know everyone loves to see their favorite Invite players all the time but I would enjoy seeing an All-Star game for the IM and Open divisions more. I think everyone can agree that the current skill level of TF2 players in IM and Open has greatly increased since seasons 4,5 and 6. Watching 12 of the top IM and Open players will give some new up and coming players a chance to showcase their talent and get some real exposure. This can fuel other lower level players to practice and improve so they can do the same thing. Basically I am saying we, as a relatively small community, should showcase more of the mid/low division players and teams in an effort to boost new interest. Events like this can help that goal. Thoughts?

Scouts were always meant to push flags, capture flags and get information on other teams.
Scout was never a fragging class until TF2. If any class is broken, it's the scout from the beginning.

We fucking care!

Even tho this thread kinda turned into shit, I wanted to say again that we look to have about 60 paid up teams in Open right now for Season 18. That is a fantastic number of teams with a lot of new players. We have not seen this amount of teams in open since Seasons 14 and 15.

That fact makes keeping an IM division even more critical to TF2 right now. If IM had 10+ teams moved down to open, it would screw over many of the new open teams that will be fighting for a playoff spot. Giving new teams/players a chance for playoffs encourages growth in the lower divisions and TF2 at large.

I know you guys are working on the IM division. Make it happen!

I feel that leaving IM as a division is necessary. Straight up taking out the IM division is going to seriously damage future seasons of TF2. There needs to be some format to make it work.

If we have just Invite and Open this season, how would we ever get an IM division back again? There is no chance that future seasons are going to see 15+ playoff Open teams stay together and form a new IM division.