I had a bit of time this evening since I'm waiting on teammates to send their parts, so I decided to bring some non-shitposting to this thread by posting a Manager Power Ranking + some predictions. I really enjoy writing PRs, but won't have time to do the real one so doing this. I wanna make it clear that even though I'm posting this now, it doesn't change my activity issues for the first few weeks. Gonna get drowned by end of semester stuff starting this weekend
These rankings were done with the help of:
Attribute Chaitanya Conflux Splash Izaya Cell
MWP III - MANAGER POWER RANKINGS
1. Mossdeep Murkrows 
Highest ranking: 1, Lowest ranking: 2
First off, we have the pair of Sabella and Leru. This duo is probably the most decorated manager duo in the tour, and this is not limited to Monotype. For this reason, they definitely know how to win a team tour and what a winning team looks like. Moreover, they have solid skills as players which provides them with 2 players at a good price before the tour even begins, if they buy themselves. The advantages for this manager duo is mostly a given, so instead lets look at some potential pitfalls. It is pretty obvious that this team will mainly be comprised of tournament players unrelated to monotype. While that strategy is general effective, Zarif & Azelea attempted this last MWP and their team full of big names failed to make an impact. This is because of the nature of MWP is so different from MPL. Also, they are not guaranteed shadow manager Kaiser this time around, although that might not be as relevant as it is in MPL. Another possible downside is their lack of investment with the tiers involved. Sabella has shown to enjoy SS Mono towards the end of DLC1 meta but I don't know if he plays DLC2, and Leru doesn't seem much involved either. With them potentially not playing any of the tiers involved, it makes them much more reliant on buying builders.
Overall: This pair are strong contenders pre-draft, but it will come down to how they take into consideration all the OMs involved.
Lineup Prediction: Tour players + some friends they often team with: 1 True Lycan, Kaiser, Star, Gondra, Eternal Spirit, Bouff, TonyFlygon, ima, qwily, 0NI, Nat,The Architect, Jase Duken, etc.. Then, it'd probably be topped off by some lower end mono mainers that would be building teams. Their budget won't allow them to get every single one of the bigger tour names tho, so they might have to adapt to that. Also, Sabella plays some OM tours I think? So he might have some big OM player he knows in the pool as a target.
Most Likely to: Do something shady during the tour
The last two times they teamed up, there was some shady things that happened. MPL4 had the drafting of Namion which was a Kaiser alt, and MPL3 the Honchkrows ghosted in the tiebreak game.
2. Inebriated Incineroars 
Highest ranking: 1, Lowest ranking: 5
Next, we have the pair of torkool and Ridley. In terms of MWP success, they are by far the most notable pair as they have managed the winners of MWP1 and MWP2 respectively. Ridley's team in MWP1 also made finals, although they were completely washed by Torkool's. These past performances shows that obviously both these managers know how to build an MWP winning team. Furthermore, torkool is amongst the best for both Monothreat and Monotype LC so he provides great support to his team. Admittedly, this knowledge is based on gen 7 performances but I believe it still stands. He also co-lead the OMs last gen so he has a good sense of how all of them work. Ridley can support the team in SS, as well as Stabmons if he still enjoys it liked he did in SM. A major concern regarding this team is activity and consistency. Some have expressed concern about Ridley's activity both as a user and a manager, and torkool has been gone for a while now so he isn't as familiar with everything as he was before. In terms of consistency, torkool's team last MWP had a very bad performance and Ridley managed with Ticken so he was possibly carried by him in managerial duties.
Overall: This team has great potential to do very well in the tournament, but they can just as easily crash & burn.
Lineup Prediction: They will buy a high-average/high price SS main that can build. I don't see them going overboard by getting someone like Chaitanya or Lycan, they will probably be relatively conservative. Maybe some like Conflux will be here. They will probably get some tour player(s) that are at an average price, or maybe one that is a bit more expensive. I could see them buy ima since they've teamed with him in past MWPs. In terms of OMs, I can see like betathunder being bought by them. Personally, I find this team the biggest enigma in terms of what their draft would look like.Their plan doesn't seem as obvious as some others usually do.
Most Likely to: Be bland
I really tried to think of something shady or offensive to say like I did for everyone else, but honestly couldn't think of anything. I think that fits how they will be in the tournament tho, they won't be getting into much beef or be the subject of memes or insults.; they will just kinda be there
3. Po Town Pandas 
Highest ranking: 2, Lowest ranking: 6
The 3rd pair is surprisingly a duo of first time managers in Floss and DugZa. These two are probably some of the most highly regarded monotype players now after quickly gaining respect in the past 1-2 years. Most people have high expectations of them doing well because they are motivated and talented. Floss is well respected as an SS builder and player, which will be pivotal for succeeding here. DugZa (Maple lol) works with him a lot in building through tournaments as well. Their duo has lead to the monotype circuit win in sm, and Floss' ssnls win and mlt finals, as well as DugZa's far runs in ssnls and mlt (assuming they helped each other in these). As big tryhards, they also have gotten involved with some of the OMs so they'll have some insight there. The major concern in regards to them is that they are new managers. Therefore, they might not be prepared to effectively manage a team and handle situations. They might also not be prepared for the draft environment (despite their 1000000000 mock drafts) and make some crucial mistakes. They may get taken advantage of by other managers during the draft, have to revamp the plan because of undervaluing in their plans or miss out on better players because they are too married to a plan.
Overall: As one of the most anticipated combos, this team is likely to do well because of the motivation and skill of the managers. However, their lack of experience can lead to potentially season crushing decisions.
Lineup Prediction: Since both are strong Monotype players and builders, they will probably get some OM builders and good tournament players. As newer managers, they might also rely on getting players they are familiar with, as they can trust them and will get along with them. They will possibly be focusing on getting a lot of their fellow "nexus" members. Also, I see them being quite conservative with their budget because they don't want to risk anything as new managers. Upbidding them as bait might end up backfiring because of this.
Most Likely to: Have an argument every week (and during draft)
I can see this pair end up fighting about something insignificant every week or every other week. However, it won't be anything that would destroy their team chemistry. Fights will probably range from arguing over a team choice, lineup choice and draft choice during the latter half of the draft in particular. I could also see them upbid each other.
4. Milk Bagged Miltanks 
Highest ranking: 3, Lowest ranking: 5
In 4th place, we have the Canadian duo of Waszap and Seo. This duo has the largest gap when it comes to manager viability, as zap is the reason it was ranked so high, but seo is the reason its so low. Waszap is one of the most successful managers in Monotype, having his team reach finals every single time he has managed. Clearly, he knows what he is doing as a manager. However, instead of his usual partner Chaitanya, he comes into the tour with Seo who has no experience with managing. Seo will definitely provide a fun and entertaining team environment as he's a positive guy tbh, but unfortunately not positive in terms of playing. Having little experience and no notable performances has many people doubting his ability to manage a team. Also, his long list of friends can be another detriment to the team as he might want to get many of them regardless of their skill, or well lack thereof. There's a concern this team turns into another train wreck like the Railgun Raikous drafted by Misaka in MWP1, whose lineup included both these managers and its lineup was based on Seo's discord. A big factor for this teams success will be Zap's activity and involvement. He hasn't been the most active, so its questionable on how he will contribute during the tour. If he is active, he can provide good support in SS, AAA and Monothreat, but if he isn't there might be some issues. Also, if he doesn't get heavily involved in the draft plan to control some of Seo's bad takes there could be issues. See being new also means he might have trouble handling money in the draft. There isn't only negatives about him tho, he does provide good support in LC which makes them less reliant on getting a builder in this tier like other teams and he will definitely be motivated. He will provide his team with a lot of support in terms of actual help but also in encouragement. There may be some issues there tho since Zap is the polar opposite and will probably roast his players to death if they mess up.
Overall: This team can definitely do well, but it's reliant on how much Zap will be involved in the tour and how much input he has in the draft plan.
Lineup Prediction: This team will probably buy some strong and expensive SS builder to ease the burden from Zap. They'd probably buy some familiar and good tournament player(s) to fill up some SS slots like Evigaro. They might also go after peachyclouds who is one of the more sought out players in pool and has good synergy with Zap. In terms of OMs, I'm not sure what they would do honestly. The team would get topped off by some friends of Seo that Zap has approved. This lineup is another potential wildcard because of how different this pairing is, and there's no certainty about how involved Zap will be in choosing his players.
Most Likely to: Have an argument between a manager (Zap) and a player
This is differentiated from argument between managers for the pandas because there wouldn't be much of an argument between Zap and Seo. Zap would just curse him out and Seo would take it. If you've teamed with Zap before, you know that he is a pretty aggressive manager. If a player of his messes up, he will not hold back with the criticism and that can lead to issues. The player might try to clap back or the other players would complain about his attitude.
5. Tsundere Tsareenas 
Highest ranking: 2, Lowest ranking: 7
Next up, we have two of the most veteran, and loudest talking managing pair: Zarif and Azelea. Despite their long experience as managers, this pair almost didn't make the tournament if maroon had accepted his spot. Also, they almost got edged out by the last minute joke signup by Prosaic and Trichotomy. This shows that there is not much faith in this pair to do well despite having managed in multiple iterations MPL and MWP. This mostly has to do with their inactivity and them no longer being players. Moreover, they have failed to make a big impact in MWP so far. In the last edition of the tour, they drafted a team full of big names but completely flopped. It will be interesting see how that experience will effect their draft this time around, if it does at all. One of the biggest points of this pair is that neither manager is buying themselves from what I know at least. This is both an advantage and disadvantage. In terms of advantage, they dominate the control of the player pool and are basically guaranteed their top picks. This allows them to build a strong, cohesive team without compromising their initial plan. Their experience also provides people with more confidence in them building a strong team. A voter ranked them 2nd for a reason. However, it serves as a disadvantage because while other teams start the draft with strong players and builders pre-draft (for the most part...), they will fully rely on buying these in the draft.
Overall: This team can do very well if they capitalize on their budget advantage and buy a cohesive team instead of focusing on names. However, its also very possible that their loudest performance in the tour will be in private rooms and discord.
Lineup Prediction: Seeing as they have the most money, I'd normally predict that they would get the obvious most expensive player Chaitanya, or maybe the 2nd most expensive Lycan. While Zarif was pretty reserved with spending last MPL, this duo was more aggressive spenders in MPL3 I think. For this reason, I believe they would drop a huge amount on at least one massive support player to make up for them. I think they would get 1 or 2 more expensive OM players to provide support there, possibly some like Catalystic although he might not be that involved with the OMs in the tour in this gen? I could see Nat for Monothreat. They would probably get another expensive SS builder like Conflux maybe. The team would get capped off with some lower priced decent players if they don't blow it out on the bigger names. I think tko signed up so they'd go for him too.
Most Likely to: Have a manager pull a illama
Azelea has very iffy activity which could lead to him pulling a llama and ditching his team. He already dipped on Zarif last MPL after signing up with him.
6. Weaboo Wartortles 
Highest ranking: 4, Lowest ranking: 6
In 6th place, we have two managers from last MPL: Luckypiper and Perish Song. After the clownery performed by psong in the MPL draft, with nonsensical upbidding and snaking, the inkling of faith people had in him disappeared. One can only hope he has learned his lesson from that, if piper even lets him touch the commands on draft day. As for piper, not many trust in his ability to draft a good team because of his notable bad takes as shown in his many mock drafts. Many also believe his teams performance in MPL was a fluke or more attributed to Floss' grind in SS. Also, both managers aren't really considered notable as players, although piper has had some surprises performances. Despite these things, this team is most likely to most fun and cohesion because they would be people that get along and can chat about non-tour related things, etc... They could also cause an upset in the tournament if they buy the right pieces.
Overall: This pair isn't seen as one that will draft a strong team, but they will have fun and can pull a surprise if they focus on good players and not just friends only they think are good.
Lineup Prediction: Namranan (better be here or piper is a snake), MetaRiolu7 (poor meta being with nam), Crashy, adjustments, taide are pretty much guaranteed to be here. Wanka and vivalospride are also likely buys if the budget allows it. I could see them using a huge chunk of their budget one one big name as support like Lycan or Feitan. The remainder of the draft also depends on how much input psong has. They might get a tournament player and more friends of piper. They probably will also pick up some french players with potential that piper got familiar with in his team chat. Fylkir Pudin is another person I can picture on this team. The remaining space would get filled up by some decent players in OMs, maybe some SS depending on what's needed.
Most Likely to: Draft a player that makes literally every other manager and the more involved members of the community go: "Huh?"
I've already been over Piper's takes so this is pretty self-explanatory. Expecting another Randompizza level of ????
7. Circhester Centiskorchers 
Highest ranking: 6, Lowest ranking: 8
Next, we have Havens and the OM version of himself, In The Hills occupying the 7th slot. This is a unique pair as one of the managers has no involvement with Monotype and most of the other managers didn't even know who he was. In fact, his consent to managing in this tour is itself questionable as shown below. For this reason, it might be questionable on how dedicated he will be. While ITH not being too familiar of a name within the community, and not being that recognizable of an OM name to most, he is not the only reason for this rank. Most people don't really trust Havens' ability as a manager as his draft takes can be completely horrendous and he's mid as a player. It is very likely they over evaluate some players which leads to budget issues. What saves this team from last place is that Havens has had more experience in team tours and his team in MPL did end up making playoffs. Them potentially purchasing themselves also possibly leads to this ranking.
Overall: There isn't much expectations for this manager core; they are expected to poorly manage their money in draft. They could however surprise every if they do manage to use that money well, which happened in MPL when Havens was supported by Zarif.
Lineup Prediction: This team is going to spend an insane amount on a massive player like Chaitanya. Hopefully they will be getting good building support in SS so they do not rely on Appletun Kingdra counter. I expect this team to snipe some of the tour players from the Krows and some OM guys. They won't have too many mono mains bar a 2-3 probably, 1-2 bigger ones and 1 smaller one. I perfectly predicted Havens team structure in MPL 5 so hoping to go 2/2 here.
Most Likely to: Have players that do not wanna be on the team
From what I predicted their team structure will be, I can see them getting some good players who really don't wanna be there. From what I hear, some OM players don't really wanna end up playing for ITH. Hence, the reason these two are similar as the same applies to Havens. In MPL 6 he was pretty much daily/weekly brutalized and disrespected by his own player vodoom.
8. Viridian Vivillons 
Highest ranking: 7, Lowest ranking: 8
Last, and least we have Mateeus and Bondie. After both their pairs were rejected in MPL manager signups, they ditched their partners to form a new pair that clenched a manager spot. While Bondie has managed before, many don't believe in his ability to as even when he did it in MPL3, when he was more active, he drafted the worst team. The draft takes of this team might not be very good. Also, many don't really believe in their ability to provide support to their players and some are reluctant about Mateeus buying himself. Respect to him for making that decision tho. Also, he did win BLT as a manager and plays like NatDex ? So theres definitely a possibility he knows what he is doing.
Overall: The majority of people don't think they have what it takes as managers, so it will be up to them to prove everyone wrong and bring an upset.
Lineup Prediction: If the Krows are the tour players team, this is the Monotype mains team. If you are a mono mainer and think you might have a chance to get picked, I'd suggest contacting them if you haven't because this is your best chance. Both these managers are very involved with the community so they are probably more inclined to give chances to newer players they are familiar with. I can see them getting players they are friends with, like Jolly Togekiss or Nexus players for Mateeus, and Firnen and Sae for Bondie. It is possible they drop a huge amount on one massive player to support them, but I do think they would be reluctant on getting risky players or ones they think won't like them. I feel like this might be the team with the most players if it's not the weaboos.
Most Likely to: Never provide any constructive criticism to the their players
These two are by far the nicest managers when it comes to personality, which is a great trait in terms of environment and just in general. However, they might just be too nice and not correct mistakes post-game or put their foot down when it comes to situations or bad builds. Although some might say they won't critique because they can't identify the mistakes and not because they are too nice.
Hoping for a fun tour with a lot of good games, good luck to all the managers! There's a lot of players I'm hoping get drafted so hope to see a lot of new guys get a shot. And remember that if you aren't drafted and are a new player, don't give up! There are plenty of opportunities to get drafted. A lot of the newer names that get picked up in MPL and MWP first made an impact through performances in Monotype Seasonals and BLT (smaller team tournament that happens in February). I highly suggest following the Monotype discord to figure out when tours happen so you can get your name out there. It's hard for managers to draft you without a substantial sample size!
