rocklee711 asked if I'd do these for the West before last season started and I've gotten a couple of PM's asking if I'd do the same for this season. I finally got around to it...
Playoff Teams w/first-round home games... _______________________________________________
1) Queen City Black Cats • (66/83/80 • 55 • 1,121.32) • Let's recap. Queen City won CPL in Season 13 and spent Seasons 14 - 19 in the World League. In Season 20 they went a perfect 20-0 to return to the World League for a single season. Demoted briefly to the Eastern Conference they moved to the West where they're instant favorites to win the Conference if not the League trophy. Until some other team proves otherwise, they're easily the #1 team in the West.
2) Get Off Our LAWN!!! • (58/76/73 • 55 • 1,119.31) • They improved from 10-6 in Season 20 to 15-1 in Season 21. I suspect we'll see another strong showing in the Regular Season. That said, they've been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round each of their two seasons in existence. The delicate balance of improving chemistry and declining attributes has them peaking too early for them to be strong contenders for a trophy...or so it would appear.
3) Montreal Rulers • (78/100/83 • 55 • 1,091.24) • This team had the talent to go 16-0 in the regular season, but couldn't get past the Exiles in the playoffs. With rocklee711 and ep3388 running the show, this team is limited only by the effort they're wanting to put into it...especially with the Queen City Black Cats on the fast track back to the World League.
4) Arnprior Muskrats • (84/100/96 • 54 • 1,097.08) • The Muskrat Nation had a successful return to CPL last season, finishing with an 11-5 record and a #4 seed in the playoffs. Alas, they lost in round one in part because of their relatively young team. They're a little more seasoned this time around and should again vie for a home playoff game.
Playoff Teams w/first-round away games... _______________________________________________
5) St. John's Salty Dogs • (56/74/76 • 55 • 1,140.49) • Terrible team is terrible. Seriously, their chemistry is worse than the LAWN!!!'s...for that alone they should probably be ranked lower. They'll probably coast through the regular season only to make a little noise in the playoffs. Hopefully they can sneak into a rematch versus their oldest rival...going back to Season 3...in the Conference Championship.
6) MIAMI ROADFROGS • (71/87/94 • 55 • 1,098.66) • I saw this team as a contender last season, but they weren't able to put things together well enough to finish better than a sixth seed. They won the games they were supposed to have won, but didn't fare well against the conference's top teams.
7) Indian Creek Braves • (84/100/94 • 54 • 1,063.78) • A handful of their dots are in their second season of decline, but they look to be mostly special teamers. It's hard to see them as contenders for the conference...but I don't see them missing the playoffs either.
8) Jetnation Dream Team • (100/100/100 • 55 • 1,017.98) • These guys are still a young team, but one that's been together for a while. I expect they'll improve on last season's showing, but are still on the brink of missing the playoffs if they don't win each winnable game.
Non-Playoff Teams, the outside looking in... _______________________________________________
9) Windsor Wildcats • (71/83/93 • 55 • 1,031.50) • A newcomer to CPL, they're teetering between making and missing the playoffs. Even if they make the playoffs, it's unlikely they'll advance past the first round.
10) Saskatchewan Roughriders • (78/92/92 • 55 • 1,135.91) • Don't be too fooled by their high effective level...they're good, but they've also got 10 Centers on the roster. This was one team I couldn't get a good read on...they may well end up a 6th seed.
11) Houston Vikings • (44/74/68 • 51 • 1,107.80) • Just as with last season, their performance will improve as their chemistry heals...but, again, it will be too little, too late.
12) Victoria Longhorns • (80/96/100 • 51 • 989.56) • With about 90% of their dots just 359 days old, they're a season (or two) removed from contending...but they'll be a darn good team over the next 5 seasons if they can keep the core of their roster together.
Non-Playoff Teams, looking to avoid demotion... _______________________________________________
13) Black Hand Royal Assassins • (92/99/100 • 54 • 978.09) • Young Dots + Farm Team = How much effort will they put into winning?
14) Detroit Pyromaniacs • (75/88/98 • 47 • 1,119.32) • Went from forty to forty-seven dots overnight, but 5 of 'em were CPU dots.
15) Sackville Blitz • (75/100/88 • 42 • 1,082.03) • 41 Human, 1 CPU
16) The Officer Doofies • (75/100/86 • 46 • 1,076.63) • 34 Human, 12 CPU
Playoff Teams w/first-round home games... _______________________________________________
1) Queen City Black Cats • (66/83/80 • 55 • 1,121.32) • Let's recap. Queen City won CPL in Season 13 and spent Seasons 14 - 19 in the World League. In Season 20 they went a perfect 20-0 to return to the World League for a single season. Demoted briefly to the Eastern Conference they moved to the West where they're instant favorites to win the Conference if not the League trophy. Until some other team proves otherwise, they're easily the #1 team in the West.
2) Get Off Our LAWN!!! • (58/76/73 • 55 • 1,119.31) • They improved from 10-6 in Season 20 to 15-1 in Season 21. I suspect we'll see another strong showing in the Regular Season. That said, they've been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round each of their two seasons in existence. The delicate balance of improving chemistry and declining attributes has them peaking too early for them to be strong contenders for a trophy...or so it would appear.
3) Montreal Rulers • (78/100/83 • 55 • 1,091.24) • This team had the talent to go 16-0 in the regular season, but couldn't get past the Exiles in the playoffs. With rocklee711 and ep3388 running the show, this team is limited only by the effort they're wanting to put into it...especially with the Queen City Black Cats on the fast track back to the World League.
4) Arnprior Muskrats • (84/100/96 • 54 • 1,097.08) • The Muskrat Nation had a successful return to CPL last season, finishing with an 11-5 record and a #4 seed in the playoffs. Alas, they lost in round one in part because of their relatively young team. They're a little more seasoned this time around and should again vie for a home playoff game.
Playoff Teams w/first-round away games... _______________________________________________
5) St. John's Salty Dogs • (56/74/76 • 55 • 1,140.49) • Terrible team is terrible. Seriously, their chemistry is worse than the LAWN!!!'s...for that alone they should probably be ranked lower. They'll probably coast through the regular season only to make a little noise in the playoffs. Hopefully they can sneak into a rematch versus their oldest rival...going back to Season 3...in the Conference Championship.
6) MIAMI ROADFROGS • (71/87/94 • 55 • 1,098.66) • I saw this team as a contender last season, but they weren't able to put things together well enough to finish better than a sixth seed. They won the games they were supposed to have won, but didn't fare well against the conference's top teams.
7) Indian Creek Braves • (84/100/94 • 54 • 1,063.78) • A handful of their dots are in their second season of decline, but they look to be mostly special teamers. It's hard to see them as contenders for the conference...but I don't see them missing the playoffs either.
8) Jetnation Dream Team • (100/100/100 • 55 • 1,017.98) • These guys are still a young team, but one that's been together for a while. I expect they'll improve on last season's showing, but are still on the brink of missing the playoffs if they don't win each winnable game.
Non-Playoff Teams, the outside looking in... _______________________________________________
9) Windsor Wildcats • (71/83/93 • 55 • 1,031.50) • A newcomer to CPL, they're teetering between making and missing the playoffs. Even if they make the playoffs, it's unlikely they'll advance past the first round.
10) Saskatchewan Roughriders • (78/92/92 • 55 • 1,135.91) • Don't be too fooled by their high effective level...they're good, but they've also got 10 Centers on the roster. This was one team I couldn't get a good read on...they may well end up a 6th seed.
11) Houston Vikings • (44/74/68 • 51 • 1,107.80) • Just as with last season, their performance will improve as their chemistry heals...but, again, it will be too little, too late.
12) Victoria Longhorns • (80/96/100 • 51 • 989.56) • With about 90% of their dots just 359 days old, they're a season (or two) removed from contending...but they'll be a darn good team over the next 5 seasons if they can keep the core of their roster together.
Non-Playoff Teams, looking to avoid demotion... _______________________________________________
13) Black Hand Royal Assassins • (92/99/100 • 54 • 978.09) • Young Dots + Farm Team = How much effort will they put into winning?
14) Detroit Pyromaniacs • (75/88/98 • 47 • 1,119.32) • Went from forty to forty-seven dots overnight, but 5 of 'em were CPU dots.
15) Sackville Blitz • (75/100/88 • 42 • 1,082.03) • 41 Human, 1 CPU
16) The Officer Doofies • (75/100/86 • 46 • 1,076.63) • 34 Human, 12 CPU
