I drafted Xenaero and Torvald into my team and I knew first-hand that they are both very capable players in their own right, but as we started practising, I quickly realised that my team as a group wasn't working out well at all. Xen and Tor didn't get along, and I was even threatened by one of them that if I did nothing about it, they probably would've stopped playing seriously altogether. By then, I knew that I had to trade either of these guys if I wanted to avoid drama and worse, a badly-performed season. After thinking about it for a few days, I decided to trade Torvald, as I felt Xenaero would be more neutral and accepting towards whoever I picked up whereas Tor would be more picky and leave me with less or no options at all (players will always have their own preferences and there's nothing wrong with that, I should add). I knew the trade I made would've stacked REG further, but I felt it more important to focus on improving my own team. The other teams were very conservative on who they were willing to trade, and my teammates agreed that Avc was the best option available. On hindsight, having Avc didn't help us that much in improving our season, although this is mostly my own fault for half-assing the season in general, and for that, I apologise. In any case, hopefully I explained what most people wanted to know about the trade. I think one thing to consider about my whole trade is this: if the trade never happened, and Jwarrier felt pressured to make a trade due to his team's underperformances, what would've happened instead? Obviously, Jwar would never trade Water, but what sort of player could he have gotten in exchange for Avc, Denzoa or both? Depending on the answer, it could've shaken up the teams' balance some too.
My personal notes for this season's captains:
Ralphis: It's very interesting to know that Ralphis used to be a defender! I think a strategy of his that's been prominent throughout WDL is that he would spend a lot of his auction budget on a single player, while probably expecting to make his season work with a cheap and half-decent 3rd. While he did reach the playoffs every time, the only time when he reached the Championship game was in season 1, where he evened out his spendings across all three players (Rott with $13 and Hex and Starrk for $9). Perhaps Ralphis' strat to draft an expensive 2nd and try to trudge along with a sub-par 3rd is not working out too well for him.
HumanBones: Good on you for becoming a captain, Bones! I think you're best off trying to get one of the season's top runners and make do with a Mid who at least knows what they're doing. On that note, it's important to pay attention to up and coming rookies who are more likely to outperform veterans who are stuck at a certain skill level and show no signs of getting any better.
Alt_Stab: You drafted a killer team last season; you definitely had the makings of a Championship-winning team. You're a versatile captain who has quickly learned how to make the most out of the teammates you've got and you've got potential to be just as good a captain as Ralph or Bones if you keep up the pace. Most importantly, focus on studying all of the WDL players so you can make the most out of the auction draft by picking up the best active players for you without running out of budget. If you can have another team at the level of Yorick and Dragon, your chances of winning the season will be very high.
Water: I genuinely think Water's reign over WDL has been a good thing. It has clearly pushed captains and players alike to step up their game, and last season visibly had some really heavy-hitting teams (TDT, SUC, GPS) that could put an end to Water's streak even post-trade. This season will be the most promising, with a fair share of veterans and new players alike joining in, and every other captain working hard at improving themselves to finally knock this guy out the playoffs. Over the two seasons he captained, he managed to draft two incredibly stacked teams, so undoubtedly he will find a way to create another all-star team and go places with it. But I know you other captains can topple him this time!
DemonSphere: With seasons of varied performances, DS has seemed to find one of his most reliable teammates in RoSKing. One of his largest concerns for this season should be to study the auction draft well, so that he doesn't end up with below-average or just 4th-quality players. As long as he can maintain a team of relatively good and active players, he'll be sure to play at his best.
Jwarrier: Despite having only captained for one season thus far, Jwar definitely seemed like he knew what he was doing since the beginning. Of course, REG's dominance may have stemmed largely from Water's own genius, but Jwar packed a punch in his own right. Don't be underestimating him only because he is separated from Water now, though. He's most likely figured out the intricacies of the auction draft by now, and if any powerful runners end up in his team, who knows, he might win another title.
Other notes:
Zakken (myself): My season 1 team had Yorick and Legion in it. It wasn't a stellar team by any stretch, but we managed to get the #2 seed by tieing against Water's team (which got #1 seed) on week 1 and winning the subsequent games (notably our comeback against SUC and TMC sandbagging against us). However, we made a crappy homefield pick against SUC, and our defence suffered heavily from it, so we lost that playoff match. As for season 2, I had a really strong team, but the critique I got from it wasn't technically wrong: we did lack a strong runner, but that only became crystal clear in the Championship game. The primary reason why we got that far was mostly from our heavy Mid pressure that was the Tai and Wazzup combo. No other Mid pressure matched ours in skill except for Yorick and Tor's, so when we faced, obviously the winner was going to be decided by the strongest runner.
Rude: I won't sugar-coat it, he did draft some of the league's more lacklustre teams (drafting Capo twice? Come on, man...) and didn't maintain a very active training regimen, so it's nice to see that he won't need to captain anymore. With his captain position now taken over by greater enthusiasts of captaining, I'm sure he'll perform amazingly in whichever team he joins. I can see him ending up in Bones, Stab or Jwar's team, most likely.
RoSKing: One of the top contenders among the free agency. Really good at versatility and exerting pressure, but I feel tactical captains like Jwar or captains he's good friends with like Water and DemonSphere might make more out of him than others. Team chemistry is an important factor and will reflect upon his potential. Cab does not have a particularly outstanding record in IDL/WDL, but depending on which team he lands on, he will have the opportunity he's been searching for.
Torvald: In a similar fashion to RoSKing, team chemistry plays a big role on how much captains can make out of him. He's no slouch, but there is a healthy amount of players in the free agency around his skill level. Tor might turn up overpriced in the draft due to his back-to-back Championship victories alongside Water, and I'm sure most captains will try to avoid having him join Water's team a third time, but be careful not to dismantle your own team in the process by spending too much on him.
Starrk: He has been through several WDL matches, and he is as good as you'd expect from most 3rd-tier players, although he is known as one of the few defence specialists in that category. He should be a great fit for more offence-oriented captains who want to make an aggressive team while still having some backbone in their defence, but like with any other 3rd, do practice with him often, or else, don't expect him to do miracles for you.
Yorick: Another top player who was also very consistent across all three seasons. I think we'd all be happy to see him play again, and he's on the fence about signing up, so I've told him that it'd be fun even if he thinks he's gotten rusty. I could see him performing well in any team he goes to, but his great aim and positioning might make him better-suited for Defence or Mid.
DevastatioN: Dev is too good, but his scarce attendance can be discomforting for certain captains, which is why not many have tried to draft him in the past. Despite how rare he shows up, you can always expect him to play consistently great which, in the end, is all you ask from a teammate. I wonder if he'll be signing up this time! If you're not planning your draft around very active players, he is easily the best player among the people who only show up for an hour a day or less often than that.
Dragon: One of the best European players, although he is not guaranteed to play at his best unless he is placed in teams that are capable of achieving their share of wins. Dragon is really strong at any position, but requires that his teammates perform greatly as well.
This was a great WDL Radio though! It's always nice to have a recollection of how things went last season and what to expect of the next one. I'd be happy to join in on future WDL Radios, if possible!
