phoopes
I did it again
RBY Grand Slam I Playoffs
Welcome one, welcome all, to the first edition of RBY Grand Slam playoffs! After a few months of heated battles across five different RBY metagames, we have finally emerged with eight top competitors all vying for the crown. Before we introduce the remaining players, however, I'd like to thank everyone who helped make this event a success! First, shoutout to Amaranth and emma for being very helpful in helping organize this event, especially in the early stages. Couldn't have done it without them. Next, I want to thank my fellow hosts for all the events, those being Ctown6, ForgottenOnes, Torchic, and Heika! I very much appreciate the work that y'all put in as hosts. Then of course there's May who provided the lovely banner artwork for all of the Opens: thank you so much! And finally, I want to thank all the players for making this such a great event: we had 123 participating players between the five Opens which is just awesome to see that so many people are taking an interest in RBY! Thank you all so much! (and if you did something and I forgot to shout you out by name, I am so sorry).
Now let's meet the players!
1. Ctown6 (27 points)
The only word you can really use to describe Ctown this tournament has been "dominant." He's only one of two players to earn points in every single Open, and ended up winning the whole thing in both Ubers and Stadium. As the clear favorite, there's pressure on him to deliver. Only time will tell if someone can stop this incredible run.
2. SaDiSTiCNarwhal (16 points)
Narwhal is our second seed for playoffs, having earned multiple points in every Open with the exception of UU, with highlights including runner-up finishes in Ubers and Tradebacks. While known for OU prowess, it'll be exciting to see whether Narwhal can extend his dominance to other RBY tiers as well.
3. ClairDeLuna (13 points)
Clair is a relatively fresh face in the RBY scene, getting on the map in 7U but proving that she can hold her own in Slam tiers as well. Highlight finish for her so far was a runner-up in Stadium, though she's shown that NU is a strong suit of hers too. Getting double digit points was no easy feat, so let's see whether she can continue this solid run.
4. iKiQ (10 points)
Our final qualifier with double digit points, iKiQ had a strong performance in Tradebacks, winning the tournament, while also picking up a few points in Stadium and NU. iKiQ also has history as a UUer though, showing that he has strengths in multiple tiers and that he'll be a tough out for anyone in playoffs.
5. Ice Yazu (9 points)
Now it's time for our UU specialist: Ice Yazu. Yazu has shown exceptional ability in the tier, coming in as a runner-up in the UU Invitational earlier this year and of course winning the UU Open in Slam. Prowess in just one tier out of five is likely not enough to come out on top in playoffs, so it's time for Yazu to prove he's not just a one-tier wonder.
6. Serpi (9 points)
"Somebody stop this man." The NU GOAT proved once again why he deserves that title, taking the NU Open in a clean sweep, not even dropping a game. However, inexperience in the other four tiers may lead to his downfall. Will the OU and NU skills that Serpi is so well-known for translate to other tiers? Stay tuned.
7. Blue Cloyster (9 points)
Blue Cloyster is also a new face in the RBY community, and is seemingly pretty mysterious. Where did they come from? How did they build their skills so quickly? While their best finish was a loss in Stadium semifinals, everyone that's played Blue Cloyster seems to have high praise for them. Are they the tournament's dark horse?
8. kjdaas (8 points)
Rounding out the top eight, we have kjdaas. Known for her Ubers and UU skills, her performances in those two Opens were just enough to squeak into playoffs ahead of a four-way tie for ninth place. Don't let the seeding fool you, kjdaas is a big name and is a scary 8th seed. It'll be a tough road, but she could make some noise in these playoffs.
Ice Yazu and Serpi beat out Blue Cloyster by virtue of having a higher win rate across Slam (with both being undefeated in one tournament whereas Blue Cloyster has a few losses). Thus, Blue Cloyster gets the 7 seed. Since Ice Yazu and Serpi are tied in win rate, and tied again after looking at deepest run (since both won the only tournament they entered), we go to a coin flip for who gets 5th/6th. And the result is...
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With introductions out of the way, here are the pairings for the first round of playoffs!
Ctown6 vs. kjdaas
SaDiSTiCNarwhal vs. Blue Cloyster
ClairDeLuna vs. Serpi
iKiQ vs. Ice Yazu
All sets are best of five, defined as first to three wins. The higher seed will pick the first tier to be played (out of Ubers, UU, NU, Stadium, Tradebacks) and the loser of each match will then pick which tier the next match will be played in. In the event of a tie, the match will be replayed in the same tier.
This week's deadline is Sunday, August 28th at 11:59 PM GMT-4
As always, good luck and have fun! And thanks again to everyone who participated/made this happen!
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