Season X Preseason
Prematurely Ranking the SPL’s New Rosters
#1
Camelot Kings
Biggy, Jarcorrr, Genetics, BigManTingz, CaptainTwig, Variety
No surprises here. With shakeups all around the league, staying together gives the Kings a leg up as their competition acclimates to their new rosters, which is to say nothing of the Kings’ sheer dominance in the Jarcorrr era. History has been unkind to the preseason favorites, but the early season looks promising for the Kings who, as it happens, have an active record-tying consecutive set win streak.
The lane to watch will be Jarcorrr and Genetics in duo. Jarcorrr has not played a full season on ADC yet, which may actually help him improve as the season goes on. Genetics meanwhile showcased some of the best support play in SMITE’s history at SWC, and is frequently an innovator when it comes to front-line meta.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—1st, Floor—3rd
#2
Atlantis Leviathans
sLainy, Zapman, Ronngyu, Sheento, Adapting, fineokay
Who will dethrone the Kings? Perhaps the last team to wear the crown. The new-look Leviathans have added a storied coach, a top solo laner, and perhaps the best jungler in SMITE’s history. When we last saw Adapting in the SPL, his poor performance helped Zapman’s Knights upset Radiance in a shocking season 7 semifinal. Since then, Adapting has terrorized the EU SCC, and his Highland Ravens squad made it to Worlds where they gave the Kings the most convincing single-game challenge of the whole tournament. At the center of that game was Adapting’s Fenrir, which was wreaking havoc on the Kings’ side lanes and jungle. It is clear he still has it, and there is something truly scary about Adapting getting a taste for blood at Worlds.
These editions join a solid core of Zapman, Sheento, and Ronngyu who won Worlds in season 8. Zapman is a known leader with both breadth and depth of knowledge. Sheento is a perennial MVP Candidate who frequently tops the kill charts in the SPL. Ronngyu is a solid support with a wide range of picks and styles who excels at putting—and keeping—his carries ahead. This team has multiple engines and, if they fire on all cylinders, may just beat you everywhere.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—1st, Floor—4th
#3
Styx Ferrymen
Realzx, CycloneSpin, Aror, Paul, Cyno, Baskin
The leftover of the Titans core, this team closely resembles their season 8 team as much as the season 9 roster took second in last year’s Worlds. The big difference is CycloneSpin’s return, who departed mid way through phase 3 of season nine. The decision to drop Cyclone, as noted by Aror in his recent interview with Hayzer, had more to do with his disagreements with Layers and SoloOrTroll, who are no longer with the team, than with the rest of the roster. Joining them is Cyno, who nearly joined in season eight and who eventually replaced Layers after his suspension late last year, and Baskin, who returned to the league to replace Haddix on the Bolts.
This team is stacked with talented players who have mostly teamed together in the past at one point or another. Likewise, their ceiling is high, and having late-season performers such as Paul, Cyno, Aror, Baskin, and CycloneSpin… actually, the whole of this roster is known for showing up where it counts, which makes the prospect of seeing this team next January exciting.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—1st, Floor—5th
#4
Jade Dragons
Cherryo, Marbach, Vote, PolarBearMike, Dardez, LASBRA, Nika
Like last year’s Warriors, whom this squad closely resembles, I like the upside of this team. I just have questions about how often they can tap into that upside. PolarBearMike is a refreshing change in pace from NeilMah—literally. Mike is more aggressive, involved, and is less likely to play a hyper-selfish style that, while effective at getting carries to the late game, sometimes limits playmaking opportunities in the mid game. This core had the potential to knock off any team last year, but rarely seemed to have that magic when it counted. Mike could be a huge first step in changing that story.
Another step in the right direction is LASBRA. At the top end, he’s likely only a lateral move from the storied QvoFred, but his consistency on the lower end will save this team a lot of frustration. That, in tandem with Mike offering another point of emphasis on the map for this team, may just help them rise to one of the best in the league—or it might not move the needle at all.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—2nd, Floor—6th
#5
Oni Warriors
Oxiledeon, Netrioid, AwesomeJake408, Pegon, Panitom, SoloOrTroll
The strangest team of Season X, the Oni Warriors have some of the most talented players in the league, but suffer from a lack of true veteran presence. SoloOrTroll, their most tenured player, debuted in season 6, which is by far the latest debut of any team’s most veteran member, even bested by the Gladiators, who narrowly qualified for the SPL, and the Hounds, who boast three rookies.
Still, for much of last season, Panitom looked like the best jungler in the world, and buoyed the Leviathans to a record-setting eleven set wins in a row. He trades Sheento for another playmaking mid-laner in Pegon, which inspires confidence in how the new mid-jungle combo will play together. In the short lane, SoloOrTroll has shown an ability to play a wide variety of gods as well as a propensity for surprising deep runs at Worlds, suggesting that he could be a fit for a variety of rosters and play styles. The biggest question mark is the duo lane, who have well-documented issues with communication that led to their previous rosters moving on. How well this duo lane steps up to the task will determine just how high the ceiling is for them, or perhaps how far they will fall.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—3rd, Floor—6th
#6
Highland Ravens
Masked, BaRRaCCuDDa, Hurriwind, Venenu, Screammmmm, Haddix
It’s unusual for a team to reunite with a player after only one phase apart, and even more unusual for two teams to do it at the same time. Nonetheless, the Highland Ravens join the Styx Ferrymen in the unlikely reunion club, adding Haddix back into the solo lane. Hurriwind, who twelve months ago was just learning his new role and failing to qualify into the SPL, now joins this squad in place of AwesomeJake408. Perhaps Hurriwind’s tenure and knowledge from being a multi-role professional enticed the Ravens, inspiring confidence in his ability to see the game more holistically. Not for nothing, he replaces a player who, albeit talented, struggled in comms much of the time, so the Ravens are betting that Hurriwind will be able to shore up that problem for them.
The other major change is Screammmmm for LASBRA. The two junglers strike me as similar players; both like to be aggressive and play carry style picks, after all. What intrigues me about Screammmmm is his ability to run the map and be a point of emphasis for his team. Season X so far has featured more ganking and more jungle presence overall, so I expect to see Screammmmm flourish in a jungle-heavy meta.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—3rd, Floor—7th
#7
Eldritch Hounds
ElChuckles, VaporishCoast, Quig, BennyQ, Oathhh, Duck3y
The Hounds convincingly qualified over the Gilded Gladiators and play-in tournament favorite Niflheim Wargs. The Hounds won in a variety of ways—Oathhh dragged them back into the game on Cliodhna, or Duck3y made a huge play on Thor, or BennyQ swung a team fight as Merlin. The ability to beat other teams through multiple players is perhaps the young team’s most promising talent. The Hounds also had the best read of the meta at the play-in tournament, which suggests that the team is well-coached. That should come as no surprise, since the team is coached by two-time World Champion ElChuckles who is no stranger to success in underdog environments.
How far can this team go? It’s hard to say. Duck3y has never been on a top team, and that is not likely to change right away. Still, with three rookies and a second year, this roster boasts immense upside. Most of these players have yet to get a chance to show what they are made of, but they are getting it now and, so far, making the most of it.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—5th, Floor—8th
#8
Gilded Gladiators
Ksier, dudemanbro429, Inbowned, Snoopy, Kyrmi, ScaryD
There are two ways to look at this team. On one hand, they struggled to secure that second spot in the play-in, displaying a series of mistakes in both gameplay and drafting to throw away winnable games. On the other hand, this team just completed one of the most exciting, improbable, and frankly impressive runs in any SMITE tournament ever. I don’t mean to overstate it, either. The Gladiator’s run was that good. After a particularly heartbreaking loss against the Kaolin Wardens, itself coming the day after a heartbreaking loss to the Hounds, those in the community rightfully wondered how this team would mentally recover. The same question came when they lost game one to the heavily favored Wargs in a best of five last-chance qualifier, and yet again when they lost game two. A shaky game three win was enough to stave off elimination, but hardly indicative of changing winds. Somehow, they kept going. And somehow they won.
There is something to be said about a team’s tenacity. The Gilded Gladiators have not lost for the last time—far from it. They’ve entered the coliseum with seven of the hardest opponents they’ve ever faced. How they respond to the struggles of a long season will determine where this team can go. A single tournament is promising, but it is no substitute for the grueling grind of a full season against better, more practiced teams. The road is long, but the Gladiators are off to an intriguing start.
Premature prediction: Ceiling—6th, Floor—8th
