Altador Cup: Smaller Teams?! Why So Serious?

ALTADOR - Many people these days are picking an Altador Cup team because these people have the strange belief that if they join a team that had a top 4 finish the year before, they'll get a nice shiny trophy. Now if we actually observe this, it's sort of like a 300-pound canary... it just won't fly.

As we can see with previous years' results, these "smaller" teams are actually raising some eyebrows. The top four teams aren't always going to repeat the previous year's results. It has happened to Meridell; they actually beat the champs, contended very well with Krawk Island, beat Darigan Citadel and came in fifth place, falling short of placing fourth place and being in the finals by a few games. Kreludor came off the year they were excluded from the Cup, last year. No one really took them seriously at the beginning; that is, until they started making some upsets. Also, I have to mention the fact that Tyrannia only lost one game in Slushie Slinger last year. This just proves that every team has potential in every Cup.

One of the teams you think about when dealing with upset-minded-falling-short-every-year-team's is obviously Mystery Island. In Altador Cup I, they fell short of the ability to play in the semi-finals in round 2 as they lost to a very good Krawk Island team, coming in sixth. In Altador Cup II, they surprised many and hung around with the big guys, then again falling short by coming in sixth. At the start of Altador Cup III, Mystery Islanders thought "this is our year." Well, it turned out that it wasn't, by coming in ninth place. But what we really forget is how close it actually came down to last year. With a win versus Shenkuu and a few other wins, Mystery Island could have surprised and gone to the finals. The MIers realized this and didn't let it get them down. Small teams are what make the Altador Cup, folks. They're what gives us the excitement and surprises. Every team has potential in the Cup, yet people decide that they want a trophy and they join a team, even if they don't like that team.

Now, I'll discuss why Mystery Island, Kreludor and Meridell are serious contenders this year against the "big" teams. All three teams have almost all their veterans coming back, most of which are huge devotees and all-stars. They are also gaining a lot of support from all-stars and potential all-stars. They all have a very good chance to contend with the "big" teams such as Krawk Island, Roo Island, Shenkuu, or Lost Desert. Mystery Island, Kreludor, and Meridell all have had a great record against these teams in previous years, as well. Think of them as serious contenders before you decide to slack off the day you play them because you think they're an easy target because they didn't get into the top four in previous years.

I actually got an interview from a Mystery Islander that is coming back for a fourth year. I asked him the question "what makes you keep going back to a team like Mystery Island?" He responded, "Well, year one and year two were all about loyalty and instinct that Mystery Island would be a powerful yet hard working team. Once the chat group MIYP was set up, the overwhelming support and perseverance by so many people inspired me to work even harder and the thought of changing teams at that point was gone. Mystery Island and the the people in MIYP have kept me going and have made me so excited to be a part of such a great team every single year!" I then asked the question, "What is Mystery Island's potential?" He happily responded, "Immense. The support that MI has gathered throughout the past year is overwhelming and many of our veteran yooyuballers are returning once again because of the expectation of an exciting year."

I also asked, "What do you think the potential of teams like Meridell, Kreludor, and Mystery Island is?" on a neoboard and got responses such as, "Based on what I've seen, Mystery Island is a very organized team. They might just prove to be the big surprise of ACIV!" and "Meridell will be the interesting one to watch this year; they could go either way." Many people actually think these teams are bound for improvement. So don't rule out the possibility of joining a team such as Mystery Island or Meridell when deciding a team to join this summer.

I hope I have at least shown you why you should not join an Altador Cup team because they'll maybe win you a trophy, but join one because they have potential and will allow you to have fun. That is what the Altador Cup is all about, having fun with your team. Now, keep in mind, I'm am not saying that the "big" teams won't allow you to have fun, I'm just suggesting that you find the team best fit for you, even if it is a team that place twelfth or the team that placed third.

So, in conclusion, when picking a team in Altador Cup IV, don't just pick a big team that you think will win automatically; pick a team you like. Pick that team that struggled year one but has improved greatly if you want! It doesn't matter if you win or lose; it matters if you have fun. The great people at Mystery Island have taught me this valuable lesson that I can use in Altador Cups and also in life. I encourage you to find your team that allows you to have fun while playing the games and not a team that expects you to sit there for hours on end playing while having no fun because it turns out they aren't the right team for you. Find your team, even if they haven't had the best record, they can have the best players. Explore your possibilities.

MI FTC! =D