AMIIBO WARS: (S6 PRESEASON) WILDCARD #1

AMIIBO WARS WILDCARD #1 (SEASON 6 PRESEASON)

(COMPLETED)

*Updated 02/01*

WELCOME to the first ever Amiibo Wars Wildcard! Wildcard is going to be a preseason event heading into each season that will determine who will make it to the main stage. This will be similar to Season 5's Challenger Series but with even less room for them to make mistakes. Every Amiibo will be competing in this preseason event but the ones with the lowest scores (much like in the S5 Challenger Series) will be eliminated from the competition. Season 6 will only hold 20 spots, so with there being over 50 amiibos currently, prepare for a hefty number of eliminations. Wildcard is going to be much more unforgiving because it's going to be broken down into groups of 6. There is no where to hide this time around, these groups will only see 3 contestants out of the 6 moving on towards a shot at the Season 6 Championship. The rules will remain similar to the rules of Season 5.. all competitors must face each other competitor in a 1v1 and there will be a second phase with special stipulations such as Team/Item/Smash Ball Matches, for those amiibos who may not be as strong in a 1v1 situation. 

(Spoilers Ahead! Click Here To Read Season 5 Before Continuing!)

THE Top 3 from Season 5 will automatically be invited to the Top 20... So Shulk and Dark Pit are automatically advancing to the Top 20... Well, who is the third you ask? Considering that the runners up for Third and Fourth Place tied in their scores for last season, it's only fair that in the spirit of competition we will open up this First Annual Wildcard Event with a Best of 5 between two of Amiibo Wars finest competitors.... Ness and Little Mac, who both held the 3rd Place spot last season. Both of these competitors have remained consistently strong throughout the history of Amiibo Wars, but which one of them deserves a by to the big stage? One of them will move on to the Top 20 and the other will have to fight their way to Season 6! Following this Best of 5, the loser will be added into the pool of 5 other contestants vying for a chance at redemption. It's going to be interesting! Will the Top 20 look the same as Last Season? Or are we going to see things get shaken up once again?! Amiibo Wars is back and better than ever!

WILDCARD OPENING MATCH

(WINNER GETS A BY TO SEASON 6 TOP 20)

LITTLE MAC vs. NESS

(Bo5)

THIS matchup is for a by to Season 6, completely bypassing this grueling process. These two competitors scored a tie for Third Place in Season 5, but considering only 3 amiibos receive an automatic pass to the Top 20, they must now break their tie and determine who gets to take the easy path and who is going to have to earn their way back to the top. There will be no special stipulations involved in this Bo5, it will be a Standard 3-Stock 1v1 contest that will continue on until one of the competitors has reached 3 wins.

MATCH 1 Little Mac opens up with a strong lead, dishing out a lot of damage quickly, but Ness retaliates with a few combos to even things out and even takes the first stock. Ness takes a commanding lead by punishing Little Macs poor recovery and gains a stock advantage. Mac doesn't let up though and manages to even things back out towards the end.. Ultimately NESS' early lead is too much and he finishes off Mac before it's too late.

MATCH 2 Little Mac starts this match off much more defensive, but Ness quickly adapts. The two end eachothers first stock at the same time. The percents stay even throughout the second stock, continuing the trend of the two K.Oing eachother at the same time. The final stock is very close with both sitting at 140%. Once again NESS manages to pull ahead by the skin of his teeth, catching Mac in an Up Air for the kill and his second win in this Best of 5. Little Mac came much closer this time, but is Ness just one step ahead in this matchup? Little Mac will need to win the next 3 matches to secure his spot in the Top 20. It's not looking too good for him.

MATCH 3 is the best chance for Little Mac to score a win so far, the map is randomized to be Final Destination which definitely puts the ball in Mac's court. Though the stocks stay even as usual, this time it's Little Mac who scores the first K.O. and takes the lead. Little Mac really steps up his game, pulling a full two stocks ahead of Ness. His expert use of defense and counters lead to LITTLE MAC's first win of the series. Can he make a comback?!

MATCH 4 kicks off neck and neck with both competitors quickly shooting into the red. Little Mac manages to pull ahead once again just like last match but on the second stock Ness manages to gimp Little Mac's recovery, pulling pretty far ahead. Little Mac plays it safe and manages to dominate Ness's second stock, evening out things once more. The final stock is very back and forth as Little Mac lands some expert counters to ensure his safety. As Mac enters the red he doesn't kill Ness quick enough and is sent flying, with no chance of recovering. That means NESS has secured his spot in the Top 20 for Season 6 and now Little Mac has to fight his way back to the top of the pack.

THE matches were very close, but ultimately NESS manages to secure his spot in the Season 6 Top 20! Ness has proven himself as a true Amiibo Wars Contender, but his struggles arise when pitted against Two Time Champion Shulk, who seems to always come out on top. With Season 6 being a Team Competition, is this Ness' chance to dethrone the king? Will his Team Fighting skills outshine the competition? We will have to wait and see as the Top 20 is announced and the teams are made for Amiibo Wars Season 6: Team Turmoil! Up next will be the first set of 5 competing for a spot in the Top 20. Little Mac will be placed against 4 other competitors picked at random, can he make it past the first round? Or will a shocking defeat here put out one of Amiibo Wars most notorious veterans? Wildcard #1 is coming up next!

WILDCARD #1 COMPETITORS

LAST SEASON four of these amiibos made it to the Top 20. LITTLE MAC redeemed his poor performance from Season 4 where he was one of the first amiibos eliminated. In Season 5 he came back with a vengence. You can't knock his determination because after falling to the Bottom 3 multiple times, Little Mac managed to come out on top, eliminating a handful of competitors single handely. He then proceeded to make it all the way to the Final 4 and even tied for 3rd Place with Ness. (Who has just snatched the 3rd spot from him for a by to the Top 20) He's the one to watch in this Wildcard Event, if he is eliminated it will definitely be a shock. JIGGLYPUFF made her debut in Season 5 where she floated her way through the Challenger Series and earned a spot in the Top 20. Sadly her inexperience held her back and she was one of the first two eliminated from the big stage. Will this be her season to shine? YOSHI has had some up and downs, he has been in Amiibo Wars since Season 1 and never managed to make it past the middle of the pack. Last Season Yoshi didn't make the Top 20, but could recent changes to Yoshi Amiibo's AI give him the push he needs to make a name for himself this season? Only time will tell. CHARIZARD has had a complete turnaround from Season 4 where he made his debut. He was the first amiibo to be eliminated, which had me questioning him as a contender. But when Season 5 rolled around, he was a different beast. He obliterated the Challenger Series and even in the Top 20, scorched the competition getting a handful of top scores in multiple group stages. Charizard finished in 8th Place which I'd say is a major improvement. Can he take it all the way to the top this time? PEACH has been a contender in Amiibo Wars since Season 1. She remains to be one of the most consistent, always hovering around the Top 10. Last Season however was probably one of her worst performances. She made it into the Top 20 but she only placed 16th, which definitely isn't as good as her previous placements. Peach needs to step up her game in Season 6 because the competition is only getting harder. GRENINJA made his debut in Season 5, but much like Charizard's Season 4 Fumble, Greninja didn't get a chance to leave his mark. Will he be able to redeem himself here at Wildcard? Or will he continue to strike out and fail to make an impact? This Poke-Tastic Wildcard is up next! Phase 1 will be the 1v1 Phase where each contender must face all other amiibos in a Standard 3 Stock 1v1 Matchup.

WILDCARD PHASE 1

PHASE 1 is going to pit each of the 6 amiibos vs. their 5 opponents in a Standard 1v1 3 Stock Matchup. The points received from this phase are 2 points for a win and -1 point for a loss. The 1v1 Phase may not give as many points as Phase 2 but it's still very important and can make or break their total in the end. 

LITTLE MAC seems to have tilted after his earlier loss to Ness. His performances in Phase 1 of this group stage have set him back pretty far. Only managing 1 win in the Phase he has the most experience in has really put him in a bad spot. He has shown in the past that Phase 2 isn't really where he shines and last season dropped to the elimination round multiple times because of it, having to fight his way through to save himself. Wildcard isn't as forgiving, if he doesn't make the Top 3 in this group, he's out, he doesn't get a chance to fight for his survival... This isn't looking good for Mac, he could be seeing another Early Tournament Exit just like he did in Season 4. It's up to how Phase 2 plays out and he's going to need a miracle to stay in this.

YOSHI put up a good fight but just fell short in most of his games. Impressively he did manage 2 wins off of Amiibo Wars Vets, Peach and Little Mac. Yoshi has had a history of doing pretty well in Phase 2 so he could definitely bring his score back up into the Top 3 if he does well. Yoshi has recently got some fixes to his AI so hopefully we will see him make some improvements in his gameplay and make a push to the top. Pokemon>Yoshi, its official, we know his true weakness. :P

JIGGLYPUFF shows dominance in Phase 1 of this group, only dropping 1 game to Little Mac. Jigglypuff looks to be pushing for redemption from last season where she was one of the first two amiibos eliminated in the Top 20. Jigglypuff's Top Score leaves her in a great spot going into Phase 2. I definitely think she has a great chance of landing in the Top 3 and advancing to the next Wildcard Event! This is reminiscent of her dominance in Season 5's Challenger Series where she looked very strong going into the Top 20. Can she make it further this season, or will she drop the ball when the competition starts heating up?

PEACH has also dropped the ball a bit considering her experience in Amiibo Wars. Peach typically smokes through the preliminary tournament and easily lands into the Top 20, but this seems like it could be the first time Peach doesn't make it to the big stage. Peach is definitely going to have to step it up if she wants to stay in the tournament. It's pretty shocking to see two top amiibos like Little Mac and Peach doing so poorly, we may be seeing some fresh faces in the Top 20 this season. She does have a history of saving herself when it matters most, so I wouldn't count her out just yet!

CHARIZARD crushes the competition, only dropping 1 game to Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff managed to figure him out quick and read him like a book, but his other matches were blowouts. Charizard made great strides last season, proving he is a serious force in Amiibo Wars. He dominated so many groups and it seems he's keeping up with that trend. Will he continue to dominate in Phase 2? He excels in all match types, so I think it's pretty safe to say Charizard is probably going to be advancing to the next Wildcard Event.

GRENINJA did a little better than I expected he would in this group. He put up a good fight in most matches and even took 2 games. Greninja is typically on the weaker side of things, so his score isn't really a shock. I expected him to be one of the bottom scores. This basically means the group is blown wide open. Charizard and Jigglypuff dominate the first phase, placing the rest of the competitors on equal footing. It will all come down to who performs the best in Phase 2, four of them will be competing for that third slot and it could go to any one of them. Phase 2 is going to see 3 Amiibos advance and 3 Amiibos exit Season 6 for good. Phase 2 is up next, stay tuned!

WILDCARD PHASE 2

PHASE 2 will see the competitors compete in the likes of Team/Smash Ball/Item/Free For All Match Types. This Phase gives 3 points for a win instead of 2, so those who may not be as strong in 1v1's have a chance to save themselves. 4 Amiibos are sitting around the same score and will be fighting to the death for that last spot to advance in the Season 6 Pre Season. The end goal will be a spot in the Top 20. Right now Charizard and Jigglypuff stand tall at the top of the pack, but poor performances in this Phase could even see them drop out of the tournament. This one will be interesting because with 4 Amiibos from Last Season's Top 20 in this group, it is 100% certain that one of them will be not making it to the big stage this Season. It all comes down to this!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

WILDCARD #1 MVP

CHARIZARD made quick work of this group, obliterating everything in his path. After placing in 8th Last Season it looks like this dragon is on a warpath and is burning down everyone that stands in his way. Charizard manages to finish with a total of 16 points, doubling the 2nd place finisher. Charizard advances to the next stage of preliminaries where I'm sure the competition will be much more challenging. Can he continue to soar through the Pre Season and snatch a spot in the Top 20? Stay Tuned!

2ND & 3RD PLACE

JIGGLYPUFF and LITTLE MAC join Charizard in advancement to the next round of preliminaries! Both of these amiibos were a part of the Top 20 last season, with Little Mac making it all the way to 3rd place. Earlier in Wildcard, he had to face off against Ness who claimed the 3rd and final by to the Top 20, leaving Little Mac fighting for his life here at Wildcard. After a near fatal slip up in Phase 1, it looked as though Little Mac didn't have a chance of making it past this round. But as he always seems to do, he found a way, inching by with only 1 point to spare! Jigglypuff had a commendable performance in this group, excelling in Phase 1 and doing a good job in Phase 2 as well. They both fought well and are still in the game!

THE END OF THE ROAD

GRENINJA, PEACH and YOSHI fail to make an impact. Greninja's elimination wasn't much of surprise, he doesn't seem to have a lot of strengths that most amiibos possess. Sadly for him he got matched against Charizard twice in Phase 2 which basically sealed his fate. Charizard obliterated Greninja in every match they fought in. Peach has always landed in the Top 20, so it's sad to see her bow out so early for the first time. I don't know if it was the matchups or just a bad moment in her Amiibo Wars Career, but it now insures that we will have atleast one new person in the Top 20. Yoshi made some improvements and I could tell he is getting better, but it seems like he needs some more time before he can truly shine. This isn't going to be the Season of the Yoshi. This is the end of the road for these 3 and Wildcard #2 will see the exit of 3 more. Stay Tuned, the next Wildcard is on the way!

WILDCARD #2 IS HERE!!