The fourth of five articles breaking down the Top 50 is here!

Information about OrionRank 2017 Late Summer can be found here for those who missed the announcement post.

Using data from very late December of 2016 to Shine 2017, we proudly present the Top 50! Let’s get into things.

#20 – MISTAKE

OrionRank 2016: N/A (NEW)

Mistake is a unique case. While we’ve seen Bayonetta players crash onto the scene with solid results, the bulk of them were all players that had their breakouts in 2016, some pre-nerf, some – such as Salem and Zack- post nerf.

Despite that standard, Mistake rose from being one of Ontario’s best with his Zero Suit Samus to quickly becoming accustomed with Bayonetta. His control over Ontario was the harbinger of what was to come, with an unexpectedly good performance coming at Nairo Saga, followed by a strong 5th place at MSM 100, the largest weekly in Smash 4 history.

This wouldn’t be the end of Mistake’s tale, as he later surprised everybody at Get Smashed: Summer School. While this pre-EVO weekly wasn’t used in the ranking, it makes the next month seem about right – he defeated Ally and put up a good fight against KEN, then proceeded to roll right through Fatality and place 17th at EVO.

Since then, he’s displayed frightening consistency, only narrowly missing a top 8 placement at Shine 2017 and otherwise bringing players of every caliber to the brink, with an impressive 5-9 record that began only within the last three or so months.

Mistake can be expected to rise much further in the future if he retains his current level of skill.

#19 – 9B

OrionRank 2016: 44th (+25)

9B could be one of the most underrated players in the world. Despite a 0-10 record versus the top 10, he has strong record at the USA majors he attends, and does incredibly well in Japan. While he TOs the Sumabato series, he’s known in equal share for doing very well at those very events, with four of the last five Sumabatos having 9B in the top 8, and three of five having him in the top 2.

As a result, he has wins on the bulk of notable Japanese players, with KEN notably evading his grasp on multiple occasions. With a 25-27 record on the top 50 and placements at majors like Umebura Japan Major, Civil War, and GENESIS 4, 9B has done a lot to earn a placement this high for the year so far.

#18 – FATALITY

OrionRank 2016: 32nd (+14)

Fatality has had an explosive year. After over a year of struggling, Fatality finally broke past a barrier of being unable to defeat top players. DuringCivil War, he decimated Komorikiri and went on to defeat Nairo in a pulse pounding best of five set that was down to the wire from start to finish.

While some speculated this might’ve been a one hit wonder after a speedbump at CEO Dreamland, he rebuked any doubt with a strong performance at Momocon, earning him another runner-up spot, this time taking down Salem, ZeRo, Larry Lurr, and other strong players along the way.

He hasn’t quite reached this peak since and has struggled with Bayonetta more as of late, but there’s no doubt that he will turn up in a top 8 sometimes soon, ready to bring his hype Falcon to the forefront.

#17 – KIRIHARA

OrionRank 2016: Hidden Boss (NEW)

While Kirihara didn’t have the attendance needed to qualify for OrionRank 2016, he’s come out to play more in both Japan and the states, with a myriad of excellent performances to give him a strong record versus the top 15 and as near even score versus the top 10.

The only things holding Kirihara from going higher is his still meager attendance outside of Kanto weeklies and his poor performance at EVO 2017, where he placed 65th after losing to Mistake & TLTC. This hardly erases the fact that he’s a winner of a stateside major, but it may serve as a reality check that nobody is invincible against the specter of Smash 4 upsets.

#16 – MARSS

OrionRank 2016: 15th (-1)

New England’s undisputed best for well over a year and counting, Marss’ activity declined significantly after parting ways with his sponsor, Denial eSports. Despite that, he’s had impressive outings at nearly every turn this year, with Royal Flush marking his only poor placement.

This consistency – in region and out – is reflected by how he often dominates his opponents with an iron grip. He has more wins than losses on the top 50 by a notable margin, and his wins on Salem, Larry, and Tweek all indicate that this year has been just as lucrative for him as a player as the last.

#15 – ABADANGO

OrionRank 2016: 6th (-9)

There’s way to dance around the fact that Abadango has had a rough year. He’s had some very solid performances and isn’t exactly a slouch when it comes to taking sets- after all, he’s ranked 15th – but this definitely doesn’t meet the expectations many might have considering Abadango’s history as one of the game’s top players.

With a main crisis hitting him as he transitions to Bayonetta, we can see a struggle in this regard, with his record versus the top 10 being the biggest hit he’s taken that caused him to drop so many spots. Despite all of that, he’s still managed to carry some good performances, including a very successful demonstration of his Bayonetta at Umebura 27 and two undoubtedly great performances at Nairo Saga and GENESIS 4.

As he settles into his new character or even the idea of dual maining Bayonetta and Mewtwo, we can likely expect to see Abadango rise again.

#14 – MR. R

OrionRank 2016: 7th (-7)

Continuing to dominate all European events he enters and being a solid pick for high level consistency since he has never placed below 17th at an event, Mr. R is only held back by a few key but painful under performances at three consecutive majors – Nairo Saga, CEO, and EVO.

That’s largely responsible for his drop out of the Top 10. Despite that, he’s still done remarkably well over the course of the year, finally taking additional sets off of both MKLeo and ZeRo, two long time bracket demons for him.

He’s also known for getting cheesed a bit, or at least noted for being a victim of Sheik and her demanding playstyle that’s known for mentally exhausting many players. This can especially be the case when characters like Donkey Kong, Lucario, and Ryu all have early kill power while Sheik has to work to kill in many circumstances, especially with a more neutral oriented player like Mr. R.

Despite the dips in performance this year, he still retains a dominant record over most regions he visits, and his American record is hardly anything to scoff as. He’s now a consistent threat to ZeRo, with an event like Smash Con showcasing just how dangerous Mr. R can be in bracket. If his return to form there is any indication, we can probably expect Mr. R to slip back into the top 10 by the end of the year.

#13 – CAPTAIN ZACK

OrionRank 2016: 27th (+14)

Louisiana’s stylish Bayonetta breakout from mid-late 2016 came at the metagame full force this year, starting things out with a successful albeit controversial run at GENESIS 4. His major record is somewhat mixed, but with three Top 6 performances at three very large tournaments, it’s easy to see why he ranks so high.

On top of this, he has a positive record on the top 50. So, despite having a track record of sometimes getting upset very early in bracket, Zack still retains a strong record over the top level of competition he frequently faces. With multiple wins on Nairo and wins on Salem and Ally under his belt, you can clearly see that his Bayonetta is good at taking some of the highest ranked players to their limits.

It’s hard to say where he’ll go in terms of ranking in the future, but spectators are surely aware that the often aggressive Bayonetta player can go very far in bracket at some of the most stacked events.

#12 – ESAM

OrionRank 2016: 16th (+4)

After a year of uncertainty in 2016, ESAM started the year with a defiant loser’s run that netted him a solid 13th place at GENESIS 4. This would continue to reflect a return to form, as his only poor performance during the year turned out to be at EVO, where he was double eliminated by the UK’s top player, Ixis.

ESAM has successfully defeated the bulk of his bracket demons this year in both Dabuz and Ally while acting as a thorn in the side of SoCal’s top talent time and time again. Adding several excellent regional performances to this – including a double elimination of Dabuz at Smashadelphia and a solo-Samus run that led him to win Combo Breaker 2017 – ESAM makes a slightly higher position than many may have expected.

#11 – KOMORIKIRI

OrionRank 2016: 12th (+1)

While Komorikiri briefly seemed to nearly be at the point where he could slip into the top 10, he continues to sit on the cusp as more major attendance yields mixed to positive results. He has a titanic 40-42 record versus the top 50, indicating very frequent exchanges with high level players, but those 42 losses combined with a weaker (but still respectable) record versus the top 10 may be holding him back.

Nonetheless, he’s had a myriad of very strong performances to make up for some weaker outings. While he doesn’t quite crack the top 10, he more than earns a spot at 11th with strong performances at numerous 2GGC events, in addition to three top 8 placements at some of the most stacked events of the year.

Komorikiri rounds out the penultimate list of this iteration of OrionRank with an extensive major record that should leave most impressed. He sometimes catches flack for his more patient and methodical playstyle, with strategic Sonic counterpicks spliced into his game plan, but this has clearly suited him throughout his career, and his usage of Cloud’s aerials to wall out his opponents is a trademark of Komo’s playstyle that helped him reach 11th.

Stay tuned for the finale – #10-#1 – on Monday!