Season 9 Report Card
Grading Every Team’s Performance in the SPL’s Ninth Season
The Camelot Kings celebrate their victory following the season 9 SMITE World Championship Finals.
With season 9 of the SMITE Pro League in the rear-view mirror, it is time to reflect on each of the SPL’s eight teams, how they performed relative to their expectations entering the year, and what direction their rosters could potentially go heading into season 10.
A+
Camelot Kings
Phase 2 First place, Phase 3 Playoff Champions, World Champions
A dream season for the Camelot Kings ended in January with a crowning achievement: Champions of the SMITE World. After solid finishes in each of the three phases, including first place in phase two, the Kings failed to win a major tournament until Phase 3 Playoffs. A disappointing loss to the Valkyries in week five prompted a roster change, and Netrioid was replaced with Jarcorrr, which propelled the Kings into instant contenders.
After the change, the Kings won the following nine sets in a row (as well as the last two sets before the change), including three at Phase 3 Playoffs and three at the SMITE World Championship, tying the Leviathans for the most consecutive set wins of all time. The Kings’ run to end season 9 is the most dominant end to a season in SMITE’s history. Relative to their expectations as potential contenders entering the season, the Kings earn full marks—a perfect score—for one of the best seasons of all time.
For their run at SWC, the Kings won all three sets without dropping a single game, capping off the most dominant end to a season with the most dominant performance in SWC history. Afterward, mid-laner BigManTingz announced that he would be returning in season 10 to defend his title, making it likely that the World Champions stay together. The wildcard is Jarcorrr, who may decide to play another role. If the Kings do stay together, they will have an early leg-up on the other teams who will likely need time to gel.
A-
Tartarus Titans
Kickoff Tournament Runners-up, Spring Masters Champions, World Runners-up
After being swept in last year’s Grand Finals, the Tartarus Titans were swept again in the Finals of season nine. Still, it is hard to view their season as anything other than a success, given its finish and the trials they faced. After replacing outgoing solo laner Benji with SoloOrTroll, the Titans entered the season as a consensus top team with the potential to repeat their dominance from season eight. While each of their in-phase performance was underwhelming, the Titans performed above expectations at the majority of their tournaments. The Titans took second at the Kickoff tournament, first at Spring Masters, and second again at the World Championship.
Considering their late-season roster turmoil, which was largely outside of their control with Layers playing from home and then later being suspended prior to Phase 3 Playoffs, the Titans’ second-place finish is nothing short of impressive. Factoring in the teams they beat at SWC—The Leviathans, who picked the Titans for their first-round match, and the Dragons—only further illustrates how improbable their run to finals was. Unfortunately, the Titans ran into a buzz-saw in the Kings, who cemented the most dominant SWC performance ever with a 3-0 in the finals. Season nine SWC also marks the third time Paul reached finals on a team seeded six or lower, which is the most in SPL history.
D+
Jade Dragons
Phase 1 First Place, Phase 3 Runners-up, Summer Masters Champions, World Top Four
Down the stretch of the regular season, the top three teams showed unprecedented dominance, and that include the Jade Dragons. For the end of phase 2, Summer Masters, and phase 3, the Dragons won ten sets in a row, tying the record then held by season three NRG. Narrow losses to the Leviathans during phase 3 and a loss to the Kings at Phase 3 Playoffs cemented the Dragons as the third-place team, though still clear contenders for the title. In season 9, the Dragons showed flashes of the dominance they displayed as Ghost and RivaL, but it never quite reached the consistency of those earlier years.
Why such a poor grade? The core of this roster has played together now for four seasons, having been in the mix for a title each of those years. Opting to stay together for a fourth season places a great deal of weight on finally winning the championship. Ultimately, they were impressive all year and came within a game of finals, but this team needed to win it all. It just wasn’t enough. After PandaCat’s retirement, it was announced that the Dragons will go their separate ways, creating five of the most intriguing free agents SMITE has had in several years.
B+
Olympus Bolts
Phase 1 and Phase 2 Runners-up, World Top Four
The Bolts core stayed together for a third season, signaling their high confidence that they could contend for a championship. The external expectations were that this team could contend for a top-four spot at most, only winning it all if the weekend went their way in spades. The result? Top finishes in two phases, a top-four seed at Worlds, and a top-four finish.
Considering the late-season addition of Baskin, who had not played in the SPL for all of season 8, the Bolts’ finish is undoubtedly a positive. They dominated Hex Mambo in the SWC quarterfinals, a team nobody wanted to face after they beat not one but two SPL teams at the SWC group stage, then were forced into submission in three games by the Kings—though, the Bolts did make it hard on them. As the SmitePro Twitter announced, the core of the Bolts will be moving on, as it seems time to do so. BaRRaCCuDDa, Venenu, and Baskin headline Bolts free agents fans will be eager to see on fresh rosters.
F
Oni Warriors
Play-in Champions, World Top Eight
Perhaps this grade is too harsh for the Warriors, who showed flashes of brilliance all season long. Season eight was a punt for this roster, as visa issues led to frustrating ping all season long, culminating in an equally frustrating end to the season as they missed Worlds. On paper, it made sense for them to stay together for another season. The roster is essentially the leftovers of season seven Pittsburgh Knights and Spacestation Gaming. Season nine was Nika, Dardez, and Vote’s third season together as well as the third year for the QvoFred, NeilMah, and coach ElChuckles partnership. Because of how long these players had stuck together, similar to the Dragons, the Warriors needed to make big on their promise. Instead, they faded down the stretch and lost to an SCC team at Group Stages. Then, after making it to the main stage in the last-chance qualifier, the Warriors wound up swept in the first round of SWC.
After Worlds, QvoFred announced his retirement, later joined by NeilMah’s move to coaching, so the team is already guaranteed to not return in full force. As for the core players from that s7 SSG squad—how many disappointing finishes before enough is enough? The Warriors’ players have been consistently talented, including their coach. Perhaps it is time they try their luck in other rosters.
D
Atlantis Leviathans
Kickoff Tournament Champions, Phase 3 First Place, World Top Eight
The Leviathans made a run in phase 3 and entered as co-favorites to take it all at SWC. Still, their season nine performance stands as one of the more disappointing title defenses in SMITE’s history. After failing to break into the top of SPL through the first two phases, the Leviathans dropped Worlds MVP Jarcorrr in favor of Bolts superstar Haddix, who was eager to take on a more balanced role on a roster full of proven winners. The result—the Leviathans broke NRG’s longstanding record of 10 consecutive set wins (which had been tied earlier that phase by the Jade Dragons). It was a stretch that almost salvaged their season, but the Leviathans blundered by selecting the Titans when two arguably weaker teams—the Warriors and Hex Mambo of the SCC—were available for their first-round match.
The Titans showed up with a more effective (albeit narrow) selection of picks, and they powered past the Leviathans in a swift 2-0. In a best of five, perhaps the Leviathans could have adjusted more effectively to the Titans’ strategy, but that is the risk with best of three sets. In hindsight, giving Paul and company a chance to strike fast without time to react was the wrong move, and it cost the Leviathans a potentially deep run in SWC. To make matters worse, Jarcorrr, whom they dropped, found his way to the Kings and helped them secure a dominant championship.
What will become of the season eight champions? According to the league’s official Twitter account, half of the roster will be staying together on a team with 12 finals appearances among them. That means Zapman (3) and Paul (4) could be heading for a potential reunion.
C-
Solar Scarabs
Kickoff Tournament Fourth Place
It was the season from hell for the Solar Scarabs, who lost to an SCC team at every major tournament to which SCC teams were invited. Coming off a top-four finish at last year’s SWC, the Scarabs replaced stand-out performer SoloOrTroll with two-time champion ScaryD, and while they beat the Kings at the Kickoff Tournament, the Scarabs finished seventh in each of the three phases. After losing to Hex Mambo at Summer Masters, the Scarabs roster went into a tailspin. First, Screammmmm was swapped for Sam4Soccer2 before phase 2 ended. Then, after the disappointing loss, Inbowned was dropped for the freshly available Jarcorrr. During phase 3, four more players would leave: coach sLainy, ADC Stuart (both of who joined the Titans), Support/ADC Jarcorrr, and oBoronic. From their opening week roster, just ScaryD remained with the team for the group stage.
What saves them from a D or even an F is how the replacements responded. Twice after critical roster changes in phase 3, the Scarabs came out to upset the Valkyries. They played hard in every match despite the odds being stacked against them. If Snoopy had hit a Scylla ult in a final team fight at the group stage, then the Scarabs could have forced a game five for a shot at a Worlds appearance. A team that faced this much adversity has no reason to flex such admirable tenacity, but that is exactly what the Scarabs did. They made themselves loveable and entertaining, and they fought hard even as the sky was falling around them.
C-
Valhalla Valkyries
Play-in Runners-up
The Valkyries were not expected to be a top team in season nine, but they showed improvement all season long, which makes their late-season collapse all the more confusing and heartbreaking. After upsetting the Kings in week five—a match that many saw as a turning point for this squad—the Valkyries needed just two wins in five sets, including one against the Bolts, to ensure a spot in Phase 3 Playoffs. Instead, they lost all five sets and limped into the group stage in last place. There, they dropped four games and two sets in convincing fashion to not one, but two SCC teams to end their season. It becomes one of the most disappointing collapses in SMITE’s history, and it transformed a roster’s bright future into its own premature demise.
Still, the team absolutely punched above their expectations all season long. Had they qualified for Worlds, I could have given this team a B- or even better, but losing seven sets in a row to end not only the season, but the roster altogether drops their grade to a generous C-.
