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Joined: 30-October 03



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Member No.: 549





Lieutenant-GeneralGroup: StaffPosts: 3,248AOM Replays: 204 Submissions:Joined: 30-October 03From: ?Member No.: 549













After a break over the winter, or summer if in the southern hemisphere (Jollyman), AoT RTS League has finally returned! RTSL has crowned clan champions in the "Age of" series for over 15 years, and will continue to do so with AoT Season 26. Last season, Lad|A was crowned champions after emerging victorious over AoL in an exciting 3-2 final series. Third place went to TSM, with BrT|A being the honorable mention, fourth place finisher. This season sees an exciting mix of clans, some new, some returned after a hiatus, and many others returning from last season. But who will be the champion this season? Will Lad|A emerge as the first back-to-back champs since LNC (seasons 19 and 20), or will one of Lad's many contenders topple them off of their throne? Well, no one knows (unless RTSL is rigged), so until the final match gets played a few months from now, let's just sit back and enjoy the show!



This season of RTS League will maintain the same format that has been used since practically the beginning of time (2001), so I don't think I need to go into an in-depth explanation of what the league is. However, for those of you who may be new, I'll provide a brief explanation. Each season of RTSL begins with the "regular season," in which the assorted clans are separated into different divisions. Each clan will then play two games against every other clan within its division in a round robin format, with one match (two games) every week. At the end of the season, the clans with the best records will advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket consisting of best of 3s, until the semi-finals/finals, which are best of 5s. Also, Voobly Balance Patch 1.04 will be the required version for all games.



At this point though, you guys probably just want me to get to what's important - the clans and divisions. Well, here they are:



Divisions

Division 1: DoD|B, FROST, GDM|B, Lad, Mor0nZ, ONU

Division 2: DoD|C, F2, JSS, Lad|B, Mysteria, TBL

Division 3: ArF, DoD, GDM, KeeN, Lad|C, TSM

(note: 4Head was left out due to being a hodgepodge of players thrown together like a tossed salad)



The season begins as of now, with the matches expected to be played sometime this week. Here is a look at the Week One matchups:



Division #1:

Full Schedule

GDM|B vs FROST

ONU vs Lad|A

DoD|B vs Mor0nZ



Division #2:

Full Schedule

TBL_ vs Lad|B

DoD|C vs JSS

Mysteria vs F2



Division #3:

Full Schedule

Lad|C vs TSM

DoD|A vs ArF

Keen vs GDM|A



And now for the individual clan previews, listed in order of power rankings. These power rankings were obtained using a highly scientific formula capable of measuring massive amounts of data (my deranged mind):



Division 1:

+Spoiler+ -Spoiler-

#1: Lad|A - Champion last season



Obviously it's hard to rank the returning champion as anything but #1, so I didn't. Lad|A returns this season with essentially the same winning lineup as last year, including last year's champion-match-team, IKill_UDie, NyanRacingCat, and Ayah. Other players on their roster include Rayzen, Simtom, and JohnnyWalker. Looking at the names, it's obvious why Lad|A won the title last season - their players are highly skilled in 1x1s and also have a good deal of experience in team games. As far as 1x1 skill overall, Lad does not have the highest raw scale of all the participating clans, but team games play out quite a bit differently than 1x1. The main worry for Lad will be the Voobly Patch 1.04, something that has caused Simtom (and Nyan, of late) much turmoil and rage.



#2. DoD|B - Lost in quarterfinals to BrT|A



DoD|B surprised many last year with a very strong regular season performance, in which they placed 2nd in their division, picking up some wins against favored TSM and JSS. However, DoD's strong regular season play did not translate to the playoffs, where they were promptly swept by BrT|A in the first round. DoD|B has a fairly solid roster, consisting of top players Shelty and Fox, along with a supporting cast of moderate players such as BriefKees, Jollyman, and Kries. While DoD|B doesn't necessarily have a complete team of top-end 1x1ers, they play exceptionally well as a team.



#3. FROST - Did not make playoffs



Last season was FROST's first RTSL appearance in a very, very long time. In fact, FROST is the oldest clan participating in RTSL, having participated in AoM RTSL before AoT, circa 2004 AD. Unfortunately, FROST appeared to suffer from severe jet lag last season; they won a few games here and there but did not make the playoffs. Their team, led by Swoop and his blurry livestream, features an assortment of 1750~ rated players, most of whom play many team games and very few 1x1s. If they play well as a team, they might be able to slide into the playoffs as a wild-card, but they will likely not contend with Lad|A or DoD|B.



#4. ONU - Lost in wildcard play-in to DoD|A



ONU is an old AoT clan that returned to RTSL last season after a lengthy hiatus. In ancient RTSL history, ONU, at times, ranked near the top of the league. Last season, however, ONU barely squeaked into postseason play as the #10 seed, but they were promptly eliminated by DoD|A in the wildcard play-in. But, ONU then went on to dominate the League Cup (essentially a bracket for non-playoff teams). ONU again features a similar roster of primarily mid 1700s, who play many team games, which, logically, comes in handy in RTSL.



#5. GDM|B - Did not participate last season



GDM is a long-time participant of RTSL, but did not participate last season. GDM is a massive clan, but doesn't really have any top players. Their makeup is fairly similar to that of ONU's and FROST's, in that GDM|B consists of a smattering of mid 1700 players, most of whom focus on team games. GDM could definitely compete for the third spot in the division, but would have to play very well to do so.



#6. Mor0nZ - Never participated before



Mor0nZ is a mystery clan, most of whom play on EE and are not known. They managed to hear of RTSL through other sources, and signed up with the hopes of bringing their EE skills to Voobly. And just what is their EE skill level? Well, approximately 1800s, which on Voobly is maybe 1700 on a good day. Maybe they will surprise us all and win a few games, but it appears that Mor0nZ will bring up the rear of division #1.

#1: Lad|A - Champion last seasonObviously it's hard to rank the returning champion as anything but #1, so I didn't. Lad|A returns this season with essentially the same winning lineup as last year, including last year's champion-match-team, IKill_UDie, NyanRacingCat, and Ayah. Other players on their roster include Rayzen, Simtom, and JohnnyWalker. Looking at the names, it's obvious why Lad|A won the title last season - their players are highly skilled in 1x1s and also have a good deal of experience in team games. As far as 1x1 skill overall, Lad does not have the highest raw scale of all the participating clans, but team games play out quite a bit differently than 1x1. The main worry for Lad will be the Voobly Patch 1.04, something that has caused Simtom (and Nyan, of late) much turmoil and rage.#2. DoD|B - Lost in quarterfinals to BrT|ADoD|B surprised many last year with a very strong regular season performance, in which they placed 2nd in their division, picking up some wins against favored TSM and JSS. However, DoD's strong regular season play did not translate to the playoffs, where they were promptly swept by BrT|A in the first round. DoD|B has a fairly solid roster, consisting of top players Shelty and Fox, along with a supporting cast of moderate players such as BriefKees, Jollyman, and Kries. While DoD|B doesn't necessarily have a complete team of top-end 1x1ers, they play exceptionally well as a team.#3. FROST - Did not make playoffsLast season was FROST's first RTSL appearance in a very, very long time. In fact, FROST is the oldest clan participating in RTSL, having participated in AoM RTSL before AoT, circa 2004 AD. Unfortunately, FROST appeared to suffer from severe jet lag last season; they won a few games here and there but did not make the playoffs. Their team, led by Swoop and his blurry livestream, features an assortment of 1750~ rated players, most of whom play many team games and very few 1x1s. If they play well as a team, they might be able to slide into the playoffs as a wild-card, but they will likely not contend with Lad|A or DoD|B.#4. ONU - Lost in wildcard play-in to DoD|AONU is an old AoT clan that returned to RTSL last season after a lengthy hiatus. In ancient RTSL history, ONU, at times, ranked near the top of the league. Last season, however, ONU barely squeaked into postseason play as the #10 seed, but they were promptly eliminated by DoD|A in the wildcard play-in. But, ONU then went on to dominate the League Cup (essentially a bracket for non-playoff teams). ONU again features a similar roster of primarily mid 1700s, who play many team games, which, logically, comes in handy in RTSL.#5. GDM|B - Did not participate last seasonGDM is a long-time participant of RTSL, but did not participate last season. GDM is a massive clan, but doesn't really have any top players. Their makeup is fairly similar to that of ONU's and FROST's, in that GDM|B consists of a smattering of mid 1700 players, most of whom focus on team games. GDM could definitely compete for the third spot in the division, but would have to play very well to do so.#6. Mor0nZ - Never participated beforeMor0nZ is a mystery clan, most of whom play on EE and are not known. They managed to hear of RTSL through other sources, and signed up with the hopes of bringing their EE skills to Voobly. And just what is their EE skill level? Well, approximately 1800s, which on Voobly is maybe 1700 on a good day. Maybe they will surprise us all and win a few games, but it appears that Mor0nZ will bring up the rear of division #1.



Division #2:

+Spoiler+ -Spoiler-

#1. JSS - Defeated ReGeN in wildcard play-in, lost to Lad|A in quarterfinals



JSS features a hodgepodge of highly-skilled players, and they came into last season as a heavy favorite to win the title. However, JSS did not even place in top 2 in their division, and had to battle into the playoffs as a wild card. Their roster this year is very similar to last year, although they have added Titou and Recon. Other remarkably skilled players include the beloved Swedish Chef (who recently discovered modern technology; aka livestream), some hillbilly farmer named Themista, and Ert (who currently can't play due to a bugged AoM; sabotage suspected, probably DoD). As far as 1x1 talent goes, JSS has the best in the league, but as last season showed, 1x1 skill does not mean team game cohesion.



#2. TBL - Lost in the semifinals to Lad|A (as BrT|A)



Technically, TBL did not participate last season, but the majority of their players played for BrT|A, who had an exceptional season until losing to the eventual champions, Lad. Historically, TBL has featured very strong team play, stronger than what their 1x1 ratings would suggest. Metallo has long been a driving force on their team, along with players such as Gold_Lion, Giovan, and Skady. One worry for TBL is that some of their players have not been too active lately, so they may be a little rusty. In fact, a look at recent Voobly matches would kind of suggest that they have been losing to everyone.



#3. F2 - Did not make playoffs (as CENSORED)



Last season, F2 (formerly CENSORED) struggled in the regular season and missed the playoffs completely. Their poor performance was a little surprising, because the team of 7up, Pops, and Wizsanji (or whatever he calls himself) aren't bad players, and they play a ton of team games together. Perhaps the pressure was just too much, or maybe it was due to the curse of playing in Chicks' ridiculous clan. This season, however, will likely be different, because F2 is tapping into the vast knowledge and experience of their one guest player, the legendary being known to mankind as ChronoJJ. ChronoJJ, however, has lost a step (or two) in his old age, but he might just lube up the wheels on his chair in order to keep up with the young whippersnappers of modern AoT.



#4. Lad|B - Did not make playoffs



Last season, Lad|B did not enjoy the success that their counterparts enjoyed, and won only a few games in the regular season. Lad|B's players aren't bad, though, and features a decent slew of 1700 players. In fact, some of them, such as Herro and Praise the Sun, appear to have improved dramatically since last season. Lad|B also features Aurelian, Corn, and MiracleMan - three more competent players. Lad|B certainly has the potential to play well.



#5. DoD|C - Did not make playoffs



DoD|C consists primarily of DoD's leftovers not quite good enough to be on A and B. DoD|C has a long list of players, but the team did not play well last season. DoD|C primarily consists of upper 1600 players, although one of them, Chaos, has improved immensely since last season. But one man can not carry the team; he will need help, but will he get enough from his team? Probably not.



#6. Mysteria - Did not participate



Mysteria is not a well-known clan, although they have played in RTSL in the past. Mysteria is not very skilled, consisting primarily of mid-1600 French players. It's not likely they will win any games, but maybe with a few well-selected home maps they could steal a game or two.

#1. JSS - Defeated ReGeN in wildcard play-in, lost to Lad|A in quarterfinalsJSS features a hodgepodge of highly-skilled players, and they came into last season as a heavy favorite to win the title. However, JSS did not even place in top 2 in their division, and had to battle into the playoffs as a wild card. Their roster this year is very similar to last year, although they have added Titou and Recon. Other remarkably skilled players include the beloved Swedish Chef (who recently discovered modern technology; aka livestream), some hillbilly farmer named Themista, and Ert (who currently can't play due to a bugged AoM; sabotage suspected, probably DoD). As far as 1x1 talent goes, JSS has the best in the league, but as last season showed, 1x1 skill does not mean team game cohesion.#2. TBL - Lost in the semifinals to Lad|A (as BrT|A)Technically, TBL did not participate last season, but the majority of their players played for BrT|A, who had an exceptional season until losing to the eventual champions, Lad. Historically, TBL has featured very strong team play, stronger than what their 1x1 ratings would suggest. Metallo has long been a driving force on their team, along with players such as Gold_Lion, Giovan, and Skady. One worry for TBL is that some of their players have not been too active lately, so they may be a little rusty. In fact, a look at recent Voobly matches would kind of suggest that they have been losing to everyone.#3. F2 - Did not make playoffs (as CENSORED)Last season, F2 (formerly CENSORED) struggled in the regular season and missed the playoffs completely. Their poor performance was a little surprising, because the team of 7up, Pops, and Wizsanji (or whatever he calls himself) aren't bad players, and they play a ton of team games together. Perhaps the pressure was just too much, or maybe it was due to the curse of playing in Chicks' ridiculous clan. This season, however, will likely be different, because F2 is tapping into the vast knowledge and experience of their one guest player, the legendary being known to mankind as ChronoJJ. ChronoJJ, however, has lost a step (or two) in his old age, but he might just lube up the wheels on his chair in order to keep up with the young whippersnappers of modern AoT.#4. Lad|B - Did not make playoffsLast season, Lad|B did not enjoy the success that their counterparts enjoyed, and won only a few games in the regular season. Lad|B's players aren't bad, though, and features a decent slew of 1700 players. In fact, some of them, such as Herro and Praise the Sun, appear to have improved dramatically since last season. Lad|B also features Aurelian, Corn, and MiracleMan - three more competent players. Lad|B certainly has the potential to play well.#5. DoD|C - Did not make playoffsDoD|C consists primarily of DoD's leftovers not quite good enough to be on A and B. DoD|C has a long list of players, but the team did not play well last season. DoD|C primarily consists of upper 1600 players, although one of them, Chaos, has improved immensely since last season. But one man can not carry the team; he will need help, but will he get enough from his team? Probably not.#6. Mysteria - Did not participateMysteria is not a well-known clan, although they have played in RTSL in the past. Mysteria is not very skilled, consisting primarily of mid-1600 French players. It's not likely they will win any games, but maybe with a few well-selected home maps they could steal a game or two.



Division #3:

+Spoiler+ -Spoiler-

#1. TSM - Lost to AoL in the semifinals



TSM has long been an RTSL stalwart and frequent championship contender. Over the years, TSM's roster has primarily consisted of Fen, PLAYER, and Atlantis, and it appears that the trio will be together again. The trio are highly talented 1x1 players as well as team players. TSM will likely go Zeus X2 + Oranos for the entire season, while picking Mediterranean for every home map. Despite being completely predictable, TSM will excel, because they are good at what they do.



#2. ArF - Lost to AoL in the quarterfinals



ArF, primarily a French clan, has long excelled in RTSL and looks to contend for the title again. Historically, the team has featured talented team players such as Adhafang, torgale, and Laior, who play an assortment of Greek, Egyptian, and Norse (Loki). The roster will likely remain much the same, although ArF may introduce a new face or two. A main concern is torgale's temper, which quickly erupts when his team does badly (although torgale always plays perfectly, just ask him).



#3. DoD|A - Lost to TSM in the quarterfinals



DoD|A used to dominate RTSL, and they have collected quite a few trophies in the past - however, it has been a few seasons since they last won (season 22). DoD|A still has many of the same players, such as J4Jc3, Killerboy, and also includes other top players such as Rangers, Brickhead, Spoeft, and Hellsravage. The issue, however, is that most of those players have been inactive lately. When active, the clan is a force to be reckoned with, but the rust might just be too much to shake off. Perhaps DoD|A could use a special training session with Mr. Anti-Rust himself, ChronoJJ.



#4. KeeN - Did not participate.



KeeN is a relative new-comer to RTSL. They played a few season back when EE just came out, but the experiment, like EE, did not end well. KeeN struggled in the season, lost interest, and ultimately stopped playing toward the end of the season when they no longer had a chance at playoffs. However, KeeN is now revamped, and features a new roster that includes the Brazilian sensation Sensuy (recently enriched by trueloque). KeeN also has another talented player, Sensei (Kimo), who is not well-known but has been doing well in the 1x1 ladder recently. The rest of Keen is fairly pedestrian, but Sensuy and Sensei may be enough to power KeeN into the playoffs.



#5. GDM - Did not participate.



As touched on in the division 1 preview, GDM is an old clan with alot of RTSL experience, but they took last season off. GDM has a huge roster, but doesn't really have any star players. They do have a collection of 1750~ players, such as Stealth, Warlock, and Locke, but it's tough to give them an accurate rating because they aren't well-known. GDM could possibly surprise their opposition in the division, particularly DoD, who will likely enter the match overconfident as usual, expecting easy wins.



#6. Lad|C - Did not participate (although Lad|A and B did)



Similar to DoD|C, Lad|C is kind of the clan leftovers that weren't quite good enough to make the other teams. Nothing against C at all, we've all been there before (even I used to suck). C's roster consists of players such as Snellius, Wim, Flash, Cal (clan leader) and MadConqueror, most of whom are decent players, but none that will likely be able to carry their team to victory.

#1. TSM - Lost to AoL in the semifinalsTSM has long been an RTSL stalwart and frequent championship contender. Over the years, TSM's roster has primarily consisted of Fen, PLAYER, and Atlantis, and it appears that the trio will be together again. The trio are highly talented 1x1 players as well as team players. TSM will likely go Zeus X2 + Oranos for the entire season, while picking Mediterranean for every home map. Despite being completely predictable, TSM will excel, because they are good at what they do.#2. ArF - Lost to AoL in the quarterfinalsArF, primarily a French clan, has long excelled in RTSL and looks to contend for the title again. Historically, the team has featured talented team players such as Adhafang, torgale, and Laior, who play an assortment of Greek, Egyptian, and Norse (Loki). The roster will likely remain much the same, although ArF may introduce a new face or two. A main concern is torgale's temper, which quickly erupts when his team does badly (although torgale always plays perfectly, just ask him).#3. DoD|A - Lost to TSM in the quarterfinalsDoD|A used to dominate RTSL, and they have collected quite a few trophies in the past - however, it has been a few seasons since they last won (season 22). DoD|A still has many of the same players, such as J4Jc3, Killerboy, and also includes other top players such as Rangers, Brickhead, Spoeft, and Hellsravage. The issue, however, is that most of those players have been inactive lately. When active, the clan is a force to be reckoned with, but the rust might just be too much to shake off. Perhaps DoD|A could use a special training session with Mr. Anti-Rust himself, ChronoJJ.#4. KeeN - Did not participate.KeeN is a relative new-comer to RTSL. They played a few season back when EE just came out, but the experiment, like EE, did not end well. KeeN struggled in the season, lost interest, and ultimately stopped playing toward the end of the season when they no longer had a chance at playoffs. However, KeeN is now revamped, and features a new roster that includes the Brazilian sensation Sensuy (recently enriched by trueloque). KeeN also has another talented player, Sensei (Kimo), who is not well-known but has been doing well in the 1x1 ladder recently. The rest of Keen is fairly pedestrian, but Sensuy and Sensei may be enough to power KeeN into the playoffs.#5. GDM - Did not participate.As touched on in the division 1 preview, GDM is an old clan with alot of RTSL experience, but they took last season off. GDM has a huge roster, but doesn't really have any star players. They do have a collection of 1750~ players, such as Stealth, Warlock, and Locke, but it's tough to give them an accurate rating because they aren't well-known. GDM could possibly surprise their opposition in the division, particularly DoD, who will likely enter the match overconfident as usual, expecting easy wins.#6. Lad|C - Did not participate (although Lad|A and B did)Similar to DoD|C, Lad|C is kind of the clan leftovers that weren't quite good enough to make the other teams. Nothing against C at all, we've all been there before (even I used to suck). C's roster consists of players such as Snellius, Wim, Flash, Cal (clan leader) and MadConqueror, most of whom are decent players, but none that will likely be able to carry their team to victory.



RTSL Staff:

Blackadder

ChronoJJ

Mirez (IMG: http://i.imgur.com/ApFQLVg.png After a break over the winter, or summer if in the southern hemisphere (Jollyman), AoT RTS League has finally returned! RTSL has crowned clan champions in the "Age of" series for over 15 years, and will continue to do so with AoT Season 26. Last season, Lad|A was crowned champions after emerging victorious over AoL in an exciting 3-2 final series. Third place went to TSM, with BrT|A being the honorable mention, fourth place finisher. This season sees an exciting mix of clans, some new, some returned after a hiatus, and many others returning from last season. But who will be the champion this season? Will Lad|A emerge as the first back-to-back champs since LNC (seasons 19 and 20), or will one of Lad's many contenders topple them off of their throne? Well, no one knows (unless RTSL is rigged), so until the final match gets played a few months from now, let's just sit back and enjoy the show!This season of RTS League will maintain the same format that has been used since practically the beginning of time (2001), so I don't think I need to go into an in-depth explanation of what the league is. However, for those of you who may be new, I'll provide a brief explanation. Each season of RTSL begins with the "regular season," in which the assorted clans are separated into different divisions. Each clan will then play two games against every other clan within its division in a round robin format, with one match (two games) every week. At the end of the season, the clans with the best records will advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket consisting of best of 3s, until the semi-finals/finals, which are best of 5s.At this point though, you guys probably just want me to get to what's important - the clans and divisions. Well, here they are:Division 1: DoD|B, FROST, GDM|B, Lad, Mor0nZ, ONUDivision 2: DoD|C, F2, JSS, Lad|B, Mysteria, TBLDivision 3: ArF, DoD, GDM, KeeN, Lad|C, TSM(note: 4Head was left out due to being a hodgepodge of players thrown together like a tossed salad)The season begins as of now, with the matches expected to be played sometime this week. Here is a look at the Week One matchups:Division #1:GDM|B vs FROSTONU vs Lad|ADoD|B vs Mor0nZDivision #2:TBL_ vs Lad|BDoD|C vs JSSMysteria vs F2Division #3:Lad|C vs TSMDoD|A vs ArFKeen vs GDM|AAnd now for the individual clan previews, listed in order of power rankings. These power rankings were obtained using a highly scientific formula capable of measuring massive amounts of data (my deranged mind):Division 1:Division #2:Division #3:RTSL Staff:BlackadderChronoJJMirez

