FML Hall of Fame Ranking Series 5 through 1

[ZsSuperCumulo]

With the help of Worpex, Mog[Skynet] and Zs.SuperCumulo, we present:

[FML|Mog]

Renaud.... I'm sorry for not remembering your finals game! I thoguht you won it with hu but then afterward I was like...actually maybe he was elf already T_T

[ZsSuperCumulo]

lol@minute 2:15

[FML|Renaud]

Renaud.... I'm sorry for not remembering your finals game! I thoguht you won it with hu but then afterward I was like...actually maybe he was elf already T_T

How would have managed to pull an amazing treant surround (by pure coincidence) without elf!!!!
But yeah, I've been elf for a long time now... maybe I should go back to hu ^_^

[Seksi]

Really cool videos, I enjoyed the series from 15-1.  A nice mix of commentating as well. 

The choices were pretty spot on in my view, though there were some interesting ones.

The opponents whose games I respected the most, in no order, were Lightweight, Persuade, Magadansky, DarknessCalled, Wrecktify, and Htrt.  I was kind of surprised Darkness or Htrt didn't make the list, but I understand as they didn't play much FML. 

It was nostalgic to see some of those highlights, and my hat will always be off to j33 for winning that epic finals match when I played against him.  I secretly blame Worpex for making only a single cliff on Harvest of Sorrows where a tree of life could possibly be built on the entire map ;).  Those highlights of that game in this video were great. 

Some comments on the top 15 !

#15 - Tyrant66 = A very strong player, though I didn't play against him many times.  I will remember him for largely outplaying Magadansky in the Undead mirror in his finals win which of course is no easy task.   

#14 - Eshan = Now this is a player I've played against a number of times over the years.  Eshan was the first true manipulator way back in the day and was extremely good at it.. many times winning games against players with superior micro.  In addition to the respect of a random player, he could be a very tough Orc player as well. 

#13 - Slythe - I'm really happy Slythe made the list.  Slythe is an OG, and he always had a passion for the game.  Some times we would sit in Garena chat or battle.net and discuss strategies and wc theory for hours lol.  He was unique and a competitive random player but maybe was missing that next level of dominance to place higher on the list.  Slythe really understood the game and was great for any FFA match.

#12 - Plzleaveduck - We never cared for each other and that was apparent, but regardless this pick makes me scratch my head a bit. His first FML game he got completely wiped out by htrt's Paladin/Alchemist/Panda on Silverpine.  He did have some strong games and had really good micro.. but never turned it into a real FFA game in my opinion.  I would've liked to see a different solo based FFA player make the list instead (Under.Sta, Rebuke or htrt come to mind).

#11 - Ztsoso - Well deserved ranking, with more longevity he could've been higher.  A solid human player who experienced his fair share of teaming and frustration.  He may not have handled it well at times but ultimately came through and won an FML season.  He had a combination of fighting skills, macro, and decision making that were all at or near the highest level... plus he plays Human! A good guy too and positive contribution to the community since he joined it. 

#10 - Noexxx - Another high level Human player.  Most of the things said about Soso could be applied for Noexxx as well.  While Soso was probably more well rounded, I respected Noexxx especially for his ability to put together an extremely strong and efficient early game rush (upgraded gryphons, inner fire).  There's nothing tougher than a great human player and he was one of them.

#9 - Lightweight = LW and I had the bitterest and fiercest of rivalries back in the day before most of you were around ^_^.  In those times at the top of our games and really went at each other.  He was arguably the best human AND orc player for a time.  He was aggressive and relentless, if you weren't ready to micro non stop battle after battle he would crush you. 

#8 - Humans7ar = nice pick for this list.  Humans7ar, like Slythe, was one of a kind and a consistent player on the scene for a lot of time.  He invented the idea of building a lot of scout towers (but not upgrading them) at his bases... only investing in a few until he faced an incoming siege to not waste resources.  He was aggressive and smart, but probably lacked the micro that some of his top competitors had.  Still a sound player and another great contributor to the scene.     

#7 - Mog[skynet] = First and foremost, a nice guy who would always be down for a game or discussion.  He had his hand in a lot of casts and developed into a sound FFA player as well.  I remember him most for winning the FML final where Wreck was dominating and said to the obs "It wasn't always this easy.." before Mog coming back and winning haha.  He didn't have the greatest skill in any area, but he understood players tendencies and how to win games while still having the micro to compete.  These type of players are the best winning formula in FML. 

#6 - Persuade = I'm glad Persuade made a high ranking on the list.  He could really fight and didn't play into the dramas of FML.  He was a top level random player that was a threat in any game regardless of the cast, and a fearsome competitor. He liked Frost wyrms and necromancers and using Alchemist with Orc.  His strategies were not exactly cookie cutter but still dominant. 

#5 - j33. = J33 is the best of the optimal mold of FML winner explained above for Mog.  Good enough micro to compete, but not dominant enough to be over teamed.  Smart, patient, understands players tendencies and how to win big games.  I didn't necessarily fear j33 in battle, but in a long game and especially 3-ways he would usually be the favorite.  2 FML championships proves the point. 

#4 - Seksi - Thanks for the shoutout and ranking.  I had more success outside of FML, but three FML finals with zero FML titles stands out to me.  I had my opportunities and didn't capitalize on them.  I surely had many cool games and battles with these great players on the list and others.  I was fiercely competitive which was probably both a good thing and a downfall at times. 

#3 - Wrecktify = As long as we've both played FFA, we have probably played less than 20 games against each other.  Wreck is another smart player who knew how to win big games.  When he made the smurf as played as elf, he was clever and disguised his personality.  It helped him avoid teaming and being recognized, but his skill was quickly apparent after a few wins.  One thing I tried to do is have the best build orders and creep orders possible, and Wreck was one of the players I would take note of (in addition to the next man on the list).  For example, many humans modeled their base builds and creep orders from Wreck and many elves did the same in his later seasons. 

#2 - Renaud - To be honest, I am a bit surprised on such a high ranking, but you know what Renaud has passed the test of time and has always been a pleasure to play with / be around.  He had a deep knowledge of the game, it was always enjoyable to discuss strategy and hear his thought process.  His micro wasn't that of a top player, but his gold management skills were top notch (almost too good; zero wood) and overall FFA sense unmatched.  He also famously invented the mass fairie dragon strategy late game against UD to prevent nuking.  He had ultra efficient build orders and was a strong human player in earlier seasons as well.

#1 - Magadansky = The great, consistent Maga.  Maga had it all... high level micro, macro, manipulation, scouting, ffa sense and a knack for winning big games.  He was a fierce competitor that everyone, including myself, was chasing.  At the top of my game I believed I was the best UD, but Maga continued to produce results and show the highest level of Undead play in a balanced and dominant fashion.  He was particularly great against Human... a level higher then any other UD in my opinion.  Always consistent, always dominant, and rarely made mistakes.  We are all just grateful he didn't play Human or Orc.   

Last comments:  It would be a shame of some of the older players didn't get a shoutout!  Nline, Target, Yane, Plush, Daselend and Brain.Man were all great players.  Other player deserve recognition too like Alien, DV. Ostone, shave etc but ultimately the list could go on forever.  A shout out has to go do Worpex for continuing to be present season after season, creating and keeping this platform running strong.  Also to Mage for pioneering the FML youtube channel and general media/direction for a stretch of time.

Lastly, to SuperCumulo who is one of those fierce Humans himself (in that category with Soso and Noexxx) and is just a cool guy that cares about the FFA community.

Thanks again for the videos and ranking!

[FML|Renaud]

I think my high ranking is mainly due to having played more games than everyone else :P

I din't actually look at everyone's win% in the stats, but I would assume I have one of the lowest.

And also due to the first few seasons where I was ignored and allowed to hoard while all the other players killed each other :D

[junkerzam]

The rankings are from the all time statistics, seksi.

Well done guys, very interesting and well thought out analysis.

[ZsSuperCumulo]

Thank you for your feedback Seksi, we appreciate it. I remember back in 09 or 2010 when I watched a FML replay, It was on market square and it may have been a semi final or a grand final, but it featured a human, an orc and an und, the human and orc both had panda and they were sitting outside the und's base using breath of fire constantly and forced the und to resign hahaha. I believe the und was Yane, he seemed to be really good, but I dont remember who were the other two. The replay was posted on WCReplays in the forum section, now that site is very inactive. Back then I thought, "if this is ffa, I dont wanna be part of it" haha, I guess not much has changed since excessive teaming still remains :D.

[FML|WorpeX]

Wow, awesome write-up Seksi!!! Really cool to see other players insight on people. I completely agree about the shoutouts, but yeah, theres just too many people. The FFA community is truly amazing and I'm so glad to see it still thriving!

Love the last video Cumulo! Great wrap-up to a very successful series!

I will have the full rankings page released shortly, after fixing a mistake that I apparently made.