Thursday, February 4, 2016

AMIIBO WARS: (S6 PRESEASON) WILDCARD #3


AMIIBO WARS WILDCARD #3 (SEASON 6 PRESEASON)
(COMPLETED)
*UPDATED 03/07*

WELCOME to Group #3 of the Season 6 Amiibo Wars Preseason! In #2 we saw the conclusion of a deep seeded rivalry and 2 more shocking eliminations were made. (Check it out here!) This Season is already looking much different than the last, because multiple Top 20 Players from Season 5 have already had to relinquished their spots, and there has only been two groups so far! Wildcard #3 isn't as star studded as the last two, none of these competitors here made the Top 20 last season, but some of them have had great runs in Amiibo Wars' past. One of which is an Ex-Champion, who saw a shocking early elimination Last Season. Is she going to make a comeback? How are the cards going to fall in this low-tier brawl? I personally have no idea who will rise and fall here, I'm interested to see what happens. The real question is, even if they advance, will they be able to match up to the other competitors? Wildcard #3 is on the way!

WILDCARD #3 COMPETITORS

 LAST SEASON almost all of these amiibos were left as just an afterthought. None of them made it to the Top 20, and most of them didn't even stand a chance of making it there. WII FIT TRAINER was an exception. Her spot was taken from her by Jigglypuff, who managed to beat her by only 1 point in the Challenger Series and kept her from the Top 20. This devastating loss has Wii Fit looking for revenge, can she make it to the Top 20 this time around? KIRBY has had some serious ups and downs but definitely has had his fair share of ups. Kirby is known for almost ending Mario in Season 4 in his first group stage of the tournament. Mario managed to skate by just barely, but Kirby gave him a serious wakeup call. Kirby's performance last season was mediocre. He has a history of taking games off some Top Amiibos but I don't think he's as consistent and it's what really keeps him from excelling. KING DEDEDE has truly branded himself as an Afterthought in Amiibo Wars. No matter what he does, he just cant seem to make a mark on this Tournament Series. He debuted in Season 4 and was out on the first round, his scores in Season 5's Challenger Series were no where near good enough to make it to the Top 20. He has the potential to do great things, he just doesn't. I will be surprised if he takes this Wildcard Event and runs with it. FALCO makes his debut here in Season 6. Judging from the attrocity that is Fox, my hopes aren't the highest for him. But to his credit, I do think he is stronger than Fox and his AI is smarter. That being said, his aggressive playstyle may eventually be a detriment and I really don't know if characters like him will ever be able to hang with the Top Tier Amiibos. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised, but I don't think I will be by this one. ZELDA has a history of being the ultimate underdog. In Season 2 she came out of no where after floating around the middle of the pack, winning match after match and ultimately taking the Championship. Since then, the Season 2 Champion has consistently been a strong contender, but unfortunate circumstances in Season 5 put her in horrible matchups which ultimately dashed her Top 20 hopes. This was probably one of the most shocking early eliminations in Amiibo Wars history. Can she redeem herself this Season and make it back where she belongs? CAPTAIN FALCON hasn't really seen much success since his debut in Season 3. He had a reasonably good performance back then but ever since he's just been on the down slope. Falcon struggles in 1v1 Matches much more than I think he should and he is just terrible in the Team/FFA phases. I don't know what it will take for this amiibo to turn things around, but he needs to change something. If he can't dominate in his 1v1's, he's never gonna make it anywhere in Amiibo Wars. These amiibos are handed an easy pass to the next round. Who's going to take this opportunity and run with it, the 1v1 Phase is up next!

WILDCARD PHASE 1

 

WII FIT TRAINER had an odd start. Though she did "okay" last season, it seems like her abilities had degraded since not being in action for a little while. There was a lot of standing around and a lot of odd behavior. She managed 2 wins which is below average, if she continues to under perform like she did in these 1v1 matches, I don't see her making it out of this group stage.

 

KIRBY definitely takes advantage of this easy group. Probably the one amiibo with the best chance of making it to the next round, Kirby dominates the 1v1's with 4 out of 5 wins. Though it's looking pretty good for him here, how is he going to fair against the other contenders who will be advancing? Is Kirby going to be able to hang? Kirby's amiibo has had a lot of fixes, so we could definitely be seeing him rise in the ranks. It'll be interesting to find out!


KING DEDEDE doesn't seem to have the same luck as his eternal rival, Kirby. His slow sluggish fighting style didn't do him any favors against this group and his win/loss was pretty predictable. He lost to the ones I expected him to lose to, and won against the ones I thought he had a chance at beating. King Dedede has proven to be very hit or miss in Amiibo Wars and I don't expect him to make it out unless he aces the 2nd Phase by some sort of miracle.


FALCO sadly seems to be following in the footsteps of his partner, Fox. He got completely obliterated in this group. These matches weren't even close and he couldn't even land one win. Typically I would say it's because he's new and not as developed but I strongly am against these squishy close ranged glass cannon characters as amiibos. Forcing an Amiibo to have to get in close to do damage seems to be a death sentence if they don't have any other options to work with. Falco may be joining Fox on the Amiibo Wars bench because so far I really don't see him ever standing a viable chance of getting anywhere in this Tournament Scene.


ZELDA claims a stronger performance than last season, giving her a much better chance of advancing. Her final match against Captain Falcon was down to the wire and she was so close to tying Kirby for the lead. Falcon/Zelda/Kirby seem to have taken this group by the horns, it's looking to be these 3 advancing but it all comes down to Phase 2. Can Zelda maintain her dominance in the coming matches? Or will she fall flat, once again unable to make it back to the Top 20?


CAPTAIN FALCON takes one off of the Season 2 Champion and manages to tie Kirby for the lead, only dropping 1 game to Wii Fit Trainer. I feel like he was a bit rusty and that game was a warm up. Falcon was looking much stronger than he usually does, but the problems usually come in when he faces group/team matches. I'm not confident in his ability to dominate in Phase 2 but if he can manage to win atleast one match, I think he will be safe and advancing to the next stage of the tournament.

WILDCARD PHASE 2

PHASE 2 for this group is looking to be decided before it even starts. Captain Falcon and Kirby have very commanding leads with Zelda not too far behind. We will have  to see some serious mess ups in this phase to see changes in the current standings. Kirby and Falcon don't have the best records in group matches but I think their scores in Phase 1 have secured their spots. That third spot is still up for grabs though, If Dedede can manage a strong showing in this next set of matches, he could find himself in the Top 3. Zelda has a lot riding on this Phase, will it be another upset and early exit for the Ex Champion? Falco and Wii Fit need a miracle if they want to move past this group stage, I really don't think they stand a chance. Phase 2 of Wildcard #3 is up next!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!


WILDCARD #3 MVP

CAPTAIN FALCON and KIRBY manage to tie each other for the top spot. Both of these amiibos will be advancing to the next round. Both amiibos had strong performances in Phase 1 as well as Phase 2. Not too surprised here, they were lucky to get an easier group. I am not really sure how they will fair in the next stage of the competition because I feel like the competitors will be much harder next time. I think even if they make it to the Top 20, they are going to struggle in those Team Matches. I could be wrong, they did a fine job in this group and their advancement was well deserved.

3RD PLACE UPSET!

KING DEDEDE snatches ZELDA's hopes and dreams away from her in this phase. King Dedede battled his way out of a terrible situation with his impressive Team Fighting skills, being the dominant force in both of his team matches as well as giving Captain Falcon a run for his money in their 1v1 Smash Ball Brawl. His Phase 2 performances boosted him 1 point above Zelda who continues to have rocky performances early on in the competition. Will she ever pull herself back together? Or is this going to be her new home? It was looking to be a sure advancement for the princess, but once again she fell short. King Dedede joins his rival Kirby and Captain Falcon on their path to the Top 20. Is Dedede finally ready for the big stage?! We will have to wait and see!

THE END OF THE ROAD

WII FIT TRAINER and FALCO show very little promise in this group. Both of them struggled in Phase 1 and 2. Wii Fit was formerly benched for glitches in her AI but even with the fixes, I still don't think she can measure up with the majority of amiibos in the game. Falco is cursed with a poor skillset for an amiibo and without equipment, I don't see him standing any chance against the rest of the group. His matches were free wins for his competitors and only managed to win 1 team match where Kirby put him on his shoulders and carried him to the finish line. I don't think Fox/Falco are viable amiibos for "Vanilla" tournaments and I believe he will be joining him on the bench. Wii Fit still shows a little bit of potential, just not so sure she has what it takes either. Not surprised in the slightest to see these two eliminated. Amiibo Wars: Wildcard #4 will be coming soon, I can't wait to see who the next 6 competitors battling it out will be! Stay Tuned!

WILDCARD #4 IS HERE!!



Monday, February 1, 2016

AMIIBO WARS: (S6 PRESEASON) WILDCARD #2



AMIIBO WARS WILDCARD #2 (SEASON 6 PRESEASON)
(COMPLETED)
*Updated 02/03*


HELLO AGAIN and welcome to this very "Zelda Universe" Wild Card Event. In Wildcard #1 we named the 3rd of 3 amiibos to receive a by to the Season 6 Top 20!! We also saw 3 Eliminations, one of which was very unexpected. (Click Here To Find Out What Happened!) But with the randomization of these groups, we are bound to see Top Amiibos getting sent out the door. This round will be no exception because Wildcard #2 has quite the lineup! We have a former Champion, 2 Season 5 Top 20 Placers, A Fresh New Face and 2 Veterans out for revenge. It's quite an interesting mix, much like the last group. Wildcard #2 starts now!

WILDCARD #2 COMPETITORS
 

LAST SEASON with the exception of 1, saw these amiibos fight with everything they had. TOON LINK had a rough road in the Challenger Series, this overall consistent Amiibo Wars Vet had mediocre 1v1 scores leading into Phase 2 where he completely bombed and didn't win a single match. These poor performance called for an early end for this Link, who typically hovers around the top of the pack. LINK made a valiant effort to climb back to the top last season after a tragically early exit in Season 4. This slump seemed to be only a minor hiccup though after Link bulldozed his way to the Top 20 and made it all the way to 6th Place! Can the Season 1 Champion reclaim the throne this Season? LUIGI's Season 5 adventure was almost exactly the same outcome as Toon Link's, another Top Amiibo Wars Veteran who had mediocre 1v1 scores and fumbled in Phase 2 with no wins. The interesting part about this group though, is that Mega Man is the one who dominated Luigi's group in the Challenger Series, and is a big reason why Luigi didn't make the Top 20. Can Luigi get his revenge here at Wildcard #2? GANONDORF made his debut Last Season, impressing everyone as he blew through the competition in the Challenger Series. This powerhouse looked so strong going into the Top 20 but sadly didn't break into the Top 10, landing himself in 11th Place. Ganondorf had a great run through most of the tournament but his struggles began around Top 16 where he started losing most of his 1v1 Matches and struggling in Phase 2. Was the competition too much for him? Will he remain a mid tier competitor? Lets see if Ganondorf is ready to rise to the occasion this season. DUCK HUNT is a new kid on the block, and truly will be a "Wildcard" in this group. We don't really know how he will perform here so it's going to be interesting to watch and see if this amiibo has what it takes to be a Top Amiibo Wars Contender. MEGA MAN always shows consistency in Amiibo Wars. In this series, it's pretty rare to see amiibos who can hang with the Top Dogs and give them a run for their money. Mega Man has always stayed towards the top of the pack since his debut in Season 3. Last Season, this veteran was a victim of "Amiibo Tilt". He had a rough few games in his 1v1's in the Top 16 and continued to fumble into Phase 2 dropping him to the Bottom 3. This Bottom 3 was hard to watch, the amiibo wasn't himself and basically just rolled over. I hope that this group will see him back to his former glory and continue to impress me with his skills. This one will be interesting, with only 3 Spots up for grabs, we could see some Top Amiibos out early. Stay Tuned!

WILDCARD PHASE 1

PHASE 1 should be fairly even. I think the one with the biggest disadvantage is probably Duck Hunt just because he doesn't have nearly as much experience as the others. Toon Link and Luigi may bomb their 1v1's again and Ganondorf/Mega Man also have a history of tilting, so I'm not sure who's going to be the big winner in this phase. It's up in the air!


TOON LINK drops the ball on his 1v1's once again. He managed to take a game off of Ganondorf and the newbie, Duck Hunt who are the greenest ones of the group. It's not looking too good for him, if he can't pull it together in the second phase we could be seeing another early exit for this one. To Toon Link's credit though, he has a history of competing very well in Team/FFA Matches so there may still be a chance for a comeback.


LINK makes a dominating return to action. In Phase 1 Link managed to win every match, putting him in an amazing spot going into Phase 2 as well as placing himself far ahead of his protege Toon Link at this point. Link seems to be on a warpath towards revenge on those who keep standing in his way to a 2nd Championship. Can Link finally return to his throne after five long Seasons... I can't wait to find out! Judging from his history, Link's Team/FFA performances have been very good, so it's safe to say there's a great chance of him advancing to the next round.


LUIGI must be feeling Deja Vu after this performance. Much like last season, Luigi fails to impress in his 1v1 Matches, but to his credit he managed a win off of Toon Link and his rival Mega Man who held him back from the Top 20 Last Season. Luigi is going to have to step up his game if he wants to advance in this tournament. Phase 2 will be very important.. If Toon Link/Luigi are any indication of how things will play out in Phase 1, it could be anyone's game going into Phase 2 for those 3 Advancement Spots.


GANONDORF's matches are interesting. He loses to both Link's, is it just a coincidence? Or is it conspiracy?! Ganondorf didn't dominate the 1v1's like he has in the past which was a little surprising. But even so, he managed to keep himself ahead of the pack, at least scoring one more win than 2 of the other competitors. Going into Phase 2, he needs that edge considering it is not his strong suit.

 

DUCK HUNT's score was pretty much to be expected. This amiibo, in comparison to his competition, is still pretty green and doesn't have the experience they have in Amiibo Wars. Considering he doesn't have an overpowering skill set, it's going to take more time for him to develop into a consistent force. Duck Hunt only managed to get one win, which is an accomplishment in itself. Every amiibo starts somewhere and this is only the beginning. Do I think he has a chance of making it to the next round? Probably not, but at least he got a little more experience under his belt.

 

MEGA MAN left me surprised to say the least. I expected him to do much better in these 1v1 Matches considering his past performances in Amiibo Wars. I think that he has now placed himself in a predicament that isn't good. He will have to work very hard in the next phase to advance, which I'm not used to seeing from this Amiibo. Past Seasons have seen Mega Man shoot to the Top 20 with ease... Could we see him out early here at Wildcard #2? That would be a complete shocker! With 5 of the 6 Amiibos scraping the bottom for scraps, it's anyone's game! I can't wait to see what happens next!

WILDCARD PHASE 2

PHASE 2 for Wildcard #2 is going to determine everything in this group. With 5 of the 6 Amiibos landing low scores in Phase 1, it all comes down to this! As always, this phase gives 3 points for a win instead of 2, so those who are behind have a chance to make a serious comeback, especially if they win all 3 of their Phase 2 Matches. Right now the only amiibo sitting pretty is Link, who managed to obtain all 10 points from the first round. Considering the weak scores of all the other competitors, he is almost guaranteed a spot to the next round no matter what he scores in this phase. I personally expected much better Phase 1 performances from Ganondorf and Mega Man, but that's the excitement of Amiibo Wars, you never know who's going to be up and who's going to be down. It's time to find out who stays and who goes in this Phase 2 brawl for a chance to stay in the game! 3 Amiibos Advance, 3 Amiibos Get Eliminated! It's Up Next!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!



WILDCARD #2 MVP

LINK manages a phenomenal perfect score, not dropping a single game. The Season 1 Champion has left his mark many times in Amiibo Wars, but the question is, has his ship sailed? His dominance lately has only reached up to a certain point. Is he washed up in comparison to the Top Amiibo Wars Contenders? Link has proved he's not messing around here at Wildcard, and it looks like he's definitely going to slice his way back to the top. If anything, we can say he's persistent. We will have to wait and see if he has what it takes to return to the top.

2ND and 3RD PLACE (THERE'S A TIE!!)


TOON LINK may have bombed in his 1v1's but in Phase 2 he shined, winning all 3 of his matches and boosting himself to 2nd Place. This means both Link's have advanced... But that leaves one more spot open. The problem is, we have a tie which will need to be broken. Rivals LUIGI & MEGA MAN managed to score the same amount of points for 3rd Place. They will now have to compete in a Best of 5 to determine who advances and who's tournament dreams end here. Last Season, Luigi was eliminated right before the Top 20, at the hands of Mega Man himself. This is Luigi's shot at redemption, will he rise to the occasion or will Mega Man once again put Luigi out of commission?! I can't believe it's come down to this, these two battling it out once again.. How exciting! The Bo5 is up next, but first let's say our goodbyes to the remaining two amiibos who will be leaving the competition for Season 6.

THE END OF THE ROAD

DUCK HUNT and GANONDORF couldn't manage to leave their mark in this group stage. Duck Hunt is brand new to Amiibo Wars and much less experienced than his competitors. He put up a fight in a few matches but I feel like he just wasn't ready for such a challenge. This was a tough group and I think he got a good bit of experience out of it. Hopefully we will see him do much better next season, just like many amiibos have in the past. Ganondorf left me disappointed, I thought there was no way he'd be out in this group. His 1v1's were just weak, he wasn't performing well and basically just rolled over and gave his spot away. Now another Top 20 competitor has relinquished his spot for a newcomer to snatch it away. Are we going to see a much different looking Top 20 than Last Season? I can't wait to find out. With these two out of the picture, that leaves one more elimination. Mega Man and Luigi are primed and ready to advance this rivalry even further... Can Luigi finally exact his revenge? Or is he going to see the same fate once again? The exciting rematch is up next!

WILDCARD 3RD PLACE TIE BREAKER
(WINNER ADVANCES, LOSER IS ELIMINATED)


LUIGI vs. MEGA MAN
(Bo5)

LUIGI and MEGA MAN have both seen their fair share of success in Amiibo Wars. But as time has progressed they have since fallen from the Top of the Pack to the Middle. Last Season, Luigi's chances at reaching the Top 20 were ripped away by Mega Man who dominated that group and was the reason for a majority of his losses, resulting in his early exit. Mega Man made it to the Top 20 but seemed to lose his thunder as the competition got more intense. Does Mega Man still have what it takes to remain at the top? Luigi has been waiting for this opportunity to exact his revenge? But can he put Mega Man out of Season 6? Or will he fail once again? the exciting conclusion is up next! This Best of 5 will be a Standard 3 Stock 1v1 Matchup.

MATCH 1 begins with an aggressive start from Mega Man who lands a hefty number of defensive grabs while spacing with back airs. Luigi chips at him simultaneously, doing his best to catch up in percent. Mega Man manages to take the first stock with a great ledge guard. But he makes a bad roll right into an Up B from Luigi, evening out the stocks once again. Luigi's aggression gets him punished time and time again by Mega Mans more defensive playstyle and he gains a large percent lead. Mega Man manages to knock Luigi into his final stock first and Luigi falls too far behind, leading to a win for MEGA MAN!

MATCH 2 opens a bit differently with Luigi taking an aggressive lead, focusing on grab combos and reads into a great Up B kill with only 19% on himself. This huge percent gap puts him well in the lead. Luigi manages to take 2 stocks from Mega Man before even dropping 1. Another well landed Up B leads to an outstanding 3 Stock for LUIGI, who completely blew out this match. Luigi ends with 268%, not even dropping 1 stock. A huge turnaround for this Mario Bro.

MATCH 3 is randomized into Final Destination. Luigi once again pulls a stock ahead early. Mega Man begins playing safer and manages to take a stock off Luigi, saying he isn't getting 3 stocked again. Mega Man continues to play from behind, desperately trying to even out the percents. LUIGI's lead is just too much, his damage output maintained his strong lead from the start and Mega Man just couldn't keep up. Things are looking great for Luigi, he has a good chance of taking out his rival in this 4th Match!

MATCH 4 sees a much more confident Luigi seemingly having Mega Man all figured out. Mega Man struggles to keep the percents even but does a pretty good job keeping up. Luigi develops a tactic of approaching with fireballs to force Mega Mans shield, leading into free grab punishes. Luigi once again gets the first stock sending Mega Man's percent skyrocketing, putting himself in a tremendous lead. The boy just can't seem to keep up with Luigi's damage output as he lands a full stock behind on his last stock. LUIGI was out for blood and he certainly got it. Luigi not only manages to advance in the Season 6 Tournament, he dominantly eliminates the amiibo that cost him a spot in the Top 20 Last Season! Mega Man is out and Luigi will continue on!


LUIGI gets his sweet revenge, taking out his rival and advancing on in Season 6. Though his win here was exciting, in comparison to the two "Link's" he didn't have the most impressive score to brag about. Luigi is barely scraping by to the next round and there is still no guarantee he will make it to the Top 20. However, after this Best of 5, he was playing better than ever and I do expect to see a major improvement in his coming matches. We may see Luigi back at the top again finally. Stay tuned to find out where his journey will take him!


MEGA MAN sadly seemed to have the odds stacked against him here. He struggled in his 1v1 Matchups and failed to impress in Phase 2. It could've been his strengths just didn't suit him in this group of competitors, but I think he just wasn't playing as well as he normally does. I think in his matchup with Luigi he did "Amiibo Tilt" a bit and it really allowed Luigi to gain some confidence and momentum. He has set Luigi up for what I think will be a powerful comeback and next season, I hope to see Mega Man back to his former glory as well. It seems he hasn't fully recovered from his Season 5 tilt, and I hope he can turn things back around. I think he has a ton of potential to be a great amiibo for Amiibo Wars.. He's already proven that in the past. Wildcard #3 will see a whole new cast of characters battling it out for 3 more advancement spots towards the Top 20. Are we going to see more Season 5 Top Amiibos relinquish their spots? Season 6 seems to be shaking things up a bit, and I like it! Thanks for reading and Stay Tuned for more Amiibo Wars action!