INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Day 4! We’re nearing the end, with no shortage of surprises ahead…

For more information, including an outline of the methodology used, see Day 1:

https://intheloop837.wordpress.com/2017/12/25/librarank-day-1-intro-methodology-41/

Let’s get into it!

#20 – MD/VA

Final Score: 28.14119

High Scored Player: WaDi (10)

Lowest Scored Player: Promaelia (51.54)

Players used in final ranking: WaDi, Pink Fresh, Seagull Joe, Black Yoshi, ZD, Remzi, Tension

Best Placement: 5th, 2GGC: MKLeo Saga & Super Smash Con 2017 (WaDi)

Worst Placement: 129th, Zephyr & ZD, various Category 5/6 events.

Potential Rating: C+

Edging their way into the Top 20, MD/VA manages to hold itself together despite the falloff and lack of travel among multiple former regional stars. This is due to the efforts of former R.O.B. main turned Mewtwo player, WaDi, who went as far as to get into the 2GG Championship.

Beyond this, there were shades of ZD potentially being a new top Fox, but he struggled mid-year, leaving this question open for future interpretation. Pink Fresh has fallen off significantly, though he’s often struggled at major events even in his prime.

The region’s difficulties are made worse by the dwindling attendance numbers at S@X, and while weeklies in and of themselves won’t make or break a region, they’re a major resource for practice, learning the game, and incubating new players that could eventually become professionals.

Pink Fresh is set for a return in 2018, and perhaps we’ll see the re-rise of many 2015 and 2016 MD/VA stars, but the region’s prospects beyond their titan look difficult moving forward.

#19 – UNITED KINGDOM

Final Score: 27.931

Highest Scored Player: IxisNaugus (11.332)

Lowest Scored Player: SilentDoom (62.23)

Players used in final ranking: IxisNaugus, Jack Hunter, MagiMagi, aperture, Peli, Afro Smash, J. Miller

Best Placement: 33rd, EVO 2017 (IxisNaugus)

Worst Placement: 257th, GENESIS 4 (SilentDoom)

Potential Rating: B

A region filled to the brim with Sonic, the United Kingdom walks away from 2017 having had its best year in Smash 4. Aperture and Ixis are two stars in particular, with aperture defeating Tweek & ANTi at Nairo Saga, while Ixis double eliminated ESAM at EVO 2017.

Further supporting the region’s potential are small, but relevant things, like Hunter’s exhibition vs. KEN at Syndicate that went to game 5. Hunter was downloaded by the end of the set, but it goes a long way to demonstrate that a lesser payer than KEN – which would describe a number of even high level players, might have faltered or broken under the pressure of the UK’s best Sheik.

These factors give the region limited, but noted potential going forward, and GENESIS 5 will act as an immediate test for the UK as Jack Hunter is set to attend, as is the country’s third best Sonic, Peli.

#18 – KYUSHU

Final Score: 27.459

Highest Scored Player: Shuton (10.81)

Lowest Scored Player: Mattun (47.12)

Players used in final ranking: Shuton, Hiro, Kome, Nanchan, Yamanyon, Suinoko, HIDE

Best Placements: 13th, 2GGC Civil War Saga, 3rd, 2GGC: West Side Saga, & 7th, Fire Emblem Saga (Shuton)

Worst Placements: 65th, Umebura Japan Major (Mattun & HIDE)

Potential Rating: B+

Coming in as Japan’s third best region, Kyushu gave us Shuton, a breakout Olimar player. It also has given us the world’s best Shulk, and a number off odd placements at majors in Nanchan & Suinoko that far extended beyond their seeding.

With the worst of their best managing to crack Top 64 or Top 96 at majors, it can be assumed that similar potential exists in players like Yamanyon, HIDE, and Mattun, while Hiro may be one of the best Japanese players yet unseen on the national level, having only participated nationally at Tokaigi 2017, where he lost to Abadango 1-2 and noted Bayo slayer Dabuz 0-2.

There is a slight caveat, hence the B+ potential, in that Kome has now moved to Kansai, meaning he will be ranked with Kansai in future region rankings, taking away a very strong player who very consistently places well both in-country and abroad.

#17 – ONTARIO

Final Score: 26.0554

Highest Scored Player: Mistake (11.62833)

Lowest Scored Player: Infinity (302.01)

Players used in final ranking: Mistake, Yoh, Blacktwins, THUNDER, Deathorse, Chrim Foish, LetsTickle

Best Placement: 5th, Super Smash Con 2017 (Mistake)

Worst Placement: 1025th, Super Smash Con 2017 (Infinity)

Potential Rating: B+

Coming off of a hot year, Ontario slides into 17th with improvements from Blacktwins, a breakout from Mistake, big sets from THUNDER, and a low key albeit still impressive year from Deathorse.

Plenty can be expected moving forward from Ontario, with the hope that Mistake can reignite the performances we saw across the summer and some of the players near the back of the ranking can expand further. We might see more of their potential at Frostbite 2018, as Frostbite 2017 itself was a large gathering of many notable Canadian players, especially some of Ontario’s best.

With growth on the horizon mitigated slightly by inconsistencies from THUNDER and Mistake faltering late in the year, a B+ potential rating seem appropriate for the region moving forward.

#16 – GERMANY

Final Score: 25.6914

Highest Scored Player: cyve (12.92)

Lowest Scored Player: Eddy (176.4)

Players used in final ranking: cyve, wusi, quiK, Long0uw, Purple~H, Light (DE), Tsunayoshi

Best Placement: 2nd, B.E.A.S.T. 7 (cyve)

Worst Placement: 257th, Eddy (Syndicate 2017)

Potential Rating: A-

Growing even from a decent year in 2016, Germany now has expanded its roster of noteworthy players, now including players like quiK, wusi, and Purple~H, the former managing to defeat Larry Lurr mid-year.

Meshing this with significant international travel would likely yield positive results for the country, with the noted EU Tour from Midwest Mayhem 11 being a potential way for us to see further upsets.

While international performances are important, the thing that pushed Germany this far was also its limited but very notable consistency in the EU, coming from Cyve placing top 4 at the three largest EU tournies of the year (B.E.A.S.T, Syndicate, and Albion) while also taking Larry Lurr to game 5 early in the year at PPT Winter.

#15 – SOUTHWEST

Final Score: 24.31132

Highest Scored Player: JK (19.363)

Lowest Scored Player: Lycan (56.87)

Players used in final ranking: JK, FOW, Luhtie, Saiki, Stroder, SS, BestNess

Best Placement: 9th, EVO 2017 (JK)

Worst Placement: 193rd, EVO 2017 (PiXL)

Potential Rating: B-

Many eyes have been on the Southwest. Its proximity to SoCal and a massive number of the world’s biggest events give it a vantage point very few regions at this area on the region ranking has, and the improvements seen across the Southwest have demonstrated this.

Despite that, there’ve been some struggles. Players like JK rose to prominence, but due to a firestorm of controversy, he on indefinite hiatus. On top of this, FOW, once a player bordering on being top 10, is frequently inactive and rarely attends events, with that attendance gap seeming to increase even further, having not attended any December events and seeming to be absent for GENESIS 5.

There’s potential out of Colorado and Utah, too, with BANG! making a name for himself after a close set with Salem at DreamHack Denver, while PiXL, BestNess, and VaLoR all being significant names to look out for moving forward.

With the region’s two best players possibly being nonfactors moving forward, the region may struggle to keep up or expand, and will need the very best to come from its sparking Utah scene and hope Luhtie fully realizes his potential.

#14 – QUEBEC

Final Score: 23.3759

Highest Scored Player: Ally (8.72)

Lowest Scored Player: Z (40.37)

Players used in final ranking: Ally, SuperGirlKels, Venom, Fwed, DarkAura, Holy, Darkwolf

Best Placement: 2nd, GENESIS 4 & 1st, 2GGC: Greninja Saga (Ally)

Worst Placement: 97th, 2GGC: Civil War & 97th, EVO 2017 (Venom & Z)

Potential Rating: B+

A top player can give your region a lot of credibility it otherwise may have lacked. In this case, Quebec has a limited number of notable players to select from, with Ally carrying the region on his back a bit.

That’s not to say it’s void of accomplishments. Venom & SuperGirlKels, and to a lesser extend, Fwed & DarkAura, have clearly pushed the region in recent months, earning a small collection of sets on high level players and a number of solid national placements.

With Fwed being a part of the modern gold rush of Fox players and DarkAura existing as part of that Greninja elite always primed to make upsets, it’s hard to ignore the region’s potential going forward, especially since Venom was in a similar position in 2016 and rose to a level of greater prominence at events like SCR Saga.

#13 – FRANCE

Final Score: 23.307

Highest Scored Player: Glutonny (13.97)

Lowest Scored Player: TheFlow (68.16)

Players used in final ranking: Glutonny, Griffith, Elexiao, Fire, Homika, Greil, Myollnir

Best Placement: 3rd, Syndicate 2017 (Glutonny)

Worst Placement: 129th, Shine 2017 (TheFlow)

Potential Rating: A-

Taking the title as second best EU nation, France comes in at 13th due to consistent and impressive runs in the EU. They’re led by Wario main Glutonny, noted for his wins vs. ANTi and Kameme in late 2016.

This year, he managed to double eliminate Fatality, and eventually went to Game 5 vs. KEN at Syndicate in a nailbiter set where Glutonny defied expectations and took KEN to the limit. If Hunter’s set vs. KEN was impressive, Glutonny’s was more so, as Wario has a much harder time against Sonic, and this was a set taking place in bracket.

Not all the credit can be given to Glutonny, as the region scores well across the board for the most part, with 2 decent U.S. performances coming from Elexiao at Greninja Saga & The Big House 7, while the rest of the country enjoys consustent Top 32 and Top 16 placements in a broad number of large EU events.

The high potential rating stems from the assumption that we’ll see more international attendance from France in the future, which would help prove just how solid a region they are based on their growth from 2016 to 2017.

#12 – PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Final Score: 21.97148

Highest Scored Player: Locus* (15.8583)

Lowest Scored Player: Len (40.67)

Players used in final ranking: Locus, Cacogen, Konga, Captain L, Locke, Big D, KOSSismoss

Best Placement: 7th, 2GGC: Civil War (Locus)

Worst Placement: 193rd, GENESIS 4 (Konga)

Potential Rating: B+

Coming off of an unexpected and successful at 2GGT: ZeRo Saga, Locus led the PNW’s charge in 2017, backed by Washington resident Konga and eventually a few late-year impressive performances from Captain L.

The region’s potential is still somewhat untapped, as players like Cacogen and Big D are known to be titans in their respective state/province, but don’t travel much. One other potentially limiting factor is Locus himself, who’s results have been across the board and ranged on a downwards slope in recent months, but it’s hard to know where this will go as it’s a common trait of most Ryu mains in general.

With their less-traveled players in mind and wealth of players known for taking significant sets and placements across the year, the region will probably continue to rise in the future.

#11 – TEXAS

Final Score: 21.574

Highest Scored Player: Lima (11.0883)

Lowest Scored Player: Jayson (37.23)

Players used in final ranking: Lima, Trela, Megafox, Twi, Karna, Deluxemenu AeroLink

Best Placement: 7th, 2GGC: MKLeo Saga & 9th, EVO 2017 (Lima)

Worst Placement: 129th, EVO 2017 (AeroLink)

Potential Rating: B-

Rounding out today’s post, Texas strikes back for 2017 by narrow making 11th due to the last efforts of Trela, Lima’s rising star, and national showdowns at Low Tier City 5, DreamHack Austin, and Clutch City Clash 2 that provided some key data.

Trela & Lima’s high 11 point scores combined with a strong back end scored that only hits 33 (AeroLink) gives the region a slightly better look at consistency among its players than the PNW or certain EU nations, but this is fleeting due to Trela’s current status.

However, the long term of the region is held back by Trela’s semi-retirement, the region’s lack of significant travel that historically limits regional strength, and the inconsistencies in results of some of the back end players used in the final ranking.

Tomorrow, we’ll rank the last 10 regions – you should already know which regions are being ranked by process of elimination, but how will they be ordered?