Souma Profile Blog Joined May 2010 2nd Worst City in CA 8905 Posts Last Edited: 2015-07-17 00:17:48 #1



In the words of



And with the revival came events. Hundreds of events ranging from locals, regionals and nationals, with the additional explosion in the number of Melee streams. And with so many matches, fresh interest peaked in new players, while older Smashers were reinvigorated.



This all led to one thing: The overall increase of skill and competition across the board. More matches, more competitions, more incentives, team sponsorships and VODs—all of this became the foundation for the below statement:



The Five Gods have never been so vulnerable to being dethroned as they are now.



The mid-tier and top-tier players have all leveled up their game. Before 2013, it was respectable to merely take a game against a God. However, players are now taking entire series. Before 2013, it was unthinkable that a player outside of the Gods could ever take a major with them attending. Now,



Never has there been a time more ripe for upset than



The wounds are open. The footholds drilled. With the Golden Revival pushing at their backs, the contenders are creeping ever closer to tearing apart the thrones, the very idea of Godhood, piece by piece.



Below, we take a look at the approachable Gods and the challengers closest to overthrowing them this weekend.

The Smash scene is one of the most storied scenes of any esport. Most people by now are aware of the rise, fall and subsequent revival of the competitive scene. And if not, you may want to watch the Smash Brothers documentary which details the story from its roots until http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/EVO_2013, where Nintendo threatened to ban Melee from the EVO stream.In the words of http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Ken , the King of Smash, “This [ban at EVO] was the best thing Nintendo had ever done for Melee.”And with the revival came events. Hundreds of events ranging from locals, regionals and nationals, with the additional explosion in the number of Melee streams. And with so many matches, fresh interest peaked in new players, while older Smashers were reinvigorated.This all led to one thing: The overall increase of skill and competition across the board. More matches, more competitions, more incentives, team sponsorships and VODs—all of this became the foundation for the below statement:The Five Gods have never been so vulnerable to being dethroned as they are now.The mid-tier and top-tier players have all leveled up their game. Before 2013, it was respectable to merely take a game against a God. However, players are now taking entire series. Before 2013, it was unthinkable that a player outside of the Gods could ever take a major with them attending. Now, http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Leffen has won http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/CEO_2015 Never has there been a time more ripe for upset than http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/EVO_2015 . The format is best of three. Players across the board have inched closer to the level of the previously untouchable Gods. After half a decade of dominance, the Gods are bleeding. With Leffen nipping at their heels, pulling himself onto the Throne Atop the World, the impossible has been made possible. As the Swede joins the highest echelon of play, others are taking his former spot, scrambling up Mt. Olympus to try and claim titles of their own. Lashing at the fresh wounds that he inflicted, these contenders are hungry for a taste of victory, a taste they’ve been denied for so long.The wounds are open. The footholds drilled. With the Golden Revival pushing at their backs, the contenders are creeping ever closer to tearing apart the thrones, the very idea of Godhood, piece by piece.Below, we take a look at the approachable Gods and the challengers closest to overthrowing them this weekend.





The villain-turned-godslayer has clawed his way to the top. Just a month ago, Leffen didn't have a single win at a U.S. major. Just a year ago, he was eliminated before top eight by Silent Wolf. Just two years ago, Mew2King and Mang0 made him look foolish. But after his stellar performance in the past month, it's quite possible that Leffen could be the best player in the world. Convincing victories over Mang0, Armada, Hungrybox, Mew2King and a host of other "near-top-level" players have cemented Leffen as the frontrunner to win the title. Still, the question remains: can he do it?











The two-time defending EVO champ and self-proclaimed GOAT is looking to complete the three-peat. http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Mango is famously a seasonal player who peaks in summer, and recent strong sets against Armada, Mew2King, Hungrybox and Westballz confirm this. Although he hasn't beaten Leffen in a while, combined with the fact that he still holds a somewhat negative record against Armada in 2015, "tryhard Mang0" is legendary for his performances under pressure. More importantly, the large number of West Coast attendees means Mang0, the perennial crowd favorite, will be able to ride a lot of momentum. Despite Mang0's (by his standards) low predicted placement, one can never sleep on The Kid.











The Swedish Sniper, http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Armada , once the undisputed top player in the world, has been looking to reclaim his crown since returning from his 2013 retirement. The rise of Leffen and frustrations against Hungrybox have forced even the god of Peach to partially defect to 20XX Fox. Just a month or two ago, Armada had Leffen's and Mang0's number, a ruthlessly efficient punish game, and a scary counterpick game. Many pegged him as the favorite for EVO, but since then, the impregnable Armada has shown a few cracks after dropping sets to his two biggest rivals. Will the wily Swede be able to adapt as he always has? Or will his search for redemption continue?









Despite his status as one of the "gods" of Melee, Liquid's http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Hungrybox has long been a bridesmaid but rarely a bride. Once decried as a "boring" Jigglypuff player who just "spams bair," Hungrybox has made massive adaptations to stay relevant in the discussion about top players. Despite a lopsidedly bad record versus former Puff main Mang0, Hungrybox has been able to find ways to defeat everyone, exposing Armada's Young Link counterpick as unviable and overcoming the extremely difficult Puff-Fox matchup time and again. While he may not be favored against the above players, Hungrybox rarely has off days and continues to push the boundaries of his character. After his prediction-defying third and second place performances at the last two EVOs, could Hungrybox, for the first time in five years, finally again taste victory at a premier national tournament?









The sage is leaving his mountain. http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/PPMD , who for some time now has been dealing with depression and illness, is emerging from his studies in North Carolina to once again grace a tournament with his entry. Although he'll be at EVO—but not at 100% strength—he has regained the bulk of his physical, mental and emotional strength. Somehow, this almost-full-power version of PPMD, who unlike his peers has avoided entering tournaments, is perceived by many to be one of the biggest threats to take the crown. Perhaps it's just because he hasn't yet had the chance to lose to Leffen like everyone else has... but consider this: an emotionally-drained, physically-exhausted PPMD was the Apex champion. EVO certainly promises much more.











Once a familiar face in national top eights with his Doc, Shroomed has regained his elite status with Sheik. Known for his quick movement, strong combo game and insanely accurate needle snipes, Shroomed's Sheik—while it took longer to reach the top level than Plup's—is rightfully feared by many. Though he was already known to be very proficient at many matchups, with wins over Mew2King, MacD, S2J, Axe and more, his Sheik has struggled somewhat against top spacies. Some of the doubts about Shroomed's spacies matchup were allayed by his victory over Mang0 at CEO, but he has yet to show that he'll be able to compete with the likes of Leffen. Regardless, Shroomed will be, as usual, a strong contender for top eight.













When a new Japanese player took a game off Mew2King with his red Yoshi at EVO 2013, people were impressed, but thought he was just a gimmick. Throughout 2014, repeated excellent performances by aMSa made people suspicious that he was actually not just a gimmick, and his extremely technical Yoshi, smiling demeanor, and general attitude made him an instant fan favorite. Still, he showed weakness in best-of-five sets since his opponents were able to adapt to his style and Yoshi's strange properties. But by the time aMSa placed 5th at Apex 2015, not only did he show rock-solid fundamentals, he was now the one adapting, and he was adapting to Mang0 of all players. People realized that aMSa was and is, in fact, the real deal. The fact that no other Yoshi in the world even comes close to him, along with Yoshi's non-intuitive defensive options, make aMSa a very real threat to knock off some of the favorites.









In mid-January 2015, http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Plup 's stock was soaring. He was overlooked by many in 2014 after a string of "only" ninth place finishes at premier nationals, but his fast, tricky Samus had finally broken out with a win over Leffen at Paragon 2015. Though the ensuing 49th-place disappointment at Apex was a harsh blow, Plup's switch to Sheik still shocked many. Since then, he's quieted the naysayers by developing his Sheik into one of the most technical, quick and reactive in the world, and he's had the results to match. Victories over Hungrybox, Westballz and Shroomed, combined with extremely close sets with Mang0 and Leffen seem like only the beginning of his rebirth. This year, he's determined to outperform his Samus and put himself in the top eight.













A perennial top eight contender and fan favorite, the world's premier Pikachu turned heads last EVO with his 56-second 4-stock of Silent Wolf and a cool 5th place finish. http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Axe 's extremely technical, high-octane style can sometimes overwhelm his opponents, but he may struggle against players who can match his speed and precision, such as SFAT, Shroomed and Westballz. He's also had to pull out his Young Link, Fox, Falco and Marth against top Ice Climbers; these secondaries were enough for Wobbles, but not for Fly Amanita at Press Start. Regardless, Axe could easily return to the big stage with some well-timed tail spikes. Will he be able to surpass last year's dream performance?













The SoCal Falco has been grinding with a one-track mind for nearly four years and a single goal: domination. http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Westballz surrounded himself with the greatest, so that one day he could strike them down. His rise to greatness in the public eye was fast, taking top eights within a year of seriously playing. While most set their eyes on the technical evolution of Fox, Westballz was just behind them, pushing the twin Falco just as far, just as hard. Within the ever-widening ring of Fox players, there are many who can claim the title of most technical. On Falco’s roster, there is only one: Westballz. He weaves combos smoothly, with technical flourishes unattainable by the masses. His play is rooted in this ability and is vastly reliant on being on point that day. When he chokes, he does so hard.



Westballz is perhaps the only player outside of the Gods who can claim a near even record with Mang0. This past month, he achieved the largest step towards his goal: double-eliminating Mang0 in the ditto. No man can claim greater control of The Bird than Westballz.









The baby-faced Marth and member of the NorCal "Big Three" is looking for his first top eight finish at a premier national after placing ninth at both Apex and CEO this year. http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/PewPewU 's sleek, combo-heavy Marth boasts wins in the last year over the likes of Westballz, Lucky, S2J, SFAT, Shroomed and Fiction. He's no slouch against janky mid-tier characters, either, double-eliminating Eddy Mexico with Marth and defeating aMSa with his Fox at EVO 2014. More recently, PewPewU has even proven himself a threat to the top six with a victory over Hungrybox and close sets with Leffen, and though many currently place him among the top ten players in the world, he's still gunning for more.



















For years, Melee has been heralded as one of the most technical fighting games of all time. And there is no one that has made that more apparent than http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Silent_Wolf . Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, a region rarely talked about, Otto’s explosive power made a name amongst the wasteland. With crisp, technical play, he was one of the leaders in taking frame perfect Fox from theory into reality. Though he never made an incredible placing at a national, his name was always in the mix with the greatest. But as 20XX—a movement Otto was for, but never quite knew it—took off, he started to back it up. Technical skill, combined with optimization in approach and combos pushed the Washington native into consistent top eight finishes. NWM VI, fifth. KoC3, seventh. At EVO, he clawed his way into the top eight, an achievement hard to top. Yet that’s exactly what he did this spring, with a second place finish at the aptly named Do You Fox Wit It, even sending Mew2King to the losers' bracket in the process. With a recent first place finish at NWM VII, besting all of NorCal’s finest, Silent Wolf is in the best position possible going into EVO.











For the past few years, http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Lucky has been living under the shadow of his best friend. Mang0 has long dominated SoCal and the world at large, but throughout it all, there’s been one man just narrowly behind him: Lucky. Though he always showed promise, the Fox main was always one or two steps behind his cohorts, lingering in the top 16 or top 8 of tournaments. In recent, the Norwalk Bat has come out from the shadows and into his own. There’s nothing unique or special that sets Lucky apart; he’s just so damn good. With an emphasis on superb reads and mindgames in his approach, Lucky plays a neutral-heavy Fox. His ability to surge with momentum, yet not be off-put by a bad stock or game, allows him to take control of a set easily. Lucky has gone full time as a player and is gunning for a spot on a top team. With his motivation high, he’s primed for the run of his life.











For eternity, Tantalus is doomed to see the sweet fruit above him, just out of reach. In much the same way, for years, http://wiki.teamliquid.net/smash/Hax has seen Godhood just within reach. Long considered the sixth best player in the world, Hax was the embodiment of the hopes and dreams of Falcon players around the world. Regularly landing in top eights, Hax tried desperately to break the Curse of Falcon and take home a title to prove the character’s worth. But years of frustration took a toll on him. Hax turned to the dark side and has since led the 20XX movement in optimal Fox play. His efforts haven’t panned out as planned, however. Hax’s results have dropped off, with several other players surging forward to take his place, leaving many wondering if his decision was the right one.



Last week, Hax provided an explanation: He’s been struggling with severe sleep problems, amongst other issues, which have forced him to play less and less, as well as perform worse at events. He’s still making it out to Vegas, so maybe, just maybe, Tantalus can hook a fruit with the claw of his finger.







Writers: peanuts, ]343[, stuchiu

Editors: Souma, itsjustatank

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