Monotype Premier League IX Power Rankings

By DugZa, Attribute, Floss, and Kev. Released: 2023/06/25.

Welcome to the ninth iteration of the Monotype Premier League. This year we decided to follow suit with UU and RU to do Power Rankings in a more official article form compared to previous years. We asked knowledgable players from each new and old generation to rank all the starters and then averaged said rankings in an attempt to get what we hope is an unbiased ranking. That said, with all the possible variables, it is nigh impossible to get an accurate ranking, as some teams and individuals are bound to perform better than what their rankings indicate and exceed expectations. Therefore, please do not take these rankings to heart; at the end of the day, this is all to bring hype and enjoyment for the tournament while giving everyone a fun read.

A massive thank you to the following individuals for their rankings and contributions to making this article possible: Attribute, Azick, Booty, Cell, Chaitanya, Cielau, crashy, DAHLI, Dieu Amphibien, DugZa, Felines, Floss, Harpp, Hurtadoo, ikiarihS, Kev, maroon, Meta, mushamu, North, Plunder, QWILY, rs, Splash, TheWyvernKing, Toadow, Trichotomy, and yedla.

An additional thank you and shoutout to the writers Attribute, DugZa, Floss, and Kev for their dedication and contribution to this article. Extremely grateful to Ticken for going out of his way to provide the sheet for the rankings as well as the graphics for the article. Last but not least, big thank you to Lumari for aiding with GP and helping this article reach completion in a timely manner.

Driftveil City Drilburs

SV Monotype: XSTATIC COLD
SV Monotype: Dieu Amphibien
SV Monotype: Ewin
SV Monotype: maroon
SS Monotype: dex
SM Monotype: crashy
ORAS Monotype: tier
BW Monotype: Monai
Managers: Leru, Stone Cold
Subs: SuperEpicAmpharos, Fraolain, LuckyPiper, Z Strats, Sificon

Monotype Premier League is the next target in the sights of Leru and Stone Cold—also known as the Daves—in their pursuit of conquering the Smogon team tournament scene. Together, they have assembled highly performing teams in a wide variety of tiers, some of which they had no prior experience in; this is a testament to their competence as managers. Unlike those other experiences, they also have the advantage of Leru being one of the most seasoned managers in Monotype history, having managed well-performing teams for years, on top of also putting out impressive records as a player. All that being said, their admirable track record is put to question with their completely unorthodox hodgepodge of players. The synergy of the team is a flaming disaster waiting to happen, with manager Leru and star mainer buys crashy and maroon all having had very public altercations and disputes with each other in a not too distant past. While there may be no concerns, as they are on the same side, it only takes one wrong comment to inflame the tension. Morever, they are taking a chance on Monotype's resident whiner XSTATIC COLD, who has never gone a series without complaining or insulting his opponent in the battle chat, the thread, or both. There is also Ewin, who abandoned his MPL team last year. It only feels like a matter of time before the hot-headed personalities butt heads. Besides this, the team is putting a lot of faith in frequent Daves members like dex who have none or very little experience in Monotype. While getting non-mainers is a commonality in strong performing teams, the name value of the ones picked by the Daves pale in comparison to the more marquee tour player purchases. Despite all these concerns, the Drilburs are definitely a potential threat in the tournament, with decent coverage across the board in terms of tiers. Veteran crashy demonstrated through the recent Monotype Cup that he is not just a BW mainer but a threat across the board, even in SV. He will have big shoes to fill as the second most expensive player in the tournament, after being considered a joke a couple of years ago. Speaking of community jokes, the team also has cross-gen support from maroon, who has shown throughout the past iterations that he can put out competent performances consistently. Their final star buy is yet another community clown in the form of Dieu Amphibien, who, like crashy, showed worth by winning both the SV and the SS Cups—a very remarkable feat. With the Drilburs also buying Fraolain, or Dieu Amphibien lite, there is bound to be a lot of building activity between the two as they cook up some absolute nonsense. Overall, the Drilburs are a strange collection of players, full of question marks and diamonds in the rough; their performance will rely heavily on the performance of the stars and the managers' ability to keep everyone on the same page.

Fuchsia Fairies

SV Monotype: Meta
SV Monotype: lax
SV Monotype: Azick
SV Monotype: silver grace
SS Monotype: clean
SM Monotype: FatFighter2
ORAS Monotype: Ashbala
BW Monotype: SoulWind
Managers: Felines, Azick
Subs: juleocesar, roxie, Swiffix

Following a mediocre Monotype World Cup, Felines and Azick reunite for an attempt at redemption. Despite this being his first MPL, Azick finds himself at the massive price of 25.5k and the responsibility of being a manager; the heat is on for Monotype's intern as the performance of the team hinges on his success. The star purchase of the team is SoulWind, who not only is undoubtedly one of the best players in Smogon's history but also has had multiple strong performances in BW Monotype already. The combination of sheer playing ability with experience in the metagame makes him a potent threat in the tournament. Some other notable buys are veterans lax and Meta. The former has participated in MPL for years and has always had a decent performance at the least. As for Meta, while not nearly as active or involved as he once was, he also has a history of consistency when he does show up. The team also has FatFighter2, who has demonstrated clairvoyance-like abilities in team choices in the past. However, after those four starters, the team takes a steep drop in terms of experience, as the Fairies find themselves relying on mainers with no significant showings like silver grace and Ashbala or outside players with no experience like clean; in fact, it almost seemed like the Fairies' management team was not sure on which of the users named clean they bought during the draft. The bench of the team is also uninspiring. The most notable benchwarmer on the team is the present roxie, who is a shell of the former one in terms of the past one; it is uncertain if roxie will be churning out prep and teams like in past. Morever, roxie was teammates with the managers during Monotype World Cup, which involved some tension and left sour tastes in all their mouths. Will they be able to bury the hatchet in time to collaborate and support one another, or will history repeat itself as the same mistakes reoccur? Also on the bench is possibly one of the most veteran community members, despite it being their first MPL, juleocesar. After years of going undrafted, posts complaining about it, and an embarassing major tournament debut match in Monotype World Cup, there is a lot of pressure on juleocesar to deliver in this MPL to show the past managers that he was right to say they were wrong for overlooking him. In essence, the Fairies have some good highs in SoulWind, Meta, lax and Azick, but there are a lot of uncertainties when it comes to the remainder of the lineup. The plethora of new players on the team seem to be incredibly motivated and are bound to be very active in prepping. However, what they have in enthusiasm, they lack in performance and consistency. This tournament will be their chance to demonstrate they are not just afterthoughts who are worthy and not just the result of good networking.

Goldenrod Gengars

SV Monotype: Starfox.
SV Monotype: yedla
SV Monotype: Chaitanya
SV Monotype: Sae
SS Monotype: luisin
SM Monotype: DAHLI
ORAS Monotype: Star
BW Monotype: Wait2Seconds
Managers: Chaitanya, dahli
Subs: pas_touchao, Inder

After being separated last year, Chaitanya and DAHLI reunite to bring back the original Gengars without Zap. This team truly embodies the energy of a really authentic, classic Gengars team. First, you have the broken manager core, where both players are easily considered amongst the best players in the tier. The big buy of this team was Star, who needs no introduction. Despite not being a mainer, he has more Monotype team tournament history than the vast majority of the pool and has consistently delivered while being a pivotal piece in the success of all his teams. There is hardly any doubt there will be anything different this year, especially as he reunites with many-time teammate Chaitanya. The next element to the Gengars recipe is the purchase of a Frenchie. This time they decided to be extra generous to the French by purchasing three. The first is no rookie unlike the usual; instead they spent big on yedla, a veteran at this point, who was formerly considered the best of the Monotype French before Rinda's rise. With his activity seeming to be constantly dwindling and a meek previous MPL, it is unclear if he can perform. As for their newer French player slot, they have pas_touchao, who had a some good performances in the last Monotype Circuit and showed good potential. Joining pas_touchao on the French bench is Inder, who has no prior Monotype experience but has been steadily making waves in other tiers across the site. While definitely a highly uncertain slot, he may fit the role of versatile sub quite nicely. The next Gengars staple is getting a veteran that is kinda crust, which in this iteration is Sae. While definitely a major threat in his heyday, Sae has struggled to keep up in MPL in recent years. Morever, he has signed up for SV only instead of his usual comfort zone, the old gens like ORAS. Perhaps this change of scenery is just what Sae needs to experience a rekindling. Another long-time Monotype player in the team is Starfox, who is only just now stepping into the limelight—however, the burden of a less than stellar team tournament debut in Monotype World Cup looms over him. Finishing off the team are two players that have experience with these managers. Wait2Seconds teamed with DAHLI last MPL and had a good BW performance. That past success gives high hopes to the community on his ability to perform, especially with added Chaitanya support. Finally, there is luisin, who has played for the Gengars in the past and has been with DAHLI in Monotype World Cup. Despite a lack of notable performances, there are high hopes for luisin to perform well in the weak SS pool through the advantage of experience, good support and demonstration of playing ability in the past. Overall, the Gengars are as imposing as ever, but there is the caveat that the managers will need to be at their best for this team to work. In the last few years, DAHLI has distanced themselves from the tier and their performances have been deteriorating. Meanwhile, Chaitanya is far from being the dominant presence he used to be, as his records also are on a decline.

Hearthome Honchkrows

SV Monotype: Leo
SV Monotype: Vodoom
SV Monotype: Scarlet Stars
SV Monotype: avarice
SS Monotype: fade
SM Monotype: Trichotomy
ORAS Monotype: Jojo8868
BW Monotype: Attribute
Managers: Attribute, Trichotomy
Subs: Cell, Gray, RoyalReloaded

The only franchise to win two MPLs returns this year with a managing pair even more absurdly broken than the original Sabella + 1 True Lycan combination; this year the reins of the Honchkrows are passed onto arguably the best two players in the tier right now, or top 3 at the worst, Attribute and Trichotomy. In the last MPL, the combined prices of these two was 78k; however, as managers they get by with only 50k, which is an absolute steal. Attribute has demonstrated his diversity and prowess across all of the Monotype metagames countless times, having won the recent Monotype Cup, Monotype Generations, and the unofficial Monotype Invitational. His support is well known to be incredibly valuable; however, he has never had a defining MPL performance. His teams generally do not perform well, and he has yet to achieve a dominant performance like many of his peers who have at one point held the throne of being the best Monotype player. He looks to remove that curse by teaming up with the cheat code himself, Trichotomy, who always finds himself overwhelming the competition in whatever tournament he finds himself. In fact, since MPL 5, he has an insane 19-4 MPL record, with some of those records being from incredibly competitive Bo3 pools; this statistic does not even taking into consideration other tournaments, which would just further cement his success. As if having these two pool topping players as managers was not enough, they started the draft off strong buying last MPL's winning manager, fade, who now finds themselves easily leading the clear weakest pool in the tournament. Having played SS Monotype many times, and with some good performances, there are few doubts on their success here, especially with the Attribute support that lead to their 8-0 run in MWP. The rest of the starting lineup is a bit less inspiring compared to the threatening starting trio. In their SV core, they have BW Monotype regular avarice, who often battles more in the chat than in the game, and serial team deserter Vodoom as their more experience Monotype players. Given the team they are on, Vodoom is unlikely to be too much of a nuisance, and avarice may finally get a good MPL after being freed from BW. They also have Leo, who has proven to be a great player outside of Monotype, having a dominant SPL performance, but has yet to make a big mark in his previous forays into the tier. Wrapping up that core is Scarlet Stars, who has some Monotype experience and decent performances and recently qualified for Smogon Tour. There is definitely potential to do well here but lots of uncertainties that make it a hit or miss. Their final starter is Jojo8868, who for some unexplainable reason signed up for only ORAS. The lack of experience in the tier brings some doubts; however, as someone who has made a career feeding of Attribute support, he might do well in the few weeks he plays the tier, after which he will eventually move to SV as shameless, blatant pricefixer Cell will move into ORAS by mid-season. Despite a history of mostly okay at best performances, that switch is bound to increase the threatening nature of the team.

Littleroot Lotads

SV Monotype: DugZa
SV Monotype: Floss
SV Monotype: Xiri
SV Monotype: Kev
SS Monotype: tko
SM Monotype: blunder
ORAS Monotype: Amukamara
BW Monotype: North
Managers: DugZa, Floss
Subs: Feliburn, Piyush25, Tack

After finally putting two of the worst performing MPL franchises of all time, the Miniors and the Darkrais, six feet under in the last MPL, the duo of DugZa and Floss finally find themselves joining forces in this tournament and attempting at reversing their curses by helming one of the best franchises ever. Akin to the other returning SM era legacy teams, the Gengars and Honchkrows, the Lotads find themselves as easily one of the best teams due to the ridiculous buff provided by purchasing both managers who are some of the best players the tier has to offer. Notwithstanding the trainwrecks that are their usual managing experiences in Monotype, it cannot be denied that they are both very strong players, and with great knowledge across the board and by being massive tryhards, they can provide very good support to their players. Together the two have put a team together that is very similar in structure to their individual attempts in the past; the focus is on bigger outside players who have little or no Monotype experience, with a few veterans to support. Joining them as one of the few mainers is unsurprisingly tier leader Kev, who has teamed with one or the other for the past three MPLs, all to mediocre or outright bad perfomances. For other teams, it is often said that comfort or the same old is the key to success, but for this group perhaps it could be time to stop beating a dead horse and finally try something new—this season will be the decisive test. Rounding out their SV core is Xiri, who has been performing very well as of late, with a 12-3 record in the last two MPLs in both SM and SS, so there is good hopes that the trend continues in SV in spite of the DugZa curse. The big buy for the Lotads is former Lotad profile picture main, one of the top Pokémon content creators, and major tournament scene player blunder. Having shown great skill in SM OU and in pretty much any tier he has tried, including a brief appearance in a Monotype World Cup for Canada, there are high expectations for him to have an excellent performance in this MPL. Any concerns of teambuilding or meta knowledge caps can easily be bridged by the the support of DugZa. Speaking of Canada Monotype World Cup alumni, joining Kev and blunder is UU player Amukamara. While he finds himself in an unfamiliar ORAS slot, he has shown excellent adaptability in his past Monotype experiences, picking up BW and SM and doing well both times. In BW, the team has a returning North, who is one of the greatest veterans in this tier. While he has sat out the last two iterations of MPL, it would be difficult to call him crust, as he has been making waves in VGC since then and had still been paying attention to the metagame during that time. The starting lineup of the Lotads is finished up with tko, who surprisingly finds himself at the bottom of a weak SS pool despite having had decent performances in the tier before and in general being a well-performing player. The subs were definitely unorthodox choices compared to other teams, going with no mainers. RU tier leader Feliburn is one of the better substitutes, as he has previous good performances in past tours and could easily be an adaptable sub. However, Tack and Piyush have no major experience in the tier, which leaves big question marks. Perhaps Floss has discovered another Indian hidden gem and is trying to repeat the magic of Spitfire Arcanine but for a cheaper price. Overall, the Lotads definitely have a lot of potential, but their starting lineup lacks the concept of consistency, with a lot of hit or misses and big reliance on Floss and Dugza support that has let down many teams in the past.

Melemele Meloettas

SV Monotype: mushamu
SV Monotype: CrossHeart
SV Monotype: Hurtadoo
SV Monotype: kythr
SS Monotype: Baloor
SM Monotype: Mateeus
ORAS Monotype: Toadow
BW Monotype: Gelbel3c
Managers: Cielau, Toadow
Subs: Masskeau, Trouser Snakes, Ryuji

After a couple years of building a presence in Monotype, the French have finally got their own MPL team. The team had a strong start to the draft, with manager Toadow self-buying to play ORAS after a strong 6-2 last year following many seasons of forgettable performances; the purchase of the most sought-out player in the draft pool, mushamu, who now ties the record of most expensive player ever; and kythr, who habitually puts out strong records. However, the nerf of spending 44.5K on a single player and 87k on three players in very early stages of the draft showed itself in the remainder of their buys. Moreover, their biggest purchase mushamu has shown to be a questionable team presence, with his last teammates complaining about his constant swings on not wanting to play a certain tier, not wanting to play at all, and constantly leaving the team Discord. This kind of flipflopping can be very detrimental to this team that will count on them being at their absolute best in terms of playing and supporting. Perhaps without maroon as a teammate and being surrounded by friendly faces, there will be none of that frustrating back-and-forth during this MPL. In SM, the team is trying out Mateeus, who has demonstrated great prowess and success as a manager in the past but as a player falls short of making a mark with inconsistent performances. The other notable buy on the team is Hurtadoo, who has delivered before when teaming with mushamu and has good French synergy with the managers so may be a crucial key to this team's chances. As for the rest of the lineup, Baloor finds himself in SS, which is an intriguing choice to many with him not having any significant performances in the tier, besides a very bad game in the last Monotype World Cup. With the exception of Trouser Snakes and CrossHeart, two newcomers that have started building a good reputation for themselves in the community as potential upcoming players, the rest of the Meloettas roster is full of French friends of the manager—and not even the more notable ones that had started making a name for themselves through the Monotype Circuit—with the exception of Ryuji, who had a good Monotype World Cup. Perhaps the managers know something the rest of the community does not, as the French community is very active and have their own tours, or they simply were the better friends of the managers. It will be up to them to prove to the community, and to the more known French players who were left out, that this was the right choice. Overall, the Meloettas have potential to perform if any of their new players have a breakout performance, but it will require mushamu and kythr being like Atlas and carrying the world on their shoulders.

Tohjo Falls Thunders

SV Monotype: rs
SV Monotype: tMoi
SV Monotype: Mihowk
SV Monotype: cpt.kraken
SS Monotype: Quinn
SM Monotype: Harpp
ORAS Monotype: Splash
BW Monotype: Gondra
Managers: Splash, Rinda
Subs: Zap, AA

It seems like Emmanuel Macron's reach extends past France, as his increase of the French retirement age has hit Smogon, with Rinda making what might be the fastest return from retirement the community has ever seen. Rinda who was one of the star players of the Thunders last season finds himself joining former manager Splash in leading a very different-looking team this year. It seems like following a win, Splash has decided to change strategy completely by foregoing the usual major expensive buys he has done in the past. The present day Thunders lack the former star power, being filled with mostly newer players or older players who like manager Rinda are unable to retire. Manager Splash finds himself as the most expensive player on the team which is a bold choice, as despite being one of the more involved ORAS players, he has failed to have a standout performance in an MPL. Moreover, he's made choices like using Swift Swim Seismitoad Ground against an expected rain Water team in a semifinals game before. The big buys on this team are rs, formerly known as Shiba, and Gondra. The prior might be just what this team needs, as he is an absolutely ridiculous ring collector, to the point that if someone started trying to catch up to him now, they would need three or four years to achieve it while winning every team tour in that span. The latter made a huge debut in the Monotype scene in the past by dominating the SM pool and now looks to achieve the same in BW. In terms of experience mainer backbone we have Zap and Harpp, who once upon time were absolute sheet warriors but are now just average. Their support does not hold the weight they once did; the most exiting thing about it is that we may see a return of a team used in MPL 4 or something—or maybe Zap will give the resistance Berry or Z-Move to a Pokémon that has not used it yet on the same Psychic team used every week or so. The team does have some hot newcomers, however, like Tmoi, who gained a great reputation from his performance throughout the circuit last year, as well as Mihowk for the same reason. Taking the place of Dieu Amphibien as the Thunders 3k Frenchie, cpt.kraken looks to be the next French superstar in Monotype. Rounding out the promising newbies is Quinn, who had a good performance in Monotype Cup. Overall, the Thunders have a lot of new guys with potential that look to make a name for themselves, and they might just do it this tournament, but it would require the managers to be on the top of their game.

Wayward Wakes

SV Monotype: ikiarihS
SV Monotype: Leafium Z
SV Monotype: just like hunny
SV Monotype: TheWyvernKing
SS Monotype: maki
SM Monotype: QWILY
ORAS Monotype: Dj Breloominati♬
BW Monotype: Booty
Managers: Plunder, AtraX Madara
Subs: Neko, Sylvi, Shaneghoul, style.css

After a good managerial debut last MPL, Plunder makes a return this time with AtraX Madara instead of usual partner style.css, who was bought in the auction as a sub instead. The major buy is Booty, whose expertise in BW monotype is unquestionable and general past generation knowledge is an asset. Besides this, Monotype team tournament regulars QWILY and maki are also expected to do well. There is definitely doubts on maki's consistency and motivation after they ranted to the Honchkrows and Drilburs managers about not getting them. The team also focused on strong outside players, getting Dj Breloominati, who has a good track record in Monotype and is a very versatile substitute. Other big names are PU tier leader Shaneghoul, whose Monotype experience extends to Seasonals, and Sylvi, who has been making waves in ORAS throughout different tiers. The rest of team is full of Monotype mainers who are making names for themselves. There is always a power of friendship team in MPL, and this is that team, as Plunder did not leave his friends behind like the French did. There are many members of the new gen Monotype friend group, whose individual achievements pale in comparison to the Floss / DugZa / kythr group of yesteryear. Nonetheless, perhaps the chemistry of working with friends will help new names like ikiarihS and Leafium Z have a breakout performance. There is particular pressure on the former of these, who ended up being amongst the most expensive players; they will need to prove this price was earned and not the result of upbidding an obvious buy. The team also has TheWyvernKing, who find himself in SV despite a strong season in ORAS last year. They round out the core of mainers with newer players Neko and just like hunny, who made their first team tour appearances in MWC. The Wakes will look to reprise the magic of last year and make playoffs again, but they will also aim for a step further to win it all.

mushamu
Chaitanya
DugZa
Floss
kythr
lax
rs
Dieu Amphibien
ikiarihS
Meta
Azick
Xiri
tMoi
yedla
maroon
Ewin
Leo
TheWyvernKing
Mihowk
avarice
Hurtadoo
Kev
Starfox.
Vodoom
just like hunny
Sae
Scarlet Stars
Leafium Z
XSTATIC COLD
cpt.kraken
CrossHeart
silver grace

1. DugZa: 3 - Lotads

1. Floss: 4 - Lotads

1. Xiri: 12 - Lotads

1. Kev: 22 - Lotads

The best SV core in the tournament is led by the manager duo of DugZa and Floss (also referred to as FlugZa by them and them only), with Monotype team tournament mainstay Xiri and tier leader Kev to round out the core. Floss in particular is especially active in newer metagames, so he will be expected to be building a lot this season, as this core may rely on him to produce teams on a weekly basis. His results as a player in recent times haven’t exactly been inspiring, though, and if you were to watch his games you would have thought his username was still Flossed Over… or Thundaaaaa, even. Regardless, he is still one of the best Monotype mainers around, and his ceiling as a player is very high. DugZa, on the other hand, while not as active as his co-manager, is still a talented player in his own right. While he does not have as many good team tournament performances in Monotype as you would want him to have, he still manages to rack up many circuit points on a yearly basis, along with finishing 2nd in a Seasonal this year. His ceiling as a player is extremely high as well, and he is expected to have a dominant performance here. If DugZa and Floss's Monotype results aren’t enough, that is made up for by the fact that they have been very successful in lower tiers in recent times, which may play a role in their high but justified rankings. The SV3 of this core is Xiri, who has a respectable track record in these tournaments. He is projected to perform well here and could even be considered an SV2 on other teams. Lastly, Kev finds himself surrounded with those he is friends with, though they may as well turn into enemies when Floss decides to pass him something along the lines of Calm Mind Volcarona. Kev hopes to surprise people this MPL and have a great showing, as he has not performed up to people’s expectations in recent times. Overall, this core is stacked with talent and is definitely deserving of the title "Best SV core in the tournament."

2. lax: 6 - Fairies

2. Meta: 10 - Fairies

2. Azick: 11 - Fairies

2. silver grace: 32 - Fairies

After investing over 75k for SV for three players alone, the Fairies hope that this investment lives up to the expectations of this top three ranking. The star of the show is lax, who is no stranger to Monotype tournaments and is expected to do well. He has an incredible track record, albeit not so much in Monotype, to justify his hefty price. While he may have quieted down in recent times (according to him he is, and I quote, a "washed and busy gamer"), lax at his best is still a force to be reckoned with on any given day. Perhaps his transition from being a US West native to a US East one (I, the writer, am totally not salty about this by the way) will help him regain the abilities he claims he has lost. Speaking of US East, another dweller of that region is Meta. Silent but deadly, Meta has been dominant for a while now. Acquiring many of his points in SV in the recent Monotype Cup, along with a high seed and a top eight finish, Meta is projected to do well in this pool. No one really knows if he builds or not, but he has many people to lean on for such issues. One of the people he can lean on is Azick, who is fully capable of building his own teams and spreading ideas to the rest of this core. This is his first MPL while costing over 25k, and after a MWC III where he underperformed, there is a load of pressure on him to perform well here to make this price tag worthwhile. He may talk more than he plays the actual game of Pokémon, but his potential is still nothing to ignore. Rounding out this star-studded lineup is silver grace, who is looking to overperform in this tough field. They do have tournament experience which should help them find some wins here, though this will be a tall task to ask from someone who hasn’t had much exposure to the tournament scene. With that being said, this core is still stacked with talent, and the Fairies will be relying on this to ascend into the playoffs.

3. mushamu: 1 - Meloettas

3. kythr: 5 - Meloettas

3. Hurtadoo: 21 - Meloettas

3. CrossHeart: 31 - Meloettas

Near the top of rankings are the Meloettas, with their SV core being the highlight of the team, with a mix of strong team chemistry, building ability, and playing skills. Leading the core, as well as the SV rankings, is mushamu, a top-level Monotype player who is known for consistently pushing the envelope on the metagame with ideas that pan out more often than not. A stellar 41-21 record also highlights his skill as a player, and he will be expected to dominate once more in the current generation. His right hand in this endeavor will be kythr, a lower tier player with plenty of Monotype experience who has started to make waves in the tournaments scene. Between eleven wins in the last edition of SPL and SCL, along with an elite 24-8 record in Monotype team tours, his high ranking is more than justified. Hurtadoo is the next man up, a former RU player who has converted into a Monotype mainer in recent years. This Frenchman will be looking to build on his solid 11-7 record, and a familiar environment with mushamu and a lot of French friends will help in that regard. A MPL debutant in CrossHeart is the last piece of this group, with him looking to establish himself as a mainstay in the Monotype community. His most impressive individual accomplishment is a semifinals finish in Monotype Open, where he announced himself, and he followed it up with a 1-2 record in the recent MWC. Building will be no issue for this particular group, with one of the tier’s foremost innovators in mushamu as well as the French army, consisting of Cielau, Toadow, Ryuji, and Masskeau. The Meloettas will be hoping their SV core can act as the linchpin in their aims to make playoffs.

4. Dieu Amphibien: 8 - Drilburs

4. maroon: 15 - Drilburs

4. Ewin: 16 - Drilburs

4. XSTATIC COLD: 29 - Drilburs

Dave’s Drilburs have drafted a motley crew of players that are expected to perform well in the current generation. Dieu Amphibien leads this particular core, enjoying a meteoric rise to success with the scalps of the Monotype SV and SS Cups. He will look to put together a team tour performance that is more indicative of his regular success in individuals than his current 17-17 team tour record. The Monotype stalwart and council member maroon serves as the second man up in this group, pouncing on the chance to start in the current generation by tier locking himself out of his usual stomping ground of ORAS. A 33-30 overall record showcases his wealth of experience in Monotype, and he will be looking to add to that win tally once more. Following up is Ewin, a skilled OU player. Picking up five wins in the last two official team tours, Ewin will be looking to finally get his first win in Monotype tours after finishing 0-2 in the previous MPL. Completing the group is XSTATIC COLD, a Monotype ladder hero who will be making his debut in team tours after an impressive semifinals finish in the Monotype Classic playoffs. The French think-tank of Dieu Amphibien, Fraolain, and XSTATIC COLD will be expected to head the building efforts of this group, with support from maroon up until he sees a Torchic emote in the chat. The Drilburs will hope that this SV core can live up to expectations and achieve their ambitions of making playoffs.

5. Chaitanya: 2 - Gengars

5. yedla: 14 - Gengars

5. Starfox.: 23 - Gengars

5. Sae: 26 - Gengars

The Gengars are located at 5th and look to prove their mettle once more as one of the legacy teams in the tour. Chaitanya will be at the forefront of their efforts in the current generation, an elite Monotype player who is steadily gaining notoriety in the tournaments scene as well. An exceptional 37-25 record in Monotype team tours, most games of which have been spent in competitive Bo3 pools, showcases this former tier leader’s skill in the tier. Backing him up is yedla, one of the best French mainers, who will be looking to perform a course correction after recent underwhelming tours. The rankers expect him to succeed in this tour, with a top-half finish in the rankings. A newer Monotype player in Starfox comes up next, looking to make a mark on his MPL debut after making the finals of the Monotype ORAS Cup. A strong performance in BLT, finishing 5-2 with two wins in the playoffs, should serve as a good platform for him to work from. Finally, a veteran in Sae rounds out the core, wading into the waters of SV after being known for playing older generations in previous tours. He will be looking to reprise the magic that saw him finish 7-1 in a previous MPL, and a change of scenery might just be what the doctor ordered. Chaitanya and DAHLI will be expected to lead the building efforts for the team, with support from the other SV starters as well as pas_touchao from the bench. The Gengars will be counting on this group of mainers to lead a playoffs charge.

6. rs: 7 - Thunders

6. tMoi: 13 - Thunders

6. Mihowk: 19 - Thunders

6. cpt.kraken: 30 - Thunders

The Thunders place in the middle of the pack, hoping to make a splash in this tier with a group of accomplished Monotype players. As the vanguard, rs (more known as Shiba) will be counted on to pick up regular wins for the team. With an excellent 29-13 record in SS and SV, along with 50 wins on the Monotype sheet, this grizzled vet will be ready to perform once again with the blessing of Nav. tMoi is the next man up, with a strong showing in individuals over the course of the last year and a half, topped by a Seasonal win and a finals finish in the SV Monotype Cup. However, his performance has been lacking in team tours to date, with a middling record of 4-6 in the last two. Mihowk follows up as the third, making his MPL debut this time around. Similar to tMoi, he has proven himself in individuals, winning the Monotype Open along with finishing in the top 4 of Monotype Circuit last year. The core is completed by cpt.kraken, someone new to Monotype team tours who went 2-2 in the recent Monotype BLT and will be looking to make a name for himself. Unlike the rest of his teammates playing this tier, he does not have any notable accomplishments to date, something he will attempt to remedy in this MPL. Building is a question mark for this team, but each of the starters have sufficient experience in Monotype before, and their co-manager Rinda can help in that regard, despite his supposed retirement. The Thunders will be depending on their SV core to announce themselves with a bang, to facilitate their path to a repeat win.

7. ikiarihS: 9 - Wakes

7. TheWyvernKing: 18 - Wakes

7. just like hunny: 25 - Wakes

7. Leafium Z: 28 - Wakes

The Wakes find themselves near the bottom of the SV rankings, but their core of up-and-coming mainers should not be underestimated. ikiarihS is notable for winning the recent Monotype BW Cup, but he also has results playing in CG during team tours, picking up a combined record of 5-5 in MPL VIII and MWC 3. While he went negative in the last MPL, he will be aiming to reverse his fortunes just like he reversed his forum name. TheWyvernKing is the 2nd member of this group, sharing a similarity with Shiraiki in that his most notable prior accomplishment was in an old generation, finishing with a 6-1 record in ORAS during MPL VIII. He followed it up with a 3-0 SV record during MWC III and will look to resume his success under the stewardship of a familiar manager. just like hunny is a tutee of Attribute who will be making his MPL debut after a strong performance in the recent MWC, which he capped off by picking up 2 SV wins in the playoffs. The newcomer will be looking to establish himself in the Monotype scene with another strong performance in this tour. Rounding out the core is Leafium Z, who will be looking to defy his ranking and prove his doubters wrong. Similar to ikiarihS, he has put up a 5-5 record in Monotype team tours to date and will intend to take the even tally in a positive direction. In terms of building, TheWyvernKing has spared no effort in order to keep up with the meta, and a pair of hardworking subs in style.css and Neko will no doubt facilitate teambuilding, not to forget potential contributions from both managers. While this SV core may be ranked low, their innovation in a new metagame will serve them well as they look to make waves in this pool.

8. Leo: 17 - Honchkrows

8. avarice: 20 - Honchkrows

8. Vodoom: 24 - Honchkrows

8. Scarlet Stars: 27 - Honchkrows

The Honchkrows come in last, sporting a varied cast of players with different backgrounds. Leo is the centerpiece of this core, a tour player whose playing prowess is undeniable after a 7-2 SPL last year, along with other accomplishments in the tours scene. He also has some prior Monotype experience to back the ranking up, boasting an overall 6-4 record in team tours, and will be in good shape to continue his success as long as he avoids clicking Spikes into a Flying team again. avarice comes in next, a lower tiers player who has usually played BW Monotype but dips his toes into the CG waters after a five-game stint in MWC III, where he went 2-3. He will be looking to improve on his performances in the Monotype arena so far, and a change of scenery might be crucial to that. The only Monotype mainer of this group is Vodoom, a controversial user with an abundance of history in the tier. His skill in the tier is undeniable, with a combined 26-17 record in Monotype team tours. Scarlet Stars is the final piece of the core, another tour player who usually plays OU. With a recent qualification for the Smogon Tour playoffs, the user formerly known as Acey will be in good form and raring to build upon a 5-4 record in Monotype so far. This core is heavily dependent upon Attribute and Trichotomy for support, with three of the four players not being expected to build for themselves. The Krows will be counting on player skill to shine through in this metagame in order to exceed the expectations of the rankers and pick up regular wins in this tier.

1. fade - Honchkrows

Leading the pack is fade, who has earned the rank with their elite results in the tier to date. Picking up a 16-5 record in SS and SS Bo3 over the course of the last 3 team tours, they have more than proven his mettle in Monotype. Couple this with their stellar performances in recent officials, sporting a combined 17-6 record in the recent editions of SPL and SCL, and fade is a threat to be reckoned with for the rest of the pool. While it is uncertain whether they can build for themselves, they will have no trouble in that department with the support of their managers, Attribute and Trichotomy. The Honchkrows will be banking on fade maintaining their dominance in this familiar stomping ground.

2. maki - Wakes

Ranked second in the pool is maki, a newer player to the Monotype scene who has a respectable track record in the tier. They managed to go 4-3 last year against a tough Bo3 schedule, which included beating the likes of Floss, Chaitanya, and mushamu. In addition to this, they have lots of support on their team, making sure they never end up talking to himself in his channel throughout the season. A possible concern here is that they are susceptible to tilting, so if things go wrong in-game, they may leave the team server midway through the tournament. Will they join back? That would be likely. Would they leave again? Unfortunately, that is also likely. Overall, the Wakes have a mostly reliable player on their hands and hope this investment lives to its highest potential.

3. luisin - Gengars

For 3.5k, the Gengars managed to steal the third best player in the SS pool in luisin. This is a great value pick, as luisin has lots of experience in the tier and is good enough to rack up a good number of wins in what is considered a weak pool. However, luisin will need to improve on his past performances in Monotype tours to work towards a good record. To help him achieve this, he has support in the form of Chaitanya, yedla, and pas_touchao, who will be able to pass him solid teams on a weekly basis. The Gengars will be hoping that luisin can justify his high ranking and serve as a stable source of wins for them.

4. Quinn - Thunders

Coming in 4th is Quinn, a MPL debutant who will be looking to make their mark on the latest edition of the tour. Their notable accomplishments in the tier consist of a finals placement in the recent Monotype SS Cup, as well as ending with a 3-1 record during Monotype BLT when they played SS. Coupled with a deep run in the Monotype Fall Seasonals last year, there will be expectations for them to perform well. While Quinn should be able to provide for themselves, they will be backed up by a solid supporting cast in the form of Rinda, Mihowk, and tMoi, all of whom have found success in the Monotype Circuit last year. The Thunders will hope that Quinn will be able to take this pool by storm and finish with a solid record.

5. clean - Fairies

clean finds himself in the middle of the pack, an experienced OU player making his debut in Monotype team tours. While he has no previous experience in the tier, he showcased his playing prowess in this generation by qualifying for the previous edition of OLT as well as picking up 3 wins in SS OU during the most recent edition of SPL. As a tour player reliant on building support from his teammates, he will be depending on Azick and Felines to step up to the task and supply him with teams every week. The Fairies will be counting on clean to quickly translate his experience from other tiers to find success in this pool.

6. dex - Drilburs

In sixth place is dex, a seasoned player with experience in a variety of tiers who will aim to cement his place at the top of the Daves' standings with a strong showing in his MPL debut. dex's prior experience in the tier amounts to a fourth-place finish in the Monotype Fall Seasonals last year, and he will be hoping to build on that success in this tour. He will not be lacking for support from his teammates, with innovative builds sure to come from the French tandem of Dieu Amphibien and Fraolain. The Drilburs will be looking forward to dex's latest foray into a new tier, with past evidence suggesting that he has the potential to perform well in this pool.

7. Baloor - Meloettas

The LOOR places at the lower end of the rankings, a tour player who rounds out the quartet of MPL debutants in this pool. Baloor has some minor experience in Monotype before, playing one game in the recent Monotype World Cup, but he is more known for his exploits in various other tiers, including picking up a couple of wins in the last edition of SPL. His team have provided him with a robust supporting cast, consisting of a top builder in mushamu along with numerous French people with experience in the tier. The Meloettas will be looking forward to whether Baloor can defy expectations to succeed in the pool.

8. tko - Lotads

Rounding out the pool is tko, who being ranked eighth may come as a surprise to some. tko has played SS Monotype before, going 4-3 in MPL VII against decent competition, including a 1-1 record in the playoffs. Despite being ranked 8th, tko is still a decent player who is highly capable of racking up wins here. Along with a great supporting cast around him that will make sure he will always have a team, tko will be looking to prove why this ranking serves as an injustice to his abilities as a player.

1. Trichotomy - Honchkrows

Trichotomy stands at the summit of a competitive SM pool, which should come to no surprise given his accomplishments in the past few years. Apart from being the reigning Monotype Circuit champion, he also boasts an impressive 45-20 record in Monotype team tours. While his 7-5 record in SM may not seem spectacular at first glance, a 14-4 multigen Bo3 record is more evident of his prowess across different generations. Trichotomy's co-manager, Attribute, will also be able to supplement him with ideas to keep his builds fresh and harder to counteract. The Krows will hope that Trichotomy can lead by example, picking up regular wins in their quest to make playoffs.

2. DAHLI - Gengars

DAHLI is no stranger to SM. With a winrate close to 80% in the tier, the expectations are high for the Gengars' manager. Despite his underwhelming 2-4 record last year in a stacked pool—the first time he's ever gone negative in any Monotype tournament—his track record in the tier is unparalleled, and he has proven to be one of the best players in the tier over the last few years. This time he's back in a familiar environment and also has his usual partner in crime, Chaitanya, to provide the support he needs. Not to mention DAHLI's iconic 9-1 record in the tier remains one of the best seasons in MPL history to this date, and Chaitanya was an instrumental part of it. If he can polish his team choices and stray away a bit from his usual comfort zone, then we are bound to see a top record from DAHLI yet again.

3. QWILY - Wakes

After his claim to fame in Monotype WCoP two years ago, putting up a stellar 4-2 record, QWILY has been a SM Monotype mainstay in team tournaments. He is believed to have a high ceiling and is expected to do well in this competitive pool. Moreover, his solid 6-3 campaign in SM on the Thunders last year played a major role in their MPL VIII championship. That said, QWILY has shown some inconsistency over the past two years, as he had an underwhelming 0-5 record in the tier in MPL VII. Moreover, he has to rely on Booty for teams throughout the season and in turn will most likely be using outdated teams. If these factors can be mitigated, then QWILY can compete with the best of them and end the season with a top record.

4. crashy - Drilburs

Having started in BW over the past few years with consistently above-average showings, crashy finds himself in SM to the surprise of many. That said, crashy displayed his excellence in the tier when he won the most recent SM Monotype Cup, beating the likes of Toadow and Booty along the way. Moreover, he qualified for the Monotype Cup playoffs as first seed in a dominant fashion, proving that he can adapt and play any metagame at a high level. His unique and one-of-a-kind takes on the tier such as consistent usage of lower-end types like Ice and Rock are bound to bring a breath of fresh air in this otherwise mostly stale metagame. Not to mention he has one of the most successful players ever in SM Monotype—Leru—as his manager and Monotype regular maroon by his side to provide valuable support.

5. blunder - Lotads

A sleeper pick to do well in this pool is blunder, who is looking to replicate the dominance he has shown in SM OU over the years in SM Monotype. The things he has done in SM OU when it was a current gen were extremely impressive, and the Lotads hope that he can manage to translate even a fraction of that here to make this buy worthwhile. The odds of this happening are definitely high, as he has had some Monotype experience prior to this tournament, along SM OU and SM Monotype sharing a couple of sets. Combine this with the fact that he has a great supporting cast around him, and you are looking at someone who can make his fifth-place ranking seem like a crime.

6. Harpp - Thunders

Harpp is back in his first team tour in two years after a long hiatus following MPL VI. Harpp was once considered to be one of the best players to touch the tier during SM. This was backed up by a few solid team tournament showings such as his 6-1 MPL IV run and his undefeated 7-0 MWCoP I against an above-average pool. However, since then his performances have been gradually dwindling in excellence, and viewers have failed to witness the dominance he once showed. Moreover, his team choices have been rather stagnant over the years, using outdated teams more often than not. That said, it is highly likely that Harpp will switch to SS while Zap mans the SM slot in future weeks, but nonetheless, with the proper support and a switch up from his usual comfort zone, Harpp can easily go back to his glory days, as he has proven to be an amazing player in the past.

7. FatFighter2 - Fairies

Coming in near the end of the pool is FatFighter2, with some prior experience not being enough to justify a higher ranking in a competitive group. Renowned for his skills in Ubers, his 10-5 overall record in Monotype tours goes under the radar. He picked up a majority of those wins in SS National Dex, a tier with some similar aspects to SM, along with playing three SM games in MPL VII. A penchant for off-meta types and unique builds can help him catch the rest of the pool off guard, although it is unclear who he will receive assistance from in terms of building help, which may result in his ideas going unchecked. The Fairies will be hoping that FatFighter2 can punch back against the abundance of talent in this pool to defy expectations.

8. Mateeus - Meloettas

Last MPL's runner up manager finds himself at the bottom of the barrel in a competitive SM pool after multiple mediocre and below-average showings in the tier. Mateeus has proven his excellence in the builder multiple times; however, his in-game execution has left much to be desired over the years. His poor endgame skills, often throwing favored games, have left little confidence in the voters' minds. Not to mention he is very tilt prone, and thus the slightest "hax" can quickly derail him. That said, Mateeus is not afraid to be outlandish with his team choices; whether it be Mega Pidgeot Normal or a widely accepted lower-end type such as Ghost or Ice, he's willing to use them all. If he can brush up his in-game skills he can easily make a mockery out of his last place ranking, but for now there is not much reason to believe otherwise.

1. Star - Gengars

The only unanimous first ranking this year is Star, who is projected to dismantle the entire field from top to bottom. This year, as opposed to playing the usual Bo3 or current gen, he is tasked with playing what is considered a high-variance tier in the old gen of ORAS Monotype, so it is possible that Star may be swapped to a different tier some time throughout the season. One thing is for certain though; Star is one of the most talented players on the site and is fully capable of making winning games in this tier look easier than it should be. Couple this with fantastic support from his teammates, and this unanimous ranking is justified.

2. Splash - Thunders

When Splash bought himself for 25k, people were surprised. When it was discovered that he bought himself for 25k to play ORAS Monotype, people were absolutely astonished. There is some upside though; Splash has the most experience in this tier in this pool and has shown competence in this tier over the years. He is also one of the few players to build this tier, which is another thing he has going for him. Regardless of the price, he is still ranked 2nd in this pool, so there is some hope that this 25k buy is not going to go to waste, as he is expected to do well here. If things start off ugly, though, this may be a long season for the Thunders' ORAS slot, as there are not many other options on this team to play this tier.

3. Toadow - Meloettas

Another manager bought themselves for—checks notes—25k to play ORAS Monotype? Are we being serious right now? Anyway, Toadow, like Splash, has shown competence in this tier over the years, even managing to go 6-2 last year against players of similar strength to that of this pool. In addition to this, he also managed to finish 2nd in a Monotype Generations tournament a few years ago, so there is some promise that this 25k investment will not go to waste. Overall, Toadow is still one of the players to beat this pool and is justifiably ranked third.

4. Amukamara - Lotads

Amukamara, also known as Liam, is tasked with the starting role in the ORAS slot this tournament, after respectable showings in SM and BW in MWC III and MPL VIII, respectively. ORAS Monotype is new territory, however, though he has proven before that he is able to pick up tiers fast and perform at high levels, making Floss not look too stupid for doing a hard .9.5 right after nomming him at the near end of the auction. This 9.5k investment has the potential to work wonders for the Lotads, as Liam is a solid player who has the track record to back it up in this pool that is considered to be weak.

5. Jojo8868 - Honchkrows

Jojo8868 comes in at the 5th spot, having tierlocked himself into ORAS for the first three weeks in a baffling turn of events. It is expected that Cell will take over mid-season, but until then he will have to settle for prepping for Jojo instead. Jojo sports an overall 7-7 record in Monotype team tours, being bolstered by the recent MWC, where he finished with a 5-1 record. However, all of his previous exploits have come in SS and SV, with very minimal experience in ORAS. As long as he remembers the mechanics of the tier, he could be a dark horse with the best ORAS building support at his back between Cell and Attribute.

6. tier - Drilburs

tier, who I will be referring to as TierAcid to make things less confusing (also who calls themselves tier?) is back again for another MPL! His performance last year wasn’t too inspiring, although he was playing a tier (see why I’m calling him TierAcid now?) that is foreign to him in BW Monotype. One year and an AGPL tiebreak later, he has apparently vastly improved as a player, and now he finds himself in a starting role for the ORAS slot on the Drilburs. TierAcid has lots of people on his team that can support him, which can help him succeed in this pool in winning games and perhaps flaming people in the battle chat afterwards (I’d hope the acid part in his name makes sense now). Jokes aside, TierAcid is certainly capable of playing well and can potentially upset lots of names here. For now, though, he is still largely unproven in the Monotype scene, resulting in him being ranked sixth.

7. Sylvi - Wakes

A projected Dave pick turned plunder pick is Sylvi, who is set to make their Monotype team tournament debut this year. Their Monotype history is unknown (if there is one at all), so it is hard to determine how they would perform here and if they are motivated at all. As for their capabilities as a player, not much is known about that either, as they are a fairly new player who has not played many tournaments at this point in time. They are surrounded by many builders, however, so they should always have a team if things get desperate. Overall, only time will tell if Sylvi upsets everyone here or struggles throughout the tournament.

8. Ashbala - Fairies

Eager to play this tournament is Ashbala, who unfortunately has a tough road ahead of him. All of the players above him are proven in some capacity; meanwhile, this is the first auction-based tournament he gets to play in. Add this on to the fact that he does not have any real ORAS experience to his name, and you are looking at someone who is projected to struggle for the duration of the tournament. Luckily for him, he does have many people on his team who can help him tackle this tough obstacle, so not all hope is lost. Overall, Ashbala is expected to struggle here, as this is their first non-WCoP team tournament, along with playing a tier he has little to no experience in.

1. Attribute - Honchkrows

Attribute comes out on top of a highly competitive pool, with a string of impressive performances in the last two years of Monotype marking him as one of the best players of the tier. Apart from a strong 6-3 record in BW Monotype in team tours to date, the recent Monotype Classic scalp is testament to his multi-generational prowess that is also highlighted by finishing with a positive record in his last four team tours. There is no doubt about his self-sufficiency in the builder, but he can count on avarice for some inspiration if the situation calls for it. The BW slot is one of the pillars that supports the Honchkrows’ lineup, and they will be banking on Attribute to live up to expectations once more.

2. SoulWind - Fairies

One of the best players Smogon has to offer is back for another round of MPL, looking to dominate the field once again. Sporting an all-time record 11-3 in BW Monotype, SoulWind is projected to replicate previous performances in MWC II and MPL VII and perhaps duplicate the dominance he has shown in BW OU over the years in this tournament. Despite the lack of BW builders on the Fairies, SoulWind has proven before that potential conflicts in the teambuilding department are of little concern, as he has racked up wins in the past, with what was considered at the time questionable support. If everything goes smoothly, expect a dominant showing from the veteran, and perhaps a lot of “SlayWind” chants from his teammates at the end of his games.

3. Booty - Wakes

Booty the boomer has taken his BW Monotype talents to the Wakes this year, which is ironic, because he probably made half the spectators fall asleep during his games by bringing the same Psychic team for the past three MPLs. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for us spectators, Latios has been banned, so we may see what new meta-defining team he decides to bring to this tournament (either that or he replaces Latios with Latias on his old teams). Jokes aside, Booty is great. The track record the past four years speaks for itself; he is reliable and always puts up a spectacular performance, carrying his team in the process. Despite the brief stint of weakness last year, Booty has been the most consistent player in this format for a long period of time and is looking to show why being ranked third may be too low for the talent he has.

4. North - Lotads

Speaking of boomers, DugZa has decided to try and revive the career of one of them for the third (possibly more) team tournament in a row in this edition of MPL. Will it work out this time? Majority of the people seem to think so, as he is ranked fourth. With one of the few players in the pool with a deep understanding of Monotype in the 5th generation, North looks to prove that 1) the two-year hiatus he had will not hinder his performance whatsoever and 2) the rule of crust does not exist. On top of this, rumors say that he is motivated this time around, which is a promising sign for him to do well here. This pool may be competitive, but North has what it takes to go back to his dominant ways here and show that the boomer experiment is worth trying out.

5. Gondra - Thunders

Rounding out the middle of the pack is Gondra, who surprised a lot of people by only signing up for BW. Despite not being in his best tier of SM, Gondra is still a talented player who is expected to do well wherever he goes, with BW being no exception. He went 2-0 in BW games he played in the Monotype Invitational, and while that may be two years ago, the experience is there, and it shows that he can hold his own in this pool with players of similar strength. Gondra can be a dark horse for the best BW record this year and is seen as a wildcard in this pool. If things do not work out, however, this hefty 22k investment may prove too costly for the Thunders' playoff dreams.

6. Monai - Drilburs

The potential Wait2Seconds of this year is Monai, who is hoping to translate his BW OU skills to that of Monotype, just like his fellow competitor. Not much is known about Monai in regards to Monotype, but he has proven himself in BW OU in unofficial capacities, such as respectable performances in the BW circuit and even getting the opportunity to start in BW this past SPL. Despite the many antagonists on this team, this slot in particular exerts a lot of protagonist energy, and with the support of crashy, Monai can potentially pull off a huge number of upsets this tournament.

7. Wait2Seconds - Gengars

Speaking of Wait2Seconds, he is back once again to continue his latest passion project of BW Monotype. In his debut last year, he put up a respectable performance of 4-3 while only being only 3k. With more experience this year and being roughly the same price, he is certainly capable of replicating or even improving such performances, as he has stronger support this year. The potential in this slot is off the charts, and after this MPL, people may have to wait and think for more than two seconds before ranking him this low again.

8. Gelbel3c - Meloettas

Coming in eighth is Monotype newcomer Gelbel3c. Not much is known about the French prospect, but the amount of trust Cielau and Toadow have in them to start in their first Monotype team tournament may be telling, so it is possible that they overperform in this pool. BW isn’t exactly the most newcomer friendly out of the five gens, and with a competitive pool ahead of them, they are projected to struggle a bit. Team France’s BW slot in MWC II went 2-2, when they were projected to do poorly with supposedly the same support, so perhaps there is some upside here. Overall, though, if things don’t click quickly, this may be a long season for the Meloettas' BW slot.

Overall Team Rankings

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