[anwahs]

I know its waaay too early to think about next year but... what teams will rise what teams will fall? will SK boomerang back to top tier? will KD fall victim to the "second place curse" or go back to the original 2nd to 1st pattern (for lack of a better term) will DC or RI continue to become 2nd time champs or close to it? will KI rise again like RI or spiral farther down after their turn with the curse like HW? will LD end up in 7th? who do u think could surprise us out of no where???

[Deadbolt Vulpoon]

Well, Meidell and Maraqua has tried every year there best, one of them is bound to rise in the top tier for the finals next year. Lost desert is a good team, and they will be in the top 4. I think the same will happen to Kreludor that happened to Shenkuu. KI will proboly keep there spot in the 2nd tier again next year.

[Freezewraith]

The "winner's curse" has become so much of a self-fulfilling prophecy that I don't see how LD stays in the top tier. We'll sure try, though. My early guess for next season's top tier, in no order, is Darigan Citadel, Roo Island, Meridell, and Maraqua. I think Lost Desert, Shenkuu, Kruledor, and Virtupets will be in the second tier.

[Joodles!]

I typed a long (and rather amateur) analysis. But hopefully my layout is simple enough for you to read just part of it.

Team Lost Desert:
Lost Deserthas been lurking in the top for quite some years, and this year they finally won the cup. I am sure it wouldn't be in the first tier next year (because of the winner curse), but I doubt that it will drop to the 3rd tier either.

Team Kreludor:
Kreludor did really well this year (in the past it had been in the second tier), and if it was one year ago, many might predict it as the winner of the next cup. However, seeing what happened to Shenkuu, everything might go wrong next year. In my opinion, Kreludor will probably be in the first tier next year, but they will have to work really hard (as all the teams do) to win the next cup.

Team Darigan:
Darigan made a really fast comeback after dropping to 7th in AC II. It is a (quite) consistent team in terms of the final standings, and I predict that the worst situation for the team is being in the second tier. I doubt that it'll be the champion though (instinct).

Team Roo Island
Roo Island also made a great comeback after being in 9th place last year. It has also been a really consistent team in this year's AC. I think it'll continue to do well in AC VI, and (I hope) it will defeat Darigan.

Teams Meridell and Maraqua
Teams Maraqua and Meridell have never been in the first tier, but I think they (especially Maraqua) will probably do well, and I wouldn't be surprised if they get into the top tier. However, as both teams have been in the third tier, it is still possible for them be in the third tier again.

Team Virtupets
Virtupets was probably the most surprising team this year, rising from 12th to 6th. However, somehow I think that they will drop to the third tier (or even fourth).

Team Krawk Island
Krawk Island got 7th place, which was quite typical for the formal champions. However, as I don't think the first tier will be clustered with formal champions, I think it has to settle for 2nd or 3rd tier next year.

Team Terror Island
After having a really good SOSD record, Virtupets rose from 12th to 6th. I think Terror Mountain, the new Shootout Showdown master, is likely to be in 2nd or maybe even 1st tier next year. It is also possible, however, that it stays in the third tier or even become a member of the fourth tier.

Team Tyrannia
Tyrannia has always been good at side games, but extremely bad at Yooyuball. This prevents it from being in the fourth tier (as the scoring system has changed), but also blocks its way to being the top of the teams. The best it can manage will probably be in the 2nd tier, but it's more likely that it'll take a place in the third tier.

Team Shenkuu
For many people, Shenkuu's performance was really disappointing this year. This may be due to unexperienced players and/or freeloaders.
My prediction is that it'll be in the third or at most second tier next year, as many teams were better than shenkuu at yooyuball and shenkuu doesn't specialize in any of the side games.

Team Haunted Woods (sorry that it's extra long :P)
Since Haunted Woods won in the first AC, its standing had been declining. And this year, even though very close to the second tier when double round-robin finished, it settled at the bottom of the third tier at the end of the finals and once again its standings dropped.
I think that the main problem with Haunted Woods is inconsistency, one day we almost swept Lost Desert but the next we got swept by Maraqua. We are also quite bad at the side games, which apparently many team members view them as unimportant.

However, because of our good YYB record, I think our standing wouldn't drop again next year, meaning that we will at least be in the third tier. But as mentioned above, we are /quite/ bad at side games, which can possible prevent us from being in the second tier.


Team Brightvale
Brightvale had an amazing start this year, but at the end it was still in the fourth tier. Something worth noting was its ability in Slushie Slinger, which would definitely prevent it from being in the consolation bracket. I'm not really optimistic about Brightvale though, and I think it will continue to be in the fourth tier.

Team Mystery Island
Mystery Island tends to fluctuate a lot during a tournament, beating powerhouse yet losing to underdogs. Its side game skills also tend to be really bad compared to yooyuball. And since the weighting of side games has increased dramatically, I think it'll continually to stay in the fourth tier or rise slightly into the third tier.

Faerieland
Faerieland has always been one of the underdogs and its performance had never been really good. However this year they have improved slightly and won/ drew some games against powerhouses. I think they'll be in the fourth tier next year.

Team Kiko Lake
Kiko Lake has the worst YYB record beside Moltara, and even though it's okay at side games, I think it'll drop to the consolation bracket.

Team Altador
Interestingly, the founder of the Altador Cup had never performed really well, and this year they were in the consolation bracket. However, given their YYB record, I think they should be capable of being in the fourth tier.

Team Moltara
The newest team in AC. Unfortunately, I think they'll need to stay in the consolation bracket for 1-2 years until they slowly rise in rankings.

[Cheap Trick]

I see the biggest opportunities for next year going to Meridell and Maraqua.
MD was at the top during the last week, but had a extremely hard schedule which bumped them to fifth. After their hard work it was hardly worth it to keep going.
Maraqua has had a great year and most likely will continue to grow.

Virtupets and Kreludor are great teams that could likely end up in the top two tiers. Kreludor will go for 1st if it doesn't end up like Shenkuu; and Virtupets should perform well if their support stays.

Brightvale and Tyrannia could also level the playing field if more support falls their way.

[KittyKadaveral]

I had started way back in the day for Altador figuring they are who created the game it's only logical to play for them. After that I just fell in love with Shenkuu and stuck by them regardless of how good or bad they played. This year I was on the team, but the Ice Man Cometh and took me away so I ended up on Darigan on a side. I'm tempted to stay with Darigan next year, but it really bothered me to not be with Shenkuu :( I hope to not only get defrosted for next year, but hope to make a choice by then too.

[anwahs]

my thoughts are that

LD will fall because the "self fulfilling curse" as it has solidified even more so in peoples minds after it happening 4 years in a row to for the most part extremely strong teams.

KD i don't think the new 2nd place "pattern" will continue, but i wouldn't bank on first, while not counting them out all together

DC i've heard that alot of DC all stars r retiring possibly meaning DC would fall

RI i would think they would stay in the top since it looks like they just had a bad year in their winning year based on this years results

MQ i still think they're over rated (gut feeling)

VP i think they're either going to stay 2nd tier or fall i don't see them getting farther

KI this could go either way on the one hand with dasher retiring for real (we think lol) alot of KI's will probably leave cuz he's a fan fav, on the other hand i've always thought KI's success in past turnys has been that pirates were really popular due to the pirates of the Caribbean trio and they r making a 4th one due to come out some time in 2011 although i doubt it will be as popular because its just sparrow and not will and liz so kinda up in the air

MD they've had good years and bad years so again up in the air but i think they'll fall next season

TY i don't see them rising

MI they live up to their name they're a mystery!

SK i see them rising, but i doubt a top spot... maybe 4th

HW srry i just don't see a comeback in their future

BV if they could keep what they had at the begining they could be a team to beat, but its doubtful

the rest of the teams in the 4th and consolation bracket i don't see massive improvement coming anytime soon unless they really step it up and suprise us

[Yoshinho]

Lost Desert will probably stay in the top tier. The winner's curse is because non-loyal neo members go for a team that has the odds to win. Some even join late for the winning team just to get the prizes. I call those people "freeloaders".

When a team wins the cup, people usually leave that team for another winning team. The curse was not TNT it was us members that made the curse.

[Blademaster Buckler]

Krawk Island didn't get 7th...We got 6th this year.

[Joodles!]

http://www.neopets.c...m/winners.phtml\
I think Krawk Island did get 7th this year.

[anwahs]

Quote

Lost Desert will probably stay in the top tier. The winner's curse is because non-loyal neo members go for a team that has the odds to win. Some even join late for the winning team just to get the prizes. I call those people "freeloaders".

When a team wins the cup, people usually leave that team for another winning team. The curse was not TNT it was us members that made the curse.

most of us know by now that it is a member made curse, but unless people suddenly stop believing it or assuming that the previous year winner will be brought down due to so many people thinking there's a curse that it is extremely unlikely after 4 years in a row of this "curse" game that it will end for LD despite them always being a powerhouse

i'm just curious if people will be worried about joining KD in fear of what happened to SK this year

i'm thinking next years tourny will be hard to predict for the people who jump ship every year to get the gold

does anybody know anybody who has joined a diff team every year and won or even placed in top 3?

[DeeDee]

Hmm, I actually think SK will do well next year, since we aren't the exact favorites anymore, and well....time will tell.

[anwahs]

Quote

Hmm, I actually think SK will do well next year, since we aren't the exact favorites anymore

hmmm or will that sink SK down further because they wont have enough members because a bunch of good players were discouraged and will join a diff team and wont have enough to possibly defeat a powerhouse, but who knows lol anything is possible

but as i said b4 next years cup should be the hardest to predict with all the upsets of this one no one will know where to go lol! (unless they're 100% loyal)

[Excelnaota]

anwahs, on 14 July 2010 - 01:26 PM, said:

Quote

Hmm, I actually think SK will do well next year, since we aren't the exact favorites anymore

hmmm or will that sink SK down further because they wont have enough members because a bunch of good players were discouraged and will join a diff team and wont have enough to possibly defeat a powerhouse, but who knows lol anything is possible

but as i said b4 next years cup should be the hardest to predict with all the upsets of this one no one will know where to go lol! (unless they're 100% loyal)

Shenkuu has a really dedicated core that will stick with them until the end. Even with their standings, 5 Shenkuu players hold a spot in the top 50 scoreboard (See: http://www.neopets.com/~immortalspirit ). That's more than what KD, RI, MQ, and MD has. Assuming the trophy hoppers that expected a free trophy choose another team next year, they should be able to comfortably work their way into the second tier, and have a good shot in pushing themselves into a top spot.

[Zoroark]

However,KI also has a dedicated core,though smaller than Shenkuu's.
If they don't retire Dasher next year, there's also the good players who are there because of Dasher.